Term paper for raha

• 1. Term Paper on Business Strategy Of EPIQUE BANGLADESH EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Now days, everyone likes to have more comfort in life. As progress relentlessly towards this it has been realized that this is the time to pay increasing attention to the subject of human comfort and entertainment. Thats why there is a huge growing demand of fashionable goods in this world and lots of companies are paying their attention in this regard. Epique Technologies Corporation is one of the sister concerns of SEBEC Group of companies Ltd. is now one of the leading companies in Bangladesh. It holds its long cherished desire to be the Number One Company in Bangladesh both in volume and turnover. Which inspired it to go for expansion of its market internally to establish as a high quality achiever? In this connection Epique is doing pretty good in this highly competitive electronics market. And there is a tremendous role of the dealers to promote the products through effective salesmanship to the customers. They are of vital importance for every company because they make a huge contribution in marketing and promoting of electronics products. So the more effective and efficient the sale forces are, the more profit they can make for their own as well as the company. This research program is undertaken especially to judge the market position of Epique. In spite of its sincere efforts, excellent image and credibility, the company is pressurized by the growing and aggressive competition in the industry. Faced with increasing competition in the market and huge sales target Epique realized the fact that there is no way but to be more aggressive in marketing. Though happy with the existing marketing system yet Epique management wants to keep their eyes open for unseen days and wants to develop their existing marketing system to cope with changing environment. Therefore Epique management has assigned to prepare a survey on The Market Position Dhaka Zone of the country. Presently Epique. is marketing its products through its own sales forces and dealers all over the country. Therefore this paper on The Market Position of Epique. tries to explore the field forces sale performance, quality of the products, dealers satisfaction, advertising effectiveness, customer service, transportation, communication and so on. The survey identified problems in the overall marketing. This survey has been conducted on 40 dealers. Since the sample size is sufficient enough to get the exact situation on the market position at Dhaka Zone, I hope that this effort will be helpful to the Epique management in future planning and thus achieving its goals. Among the finding problems, delivery of the product to the distributors in time is one of them.37.5% respondents said that the delivery of products is sometimes delayed and only 20% of them said on always in time delivery. This gap of delivery occurs for various reasons like unavailability of the products. 1

2. I found that the percentage of Epique products sale is between 31 % -40%(Per week sales). This sales record of Epique product is high in comparing with other competitor companies. But in case of Refrigerator, this rate is only 0%-10% which must be increased very soon. In my survey, 45% respondents said that the customer service of Epique is good and 27.5% of them said satisfactory. Only 17.5% respondents said that Epique customer service is very good and no one said it excellent. is poor.70% respondents said that the price is not Customers satisfaction level about the price of Epique products near to customers ability to purchase but only 30% of them said that it is near to customers hand. In my survey among 40 dealers, 20 respondents are satisfied, 14 are not satisfied and none is highly satisfied to the motivation given by the company. In the survey 72.5% respondents said that the advertising of Epique is not enough effective to face the competition while only 27.5% said that it is enough. According to the opinion of 32.5% respondents, Epique is in the Fourth position whereas 30% respondents said it is the Third. After my survey or research the reasons that I found for low sales performance of Epique sales performance are , Under rate, waiting for service, lack of proper monitoring, and high rate of product. All these reasons have been discussed in the chapter four of this report. Also a brief recommendation of my survey findings has been presented for further consideration of Epique management. I hope my effort will be highly appreciated by the Epique management and they will consider the problems that I have mentioned in this report. INTRODUCTION OF THE REPORT 1.1 ORIGIN OF THE REPORT After the completion of BBA Program of Department of Business Administration, Leading University has to undertake internship program. The internee is required to carry an extensive analysis of real world business problem in this program. Firstly, I joined in SEBECGroup of Companies Ltd. under an internship program, but administration of SEBECGroup appointed me as an internship employee in their Company on 1st January, 2011 .I feel proud to join in this company. I have performed my duties in the Epique Technologies Corporation Ltd. I have surveyed various areas and collected data about my concerning activities. During this program, everyone must have to submit an internship report. And I have chosen The Market Position of Epique: A Case Study of Epique Home Appliance. as my internship report, which is a collaborated representation of my internship program at SEBECGroup of Companies Ltd. 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT 2 3. Broad objective To evaluate the market position of Epique and analyze the strengths and weaknesses, which will help SEBECGroup of Companies Ltd to initiate effective promotional and distribution strategy that will boost in sales. Specific Objectives of The Study r To find out the problems Epique is facing in marketing its products. r To know the efficiency and effectiveness of the marketing executives. r To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing of Epique. r To identify the satisfaction level of dealers toward the company r To detect the problems faced by the respective persons of distribution. 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Now a days, everyone likes to have more luxurious life. As progress relentlessly towards this it has been realized that this is the time to pay increasing attention to a marketing approach to the subject of human entertainment. Thats why there is a huge growing demand of fashionable goods in this world and lots of electronic companies are paying their attention in this regard. Dealers & parties are of vital importance for every electronic company, because they make a huge contributions in marketing and promoting of fashionable products. So the more effective and efficient the Dealers & parties are, the more profit they can make for the company. This research program is undertaken especially to judge the market position of Epique. Epique holds its long cherished desire to be the No. One Company in Bangladesh both in volume and turnover, which inspired it to go for expansion of its market globally as well as internally to establish as a high quality achiever. In spite of its sincere efforts, excellent image and credibility, the company is pressurized by the growing and aggressive competition in the industry. Faced with increasing competition in the market and huge sales target Epique realized the fact that there is no way but to be more aggressive in marketing. Though happy with the existing marketing system yet Epique management wants to keep its eyes open for unseen days and want to develop their existing marketing system to cope with changing environment. This paper on The Market Position of Epique: A Case Study of SEBEC Group of Companies Ltd tries to explore the problem areas and identify the way of improving the promotion 3 4. smoothly. And it can be said that this study will help the company in future planning and thus achieving its goals. 1.4 SCOPE For evaluating the distribution network and its dealers performances of the Epique, the marketing manager of the company suggests me to study on Dhaka Zone where I was supposed to work. For dealers survey I cover Dhaka, Gazipur, Saver, Dhamrai, Manikgong for better concentration and intensity of the research. Because this areas contain one of the highest cluster of dealers show rooms and are capable of representing all other areas of the country. 1.5 STUDY TYPE This is basically a descriptive research where it has to describe things such as the market position and its improvement as well as the attitudes of customers to the dealers and the products. Here the report and study will generate information on the basis of four Ps. The four areas are Product, Price, Place, and Promotion and more concentration will be given on promotion. Study approach To conduct this study, we will use the following approaches: r Conducting primary survey, and r Collecting secondary data Study instrument The main instrument that has been used for the field study, is questionnaire, containing both structured and unstructured questions. The designed questionnaire has been pre-tested before applying for mainstream survey. Later the pre-tested questionnaire has been modified (if required) and has finalized. 