Providing visual support Essay Example for Free

Providing visual support Essay Nancy is 24 year old women and a house wife by profession. She is disabled by birth and totally dependant on wheelchair. She stays with her husband, who is software professional and busy most of the time. Being a housewife, Nancy has vey little technology knowledge and finds it difficult to use technology spontaneously. Nancy doesn’t want her disability to become her weakness and wants to work like a normal housewife, like cooking for her husband, washing utensils etc. She wants a kitchen which is universally designed and where she should be able to work effectively like a normal person with ease of use and learning being her first priority. How should an interior designer design a universally designed kitchen keeping in mind people like Nancy? †¢ Making the height of the kitchen cabinet, Cook top, Microwave stand accessible by wheelchair. †¢ Having an adjustable-height cabinets, can help all users to use them effectively. Also customizable design which can be changed based on user preferences also makes design effective and more usable. †¢ Having a removable sink and drying rack will give sufficient space for food preparation. This can again be re-fitted as and when required. Thus giving flexibility to people like Nancy or old aged people, who can’t stand and cook. †¢ Foldable cabinet doors under cooktop, providing sufficient knee space. †¢ Providing visual support can also help users to use kitchen more easily and effectively. †¢ Voice based support in kitchen can also be a good idea, thus making design accessible for people with low vision. †¢ Automated dishwasher or microwave system can help them easily placing dish without much effort. Let’s see some examples of universally designed kitchens Persona 3. He is a retired professional and stays alone in his 2 bedroom apartment which is on the 10th floor. He finds it difficult to walk and climb stairs and also have sight problem. Rodney has very little technology knowledge and finds it difficult to remember things, due to his growing age. He depends on electronic wheelchair most of the time. He needs an elevator system in his apartment which can accommodate his wheelchair also, making his life easy at this age. How can we make a universally designed elevator? †¢ Increasing the width of the elevator hence giving ample space to use wheelchairs and thus making it approachable †¢ Big display screen, which displays the floor details big and clear, thus accommodating people like Rodney to use it with ease †¢ Voice based support system, which informs the user which floor the user is in, can also help the disabled user to use them effectively. Let’s see example of a universally designed elevator Conclusion: Irrespective of age, ability or disability and situations, every has the right to effectively use any products or services, hence designers should always be conscious about this fact and implement their design ideas to serve one and everyone. This is what universal design means. Bibliography http://idea.ap.buffalo.edu/ http://www. design. ncsu. edu/cud/about_ud/udprincipleshtmlformat. html#top Frascara J. , (1997), User-Centred Graphic Design: Mass Communication and Social Change, Taylor Francis, London

Sizing Up The Active Wear Market Marketing Essay

Sizing Up The Active Wear Market Marketing Essay In the wake of falling sales and decreasing profit margins, Harrington Collection is evaluating the opportunity to expand into the high-growth active-wear market. The idea of expanding into lower priced fashion product lines was not new to the company (Tedlow Beckham 2008) which was renowned for its sophisticated high class roots. However, after three years of consecutive lacklustre sales and margins Sara Huey, Vice President of Strategic Planning and her team have to take a critical look at the active-wear product line option as a possible solution to reverse the companys negative performance trend. To come up with sound decision Harrington Collection executives would have to analyze the financial implications of the opportunity, assess trade and competitor reactions, consider the risks, and determine whether they have the capacity to successfully launch and manage the new product line. This basically means that they will have to assess consumer behaviour, product introduction and financial implications. Consumer behaviour Consumer buying behavior refers to the buying behavior of final consumers (individuals households) who buy goods and services for personal consumption. This is generally affected by consumer culture, social, personal and psychological characteristics. Consumer products are designed to be attractive to consumers, so that they feel encouraged to buy. This makes it mandatory for any organization to understand and manipulate product attributes so as to positively influence consumers to buy. However, buying behavior is also a function of the competing products in the marketplace and the brand marketing strategy applied by that given firm. In order to design the best product, it is necessary to understand not just the physical and chemical nature of the product, but also the psychology of consumers and the sociology of consumer groups. Harrington Collection is a company with decades of expertise (Tedlow Beckham 2008) that has an excellent relationship with its retail trade (Tedlow Beckham 2008) therefore their knowledge of consumer behaviour is high. Moreover we are told that the company also commissioned surveys and focus groups which revealed that their target customers showed considerable interest in buying active-wear clothing (Tedlow Beckham 2008). The push for introduction of a new product line is also supported by three factors that determine consumer behaviour i.e. loyalty, sociology and psychology. Loyalty is defined as that tendency for consumers to stick to the same products. Loyalty is also manifested through what is referred to as the memory effect, which represents that tendency of consumers in returning to products they had previously used, after trying something new they then did not like. The focus groups commissioned by Harrington Collection showed that a subset of Harrington customers who had been loyal throughout their careers were interested in something fresh and comfortable that would fit their active lifestyles (Tedlow Beckham 2008). On the other hand the sociology factor was heightened by the popularity of active-wear among Hollywood celebrities. Sociology in this context implies how one persons buying is influenced by that of others. We are told that this trend toward more contemporary athletic fashions resulted in rapid growth for firms that offered these lines. Harrington Collection estimated that over seven and a half million active-wear units were sold in 2007 with the projection that this would grow to 15 million by 2009 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Moreover by 2009 it was expected that 40% of the 15 million buyers would prefer the better category which is what Harringtons Vigor division specialized in. Vigors market expertise could come in handy in deploying the active-wear better product line. Psychology covers what, and how, aspects of the actual items on the shelves influence people to make their choices, possibly buying