Dell Essay Example for Free

Dell Essay 4. Is Dell’s strategy working? What is your assessment of the financial performance that Dell’s strategy has delivered during fiscal years 2000-2008? Use the financial ratios presented in the Appendix of the text (pages 240-241) as a basis for doing your calculations and drawing conclusions about Dell’s performance. Selected Financial Statement Data for Dell Inc., Fiscal Years 2000 – 2008 (in million, except per share data) | February 1, 2008| February 2, 2007| February 3, 2006| January 28, 2005| January 30, 2004| February 1, 2002| January 28, 2000| Results of Operations| | | | | | | | Net Revenue| 61,133| 57,420| 55,788| 49,121| 41,327| 31,168| 25,265| Cost of Revenue| 49,462| 47,904| 45,897| 40,103| 33,764| 25,661| 20,047| Gross Margin| 11,671| 9,516| 9,891| 9,018| 7,563| 5,507| 5,218| Gross Profit Margin| 19. 1%| 16.6%| 17.7%| 18.4%| 18.3%| 17.7%| 20.7%| Operating Expenses| | | | | | | | + Selling, general and administrative| 7,538| 5,948| 5,051| 4,352| 3,604| 2,784| 2,387| + Research, development and engineering| 693| 498| 458| 460| 434| 452| 374| + Special charges| -| -| -| -| -| 482| 194| Total operating expenses| 8,231| 6,446| 5,509| 4,812| 4,038| 3,718| 2,955| Total operating expenses as a % of net revenues| 13.5%| 11.2%| 9.9%| 9.8%| 9.8%| 10.4%| 10.9%| Operating Income| 3,440| 3,070| 4,382| 4,206| 3,525| 1,789| 2,263| Operating profit margin| 5.6%| 5.3%| 7.9%| 8.6%| 8.5%| 5.7%| 9.0%| Investment and other income (loss), net| 387| 275| 226| 197| 186| (58)| 188| Income before income taxes extraordinary loss, and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle| 3,827| 3,345| 4,608| 4,403| 3,711| 1,731| 2,451| Provision for income taxes| 880| 762| 1,006| 1,385| 1,086| 485| 785| Net Income| 2,947| 2,583| 3,602| 3,018| 2,625| 1,246| 1,666| Net profit margin| 4.8%| 4.5%| 6.5%| 6.1%| 6.4%| 4.0%| 6.6%| Earnings per common share: Basic| 1.33| 1.15| 1.50| 1.20|  1.02| 0.48| 0.66| Diluted| 1.31| 1.14| 1.47| 1.18| 1.01| 0.46| 0.61| Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic| 2,223| 2,255| 2,403| 2,509| 2,565| 2,602| 2,536| Diluted| 2,247| 2,271| 2,449| 2,568| 2,619| 2,726| 2,728| | | | | | | | | Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Data| | | | | | | | Net cash provided by operating activities| 3,949| 3,969| 4,751| 5,821| 3,670| 3,797| 3,926| Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments| 7,972| 10,298| 9,070| 9,807| 11,922| 8,287| 6,853| Total assets| 27,561| 25,635| 23,252| 23,215| 19,311| 13,535| 11,560| Long-term debt| 362| 569| 625| 505| 505| 520| 508| Total stockholders equity| 3,735| 4,328| 4,047| 6,485| 6,280| 4,694| 5,308| Profitability Ratios | January 28, 2000| February 1, 2002| January 30, 2004| January 28, 2005| February 3, 2006| February 2, 2007| February 1, 2008| Gross Profit Margin| 20.7%| 17.7%| 18.3%| 18.4%| 17.7%| 16.6%| 19.1%| Operating Profit Margin| 9.0%| 5.7%| 8.5%| 8.6%| 7.9%| 5.3%| 5.6%| Net Profit Margin| 6.6%| 4.0%| 6.4%| 6.1%| 6.5%| 4.5%| 4.8%| The chart shows the Profitability Ratios of Dell from 2000 to 2008. In general, from 2000 to 2008, the profit of Dell was quite stable. As we can see, Dell’s strategy is still working and makes a lot of money for Dell every year. However, there was no remarkable increase. The net profit margin has been about 5% during Fiscal Years 2000 – 2008. | January 28, 2000| February 1, 2002| January 30, 2004| January 28, 2005| February 3, 2006| February 2, 2007| February 1, 2008| Return on total assets (ROA)| 14.4%| 9.2%| 13.6%| 13.0%| 15.5%| 10.1%| 10.7%| Return on Stockholders Equity (ROE)| 31.4%| 26.5%| 41.8%| 46.5%|  89.0%| 59.7%| 78.9%| Return on invested capital (ROI)| 28.6%| 23.9%| 38.7%| 43.2%| 77.1%| 52.7%| 71.9%| The chart indicates ROA, ROE and ROI of Dell from 2000 to 2008. From 2000 to 2008, ROA has been stable because Dell built a lot of manufactory. However, ROE and ROI had very impressive increase since 2000. In 2006, ROE reached the peak 89% and ROI reached the peak 77.1%. It proved that Dell has used the monetary capital invested in its operations and the returns to those investments very effectively. | January 28, 2000| February 1, 2002| January 30, 2004| January 28, 2005| February 3, 2006| February 2, 2007| February 1, 2008| Long term debt to capital ratio| 0.09| 0.10| 0.07| 0.07| 0.13| 0.12| 0.09| Long term debt to equity ratio| 0.10| 0.11| 0.08| 0.08| 0.15| 0.13| 0.10| The chart shows 2 leverage ratios of Dell: Long-term debt to capital ratio and long term debt to equity ratio. These ratios are quite important because they measure creditworthiness and balance sheet strength. As we can see, all the ratios were very low, under 0.2 which had very good effect to the creditworthiness and balance sheet strength. Besides that, they could also help Dell to borrow additional funds if needed. In conclusion: Through the analysis, we can say that Dell’s strategy is still effective. It helps Dell to earn a lot of money every year. However, although Dell has gained profit during Fiscal Years 2000 – 2008, there was no remarkable increase in profit and it seemed to be stable. Dell’s strategy has been very successful when it helped the company to control the cost very well and run the company very smoothly. 