Apple Management Essay

Why was Dubinsky initially successful? Her first 3 years at apple from July 1981 through the fall of 1984 was ones continuous success with increasing authority and recognition. She refined and formalized the apple product distribution policy. She exactly understood apple situation in market and create a marketing execution funnel that Apple Company didn’t have this system before. She and her group took all apple products from their respective manufacturing sites to the dealers. They improved warehousing, customer service, credit, repair service, order entry, and a technical group to assist dealers. She was risk taker. Maintained relationship with apple dealers. Willingly and ably fought for her subordinates and for apple dealers and customers. Focused primarily on her caring and honest relationship with her subordinates, Worked closely with 6 distribution centers across the country, She always supported company decision even if she didn’t agree with it. She always had a company’s interest at heart, she was extremely intelligent, had a great sense of humor, had a good ability in presentation, she was self confident, she was very direct. How and why did things unravel? Steve Jobs forced Coleman to do Dubinsky’s job and set up a new distribution plan, and it was more than new distribution system. It was a total change in distribution and manufacturing strategy, taking apple from supply-driven to demand-driven and reducing the distribution and warehouse centers from six to zero, it focused only on central processing units, ignoring apple’s other products, there was no provision for customer complaints and product returns; it was inconvenient for dealers who would be required to split their request between the two product divisions and their respective directors of manufacturing. How did Dubinsky react and why? It was unfair from the side of Dubinsky because it should have been his job to prepare a new system for distribution if required. She found the wrong parts in the distribution plan of Coleman but she could not persuade others to change the company marketing strategy and they did not give her a chance to change or improve that. It’s obvious that she took an emotional decision. But she decided and made an ultimatum: if Campbell did not agree to her terms, she would leave apple. And after that she wrote her letter of resignation, she told weaver about her ultimatum. How should she and others at apple handle the circumstances differently? Steve Jobs was forcing Coleman to do Dubinsky’s job and set up a new distribution plan, and Jobs was doing that because he could make Coleman think in Job’s way, since he was working in Jobs division as director of manufacturing. But that was unfair from the side of Dubinsky because it should have been his job to prepare a new system for distribution if required, since she was responsible for distribution. In that situation, we cannot blame Dubinsky for getting offended; but on the other hand, it’s obvious that she took an emotional decision. She should have acted more professionally. She had already found the wrong parts in the distribution plan of Coleman. Other then criticizing, she should have spent her time on setting up another and new distribution plan. It is obvious that, Apple could reduce its costs with a new distribution system, so that, change was required and it would be done so mehow. She could have harmonized the system that Apple was already using and the system which was proposed by Coleman. It seems like some of the products that Apple manufactured were not suitable for the Just-in-time distribution system, and some of them were suitable. So they could use just-in-time system for some products, but also use the existing distribution system for the required products. That could reduce the number of warehouses and reduce the costs. Probably she should have come up with a new plan. She didn’t want any interventions from the outside while setting up her plan, but, that was an emotional reaction too. The ultimatum she gave was a wrong attitude. She should took recommendations and advice and evaluate a new plan for distribution. How do you explain the success of the transformation? Transformation is successful if improved efficiency and outcome or simplified the way to achievement. In order to remain successful, most businesses need to continually transform and reinvent themselves. Companies who understand this principle are better prepared for the future, and can adjust if need be to the changing world around them. Here are four guidelines that are important to the business transformation process. In order to have a successful transformation we need to: Understand our Company and Its Values understand our goals, set ourselves apart from others, decide our own future. Products and services may come and go, but a company should always remain true to its core values. It is not enough just to have goals. You also have to understand and completely believe in them. Even if you are in the process of transforming certain parts of your business, it is important to stay focused on the primary goals. Make sure you understand why your business exists, and how it makes a difference to your customers. Successful companies almost always have something about them that is just a bit different from their competitors. This is where business transformation can really come into play. Many times a company can greatly increase their level of success and profitability by just revising a few small details. Stay true to your overall goals and mission, but never stop searching for ways to add value and innovation to your company. What was done well and what could have been done differently? AACP had been transformed from an unprofitable hierarchical and demoralized organization whose very existence was at stake, to a profitable, modern and existing company. Bringing in senior managers from outside the industry to replace the old guard revitalized the entire organization .significant effort went into developing new insurance products .expanding distribution and launching bold marketing campaigns, started to actively engage with the local community. Set out to regain AACP’s position as Thailand number two life insurer .finding a replacement for the former chief agency .major change in how agents get paid. Build relationships. Exchange sales techniques .listen to motivational speakers and insurance industry leaders. Reorganization the agency sales force, restructuring the product portfolio, rebuilding the management team, re designing the work environment, reinforcing people management and†¦ but all these changes was regardless to culture factors and there was not sufficient time for employees and customers to adopt with these abrupt changes. It was better first persuade employees and customers about changes. Preparation is necessary before change. What is different about how transformation change works (or not) in Southeast Asia? Each of the Southeast Asian states and the manifold societies of which they are composed are going through incisive processes of transformation. Southeast Asia has long been identified and recognized as one of the most promising and thriving economic regions in the world, and thus inevitably a potential attraction for companies that want to expand their business activities. Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Philippines and Vietnam are enlisted among the fastest growing economies in the world. millions people has earned Southeast Asia a huge base of purchasing power and enriched it in terms of infrastructure development, communication and information technology, power sectors and environment. The members of ASEAN are a great market export destination for Canada after China. The entire credit goes to the explosive economic expansion and an equally strong demand. This happens not only because Southeast Asia has a strong foothold in foreign markets, but also because it gets huge tax benefits from different foreign countries. The strategic location, pro-business environment, attractive tax regulations, skilled labor, technologically superior infrastructure, competent legal set up, upstart lifestyle and a government that is stable as well as proactive, together contribute to the business culture of Southeast Asia. . Southeast Asia attracts a large number of international firms every year. As compared to the other Asian countries, Southeast Asia calls for the least amount of operations. Apart from the tourism industry, huge revenue is generated from trades and expo Southeast Asia is witnessing a huge boom in the IT industry as well. The IT industry is making its hub there and reducing their operational cost substantially. A number of companies in this region derive immense benefit from the similarities in terms of culture, language and even accents. Over all, it can rightly be said that the business culture of Southeast Asia is such that the region is constantly moving high towards the pinnacle of economic growth and justifying itself as a region of increased importance in today’s world of globalization. Clusters of dynamic economies that include the ‘newly emerging’ as well as the ‘highly developed’ are constantly operating and growing as per their characteristic manners and disciplines. All major world religions were established in Southeast Asia. In the course of their introduction to local societies, Hinduism (Bali, Java), Theravada Buddhism (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia), Sunni Islam (Indonesia, Malaysia), Christianity (Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam), Confucianism and Daoism (Vietnam) were adapted to, and transformed by, these societies’ beliefs and their ritually enacted ideas about the Socio-political, cosmological and moral order, with all these different in languages, cultures and religions. It is almost impossible to survive without change.