Business Background
The mission of Vivint Smart Homes Inc. is to deliver secure and intelligent homes that can meet the demands of its customers. The firm utilizes modern technologies from various corporations and incorporates them into customers’ homes to maximize comfort and safety. The company also engages in innovative practices to improve performance and consider the demands of the targeted customers (Spivey, 2015).
Planning methodologies are powerful strategies for guiding business practices and delivering timely results. Vivint Smart Homes begin by attracting customers through powerful promotional strategies and provides customized plans and models for their homes. Employees work round the clock to meet such demands and consider additional ways to maximize homeowners’ experiences.
Business strategy is a model that dictates the measures put in place to complete operations, meet customers’ needs, and maximize performance. At Vivint, managers and leaders offer incentives and guidelines that all followers need to take seriously. The company will advertise its services and encourage more potential clients to be part of the model (“About us,” n.d.). They will receive lighting systems, cameras, and security plans that are personalized and capable of transforming the users’ experiences.
Currently, Vivint has customers in the United States and Canada. The ideal Vivint customer would be any person who has a home, family, and children and who requires protection and surveillance. Within the past decade, the company has succeeded in attracting more homeowners and providing high-quality systems. This sector remains lucrative and admirable since it offers solutions to many homeowners. Consequently, the model has attracted additional competitors that can affect Vivint Smart Home’s future profitability (“About us,” n.d.). Some of the leading ones in the North American market include AT&T, Dwelo, ADT Corporation, and ComCast. The presence of these rivals explains why the company should focus on the best strategies to remain attractive and sustainable.
Organization
Vivint Smart Homes utilizes a simple organization that ensures that positive results are recorded. The company has a leader whose role is to provide the relevant guidelines and instructions. Several departments complete their unique responsibilities that resonate with the wider organizational model. The business has a formal structure that promotes performance. A horizontal chart is notable whereby the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) communicates directly with departmental heads (Spivey, 2015).
Such professionals work as partners to ensure that the firm achieves the intended business aims. At Vivint Smart Homes, there are informal entities that are present. However, the company promotes a unique culture whereby employees can focus on their aims while providing the best support to the targeted clients.
Vivint Smart Homes has designed an effective process for supporting decision-making. The involvement of all partners is a common initiative whereby leaders will identify areas of concern and collaborate to find a sustainable solution. The human resources (HR) department will encourage employees to present their grievances and be involved in the decision-making process (“About us,” n.d.). The leaders make timely decisions that are intended to support organizational performance and take the company closer to the outlined goals.
Change is a continuous process that business organizations should take seriously. Vivint Smart Homes is one of the firms that focus on the recorded gains and consider additional improvements to maximize performance. Each department has the liberty to implement the relevant changes depending on the anticipated aims. Some of the leaders will identify emerging problems and propose organizational changes (Spivey, 2015). The ultimate aim of such a procedure is to engage all partners and employees and minimize chances of rejection. Such a strategy will make it possible for the company to achieve the intended business aims and improve service delivery. Every implemented change is aimed at transforming performance and taking the company closer to its aims.
Leadership Style
Vivint Smart Homes has developed a unique leadership pattern that is responsible for some of the recorded gains. The firm promotes a transformational leadership style that is capable of empowering followers and encouraging them to focus on the wider picture. Currently, the company’s CEO is Todd Pedersen. Other notable heroes who promote this leadership model include Nate Randle, the organization’s chief marketing officer (CMO), and Alex Dunn, the President (Majumder et al., 2017).
These leaders guide their followers and collaborate to ensure that positive results are recorded. They encourage departmental heads to promote transformational leadership since it allows the company to transition depending on the changes recorded in North America’s home automation industry. The roles of these key heroes explain why this emerging firm competes successfully with the existing rivals in the region.
To support the delivery of positive results, the leaders at this company consider and implement powerful attributes that have the potential to deliver a desirable environment. Specifically, the CEO has been on the frontline to promote a unique culture whereby the workers can share ideas and focus on the wider picture (Aldabbagh et al., 2020). Individuals find it easier to solve their differences.
