argument117 [Jet小组}第九次作业

mix99UID: 2432326

TOPIC: ARGUMENT117 - The following is a memo from the business manager of Valu-Mart stores.

"Over 70 percent of the respondents to a recent survey reported that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past. Since Valu-Mart has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments in the past, we should take advantage of this work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines such as printers, small copy machines, paper shredders, and fax machines. We will also increase stock of office supplies such as paper, pens, and staplers. With these changes, our office-supply departments will become the most profitable component of our stores."
WORDS: 395          TIME: 01:06:21          DATE: 2008-2-20 19:20:22

In this memo the manager of Valu-Mart stores recommends that increase the stock of home office machines and office supplies to make their office--supply departments the most profitable components of their stores. To support this recommendation the manger cites the facts that a recent survey, people are required to take more work home than the past and Valu-Mart has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments. Close scrutiny of these facts, however, reveals that none of them lend credible support to this recommendation.

To begin with, the recent survey does not necessarily indicate that the demand of home office machines and supplies has a rapid increase. First, we are not informed how many people take part in this survey, and how many people respond the survey. Perhaps the respondents are the minority of the people accept the survey. Secondly, we also have no information about the desires of the respondents that buy the office machines and relevant products. Maybe they are having other channel to solve the shortage of these products, such as buying secondhand commodity, or their company will offer the facility for them. Thirdly, even all the former factors are in favor of the recommendation, perhaps the location of Valu-Mart stores  is far away the houses these people live .In short ,without ruling out other reasons about this survey, the manage can not convince me his(her) recommendation based on it.

In addition, the impressive sales in its office--supply department also can offer little indication the recommendation. Lacking other evidences, perhaps since the total sales of  Valu-Mart stores is more larger than this department, adding to the market of office-supply is in a depression, office-supply department has on possibility to get a good performance. Or perhaps the competing of the office products, being extremely fierce, leads to the low profit of this department.

Finally, the recommendation depends on the changes increasing the stock of home office machine and supplies. Yet no evidence is offered to substantiate this change can lead to the sales of the office--supply department. Perhaps the chief clients are the companies, research institutes and the departments of governments, whom offer the most part of profits. If true, this would serve to undermine the manager's recommendation.

In sum, the recommendation relies on certain doubtful facts that render it unconvincing as it stands. To bolster the recommendation the manager must the details of the survey, the sound prediction of office products market, and the more accurate data about its clients.