Case Analysis

Development Management






Ailene May A. Pacia
Rheamie B. Bautista
Rachiel Ivy Padagas
Cherry Jane Jurada
Charles Earl Navaja
3-BSBA-A









Submitted to:

Professor Nerissa dela Pea


Case 9.1 Research One Ltd (ROL)*
(Case Study)


I. Problem

Based upon the issues stated in the case, though ROL has been steady progressive
and profitable over 7 years in service industry, it was experiencing difficulties to make a
consistent and clear understanding of consumer requirements and delivering delay
results and proving that SOW was an effective way to meet not just customer
satisfaction but also customer delight.

II. Situational Analysis

Competitive Analysis

ROL is a Knowledge Service Company based on an international standard. It assists
clients to make focused strategic decisions. It provides market research, business
intelligence reports and media services.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: The Research One Ltd has been in business for over 7 years and has
grown from just 14 people in 2002 to 400 in 2009 and a very profitable organization.
Its revenues have grown five times from $4 Million to $20 Million, from 6 sales staff
to 60 including onsite/offsite account managers. It is consistent in delivering
customer satisfaction and made steady progress in sales growth of over 30%.

Weaknesses: Lack of consistency of delivering customer satisfaction.
Mismanagement of onsite/offsite account managers. The system of delivery flow
wasnt enough to clearly understand customer requirements.

Opportunities: ROLs major clients are US based including industrial, consumer
and retail, technology and telecom, media and automotive.

Threats: Knowledge Services Company like ROL is an expensive one. A competitor
who offers same services is one of its threats. Extensive Research efforts beyond
SOW due to shifted service strategy. Also, the economic and political condition
affects the company in developing effective solutions to issues/problems.

III. Alternative Courses of Action

1. Have a checklist and code of good customer handling practices.

Advantage: These are systematic method for finding out the customers stated
and implied needs, better means to clearly understand the service requirements
to be provided. Checklist helps eliminates communication gap. These might help
delivery team to develop the Scope of Work (SOW) to get customer delight. Also,
this could help ensure the realization per project hour closer to the benchmark
$150.

Disadvantage: Some customers may find it hard to fill up the checklist. The code
of good customer handling practices is a process that takes time. These must be
properly executed to be super effective.

2. Delighting Customers: offering customers what they wont have expected.

Advantage: The ROL Company should be familiar with common human nature
and try to understand the hidden needs or requirements of their customers or
clients. As a service organization, it should look for such opportunities for
delighting the customers, since it is their only own interest to delight the
customers by fulfilling their unstated needs and become their friend. Better plans
as possible. They must not stick to the practices from which they failed. This may
lead to a more business in ROL. This could ensure the realization per project
hour closer to the benchmark $150.

Disadvantage: If ROL just only tries to satisfy the written documents or what just
stated in the contract, then definitely it never likes to delight the customers and
retain them in the long run. If failed to execute delighting customers, the Scope of
Work (SOW) will

3. Encourage education and self improvement of the employees.

Advantage: The onsite and offsite generally can gain more confidence and
become more focus executing their works. They can initially understand more
deeply the customer needs, they are more oblige and skilful to give good service
quality.

Disadvantage: If employees tactlessness and uneasiness is filled in their work
they generally make mess and give poor quality service. They are not good in
better understanding of the customer requirements.

4. Consistently build credibility by making high-quality services.

Advantage: New customers not only the existing ones easily get attracted to
avail services through the image of the service company built through actual
services rendered. Good reputation and real ability makes a certain company
effective.

Disadvantage: This is very vital in service companies to handle. Tolerance and
lack of responsiveness in this matter leads to mistrust and bad image of the
entire company.

IV. Conclusion

Understanding customer needs is not easy. 50% of problems are due to
misunderstood requirements. Therefore, it is concluded that ROL should have a
systematic method for finding out the customers stated and implied requirements with
the help of a checklist and code of good customer handling practices to better improve
Scope of Work. The requirements should be subjected to contract review to identify the
risk involved and formulating contingency plan to overcome the risks. Checklist helps
eliminating communication gap. The past experiences gained in implementing services
lessen the mistakes not to repeat again. Customer satisfaction is the most fundamental
requirement for being in business. The code of good customer handling practices is an
effective tool in finding pitfalls or mistakes taken after discussing with the clients and
contract review made by the company. ROL should continue striving to understand all
aspects of the customer requirements before reaching agreements with the customers
and go not beyond SOW. ROL should plan the right strategies in dealing with its clients,
communicating with them, providing pleasant services and retain them forever with
specially chosen contact customer employees, all leading to their delight.

V. Recommendation

Though some customers may find it hard to fill up the checklist, it may be good idea
to give a model checklist. If the customer does not understand how to fill up the
checklist even when a model in hand, he/she can be helped by the customer service
personnel of the ROL Company. Once the checklist is filled up, the customer would
have decided what he/she really wants from the service company. It is important to train
the onsite/offsite account managers in handling the customers effectively by means of
code of good customer handling practices. While it is growing rapidly, ROL has to deal
with increasing competition and is therefore forced to explore new market opportunities
and service offers. This will absolutely make ROL more profitable and increase its
volume of sales and retain progressive.

VI. Implementation Program

To better measure the effectiveness of the above statements, it must be take into
action.
Initiating better understanding and measurements of the customers
requirements with the help of checklist and code of good customer handling
practices.
Adaption of additional requirements for improvement of the project.
Discussing on-going improvement action in line with SOW.
Approving the solutions both parties have suggested.
Reviewing the effects of past experiences before finalizing the contract.