INTRODUCTION

MARKETING

Marketing deals with the whole process of entering markets, establishing profitable positions, and building loyal customer relationships. This can happen only if all departments work together: engineering designs the right products, finance furnishes the required funds, purchasing, buys quality materials, production makes quality products on time and accounting measures the profitability of different customers, products and areas.

Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human and social needs. One of the shortest definitions of marketing is meeting needs profitably.

MARKETING MIDDLEMEN

Middlemen in Distribution In all commodity markets, whether primary or central, we have a host of middlemen acting as essential functionaries. 1. Brokers: Broker is an agent who does not have direct physical possession of goods in which he deals but he represents either the buyer or the seller in negotiating purchases or sales for his principals. They may be organized as individuals, partnership or even companies. clients producers, dealers, manufacturers, etc. They act as agents for their The produce brokers offer

services of expert middlemen between sellers & buyers. Brokers are experts in grades, qualities, trade terms and contract terms as well as in warehousing problems. They buy and sell specific quantities of specific grades of a

commodity on behalf of their masters or employers who undertake all market, credit, transport and other risks.

2.

Commission Agents: In each primary and central market, individuals, firms or even companies are organized to buy or sell commodities, acting as buying or selling agents of producers, dealers or manufacturers who convert the commodities into consumer goods. They may buy or sell on their own account and at their own risk of loss. In that case they are called commission

merchants or factors. They may receive goods for sale on consignment acting as consignees of their employers. They are important in agricultural markets. The consignment method is used by manufacturers who wish to maintain resale prices of their goods.

3.

Dealers: In all primary and central commodity markets, we invariably have merchant dealers. They are great risk-bearers in the physical or spot markets. They are the backbone of our markets. These dealers act as principles, buying and selling commodities on their own account and at their own risk merely for a chance of profit. By selling to them, all producers can be free from risk of loss. They also act as warehouse-keepers of the market and to the extent manufactures are also free from risk of loss to a certain extent.

Sharing Promotional Risks with Dealers

On analyzing the attitudes of dealers, the manufacturer sometimes finds that these outlets are not enthusiastic, because they are risking so little on the promotional program. Benefiting from the manufacturer's promotion over a long period, dealers come to depend upon the manufacturer to perform almost the entire selling task. They feel that it is the manufacturer's job to bring customers into the store and theirs to ring the cash register and pocket the profits. Other dealers consider it unfair to show enthusiasm for any one promotional program, since so many manufacturers products are represented on their shelves.

To combat problems of this sort, manufacturers demonstrate considerable ingenuity in devising strategies to stimulate dealers to greater sales effort. In one widely used strategy, the manufacturer attempts to persuade dealers to invest time, effort, and money in promotional programs. Thus, manufacturers who would provide free point of-purchase display materials to retailers who risk their own funds will make good use of the displays and hence justify their costs. Similarly, manufacturers who

inaugurate dealer cooperative advertising programs in which expenses are shared with dealers commonly experience renewed dealer interest.

Dealer Training Programs

Not all manufacturers benefit from providing dealer managerial training programs; payoff from these programs varies with the product. Management training programs for dealers are most beneficial when the products require considerable personal selling effort. Such programs are less beneficial where final buyers buy as a matter of habit or on impulse. Dealers training programs are important when the products unit price is high, trade-ins are common, the final buyer's purchase decision is postponable, the product requires demonstrations, and dealers recommendations play a major role in making sales.

Stimulating Distributive Outlets to Greater Selling Effort

Dealer apathy is common.

Some manufacturers invest millions of dollars in

promotion, but dealers, outwardly at least, are not only unimpressed but unmoved. Many dealers fail to see why they should tie in with the manufacturer's promotion or provide extra push for the product. They feel, sometimes rightly, that the

manufacturer wants more assistance from them than it is willing to extend and frequently these feelings trace to inadequacies in a salespeople's presentations. Under these circumstances, coordination of promotional efforts is difficult. The first step in

overcoming dealer apathy is to identify the reasons lying behind it. The second step is to take positive action to increase dealer selling effort.

Incentives to the Distributive Outlet

Dealers are offered special prices on larger than average orders, or a free case of the product for every so many purchased. These offers persuade dealers to increase the size of their inventory investments, thus putting them under more pressure to promote the product. Other ways of accomplishing this result include offering premiums to dealers who make purchases above a specified minimum size or packing premium coupons, redeemable for merchandise of the dealers choice, in each shipping case. Sometimes the manufacturers award the premium only after resale of the product, thus shifting the emphasis from building up the dealer's inventory to making sales to the final buyer.

Manufacturers sometimes combine dealer incentives with sales volume quotas set for individual dealers. If dealers meet or exceed their sales quotas within the sales

campaign period, they receive prize awards - often in the form of trips for dealers and their spouses to exotic places like Acapulco, Casablanca, or Tahiti. In some

instances, dealers are assigned sales volume quotas on a month-to-month basis and are awarded prizes monthly. Combining the dealer incentive with a sales volume quota often motivates dealer management to strive very hard to achieve manufacturer - set sales volume quotas. Developing Managerial Efficiency in Distributive Organization

To make its dealers more enthusiastic about its product, the manufacturer should consider increasing dealer efficiency. The dealers efficiency. The dealer's primary concern is to make, or better yet, to increase, profits. The manufacturers, who

frequently have access to superior managerial know-how, can search out improved methods for its dealers. It is not enough for the manufacturer to find better operating

methods for the dealers to use; the manufacturer must see that they learn how to incorporate these methods into their operations. The manufacturer recognizes that an important key to success lies in how dealers operate their business. More efficient dealers move the manufacturers products more rapidly through the marketing channel and produce larger sales an profits both for themselves and for the manufacturer.

Changing Policies

It may be that inappropriate or outmoded sales policies are the cause of dealer apathy. Alert competitors may have adjusted their policies to the changing situations, while the company, whose dealers are apathetic, may have lagged behind. Management may have clung to policies for sentimental reasons. Bringing policies into line with marketing conditions stimulates dealer efforts.

