CordyESKS7000-2 NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET

Learner: Everett Durante Cordy THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETELY FILLED IN Please Follow These Procedures: If requested by your mentor, use an assignment cover sheet as the first page of the word processor file. The assignment header should include the Learners last name, first initial, course code, dash, and assignment number (DoeJXXX0000-1) justified to the left and the page number justified to the right. Keep a Photocopy or Electronic Copy of Your Assignments: You may need to re-submit assignments if your mentor has indicated that you may or must do so. Academic Integrity: All work submitted in each course must be the Learners own. This includes all assignments, exams, term papers, and other projects required by the faculty mentor. The known submission of another persons work represented as that of the Learners without properly citing the source of the work will be considered plagiarism and will result in an unsatisfactory grade for the work submitted or for the entire course, and may result in academic dismissal.
SKS7000-8 Doctoral Comprehensive Strategic Knowledge Studies Faculty Mentor: Dr. Terrence Kroeten Assignment 2 Marketing Flyer Plan

Please find attached hereto the Marketing Flyer Plan for Assignment Number 2. Thanks.

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Abstract This assignment analyzes the key business environment considerations for a new marketing initiative for XYZ Construction, Inc. Specifically, the goal of this assignment is to create a plan for the design of a marketing flyer so that the owners of XYZ Construction, Inc. can prepare to expand operations nationally and internationally and educate potential customers on the services offered by the firm. To accomplish this goal, an outline of the key offerings of XYZ Construction, Inc. is presented, including (1) the residential and private services offered by the firm, and areas that are compatible for expansion; and (2) project management considerations that improve cost effectiveness of large and small scale residential and private construction projects.

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A MARKETING FLYER PLAN FOR XYZ CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Introduction XYZ Construction, Inc. is a privately owned company founded as a family business in the 1950s (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). The company specializes in horizontal construction work, including roads, airfields and bridges. (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). The owners have decided to transform the business from one of private ownership to public ownership and plans for its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 12 months (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). The companys headquarters is located in Denver, Colorado, and has 16 field offices located in 11 states (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). To facilitate the move from private ownership to public ownership, a marketing flyer is desired by the owners. The marketing flyer will analyze the key business environment considerations for a new marketing initiative. The focus of a plan for the marketing flyer will be twofold, including (1) services that pertain to the residential and private construction areas, including opportunities to expand in order to diversify company operations; and (2) project management considerations that improve the cost effectiveness during large and small scale projects for residential and private construction. The following is a recommended plan for the creation of a marketing flyer for XYZ Construction, Inc.:

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CordyESKS7000-2 Services

XYZ Construction, Inc. performs horizontal construction work, including roads, airfields and bridges. (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). The company possesses over sixty years in highway and road construction. As with any successful construction company, XYZ must focus on ensuring that all of its projects are on time, within budget, and within specifications. To accomplish its work, the company offers services in estimating, design, project management, construction, project risk reduction and total project quality. Currently, the firm offers its service to the residential and private construction markets. The firm relies on state and federal contracts, but the owners would like to expand in order to diversify their operations. To accomplish this goal of expansion and diversification, the company will need to focus on market segmentation, marketing strategy and its assets which provide it with a competitive advantage. Market Segmentation The company must determine its market segmentation. A market segment is the specific categories of potential customers for your business (Lorette, 2012). The underlying principle of market segmentation is that heterogeneity in preferences and buying behavior can be effectively managed by grouping similar customers into segments, some of which become the focus for marketing effort (Dibb & Simkin, 2009, pps. 375-376). Market segmentation encourages customer orientation by keeping businesses closely in touch with their customers, ensuring more efficient resource allocation and resulting in marketing programmes which are better attuned to customer need (Dibb & Simkin, 2009, pps. 376). For XYZ Construction, Inc., its target market includes residential and private construction projects which are financed by state and federal government contracts. To expand and diversify its targets market, the firm could focus on professional or companies in real estate, architecture firms, city governments and other general contractors. The company, in an effort to
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diversify its source of revenue, should focus on non-government contracts, such as contracts with corporations and other contractors. To expand internationally, the company should hire a business development consultant who has broad expertise in international road construction contracting and marketing. The companys marketing segmentation, both current and future, should be outlined in the marketing flyer. Marketing Strategy Once XYZ Construction, Inc. determines the types of agencies or businesses to whom it is marketing its services, it should then plan its marketing strategy. According to Lorette (2012), marketing strategies are the ways to get your company in front of potential customers. At the broadest level, marketing strategy can be defined as an organizations integrated pattern of decisions that specify its crucial choices concerning products, markets, marketing activities and marketing resources in the creation, communication and/or delivery of products that offer value to customers in exchanges with the organization and thereby enables the organization to achieve specific objectives (Varadarajan, 2010, p. 119). XYZ Construction, Inc. may use speaking opportunities at architecture colleges as a way to reach members of a future audience or sponsor high profile events where real estate agents, architects and contractors can be reached trade shows, continuing education events and more (Lorette, 2012). Some combination of reaching its audience in online efforts starting a social media group related to the building industry and offline efforts print ads in publications read by members in the construction industry, should be employed (Lorette, 20120. The companys marketing strategy should be outlined in the marketing flyer. After XYZ Construction, Inc. has its strategies in place, it must assign a cost to each strategy (Lorette, 2012). This will allow the firm to build a budget from the ground up (Lorette, 2012). XYZ Construction, Inc. can also create a budget and then choose strategies based on the amount of marketing dollars it has to spend (Lorette, 2012). The firm should also devise a
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CordyESKS7000-2 measurement program as a way of tracking and measuring the response rate to each marketing effort (Lorette, 2012). Project Management Considerations

