HR ASSIGNMEMT

HR Assignmemt

HR Assignmemt

The company selected for the purpose of this assignment is Dell.

Part I: Introduction to Dell and its HR Function

Dell has to be seen to manage problems that researchers have investigated in recent years in order to maintain its competitive advantage. These problems include a lack of strategic management, organizational difficulties in managing across functions, personal and cultural problems in attempting to create the necessary synergy f skills in core functions, and a potential lack of internal consultancy skills in the personnel function (Sparrow and Pettigrew 2008). Only then, can Dell maintain its dominance in the computer industry with their just-in-time manufacturing business model.

Dell's HR challenges the problem proposed by Sparrow and Pettigrew by aligning themselves as a strategic partner and using three approaches. The first concerns the use of planning manpower needs or succession activities to link personnel programmes to the requirements of business plans and forecasts. Such planning, however, only becomes strategic if it includes the monitoring of environmental trends and modelling of alternative scenarios (Sibson, 1983). A major difficulty is in the alignment of HR activities with long-term business objectives. Dell grew by 56% in 1998 (Joinson 1999) and posed a challenge for the HR function to adapt to the company's rapid growth in selection and recruitment of staff whilst developing staff to meet the ever changing business requirements through segmentation.

Part II: SWOT and PESTLE Analysis

SWOT

Strengths

1) Dell's Direct Business Model which consist of the five principles:

Most efficient path to the customer - through direct relationship with no intermediaries to add cost and confusion

Single Point of accountability - so that resources necessary to meet customer needs can be easily marshaled in support of complex challenges.

Build-to-Order - provide customers exactly what they want in their computer systems through easy custom configuration and ordering. Thus eliminates the maintenance of expensive inventory.

Low-Cost Leader - highly efficient supply chain management which eliminated inventory thus reducing stocking cost.

Standard-Based Technology - unlike proprietary technologies, standards give customers flexibility and choice.

2) Supplier Relationships: Dell's highly efficient and integrated supply chain allows it to keep only four days of inventory which allow the company to provide customers the declined component prices.

3) Pricing: Dell's highly efficient supply chain has gain advantage from the reduction of inventory maintenance cost and the depreciation of component price, which allow reduction in pricing for their customers.

4) Strong CRM: Build-to Order gives customers the flexibility to choose the kind of configuration they want, the direct model which sells directly to customer through the internet which gives the customer lower price and higher convenience. Dell is able to gives its support and service directly without the middlemen or resellers and maximum profitability to their customer in pricing, thus enhancing the value of CRM.

Weaknesses

1) Lacked of solid dealer relationship: Dell does not have a strong relationship with dealer due to their direct model, which sells directly to their customer. This has a big impact their brand name because it has resulted in lack of support from dealers to help promote their brand to ...