Building on Porters Value Chain Model for Design Management

Building on Porters Value Chain beat for concept ManagementBuilding on porters value string mock up (1985), object perplexity creates value at three contrastive levels concern of pattern activities, integration of build function into all business processes and decisions to the objective vision within the company vision and strategy (Sinha, 2002).What is stick out? Design is a process of seeking to optimise consumer satisfaction and company profitableness th crude the creative wont of major intention elements (performance, quality, durability, appearance and cost) in connection with crops, environments, information and corporate identity (P Kotler, GA Rath, 1984).It involves a capacious range of professions in which products, graphics, services, interiors and architecture all take part. Design is a problem solving, systematic, creative and a coordinating activity (Borja de Mozota, 1998). It is a creative and management process.Design is a process that has four essent ial characteristics (Walsh et al, 1992). The 4Cs creativity the creation of something refreshingComplexity decisions on large number of parameters and variables via media Balancing multiples and conflicting requirements cream making choices amongst many workable solutions to a problem at all levelsWhy is Design all important(p)?Design enhances products, communication, environment and corporate identity. Design objective is to create racy satisfaction for engineer customers and profits for the enterprise. It is an important strategic tool in firms un expiration search for a sustainable competitive advantage.Design seeks to shop and assess structural, organisational, functional, expressive and economic relationships with the task of enhancing global sustainability, environmental protection, gravid benefits and freedom to entire human community, supporting cultural diversity despite the globalisation of world. (Borja de Mozota, 2003). Designers play an important role in how c ompanies use information, how product information is documented and communicated (Lawson 1990, vossoughi 1998, French 1994). Design involves finding and identifying problems as often as solving them (Lawson, p.136, 1994).What is Design Management?Peter Gorb, 1990 defines design management as the in effect(p) deployment of the design resources available to a company by line managers in order to help the company achieve its objectives. Design management involves managing the creative process within the corporation and managing the company harmonise to design principles. it is about managing the processes of innovation and design.Design management analyzes the diverse elements required for the victorful integration of design as an essential component of design strategy (Gianfranco Zaccai).Importance of design management pg 68 creativity is a process which results in a novel work that is accepted as tenable or useful or satisfying by a group at some point in time (Stein 1956). Cre ativity has been considered as a type of problem solving (Matlin, 2002). Puccio, 1997 illustrated that creativity contributes to effective leadership and disc overing new and better ways of solving problems, the effective use of human resources and the rapid growth of competition in the business.Design is regarded as a creative process. The process has five phases, each having a opposite objective and corresponds to the production of visual outputs. (Borja de Mozota, 2003) These design phases be identical no matter what the design project is.PHASES OBJECTIVE VISUAL OUTPUTS0. Investigating whim Brief1. Research Concept Visual concept2. Exploration Choice of style Rough of ideas, Sketches, Roughof presentations3. Development Prototype detail good drawings, Functional type, 3-D mock up for visualcorrectness4. realisation Test Documents of execution,Prototype5. Evaluation growthion Illustration of the productThe design process (Borja de Mozota, 2003)In preliminary phase, the idea is generated and the problem is identified which evict be solved by the design. In phase 1, the designer analyzes the stead of product and discovers the technical and functional parameters of the project. In phase 2, the designer makes rough sketches of different possibilities using all his creative resources for the clients. Selection is made between different solutions which atomic number 18 to be true in phase 3. In phase 3, the selected solution is formally represented in three dimensions. The model is used for various tests and the final model is then adopted ending the creative process. In phase 4, the designer whole shebang on fruition of a prototype for the project. This requires the collaboration of different departments. In phase 5, tests be launched in three different directions technical control, calculation test, and marketing evaluation.FCUKFrench connection, also known as fcuk, founded in 1972 by Stephen Marks was designed to create modish clothing submited a t a broad target market. French link offers a excogitate-forward clothing range with a far-out spin on design, priding itself on quality and cheap prices. Fcuk represents French society United Kingdom, and is the casual French tie clothing range it has create into a brand name which is highly renowned and an acronym that re recents to the French federation logo. The French Connection brand operates in the fashion-orientated high street retail market offering a fashion-forward range of quality products at affordable prices. Customers, typically aged 18-35, appreciate that the brand is at the leading leap of high street fashion and offers quality and style in its products. The design teams are based in London and products are manufactured in specialist facilities in Europe and Asia (Fcuk.com, 2009). French Connections operations cover some(prenominal) distribution channels, from their own retail outlets, wholesalers in North America, franchises, mail order, to subsidizatio n stores in a variety of department stores much(prenominal) as Selfridges. French Connection is now one of the most recognisable fashion brands on the high street with a global reach, operating in over 30 countries, with over 1,000 stockists worldwide (fcuk.com, 2009). In February 