5. What does a SWOT analysis reveal about the attractiveness of Dell’s situation in 2008? Dell SWOT analysis Strengths: * World’s largest PC maker. * One of the best known brands in the world. * First PC maker to offer next-day, on-site product service. * Direct to customer business model. Uses latest technology. * Dell has remarkably low operating cost relative to revenue because it cuts out the retailer and supplies directly to the customers. * Dell’s Direct Model approach enables the company to offer direct relationships with customers such as corporate and institutional customers. * Dell’s direct customer allows it to provide top-notch customer service before and after the sale. * Each Dell system is built to order to meet each customer’s specifications. Reliability, Service and Support. * Dell boasts a very efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process allowing it to offer customers powerful systems at competitive prices. * Dell is able to introduce the latest relevant technology compared to companies using the indirect distribution channels. * Dell is not a manufacturer; Components are made by the suppliers and Dell assembles the computers using relatively cheap labor. The finished goods are then dropped off with the customer by courier. Dell has total command of the supply chain. * Dell turns over inventory for an average of every six days, keeping inventory costs low. * Dell is enhancing and broadening the fundamental competitive advantages of the direct model by increasingly applying the efficiencies of the Internet to its entire business. Weakness: * A huge range of products and components from many suppliers from various countries. * Computer maker and not the computer manufacturer, making DELL unable to switch supply. * Dell lacked solid dealer / retailer relationships. * No propriety technology * Not attracting the college student segment of the market. Dell’s sales revenue from educational institutions such as colleges only accounts for a merely 5% of the total. * Dell’s focus on the corporate and government institutional customers somehow affected its ability to form relationships  with educational institutions. * For home users, Dell’s direct method and customization approach posed problems. For one, customers cannot go to retailers because Dell does not use distribution channels. * Customers just can’t buy Dell as simply as other brands because each product is custom-built according to their specifications and this might take days to finish. Opportunities: * Diversification strategy by introducing many new products to its range. * Personal computers are becoming a necessity now more than ever. Customers are getting more and more educated about computers. Second-time buyers would most likely avail of Dell’s custom-built computers because as their knowledge grows, so do their need to experiment or use some additional computer features. * The internet also provides Dell with greater opportunities since all they have to do now is to visit Dell’s website to place their order or to get information. * Since Dell does not have retail stores, the online stores would surely make up for its absence. It is also more convenient for customers to shop online than to actually drive and do purchase at a physical store. Threats: * Competitive rivalry that exists in the PC market globally. * New entrants to the market pose potential threats. * The threat to become outmoded is a pulsating reality in a computer business. * Price difference among brands is getting smaller. * Dell’s Direct Model attracts customers because it saves cost. Since other companies are able to offer computers at low costs, this could threaten Dell’s price-conscious growing customer base. * With almost identical prices, price difference is no longer an issue for a customer. They might choose other brands instead of waiting for Dell’s customized computers. * The growth rate of the computer industry is also slowing down. Today, Dell has the biggest share of the market. If the demand slows down, the competition will become stiffer in the process. Dell has to work doubly hard to differentiate itself from its substitutes to be able to continue holding a significant market share. = Technological advancement is a double-edge sword. It is an opportunity but at the same time a threat. Low-cost leadership strategy is no longer an issue to computer companies therefore it is important for Dell to stand out from the rest. 6. Which company is competitively stronger—Dell or Hewlett-Packard? Use the weighted competitive strength assessment methodology shown in Table 4.2 of Chapter 4 to support your answer.

