Strategy and its importance for competitive advantage

Strategy and its importance for competitive advantage A companys strategy is organization action plan which is running the business and conducting operations. Especially this can mention as managerial commitment to achieve their goals. Companies target on gaining sales and market share at the expense of competitors and companies which are in strong industry position are more reflect on the strategy what they use (Helfat, 2004). Through the action Plan Company can enter its competitors and can make the goals and strategies to meet their market place. A company should formulate a business strategy which incorporates cost leadership or differentiation to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Michael Porter introduced two basic types of competitive advantages which are cost advantage and differentiation advantage. Cost advantage exits when company can give same benefits as competitor with lower cost. And differentiation advantage exits when the company can make different benefits or the value to the customer from their products. As an Example BP is using combination of Crude oil and natural energy such as solar power to give differentiation to their customers and it is a well successful strategy. Source: http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=2contentId=7065607 (Access on 20th May 2011) There are several technical tools which are used to analysis situations in strategic Management. STEEPLE is one of it shortening the external environment in a business operates and concerned with the political, economic, social factors influential industry change and helps to gain a better understanding for external conditions for growth in a market. Companies or the decision makers can develop effective strategies by using GE Matrix as well (Thomas, ONeal, and Ghertman, 1997). The porters five forces investigation helps to diversity a competitive environment. For example, BP analyzes the market for Quality oil production. Five forces analysis describe five key areas exclusively the threat of entry, the power of buyers, the power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry (Bettis, 2004) Figure1. Porters Generic Strategies (source:http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Porter+five+forces+analysishl=enclient=opera) Competitors for BP Shell, Sharp, Kyocera, Solar, and BP are the current major players in this industry. Price differences are not big among these companies, solar energy is already expensive technology to produce, so its cost of production is very high, but it is environmental friendly. BP has mass production, so it can face to price rivalry happen. Business strategy in BP BP enter of solar market in 1973 and produced BP solar in 2000, it was one of main strategy to face current oil crisis and environment issues. BP solar becomes profitable but it is not prominently spread among the public, so government involvement is important to become popular of solar power. Evaluating BP External Environment BP is one from the world leading Multinational Corporation which produces Consumer energy, and it is UK based organization. BPs SWOT analysis can be mentioned as follows. Strengths World third largest energy company Operation spreads worldwide Strong Brand loyalty Good brand image Financial strength of the company. It has vertical integration operation system. Weaknesses Increase the petrol price in UK Has to paid criminal charges due to spread huge amount of oil in the Alaska Sea in 2006. Reduce in natural gas and crude oil production. Criticism and Controversies Opportunities Has high investment capacity Research to investigate alternative fuel such as Hydrogen, Solar, Wind and natural gas Extension of acquisition of North sea area Increase demand for natural gas in USA and Europe countries. Implement more flexible price polices to face their competitors. Gas and Oil exploration Treats Unsound policies related to Environment after oil and toxic spill in 2006. Explosion of refinery tunnels in occasionally Has big rivals such as Shell and Chevron Sold corporate owned stations. Pipeline corrosion Instability in some oil and gas producing countries and regions Table.1. SWOT analysis of BP By implementing proper marketing policies and practices company will make its market position. BP culture so distinctive because they focus on customer, and believe BP is better than all other Energy produce companies. Source: (http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968contentId=7059787) Effectiveness of Current Business Plans BP business plan has advantage in the Research and investigation area. The crude oil plus the solar power combinations was very successful strategy implemented in recently. Products segmentation, explorations and productions, significantly company restructuring, improve cost efficiency, centralized company departments are their current strategies to compete with rivalry and increase company profits. Task Two Strategic Options Strategic Options is an important facet and it helps to craft companys alternatives and provide safe and keep up the competitive situation. After situation analysis company can create strategic options to devise organizations external atmosphere and can scrutinize the potential. BP has a comprehensible strategy to invest to raise investigation and manufacture advantageously through a mixture of leadership positions in the worlds most productive hydrocarbon basins. BP creates value through the appliance of technology and potential to force performance and operating efficiency. The procedure and technology offers extensive chance for further expansion and improvement. The international requirements for energy for the next 20 years are such that hydrocarbons are still going to