Great Wall Ceramic Industries Limited

 Introduction

Tiles are all around us for everyone to enjoy. Historically man has desired to create living spaces which were beautiful, durable and user friendly with that in mind. Ceramic tiles has been made by man for 4000 (BC) years. Beautiful tiles surfaces have been found in the oldest pyramids, the ruins of Babylon and ancient ruins of Greek cite. During the Islamic period, all methods of tiles decoration were brought to perfection in Persia.

In Europe decorated tiles did not come into general use outside Moorish Spain until the second half of the 12^th centaury. The tiles Mosaics of Spain and Portugal the Majolica floor tiles of Renaissance Italy. The Faiences of Antwerp, the development of tiles iconography in England and in the Netherlands and the ceramic tiles of Germany are all prominent landmark in the history of ceramic tiles.

In the 19^th century Britain pioneered mass-produced tiles. English tile making expanded rapidly during the industrial revolution, peaked in the late1800s and stumped soon after the turn of the century.

Objectives of the Study

The primary purpose of this report is to get an idea about the Marketing Plan of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. and make an industry analysis on the ceramic sector of Bangladesh.

Specific Objectives

• To analyze the comparative performance of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. and some other selected ceramic industry.
• To find out the position of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. in the ceramic industry.
• To find out how its present strategy.
• To analyze the industries performance in some key areas and existing problems of ceramic industries.
• To formulate a contingency plan as a safeguard for changing situation.
• To recommend some better solutions for solving the problems.

Research Methodology

Research Design

Both descriptive and exploratory researches have been selected to analyze this paper. Comparison analysis has also been taken part in this study.

Sources and Method of Data Collection    

Data have been collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data have collected from face to face interview with the company personnel of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. and other selected companies and secondary data have been collected from company annual report, different publications, newspapers, magazines and websites.

 Primary Sources

• Practical Deskwork
• Face to face conversation with officers or Manager
• Questionnaire survey

Secondary Sources

• Files and Folders
• Various publication of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd
• Website of distinguish tiles company
• Annual Report of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd

 Scope

I have completed my internship program at Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. My project topic was “Marketing Strategy Analysis: on Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. Hence the working area of my internship was only in Head office, Dhaka. I have known by this study that what is the main marketing strategy of Great wall and other ceramic industry to sale its product.

Limitations

To prepare this report, I have faced some limitations, which are mentioned below.

Limitation of time:

It was one of the main constraints that hindered to cover all aspects of the study.

Lack of Secondary

The annual report was the main secondary Information0source of information that was not enough to complete the report and private the reader a clear idea about the ceramic industry.

Limitation of the Scope

While collecting data, they did not disclose much information due to the confidentiality of the organization.

About Great Wall Ceramic Industries limited

Origin of Great wall Ceramic Ind. Ltd

Alhaj Mohammed Shamsul Huda, Managing Director of the company, who recently got the “THAILAND BEST FRIEND” award is a real visionary person. At the very beginning of his business he had the dream to be involved in manufacturing though he had started his business career as a building materials importer before 28 years back. His business organization is popularly known as “Bengal Agencies” which has 12 outlets at prime locations in Dhaka, Chittagong & Sylhet. By that identity he resourced best quality White Cement, Sanitary Goods; Mosaic Chips & the best brands of Ceramic Tiles from many countries in the world.

For running this business with different countries he needed to visit many renowned factories, from where he gathered experience and seen the growth of tiles market as well as the uses of White Cement. When he found him ready for being a manufacturer did not waste his time to establish a White Cement factory which is known as “White Elephant Brand White Cement”. It was a joint effort of SIAM Cement Industry, Thailand and SIAM BANGLA INDUSTRIES LTD, Bangladesh. After with success of White Cement he started to dream about Tiles manufacturing, which is named as “Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd.” in late 2005.

Mission of Great Wall Ceramic

Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. serves by the desires of customers and business in growth segments profitably by providing:

• Quality products and services to our customers.
• A satisfying work environment to our staff.
• Fair respectful and consistent working relations to ancillary Industries.
• Profitable and responsible growth to our stakeholders.

 Vision

• Build a different prospective in tiling and contribute to national exchequer.

Great Wall Tiles

Great Wall Ceramic Ind. Ltd. provides the opportunity to choose out your desired tiles from our wide range of variety of designs. Great Wall produces more than 40 designed ceramic wall tiles in different sizes and beautifully matching décor with Border. Company also provides different porcelain floor tiles matching with ceramic wall tiles. Besides, Great Wall produces high quality standard Homogeneous and Porcellanato print floor tiles of likeable and unique designed which are in difference sizes to satisfy the customer thirst and to fulfill the customer demand and also produce Homogeneous  stair tiles matching with Homogeneous floor tiles. Company is heading towards to produce more big size of 30x45cm wall and Mirror polish tiles, rustic, pavement and different type art ceramic tiles.

