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Free BlackBerry Company Essay Sample
1. Perform an internal analysis of the firm using the resource-based view:
What are the firms resources, capabilities, and competencies?
Blackberry Company offers products that are innovative. There is a rising trend in the consumer segments. Users of Smartphone are demanding features that are versatile, which encompass entertainment and technological aspects like mobile blogging, internet browsing, social networks, video and audio player, GPS and Wi-Fi. The company has so far launched many products such as Blackberry Curve, Blackberry Pearl Flip and Blackberry Storm that integrates all such features. On the other hand, the company offers products that take into consideration the consumers need for security, manageability and usability. This is made possible by RIM. RIMs distinct feature, which makes Blackberry become so desirable among prosumers and users, is the push mail functionality that permits users to see new emails automatically on their device. Moreover, RIMs secure enterprise receiver and proprietary OS enables end to end platform, which offer enterprise users with security that is comprehensive. As a result, this allows users connect and converge to IBM Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, Novell GroupWise, as well as many ISP email services.
In respect to the equity of the brand, Blackberry Company is in number 51 on the Millward Brown Top one hundred brands that are most powerful in the globe. Blackberry Company is also rated the fasted growing brand with a 390% increase in the value of the brand. In addition, in North America, Blackberry is number one selling. In terms of distribution, sales and marketing, Blackberry fosters a partnership that is strategic with various networks, as well as distributors all over the world. As a result, the company attains the ability to save costs by avoiding direct sales and marketing on promotion costs. This strategy permits the company to focus its resources and time to research and development and services in order to ascertain that it continues to offer attractive solutions and devices to customers. The company continues to scale its capacity in manufacturing through expanding its facility, upgrading test equipment and products and introducing new global sourcing partners.
In terms of the management team, the company believes that the main factors that contribute to its achievements are the strong skills and quality of the management team and other personnel. Through bringing together a management team that is highly qualified, with extensive experience, which encompasses both engineering and management skills, the company can meet the challenges, as well as excel in the smartphone industry that has become highly competitive. Using strong talents in the research and development team, Blackberry Company can incorporate all the intricate components towards developing innovative products. Alternatively, the company has a strong presence among many networks. This is because it is recognized among consumers to be among the premier smartphone brands.
In terms of the companys supply chain management, Blackberry continues to advance its practice in manufacturing, more especially for the introduction of new products through incorporating supply chain activities with the activities of internal research and development. Also, the company integrates flexible production capacity to its own manufacturing. On the other hand, the companys procurement team is accountable for negotiating directly the price with component suppliers, as well as managing all sourcing decision.
The organizational practice in Blackberry is dedicated to operational excellence, product innovation and the satisfaction of customers. There are many services in the company that has been launched inclusive of the BlackBerry Certification Program. This program is meant for the companys partners enhance their knowledge of the software and hardware of the company products. Also, there is the BlackBerry Support Community Forum, which is a self-service discussion that brings together IT administrators and device users. The other service is the BESC (BlackBerry Expert Support Center), which offers technical support online for accounts, which have technical support contracts. There is also Blackberry Answers, which is both a desktop and mobile self-serve question and answer centre.
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Does the firm possess valuable, rare, costly to imitate resources, and is it organized to capture value from those resources (VRIO analysis)?
Blackberry has valuable, rare, costly to imitate resources, which it exploits in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Such resources in the VRIO analysis can be grouped into marketing, business technical and operational resources. Some of these resources originate from the actuality that, in the smartphone market, RIM was the first mover. This implies that Blackberry Company has considerable capabilities, as well as resources as a result of the experience it has gained in the smartphone market, its developed relationship with distributors and carriers and corporate customers and its massive customer base. Blackberry brand has a leveragable and valuable resource, which aids the company to sell to business and users. The Blackberry system in RIM is recognized to be one of the most smartphone systems that are secure in the business. The companys products such as the Blackberry Enterprise server softer offer the business, not only competitive advantage, but also high revenue returns. The other resources and capabilities are inclusive the proximity of the companys headquarters, a stable stream of interns, access to the famous academic research and facility centers, as well as the companys culture that encourages innovation, creativeness and hard work.
What is the firms value chain?
Blackberry is a multinational company that appreciates that its supply chain must reach many parts of the world and different communities, each with its own business norms and culture. Also, the company is responsible in realizing that there are specific standards of environmental and employment performance, which must be observed and respected wherever the company operates or has its business relationship. The company is a participant that is active in business initiatives, which champion environmental and social responsibility. Complying to the Code is among the major expectations of carrying out business, and it is included on the contract renewal and new supplier contracts. Also, the company encourages its suppliers to apply similar standards in their own operation of the supply chain.
Blackberry Company recognizes that across the diverse spectrum of suppliers that it engages in and the geographies that it operates in, there exists the potential for unethical environmental and social practices. As a result, the company applies risk assessment procedures in order to realize the suppliers that have the biggest risks of noncompliance to its Supplier Code and aids in managing such risks. The company applies this process to those suppliers of components and materials directly connected to the manufacture of Blackberry Company materials. On the other hand, the company assesses its total supply base annually. It is the requirement of the company that suppliers get classified as high risk in order to complete assessment questionnaire applying the EICC-ON tool of supplier management. On the basis of these results, the company can then become involved with suppliers whether through an onsite audit, or directly to verify the shortfalls, comprehend the root causes, as well as agree on proper preventative or corrective actions.
