Product Launch Strategy   Table of Contents Executive Summary and Introduction 3 Rationale 3 Identification of Problem or Opportunity 3 Competition 4 Company 4 Approach 4 Methodology and Planning 4 Inventory Management 5 Capacity Planning 7 Product Flow chart 9 Conclusion 9   Executive Summary and Introduction Samsung is a mobile phone company that is based in South Korea. The company specializes in the manufacturing of electronic technologies like high definition televisions, Plasma and 3D smart TV technologies and mobile phones. Over the past decade, the global communications industry has drastically changed in a very dramatic manner. The use of wireless communication has as a result proven to be the major focus for most telecom suppliers. In the same line, the demand for mobile phone handset has grown over the years and consumers and businesses continue to show interest. With this regard, it is important for manufactures such as Samsung to find ways of fitting the global market and wide the high acceptance of the competition as it continues to intensify. The following report provides an analysis of Samsung product launch strategy as it plans to expand its services to India in order to sustain a better competitive position and more so increase its market earnings (Lee & Jung, 2015). Rationale It is required for Samsung to focus upon implementation of new innovative products and services so as to sustain their competitiveposition and growth in the targeted emerging market of India. Thus the idea of launching the new product of a smart watch can largely cater to the high profitability and development needs of Samsung in the targeted Indian market. Identification of Problem or Opportunity The overall idea of launching the product can be considered to be highly beneficial for the future growth and sustainability of Samsung in the Indian market. The Indian market, in which Samsung operates their business, is experiencing a rapid growth and development. Considering the growing demands of technologically advanced devices and gadgets, the smart watch launched by the organization can largely cater to the needs and preferences of the targeted customer segments (Hargadon, 2013). This can significantly add to the overall growth, profitability and revenue of Samsung in the targeted market industry. In addition considering the high competition level in the Indian market sector, the introduction of the new smart watch can add to the overall competitive advantage of Samsung in the industry market. Competition Some of the major competitors for Samsung mobile are HTC, Apple, Blackberry and Nokia. In this manner, it is important for the company to consider several product launch strategies for the Indian market so as to remain relevant and maintain its market position in the country. Company The new product of smart watch can significantly fit into the overall organizational culture and the competitive environment in which Samsung operates their business in India. Samsung is one of the leading electronics products in India. Therefore introducing of the new product will suit the company objectives and perceptions and will add high revenues and profitability to the organization. Approach It is needed for Samsungs to focus upon the framework of total quality management (TQM), for development of the new product of new smart watch in the Indian market. This can enable the organizationin maintaining of proper product quality and attributes as per the demand and service requests by the customer or buyer segments. Methodology and Planning In the context of developing a new smart watch for the targeted Indian market, the organization of Samsung needs to focus upon implementation and execution of a proper planning methodology. The overall planni9ng methodology can be explained or identified as below;  Idea generation: Samsung is needed to be focused upon generation of proper initiative idea or concept for the purpose of development of the new product and services for the market. This can beachieved through the following: Analysis of the overall market trends and statistics. Obtaining suggestions and feedbacks from targeted customer groups of segments. Obtaining suggestions and feedbacks from the employees. Brainstorming of ideas for suggestions for new ideas and concepts. Searching and analysis of the different markets both international as well as national for generation of new and advanced product ideas and concepts. Analysis of the products launched by competitors in the market.  Idea Screening: The idea needs to be properly screened for analyzing and obtaining of the resources, human capital and other equipments that are necessary for the product development (Calantone, 2011).  Concept Development and testing: The overall concept needs to be tested by section of a small group of customers or buyers from the market.  Business Analysis: After testing of the concept, the overall future profits and revenues of the product needs to estimate. In addition, the marketing strategy is also needed to be suggested.  Product Development: Once the concept testing phase is complete the organization needs to develop the products and services to be launched in the targeted market.  Test Marketing: The prototypes need to be developed and tested among selected customer segments.  Commercialization: The product needs to be launched in the market.  Reviewing of Market Performance: The overall market performance is then needed to be reviewed. Inventory Management When it comes to the inventory management of Samsung smartphone products, the supply chains will be as complex as it has always been very complex in man y way. However for this product launch the organisation will ensure that management of inventory is done in a well. Goods will be moved to a special location where they will be packaged in Indian branded boxes and transported and delivered to the warehouses for retailing purpose. They will then be divided before they are displayed on the store shelves (Chernev, 2011). This is because just like any other electronic product, the supply chains for the smartphone is going to be as complex since these are valuable items that could easily attacked theft or vandalizing. It will also be important that these products are packed as small products which will make it difficult for theft or loss. The company will select different locations and tag the products with the chosen destinations. Most of these products will be transported to India using the DHL logistics which will receive the products and send them in a designed warehouse location that will serve as the most secure storage for all the inventory. In this area, the products will be inspected for quality then wrapped and stocked in branded boxes. The products will also be packed in different sizes to attract different types of retailers. It is also important to note that all these product will be tagged with a serial number that allows for the products to be traced or returned in case of fault. In this manner, the all the products will pass through a door that has a scanner that controls the exit of goods from the warehouse area (Lee & Jung, 2015). After the