Management & Organization Set Up

The overall management of the company’s business has been vested with the Board of Directors of the company. The Managing Director of the company is the chief executive who is responsible for running day-to-day operation & administration and financial matters of the company. The directors of the company are the co-coordinators and General Manager is the chief of production. Thus we see that the management format of the company is divided into three broad spectrums, which include Production & Technology, Finance, Administration & Sales & Marketing. The duties, responsibilities and span of control of various executives have been defined with appropriate designation and authorities in order to carry out a smooth and successful decision-making process.

 Efficient and experience professionals

Great Wall Ceramic has the expert technical team combine with local and foreign nationalities to keep continuing the production and to ensure the quality of total process. Company has the tradition to send people abroad for better training and see the latest development in ceramic. Company’s employees are open and extremely co-operative. Our dedicated professional’s are engaged also in growing public awareness to make them educate about the sound and healthy use of tiles. Lot of freedom and autonomy in their work and flow open door policy means walk-the talk approach. And we have back up manpower in every important section to face any unexpected situations.

Performance Management and appraisal

The procedures contain in this chapter give detailed guidelines for managing performance during the appraisal period and to conduct annual appraisals of staffs and workers with the objectives of rewarding those whose performance meets or exceeds the expectations and to provide guidelines and or take correctives measures for those who are performing below the exceptions. The process of performances management and appraisals for workers and the executives is different; so it is discussed in this chapter separately.

Performance Management

The annual appraisal of an employee should be a surprise at the review time. The job duties that s/he is to perform must be clear to the individual. For the areas where a training and certification program is in operation, the training task checklist clearly specifics the duties s/he is to learn and perform; for the workers, the supervisor must have an agreed upon written document as job Responsibilities for the individual. It is also vital that the employee is periodically informed of how s/he is performing; so regular communication should be there with the employee providing feedback on good performance or non-performance. There should also be a note on each employee documenting highlighted performance or non-performance and this document should be used for evaluating an individual at appraisal time.  

Products & Distribution Channel

Products

Ceramic Wall

• 20 x 30 cm.
• 25 x 40 cm.

Homogeneous Floor

• 30.5 x 30.5 cm.
• 40 x 40 cm.
• 60 x 60 cm

Décor

• 20 x 30 cm.
• 25 x 40 cm.

Border

• 20 x 7.5 cm.
• 25 x 10 cm.

Product Price

As a local company Great Wall offers a very competitive price to their customers and given a good profit to the dealers. The company must constantly strive to reduce the cost of production in order to maintain reasonable price.

Product Range and the Capacity

Great wall invigilator team everyday searching new design and test, new type of product to attract the customer choice, as a result Great Wall produces high quality products. Flexible and efficient manufacturing is the key steady stream of innovative of new products. So it has a wide product range that is shown in catalogue.

Capacity: 1, 45,260 SFT per Day

 Distribution Channel

Great Wall has a strong nation wide Distribution Networks by selecting reputed merchants. We distribute our products in a suitable and proper way for the convenient of the customer.

Factory  _  Dealers  a  Retailers  _  End Users

Apart from that there are various types of sales enhancing, monitoring system and also taking part in different fairs. The sales service people like Company sales team is serving the distributor and the end-user. Intensive distribution is maintained by stocking the product in many outlets as possible. Couples of well presented exclusive display centers are already serving customers in Dhaka and Chittagong. Another one is in Sylhet. The users can easily choose their tiles from these centers.

For saving time there is web site at www.greatwallceramic.net by which the user can easily select their desires tiles and put their requirements. The team is always ready to provide services through internet. Our proficient, strategic and skilled marketing professionals always render better service for the customers. We display our products in Dealers outlet very lucratively for the customers. From one corner to another corner of the country, valued clients and customer will notice our magnificent Signboard to come closer to our product.

 Raw materials, Technology & Manufacturing Process

Plant, Machineries & Raw Materials

The Plant of Great Wall Ceramic is located at a beautiful natural charming place named Gilarchala, Sreepur, under Gazipur District. The factory is situated beside the highway road and the communication system is very easy and convenient from all over of Bangladesh. The total area of the factory is about 40 bigahs.

