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70

What does Dell need to do to compete?

70 points posted to Dell, Dell Community by phubert 11/20/07

Dell is moving, that much is clear.

But, so also is HP.

What does Dell need to do to stay ahead where it already leads and to MOVE ahead where it has fallen behind?

The answers to these two questions may have some very different elements.

Do they differ _fundamentally_, though?

What do you think?

phubert
11/20/07		 Profits at HP are up... and HP is apparently on the move...

Dell has _made_ acquisitions...

This BusinessWeek article addresses HP's moves... can Dell match them?

HP's Cultural Revolution

To pick up the pace of innovation, the tech giant is betting on startups and injecting their DNA into its operations

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2007/id20071114_289027.htm?ch...
phubert
11/20/07		 Love 'em or hate 'em, the New England Patriots are providing a most interesting example:

Striving for excellence -ALL THE TIME-.

Clearly, they are a team with pride and a team with a coach who won't let them rest on their victories...
phubert
11/20/07		 Note the title of the HP article. Note, also, that I've raised the issue of the problems of cultural change at Dell, concluding that is exactly what the company is going through and suggesting that IdeaStorm is one catalyst, if imperfectly, OF that change.

I would LOVE to have Dell discuss aspects of change that _can_ be shared - here.
jervis961
11/20/07		 Woot to the pats. ( my favorite team ). Although they did get caught trying to cheat but so did HP. :)

Dell needs to pick up the pace and consolidate to compete. How many different notebook lines does a company need? Why do they have so many different sites to purchase from (all with different prices for the same product)?
They need to move faster at changing the products they have to be better looking, and have better options. They also need to cut back on all the different confusing lines they have for the notebooks: Vostro, Inspiron, Latitude, XPS and Precision should be cut back to 3 different lines. Low, middle and high end systems are all that are really needed for home or business. They should also consolidate them all into one site so people don't have to shop all the different Dell sites to find the best deal. I could go on all day with what they should change.

The biggest thing they need to change is their fear of change itself.
premcv
11/20/07		 For starters, they should seriously start thinking about the THE MOST popular ideas on here and start implementing them. That will get the hordes in and people will respond in greater numbers. Much of these annoyances, I believe, are due to the fact that with IS they've come with a great tool, but to make it better, it is time that they started moving the popular ideas out of the Ideation process and onto the Drawing board.
premcv
11/20/07		 Yes, Jervis! Also, they have the Alienware brand, they should utilise the brand in a way that exceeds what others do. Like I said in a previous Idea, they should start merging the XPS brand with the Alienware and reduce the number of different lines that they have.
aikiwolfie
11/20/07		 Duplication of products seems to be what Dell is good at. The ONE is nothing more than the M2010 in a different chassis. Why did it take so long to develop? I think this is a clear case of the desktop development team not talking to the laptop development team. Which is bad news. As soon as different departments stop talking duplication runs riot and resources get wasted.
phubert
11/20/07		 but outstanding -marketing- also SELLS... one just wants to be certain the buyer is happy AFTER the sale, or at least not so ticked off that they tell all their friends to STAY AWAY. Positive WOM, however, takes effort...
aikiwolfie
11/20/07		 Keeping customers happy means avoiding problems in the first instance, solving them quickly in the second and in the third compensating the customer for the trouble. Dell don't do any of these. Where is the point for example of having on-line e-mail contacts just for an auto responder to tell me to phone anyway?

And I'm still waiting on my warranty call back. I won't be buying it now.
sugarbear
11/20/07		 They need to get rid of their in house spys to start with( if they have any.) Dell is always one step behind HP. HP is sending out customer satisfaction surveys. I`ve had two so far. And quite frankly I think Dell is more interested in China and Asia, new markets and selling pc`s much cheaper. The pc`s are low end compared to the US. One of Dells problems, and has been for years, is no customer service, poor overseas tech support, and the Don`t give a darn attitude. See where it`s got them. It takes a long time to turn a corporation around when it`s been on a down hill slide. Dell hires bright, young individuals, they have the ability to think and produce great things. Dell`s biggest problem is the lack of communication between departments.
premcv
11/21/07		 Yes, sb, I've heard about the "lack of communication" thingy. Once they improve that, like how HP has, then there's no reason why Dell shouldn't be the #1.
phubert
11/21/07		 You've covered it pretty well, sugarbear.
sugarbear
11/21/07		 phubert, I`m very well know for telling like it is.
phubert
11/21/07		 As always, we continue to wonder if Dell is LISTENING... or if they CARE...

btw - "house spys"??? what are you referring-to there???
sugarbear
11/21/07		 Industrial espionage is always present in corporations to some extent. With pc`s it`s probably much wider spread.. I don`t know that Dell has any, But who says they don`t. High tech. spys are very hard to catch.
premcv
11/21/07		 True you are, sb. I've heard about these also. Some software companies hire Detectives to ensure that no one else inside or outside has any idea about their software while they are going live.
phubert
11/21/07		 ah, so your POINT was that the in-house spies aren't doing their job?
sugarbear
11/21/07		 I think Dell needs to send some spies to HP. HA HA. HP`s spies seem to be doing well.
premcv
11/21/07		 LOL sb!
aikiwolfie
11/21/07		 LOL! I forgot what I was going to post now. Them spys must have zapped me.
undead999
11/21/07		 HP commercials are way better than anything Dell has offered since “Dude, you’re getting a dell” guy. I don’t care for the HP commercials, but they work better than Dell’s because they have a consistent theme, move briskly and have special effects.
sugarbear
11/21/07		 I really liked the picture frame commercial, simple, different, and on a common level.
aikiwolfie
11/22/07		 So so far Dell needs to;
  1. Offer a better level of customer service and after sales care.


  2. Sack the spys they have in HP. They're clearly slacking off.


  3. Make better adds.


  4. Consolidate some product lines. Especially laptops and Alienware.


  5. Develop better communications between departments
sugarbear
11/22/07		 You did good aikiwolfie, you condensed it down to the basics.
aikiwolfie
11/23/07		 Thanks :o)
phubert
11/26/07		 HP HAS had some excellent commercials! And, I especially liked the original 'picture frame' one as well! Though, I'm not so sure it made me think more of HP.

HP is constantly coming up with better, cheaper PRINT technology.
sugarbear
11/26/07		 Hve you watched the new Kodak commercial. It has the colored balls and I thought it was a Dell commercial at first. In the Dell sales ads you see the big colored balls to. Kodak definitely copied part of the Dell ads.
phubert
11/26/07		 No, don't think I've seen either of those!
phubert
11/27/07		 HP Leads Dell in SERVER shipments, too!

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/27/server-shipments-revenues
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