Industry Project: Beyond Studios - Case Study Example

Industry Project: Beyond Studios Affiliation: Beyond Studios Beyond studios is a renowned and rapidly expanding Dubai based film production company. The company opened its door for serious business in the year 2007. It operates as a sole enterprise and Nahla Al Fahad an Emirati who is the producer /Director owns it. The company was started with a sole mandate of providing superior film and photography services in the media sector (Oxford Business Group, 2009). In this regard, it focuses its synergies in providing major services that include video production, filming, postproduction, casting, and events management. It ensures the services are of quality by adhering to the three level service centers that service delivery is to go through. Since its inception, the company has been recording tremendous growth in diverse fronts of operations (Aaker, 2001). The good performance is attributable to the management skills employed, quality work, and effectiveness in meeting customer demands. Despite the performance, Nahla faced certain challenges that have threatened to weaken its operations. The challenges entail inability to meet some utility costs, lack of funds, business office, and bearing of cost. To date, the company has grown from its infancy stages to a full fledge production company with full location registration after it was moved to Dubai media city “ a free zone area”. The move was necessitated by the need for an office to act as the operational center where customers can engage with the officials easily. The idea was to foster rental fee waiver and attract more customers who exist within the free zone area. Currently, the Dubai office specializes in the provision of film services from pre-production, film and photography levels (Oxford Business Group, 2009). Nahla Al Fahad who doubles up as the radio and TV project manager heads the media group while TV channel activities are being coordinated by Noor. These changes have been able to foster efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery towards meeting marketing mix elements with the aim of satisfying customer needs. This paper gives credible information pertaining to Dubai Media Company with specific reference to its formation, operating strategies, business concept, and core activities. The analysis is bound to enable various stakeholders in the media sector to understand the dynamics including what it takes to be successful in the competitive field. Key areas tackled in this paper include I. General operations II. Human Resource III. Management IV. Strategic aspects V. Business operations VI. Marketing operations/marketing mix Research problem Indeed, Beyond Studios is facing a myriad of challenges that requires credible and viable solutions. The solutions must be result oriented and customer centered to guarantee satisfaction. The questions are important in helping to unravel the issues that may compromise service delivery. The questions that forms the key part of the research problem are I. How can beyond studios increase its performance in the free zone market? II. What steps are necessary to advance the involvement of the management in the company’s business operations? III. Should Nahla take the bold step of expanding the business operations currently? IV. Should Beyond Studios consider hiring permanent employees or contractual ones? V. How can the company eliminate the eminent risks effectively? The objectives The main objectives of the study include I. To facilitate the identification of the challenges faced by Beyond Studios in the delivery of services II. To formulate or help in establishing viable solutions to the emerging issues III. To equip Nahla with reliable information upon which to base her decisions on issues relating to finance, human resource, management and expansion. IV. To design effective operating plans that can advance quality services at all levels of photography production and events management. Key areas tackled, administrative challenges and probable solutions There are diverse challenges the film company is facing in the process of service delivery. Firstly, the company faces operations challenges that threaten to compromise the quality of services delivered to customers as it expand. The challenges are attributable to lack of adequate personnel to match the workload that exist in most instances (Oxford Business Group, 2009). The available personnel are overwhelmed with the workload thereby making the company to lose some customers. In its administrative hierarchy, the company has one permanent personnel who is the owner, Noor who is in charge of TV channels and other freelance officials. The people in charge are committed in various activities hence making the quality of work low at every level of production that in turn slows service delivery. For instance, Nahla who is the owner of the business doubles up as a part time student. Therefore, it is prudent and in the best interest of the company that the owner hires more employees to help in accelerating service delivery. Increased number of employees will enable the company to address issues and quality concerns arising amicably (Codita, 2011). It will also enable them to meet the aspect of quality product that is a major element of marketing mix. Human Resource-human resource is a major component of any successful business venture especially in the conventional society. Institutions must be able to put in place competent, effective, vibrant, creative and innovative human capital purposely to foster the realization of set objectives. No organization can develop without adequate human capital that matches the workload as evident in Beyond Studios (Aaker, 2001). Inadequate human resource remains a challenge to the company despite the high number of orders it receives. The company has one permanent employee who doubles up as a student hence making