Marketing Advertising IMC Plan (Glaceau co.) Research Paper

Marketing Advertising IMC Plan (Glaceau co.) - Research Paper Example Customers are not segregated on the basis of age, sex, color or race. 2) Differentiated Marketing In this sort of marketing strategy the firm tries to target different segments of the market and a different marketing strategy is adopted for each segment of the market. 3) Concentrated Marketing In this strategy the firm chooses one segment of the market and focuses exclusively on that particular segment for its products. The product fulfils the needs of that particular group of customers only. For our product –Glaceau Smart and Vitamin Water; we have decided to apply the concentrated marketing strategy. We are going to target only one section of the customers for our products. The target market which has been selected for our product has the following features – Smart Water Men above 35 years of age Economically successful – main target is upper middle class male; more than $ 60,000 income. Marital status : Married Focused on staying young and healthy – vis its the gym regularly or exercises ,buys health drinks Occupied in sedentary jobs like management, software professionals etc. Vitamin Water Women above 35 years of age Economically successful-main target is the upper middle class Focused on health and staying young-visits the gym regularly or exercises or diets. Occupied in sedentary jobs Smart Water and Vitamin Water can be put under the functional foods category. Functional food may be defined as any type of food product where a new ingredient has-been added in order to make the product healthier. (Glenn R. Gibson)Thus Vitamin Water and Smart Water can easily be defined as functional foods as they add nutrients to water and make it healthier for the body. Functional food industry has been witnessing increased growth in USA these days. According to a survey conducted by Nutrition Business Journal a US citizen spends $50 per month in order to buy functional foods and this amount is increasing each day. It also says that only 8.7 % of the population has never purchased a functional food product – rest 91.3% has at one time or the other bought some or other category of functional foods. (Nutrition Business Journal).This report shows the vast potential for functional food products. So our decision to market Vitamin Water is both timely and fulfils a major consumer demand. However the question still remains as to why have we decided to target people above 35 years of age and why only those who are economically successful. A research by Mintel states that people prefer functional foods due to the following reasons- Reasons for functional food purchase % Make up for unhealthy eating 48 Weight loss 44 Supplement my diet 35 Address health issues 30 Avoid eating empty calories 26 In place of a meal 16 Others 7 Source: (Mintel International Group Ltd.) Vitamin Water and Smart Water can be targeted to all the people who are mentioned above except probably those who eat functional food in place of a meal or for ot her reasons. Vitamin Water and Smart water contains additional supplements which can provide supplement diet , addresses health issues due to lack of vitamins , helps you avoid calories and still intake vitamins and can also assist you in weight loss as you can replace water for your nutrient intake instead of food. Thus our products can be sold better to those who are concerned

Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay They say with age, comes wisdom. They say a tough life will build tough people. That the world, no matter how terrible it may seem or how bad things get, is only what you make of it. This has never been shown more so by Phoenix Jackson from Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path†. Encumbered with age and poverty, Phoenix shows fortitude, cleverness, and a child-like view of the world while traveling to the city for medicine. Welty’s love of literature from her mother, and classic writing style with African American characters (Marrs) is clearly displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path†. Eudora Welty, whose life spanned most of the 20th century, represented the world of the deep American South in multiple genres. In stories, novels, and photography, the Pulitzer Prize winner was especially interested in the relationship of place to character. Her art explores the impact of place on the life of the individual depending on race, gender, and economic status, as well as the reverse influence of the individual character on environment, which is exeptionally displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path† (Marrs). In â€Å"A worn path† an elderly african-american woman, named Pheonix Jones, is up against the world on her way to town. Armed with nothing but her cane, she maneuvers through obstactle after obstacle, showing perseverence in the highest fashion through every disincentive that inhibits her journey. As such, her story depicts the Depression in the United States from the vantage point of a victim insufficiently represented in art—though a victim who, like the mythological phoenix her name evokes, resists annihilation, Phoenix transcends the abuse she experiences. This essay will explore Eudora Weltys character Phoenix Joness most exemplary traits. It will shine light on her fortitude, ingenuity, and light hearted view of the world. Provided along with Phoenixs traits is examples in which she shows each trait, with direct reference to â€Å"A