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Title: Environmental analysis of Misc Limited

Assignment topic
Organisations can have a number of strategic options available to them.
Making the right choice from available strategic options is the result of indepth internal and external environmental analysis and better alignment
with their vision, mission, and statement of values and objectives.
Select an organisation of your own choice and, without going into the details,
provide their vision, mission and statement of values and briefly discuss the
objectives. For this assignment you may use the existing statements and
objectives.
Using appropriate Strategic Management tools critically analyse the internal
and external environment of the chosen organisation. Based on your
analyses, identify and critically evaluate two strategic options and select one
option that provides the best strategic fit for the chosen organisation. With
the help of sound arguments, justify why you think this is the best strategic
option and how this can help the chosen organisation to achieve their overall
vision and mission and strengthen their position in the market.
Word count (from the start of the Introduction section to the end of the
Recommendation section):
2 044 words
Executive summary
The internal and external environment has a major impact on every
organisation. This paper analyses the internal and external environmental
factors affecting Misc and indicates how they can be used to a companys
advantage. Firstly, Strategic Management will be defined; its principles and
practices will then be discussed, considering the environments in which Misc
Limited exists.
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The strategic options proposed which the company could benefit from are a
result of analyses conducted using PESTLE, SWOT and Five Forces
framework, to achieve the goals envisioned. One of which will be chosen
justifying why this would be the most viable selection, in line with Miscs
objectives.

Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................6
2. Background..................................................................................................................................6
3. Vision...........................................................................................................................................6
4. Mission Statement.......................................................................................................................7
4.1 Justification of the mission statement....................................................................................7
5. Statement of values......................................................................................................................7
5.1. Justification of the values.....................................................................................................8
6. Strategic Management tools........................................................................................................8
6.1. Porters five forces model.....................................................................................................9
6.2. PESTEL Analysis.................................................................................................................9
6.3. SWOT Analysis..................................................................................................................10
7. Internal.......................................................................................................................................10
8. External Analysis.......................................................................................................................11
9. Importance of implementing strategies......................................................................................11
10. Best-fit strategies.....................................................................................................................11
12. Recommendations....................................................................................................................12
13. References................................................................................................................................13
14. Appendices...............................................................................................................................14

1. Introduction
Strategy is defined as the long-term direction of an organisation (Johnson et
al. 2014, p. 5).
To construct a strategic plan it is essential for the strategist to take into
account certain elements inclusive of; vision, mission and statement of
values, and avoid common mistakes, like ignoring the developmental needs
of the organisation to accomplish the next level of advancement.
The aim of this paper is to analyse the external and internal environments of
Misc, by examining different strategic options and selecting the best suited
to the organisations long-term strategy. This will be accomplished by an
evaluation of Misc using Porters five forces framework, SWOT analyses and
the PESTLE framework, to determine the best fit option.

2. Background
Misc Limited (Misc) is a fully owned subsidiary of the Brydens Group,
formerly Pi Caribbean which started in April 1994, legally incorporated in
2003 with well over 350 employees presently. They represent several major
international brands and provide direct, channel focused marketing and sales
services via more than 90 sales and trade representatives supported by
management teams comprised of sales, marketing and logistics specialists
and are ably supported by state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution
centers. The 2003 incorporation of Pi Caribbean and A.S. Bryden & Sons
created:
an ideal partnership and synergistic fit which is able to support an
aggressive growth vision. The alliance gave birth to Misc Limited, an
independently managed operation and newest member of the Bryden's
Group (brydenpi.com).

3. Vision (see Appendices figure 1)

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Miscs over-arching vision is to achieve sales of one billion TT$ by 2018. To

realise this target the company desires to be the most affable distributor to
do business with, through acquisitions; realising that year on year growth
would not assist to achieve the main target, through supplier and customer
partnerships and by being best in class comprising point of sale, customer
service, supply chain management and brand building capabilities provided
by happy people who achieve more (MISC 2015).

4. Mission Statement
To be a channel focused distributor of Health and Personal Care products in
Trinidad and Tobago (MISC 2015).
4.1 Justification of the mission statement
MISC is a team in partnership with suppliers committed to providing
customised marketing and distribution services by linking the needs of
consumers or final users with the supplier offerings. Their success is
measured on the achievement of market leadership of their key brands and
superior financial returns. They believe that their sustainable competitive
advantage is due to their business philosophy and management style.
According to Misc, they believe that Happy people are more passionate and
productive and are assumed to be an outcome of their corporate values
(MISC 2015).
5. Statement of values (see Appendices figure 2)

People come first Based on happiness, trust, open communication,

empowerment, creativity and opportunity for growth.

We win only as a team Full participation and involvement by all,

support for each other, personal freedom with team responsibility and
close partnership with their customers, suppliers and associates.

We always do the right thing way Dedicated to continuous

improvement, attentive and responsive to new ideas, encouraging of
creativity and not afraid of failure.

