Unit 2 P3 Assignment brief

TASK 2 – P3 Review the methods and opportunities used by travel and tourism organisations to gain a competitive advantage and achieve business aims

Deadline Date: Wednesday 3rd June 2015

Using the same organisations in the previous task. Create a fact sheet or display which reviews the methods and opportunities used by both organisations to gain competitive advantage and achieve business aims providing examples. Your examples must cover all types of aims including:

Financial aims:

• To survive - this objective would only apply to a start up business entering the market 
• To brake even - again this objective would apply to a small start up business
• To increase sales revenue year on year by 15-20%
• To make a profit to grow the company, pay shareholders a dividend, pay staff a bonus or retain profits for future initiatives.
• To grow the companies market share
• To be the customers first choice of airline carrier in the world

Other aims may focus on the companies Image and reputation

• To aim to be environmentally friendly and reduce its carbon footprint as M&S did
• To adopt a policy to only get involved with responsible tourism
• To make a commitment to creating quality products or services to satisfy a current demand in the market

P3 Checklist / action plan

1. You should start by identifying your chosen companies aims and objectives.  
2. You then need to discus why these aims and objectives are relevant to your chosenb business.
3. Your chosen business examples must be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate that you understand how the method or opportunity to gain a competitive edge has achieved the business aims. (P3) Examples of what companies do to create a competitive advantage include:

• Providing added value - what does this mean?
• Providing new or innovative products or services - what will replace the Airbus
• Embedding Total Quality Management into the day to day business activities click here can you think of any examples of this?
• Providing exceptional customer service and training and developing all staff - how does your chosen companies do this?
• Targeted advertising and promotions - BA carried out a joint promotion with Sainsbury's many years ago.  What are they doing currently?
• Innovative pricing policies - price is a massive part of the marketing mix to generate sales however not everyone can travel when they want to and and price is often charged at a premium for exclusivity and prime time.  How does your chosen company price its products and services to gain a competitive edge?
• Taking advantage of locational benefits - does your company have exclusive access to certain airports and destinations and hotels that no other company does?
• Using modern sales techniques through integration and or through consortium membership - look at this sexy organisation here or this one here . This is very good method of creating an exclusive membership of suppliers who have maintained a minimum benchmark of service and quality and aim to target customers who appreciate such quality. 

M1 Additional work

Your fact sheet or display should also compare the organisational and financial characteristics of the two organisations chosen and the methods and opportunities they have used to gain competitive advantage. All the items covered in previous tasks should be included when carrying out your comparisons. (M1)

D1 additional work

In your fact sheet or display you should also evaluate the links between an organisation’s characteristics and its success in gaining competitive advantage and achieving its aims (D1)

Deadline Date: 
P3: 03/06/15
M1, D1: 03/06/2015