Customers can liaise and connect with the workers freely. Such an environment allows the clients to learn more about the available services and consider some of the best options to meet their diverse needs. Departmental leaders offer guidelines and incentives to their workers (Majumder et al., 2017). This strategy is responsible for the increasing level of motivation recorded at this company. Individuals are free to consult one another and seek guidance from their leaders. This environment has empowered most of the employees, thereby supporting the realization of positive organizational goals.
The HR department has implemented a code of ethics that dictates the behaviors of all workers. Coupled with the existing culture, individuals can communicate directly with their respective leaders. The horizontal hierarchy has minimized any form of bureaucracy that has the potential to affect performance. Leaders can liaise with employees directly and share their views with the targeted customers (Aldabbagh et al., 2017). This model means that the nature of organizational communications at this firm is effective and capable of delivering positive results. Some of the workers and team managers rely on modern technologies and online media platforms to share the relevant information and ensure that all stakeholders focus on the targeted business aims.
Processes for Control
This business organization has put in place various controls that are intended to support the quality of services available to different clients. Some of the key controls include operational, financial, and human. The human aspect is designed in such a way that the HR department identifies the available resources and matches them with the intended roles and responsibilities (“About us,” n.d.). Such controls are essential to ensure that all business segments work synergistically to support the delivery of timely results.
Financial controls form an integral part of the processes undertaken at this organization. The finance department implements and monitors superior strategies and policies for allocating financial resources and matching them with the demands of the customers. The company makes predictions and analyses to ensure that the intended profits are met (Biocco et al., 2018). The relevant professionals rely on some of the powerful tools and documents that can support the realization of the anticipated aims, such as balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, and invoices. The use of these controls ensures that the company remains financially healthy while meeting the expenses incurred to support the smooth running of the business.
The nature of the company’s business model explains why operational controls are critical. These security measures are designed in such a way that the services available to the customers are accessible and of the highest quality. Individuals working in the relevant units will have to liaise and monitor cameras and footage from the subscribers (Biocco et al., 2018). They make timely decisions and communicate any security hitches to the anticipated customers. The emerging observations and decisions form the basis for future analyses and improvements.
At this company, information systems (ISs) play a significant role by supporting the business model and ensuring that timely results are recorded. For instance, the use of connectivity devices and cameras allows employees to survey and monitor the implemented systems remotely. The use of such innovations ensures that customers rely on the systems to monitor their homes using their handheld devices, such as tablets and smartphones. The Internet is a useful resource that is making the processes of communication and connection effective and capable of delivering desirable results (Biocco et al., 2018). Through the power of ISs, this company will be in a position to deliver its home automation services and systems to more customers. Such an achievement will maximize its chances of becoming successful and recording positive business aims.
Innovative Managerial Practices
The concept of innovation is essential since it makes it ensures that business leaders guide and encourage their followers to present additional ideas that can improve customers’ experiences. Innovative managerial practice is evident at Vivint Smart Homes since the workers receive timely updates and technologies (“About us,” n.d.). The presented systems and tools allow them to think deeper and consider how they can revolutionize the expectations of more customers.
This strategy is essential since it allows employees to consider strategies that some of the competitors might be doing to achieve their potential. They get adequate time to design and experiment with new security systems. The leaders promote contests whereby the winner gets rewarded (Edwards, 2020). The workers are encouraged to identify new ways of improving the outcomes of the targeted customers. This model has delivered a unique entrepreneurship culture whereby most of the workers focus on the best approaches to deliver positive results. Some individuals engage in lifelong learning to acquire additional insights for improving organizational performance and taking the company closer to its business aims.
Unfortunately, some ethical dilemmas exist that this company has been compelled to address using practical strategies. First, the implemented IS systems and cameras can pose moral questions and concerns regarding the business’ ability to access the collected footage. This company has addressed this issue by convincing all customers about the confidentiality and security associated with its automation (Miller, 2015). Second, some of the stakeholders are usually worried about the nature of such systems and whether unauthorized people can access the collected personal information (Edwards, 2020). Third, some people and homeowners have been reluctant to purchase some of these solutions Vivint Smart Homes offers due to moral issues associated with them. Specifically, some of these individuals believe that the company could rely on them for selfish gains. Nonetheless, the company’s leaders have succeeded in addressing such issues and encouraging more people to be part of the initiative.
