Environmental Analysis Paper
Analysis of the Forces and Trends
Customer profiling provides sound knowledge of the demographics, personalities, and physical surroundings, as well as, purchasing power and behaviors of customers, (Pearce & Robinson, 2004). This trend allows managers and businesses the opportunity to look deep into their target markets in order to identify relevant trends. Customer profiling assists I-Care in understanding the behaviors of its current and past customers. A few relevant strategic practices have been implemented to address customer profiling. The majority of the patient clientele receive government-funded insurance. Research on the current Medicare and Medicaid trends provides information into the demographics, psychographics, and geographic make-up of each client. This information provides management a basis for understanding the patient mix. Aside from government research, I-Care conducts bi-annual surveys within the industry and through its patients. Managers seek out data that will keep the company abreast on industry trends and behaviors among customers. They are also able to retrieve data from patients that better explains their needs, desires, and behaviors as Geriatric patients.
Evaluating a company's competitive position within its industry
assists managers in identifying resources and creating goals that will lead to future growth and profits, (Pearce & Robinson, 2004). Competitor profiling is a trend that is helpful because it provides the company with the necessary tools to identify what is available and successful in the present market. Determining the competitive position of other home healthcare agencies within the Houston area assists I-Care in creating unique services and care that sets them apart from other agencies. Identifying what has and has not worked for its competitors also provides the agency with insight into what methods are detrimental, and which ones are successful. I-Care managers conduct bi-annual...