Introduction
Southwest Airlines is a successful company in demand by a considerable number of people. It has a unique strategy, and price quality, and speed are its apparent elements. Southwest Airlines proposes affordable flights between medium-sized cities and major secondary airports (Zou & You, 2020). Check-in takes minutes, and the grade of assistance is always outstanding, with all employees being friendly and fast. I have used the service of Southwest Airlines and other companies, including Emirates. It is worth noting that Emirates provides comfortable and reliable flights; all employees are responsible for the items and comfort of the passengers (Saed et al., 2020). The company coordinates schedules and luggage transfers, so there is no reason to fear it. Nevertheless, flight delays and long check-ins still occur despite the relatively high ticket price.
Southwest Airlines does not provide meals, baggage tracking, or other premium benefits. However, it offers cheap, convenient, and fast service on specific routes. Boarding takes an average of 15 minutes, and automated ticketing right at the gate allows one to avoid contacting a travel agent and paying extra fees (Zou & You, 2020). The company is also responsible for canceling and rescheduling flights, which means that it is reliable. The companies have distinctions, but they both have satisfactory and reliable services. Delays happen everywhere, while Southwest Airlines is a much more budget-friendly option. This airline’s standardized fleet, consisting exclusively of Boeing 737s, increases maintenance efficiency (Zou & You, 2020). It has taken a unique and valuable strategic position based on a specific set of activities. On routes served by Southwest Airlines, full-service companies can never offer the same ease of travel or the same low prices. These competitive advantages allow them to hold a position in the marketplace and remain favored.
Panera Bread’s History and Initial Strategy
Panera Bread is a bakery chain that has become a source of inspiration for entrepreneurs worldwide. Its success story consists of a string of mergers and acquisitions. The original idea was to set up a chain of cookie stores, but it soon became clear that the concept needed to expand. Ron Shaich made the risky decision to consolidate business with unscrupulous vendors, and thus Panera Bread was born (Goudreau, 2014). Shaich is considered a leading figure and stakeholder in forming café bakeries as a separate self-sufficient niche in the fast-casual segment. He understood the need to reconsider fast food and create something unexplored, more rewarding, and impressive. The company’s strategic vision possessed the understanding that competitive advantage is the most crucial element of success, so there is a need to create exceptional products and evolve.
Panera Bread’s Current Strategic View
The company’s current strategic plan has similar features and consists of actively introducing advanced production technologies and communicating the idea of healthy food and pure products. It also concentrates on the mass segment, fast, and quality service (Negowetti et al., 2020). Panera Bread uses technology to automate old processes and invent new retail models. It offers numerous options for ordering, shortening wait times, and increasing comfort. This concept is prominent, so the only recommendation is to improve flexibility and expand the menu of establishments to increase the number of consumers.
Best Planning Process Practices
The conditions of the modern world change rapidly, but the planning process always includes equally crucial stages. They consist of the problem statement, its expansion, and implementation (Morden, 2017). The most challenging for me is always the process of development, which involves an assessment of risks and the search for resources. In this situation, the practice of visualizing a goal is valuable. Visual perception provides a more accurate understanding of the processes, making planning, control, and management more convenient and precise. Another practice is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the idea, which many companies use. A concrete example is Lenovo, whose employees spend a lot of time studying the possible risks and putting them on paper. Various practices guide everyone, but they all have the common goal of making planning more effective.
References
Al Saed, R., Upadhya, A., & Saleh, M. A. (2020). Role of airline promotion activities in destination branding: Case of Dubai vis-à-vis Emirates Airline.European Research on Management and Business Economics, 26(3), 121-126. Web.
Goudreau, J. (2014). Here are the epiphanies that made Panera a $4.5 billion restaurant chain. Insider. Web.
Morden, T. (2017). Principles of management. Routledge.
Negowetti, N., Ambwani, S., Karr, S., Rodgers, R. F., & Austin, S. B. (2022). Digging up the dirt on “clean” dietary labels: Public health considerations and opportunities for increased Federal oversight.International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(1), 39-48. Web.
Zou, L., & Yu, C. (2020). The evolving market entry strategy: A comparative study of Southwest and JetBlue. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 132, 682-695. Web.