Using your own words and your own experience, what skills and abilities do you think you need to have to thrive at an organization like Amazon?

2-4. Based on the facts presented in this case, what do you think is Amazons competitive strategy? Justify your answer.
2-5. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has stated that the best customer support is none. What does that mean?
2-6. Suppose you work for Amazon or a company that takes innovation as seriously as Amazon does. What do you suppose is the likely reaction to an employee who says to his or her boss, But I dont know how to do that!?
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2-7. Using your own words and your own experience, what skills and abilities do you think you need to have to thrive at an organization like Amazon?
2-8. What should UPS and FedEx be doing in response to Amazons interest in drone delivery via Amazon Prime Air?
2-9. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages for brick-and-mortar retailers to sell items via Amazon. Would you recommend that they do so?
2-10. If a brick-and-mortar retailer were to use FBA, what business processes would it not need to develop? What costs would it save?
2-11. If a brick-and-mortar retailer were to use FBA, what information systems would it not need to develop? What costs would it save?
2-12. If a brick-and-mortar retailer were to use FBA, how would it integrate its information systems with Amazons? (To add depth to your answer, Google the term Amazon MWS.)
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Complete the following writing exercises.
2-13. Samantha Green owns and operates Twigs Tree Trimming Service. Samantha graduated from the forestry program of a nearby university and worked for a large landscape design firm, performing tree trimming and removal. After several years of experience, she bought her own truck, stump grinder, and other equipment and opened her own business in St. Louis, Missouri. Although many of her jobs are one-time operations to remove a tree or stump, others are recurring, such as trimming a tree or groups of trees every year or every other year. When business is slow, she calls former clients to remind them of her services and of the need to trim their trees on a regular basis. Samantha has never heard of Michael Porter or any of his theories. She operates her business by the seat of her pants.
a. Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help Samantha.
b. Do you think Samantha has a competitive strategy? What competitive strategy would seem to make sense for her?
c. How would knowledge of her competitive strategy help her sales and marketing efforts?
d. Describe, in general terms, the kind of information system that she needs to support sales and marketing efforts.
2-14. YourFire, Inc. is a small business owned by Curt and Julie Robards. Based in Brisbane, Australia, YourFire manufactures and sells a lightweight camping stove called the YourFire. Curt, who previously worked as an aerospace engineer, invented and patented a burning nozzle that enables the stove to stay lit in very high windsup to 90 miles per hour. Julie, an industrial designer by training, developed an elegant folding design that is small, lightweight, easy to set up, and very stable. Curt and Julie manufacture the stove in their garage, and they sell it directly to their customers over the Internet and via phone.
a. Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help YourFire.
b. What does the YourFire competitive strategy seem to be?
c. Briefly summarize how the primary value chain activities pertain to YourFire. How should the company design these value chains to conform to its competitive strategy?
d. Describe business processes that YourFire needs in order to implement its marketing and sales and its service value chain activities.
e. Describe, in general terms, information systems to support your answer to part d.
2-15. A friend of yours from college, who you havent talked to in 3 years, sends you an email asking you to meet him for lunch. He says hes got a great idea for a business and wants to run it by you. At first youre hesitant because your friend, while obviously intelligent, doesnt always think things though. You agree to meet for lunch and talk about the idea. At lunch, he explains that hes been developing new flexible screens for his employer that are incredibly tough and waterproof and use very little energy. His idea is to use these new flexible screens to create wearable computing clothing that can connect directly to smartphones and push ads, promotions, and video. His only problem is that he knows nothing about business. Hes not sure where to start.
a. Explain how you could use the five forces model to help your friend understand the potential success of his wearable flex screens.
b. How might understanding the unique forces affecting this industry determine the competitive advantage for your friends new company?

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