To maximize organizational performance, this business provides several strategies to empower the targeted workers. For instance, the promoted culture adds value by encouraging the workers to share. They also receive timely resources and tools that encourage them to experiment and deliver superior systems (Edwards, 2020). The company offers training programs and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities whereby all key partners are required to participate. Competitive salaries and promotions are also evidence-based strategies to maximize employee empowerment at this firm.
Technology has become a vital resource that allows Vivint Smart Homes to offer personalized and high-quality services. The business model is founded on emerging innovations and systems. The company provides handheld equipment and devices that are used to provide personalized support to the customers (“About us,” n.d.). The Internet and social media platforms are powerful technologies that support this company’s business model.
Joining Vivint Smart Homes
This analysis reveals that Vivint Smart Homes is one of the best companies I would like to work for. This decision is worth making since the leaders are supportive and the culture is favorable. Workers receive additional opportunities to maximize their competencies through mentorship while earning competitive salaries (Miller, 2015). I can join this company by visiting its website and identifying new job openings. I will apply for them and be on the lookout for internship programs.
Literature Review
Todd Pederson and Keith Nellesen started this organization in 1999. Pedersen was born in 1968 in Seattle, Washington. He attended Idaho Falls High School and began selling various services for controlling pests. He would later venture into burglar alarms and systems a few years later. He decided to contact Keith Nellesen to start a new venture that would grow to become Vivint Smart Homes (Miller, 2015). Keith was born in 1967 and grew up in Idaho Falls. He attended the same high school as Pedersen and eventually pursued a Masters’s of Accountancy. These two individuals founded APX Alarm and eventually expanded it to become Vivint.
Employee Interviews
Individuals complete interviews before becoming part of this company. Such exercises are intended to identify people’s potential and consider how their competencies can support organizational performance. The company conducts additional performance reviews to consider how training programs can be designed and improved (“About us,” n.d.). Such measures are aimed at improving organizational performance and ensuring that the targeted customers receive timely and high-quality services.
Promotional Materials
Vivint is presently relying on powerful advertising strategies to achieve its aims. Its primary promotion link is this website: www.vivint.com. It has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It provides pamphlets and uses television channels to promote its services (“About us,” n.d.). Current customers are encouraged to share the world to attract more people and increase the level of service delivery.
Industry Analysis
The North American home automation sector is becoming lucrative. Miller (2015) believes that this market might command a total of 63.2 billion US dollars by the year 2025. Over 30 percent of new homeowners are in search of these services. The number of competitors is still low in comparison with other sectors. The industry is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. Investors should consider these trends and identify how Vivint can remain sustainable and more profitable.
References
About us. (n.d.). Web.
Aldabbagh, G., Alzafarani, R., & Ahmad, G. (2020). Energy-efficient IoT home monitoring and automation system (EE-HMA). International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(5), 3176-3185. Web.
Biocco, P., Keshavarz, M., Hines, P., & Anwar, M. (2018). A study of privacy policies across smart home companies. Web.
Dahmen, J., Cook, D. J., Wang, X., & Honglei, W. (2017). Smart secure homes: A survey of smart home technologies that sense, assess, and respond to security threats. Journal of Reliable Intelligent Environments, 3(2), 83-98. Web.
Edwards, R. (2020). Vivint Smart Home security review. Safewise. Web.
Majumder, S., Aghayi, E., Noferesti, M., Memarzadeh-Tehran, H., Mondal, T., Pang, Z., & Deen, M. J. (2017). Smart homes for elderly healthcare-Recent advances and research challenges. Sensors, 17(11), 2496-2527. Web.
Miller, M. (2015). The Internet of Things: How smart TVs, smart cars, smart homes, and smart cities are changing the world. Pearson Education.
Spivey, D. (2015). Home automation for dummies. Wiley.