Business Development & Trade
4. Week in the life of...
Business Development & Trade
The company you work for is a major European car manufacturer.
Monday
- Your department has carried out a review of the firm's international supply-chains.
- The greatest challenge remains the uncertain delivery of semiconductors. Demand for items like smartphones and tablets surged during COVID-19 which has led to shortages of microchips critical to the production of modern vehicles.
- Delays in your production are inevitable and you have had to inform your distribution network that disruptions are likely.
Tuesday & Wednesday
- Your department is working on an internal report.
- Short-term, alternative chip suppliers must be considered. But the longer-term issue is whether your company should set up its own production, at least to cover some of its needs.
- The higher production costs of cars has led to an increase in car prices in the whole industry. Should your firm avoid increasing prices as much as the rest of the industry to potentially increase its market share? You are asked to dig further into this and examine the potential costs in the terms of profit margins.
Thursday
- Your company's latest car model is high-end.
- The question is how much emphasis your company should put on marketing it, at the expense of its other products.
- So far, your analysis suggests that demand is surprisingly strong despite the macroeconomic uncertainties.
- The conclusion of your research is that potential sales in the US of this model still outstrip those in Europe.
Friday
- You prepare for a trip to Asia to meet both with suppliers and major distributors of your vehicles.