For example, automobile manufacturer once charged dealers for transportation expenses that were often fictitious - transportation charges were billed on the assumption that each car would be shipped from a central plant when actually it came from an assembly facility closer to the dealer. These charges, known as "phantom freight" were much criticized by dealers. These charges were also responsible for the bootlegging of new cars, where unfranchised dealers purchased new car from dealers. Several years later, the automobile manufacturer partly because of a congressional investigation and partly because they recognized the growing dealer apathy, abandoned phantom freight charges. With much or almost all, of the freight

differential wiped out across the country, automobile bootlegging became l ess profitable and the morale of authorized dealers improved.

Companies utilizing multiple marketing channels frequently encounter problems in obtaining support from distributive outlets in some channels. One consumer-products company, for instance, sells directly to large retailers. Company salespeople are in

personal contact with large retailers, and they gain the support of these dealers. But to gain the support of smaller retailers, the sales personnel must work through the intervening wholesalers, earning their support as well.

Particular attention should be given to pricing policy. Wholesalers, as well as retailers, expect that margins will be in line with the marketing tasks the manufacturer expects them to perform. But margins need setting, too, with an eye that the

manufacturer is asking for too much support and offering too little margins, the manufacturers pricing policy must be brought into line.

Reformulation of other policies stimulates distributive outlets to greater selling effort. Policies on credit extension, service, advertising and selling allowances, and quantity and cash discounts should be scrutinized to determine if they provoke dealer apathy. Policies on marketing channels and distribution intensity sometimes need revising to stimulate the distributive outlets to greater effort.

A frequent reason for the indifference of distributive outlets lies in their previous experience with promotional programs. more promotions than they can accept. Wholesalers and retailers are offered far

Distributive outlets accept and push the promotions of those manufacturers with whose promotions they have had good experience in the past. If a manufacturer has had successful promotions in the past, then the distributive outlet has more confidence in the manufacturers current promotion.

INTRODUCTION TO WOOD Mans dependence on wood as a versatile raw material dates back to the earliest days of civilization. weapons. For centuries, wood has provided him shelter, fuel, tools and

The phenomenal advances made by man in the field of science and technology have only increased his dependence on wood not only in its raw form, but also in variety of reconstituted forms like plywood, blockboard, particleboard, fibreboard paper, and other pulp products.

Reconstituted Panel Products

Plywood, blockboard, particleboard and MDF are all reconstituted wood based panel products used extensively in the building construction and furniture industries. In all these products various grades are manufactured to meet a wide range of requirements related to performance and cost.

Terms like "Exterior Grade" " Interior Grade", " BWP Grade" etc. are widely to specify the superior features of these products.

Durability of Reconstituted Panel Products During the manufacture of plywood, blockboard, particleboard and MDF, wood is first converted into certain basic elements like veneers, battens, particles and fibres respectively.

These loose elements are then bonded using suitable adhesives, after they are r eoriented to provide dimensional stability to the end products.

Agents of Destruction The adverse factors in the environment which can cause disintegration and destruction of these products are:

Cyclic changes in atmospheric humidity and temperature. Continuous or cyclic exposure to water or high moisture conditions. Infestation by wood destroying organisms like fungi, wood boring beetles and termites.

The long term performance of all wood panel products, therefore, depends on how well they are protected against the above agents of destruction, which in turn depends on various.

Good Adhesives Make Good Panels The type of adhesive used for bonding a product determines the resistance of the bond to boiling water, high moisture conditions, and cyclic changes in weather.

The synthetic resin adhesives commonly used in the manufacture of wood panel products are:

Urea Formaldehyde (UF) Melamine Urea Formaldehyde (MF) Phenol Formaldehyde (PF)

Evaluating Weather Resistance In terms of resistance to cold and boiling water, which is a convenient yardstick to evaluate the weather resistance of board products, these resin adhesives can be graded, in the order of decreasing durability, as follows:

1.

BWP Type (Boiling Water Proof)

Adhesives of this type make the strongest and most durable bonds. In plywood, which is taken as a standard panel material, the bonding can withstand a rigorous 72 hour boiling test.

Only Phenol Formaldehyde synthetic resin falls under this type.

2.

BWR Type (Boiling Water Resistant)

The bonding obtained from BWR type adhesives can withstand only a limited 8 hour boiling test.

Extended Phenol Formaldehyde and amino plastic resins like Melamine UreaFormaldehyde can be used to obtain BWR type bonds.

3.

WWR Type (Warm Water Resistant)

Adhesives of this type make bonds which can withstand a 3 hour soaking test in water at 70 deg. Centigrade.

Urea Formaldehyde, fortified with Melamine is used to obtain WWR type bonding in plywood.

4.

CWR Type (Cold Water Resistant)

Adhesives of this type make bonds which can withstand only a 24 hour cold water soaking test. Urea Formaldehyde, which is the most extensively used resin primarily due to its low cost and short pressing cycles, is used to produce CWR type plywood.

Plywood bonded with UF resin does not possess any resistance to continuous or cyclic exposure to high humidity and heat.

CONSTRUCTION OF PANEL PRODUCTS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE DURABILITY OF THE PANEL The question that emerges now is: Do we get a 72 hour boiling water resistant bond in all types of products simply by using BWP type phenol formaldehyde resin". The answer is "NO". The boiling water resistance of a panel product depends not only on the type of adhesive used but also on its construction.

Based on construction panel products can be grouped into three categories:

1.

Plywood

Plywood has a laminated construction in which the constituent parts are in the form of broad layers or 'plies'. The bonding obtained from a given type of resin is the

strongest in plywood, as the area of contact between the adhering layers is very large. When bonded with BWP type phenol formaldehyde resin, plywood withstands 72 hours boiling. On account of its rigid construction, plywood is taken as the standard panel to test adhesives for classification into grades like BWP, BWR etc.