worn path†. Imagine, having every bone in your body weakened with over seventy plus years of aging. You now have the bones of Phoenix Jones. Weakened, she struggles to get to town. Yet, still she keeps trecking over every obstacle thrown at her. This calls to merit her outstanding fortitude. At one point she encounters a barbed wire fence. With barbs glaring at her, hungry to put a halt to her journey, â€Å"There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps. But she talked loudly to herself: she could not let her dress be torn now, so late in the day, and she could not pay for having her arm or her leg sawed off if she got caught fast where she was. At last she was safe throught the fence and risen up out of the clearing,† (Welty 850). This is a fine example of her phenominal perseverance and fortitude, showing she was not only going to get through, but she refused to let that fence make even a scratch on her dress. And even before that, at the start of her journey, she already had shown her tremendous amount of determination. As she starts out on her journey she exclaims with a fiery attitude â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals! Keep out from under theses feet, little bob whites. Keep the big wild hots out of my path. Dont let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way† (Welty 849-850). This shows that her mind is already set on getting to town and nothing is stopping her. These fine examples show the true, raw determination and fortitude within Pheonix Jones, showing that she may be frail, but she is anything but weak. There are few things that make true â€Å"good character†. Imagination is one of them. No one has better imagination than a child. A child sees the world as something different something better. Phoenix Jones clearly holds her inner-child within herself after all these years. After traveling a piece she decides to rest. â€Å"Up above her was a tree in a pearly cloud of mistletoe. She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake on it she spoke to him. â€Å"That would be exceptable,† she said† (Welty 850). Her imagination peeking forth, this shows even through her journey, she imagines a little boy giving her a slice of delicious cake, presenting that everything does not have to be serious. A little piece onward, she shows her enlightening imagination running wild again as she runs up on a menacing scarecrow that she gazes at from a distance. â€Å"Ghost,† she said sharply, â€Å"who you be the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by. † She found a coat inside that an emtiness, cold as ice. â€Å"You scarecrow† she said †Dance, old scare crow† she said, â€Å"while I dancing with you. † She kicked her foot over the furrow, and with mouth drawn down, shook her head once or twice in a little strutting way,† (Welty 851). Her fun loving child-like nature is highlighted through this passage, showing that she took a fear, and enlightened it when she found out it was a scarecrow, dancing with it, showing the trophy of imagination and optimism. Welty shows through Pheonix that imagination will never die, and that it is a precious tool to get over any obstacle. Further down the warn path, Phoenix is greeted by a discourteous hunter helping her up after she fell in a ditch in the wake of a nosy dog coming to investigate this strange intruder. This point is where she shows her cleverness and wit. As she is talking to the hunter, â€Å" Without warning, she had seen with her own eyes a flashing nickel fall out of the mans pocket onto the ground† (Welty 843), and she said nothing. As it continues the hunter runs off and she wittily bent over in his absence and â€Å"The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen†(Welty 843). As he later lies about having money to spare, this presents her wit, as she gained five cents from this brash traveller who has the audacity to later hold a gun to her head as a joke, which does not intimidate her, and only shows once again the fortitude previously stated in the last paragraph. As she gets to her destination, a clinic that she gets medicine from, she meets an attendant when she first walks in. She came to claim a bottle of medicine through charity for her grandson, which may just be a guise to get free medication, which in itself is a example of clever planning, the example I am using is of her interaction with the attendant. â€Å"Its Christmas time, Grandma,† said the attendant. â€Å"Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? † â€Å"Five pennies is a nickel,† said Phoenix stiffly† â€Å"Heres a nickel,† said the attendant† (Welty 856). She persuades the attendant to give her a nickel, which in total gives her a dime, showing her witty resourcefulness. Whether she uses this ten cent for her grandson a windmill, or something else she wishes to buy, her adept skill and dexterity is presented as she uses wit and expierence to claim these precious boons. Pheonix Jones is a woman of many traits. From her perseverance to her sly inginuity, she uses all her characteristics to get through â€Å"A Warn Path†. She shows her child like perception in a way that eases the burdon of travelling. To the hills and back again seven times fold, her fortitude and will is an object of pure sovereinty over obstacles in her way and in her head. And with just a little bit of quick thinking and bamboozlement she was able to obtain a secondary reward from her journey, a skill that comes in handy throughout her life. Pheonix Jones is a pure, text book definition of strong.

