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9 Case Study Examples, Plus a Useful Case Study Template

Writing a case study can help you pitch your services to prospective clients. Learn how to write one by studying successful examples and using a free template.

If you can write a résumé, you can write a case study. Just as a résumé shows potential employers how your experience can benefit their team, a case study highlights an existing client’s success story to demonstrate your business or product’s value to prospective clients.

A compelling case study includes relevant data without overwhelming your reader, considers the customer’s perspective, and demonstrates how you handled a specific challenge.

The best way to learn how to write one is by reading a stellar business case study example.

What is a case study?

A case study is a document business-to-business (B2B) companies use to illustrate how their product or service helped a client achieve their goals. A winning case study introduces the featured client, gives a brief description of their challenge or goal, and showcases the results they achieved with your help.

Businesses that provide software, tools, or consulting services often provide case studies to potential customers trying to choose between several options.

A company’s marketing team is typically responsible for writing case studies, but if you have a small business without a dedicated marketing team, don’t worry. Anyone can write a case study, and it’s a straightforward process if you use a template.

Why should you create a case study?

A case study brings your product or service to life for future customers with real-world examples. These success stories offer tangible results. Case studies are, thus, a form of social proof , but their power goes beyond a mere testimonial or review.

Since B2B services often are expensive and require approval from multiple decision-makers, typical forms of social proof often aren't enough to convince potential customers. Business customers want to be able to share compelling data with their teams, and that’s where the case study is beneficial.

How to write a case study

• Choose a template
• Interview your client or customer
• Describe the situation
• Identify the solution
• Present the results

1. Choose a template

You don’t necessarily need a template to write a case study, but it can make the process easier—especially if you haven’t written one before or need to write several at once.

You’ll notice that most business case studies take the same general format; after inputting the basics into the template, you can add your own personal flair. (That is, your branding and voice.)

2. Interview your client or customer

The client or customer interview is the heart of the case study. Identify several current or past clients willing to chat with you about their experiences. Look for repeat customers and those who reached out independently to tell you how much they enjoyed your product or service.

A phone interview is the best way to get conversational quotes, but you can correspond via email if your subject is short on time. Not sure what to ask? When social advertising agency Biddyco interviewed the VP of Marketing at Fellow , they asked him the following questions , according to their case study:

• What were the obstacles that would have prevented you from choosing/hiring Biddyco?
• What have you found as a result of hiring Biddyco?
• What specific feature or thing do you like most about Biddyco’s services?
• Would you recommend Biddyco and why?

The goal of the interview is to better understand your client’s experience with your product or service and grab a soundbite you can use as a testimonial in your case study. If you didn’t work directly with the client, you may also want to interview someone on your team who did to get more context.

3. Describe the situation

Give context to your case study with a brief description of the client’s business and the desired outcome that led them to seek your product or service. You can follow this general formula:

[Client’s name] is a [type of business] with [unique feature]. [Client’s name] came to [your business] seeking [client’s desired outcome] while [requirement].

Here’s an example of a one-sentence situation summary in the case study for Sharma Brands ’ client Feastables:

“Feastables, a better-for-you snacks company, came to us in need of a team to take the DTC setup off their plate.”

Advertising company Adgile, which created moving billboards for the non-alcoholic aperitif brand Ghia , has a longer description in its case study that provides background on the marketplace, but the heart of it is this:

“Ghia was seeking creative ways to break through the clutter of a crowded—and big-budgeted—adult beverage market, all while managing customer acquisition cost (CAC).”

4. Identify the solution

This section can vary depending on your field. Also described as “the action,” “the work,” or “the strategy,” the solution describes the strategic insights your company brought to your client’s problem or how your customer used your product to achieve their goals.

The basic formula: [Client’s name] partnered with [your business] to [service received].

Here’s an example from email marketing software Klaviyo’s case study featuring olive oil brand Graza:

“Graza uses Klaviyo’s granular segmentation tools to send automated flows and promotional campaigns to small, targeted groups of customers based on purchase frequency.”

This section describes exactly which of Klaviyo’s features Graza used (granular segmentation) and how they used it (to send automated flows to small, targeted groups), without getting into any outcomes or results yet.

5. Present the results

This section is where you’ll win over prospective customers and build trust. The basic formula is:

[Client’s name] used [service received] to [desired outcome].

Share how your product or service positively affected the client’s business, whether that’s cost savings, more clients, or improved company culture. According to a case study from community platform TYB, the results it delivered for skin care company Dieux were as follows:

“Dieux was able to create thousands of authentic, personalized referrals ahead of its new product launch plus live out its brand promise of transparency.”

Depending on your product or service, your results may include quantifiable outcomes (like thousands of referrals), intangibles (like living out your brand promise), or both, as in the case of TYB.

Real-world examples of case studies

Sharma brands for feastables, adgile media group for ghia, meta for lulus, tyb for dieux, biddyco for fellow, outline for heyday canning, klaviyo for graza, culture amp for bombas, kustomer for thirdlove.

A great way to write a case study is to look at a sample case study—or better yet, many. You’ll notice that wildly different businesses have case studies that follow roughly the same structure, which is why we recommend using one of our free case study templates to write yours. Learn from this mix of business, design, and marketing case study examples:

Sharma Brands is a branding agency founded by Nik Sharma , “The DTC Guy.” Sharma Brands keeps its case study featuring snack company Feastables short and sweet, breaking it down into three chronological sections: the situation, the work, and the outcome.

The Sharma Brands case study is a good example of how to incorporate meaningful results without sharing actual numbers (which the client may not wish to make public) or getting into an in-depth analysis.

Instead of metrics, Sharma Brands lists the tasks it executed: 

• “Successfully launched their DTC site.” 
• “Simultaneously launched on GoPuff with no downtime.”

It also lists some general achievements: 

• “Broke Shopify records in the first 24 hours of launch.” 
• “All revenue and engagement metrics were highly exceeded.”

Adgile Media Group creates outdoor advertising by providing brands with mobile billboards. Unlike traditional outdoor advertising, Adgile also tracks the digital impact of its IRL campaigns.

