Reference no: EM132969688

STARBUCKS, INC. / Differentiation Strategy

A) Good news-your business is expanding. Using the business and business strategy, describe some ways your business could expand by working in new geographies to improve your overall business operations/performance. Will you add low-cost suppliers from overseas? Will you locate field sales personnel onsite with customers? Will you partner with European designers to add a new cache to your products? Will you open up new locations closer to customers or suppliers? Will you offer new mobile apps in local languages for remote customers? Will you partner with world-class universities to design new high-tech products? Will you contract with local marketers in remote regions? What other ideas do you have to operate with customers and/or other businesses in new geographies? Explain your plans for geographical expansion consistent with your business strategy.

B) Based on your expansion plan, describe the type of information that would need to be shared between the existing operation and the new remote suppliers, customers, and/or partners. Consider whether the remote users would need to be connected to any of your existing systems: computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), supply chain management (SCM) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and/or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Please explain your reasoning.

C) Choose the technologies you will use to network with the new remote users: e.g., extranet, virtual private network (VPN), private wide area network (WAN), public internet, satellite, GPS, 4G or 5G cellular, Wi-Fi. Be specific and explain your answer.

D) Describe some technological and business risks associated with geographically dispersed operations. How will you mitigate those risks to ensure improved business operations?