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1、第3辑阅读【TEXT 1】part 11 It would be advisable for Flacks to consult customers before developing a new product. 2 Producing goods for specialist markets might increase Flacks profits. 3 Flacks may need to change the function of one of its facilities. 4 Flacks should utilise its current expertise to ente
2、r a different market. 5 Flacks may need to consider closing its current production facility. 6 Flacks should develop the connections it has established with leading retailers. 7 Expanding the product range would not be a problem for the workforce. Flacks is a UK-based company that produces fashion a
3、ccessories for women. How can it continue to grow its business? A Susan Falmer Faced with a shrinking market, cheap imports and competitive pricing, Flacks will have to work hard to increase its margins. They need to move into a more promising market, one where demand is growing and where the compan
4、y can exploit existing skills and contacts. They could think about brand extension - this would not be a giant leap and the sales force would take it in its stride. Also, they wouldnt need to re-equip their factory and could use non-UK sourcing if facilities here are in short supply. B Mesut Guzel T
5、hey have the fundamentals of a survival strategy in a market where outsourced manufacture and brand differentiation hold the key to success. I think they should initially locate some of their production in another country, where manufacturing quality tends to be better and it is easier to meet chang
6、ing customer demands. But they should also regularly monitor production in Britain and think about outsourcing all this work abroad at some point if they need it done faster. The company should continue to work on innovative products, and thorough market research will help to ensure any new ideas ar
7、e well received. C Gary Wilmot In order to beat their rivals in a highly competitive market, Flacks should ensure their products are attractive and build on their relationships with the big stores rather than trying to go it alone and market directly. They should also consider refocusing production
8、by using their UK factory for high-specification products. They could eventually build more production overseas in a cycle of continuous development. D Michal Kaminski The demand for fashion accessories is relatively flat and the company should consider exploiting niche markets to improve its margin
9、s. But even within these, Flacks must distinguish its goods from those of its rivals in terms of quality, performance and design. Innovative sales, marketing and PR are vital to exploit these niche products. One competitive advantage that Flacks does have is production times. Many retail chains now
10、have two-tier supply chains and Flacks could focus on top-up orders. They might also investigate other sales channels such as mail order. part 2Evaluating the performance of the board Few employees escape the annual or twice-yearly performance review. (0) .G.The answer is not a great number. And the
11、 smaller the company, the fewer checks there are on how well the directors are doing. Some of the largest companies formally assess the performance of their board, but very few new or growing companies have managed to get round to establishing any such procedure. Many business experts believe, howev
12、er, that it is important for all companies to review the performance of the board. (8) .Another reason is that the board itself needs information on how well it is doing, just as much as other employees do. For the chief executive, appraisal of some sort is absolutely essential for his or her own sa
13、ke and for the good of the company. Indeed, many of those who have reached this level remark on how lonely the job of chief executive is and how few opportunities they get to discuss issues relating to it. There is some evidence to show that once smaller companies put a board appraisal process in pl
14、ace, they find this process relatively easy to operate. (9) .Their counterparts in larger organisations, however, are often afraid that appraisals could be a challenge to their status. So, how should companies assess their board? (10) .At a very basic level,this could simply mean getting all the dir
15、ectors to write down what they have achieved and how they can improve on it. At the other end of the scale is the full 360-degree appraisal. Here, each director is appraised in a systematic manner by a combination of the chairman and fellow directors. In the largest companies there are many methods
16、for assessing the board. A number of such companies have self-assessment schemes. The chairman may meet each board member individually to ask how things are going, in a fairly informal way. The whole board might also meet to talk about its progress in open session. (11).These might ask for peoples opinions on the boards main