2.

Particle Board and MDF

Particle board and MDF have an agglomerated construction in which the constituent parts are in the form of very small particles. The area of contact between the particles being very small, the bonding obtained is relatively weak.

Even when bonded with BWP type phenol formaldehyde, these products can withstand only up to 2 hours boiling. When subjected to boiling tests or even cold water soaking tests, the bonding in these products is considerably weakened due to excessive swelling and spring-back.

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3.

Block board

Block board has a construction which is a combination of agglomeration and lamination. When bonded with BWP type phenol formaldehyde resin, it passes a 4 hour boiling test.

Hence, the only truly boiling water proof panel product that can withstand a 72 hour boiling test is a plywood bonded with BWP type phenol formaldehyde resin as specified in IS : 710 : 1976, which is the IS specification for marine plywood.

SUMMARY

Reconstituted wood panel products are essentially articles of wood. Hence, they need to be protected against infestation by wood destroying organisms. Most commonly used commercial timbers are non-durable.

With the increasing use of wood in its natural and reconstituted forms like plywood, block board, particleboard and MDF, it is necessary to know the different organisms, which attack and cause destruction to wood and wood-based products in service.

Wood Destroying Organisms

Wood Destroying organisms can be broadly classified into two groups : Micro organisms called fungi and wood boring insects, consisting of beetles and termites.

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Wood Staining Fungi

Fungi of this type thrive in the sapportion of wet Fungi wood and produce harmless discoloration. They do not attack the cellular substance of wood and hence no structural damage is caused to the affected wood.

Wood Rotting Fungi Fungi of this type attack wet wood causing a Fungi state of decomposition called rot or decay. They decompose the wood tissues and destroy the fibrous structure

Wood Boring Beetles There are several varieties of wood boring beetles; but those which

attack articles of wood in India belong to the family Lyctus borers which cause the well known Powder Discharge. These are very small insects.

They attack only the sapwood portion in any article as they draw their nourishment from the stored food in the sapwood.

Termites

Termites

usually

attack

articles,

which

are

fixed

to

the

building

elements like wall paneling, ceilings, wall units etc. They usually settle down around neglected areas inside the buildings. The infestation and destruction caused by termites is usually massive. They attack wood from below the surface leaving a sound, deceptive outer skin.

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Preservation of Timber

In order to make any article of wood durable it has to be protected against all the above organisms. In the past a large quantity of timber was used in the construction of buildings and various exposed structural applications like railway sleepers, transmission poles etc.

On account of the shortage of naturally durable timbers like teak, it was necessary to evolve materials and methods to protect wooden structures from wood destroying organisms.

Preservative Treatment of Plywood

The materials and methods used for the preservative treatment of plywood is essentially the same as those employed for treating natural wood.

But plywood also lends itself to different treatment methods at various stages of manufacture as follows:

By soaking, diffusion or impregnation of the individual veneers before gluing, with water borne chemicals. By adding preservative chemicals in the glue used for bonding. By impregnating the consolidated plywood with water borne chemicals by vacuum pressure process or other methods.

Vacuum Pressure Process

A pressure impregnation plant consists of a pressure cylinder provided with a seal door, a vacuum pump, a pump for pumping preservative solution into the pressure vessel and measuring instruments. The plywood to be treated is stacked vertically

13

inside the cylinder. After closing the seal door tightly, the air inside is evacuated using a vacuum pump. The cylinder is then filled with the preservative solution and a steady pressure is applied for a certain period. Thereafter the preservative solution is drained off, and the plywood is dried.

Glue Line Treatment Plywood which is not water proof cannot be subjected to vacuum pressure impregnation with waterborne chemicals. In the case of commercial plywood and other varieties of plywood which do not possess a water-proof bonding system, glue line treatment is generally advised as a precaution against borer attack. On account of the ease of use and the economy, a number of plywood manufacturers are now using Chlorpyrifos as a preservative in the glue line even for water-proof plywood.

Experiments carried out by IPIRTI have confirmed the efficiency of glue line treatment with a chemical called Chlopyrifos at a concentration of 1%, against borer attack. The efficacy of the same treatment against attack by termites or wood rotting fungi was not investigated and reported by IPIRTI in their report.

The method of treatment stipulated by IS 710:1976, which is the IS Specification for Marine Plywood is vacuum pressure impregnation with fixed type chemicals . Plywood Plywood is a sheet material made up of layers of wood called veneers, consolidated under heat and pressure using a synthetic resin as the adhesive, with the grains of adjacent layers running at right angles to each other. On account of its cross-laminated construction, plywood has the following superior features: High strength and stiffness in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Excellent resistance to splitting, cracking and shearing. Excellent dimensional stability.

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High bonding strength between the constituent layers; much more than the Flexibility can be molded into various forms and shapes. Availability splits, etc. in large sizes without defects like knots, cracks,

natural bonding between wood fibers.

Being a strong and rigid panel material, plywood is suitable for a wide range of structural applications in building construction, ship building, bus body building, railway coach construction, etc. On account of its close similarity to wood, and other conveniences for manual working, it is also used extensively in furniture and in building interior systems. Block board is a thicker sheet material made up of a solid batten core consisting of narrow battens of wood laid side by side and further covered with veneers on both sides as in plywood. The battens are cut usually from timber unsuitable for veneer production. Block board is essentially a furniture panel. In a modified form, it is also used as a door shutter when it is called a Flush door.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF PLYWOOD Furniture made from plywood is more durable than furniture made from block board, particle board or MDF. The construction of a panel product is as important as the resin used for bonding. Plywood has a rigid laminated construction. When bonded

with BWP type Phenol Formaldehyde resin, plywood is :

18

times

more

durable

than

blockboard

bonded

with

the

same

adhesive. 36 times more durable than particle board and MDF, bonded with the same adhesive.

