Manage change task 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Manage change task 3 - Research Paper Example The change includes installing new systems in the company and to also make drastic changes to the overall processes in a number of areas of the company. The need for change has been included in the following section. Need for Change: With the changing environment and the growing competition, there is a high need for the company to implement change. This will assist the company improve itself, as well as cater to the needs of the new clientele. During any crisis period, companies evaluate themselves and work towards improving their condition to help cope up with the changing environment and also to keep up the overall performance. Similarly, here the company has evaluated the environment and is focused on developing and improving the current position by improving its internal processes and overall working. Here this is a strategic step taken by the company to meet the competition and to also manage the financial crisis period effectively. SWOT Analysis: The company’s major stre ngth lies in the fact that it has a number of employees who are well versed and highly experienced in the field. Here it is important to note that the company has been performing well, which allows them to implement change in the current time of issue. The weakness of the company however is the lack of technical knowledge to keep up with the new clients. Here the company finds the clients systems very complicated and hence needs to follow the contract agreements. If the knowledge was a little higher here in this field, then the company could have equally participated and put down their agreement criteria as well. The threats that the company faces here is the lack of newer clients and also high competition that is being faced. Also, aspects like the uncertain future, together all these provide a major form of threat to the company. Also, in terms of the opportunities, the company has a wide range of opportunities to implement better systems and to work towards improving the overall processes of the company. Here although the period involves a low number of customers, this can be used to the company’s benefit and here the company can improve their own internal systems and processes. Cost Benefit Analysis: The company plans to implement a system for a total of approx. $60,000. Here the company is planning to spend on a system which has been found to be very un – friendly and has not received the best reviews (Buchan). The company is not only implementing a un – friendly system but is also risking the chances for high levels of resistance from the staff. Here implementing this system will lead the company to achieve the order for 1 million, however will led to loss of older employees who have been in the company for over twenty years. Barriers to Change and Minimization Strategy: There are a few barriers to change that might occur here in the case of the company: a) The employees will resist change, as the change involves the use of a new sys tem and the employees are not very computer savvy. Here to resolve this issue, the main steps that can be taken by the company is to develop a good training program to assist the employees learn the systems and also be more comfortable with the new processes. Another step that can be adopted by the company is to change the teams and to make the individuals with better computer knowledge to come into the team where the new system is being adopted. In order not to lose the older employees they can be given different

Comprehensive Strategic Case Analysis of Real Chocolate Study

Comprehensive Strategic Analysis of Real Chocolate - Case Study Example The company is noted for its perfection in hand made gourmet chocolate made from finest quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives added. This paper presents a strategic analysis of the case real chocolate company using some analytical tools such as the PESTLE framework, Porter's five forces and competitive advantage etc. The paper is structured as follows, in part one using the PESTLE framework the paper analyses the environment in which the company is operating based on the case, the Five forces framework of Porter also help us to beef our analysis. Part two of the paper carries out an internal analysis of the real chocolate company, by using basic financial ratios, the SWOT matrix, to identify its competitive advantage and resources capabilities while part three of the paper now uses Porters generic strategy and the TOWS matrix. In the concluding part of the paper, using the balance scorecard some recommendation are made. PESTEL framework is used here because the analysis is concerned with the Macro-environmental influences which can better be analysed by use of the PESTEL framework. Johnson et al (2006) states that the PESTEL framework is a framework that can be used to categorise the factors that influence the business environment of an organisation into six main types including: Political Influences, Economic influences, Technological influences, Social Influences, Environmental influences, and Legal influences. (See appendix 1). The political environment of the United States was unstable following the period of the case with the then Republican government loosing popularity because of the war in Iraq the tooth for tat with Iran, its neglect of Russian on key international issues. The situation was further made worst by its war for peace captioned "war against terror". Thus, at the time of the case, the poor political climate of the States must have affected the operations of real chocolate company international expansion. In 2006, the political situation of the countries was the beans are grown affected production negatively. Economic factors that affected real chocolate companies from the case, prices vary due to monetary fluctuations, raw materials are sources from other countries, the trade between US and Canada were the stores are based are liable to exchange rate fluctuations. Social factors include growth in population. It was reported in June 2006, that the black pod, frosty pod, and witches' broom di seases could adversely affect the cacao beans if these plant diseases are not controlled. Obesity is becoming a major concern in the USA. In 1986, the Centers for Disease Control reported that just eight states had 10 to 14 percent of the residents obese. Technological factor offers real chocolate company an opportunity of automated production without affecting