Adgile’s case study featuring the non-alcoholic beverage brand Ghia is the perfect place to show off the metrics it collects, like:

• 78% homepage visit lift
• 91% conversion lift
• 82% lift on its Find Us page
• Increase in brand awareness and recall, more than 75% over the competition

Meta, the social media and digital advertising platform, does something in its case studies that every company can replicate. Instead of saving the numbers for the results section, Meta provides a brief overview near the top. This breaks up the text visually, provides a quick snapshot for anyone who doesn’t want to read the full case study, and intrigues those curious to know how they achieved those numbers.

Meta’s case study for the clothing company Lulus starts by teasing its most impressive stat:

“The women’s fashion ecommerce company compared the performance of a Meta Advantage+ shopping campaign with Advantage+ catalog ads versus its usual ad campaign setup and saw a 47% increase in return on ad spend using the Advantage+ products.”

It then presents three key figures in a visually appealing design, drawing clear attention to the impact it had on this customer.

TYB is a community platform that rewards fans for creating user-generated content . TYB’s case study for Dieux details how the skincare brand used its platform to involve customers in product testing.

It also does something small worth noting: Instead of sticking the call to action at the bottom of the case study, TYB places a “request demo” button at the top of the page. That way, anyone compelled by the results of the case study can take the next step immediately.

Advertising agency Biddyco took a unique approach to its case study for the coffee- and tea-gear company Fellow . Unlike other business case study examples that use the typical situation-solution-results format, Biddyco structured its case study as an extended testimonial, with a series of questions like, “What specific feature or thing do you like most about Biddyco’s services?”

In addition to client feedback, Biddyco also highlights a few key accomplishments under the heading “All You Really Need to Know.”

A branding studio like Outline won’t approach case studies in the same way an advertising platform like Meta would. What matters here isn’t cost per impression or ROAS, it’s how everything looks.

That’s why Outline’s case study for ​​ Heyday Canning is relatively light on words and heavy on imagery. If your work is more visual than numerical, your case study is a great place to show your behind-the-scenes process.

For example, Outline shows the label design alongside images of the cans on the shelf and provides a brief description of the design inspiration. This example shows how you can have a design-focused case study that still tells a compelling story.

Klaviyo , an email marketing software company, puts numbers front and center in its case study for the olive oil company Graza . If your product or service involves tracking metrics like email open rates, revenue, and click rates, highlight those stats in a larger font size, as Klaviyo did.

Klaviyo’s case study for Graza also shows you don’t necessarily need to fix a problem to create a great case study; you can also simply help your client achieve their goals. According to Klaviyo’s case study, Graza’s challenge was to create strong customer relationships.

How do you write a compelling case study if your service doesn’t involve tangible metrics or flashy design? For the performance management software company Culture Amp , it’s highlighting key statistics about the subject of its case study , sock company Bombas .

Like Meta and Klaviyo, Culture Amp highlights three numbers in large font. But these numbers are stats about their client Bombas, not Culture Amp’s services: “120+ employees,” “25M+ items donated,” and “$100M+ in revenue for 2018.”

Instead of showing off the results it achieved for Bombas, these numbers let prospective clients know that Culture Amp works with big, important companies on their performance management process.

Choosing a customer relationships management ( CRM ) platform is a big decision. Switching platforms—as bra company ThirdLove did in this case study from customer support platform Kustomer—can involve lengthy data migration, customization, and employee onboarding.

That’s why it makes sense that Kustomer’s case study for ThirdLove is a four-page-long PDF and not a blog post. If your case study involves a long, detailed analysis, follow Kustomer’s example and make two versions of your case study.

The first page is an executive summary, with about a paragraph each describing the challenge and results. If after reading the first page, you want to learn more, you can dive into the rest of the case study, but you don’t have to read the entire thing to get a sense of how Kustomer collaborated with ThirdLove.

Case study examples FAQ

How do you write a simple case study.

To simplify the case-study writing process, download a template. Shopify’s fill-in-the-blanks case study template can help you share your customers’ success stories in an easily digestible, well-designed format.

Why are case studies important for businesses?

For the business reading a case study, the contents can help them decide between different products or services. For the business writing the case study, it’s a chance to connect more deeply with potential customers.

What is an example of a case study?

An example of a case study is a mobile billboard company’s overview of the services it provided to a client. The case study might include an overview of the client's goals and how the advertiser addressed them, plus a list of outcomes—increased website visits, decreased costs per visit, and a rise in brand awareness.

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GMH by Design: Architecting the Perfect Hosting Solution

• Dec 15, 2022

• by A2 Marketing Team

This case study will share the story of Greg Houston, a successful architect with nearly two decades of experience whose website was beginning to experience some lag in speed with the growth of his company, GMH By Design. Read his journey about how choosing the right Managed VPS plan for Greg’s website improved his user experience for his customers.

A fast and reliable website is very important for small business owners, so choosing the right plan for your business is essential for long-term success.

Managed VPS plans, powered by Virtuozzo, can be a great tool to help businesses level up their digital presence as they outgrow the resources available on shared hosting plans. With additional power, security, support, and flexibility, migrating to our Managed VPS plan is easy with the assistance of A2 Hosting’s Guru Crew support. This case study will share the story of Greg Houston, a successful architect with nearly two decades of experience whose website was beginning to experience some lag in speed with the growth of his company, GMH By Design. Read his journey about how choosing the right Managed VPS plan for Greg’s website improved his user experience for his customers.

An Architect on a Mission to Bring His Designs to Life

Greg Houston founded GMH by Design, a residential and commercial architecture practice based out of Denver, Colorado, because of his love of architecture and his passion for working with clients to help bring their visions to life. His company specializes in quality workmanship, simple design, and modern convenience. “We offer the benefits of a large firm at the cost of a small design office,” said Greg. “We work with residential and commercial clients to envision and design their space to suit their needs as we guide them through the process.”