Product Development Strategy

Product Development Strategy Given the rapid changes in consumer tastes technology arid competition companies must develop a steady stream of new products and services A firm can obtain-new products m two ways. One is through acquisition by buying a whole company a patent or a license to produce someone else s product The other as through new-product development m the company s own research -and-development department By new products we mean original products product improvements product modifications and new brands that the firm develops through its own research-and-development efforts. When an organization introduces a product into a market they must ask themselves a number of questions. Who is the product aimed at? What benefit will they expect? How do they plan to position the product within the market? What differential advantage will the product offer over their competitors? New products continue to fail at a disturbing rate. One source estimates that more than 90 percent of all new products fail in within 2 years Another-study suggested that of the staggering 25,000 new consumer food, beverage, beauty, and healthcare products to hit the market each year, only 40 percent will be around 5 years later Moreover failure rates for new industrial products may be as high as 30 percent. Why do so many new products fail? There re several reasons Although an idea may be good the market size may have been overestimated Perhaps the actual product was not designed as well as it should have beer Or maybe it was incorrectly positioned in the market priced too high or advertised poorly A high-level executive might push a favorite idea despite poor marketing research findings- Sometimes the costs of product development are higher than expected, and sometimes Competitors fight back harder than Expected. However the reasons behind some new product failures seem pretty obvious Try the following on for size. Review of Literature Product strategies When an organization introduces a product into a market they must ask themselves a number of questions. Who is the product aimed at? What benefit will they expect? How do they plan to position the product within the market? What differential advantage will the product offer over their competitors? We must remember that Marketing is fundamentally about providing the correct bundle of benefits to the end user, hence the saying Marketing is not about providing products or services it is essentially about providing changing benefits to the changing needs and demands of the customer (P.Tailor 7/00) Philip Kotler in Principles of Marketing devised a very interesting concept of benefit building with a product For a analysis the book of Principles of Marketing by P.Kotler. Kotler suggested that a product should be viewed in three levels. Level 1: Core Product. What is the core benefit your product offers?. Customers who purchase a camera are buying more then just a camera they are purchasing memories. Level 2Actual Product: All cameras capture memories. The aim is to ensure that your potential customers purchase your one. The strategy at this level involves organizations branding, adding features and benefits to ensure that their product offers a differential advantage from their competitors. Level 3: Augmented product: What additional non-tangible benefits can you offer? Competition at this level is based around after sales service, warranties, delivery and so on. John Lewis a retail departmental store offers free five year guarantee on purchases of their Television sets, this gives their `customers the additional benefit of peace of mind over the five years should their purchase develop a fault. Idea generation New product development starts with idea generation the systematic search for new product ideas. A company typically has to generate many in order to find a few good once. According to one well-known management consultant, For every 1 000 ideas, only 100 will have enough commercial t0 promise to merits a small sca1e experiment only 10 of those will Warrant substantial financial commitment and of those a couple will turn out to be unqualified successes. His conclusion? If you want to find a few ideas with the power to enthrall customer, foil competition, and thrill investors you must first generate hundreds and potentially thousands of unconventional strategic ideas. Internal Idea Sources Using internal sources the company can find new ideas through formal research and development. It can pick the brains of its executives Scientists engineers manufacturing staff Sand sales people Some companies have-developed successful entrepreneurial programs that encourage employees to think up and develop new product ideas. For example 3M s well known 15-percent rule allow employees to spend 15 percent of their tine bootlegging -working on projects of personal interest whether or not those project directly benefit the company. Companies some times look for creative innovation approaches that overcome barriers to the free flow-of new product ideas For example firms like Eureka Ranch-a well known new product hatchery -employ both method and madness in helping companies to jumpstart their new product idea generation process. External Idea Sources Good new product idea also come from watching and listening to customers The company can analyze customer questions and complaints to find new products that better solve consumes problems Company engineers or salespeople can meet with and work. Alongside customers to get suggestions and ideas The Company can conduct surveys or focus groups to learn about Consumer needs and wants. Heinz did just that when its researchers approached children who consume more than half of the ketchup sold find out what would make ketchup more appealing to them The answer change the color So, Heinz developed and launc1iedEZ Squirt