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THE DECLINE of a BIG SUCCESS IBM. by IFTIKHAR, Fa-2010/ MSc -EM/162. IBM—Milestones. IBM—The Making Of a Coy.
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THE DECLINE of aBIG SUCCESSIBM byIFTIKHAR, Fa-2010/MSc-EM/162
IBM—The Making Of a Coy • Jun 1911 - IBM incorporates in New York as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording (CTR) Coy; with Merger of The Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company, and the Computing Scale Company of America. • May 1914 - Thomas J. Watson Sr. becomes GM of IBM predecessor, CTR Coy. • Nov 1915 - IBM stock begins to sell publicly on NY Stock Exchange for $46 a share. • Feb 1924 – CTR Coy changes its name to Int’l Business Machines—IBM.
IBM—The Making Of a Coy • May 1956 - Thomas J. Watson Jr. takes over as IBM's CEO from his father. Thomas J. Watson Sr dies at age 82 in Jun 56. • Apr 1964 - IBM introduces System 360, first large family of computers. • Jun 1971 - Thomas J. Watson Jr. steps down as IBM Chairman & CEO, replaced by T. Vincent Learson as CEO & Frank T. Carry as President. • Aug 1981 - IBM introduces the PC.
IBM—The Decline Starts • Jun 1986 - John Akers becomes IBM CEO. Big Blue converted into 13 Baby Blues. • Jan 1991 - IBM announces 10% reduction in pension benefits. • 1991 (or 1992?) - Elimination of medical plan's "coordination of benefits". • Apr 1992 - Elimination of Pre-Retirement Education for IBMers within 5 years of retirement. • Apr 1993 - Louis V. Gerstner Jr. becomes IBM Chairman and CEO, On April Fool's day
IBM—The Decline Cont’ • 1993 - The coy posted a Revenue of $ 68 bn with $ 6 bn profit in 1990, faced loss of $ 8 bnin1993 • Feb 1994 - 320 employees laid off. • Jul 1994 - IBM announces Kingston, NY plant closing. • Jul 1999 – Pension & Retirement Med Benefits reductions for employees under 40 • 2000 (first quarter) - Reduced 2000 variable pay due to poor mgmt. Since variable pay is about 10% of yearly salary, this amounted to a 3% pay cut
IBM—The Decline Cont’ • Sep 2000 - IBM Endicott announces Alternate Work Schedule; with mandatory 12 hr work days and weekend days. Workers must work every other Saturday. Overtime pay is reduced. • Oct 2000 - IBM announces that new retirees will have to pay for medical benefits. • Nov 2001 - IBM Terminates the jobs of over 1,500 workers (500 in Burlington, VT; 400 in Endicott, NY; 200 in East Fishkill, NY; 180 in Rochester, NY; 150 in Fremont, CA; 75 in Raleigh, NC).
IBM—The Decline Affirmed • Jan 2002 • An unknown number of vendors & 30 IBMers laid off in Rochester. • Mass termination(>50%) at Lotus Professional Services. • Jun 2002 - IBM cuts over 9,000 jobs in the United States. • Aug 2002 - IBM admits to over 14,000 job cuts in a corporate filing
THE SUCCESS STORY • Merger of 3 Productive Coys • Initiative & Lead in Computer Industry • Thomas J. Watson’s Ldrship & ‘Think’ Motto • Enviable Sale Force • Direct Sale to End Users & Focus on Customer Service • Multiple Product Divisions—Each in Direct Service of Respective Customer(s) • Mkt Monopoly • Ltd Competitors with Little Resources
THE DOWNFALL • Mainframe Myopia • System/36 a success in 1960s • Future Systems—an Ambitious Proj in 70s; Scrapped in 1975 • $100 Bn Blunder • Planned to achieve $100 Bn in sales by 1990, driven by Mainframe Success • Failed to read the fast changing Mkt Needs & Trend • Focused on increased production instead of Innovative Products • Focus on Mainframe: Planned on mainframe as hub of inter-connected web of AS/400 minis & IBM PCs
THE DOWNFALL • Tunneled Monopolistic Approach: With fol tools: • Mkt Segmentation & Price Discrimination thru Separate Product Lines • Earlier systems mutually incompatible—Customers having spent on Trg of Pers & Software implementation—were locked in with first IBM’s products • Force-feeding the customers instead of learning about their Needs • With this focus IBM failed to compete on 3 Ps—Price, Performance & Product • Bureaucracy & Late Entry into Every Mkt: It took 31 approvals for an employee to get 1 pc of Equipment
THE DOWNFALL • Introducing IBM PC/1980-81 • Hasty decision to bring out a PC ASP (13 months) • Outsourcing of Key Components to Expedite • Use of Microsoft Software—MS DOS, with a deal for Microsoft to collect Royalties from other users of MS DOS. • DOS became industry std for all less Apple. • Use of ‘Intel’ micro-processor, instead of developing their Own. • IBM outperformed the rival-Apple but lost Con of the Mkt & a no of Clones OVER-THREW its monopoly • Failure to utilize 80386, remaining restd to 80286 whereas world had started ref to 386—the processor, instead of IBM PC etc
THE DOWNFALL • Failure to See the Mkt Trend • Hi Price/ Low Vol—to— Low Price/ Hi Vol • Instead of riding the tide of Tech Advancement, tried to stem it • Remained restd to Select Customers instead going for Open Sale thru Dealers • Onrush of Competitors & Unpreparedness to Face • Thomas J. Watson’s mantra, ‘Think’ was lost while thinking that “monopoly of thought can never be achieved” • Risk Aversion & Resistance to Change • Faulty Decisions: Is the net reason for the Fall of this, once, Financial Giant
CONCLUSION The New IBM Has Emerged; Highly Successful But Is Only A Shadow Of Its Former Self.