Improving Greg’s Digital Experience

“Our website showcases the work we’ve done, who we work with, and our vision. It’s our salesperson twenty-four hours a day,” Greg shared. “It’s important because it’s the primary way we share our work with potential clients.” His website is one of the main ways his clients find his business, which makes its pictures and content important when optimizing for search engines. As his website has continued to grow over the years he noticed that the speed of his site has been on a steady decline. This led Greg to start looking into changing hosting providers to find a better plan that would improve the performance of his website. Greg shared, “The front end and the backend of our website have been slow which made it hard for our potential clients to navigate and for us to update.”

GMH by Design is currently on WordPress. Greg initially tried to combat the site speed issues with a caching plug-in as well as some other optimization plugins he found. This helped a bit, but it was not enough improvement for his company’s site long term. Because of this, he set out to find a new solution.

When searching for a new provider and plan Greg had some specific requirements he was looking for. “First is reliability, then speed. The website needs to be up for our potential customers to reach and it has to be fast, even with the large images we use on our site to showcase our work. We need to rank well and we want customers to feel the site is professionally hosted,” said Greg.

GMH by Design was looking for a new host that offered stability, speed and was affordable. As a small business owner, Houston wants to prioritize time to devote to his business rather than worrying about the stability of his site or the speed of his page load times.

Greg was initially referred to A2 Hosting by a friend that was already working with us. “I was hesitant to move providers at first because I was worried about the migration process. I eventually decided on A2 because my friend who was a current customer with A2 Hosting recommended your plans. I also read reviews and while searching I saw you had a reputation for fast servers.” He evaluated a few other shared packages with rival hosting companies, but in the end, decided on an A2 Hosting’s Managed VPS plan.

Transferring to a VPS Plan with A2 Hosting

When asked about his experience getting started with A2 Hosting, Greg commented, “It was very easy. The free migration was simple and fairly hands-off and my experiences with the support team so far have been great.”

Greg was interested in A2’s Managed VPS plans (powered by Virtuozzo) because he knew he needed more power overall to improve his website. “I would say investing in a Managed VPS over a Shared Hosting plan had several advantages that I wasn’t aware of, speed being the primary one.” Not only do VPS plans offer more resources over a shared hosting package, but they also can provide GMH by Design with more independence from noisy neighbors on the server who could affect Greg’s site’s performance when they get heavy traffic. “I wasn’t aware of how beneficial dedicated resources can be for a site,” Greg said. “With a VPS the overall function of my website on average is increased because of not sharing resources with other business sites.” VPS servers offer users their own disk space, RAM, and CPU. They come with significantly more space to store website-related files, images, and folders. This is something that will be important for Greg as he continues to work on new projects and post large images to his site.

Lessons Learned

“My best advice would be not to wait to migrate your site to a faster host, even if it seems like it will be a lot of work before you get there,” Greg shared. “I thought migration would be difficult or time-consuming but it wasn’t. If I had known, I would have moved my site much sooner.” Greg’s overall migration took less than a day with no downtime. “Since the move, my website has been faster and much easier to manage.”

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Real-time analytics from Edge to multiple factories with NATS and i-flow

Jan Strehl — July 22, 2024

In the competitive landscape of the manufacturing industry (e.g., automotive), achieving efficient and scalable operations across multiple factory locations is critical. This case study examines the implementation of a real-time analytics solution using NATS and i-flow to overcome common challenges such as data silos, real-time processing requirements, scalability, and communication inefficiencies in OT/IT environments. The primary design goal was to seamlessly scale real-time analytics across various factory locations.

There are several critical challenges that typically hinder operational efficiency and scalability through real-time analytics:

Data Silos Integration Difficulties: Integrating data from disparate sources and systems is challenging, especially when dealing with a wide array of equipment and software. Fragmented OT Data: OT data is fragmented across various factory systems, leading to inconsistencies and difficulties in data management. Legacy Systems: The presence of legacy systems further complicates the integration process, requiring customized solutions.

No Real-Time Processing: There is an urgent need for real-time data processing and analysis to optimize manufacturing operations. Delays in data availability hinders timely decision-making and operational adjustments.

No Scalability: Integrating operations including thousands of machines and dozens of IT systems increases the volume of data. Existing infrastructures struggle to manage this growth efficiently while maintaining the flexibility to adapt.

Unreliable Communication: Ensuring reliable and effective communication between factory systems and enterprise-level applications is key. Today’s fragmented OT/IT infrastructures across sites hinder seamless connectivity and real-time data processing.

NATS serves as the edge and enterprise-level messaging system, ensuring seamless and reliable communication across all levels of the organization. i-flow functions as the connectivity, harmonization, and NATS publishing layer for OT data, effectively integrating and standardizing data from various sources before publishing it to NATS for real-time processing and analysis.

• High throughput NATS is capable of handling high volumes of data, which is essential for scaling operations across multiple factory locations. This high throughput capability supports the increasing data demands as more machines and systems are integrated.
• Reliable Communication NATS ensures reliable communication between different components of the manufacturing system and across all enterprise levels. This reliability is vital for maintaining seamless operations and ensuring data integrity.
• Scalability The architecture of NATS allows for easy scalability, accommodating the growth of the company’s manufacturing operations. As new factories and use cases are added, NATS can integrate them into the existing system without significant reconfiguration.
• 100% deployed on premise NATS is easy to deploy and scale with the need for black boxed Cloud based services. This provides maximum confidentiality to the end user.

Implementation Steps

Ot connectivity with i-flow:.

i-flow is deployed at Factory Edge level to provide bidirectional connectivity for real-time data exchange and integration between NATS and various OT systems. This includes PLCs, SCADA systems, MES and sensors.

Harmonization with i-flow:

i-flow harmonizes the OT data, ensuring it is consistent and standardized across different systems. This process involves cleaning, transforming, formatting and normalizing the data.

Publishing and Subscribing Data with i-flow:

i-flow publishes harmonized OT data to NATS, enabling real-time data streaming from OT systems to enterprise applications. Additionally, i-flow subscribes to data from NATS, facilitating bidirectional communication between OT systems and enterprise-level applications.

