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Making the best use of limited resources
A War Child case study
Read more: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/war-child/making-the-bestuse-of-limited-resources/introduction.html#ixzz4NiJwJrQE
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Page 1: Introduction
Page 1: Introduction
This case study examines how War Child, one of this countrys fastest
growing influential charities, ensures it works in an effective way.
Effective organisations are ones which have clear goals and overarching
strategies. They know where they are going and establish methods of
ensuring that these strategies are effectively put into practice.
War Child is an international aid agency dedicated to improving the lives of
children affected by war around the world. War Child is involved in relief
work, such as the delivery of emergency food and medical supplies into
war zones or supporting those who have been forced to flee their homes
because of conflict. War Child is also involved in developmental initiatives,
such as the rehabilitation of war-traumatised children and 'education for
peace' programmes. At the heart of War Childs philosophy is the
realisation that the war-scarred younger generation is the key to a peaceful
future.
The main advantage of this dual mode of operation is greater flexibility and
a speedier response to emergency situations. It also allows War Child to
avoid some of the problems that often hinder the work of the NGO
community - when competition takes the place of co-operation and
duplication of effort (similar projects running in the same place) wastes
resources.
no money left for the most important projects which might be of a long-term
nature. Careful control of an organisations finances is vital.
Friends in Concert for Liberia 1998' and will provide educational, medical,
cultural, recreational and sports facilities for young people in Liberia.
'Pavarotti and Friends in concert for Liberia 1998' was the latest event in a
long period of co-operation between Luciano Pavarotti and War Child, and
featured Pavarotti, Stevie Wonder, the Spice Girls, Celine Dion, The Corrs,
Jon Bon Jovi and many more.
Page 6: Conclusion
access, passenger security and heritage are top priorities. Good examples
of improvements include:
Euston Station roof - here and throughout the country, over 250,000
panes of glass will be replaced, covering more than 60 acres.
cheap, safe and reliable. Their journey may involve several modes of
transport - getting the bus to the station and then taking the train to school
and therefore efficient links between bus services, rail and roads are vital.
Wise investment in railways involves working closely with other providers of
transport to provide a high quality service. Railtrack is strongly behind the
Governments decision to develop an integrated transport policy. A recent
example is the Heathrow Express. This service, operated by BAA, runs
from Paddington to Heathrow Airport and was launched in January 1998.
Another system which is key to developing integrated local transport plans
is the Light Rapid Transit System (LRT). LRT has a broad definition which
includes variants from almost heavy rail systems through to very lightweight
guided vehicles. One of the benefits of LRT is that it is cheaper to construct
than conventional heavy rail. Many LRT systems involve an element of onstreet running as well as dedicated infrastructure for part of their operation.
Modern train protection systems can allow joint running with heavy rail on
the same track. Railtrack currently has systems under construction in the
West Midlands and Croydon. In addition, Railtrack has been involved in
studies of variants of LRT in a number of cities including Oxford, Bristol,
Cardiff, Portsmouth and Nottingham, as well as the extension of the Tyne
and Wear Metro system.
Passenger transport
The passenger transport market has grown in line with the growth in
economic prosperity. In Britain, total passenger miles travelled have
increased by 250% since 1960. The rail market, however, has shown little
overall growth (the lions share of the market increase has been car
transport). Government and industry forecasts show that the demand for
passenger transport will increase substantially over the next 25-30 years.
The critical factor for Railtrack is what element of this demand will be for
travel by rail.
In the years leading up to 1998, the rail passenger industry experienced a
period of very substantial growth with rates of increase of 10% a year.
However, optimism associated with this figure needs to be weighed against
the fact that the mid 1990s was a period of economic boom in which growth
would be expected.
Freight transport
maximise use of the existing network and ensure that the existing
network is managed efficiently and used safely
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Page 4: Attracting customers
project will reduce journey time and provide increased performance and
reliability, and improved customer satisfaction.
Marketing
It makes sound business sense to try to capture a large proportion of the
available market. Railtracks market consists of the train operating
companies and freight companies. In the case of the train operating
companies, Railtrack also needs to consider their customers needs (i.e. rail
passengers needs). Marketing involves identifying and anticipating
customer requirements and then formulating the right marketing mix
(product, price, promotion and place) to satisfy these needs.
Since privatisation, Railtrack has carried out extensive marketing activities
and has engaged in communications activities (e.g. advertising, publicity
and public relations) to ensure that the messages about rail improvements
were reaching the target audience.
Rail investment, therefore, needs to be built on extensive market research
and detailed analysis of this research. It is important to devise a marketing
mix which supports product improvement.
The environment
The environmental impact of new investment projects is a key area
requiring control. New procedures have been introduced to ensure that all
projects consider environmental issues at the outset and plan to manage
any risks identified. Environmental Statements which document the
assessment of the environmental effect of new projects such as
Thameslink 2000 and the West Coast Modernisation Project have to be
submitted to the Government.
Safety
Safety is a priority for any business and even more so in the transport
industry. New investments in the rail transport field should always aim for
the highest standards of safety. Currently, railway has the enviable record
of being the UKs safest form of land transport (it is now 22 times safer on
average to travel by train than by private car), but accidents can and do
Page 6: Conclusion
sustainability
avoidance of stress.
These and other factors need to be weighed up in supporting the case for
new railway investment.
http://thinkgagnonassociates.com/case-studies/orvis-company
This Case Study describes how Gagnon Associates helped in the development and
implementation of this clients first, comprehensive strategic plan.
The Company
Americas oldest direct-mail catalogue marketing company.
The Situation
After years of enviable growth, the company encounters a business down turn and
withstands the first layoffs in its history. Impact on company morale is significant, and
though the imperative to resolve on a future course is clear, consensus on future
direction remains to be achieved. This will also be the first time the company has
developed a comprehensive plan for the entire enterprise vs. managing its separate
business channels independently.
The Approach
Orvis engages Gagnon Associates to lead the executive team and a select group of
additional senior managers through a comprehensive team-based Strategic Planning
Process. Extensive, confidential interviews of the Executive Team provide, in the words
of the CEO, a needed and welcomed opportunity to go to confession, while a
consolidated reporting of key interview themes provides them with new and valuable
insights critical to moving forward.
Guided by Gagnon Associates, executives conduct a comprehensive Scan of the Orvis
operating environment and an assessment of the companys strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats to serve as a context for planning. Next, over a two-to-three
month period Gagnon Associates leads Orvis senior executives through the rigorous
planning process itself. Executives achieve consensus on company direction and, for
the first time, develop concrete, corporate-wide goals, strategies, initiatives, timetables
and accountability structures to achieve their common vision.
The Results
Within little more than a year, the COO reports that, due to the heightened focus on
growth and profitability resulting from the plan, a key distribution channel experiences
an 80% increase in sales. A second channel is forecast to grow by 20%. A
comprehensive brand-building initiative is completed along with the complete
revitalization of the human resource function and associated programs.