1. Do you believe ABD’s products are in a state of readiness to begin exporting to Europe? Why or why not? Are the products ready for exporting to emerging markets (e.g., China, Mexico, Russia)? Why or why not? What factors suggest Speed heal products might enjoy demand in all types of foreign markets?
2. Does management at ABD possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and capabilities for internationalization? Justify your answer. What steps should management take to better prepare the firm, managers, and employees to internationalize?
3. How well did ABD complete the key tasks in global market opportunity assessment? Evaluate whether it accomplished each task well or poorly. Did ABD achieve each of the objectives set out for the tasks?
4. If you were a member of ABD’s management team, what countries would you recommend targeting first? As a manager, you would need to justify your recommendation. A good approach is to investigate key characteristics of specific countries via globalEDGE™ (globalEDGE.msu.edu) or similar Web sites.
5. What approaches could ABD employ to estimate the firm’s sales potential for markets in Europe and other affluent economies? Justify your answer.

Dr. Richard Bentley, a well-known British surgeon who developed a medical device that helps the wound-healing process, was so committed to the ground-breaking technology that he left his surgical practice to found Advanced Biomedical Devices, Inc. (ABD), headquartered in the eastern United States. ABD plans to initiate exporting activities and just completed the process of assessing its readiness, using CORE (Company Readiness to Export). ABD’s product line includes several innovative devices called Speedheal that promote healing and also reduce postsurgical pain by keeping the wound area from swelling.