Two Godesses and A Woman Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history, women have been looked at as the â€Å"lesser gender,† mortal or immortal. They are always stereotyped as not equally important as men. I strongly disagree with this idea, especially in the book The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Homer suggests that the women characters in the book are more important than the characters of men despite their stereotype. He portrays this through the characters of Penelope, Kalypso, and Kirke. They are important because they are a large part of the story. The most important woman in this book is Penelope, mainly because of her guile and intelligence. Her guile and intelligence make her important because they put her at a much-needed mental advantage over the suitors. An example of her guile and intelligence is the instance of the shroud she wove for Laertes. When Antinoos is talking to Telemakhos about how Telemakhos’s mother, Penelope, tricked the suitors by weaving and unweaving the shroud to avoid marrying a suitor, he says, â€Å"We have men’s hearts; she touched them; we agreed. So every day she wove on the great loom- but every night by torchlight she unwove it; and so for three years she deceived the Akhains.†(2:111-114). As a result of doing this, Penelope delayed having to marry one of the suitors for almost four years. It gave Odysseus more time to get home. Another example of Penelope’s guile and intelligence is when she tested Odysseus when she was first reunited with him. She tested him by tell ing Eurykleia to make up his bed...

Memories of a Childhood’s Slavery Day Essay

In Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Annie Burton was born into slavery in 1858 on a plantation outside of Clayton, Alabama and raised by her mistress after her mother ran away. She grew up during the Civil War and remembers her early days on the plantation. After being set free, Burton’s mother returned for her children. Annie was hired as a nanny by Mrs. E. M. Williams, who taught her how to read and write. After her mother died, Annie took responsibility for her three younger siblings and moved to Boston in 1879. She later moved to Georgia and then Jacksonville, Florida, where she worked in a restaurant before returning to Boston. In 1888, she married, and ran a boarding house with her husband. She began taking evening classes at the Franklin Evening School, and the headmaster, Frank Guild, suggested that each of the students write their life story. It was this suggestion that gave Burton the push to write her autobiography. Burton’s Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days (1909) is divided into four parts. In the first section, called â€Å"Recollections of a Happy Life,† Burton talks about her childhood on the plantation in Alabama and her marriage to Samuel H. Burton. In the second section, â€Å"Reminiscences,† Burton reflects on being set free and the way it changed her life. The third section, â€Å"Vision† gives a detailed account of Burton’s religious change. Burton also includes an essays and poems she wrote. â€Å"The memory of my happy, care-free childhood days on the plantation, with my little white and black companions, is often with me. Neither master nor mistress nor neighbors had time to bestow a thought upon us, for the great Civil War was raging. That great event in American history was a matter wholly outside the realm of our childish interests. Of course we heard our elders discuss the various events of the great struggle, but it meant nothing to us. Burton talks about knowing that the Civil War was going on but not being old enough to know or care about it. She also calls it a â€Å"great† event in American history. Though it may not have been to white Southerners, it was day slaves were waiting for. She also states that : â€Å"There are hidden wrongs perpetrated by the whites against the negro race that will never be brought to light until the race owns and controls its own daily newspapers which alone have the power to discover and enthrone truth, thus becoming a safe guide to all honest seekers of facts respecting the race whether from a moral, educational, political or religious field. To carry out the plans suggested, whether viewed from an intellectual, industrial, commercial, or editorial standpoint, the world must acknowledge that to-day the negro race has the men and women, who are true to their race and all that stands for negro progress. †

How Critiques of A Raisin in the Sun Changed the Play - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1987 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/02 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: A Raisin in the Sun Essay Did you like this example? In the 1950s racism and segregation were still very profound in societys views. When Lorraine Hansberrys play A Raisin in the Sun debuted in 1959, it was subject to a variety of critiques from a multitude of audiences that immediately sparked a debate about the message of the play. A Raisin in the Sun has been misunderstood as a symbol of racial integration and given the impression that African American families can achieve the American Dream through homeownership. