Maybelline: What Has This Company Been Doing?

A reading of the Real-world case on Maybelline shows how a brick-and-mortar company managed to take advantages of technologies to change its bottomline and the working conditions of its field reps. Maybelline makes huge strides into the M-commerce with the adoption of this new system. In the first few paragraphs, background information is provided on the company. We have learned that Maybelline is a leader such color cosmetics products as eye shadow, mascara, etc. It uses hundreds of people to sell these products in more than 70 countries worldwide. “The reps visit stores, supermarkets and cosmetics specialty stores to close business deals” (thinque.com). This strategy has worked for the company. Yet, Maybelline had a problem which it needed to solve.

Until 2000, Maybelline’s reps had been using interactive voice response (IVR) system to report information back to the headquarters. The IVR was the technology of those times. Other important brick-and-mortar companies used it too. With this system, the reps were often late in reporting the survey results. The system was too cumbersome. The reps had important data on product display, competitors’ market share, item promotion and each store’s inventory. When the reps managed to send the information to the top management, there was no certainty that it would be used immediately. The IVR was menu driven and presented its own set of limitations. So very important trends and opportunities to act on them were being lost. In addition, the field workers were getting stressed out over the whole system. Turnover was the direct consequence. Information technology needed to be reconsidered.

The solution was found in Thinque’s Merchandising Sales Portfolio (MSP). “It runs on handheld, pen-based PDAs (from NEC), powered by Microsoft CE operating system” (EC, p. 32). What was great about this system is that it allowed the reps to enter their reports by handwriting, directly at the clients’ sites. Then, data can automatically upload to a Microsoft SQL Server database at the headquarters every evening. All the reps had to do was to access the corporate intranet via a secured Internet connection. The new system allowed for decision. This way, managers can act rather quickly on the data they receive.

With the MSP system, Maybelline is becoming more interactive with its field workers. It also allows the companies to have stronger ties with the retailers. For sure, technology contributes to improvement in user’s life. Thanks to this system, the stress level and the fear of making errors were greatly reduced. Managers can view retail information through the browser-based reporting tools, regardless of their location. Maybelline has made the step to becoming a click-and-mortar. At the same time, its intermediaries and customers reap the benefits of the technological advances.

Liz Clairborne has new dynamic head, Pamela Thomas-Graham

What does it take to climb to the top of the corporate world? For Pamela Thomas-Graham, it took tenacity, knowledge, lots of soft skills, good conversations and a drive to succeed. If you ever wonder how a woman can accomplish so much, then you have the right person to tell you how. Let us let Thomas tell you how she did it. She said she was brought up to challenge herself, to try to be successful on her own terms. She was brought up to be focused. That is why she did not hesitate to step to the plate when she was asked to revitalize, re-engineer or regenerate the flagship of Liz Clairborne. We are talking about a $1 billion company. She knew she could contribute to the company. Based on her varied experiences, she knew she could inject some life back into Liz Clairborne. Pamela Thomas-Graham was the head of CNBC.com which she ran successfully. She also gained lots of experience from consulting for the clothing and fashion industries at McKinsey & Company. After spending a decade there, she walked out with lots of great ideas. Pamela Thomas-Graham was the first black woman partner at this great consulting firm. She opened the doors wide open for others to follow at McKinsey. She attended Harvard where she earned a bachelor's degree, an MBA and a law degree. Pamela was inclined to receive real-world experience when she interned at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Bain & Company which is a Boston landmark. It is clear that Pamela Thomas-Graham has an excellent track record. She was ready to convert negatives to positives. Pamela's lessons to everybody is be well-rounded. She recommends the value of knowledge and intellectual curiosity in us.