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[Solved] Curled Metal Inc Case Study

curled metal inc case study solution

Curled Metal Inc is a Case study from HBR. The case can be analyzed from the viewpoint of market potential, the alignment of price with business strategy, and the implications of a price on the development and execution of integrated strategic options.

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Curled Metal Inc Case Study: Case Introduction

Even though Curled Metal Inc.’s new product is more reliable and long-lasting, the company’s sales have been going down. The management, on the other hand, is unsure as to how much money will be required for these pads. The pricing strategy for these pads will be analyzed in depth as part of the case study, and it will then be compared to the market.

When conducting an analysis of the case, several aspects—including market potential, current market practices, and customer willingness to pay for a product or service—should be taken into consideration. The case also provides managerial strategies for achieving premium pricing on a mass-market item by introducing new features, improving the product’s dependability, and honing its design to maximize its performance. These are all things that were done in order to achieve premium pricing. In addition to this, the importance of understanding the perceived benefits that customers receive from a product and setting a price for a product without a competitive performance benchmark will be investigated.

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Curled Metal Inc Case Study: Environment Scanning

Advantages

  • 10 times longer life than conventional Pads
  • Less weight than conventional Pads
  • Outstanding resiliency
  • Does not contain hazardous material
  • CMI pads get heated up to a temperature that can be immediately handled by protective gloves
  • CMI pads drive piles 33% faster
  • Performance increase of 20% as compared to conventional pads

Potential Buyers- Contractors

  • Kendrick Foundation Company
  • Corey Company

CMI Cushion Pads Target Market

  • Contractors
  • 75% of contractors own their equipment
  • 25% are smaller contractors who rent equipment
  • Contracts are mostly awarded on a revenue-per-foot basis

Purchasing Influences

  • Pile Hammer Manufacturers – Could Influence Recommendations
  • Architectural/Consulting Engineers – Key Influence on purchasing decisions
  • Soil Consultants – Consulted only when extraordinary conditions exist
  • Pile Hammer distributing /Renting Companies – Provide pads to contractors
  • Engineering/Construction Contractors – Solicit large international firms involved in big construction projects.
  • Independent pile-driving Contractors – Knowledgeable about practical aspects of pile driving but not managerially sophisticated.

Curled Metal Inc: SWOT Analysis

 Strengths

  • Technological Prowess
  • Expertise
  • Flexibility of Size

Weakness

  • Declining Sales
  • Lack of Unique Brand Identity and Recognition
  • Lack of Established Distributed channels

Opportunities

  • Potential to disrupt a relatively stable industry
  • Increasing product awareness due to landscape changes to safer operable conditions

Threats

  • Lack of awareness about the importance of the Product
  • Cheaper Alternatives and Imitations
  • Front-line buying is becoming less influential

 Pricing Strategy

  • Objective to maximize quantity and profit margins
  • Cost plus value-based pricing

Marketing Strategy

Adopting a definitive 4P

Product

Highly superior product

Reliability of the product

Price

Establish a higher willingness to pay for the customer due to superior product

Place

Direct Selling through Sales representatives

Word of Mouth – Collaborating with Construction workers

Promotion

Seminars

Advertisements (Magazines, TV Ads)

Distribution Strategy

Early stage

Supply houses, Hammer Distribution Rental Companies, Hardware stores and Wholesalers

Maturity Stage

Direct collaboration with architects, construction agencies and consultants

Product Positioning

  • Superior Product
  • Safer Product
  • Higher reliability
  • Easier to handle
  • Higher longevity
  • More Efficient
  • Time Saving

Curled Metal Inc: Calculations for Higher WTP

Pad Changing Time Savings

Pad TypeNo of ChangesTime to ChangeTotal Time to Change
Conventional2020400
Curled Metal144
Delta1916396 Min (6.5 Man Hours)    

Feet Driven Per Hour

Pad TypeFeet Driven Per HourTotal Feet DrivenHours to Complete Job
Conventional1501500100
Curled Metal200150075
Delta50 25

Conventional Pad Cost

No of Sets Reqd.Cost per SetTotal Cost
20150 USD3000 USD
  • Job Savings in Man Hours (Pad Changing) = 132 USD*6.5 Man Hours = 858 USD
  • Job Savings in Man Hours (Feet Driven) = 132 USD*25 = 3300 USD
  • Willingness to Pay for Curled Metal Set = USD 7158
  • Willingness to pay per Curled Metal Pad = USD 1193 (6 Per Unit)
  • Selling Price of Curled Metal Pad = 740.60 (Considering Margin Contribution as 40% of Selling Price)

Reasons for the difference between WTP and Price

  1. A stack of 11.5-inch CMI pads weighs 75 to 77.5 pounds, whereas a conventional pad weighs 30 to 40 pounds
  2. Acceptability of a new product takes some time. Therefore, charging a high starting price close to    WTP might not be the best option
  3. It is not very easy to communicate the benefits of a new product
  4. Conventional pad costs $ 500 per pad, whereas the Selling price of a CMI pad is

$ 740 per pad. An increment of $ 240 will be acceptable pricing for a new product.

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