DRAFT

Topic for Assignment 

With reference to specific analytical processes, techniques, and models, evaluate the potential
contribution of strategic analysis of the ‘external environment’, ‘industry’, and ‘firm’ to
effective strategic management.

Please note: You are required to focus on the strategic analysis of the chosen organization

For references:

Electronic commerce 2010, a magerial perspective, 6 th edition, Efraim Turban, David King, Jae Liang,
Deborrah Turban (pearson), p.349, Ch7 innovative EC systems: from e-government and e-learning to
consumer-to-consumer e-commerce

e-commerce model-in which a government entity buys or provides goods, services, or information to
businesses or individual citizens.

“ Cisco’s products are being upgraded or replaced continuously, so extensive training of employees and
customers is needed. Cisco recognize that its employees, business partners, and independent students
seeking professional certification all require training on a continuous basis. Cisco offered in-house
classes 6-10 times a year, at many locations, but the rapid growth in the number of students, coupled
with the fast pace of technological change, made the training both expensive and ineffective.

The solution

Cisco implemented e-learning programs that enable students to learn new software, hardware and
procedures. Cisco believes that once people experience e-learning, they will recognize that it is the
fastest, easiest way to get the information they need to be successful.

To implement e-learning Cisco created the Delta Force, which was made up of its CEO John Chambers,
the IT unit, and the internet Learning Solution Group.

Cisco also wants to serve as a model of e-learning for its partners and customers, hoping to convince
them to use its e-learning programs. To encourage its employees to use e-learning, Cisco:

1. makes e-learning mandatory part of employees’ jobs

2. offers easy access to e-learning tools via the Web

3. offers additional incentives and rewards such as stock grants, promotions, and bonuses to employees
who pursue specialization and certification through e-learning

Cisco offers variety of training programs supported by e-learning.

According to Galagan (2002), e-learning is a major underpinning of Cisco’s economic health. By 2004,
Cisco had developed over 100 e-learning courses and was planning to develop many more.

e-learning – the online delivery of information for purposes of education, training, or knowledge
management.

Benefits of e-learning:

Time reduction

Cost reduction

Higher content retention. E-learning students usually are self-motivated and self-initiated.

Flexibility

EC- electronic commerce. EC successes: eBay, google, yahoo!, AOL, VeriSign, E-Trade. Click-and-mortar
companies such as Cisco, wal-mart online, general electric, ibm,intel

Collaborative commerce-c-commerce- the use of digital technologies that enable companies to

collaboratively plan, design, develop, manage, and research products, services and innovative EC
applications (p.301-302)

Leading companies such as Dell, Cisco, Hp use collaborative commerce strategically, enabling
sophisticated business models while transforming their value chains. They also have implemented e-
procurement and other mature collaborative techniques to streamline operations, reduce overhead,
and maintain or enhance margins in the face of intense competition. Cisco chose to support a virtual
business model focusing on time-to –market and customer satisfaction. Cisco has integrated its order
process with back-end process( the activities that support online order fulfillment, inventory
management, purchasing from suppliers, payment processing, packaging and delivery), implemented
purchase order automation, and enabled collaborative product development.

Cupply chain mngt solutions provided by EC approach:

Visibility-the knowledge about where materials and parts are at a given time, helps solving problems like
delays, combining shipments. Visibility implies creating information transparency, allows organizations
to coordinate supply chain interactions.

Order taking, in b2c, web-based ordering using electronic forms expedites the process, makes it
accurate, and reduces processing costs.

Electronic payments

Minimization of inventories by introducing build-to –order manufacturing process as well as by

providing fast and accurate information to suppliers.
Collaborative commerce – among the members of the supply chain can be done in many areas ranging
from product design to demand forecasting. The results are shorter cycle times, minimal delays and
work interruptions, lower inventories, lower administrative costs

1. Introduction

Today’s IT industry environment is known to be as highly competitive and bringing an impact on several
economies. By the 2009, it increased its share to 64% of world GDP (Sivathasan). And as soon as
worldwide infrastructure will be developing it will directly affect on the growth of IT industry. But the
main question whether company can remain successful in the IT business depends on not simply how
huge is it or what market position it occupies, but rather on its intellectual property, brand recognition
and reputation. Operating globally it is important to keep in mind that together with opportunities and
challenges that bring globalization, company’s stable prosperity is affected rather by intangible factors,
such as scarcity or image. Moreover, the developments in the technology in this fast-changing
environment require that organizations to be flexible and highly reactive if they are to remain ahead of
the competition. This fast-moving era drives big organizations “to organize themselves into smaller,
more responsive, focused units” (Kourdi, 2003,p:18). For such giants as Microsoft, Cisco systems, IBM,
Intel, Dell, HP which size make them more difficult to manage it is important how these companies
“integrate structures, processes, behaviours and values in order to set the strategic route and follow
through”( Kourdi, 2003,p:23). In order to be consistent with the defined corporate mission, objectives,
developing strategies and policies, company should undertake environmental scanning. According to the
research, there is a positive relationship between evaluation of the environmental scanning and profits.
Survey made by McKinsey & Company in 2008 confirmed that “global social, environmental and
business trends are increasingly important to corporate strategy”. (Wheelen and Hunger, 2010, p: 146).
With these considerations there is a need for careful examining managerial techniques and analytical
processes for one of the biggest hardware sector company Cisco Systems Inc. Thus, the purpose of this
paper is to investigate the contribution of strategic management to the Cisco Systems. First, there is a
description of the need for managing organizations strategically and the meaning of strategic
management. Then, the paper explains how to apply strategic management to Cisco Systems.

1.) carefully introduce the problem you wish to examine and then show how each source addresses the
problem

2) organizes and classifies the sources in some reasonable manner for the benefit of the reader.

Дописать в конце интры:

Описание того, что будет делаться в каждом параграфе-части

Додумать тизис стэйтмент

Всего слов: 400-450

2. Body

1. Company background (300 words)

a)Company overview

b) Mission, objectives and strategy

c) Product and services

d) Core competences

5. SWOT ( 400-450 words)

a) theory

b) swot analysis

c) outcomes, possible recommendations

6. PEST (500-550 words)

a) theory

b) PEST analysis

c) outcomes

7. Porte’s 5 forces (600- 650 words)

8. Value chain analysis (400-500 words)

Conclusion (just summarizing examination and observation, making quick summary) ( 300 words)

Не забыть про 1)Human capital strategy of CISCO

2) Collaboration

3) e-commerce, e-government, e-learning

4) social responsibility

5) supply chain