PREFACE

Hello My Beloved Readers,

This blog is intended as reminiscence of my study on Master of Management UGM. I just want to share what I have learnt, read, written and done in the past two years. I sure, by doing lots of sharing (about what I have learnt, read, written and done in the past two years), I have nothing to waste. In fact, I have gained a lot and I hope this will be counted as my contribution of Knowledge Deployment for All. I just remember to one of Clause's Maine shout "What you give, you get back!"

To those who enjoy reading, this is your opportunity to know more about Management. Grab and roam any paper here then read with an open heart and mind. Believe me, you’ll get more knowledge and insight. And at the end I hope this will give us some advantageous and useful for all.

“Read in the name of your Lord who has created. created man out of germ-cell. read, for your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, who has taught the use of the pen. taught man what he did not know.”

SALESFORCE.COM

By Abdul Rahman Ismail

Salesforce.com adalah penyedia software aplikasi bisnis on-demand, yang kini bukan hanya menyediakan aplikasi untuk CRM tetapi telah berekspansi ke aplikasi lain untuk mendukung e-Business. Konsep aplikasi on-demand memberikan keuntungan bagi perusahaan karena tidak memerlukan pembelian dan penginstalan hingga pemeliharaan software dan hardware yang cenderung cepat ketinggalan jaman tetapi membangun aplikasi dan inovasi via internet. Dengan aplikasi on-demand, pengguna dapat membuat atau menggunakan aplikasi unik yang sesuai dengan bisnisnya dengan cepat dan mudah serta biaya yang lebih murah. Salesforce.com dikenal luas karena menyediakan aplikasi CRM on-demand yang mudah digunakan dan handal dengan arsitektur yang lengkap, terdiri dari komponen – komponen yang bekerja secara bersama – sama secara berkesinambungan, diantaranya:
1. Salesforce.
Yaitu aplikasi – aplikasi CRM yang berhasil memengankan penghargaan, yang telah mendefinisiulangkan keberhasilan penerapan enterprise application dari Salesforce Automation hingga marketing to customer service dan support to partner management. Aplikasi – aplikasi dalam kategori Salesforce diantaranya:
1.1 Salesforce SFA
Membantu perusahaan untuk meningkatkan produktivitas penjualan, meningkatkan visibilitas, meningkatkan pendapatan dengan aplikasi yang mudah diterapkan untuk me-manage para tenaga penjual dan proses penjualan.
1.2 Salesforce PRM (Partner relationship management)
Solusi on-demand untuk me-manage saluran penjualan tak langsung. Salesforce PRM secara berkesinambungan terintegrasi dengan Salesforce SFA.
1.3 Salesforce Service and Support
Menyediakan solusi customer service application secara komprehensif, multi- channel dengan on-demand technology yang terus dikembangkan.
1.4 Salesforce Marketing
Memudahkan perusahaan untuk melakukan kegiatan marketing sehingga tim marketing yang sibuk pun dapat dengan cepat mengeksekusi, me-manage, dan menganalisis hasil dari promosi dengan berbagai saluran komunikasi. Dengan Salesforce Marketing, eksekutif marketing dapat mengukur ROI dari biaya marketing yang dikeluarkan, menganggarkan sebagian dari pendapatan perusahaan untuk mendanai program pemasaran atau kegiatan marketing dengan perkiraan anggaran yang lebih baik dan membuat penyesuaian – penyesuaian secara real time.
1.5 Salesforce analytics
Menyediakan laporan yang real time (saat itu juga), perhitungan – perhitungan, dashboard untuk melihat performance bisinis dengan sumber – sumber dan analisis yang relevan sehingga memudahkan untuk melakukan optimasi kinerja perusahaan, membuat keputusan dengan cepat dan mengalokasikan sumberdaya yang ada.

Fitur terbaru hasil kerjasama salesforce.com dan Sendia Corp adalah sebuah Wireless Salesforce Automation Application atau disebut juga sebagai Wireless SFA 2.0. Fitur terbaru ini mencakup integrasi yang lebih dalam dari Mobile PIM dan e-mail, sales activity alerts, dan advances pipeline reporting, dan juga existing capability untuk akses wireless dan mengedit salesforce.com data melalui device seperti Research In Motion's BlackBerry palmOne's Treo 600, dan 650 smartphones.
Terdapat juga Salesforce Sandbox, sebuah test tool untuk aplikasi On-demand. Fungsi Salesforce Sandbox antara lain untuk memungkinkan perusahaan melakukan tes dan evaluasi terhadap inovasi sekitar 85 aplikasi dari AppExchange – solusi untuk pengontrolan, TI, SDM, riset dan pengembangan – dalam infrastruktur imitasi. Pelanggan dapat menemukan seberapa jauh penggunaan aplikasi baru mempengaruhi pengaturan pelanggannya. Selanjutnya, dengan tool ini training karyawan dapat dilaksanakan.