There is always a better way Acting responsibly and staying true to

their values (MISC 2015).

5.1. Justification of the values

The objective of Misc is to have happy people enhancing lives together,
passionately delighting the internal and external customers and suppliers
(brydenpi.com). They believe that their major sustainable competitive
advantage is their philosophy and management style (see Appendices figure
2.1) generating happy people who are more passionate and productive (MISC
2015). Miscs environment is one based primarily on happiness and the
companys experience is that a comfortable environment enables the
employee to perform at his or her best which translates into better results
and increased profitability.
6. Strategic Management tools
There are various strategic management tools available, to analyse a
companys environments the options selected for this assignment are,
Porters five forces framework (see Appendices, figure 3), SWOT and PESTEL
analysis.
Porters five forces framework illustrates the impact of rivalry within existing
competitors; the threat of new entrants; bargaining power of buyers;
bargaining power of suppliers and the threat of substitute services or
products, on the company. It helps strategists analyse the industry and
environment in which their companies function, formulate a plan to ensure
an advantage among existing competitors and to determine how an industry
would appear to new entrants (Johnson et al. 2014, p. 41).

According to Research and Markets (2013) the SWOT framework

demonstrates strengths and weaknesses within the organisation and
opportunities and threats that exist externally.
The internal features are the companys own strengths and weaknesses.
Analysing them is a matter of analysing the state of the company. They are
factors that already exist for instance; culture, technology and staff relations.
The external features are the organisations opportunities and the threats to
its future performance. These exist only on the horizon, and they are less
easy to assess; an organization has little or no control over its environment
but needs to persistently monitor and adapt to these external changes. They
arise from factors such as changes in technology, demography or
government policy. The positive aspects are the strengths and opportunities;
the negative facets are the threats and weaknesses (Guide to Management
Ideas 2003).
6.1. Porters five forces model
A Company's success is governed by the strongest competitive force or
forces imposed, which are essential to strategic formulation (Porter 2008).
Using the five forces framework, which focuses mainly on the influence of
the external environment, to analyse Miscs external environment the
following are the conclusions drawn; Threats of entry posed by new or
potential competitors are low due to Government regulatory board
requirements, high start-up costs associated with entry and the fierce
competition that already exists. The rivalry among existing distributors are
high owing to the fact that the products offered are of similar quality and
prices.; Bargaining power of buyers is medium for instance chain stores and
private hospitals who buy in bulk quantities, apply pressure on distributors to
keep prices in check moreover the government tendering system is
structured in such a way that distributors have to commit to the lowest
prices possible in order to win a bid and switching costs are minimal on
account of the similarity of competitor prices. Bargaining powers of suppliers
are low since the number of licensed distributors are limited and already
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have stipulated contacts with the suppliers. The threat of substitute products
is high due to the lower cost of generic products as there are mimics of
products already developed.
6.2. PESTEL Analysis
PESTEL incorporates Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental
and Legal segments (see Appendices figure 4). Analysing these sectors it can
be concluded that, political uncertainty is on the horizon owing to general
elections carded for September, 2015. Economically the country benefits
from GDP growth from USD 19.18 billion in 2010 to USD 24.64 billion in 2014
(see Appendices figure 4.1) allowing for increased disposable income
(tradingeconomics.com). Socially the population is apt to choose from a wide
variety to suit their requirements; furthermore technology plays a
fundamental role with the increasing use of online shopping, where more
than USD 1 billion has been spent two years prior to December 2014
(trinidadexpress.com). The environmental impact is shown within the
delivery aspect of the company, where road accidents, bad weather and
other influencers could delay timely execution. Within the legal aspect,
health and safety regulations mainly influence the staff within the company
whereas product registration is controlled by the Bureau of Standards and
Ministry of Health.
6.3. SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis is one of the most widely practiced methods from a variety of
options in the attempt to implement or improve the corporate development
strategy process (Hill & Westbrook 1997).
SWOT is a mnemonic that represents the words; Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats. It is used to assist strategists within
organisations to access ways in which to manage the SWOTs and enhance
performance (Guide to Management Ideas 2003). Furthermore SWOT
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analysis can be used to educate staff of the necessity for change and solve
problems (Business & Management Dictionary 2007). SWOT can be broken
into two environmental entities, Strength and Weakness for internal
evaluation and Opportunities and Threats to access the external setting.
Where weakness assigned ought to be turned into strengths; threats into
opportunities and strengths should be matched with opportunities. Using the
SWOT analysis, the information collected on Misc indicate there are many
strengths which the company can utilise to, keep or increase the companys
market share (Appendices, figure 5). Their major strengths are innovative
and dedicated people who are willing to do what it takes to get the job done,
trusted partner relationships with suppliers creating opportunities for growth
and the inclination to invest as evidenced by the recent acquisition of
Genethics Pharmaceutical Limited in 2014.