Great wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. always enthuses about setting up the factory by world famous ceramic machinery manufacturer Like SACMI, B & T SITI, Cuccolini, Helitai and MODENA Machinery. We also use Italy made Squiring Machine for minimizing the joint between the tiles on demand. We have also a Laboratory which is fully equipped with modern equipments as per the required testing process as per EN/IS standard. We have a fully equipped R & D (Research & Development) division which continuously develops new designs, textures, colors and sizes of wall & floor tiles keeping with the market trends.  Great wall also puts their sincere attention for collecting the best quality of Raw Materials available in any convenient place in the world to confirming the best quality of Tiles which are sourced from Bangladesh, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ucrane and Spain.

 Production Capacity

The project will have a rated production capacity of 2970000 high quality Wall Floor and Homogeneous Tiles based on 330 working days a year. The projects will three shifts of each section. The project is expected to operate at 70 % of its rated capacity in the first year, which is expected to increase to 75 % in the second year, 85 % in the third year and 85 % in the subsequent years of operation.

Context of the Project

Researching the market of Bangladesh, Company confirms the big demand of top grade Ceramic Tiles (basin and commode). While, Bangladesh is in grate lack of producing ability, in addition, the duty of importing the top grade Ceramic Tiles 130%. Bangladesh has rich exploitable resources. The ceramic Tiles material characterized as widespread, big –reserve, good quality; these features are suitable in Ceramic industry. As the best fuel of Tiles, natural gas is abundant and cheap in Bangladesh. That’s really an advantage in developing the Ceramic industry.  Meanwhile, as good basis in cooperating with Bangladeshi partner to invest in top grade ceramic Tiles /sanitary making business, the ceramic tiles/sanitary industry in China has been developed for more than 10 years. The ceramic tiles making technology has reached the top grade in World. On this viewpoint company has decided to establish industry.

Main Technical Principles

Besides part of key facilities imported from Italy, the rest of the facilities in this technical plan adopt Chinese facilities. One hand this can improve the general level of the facilities; guarantee the reliability of the whole production line.

This production line must be technical advanced, reliable, and economical. The quality of the product should reach the high level in Mainland China, and be the top lead in Bangladesh.

Adopting the most advanced technology and management, this plan try to reduce the raw material waste, and improve the efficiency.

As the Nasatti roller Kiln (to save fuel) and spray tower been introduced, gas will be the right fuel.

Technology

Use the raw material of Bangladesh, with importing the high- level glaze and technology from China, India, Malaysia and Italy.

 Facility

Adopt the whole set of the raw material facility of China & India.

Import the molding facility from Italy

Press machine made in Italy

Printing machine made in Italy

Adopt the while set of kiln burning facility of NASSATI (Italy) China branch

Manufacturing Process

 Technical Know- How and Technical Assistance Required

The machinery supplier will provide the following services as apart of the turn- key offer: Process design for the project including information for civil engineering, water supply, power distribution, lighting and ventilation concerned with production. Process, design and methodology including information of utilities needed in the laboratory. Technical design and drawing for non-standard equipment’s to be fabricated locally design for cement storage silos. General layout plan and process flow diagram. Supply material list, design & drawing for local fabrication & procurement.

Train the operators at site on floor in operation and maintenance of the plant, machinery and equipment.

Quality Control

The project will have a laboratory with adequate provision for carrying out quality control tests for raw materials and finished product. Physical and chemical tests will be carried out for which provision has to be made to equip the laboratory with requisite apparatus:

• Mixing test
• Compression test
• Bending test
• Normal consistency and setting time test;
• Blain air permeability test;
• Measure for fluidity of tiles mortar, etc.

The Chinese machinery supplier will train the local experts about the tests as per the conditions of Turnkey offer.

Training and Development

It is needless to mention that employee training improves skills, and add to the existing level of knowledge so that the employee is better equipped to do existing level of knowledge so that employee is better equipped to do his/her present job, and prepare him/her for a higher level job will increased responsibilities. The Great Wall Ceramic Industry Ltd. is also not an exception to this people development philosophy.

Towards continuous improvement, Great Wall Ceramic Industry Limited is fostering training throughout the organizations within. Currently various units are conducting training differently but an effort is in progress for conducting training in an organized fashion.

Marketing Strategy

Creating marketing strategy

In the early 2000s, everyone spoke about the importance of being market-led. But today market conditions change much faster due to technology, fashions and media influences, as well as customers’ tastes. The 21st-century marketers who want to succeed will do so only by making the right choice of target market, and then focusing everything the Ceramic Tile business does on providing unique value and benefits to meet the needs of that chosen market better than the competition. Any Ceramic Tile business that wants to succeed and develop MUST have a strategy that can give a perspective of where the business will be at any given point in time. In other words a strategy is aimed at driving the business forward. But what does a strategy involve?

