CURLED METAL INC.

ENGINEERED PRODUCT
DIVISION




















INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, RAIPUR
CONTENTS

I. Introduction
II. Porters Five Forces analysis
III. Critical analysis
IV. VRIO Framework
V. Quantative analysis of WTP and Price of CMI Pads
VI. Factors determining willingness to pay
VII. Reasons for high difference between WTP and CMI Pad price
VIII. Marketing Strategy
IX. Distribution Strategy
X. References


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1. INTRODUCTION
Curled Metal Inc. (CMI) specializes in selling metal-based products to various
markets. They have managed to capture 80% of automotive market by developing a
specialised product called Slip Seal which prevents exhaust gases to escape in an
automobile. This has resulted in over $55 million in annual revenue. They are planning
to diversify their product line so the dependency on a sole product can be minimized. In
due course they have come up with a revolutionary product that is to be used in pile
driving process. The introduction of the CMI Cushion Pad has the ability to change the
entire industry for its consumers; some of its more prominent features include the
capabilities to significantly lower labour and equipment costs, decrease the total
amount of pads being used (effectively eliminating waste), and reduce environmental
safety concerns amongst the workforce due to the non-toxicity of the pads material.
The company has successfully tested the product at two sites and the results are
encouraging. The two sites are Kendrick Foundation Company and Corey Construction.
Kendrick Company is already looking forward to buy the product once the product is
commercialised market. Now the CMI Company has to come up with a pricing strategy
to successfully commercialise the product.

2. PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

1. Threat of new entrants
Barriers to entry:
a. Economies of scale: Curled metal Inc. already owns a facility capable to
manufacture the cushion pads at such scale.
b. Product Differentiation: Curled metal Inc. is already having superior quality
material for cushion pads and that to in variable sizes.
c. Capital requirements: for a new entrant initial setup cost will be very high
but curled metal Inc. is capable of such investment.
d. Access to distribution channel: Uptill now there is no defined distribution
channel in place.

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2. Determinants of Supplier power
a. CMI purchases wire from outside and performs the flattening and curling
operations.
b. CMI can backward integrate to decrease the cost on raw materials.
c. Switching cost may be higher for the buyer because availability of raw
material at such huge scale would be difficult.
3. Threat of substitute product
a. Hardwood blocks
b. Alternate Aluminium plates inch thick
c. Micarta slabs 1 inch thick
d. Phenolic plastic slabs
4. Determinants of buyer power
a. Major buyer were contractors who dont want to buy efficient cushion pads
that would decrease the renting time piles driving hammers and result in loss
of revenue.
5. Rivalry among existing firms
a. There is no other major player who specialises in this field.
b. Exit barriers is high.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The CMI objective was to gain competitive advantage by differentiation strategy.

Advantage
(a) Safety: Significantly reduced the possibility of heat related injury and
much lighter than the others pads.
(b) Efficiency: Cost reduction to contractors.
(c) Eliminating downtime required for changeover
(d) Better service life


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Product
(a)Three dimensional resiliency
(b)Stack of many layer could produce a shock mount, an airflow corrector/an
efficient filter
(c)Tightly compressed curled metal produced the Slip-deal for auto application

Activities
Continues R&D: It originally custom-fabricated component for chemical filtration
and other highly technical applications. Subsequently, it developed a product
called slip-seal to prevent the escape of very hot exhaust gases. Further, it
evolved with new application for curled metal technology in driving pile.

Manufacturing: To estimated production volume of 250 cushions pads per month
by utilizing the manufacturing facilities which were:
(a) One existing utilized equipment
(b) One permanent tooling cost of $150,000

Selling strategy
They considered direct sales force and own distribution outlets, but eventually
began to settle on signing construction-oriented manufacturers representative.


Problem faced by Curled Metal Inc. (CMI)
(a) Pricing decision
(b) Channel marketing decision
(b) Investment in manufacturing equipment


Barriers for CMI to entry
(a) View point of major stakeholders
The most companies viewed role of pads as a necessary accessory or tangent item
instead of viewing them as a potentially value adding or cost reducing part of pile
driving. In order to penetrate the market, CMI has to alter the point of view of pile
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driving pads for the opinion leaders, engineering firms and contractors involved in the
decision process.

(b)View point of secondary stakeholders
Secondary stakeholders include pile hammer manufacturers, architectural consulting
engineers, soil consultants, Pile hammer distributing & renting companies, Engineering
& construction contractors and independent pile driving contractors. The workers who
drive piles are also stakeholders since the current pads may be hazardous to their
health due to heat related injuries and weight.




