The table below lists E.P. main products:
III. Overview of market:
The publishing industry is very competitive. E.P is competing with many printing companies (magazines/newspapers), and packaging industries. As a result, it is essential for E.P. to have a competitive advantage over its competitors. Therefore, the company’s competitive advantage is to have unique products such as magazines that are a combination of entertainment articles and TV guides. As well as, entering different publishing fields to provide different products to be on top of competitors.
Market segmentation:
The company’s target market is:
- Housewives.
- Users of multi-channel TV.
- Real-estate industries.
- Contractors.
- Banks.
- Financial institutions.
- Manufactures.
- Education Ministry.
- Chamber of Commerce.
Evaluation:
Marketing Strategies:
E.P. shows useful marketing strategies. The company’s marketing plan is based on advertising in media (Radio, TV), competitive magazines, newspapers ( 7days, Gulf news), and Rolling pub. In addition, E.P. issues free copies to market its directories. In my view, these marketing techniques are effective because the advertisement message will reach the company’s target market easily. In addition, E. P. has 35 sales people distributed as 8 for Tele Sales, and 27 Outside Sales Rip, to offer customer services in order to get customers as much as possible.
The company also offers places or pages in the magazines for other businesses to advertise, the charge for these advertisements differ, in which ads on the cover pages are more expensive. However, it offers cash discounts to its regular or loyal customers like LG, for using their magazine to market their product. Cash discounts about 5% are also given to a customer who pays his/her payables within short period. In my opinion this strategy is useful to encourage customers to pay their payables quickly in order to provide the company with needed supplies for operation.
Prices:
The magazine prices range between AED 8-15 while competitors prices range between AED 5-50, therefore this will attract customers to buy magazines produced by Express Print because they are affordable.
Customer Service:
Express Print is very concerned with customer service. It asks for their opinion in order to enhance the quality of the products. For examples, surveys indicated that customers are interested in fashion magazines, so the company added fashion section in their magazine to meet customers needs.
IV. Financial analysis:
E.P. financial information is not transparent, because of the huge competency in its business industry. However, some critical information was obtained. In terms of debts, the company is doing relatively well, since it doesn’t have bad debts. It manages the cash flow by covering costs and regular payments. E.P. is also managing the collection of customers receivables on time or in advance in case of cash discounts.
In my point of view, the company’s way in handling the economic changes is effective. For example, if the economy experiences inflation, sales people try to increase the number of customers, cut staff, reduce the quality of products in order to cover costs. The company also tries to increase the products prices. However, the later approach is not used very often because it is difficult to increase the prices as it may push the customers away.
V. Overview of technology implemented:
Express Print believes in investing in technology and considers it as an important element for any business to succeed. The company tries to follow the rapid changes in technologies by obtaining new machines that improve the quality of products. In order to increase the efficiency of work, E.P. inserts new systems such as assignment systems or creates it own custom systems as they have for the accounting transactions. In addition, the company depends on computers and the Internet to market their products.
VI. Overview of management style:
Express Print is divided into three departments which are the sale, production, administrative departments. The company’s management theory is based on having the right person in the right place. This approach is carried out by matching the personality of the employee with the position that he/she will fit in. For example, employees working in the sale department should be extrovert and service-oriented, the production department employees should be detailed-oriented, and the administrative employees should be introvert.
The structure of E.P. is divided into a hierarchy of levels, in which it is consisted of CEO manager, supervisors, and staff each of different functions and degree of authority.
After analysis, it was found that the company follows several management theories such as the Y-theory in terms of believing that the employees are valuable assets and dependable, and should be empowered in order to increase the quality of their job performance. E.P. uses also The Behavioral Model of management and that has be noticed from the behaviors of the company CEO manager Serage Brouillet, since he trust, cares, and respects his employees. He depends primarily on management principles that focus on teamwork and delegation such as the Mary Parker-Follett theory that stresses on employees should control their work, be involved in the work development process.
The company also thinks that having a comfortable organization culture is important. In order to achieve that E.P. concentrates on motivating employees. It has different motivation styles such as recognitions, bounces, and commissions. In addition, every morning the employees including the managers clap to those who succeeded in a sale. Express Print believes that motivation even if it was just a recognition will have a positive effect on the employee.
VII. Managerial leadership roles analysis:
It is essential for any manager to have the eight managerial leadership roles. However, each manager has some roles that are more obvious than others. The following managerial leadership roles were observed three of E.P. managers:
Serage Brouillet (CEO manager):
Shaheeda Abdul Qadir (Sales Director):
Abdul Wahid Abdul Qadir (Production Manager):
Not much was observed about Abdul Wahid:
VIII. Future plans:
The company is planning to expand because of rapid development in the economy of Dubai. As a result, the company will have a new warehouse in Dubai Print Village. In addition, E.P. is planning to use advanced programs that allow customers to check their requests and ease their transactions.
X. Weaknesses and Recommendations:
E.P. weaknesses:
- The company’s website is not professional and it is hard to get information from it.
- The office environment is not motivating.
- The office location in Al Qarhood is not suitable for the business because it is in the middle of the city where the traffic and there is no parking lots for employees.
- No response from the managers after the visit.
Recommendations:
- They should try to change the style of the website in order to make it more attractive and easy to use.
- They should use nice wallpaper on the offices walls in order to make the place looks better for both the employees and the clients.
- They should try to move their main branch from Al Qarhood to another area, or provide parks for employees and clients of the company.
- Try to keep good relationships with others for the company’s reputation seek.
X. Results and analysis:
The SWOT analysis provides a summary of the report:
XI. Bibliography:
Express Group, (2002), .
Express Pack Print, (2002),
Lecture by Serage Brouillet, CEO manager.
Lecture by Shaheeda Abdul Qadir, Sales director.
Tour in the factory by Abdul Wahid, Production manager.