Friday, May 05, 2006

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club Strategic Resources

Core Competencies
1. Emphasize quality, originality, and "World Class Service". We will differentiate ourselves from our competitors by offering a staff of practitioners who are not only certified in their professions, but will be trained in understanding the dynamics of customer service so as to maximize the connection to their clients and more easily meet their clients expectations.

2. We will provide a unique atmosphere. From our professional staff to our ambience of our Club, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club will distinguish itself as a completely trustworthy and soothing setting where guests can enjoy being pampered, escape the stress of their everyday lives and enjoy the camaraderie of friends and colleagues.

3. Build a community/corporate relationship-oriented business. We will focus on strengthening the trust of our customer base, and providing not only services, but information that will aid everyone in the progression of obtaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s competitive edge is a combination of our unique services, outstanding location, and our interaction with our guests. By providing our guests a Golf & Shooting club atmosphere and provide world class services, we build relationships of trust and satisfaction. Our guests will come to depend on our unique services and fulfilling environment.

Strategic Assets
Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club owns an area of aver 1km by 1km with a possibility of an increase of another 50%, this land is located on Emirates highway, which makes it one of the most valuable locations in Sharjah. Other than the land it owns, a club house, golf coarse, tennis, and basketball courts.

Core Process
Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club looks for the best available human resource to join. The General Manager came from a background of more than 20 years in the industry. He applies the best techniques learn through his life time, for the success of the club.

Southwest's Strategic Resources

In Southwest case, I could relate it to Hamel’s Business Concept Innovation. In particular southwest’s Strategic Resources. Southwest employs a low cost structure that allows it to make more money with the same resources as other companies. Less well known, Kelly explained, is the role that simplicity plays in Southwest’s successful operations. For example, Southwest planes fly a lot. The planes spend around twelve hours a day in the air, as opposed to an average of seven hours a day for other leading airlines. This operational streamlining helps the company recover the cost of a Boeing 737 about $35 million—more quickly than its competitors.
A common fleet strategy makes it’s productivity and efficiently much better. Southwest only uses Boeing 737 planes instead of a wide range of different models. They don’t make it complex. All their pilots can fly any of their planes. Any flight attendant can work on any flight. they don’t spend a lot of time and money figuring out who can do the job.
Southwest chooses the markets it enters very carefully, picking underserved and overpriced areas. They would not run an Austin to Tulsa flight, for example. They couldn’t fill 737s to fly from Austin to Tulsa all day, every day. Some airlines will do that; they’ll just use smaller planes.” Southwest does not deal in smaller markets, which makes it more efficient and increases their profit.
The company has posted 30 years of consecutive profits while other major players in the industry have declined in recent years.
Employee relations and Southwest’s famous corporate culture as additional reasons for its success. The airline buys top-of-the-line healthcare plans for its 35,000 employees and tries to make work fun. They have a work-hard culture, they have fun, but their employees know they’re there to work.

Southwest's Strategic Resources

In Southwest case, I could relate it to Hamel’s Business Concept Innovation. In particular southwest’s Strategic Resources. Southwest employs a low cost structure that allows it to make more money with the same resources as other companies. Less well known, Kelly explained, is the role that simplicity plays in Southwest’s successful operations. For example, Southwest planes fly a lot. The planes spend around twelve hours a day in the air, as opposed to an average of seven hours a day for other leading airlines. This operational streamlining helps the company recover the cost of a Boeing 737 about $35 million—more quickly than its competitors.
A common fleet strategy makes it’s productivity and efficiently much better. Southwest only uses Boeing 737 planes instead of a wide range of different models. They don’t make it complex. All their pilots can fly any of their planes. Any flight attendant can work on any flight. they don’t spend a lot of time and money figuring out who can do the job.
Southwest chooses the markets it enters very carefully, picking underserved and overpriced areas. They would not run an Austin to Tulsa flight, for example. They couldn’t fill 737s to fly from Austin to Tulsa all day, every day. Some airlines will do that; they’ll just use smaller planes.” Southwest does not deal in smaller markets, which makes it more efficient and increases their profit.
The company has posted 30 years of consecutive profits while other major players in the industry have declined in recent years.
Employee relations and Southwest’s famous corporate culture as additional reasons for its success. The airline buys top-of-the-line healthcare plans for its 35,000 employees and tries to make work fun. They have a work-hard culture, they have fun, but their employees know they’re there to work.

