Impact of iPhone and iPod Sales on Customer Satisfaction

Impact of iPhone and iPod Sales on Customer Satisfaction

Summary

Every successful company has a background. The background highlights the strides the company has taken, and the challenges it has overcome. When the company started several years ago, the stakeholders had no idea what the company would transition to in the years to come. Steve Jobs has to be credited for his immense effort and excellent work ethic. When he was at the helm, Apple was just an average company with average revenue. Through persistence and hard work, he changed the narrative, and today Apple boasts of over 55 million customers (Brews & Christopher, 2014). The majority of its sales are attributed to iPhone and iPod sales. These two products have high aesthetic values that easily attract consumers. Besides, the products are highly differentiated, making it challenging for the rivals to imitate. For this project, however, I’ll discuss the project’s most significant challenges, elaborate on how I will manage the project via EVM, and lastly, discuss the plan to close the project. These elements are vital in this case, as they are critical in the execution and control of the project.

Identify and discuss your project’s most significant challenges

Meeting Deadlines

I was privileged to work with a very effective and efficient team. Sometimes it is excellent to work with great enthusiasts who are ready to sacrifice their efforts for the team’s benefit. However, despite the overall efficiency, time management became an apparent issue. Because the group was growing bigger and management had become unmanageable, we decided to divide the groups, and a team leader for each group was designated. Some groups were slow, while others could not coordinate effectively to meet the indicated deadlines (Brews  & Christopher, 2014)https://studygroom.com/earned-value-management-evm/. The laxity always forced us to spend more time and bring the overall team on par. Primarily, it is challenging to jump from one problem to another if some are previously unsolved.

Due to the ongoing problem, we had to change the tactic. The stakeholders had become impatient and wanted the project to be delivered soon. A such, we had to train the members again during the training what was important were skills identification (Dediu, 2012). It is easy to accomplish work; a person is vastly qualified. As such, every member within the team was allocated a role that he had to fulfill within a specific period. We also had to train the respective group leader on time management and proficiency to enhance the flexibility of their teams. Generally, it is the mandate for the group leader in managing team affairs.

Unclearly defined goals

It is not easy to work in an environment where corporate and internal issues exist. These issues mostly arise when there are poorly defined goals by a firm. Such problems might affect the proficiency of the project even before deciding to go into the actual business. If the goals and the objectives do not configure, the project is likely to fail (Dediu, 2012). The experience of working with a team exposed some of these problems. It is hard to deal with intellects that also have the capacity to manage a team. In most cases, we differed on several issues purposely due to individual differences. When initiating the project, we decided to make open goals and objectives, and that is where the trouble started. Had we make clearly defined goals, it would have been difficult to go astray.

For the subsequent project, I would recommend the team to develop clearly defined goals. Poorly defined goals lead to wastage of money, time, and effort. Consequentially, to help in alleviating that problem, the team could embark on planning software and initiate collaborating apps. These will help in a clear definition of goals and specify the obligation of the individual team member.

Assessing the risk factors

Probably this is the hard task to deal with, especially if there are internal issues within the firm. These problems might arise due to poor coordination, insufficient budgeting, and setting unrealistic deadlines (Brown, 2012).

The problem could be solved by carrying out thorough research and gathering sufficient information regarding the project, possible issues, and the team members. Besides, the team can anticipate the existing problem and prepare in prior.

Earned Value Management (EVM)

Earned value management is a critical aspect that is influential in measuring the performance of the project against the baselines. As such, it is significant for this project as it highlights how elements like costs and time could be adjusted to accommodate every aspect (Dediu, 2012). In summary, it helps in signaling and highlighting the project flaws and correcting before it is too late.

Planned Value                                                                

The planned value indicates the worthiness and the threshold the project should deliver after a specific duration. It is, therefore, critical in estimating the profit the venture would make from iPhone and iPod sales. For a well-planned project, it should be part of the budget.

Actual cost

The actuhttps://studygroom.com/emergency-livestock-and-human-health-response-to-control-the-outbreak-of-rift-valley-fever-in-madagascar/al cost details the market value of the overall project cost. The aspect is tremendous for Apple, as it will determine the work magnitude needed to help the organization reach its potential. Achieving the potential would mean outcompeting heavyweights like Huawei and Samsung to establish dominance.

Earned Value

For Apple, the metric will prove valuable as its value indicates the accumulated revenue the entity makes as each of the activities is accomplished. As the milestones are achieved, it is possible to track the progress and highlight the milestones. They are mostly conducted monthly to show the depth of work done and the portion remaining.

Discuss your plan to close the project when over properly

After completion of the project, probably, there would be a relief. I know the headache the project exerted on members and the sponsors. First, I would like to thank the project sponsors. The project sponsors play an integral role in project progress through the provision of finances and feedback that make us improve. Without their efforts, the project would fail. Secondly, I would weigh the lesson learned. Through planning, coordinating, and execution of the project, there are challenges that the team face. Some of these challenges make members strong and a little cautious. Next time while encountering the same problems, then become more vigilant to deal with them appropriately (Brews & Christopher, 2014). Lastly and most importantly, I would celebrate the success with my team. Nobody succeeds alone and needs a helping hand. The team has been very supportive, and they are integral in every aspect and the strides we have made. Their feedbacks, in particular, have made it possible to change the process operations. I would, therefore, love to work with them again and again.

Conclusion

I’ll have to admit that the process of planning and execution of the project is not easy. It needs focus, dedication, and sacrifice. In project management, several challenges exist, how each of the challenges is addressed determines the effectiveness of the project itself. To measure this effectiveness, there are performance indicators that must be incorporated. They include planned value, actual value, and earned value. Performance indicators highlight the feasibility and viability of the project. As such, they are valuable in highlighting the flaws and making amends.

Reference

Dediu, H. (2012). iOS enables 71 percent of Apple’s profits; Platform products power 93% of gross margin, www.asymco.com. Retrieved from http://www.asymco.com/2012/01/25/ios-enables-71-of-apple-profits-with-platform-products-make-up-93-of-gross-margin/

Brews, J., & Christopher L. (2014). “Exploring the Structural Effects of Internetworking.” Strategic Management Journal 25, no. 5: 429–452 Grundy, T., &

Brown, L. (2012). Strategic project management: creating organizational breakthroughs. London: Thomson Learning.

.