products leave the warehouse, the boxes will be placed on the exit platform. Each of the boxes containing the smartphone products will be monitored and traced from the picking process all the way to the time they are loaded on vehicles and to the retail section. Soon after the products reach the retail shops, the shipment will pass through a door that is equipped with a scanner that will keep record of all goods delivered and those that are returned. When the product are put in the dedicated store and to the suppliers, there will be a scanner which will record the serial number of each boxes that are left for a particular store. This is important as it will enable the documentation of sales and also tell locations that the product seem to be moving fast. This kind of tracing is also good as it reduces the amount of time used for ordering and shipping ad the time spent in other logistics (Chernev & Kotler, 2009). It is hoped that with this kind of inventory management the company can be able to achieve a recognizable reduction time for transportation, preparation and inspection. This also increases the security of all the inventory of smart watch. The procedure wall also be beneficial for the product launch as it will decrease the number of stock in transit and will provide the best visibility when it comes to the selling of product information. In addition, this kind of inventory management will save time from when the product arrives at the retail and make it to the store, in this regard, as most electronic products have a short life cycle. Having a central warehouse is also important as it increases efficiency in the way operations are received in country regarding the display of the retail and warehouse stock (Lee & Jung, 2015). The inventory system also allows for a reduction of self-service product stock out and obsolescence possibility. In this manner, retailers will also be able to move their workforce in making sales of the smart watch. The use of technology will be of paramount importance as has been observed above, it will improve the functioning of the whole supply chains process and reduce the time used to avail the product. In the same line it will increase the efficiency and improve product link with the warehouse and the seller to the customer. Technology also provide more improvement for supply chains as it makes the future of the company’s supply chains more productive. Other areas will entail the use of internet tracking tools that will enable companies’ progress in the efficiency of their inventory management and assure customers and retailers of the constant supply of the product ones it sets ground in the market (Lee & Jung, 2015). Capacity Planning Once the capacity for the smart watch will be evaluated, in terms of the need for expansion, location of the warehouse and technology process activities are going to occur. The company will also be careful that it does not allow for too much capacity as it will call for finding ways the company can reduce the capacity including temporary closing, selling, and consolidation of facilities. This will also involve relocation, rearrangement, combination of technologies and equipment processes (Lee & Jung, 2015). Capacity planning will also be done so that the company is able to estimate the degree of demand for the goods and if there will be need to increase or reduced the capacity. In this regard, capacity planning for the product will be done in the following steps: 1. Determining service level requirement: during this step, the company will categorize the work that is done by the systems and quantify the type of results that are to come from this capacity. It will also be important to examine how the work can get down. 2. Assessing the workload: In this manner, the organisation will also look at the amount of work involved in the whole process. Here the company will divide it according to different work units like packing, setting up boxes, serializing the products, quality texting and packing for distribution. In this regard, the service levels involved in each workload will also be checked at all levels. This will determine the cost of labor, the number of people to hire and whether they are going to be permanent temporary (Lee & Jung, 2015). It will also enable the company set up the required technology to conduct the activity well. 3. Capacity analysis: In this line, it will be important for the organisation to determine how the needs of the product launch are being met. In this regard, the company will be looking at the service levels. The organisation will also monitor the amount or resource used and the components with regard to the responses received over time. 4. Planning for future capacity allocation: depending on the way the first operation months will go, the company will be able to plan for the future inventory. It will be able to determine whether there will be need to set up a new warehouse in the region of continue with the one that has already been set up. In this regard the organisation will come up with a short term and long term responses with regard to the way that customer will receive the product in the market. This is because excess capacity will be costly when the product is doing poorly in the market (Chernev, 2011). This also means that the demand in the market is lower than what the organisation could potentially be able to supply for the market. When there is in excess capacity it also means that the company is going to incur extra cost if it does not want to lose the market share. Product Flow chart Conclusion In conclusion Samsung has been the leader in launching one of the most highly advanced technologies that are used in today’s smart technology craze. For example, the company became the pioneers of launching of the Gear S2 and VR headset in November 2015. The company was able to release these products which went hand in hand with the release of Samsung S7 and the S7 edge. All of the three technologies played well and brought Samsung in to the highest margin with regard to mobile technologies. This shows how much Samsung is involved new innovations. The smart watch industry is in fact not new for Samsung, the technology began many years ago, however it is only until 2016 that the company came up with one of the most updated version of the technology after the cutting edge-VR (virtual reality) device. It is hoped that the product launch strategy can enable the smart watch meet the desire of every consumer and lover of Samsung products. The smart watch is focused on being the most successful device in Indian market as it entails enjoyment, customer efficacy and innovation. Planning Methodology Duration Activities 1st Month 2nd Month 3rd Month 4th Month 5th Month 6th Month 7th Month 8th Month 9th Month 10th Month Idea generation Idea Screening Concept Development Business Analysis Product Development Test Marketing Commercialization Reviewing of Market Performance Fig: Planning Methodology References Chernev, A., 2011. The Marketing Plan Handbook . In: s.l.:Cerebellum Press; 3 edition, pp. 97-104. Chernev, A. & Kotler, P., 2009. 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