Edge and Enterprise-Level Data Processing with NATS:

• Messaging: NATS acts as the messaging backbone, providing low-latency, high-throughput messaging capabilities. It ensures reliable communication between different components of the manufacturing system and across all enterprise levels.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Enterprise applications subscribe to relevant topics on NATS to receive real-time updates from the factory floor.
• Analytics and Reporting: The data is processed and analyzed to generate insights, which are used for decision-making, predictive maintenance, and optimizing production processes.

Architecture

The implementation of NATS and i-flow brings significant benefits to customers and improves key aspects of their digital infrastructure.

Improved Efficiency

Real-Time Data Integration and Processing: The integration and real-time processing of data leads to more efficient manufacturing operations by ensuring that critical information was always up-to-date and readily available. Faster Decision-Making: Real-time insights from the factory floor enable faster and more informed decisions and optimize the response to operational challenges.

Enhanced Data Visibility

Centralized Data: The centralized data repository provides a holistic view of manufacturing operations across multiple locations, enabling better monitoring and management. Improved Production Metrics: The enhanced visibility into production metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) allows for more accurate tracking of performance and identification of areas for improvement.

Cost Savings

Optimized Production Processes: Significant cost savings and increased productivity through real-time insights, resulting in reduced downtime and faster decision-making. Reduced Data and System Integration Costs: The seamless integration of OT and IT systems through i-flow and NATS reduces the time and resources required for data and system integration.

Scalability and Flexibility

Scalable Architecture: Combination of NATS and i-flow provides a scalable architecture that grows with the company’s needs. New systems and use-cases can easily be integrated without reconfiguration. Flexibility: The solution supports various communication protocols and data formats which ensures compatibility with different OT systems. This provides the flexibility needed to adapt to changing requirements.

Leveraging NATS for edge & enterprise-level messaging and i-flow for scalable integration significantly enhances manufacturing operations. This integrated solution offers real-time data processing, improved communication, and scalability, resulting in notable efficiency gains and cost savings for manufacturing companies.

About i-flow

i-flow is dedicated to empowering manufacturers with the world’s most intuitive software to seamlessly integrate factory systems at scale. Over 400 million data operations daily in production-critical environments not only demonstrate the scalability of the software, but also the deep trust our customers place in i-flow. Close cooperation with our customers and partners worldwide, including renowned Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders such as Bosch, Sto and Lenze, is at the heart of our business. Industry 4.0 enthusiasts love i-flow due to:

• Simplicity by Design: i-flow prioritizes ease-of-use, enabling customers to connect OT and IT systems effortlessly, avoiding technical hurdles.
• Unlimited Connectivity: The software boasts over 200 connectors for common OT and IT systems, significantly reducing the effort and time required to integrate and connect different systems and processes.
• Real-time Monitoring: i-flow offers crucial real-time insights and metrics, allowing users to optimize and maintain their digital ecosystems with ease.

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Case Study: Direct Sales - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Case Study: Direct Sales