1.6 Study Instrument The main instrument that I have used for the field study is questionnaire containing both open- ended and close-ended questions. There is a questionnaire which is for the dealers and sales executives. The designed questionnaire is a pre-test before applying for mainstream survey. Later the per-test questionnaire has modified according to its requirement and then has been finalized. The contact method that has been followed is based on personal interviews with the dealers and sales executives of my mentioning areas. 4 5. 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Source of Information a) Primary sources Primary data has been collected by interviewing the Dealers and Sales Executives by questionnaire & oral conversation with the respective personnels of distribution. b) Secondary sources Secondary data has been collected from the previous studies on distribution channel of the company, different texts, research findings, magazines, articles etc. 1.7 THE RESEARCH APPROACH In the procedure of primary data collection three approaches were used and these are: r Questionnaire r Personal interview r Observation method While collecting the primary data the instant response were found and it was possible for me to observe the real situation. Instruments to be used Questionnaires: One set of questionnaire would present to the dealers, salespersons for their answers. Personal interview: Respective persons regarding distribution. 1.8 SAMPLING PLAN Population All the listed dealers of SEBEC Group of Companies Ltd. Of my working areas in Dhaka Zone. Sampling area Selected areas of Dhaka Zone: Dhaka Dhamrai Gazipur Manikgonj 5 6. Saver Sampling method * Convenience sampling method. I have taken a total of 40 dealers interviews from my five areas. The ratio of the dealers in each district are shown in the below table: Table: Location of the survey Area Dealers Dhaka 28 Gazipur 6 Saver 3 Dhamrai 1 Manikgonj 2 The determined sample size covers near about 30% of the population. And my supervisor has said that 30% of the population is more than sufficient to express the true facts of the study. 1.10 Data collection Interview I collected data through personal interview by using questionnaires. In conducting interviews I have not limited our approach only on it observation method will also be followed to collect necessary information. Data Analysis Technique Data has been presented in an easy understandable form Data has included visual aids to have a clear view of the interpretation, like # Graphs and # Charts 6 7. Statistical tools and techniques like regression analysis have used to analyze the data. 1.11 LIMITATIONS During my research the scope of the research area is limited within specific geographic areas. As a result information from other areas remained excluded in this research study. Also the responses of some dealers are distorted due to absence of proper probing. Also some of the dealers did not show any interest or feel free in sharing information with my research which has hampered my research study. Besides as the dealers and salespersons(absence of dealers) who are interviewed for this research are very much busy, they could not spend much time with me. So I have to cover the interview in a very stipulated time period. Some amount of conflicting and overlapping information came from the different stages of the research And finally the allocated time for internship program was insufficient to conduct such type of research work. Theoretical background of the report 2.1 Introduction Selling is one of the worlds oldest professions. In a very real sense, every normal individual, each person in normal circumstances has a selling job to do. Every one who must deal with or work with people uses principles of personal selling. People who do the selling are called by a variety of names. However, members of Sales Forces or Field force, play a key role in modern marketing organization. 2.2 AN OVERVIEW OF SALES PROMOTION Sales promotion is a key ingredient in marketing campaigns. Blattberg, Robert C. and Neslin, Scott A. (1990) defines it as follows Sales promotion consists of a diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short-term, designed to stimulate quicker or greater purchase of particular products or services by consumers or the trade. Whereas advertising offers a reason to buy, sales promotion offers an incentive to buy. Sales promotion includes tools for consumer promotion (samples, coupon, cash refund offers, prices off, premiums, prizes, patronage rewards, free trials, warranties, tie-in-promotions, cross- promotions, point of purchase displays, and demonstrations); trade promotion(prices off, 7 8. advertising and display allowances, and free goods); and business and sales force promotion (trade shows and conventions, contest for sales reps, and specialty advertising). 2.3 Business and Sales Force Promotion Tools Companies spend billions of dollars on business- and sales force promotion tools. These tools are used to gather business leads, impress and reward customers, and motivate the sales force to greater effort. Philip Kotler, (2000) identifies some of the major business and sales force promotion tools, such as Trade Shows and Conventions Industry associations can organize annual trade shows and conventions. Firms selling products and services to the particular industry buy space and set up booths and displays demonstrate their products. Participating vendors can expect several benefits, including generating new sales leads, maintaining customer contacts, introducing new products, meeting new customers, selling more to present customers, and educating customers with publications, videos, and other audio visual materials. Sales Contests A sales contest aims at inducing the sales force or dealers to increase their sales results over a stated period, with prizes going to those who succeed. Companies can sponsor annual or more frequent sales contests for their sales force; top performers may receive trips, cash prizes, gifts, or points, which the receiver can turn into a variety of prizes. Incentives work best when they are tied to measurable and achievable sales objectives (such as finding new accounts or reviving old accounts) where employees feel they have an equal chance. Specialty Advertising Specialty advertising consists of useful, low-cost items bearing the companys name and address, and sometimes an advertising message that sales people give to prospects and customers. 2.4 Salesmanship is an Art not a Science: An argument Selling and the nature of individuals, on the first point, the argument is that salesmanship is an art not a science, and that, because it is not a science, it cannot be taught and learned. On the second point, it is believed that some individuals are born salesman, while others just are not endowed with the ability to sell and there is little or nothing they can do about it. It would seem more in line with facts to recognize that there are certain sound principles of selling that are so long established and susceptible to proof that they cannot be challenged successfully. This principles can be examined and understood in a classroom and can then be proved by pragmatic testing on the outside. 8 9. There are two conclusions that are drawn from the concept of the nature of individuals. First, it is true that some persons are not attracted to selling as a profession, and if they did enter the field, that would be miserable failures, whereas, if they undertake some other, more suitable vacation, they can be happy, successful and worthwhile to society. Other persons are better qualified to enter selling and to become outstanding in that field because of their likes and dislikes, their talents, and their basic nature. The second and more significant observation is that each group, eve the group without natural sales ability, can improve the quality and increase the quality of its sales ability. An outstandingly successful person is not born ready-made that way, be he a farmer, a doctor, a merchant, a manufacturer, or a sales man. Much of his success must be attributed to hard work, practice, and a fierce determination to improve. Companies would not conduct elaborate and expensive sales training programs if the principles of personal selling could not be taught and learned. There is no implication here that one can study and become a perfect salesman, for such a salesman does not exist. Every salesman makes mistakes, has handicaps he never completely overcomes, and loses sales. Knowledge, however, is conducive to improvement, to a lengthening of the odds for success, to the reduction of mistakes, and to the raiding of the salesmans average. 2.5 Who are the Field Force / Sale force? An individual acting for a company by performing one or more of the following activities, like prospecting, communicating, servicing, and information gathering, is known as sales person. These sales persons are known as sales force or field force. 