• The strategy should involve the people who work in the Ceramic Tile business, because without them there is no business.
• Many managers fall down because they are not capable of understanding how best to use the people within the Ceramic Tile business. The staff should be the first to be consulted because they know what is going on in their section of the business and how it can be improved so that even those at the ‘bottom of the ladder’ e.g. cleaner, know what the business is about, where it is going and how she can have an input. After all, the cleaner usually hears what is going on in the various departments.

Think through the consequences of your marketing strategy to make sure it’s realistic. For example, there is no point in a strategy based on rapid growth if you won’t be able to produce enough goods. The best strategy will reflect your own strengths and weaknesses. Great Wall continuously analysis it and a large marketing team have collected data from market & then analysis.

 Marketing Strategy of Great Wall

One of the most essential things that will be a factor towards the long-term sustainable success of Great Wall Ceramic Tile business is setting out and implementing a successful Ceramic Tile marketing strategy.

Despite this, most Ceramic Tile businesses do not have set out their Ceramic Tile marketing strategy or, even if they do, it is not followed and implemented comprehensively. Ceramic Tile businesses that have the vision to create a vibrant, customer-focused marketing strategy, and the resolve to implement it, will have a real opportunity to do something wonderful with their business.

Having a Ceramic Tile marketing strategy is different to having a marketing plan. A marketing strategy involves choosing a realistic, measurable and ambitious goal that I think our Ceramic Tile business can achieve on a sustainable basis. Each marketing tactic I use should be 100% focused on reaching and surpassing that overall goal.

A marketing plan includes all of the tactics and actions that are designed to achieve the overall strategic goal, and a timetable for our implementation. In other words, the plan will detail what we will do to make the strategy happen.

The vast majority of businesses in all sectors market themselves the same way as their competitors, with supply-driven marketing messages based on product features, unappealing websites and bland strap lines and statements about what their Ceramic Tile business does.

Company does this because it is easy. Ceramic Tile business owners know their products and services better than anyone else. As a result, company has promoted in terms that they understand but their customers don’t. Company also do it because they look at what their competitors are doing and fall into the trap of doing the same things, instead of differentiating themselves and creating a unique selling proposition (USP) that give us a real competitive edge.

 Choosing the right Ceramic Tile marketing strategy

Competitive advantage can be achieved by choosing a marketing strategy that will provide the edge that sets our Ceramic Tile business apart from everyone else. There is no magic formula for doing this. Company cannot just import or implant an off-the-shelf strategy into a business. It is down to the company to choose and define Ceramic Tile marketing strategy in companies own business situation.

 There are a number of key principles we have follow to help us choose the right strategy:

• The main strategy of Great Wall Ceramic is door to door marketing. It means where building structure found, the marketing people visit there and try to motivate the buyer authority to buy their tiles.
• Knowing exactly who is Great Wall customers or target prospects are and where they are located.
• Understanding exactly what our target customers want and need, why they need it, how they need it and when they need it.
• Implementing and ensuring that it is articulated in all of our marketing messages, campaigns and sales channels.

Price product & service to reflect the market place

As Ceramic Tile businesses pass from small to medium sized, there is quite often a tendency for some of the strengths and weaknesses to diminish. Whatever size of business is must still be honest whether any of the weaknesses still apply to Ceramic Tile business.

There is a tendency for the marketing activity of smaller businesses to be short term, ad-hoc, and reactive leading to a fire-fighting culture. This can cost time and more importantly money, because resources are not optimally deployed as a result of not considering the fuller, longer-term picture. However, a balance is needed.

The ability of the smaller business to be flexible and respond rapidly to market changes is a major strength in the right direction. This is particularly the case in fast moving markets and when in competition with larger businesses who are far less likely to be able to respond as quickly. In order to avoid short-term knee-jerk reactions whilst maintaining flexibility, Company need an overall strategy for the activities to fit into. If company check whether their response to market situations is consistent with their overall strategy company can decide whether a particular course of action is appropriate.

Market Segmentation

Not all of the customers within the market have the same needs. Think of an orange as our market and within that each orange segment represents individual customer groups with distinct and different needs.

• Carry out a questionnaire survey to identify customer’s needs.
• Make a Group customer according to their needs. These groups are main market segments. Example: Developers, Real estate co. architect firm.
• Don’t treat all of market segments the same. Need to customize product / service offering and communication to be appropriate to each segments needs. Great Wall produce different product for different market segment. Example- Personal house ,Industrial product, Low income people for outside of Dhaka ,Chittagong and Sylhet division.