John deere needed an integrated system to assemble customer quote, process ... the john deere cost reduction opportunities program (jd crop), has delivered ... – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• Deliver flexible integrated application to meet growing business demands
• Integrate Direct Sales Group and its unique workflows with Deere enterprise systems-including accounting, ordering, and JIT (Just-in-Time) inventory
• Increase User Productivity
• Reduce Enterprise IT unit costs
• SOx Compliance Business Checks Balances
• Move from an unsupported platform to a supported Deere IT platform
• Provisioning real-time business dashboards
• Development team created screen mock-ups to understand overall system interactions and create unified workflow
• User-based Clinic Feedback
• John Deere needed an integrated system to Assemble Customer Quote, Process Purchase Order, Order Customization and Fulfillment, Sales Tracking, Accounting and Invoice Processing
• BUSINESS CHALLENGES
• Suite of VB applications
• Application had outgrown their business requirements
• Rising support issues leading to high maintenance costs
• Built on old technology (VB5), the legacy system required a small installation on thousands of client machines
• System could be accessed only within the John Deere network
• Stabilize current VB applications to achieve short term goals
• Plan for sunset of existing system. IT
• Multi-phase Development
• Rural Sourcing and Managed Offshore Delivery
• Personalization achieved via configurable options
• Thin Client browser-based system
• Delivered a Flexible and Scalable system on-time on-budget
• Cost Efficiency Aquents starting point, delivered 15-20 savings from day one and for the life of the agreement. Aquent has further driven out efficiencies in support and maintenance to create additional savings of more than 20
• Increased productivity and continuous improvement was achieved
• (RESULTS CONT)
• Reliability Aquent has never missed its service level for time and cost delivery
• Relationship Client consistently rates Aquent as being easy to do business with, specifically noting strong working relationships, service and commercial perspectives
• Deere Company wanted an integrated business solution to enhance brand value, create customer trust in used equipment, manage used equipment inventory, and eliminate uncertainty from used John Deere equipment
• BUSINESS CHALLENGE
• Remarketing used equipment involved mostly manual procedures with client-server based systems
• Remarketing process time consuming
• Application involved redundant data entry, increasing in error and cost
• Create used equipment e-marketplace that enhances Deere brand and builds trust
• Provide dealers multiple channels for trading equipment allowing online marketing collateral, real-time advertising and ability to calculate repair quotes
• Web applications that reduce paper processing and dealer hands-on time
• Easy-to-use interface which streamlines equipment evaluation process, submission of warranty requests and allows communication between service and sales within a dealer network.
• Build unified e-marketplace for dealers - creating multi-sales channel to manage and market used equipment
• Iterative development methodology dramatically improves how IT is applied to business problems, ensuring a disciplined and sustainable process
• Standardized integrated web based interface for managing inventory
• Online evaluation on equipment, advertise directly in real-time, upload and show specific images for repair estimates and communicate between sales and service divisions
• Dealer-to-dealer exchange of inventory information
• Upload up to 12 photographs for machines listed, generate professional sales brochures and repair quotes with photos and automated Ad creation with pictures
• Links to display Dealers inventory
• E-pricing guide to determine price of equipment
• Reduction in total support cost of applications over 50
• E-enabled dealers to manage and showcase online inventory with detailed records and resolving redundancy
• Create marketing collateral on-the-fly
• RESULTS (CONT)
• Improved electronic pricing and elimination of price uncertainty
• Number of transactions increased from 1000 per year to 100,000 per year with no cost increase. Currently used by 4,000 dealers
• Equipment Remarketing Services profit increased by 30
• Aquent carried out pilot program to gain trust confidence
• Phased approach to establish new release, verify implementation, collect feedback and develop enhancements to function use
• Improvements released for application every 3-6 months
• Increase parts sales in overseas markets
• Transform current parts ordering process to easy-to-use electronic system
• Multilingual system that reduced cycle time and expedite orders
• Reduce Enterprise IT costs
• Reduce cycle time for placing and processing orders
• Equipment Manufacturer needed user-friendly workflow system to guide dealer through Business Processes to view part information, parts order fulfillment, shipment tracking orders, check print invoices, enter parts return, order attachments and locate parts.
• Existing system carried own limitations
• Inability to provide line to clients legacy forced dealers to order parts through manual system
• Language barriers, time-zone differences and high error probability made processing time long for orders
• System lacked tracking capabilities
• Challenge to grow business to 9,000 dealers worldwide
• Increasing IT cost to maintain network line between client and dealership
• Design an orchestration of services around Distributed Network System (DNS), a host system that all business logic build into process dealer part orders
• Web-based user-friendly workflow guiding system
• User interface to be presented in multiple languages
• Implemented Order import functionality decreasing dealer input time
• Built-in tracking system which links part numbers to carrier websites
• Real-time dealer auditing features added
• Effective reduction in cycle for parts order processing, reducing process to hours
• Business e-transformation saved client 1,000,000 annually in network line charges
• Application proved to be cost effective
• Reduction in system/users errors by 50 to practically eliminating errors in overseas ordering providing superior customer service
• User Efficiency reduced number of keystrokes for finding a part from 15 screens to one
• Used by approximately 9,000 dealers worldwide, accounting for majority of clients total parts revenues
• Parts on the Internet processes around 5,000 transactions per hour
• Over 5 years, over 20 releases of application have been kept up-to-date on function and architectural components
• High response system, on-call (7x24), tier 3 support for application
• Application established standard architecture, which survives as level 0 architecture
• Current version of application supports peak load of 15,500 requests per hour, averaging 6-10 users per second
• A Fortune 500 Equipment Manufacturing Company was in need of a system to process equipment warranty registrations, warranty claim processing, inquiry of equipment warranty, product improvement, program support, and equipment claim history.
• Un-flexible, incompatible and inconsistent warranty claim system
• Inefficient, unreliable and expensive underlying dial-up polling technology process
• Warranty claim process had great deal of paper processing requiring multiple steps throughout unreliable error checking applications
• Entered claims had long response time with possibility of rejection and repetition of multiple processes
• Changes and updates to system were complicated and cumbersome to co-ordinate and manage
• Reduction of Enterprise IT costs by eliminating dial-up polling process and development towards e-buisness solutions
• Elimination of paper processing with increased user productivity
• Development of efficient web application to complete warranty functions
• Streamlined warranty process through creation of quicker turnaround via easy-to-use interface
• Aquent worked with two different corporate groups within Equipment Manufacturing Company to devise targeted solution host group to meet needs of processing and dealer systems project manager to define dealers requirements
• Aquent launched pilot dealer program by limiting number of users in system. Feedback provided improvement to system prior to launch
• Aquent created cost effective Multimedia Training CD in place of training sessions
• Stabilize current suite of applications to meet current and pressing needs of dealership
• Modified technical architecture to include provisions for user interface to be presented internationally and in multiple languages
• Secured access to Equipment Manufacturing Companys corporate database, allowing dealers information on customers, machines and product improvement programs
• Real-time dealer auditing features added, saving process time and increasing accuracy and consistency
• FEEDBACK (CONT)
• The goal was to make the dealers job as easy as possible by designing the system from his/her perspective. When you focus on supporting the dealer, the dealer has more time to sell machinery and becomes more profitable. And that has a positive affect of the companys profitability. Business Analyst, Dealer Systems
• In reviewing the Warranty Information Network program with the personnel that use it, they are very satisfied with the overall functions of each section. We have had very little problem with the whole internet communication program with the Equipment Manufacturing Company. Application User Dealership
• Global Impact system is currently used internationally and in over 150 countries
• System has been deployed to over 10,000 dealers worldwide
• Application proven to be cost-effective, improving timeliness and quality of dealer interaction on global and day-to-day basis
• Return on Investment (ROI) immediately realized by eliminating old system, which cost over 1 million a year
• Equipment Manufacturing Companys tradition of excellence in customer service improved due to efficiencies gained
• User Productivity up due to Dealers data input time reduction of 75
• System more efficient through Real-time auditing, allowing dealers to retrieve more claims submitted in first attempt with dealers payments received faster
• Client benefits from flexibility, cost savings and satisfied customers and dealers. Dealers save 700,000 a year resulting from efficient auditing
• Aquents technical expertise was terrific. They took time to totally understand the project scope and requirements. As a result, dealers have a state-of-the-art warranty information application that is easy to use and helps lower costs and increase profits through reduced effort. Project Manager, Dealer Systems
• Where do I begin with WIN? While I work with countless other web sites, the Warranty Information Network is the easiest to use with very little down time. Application User Dealership
• A manufacturing major. Long term value-add at reduced cost
• Business Challenge
• Enable the field to have access to most up-to-date equipment inventory
• Enable field personnel to generate sales quotes
• Use of mobile devices such as a PDA
• Quote generation abilities with interfaces to Pocket Outlook avoiding the need to capture customer contact information
• Inventory explorer with powerful search functionality with Thumbnails
• Sales help information
• Synchronize inventory with Dealer Business Systems
• Optimal synchronization algorithms
• SOLUTION (CONT)
• A common architecture for mobile and desktop solutions
• All back-end infrastructure was Java-based
• Interoperability achieved via the use of XML over https based services
• UI was targeted for the MS Compact Framework and the regular .NET 2.0 framework.
• Aquent was selected to provide an application integration service for the solution.
• Originally mainframe based, and integrating with two major backend applications, Aquent successfully re-architected the applications suite to increase systems agility.
• Cost Efficiency Aquents starting point, in the initial outsource with client, delivered 15-20 savings from day one and for the life of the agreement. Aquent has further driven out efficiencies in support and maintenance to create additional savings of more than 20.
• Reliability Aquent has never missed its service level for time and cost delivery.
• Relationship Client consistently rates Aquent as being easy to do business with, specifically noting strong working relationships, service and commercial perspectives.
• Team performed multiple quality checks, then released it to small pilot groups. After tweaking, tools rolled out to larger groups and eventually enterprise-wide
• Implemented final changes to Achieving Excellence then follow-up with in-person training sessions for Deere and its suppliers
• Supply Management worked with Aquent to streamline existing applications such as
• Supply Net A secure network for staff and suppliers
• Achieving Excellence An enterprise-wide supply chain performances application
• Cost Reduction Opportunities Process An enterprise supplier and communication process application
• Supplier Profile An information management application
• Warranty A tracking application allowing suppliers to track performance in field
• NAFTA- an automation of the NAFTA certification process
• Others- Supply Collaboration for Quote Processing, Enterprise Order Fulfillment, JDSN e-Invoicing, Enterprise Product Development Program Global Strategic Management
• The Supply Management Services department of John Deere Company provides support for sourcing of purchased materials and services for worldwide operations
• Standardized Internet portal linking internal staff and suppliers to suite of web applications
• Manage supplier resources on global scale with numerous personnel and many processes
• Automate processes by standardizing existing applications and develop new streamlined applications
• Implement e-business solutions to reduce Enterprise IT costs on-going support maintenance
• Eliminate paper processing and increase user productivity
• Web-based portal where suppliers and Equipment Company can access Supply Management applications through single seamless interface
• Applications that produced sizeable cost savings, saving an estimated 17 million the first year
• Automation and consolidation of numerous manual processes
• Standardized look and feel across all Supply Management applications
• Over 8 years, more than 30 different applications encompassing a variety of supply management business have been released
• Long-standing partnership including highly-responsive system, on call (7x24), tier 3 support for application
• Business saved e-transformation of supplier processes saved 2,000,000 annually, turning process from weeks to hours
• Application proved to be cost-effective. Reduction in system/users errors by 50 to practically eliminating errors
• From 1998 to 2004, Deere achieved 73 overall improvement in supplier delivery performance, averaging 12 improvement per year for six years, while nearly doubling the number of suppliers participating.
• In same time period, Deere saw a 66 improvement in supplier quality, averaging 11 improvement per year for six years
• Number of suppliers achieving top-partner level rating nearly doubled during periods when delivery and quality were made tough by three and 2.5 times respectively
• The John Deere Cost Reduction Opportunities Program (JD CROP), has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of savings since 1997, with partner-level suppliers regularly exceeding goal of reduce costs by 5 of the amount Deere spends with them
• Aquents value goes beyond technical implementation. They understand what we are trying to accomplish and step up to assist us in any way they can. It has been a mutually rewarding experience, Jim Hurl, Manager of Supply Management e-Business for Deere
• We have warranted all our products and have been heavily involved in supporting them, Our knowledge management methods enable us to incorporate the lessons we learn into all future projects. Chris Moody, president of Aquent Consulting
• By sticking to an iterative, consensus-driven approach to technology development, the Achieving Excellence team created a platform for supplier rating that has the potential to be scaled across Deeres diverse, global enterprise. The technology is built on a foundation that scales easily. Anybody can use it. Dan Neff, president of Aquent IT Solutions