have a leading part in meeting that energy demand. BP supports emissions trading mechanisms as a means of putting a value on carbon in order to make appropriate investment decisions. BP spends on growing technology budget on potentially most competitively profitable innovations both in open and new power spaces. It is both a strategic option and an opportunity for BP when comparing with the rivals as BP is strategically positioned themselves in a highly innovative RD processes which is unmatchable by the rivals easily. While facing major challenges of dilapidated supplies and defense of supply in oil and gas, global warming and insist for pure energy in major markets, BPs percentage of expend on novel technologies is growing. BP has a decentralized en route for RD units. It also drives the strategic positioning of BP in competition among rivals. Operational excellence in acquiring right technologies from within and outer the organization and strategically as a winner of chosen new technologies, BP is keeping its innovation leadership in the industry. With an aim of being twice as good as next best competitor BPs innovation schema is far above the ground outline. Hence a low cost strategy is an ideal positioning for BP while serving to a large market segment that prefers a standard product. Corporate Mission of the BP BP mentioned that there goal for next few years to realize the latent impending of their advantage base by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of everything they do. They will dynamically drive cost and capital efficiency whilst at the same time maintaining the first main concern of safe and reliable operations. Objectives of the BP BP has some objectives for their growth in 2015. And all employees are working as a team to achieve company goals. Average 1-2% p.a. volume growth to 2015 Underpinned by upward resource base and quality through preference Key sources of growth beyond 2015 will come from: Increasing deepwater Leveraging expertise in gas Managing worlds enormous oilfields Enabled by application of technology Source-: http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=2contentId=7065607 Values and ethics of the BP BP is a compilation of resources and there people working together. To attain business objects they focus on sustaining and encouraging their leaders and staff. And they maintain recruitment stands and developing people skills at every level. BP is a well distinguish organization and wants to do some different in the world. BP is a performance driven company which is competitively booming. Through all this they prefer high ethical stand. Directions and methods of Strategic Options BPs direction is clear and it is the unrelenting pursuit of competitive leadership in respect of cash costs, capital efficiency and margin quality. The Strategy Clock is another suitable way to analyze a companys destructive position in comparison to the contributions of competitors. The Ansoff Growth matrix tool which is helps businesses to decide their product and market growth strategy. Figure 02.Ansoff Market mix (Source-: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix.htm) Steps to develop Strategic Options at BP To develop strategic options company can use following steps. Access the external context Priorities and gather Develop strategic options Rate the options Follow up Evaluating strategies at BP SOP Matrix is a tool which can use to identify the company relevant strategies through external environmental factors. As an example BP Opportunities and treats as below and by indentifying the external environmental factors can recognize the relevant strategies options. Opportunities Opportunities Strategic Option A Has high investment capacity Invest in HR development and through that develop the skills of the staff members. An same time invest in market opportunities. B RD to investigate alternative fuel such as Hydrogen, Solar, Wind and natural gas By research can find the best alternative and company can give attention to that. C Extension of acquisition of North sea area Can develop deep sea oil well. D Increasing demand for natural gas in USA and European countries. Efficient and effective resource allocation to maximize profit. Implement more flexible price polices to face their competitors. By price reducing can get more customers on their products Gas and Oil searching Will help to increase their market values and can demand them among the competitors Treats Treats Strategic Option Unsound policies related to Environment after oil and toxic spill in 2006. Understand the policies and work with less effect to environment Explosion of factory tunnels in occasionally By keeping the brand image without harm can face the problem Has big rivals such as Shell and Chevron To make company as No1. And more promotional works Sold corporate owned stations. Buy the stations Pipeline decomposition Should check the pipeline back and do the needful changers Insecurity in some oil and gas producing countries and regions Should find some more producers in case to use. BPs existing company strategies are, 1) Safe, obedient and consistent operations 2) Operational and financial force high dividends and cost diminution program Task Three SMART Objectives of BP BP Objectives are prepared according to SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed).That means it should be particular about what we are going to achieve and should calculate about the objectives. There are a several types of objectives like process objectives, outcome objectives, personal objective that all can be done in the SMART format. BPs five year plan objectives are, Increase profitability by 20% Increase production Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills Five year development plan for BP Business