Introduction

AMC Theaters is our company of focus. We will provide a detailed overview of the company's history as well as their mission and goals. Along with that we will analyze the theater industry to have a better understanding of AMC's competitive strategy, taking into consideration the firm's strengths and weaknesses.

AMC Theaters is a very large corporation, therefore they make use of many Management Information Systems tools in order to meet their needs and accomplish their tasks in an efficient and effective manner.

We are focusing on the AMC Human Resources Department , reviewing their tasks and expectations and how their Information Systems aid in attaining those expected outcomes. Analyzing the MIS tools would help determine if the currently utilized programs are the best option for the company to accomplish the  Human Resources Department goals.  Possible alternatives will be considered and evaluated in order to draw a conclusion and provide useful recommendations to AMC that will help improve their Management Information System Processes.

AMC Human Resources Operations Flow Chart

Movie Theater Industry

The movie theater industry is a highly competitive market which demands a significant amount of capital most of all to invest in successful infrastructure. This industry has an oligopoly structure in which competition is fierce and where strategies to set your business apart from the rest are very limited; this is only referring to Mutiplex Cinemas. Along with the rivalry amongst competitor,  the large Cinema corporations also have to compete with local movie theaters which can in many occasion take some of their clientele.

Enterprises operating in this environment must create highly competitive business strategy in order to stay in business. Movie Theater firms need to consider the best alternatives to set themselves apart from the competition. To do this effectively they are required to hire the best staff members to provide high quality customer service; offer distinctive services and providing their consumers with a variety of features and amenities to keep them coming back. This industry limits businesses' possibilities of differentiating  their products, because there are few studios producing mainstream movies and their lease dates are the same for all the Cinemas. Multiplex Cinemas must  build their business strategy focusing on all the possible services they can provide.

AMC Theater History

Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, 1920.

AMC Theater's started as a family business during the 1920's. A Midwest, tent show performer, Edward Dubinsky decided to settle in Kansas City, Missouri and open his first movie theater. By the 1950's he already owned over a dozen drive-ins and theaters. In 1960 when Edward Dubinsky died, his son Stanley took over the business. Consequently, in 1963, Stanley decided to bring innovation into the nature of the business and launched the first Mall-based theater offering multiple screens. In 1968 the company consolidated into American Multi-Cinema and expanded the multiplex concept throughout the nation. In 1983, American Multi-Cinema decided to go public, and at this point they shortened their name to AMC. The company was growing and expanding at such a fast pace that during 1992 they started to accumulate a great amount of debt. The excessive investments forced them to start laying off employees and eventually sell part of their company.  (Hoovers Inc., 2013).

Overall, AMC was able to recuperate and continue doing successful business. In 1995, AMC opened the first North American megaplex in Dallas, Texas. In 2000, AMC partnered with a variety of entertainment companies to form MovieTickets.com which allowed customers to purchase movie tickets right over the internet. Later in 2006, AMC partnered with Lowes Cineplex, which significantly improved the company's holdings by adding around 2,000 more screens to AMC and in turn expanding internationally to around 12 other countries. The business alliance with Lowes maintained the AMC name, as well as keeping the same CEO, Peter Brown. In 2011, AMC purchased over 90 film houses from Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres. A year later they publicly announced plans of possibly being acquired by Wanda Group, a Chinese Investment company (Hoovers Inc., 2013).  The Wanda group has acquired AMC at this point, and owns controlling interest in the company.

Mission Statement

"We make smiles happen!"

Since opening its doors in 1920, AMC has been dedicated to ensuring that its customers have the best movie-going experience in the world.  During the course of the company's life, it has changed the way people watch movies. AMC was the first movie theater to have stadium-seating and always uses the most state-of-the-art audio and video equipment to ensure the most realistic experience for its customers.

Now, they have gone one step further and have introduced "Dine-In" theaters across the country. These new-age theaters combine the old "dinner and a movie" concept to a "dinner during the movie" experience.  You can now enjoy you favorite new movies in the theater while enjoying drinks and a meal. The Dine-In theaters include a full service bar as well as recliner seats. This provides a whole new level of comfort to the movie theater experience. The ability to enjoy a movie as if you were sitting at home provides a new level of excitement and enjoyment for the customers. This new concept has revolutionized the industry and has given its customers an entirely new experience. Instead of making dinner reservations and then having to go to a different location to view the movie, AMC has combined this into a one-stop location. AMC's mission is to continue to create innovative and satisfying ideas to enhance their customers' experiences while making use of their services.