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Critiques of A Raisin in the Sun Changed the Play" essay for you Create order The debate about the interpretations diverted attention away from Hansberrys political message and its criticisms of upward mobility, normative domesticity, and the white nuclear family which is primarily seen through Hansberrys showing of segregation as an essential part of the American Dream. Hansberry used A Raisin in the Sun as a chance to share her life experiences and to explore the effects societal and systemic oppression can have on a persons interpersonal and private life. Many critics overlooked this powerful message and saw the play as a sign of desegregation and African Americans ability to achieve the American Dream. Bernstein recounts how some white critics were surprised to find many similarities between their own experiences and the life of the Youngers and praised its wide appeal through its universalness. Other white critics were amazed the particularity of the play as an honest and inside look into the private lives and culture of African Americans praised it as one of the first Negro plays (16). Both interpretations conflict with Hansberrys message of the play and the paradox created by the two further misconstrued the message viewers took away from the play. Even when Hansberry disputed these claims by calling the play both universal and particular the paradox continued to survive amongst the mixed reviews of critics. Due to racial prejudice and societal norms of the time, a majority of audiences misinterpreted Hansberrys message. Their res ponses and reactions further misconstrued the ideals of the play for future audiences and distracted them from Hansberrys true message. The debut of A Raisin in the Sun was groundbreaking as it was the first play produced on Broadway that was written by an African American woman. In addition, it is one of the first plays to focus predominantly on African American culture, never before in American theater history had so much truth of black peoples lives been on seen on stage (Bernstein, 20). This contributed to the plays broad appeal, intrigued white audiences who wanted to learn more about black culture and attracted black audiences who wanted to see their experiences displayed on stage. The broad appeal of the play caused a majority of white critics to see it as universal and relatable even though it was about an African American family and sparked the conflict between the play being universal or particular. Bernstein says in her article that the paradox is mainly supported by the idea that the play is universal or particular and that it cannot be both (22). Both interpretations distort Hansberrys message, but they accomplish this is different ways. The universal interpretation claims the play shows African Americans struggling through the same problems as anyone trying to achieve the American Dream. It considers the play to have a happy ending as the Youngers are able to move into their new home and overcome their economic struggles. However, this is not the case. Although they are able to move, they move into a house in a hostile white neighborhood and face a plethora of new challenges as an African American family in a predominantly white community. This interpretation and reality of the play illuminate the fact that the, politic and social meanings were misread every which but Sunday (Rose, 29). Hansberry disputed this by challenging anyone who thought the play had a happy ending to live in one of the communities the Youngers were moving to (38). The idea of the play representing a universal American Dream contradicts Hansberrys critique of it, white audiences are able to relate to the accomplishment of financial and economi c gain but fail to see this gain will not lead the Youngers to a better life. The Youngers do not move onto a life where they will be treated equal in society, rather they move into an area where they will still be subject to the same prejudice and racist exclusion, they were subject to before. The universal interpretation misconstrued Hansberrys message by belittling its political significance by suggesting, Blacks were just like whites (Rose, 38). The actions of white people to keep African Americans out of certain areas illustrates the fact the African Americans and whites were not equal. It comes mainly from the idea that African Americans could achieve the American Dream, which entirely overlooks the point in Hansberrys message that black exclusion was an essential component to the American Dream, which can be seen in the bribe offered by Mr. Lindner. Its interesting to note that universal responses place positive themes and message onto the play while simultaneously omitting the negative, yet more prominent ideas. Claiming the characters in the play as universal strips them of their race and omits the unique struggles they experience as African Americans, this undermines their struggles and contradicts Hansberrys message of the American Dream being unachievable to African Americans. Rose attributes this to two possibilities, either white audiences did not fully understand the play, or they did not want to fully understan d the play (38). This aspect of the interpretation relates to ideas prominent in the interpretations that categorize the play as particular. The universal interpretation distorts Hansberrys message by misinterpreting it, it praises the play on its theme of racial and economic triumph when in reality the Youngers are in no better position than they were in the beginning of the play. The particular interpretation claims the play specific to African Americans and categorizes it as a Negro play. This also distorts Hansberry message as it distracts the viewer from underlying messages in the play about social injustice and establishes a divide between African Americans and whites. Since this was the first time African American lives were displayed in a public setting, a setting that was familiar to white people, some viewers saw the play as opportunity to learn about authentic African American culture. Bernstein elaborates on this idea in her article and explains how it dehumanized African Americans and subdued Hansberrys political messages(17). The extreme curiosity in African American culture shows how differently whites viewed blacks during the time