plan is a statement about companys future goals and plans to achieve those goals. This can be externally focus or internally focus. BPs Strategies in development can position as, Upstream growth Downstream turnaround Alternative Energy: alert disciplined Corporate overview In the upstream will hub on cost and capital efficiency to distribute profitable growth. In the downstream will drive additional efficiencies and a focus on quality and incorporation. They will maintain their disciplined approach to substitute energy and will carry on unlock corporate efficiency through a culture of uninterrupted enhancement. Five year development plan for BP # Objective Strategy Actions Performance Indicators Time Period 1 Increase profitability by 20% Research and development Hire most qualified researchers Innovative ways of doing things One year 2 Increase production Acquisition of north sea area. Negotiations with governments and agreeing for a joint profit sharing. Coming into an agreement with relevant governments Two years 3 Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand Sales and Marketing approaches to increase market share Recruiting experienced sales and marketing people and objective training Acquiring new market opportunities, increase the market share One year 4 Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills Communication and promotion strategy Using new media opportunities of social media to build brand name again, invest in CSR activities in Go Green. Reduce the black mark 3 years Evaluating and implementing the plan In business strategy, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington shows a model in strategic options are evaluated next to three key success criteria such as Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability. Source-: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_management # Objectives Time Line 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 1 Increase profitability by 20% X 2 Increase production X X 3 Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand X 4 Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills X X X Table.03. Five year BP strategic plan Conclusion When it is mention about the strategic management and the leadership strategic planning is a major part of it. Strategic planning can divide in to three stages as strategic Analysis, Strategic Options and Evaluation and Implementation. The British petroleum Corporation is a well established organization in petroleum industry and here it is mentioned about the strategy and competitive advantages of the BP and the technical tools which could they can use to analysis situations. The porters five forces investigation helps identify the competitive environment BP analysis their market for Quality production. There are so many competitors like Solar, sharp in the market and BP establish with mass production. By doing the SWOT analysis its helping company to identify the internal and external environment of the company. BP is focused on customers and they believe in their productions. They used the oil plus solar power combination and they used product segmentation, improve cost efficiency and some more strategies to increase their profits. They have created value through technology and this is a barrier for their competitors. Company can use strategy clock, Ansoff growth matrix tools to analysis their position in the market. To develop strategic options first it should identify the external context and priorities and clusters. Then it should develop the strategic options. SOP matrix is best tool to identify the strategies of the company.

The Poor Grass In The New Place :: essays research papers

I am strangely idealistic early in the morning. I almost feel like singing sometimes. There is something about Times Square at 7:30 AM. You notice a lot. The desolateness. The workers in their blue jumpsuits, loading and unloading. And the calm in a place not usually known for calm. This is where I wake myself up most mornings with a walk from 42nd to 56th St when I opt to get off the train a little early. The few I run into with some regularity smile at me with an unspoken friendship. I find pleasure in the view of skyscrapers reaching up to the blurry skies. So different from the reality that is the near-ghetto landscape of Bushwick, the place where I had been only an hour before. The place where I live. I can almost feel everyday on the L, the second I leave Bushwick, like I’m leaving to another world. That second brings back the memory of another world I left. The small island where I was born, the place I can barely even remember anymore. I think sometimes with a smile and sometimes with self-pity of those first months in an alien place. I was six that year. My parents never explained anything to me. Mi mami dressed me up one day in a little flowery dress and it was really hot and we all went in a long taxi drive to this huge place with lots of people and we had all these bags and then everyone was crying and then we went in this thing and we were flying and I got scared and I was crying and we got here and that’s it. That was all I understood. And we had to start our lives in an incredibly alien place. I was very unhappy. I hated the other girls at school before I could even understand them. I envied their smiles and their new shoes and their Mickey Mouse book bags. How I lived my days with envy. It was my companion on the way to school and on my lonely way back. That big, red brick, building loomed intimidating in the distance that first day as I neared the corner of Wilson Av. But it really never stopped looking that way. School was a blur of pointing fingers, impatient faces and bored, droning voices who mispronounced my name. I was always so silent, staring at the ground.