Adopting lower risk strategies
When you are operating with limited resources, it makes sense to look at lower risk strategies first.

Avoid moving into new markets too rapidly:

Far too many small Ceramic Tile businesses get carried away with the excitement of new horizons and forget to fully exploit their existing markets before moving on.

Company may have a very good reason for looking at new markets if companies existing market has dried up or has undergone a down-turn, but remember that the further move away from their existing market, the risk and cost of marketing increases.

Selling more of existing products to existing markets

Selling modifications of existing products/services to existing markets

Selling new products to existing markets (totally new products or associated with existing products)

Selling existing products/services to new markets

Moving into completely different markets with different products.

Retaining and developing existing customers

Great Wall Ceramic marketing strategy cannot stand still. What is unique today is widespread tomorrow and unwanted the day after that. So the vital ingredient in a truly dynamic marketing strategy is to strive continually to discover new and better ways to add value to our customers, and keep our proposition unique in our chosen market.

The implementation of our marketing strategy should be a continuous process of creating a plan to satisfy customers. This involves testing it and learning from it by recognizing what is right and doing more of it, or changing what is wrong as soon as we realize it isn’t working.

• Retaining and developing more sales from existing customers should be the first priority, because this strategy has distinct advantages
• Once company has achieved a reasonable number of customers, beware of focusing only on developing new customers as a means of growing sales.
• To retain the existing customer we always keep in touch with them by e-mail, new year wishes, Eid wishes and also give after sales service.

Existing customers

When considering existing customers always remember that they are the bedrock foundations of Ceramic Tile business and are:

• Generally less price sensitive.
• Likely to offer more opportunity for repeat business.
• Offer the potential for recommendations and referrals.
• Are generally more loyal.
• In order to develop a strategy for retaining customers and developing more sales from them need to carry out some analyses.

 Customer profitability

• Analyze the profitability of each of main customers who are probably in the top 20%. Company may be surprised to find how unprofitable some of them are so look at ways of increasing the profitability of these or consider ‘losing’ them.
• Focus on the more profitable ones; check their needs and identify ways to sell more to each of them.
• Make database work
• Many small Ceramic Tile businesses operate with inadequate inefficient customer databases because it is not considered to be a priority to invest in them but if I don’t have the means of storing and manipulating data on our customers company can’t hope to fully exploit this gold mine of an asset.
• Many of the strategies discussed require the ability to analyze customer/contacts database in order to obtain the information required.

Satisfaction through innovation

• In order to retain and develop existing customers, will clearly need to ensure their total satisfaction. This process can stimulate innovation because company may need to modify existing products and services or develop new ones in order to continue to satisfy their needs.
• Find out what their needs are now and in the future in order to achieve this. This will indicate if company will need to modify products/services or develop new ones to fulfill these needs?

 SWOT Analysis

Strength

• More Demand in Market and customer waiting to use our product.
• Competitive price with quality product.
• Strong Marketing and channel all over the country.
• Exclusive design with matching Décor and Boarder.
• Efficient Marketing Team.
• Best Service and reply within 48 Hours.
• Financially solvent so any time we can make decision.
• Our Factory is fully Health and Hygienic.

Weakness

• Low production Capacity in compare with market Demand.
• All official system made by manually.
• Employees Benefit is don’t ensure in accordance with factory act.
• Limited land to extend the existing Plant.
• Row materials don’t reach the factory within the lead time.
• Design and its equipment are not sophisticated.
• Company has no available transport to distribute the materials.

It would help if we made a list our own business’ strengths and weaknesses, getting input from all staff including management as many of our employees as possible. Compare our strengths and weaknesses with those of our main competitors. Check whether company need to take corrective action to minimize weaknesses and identify where company can exploit strengths that our competitors don’t have.

Opportunity

• Company can introduce the sanitary and fittings in the same Brand.
• Company can extend our Boarder Décor Department within the short period.
• Company may introduce big size of wall and Floor tiles to extend the Plant.
• To Gaining the more market share Company may extend another unit.
• Company may establish our own sales center in all Division.

Threats

• To sell the product depend only our Dealers.
• Only one Designer in our factory.
• Company has no standard Employees policy so any time they can switch.
• Due to product unavailability market share may be decrease.

If new regulations will increase the cost of competing in a market where Company has already weak, Company might want to look for other opportunities. On the other hand, if Company have a good reputation and our key competitor is struggling, the regulations might present the opportunity to push aggressively for new customers.