period, they viewed African Americans as an exotic creature they could learn about and not as another person. This is also placed a novelty on the experiences and cultural aspects of African Americans, by making black experiences appear understandable to and consumable by white audiences, simultaneously made those experiences collectable (Bernstein, 18). White audiences did not want to see the play to become more educated on African American culture, but rather to learn trivia about them. This idea promotes an underlying superiority complex, for whites saw African American culture as something to collect, like stamps or coins, and that it did not hold the same significance as their own culture. The idea of the play specifically about African Americans puts extra emphasis on the role of race throughout the play, which proved to distract viewers and critics from other central messages of the play. This is primarily seen in Walters class struggles, he views his low class status as emasculating and is constantly attempting schemes to make him rich. Hansberry complained about how some critics were unable to reflect on Walters class dispute dependent of his race, Bernstein attributes this to white critics ability to ignore certain aspects of the play (19). Not only does this show a lack of political interest in the play, but it also shows how pre-existing prejudice and norms affected peoples interpretations of the play. Hansberry was aware that societal stereotypes of African Americans would be carried into the theater as expectations of character behavior, If audiences went to the theatre to see the simple, lovable, and glandular Negro, the would find him, regardless of what act ually occurred on stage (Bernstein, 17). The particular interpretation distorts Hansberrys message by simply ignoring any ideas that do not involve the racial aspect of the play. By placing emphasis on the racial stereotypes and characteristics held by society, the audience closes their mind to any different kind of image or person an African American could be. The two interpretations maintain the paradox between the play being universal or static. Well both contribute to the distortion of Hansberrys message, she easily disputes this contradiction by claiming a play can be both universal and particular and uses A Raisin in the Sun as an example. The play is specific as it focuses on the struggles of an African American family and universal as it focuses on their struggles in their quest for the American Dream. Hansberry paralleled the experiences of her own life with A Raisin in the Sun, It is well known that Hansberrys family was personally acquainted with the violence inherent in property ownership in Chicago (Matthews, 556). When her family attempted to move into a white neighborhood, they were met with violence, this caused Hansberrys father to take matters to Supreme Court where he won his case against restrictive housing. The issue of restrictive housing is crucial to the play as the primary catalyst to conflicts and as a symbol of Hansberrys message. Hansberrys message reflects her political opinion on a nation divided by segregation, Raisin calls for the rebuilding of a house divided a building of ad from diverse materials and labours (Matthews, 558). She proclaims through the story there is no progress or change when people fight on alone. This is illustrated by each of the Youngers individual failures in achieving their personal dreams and in their success as a family by purchas ing and moving into the house in Clybourne Park. Equally as important is her message of positive relationships in the home, and creating a space where one can express themselves freely. This is predominant with Walter, throughout the play is consistently denied his dreams in the home and in society, in turn it negatively affects his relationship with his family. Mama Younger expresses this message when she is talking with Beneatha, There is always something left to love (Hansberry, 119). She goes on to explain that even though one may not agree with a family members plan, a frequent issue throughout the play, they must always offer them love as a form of support. Mama gives Walter the money to pursue his liquor store dream. Racial ideologies and norms of the 1960s distorted and led to the misinterpretation of the political message from A Raisin in the Sun. It wasnt until decades after critics and audiences began to understand the true messages behind her play. Rose mentions the case of Amiri Baraka who retracted his rejection of the play thirty years after it debuted. Baraka stated that he missed the central point of the piece and suggests the reason, that racial discrimination fuels a seductive rage and this seductive rage blinded many to the political importance of her work (Rose, 39). Societal norms and prejudices have the ability to change the way people view and interpret the literary work of others, as with Hansberrys play segregation and white superiority led people to misunderstand the meaning of A Raisin in the Sun for decades. Works Cited Bernstein, Robin Inventing a Fishbowl: White Supremacy and the Critical Reception of Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun. Project MuseModern Drama Volume.42 (Spring 1999): 16-27. Google ScholarWeb. 15 Nov. 2018. Matthews, Kristin, L. The Politics of Home in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun. Project MuseModern Drama Volume.51 (Winter 2008): 556-578. Google ScholarWeb. 15 Nov. 2018 Rose, Tricia Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun and the Illegible Politics of (Inter)personal Justice. KalfouVolume.1 (Spring 2014): 27-60. Google ScholarWeb. 15 Nov. 2018. Hansberry, Lorraine, and Robert Nemiroff. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Signet/NAL, 1988.Print.