Issues

This section aims to look at some of the issues faced by Cameron Balloons in designing their balloons. We will raise many questions and though we may not offer many answers it is a chance to see the constraints of operating in the real-world. How would you approach some of these, if you were running this business?

Most of the design work is done on an in-house CAD package written by Don Cameron himself. When it needs upgrading should the firm buy in a new version or write it themselves?

Designers are highly skilled, and the most complex designs take years of experience to be able to achieve. What can the firm do to ensure they keep their highly-prized design team?

What proportion of turnover should be spent on Research and Development of new and existing products?

How can the firm ensure that their designs match up and indeed exceed those of their competitors?

How can design costs be kept to a minimum, to ensure that the firm stays competitive?