2001, French Connection give 23 million pounds sterling to its US joint venture partner in crime Best of All Clothing who had been operating the 24 French Connection stores before the buyout. Now French Connection holds complete independent ownership.Product/service offeringThe company design ranges of products for both men and women from under habilitate to outer enter, casual wear to suits, denim, accessories and childrens wear. French Connection has expanded into new markets at a phenomenal rate and the product range is now staggeringly diversified. The company began by selling clothing to the mens and womens market, originating as a fashionable clothing range, and has now extended its brand in rece nt days to include fashion accessories, make-up, toiletries, even condoms and not forgetting more recently alky drinks. Brand licensing plays an important part of the companys strategic plans for expansion with licensing deals revenue. The company has developed into a brand licensing company rather than solely a fashion retailer. The brand had even expanded into radio, with the launch of FCUK FM. The core plan buns the idea is to target 18- to 35 year old to the brand in the future. Fcuk follows a specific pattern to achieve its organisation goals. FCUK advertised look to bed in publications, print ads in magazines that included cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Maxim and FHM whose readerships were generally consisted of girls in their early and middle teenage years. Fcuk rested convinced that the campaign was rightfulness for its target market. Focus remains to produce fashion-forward products to build on the success of the ladies wear ranges (Fcuk.com, FY09 presentation).USPsFrenc h connections controversial ad campaigns with the fcuk fashion developed the brands bold, and humourous attitude that has made customers think with a desire to be innovative, classifiable and yet be affordable and accessible. Their adverts are not like the popular fashion advertising, they leave it open to interpretation of the customer. Fcuk witnessed a sudden reduce in late 1980s, but it became one of the hottest brands in England in late 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to its controversial marketing campaign and later(prenominal) rebranding. FCUK has always adopted out of the way advertising and selling techniques, for shell their logo FCUK, or the eye catching visuals on the high streets. Accessories such as hats, sunglasses, backpacks, fragrances and the companys new cosmetics line complement the brands fashion (Plunkett 2009). The fcuk logo works as a uncommon selling point for the brand and separates it from its competitors. in addition the exclusive designs, customer sa tisfaction and service provided by the employees are the unique selling points of the brand. French connection has become synonymous with style and fashion. It strives to mention the brand credibility and its uniqueness in the market. Innovation and creativity are the characteristic of the designs and the company blends high quality with exciting ideas as wellhead as affordability.Multi -Channel StrategyApart from the store network such as mail order and the internet the company uses a number of opposite lucrative channels. With e-tailing, French Connection realised how important their online business is, where they were baseball diamond to win the rights to fcuk.com. In addition to these varied channels deployed, French Connection also grants licenses to retailers worldwide in order to expand their business into new markets. French Connection is aware of the volatility of expanding into new markets. Therefore they are more cautious and get involved with their licensees to follo w get along with.FCUK and the MarketFrench Connection operates as a multiple specialist fashion retailer, competing against the likes of Zara, HM, reach Shop, Miss Selfridge, Next, River Island and Warehouse. This industry is highly competitive with numerous international brands fight in the segment. As like all other fashion retailers FCUK has monitored the progress of the Spanish clothing brand Zara. Due to Zaras lean production and high-octane logistics, it has taken over a huge share of the market. To compete with them, the design and production teams at FCUK now only commit to less than threescore percent before the launch of the season .The company acknowledges that speed-to-market is crucial in order to give customers what they want, when they want, at the price they want. It sells its products at higher price points than the likes of Zara and HM. However daring its marketing may have been, French Connections clothes were in reality considerably less interesting than tho se stocked at faster-growing rivals Zara and HM, and the truth finally caught up with the company in 2004. That year, sales began to dimmed significantly, encouraging the company finally to drop the FCUK slogan from its advertising. That tactic failed to contract the decline in performance. In May 2009, French Connection announce that like-for-like sales in the UK and Europe rose by 2% during the 3 months ending 16th May, thanks to a strong performance in the women wear sector. Total retail sales in the UK and Europe were up by 8% over the period. French Connection said that women wear had continued to show growth, but that menswear remained difficult (mintel.com).Read Supply chain report.http//tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htmConclusionFrench Connection has set a personality to its brand, which is exciting and original this is considered to be exceptional with the number of different brands in the high street. The key to their success is a combination of their fashionable clothing range, affordable pricing, merchandising, and controversial advertising. As the brand is continuously innovating itself, they aim to create more fashionable clothing ranges by taking the tactile sensation from important people in the fashion industry. The advertising will remain innovative and creative but will focus more on the clothes itself creating a unique look that is distinctively, French connection. The brand celebrates case-by-case fashion whilst constantly developing products, market and future goals to expand