coordination and execution of activities beyond reach at some point. Due to this, the company has been losing out customers and revenues including credibility among some customers that may prove detrimental in the end. Therefore, it is necessary for the company to develop viable recruitment plan and hire personnel to work at every level of production to guarantee quality service delivery. The idea is justifiable, as it will enable the company to meet its marketing mix obligations (Aaker, 2001). Strategic- strategic decisions pertaining to competitiveness of a company, innovation, adoption of technology, production of superior services and expansion is imperative for economic advancement (Kourdi, 2009). However, Beyond Studios Company has not been operating under effective strategic guidelines consistently. Poor strategies of operations have been leading the company to low levels of performance. It cannot meet its operational objectives because of the inferior strategies. Particularly, the company lacks clear plan of operation, goals and objectives. It also lacks clear communication and customer management structures that are essential for achieving utmost performance (Aaker, 2001). Evidently, the company has not been able to get adequate exposure in the market due to under utilization of the social networks such as twitter, facebook, instagram among the others. Inferior planning and administration activities have resulted to heavy loses to the company as it has missed many opportunities and government tenders. The company has also been losing out from securing prime equipments and postproduction bookings from suppliers. The matter has been a great challenge since clients have not been getting superior deals when it comes to photographic venues due to poor planning. Nahla has been forced in various instances to change the shooting dates or submission period of various photographic projects due to poor strategies (Aaker, 2001). Management- it is worth notable that management issues that Beyond Studios is facing are because of its sole structure of administration. The company operates under a sole enterprise licensing that gives the owner the authority to bear the brunt of the successes and burden alone. Effective management of affairs has not been achieved since Nahla cannot manage all the activities at the three levels of production singularly. She is overwhelmed with work hence the dilapidating service delivery (Aaker, 2001). Beyond business strategy, operation, and solutions to the problems Business strategy is a performance driver that any institution with strong aspirations to record exemplary performance must formulate. It provides a benchmark with which performance is pegged and service delivery is charted towards the realization of set objectives and goals. By definition, business strategy is an action plan that is used towards achieving institutional set goals (Kourdi, 2009). Despite its imperativeness, Beyond Studios has not been recording good performance given that it operates under ineffective business model. The business model comprises of a lean administrative structure with only one permanent employee who is also engaged in other activities. There is no effective plan of operation, set goals and objectives. It also has inferior programs of service delivery that cannot spur the achievement of set vision. Likewise, the strategy compromises the quality of service delivery that the company has been on a mission to uphold. Based on the highlighted challenges, the company can only revolutionize its operations through the development of viable plan of activity, realistic goals, and achievable objectives that are within its capability (Kourdi, 2009). Firstly, the company should schedule all its photographic projects appropriately to avoid clashing of activities. It should operate within the set operating goals and objectives. The management should also hire more personnel to help in the execution of designated activities at all levels of production. Communication enhancement using vibrant social network platforms is necessary to help in conveying requisite information to the stakeholders. The company’s supply and production chains should be revamped using lean concept of resource management or operation. The revamping is necessary to help in streamlining service delivery with the aim of meeting the institutional vision. Competition Beyond Studios operates in afast growing field that is depicted with the number of new entrants and potential entrants. Currently, competition is becoming stiff in the sector and Beyond Studios must develop proper strategies to counter this. Its main competitors that threaten its profitability within the free zone are Abrar Ali design studio and Arab studio. The companies also focus in the provision of filming and photographic services including events management assistance. This enumerate them as potential competitors to Beyond Studios given that the provide alternative service centers to clients. 7Ps of marketing mix 7Ps of marketing mix are vital performance indicators and enhancers that managers should consider for competitiveness. The seven Ps include product, price, place, promotion, positioning, people and packaging. Evidently, Beyond Studios should embrace marketing mix principles without reservations as a way of encouraging development and elimination of risks (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2012). For instance, product is marketing mix element that will enable the company to refocus its strategies towards delivering superior services to customers. The marketing mix is imperative given that it revolves around adherence to production standards as set out, helps in enlightening customers with usages of an item, and communication of the benefits of a product. It also enables the company to convey the aim of the product, target market and advantages over competitors. The element is bound to