The long-term objectives of the pre-paid phone card company need to first focus on gaining new customers quickly, ensuring they stay loyal over the long-term. This has much more to do with branding and service than price.

In addition to this strategic objective, there is also the need to continually add new services and innovation to attract new customers, while requiring suppliers to also innovate over time (Porter, 1980). The additional objectives include the defining of supply chain efficiencies and the continual development of relationships with the key suppliers the company is based on.

Question # 4: Please discuss the tools needed for the performance of an environmental analysis in an organization (Pre Paid Phone Card Company).

The tools required to complete an environmental analysis include market research tools, strategies and techniques used for capturing both qualitative and quantitative data (Beal, 2000). There is also the need for quickly finding patterns from unstructured content obtained from the market, so that models can quickly be created. This ability to parse or analyze unstructured content is also critical for gaining insights into trends not readily identifiable from looking at mainstream data (Decker, Wagner, SrScholz, 2005). Ultimately any environmental analysis needs to have a foundation of solid data collection and analysis applications in conjunction with the ability to interpret their impact and quickly take action on the knowledge gained.

References

Journal of Small Business Management. 1, 27-476.
Reinhold Decker, Ralf Wagner, Sren W. Scholz (2005). An internet-based approach to environmental scanning in marketing planning. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 23(2/3), 189-199. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 872115141).

Tony Grundy (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change, 15(5), 213. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1165588081).

Michael E. Porter (2008). The FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES THAT SHAPE STRATEGY. Harvard Business Review: Special HBS Centennial Issue, 86(1), 78-93. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1406854351).

Porter (1980)- Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press, 1980. (Republished with a new introduction, 1998.)

Wayne H. Stewart Jr., Ruth C. May, Arvind Kalia. (2008). Environmental Perceptions and Scanning in the United States and India: Convergence in Entrepreneurial Information Seeking? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 32(1), 83-106. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1398527311).

Wei-Ming Ou, Kang-Wei Chai. (2007). Use of Leadership and Differentiation…