XYZ Construction, Inc. has 2,300 year-round employees, and its workforce surges to an average of 4,500 employees during peak construction periods (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). One of the competitive advantages of the company is its workforce, which includes experienced project managers, civil engineers, heavy and light equipment operators, and an administrative staff in the headquarters facility and support staff in each of the 16 field offices (SKS7000 Syllabus, 2012, p. 2). A summary of its experienced workforce should definitely be included in the marketing flyer. To differentiate itself from its competitors, XYZ Construction, Inc. should market itself as a comprehensive highway and road construction firm, with project management expertise and capabilities to successfully complete projects from pre-construction stages to post-construction stages. According to Anderson, Molenaar & Schexnayder (2007), areas in which highway construction firms can differentiate themselves and highlight best industry practices include: Management strategyManage the estimation process and costs through all stages of project development; Scope and schedule strategyFormulate definitive processes for controlling project scope and schedule changes; Off-prism strategyUse proactive methods for engaging external participants and assessing the macro-environmental conditions that can influence project costs; Risk strategyIdentify risks, quantify their impact on cost, and take actions to mitigate the impact of risks as the project scope is developed; Delivery and procurement strategyApply appropriate delivery methods to better manage cost because project delivery influences both project risk and cost;
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CordyESKS7000-2 Document quality strategyPromote cost estimate accuracy and consistency through improved project documents; Estimate quality strategyUse qualified personnel and uniform approaches to achieve improved estimate consistency and accuracy; and Integrity strategyEnsure that checks and balances are in place to maintain estimate accuracy and to minimize the impact of outside pressures that can cause optimistic biases in estimates.

These assets, which provide XYZ Construction, Inc. with a competitive advantage, should be highlighted in the marketing flyer. Another competitive advantage of XYZ Construction, Inc. is its effective use of cuttingedge technology in construction project management. In todays competitive environment, construction firms need access to their project information anywhere, anytime. XYZ Construction, Inc. should highlight in its marketing flyer that it has the necessary tools for tracking leads, creating estimates, managing subcontractors / suppliers bids, collaborating on documents, tracking schedules, and managing project budgets and changes. Technology proficiency and expertise will also allow the company to expand into other areas, including providing project management services for commercial and industrial construction projects. Additional marketing flyer information should include a financial section which analyzes the financial condition of the market and company. A financial forecast which incorporates future expansion goals should also be included. Financial data is extremely important to potential investors. A section that unequivocally states that the firms management acts in an ethical and social responsible manner should also be included in the flyer. A statement of commitment to diversity should be included, because this is important if the firm wishes to expand into international markets and attract a qualified workforce.
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CordyESKS7000-2 Graphics for a marketing flyer for XYZ Construction, Inc. could resemble the following from Stocklayouts:

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Conclusion To develop an effective marketing flyer, XYZ Construction, Inc. must show that it provides expert services in horizontal construction which provides value to its customers. It must also show that its goal to expand internationally is based upon sound financial principles. It must show that it has the capability to obtain contracts from non-governmental sources to complement its current government contracts. XYZ Construction, Inc. must highlight its superior project management expertise which is based upon its experienced and diverse workforce and use of cutting-edge construction project management technology. Through its commitment to ethics and social responsibility, XYZ Construction, Inc. can demonstrate through its marketing flyer that it is ready to become a successful international fullservice construction firm.

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References Anderson, S., Molenaar, K. and Schexnayder, C. (2007). Guidance for cost estimation and management for highway projects during planning, programming, and pre-construction. Transportation Research Board of the National Academes. Retrieved from http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_574.pdf. Dibb, S. & Simkin, L. (2009). Implementation rules to bridge the theory/practice divide in market segmentation. Journal of Marketing Management, 25(3/4), 375-396. Kroeten, T. (2012). Syllabus for SKS7000-8: Doctoral Comprehensive Strategic Knowledge Studies, 7-8. Lorette, K. (2012). Marketing plan for civil engineering business. Demand Media. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/marketing-plan-civil-engineering-business1521.html. Stocklayouts. Industrial & Commercial Construction Flyer & Ad Templates. Retrieved from http://www.stocklayouts.com/Templates/Flyer-Ad/Industrial-Commercial-Flyer-AdTemplate-Design-GB0640701.aspx. Varadarajan, R. (2010). Strategic marketing and marketing strategy: Domain, definition, fundamental issues and foundational premises. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,38(2), 119-140. doi: 10.1007/s11747-009-0176-7.

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