something different from previously. Most firms would use advertising to influence consumer psychology. Harrington on the other hand we are told was known for its top in-house design staff, extensive national advertising campaigns and its exceptional quality and styling (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Plus, after analyzing the better sets of active -wear that were in the market Harrington knew that the standards they had could not allow them to produce such poor quality products. Therefore a launch of a product line in active-wear could provide Harrington with an opportunity to display their superior products to the low end consumer market and thus rapidly increase their market share and probably pull though a customer lock-in. Also we cannot ignore the fact that introduction of a new product onto the market by as renowned a fashion company as Harrington has the ability to change the way consumers, or at least some of them, view the other established active-wear brands. Harringtons quality and styling might draw attention to some quality which was not previously much regarded by consumers in this category, or it might make people give different weightings to the established products when making their decisions. If Harrington Collection decides to go ahead with the idea to add an active-wear product line to its existing business then they would have to model their target consumers behavior. They will need to look at the external stimuli that assist the consumer to make the decision to buy their product. An external stimulus that Harrington Collection has direct influence over is the marketing mix: product, place, price, promotion, people, process and physical evidence. Product is the active-wear itself and here decisions regarding the features of the product, quality level, product lines and branding will be addressed. Place caters for decisions on channel type, service levels, managing the channels, transporting and delivering, market exposure, intermediaries, locations and stores. Pricing in this case is vital considering that the target market is price sensitive and there are other large competitors such as Liz Clairbornes Juicy Couture. Decisions regarding the discounts to be allowed, allowances and whether pricing will change with product life cycle will also depend on the breakeven analysis that we shall be looking at later in this paper. Promotion decisions regard the communications mix, the type, qualifications and number of salespeople needed the required media, sales promotion, and publicity. People decisions regard the type of customers, the customer care personnel and their knowledge, qualifications and motivations for participating during the service encounter. The process factor looks at the length of the process, the activities that can be done during the process and technologies that will facilitate the process and finally, physical evidence is concerned with decisions on the types of tangible evidence available to customers. In spite of all the theories and models made with respect to consumers it is still acknowledged that the buyers decision process is a black box that even with knowledge of characteristics that affect consumer behaviour. Product Introduction The introduction process of a new product into any market is highly complex. It requires ability to coordinate work of numerous teams within an organization, as well as with the extended network of partners and suppliers. The new product in here would be the active-wear apparel (hoodies, tee-shirts and pants). One aspect of the complexity is derived from the use of several different new parts, each of which may need unique design, specifications, development, and other specialized conditions. This complexity is compounded further by the myriad of tools used during the new product introduction (NPI) process e.g. computer aided design (CAD) applications, project management tools and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. A typical new product development and introduction process would consist of three core phases: 1) product definition, 2) product development, prototyping, and testing, and 3) product build and ramp to production. Each of these phases requires effective project management to ensure that at the end we have optimized productivity and results. In modern best-in-class NPI processes, a collaborative approach is encouraged, that is, where manufacturing integrates into the design phase early, ramping up the manufacturing effort as the design progresses to production. Engineering continues to participate even in the production phase to ensure the design is correctly built (Arena 2007). This joint approach shortens new product introduction time to market and enhances product quality. However, it also necessitates greater levels of communication and coordination amongst the project teams. The first phase in the new active-wear apparel introduction would be product definition. At this stage the design and marketing teams come up with new ideas either from market research. The NPI team for Harrington Collection would then perform technical feasibility studies and business case analysis (which we shall look at later in this paper using the breakeven analysis). This is duly followed by the creation of initial market and product requirements. These initial planning documents outline the objectives and goals for the new product introduction (NPI). The real challenge at this stage is in the selection of the right ideas and managing them to commercial success. It is advisable for organizations to develop a disciplined portfolio management process that they shall be using to aid them in consistently choosing the better product ideas and NPI processes to bring better products to market, before their competitors do so. After product definition we proceed with the product development phase. How this phase is managed generally determines how quickly the innovative idea reaches the market. New product development is complex partly due to the huge number of participating groups required to collaborate e.g. the design team, sourcing, quality control and others. These teams carry out hundreds of activities, such as design, prototyping, sourcing, quoting, testing, manufacturing and planning. This situation could be worse for global outsourced players because of the geographical distance and the extension of the teams beyond the boundaries of a single company. To deal with such a complex team environment the organization would need to set up a centralized and shared project and data management infrastructure, so that cross functional and cross enterprise teams are able to access the latest design files, work instructions, change orders, task list, and project plans as and when they are revised. The idea that Harrington Collection should pursue this product development under its Vigor division is heavily supported by this point. Being a division that is already running we would expect most of the infrastructure required for data management and information sharing to be in place in contrast to having to set up everything a new in the case where a new division is formed to handle this new product line. Also, with the increasing environmental and regulatory compliance pressures from different countries where the active-wear would