Global Responsibility on Global Warming: Kyoto Protocol is the First Good Step

By Abdul Rahman Ismail


Global warming is one of the world’s most charged issue of the day. World temperature has been rising. The world is warming faster in this recent century with potential devastating effects. The most apparent effect is the addition of water to the ocean through the melting of icecaps. Over the past century sea level has slowly been rising. Global warming also causes the climate change which the impacts is so wide. Climate change already has considerable impacts on the wild life, environment, economy, human health, infrastructure, society and lifestyle, which is tend to increase in the future.

Many studies give strong evidence that the increasing of global warming is attributable to human activity: industrialization, transportation, deforestation and other activity related to altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere. Since the beginning of industrial revolution, human activity increasingly pollute the atmosphere. Industries contribute on increment of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and other gases from burning of fossil fuel to power boilers and produce steam and using gasoline to power vehicle for transportation. This addition of gases cause greenhouse effect worsen. Greenhouse effect is mechanism in atmosphere to trap short wave solar radiation to keep the earth warm. The extra greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap more energy from solar radiation and therefore cause more warming, worse cause the earth hot.
Realize that global warming is serious problem scientists insist government to take action. But government in every nation can not work in isolation to combat global warming. Global warming is serious issue that need to be solved by the whole nation in the earth. Therefore United Nations take important role against global warming by facilitating intergovernmental negotiating committee to negotiate treaty on global warming, conduct international climate summit, conference and many other work. The most recognized action is agreement under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the international summit in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997 recognized as Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol is international framework for combating global warming. More than 170 nations signed the treaty, including the United States, Australia, the European Union, Canada, and Japan. Kyoto Protocol force nations to agree and ratify the rules to reduce the emission of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming.

Kyoto protocol is an effort to mitigate global warming with target is reduction of worldwide greenhouse gases emissions to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The protocol establishes different levels of reduction depending on their economic and national situation. Most of the world’s industrialized nations support the Kyoto Protocol but the different levels of reduction for developed countries and developing countries has risen dispute. Several nations including the United States, the greatest greenhouse-gases producer in the world, 35 percent of those generated by humans worldwide, and Australia refuse to ratify it. The United States and Australia argued that Kyoto Protocol was wrong to exempt developing country like China and India, and would hurt them economically because the implementation of Kyoto Protocol to reduce the greenhouse gases emission will be very expensive.
The United States is right but not absolutely right. The reason that Kyoto Protocol was not well-balanced and did not include developing nations that are counted as the other greatest greenhouse-gases producer like China, India and Brazil is the weakness of Kyoto Protocol. That is true. But it is wrong not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, on effort to mitigate global warming that was signed. Although the United States and other non-signatories countries do agree that climate change is a serious issue, and they realize that it requires a global response to work together and agree to intensify cooperation on science and technology, they just make mistake not to take action on global warming mitigation obviously. If we willing to save our living environment, our earth, we have to commit to stop or reduce our activity polluting the atmosphere in real action. Economic consideration should not hamper the effort to combat global warming. Although there are much imperfection and limitation, implementation of Kyoto Protocol is better step than do nothing. We should make priority to save our home, earth. The barriers like political and economical problem should be solved together.

Kyoto Protocol is the first good step, but it need some revision. The greatest greenhouse-gases producer in the world like United States, China, EU countries, India and others have to reduce greenhouse gases they produce obviously, no mater their classification as developed or developing countries. That is one important point to revise the protocol after 2012. Another consideration that should be included on the revision is the obligation on industry process revolution to be green industry that produce less pollution. The revolution to be green industry need large amount of cost but it will increase efficiencies that lead to less overall production cost and increase profit, according to many studies and practitioner. The protocol revision also need to addresses problems that every country facing, solve the dispute, establish the rules and find the realistic way to combat global warming. We must work together. There is no country will able to work in isolation to mitigate global warming on it own way, even the powerful country like the United States. I do agree with former Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi statement that from now, we have to build a system in which more nations will work together under the common framework to stop global warming.

In addition to ratify and implement Kyoto Protocol, the activation on global warming mitigation must be a national movement in every nations in the world. Every government must improve awareness of their people about the danger of global warming, educate them from elementary school. Government must stop and prohibit deforestation strictly and reforestation must be undertaken seriously also encourage the development of less-pollutant bio-energy. In the meantime scientist must creates new less-pollutant vehicle and new transportation system. And as good citizen in earth we must take a part to stop the global warming by using energy efficiently, use the more clean energy and not to pollute our atmosphere on our daily activity. Working together to combat global warming have to be our commitment.

