Case SynopsisAl Sadeem Garden Landscape is a company that provides landscaping, gardening and maintenance services to a variety of clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This case study provides a strategic analysis of the company, with specific attention to the operational history of the company, its internal and external environments, as well as successful strategies. The case study also identifies the challenges facing the company and provides recommendations for overcoming the challenges. The case study was compiled based on secondary data.

2. Introduction

Al Sadeem was established in 2014 with the aim of providing landscaping, gardening and maintenance services to small, medium-sized and large organizations in the UAE. Though the company has experienced fairly impressive growth in the two years it has been in existence, it faces significant challenges relating to marketing and financing. Based on a careful analysis of the company's internal and external environments, this case study provides recommendations for overcoming these challenges.

3. Case Methodology

The case study was predominantly based on secondary data obtained from the company. Relying on secondary data often overcomes the challenges inherent in collecting primary data, especially in terms of time, effort, and cost. Consideration of these factors was particularly important in this case. Nonetheless, bias in the underlying primary data is often a major shortcoming of secondary data.

4. Founders, Company History and Background

Al Sadeem was established and incorporated in the UAE in 2014 by Eng. Husam Abu Mailish, an agricultural engineering having over 20 years' experience in agriculture, horticulture, and landscaping. Since its foundation, the company continues to deliver high quality personalized services to small and medium as well as large enterprises. These services specifically fall in two categories: design services (designing residential and commercial landscapes, irrigation systems, outdoor lighting, water features, and so forth); and installation and maintenance services (for irrigation systems, chain link fences, artificial grass, decorative outdoor structures, and so on). The company is also involved in the construction of sports facilities as well as the supply of agricultural materials. These services are enabled by the company's team of highly specialized personnel. Presently, the company has 32 members of staff and 110 outsourced workers.

5. Vision and Mission

Al Sadeem strives to provide top quality landscaping and gardening services in accordance with the relevant regulatory requirements. In collaboration with its clients, partners, and subcontractors, the company seeks to deliver innovative and beautiful outdoor environments where people can relax and interact with the natural and built environment. The company is driven by the belief that each property provides a unique opportunity to create attractive and engaging spaces while enhancing the quality of the natural and built environment. This vision has been integral to the success of the company.

6. Governance and Management

The organizational structure of Al Sadeem is headed by the chairman at the top. The position of the chairman is tasked with the responsibility of laying out the strategic plan of the company and controlling it with a view to maximizing shareholder wealth. Aiding the chairman is the senior management, whose fundamental role is to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the company's strategic plan. The management team, which comprises of seven members, is headed by the CEO. The other members of the team include the senior landscape engineer and architect, site manager, design manager, designer, project coordinator, and the chief accountant. Table 1 below provides the names of the senior managers and the respective position held.

Position

Eng. Husam Abu Malish

CEO

Eng. Anser Babu

Senior Landscape Engineer & Architect

Eng. Sahul Hameed

Site Manager

Eng. Ghanem Nusaibah

Design Dept. Manager

Eng. Ailene Masilang

Designer, Architect

Mr. Omar Ayash

Project Coordinator

Mr. Ahmad Nasir

Chief Accountant

Table 1: Top management

7. Customer Profile

Al Sadeem serves a wide variety of small, medium, and large public and private sector clients in the UAE, especially in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba, and Musafa. These particularly include municipal authorities, health care organizations, media and entertainment companies, horticulture companies, hotels and recreation firms, as well as football clubs. Some of the company's major customers include Yas Kicks, JVC, Yas Physiotherapy Clinic, NAKHEEL, Jumeirah Islands, Discovery Gardens, Al Bahia Farm, Parkway International Contracting, Dubai Miracle Garden, and Dragon Mart. The company's customer profile can be summarized as shown in table 2 below:

Demographic characteristics

• Small, medium and large

• Public and private sector

Geographic characteristics

•...

Internal Environment (Strengths and Weaknesses)
A major strength of the company emanates from its strong leadership. The CEO of the company, Eng. Husam Malish, has over two decades of experience in gardening and maintenance services. This is a crucial attribute as far as client attraction is concerned. The company also boasts a team of highly qualified staff, which includes landscape designers, landscape architects, landscape installation specialists, horticulturists, as well as project and maintenance managers. In addition, the company possesses unparalleled capabilities in designing and installing a wide variety of projects including soft and hard landscape projects, irrigation projects, civil projects, and nurseries. Some of the major projects the company has been involved in include: the construction of two seven-a-side football pitches for Yas Kicks at Yas Island; installation of an irrigation system and planting of 200 palm trees for JVC; and design and construction of a football field for Yas Physiotherapy Clinic. Presently, the company is handling projects for high profile clients such as NAKHEEL, Jumeirah Islands, Discovery Gardens, and Al Bahia Farm. Other strengths include excellent customer service and after sales services as well as state-of-the-art landscaping equipment and machinery.

Most importantly, the company has established strategic partnerships with other players in the industry in an effort to enhance its competitive advantage. For instance, the company entered into a joint venture agreement with FLORA, a company with over 12 years' experience in landscaping, green house hydroponics, and sports facilities. The agreement was intended to expand the company's landscaping works for landscape and sports facilities. The company also signed a MOM agreement with MAAIL with the aim of expanding its operations in the areas of soft and hard landscaping, water features, irrigation systems, as well as rubber flooring. These partnerships add significant value to the company.

Despite these strengths, the company faces a major weakness. The company has been in operation for only two years. This presents substantial challenges in terms of marketing and financial strength. Given its status as a newly established company, the company lacks a properly developed profile of its clients and projects, which has in turn hindered the development of a marketing team. This challenge has further been compounded by lack of adequate financial resources. It has particularly been difficult to obtain credit facilities from banks. If not addressed, these challenges may remarkably affect the company's competitive advantage in the marketplace.

9. External Environment (Threats and Opportunities)

Al Sadeem can take advantage of a number of opportunities to enhance its competitive position. For the two years it has been in operation, the company has registered a huge leap in growth, an indication of the opportunities available in the landscaping and gardening business. These include partnerships with developers and contractors as well as business diversification. Mergers and acquisitions are also opportunities the company may consider to boost its competitive position. Paying greater attention to these opportunities can significantly improve the performance of the company, particularly in terms of customer attraction, customer retention, sales growth, and financial performance.

Nonetheless, the ability of the company to take advantage of these opportunities may be hindered by the threat of competition. With many companies competing for few projects, the threat of rivalry in the industry is strong. The company particularly faces competition from rivals such as Horizon Landscaping, Michel Nachef Decor, Bin Saeed General Maintenance, Emirates Gardens Agricultural Est, as well as Architecture & Landscape Projects. To survive in the industry, players must remain aggressive and constantly deliver unique offerings. On its part, Al Sadeem fights competitive pressure by signing long-term maintenance contracts. Nonetheless, the company needs to do more if it is to retain and improve its position in the industry. Table 3 below summarizes the company's SWOT analysis.

Strengths

• Competent leadership and personnel

• Lengthy experience of the management in executing high profile projects

• Excellent customer service and after sales services

• Strong capabilities in various landscaping projects

• Business and client diversity

• Strategic partnerships with major contractors

• State-of-the-art landscaping equipment and machinery.

Opportunities

• Business diversification

• Strategic partnerships

• Mergers and…