line depth

(noun)

the number of subcategories a product category has.

Related Terms

Examples of line depth in the following topics:

  • Product Line

    • Line depth refers to the number of subcategories a category has.
    • Line consistency refers to how closely related the products that make up the line are.
    • Line vulnerability refers to the percentage of sales or profits that are derived from only a few products in the line.
    • The first is a full-line strategy while the second is called a limited line strategy.
    • Line-filling strategies occur when a void in the existing product line has not been filled or a new void has developed due to the activities of competitors or the request of consumers.

  • The Marketing Mix

    • Marketers can expand the current product mix by increasing a certain product line's depth or by increasing the number of product lines.

  • Preparing for change

    • For any type of change to take hold within a business (particularly efficiency) breadth and depth is required.
    • Depth means that everyone becomes involved with, and brings their skills to, the change process.
    • By involving as many employees as possible from a wide range of departments, Dow's ongoing efficiency drives ensure that: (1) breadth and depth is achieved, (2) there are fewer chances that something is missed, and (3) problems are attacked from many different angles.

  • Cultural Barriers

    • Expansion planning requires an in-depth knowledge of existing market channels and suppliers, of consumer preferences and current purchase behavior, and of domestic and foreign rules and regulations.
    • In a survey of Texas agricultural exporting firms, Hollon (1989) found that from a firm management perspective, the initial entry into export markets was significantly more difficult than either the handling of ongoing export activities or the consideration of expansion to new export product lines or markets.
    • This means that a resident of Country A operating in Country B must understand that lines of authority are more rigid in Country B and act accordingly.

  • Productivity Gains from Technology

    • It contained many articles on science and was the first general encyclopedia to provide in depth coverage on the mechanical arts, but far more celebrated for its presentation of thoughts of the Enlightenment.
    • Work practices and processes: the American system of manufacturing, Taylorism (scientific management), mass production, assembly line, and modern business enterprise;

  • Store Retailers

    • The depth of the product mix depends on the store.
    • Supermarkets are large, self-service stores with central check-out facilities, they carry an extensive line of food items and often non-food products.

  • Introduction: What is Sustainability?

    • And an in-depth look at the numerous problems that humanity now faces often reveals that the downside of allowing individuals or groups to do whatever they want (without considering future consequences) usually results in all of us paying dearly for it.
    • These expenses consist of the costs of short-term thinking, the problems and costs associated with waste, the spiralling cost of raw materials and resource deficits (resulting from an increasingly affluent and growing population all of whom are competing for the world's finite supply of resources), costs created or exacerbated by poorly designed products and production processes, the costs of climate change (e.g. property damage and crop failure), and the costs of unemployment and underemployment – to name just a few (in 1994, British business consultant John Elkington condensed these areas into three categories and referred to them as the ‘triple bottom line': the financial, environmental and human aspects of business).
    • Preparation – accepting the breadth and depth of sustainability (e.g. particularly the financial implications) and understanding that sustainability is not solely about the environment or being independent.

  • Line and Staff Structure

    • The line and staff structure combines the line organization with support from staff departments .
    • The distinguishing characteristic between simple line organizations and line and staff organizations is the multiple layers of management within the latter.
    • While the staff departments may not directly contribute to the production of the firm like the line positions do, their services indirectly support the line positions.
    • Organizations begin as line-only, with line managers having direct control over all activities, including administrative ones.
    • Explain the dynamics between the line managers and staff positions of a typical line and staff structure

  • Change from another angle

    • Get employees involved in the change process by asking for their advice and input (breadth and depth).

  • Combining internal and external equity

    • The next step will be to combine these two sets of data, to create a pay policy line.
    • The pay policy line can be drawn freehand, by graphing actual salaries and connecting the dots.
    • Regression generates a straight line that best fits the data by minimizing the variance around the line.
    • In other words, the straight line generated by the regression analysis will be the line that best combines the internal value of a job (from job evaluation points) and the external value of a job (from the market survey).
    • You can also enact a policy of "leading" the market by raising the line, and the policy of "lagging" the market by lowering the line.