Problem Statement Significant issues that Blue Skies faced in the early years was the lack of cooperation among smallholders and little coordination between the largest farms during the production process, which affected product quality. Another issue faced was the decline of one of their niche products (the smooth cayenne) due to the introduction of a new product (MD2) to the market by the competition. Analysis Some of the core competencies Blue Skies must achieve to be considered by retailers are food safety and product quality. Blue Skies core competencies are product quality, product innovation, and product portfolio which aligns with the vision statement (‘to offer fresh from harvest’ ready to eat fruit by reducing the lead time from ‘farm to fork’) (De Clara, Ferguson,). For example, from the moment the fruit enters the factory, it’s in refrigerated and must remain that way all the way to the customers. Additionally, Blue Skies employees must take a wash and then change their clothing before entering the factory (De Clara, Ferguson, p. 5,8). …show more content…
This included teamwork, and building strong relationships based on trust, respect, and collaboration. Moreover, Pile had to secure its competitive advantage by sustaining a 48 hours’ delivery model and providing retail with high quality product. Therefore, Blue Skies reinforced their relationship with smallholder farmers and inspired the production of the smooth cayenne. This smallholder’s motivation strategy contributed to the sales growth of the company. By 2008 Blues Skies sales had grown by 20% since its