STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - A CASE STUDY OF DELL

Name:Nayemul Haque Khan

Student ID:139155019
Submission Date:26/08/2014

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................3
2. OVERVIEW OF DELL...............................................................................................................3
3. APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT THEORY TO DELL...............................3
3.1 INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE................................................................................................3
3.2 EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE...............................................................................................5
3.3 PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGIES COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE..........................8
4. CURRENT SITUATION.............................................................................................................9
5. CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................13
6. RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................21

1. INTRODUCTION
The present study is carried out to analyse the strategic management policies in order to evaluate
the sustainability of an organisation. The case study selected is Dell Computers. The strategic
management theories shall be applied to Dell to identify its strategic management policies and its
role in the sustainability of the organisation in the market. An internal perspective and external
perspective of Dell shall be examined using the strategic management tools such as SWOT
analysis, VRIO framework, PESTLE analysis, Porters 5 forces and Porters generic strategies. A
scrutiny of the current situation of Dell shall also be performed to help in providing appropriate
recommendations to Dell to improve its sustainability.

2. OVERVIEW OF DELL
Dell was founded by Michael S. Dell in 1984 as a start-up venture for PCs. It has now grown to
become a global technology leader. Dell offers a wide range of desktop, notebooks, data storage
systems, network services, printers and peripherals to numerous categories of customers. Dell
has over 111,300 employees (Dell, 2014).

3. APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT THEORY TO

DELL
A major component of strategic management is the analysis of an organization based on the
internal and the external environmental factors that influence the operation and the functioning
of the firm (Hill et al., 2013). It is added that the chief purpose of the analyses is the
identification of the array of strategic opportunities and threats that the firm shall encounter.
Therefore, the current section shall strive to scrutinize the strategic operational environment of
Dell, focussing on the internal and the external factors.

3.1 INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE

SWOT ANALYSIS OF DELL

According to Bhm (2009), a study of the strength, weakness, opportunities and the threats of an
organization by concentrating on both the internal and the external factors that influence the firm,
shall aid the company to fathom its capabilities as against the competitive background of the
industry.

FACTORS

AT DELL....

Direct selling model is adapted at Dell

The prices offered at Dell are much lower than what is offered at the

competitors
Strong brand identity and brand value that is estimated at $7.5 billion

(Jurevicius, 2014)
The firm applied the SWOT analysis on the strategies adopted and decided
to provide the customers with customized products (Schneider and Perry,

Strengths

2000)
The use of the Just-in-time technology reduces the inventory costs and

space
Dell is also a recognized leader in internet sales (Ignatiuk, 2009)
Extensive dependence on the suppliers
Ineffective customer services
Dell does not have an enviable relationship with retailers and distributors

Weakness

Opportunitie
s

(Sou, 2014)
A lack of focus on innovation and R&D
No patenting
Customization strategy might not encourage sustainability (Ignatiuk, 2009)
Quality of services is also reported
Strong potential in emerging markets, namely, China and India
Expansion of the services and products that are offered, focussing on

tablets and Smartphone's (Jurevicius, 2014)

Increased focus on innovation and patenting
Growing market also offers potential opportunities (Villarreal et al, 2014)
Proliferation in the use of internet
Extensive competition in the industry, with competitors having a strong
brand identity, namely, Apple, HP, IBM etc
4

Threat

Price reduction by the competitors (Ignatiuk, 2009)

Competitors that retail through distribution channels could deliver

products prompter than Dell

Continual changes in technologies

RESOURCE AND CAPABILITIES AT DELL

Resource Based View VRIO Framework
Peng (2009) has specified the resource-based view that explains the Value (V), Rarity (R),
Imitable (I) and Organizational performance (O), to gauge the resources and the capabilities of
the firm.
Valuable

Rare?