give the staff of the company relevant incentives to foster delivery of unmatched services, communicate the benefits of the services to clients, the target market and aim. Price is another significant marketing mix since it influences sales, revenues and repeat customer figures. Price is the amount levied or cost of acquiring a product or service in an institution. Price is normally determined by various factors that include cost of production however, it should be favorable to encourage buyers (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2012). In this regard, Beyond Company is under obligation to set its product pricing at a favorable level for it to benefit from economies of scale. Promotion that revolves around advertisement, place that touches of distribution including people who are customers also form key aspects of marketing mix (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2012). The elements ensure that awareness creation about an item is upbeat, distribution is well executed and customers are attended to without complications respectively. Likewise, positioning and packaging are part of marketing mix elements that remains essential. Positioning touches on the strategies the company uses in identifying its target market, potential clients and entry point in a market. However, packaging entails the design of the package, color, portability and decency. These elements are necessary for Beyond Studious that grapples with the challenges of operations, customer care, general management, and quality issues. They will enable the company to address the issues amicably as it expands (Codita, 2011). Economics of operation Beyond company operates on affair budget to run its current activities given that it has limited cost centers. However, this is bound to change as it expand its networks and acquire new infrastructural set ups. The costs that should be considered as it expands include I. Operational cost as it will have to increase the number of personnel II. Cost of building/offices e.g. rent III. Cost of equipments and other materials IV. General administrative costs Operations structure of the company As indicated, the company has three levels of production that gives it an advantage when it comes to matching quality standards in service delivery. The three main levels include preproduction stage, filming stage and postproduction stage. Diverse activities are undertaken at the stages based on the specifications provided. For instance, pre-production stage is the primary level of production where the groundwork is done. Designing, scriptwriting, budgeting, hiring of personnel and location demarcation takes place at this stage. This is followed by filming where the actual photos/footages or recording takes place. Thirdly, postproduction that entails editing and finalizing the captured information takes place. The stage determines the quality of the results. SWOT Analysis of the company Beyond company should develop viable modalities to sustain the existing strengths and opportunities and manage the eminent threats and weaknesses. The company should capitalize on its strengths to gain maximum returns while providing solutions to the weaknesses (Kourdi, 2009). In particular, the company’s strengths that should be sustained include I. Meeting of deadlines- the company has been executing the scheduled projects as per the clients’ requests in most cases. II. Quality service delivery- the film and photographic services delivered are of high standard III. High level of effectiveness and reliability in service delivery IV. Effective communication systems- this aids understanding of clients needs and management V. Responsiveness to clients’ issues The opportunities There are various opportunities the company can explore to enhance performance. They include I. The availability of large market for film and photography services II. The increasing demand for quality film services III. Increased innovation and technology advancement Weaknesses The company faces the following weaknesses I. Lack of adequate personnel II. Insufficient funds to finance certain projects III. Inadequacy of equipments IV. Management issues Threats The threats the company is facing include I. The threat of new entrants in the field II. Technological changes The company is under obligation to evaluate all the aspects of SWOT analysis purposely to design viable mechanisms to foster service delivery and competitiveness. Conclusion Indeed, Beyond Studios has been able to deliver services to many customers as envisaged by its pioneer in the year 2007. However, the company has been facing many challenges that call for immediate mitigation. The challenges that spurns from poor management strategies, human resource management, planning, ineffective communication, and lack of resources for expansion, are threatening to erode the gains made by the owner. They also threaten the achievement of the vision that the owner had. Therefore, it is only practical for Nahla to consider adopting the use of conventional management techniques, formulate effective business strategy, plan well, embrace technology, enhance communication and use of lean concept of production within the production and supply chains. Hiring of more personnel, training them also forms key areas of improvement. References Aaker, D. A. (2001). Developing business strategies. New York, NY [u.a.: Wiley. Codita, R. (2011). Contingency factors of marketing-mix standardization: German consumer goods companies in Central and Eastern Europe. Wiesbaden: Gabler. Kourdi, J. (2009). Business strategy: A guide to taking your business forward. London, Eng: Economist in association with Profile Books. Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. D. (2012). Essentials of marketing. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Oxford Business Group (2009). The Report: Abu Dhabi 2010. London: Oxford Business Group Read More