Clifton Industries Case Study: Strategic Market Analysis & Plans

This case study examines Clifton Industries, a part of Berbeck Industries Group, and its strategic management approach, particularly its competitive positioning and future strategies. The company focuses on manufacturing and supplying heavy industrial machines, equipment, and aircraft parts. It highlights the company's efforts to penetrate the North American market through strategic acquisitions and its emphasis on understanding market dynamics better than competitors. The analysis covers the company's shift in marketing focus from European aircraft manufacturers to the larger North American market, along with strategies to address competition through competitive pricing, high-quality products, and advanced technology. Corporate decisions, guided by careful consideration and stakeholder agreement, are crucial for the company's future direction. The study concludes that Clifton Industries aims to achieve market leadership through effective marketing strategies and continuous market scanning to compete effectively. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Running Head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Strategic Management
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Introduction
 Clifton industry is part of Berbeck Industries group that deals in the manufacture,
sales, and supply of heavy industrial machines and equipment. They also deal in
mechanical, electronic, civil engineering, oil refinery, chemicals, and domestic
appliances equipment. It is one of the best industries, which supplies aircraft parts as
well. Because this is a big company, it is one of the industries that the management is
complex (De Porcellinis, Oliva, Panzieri, and Setola, 2009). Therefore, we can see
from the case study that there is a main board director, who does the executive
responsibility. In the last decade, the company managed to take control of three US
aerospace companies. This was a strategic measure to enable them to invade the North
American markets.
 All these steps and many more others, the company has managed to gain adequate
knowledge and skills to enable them to understand the markets better than their
competitors do.
Competitive positioning
 For future prospects, the company has decided to focus on the future load of work
they will experience. In this connection, the original equipment are commitments
which are known and signals are arranged in advance to help understand the specific
steps to be taken to ensure that objectives are achieved and challenges are minimised.
 The future sales are planned through the original equipment (OE) and the history of
the trends that had been realized sometimes back. The marketing process has been a
vigorous one with targets on specific areas that had not been invaded by other
competitors (Scottish Executive, 2005). It is depicted in the case study that up to the
mid-1990’s; the main targets were the European aircraft manufacturers. When they

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realized that there would be some drops in sales volume, the company top
management changed strategies to ensure that they get into contracts with fresh
markets and maintain their sales level despite the fact that there is a shortfall in sales
in other markets.
 The North America market is seen as more extensive and larger than the European
market. Although four larger companies, which are the US-based companies, already
serve the American market the market still needs more companies because of its
expansive nature. The supply of materials has been decentralized in all the
departments to service all the company branches with all the necessary materials
needed to manufacture the products and to understand the markets better than their
competitors do.
 The company will strive to venture into markets that have not been invaded. This is
because there are some areas that have not realized this kind of business. Lowering
prices of our products is another strategy to ensure that we beat our competitors in this
area. In this case, many of our customers will stick to buying our products compared
to other companies’ products, which are comparatively expensive (Yuan, Chen,
LePoire, and Rothman, 2008). Lastly, our products are made by highly skilled
professionals with a commitment to manufacture highly quality products as compared
to what our competitors present in the market.
 The company has decided to focus on the future load of work they will experience. In
this connection, the original equipment is commitments which are known and signals
are arranged in advance to help understand the specific steps to be taken to ensure that
objectives are achieved and challenges are minimized (Department of Commerce,
2007). The future sales are planned through the original equipment (OE) and the

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history of the trends that had been realized sometimes back. The marketing process
has been a vigorous one with targets on specific areas that had not been invaded by
other competitors. It is depicted d in the case study that up to the mid-1990’s; the
main targets were the European aircraft manufacturers.
 The supply has been very reliable in deliveries and the suppliers have made great
strides in ensuring that the companies receive their materials in good time to avoid
challenges that may arise due to shortages or lack of materials.
Corporate decisions for plans
 It is important to note that sometimes there must be a fall in sales but this does not
mean the business is facing serious challenges that may not allow it to operate. In
other words, a fall in sales is a normal occurrence in a business world. The most
important thing is the next plan or an alternative decision that would take care of the
situation. The company has made inroads into certain markets, which, in a real sense
have been done due to consultative corporate decisions (Department for Business
Marketing, 2006). Keith Mills noted in his comments that the decisions they make
must be looked into care because they will bind them in future. This indicates that
there had to be a proper agreement in whatever decision they wanted to use. He added
that he had to ensure that the direction they take must be appropriate and properly
timed so that they do not regret later to have made the wrong decision (Nieuwenhuijs,
Luiijf, Klaver, 2008). While such decisions are sometimes undisputable, the
stakeholders and the entire management must come to an agreement before any
substantial action or before any implementation is done. If no agreement is done, the

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entire plan may be in disarray and some of those who disagreed may work in the
cohort to fail it deliberately.
Competition
 It is noted in the case study that there are many companies in the US that are dealing
with the same business, however, because this is a large market, it obvious that other
areas within the US have not been invaded. Therefore, there is need to reach the
customers in these places. However, we have to agree that competition must be met at
any level. Proper strategies must be put in place to provide adequate protection from
competition offered by the competitors. Firstly, the company will strive to venture
into markets that have not been invaded. This is because there are some areas that
have not realized this kind of business (Rinaldi, 2011). Lowering prices of our
products is another strategy to ensure that we beat our competitors in this area. In this
case, many of our customers will stick to buying our products compared to other
companies’ products, which are comparatively expensive. Lastly, our products are
made by highly skilled professionals with a commitment to manufacturing high
quality products as compared to what our competitors present in the market (Setola,
De Porcellinis, and Sforna, 2010). Employment of the latest technology is one of our
commitments to ensure that we reduce the time taken for production and to produce
large quantity within a very short period. This allows us to constantly serve our
customers in time.
Conclusion
 Clifton industries are concerned with the best outcomes from the market. Marketing
strategies are among their focus to ensure that they become the market leaders in the

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supply of heavy industrial machines and equipment, mechanical, electronic, civil
engineering, oil refinery, chemicals, and domestic appliances equipment. To make its
operations as well the business successful, they must lay out certain strategies to help
scan the market and favorably compete with their competitors.

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References
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