Costly to Exploite

Competitive

Organizationa

imitate?

d by the insinuation

l Performance

Yes

firm?
Yes

Sustained

Persistently

customer

Competitive

above average

selling model
Low pricing Yes

advantage
Temporary

Above average

Direct

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

strategies

competitive

Customizatio

advantage
Temporary

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

n of products
Just-in-time

Above average

competitive
Yes

No

No

Yes

inventory

advantage
Temporary
competitive
advantage

3.2 EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE

PESTLE ANALYSIS OF DELL

Above average

PESTLE analysis of a firm, which centres on the political, economic, legal, environmental, social
and technological factors, aids the effective decision-making of the organization (Allen, 2014).

FACTORS

Political

Impact on the industry and on Dell

Government policies and regulations have an impact on the functioning of

Dell
Government red tapes, security developments and restrictions on online

shopping shall influence the direct selling model of Dell

The tax and the VAT levied by the governments will also have an impact on
the IT industry (Itic, 2014). The US has a high corporate tax rate and a

worldwide tax system.

According to Wines (2014), the economic downturn has had a negative impact
on Dell
However, Villarreal et al (2014) have specified that Dell is poised to sustain its
growth despite an economic constraint, because of the market share that the

Economic

firm enjoys and demand

Online retailing has been experiencing the most impressive growth period in

over 13 years (Baldwin, 2014)

Emarketer (2014) has added the online sales of computers and related

accessories to have seen an upsurge

Furthermore, the demand for computer and related accessories has

increased by 60% (Choudhury, 2012)

Customers look for tablets that is sleek and trendy, that is high on

Technological

technology and easy to use (Mind, 2014)

Therefore, the social trends are favourable for a sustained growth of Dell
The computer industry has witnessed phenomenal growth in technology,

across products, processes and the materials (Singh, 2014)

Dell has used IT effectively for creating competitive advantage and for

implementing strategic management operations (Martinsons, 2014)

The efficient use of IT by Dell has enabled the firm to involve effectively in

Social

direct sales and in build-to-order sales (Kraemer et al, 2004), leading to a

growth in sales.
Technological advancements, namely, EDI, DSS, intranet, electronic faxes,
6

teleconferencing etc are also implemented across the supply and value chain
of Dell
Thus, Dell has been able to take the technological development in the

industry to its advantage

The operations in Dell focus on minimizing waste, preventing pollution and

on recycling products (Mediacomusa, 2014)

The firm has also developed an environment management system (EMS) that
focuses on the development, supply, take-back and the recycling services at

Environment

al

Dell (Dell, 2014a)

Moreover, Dell emphasizes the suppliers to follow the EMS to ensure the

firm contributes to the protection of the environment.

Dell was fined $4 million on charges of advertising deceptive and

fraudulent information about the PCs that were sold to the clients.
It was found to be misguiding customers on details relating to rebates,

warranties and financial terms (Albanesius, 2014)

Moreover, Dell also faced civil charges on charges of conniving with
officials, in an attempt to sell a surveillance camera that was developed by

Legal

the firm (Burt, 2014)

It is evident, that the legal issues the company is embroiled in shall cause a

negative impact on the long-term sustainability.

PORTERS FIVE FORCES (1985)

FACTORS

For Dell.....

Home computers and desktop PCs are constantly challenged by the surge
in the demand for tablets and smart phones, that bring the facilities of a

computer to the palm of the users

A report states that the demand for tablets and smart phones shall swell by

Threat of

16.5% and 70.5%, with the demand for PC dipping by 13% (Columbus,

substitutes

2013).
Although Dell has ventured into manufacturing tablets, Rougeau (2014)

has identified the company to have had an unsuccessful attempt with smart
7

Competition

phones.
Therefore, the threats from substitutes is medium for Dell
The competition in the industry is enormous, with the likes of Apple, HP

and IBM
The power that a firm enjoys in the market is temporary with the strong

competition
Organizations compete based on prices, products and innovation

(Ignatiuk, 2009)
Thus, competition from rivalry is high.
According to Schmid and Vogl (2014), Dell is recognized as a firm that
constantly changes its suppliers. The firm is also known to cancel the
association with a supplier if the standards are not met.
With the switching costs of the industry being high focussing on

Buying power

of suppliers

innovation and R&D, the suppliers gain a power.

