Regal Marine, one of the U.S.s 10 largest power-boat manufacturers, achieves its mission providing luxury performance boats to customers worldwide using the strategy of differentiation. It differentiates its products through constant innovation, unique features, and high quality. Increasing sales at the Orlando, Florida, family-owned firm suggest that the strategy is working.

As a quality boat manufacturer, Regal Marine starts with continuous innovation, as reflected in computer-aided design (CAD), high quality molds, and close tolerances that are controlled through both defect charts and rigorous visual inspection. In-house quality is insufficient, however. Because a product is only as good as the parts put into it, Regal has established close ties with a large number of its suppliers to ensure both flexibility and perfect parts. With the help of these suppliers, Regal can profitabily product a product line of 22 boats, ranging from the $14,000 19-foot boat to the $500,000 44-foot Commodore yacht.

We build boats, says VP Tim Kuck, but were really in the fun business. Our competition includes not only 300 other boat canoe, and yacht manufacturers, in our $17 billion industry, but home theaters, the Internet, and all kinds of alternative family entertainment. Fortunately, Regal has been paying down debt and increasing market share.

Regal has also joined with scores of other independent boat makers in the American Boat Builders Association. Through economies of scale in procurement, Regal is able to navigate against billion-dollar competitor Brunswick (makers of the Sea Ray and Bayliner brands).

answer the question :

1 - How would you define Regals strategy

2 - How would each of the 10 operations management decisions apply to operations decision making at Regal Marine ?