Strategy and Headquarters at Dell Computers

¶ … Strategy/Headquarters

The process strategy at use in Dell Computers is clearly one of Mass Customization -- this platform has been one of the foundational principles of the company, along with its increased provision of customer service (Munroe, 2010). By offering customization on a mass-produced scale, Dell was not only able to offer products that consumers really wanted and had greater control over at affordable rates, which boosted sales among certain consumers to begin with, but also set itself staunchly apart from competitors in the field that did not offer such customizability (Munroe, 2010). This overall strategy also allowed the company to experience greater overall flexibility in its operations and innovations, leading to better process improvements in other areas of the company and in other process management perspectives; this is one of the hallmarks of the Mass Customization orientation and a primary benefit in technology-oriented companies (Choudhury, 2006).

Mass Customization has the highest level of crossover of all four identified process strategies, and in fact the lines dividing these separate strategies can become so blurred in Mass Customization that they cannot adequately be discussed separately -- process changes and product changes go hand in hand while maintaining repetitive focus is essential to keep tasks low, and thus there is a constant dialogue and adjustment going on amongst these elements (Choudhury, 2006). This is certainly the case with Dell, where integration has driven the company's innovation (Munroe, 2010). The company is even cited as a textbook-perfect example of a company with a Mass Customization strategy (Choudhury, 2006).

2)

Dell is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, which is part of the larger Austin, Texas metropolitan area. There are several advantages and disadvantages to locating the company headquarters here, and part of the reason for this headquartering is a matter of historical convenience -- it is still near where Michael Dell formed the corporation in 1984, so initially this was a matter of personal expedience, to some degree; since then, the company has grown hugely yet remains in the area because that is where the company grew up. Even with international distribution and operations, there are definite advantages to being headquartered in the United States and Texas specifically, including certain regulatory and tax advantages, not to mention the respect and continued sense of solidity that being based in the United States provides. There are also disadvantages, however as this location means that Dell headquarters are far removed from many of their operational facilities, including primary manufacturing and customer service establishments, which are overseas.