The bargaining power of the suppliers is low
The presence of an number of players in the industry increases switching

Buying power

entrants

costs of the customers

The direct selling model of Dell and the customization that Dell provides

to the clients increases the control that the clients have (Miller, 2014)
Although Dell adopts the low price strategy, the dip in the quality of

services provided to the customers shall decrease the power of Dell

Thus, the bargaining power of the customers is high.
The entry cost in the industry is very high.
Furthermore, the market shares held by the leaders in the market limits the

entry of new players (Carpenter et al., 2014)

The new players will also require to posses sufficient knowledge about the

of customers

Threat of new

trends in the industry, and have an enviable association with retailers and the
diverse channels of distribution
Therefore, the threat from new entrants is low.

3.3 PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGIES COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The Porters generic strategies identifies that there are three categories of generic strategies,
namely, overall cost leadership, focus and differentiation in order to outperform the other
competitors in the respective industry (Chan and Lee, 2005).

Dell has adopted the cost leadership strategy to compete with its market competitors. It strives on
attaining cost leadership by focusing on operating efficiency, development of capabilities, actions
for organisational effectiveness, flexibility in business investments and cost transformations
(Dell, 2010). The ability of Dell to minimise its costs has enabled it to offer low cost products to
its customers and attain a unique position in the market. The advertisements for the products of
Dell are found to be easy to understand and fairly straightforward (Nielson, 2013). Dell
Computers also have the competitive advantage of offering its products to a wide range of
customers which encompasses individual buyers, government and businesses. It is a broadcoverage cost leader in the industry (Besanko, 2010).
Dell is the low cost leader in the global PC industry. It follows sell-direct strategy wherein Dell
markets its PCs directly to the customers based on the customer order and eliminates costs
associated with wholesaler and retailer. Dell also follows build-to-order strategy and so
maintains optimum inventory levels and eliminates idle inventory (Miltenburg, 2005). Dell
Computers have attained the third position in the overall market share and good financial
performance due to its cost leadership strategy. In addition, to the above strategies for its cost
leadership, Dell also offers low-cost after-sales service through telephone-based technical
support service and on-site maintenance through third-party. Since it directly sells to the
customer, it encourages the customer to make their payments immediately which enables
negative working capital (Chandra, 2009).
However, it must be noted that the cost leadership strategy of Dell is losing its significance, as its
major competitors Lenovo, Acer and HP have imitated its low-cost production management
practices, as mentioned in the VRIO Framework. This has resulted in the dangerous eroding of
its competitive advantage and is compelled to look for different ways to compete well in the
market (Hill and Jones, 2012). Hence, it is evident that the initial success that Dell enjoyed from
its cost leadership strategy due to its broad-coverage, sell-direct strategy, build-to-order strategy
and low-cost after-sales service has been losing its sheen with more industry players also
imitating its practices and achieving similar competitive advantage.

4. CURRENT SITUATION
The total shipments of PC were identified to decrease by 10.0%, with customers focussing on
tablets and smart phones, playing a waiting game. However, the top three players in the PC
industry were recognized to have a 46% market share, as tabulated below by Jones (2013).

Figure: The market share of the top players in the industry

Source: Jones (2013)
The chart presented below strive to compare the market shares of the top five players in the
industry, namely, Lenovo, HP, Dell, Acer Group and ASUS.

10

Figure: Comparison of the market shares of the top five players in the PC industry
Source: Hachman (2014)
Hachman (2014) has mentioned that an innovation and a focus on the quality of the products
including the design and the thickness of the notebooks shall encourage an increase in the sales
of PC. However, the lack of focus on innovation has restricted the sales and a growth in revenue
for Dell, as discussed below.
As identified earlier, there is an increase in the sales of tablets and smart phones have resulted in
the reduction in the sales of PC computers. Morgan (2014) has added that a decrease in the PC
sales and the price war in the low-end of the PC market has negatively influenced the financial
status of Dell.

