An Arizona-Based High-Technology Firm, Three Five Systems, Produces Component Parts

question 1

Essay

An Arizona-based high-technology firm, Three Five Systems, produces component parts that are sold to cellular phone manufacturers as well as a diverse set of customers across several different industry sectors. The firm uses a corporate sales force for large customers, like Motorola, and relies on a mix of manufacturers' reps and/or industrial distributors to serve small and medium-sized customers.
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The top management team at Three Five Systems would like you to conduct an audit of the firm's channel strategy. These executives are concerned that rapidly-changing customer needs have created important gaps in the firm's market coverage and market offerings. Describe the specific steps that you would follow in conducting this audit and highlight the particular questions that you would emphasize in the assessment.

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Definitions:

Stock Investments

Investments made by purchasing shares of companies in the hope of earning dividends or selling the shares at a higher price.

Insignificant Influence

A situation where an investor does not have the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of another entity.

Credit Sale

A transaction where goods or services are provided to a customer with an agreement to pay later, often within a specified timeframe.

Translated

In finance, "translated" often refers to converting financial statements or amounts from one currency into another to facilitate comparison or consolidation.