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Designs by kate: the power of direct sales marketing strategy analysis & solution, marketing & sales case study analysis and solution.

At Fern Fort University, we use Harvard Business Review (HBR) marketing principles and framework to analyze Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study. Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales is a Harvard Business Review case study written by John Deighton, Sarah L. Abbottfor the students of Sales & Marketing. The case study also include other relevant topics and learning material on – Marketing, Motivating people, Sales Strategic Marketing Analysis of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study written by John Deighton, Sarah L. Abbott will comprise following sections –

• Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Case Description

Marketing Definition

Market potential analysis of designs by kate: the power of direct sales, market share potential analysis.

• Segmentation and Segment Attractiveness Analysis
• Competition and Competitiveness Analysis of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales
• Customer Value Analysis of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study

Order Now - Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Marketing & Sales Case Study Solution Order Now - Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Porter 5 Forces and Strategy Analysis

Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Marketing Case Description

Sales & marketing case study | authors :: john deighton, sarah l. abbott.

The sales representatives at Designs by Kate (DBK) sell private label jewelry at hosted parties and through online social media channels. They are also responsible for recruiting, training, and managing new sales reps. CEO and founder Kate Creevey designed the commission plan to encourage sales reps to build teams and become "leaders" for their teams. The strategy has been very successful over the company's first five years. Now the CEO is concerned that growth in top-line revenue is slowing, possibly due to an unwillingness by current sales representatives to build and manage their own sales teams. A survey reveals that many sales reps believe their incomes from jewelry sales decline when they add members to their sales teams due to increased competition for hosting parties within the same geographic area. The CEO must revisit the commission structure to determine if it is still an effective incentive. The case includes a quantitative assignment that students should complete as part of case analysis.

Marketing, Motivating people, Sales

According to American Marketing Association – Marketing is a set of activities that a firm undertakes for creating, communicating, delivering, & exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

Kotler explains - Marketing is a process by which organizations can create value for its potential and current customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value in return.