2.6 What is salesmanship? Salesmanship is the art of persuading you to spend money you do not have for something you do not need for more than it is work. Salesmanship is the art of so successfully demonstrating the merits of goods and services of a house that a permanent customer is made. 2.7 Importance or role of Sales force Most companies use sales force and many companies assign them an important role in the marketing mix. For companies selling business products, the firms sales force work directly with customers. Besides, the sales force is the customers only direct contact with the company and therefore may be viewed by customers as representing the company itself. But usually consumers do not meet salespeople or even know about them. But the sales force works behind the scenes, dealing with wholesalers and retails to obtain their support and helping them become effective in selling the firms products. 9 10. As an element of the marketing mix, the sales force is very effective in achieving certain marketing objectives. This force also carries out other activities like, prospecting, communicating, selling and servicing and information gathering. Besides that a market focused sales force also works to produce customer satisfaction and company profit. 2.8 The Salesmans Obligations to his Company A sales man owes something in two directions: to his employer and to his prospects and customers. The next section considers these obligations. Profitable Sales From the companys point of view, the salesmans major long-range duty is to turn a profit. The company wants to continue in business, and this will not be possible unless its operation is profitable. Selling at a profit demands that the salesman explore his territory and analyze it in order to find out just how much opportunity is present. If a virgin territory is being opened, prospects must first be identified and then converted into customers in an established territory, the program calls for holding present customers, making them larger customers, and adding new customers. Although the selling of merchandise at a profit is the primary obligation, it may have to be postponed, on occasion, in favor of promotion of goodwill or building up the customers desire for the product. Likewise, in an extreme sellers market when merchandise is being rationed or is unavailable to all, the salesman finds his chief concern to be that of keeping on good terms with those he hopes to serve in the future. Hard Work In training the salesman, company spends both time and money; the salesman should justify this expenditure. In making the salesman responsible for a part of the companys activities, the company acknowledges belief of a certain capacity and potentiality in him; the salesman should justify this faith. A salesman must be an efficient manager of himself, always in control, purposeful, active, and he must conduct himself so as to get the greatest possible return from his efforts. His time and energy are budgeted wisely, and there is no wasted motion. Cooperation Immediately upon joining the company, the sales man should try to fit himself into the spirit of the organization. He must learn as much about the company as he can, not operating details at first, but attitudes and policies. He should be eager to get acquainted with the personality of the 10 11. firm, to appreciate its aims and ideals, and to understand its methods of doing business and the principles that shapes its policies. 2.9 The Salesmans Obligations to his buyers No one, of course, question the obligation of a salesman to deal honorably with buyers. The relationship between salesman and buyer must be characterized by mutual loyalty, trust, and dependence. The salesman must respect the buyers position. His policies, his time; in return the salesman hopes for the buyers confidence and goodwill. If he is to treat his buyers fairly, the salesman will not sell to one unless he truly thinks that the buyer will benefit adequately from the purchase. Heres a good test: if the salesman can sit in the buyers chair assume the role of buyer, and buy what the salesman is offering from across the desk, he can recommend the purchase sincerely and in good faith. Because the typical salesman is an optimist, he tends too have a bias which must be discounted somewhat by prospects. There are, however, pragmatic as well as ethical reasons for the salesmans being frank and fair. Hard, aggressive selling is sometimes necessary because products and some buyers require it, but to carry this so far that the result is a disgruntled or disappointed buyer is not wise. Hard selling and satisfied customers, however, can coexist. Hard aggressive selling isnt to be confused with high pressure selling, a type of selling which violates the principle of fair treatment. High pressure selling is flagrant when a sales man uses extravagant means to sell something to a buyer, which the buyer neither wants nor needs. Assistance Because each individual is an assortment of desires with only limited purchasing power, he welcomes any assistance that will enable him more nearly to realize his desires and to provide for his needs. In general, buyers-for-consumption want increased satisfaction, whereas business buyers want to make or save more money. These facts make of the sales man a missionary charged with the responsibility of guiding prospects to a better mode of living or improving the prospects circumstances to the end that satisfaction or profits are increased. 2.10 The Nature and Role of Personality A dynamic personality is one of the basic needs of all salesmen. Complete product knowledge is eminently desirable as are such other features as strict obedience to company instructions, long hours of work determination to keep up to date and accurate records on all prospects, and a mastery of selling fundamentals and techniques. It is quite true that these are examples of things the salesman should try to achieve, but they and other similar accomplishments are not enough. Their effectiveness is at the maximum point only when they are under the management of an individual who is a superior sales personality. 11 12. A pleasing personality by itself is not enough. A persons thinking is faulty if he believes that just because he is popular and has an engaging personality, he can sell anything to anybody. The salesman who relies solely on his personality finds himself at a disadvantage the moment he competes with an all-around salesman. Personality is a broad concept that cannot easily be defined. A sale personality may be thought of as the impression the prospects gets of the salesman. It is the salesman as he appeared to prospects. His sales personality is what the prospect likes or dislikes about the salesman as a human being, and, at the same time, it is why the salesman enjoys the approval or incurs the disapproval of prospects. It is not easy to develop a more pleasing personality. Most individuals are reluctant to admit even to themselves that something about themselves is wrong and need changing. Because such an admission deflates the ego, it tends to be avoided or postponed. Once established, a habit violently opposes its own eradication. The complexity and far-reaching ramification of habit structure by their very nature operate so as to make change difficult. Physical Factors Visual The physical image of the salesman is the first one to register on the prospect, and it is possible for it to make an impression on four of the prospects five senses. In order of impact, these are the senses of sight hearing, smell and touch. Because of the strength of the impression on the sense of sight, what the prospect sees must be considered carefully. Importance of Appearance Appearance is a big factor in personality, and, as such, it is a big factor in selling. The salesman is a person who possesses as an expert, and, in fact, must be one. He must appear to be both trustworthy and able; he must advise with authority. To do this, his appearance must helping instill confidence and respect in the prospect. Factors that are controllable Ability to sell isnt limited to anyone physical type. Tall or short, fat or slim, blond or brunet, bald or bushy each group has its share of outstanding salesmen. It is good that such physical differences are unimportant, for one is limited in what he can do about such matters as his build features or visions. The first controllable factors mentioned here are designated as personal factor and include the shave, the cut and grooming of hair, the conditions of hands and nails, and appearance of the teeth. 