15

The same BWP type PF adhesive does not impart the same boiling water resistance to different wood panel products.

Based on the IS Specifications, hours of boiling water resistance for plywood, block board, particle board and MDF, all bonded with

BWP type PF resin are as follows;

Plywood 72 Hours

Block board 4 Hours

Particle Board 2 Hours

Mdf 2 Hours

All Marine Plywoods are not equally durable. About 20% Marine Plywoods in the market are fake

(Commercial plywood coloured dark green) About 75% Marine Plywoods have only 8 hours

boiling water resistance because they are bonded with BWR type resins (IS 303 : 1989) Only about 5% Marine Plywoods have 72 hours boiling water resistance.

Several so-called Termite Resistant plywoods are easily attacked by borers Termites are insects which operate from underground colonies. By proper and regular pest control measures buildings get some degree of protection from termite infestation. Hence, untreated plywood might appear Termite Resistant by sheer chance. Borers inhabit untreated plywood & cannot be isolated by environmental treatments. Only plywood impregnated with preservative chemicals can keep borers away.

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RESEARCH DESIGN

TITLE OF THE STUDY A study on Dealers perception towards Century Plywood & Block boards.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The 1990s have been witnessing a dramatic shift in the market place triggered by sharp changes in demography, drastic difference in the life style patterns of the past and present radical revolution in the communication and technology. The present study finds out the dealers attitude towards century plywood & block boards

The study was conducted keeping in mind the change in attitude of the dealers towards century plywood and block boards. From this we can get relevant

information regarding present statistics of century plywood brand in comparison to other brands in the market. From this survey we can analyze the position of century ply brand according to the dealers.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The present study has been carried out keeping the following objectives in mind:

To study the brand preferences of dealers. To know the major brands of plywood and block boards, the dealers stock in their stock. To know the highest selling brand of plywood & block boards in the market. To know the problems faced by the dealers in stocking plywood and block boards.

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RESEARCH DESIGN Research design is like a road map to make sure that we dont get off the track, but rather it guides us where we want to go. A research design minimizes the danger of haphazard collection of information and ensures that the researchers needs are served. In conducting the study on the dealers attitude towards century plywood and block boards in Bangalore City first the data was collected from both the primary and secondary sources. The information obtained was filled into the questionnaire by forming questions, which of the study. were structured to subsist the aims and objectives

The questionnaire prepared was brief and to the point. The data collected from the dealers of plywood & block boards were organized, processed and tabulated. The raw data was edited before tabulating.

The tables thus obtained were analyzed with the help of statistical techniques, averages and percentage in order to interpret the data and draw con clusions.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE CONCEPT

Market-

Market is an effective contact between buyers and sellers. In other words market refers to a set of all actual and potential buyers of a product or service.

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Brand A name term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them intended to identify the product of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. Sales Potential A sales potential is an estimate of maximum possible sales opportunities present in a particular market segment open to a specified company selling a good or service during a future period. Demand Demands are wants for specific products that are backed up by ability and willingness to buy them. Market Demand Market demand for a product or service is the total volume that would be bought by a defined consumer group in a defined geographic area in a defined time period in a defined marketing environment under a defined level and mix of industry marketing effort. Brand Image:The consumer develops a set of beliefs about where each brand stands on each attribute. These set of beliefs about a brand makeup the brand image. Marketing Mix:Marketing mix is the set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market. Marketing mix consists of the four Ps product, price, promotion and physical distribution. Attitude:The word attitude describes a persistent tendency to feel and behave in a particular way towards some objective or attitudes are evaluative statements either favorable or unfavorable concerning objects, people or events. They reflect how one feels about something.

19

Perception:It includes all those processes by which an individual receives information about his environment seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and

smelling. The study at this perceptional processes shows that their functioning is affected by these classes of variables the objects or events being perceived the environment in which perception occurs and the individual doing the perceiving. Sales Support:Sales support is a part of sales promotion. Sales support includes the

advertisement, demonstration, free gifts that enhance the role of a particular product. Awareness:Awareness means that how many people know about the product and the various attributes of the product.

SOURCES OF DATA

For the present study both primary and secondary data was used.

Primary data was collected from dealers through survey method with a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of both open and closed ended questions.

Secondary data was collected from various books, web sites, company journals etc.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY The survey was conducted in Bangalore City only collecting informations from dealers of Plywood & Block boards. The dealers were from selected places in

20

Bangalore.

The present study was conducted to help the company for better

understanding and providing services and goods to the ultimate customers.

SAMPLING PLAN

Sampling Technique The sampling technique used for the purpose of this project report was non probability convenience sampling. The collection of data was made from dealers of Plywood & Block boards. The respondents were selected randomly and care was taken to interview respondents from different parts of Bangalore City. Sample Size Whenever we are involved in sampling we should have meaningful plan for determining how large a sample we would wish to draw from the population to fulfill the research. A sample size of 50 dealers of Plywood & Bloc k boards was chosen for this study

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The findings are substantially based on the information given by the dealers. The bias attitude of the dealers can be a limitation.

The finding of the study was based on the assumption that information provided by the respondents is correct.

The survey is limited to 50 respondents which are very small compared to the city population. Hence, this sample size may not be truly representative.

Due to their busy schedule many dealers did not cooperate

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Company Profile Century Plyboard (I) Ltd., makers of the well-known Century brand of Plywood and decorative veneers, was set up in 1986 in Kolkata. The largest seller of plywood and decorative veneers in the Indian organized plywood market, Century today is the leading brand and in its short duration of existence has created a special niche for itself in the industry.. Century today manufacture the entire range of commercial, marine, concrete, shuttering and decorative plywood. Its contribution

Century has successfully launched the Pre Lam Particle Board after its success story with the launch of Mica. The unit was set up with an investment of 35 crores and it will produce 30,000 particle boards per month. The Laminates plant is set with an expense of 26 crores and has an installed capacity of production of 2,00,000 sheets per month. Century Mica is the decorative laminate that gives its consumer that extra bit more than any other laminate available in the market. The only laminate, that gives a seven-year guarantee, against any manufacturing defect to the consumer. The unique quality of this product is that it is more resistant to abrasion, scratches, stains, heat, burns etc. It is the result of a unique technology used and perfected through R&D. This unique technology makes Century Mica Maxpower [1.5 mm] and Century Colourmax [1.0 mm] extra resistant and even stronger than others available in the market. Since the last few years Century has been maintaining an annual growth of approximately 25-30 percent, contributing nearly 10 percent of the total excise duty collection in the country from the plywood industry.