Threat of New Entrants

More players are joining this business like Dulal & Brothers Ltd, Star ceramics and Tamanna are in the pipeline to enter this sector by 2013. The pool of new entry into the ceramic industry of Bangladesh indicates this sector has low entry barriers as the government regulations are supportive for new entrants. However, the number of new entrants and their capacity development is low compared to the growth in domestic and export demand. Hence, the competitive threat  of  potential  entry  is  not  strong  enough  to  place  significant  competitive pressure on the existing manufacturers.

Competitive Rivalry within the industry

The  ceramic  industry  of  Bangladesh  faces  stiff  competition  from  foreign sources like India, Sri Lanka, China, Italy and Spain but the domestic marketplace is yet weakly  competitive.  Ceramic manufacturers like Great Wall ceramic, RAK, Sun power, Mir Ceramic, and CBC are still leading. Most of those ceramic manufacturers are also increasing their production capacity following robust growth in demand for increasing market demand.

The competing local manufacturers are also active in making fresh moves to improve their market standing and business performance. For instance, Great Wall Ceramics produces ceramic tiles for both interior and exterior usage. According to the management  of  this  company,  they  are  the  first  to  manufacture  tiles  made  of ceramics intended for external use that would be manufactured within the country. Besides, Great Wall ceramics is also increasing its production capacity to manufacture 50% very shortly. This company is also coming up with powerful strategies like teaming up with overseas entity to share its technological know-how and to turn its concern into the first ever European Standard manufacturing facility. The strongest competitive pressures come not from outsiders, but also from current industry participants. Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd. has announced to produce a high-end product, fine-cut tiles with decorated borders to meet local demand since demand for costly tiles is high.

However,  increment  in  the  number  of  new  plants,  capacity  development, product development and market expansion by ceramic ware manufacturers of Bangladesh are still low compared to the robust growth in demand both in export and local market. As there still exit ample growth opportunities in this industry, the rivalry among the existing companies are still weak, thus making this sector more attractive for the potential entrants.

Data analysis

The analysis is given below:

1)      Competitive sale

The Competitive sale by (SFT) from 2008 to 2012 of different tiles companies is given in the following table:

 Source: Secondary

The Competitive sale (SFT) from 2008 to 2012 of different tiles companies is given in the following:

Analysis: From the analysis, it has been found that the competitive sale of RAK is higher than other tiles company and Great Wall is average. It can infer that in the year 2011 to 2010, the competitive sale of Great Wall was average than MIR Ceramic. But in the year 2012, competitive sale of Great Wall is quite high than MIR Ceramic. Great Wall has the capacity to fulfill their business performance. On the other hand, tiles to tiles companies are not performing well. So from the trend analysis I have seen that Great Wall continuously doing well than other tiles companies.

So, RAK is leading the market and Great wall is increasing their sale day by day. I have seen by the research that all companies sale their 100 % production. Because demand is higher than supply.

2)      Production Capacity

Volume of products that can be generated by a production plant or enterprise in a given period by using current resources.

The Production Capacity by (sft) from 2008 to 2012 of different tiles companies is given in the following table:

Source: Secondary

The Production Capacity (in SFT) from 2008 to 2012 of different tiles companies is given in the following:

Analysis: From the analysis, it has been found that the Production Capacity of RAK is higher than other tiles company and Great Wall is average It can infer that in the year 2011 to 2010, the Production Capacity of Great Wall was average than MIR Ceramic. But in the year 2012, Production Capacity of Great Wall is quite high than MIR Ceramic. Great Wall has the capacity to fulfill their business performance. On the other hand, tiles to tiles companies are not performing well. So from the trend analysis I have seen that Great Wall continuously doing well than other tiles companies.

All companies sale their 100 % production, Tiles demand is so high in Bangladesh. All tiles company cannot supply required tiles .all companies trying to increase their production capacity.  

Users & Customer Satisfaction

Users of Great Wall tiles

 The Real Estate companies, Personal House owner are the main user of our tiles. Besides, different Government sector and Agencies such as PWD, MES, HED, EED, LGED and Bangladesh Railway also suggest and give approval to use our tiles. However, the construction firm, Architects and contractor also suggests to our tiles.