12 13. Clothes constitute the second group of controllable factor. As too condition, the requirement is neatness. Clean shirt, pressed suit and shined shoes bear silent but powerful witness to the attention and care they receive. The generalized and advise may be ventured that extremes should be avoided. Posture and bearing are subject to the salesmans control. They should be positive and confident; sitting or standing, the salesman should display both respect for and assurance in himself. His physical manner should be of such vigor and power that it bespeaks authority and gets attention. Because postures and bearing are revealing, the salesman should see that they are working for and not against him. The salesmans walk is the fourth and last factor in this list. It should be an energetic and business like walk, with head erect and shoulders back. Smile Although smiling is a controllable matter, as are the two following topics, it is important enough to deserve separate consideration. A warm, flashing, contagious, genuinely sincere smile is of incalculable aid in selling. The young salesman is strongly urged to practice his smile until it is without technical flaw. It must never seem sly, artificial, unnatural, or condescending. There should not be too much of it or too little. It should include eyes. Only through practice can he develop the pleasant facial expression that makes for good prospect response. Mannerisms These are habits the salesman has acquired of which he is not conscious, yet they may distract the prospects attention or even annoy and irritate him. The salesman may tug at an ear lobe, fidget with his glasses, scratch his head, constantly adjust his tie and collar, or rub his hand over his face repeatedly in the same nervous gesture. He may tap with a pencil, crack his knuckles, chew gum, or even talk with food in his mouth. The travel with such mannerism is that they make concentration harder for the prospect, and in more extreme cases create an impression that is definitely unfavorable. This, of course, hinders making the sale. The salesman must be constantly on the alert to detect any such mannerism as these, to the end that he may have complete, conscious control over his physical self. If feasible, he should encourage some associate, his sales manager, or even some long established customer to observe him in action and to suggest desirable changes. Health 13 14. The daily grind of selling makes heavy demand of a salesman, causing him to expend much physical effort and to deplete his reserve of nervous energy. Because appearance depends in large measure on physical conditions, health should be guarded. Physical factors Non-visual The prospects sense of hearing ranks second too his sense of sight in registering an impression on the salesman. In order for the prospect to enjoy favorable reception, the salesmans voice should be pleasing, clear and well modulated, easy and warm. Its tone should be booth courteous and respectful. Since effective expression is his goal, the salesman is obligated too eliminate vocal defects, and then to continue improvement until he has acquired vocal versatility. A monotone is lifeless and boring and will not persuade, and because it will not persuade, it cannot be tolerated. 2.11 Mental and Moral Characteristics The physical salesman is an external part of the total sales personality and is usually the first to simulate prospects sense. The internal salesman is made up of mental and moral characteristics to which the prospects also react. Twelve are considered here r Optimism r Initiatives r Enthusiasm r Imagination r Confidence r Mental Agility r Sincerity r Control r Determination r Courage r Dependability r Maturity 2.12 Social Attributes So far it has been described that the salesman has two things, a physical individual and an assortment of mental and moral characteristics. There is a final part, the social, which the prospect likes or dislikes. This treatment of the social salesman may seem to be brief, but the following here is that only for essential requirements remain to be covered: r The ability to Converse intelligently and interestingly r Friendly Nature 14 15. r Social Grace, and r Poise BRIEF PROFILE OF THE COMPANY Name, nature and activities: SEBEC Group of Companies Ltd. is one of the largest registered Limited Company in the electrical, electronics and automobiles sector in Bangladesh. For its comprehensive nature, company directly engage in the Import and Assembling works. Now it is fully engaged in importing, manufacturing and marketing in various kind of electrical, electronics & automobiles products (like Color Television, Refrigerator, Washing Machine, Microwave Woven, Air Conditioner, IPS, Voltage Stabilizer etc), Vehicle Items : Motorcycle, Generator, Pickup, Covered Van, CNG operated 3-wheeler, etc. Agricultural Items: Tractor, Power Tiller and Diesel Engine. Others items: Zinc Ingot, C.I. Sheet etc. .SEBECGroup of Companies Ltd. works under the leadership of its Board of Directors and also accepts business guidance from the different renowned Consulting firms of home and abroad. Companys authorized capital : TK. 2,50,00,00,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Crore) which is equal to about US$ 43 million. Paid up capital TK. 26,20,00,000 (Twenty Six Crore and Twenty Lac) which is equal to about US$ 4.5 million. Brief History of the Company : 1977 Started trading business under name of firm Rezvi & Brothers. 1992 Started directly and indirectly import, production and marketing of C. I. Sheet and its related materials. 1993 Established SEBEC Dairy Complex Ltd. 1995 Started Electrical & Electronics Business. 1998 Establish Tricon Electronics Ltd. and Started Production of Television. 2001 Registration of SEBEC Group of Companies Ltd. & Expanded Business in Electrical, Electronics & Automobiles Sector. 2007 ablish Production Units for Color Television, Generator, Air Conditioner, Refrigerator & Freezer, Washing Machine, Microwave oven, Voltage Stabilizer, IPS and Motorcycle. 1. Signed a deed of Collaboration with HUNG JIN CO., S. Korea. Sales & Service Offices around the country 15 16. Head Office : Jiban Bima Bhaban (3rd floor), 10, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Tel:88-02-9571634, 9571635, 9571636, 9558535, Fax : 88-02-9572057, Email : [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected] Website : www.epiqueasia.com Main Sales office : Jiban Bima Bhaban (3rd floor), 10, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Tel:88-02-9571634, 9571635, 9571636, 9558535, Show Room : 11, B.B. National Stadium Market, Dhaka, Tel : 88-02-9557450, 9571175 Fax No. 88-02-9551577, Email : [email protected]. Vehicle Division : 37/2, Purana Palton (New road) Dhaka-1000, Tel. 88-02-7113216, 0171-987717, 0171-103232, Chittagong Office : 38 Asadgonj (1st Floor), Chittagong, Tel. 88-031-611855, 634771 Fax : 88-02-610980. Tangail Office :Adalat Road, Tangail-1900, Telephone : 88-0921-53201 Fax : 88-0921- 54826 Rajshahi Office : 201/A, Women College Road, Kadirgonj, Rajshahi, Mob : 0171- 103215 Bogra Office : Nurani Moor, Bogra, Tel : 88-051-65931, 0171-345476, 0171-385017 Jessore Office : Ashraf Bhaban, Bockchar, Khulna Road, Jessore. Tel : 88-0421-62124, 0171-345575. Sylhet Office : 150/1, Talukder House, Noweb Road, Sylhet. Tel : 0171-161833, 0171- 103236. Barisal Office : Talukder Bhaban, C & B Road, Barisal, Tel : 88-0431-61478, 0171- 380105. Rangpur Office : 166/1, College Road, Rangpur, Tel : 88-0521-67945, 0171-385017, 011-023992 Mymensingh Office : 4/KA/7, Kali Shankar Guha Road, Panditbari, Mymensingh, Tel. 0171-385087. Comilla Office : 249/278, Shaheed Shamsul Haque Road, Jhawtola, Comilla, Tel : 0171- 281458. Employees and workers : 16 17. Company has 300 staffs all over the country. And 100 of workers work in our Factory and many daily labor work everyday in their Factory and different offices. Their Factory Address : Plot No. B-16, BSCIC Industrial Estate, Kanchpure, Narayangonj, Bangladesh. Name of Director Achieved Position Nationality. S. M. Nazrul Islam Chairman Bangladeshi S. M. Nurul Alam Rezvi Managing Director Bangladeshi S. M. Shamsul Alam Director Bangladeshi S. M. Ashraful Alam Director Bangladeshi S. M. Mahbubul Alam Director Bangladeshi S. M. Rezaul Alam Director Bangladeshi Board of Directors SALES ORGANIZATION : SEBEC Group has Sales, Service and Production organization comprising of 280 Executives. It has own sales and service centers in all the major cities of Bangladesh. It has a sales network of 175 dealers in the major and minor towns all over the Country. CUSTOMERS SERVICE: SEBEC Group has 25 Sales and ServiceCenters and more than 45 Engineers and Technicians are engaged to provide prompt after-sales-service at different parts of the country. They render periodical services for EPIQUE product as per the need of the equipment. SEBEC GROUP OF COMPANIES LIMITED : AT A GLANCE a) Started Journey in Bangladesh : 1977 b) Slogan : Lets Get Real c) Seven Values : Respect for people Entertainment, Space & Comfort Empowerment Networking 17 18. Creativity Integrity Courage d) Head Office : Jiban Bima Bhaban (3rd floor), 10, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Tel:88-02-9571634, 9571635, 9571636, 9558535, e) Production Unit : Plot No B-16, BSCIC Industrial Estate, Kanchpure, Narayangonj, Bangladesh. f) Total Manpower : More than 400 g) Total Division : 06 h) Total No. of Distributor : 150 i) Website : www.epiqueasia.com SWOT Analysis of SEBEC GROUP OF COMPANIES LTD. survey and findins of the reort 4.1. INTRODUCTION In this part of the report my survey and its findings has been described of Epique product. After the survey I have found that the performances of Epique Marketing Executives are not so effective and satisfactory in the Dhaka Zone. Epique should be more initiative and build up prompt and effective strategies to increase their product sale in this part of the country. The details of Dealers and Salesmen opinion about the performance of Marketing Executives are given gradually in this part with the findings and recommendation. Hope this part will be fruitful for SEBECGroup of Companies Ltd. 4.2 EXISTING CUSTOMERS OF AVENTIS PRODUCT The marketing of electronic products is direct marketing. Customers of Epique are: r Higher middle class people r Middle class people r Lower middle class people r Institutions 18 19. 