Dissertation Proposal

Name: Amanpreet Singh

Course: MBA (Marketing)

Proposed project area

Supply chain management.

Case study: Dell’s supply chain management strategy.

Reasons for choosing this topic

Supply Chain Management (SCM) aims at integrating all corporate activities to improve
relationships at all levels (internal operations, supplier networks, and distribution channel) to
meet the competitive edge and satisfy the customer. In order to build an effective and
complete business process that supports SCM, information among all business partners need
to be shared. Information sharing through the Internet reduces the gap for business-to-
business (B2B) commerce by enabling seamless integration with enterprise processes among
partner corporations.

Dell developed its internal business process by creating production cells that start assembly at
the point of order. It also established an internal information system to make the details of the
products under production electronically available to all parties within the chain. To manage
the supply of computer parts, Dell maintained close relationships with their suppliers and
logistics providers to make their vendors manage the inventory system while Dell focused on
product assembly. In addition, Dell used enterprise technology to make their database and
methodologies available to the supplier to understand how Dell works.

Aim/Objectives

• Examine and analyze Dell’s Direct model.

• To investigate basic working, success and future challenges of Dell.
• Typical Working of Dell’s Supply Chain and future supply chain challenges
• Highlights Dell’s evolving Supply Chain practices and strategy.
• Steps being taken by it to recapture its lost market leader position.
• What the competitors are doing to overcome the challenge by Dell.
Methodology

• To understand the concept of SCM the research will be based on secondary and

primary data.

• Understanding the reasons for the success of Dell’s due to its strong supply chain

management.

• To understand the concept of SCM in Dell the research will be carried out at the

various levels of organization.

• Research includes number of personal interviews from the employs of Dell.

• Primary data and secondary is been used in this research work.

• Based on the research recommendations will be given in the end of the report.

Literature Review

• Spooner, John G. (2004) Retrieved March 11, 2004, Growing pains hit Dell’s
customer service. Web site: http://news.com.com/2102-1042_3-5162141.html?
tag=st.util.print

Dell continues to win market share and turn out record quarterly profits, but two
recent surveys show that the company has slipped, when it comes to a more subjective
measurement: customer service.

For a direct seller of PCs in a largely commoditized business, customer service is a

chief concern, and the company is actively trying to improve its satisfaction scores

• Retrieved Mar 12, 2004, Dell Support. Web site: http://support.dell.com/home.aspx

Dell has award winning website which provides all kind of solutions to the customers.
The solutions provided to the customers is categorised into different segments
according to the systems and the operating systems used by the users.
 • (2004) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, 4Q03 Corporate IT Buying Behavior & Customer
Satisfaction Study: Notebooks. Web site:
http://www.tbri.com/News/pgViewPR.asp?ID=90

In this article the corporate and consumer satisfaction is been discussed.

• (2003) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, Technology Business Research Ranks Dell No. 1
Customer Satisfaction in Germany. Web site:
http://www.tbri.com/News/pgViewPR.asp?ID=67

In this article the German customers are satisfied by using the Dell’s product and the
services provided by the company and it keeps the Dell on top in German market.

References

• Spooner, John G. (2004) Retrieved March 11, 2004, Growing pains hit Dell’s
customer service. Web site: http://news.com.com/2102-1042_3-5162141.html?
tag=st.util.print

• Retrieved Mar 12, 2004. Web site: http://www.dell.com

• Retrieved Mar 12, 2004, Dell Support. Web site: http://support.dell.com/home.aspx

• (2004) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, 4Q03 Corporate IT Buying Behavior & Customer
Satisfaction Study: Notebooks. Web site:
http://www.tbri.com/News/pgViewPR.asp?ID=90

• (2004) Retrieved Mar 12, 2004, Direct Model. Web site:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/background/en/directmodel

• (2003) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, Technology Business Research Ranks Dell No. 1
Customer Satisfaction in France. Web site:
http://www.tbri.com/News/pgViewPR.asp?ID=75

• (2003) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, Technology Business Research Ranks Dell No. 1
Customer Satisfaction in Germany. Web site:
http://www.tbri.com/News/pgViewPR.asp?ID=67

• (2003) Retrieved Mar 13, 2004, J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports: Dell Computer
Ranks Highest in Server Satisfaction in Japan. Web site:
http://www.jdpower.com/pdf/2003005.pdf