Introduction
The AirSec Company emerged as a collective contribution of three graduate engineers who extensively researched and established this particular technology, to combine drones (popularly referred to as UAV or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) with security systems of enhanced technology. These graduate engineers were able to attain this by use of a minute drone, properly equipped with cameras of very high definitions. The cameras could use particular night observing infra imageries and also the normal light imageries. After periods of development, present time Wi-Fi links were successfully introduced to numerous receivers such as cellular phones.
The core aim of AirSec Limited is to emerge the flag bearer in the delivery of high-quality services superseding the clients' expectations, not only in the United Kingdom but also far beyond. While doing so, the company also seeks to promote understanding with its clients and other shareholders to make sure that there is an increase in profitability in the coming financial years. The long-term vision is growing and intensifying its operations to accommodate customers who are based in regions beyond the UK after only three years to augment the company’s profitability. Within a time frame of five years, the hope is that the set decision will transform to the increase of profits by approximately 10% hence reducing the operations costs. In the successive periods, the plan will be to maintain and sustain the profitability margins and a yearly growth of 3% for a five-year era, during which the administration intends to oversee innovations that will simplify the employees training to work for the AirSec Limited in different capacities (Reniers, 2010).
As per the administrators, the goal of the enterprise is to minimize the expenses related to training through the implementation of current technology will reflect a 10% cut in the budget. The investment also intends to ensure increased recycling of the 80% operation wastes within a two year period. In the course of implementing the procedures, the business will go on fostering an association with clients in the locality as an attempt to involve their contribution in the budgeting. As per the intention, the client ought to contribute approximately 2% for a five-year time frame. The Company's mission is overseeing the delivery of high-quality service in the security investment for consumers in the United Kingdom and beyond inn the coming five years. AirSec Company will employ the use of very proficient workforce to ensure the delivery of top notch services considering affordability and efficiency. In the course of undertaking company social accountabilities, the organization intends ti involve different elements of social business ideologies in developing activities capable of sustaining development in the coming years in preparing for advancements shortly.
The Pricing Strategies
Regardless of the different strategies for pricing being implemented at the AirSec Limited, they all have different advantages and even disadvantages. However, before making conclusions on the strategy that best fits the company's operations, it is recommended that different pricing strategies should be employed. The strategies employed at the enterprise include market pricing, skimming the market, price penetrations, and predatory pricing among other techniques. In selecting the penetration pricing, the enterprise security risks distorting its hard worked for reputation as the security flag bearer when it comes to the provision of high standard security services. However, the benefit of the strategy is enhancing profitability other than according the enterprise an opportunity to gain easy access to the potential market. The second advantage of this particular strategy is distinguishing the AirSec prices from the prices of its market competitors. In considering destruction pricing, the company achieves the chance to attract consumers with the cost effective prices that lure many clients. On the other hand, the enterprise faces the risk of gaining losses besides altering its status as the leader in security service provision (Reniers, 2010).
For the market pricing strategy, the enterprise gains the chance to completely understand the potential market dynamics before exploiting fully the activities of the market place. The market pricing technique can also render it difficult distinguishing the standard of the function with the rest of the opponents. Realization of the main goals of the enterprise could also seem close to impossible since the firm’s decision is pegged on the competitors’ activities. Skimming marketing can dishearten clients from seeking the Company’s services. Additionally, it can incur huge costs in promoting the firm’s brand. On the other hand, the procedure simplifies product differentiation in the potential market. In several instances, it equates price to the real value that an enterprise offers its clients. The opportunities for recording improved benefits from pricing strategies are also high. In selecting discriminating pricing, the enterprise is faced with the risk of looking choosy in its different prices therefore the possibility that clients opt to look for services from the opponents.
Although dual pricing can lure consumers in a short term period, it indicates uncertainty. Additionally, it renders planning impossible. Just like a price war, the strategy creates enmity amongst the competitors, hence the lack of harmony in information exchange. The technique equally lures clients; however it is not easily sustained in the long term because of a profitability reduction. Of the many approaches that the company can implement, the adaptation of market pricing is highly recommendable for the markets in the United Kingdom, however, for India, the penetration strategy of pricing is highly advisable. The enterprise owning to the fact that the method will ensure full sustainability in functioning in the United Kingdom apart from enabling the enterprise understands the market dynamics. Since the AirSec Corporation does not deal in new products, differentiation of products is enabled by market pricing, in the long term and short term.
Attracting clients to buy the products offered by the venture is not as complex with the adaptation of the strategy. Moreover, enhancing a rapport with clients is integral in the pricing process. Due to the provided reason, the suitable way involves first attracting the attention of the consumers before subsequently explaining to the objective of the venture in applying a specific strategy of pricing (Sarkis, 2010).
Benchmarking
Benchmarking involves a determination of standards that the staff members have to meet to ensure high standard services are delivered differentiating the company from its opponents. In AirSec’s Limited case, there are different approaches in which the administration can utilize to guarantee the shop floor assembly staffs to offer only their best at the corporation. An example of them includes assigning a set of workers to assemble within a specified period. After targets are correctly assigned, the management should confirm the accomplishment of the assigned task if it conforms to the set standard in consideration of quality. In the course of this process, the management has to stress the necessity for cooperation in the accomplishment of the assigned responsibility. For example, out of 50 staff members, around 75% of them should completely achieve the requirements as per the benchmark. Benchmarking also established the different expectations of the employees in regards to effectiveness and coordination in the utilization of the enterprise resources (Sarkis, 2010). The set values will at the same time guide the administration in envisaging compliance with customer and budgetary needs in the course of service delivery.
