RESTORATION OF THE COMPETITIVE CAPABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF RANDOLPH SHEPPARD VENDOR BUSINESSES BY INTRODUCING INNO-VATIVE EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND NEW FOODSERVICE MARKETING PROGRAMS AND PRODUCT CONCEPTS.

FOR 50 YEARS THE RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD VENDING PROGRAM HAS MEANTEMPLOYMENT AND INDEPENDENCE TO THE BLIND. TODAY, HOWEVER, THE PROGRAMS AND ITS VENDOR MEMBERS FACE SEVERE CHANGES IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THAT THREATEN THE LONG TERM ECO-NOMIC STABILITY OF MANY INDIVIDUAL OPERATORS AND PERHAPS THEENTIRE PROGRAM. THIS NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FEATURES IN- TENSIFIED COMPETITION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, INCREASINGLY SHORT TERM GOVERNMENTAL OCCUPANCY OF HOST BUILDINGS, FLUC- TUATING GOVERNMENT AGENCY EMPLOYMENT BASES, AND CHANGING CUSTOMER PREFERENCES. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DEFINE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS EX- PERIENCED BY THE VENDOR OPERATORS AND CLASSIFY THOSE PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO THE CAUSAL FACTORS INVOLVED. IT IS BELIEVED THAT A MAJORITY OF THE PROBLEMS WILL RELATE DIRECT-LY TO THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED AND CLASSI- FIED CAN BE ALLEVIATED BY APPLYING INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND NEW FOODSERVICE MARKETING PROGRAMS AND PRODUCT CONCEPTS AT THE VENDOR FACILITIES. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT, MARKETING, AND PRODUCT INNOVATIONS THAT HOLD PROMISE IN SLOVING THE PROBLEMS FOUND. THESE ELEMENTS WILL BE INVESTIGATED ANDTESTED TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL SUCCESS THAT IMPLEMENTA- TION WILL YIELD. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL CONCLUDE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCHFINDINGS.