Approtec Kenia

Christian Botti –EXP 17 Marketing Management Final exam: ApproTEC Kenia case Due to 9/11/11

I pledge my honour that I have not violated the Booth Honour Code during this exam.

ApproTEC is involved in a not well-defined “industry” of the business development in poor African Countries. In analysing the industry it must be taken into account that it has also a Social role normally not considered while analysing a “common” industry. - Size. The size is nowadays little in absolute terms but with a potential growth linked to the achievement by poor countries of a better economic situation, also thanks the initiatives of ApproTEC and similar companies / foundations; - In the industry there is practically not a direct competition. The other firms/foundations involved in trying to develop the business in the African countries are until now using a quite different approach, which moreover has demonstrated being not too much effective. - The first ApproTEC’s clients are the small engineering workshops that manufacture their technologies. In selecting the potential clients ApproTEC look for the healthiest and with the higher potential for growth. Thus potential Clients of ApproTEC have an above of average availability of money, so are for sure not the poorest, and a willingness to invest in development. - The suppliers are all locals due to the necessity to build the equipments and tools by using locally available products for containing costs and for creating more “internal at the country” value. This fact has an impact also on the R&D that must be focused in “inventing by using what available”. - The main barrier to enter is the necessity for entrants to find donors for sustaining the firm. Normally donors are agencies involved in the development of such a poor countries. 1) Of the 6 options given by Nick Moon when explaining his 3-year development plan (as shown on pages 13 and 14 of the case), which items would you focus on if you had unrestricted money of (a) $500,000...