4.3 Facility of epique PRODUCTS: Warranty Facilities Epique provides 5 years warranty of picture tube, 1 year of spare parts and 5 years after sales service for color TV, 5 years of compressor, 1 year of spare parts and 5 years after sales service for Refrigerator and the same facilities for all its products. Credit opportunity Epique gives credit opportunity to the distributors. This credit opportunity is only given up on them whose have goodwill and amity with the company. But for this, the dealers must have the permission from the higher management. 4.4 SAMPLE SIZE OF THE SURVEY This survey report of Epique has been conducted Dhaka Zone of the country. For this research report I have to make a sample size first. In this view point I have decided to conduct my survey on 40 dealers. I collected my relative information about the performance of Epique sales executives by asking them some questions that I have prepared in my Questionnaire. 4.5 IDENTIFY ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES REQUIRED FOR THE MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF EPIQUE PRODUCTS 4.5.1 Timely delivery Timely delivery is one of the most important matters in the case of the distribution of any products. When a dealer gives an order, the marketing executive makes him confirmed that he would get the delivery of product in the scheduled time. In my survey I find that some of the dealers complain that they sometimes do not get the delivery of Epique product in time. Table : Dealers opinion in delivering Epique products Particulars Total respondents No of respondents Percentage Always in time delivery 40 12 30.0 Sometimes delayed delivery 15 37.5 Sometimes in time delivery 8 20.0 Always delayed delivery 5 12.5 19 20. Total 40 40 100 Figure : Dealers opinion in delivering Epique products Comments: The Marketing Executives collect orders from the dealers. A Marketing Executive works in a specific area. He supplies the required products to the dealers. If the products are not supplied properly and any problem is created in this regard, the Marketing Executives themselves have to deal it with the dealers. As a result the dealers will not be inclined to receive the products of Epique and the target of turnover will not be fulfilled. So they should be motivated for in time delivery. 4.6 POSITION OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF EPIQUE: Most of my surveyed dealers, both the wholesalers and retailers, said that the customer service of Epique product is good. However their overall opinion I have presented in the below table: Table-1: The position of customer service of Epique Particulars Total no of Respondent No of Respondent Percentage Excellent 40 0 0 Very good 7 17.5 Good 18 45.0 Satisfactory 11 27.5 Poor 4 10.0 Total 40 40 100 Comments: From my survey I have found that most of the dealers suggested for prompt service. Besides they also suggested service from respective show rooms and home service specially for Refrigerator for increasing sales volume of Epique products. The reason is that most of the competitor companies are now providing home service as well as service from show rooms without any 20 21. delay. The customers have good faith in those companies. So to face the competition in the market Epique should adopt the policy of providing those facilities to the customers. 4.7 PER week SALES OF epique PRODUCT : In my survey I also tried to find out the per week sales of Epique product. In this survey I have conducted on my 40 dealers. After the survey I found that only 31 to 40% of Epique products are sold per week frequently out of total sales. However their overall opinion I have presented in the below table: Comments: The above table indicates that the per week sales of Epique products are somewhat satisfactory. But this percentage should be increased by effective and efficient marketing. After the survey I have also found that only 0 to 10% of Epique products are sold per week frequently out of total sales. However their overall opinion I have presented in the following table: Table 2:Per week sales of Epique product out of total sales(In case of Refrigerator) PercentageRange 0-10% 11-20% 21 30% 31 40% 4150% Above 50% No. of Dealers 24 3 1 1 5 6 Comments: The above table indicates that the per week sales of Epique products in cage of Refrigerator are not satisfactory at all. So this percentage should be increased by effective and efficient marketing. This is not an efficient sales force performance. In fact the performance of Epique sales force should be more effective and prompt. 4.8 REASONS IDENTIFIED for low sales performance: 21 Percentage Range 0-10% 11-20% 21 30% 31 40% 4150% Above 50% No. of Dealers 5 6 8 12 5 4 22. In any organization the dealers play vital role, because it is they who bring goods to the customers. Then they collect money and deposit it to the organization accounts. So the future of the company depends on their efficiency and devotion to their work. Therefore the company should give attention whether they are satisfied with their work or should look after about their problems that they faces in doing their jobs properly. In my survey I found the following problems or obstacles that the dealers face in performing their duties: Under rate: Under rate of some product crate great problem of dealers to perform their duties effectively. During underrating of any product, the product sales in Dhaka B.B Stadium Market lower price than the companys actual price, therefore the customers do not prefer to purchase the product from other show rooms at the companys actual price. As a result they purchase the products from stadium market at lower price. But it is the duty of the dealers to fulfill their company target of that product with the actual companys rate which is very much difficult for them. However the dealers try to fulfill their target. They often sell the product to the customers with stadium market price and covers the makeup price by selling the product of other companies. Waiting for service: It obstructs the dealers to provide service to the customers timely because the company does not provide quick service. So the customers have to wait most often for along time. Consequently it effect fall upon the company. The low rate of mobile electricians visit is also responsible for waiting too much. Besides most of the customers want to get service from the show room from which they have purchased the product. But Epique does not provide service from respective show rooms. Lack of proper monitoring: Usually the supervisor or upper management of the sales forces is responsible to monitor the performance of the dealers activities. But unfortunately they dont perform this job properly. Therefore the monitoring of Epique is very weak. Because of weak monitoring, if any problem arises, the dealers have to solve the problems by themselves. High Rate of Product: The price of some of Epique product is very much high compare to other competitive companies product. In our socio-economic situation consumers always prefer to buy low price product. Therefore the dealers face obstacles in selling products to the customers. Besides some customers also prefer low price product of other company than that of Epique. 4.9. CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION LEVEL ABOUT PRICE OF EPIQUE In my survey among 40 dealers at Dhaka Zone, I found that most of the respondent opined that the price of Epique products is not near to the customers ability to purchase. Because the competitor companies are now charging less price than Epique. However their overall opinion I have presented in the below table: 22 23. Particulars Total Respondent Yes No The price is near to customers ability to purchase 40 12 28 Percentage 30% 70% Table: Customer satisfaction level about the price of Epique products. Comments: The above table indicates that the price of Epique product is somewhat higher compared to that of competitor companies. If same products are sold at less price, the customers will rush to those price. Therefore, the authority should be concerned about price of their products. 4.10. The level of satisfaction of dealers Particulars Total Respondents No. of Respondent Highly Satisfied 40 0 Moderately Satisfied 6 Satisfied 20 Not satisfied 14 Total 40 40 The chart given bellow shows that among the 40 dealers, none of them responded on Highly satisfactory level, 6 responded on moderate satisfactory level, 20 respondents are satisfied and 14 respondents are not satisfied at all. 23 24. Figure 05: The Level of Satisfaction of the Dealers on the Motivation given by the company. Comments: From my dealers interview I came to know that the dealers are not enough satisfied with the motivation they get. They mostly want credit facilities, transport facilities. Most of the dealers claimed more commission. Some of them asked for technical support from the company to provide customer service from their own show rooms. Even there are few dealers who provide technical support from their own sake to attract customer. From marketing point of view, we know that the dealers as well as salesmen are the ambassador of the product. So it is very important to satisfy and motivate these persons. The company can motivate them by giving occasional gift, bonus, reward for volume of sales and so on . The company may organize annual conference with all dealers where they can discuss about the well being of the company as well as the dealers. 4.11. ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS OF EPIQUE In my survey I have taken the dealers opinions about the advertising effectiveness of Epique. Most of the respondent said that the existing advertisement of this company is not sufficient to face the competition. Specially the BTV advertisement is below standard. Moreover the number of Billboard, Signboard of Epique is very low in subuR.B.s. However their overall opinion I have presented in the below table: Table: Advertising effectiveness level of Epique Particulars Total Respondent Yes No 24 25. Whether the advertising of Epique is enough to face competition. 40 11 29 Percentage 27.5% 72.5% The chart given bellow shows that among the 40 respondents, 72.5% of them gave their opinion that the existing advertisement of Epique is not enough effective to face the competition. Only 27.5% respondents said that the present advertisement is okay. Comments: It is my opinion that Epique should take some effective and efficient promotional activities. Advertising is very important to run a product for it brings the message of the products to the customers. So Epique should advertise in both electronic and press media. Newspaper advertisement on special days, sponsorship in cricket and such tournaments, advertisement on traffic islands, advertisement on the surface of over bridges, wall advertisement, advertisement at different junctions etc. should be introduced immediately. The Double- Decker car advertisement has been proved effective from my survey. So the number of car advertisement should be increased. Besides different attractive may be offered with Epique products as sales promotion tools. 4.12. THE POSITION OF EPIQUE IN THE MARKET In the survey on the dealers of Epique, I have taken the opinion of 40 respondents about the market position of Epique. Most of the respondents said that Epique is in the third or fourth position in the market. Only a few of them said that Epique is in the first position. However their overall opinion I have presented in the below table: Table: Dealers opinion about the market position of Epique 25 26. Comments: According to the opinion of most of the dealers, it is assumed that Epique is in the third or fourth position in the market. So in order to exist in the market for a long time and to acquire the first position, Epique should take some pragmatic steps. Quality products have to be introduced, customer services has to be very prompt, good relation should be maintained with the dealers, continuous monitoring system should be initiated, made in should be inscribed on the products, price should be same everywhere, one dealer should be employed at a particular region, effective promotional plan must be taken. 26 Particulars Total Respondents No. of Respondents Percentage First 40 4 10 Second 10 25 Third 12 30 Fourth 13 32.5 Fifth 1 2.5 Total 40 40 100 27. 5. Introduction to Human Resource In 1987, EPIQUE Bangladesh inaugurated their Human Resource Department for the first time in their organization. During that time, only one Personnel Manager used to carry out all the activities of the HR department. Since then, the HR department has been improving day-by-day. 5.1 HR Mission & Vision - Intensive integration of the corporate divisions and professional knowledge management Professional HR development tools and qualification concepts Efficient processes and services e.g. in training and recruiting. 5.2 HR Organogram: HR Activities : After discussing with the HR manager of EPIQUE Bangladesh Limited, we have come up with some special points that the HR department of EPIQUE Bangladesh performs : 1. Assisting Line Managers - The HR manager of EPIQUE assists the line manager in order to remove the conflicts raised between manager & employee, manager & manager and employee & employee. 27 28. 2. Conducting Job Analysis The HR manager of EPIQUE determines the duties and skills required for a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it. For this purpose, they prepare job description and job specification. 3. Recruiting Job Candidates The HR manager recruits the employees from two different sources, one is the internal source and the other is external source. But basically, they prefer to go for the internal recruitment. 4. Selecting Job Candidates For selection purpose, they use various selection tools, such as for the entry level people, they use screening and panel interview and for the upper level people, they basically focus on interview performance & analytical ability of the candidate. 5. Orienting and training new employees The HR department arranges an orientation program for the new employees. The HR department of EPIQUE supports the off-the-job training programs. On-the-job training is demonstration- EELated. 6. Managing wages, salaries and compensations After getting all the information regarding financial budget and expenses, the HR manager recommends the wages and salaries of the employees. The HR manager also determines different compensation packages for the employees. For example: Compulsory life insurance and medical facilities are provided by the company to all the employees. 7. Performance Appraisal The HR manager gets all the information from the respective department supervisors and evaluates the employee performance with the set standards in accordance to the predetermined objectives fixed by the departments. 5.3 HR Management : After interviewing the HR manager of EPIQUE, we got an organogram of the entire Human Resource department that is shown above. According to the organogram, the chain of command goes through gradually from the Chairman, Managing Director & CEO who are responsible for all the activities of the company. Then the Director and the Chief Operating Officer receives the commands and distributes it to the person designated by the post of Director of Human Resources. The Director of HR is the Head of HR department and he is liable for all the activities of Human Resource. He distributes the delegation of authority among two respective positions and those positions are designated by the post of Manager, Personnel Services and Personnel Officer (LAW). 28 29. The next and very important phase of HR is Manager, Personnel Service. The duty of this particular position is to look over all the benefits and incentives that are offered by the company and inform the director whether the employees are being benefited by it or not. The other important position is the Personnel Officer (LAW), who is responsible for all the legislative activities, the bureaucratic rules and regulations of the Government and does negotiation among the employees. Part 1 Review Topic (Literature) - Recruitment & Selection - Training & Development Recruitment & Selection Recruiting refers to the process of attracting potential job applicants from the external or internal labor force. Recruitment is a business, and it is big business. It demands serious attention from management, for any business strategy will falter without the talent to execute it. Certainly, the range of recruitment needs is broad. Both small and big firms need talent, although different types of talent, to be successful in their respective markets. Regardless of the size of a firm or what industry it is in, recruitment and selection of people with strategically EELevant abilities is more important than ever. Selection decisions are important to the business strategy of an organization. Success depends on having good people who possess the right skills and motivation to make the organization succeed. Employee selection is so important to organizational effectiveness, organizations right to make careful, informed choices. 29 30. 5.4 Training and Development Training and development are important activities in all aspects of life. Each day, people are faced with new situations and are forced to respond appropriately to them. Training and development are important activities in all organizations, large or small. Every organization, regardless of size, needs to have well trained employees who are prepared to perform their jobs. Even those who have been trained in professional and technical fields require orientation training to help them understand their specific roles in an organization. Present employees also need training. Because of the rapidly expanding technology and the growth of new knowledge, there is a need for continual retraining of experienced workers to perform new and changed jobs. 30 31. Review Topic (Analysis) According to the HR activities of EPIQUE Bangladesh Limited - Recruitment & Selection - Training & Development Recruiting and Selection Process For recruiting and selecting purpose, EPIQUE has differentiated the process into two individual segments. Those are listed below : Entry Level recruiting process: In case of recruiting entry level people, EPIQUE basically follows the model provided below: Upper Level recruiting process: While selecting upper level people, EPIQUE follows the following model to do so 31 32. 