eventually be sold, an organization at this product development phase must seek cost-effective solutions to meet product and process compliance requirements such as Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Global Best Practices for Clothing Manufacturers and ISO standards. Harringtons is advantaged here since it has not outsourced its manufacturing. In an outsourced environment, companies need to assess compliance risks of all outsourced activities, implement necessary controls, and create documentation to establish an audit trail. This adds to complexity and has high cost effects too. The final key phase for NPI is the production phase. To ensure that manufacturing is efficient and cost-effective all teams (operations, manufacturing, testing, component manufacturing and design engineering etc.) must work together to ensure that a given design is manufactured to correct specifications. The earlier teams begin to collaborate the better equipped they will be for a rapid production ramp. According to Arena to facilitate efficient and accurate communication of product bills of materials (BOM), companies must ensure that the product record is available to all involved in the production and change implementation, including internal groups, contract manufacturers, and suppliers. Providing contract manufacturers and suppliers with selected visibility to centralized product record allows them direct access to the most recent changes. It removes the data communication bottlenecks that result from relying upon individuals and reduces the potential costly revision errors (Arena, 2007, p5). It is our opinion that having the product line run under Vigor division would be more efficient and effective than establishing a new division to do it because it has a seasoned team, supportive infrastructure in place and Harrington Collection could more easily develop a cross-functional product development process which is important to ensure the success of the new product introduction (NPI). From the shared project and data management infrastructure within Vigor division teams involved in the NPI would be able to access the latest project plans and tasks that are related to parts, sub-assemblies, and assemblies. It is also easier to ensure that project revisions are accessible to everyone involved. Demand and Profitability Analysis Template Table 1: Start up costs table Start Up Costs: Amount ($) Start-up Costs Pants Plant 1,200,000.00 Start-up Costs Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 2,500,000.00 Equipment Pants Plant 2,000,000.00 Equipment Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 2,500,000.00 Launch PR, Advertising 2,000,000.00 Fixtures for Company Stores* 2,500,000.00 Total Start-up Costs 12,700,000.00 Annual Depreciated Start-up Costs** 2,540,000.00 *For Fixtures for Company Stores we assumed that only the exclusive Vigor stores would be stocked with active-wear apparel. The company owned stores are 120 in total but exclusive Vigor stores are 50 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Fixtures for each Company Store would cost $50,000.00 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). The figure obtained above was therefore obtained by multiplying $50,000 by 50 stores. **We are told that all launch fixture, plant start-up, and equipment costs would be depreciated over a five year period (Tedlow Beckham 2008). We used the straight-line depreciation method: Table 2: total fixed operating costs Annual Ongoing Operating Costs Fixed Overhead Pants Plant 3,000,000.00 Overhead Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 3,500,000.00 Rent Pants Plant 500,000.00 Rent Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 500,000.00 Management / Support 1,000,000.00 Advertising 3,000,000.00 Total Fixed Operating Costs 11,500,000.00 Table 3: total direct variable costs Direct Variable Costs Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) Sew and Press 3.25 2.00 2.85 Cut 1.15 0.40 0.70 Other Variable Labor 3.20 2.40 3.05 Fabric 9.10 2.20 7.50 Findings 3.85 0.50 2.30 Total Direct Variable Costs 20.55 7.50 16.40 Table 4: total unit direct variable cost Direct variable costs translated into unit cost Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) 20.55 7.50 16.40 multiply by 0.50 1.50 1.00 10.28 11.25 16.40 37.93 Table 5: Vigor unit Retail Price Suggested Retail Unit price Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) 100.00 40.00 80.00 220.00 Wholesale unit price = 50% of Retail unit price = $110 Table 6: total variable costs as % of Wholesale Price Total variable costs as % of wholesale price working capital requirements 3.00 sales commissions 4.00 inventory costs 1.00 bad debt 0.70 transportation 0.24 miscellaneous 0.15 9.09 Table 7: total variable costs per unit Indirect variable costs Wholesale unit price 110.00 Total variable costs as % of wholesale price 9.09 Indirect variable costs per unit 10.00 Direct variable costs per unit 37.93 Indirect variable costs per unit 10.00 Total variable costs per unit 47.92 Table 8: contribution per unit Contribution Wholesale price per unit 110.00 less total variable costs per unit 47.92 Contribution per unit 62.08 Table 9: Breakeven units Breakeven Fixed annual costs (operating and depreciated start-up) 14,040,000.00 Ã · Contribution per unit 62.08 Breakeven Units 226,174.37 Table 10: Vigor active-wear approximate revenue Vigor active-wear approximate revenue Total units sold in 2007 7,500,000.00 Vigor Market share % 7.00 Vigor total unit sales for 2007 525,000.00 Vigor retail unit price 220.00 Approximate Vigor revenue for 2007 115,500,000.00 Table 11: Profit Margin Profit Margin Revenue 115,500,000.00 less fixed annual costs 14,040,000.00 less total variable costs (Vigor total unit sales for 2007 x total variable costs per unit) 25,160,100.00 Profit before tax 76,299,900.00 Profit margin before tax % 66.06 Making the Decision Based on the breakeven analysis we see it would be prudent for Sara Huey to approach the board and advise them to embark on the new active-wear product line because within a year Harrington Collection would have been able to not only breakeven but make a pre-tax profit of $76.3 million. Secondly we believe that the new product line of active-wear should be folded within the Vigor division so that it can benefit from the already existing infrastructure and sales channels. Moreover, like Myers suggested, the active-wear line would be a perfect addition to the Vigor division because it also focused on better wear plus fewer than 2% of respondents in their customer research survey felt that a less-expensive active-wear line would cheapen the brand (Tedlow Beckham 2008). This is a big thumb up from the most important public for the Harrington Collection, i.e. the consumer. We have also seen from the consumer behavior analysis that Harington Collection has got a lot more to gain from intr oducing the active-wear line for example we are told that the aging baby boomer population wanted clothes that would not make them feel old. In addition to that, another survey showed that 10% of customers purchasing apparel in the $100 $200 price range would buy an active-wear set if they could get one with superior styling, fabric and fit, which is what Harrington Collection was intending to manufacture and sell.