STARBUCKS CORPORATION

ABDUL RAHMAN ISMAIL

CASE SUMARY

Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1985 by Howard Schultz. But the origins of Starbucks reach back to 1971, when the Starbucks Coffee Company was founded by three people: Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl love coffee and tea. This time Starbucks only sold the coffee beans and the according coffee machines and mills. In the first ten years four more stores were set up.
In 1982 Starbucks coffee history was changed forever when Baldwin hired the energetic Schultz as the new head of marketing and shortly thereafter sent him to an international housewares show in Milan, Italy in 1983. Schultz found himself infatuated with the vibrant coffee culture of Italy. While in nearby Verona, Schultz had his first caffe’ latte’ and, as he observed the cafe patrons chatting and laughing joyously while sipping their coffees in the elegant surroundings, inspiration struck.
In 1987 he could purchase the Starbucks Coffee Company and most important the brand name that he used for all his stores, as Starbucks was a more familiar brand to the Americans. When he acquired Starbucks for US $ 3.8 million the company had already 11 stores and about 100 employees. He kept almost all the employees because he also wanted to make Starbucks become a social company. So, he also paid more than the minimum wage, cares for good health insurances and even offered stock options to part-time employees. So it was no surprise that Starbucks had the lowest fluctuation rate among the restaurant and fast food business sector. But today also some ex-employees mention that the good and social image of Starbucks is a fallacy, as there are long working hours and not many chances to be promoted.

The majority of Starbucks’ sales were made with company-operated retail stores, but also 15% of the sales were made by specialty operations such as selling coffee beans to hotels and airlines or revenues from licensing agreements. Starbucks also has a joint venture with PepsiCo and an alliance with Dreyers Grand Ice Cream with whom they introduced the Frappuchino-line. In 1995, when the US market almost reached saturation, Starbucks Coffee International was forced to concentrate on international operations.

The strategy to enter a foreign market was mainly joint venture, in some markets they also used licensing as entry strategy. In 1995 the first joint venture was formed with SAZABY INC. to enter the Japanese market. More Asianpacific countries and later European countries followed. Starbucks Mission Statement: Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.

ANALYSIS
Starbucks is one of the most successful and admired companies today. It has grown from a single coffee shop in Seattle to international company. Starbucks has changed the way people from different continents drink coffee.
More than the taste of its coffee, there are a number of factors that propelled Starbucks’ latte to the forefront. Below are some of the things that make Starbucks grew to be a gigantic global corporation:
1. Start with a good business concept.
Starbucks is a tremendous success because it capitalized on a concept that hadn’t existed before – the coffeehouse as a gathering place. It is not just a place to get a cup of gourmet coffee, but it has become a center for socializing and intellectual discussion, particularly among students and young urban professionals. Starbucks created a unique offering that was relevant and differentiated. It turned an ordinary and humble product into an extraordinary experience that customers are willing to embrace.
2. Visionary thinking.
Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. The company started small, but even early on it always had big ambitions. The company was made public in 1982, almost a decade after it started. From its humble beginnings, the company currently holds about 40 percent of the specialty coffee market, and the anticipated growth in this category will offer the company considerable opportunities for further growth and expansion in the future. In fact, it can be said that Starbucks is just at its early stages to colonize the globe. Starbucks used the slow-but-sure approach to business growth. It was certainly not an overnight success. But through perseverance, patience, management and financial smarts, the company became a formidable global presence.
3. Creativity.
Starbucks’ strength lies in its ability to spot opportunities, even if that means debunking accepted retail trends. Starbucks’ ability to think outside the box is a common trait that propelled other small businesses to the big league.
Starbucks went against the accepted norm and pursued clustering, using this strategy to increase total revenue and market share. The risk paid off – its practice of blanketing an area with stores helped achieve market dominance quickly. The strategy also made it cheaper to deliver supplies and manage each store. The size of the company has enabled it to absorb any losses that would result from the cannibalizing of store sales when a new one opens up nearby.
4. Partner smart.
Starbucks has demonstrated that even a large company needs help to achieve its goals. In fact, a key reason for Starbucks’ success is its strategic partnership initiatives.
5. Create a unique experience.
Starbucks has created a retail store experience that is attractive, comfortable, and even entertaining, designed to attract customers and keep them coming back to the stores. In its stores, you will find comfortable chairs, wireless Internet connection, even a selection of music. Starbucks began offering wireless high-speed Internet access in its stores in 2001 to enhance the experience for students, business travelers, and web surfers who take advantage of this service while sipping their favorite coffee.

There are also some key success factors that make Starbuck grow biger and biger:
1. Customer service excellence
Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.
2. Product quality
Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of coffee.
3. Accessibility
A lot of branch store, Mail-order, electronoc store, and direct-response marketing.
4. Emerging corporate responsibility
Contribute positively to communities and environment.
5. Financial resources
Starbuck use optimal leverage to sustain its business
6. Brand recognition