7. Internal
Misc has an internal environment fostering creativity, mutual respect and
opportunity for each person to realise their full potential by following the first
value and supporting a flexible work life (MISC 2015). This is evidenced in
the SWOT analysis prepared on Misc, where people are the greatest strength;
portrayed its visionary beliefs that happy people are more passionate and
productive (brydenpi.com).
8. External Analysis
Misc Limited identifies that the customer is the life line of their business
success and the objective is to meet customer needs and to exceed their
expectation in quality, delivery and value (MISC 2015). Taking into account
the five forces, Misc currently ranks third in government tenders market
share with 14.8 percent against 112 competitors, they are committed to
customer satisfaction, observe the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, provide high
quality products and adhere to a code of ethics acting with integrity.
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9. Importance of implementing strategies

Implementation of strategy is paramount to the success of a company,
without action strategy is no more than a notion. When strategic plans are
converted into action it becomes the guiding force in an organisation. The
development of implementation can be quite a challenging task, particularly
when the strategy entails substantial deviations from established ways of
culture. Often strategy plans fail for the reason that employees resist
change; implementation of strategy may also fail because of inadequate
availability of required resources, communication and training. This is the
purpose of MISC enabled training sessions to educate staff of the vision,
values and beliefs such as; The leadership and emotional intelligence
program facilitated by Barry Hart.
10. Best-fit strategies
The best fit strategy for Misc comes from the SWOT analysis used in
combination with PESTEL framework which gives an extensive array of
information. This is based on findings from the options examined; Porters
five forces framework indicates a strong position in the industry however
SWOT and PESTEL analyses contain a greater opportunity for improvement
and capitalisation in both environments for Misc. The feasibility of this can be
gathered initially from the strengths and weakness where there is a
dedicated workforce nevertheless a high staff turnover and insufficient staff.
This could be solved with little effort by management through disseminating
information and adhering to the company values to facilitate the company
moving closer to depicting its visionary beliefs that happy people are more
passionate and productive, whilst also creating a longer lasting culture of
motivated and committed personnel (brydenpi.com).
11. Conclusion
In conclusion the vision, mission and statement of values are in accordance
with the objectives of Misc, principally in the external environment, though
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they are not fully exploited to maintain an upright internal stance, as

perceived in their weaknesses.
12. Recommendations
Misc should place additional emphasis on their greatest strengths by
employing additional staff that is properly trained for the tasks required of
them; educated in the values of Misc with suitable job descriptions and
output expectations defined. Furthermore although state-of-the-art systems
have been implemented; the Warehouse management and accounting
technology purchased should be fully exploited in order to promote greater
efficiency of resources. There is also a necessity to take advantage of new
technology to the region, for instance handheld systems to assist the sales
team with real time access to stock information, credit management and on
time deliveries with the purpose of reigning supreme in the market share
currently possessed.

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13. References
Bloomsbury Business Library, Business & Management Dictionary 2007, p
7227, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.
Misc orientation document, July 2015.
Misc website, viewed 4 July 2015, http://www.brydenpi.com/ourvalues.
Guide to Management Ideas, 2003, pp 218-219, viewed 6 July 2015
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.
Hill, T, & Westbrook, R 1997, Long Range Planning, February, vol. 30, no. 1,
pp 46-52, viewed 5 July 2015, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.
Johnson, G, Whittington, R, Scholes, K, Angwin, D & Regnr, P 2014,
Exploring Strategy-Text and Cases,10th Edition.
Porter, M, E., 2008 THE FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES THAT SHAPE STRATEGY
Harvard Business Review, 00178012, January, vol. 86, no. 1, viewed 5 July
2015, http://web.a.ebscohost.com
Research and Markets 2013 Business Wire (English), viewed 6 July 2015
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t2lqws/systemair_ab
Trading Economics website, viewed 11 July 2015,
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/trinidad-and-tobago/gdp
Trinidad Express, viewed 11 July 2015,
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Vendors-blame-poor-sales-on-onlinebargains-286628011.html
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14. Appendices
Figure 1-Vision of Misc

Figure 2-MISC Core values

Figure 2.1-Miscs beliefs

Figure 3-Porters five forces model

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Figure 4-Pestle Framework

Figure 4.1-Trinidad and Tobago GDP/US$ Billion

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Figure 5-SWOT analysis of Misc

Strengths

Weaknesses

-Innovative & dedicated people

-Trusted partner relationships
-Willingness to invest
-Brand building
-High penetration and in-store impact
-Quick decision making
-State-of-the-art systems
-Enhanced growth potential

-Insufficient office staff

-High turn-over of staff
-Inconsistent communication with staff
-Underutilisation of technology (Warehouse management and accounting system)
-Non-existent Job descriptions

-Invest in Digital x-ray machines (new technology)

-Loss of brands to competitors owing to intense rivalry
-Seek alternative suppliers
-Under-bidding of tender contracts
-Stable economy and GDP growth indicates more disposable income
-Political
forinstability
consumersdue to upcoming elections is September 2015

Opportunities
Threats

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