Identifying core competencies and capabilities

Identifying core competencies and capabilities Using McKinseys 7S for Identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of your chosen company current CEO in improving the companys products and customers perception of the year 2009 as well as the group understanding of the approach to strategy development at Wal-Mart since 2003. A core competency differentiates not only between firms but also inside a firm, it differentiates among several competencies. In other words, a core competency guides a firm recombine its competencies in responds to demands from the environment. The McKinseys 7S framework offers a useful tool for focusing on certain policy areas which are vital in implementation and control. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to identify the core competencies and capabilities of Wal-Mart using the McKinseys 7S framework as well as discuss how the current CEO is improving the companys products and customers perception by the year 2009. This report is also to analyse the 7S framework of McKinsey which includes 7 interdependent factors and they are categorized as either hard or soft elements. They includes: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, skills, style and staff and are useful in wide variety of situations, such as: Examine the likely effects of future changes within the company Improve the performance of a company Determine how best to implement a proposed strategy Align departments and processes during Merger and Acquisition FINDINGS/MAIN BODY HISTORY The McKinsey 7S framework was named after a consulting company, McKinsey and Company, which has conducted applied research in business and industry (Pascale Athos, 1981; Peters Waterman, 1982). All of the authors worked as consultants at McKinsey and Company; in the 1980s, they used the model to analyse over 70 large organisations. The McKinsey 7S Framework was created as a recognisable and easily remembered model in business. The seven factors or variables, which the authors term levers, all begin with the letter S: The McKinseys 7S framework is a value based management (VBM) model that describes how one can holistically and effectively organize a company and together, these factors determine the way a company operates. THE SEVEN ELEMENTS These seven elements or variables include structure, strategy, systems, skills, style, staff and shared values and are interdependent factors which as noted earlier are categorized as either hard or soft elements: This is shown below: HARD ELEMENTS:- Strategy Structure Systems SOFT ELEMENTS:- Shared Values Skills Style Staff HARD elements are easier to identify or define and management can directly influence them. These are IT systems and formal processes; strategy statements and organization charts. SOFT elements can be more difficult to describe, and are less tangible and more influenced by culture. However, these soft elements are as important as the hard elements for the success of the organisation. The way the model is presented in Figure 1 below shows the interdependency of the elements and indicates how a change in one element affects all the other elements, as such this explains why share values is placed in the middle. Figure 1: The McKinseys 7S Model The seven elements are briefly discussed below: SHARED VALUES: Here, all members of the organization share some common guiding concepts or ideas around which the business is built. This may be to make profits or to achieve excellence in their particular field. These values and common goals keep the employees working towards a common destination as a coherent team and are important to keep the team spirit alive. It is also called superordinate goals; these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work process. STRATEGY: This is the plan of action an organization prepared to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. It could also be defined as the plan of action set by an organization to achieve its aims and objectives. Simply put, strategy is planning of organizational goals. It deals with essentially three questions: 1. Where is the organization presently? 2. Where do the organization wants to be and 3. How do they get there? As such, strategy is designed to transform the organization from the present position to the new position described by objectives, subject to constraints of the capabilities or the potential (Ansoff, 1965). STRUCTURE: This is the way the organization is structured as well as who reports to whom. It is the way the organizational units relate to each other. Organizations are structured in different ways depending on their objectives and culture. The structure of an organization often dictates the way they operates and performs (Waterman et al., 1980). Businesses have been structured in hierarchy way with different departments and divisions, each responsible for a specific task such as human resources management, production, sales or marketing. Many divisions of the management controlled the operations, with each answerable to the upper division of management. Although this is still the most widely used organizational structure, the recent trend is increasingly towards a flat structure where the work is done in teams of specialists rather than fixed departments. The idea is to make the organization more flexible and devolve the power by empowering the employees and eliminate the middle management layers (Boyle, 2007) SYSTEMS: This is the daily activities, procedures, processes and routines that characterize how important work is to be done. These processes are normally and strictly followed and are designed to achieve the organizations effectiveness. For instance, a firm may have a particular way of recruiting. STYLE: This refers to the cultural style of leadership adopted by management in achieving the organizations goals and objectives. STAFF: This refers to the employees and their general capabilities to ensure that the organization is successful. The importance of human resources has the central position in the strategy of the organization, away from the traditional model of capital and land. All leading organizations such as Wal-Mart, IBM, etc put extraordinary effort on recruiting the best staff, providing them with required training and mentoring support, and pushing their staff to limits in achieving excellence, and this forms the basis of these organizations strategy and competitiveHYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.php HYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.phpadvantage over their competitors. SKILLS: This is the distinctive capabilities of employees and or organization as a whole. It is the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the firm. That is, the core competencies, main or important activities of the employees. USING THE MCKINSEYS 7S MODEL TO ANALYSE AN ORGANIZATION The McKinsey 7S model is one that can be applied to almost any organizational or team effectiveness issue. If something within your organization or team is not working, this may mean that there is inconsistency between some of the elements identified by this