Business Consultant Hired Assist Cango a Stragetic

¶ … business consultant hired assist CanGo a Stragetic Management Plan start an online gaming systems. Elizabeth- CEO/Founder, Andrew- Director Marketing, Ethel-Director Accounting, Warren-Director Operations, Maria-Director Human Resources, Clark-Director Finance, Gail, Nick, Whitney, Debbie- Senior Staff Members.

CanGo

Situation analysis

The first step in addressing the problems faced by CanGo is represented by the analysis of the company. At this level, it is important to identify the points of strength and weakness as they arise from within the company's internal environment, as well as the threats and opportunities presented by the external environment. These issues are best addressed throughout the following SWOT analysis:

Internal strengths

Internal weaknesses

- The company enjoys a strong presence within the market and it has created customer trust and brand equity

The product selection of CanGo is impressive, revealing an increased ability to serve the needs of wide customer segments.

- After a difficult year, the employees are tired and it is difficult to motivate them to increase their efforts

- The organizational resources have been negatively affected by the internationalized economic crisis, meaning that the firm has been forced to remain restricted in investments and developments.

External opportunities

External threats

- The holiday season is approaching quickly and this translates into great sales opportunities

- The customers are busier with each year and they seek more convenient ways for shopping and entertainment, such solutions including online shopping and online gaming

- The numerous technologic advancements allow the company to integrate further developments.

- The internationalized economic crisis decreases the purchase powers of the individuals, negatively impacting the organizational results

- Despite the busy holiday season, the crisis is likely to materialize in decreased sales for CanGo

- The company faces increased competition from both local competitors as well as international players.

All in all, CanGo is presented with both strengths and opportunities, but also with challenges and weaknesses. Its future scope is that of combining its strengths and opportunities in a means in which it manages to overcome its shortages and threats.

Issues facing CanGo

In order to develop the measures to helping the firm attain its objectives, it is first necessary to identify the specific issues which face it. In other words, at this level, it is necessary to pin point the issues which raise the most problems for CanGo. The lines below list these in order of importance:

1. Low levels of employee morale and performance

2. Restricted financial resources

3. Uncertainties pegged to the available inventory

4. Limited time until launch and until the commencement of the holyday season

5. Lack of employee training and expertise with internet operations

6. Lack of experience with internet gaming.

Recommendations

Each of the problems above is crucial and its resolution is vital to ensuring that CanGo is able to successfully complete the two projects it set out to complete -- the preparation for the holyday season and the launching of the online gaming site. Additionally, it is important for the strategic efforts to resolving these issues to be implemented in the correct order, otherwise the results would be different from the ones actually expected. In this order of ideas, the recommendations and the order of importance are listed below:

1. Improving employee morale

2. Providing training programs

3. Communicating with employees on the necessity to be quick and efficient

4. The implementation of stricter financial controls

5. Implementation of superior inventory management

6. Development and promotion of a marketing campaign promoting CanGo's online gaming site.

The improvement of employee morale is the first and foremost important strategy that has to be implemented at CanGo. Only by having a strong and committed staff will the company be able to overcome all challenges. In this order of ideas, the following specific recommendations are made in this direction:

The company should stimulate communications to strengthen an organizational culture based on openness

The company should provide the employees with a wide array of non-financial incentives, such as flexible working schedule or training programs

The company should provide performance-based compensations, including the issuing of Christmas bonuses based on performance. Such a measure would stimulate the staffs to increase their efforts and better support the organization in reaching its objectives (Evans, 2010).

The provision of training programs is the second most important strategy to implement and it sees that the company develops training programs through which the staff members are taught how to operate with the new technologies. This creates a context in which the new online gaming site would be best administered, but also the employees would feel supported in their path towards career development (Barrett, 2003).

Also at this stage, it is important to engage the employees in the organizational processes in a way that they comprehend the importance of quick and efficient operations. This strategy becomes interconnected with the first one, of stimulating employees.

Fourth, it is important to ensure that all strategies implemented by the firm are in full alignment with strict financial controls in the meaning that they consume as little financial resources as possible. Prudence and consideration are the leitmotifs of investments at CanGo. Additionally, these principles would also be implemented at the level of inventory management. At this level, the company should devise more efficient strategies to control its inventory. It would for instance be useful to integrate technologic tools in inventory management so that the managers are always aware of the stocks available and the necessary items to still produce.