Gunilo Nepali products

Bindu Kumari,a housewife of Pokhara,is very good in home production of traditional Nepalese food products.Family members and friends immensely enjoy her food products.
Bindu was not happy remaining a mere housewife within the four walls of the house.She through that her skills were not properly being utilised.Dhe hit upon an idea to undertake production of traditional Nepalese food products on a commercial basis.She established a factory"Shital Agro products".The brand name of products is "Gunilo"Which means nutritious and beneficial to health.The processing and packing is done hygienically in poly thence bag.
The raw materials of best quality is collected from farmers all over the country that do not use chemical fertilisers.A total of 50 products are processed,paced and marketed.Some popular products are :

1. Gundruk(Rayo,Kauli,Tori) 11.Jimbu

2. Mashyora 12.Timbur
   
3. Sinki 13.Shilam
   
4. Phapre flour 14.Chuk amilo
   
5. Kodo flour 15.Tejpat
   
6. Khatte rice 16.Dried apple
   
7. Simi 17.Dried ginger
   
8. Mas dal 18.Akbare chilli
   
9. Gahat dal 19.Methi
   
10. Cow urine 20.Duna/Tapari
    

Bindu has given employment to 10 women.She started with a capital of rs.50,000 in 1998.Today,her sales exceed rs.1,000,000.The business is growing.
The participation in a one-week marketing management training organized by Pokhara chamber of commerce opened the eyes of Bindu Karki.She has a specialty shop called"Green house"in shree complex vegetable market of Pokhara to directly market her products.She is also marketing her products through various department stores of Kathmandu.She also has for export to Nepalese living in foreign countries through e-commerce.

Bakery cafes

Shyam sunder Lall Kakshapati,the maker of bakery cafe Chines is deeply engrossed in business expansion.They speak of quality with affordable price.
At the tender age of 19,Kakshapati opened"Sam's Grocery shop"at Ratan Park.It because the "best candy shop in town".He added a juice fountain lemonade which was an instant success.However,he was not satisfied to be a grocer.He opened cafe de park to cater young professionals segment.
While enjoying the growing success of the business of the cafe for about three years,he identified that the pasture was greener in Durbar marg area which was attracting ever increasing number of travel agencies,airlines offices and banks.So he moved there and set up Naglo restaurant in 1976 which soon became a famous rendezvous first for the young people and gradually for people of all ages.In 1978,he expanded the restaurant to add a Chines room.Gradually the facilities developed a capacity to serve 300 persons at a time under the same roof.It targeted youth and working people.
Kakshapati's expansion dive outside Durbar Marge experienced a jolt in 1984 with the Nagarkot resort project.Though the resort business was a new field for Kakshpati,he recalls that he had carefully calculated all the risks and possible benefits,and he also had built up a strong support structure of friends,consultants and other professionals.People also were ready for the resort ides-to get out of the valley and relax.Though he has a successfully running resort spring resort set up in 1996 at Kurintar by the side of Kathmandu-Pokhara highway,he says the sudden demise of Nagarkot project broke his heart and spirits due to army control of Nagarkot because of its strategic location.

Problems faced by Himalaya bank related to credit card

Himalaya bank was established in 1992 under a joint venture with Habib bank of Pakistan.It has five branches in Kathmandu Valley and eight branches outside Kathmandu valley.It has correspondence relationships with 178 international banks.It has recently installed Globus accounting software to provide better services to its clients.Himalayan bank accepts deposits and provides loans.The other services provided by it are:Tele-banking,all branch banking,Automatic teller machine,24 hour banking ,credit card,foreign exchange and letter of credit of etc.
HBL faces a number of problems in its credit card business.Most Nepalese people lack awareness about card.They feel that having a credit card involves extra costs in subscription and service charges.Moreover,not all the shops accept credit cards.
The use of credit cards is generally limited to city centers.Customers do not report loss of credit cards promptly.Fraudulent activities are increasing,especially in e-commerce transactions.Risks are getting higher.support from other departments of HBL is also lukewarm.
The top management of Himalaya bank fells that its credit card business needs streamlining and strengthening from management point of view.

