Dr. Basil J. Janavaras basilj@janavaras.com

Introduction The GMMSO, www.gmmso4.com is essentially a Project-Based Learning (PBL) tool designed to be used for international business projects as a part of a course or on its own. •The GMMSO:

• Is based on both international business theory and practical, hands-on experiences.

• Will assist you in making strategic marketing/management decisions on how to expand a company’s business internationally and how to develop an appropriate business and marketing plan.

•You are provided with helpful tools such as a User Guide with step-by-step instructions, targeted internet resources, case examples and a glossary.

Purpose of GMMSO • An online management planning tool designed to aid research of

global markets and develop international marketing plans and strategies • It is designed to help you bridge the gap between theory and the

rigorous decision making process of solving real, complex business problems in a global setting.

Learning Outcomes As a result of using the GMMSO software as a key teaching and learning tool you should learn how to:

•Research, analyse, interpret and use data to make business decisions in a global setting.

•Apply what they learn in the classroom or training environment.

•Integrate knowledge from all functional business areas and be able to make decisions in a global context.

•Perform a situation analysis of a company in a global context.

•Practice how to research global markets.

•Identify and evaluate high potential country markets for company’s products/services.

•Conduct competitive analysis.

•Determine best entry mode strategies.

•Develop customize marketing plans and strategies.

•Use internet resources and information effectively.

How it works?

• Gather Information

• Enter Information

• Analyze and Evaluate Information

• Generate Reports

• Refine Reports and Create Summaries

Registering www.gmmso4.com

Getting Started Please login to www.gmmso4.com and select the tab as shown in the screenshot below

Choose the type of registration

If you are registering as student, you can register with a purchase code provided by your institution/ instructor

You can also use your credit card to purchase a code

Starting on the GMMSO4

GMMSO4 welcome screen

click here to start on the INDIVIDUAL project

click here to start on the GROUP project

Details of your registration, Course, instructor and institution

The GMMSO4 workspace

1. Personal profile -edit your details as well as see details of your course.

2. Choose a language to use the system, a support tab that allow you to contact us in the event of a technical issue, a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the GMMSO4 and contact forms to send us a message.

3. home page , view your individual and group report areas as well as a help section that provides you with user guides, case studies and examples of reports that have been created using the system.

4. View any scores or comments made by an instructor, create reports, and manage your profile.

5. GMMSO4 individual or group areas

Navigating the GMMSO4 The top left hand section of the GMMSO4 is key to navigating to your projects. You can toggle from the Individual (GMMSO4(I)) as well as a group project (GMMSO4(G)) if your instructor has allowed it.

Clicking on the resources tab will open a window with glossary, suggested web sites and useful articles that are relevant to the section you are working on as shown below

Click on the ‘ADD Bibliography’ Tab to add references to you project as you enter data. Your personal list of references will be listed as shown below

Group Assignments • When a group is created, an

automated e-mail with group information will be sent to all group members.

• Each member of the group will use his or her own username and password to log in

Two group members should not be working on one screen simultaneously. Communicate with your group members frequently to keep track of each others progress. If it should occur that two members are working on one screen, when one of those persons clicks “Save,” the other person will lose all of his or her entered data!

GMMSO4 System

Each module defines a set of objectives and provides • Steps, • Instructions, • Resource links to accomplish these objectives.

•Apply classroom and textbook context

•Integrate knowledge from experience

•Perform a situation analysis of a company in a global context

•Practice how to research global markets

•Identify and evaluate high potential country markets for company’s products/services

•Conduct competitive analysis

•Determine best entry mode strategies

•Develop customized marketing plans and strategies

•Use internet resources and information effectively

•Make informed business decisions in a global context

The GMMSO4 system

Outline of each module

Module 1 Understanding the company’s Strategic Position

Module 1 objectives • The objective of Module 1 is for project teams and/or management to conduct a company situation

analysis. Not only does this assist project teams in conducting more effective and targeted studies, but it also helps management redefine their business within the framework of a global marketing imperative. This is done by:

• Choosing an industry and a company within the industry.

• Perform a company strategic analysis.

• Select a specific Product Line/service of the chosen company if more than one Product Line/service is available. If you choose a retail establishment, decide on the merchandise mix that will be included in the overseas operation, along with the number of stores that will be opened during the first, second and third year of international operation.

• Determine the Target market profile.

• Determine the international involvement, if any, of the company.

• Conduct an internal analysis of the company.

• Conduct an External Analysis of the Industry.

• Determine the company's global business readiness in the international arena.

Module 2 The Search for Global Markets

Module 2 objectives The objective of Module 2 to is to identify the country with the highest market potential for your company, using a country attractiveness screening process consisting of three stages, and determine the most effective entry mode strategy for the targeted country as shown below: 1. Macro Level Criteria 2. Micro Level Criteria 3. Accessibility Criteria 4. Market Entry Strategy Criteria The criteria selected should assists the company to identify the country that offers the most business opportunity for your company based on: 1. Need/desire for the product. 2. Market size and growth. 3. Ability to purchase the product. 4. Ability to enter the market.

Module 3 The Entry Strategy and Business Plan or Marketing Plan

Module 3- Objectives • The objective of Module 3 is to determine the most effective entry strategy and marketing plan based on

company's goals, resources, strengths relative to the competition and market conditions by using the following procedure:

• Develop marketing strategies and action plans that will most successfully penetrate the Target Market country.

• Identify the Target Market in the country using key segmentation variables.

• Develop Market Penetration and coverage objectives that fully exploit market opportunity.

• Determine whether the company should create, extend, and/or adapt its current product/service.

• Determine the best pricing strategy and method for the company's product after investigating terms of sale and value added costs in the Target Market.

• Develop an effective promotional strategy by carefully matching company resources with perceived product/service benefits and buyer behaviour in the Target Market.

• Determine the best distribution strategy and channels for the company's product/service in the Target Market.

• Based on entry strategy and the developed marketing plan, forecast future sales/profits as well as breakeven financial analysis for the Target Market.

• Briefly state your conclusion and recommendations for Module 3

• Generate Module 3 Report

Save and Continue • Remember to click “Save” at the bottom of every screen before exiting or moving forward

to the next page.

• Click “Save & Continue” buttons to navigate through GMMSO

Choosing Companies • Public vs. Private Companies

• Public companies are easier to research. • But public companies are usually already well established

internationally : may need to select countries in which the company does not have presence.

• Fictional Companies • Need permission from their instructors. • Keep in mind, financial data will need to be projected. • This is an advanced option.

Research Tips • Search for answers instead of

expecting answers with the click of the mouse

• Review the User Guide, Case Examples, Resources and Glossary before working on the project.

• All of these are available through the HELP tab

• Glossary terms are hyperlinked in all four Modules.

Generate Reports Users can view all of their data online by clicking on the ‘REPORT’ tab. The reports can viewed online and downloaded as PDF files

•To transfer report into either MS office or MAC pages, view online and select the data to be copied and paste this into a separate file.

•

•You can also export the whole report as a PDF file

Appendix This section contains an area for you to work out the following parts of the report In-depth financial analysis Micro Variables Accessibility Variables Executive Summary Use the fields to enter information accordingly. The Executive Summary should be about 1 page in length. Bibliography Complete the Bibliography as you complete the project. Don’t wait until the end. Use the appropriate format (MLA, APA, Harvard etc) for documenting sources used in the report.

Thank you Janavaras & Associates International, Inc., INC

27 Capri Drive. Mankato. MN

Phone: 507-382-0304 or 507-345-5824

E-mail: basilj@janavaras.com