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Trilogy Case Study Table of Contents Executive Summary Company Background Ownership Management Human Resources Business model Commercial Business Case Analysis of Trilogy Software Competitors Environmental Scanning 3. 1. 1. Strengths 3. 1. 2. Weaknesses 3. 1. 3. Opportunities 3. 1. 4. Threats Analysis of Strategic Issues Risk Factors Recommendations and Implementation Strategy Historical precedents Remedial options 4. 2. 1. Decisions to be done 4. 2. 2.
Pros, cons, theory, and possible risk factors involved Trilogy Case Study Executive Summary The present paper explores Trilogy Software, Inc case study. It provides a thorough analysis of the companys background, explores its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The paper then provides general information about the technology sector and business software and services industry the company operates in, along with its top competitors. Finally, the paper accomplishes the analysis of major strategic issues involved, and provides the reader with possible recommendations and recommended implementation strategy, with discussion of the basic risks and potential advantages. Company Background Trilogy Software, Inc. is a private company.
Headquarters Location: Austin, TX 78730 United States (512) 874 - 3100, (512) 874 - 8900 fax Worldwide: Trilogy Software, Inc. employs over 500 professionals, with their offices in Hangzhou, China and Bangalore, India. Key People: Founder, President, CEO, and Chairman: Joe Liemandt (the controlling shareholder) VP Finance and Acting CFO: Sean Fallon VP Professional Services and Acting General Manager, New Bus: Deborah Ingram Industry Information: Sector: Technology Industry: Business Software and Services (Trilogy Enterprises Inc. Company Profile, 2007).
According to Trilogy Website, the company was founded in 1989. Trilogy Software, Inc. works with Global 1000 companies exclusively. The company offers technology powered business services in automotive, insurance and consumer electronics industries, adding transformational economic value for its clients (Trilogy History, 2007). Trilogy Software, Inc. works with such customers like Daimler-Chrysler, Prudential, Ford Motor Company, Gateway, Nissan, Goodyear, Travelers Insurance, and IBM, to mention a few.
Apart from that, the companys services include consulting, hosting and support. Enjoying about 17 years of profitable success, the company is referred to as ambitious and innovative company by Fortune, Forbes, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, etc (Trilogy History, 2007). The companys mission is to deliver guaranteed economic value to the worlds leading companies by offering technology-powered business services that create dramatic and sustainable business results (Trilogy Website, 2007). In contrast to the vast majority of such companies, Trilogy Software guarantee is simple: "we don't get paid until you recognize the value we deliver" (Trilogy Website, 2007). Trilogy Softwares business model, as provided by Trilogy Website, directly ties 100 percent of employees incentives and Trilogy's own revenues to its clients's unless, where the success is measured according to quantitative and specific economic value the company's solutions deliver to their clients' profitability. As it is claimed by the companys executives, the enabling delivery capability behind Trilogy's unique business model are the major differentiators that serve as distinguishing features for the Trilogy Software among its competitors.
Trilogy positions itself as a pioneer in a new category of technology and business service providers, as it delivers unique business value for its customers (Trilogy History, 2007). Commercial Business Case Analysis of Trilogy Software Competitors As it was already mentioned, Trilogy Softwares operates in technology sector and in business software and services industry (computer and e-commerce software). As it is claimed by Hoovers Website, over 50, 000 companies are involved in the computer software production in the United States with their combined revenue of approximately $ 180 billion; that is more than 50 percent from sales of packaged products and the rest from custom programming" (Computer Software Development Industry, 2007). Software products basically comprise of three main types - operating systems (Windows, Linux, UNIX, etc), user applications (i. e. spreadsheets) and games, and network applications (i.
e. e-mail, internet web browsers, etc). The top competitors for Trilogy Software are: IBM Global Services, Oracle, and SAP Aktiengesellschaft. Environmental Scanning 3. 1. 1. Strengths The Trilogy Software Inc. s strengths are: availability of skilled workforce, relatively low cost of operations, unique business model and the enabling delivery capability behind it, and delivering unique business value for its clients.
The offices in Hangzhou, China and Bangalore, India contribute to decrease in operational costs, thus allowing the company to successfully compete in business software and services industry. 3. 1. 2. Weaknesses As far as Trilogy Software Inc. is relatively small company, it heavily relies on domestic (U. S. ) markets.
Small size, to a certain extent, may cause volatile revenue streams. High competition makes the company weaker, as it has to consistently reexamine its business strategy to adjust to current market demand and to success in the market. 3. 1. 3. Opportunities Due to the companys enthusiasm and willingness to work hard in order to achieve its strategic business goals, the company may consider going more global and increase its market share in the global market. In order to decrease its operational costs the company may continue its expansion strategy and increase quantity of offices and employees in the low cost countries (i. e.
China and India). In addition, Trilogy Software Inc. has the opportunity to improve customer loyalty by consistently introducing new services to its clients and developing more successful strategies to improve unique business value the company delivers to its customers. 3. 1. 4. Threats The basic threats the company may face relate to its low share in domestic and global markets. The companys competitors (IBM Global Services, Oracle, and SAP Aktiengesellschaft) are very strong thus putting an obstacle of the way of the Trilogy Softwares further business development. In addition, high competition may lead to high attrition.
Next, one of the threats comes from the world software companies, who replicate Trilogy Softwares successful business model. Finally, the increased competition may result in pressure on margins, where the companys operational expenditures increase with no consequent increase in anticipated revenues. Analysis of Strategic Issues Similar to any software company that desires to compete and succeed in the international and domestic markets, the Trilogy Software faces certain strategic issues. As it was already mentioned above, the company offer its customers software business solutions that enable client to make the process of integrating and managing their sales, distribution of products, and supply chains, easier, faster, and more reliable. Trilogy's business solutions are also used for data integration and content management. The companys services also include consulting, hosting, and support.