Market potential analysis comprises evaluating the overall market size of the related product that the firm is planning to launch. This will involve defining – Why the target market segment needs the product and how it will provide a solution to full its consumers’ needs. Market potential of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales products various on factors such as –

• Maturity of the market. In mature markets the profitability is often stable but the market potential is less as most of the players have already taken market share based on the segment they are serving. New players have to go for market share strategies in marketing.
• Technological competence of the existing players and culture of innovation and development in the industry.
• Untapped market sizes and barriers to both enter the market and serving the customers. Often companies can easily see the unfulfilled needs in the markets but they are difficult to serve as there are costly barriers.
• Define the core need that your product is serving and list out all the direct and indirect competitors in the market place. This will help not only in positioning of the product but also in defining or creating a segment better.
• Uncovering the current and untapped market sizes and barriers to serving the larger market. Analyze the areas that you need to sort out while launching the products to wider market and what are the challenges the firm will face in market place.
• Estimate the current stage in product life cycle and its implications for marketing decisions for the product.
• Understanding the buyer behavior model for Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Salesindustry.
• Identifying the market share drivers relevant to Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales market.
• Segment Attractiveness Analysis – Our analysis will work out which are the most attractive segments and which are the one the firm should go ahead and target. We point out in great detail which segments will be most lucrative for the company to enter.
• Understanding the different needs and relative value of your offering by segment.
• Developing segment priorities and positioning the product based on the product need fit developed by the firm.

Order Now - Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Case Memo Order Now - Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales SWOT & PESTEL Analysis

Competition & Competitive Position Analysis

• Uncovering customer-based competitive positions for key rivals and firm’s offering. This will not only help in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors but also help in defining and positioning of the product.
• Developing a positioning and launching strategy. It will require not only distribution channel analysis but also promotion mix for the product.
• Strategic Marketing Planning — the process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organization’s objectives and capabilities and the ever evolving marketing opportunities for its products.

Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales - Customer Value Analysis

Capturing customer value is essential to marketing efforts as it results in higher return in the form of both current & future sales, greater market share, and higher profits. By creating superior customer value, the organization can create highly satisfied customers who stay loyal and buy more. This, in turn, means greater long-run returns for the firm.

• The crucial role of customer perceived value in acquiring and retaining profitable customers. Product differentiation is often based on building on a value niche that a firm believes that is very important to the customer. This niche contributes to perceived value. If the perceived value is high then customer stay loyal to the product if not then she can switch to the competitor’s product.
• Graphically displaying value differences for deeper understanding and better internal communication. This helps is building a narrative that a customer can identify with. The better the insight more are the chances of connecting with the potential customers.
• Identifying and selecting actionable value creation options. This can help in increasing the customer lifetime value. Customer lifetime value is the value of the entire stream of purchases that the customer would make over a lifetime of patronage.

NOTE: Every marketing case study solution varies based on the details and data provided in the case. We write unique marketing strategy case solution for each HBR case study with no plagiarism. The specific case dictate the exact format for the case study analysis.

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Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Home >> Marketing HBS Case Solutions >> Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

The sales legislature at the Designs by Kate (DBK) sells private label jewelry at the hosted parties and via online social media channel. They are also answerable for hiring, training, and organizing new sales reps. The CEO and founder Kate Creevey intended the commission plan to hearten sales reps to construct teams and become "leaders" for their team. The strategy has been very triumphant over the company's initial five years.

The CEO is concerned that increase in top-line earnings is slowing, perhaps due to an unwillingness by current sales representatives to build and manage their very own sales teams. A survey reveals that many sales reps believe their incomes from jewelry sales drop when they add their sales teams and members for hosting parties within the same geographic area as a result of increased competition. The CEO must revisit the commission arrangement to determine if it's still an effective incentive. The case carries a quantitative duty that pupils should complete as part of case analysis .

PUBLICATION DATE: April 19, 2011 PRODUCT #: 4284-HCB-ENG

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Designs by kate: the power of direct sales description.

The sales representatives at Designs by Kate (DBK) sell private label jewelry at hosted parties and through online social media channels. They are also responsible for recruiting, training, and managing new sales reps. CEO and founder Kate Creevey designed the commission plan to encourage sales reps to build teams and become "leaders" for their teams. The strategy has been very successful over the company's first five years. Now the CEO is concerned that growth in top-line revenue is slowing, possibly due to an unwillingness by current sales representatives to build and manage their own sales teams. A survey reveals that many sales reps believe their incomes from jewelry sales decline when they add members to their sales teams due to increased competition for hosting parties within the same geographic area. The CEO must revisit the commission structure to determine if it is still an effective incentive. The case includes a quantitative assignment that students should complete as part of case analysis.

Case Description Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

Strategic managment tools used in case study analysis of designs by kate: the power of direct sales, step 1. problem identification in designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 2. external environment analysis - pestel / pest / step analysis of designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 3. industry specific / porter five forces analysis of designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 4. evaluating alternatives / swot analysis of designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 5. porter value chain analysis / vrio / vrin analysis designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 6. recommendations designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, step 7. basis of recommendations for designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study, quality & on time delivery.

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Case Analysis of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales is a Harvard Business (HBR) Case Study on Sales & Marketing , Texas Business School provides HBR case study assignment help for just $9. Texas Business School(TBS) case study solution is based on HBR Case Study Method framework, TBS expertise & global insights. Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales is designed and drafted in a manner to allow the HBR case study reader to analyze a real-world problem by putting reader into the position of the decision maker. Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study will help professionals, MBA, EMBA, and leaders to develop a broad and clear understanding of casecategory challenges. Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales will also provide insight into areas such as – wordlist , strategy, leadership, sales and marketing, and negotiations.

Case Study Solutions Background Work

Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study solution is focused on solving the strategic and operational challenges the protagonist of the case is facing. The challenges involve – evaluation of strategic options, key role of Sales & Marketing, leadership qualities of the protagonist, and dynamics of the external environment. The challenge in front of the protagonist, of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales, is to not only build a competitive position of the organization but also to sustain it over a period of time.

Strategic Management Tools Used in Case Study Solution

The Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study solution requires the MBA, EMBA, executive, professional to have a deep understanding of various strategic management tools such as SWOT Analysis, PESTEL Analysis / PEST Analysis / STEP Analysis, Porter Five Forces Analysis, Go To Market Strategy, BCG Matrix Analysis, Porter Value Chain Analysis, Ansoff Matrix Analysis, VRIO / VRIN and Marketing Mix Analysis.