Cotton Profile

Cotton holds the position of being the most used fiber in the world as well as the â€Å"number one fiber used for apparel in the United States† (Willbank). Cotton belongs to the same family of hibiscus and okra. Among cotton’s species are the American Upland Cotton, a low multi-branch shrub grown annually; the long fiber Egyptian and the Sea Island cottons botanically grown in Egypt and brought to the U. S. ; and the Pima, originally known as American-Egyptian cotton (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). The exact age of cotton is unknown. Scientists, however, found â€Å"fiber and ball fragments from the TehuacA?n Valley of Mexico,† which they determined to be about 7000 years old. Cotton has been grown and used in India for more or less 5000 years (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). About 3000 years ago, it was â€Å"grown and made into cloth in the Indus River Valley in Pakistan (Willbanks), the same time Egyptians in the Nile Valley made and wore cotton clothing (â€Å"The Story of Cotton†). More than 1,300 years ago, Chinese emperor Ou-ti was recorded to have worn a cotton robe in his succession to the throne (Textile Exhange). In approximately 800 A. D. , Arab merchants brought cotton in Europe.In 1492, â€Å"Christopher Columbus found cotton in the Bahama Islands† (Willbanks). In 1607, cotton â€Å"was one of the earliest crops grown by European settlers† in Jamestown colony (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). In 1730, the first machinery to spin cotton was used in England. It was in 1793 when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine used to separate cotton fiber from the seed. This gin made the separation process 50 times faster than doing it by hand (Willbanks). Today the whole world knows cotton. Its major producing countries are China, which â€Å"produced approximately 20 million bales of cotton,† and the United States, with 17.2 million bales of cotton productio n in 2000 (â€Å"The Many Faces of Cotton†). Other major producers are the Soviet States, and India, while less producing countries include Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, Iran, and Sudan (Textile Exchange). There are three types of cotton, namely, low to medium grade cotton, better grade cotton, and organic cotton. The type â€Å"found in mass-produced goods and cotton blend goods† are called ‘low to medium grade cotton. ’ Better grades are the type with longer-staple cotton, often found in fine quality shirts and beddings.Examples of this type are the Egyptian cotton, Pima, Supima, American Egyptian, and Sea Island. Cotton grown without use of any pesticide and fertilizer is called organic cotton (Willbanks). Some of the famous manufacturers of cotton are Barhardt Manufacturing, BBA Nonwovens Veratec, Brannoc Fibers, Ltd. , Cotton Incorporated, Ihsan Sons (PVT) Limited, Leigh Fibers, and Textiles and Nonwovens Directory (Hegde et al. ) Based on the historical accounts on cotton fiber, it primarily served the purpose of clothing in various parts of the world.However, in the early 20th Century, a few cotton mills in the U. S. found â€Å"ways to upgrade the waste cotton fibers into saleable products. † This was the goal they had that was why they bonded fiber waste with latex and resin, whose end product was industry wipes (Hegde et al. ) Products such as â€Å"draperies, table cloths, napkins, and wiping towels† were developed after the World War II (Hegde et al. ). As people discovered mechanics and invented machines, cotton fiber served more and newer purposes than it originally did.Cotton is not only used for simple clothing but in a wide range of products and end uses, such as the basic apparel – blouses, shirts, dresses, children’s wear, active wear, separates, swimwear, suits, jackets, sweaters, neckwear, skirts, pants and hosiery (Swicoli AG Textile Services); shoes, handbags, and luggage (Willbanks); home fashion – curtains, bed spreads, comforters, throws, sheets, table mats (Swicoli AG Textile Services), upholstery fabrics, rugs, wall coverings, and tobacco cloth; sanitary supplies; industrial abrasives; book bindings (Willbanks); and medical and cosmetic applications – bandages and wound plasters (Swicoli AG Textile Services). It was found out in 1994 that 63 percent of cotton was utilized for apparel, 29 percent for home furnishings, and eight percent for industrial products and exportations (Willbanks). Within the last decade, bleached cotton fiber used for processing on conventional non-woven equipment has attracted interest and became available, particularly in medical and healthcare applications like in wiping and wiper markets and some apparel markets. However, since bleached cotton for non-woven application is relatively new, it is quite an expensive fiber and its sources are few (Hegde et al. ).Cotton fiber was also tapped to help control th e problem of soil erosion. Mulch & Seed Innovations, together with Cotton Incorporated and the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, has