4. THE VRIO FRAMEWORK


Valuable Rare Costly to
imitate
Exploited by
organisation
Competitive
Implication
YES YES YES YES SUSTAINABLE
ADVANTAGE













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5. QUANTATIVE ANALYSIS OF WTP AND PRICE OF CMI PADS
Kendrick Correy


Revenue for Kendrick 225000 324000


Length of pile driven 15000 12000


Revenue per foot 15 27


Conventional pads
CMI cushion
pads
Conventional
pads
CMI cushion
pads


total foot driven 15000 15000 12000 12000


feet driven per hour 150 200 160 200


Piles driven per set of pads 15 300 6 300


sets required 20 1 50 1


pads per set 24 6 12 5


pads required 480 6 600 5


set changes 20 1 50 1


time required for set change (hrs) 0.33 0.07 0.33 0.07


time required to drive the piles 106.66 75.07 91.65 60.07


time saved 31.59 31.58


time saved assuming 20% increase in
efficiency instead of 33% 18.96 18.95


real cost per hour 714.00 714.00 714.00 714.00


total savings 13534.58 13530.30


savings per foot 0.90 1.13


total cost of all pads used 3000.00 6000.00


cost per set 150.00 120.00


cost per pad 6.25 10.00


maximum willingness to pay for CMI pads
(1 set) 16534.58 19530.30


maximum willingness to pay for CMI pads
per pad 2755.76 3906.06


price charged by CMI per pad (for
distributor) 807.93 807.93


price charged by CMI per pad (for
customer) 1090.70 1090.70


Difference between price per pad
charged and WTP 1665.06 2815.36


Table 3.1 WTP and cost of CMI pads



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Assumption:
1. Revenue per foot of pile driven charged by Kendrick is not changed to determine
maximum willingness to pay
2. 45 % contribution margin on all manufacturing costs
3. Price charged per pad = (manufacturing costs)/0.55
4. Mr.Snawal's intuition that increase in performance is 20% instead of 33% has also
been incorporated.


6. FACTORS CONSIDERED WHILE DETERMINING WILLINGNESS TO PAY:
1. Average cost savings because of less time consumed by using CMI pads. Cost savings
include labour, efficiency and overhead
2. Downtime occurred due to overheating of wooden blocks which does not happen
with CMI pads
3. Longer lifetime of CMI pads over conventional pad
4. Is the model sustainable?
5. Time taken for competitors to emulate CMI's pads strategy. An IP protection like
patent may help CMI to defer this

7. REASONS FOR HIGH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WTP AND PRICE CHARGED BY CMI:
1. High amount of savings in time due to increased efficiency.
2. Efficiency and output increased by 33% by using CMI cushion pads.
3. Assuming that both contractors did not change their bid (revenue charged per foot)
they would be willing to pass on all the benefits of time saved to CMI (supplier).
4. As there has not been much focus on cushion pads in the pile-driving industry, CMI
should enter the market early and try to maintain its competitive advantage. Intellectual
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property right (IPR) protection in the form of patent may help them sustain the
competitive advantage and thus increase the WTP of customers.

8. MARKETING STRATEGY

1. Target and try to convince the important influencers to endorse CMI cushion pads.
These influencers could be:-

a) Architectural/ consulting engineers and soil consultants, who have a key
influence in the buying decision and hence leverage expert power
b) Engineering/ construction contractors who bring large value contracts
c) Independent pile-driving contractors who bring large volumes contracts

2. Give free first set of pads to potential buyers like independent pile driving
contractors and pile hammer distributing/renting companies

3. Get Professor Stephen McCormack of Pennsylvania A&M University to officially
endorse the product.

4. Promote in industry magazines like Oklahoma Contractor and try and get a feature in
the same

5. Sponsor seminars like Piletalk to make people aware about the product

6. Also make a partnership with Prometheus Iron Works, asking them to use the pads
on their top level product can be a good marketing strategy.

7. Use word-of-mouth publicity to educate customers about the products benefits. The
Key influencers to endorse the product could be pile hammer manufacturers,
Professor Stephen McCormack, architectural engineers and contractors.
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8. Use effective advertisement in business magazines to target market, publish test
results in magazine and newspapers

9. Position the product as:-
a) Cost effective.
b) Efficient, more piles driven per set, energy used efficiently
c) Easy to handle as temperature stays within 250 F
d) Safe
e) Reduces time for changeover

9. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
1. Take advantage of the existing distribution networks like Equipment Supply Houses
and Hammer Distribution Rental Companies

2. The company could hire sales force and do direct selling through this in-house sales
force

3. The company could also start online sales

4. Attempt to go through distributors through push method. Hire independent
manufacturers representatives for the same

5. Sell directly to contractors, architectural and consulting engineers and engineering
firms by educating them on the efficiency and safety benefits of the new CMI pads (a
pull approach).

6. The company could also lobby the labour unions to push for higher safety standards
and abandon the hazardous used pads and adopt CMI pads

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10. REFERENCES
1. http://www.academia.edu/6510190/Curled_Metal_Inc_-_Case_Study_Solution
2. http://prezi.com/zontqwscszzq/curled-metal-inc/