The company undertakes all efforts to make business processes more efficient, as it combines the ideal mix of customer data, industry insight and technological innovation. By doing this, the company positions its software solutions as perfect solutions to convert the customers online data to transactional success, thus making the customers operations more efficient. As market trends change, the company has to develop new solutions with more customizable features and greater flexibility in order to retain its competitiveness in the market. At the same time Trilogy Software should take into account the necessity to reduce operational costs.
Continuous innovation, shaping the companys core competencies, and enhancing their capability to serve the customers with many variants of their software products should be also taken into consideration. As far as Trilogy Software operates in consistently changing business environment, where the cost management and revenue are, probably, the most crucial to the companys business success, every point of increased client satisfaction and customer loyalty along with the operating efficiency becomes very important. Therefore, considering the major strategic issues for the Trilogy Software should be the issue of primary importance. Firstly, the Trilogy Software should undertake all efforts to avoid costly errors in its softwares setup.
It should examine the possibility to reduce training of service technicians and, at the same time, to enhance their efficiency. The development of new company's products and business solutions should be made as simple as possible. The development costs of the setup software should be reduced to minimum; however, the quality of the product should not be affected. Next, the company should shape its strategy in sharing expertise knowledge among its employees to add new value to its products. Possible enough, the company should drive its efficiency through separation of application development and business logic. Finally, the company should choose the most efficient technology compatible with the demands of the customers in order to exceed their expectations and provide them the best solutions able to deliver guaranteed economic value to the customers.
Among other things, possible risk factors should be taken into consideration, as there are two major types of risks and uncertainties in high tech industry: market and technological risks involved). So, as the company develops new software solutions, it should take into account the specifics of high-tech markets and marketing. The Trilogy Software may face risks of product functional problem. There are some technological uncertainties involved (i. e. lack of necessary information about the products functional performance, absence of established track record on delivery from the side of the suppliers of the given technology, concern about future supply of additional services, updates, etc).
The uncertainness of the long-term financial viability of the companys startup also relates to risks. The issues of technological obsolescence should also be considered, as the company should take into account time of delivery, new product functionality, the question, whether the new technology make the product obsolete, high-quality service guarantee, and possible side-effects or other known and unknown risk factors. In addition, the company may face difficulties in whether their product will be compatible with the others, forecasting the speed of adoption of the companys innovation, and failure to forecast the size of potential market, to mention a few. For the purposes of risk mitigation, the company should understand such market demands, like the needs that should be met by new technology, the estimate size of potential market, the need in future changes, possible adoption of new industry standards, etc. Therefore, in order to reduce the risks to minimum, the company should adopt a flexible business strategy that will allow technology and marketing coexisting in a dynamic environment, and efficiently balance the two, making the Trilogy Software more successful in adding transformational economic value for its clients. Recommendations and Implementation Strategy Taking into consideration all the issues mentioned above, including the company's business background, its competitors, the companys mission and solutions its offers, the Trilogy Software may consider several recommendations that will allow solving the key important company's concerns.
First of all, as the company is relatively small, it may face the risk to be suppressed by the industry's giants like IBM Corporation, SAS, Oracle, or other competitors. The Trilogy Software may consider the possibility to merge with one of the companies (Jones, 1999). However, in order not to lose its business "face" for the existing companies, Trilogy Software may remain using its own business brand. The major advantage of this recommendation is that Trilogy Software will enjoy support from the industry's giant, while continuing its operation in business environment. This solution may be relatively interesting, as the economic landscape in the high tech market changes rapidly, negatively affecting Trilogy Softwares core segments to consolidate and disintegrate. At the same time, the company evidently lacks costs to implement the strategy of business expansion and development.
In such a way, this proposal will allow Trilogy Software to maximize its shareholder value. The implementation strategy may include performing a thorough market study to define the best possible variant of merger. Then the company will be advised to contact one of the key market players and to discuss the proposal. Finally, with the partner's agreement, the merger will be done. The processes of merger and acquisition in business environment, and in high tech industry, in particular, are not new. There are many key market players, who successfully implemented these strategies.
The history of mergers enlist VERITAS Software and Symantec (2004), Telstra, Sagebrush Corp. and Winnebago Software Co, Cadence Design Systems and Valid Logic Systems, and many other companies. Naturally, all potential risk factors and negative effects of the recommended strategy should be carefully examined before the merger takes place. These basically involve execution and operational risks, to mention a few. However, the potential benefits of the merger may counterbalance the risks, as the company gets the chance to increase its productivity and costs savings.
The alternative recommendation is to enhance the company's productivity and costs savings by reshaping the recruitment process (i. e. thorough candidate selection in order to employ talented and creative professionals), developing an expansion strategy aimed to win the global market, developing new business solutions, and, finally, adding more value to the customers and to increase the customer loyalty. Some positive experience may be derived from Selection Companys Lean Six Sigma that is focused on providing the clients with products and services they need through a pull-production system that begins with a customer order and alerts each part of the supply chain that it is time to deliver product (Adding Value For Customers, 2007). The implementation strategy, correspondingly, will imply reshaping the companys strategy in such a way to develop the right mix of leadership, skills, and supply chain management in order to create a flexible infrastructure to support clients needs on a just-in-time basis.
References Adding Value For Customers. (2007). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from web Computer Software Development Industry. (2007). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from web Jones, M. (1999). The internationalization of small high-technology firms. Journal of International Marketing, 7 (4), 15 - 41. Trilogy Enterprises Inc.
Company Profile. (2007). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from web Trilogy History. (2007). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from web Trilogy Website. (2007). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from web
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