Status of Consumers

Along with providing an analysis of the concepts and pertinent information regarding consumer production, buying power and other important factors, it is necessary to provide an overview of the major influences on consumer behavior with much of the discussion based on psychology. There are many fundamental factors that affect the customer motivation. David C McClelland opines that motives are individually acquired but certain situations will produce pleasure or pains with such regularity either through biological or cultural arrangements that the probability of certain common motives developing in all people is very high. According to the premises of human behavior, all activities are motivated. This means that no behavioral act takes place without some initiating force of the individual. These forces are known as “Motives”. A motive can be viewed as a disposition to strive for a certain kind if satisfaction, and formally defined as the “state of the organism in which bodily energy is mobilized and selectively directed towards parts of the environment”.

Building Customer Satisfaction

Provision of satisfaction to customers is one of the pivotal objectives before the selling and marketing organizations. Satisfaction may be provided to the customers through quality, value and service. A review may be made about the trend of marketing for the 21^st century; the trend towards the use of relationship to improve customer satisfaction. The marketing concept now needs to re-define stressing the need to offer read customer value and customer satisfaction. In order to ensure effective competition, enterprises are now delivering value and satisfaction through a value chain and a value diverting system. At this, those marketers usually should focus on attracting new users to be given attention with priority. Currently marketers should also try to retain current customers by developing relationship marketing.

Customer Satisfaction

Consumers form judgment about the value of marketing offers and make their buying decisions based upon these judgments. Customer satisfaction with a purchase depends upon the product performance relative to a buyer’s expectation. A consumer might experience various degrees of satisfaction. If the product performance falls short of expectations, the consumer is dissatisfied. If performance matches expectations, the customer is satisfied. If performance exceeds expectations the customer is highly satisfied or delighted. Great Wall ceramic always highly concentrate about customer satisfaction, because now a days service is the most important for any kind of business success. A large number of marketing team is always has been providing information & service more rapidly.

 Delivering Customer Value and Satisfaction

Customer value and satisfaction are important ingredients in the marketer’s formula for success. In order to produce and deliver customer value and satisfaction, the concepts of a value chain and the value delivery system are essential. Michael Porter proposed that the value chain and as the major tool for identifying ways to create. Every firm consists of a collection of activities performed to design, produce market, deliver, and support the firm’s products. The value chain breaks the firm in to nine value-creating activities in an effort to understand the behavior of costs in the specific business and the potential sources of competitive differentiation. The nine value creating activities include five primary activities and four support activities. Five primary activities involve the sequence of bringing materials into business, operation, on them, sending them out, marketing them, and serving them. Support activities include procurement, technology development, human resource management and firm-infra-structure. In this search for competitive advantage, the firm needs to look beyond its own value chain, into the value chains of its suppliers, distributors and ultimately customers.   

Strategic Criteria

Quality standards

Company manufactures their tiles to stuck levels of quality control to comply with the requirements of the appropriate European norms and British standard for ceramic wall and floor tiles. With quality control being an important aspect of the manufacture our systems and procedures have been recognized by the (BUET) and (BSTI).In the mean time , Publics Work Department ( PWD ) has enlisted our company name Great wall in their Schedule of rates- 2008 Effective from 1^st June -2008. And other government authority Military Engineering Services (MES) is considering enlisted our name to their schedule of rates that is under process.

Very soon, we are getting the ISO certification.

Environment Policy

Great Wall Ceramic Ind. Ltd. has always considered environmental management to be an internal and fundamental part of our business strategy.  Company is committed to making sure that comply with all the latest ministry of environment legislative and BSTI standards that affect our activities. Company’s principle aim is to continuously improve their approach to the prevention of pollution and to achieve the highest possible environmental standard in all aspects of their company practice. Company has established a waste water treatment plant to make a difference to the environment.

Company also demands high environmental structure from suppliers, venders and contractors involved with the company. Where significant hazards exist, it is developing and maintaining emergency plans in conjunction the emergency services, relevant authority and local community.

All employees are trained to be aware of environmental uses relating to their work and participate in continuous improvements teams.

Social responsibility

Great Wall Ceramic does not only pursue profit but also always trying to increase the value of its product and minimize the cost. They distribute the benefit to the stake holders and to the end user to have a win- win situation for everyone. Company bears some special responsibility like providing tiles to Mosque, Educational Institute in rural areas at a very special price and also our Managing Director on behalf of the company contributes his time and giving financial support to some Schools and Colleges in his areas. And recently Great Wall is communicating NGO for raising awareness of public health and sanitation by using tiles. Great Wall always thanks for reinvestment whine creates more employment and contribute to national development.

  The Necessity and Economic Significance of the Investment

By using Chinese facility, technical skill and advanced management experience in ceramic making industry; while making full use of the raw material, fuel, and lobar resources in Bangladesh, this project is the best in the country.