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Quality Policy To manufacture plywood and allied products using appropriate quality of raw materials following Indian standards with modern sophisticated techniques, equipment, applying latest Quality Assurance Methods and through competent employees, with the ultimate aim of total satisfaction to the valued

customers."Century became the first ISO 9002 company in India for Veneer a nd Plywood. The company has a centralized quality control team consisting of 5 people who are specially trained and hold diplomas from the Plywood Research Institute, Bangalore. The company regularly sends them to this Institute for the refresher courses. Statistical quality control (SQC) measures are also undertaken at various stages of the production process to ensure the quality of the product

Milestones achieved

In 1998 Century introduced 100 percent termite and borer proof plywood with 7 years comprehensive warranty. The borer proof decorative plywood introduced by Century has become the minimum benchmark in the industry. In collaboration with IPIRTI, Century undertook an R&D project of making 100 -perecnt boiling waterproof decorative plywood. It was the first company to have successfully done this. Its distribution reach: The company has a very strong dealers network across the country. A strong sales force is currently servicing its distribution channel. Its processing units... Century Plyboards ISO 9002 plant is located at Bishnupur near Joka, Kolkata. The 10-acre production complex annually rolls out high-grade ply, mainly from imported timber and logs. The current capacity of the plant stands at 22,000 sq. meters per day of Plywood. The production facilities include a range of state-of-the-art equipment for cutting, shaving, splicing, polishing and

23

chemical treatment as well as for research and development. The Laminates, Decorative Veneer, Commercial, Marine, Concrete Shuttering and Decorati ve Plywood are all produced at the same plant. Product Range Centurys product range includes almost all the varieties of plywood such as Commercial plywood, Boiling Waterproof plywood, Decorative plywood, Shuttering plywood, Block Board, Filmface plywood etc. Century Pre Lam Century Mica [Laminates] Architect Plywood Fantasy Plywood Firesafe Fire Retardant Plywood Flexoply Flexible Plywood BWR Grade PF Plywood & Blockboard MR Grade PF Plywood & Blockboard Decorative Wood Veneer BWP Flush Doors Marine Plywood Shuttering & Film Coated Plywood Chequered Plywood Burma Teak Ply & Board Century Adhesive People behind the Company Mr Sajjan Bhajanka is the Managing Director of Century. He is involved in products and strategic planning. Mr Sanja y Agarwal Deputy Managing Director heads the marketing and sales of the company and is also part of the strategic planning unit. Product Range Century's product range includes almost all the varieties of plywood, such as commercial plywood, boiling water-proof plywood, decorative plywood, shuttering plywood, block board, filmface plywood etc. After two years of rigorous R&D in the year 1998, Century introduced 100 percent termite and borer proof plywood with 7 years comprehensive warranty and launched the new product in the market with wide publicity and thereafter within a few months it became the top selling brand of plywood in the country. As on date the borer proof decorative plywood introduced by Century has become the minimum bench mark in the plywood industry. Thereafter with the help of IPIRTI, Century undertook another R&D project that is of making 100 per cent boiling water-proof decorative plywood. So far decorative plywood was available without boiling water proof due to various constraints in manufacturing the same. Century successfully concluded its R&D and made a new

24

mark with another innovative product i.e. 100 per cent boiling waterproof decorative plywood - almost at the same price being charged by its competitors for general products. Since the last few years, Century is maintaining an annual growth of approximately 40 percent and has already reached No.1 status in the Indian Plywood Market and selling more than everybody and at least 30 per cent more than its immediate rivals People behind the Company: The Company is headed by Mr. Sajjan Bhajanka as Managing Director and Mr. Sanjay Agarwal as Deputy Managing Director. Whereas Mr. Bhajanka is a well-known name in plywood and is involved with its products and strategic planning, Mr Sanjay Agarwal, who is also a part of strategic planning, heads the aggressive marketing and sales of the company's products. The Company finds the plywood industry is slowly, but surely waking up to the needs of the demanding and knowledgeable customer and it is upgrading its products so as to last longer and it is good to see Century taking the lead in the change. Market Share:

It is roughly presumed that the total size of Indian Plywood Market is around Rs.5000 crores in value terms and around 60 crores sq. meters of plywood on 4mm basis in quantity terms. The market is divided between two categories i.e. (1) branded products and (2) non-branded products. Until 1970 the share of branded products was 90% in comparison to 10% of non-branded products but now the situation has been almost reversed and the branded products have only 10 per cent market share. Generally branded products are being manufactured by the plywood factories in the medium scale, who are paying all the taxes and excise duty, whereas non-branded products are mostly being manufactured by SSI units, most of whom are availing excise and sales tax exemptions. These SSI units generally are not fully integrated ones. They buy semi-processed raw

25

material and do the pressing and finishing jobs in their factories. Thus excise duty collection is largely from the branded products. The total duty collection from plywood industry is estimated to be Rs.70 crores, out of which Century's contribution is likely to be more than Rs.7 crores i.e. around 10 percent of the total excise collection in the country from the plywood industry. When the excise contribution of Century is compared with other branded plywood manufacturers, Century is the highest excise contributor and the next contributor is 30 to 40 percent below it, followed by further lower contributors. In the western and southern markets, Century is the No. 1 selling brand, whereas in other markets it is among the top three. The company has achieved a considerable growth in turnover by 36 per cent in the year 1997-98, 48 per cent in 1998-99 and 52 percent in 1999-2000. It has achieved a turnover of Rs.116 crores during 2000-01 resulting in a growth of 20 percent.