classic model. Once these inconsistencies are revealed, you can work to align the internal elements to make sure they are all contributing to the shared goals and values. The process of analyzing where you are right now in terms of these elements is worthwhile in and of itself. But by taking this analysis to the next level and determining the ultimate state for each of the factors, you can really move your organization or team forward. The model covers almost all parts of business and all major parts of the organization as such it is very important to gather as much information as possible about the organization from all sources available such as press release, organizational news and reports, etc. Primary research such as interviews is more effective. CORE COMPETENCIES AND CAPABILITIES IN WAL-MART Core competencies are activities or processes that critically underpin the organizations competitive advantage. The primary aim for the firm is to recognize that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence as it is for the market power. Core competencies lead to the development of core products. Core products are not directly sold to end users but are used to build a larger number of end-user products. For example, motors are a core product that can be used in wide array of end products. The business units of the corporation each tap into the relatively few core products to develop a larger number of end user products based on the core product technology. The intersection of market opportunities with core competencies forms the basis for launching new businesses. Combining a set of core competencies in different ways and matching them to market opportunities, a corporation can launch different businesses. Without core competencies, a large corporation is just a collection of discrete businesses. Core competencies serve as the glue that bonds the business units together into a coherent portfolio. Core competencies arise from the integration of multiple technologies and the coordination of diverse production skills. Some examples include Wal-Marts Logistics and Hondas engines. There are three useful tests for identifying a core competence. A core competence should: Provide access to a wide variety of markets: This enables the creation of new products and services. For instance, ASDA has established a strong leadership in food retail industry. The core competence and capability that enable Wal-Mart to go into food and non food retailing products was a clear distinctive brand idea that focus on a well defined market segment. Contribute significantly to the end-product benefits: The organization makes a significant contribution to deliver customer benefit. To identify core competences in a market, the question of why is a customer willing to pay more or less for a product/service than another needs to be addressed. Difficult for competitors to imitate: There is need for core competence to be competitively unique; this shows the importance of product differentiation. For example, Wal-Mart has been recognised as a leading food retailer in UK and had a strong position within the retailing industry. To better understand how to develop core competencies, it is worthwhile to understand what they do not entail Outspending rivals on RD Sharing costs among business units Integrating vertically Applying this framework to Wal-Mart in order for the organization to be successful, has to base its business strategy on low cost leadership, they do not really differentiate themselves from competitors and provide no-frills self-service stores that provides lowest prices always. Wal-Mart has built enough power and influence with suppliers that they can dictates their prices and change suppliers manufacturing process so as to obtain with difficulty more and more savings for the consumer. They provide good customer service with low prices, in other words, Wal-Mart strength is low prices and no one allows such a supplier and distribution network like them that allows such low prices. When analysing Wal-Mart business and the 7S framework, they employ all the three hard elements: strategy, structure and systems, and due to their strength in these elements they have been so successful. As earlier mentioned, Wal-Mart overall strategy is to always provide lowest prices and they aim to provide a store that customers can shop under one roof and find everything they needed. This strategy of convenience shopping and lowest price has made Wal-Mart to be a business leader that it is. They also plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains and some already saturated markets like California and New England. This strategy infiltrated the whole organization so that it encompasses all the other Ss and the other two Ss structure and systems support this strategy Wal-Mart has a system in place that helps it achieve its low price strategy every day. The most profitable and largest of these systems is Information technology system and it has employed computers, networking and internet to reduce inventories and waste and also speed deliveries. Wal-Mart also uses good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has design an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate regional office, all its plan and operation is from the home of Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office.   Everything for Wal-Mart is planned and operated in their home of Bentonville, AR.   This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year.   When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, you get a highly efficient and well-oiled corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer, hence fulfilling the strategy.   If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. THE CEOS ABILITY TO IMPROVE WALMARTS PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION BY 2009. In Wal-Mart international, Michael Duke CEO since February 2008 and his team continued to drive exceptional sales growth around the world, totalling $90.6billion at the end of the year. He said that Wal-Mart is well positioned for todays economy and future changing world with exceptionally strong management team and ability to execute the companys strategy, perform every day and deliver results, this success is attributed to the hard work of many people and the formal CEO, Lee Scott (2000-2008). Wal-Mart has a role to in terms of offering more efficient services to employers, helping customers save money through $4 prescription program, opening health clinics in our stores and engaging a broader public policy debate. Wal-Mart as a global company is better positioned today than ever before on its mission. By 2009, the Lee believes that customers everywhere in the world will continue to depend on Wal-Mart to save them money so they can live better, in respective of their age. The companys price leadership position helps those willing to improve their lives through hard work move up the ladder. The company owe every customer their very best lower prices, higher quality goods and a better store experience. Sustainability as a permanent culture in Wal-Mart has help t to remove waste, lower costs and