Blackberry Company sustains the principle of freely selected employment and does not sustain the application of slave labor in any of its forms, inclusive of child labor and forced labor. On top of its audit program, the company is involved with the building of capability activities in order to advance lasting and sustained change at the facilities of its suppliers. The company leads the GeSI and EICC working groups, which develops courses for training and other programs in order to develop information on the supply chain of electronics. On the other hand, the company facilitates its suppliers to get involved in GeSI and EICCs program in safety and health and workers-management communications. Also, training program can be part of the preventive action plan of the supplier to deal with non-conformance. The company recognizes the importance of comprehending the scale of its supply chain impact on the environment; for instance GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, water use and waste generated, in order to recognize opportunities to lower such effects and increase the efficiency of the supplier. The company collaborates with its suppliers to ascertain that environmental strategies are put in place inclusive of resource reduction commitments, as well as programs to achieve their targets.
2. Analyze the firms current business-level and corporate-level strategies:
Business-level strategy (product market positioning)
Blackberry focuses its main product, mobile handset devices for its revenue and business growth. The companys business strategy to increase its revenue aims on positioning its devices to target different segments whereby the smartphone is entering the mature product stage with a potential growth that is strong. On the other hand, the Blackberrys business level strategy focuses on various handset devices targets at varied customer segments, prosumers, enterprises, as well as consumers in order to meet corporate business strategy to penetrate the consumer market. Since the sale of the handsets brings in revenue for the other business units as software and service, the business level strategy focuses on selling the devices itself. Blackberry devices can be divided to three types on the basis of their targets, customers, features and place.
In respect to the prosumers, the first Blackberry clamshell phone was aimed at the prosumers looking for their first smartphone. Also, it is the phone that is customer-oriented that the Blackberry has introduced. Unlike the previous versions, the pearl integrates a camera, music player and other multimedia functions and aims at the younger people and generation who just switch to smartphone. In respect to the consumers, the company introduced the first touch screen and devices with a psychical keyboard that intended to become a direct competitor to the T-Mobile G1 by HTC, Apple iPhone 3G, and the HTC Touch family. In respect to the enterprise, all the Blackberry applications are readily available on the Bold: WordMole, PowerPointToGo, AWordToGo, BrickBreaker. Also, the Bold provides updated or new applications for BlackBerry Mobi4Biz, WHERE GPS and Messenger.
The companys pricing strategy reflects an organization that is aware that it can charge more for its products due to its brand name; however, not too much because customers for smartphone have almost zero loyalty to brands. Just like the other players in the industry of smartphone, the pricing strategy of Blackberry reflects an approach known as the waterfall where a particular product becomes inexpensive over time while newer products fill up the place of products, which are highly priced. For instance, the Blackberry model, the 7000 series was sold at $500 when it was first introduced to the market. However, over the years, the model has experienced a significant drop in price. Currently, the model sells at a very cheap price meanwhile the newer Storm and Bold models have taken the place or flagship and the $500 price tag. This implies that Blackberry has continuously updated its product portfolios using newer breakthrough products so that they can offer consumers a reason to pay a high price of a smartphone and since consumers anticipate the price of any smartphone to lower over time.
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Corporate-level Strategy (Diversification)
Blackberry is using its value devices with its capabilities and resources to modify its strategy to meet the goal of its corporate strategy. There are several techniques and methods that the company applies to developing its corporate level strategy. Blackberry expands its portfolio with new smartphone models, as well as encompasses support for the emerging network technologies. Blackberry aims in developing enhancements to its devices and software platforms to grow its customer base, both the new and existing markets. Also, the company targets strengthening and growing with its distribution and carrier partnerships all over the globe. Blackberry Company enhances the experience of the user further through working closely with its partners so that it develops mobile applications that are compelling. Besides expanding and leveraging outsourcing partnerships and increasing the outsourcing manufacturing volumes, the company hires, retains and attracts the best talent available in order to sustain Blackberrys market leading position.
International Strategy (Geographic Scope and Mode of Entry)
A key challenge for many of high growth multinational companies is how they can achieve the perfect balance between emerging and mature business strategies, talent development and organizational design and culture. Just like the many successful technological firms, Blackberry Company has a strong culture built up around its headquarters, operations and the staff. In order to support the companys fast international growth, Blackberry stresses on the development of skills, vital career experiences, and paying attention to the establishment of the international leadership experience. Penetrating the global market is a challenge irrespective of the size of the business. However, in the case of Blackberry, the companys international strategies depend on its ability to develop and supply its products to meet the needs of its consumers. So far, the company has managed to have successful penetration to international markets. This has been made possible through the company efforts to first become accustomed to the country and central aspects, as well as leveraging its global expertise and products in a manner that is respective.
The company understands the importance to develop a global competence. The company decides whether it needs to establish global awareness of its products, services and software and remain focused on a particular local area. On the other hand, Blackberry has evolved in the manner it approaches global markets in order to improve the potential in international markets. The company is proactive in utilizing and identifying local capacity and external partnership in order to achieve flexibility in global markets.
Blackberry penetrates new countries by being logical, strategic and meticulous in its approach. When moving to new geographical area, it is inevitable that procedures and practices will be different. The majority of nations have their own set of regulations and laws regarding conducting business and importing. Cultural and language challenges are also a different barrier. In order to face such challenges, the company hires locally when penetrating to a new territory. Local experts possess a better understanding of business sales practices and language and culture of their particular regions and can provide a different perspective to conducting business in the area. Such a practice has proved a success. Using a local representative in the global markets that are immersed and multifaceted on the local market has put the company ahead of its competitors, as well as continues to increase its international expansion.
How are these Strategies being implemented?
The strategies that have been discussed above are implemented by being incorporated to the companys organizational culture and practices. The success of the company products is driven by employees who are passionate, outstanding partnerships, a commitment to quality, unique technological expertise and culture that embraces operational excellence, customer service and innovation. Blackberry Company believes strongly in creative thinking and innovation, and recognizes the significance of offering a setting, which inspires people in order to realize their full potential.
