Business Analysis of John Lewis Partnership Outline

Business Analysis of John Lewis Partnership - Outline Example This paper will examine the methods that have been used by the partnership as well as how these have led to initiatives that have moved ahead of competitors in the UK. The several areas of analysis performed in relation to the John Lewis Partnership will provide insight into strategies which businesses can apply to begin to move forward in the retail sector. SWOT Analysis The relevance of the SWOT analysis is to work into new strategies that will help to monitor and change the aspects within the corporation. The main ideal is to work toward a sense of knowledge management which can be applied within the organization while moving forward with different strategies and approaches that are associated with the corporation (Zhiping, Yonghong, 2002). When looking at the strategies of the John Lewis Partnership, it can be seen that the strengths of the corporation should be a continuous feature. This is based on the diversity of products that are offered with the retail store, ranging from w ine shops to business solutions and insurance (Felicitta, 2009). This diversity is followed by finding partners and small business owners that can tap into the retail store as a part owner. This allows the internal environment to have a spirit of entrepreneurship, while creating more opportunities for growth and support within the community. As this is done, it helps to stimulate loyal customers and responses among those that are in the community (Shi, 2007). The weaknesses that are from this main attribute come from the dimensions of positioning. This is a main problem with those who are in the retail industry, specifically because it changes the outcome of which customers will decide to shop in a specific area and will also alter the relationships and partnership that are provided within the company (Messinger, 2007). The positioning of the John Lewis Partnership is one that is limited by the partnerships which are incorporated as well as the sectors which have already been develo ped. This allows other competitors to begin to move into the sector and change the outlooks with other retail management options. Since most of the stores are built on partnerships, this may mean that the partners don’t have the necessary opportunities to continue and to make the desired profit (Tustin, 2006). The opportunities and threats that are associated with this can lead to further strategies to change the level of popularity against competition. The main opportunity comes from the multiple stores offered. Most competitors create a vertical relationship, meaning the association is based only on the one set of stores opened (Liu, Davies, 2007). This particular opportunity led to a 79.3% increase in 2008 and another 3.6% increase in 2009, with 11,365.4 million as the revenue (Aark, 2010). However, the partnerships established allow the John Lewis change into a multiple layer orientation of expansion, allowing them to move beyond competitors because of the diversity offer ed. While this works effectively, the mass amount of partnerships also limits other attributes. There are not as many price cuts and quality differences in most of the retail stores because of the partnerships established. Competitors with independent stores and national chains often move ahead of John Lewis Partnership because of the differences in price and the diversity of products which can be offered (Hall, 2007). TOWS Analysis The

What does Intel's presentation of their financial information tell you Essay

What does Intel's presentation of their financial information tell you about how they use financial information in decision making - Essay Example According to Answers.com, financial information systems describe a "system that accumulates and analyzes financial data in order to make good financial management decisions in running the business.If managers at any company, including Intel, wish to make the best decisions possible, they need to have certain information readily accessible at their fingertips. Financial information can be used for the functions of planning, implementation, and control. The basic objective of the financial information system is to meet the firm's financial obligations as they come due, using the minimal amount of financial resources consistent with an established margin of safety. Outputs generated by the system include accounting reports, operating and capital budgets, working capital reports, cash flow forecast, and various What-If Analysis reports. The evaluation of financial data may be performed through ratio analysis, trend evaluation, and financial planning modeling. Financial planning and forec asting are facilitated if used in conjunction with a Decision Support System (DSS)" (2008). The purpose of this paper is to determine what Intel's presentation of their financial information tells you about how they use financial information in decision making.In order for any company, including Intel, to determine how it is performing in the marketplace, it must keep tabs on its financials at all times. This is often done in the form of financial statements such as the income statement and balance sheet. These two financial statements can provide very valuable information to managers and stakeholders provided they can be interpreted correctly and used accordingly. If they are utilized to their fullest extent, Intel can spotlight any challenges such as low sales or high costs early on and correct them. They can also use this financial information to determine whether or not inventory and credit are being mismanaged, if certain fixed assets are tying up too many funds, or to spot tre nds so that they can adjust the appropriate budgets accordingly. The bottom line to consider, however, is how these things affect the performance of management. Our case study tells us: As a case in point, consider Intel Corp., one of the leading lights of the technology sector for the past 30-some years. They've had their ups and downs, but have been reasonably consistently financially successful. And one of the reasons, of course, is that they have attended very carefully to the financials, and to their relationships with their investors. A quick visit to Intel's Investor Relations website reveals that the company provides certain types of information to the public and the financial markets. This information includes financial information such as earnings results, business outlook, annual reports, 10-Ks, proxy statements, fundamentals, financial statements, and SEC filings. They provide stock information such as a historical stock chart, historical price lookup, investment calculator, stock splits, stock buyback summary, dividend summary, SEC section 16 filings, analyst coverage, earnings estimates, Intel's Transfer Agent, stock purchase and dividend reinvestment. They also offer some of this information through online subscriptions (Intel, 2008). The way in which Intel uses financial information to make decisions is evident in their 10K statement. Underneath the 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations,' they state: We make equity investments in companies around the world to further our strategic objectives and support our key business initiatives, including investments through our Intel Capital program. We generally focus on investing in companies and initiatives to stimulate growth in the digital economy, create new business opportunities for Intel, and expand global markets for our products. The investments may support, among other things, Intel product initiatives, emerging trends in the technology industry, or worldwide Internet deployment. We invest in companies that develop software, hardware, or services supporting our technologies. Our current investment focus areas include