provide savings to their customers. The CEO also ensure that Wal-Mart is committed to building more socially and environmentally responsible supply chain which will make a difference in responsible sourcing that no other retailer can make. THE APPROACH TO STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AT WAL-MART SINCE 2003. Wal-Mart made strategic attempts in its formulation to dominate the retail market with its present growth by expansion in the United State and internationally through creating widespread name recognition and customer satisfaction in relation to brand name and branching into new sectors of retailing. It is observed that Wal-Mart strives on three generic strategies namely, focus strategy, Differentiation strategy and overall cost leadership. Wal-Mart has firm infrastructure, well equipped human resources with management professionals as well as technologically too. The company operates on low price strategy which operated as everyday low prices (EDLP) and this helps to build customers trust. this strategy involves Wal-Mart purchase goods at lower prices and sell the goods t customers at much lower prices, the price is cut as low as possible, this brought about an increase in the profit by increasing the number of sales. This causes increased market competition and makes Wal-Mart compete with all its competitors till it dominates the market. Wal-Mart is expanding seriously and rapidly which is also its strategic goal. Wal-Mart employs over 1.3 associates, owns over 4000 stores out of which 3000 are in US and serves around 100 million customers weekly.  Wal-Mart has acquired many international stores and merged with some super stores like ASDA in UK. Wal-Mart far flung network of retail outlets has ensured that Wal-Mart interacts with and has impact on virtually every locality within US. The expanded strategy has led the hunger of Wal-Mart to many European Countries. It is learnt that three countries with no Wal-Mart stores became part of corporations international presence wherein the domestic retail chains were taken over by Wal-Mart including 122 Woolco stores in Canada, 21 Wertkauf stores in Germany and 229 ASDA units in United Kingdom. The takeover strategy by Wal-Mart keeps the company at forefront when entering into the new market and the number of competitors is also minimized. The strategies have helped the Wal-Mart to remain in number one position in international countries making it the largest retailer in the world. It is seen that Wal-Mart has significantly the Porters five force model where through proper strategic planning and strategic implementation has led to removal of barrier entry, rivalry from competitors and pricing norms. Wal-Mart with its low cost and ever expanding strategy has made a dramatic impact since 1962 when Sam Walton first started his business. With this strategy, Wal-Mart has now over 4000 stores and outlets in US and other countries through acquisition and mergers. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When you think of the discount retail industry, you think of the bigger name Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has built the industry into leader in a very competitive market, and has continue to set the bar for every company. But as of late Wal-Marts sales growth rate has been slipping, which is causing a major problem for them. For the past few years Wal-Mart has grown accustom to double digit sales growth rates, but recently they have been unable to match their previous success. Now Wal-Mart is faced with the challenge of regaining the success that they once had. To recapture these high growth rates it is important to understand what lead Wal-Mart to these high growth rates in the first place. When analyzing Wal-Mart externally you find that its 5 forces tend to have a positive effect on the company. The company has high barriers of entry, a moderate threat of rivalry with Target and incredible power over all its suppliers because Wal-Mart purchases so many products, the suppliers have little negotiating powers, and finally Wal-Mart technically has a great amount of power over its buyers because of its product variety and low prices. When analyzing Wal-Mart internally you discover may things that lead to their success. Probably the number one thing that led to success is their world class supply chain. Wal-Marts supply chain is remarkable and really allows them to cut cost by eliminating unneeded steps. For instance their supply chain is a high tech that can notify Wal-Marts suppliers directly (cutting out worker intervention) when inventory is low for certain products. Another internal strength that has lead to Wal-Marts success is its ability to focus on reducing costs to ensure everyday low prices. Wal-Mart has never drifted away from this motto which has led to Wal-Marts extensive self size and amount of products offered.

Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome :: essays research papers

Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a disease that has emerged in North America only recently. Its source is a virus carried by rodents, particularly the deer mouse, and transmitted by direct contact with their droppings. Symptoms appear within the one to six weeks of initial exposure, and initially include muscle aches, fever, and other flu-like symptoms. After a while, the victim may experience shortness of breath and coughing resulting from decreased circulation in the lungs and a lowered white blood cell count coupled with opportunistic infections. At this stage if they are not brought to a hospital soon they stand the risk of dying within the next twenty-four hours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This disease, although not new, has experienced a large re-emergence in the southwestern United States and Mexico due to the arid climates in those areas. Cases have been spread all over the western U.S. with even a few in the east, but nearly half of the cases to date have been in the Four Corners area. In a dry area, the disease’s incubation is somewhat longer, making the chances of contracting it somewhat higher. In places such as woodpiles and sheds where there is little air circulation to move off the virus, it can linger for a sizeable duration of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best method of fighting the hanta virus is prevention. By controlling the rodent population and preventing them from entering houses and sheds, the risk of infection can be lowered. Furthermore, educating those in high-risk areas of the signs of the disease and what to do about them significantly lowers the likelihood of death. The virus cannot spread from human to human even during its peak state, but since exposed persons may not show symptoms for some weeks the likelihood of other people becoming infected by the same source is considerable. For this reason it is important that those living in areas where it is or may be present know how to avoid contracting it. This includes allowing sheds and other closed areas to ventilate well before entering them, checking for signs of rodent infestations, and minimizing factors that attract rodents.