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ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION TABLE-1 SHOWING SINCE HOW LONG THE DEALERS ARE INTO PLYWOOD & BLOCKBOARDS BUSINESS

Duration Less than 1 Year 1 to 2 Years 3 to 5 Years 5 to 10 Years More than 10 Years Total

No. of Dealers 0 5 12 27 6 50

Percentage 0 10 24 54 12 100%

Analysis:-

From the above table it can be analyzed that majority of the dealers i.e. 54% of them are into plywood and block boards business from 5 to 10 years, 24% of them are from 3 to 5 years, 12% of the dealers are into this business from more than 10 years and 10% of the dealers are in this business from 1 to 2 years.

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that majority of the dealers are in the business from 5 to 10 years.

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GRAPH 1

GRAPH SHOWING SINCE HOW LONG THE DEALERS ARE INTO PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS BUSINESS

60

54

50

40

30 24 20 10 12

10 0 Less than 1 Year

1 to 2 Years

3 to 5 Years

5 to 10 Years

28

TABLE 2

TABLE SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS ARE AWARE OF CENTURY PLYBOARD (I) LTD

Aware Yes No Total

No. of Dealers 49 1 50

Percentage 98 2 100%

Analysis:-

The above table clearly shows that a large majority i.e. 98% of the dealers are aware of Century Plyboard (I) Ltd., while only 2% of the dealers are not aware of the company.

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that majority of the dealers are aware of Century Plyboard (I) Ltd.,

29

GRAPH 2

GRAPH SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS ARE AWARE OF CENTURY PLYBOARD LTD

No 2%

Yes 98%

30

TABLE 4

TABLE SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS ARE STOCKING CENTURY BRAND OF PLYWOOD AND BLOCK BOARDS

Response Yes No Total

No. of Dealers 45 5 50

Percentage 90 10 100%

Analysis:-

The above table shows that a majority i.e. 90% of the dealers are stocking Century brand of plywood and block boards in their shops and 10% of the dealers are not stocking Century brand of plywood and block boards in their shop.

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be concluded that a majority of the dealers are stocking Century brand of plywood and block boards in their shop.

31

GRAPH 4

GRAPH SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS ARE STOCKING CENTURY BRAND OF PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS IN THEIR SHOPS

No 10%

Yes 90%

32

TABLE 5

TABLE

SHOWING

THE

MAJOR

BRANDS

OF

PLYWOOD

&

BLOCKBOARDS THE DEALERS ARE STOCKING IN THEIR SHOP

Brands Century Ply Green Ply Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Honsur Ply Others Total

No. of Dealers 19 6 9 4 9 2 1 50

Percentage 38 12 18 8 18 4 2 100%

Analysis:-

The above table shows that most of the dealers i.e. 38% of them are stocking Century Ply brand of plywood and block boards, 18% each of the dealers are stocking Kit Ply and Anchor Ply brand of plywood and block boards respectively, 12% dealers stocked Green Ply, 8% of the dealers stocked Sharada Ply, 4% stocked Honsur Ply and the remaining 2% of the dealers stocked other brands of plywood and block boards in their shop.

33

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that most of the dealers stocked Century Ply brand of plywood and blockboards in their shop followed by Kit Ply and Anchor Ply. GRAPH 5

GRAPH SHOWING THE MAJOR BRANDS OF PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS THE DEALERS ARE STOCKING IN THEIR SHOP

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

38

18

18

12 8 4 2 Century Ply Green Ply Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Honsur Ply Others

34

TABLE 6

TABLE SHOWING THE HIGHEST SELLING BRAND OF PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS WHICH THE DEALERS STOCK IN THEIR SHOP

Brands Century Ply Green Ply Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Honsur Ply Others Total

No. of Dealers 17 7 10 3 10 2 1 50

Percentage 34 14 20 6 20 4 2 100%

Analysis:-

From the above table it can be analyzed that according to most of the dealers i.e. 34% of the revealed that Century Ply is the most highest selling brand of plywood & block boards which they store, 20% each of the dealers revealed that Kit Ply & Anchor Ply are the most highest selling brands in the market respectively, 14% said it is Green Ply, 6% revealed that Sharada Ply is the highest selling brand, 4% said Honsur Ply and the remaining 2% of the respondents revealed other brands.

35

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that according to most of the dealers Century Ply is the highest selling brand of plywood and block boards which they stock in their shops. Kit Ply and Anchor Ply stood equally in the second position. GRAPH 6

GRAPH SHOWING THE HIGHEST SELLING BRAND OF PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS WHICH THE DEALERS STOCK IN THEIR SHOP

35

34

30

25 20 20 20

15

14

10 6 5 4 2 0 Century Ply Green Ply Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Honsur Ply Others

36

TABLE 7

TABLE SHOWING THE REASON WHY THE BRAND SELLS MORE IN THE MARKET

Reasons Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service Others Total

No. of Dealers 10 11 3 5 20 1 50

Percentage 20 22 6 10 40 2 100%

Analysis:-

The above table shows that according to most of the dealers i.e. 40% of them revealed that the service of the company is the reason why brand sells more in the market, 22% indicated that the price of the brand is the reason why it sells more, 20% said the quality of the brand makes it sell more in the market, 10% indicated that the

availability of the brand makes it sell more in the market, 6% said the reason of brand name and the remaining 2% of the respondents showed other reasons.

37

Inference:From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that according to most of the dealers the service of the company is the reason why the brand sells more in the market. However it can be also considered that price and quality also matters a lot for which the brand sells more in the market. GRAPH 7

GRAPH SHOWING THE REASON WHY THE BRAND SELLS MORE IN THE MARKET

40 40 34

35

30

25 20 20

22

15 10 10 6 5 2 0 Century Ply Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service Others

38

TABLE 8

TABLE SHOWING THE PROBLEMS THE DEALERS FACE IN KEEPING STOCK OF PLYWOOD & BLOCKBOARDS.

