Growth and development: Case study of Rahmqvist

Résumé du document

We will in this thesis examine the growth and development opportunities for Europe's largest organisation within direct sale, i.e. Rahmqvist. The empiric will be analysed and evaluated with a base of theories. The main bottom theory used is the SWOT analysis, but in order to make a more thorough study, other perspectives, such as the financial, internal and external, will be taken into consideration. It is in our belief that these are aspects that affect the growth and development opportunities as well and hence need to be considered together with the SWOT. It can be concluded that we believe that Rahmqvist products can be successfully launched in new foreign markets assuming the fact that they adopt a strategy that goes according to our recommendations; such as expand geographically, develop a low cost- and fashion product line. The overall aim for most of today's companies is to generate profit. The underlying basis for that is to be able to stay on the market i.e. survival. The strategies used for this are different within different branches as well as individual for companies. A criterion for keeping the market shares is generally to be able to grow. Since, if growth is not created, other competitors will increase their market shares and hence your company will be relatively small and might in the end experience to be outplayed by the other rivals and new entrants.

Extraits

[...] page a sharply growth was produced in 1980. We can recognize this stage in the rocket sales increase and the emergence of competitors. In the latest 80´s several firms were established in different countries (Denmark and Switzerland). When the firm was established, it provided to different products. This stage also comes the same time as the specialization of the company as one part of Rahmqvist “description wheel”/business process. Nowadays, the supply is limited to roughly 1000 products, in a Growth stage, which can be recognized by increasing sales and the emergence of competitors. [...]

[...] Explicit knowledge is formal, systematic and precise whereas tacit knowledge is difficult to formalize, difficult to express and it has low precision. Indeed, tacit knowledge relieves from a personal involvement and is not readily available without individual interest. In this matter, Rahmqvist aims to develop tacit knowledge earned through experience by getting a real “intrapreneurship” within the company. This point will be developed later in the paper. The explicit dimension of knowledge has to be combined with the tacit dimension in the continuous knowledge management, sharing and creation process. [...]

[...] 1998) Interview Interview with Lars-Johan Rundqvist, Vice President, Lidingö, Nov and the December Appendix own brands Appendix Annual Report 2005 Rundqvist www.rahmqvist.com For example; one develops folders with line colours, thumb grip, and availability to open the pocket. Moreover pens with good quality are developed. Etc. Kaljot was one of the largest suppliers to Rahmqvist. In the mid 90s the owner of Kaljot were supposed to retire and hence Rahmqvist acquired Kaljot. Kaljot can still deliver externally (for example to SSAB and Burde). [...]

[...] the human capital can be seen to be the most valuable asset at Rahmqvist. Rundqvist states that their core competence is to be found within their sales technique together with product knowledge. Recruiting is always done internally, in this way the culture and main cores are always kept. And in order to educate their sale staff The Rahmqvist College[5] has been created, which is their own business school where sales- and leadership are trained at different levels. When recruiting new sales people, it is preferred if they are new. [...]

[...] The website would be a good way to deal with the customers who do not want to lose anytime in their orders, the one who are definitely sure they do no want something else but the deal to be done quickly and efficiently. The other opportunity is to expand in Sweden, using the same approach Rahmqvist had with Stockholm customers. In an era where everybody thinks of Europe as a single market, it would be a good opportunity for Rahmqvist to expand first in Sweden to test whether its growth strategy, especially the Swedish market is not a big one, then by word-to-mouth Rahmqvist has a lot of chances of succeeding its national growth. [...]