Steve Jobs Essay -- essays research papers

Steve Jobs was born on February 25, 1955. He was soon adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs of Mountain View, CA. Steve wasn’t happy at school in Mountain View so the family moved to Palo Alto, CA. Steve attended Homestead High School. His electronics teacher recalled that he was "something of a loner" and "always had a different way of looking at things". [www.apple-history.com] After school, Steve attended lectures at Hewlett Packard Electronics firm in Palo Alto, CA. There he was hired as a summer employee. Another employee at Hewlett-Packard was Steven Wozniak, a recent drop-out from the University of California, Berkeley. "Woz" was an engineering whiz with a passion for inventing electric gadgets. He worked on perfecting an illegal gadget called "blue Box" that allowed them to get free long distance calls from pay phones. Jobs helped "Woz" to sell a number of "blue boxes". In 1972 Steve graduated from high school and registered at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After dropping out of Reed after one semester he hung around the campus for a year taking classes in philosophy and immersing himself in the counter culture. In 1974, Steve Jobs took a job as a video game designer at Atari, Inc., a pioneer in electronic arcade recreation. After a few months he saved enough money to go to India where he traveled in search of spiritual enlightenment with Dan Kottke, a fri...

Crime and Social Issues Essay

Many crime problems in my area which are creating difficulties for peoples day by day. I have seen many crimes have been done in my area. * Snatching * Drugs dealing * Shop lifting * Stabbing * Gang fighting * Theft and robbed * The area where I live is ok; I have been robbed for my money a couple of times – nothing too bad. But my friends live in a really bad estate. There’s always stuff going on there. People are shot and stabbed all the time. * It all starts with people getting rude with each other. One person is rude to someone else, and then the victim goes and gets their gang for revenge. Sometimes it’s just two gangs fighting and punching each other. But on this estate, it’s nearly always killing. Guns and knives are everywhere. * It’s always worse when the gang hires someone else to do the killing. They only give a description of the person they want taken care of. So the hit man hasn’t even seen the guy he’s going to shoot before. Sometimes they shoot the wrong person. Then, if the person who was killed by mistake was in a gang, their gang goes and gets revenge. So it never ends. * I’m most worried about knife crime, because you can get knives anywhere – from the kitchen, shops and people from round the estates. My friend’s big brother was stabbed in the chest with a knife, because he was involved in some bad stuff. * In my school it’s not so bad because they check us for weapons. The only weapons we’re allowed are compasses. * I’m not so afraid of gangs, because they don’t have a reason to go after me. But my friends Dad got involved in drugs. Now he’s got some gangs after him because of some trouble that happened. * When I visit my mates on the estate, I feel more protected than afraid, because I know my friends and their brothers are looking out for me. People there recognise me now, so I know even the drug dealers would look after me on their patches. They know I’m not causing any trouble. But I’d be very; very afraid for my life there if no-one was looking out for me. Snatching: About 10 houses in front of me was this young lady walking by a car parked along the grass patch outside one of the terrace houses. As she was reaching the rear end of this clean decent looking Silver Proton Waja, I noticed the engine started and the left rear passenger doors window was being wound down. Suddenly a man emerged out of the rear passenger doors window his entire torso! And making a grab of this ladies handbag!!!! As this man emerged from the cars window, the Silver Proton Waja was pulling out of its parking position slowly not in a hurry with the man from within just dragging the lady and her handbag along until she gave it up!! Then they drove off slowly no hurry!!! Conclusion: My report about crime problem in my area which I have describe in my report, we should do safety every time and inform to police about any crime or suspicious activities in area or any surrounding area.