Problems Borer Attack Warping De-lamination Termites Others Total

No. of Dealers 5 12 16 10 7 50

Percentage 10 24 32 20 14 100%

Analysis:-

The above table depicts that according to most of the dealers i.e. 32% of them faced the problem of de-lamination in keeping stock of plywood and block boards, 24% of the dealers faced by the problem of warping, 20% faced the problem of termites, 10% of the dealers faced the problem of borer-attack and the remaining 14% of the dealers faced other problems in keeping stock of plywood and block boards.

Inference:From the above table and analysis it can be concluded that most of the dealers faced the problem of de-lamination in keeping stock of plywood and block boards.

39

GRAPH 8

GRAPH SHOWING THE PROBLEMS THE DEALERS FACE IN KEEPING STOCK OF PLYWOOD & BLOCKBOARDS.

35 32 30

25

24

20 20

15 10 10

14

0 Borer Attack Warping De-lamination Termites Others

40

TABLE 9

TABLE SHOWING HOW THE DEALERS CAME TO KNOW ABOUT CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PLYWOOD & BLOCK BOARDS.

Sources Advertisements Company Sales Person Hoardings Architects Others Total

No. of Dealers 3 26 1 12 8 50

Percentage 6 52 2 24 16 100%

Analysis:-

From the above table it can be analyzed more than half of the dealers i.e. 52% of them were aware of Century ply brand of plywood and block boards through company sales persons, 24% of the dealers revealed that they came to know about Century ply brand of plywood & block boards through the architects, 6% of the dealers were aware through advertisements, 2% of them came to know from the hoardings and 16% of them were aware through various other sources.

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be concluded that most of the dealers were aware of Century ply brand of plywood and block boards through the company sales persons.

41

GRAPH 9

GRAPH SHOWING HOW THE DEALERS CAME TO KNOW ABOUT CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PLYWOOD & BLOCKBOARDS.

60 52 50

40

30 24 20

16

10

6 2

0 Advertisements Company Sales Person Hoardings Architects Others

42

TABLE 10

TABLE SHOWING WHETHER THE ADVERTISING HELPS IN INCREASE OF SALES

Response Yes No Total

No. of Dealers 30 20 50

Percentage 60 40 100%

Analysis:-

The above table shows that according to majority of the dealers i.e. 60% of them opined that advertising help increase in sales, while 40% of the dealers indicated that advertising doesnt help increase in sales.

Inference:-

From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that advertising helps in increasing the sales of plywood and block boards.

43

GRAPH 10

GRAPH SHOWING WHETHER THE ADVERTISING HELPS IN INCREASE OF SALES

No 40%

Yes 60%

44

TABLE 12

TABLE SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS LIKE TO BECOME A STOCKIEST FOR CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PRODUCTS IF GIVEN A OPTION.

Response Yes No Total

No. of Dealers 43 7 50

Percentage 86 14 100%

Analysis:The above table shows that a large majority of the dealers i.e. 90 of them are ready to become a stockiest for the century ply brand of products, while only 10 of the dealers were not interested in becoming a stockiest for the Century ply brand of products.

Inference:From the table and analysis it can be inferred that majority of the dealers are interested in becoming a stockiest for the Anchor based products.

45

GRAPH 12

GRAPH SHOWING WHETHER THE DEALERS LIKE TO BECOME A STOCKIEST FOR CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PRODUCTS IF GIVEN AN OPTION.

No 10%

Yes 90%

46

TABLE 13

TABLE SHOWING THE RATING OF THE AFTER SALES SERVICE OF THE CENTURY PLYBOARD LTD

Rating Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor Total

No. of Dealers 3 21 20 6 0 49

Percentage 6 42 40 12 0 100%

Analysis:From the above table it can be analyzed that according to 42% of the dealers the after sales service of the CENTURY PLYBOARD LTD is very good, closely 40% of the dealers had a good review, 12% rated it as average and the remaining 6% of the dealers had an excellent review.

Inference:From the table and analysis it can be inferred that the after sales service of Century Plyboard Ltd is very good and good.

47

GRAPH 13

GRAPH SHOWING THE RATING OF THE AFTER SALES SERVICE OF CENTURY PLYBOARD LIMITED.

45

42

40

40

35

30

25

20

15

12

10 6 5 0 0 Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

48

TABLE 14

TABLE SHOWING RATING OF CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PRODUCTS AGAINST ITS COMPETITORS

Factors Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service

Excellent 16% 4% 25% 10% 20%

Very Good 24% 9% 30% 12% 45%

Good 26% 25% 30% 35% 25%

Average 30% 50% 15% 38% 8%

Poor 4% 12% 0% 5% 2%

Analysis:The above table shows that:

In the quality aspect of century ply brand of products most of the dealers i.e. 30% of them rated it as average as against its competitors, 26% rated it as good, 24% of them rated it as very good, 16% of them had a excellent review and 4% rated it as poor.

In the price factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers i.e. 50% of them rated it as average as against its competitors, 25% rated it as good, 9% of them rated it as very good, 4% of them had an excellent review and 12% rated it as poor.

In the brand name aspect of century ply brand of products most of the dealers i.e. 30% each of them rated it as very good and good, 25% of the dealers rated it as excellent and 15% of them had an average review.

In the availability factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers i.e. 38% of them rated it as average as against its competitors, 35% rated it as

49

good, 12% of them rated it as very good, 10% of them had an excellent review and 5% rated it as poor. In the service factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers i.e. 45% of them rated it as very good, 25% rated it as good, 20% of them rated it as excellent, 8% of them had an average review and 2% rated it as poor.

