ASSESSING INNOVATION MANAGEMENT IN THE SMALL BUSINESS IN THE CASE OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY BUILDERS
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Authors
Kepez, Aslihan
Issue Date
2012
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
There is a need in the small business field for tools that help entrepreneurs identify process flaws or determine areas where a change could mean expansion and incursion into new markets. The lack of resources for a development and research department in a small business is evident and in some cases absolute. The innovation management plan proposed by the researchers will accommodate those businesses, like SDCB, that would otherwise not be able to identify and take corrective actions to solve their problems.
SDCB urgently needs the implementation of a new system that will not only help them improve their production-capacity. They will achieve this by the use of additives to improve on the existing formula that is used for production. The new system will also potentially improve profitability for the company. The new process will improve the company’s efficiency in the areas of transportation and logistics of the concrete products by using the appropriate fillers to reduce concrete weight.
A manufacturing process improvement in a small company with limited resources is not an easy task and the research team encountered several different challenges that contributed to the difficulty of the development of the research study. This study will not eliminate the limitations and barriers found in SDCB, but will focus on the current resources of the company to mitigate the impact of such limitations on the development of the product and provide support to find solutions for a better composition of concrete to improve concrete curing time and concrete weight reduction. These changes in the concrete formula will represent a critical contribution to the company, generating a competitive advantage that will position SDCB as a leading organization in the decorative concrete business segment.
Description
Prepared By: Aslihan Kepez, Yasmin Fathi, Hernando Lopez, Martin L. Moore, Seyad Davood Marashi