As more and more money has been put in the infrastructure construction in Bangladesh, the housing condition of people will be improved. While the ceramic tiles industry should accommodate with the greater need of the big building market. While, Bangladesh is in lack of the producing ability, in addition, the duty of importing the top grade ceramic tiles reaches 140%. The market in Bangladesh has a bright future.

The bordering countries of Bangladesh like India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma are all have potential market, and all these countries are poor in gas supply. So, to build ceramic industry in Bangladesh has great advantage.

Influenced by the international market, the starting point of the ceramic industry in Bangladesh is fairly high. The quality level has reached or excelled the level in China in early 1990’s, especially for the price, it has far beyond the product in China of the same level. While, in cater for the market of Bengal, this project should present the product with high quality, top grade, and low cost.

 Recommendations

• Business philosophy that identifies current and future opportunities, defines magnitude and quantum, determines target markets and cluster, and decides on products, services and programmers to secure entry to markets for economic and financial gains were made. The aim of planned marketing efforts is to understand customers and to ensure that offered products and services adapt to targeted customers’ needs perfectly. The marketing plan to be designed to perform tasks of stimulating demands for ceramic products and services to influence the level timing and composition of demand help customers’ consummate their business objectives.
• Ideas of satisfying the customers’ needs by means of products and the entire cluster of action as associated with creation / delivering and finally consuming the products and services.
• Process to be employed to interpret markets, customers’ needs and transformation: defining mission / objectives and goals, portfolio plans and new business plans. The plans were structured in 3 (three) operational levels: corporate level, business level and product level. The marketing mission was converted into specific objectives for each level targeted at: profitability, market-share, positioning, risk-diversification and innovation. The objectives to be made quantifiable, realistic and consistent towards useful implementation of the marketing action plan. The portfolio plan involved in reviewing of the current portfolio of businesses and deciding on new businesses and potential thrust sectors.
• Selection of target markets including dividing the markets into major market segments sharing common properties, evaluation, selecting and targeting segments and deciding on ways of positioning in each market.
• Identification of market opportunities through analysis of subjective issues, concepts, strategies and techniques of penetration to create market along with efforts to integrate actions based on collected data to fit into real banking solution having operational linkages with the marketing plan.

• Natural inducement of the target groups to Great Wall Ceramic Industries Limited is that customers must perceive greater degree of satisfaction from the offered services. The qualitative improvement and development of cutting-edge products precipitate in higher degree of customer’s satisfaction and Great Wall Ceramic Industries Limited to plan for improvement of services, adding flair to the products.

Executives and officers working at various levels in the organization to be groomed with clear understanding of the entire range of products and services ensuring quality of services help accomplish set target of customers’ satisfaction. The techniques those to be pursued for transforming of strategies to achieving the goal of higher customer satisfaction along with sustained growth of profitability for the organization are:

• Proper grooming of employees through classroom and hands on training.
• Receive the customers with smile
• Improve office atmosphere to give customer friendly feeling
• Provide intimate attention to your customers’ needs
• Customers’ convenience will receive priority
• Evaluate customers’ needs in proper perspective and shortcomings be explained logically.
• Time consumed in servicing customers is minimized.
• Decision making process should be free of ambiguity and be time conscious
• Alternative solutions should be explored and evaluated
• Develop communication skills
• Understand customers’ funding needs and create ‘Total Solution’.

Recommendations (Specific)

Improvement of the Sales & Marketing Department

The Sales & Marketing department of Great Wall Ceramic Industries Limited is one of the weakest areas and many of the Sales & Marketing development policies and practices are not being followed or implemented. Though, there has been performance appraisal for the employees but still it is lying idle and no action has been taken. The management should immediately apply the performance appraisal system and take appropriate actions on the basis of that appraisal. All sorts of promotions or other benefits should be based on the report of the performance appraisal. The traditional method of considering years of work experience as the criteria should be changed and rather the new method of looking at the output, productivity and quality of the work should be considered. The Sales & Marketing wing has to be more active rather than maintaining administrative duties. Other than the head of this division, the staffs in this wing are incompetent for this position. More qualified and skilled Sales & Marketing professional should be recruited for this department for the future growth of the Sales & Marketing in Great Wall Ceramic Industries Limited.

Conclusion

In the preceding pages, the status and position of the customer as the nucleus if markets have been discussed in a general manner. The principal theme of the discussion holds equally true in case all companies. It the company come forward to identify and sever its customers, keeping this viewpoint in consideration, it is expected to do much better in their business strategy.