5.5 THE SELECTION PROCESS The selection process of any company does not appear as it is in the first instance. It has to be tested over and over again until it can be reasonably perfected. The same is the case with the one followed at EPIQUE. The selection process starts when there is a vacancy or a job opening in the organization. The department in which the position is available first sends a requisition to the HR department. This is done by filling out a prescribed form, which contains a general, description of the post and skills required to perform it. Based on this information and by collecting further data from the concerned department, the HR people formulate a detailed Job Profile. This includes the job description, work activities, work context, etc. and also the job specifications which indicates the human qualities needed. The department provides the HR manager with a detailed list of minimum qualifications, experience, special skills, knowledge level, personality characteristics, etc. to help them design and carry out the selection process. After the job profile for the particular position is formulated, the decision has to be made whether recruitment should be done from internal or external candidates. If the choice is to promote or transfer one of the existing employees into the new post, the next step is to refer to the Grading System that is maintained so rigorously by the company. This system is a key element of the HR department and plays a significant role in the smooth running of its activities. The Grading Policy will be further discussed in the next section but for now it is important to know that through this the company can select the ones who are ready or suitable to be short- listed as candidates. Once this is done, they are interviewed and background checks of their personal files are made to see if any further training is required. If everything is in order, the best person for the job is selected. The other option available is recruiting from external candidates. As mentioned earlier, the company performs market surveys on a regular basis, which helps them decide on this option. There are more steps to be followed here. Once the decision to hire externally is made, approval of the HR director must be taken. Then an advertisement is published in all the leading newspapers of the country as well as any local ones of the EELated cities. This ad includes information of the position open and qualifications needed to apply for it. Also it indicates how, where and by when to apply. While the applications are coming in, the work of HR department does not stay static. They have another important step underway. This is the formation of the Board of Interviewers who will conduct the panel interview for the final selection of the candidate. This board ordinarily consists of at least three members. They are the Director(s) of the concerned department(s) where the job(s) is available, the Director of HR and one independent representative from any of the other departments to give the decision process more objectivity. The initial screening process that all applicants have to undergo involves a written test that is designed to examine their aptitudes and knowledge. Through this, applicants are short-listed 32 33. down to 20 candidates. The number can be more depending on the requisite number of openings or instruction of the concerned department. These candidates are subject to the panel interview made by the board formed earlier. This is like any other interview of its kind and involves a face- to-face question-answer and conversation session between each of the candidates and the board. The questions are fairly uniform, meaning different members ask all candidates the same or similar questions. However, it is not entirely strict or inflexible. If the interviewers feel the need, they let the interview go on in different directions with the flow of topics. At the end of this process, the candidates are once again short-listed to the top 3 to 5. The panel then sits down and discusses about the chosen candidates. The final decision is made regarding the post(s) and the suitable one is selected. GRADING POLICY Another very important aspect of the HR department at EPIQUE is the maintenance of a Grading system, which plays a crucial role in a number of activities performed by them. This system has been incorporated after careful study and analysis by R & D and it has been followed by the company for many years, even before it came to Bangladesh. According to this, all employees of the company are categorized under one of the six grade ranges. Based on this range, information about their experience level, training level, and tenure in the job, salary base, increment records, and any promotions achieved, etc. can be found. An example of this is as follows. Grade Number Management Level Salary Base (not revealed, assumed) 50-70 Entry Level 6,000 15,000. Increment up to 30,000 70-80 Mid Level 20,000 30,000. Increment up to 60,000 80-90 Higher mid level 40,000 50,000. Increment up to 90,000 90-100 Top level 45,000 60,000. Increment up to 1, 20,000 Training & Development Process Training gives new or present employees the skills they need to perform the job. The HR department of EPIQUE follows the following steps to train their employees The Training & Development Process ::: A well-designed training program is important for any company. As EPIQUE Bangladesh is in a stabilized position, so in order to maintain the consistency of their activities to serve the competitive market, it is very important for the HR department to design the entire training process in such a manner which will be effective and fruitful for the company as well as to make their employees performing at their best. To train the employees whether they are new or old, at first the HR department collects the EELated information from each respective department about the employee performance. Then, they evaluate the performance and try to identify whether the training is needed right at this moment or not, which is the decision making phase of training 33 34. process. In this regard, they have two options, one is on-the-job training and the other is off-the- job training. On-the-job training is demonstration EELated that is initially applied to the entry level employees. But for further training and development, this demonstration-EELated training is not sufficient. So for such cases, the company prefers off-the-job training. For this type of training, they take help from external sources such as: Rapport Bangladesh and Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM). They also participate in various training workshops. But they do not send trainees as a group. They usually send employees to training sessions based on their professional individual demand that is required for their respective jobs. SWOT Analysis Strength 1. Pioneer in the selection process EPIQUE Bangladesh Limited follows a strict selection procedure through which only the best and deserving candidate gets the opportunity of being a part of the company. The organization has a great control over its selection process. One of the major and first activities of HR department is to conduct a formal Job Analysis. Then, step-by-step selecting methods are strongly followed by the HR department. At this stage of selection process, they review the budget and other EELated issues. Written test as well as panel interview and analytical test are conducted for selecting candidates. They validate the test using concurrent validation process. Thats why, they are the pioneer in the selection process. 2. Equal Opportunity The company practices equal employment opportunity throughout their selection and training processes. Accordingly to this, EPIQUE does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, EELigion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual preference, age, disability, or veteran status. The HR departments employees ensure that discrimination does not occur in the company. 3. Cost Effectiveness Because of the strict and evident selection techniques, only the loyal and devoted employees are being part of the EPIQUE family. Thats why; the yearly employee turnover rate is very low compared to any other company. For example: in the year 2003, only 9 employees left the company, which is undoubtedly very much cost-effective. 4. Legal Aspects 34 35. EPIQUE Bangladesh maintains a standard protocol with Public Service Commission (PSC). So, they follow all the rules and regulations of Bangladesh Government while selecting the appropriate applicants. Now, while training the employees, the company takes every precautionary initiative and tries to reduce the risk of harm to the factory employees who work with dangerous equipment, materials, or processes. After all these, even if any worker gets injured, the company carries out all the medical expenses. Weakness 1. Taking assistance from the recruitment agencies For upper level recruitment, the company basically uses Headhunters such as: Monwara Ltd, Rapport Bangladesh etc. So, in comparison to other companies like: Beximco, Lever Brothers and Concord, they are far behind in this recruiting stage. 