List-of-questions-for-Samsung-basis-10-sept.doc

List of questions for Samsung: All questions regard Samsung Electronics!IntroductionGood morning/afternoon, this is _ calling from Capgemini. Do you have time to participate in Capgeminis comparative analysis of the Chinese Consumer Electronics market? This research is conducted with multiple companies in China with the purpose to gain knowledge of the current state of affairs in the Consumer Electronics industry. We are conducting this survey in order to gain a better understanding of the Chinese Consumer Electronics market. We will be more than happy to present you the final outcome of the interviews with multiple high-tech companies within China as soon as they are compiled. This interview will take approximately 45 minutes. We will assure personal confidentiality. For internal purposes, may I note some personal information?Name of interviewee:Job title:Department: R&D, Marketing, Operations etc.Number of FTEs in your department:Years with the company:General1. What in your opinion are the main reasons for Samsungs success in China?2. How important is China as a place to do business for Samsung?3. What are Samsungs biggest challenges in China?4. Who are Samsungs main competitors now and in the future in China?A. OPERATIONSOperations with regards to CE products1. Does Samsung have competitive advantages in manufacturing CE products? If yes, what are they?2. Is Samsungs manufacturing process for CE products significantly faster than competitors processes? Why or how?3. How is Samsungs CE production or manufacturing organized?a. What percentage is in-house, and what percentage is outsourced? (In other words, what percentage of production is fully owned by the company, and what percentage is outsourced to other companies?)4. Does Samsung use Original Design Manufacturers for CE products? a. With how many ODMs does Samsung partner? b. How would you describe the cooperation process with ODMs: smooth and efficient, or slow and costly?c. How does Samsung manage its ODMs?d. For which CE products does Samsung use ODMs?5. What percentage of employees in CE operations are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)6. Does Samsung have an efficient logistics and distribution network for its CE products in China?a. How did Samsung build this, and how does it maintain it?Operations with regards to Mobile phones7. Does Samsung have competitive advantages in manufacturing mobile phones? If yes, what are they?8. Is Samsungs manufacturing process for mobile phones significantly faster than competitors processes? Why or how?9. How is Samsungs mobile phone production or manufacturing organized?a. What percentage is in-house, and what percentage is outsourced? (In other words, what percentage of production is fully owned by the company, and what percentage is outsourced to other companies?)10. Does Samsung use Original Design Manufacturers for mobile phones? a. With how many mobile phone ODMs does Samsung partner? b. How would you describe the cooperation process with ODMs: smooth and efficient, or slow and costly?c. How does Samsung manage its ODMs?d. For which types of mobile phones does Samsung use ODMs?11. What percentage of employees in mobile phone operations are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)12. Does Samsung have an efficient logistics and distribution network for its mobile phones in China?a. How did Samsung build this, and how does it maintain it?B. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTR&D CE 1. What percentage of Samsungs total R&D is undertaken in China?2. What percentage of Chinese sales is spent on R&D in China?3. What percentage of Samsung Electronics Chinese R&D budget is devoted to CE products? 4. Is Samsungs R&D for CE products market- or technology driven?o How does become apparent? For example, how does Samsung transfer information between Marketing and R&D?5. What percentage of the CE R&D budget is used for R&D projects that lead directly to products, and what percentage is used for fundamental research?6. Can you give some examples of innovative Samsung CE products? Why are these innovative?7. Does Samsung use Korea as a testing ground for CE products? Why?8. Is most R&D done in-house or outsourced to ODMs? (Original Design Manufacturers)9. Did Samsung invest in hiring CE R&D experts in China? Or did the company bring Korean experts over to China? 10. What percentage of CE R&D people are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)11. How does quality of Samsung CE R&D compare to quality of R&D of its competitors? In terms of “time to market”, customer involvement, supplier involvement, platform developments, etc.R&D mobile12. What percentage of Samsungs total R&D is undertaken in China?13. What percentage of Chinese sales is spent on R&D in China?14. What percentage of Samsung Electronics Chinese R&D budget is devoted to mobile phones? 15. Is Samsungs R&D for CE products market- or technology driven?o How does become apparent? For example, how does Samsung transfer information between Marketing and R&D?16. What percentage of the mobile phone R&D budget is used for R&D projects that lead directly to products, and what percentage is used for fundamental research?17. Can you give some examples of innovative Samsung Mobile phones? Why are these innovative?18. Does Samsung use Korea as a testing ground for mobile phones?19. Is most R&D done in-house or outsourced to ODMs? (Original Design Manufacturers)20. Did Samsung invest in hiring R&D experts in China? Or did the company bring Korean experts over to China? 