IKEA- the success-story

Everyone knows what IKEA is, but do you really know what it stands for? IKEA is acronym for Ingvar Kamprad Emtartyd Agunnaryd. Emtaryd is former name of a farm where Ingvar Kamprad (the founder  of IKEA) grew up in, Agunnaryd is the small village name where the farm was situated. IKEA now is global furniture’s warehouse with present in 36 countries worldwide.

The story of IKEA really started with Ingvar Kamprad the young entrepreneur out from Småland (a region to the east side of Gothenburg by the Baltic Sea). Already from a young age Ingvar Kamprad was business minded and known to be very spare some with his money. After a couple of earlier small businesses he started to work at NK (nordiska companies) in Stockholm where he saw the potential of selling unassembled furniture’s to low prices and then let the buyers themselves do the work. By doing so it’s easier to transport the furniture’s and cut costs. At first IKEA only sold by post orders with their traditional catalogues until 1958 when the first IKEA warehouse started in Älmhult (pretty close to Gothenburg) in 1958.The second warehouse started in Stockholm at Kungenskurva and when it started

it was probably one of the biggest warehouses the world has yet seen in 1965. The IKEA concept worked perfect for the main stream consumers, always delivering great value to customers to low prices. IKEA later on followed their success and went on to start expanding out to the rest of world during the 70s and in now present in 36 countries with its 294 warehouses. Turnover in the end of the fiscal year 08 was 21.2 billion Euros maintaining a growth in turnover in the past five years. Most of IKEA purchases are still made in Europe in general but China is also a very important manufacturing partner for IKEA providing 21% of all purchases.

IKEA has throughout decades always kept their Swedish touch even in foreign countries; at IKEA you can always get some real traditional Swedish meatballs with lingon berries other traditional Swedish cuisine.

IKEA is one of the Sweden biggest retailing successes of Sweden along with H&M. What’s really makes IKEA is also much caused to their employees, everyone at IKEA is feels such a great bond and is always very happy to help out.

IKEA is controlled today by Ingvar Kamprad in the Netherlands of his Holding parent company called INGKA who also owns many of the manufactures who makes the furniture’s. The IKEA group is today still not a public company enlisted on any of the big stock markets and always holds a very low profile about their internal financial status.

// Yining Misi.se Team 2010

This is a good opportunity if you are a Masters student and interested in Business Development and working in a challenging global environment.

Business Process Analysis and Strategic Positioning of Business in Europe

Synopsis
The fact that there is a constant demand for better and more efficient ways of doing business is the driving factor. This Master Thesis is performed to investigate if it is possible to achieve the expected Turn Around Time(TAT) and Quality of Service working with a company that is not in the same geography. An auxiliary purpose is to present a model that illuminates the important factors of outsourcing derived from market analysis in the representative geography. By analysing and recognising similarities in business processes and decision support requirements in other firms in the representative geography, QBurst Technologies Ltd aims to create business specific packages of its software solution.The core area of expertise is web and mobile application development. So, an interest in IT and India is an added advantage.

Expected Deliverables
The report should include a market overview analysis of the representative geography’s market as well as an analysis of future business opportunities for QBurst. Based on the business processes and decision support requirements of the existing vendors, firms, a positioning strategy for QBurst’s service oriented architecture, services and products on the European market should be developed. The positioning strategy should include a detailed analysis of similarities and differences in other firms in the market. Finally, a market entry strategy for QBurst, alone, or in collaboration or in partnership with a local firm should be included.

Requirements
The candidates should have a very good academic track record and theoretical background in analysis methodology. They should also have the drive to excel and an interest in the emerging technology as well as industrial organisation and management. Applicants are believed to have an academic background in business studies or the equivalent.The analytical work will require close contact with carrier relation management predominantly in Europe. Thus, strong interpersonal skills and fluency in English is a requirement. Fluency in a third language and an interest in Indian culture are also beneficial.

Who needs to apply?
European Management students who are interested in Business Development.

How many can get selected?
Students native to Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Greece and Sweden can apply. One/two student(s) will be selected to conduct the thesis from each country independently or as a team of two.

Why this could be interesting for you?
Performing a Business feasibility analysis for a worldwide company like QBurst Technologies will give you the unique opportunity to get out there in the Market and explore the endless possibilities in Business Development. If we are pleased with the opportunities explored, appropriate remuneration will be offered — this might even result in collaboration.

For more information and specifics on the Thesis subject, please contact: Ravi Jay (ravi@qburst.com)
Visit QBurst at www.qburst.com

SJ – Driving the trains in Sweden

150 years ago SJ made their first journey between Gothenburg and the small city of Jonsered. On arrival the passengers had been travelling in about 30 km/h, an impressive speed at that time. At that time Sj was controlled by the government and used to develop less progressed regions in Sweden. Beacause Sweden is a big country with a small population, differences turn big between different regions. To develop these regions the government simply connected them to the railwaysystem. Cities like Nässjö and Hässleholm grew out of almoust nothing into major cities when they where made nodes in Sjs system. The railway helped transporting resources such as iron from the mines up north to the factories in the south. It was first we the installation of the railway that Sweden got a national time, meaning that before the clock differed between different parts of Sweden.

Today SJ has been devided into two parts, Banverket and SJ. Banverket does the maintenace of the railway itself and is owned by the government while SJ is running the trains. SJ is driven as a company. The incorporation of SJ has turned it from a black hole with government money into a profitable company.

Train is a great way of travelling when you want to experience Sweden, you see a lot of the landscape and at the same time you spare the enviroment. If you book your tickets in time, you can even get a return journey to Stockholm for 200 kronor. Another tips is to get a cheap last minute ticket. Visit www.sj.se

/ Misi team 2010