Kathy Kudler is passionate about “gourmet” food, she realized that it was necessary to establish a place that offered a wide selection of products oriented to this type of gastronomy. KFF was established with the intention of offering the best products that a connoisseur of gourmet cuisine may need. They have a wide selection of meats and seafood, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, 250 varieties of cheese from 21 countries and a wide selection of domestic and imported wines. There are currently three locations throughout the State of California in La Jolla, Del Mar and Encinitas counties.
Evaluation of the strategic plan A careful analysis of the KFF strategic plan reveals the existence of several situations that, if not corrected, could become problems that threaten the existence and development of the company. Next, two of these situations will be presented, as well as the corresponding action plan to correct them. Delegation of functions. The company’s strategic plan in the SWOT analysis, in the weaknesses section (University of Phoenix, 2003a) speaks that “the management group is very small and has many responsibilities.
When Kathy is out sick or on her own vacation, there is no one to take over orders to replenish inventory or deal with tough business situations” (University of Phoenix, 2003a). This situation endangers the future of the company, “although Kathy is in good health, there is always the possibility that something could happen. This is concerning since Kathy handles most of the financial aspects of the business, as she too makes the final and definitive decision on matters related to inventory and orders” (University of Phoenix, 2003a).
According to the organizational chart of the administrative area of the KFF (University of Phoenix, 2003b), Kathy has three Managers for each of the locations, an Administrative Assistant and three Subordinates in charge of the Finance and Accounting, Operations and Administration and Resources areas. Humans, respectively. Despite the specialty of each area director, “Kathy personally takes charge of hiring staff, firing non-performing employees, finalizing inventory numbers, placing weekly orders, and controlling finances to ensure that all suppliers receive their dues. pay” (University of Phoenix, 2003a).
As these matters are controlled by Kathy, additional situations arise, such as the fact that she cannot dedicate herself to fully interacting with clients. Resolving the issues outlined above requires Kathy to delegate certain responsibilities to members of her management team. Observing the Resume of Harvey Stephens, Director of the Finance and Accounting Area, he is more than qualified to assume the functions of his area.
Although there is no record of Yvonne Reynolds, Director of Operations, or Brenda Wagner, Director of Administration and Human Resources, we understand that Kathy considered them qualified to assume their respective positions. Mr. Stephens could take full control of the finances and ensure proper payment to each supplier. Mrs. Reynolds could handle giving final inventory numbers and weekly orders. The Mrs. Wagner could be in charge of hiring new employees and firing those who do not meet the company’s objectives. Another option is already under Kathy’s consideration.
In SWOT analysis, in the opportunities section (University of Phoenix, 2003a), the opportunity to bring in management personnel to take care of operations is mentioned, “with many locals, Kathy recognizes that she has difficulty doing everything that needs to be done. She is considering hiring an employee to help with the purchasing process and inventory management” (University of Phoenix, 2003a).
Marketing plan. According to Davis and Newkomb (2006) “Marketing is simply a means of communicating how you and your company can meet customer needs. ” In the case of KFF there is a good marketing plan. In 2004 Kathy set aside a sales and marketing budget of $368,200 (University of Phoenix, 2003a). Sometimes it is promoted in local publications that reach medium and high category restaurants as well as in some sections in radio programs.
In addition to this, Kathy prepared a promotional sheet for her “catering” meal preparation service and they are distributed along with a business card at special events in which she provides service. Other flyers are prepared and handed out promoting special cheese and wine tasting events. In the future, “Kathy is contemplating advertising in the San Diego phone book and launching a website that she promotes.