Texas Business School Approach to Sales & Marketing Solutions

In the Texas Business School, Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study solution – following strategic tools are used - SWOT Analysis, PESTEL Analysis / PEST Analysis / STEP Analysis, Porter Five Forces Analysis, Go To Market Strategy, BCG Matrix Analysis, Porter Value Chain Analysis, Ansoff Matrix Analysis, VRIO / VRIN and Marketing Mix Analysis. We have additionally used the concept of supply chain management and leadership framework to build a comprehensive case study solution for the case – Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

Step 1 – Problem Identification of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales - Harvard Business School Case Study

The first step to solve HBR Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study solution is to identify the problem present in the case. The problem statement of the case is provided in the beginning of the case where the protagonist is contemplating various options in the face of numerous challenges that Kate Sales is facing right now. Even though the problem statement is essentially – “Sales & Marketing” challenge but it has impacted by others factors such as communication in the organization, uncertainty in the external environment, leadership in Kate Sales, style of leadership and organization structure, marketing and sales, organizational behavior, strategy, internal politics, stakeholders priorities and more.

Step 2 – External Environment Analysis

Texas Business School approach of case study analysis – Conclusion, Reasons, Evidences - provides a framework to analyze every HBR case study. It requires conducting robust external environmental analysis to decipher evidences for the reasons presented in the Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales. The external environment analysis of Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales will ensure that we are keeping a tab on the macro-environment factors that are directly and indirectly impacting the business of the firm.

What is PESTEL Analysis? Briefly Explained

PESTEL stands for political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors that impact the external environment of firm in Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study. PESTEL analysis of " Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales" can help us understand why the organization is performing badly, what are the factors in the external environment that are impacting the performance of the organization, and how the organization can either manage or mitigate the impact of these external factors.

How to do PESTEL / PEST / STEP Analysis? What are the components of PESTEL Analysis?

As mentioned above PESTEL Analysis has six elements – political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal. All the six elements are explained in context with Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales macro-environment and how it impacts the businesses of the firm.

How to do PESTEL Analysis for Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

To do comprehensive PESTEL analysis of case study – Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales , we have researched numerous components under the six factors of PESTEL analysis.

Political Factors that Impact Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

Political factors impact seven key decision making areas – economic environment, socio-cultural environment, rate of innovation & investment in research & development, environmental laws, legal requirements, and acceptance of new technologies.

Government policies have significant impact on the business environment of any country. The firm in “ Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales ” needs to navigate these policy decisions to create either an edge for itself or reduce the negative impact of the policy as far as possible.

Data safety laws – The countries in which Kate Sales is operating, firms are required to store customer data within the premises of the country. Kate Sales needs to restructure its IT policies to accommodate these changes. In the EU countries, firms are required to make special provision for privacy issues and other laws.

Competition Regulations – Numerous countries have strong competition laws both regarding the monopoly conditions and day to day fair business practices. Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales has numerous instances where the competition regulations aspects can be scrutinized.

Import restrictions on products – Before entering the new market, Kate Sales in case study Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales" should look into the import restrictions that may be present in the prospective market.

Export restrictions on products – Apart from direct product export restrictions in field of technology and agriculture, a number of countries also have capital controls. Kate Sales in case study “ Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales ” should look into these export restrictions policies.

Foreign Direct Investment Policies – Government policies favors local companies over international policies, Kate Sales in case study “ Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales ” should understand in minute details regarding the Foreign Direct Investment policies of the prospective market.

Corporate Taxes – The rate of taxes is often used by governments to lure foreign direct investments or increase domestic investment in a certain sector. Corporate taxation can be divided into two categories – taxes on profits and taxes on operations. Taxes on profits number is important for companies that already have a sustainable business model, while taxes on operations is far more significant for companies that are looking to set up new plants or operations.

Tariffs – Chekout how much tariffs the firm needs to pay in the “ Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales ” case study. The level of tariffs will determine the viability of the business model that the firm is contemplating. If the tariffs are high then it will be extremely difficult to compete with the local competitors. But if the tariffs are between 5-10% then Kate Sales can compete against other competitors.

Research and Development Subsidies and Policies – Governments often provide tax breaks and other incentives for companies to innovate in various sectors of priority. Managers at Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales case study have to assess whether their business can benefit from such government assistance and subsidies.

Consumer protection – Different countries have different consumer protection laws. Managers need to clarify not only the consumer protection laws in advance but also legal implications if the firm fails to meet any of them.

Political System and Its Implications – Different political systems have different approach to free market and entrepreneurship. Managers need to assess these factors even before entering the market.

Freedom of Press is critical for fair trade and transparency. Countries where freedom of press is not prevalent there are high chances of both political and commercial corruption.

Corruption level – Kate Sales needs to assess the level of corruptions both at the official level and at the market level, even before entering a new market. To tackle the menace of corruption – a firm should have a clear SOP that provides managers at each level what to do when they encounter instances of either systematic corruption or bureaucrats looking to take bribes from the firm.

Independence of judiciary – It is critical for fair business practices. If a country doesn’t have independent judiciary then there is no point entry into such a country for business.

Government attitude towards trade unions – Different political systems and government have different attitude towards trade unions and collective bargaining. The firm needs to assess – its comfort dealing with the unions and regulations regarding unions in a given market or industry. If both are on the same page then it makes sense to enter, otherwise it doesn’t.

Economic Factors that Impact Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales

Social factors that impact designs by kate: the power of direct sales, technological factors that impact designs by kate: the power of direct sales, environmental factors that impact designs by kate: the power of direct sales, legal factors that impact designs by kate: the power of direct sales, step 3 – industry specific analysis, what is porter five forces analysis, step 4 – swot analysis / internal environment analysis, step 5 – porter value chain / vrio / vrin analysis, step 6 – evaluating alternatives & recommendations, step 7 – basis for recommendations, references :: designs by kate: the power of direct sales case study solution.

• sales & marketing ,
• leadership ,
• corporate governance ,
• Advertising & Branding ,
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ,

Amanda Watson

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