GRAPH 14

GRAPH SHOWING RATING OF CENTURY PLY BRAND OF PRODUCTS AGAINST ITS COMPETITORS

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Quality

Price

Brand Name

Availability

Service

50

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

It was found that majority of the dealers (i.e. 54%) of them are into plywood and block boards business from 5 to 10 years.

A large majority (i.e. 98%) of the dealers are aware of century ply brand of products

A majority (i.e. 90%) of the dealers are stocking century ply brand of products

Most of the dealers (i.e. 38%) of them are stocking Century Ply brand of plywood and block boards and (18%) each of the dealers are stocking Kit Ply and Anchor Ply brand of plywood and block boards respectively.

According to most of the dealers (i.e. 34%) of the revealed that Century Ply is the most highest selling brand of plywood & block boards which they store and (20%) each of the dealers revealed that Kit Ply & Anchor Ply are the most highest selling brands in the market respectively.

Most of the dealers (i.e. 40%) of them revealed that the service of the company is the reason why brand sells more in the market.

According to most of the dealers (i.e. 32%) of them faced the problem of delamination in keeping stock of plywood and block boards and (24%) & (20%) of the dealers faced the problem of warping and termites.

51

More than half of the dealers (i.e. 52%) of them were aware of century ply brand of products through company sales persons.

According to majority of the dealers (i.e. 60%) of them opined that advertising help in increase in sales.

A large majority of the dealers (i.e. 86%) of them are ready to become a stockiest for the century ply brand of products.

According to (42%) of the dealers the after sales service of Century plyboard ltd is very good & closely (40%) of the dealers had a good review.

In the quality aspect of century ply brand of products most of the dealers (i.e. 30%) of them rated it as average as against its competitors.

In the price factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers (i.e. 30%) of them rated it as average as against its competitors.

In the brand name aspect of century ply brand of products

most of the

dealers (i.e. 30%) each of them rated it as very good and good respectively.

In the availability factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers (i.e. 38%) of them rated it as average as against its competitors.

In the service factor of century ply brand of products most of the dealers (i.e. 45%) of them rated it as very good.

52

SUGGESTIONS & CONCLUSIONS

Company

should

provide

better

service

to

the

dealer

as

sales

assistance, new product information etc.

Local publicity should be made highly for consumer scheme to create awareness of the dealer location.

Introduce innovative schemes from time to time for dealers / consumers.

There is a need to be preemptive offensive strategy in pricing. Price parity should be maintained throughout the market.

The company should emphasis on new model with quality and durability and that should be uniqueness from the competitors.

The

company should

seamlessly calculate

dealer

compensation,

sales

commissions, adjustments, penalties and other financial transactions in a multihierarchical dealer environment. The following benefits can be achieved :

Greater Coverage: service providers can manage a widespread distribution of dealer networks so they can reach out to their customers with the ability to set up complex dealer and agent relationships within the network. The system can handle infinite numbers of dealers, sub-dealers and sales agents. Monitor performance: The production of comprehensive reports, means

the service provider can have a detailed view of dealer commissions generated in

53

order to better monitor performance. The service providers can evaluate the dealers efficiency and sales patterns. They can also attach sales agents to a group of dealers and monitor their performance on different parameters such as revenue generated, customers acquired, customers churned.

Increase visibility: The service providers can form hierarchies as well as

Sales Groups comprising dealers, sub-dealers, and sales agents to carry out sales operations to gain a better view of the value chain. Commission sharing percentages amongst the agents, dealers and sub-dealers can also be setup.

Encourage competition: The service provider can offer promotional bonuses or impose penalties to dealers, based on their performance in acquiring customers, as well as retaining existing ones.

54

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

C.R. Kothari, Research Methodology (Methods & Techniques), 1995, Wishwa Prakashan. Donald R.Cooper & Pamela S. Schindler, Research Methodology, 1999, Tata MacGraw Hill. Schiffman, Consumer Behaviour, 2000, Tata MacGraw Hill. Philip Kotler, Marketing Management

2.

3.

4.

5.

Company Journals

6.

www.centuryply.com

7.

www.google.com

55

ANNEXURES

QUESTIONNAIRE

Name Shop Name Address

: : :

1.

How long have you been into this business? a. c. e. Less than 1 year 3-5 Years More than 10 Years [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. 1-2 Years 5-10 Years [ ] [ ]

2.

Are you aware of Century Plyboard Ltd ? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

4.

Are you stocking Century ply brand of Plywood & Block boards in your shop? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

5.

What are the major brands of plywood & block boards you stock in your shop? a. c. e. g. Century Ply Kit Ply Anchor Ply Others [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. f. Green Ply Sharada Ply Hunsur Ply [ ] [ ] [ ]

6. Which is the highest selling brand of plywood & block boards which you stock in your shop? a. c. e. g. Century Ply Kit Ply Anchor Ply Others [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. f. Green Ply Sharada Ply Hunsur Ply [ ] [ ] [ ]

56

7.

What do you think is the reason this brand sell more in the market? a. c. e. Quality [ ] b. d. e. Price Availability Others [ ] [ ] [ ]

Brand Name [ ] Service [ ]

8.

What are the problems you face in keeping stock of plywood and block boards? a. c. e. Borer Attack De-lamination Others [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. Warping Termites [ ] [ ]

9.

How did you come to know about Century ply brand of plywood & Block boards? a. c. e. Advertisements Hoardings Others [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. Co. Sales Person Architects [ ] [ ]

10.

Do you think that advertising help increase sales? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

12.

Given an option will you become a stockiest for any of these brands? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

13.

How do you rate after sale service of Century Plyboard Ltd? a. c. e. Excellent Good Poor [ ] [ ] [ ] b. d. Very Good Average [ ] [ ]

57

14. How do you rate Century ply brand of products against its competitors?

Factors Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service

Very Good

Good

Average

Poor

Very Poor

15. Any suggestions to the company?

- Thanking You -

58