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. Speed heal oxygenates the wound area by pulsing electrons through the bandage covering the wound. The devices are very small and portable. Versions exist for different types of surgeries: hand surgery, face lifts, abdominal procedures, and so on. Dr. Bentley launched ABD with a skillful management team whose members have worked extensively in the European market, the Pacific Rim, and Latin America. ABD’s manufacturing director is from Germany, and another manager lived in France and Malaysia for several years. Thanks to high demand, Speed heal sales increased rapidly, primarily through medical product distributors that sold to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Growth approached 20 percent in some years, and the staff grew to 85 people. The firm’s success stimulated the entry of competitors offering similar products, but rivals never achieved the degree of miniaturization in ABD’s products. Miniaturization thus remains one of Speed heel's competitive advantages. Management’s projections for ABD’s future growth remain positive. Dreams of International Expansion ABD had received unsolicited orders from abroad and learned a great deal about handling international transactions, including foreign exchange, letters of credit, and logistics. Though ABD’s plan to internationalize was in its early stages, management intended to expand beyond occasional export sales to target key world markets. Its managers preferred dealing with psychically close markets—those with familiar culture, business customs, and legal and banking systems. But they were willing to consider others, especially large and fast-growing markets and those promising superior profitability .,,,,,,,

Case Questions
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™ (www.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