11

Figure: The income statement for Dell

Source: Focus (2014)
From the figure presented above, it can be understood that the overall revenue has taken a dip in
Jan 2013, as against Jan 2012, with the former reporting $56940 and the latter, $62071. The
operating income is also found to drop in the same period. Dell gained an income of $4431 in
Jan 2012, compared to $3012 in Jan 2013. The details are illustrated graphically by (Mellor,
2014).

12

Figure: The quarterly revenues and profits for Dell

Source: Mellor (2014)
Mellor (2014) has added that the acquisitions Dell made has failed to sustain the revenues that
have diminished by 8%. The author has criticized the firm as a mature company that is not able
to enhance and sustain the growth.

13

Figure: The Gross profit margin for Dell

Source: CSI Market (2014)
The gross profit margin for Dell as represented in the figure above specifies the quarterly profits
to plunge in the later quarter of the year, indicating a decrease in sales and revenue.
Therefore, it is palpable that although the customization and the low cost strategies of the Dell
have helped the firm to gain a market share and be named one among the top three, the need for
an increased attention on innovation has decreased the revenue and net income of Dell,
eventually diminishing the overall profit margin.

5. CONCLUSION
The current study strived to analyse the strategic management policies of Dell Computers in
order to evaluate its sustainability in the industry. The internal and external perspective of Dell
was identified by the application of the various strategic management tools and theory.
The internal perspective of Dell was analysed using SWOT analysis and VRIO Framework. It
was identified from the SWOT analysis that Dell has a strong brand value and offers customised
products at low cost. However, the customer services have not been effective and there is no
innovation at Dell. It can tap into the growing markets and expand into the Smartphone industry.
14

Dell faces stiff competition from many players in the industry. From the VRIO framework, it was
apparent that the direct selling model of Dell offers it sustained competitive advantage. The low
pricing strategies, product customisation and just-in-time inventory by Dell offers temporary
competitive advantage.
The external perspective of Dell was examined with the PESTLE analysis, Porters 5 forces and
Porters generic strategies. The PESTLE analysis revealed that technological and environmental
factors have had a positive influence on Dell. Social factors have had a medium impact. The
political, economic and legal factors have had a negative influence on Dell. According to Porters
5 forces, competition from rivalry is high and bargaining power of the customers is high. Threat
from substitutes is medium. Bargaining power of the suppliers and threat from new entrants is
low. The study on Porters generic strategies revealed that Dell follows the cost leadership
strategy due to its sell-direct, broad-coverage, low-cost after-sales service and build-to-order
strategies.
The scrutiny of the current situation for Dell highlighted that it holds the third position in the
world PC industry; however, its PC sales saw a dip. The restriction in its revenue and sales has
been attributed to Dells low focus on innovation and spurt in demand for tablets and
Smartphone's.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS
The following are some of the recommendations offered to Dell on the basis of the insights
gained from the above study.

Dell has to enhance its innovative capabilities and its R&D efforts

There was a clear lack of innovation in Dell which enabled its competitors to progress while its
own sales dipped. Dell has to embrace innovation culture and also enhance its R&D efforts to
offer various unique products and services to the customers in order to sustain in the market
(Kalb, 2013).

Can employ market intermediaries to extend its distribution channel

15

Dell has to progress from direct selling to selling its products in electronic retail stores, using the
internet channels and social networking media such as Twitter to reach out to its current and
potential customers (Boone and Kurtz, 2012).

Improve its after-sales service quality

Dell has to significantly improve the quality of its after-sales service to enhance its market share
and revenue (Enderle, 2013).

Re-enter the Smartphone industry and focus on tablets as well

The booming Smartphone industry is valued at $150.3 billion and Dell can make its foray into
the attractive and growing industry to boost its sales (Jean-Baptiste, 2012).

16

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APPENDIX

Figure: The upsurge in the number of online shoppers for digital products
Source: Emarketer (2014)

Figure: Retail e-commerce

Source: Emarketer (2014)

22