In instances where the staff members meet the set qualifications, the leader should explicitly define the constraints in regards to wastage to enhance consistency in operations. Taking the example of the floor employees, the management will come up with standard operation processes that will establish the appropriate personnel who meet the requirements for bonuses and other rewards aimed at enhancing commitment to responsibilities. In the process, the benchmark will facilitate the enterprise design programs that limit responsibilities that propel the accomplishments of the goals, unlike the set guidelines.
Benchmarks will also ensure the enterprise is well guided in ways of addressing the floor staff needs, which are not able to fulfill their work demands. For example, employees who are unable to clean specific equipment according to the laid down standards will undergo compulsory refresher courses that will greatly improve their competencies.
After evaluating an individual’s aptitude, the benchmark settled upon from comparing the internal expectations and extrinsic standards will assist in ensuring attainment of a described profitability degrees. Another importance of benchmark as a staff management tool is that it will accurately check the satisfactory level of the whole cleaning procedure. It will additionally ensure the degrees of coordination of the floor line staff in making sure of the accomplishment regarding the stipulated objectives. Finally, benchmarks will facilitate the choosing of knowledgeable personnel to work as AirSac cleaners. In return, the enterprise will face less challenge during the design of remuneration programs and work schedules.
International Trade Barriers
Public authorities or the government puts measures in place to regulate overseas investment and trade. These measures may take the form of a specific decision or legislation and may sometimes take the form of the prevailing practices in the particular markets. Due to these measures, the domestic industries enjoy a competitive advantage compared to their foreign competitors. Examples of the trade barriers are custom procedures, customs duties, quality regulations, technical regulations, and phytosanitary and veterinary measures (Moriarty, 2011).
For many enterprises, exportation of the companies services and products come with many complexities, AirSec Limited is not exempted. One of the most common challenges that the limited is likely to face includes uncertainty regarding the clients' behaviors in the international regions beyond the United Kingdom. Consequently, the enterprise faces difficulties in implementing marketing strategies disliked by the consumers in the international markets. Therefore, it is not uncommon for an enterprise to record huge losses when trying to expand its scope internationally. These factors have in many instances forced enterprises to reduce their prices way below the profitability margin (Moriarty, 2011).
Additionally, market penetration has proved difficult because of government policies that seem to favor some companies above others. While struggling to agree with intellectual property regulations, the enterprise will grapple with the subject of supplying long-lasting goods at flexible and affordable prices. Moreover, infrastructure and geographical inaccessibility experienced during international trade in different regions may interfere with the timely delivery of products to the clients. Another potential barrier is bureaucratic legislations that have the potential to slow down or stop the trade process. These inconveniences can greatly harm the corporation especially in instances where the AirSec limited is not informed of the newly introduced legislations in different countries. A restricted knowledge or understanding of the local market can also propel difficulties in utilizing the current workforce for increased efficiencies (Min, 2009).
Other measures include limitations on access to major products, for instance, the export levies meant to artificially drive up prices or higher export prices compared to the price of similar products applied to the national processing industries. Inadequate safeguard of intellectual property rights regarding scope and legal aspects. Barriers to trade may also assume the form of discriminatory settings.
Functional Areas
Functional areas refer to groups of employees with similar expertise and experience. For instance, an organization's sales department can be referred to as a functional are since the staff in this section are all focused on sales of the company's products. The role of the sales members is to interact directly with prospective clients to enable them to determine the products that best suit the client's needs then place orders (Min, 2009).
On the other hand, marketing professionals play a role of determining the products to be introduced into the market by the company. They often conduct market research surveys to understand what consumers need and like. The research helps to align the strategies of the organization, and the team is able to establish the product prices based on costs of manufacturing. Marketing directors and managers make decisions on the types of promotions and advertisements to be used by the company. Marketing departments that have advertisement managers and directors are better placed since they easily compute the budgets for various forms of advertisement and track the outcomes. The marketing department also decides on the right channels for distribution of the company's products. For instance, a company dealing in consumer goods may sell its products in merchandiser outlets and grocery stores.
Accounting professionals are known to specialize in any one of the three areas: accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll. The accounts payable specialists work on tracking payments owed by the company including the values for repairs, parts and maintenance vendors owed. Accounts receivable employees work on tracking the debts owed to the organization, for example, the clients who purchase items on credit. They also prepare invoices and send to customers to remind them that their payments are due. Payroll specialists on their part work to ensure that salaries and wages are paid on time while also distribute the tax forms to the contractors and employees for taxation purposes (Blanchard, 2010).
Customer complaints and problems are handled by the customer service team. Customers experience challenges of service provision, usage product education and after sales services from time to time. For large companies, the handlings of customer service issues are done through a call center where the customer-provider interaction is through a phone.
Lastly, the personnel or human resources department is given the mandate for hiring employees, training, compensation, and appraisal.The department ensures that employees’ welfare is fully catered for so that performance remains at the optimal degree (Blanchard, 2010).
Conclusion
The AirSec Limited located in the United Kingdom is one of the leading security drones companies. The corporation has worked and invested in achieving its goals and objectives. The company, through its competent employees, has also implemented successful market pricing strategies to suit different market dynamics. Despite the barriers to international trade that the AirSec limited has encountered, it has always strived to overcome and remain at the top.
References
Blanchard, D. (2010). Supply chain management best practices. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
Min, H. (2009). Benchmarking of supply chain performances. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 16(5). http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bij.2009.13116eaa.001
Moriarty, J. (2011). A theory of benchmarking. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 18(4), 588-611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14635771111147650
Reniers, G. (2010). Multi-plant safety and security management in the chemical and process industries. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
Sarkis, J. (2010). Benchmarking the greening of business. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 17(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bij.2010.13117caa.001