Management of credit card functions

The credit card department was established in 1994 at "Thamel in the head of Himalayan bank .In 1997,its name was changed to credit card center and was shifted to Maharanjgunj branch.Since 1999,the credit card center has been shifted to Pulchowk branch.There has been frequent transfer of personnel in the center.The functions of the center are :

• Marketing :This function in concerned with issue of card.It communicates through telephone,e-mail and latter to attract and retain qualitative members.It keeps track of the needs of potential and current cardholders.
• Processing :This function processes the transactions related to credit card.
• Control :This function monitors the cardholders and merchant activities.It also deals with collection of dues and control of fraudulent activities.

Himalayan bank had issued HBL regular card in an November 1993,Which has a membership of 1258.The HBL gold card issued in November 1997 has 690 members.But both of these credit cards have been phased out because of problems associated with security and fraud.Visa classic and visa gold have also been phased out.At present Himalayan bank deals with visa international and master card.It has 33 percent share of credit card business in Nepal.The competition is getting together.

How to analyze a strategic case study

A case study is a method for teaching and learning.It describes and organization's situation at a point in time.It describes external and internal environment forces.It raises issues about mission,objectives and strategies.It describes the problems.
The following steps should be followed to analyze the case study:

• Read the case carefully :Determine the main points of the case.It may not provide all the information.Carry out library and internet search.This should be for the decision date of the case.
• Identify the problem :Every case is problem based.Define the main problem clearly.Do not confuse symptoms with the causes.

1.Make reasonable assumptions about unknowns.But state them clearly.

• Analyze the case :Analyze the problem clearly and systematically.Understand all the cause of the problem.

1.Develop a mindset of what,why,when,how,where,who.
2.Use appropriate analytical tools for analysis.They can be ratio analysis for analysis of financial statements.Compare with industry averages.Compared with industry average.

• Examine relevant alternatives:Most problems have a number of alternatives for solution.Present the advantages and disadvantages of relevant alternatives.It can be in terms of productivity,costs,market and others.
• Recommend strategies :Select a course of action in terms of strategy.There is no one best solution to a case.It varies according to situation,time,place and people.Give justification for your recommendation,reason for selecting,and their implications.
  

Concept of strategic choice

Change is making things different.It is departure from status quo.Environment forces change.The effects of change are widespread.Organizations that fail to change,die.Change is a fundamental part of organizational survival.Ability to adapt to change is the essence of organizational effectiveness.
Strategic changes implies change in strategy through diagnosis and management of change needs.It consists of rethinking reviewing,and changing strategy to adapt to environmental changes and the changing resources and competencies.
Types of strategy change

• Adaptation :This change in strategy occurs incrementally.It can be accommodated within the current paradigm.Paradigm refers to rules boundaries,behaviors and the way of doing things.It involves realignment.This is the most common form of change in strategy.
• Reconstruction :This change is strategy occurs rapidly.But it does not lead to fundamental change in paradigm.For example,structural change or cost-cutting program.
• Evaluation :This change in strategy occurs overtime.It requires paradigm change.It is transformational change.Learning organizations continually change their strategies to environmental changes.
• Revaluation :This change in strategy occurs very rapidly with a big bang.It requires fundamental change is paradigm.For example,significant decline in profit may require revolutionary change in strategy.So can of focus from selling to customer satisfaction.
  

Criteria for evaluating strategies

A strategy should be continuously evaluated.The criteria that can be used for evaluating strategy are :

• Consistency :A strategy should not have inconsistent objectives.Inconsistencies are reflected by :

1.Conflicts and interdepartmental bickering.Conflicts are people-based rather than issue based.
2.Suboptimization where one department tries to gain success over others.
3.Top management spending lot of time in solving problems and issues.

• Consonance :If refers to set of treads or individual trends that need examination to evaluate strategy.The strategy should be adaptive capabilities in terms of abilities,competencies,skills and talents to carry out a strategy.
• A strategy must provide strategic advantage.It result from superiority in resources,skills or position.Size can provide positional advantage.The nature of positional advantage in relation to competitors should be examined for evaluation a strategy.