created â€Å"two all-natural cotton-fiber hydro mulch products† to answer the soil erosion problem. These mulches are more favorable than wood, paper, or synthetic ones because they allow grass seeds to develop faster while protecting the soil against heavy wind and rain (Delta Farm Press). This is all because cotton is porous, absorbent, and biodegradable, which makes it perfect for controlling soil erosion and developing seed (qtd. in Delta Farm Press).Cotton’s popularity is rooted from its desirable properties, which includes aesthetics, comfort, breathability, absorbency, soft hand, durability, and easy care (Shukr US). Cotton fabric, which is 100 percent untreated, â€Å"has a pleasant matte luster; a soft drape† (Willbanks) or fall (Shukr USA); â€Å"and a smooth hand† (Will banks) or appearance to the eye (Shukr USA). Cotton fabric is also known to be very comfortable due to its soft hand (Willbanks). In addition, it possesses excellent absorbency or â€Å"ability to take in and hold moisture. † However, it is not good at releasing it, thus poor wickability or â€Å"ability to transport moisture perspiration away from the body to the garment’s surface† (Shukr USA).Moreover, cotton is known for its breathability or air permeability, the ability of a â€Å"fabric to allow air to pass through its construction. † However, when cotton fabric becomes too moist or wet, its breathability is reduced (Shukr USA). Another undesirable feature of cotton fabric is that it wrinkles and shrinks easily. But with treatment or blending with polyester, wrinkles and shrinks are both reduced (Shukr USA). Cotton fabrics require easy care. They can be machine washed and dried. But sunlight harms cotton, â€Å"causing it to oxidize and turn yellow. † Acids also harm cotton fabrics. Cotton fabrics can be bleached but not too much since this will weaken the fibers (Willbanks). The cotton fiber is preferred by majority of consumers worldwide.This is why it will continue to increase its share in the fabric market (Hegde et al. ). Thanks to cotton’s rich history, desirable properties, and variety of uses, life now is more comfortable. Works Cited â€Å"Cotton. † Swicofil AG Textile Services. 12 October 2007 . â€Å"Fiber History. † Textile Exchange. 12 October 2007 . Hegde, Raghavendra, et al. â€Å"Cotton Fibers. † University of Tennessee Knoxville. 2004 April. 12 October 2007 . â€Å"History of Cotton. † Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association. 2001. 12 October 2007 . Penton Media.â€Å"Cotton-fiber hydromulch option for erosion control. † Delta Farm Press. 28 September 2007. 12 October 2007 . Shukr USA. 2007. Fabric Guide. 12 October 2007 . â€Å"The Story of Cotton. † Cotton Counts Education Resources. 12 October 2007 . â€Å"The Many Faces of Cotton. † Cotton Counts Education Resources. 12 October 2007 . Willbanks, Amy. â€Å"Cotton. † Fabrics. Net. 12 October 2007. .

The Morality Of Drones Morality - 1955 Words

The Morality of Drones Moral, by definition, from the Webster Dictionary, concerns the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character (Webster Dictionary, 2015). Recently, drones have been put on a moral watch list by governments around the world and the people they preside over and rightfully so (Arria, 2012). Drones, being equipped with Hellfire missiles that possess the ability to travel at high speeds, carry a large amount of baggage. It is understandable why some people see these killer robots as extremely troubling (Arria, 2012). The United States’ presence via drones in countries whom they are not at war with raise questions in regards to the legality of the U.S.’s operations (Eickenberg,†¦show more content†¦Surprisingly, some political scientists, moral philosophers, and weapons specialists conclude the use of unmanned, armed aircrafts offer moral advantages over almost any other tool of warfare (Dozier, 2013). â€Å"I had ethical doub ts and concerns when I started looking into this,† stated Bradley J. Strawser, a former Air Force officer and an assistant professor of philosophy at the Naval Postgraduate School (Eickenberg, 2013). Strawser concluded, after researching a concentrated study of remotely piloted vehicles, that using drones to go after terrorists is not only ethically acceptable, but may also be ethically necessary. This is due to the drones abilities to efficiently identify enemy combatants and strike with absolute precision (Eickenberg, 2013). Strawser questioned, â€Å"You have to start by asking, as for any military action, is the cause just† (Eickenberg, 2013)? Therefore, Strawser went on to further back up his opinion by stating, â€Å"all the evidence we have so far suggests that drones are better at both identifying the terrorist and avoiding collateral damage than anything else we have† (Eickenberg, 2013). From the standpoint of a military professional who has explored bo th the negative and positive aspects embodying drones, the positives simply outweigh the negatives. Drone operators possess