International Business Case Study and Report on Nature Cares - Essay Example

The main source of NC's competitive advantage is based on the fact that the company manufactures a small range of natural remedies of various kinds. This way, there is the market focus which will eventually result in NC's ease in creating its own marketing niche. The key things that NC should do to improve its local Australian performance to improve sales are to firstly, conduct a reorganization and restructuring program designed to strengthen the company's core businesses and improve NC's profitability and global growth.

An overseas market that is suitable for potential expansion in the Philippines. This is based on the fact that since the start of the early '90s, the merging of western and alternative medicine in the Philippines seemed hopeful. Here, oriental and alternative medicine is widely practiced in most parts of the country as well as nearby areas and countries. The market for alternative medicine products in the Asia-Pacific region has expanded significantly over the past decade. More and more governments in the Asia-Pacific Region have taken or planned to take actions to promote the proper use of oriental medicine and to ensure its safety.

The recommended plan for the establishment of operations in the overseas market is to lay out a carefully planned mode of entry using the available logistics and marketing mix. After the establishment of the overseas market, continuous laboratory and market research and studies should be conducted by NC-Australia and NC-Philippines. This should lead to the formulation and manufacture of herbal medicinal therapies that will be made available and affordable to the clients as an alternative to cost-prohibitive prescription pharmaceuticals.

International Business Case Study and Report: Nature Cares (NC) This is a case study and report of an Australian company named Nature Cares dealing with natural remedies. This assumes that the author works as a newly-appointed analyst in Y.O.Y.'s Philippine office. The boss has been assigned the task of preparing a draft report for NC. The requirement is to analyze and review NC's current operations as well as prospects for overseas expansion. A. Outline of the Key Parts of the Value Chain for NC The value chain was described and popularized by Michael Porter in his 1985 best-seller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York: The Free Press.

The value chain categorizes the generic value-adding activities of an organization. The "primary activities" in NC include inbound logistics, operations (production), outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and service (maintenance). On the other hand, the "support activities" include administrative infrastructure management, human resources management, R&D, and procurement. The costs and value drivers are identified for each value activity. The value chain framework quickly made its way to the forefront of management thought as a powerful analysis tool for strategic planning.

Its ultimate goal is to maximize value creation while minimizing costs. The value generated along the chain will be captured. The NC will require its part suppliers to be located nearby its assembly plant to minimize the cost of transportation.