The value chain refers to all the activities associated with the provision of a product or service. From the manufacturer's perspective, these activities include product design, manufacturing sales, sales and marketing, delivery, research and development, customer relations, and subsequent service. Recently many companies have analyzed the stages of the value chain in an attempt to improve productivity and eliminate waste. In the past, companies purchased machines to replace labor in production processes. Although this method was designed to produce large batches of products, it has recently been claimed that it is considered wasteful. This is because they require large inventory storage capacity and significant movement of materials. This scenario led companies to redesign their production processes and value chain analysis meant that companies improved their profitability and were more responsive to customer needs. We will look at Dell Incorporation on how they use the value chain in their business tactics. We'll start with Dell's Direct Mod...