2. Lack of internal training facilities One of the main weaknesses EPIQUE Bangladesh possesses is the absence of proper internal training facilities. When the company experiences certain necessity that a particular employee needs to be trained for his/her specific job, they basically go for the training sessions offered by the outside recruiting agencies such as : Monwara Ltd, Rapport Bangladesh, Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) etc. Opportunity Training workshop Two months ago on October 7 October 10, 2009, EPIQUE Bangladesh participated in the training workshop organized by Rapport Bangladesh Limited. The workshop took place at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, Dhaka Club and BRAC Center. By this, establishing medium and long term relationships with highly skilled potential managers, it ensures itself qualified management trainees. Many rising companies of Bangladesh still are not willing to take part in this kind of training workshop. Thats why, this is an opportunity for EPIQUE. By this, they can ensure a quality and developed management easily. HR department can easily design the training program to catch the opportunity. Threat 1. Lack of job security One of the important threats for EPIQUE is its lack to provide job security towards its entry level employees. When the company sends a particular individual in a training session, he first completes the training. Then after the completion of the training period, the company sets a time 35 36. of 6-8 months within which the employee has to apply his/her learning gained from the training session to show improvements. If he/she is unable to do so, the company eliminates the employee that works as a de-motivational factor for the both parties. But in this case, EPIQUE does not intend to change or modify the training structure to retain them. And in near future, this could be a threat factor for the company. 2. Too much rely on recruiting agencies Too much rely on the recruiting agencies for top level management could be a threat for the company. If the relationship between the HR department and the recruiting agency is not good enough compared to the other competing companies, there is a possibility that the recruiting agency can recommend for a wrong personnel for the particular position. Comparative Analysis When Human Resource Department was introduced at EPIQUE 1987, the position was basically created to diversify responsibilities of a single managerial position. They started their journey with a single personnel manager who used to carry out basic HR responsibilities. But when we compare the past with the present situation, we found out that the main functions of HR are still almost the same except the growth of manpower. The number of employees of HR was increased as did the incentives the company offered. Selection & Recruiting Starting Time (1987) Present Time (2009) 1. No formal Job Analysis was conducted. 1. One of the major and first activities of HR department is to conduct a formal Job Analysis. 2. No step-by-step selection process was followed; such as: while recruiting a new employee, the HRD did not go through the budget review and job analysis that much carefully. 2. Step-by-step selecting methods are strongly followed by the HR department regarding the budget review and job analysis. 3. Their major priority was written test. 3. Written test as well as panel interview and analytical test are conducted for selecting candidates. 4. Test validity was not purely associated with the selection process that much. 4. They validate the test using concurrent validation process. Training & Development Starting Time (1987) Present Time (2009) 1. At that time, performable works were just demonstrated to the employees and they were to carry out those responsibilities. If problems were faced, the HR department was there to help them out. 1. Formal training sessions are strictly utilized and employees who require those types of training are sent to attend those sessions. 36 37. PROBLEMS IDENTIFICATION EPIQUE, as a company, is quite matured and has come a long way from its inception. It has had its phases of ups and downs and it has come out of most of them with flying colors. It has faced many problems over the years and it has been able to resolve them through long standing debates, research or mere experience and practice. However, the company is not entirely perfect. From HR Managers perspective While recruiting top level employees, the company basically takes helps from different recruiting agencies such as: Monwara Ltd, Rapport Bangladesh etc. According to the HR manager, they need to build up a platform through which they can be capable enough to recruit the top level personnel by utilizing their own system. One of the main problems that the HR manager of EPIQUE Bangladesh revealed to us is the lack of proper internal training facilities. They think this is the sector where they should prioritize to make some improvements and solve the problem. From the groups perspective One of the main problems that the HR dept. of EPIQUE suffers is the same as that endured by most other companies. It is the conflict between HRD and any other department while hiring new recruits. Although the whole selection process is conducted by the HR department, the concerned department keeps a close watch over it. During the final selection, as mentioned before, the director of the related department is also present in the panel. It so happens many times that the HR selects one person as having the best and most suitable qualifications and skills necessary to perform the job as described in the profile. However, the concerned department head chooses someone else who may have come 2nd or 3rd in the selection ranks. In such a case, there might be a conflict raised between the two departments. The HRD feels that its role has been undermined. On the other hand, since the new employee will be working under a different department, the head or director should have a say. His decision is to be considered final. However, if the HRD had forced their choice to the dept., the latter tends to become extra strict on this selected one. And after a while, if that person does not live up to the standards, the HRD is blamed for it. This is a problem that the company is trying to control through better interdepartmental communication and relations. PROBELEMS & RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATION 37 38. 1. 1. Frequent Monitoring the Dealers: Continuous monitoring system is very important to observe the market. Therefore Marketing Executives visit to the distributors should be more frequent like other competitor companies 2. 2. To Increase good relationship: Distributors are the main sources for the sales of electronic products. So my recommendation is that, the company should extend and increase good relationship with all dealers and salesmen. 3. 3. Price Stability: Presently because of Under rate process the distributors are facing different problems. As Under rate of product price creates a great problem in smooth selling, therefore price stability of all product is very much necessary. 4. 4. Availability of marketing executives: In present competitive market situation most of the competitive companies are engaging a big marketing executives to capture the market. In compare with that Epique marketing executives are not sufficient to cover all of the distributors. So marketing executives availability should be ensured. 5. 5. Low price of products: At present the price of Epique products is relatively high in comparing to other competitor companies product. But to capture the market and reach their product to all kind of customers, my recommendation is that, Epique should reduce somewhat their product price. 6. Standard Advertisement: Advertisement plays a vital role to run any business well. But in my survey, I have found hat the TV advertisement of Epique is not satisfactory at all. So the company should pay more attention to advertising. 7. Quality of the products: From my survey I came to know that the of some products of Epique is very low. Some products create distuSEBECeven two or three months after selling. If Epique wants to exist in the market for long time and face the competition, it must concentrate on better quality products. 1. Continuous customer contact and monitoring is essential. 2. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) must be used. 3. Customer attraction and retention policy should be modified. 4. To identify new area where the product is not available. 5. At last I want to say that the company should practice Total quality management (TQM) properly. 38 39. Nature of Business: Assembling, Manufacturing, Retailing Distribution, Import, Export and Marketing of Electrical & Electronics products in the local market and abroad. CONCLUSION 39 40. Epique is one of the leading companies, focusing on the area of electronics in Bangladesh. It is dedicated to creating and delivering products of unquestionable quality that enable people to enjoy more entertainment and comfort. In this spirit, Epique encourages its employees to ensure quality products and service. No doubt in Bangladesh Epique is one of the top four. Epique has also endeavored to strengthen its Sales in all over the country. They are optimistic about their perpetual growth and success. But from my survey I came to the conclusion that the customer service given by the company is not effective and well organized. Because of some problems, Epique cannot cope up with their competitors. In this competitive market many competitor company provides better service than Epique. They provide prompt service, service the show rooms and even home service. They also keep a good relationship with all dealers and salespersons. They give the distributors bonus, occasional gifts and so on. In this regard the Sales of Epique are somewhat behind them. Epique Management and Marketing Executives should be more skilled and active. However if the management of Epique takes prompt and imitative steps to solve the discussed problems then definitely Epique can reach to the number one position in Dhaka Zone. 40