Communication
It is the responsibility of the project manager Andrea Vega to make sure the AMCE project team, the project sponsor and the US ACME headquarter communicate effectively. Andrea Vega will be located in Mexico City the majority of the 12 month construction period to monitor the process and make sure the completion timeline remains on schedule. Constant communication should occur between the team based in Mexico City and the US based team to keep informed of the status of the project. Methods such as teleconferences and Skype can be used for regular communication between the US and Mexican team members. MS Project will also be utilized by the project manager to track the status of the project. MS Project will be a great tool because it will allow approved team members to electronically make changes/ modifications to the plan and indicate who and when changes were made. The project manager must implement communication guidelines for the future operations in Mexico. It is important that managers be fluent in English and Spanish to foster open communication and understanding. This will promote a stable transition of AMCE into the MEXICO CITY EXPANSION PROJECT PLAN 17 Southwest regions. As with most things in life communication is one of the keys to success and in this case AMCE must not only know but understand its new customer base.
Advertising and Marketing
From a business perspective ACME North America wants the Mexico City flagship store to be successful in hopes of expanding and opening more stores throughout Mexico. To obtain this goal a marketing plan will need to be configured in order to brand the new store for success. Marketing plans and strategies used in the US may not necessarily be effective in Mexico. ACME must investigate and determine the wants and needs of its Mexican consumers. It would be advantageous if ACME was able to hire a Marketing Director who has experience working for a company like Home Depot who has successfully already transitioned into the Mexican market. Within the marketing plan it is imperative that goals are set in terms gaining certain amounts of dominance in the home improvement industry. This will be the main factor to determine if the ACME will expand in the future or even remain open in Mexico City. The Store Manager and staff will also play a key role in terms of engaging with the customers and providing knowledgeable insight in the Mexico City store. ACME will need to position itself as something new and exciting than its competitors in the region cannot offer in order to be success and profitable. ACME’s two main customer bases will be Homeowners and Construction workers and/or Contractors. Do it yourself projects are extremely popular for Homeowners looking to save some money. Advertising weekly specials or offering classes are promotions that have helped promote Home Depot’s loyal following. Gimmicks ACME my want to consider utilizing. Construction workers and contractors are also major markets ACME should market and advertise to. Offering MEXICO CITY EXPANSION PROJECT PLAN 18 early opening hours for contractors or discounts for materials purchased in bulk my steer that market share of business to ACME. The sources of advertising are plentiful from emails, apps, TV or word of mouth. The important thing is to let Mexico City ACME will be opening and all the products and services that will be made available to them. Cultural Concerns
Although Mexico and the USA are both located in North America there are numerous cultural differences and legal differences that must be addressed and understood to be successful in this region. First and foremost being respectful and sensitive of cultural and legal difference is imperative to avoid delays and financial hardships. ACME must provide cross cultural training so all parties involved will be aware of these differences before operations commence in Mexico City. The language barrier is an aspect of opening in Mexico that may