21. What percentage of Mobile phones R&D people are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)22. How does quality of Samsung mobile phone R&D compare to quality of R&D of its competitors? In terms of “time to market”, customer involvement, supplier involvement, platform developments, etc.C. MARKETINGMarketing CE1. How long does it take Samsung to develop a completely new product and sell it? (time to market: from approved idea to product being sold) a. Is this the same in China and all over the world?b. How fast is this compared to competitors?2. Does Samsung design and produce CE products especially for China? Which?3. What CE market segments and target groups does Samsung recognize in China?4. What is market positioning of Samsungs CE products? High, medium, low end?5. What is Samsungs most successful CE product category in China and why?6. How would you describe Samsungs CE image or CE brand perception in China?7. What are the main differences between Samsungs marketing approach in China for CE products and that of its competitors?8. Do you find it difficult to build up your brand in China, compared to other countries?9. How big is Samsung marketing department in China? People, budget10. What percentage of CE people in marketing are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)11. How does Samsung gather end-customer information in China? Consumer panels, interviews in shops (like Samsung does in US), testing new products by consumers, via retailer, buying customer records, etc.12. How does IT support Samsungs CE marketing in China? a. What systems are in place, and are these systems integrated? (E.g. CRM?)Marketing Mobile13. How long does it take Samsung to develop a completely new product and sell it? (time to market: from approved idea to product being sold) a. Is this the same in China and all over the world?b. How fast is this compared to competitors?14. Does Samsung design and produce mobile phones especially for China?15. What market segments and target groups does Samsung recognize for Mobile phones in China?16. What is the market positioning of Samsungs mobiles? High, medium or low end?17. What is Samsungs most successful mobile phone category in China and why?18. How would you describe image or brand perception of Samsungs mobiles in China?19. What are the main differences between Samsungs marketing approach in China for mobile phones and that of its competitors?20. Do you find it difficult to build up your brand in China, compared to other countries?21. How big is Samsung marketing department in China? People, budget22. What percentage of mobile phone people in marketing are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other nationalities)23. How does Samsung gather end-customer information in China? Consumer panels, interviews in shops (like Samsung does in US), testing new products by consumers, via retailer, buying customer records, etc.24. How does IT support Samsungs Mobile phone marketing in China? a. What systems are in place, and are these systems integrated? (E.g. CRM?)D. SALESSales CE1. How is Samsungs CE sales department organized in China? Sales reps, agents, regional, local, etc.2. What percentage of CE sales people are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)3. How are Samsungs CE products sold: via retailers in China, its own shops, and /or on the internet? a. Are Samsungs products available everywhere in China?b. What are the differences in sales channels between the big cities and the rural areas?4. How does Samsung select the retailers it wants to sell its CE products? a. What criteria does it use?5. How close is Samsungs relationship with the retailers in China?a. Does the company share sales data with its retailers?b. Does Samsung provide the retailers with research, sales training, etc?c. Does Samsung send people (company sales reps) to stores to inspect displays and talk to store employees and consumers?6. How does IT support Samsungs sales in China?Sales Mobile7. How is Samsungs mobile phones sales department organized in China? Sales reps, agents, regional, local, etc.8. What percentage of mobile phone sales people are Chinese? (% Chinese, % other Asian, % western; specify if possible which other Asian or western nationalities)9. How are Samsungs mobile phones sold: via retailers in China, its own shops, and /or on the internet?a. Are Samsungs products available everywhere in China?b. What are the differences in sales channels between the big cities and the rural areas?10. How does Samsung select the retailers it wants to sell its mobile phones? a. What criteria does it use?11. How close is Samsungs relationship with the retailers in China?a. Does the company share sales data with its retailers?b. Does Samsung provide the retailers with research, sales training, etc?c. Does Samsung send people (company sales reps) to stores to inspect displays and talk to store employees and consumers?12. How does IT support Samsungs sales in China?E. Governance structure1. How is the Samsung organization in China organized on a local, regional and national level? (What management teams/departments/business units etc.) ( We know already the # of production and R&D sites of Samsung in China, so no need to elaborate)2. What reporting lines does Samsung China use? Who reports to whom?F. Internal processes and cooperation1. How is the cooperation between operations, R&D, marketing and sales organized?2. Would you call the Samsung China organization a “well oiled machine”, and why?3. What does the KPI structure for managers and employees (Key Performance Indicators: personal or unit targets) look like?4. How is the P&L structure organized? G. “More than profits” Does Samsung have a certain ideology, motto or vision that makes it unique?H. Culture1. How would you describe Sams