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club- services dedicated to consistently providing world class service to our clients, high quality products while furnishing an enjoyable relaxing atmosphere at an acceptable price/value relationship.
The timing is right for this venture. Patiently searching for the last few years for a similar highly recognized existing business in a prime location was unsuccessful, therefore decided to build one from the ground up. Analysing Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club to Hamel, Their core strategy is to capture people who have luxury money on hand, and lead professional lives filled with very busy schedules. All persons usually need time-off regardless of busy schedules, and make the effort to time available to exercise and relax.
Mission Statement
Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club will provide a comforting, yet stimulating, world club atmosphere in which customers will be able to relax both their body and mind, through a wide range of services. It will establish itself as a world class service provider to which clients can always come to escape the stresses of life, and rejuvenate their energies, enjoy the camaraderie of their colleagues and friends”. Our mission, is to provide the highest level of service to our valued customers. Which gives it a BHAG to work it self through success.
Product Scope
1. Golf: 10 positions Golf Driving Range, nine hole par 36 golf course designed by Harradine, will be of Championship Standard.
2. Indoor Shooting: Two Superb indoor ranges – one 25m the other 50m provide the opportunity to test your skill with 9mm pistols and .22 pistols and rifles.
3. Outdoor Shooting: 3 Skeet ranges, 2 Sporting, 1 American Trap, 1 Automatic Ball Trap and 1 mini Olympic Trap range that is used also as a Double Trap range.
4. Hair Salon: Stores with only hair styling services and products.
5. Spas: Stores specializing in body health maintenance through a variety of services and products.
6. Health Club: A state of the art facility with the latest equipment and highly professional, hospitable instructors.
7. Paintball Park (due June 2006)
Bases of Differentiation
1. Location: Providing an easily accessible location for clients.
2. Environment: Providing an environment conducive to giving relaxing and professional service.
3. Convenience: Offering clients a wide range of services in one setting, and extended business hours.
4. Reputation: Reputation of the owner and staff as providing superior personal service.
5. Effective advertising: Advertising in the corporate environment.
6. Competitions: Having at least one competition per month, this keeps the club always in the media.
7. Expansions: always give guest what they require, SPA, Hotel, and Real-estate

Air Arabia & its Threats of Entry

Air Arabia being the first Low-cost airline in the Middle-East, gave it a competitive advantage over other airlines. Analyzing Air Arabia with porters five forces model, it is very evidently to see that Air Arabia increased the barriers to entry for low-cost carriers to start in the region. First of all Economies of scale, Air Arabia has been in operation for more that two and a half years. This gave Air Arabia Economies of scale, where the unit cost of each passenger decreases due to the increase in number of flights. In the airline industry especially in the Middle East, countries operate in a closed sky way. Where they do not allow all airlines to land freely, it has to come after long and tiring meetings with the Civil Aviation Authorities and some times the President. Air Arabia, took the low-cost model and applied id to the local needs, plus it has its has its own IT software manufacturer, who designed a special software for reservation, pricing, and holidays. This makes it harder for other competitors to enter the market. Air Arabia’s start-up capital was 50 Million AED, which is not a big amount to start up a company, however to start one now would at least cost 500 Million AED, such as Al Jazeerah Airway, Kuwait. Access to distribution channels is the hardest thing in the Airline industry, up to now, Air Arabia is facing a lot of pressure form neighboring countries. Air Arabia has 7 flights a week to Doha, however it would like to make it 21 flights a week, but the governments are protecting their own carriers and stop rivals from coming. For a new company to start it will be very difficult to get landing rights, if it was allowed. For an airline to start it is also very important that it has the governments support, Air Arabia is 100% owned by the government of Sharjah. To operate without a governments name tagged on, would be a disaster, it’s the only chance in having landing rights especially in the Arabian Gulf, where most of these decisions come from the presidents, or Crown Prince. Finally and most importantly, it would be crazy if a new entry would like to enter the market and not expect a retaliation from Air Arabia. It can afford to spend a lot of money, and also push prices further down, just to stop a new entrant from entering.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Air Arabia & its Competitive Advantage

Since two years ago when Air Arabia was unguarded, it started with a low-cost model. This model was planted in the corporate culture since day one, the CEO Adel Ali was very clear in his views. The low cost model is applied from front-line employees up to top management, the CEO uses both faces of paper instead of just one side. This made the employees aware to be a truly a low-cost carrier we have to start to save in every possible way. Air Arabia's head office is known for having chairs for employees only, so you'll always find chairs moving across the isle. This again passes the low-cost culture to all employees, that helps them always remember to save. Especially with some of the well qualified staff that joined Air Arabia from other conventional airlines, were saving is not that big of an issue, so the difference in culture must be digested. Being able to do that Air Arabia has able to keep its cost low which made them have a competitive advantage over its rivals.

Althani: February 2006

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Effect of Danish Boycott

The boycott of Danish goods called by Islamic countries to protest against the caricatures of Mohammed is costing Danish businesses millions of dollars a day. Danish goods are threaten in more that 20 Muslim countries representing more than $2.14 billion a year. Arla Foods spokeswoman said the company was losing an estimated $2 million a day in the boycott. The Muslim society is a relatively strong bargaining power of buyer, most probably Denmark would sooner or later apologies. Their product is available locally aswell so they have a relatively weak bargaining power of supplier. In return The Danish Government told its nationals to avoid Muslim countries warning, which affects thousands of holidaymakers and business executives, lists countries travelers should avoid after the cartoon.
They are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Danish tour operators cancelled all trips to Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
This may affect business and tourisim in the region however the the bargaining power of the buyer is still much stronger.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Test Post

Test Post for MBA618 at AUS