Evidence-Based Practice & Applied Nursing Research Essay

Type of Sources / Appropriateness of Sources / Classification of Sources American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians article regarding acute otitis media is a filtered resource. It is an appropriate source for nursing practice because; it establishes clinical guidelines to diagnose and manage AOM. It also establishes guidelines when to treat the signs and symptoms of AOM, watchful waiting, or to treat with an antibiotic. This article is classified as an evidence based guideline because, it reviews multiple research literatures in a systemic manner and provides recommendations of practice. Block’s Causative Pathogens article is an unfiltered resource. It is an appropriate source for nursing practice because it provides the clinician with the most recent and up to date research on the topic. The article is primary research evidence because; its researchers acquired the data first hand. Kelly’s article regarding Current pediatric diagnosis and treatment is a general information resource. This article is not appropriate for clinician use because it only provides basic general background. It does not guide the clinician in diagnosing and treatment. McCracken’s article in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal is an unfiltered resource. It is an appropriate for nursing practice because it supports established guidelines and shows what will happen with continued antibiotic use. This is an evidence summary article because it lists all of the important information and the evidence supporting it. The last source of evidence is interviews with parents. This type of source is considered a general information resource. It is appropriate because, the interviews give firsthand experience of onset and signs and symptoms of AOM. This source of classifications is none of the listed. â€Å"Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common infection for which antibacterial agents are prescribed for children in the United States. As such, the diagnosis and management of AOM has a significant impact on the health of children, cost of providing care, and overall use of antibacterial agents (AAFP, 2004).  Watchful waiting can have many benefits for the children and the provider if used properly. Diagnosing AOM can be tricky. The signs and symptoms can also be related to other illnesses such as an upper respiratory virus. Throwing antibiotics at any illness use to be the course of action. However, now that there is evidence that bacteria have become resistant to some antibiotics, clinicians are testing out other means of treating illnesses. If the child presenting with symptoms of AOM has no underlying conditions and has means to follow up with the doctor if the symptoms progress, watchful waiting is an appropriate app roach for treating the child. According to the research, placebo controlled trials have shown that children have responded well without antibacterial intervention. Giving the opportunity for the illness to resolve without antibacterial intervention not only benefits the child but, the caregivers and the clinician. It benefits the child by not being exposed to antibiotics that are not needed, therefore creating a potential resistance to that antibiotic. It benefits the caregiver by not spending money on a medication their child does not need. Last, it benefits the clinician by preventing resistance to an antibiotic that may be useful in the near future. Watchful waiting is only appropriate if the patient meets the guidelines of uncomplicated AOM, assurance of a follow up if necessary, and access to antibiotics if symptoms progress or worsen. The findings in the AAFP article can be applied in many ways to improve nursing practice in a healthcare setting. The article provides evidence based guidelines on how to properly diagnose AOM and the typical signs and symptoms. It establishes the three criteria the patient must exhibit for a certain diagnosis of AOM. If the patient does not meet the certain criteria, it guides the clinician to continue to assess the patient for another illness, such as an upper respiratory virus. Proper diagnosis will improve clinician treatment and care of the patient. The article also includes a descriptive chart on how to assess and manage pain associated with AOM. It lists for the clinician the recommended medications, remedies, and agents for the clinician to utilize to manage pain. It also lists the effectiveness and the side effects. This will help improve nursing care by implementing the proper medication and or remedies to the patient with the highest effectiveness and the least amount of side effects. The article also very clearly identifies when watchful waiting is  not appropriate and what antibiotics should be prescribed and the usual dosage. This information is helpful to nursing practice by helping the clinician distinguish what patient is suitable for watchful waiting or antibiotic therapy. Another way the article improves nursing practice is, that the article provides information on how to prevent AOM and reoccurrence. This information can be used to help educate patient’s caregivers on ways to prevent AOM and reoccurrence. Ethical issues always arise when it comes to healthcare, especially when it comes to children. When conducting an evidence based research, there is a high likelihood of exposing the child to potential danger, illness, and adverse reactions. The first ethical issue is; is it even right to subject a child to research if there is a high likelihood of helping other children. That is something for the children’s parents to decide. However, it is the responsibility of the researchers to fully explain the process, potential side effects, potential danger, and any other concerns to the parents. It also the responsibility of researchers to determine if the parents have the capability to comprehend the information and the risk of the research. Not doing so would be unethical and could tarnish the results of the research. Another major ethical dilemma that comes with involving children in research is that the children do not have the capability of making that decision themselves. Research should be a voluntary thing and not left up to someone else to decide. However, when it comes to children that is not an option. The ethical problem is should the child be subjected to potential harm because of the parents’ willingness to allow it. The needs to be guidelines established prior to the start of the research that regulate the risks that the child might be subjected to. The risk should be very minimal with a very high benefit. Involving children in any type of evidence based research can be very tricky and has the potential of bringing up multiple ethical issues. It is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure the child is protected, not exposed to unneeded harm, and the caregivers are knowledgeable of the risk factors and are competent enough to make an informed decision. Besides ethical issues, there are other issues that need to be taken into consideration when research involves children. Vulnerable populations, such as low income families, families with different cultural backgrounds, and families with insufficient education can be at risk when it  comes to research involving children. For an example, low income families may not have the opportunity to participate in evidence based research because they might not fit certain criteria. In the AAFP research, in order for the child to be a candidate of the watchful waiting, they had to have means of a follow up appointment. For low income families, coming to the doctor multiple time may not be option. Financially they may not be able to afford, parents may not be able to get time off from work, or have means of transportation for a follow up appointment. These circumstances may subject the child to unneeded antibiotic treatment simply because the patient is unable to follow up with the doctor. Also, families with a cultural difference may not fully understand the benefits or risks of allowing their child to participate in this research. Without informed consent, the results of the research are tarnished and run the risk of jeopardizing the study. Informed consent when it comes to research involving children is extremely important for validity of a project and prevents any ethical problems. Any research involving children can be extremely tricky and should be held to the highest ethical standards and involve minimal risk to children. References American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians. (2004.) Clinical practice guideline: Diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. Retrieved from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;113/5/1451 Block, S. L. (1997). Causative pathogens, antibiotic resistance and therapeutic considerations in acute otitis media. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 16, 449–456. Kelley, P. E., Friedman, N., Johnson, C. (2007). Ear, nose, and throat. In W. W. Hay, M. J. Levin, J. M. Sondheimer, & R. R. Deterding (Eds.), Current pediatric diagnosis and treatment (18th ed., pp. 459–492). New York: Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill. McCracken, G. H. (1998). Treatment of acute otitis media in an era of increasing microbial resistance. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 17, 576–579.