2011商务英语中级口语精讲班讲义第一讲62

1.            Production Management: how to maintain a balance between quality control and speed of production

2.            Production Development: the importance of research and development (R & D) to a company

3.            Product Development: the importance of product diversification to the success of a business

4.            Product Development: how to decide when it is the right time to withdraw a product from the market

--First of all, if the company’s market share is suddenly dropping, it might be time to consider pulling out.  There are two possible reasons for this.  One or two market leaders could have emerged in your industry and have 50% or more of the market share.  The cola business is a good example. Another possibility is the fact that your line of business may simply be  crowded.  In other words, there are too many indistinguishable manufacturers producing the same products.  Everyone has a very small market share and the competition is fierce.  It is also better to leave such a saturated market.

--Sometimes, it is not a question of market share.  Customer preferences can change very rapidly.  And if that happens, you may also reconsider the viability of your business.  A classic example is the obsolete VCR.  No matter how good your technology is, customers just like VCD’s or DVD’s better.  You can work against the tide of the time.  So this should also be a wise time to withdraw.

5.            Finance: the importance of foreign investment for a company

6.            Finance: how to ensure effective financial controls in a company

--First of all, using external accounting firms to do audits would be a good method. With few exceptions, cooking the books normally occurs because dishonest staff members within a company.

--Another thing we can do is to strength education on business ethics.

7.            Financial Management: how to identify ways of reducing costs in a company

8.            Staff Development: how to administer a staff budget effectively