green ketchup that comes iii a squeezable bottle targeted at kids Blastin Green ketchup was a smash hit, so Heinz followed up with an entire rainbow of EZ Squirt colors, including Funky Purple Passion Pink, Awesome Orange, Totally Teal, and Stellar Blue. The EZ Squirt bottle s special nozzle also emits a thin ketchup stream, so tykes can autograph their burgers (or squirt someo ne across the table though Heinz neglects to mention that). In all the new line earned the Company a 5 percent increase in sales ii the first year after hitting the grocery shelf. Consumers often create new products and uses on their own and companies can benefit by putting them on the market. For example for years customers were spreading the word that Skin-so-soft bath oil and moisturizer was also a terrific bug repellent. Whereas some Consumers Were content simply to bathe an water scented with the fragrant oil others carried it in their backpacks to mosquito-infested campsites or kept a bottle on the deck of their beach houses Avon tuned the idea into a complete line of Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard PLUS lR335Â ® products including the Insect Repellent Gentle Breeze Moistures Sun block Lotion SPF 30 a combination moisturizer insect repellent and sunscreen. The search for new-product ideas should be systematic rather than haphazard. Otherwise few new ideas will surface and many good ideas will sputter and die Top management can avoid these problems by installing an idea management system that directs the flow of new ideas to a central point where they can be collected reviewed and evaluated hi setting up such a system the company can do any or all of the following. Appoint a respected senior person to be the company s idea manager. Create a cross-functional idea management committee consisting of people from RD, engineering purchasing operations finance and sales and marketing to meet regri1rly and evaluate proposed new product and service ideas. Set up a toll-free number or Web site for anyone who wants to send a new idea to the idea manager. Encourage all company stakeholders-employees suppliers, distributors, dealers-to send their ideas to the idea manager. Set up formal recognition programs to reward those who contribute the best new ideas. Idea Screening The purpose of idea generation is to create a large number of ideas. The purpose of the succeeding stages is to reduce that number. The first idea-reducing stage is idea screening, which helps spot good ideas and drop poor ones as soon as possible. Product development costs rise greatly in later Stages, so the company wants to go ahead only with the product ideas that will turn into profitable products. The object is to eliminate unsound concepts prior to devoting resources to them. The screeners must ask at least three questions: Will the customer in the target market benefit from the product? What is the size and growth forecasts of the market segment/target market? What is the current or expected competitive pressure for the product idea? What are the industry sales and market trends the product idea is based on? Is it technically feasible to manufacture the product? Will the product be profitable when manufactured and delivered to the customer at the target price? Many companies require their executives to write up new-product ideas on a standard form that can be reviewed by a new-product committee. The write-up describes the product, the target market, and the competition. It makes some rough estimates of market size, product price, development time and costs, manufacturing costs, and rate of return. The committee then evaluates the idea against a set of general criteria. For example, at Kao Company, the large Japanese consumer-products company, the committee asks questions such as these: Is the product truly useful to consumer and society? Is it good for our particular company? Does it mesh well with the companys objectives and strategies? Do we have the people, skills, and resources to make it succeed? Does it deliver more value to customers than do competing products? Is it easy to advertise and distribute? Many companies have well-designed systems for rating and screening new-product ideas. Concept development and testing An attractive idea must be developed into a product concept. It is important to distinguish between a product idea, a product concept, and a product image. A product idea is an idea for a possible product that the company can see itself offering to the market. A product concept is a detailed version of the idea stated in meaningful consumer terms. A product image is the way consumers perceive an actual or potential product. Develop the marketing and engineering details Who is the target market and who is the decision maker in the purchasing process? What product features must the product incorporate? What benefits will the product provide? How will consumers react to the product? How will the product be produced most cost effectively? Prove feasibility through virtual computer aided rendering, and rapid prototyping What will it cost to produce it? Concept Development After 10 years of development, DaimlerChrysler is getting ready to commercialize its experimental fuel-cell-powered electric car. This cars nonpolluting fuel-cell system runs directly on methanol, which delivers hydrogen to the fuel cell with only water as a by-product. It is highly fuel efficient (75 percent more efficient than gasoline engines) and gives the new car an environmental advantage over standard internal combustion engine cars or even todays stupefacient gasoline-electric hybrid cars. Last year, DaimlerChrysler put 60 F-cell cars on the road in Japan, Germany, and the United states to test their worth in everyday operation. Based on the tiny Mercedes A-Class, the car accelerates quickly, reaches speeds of 90 miles per hour, and has a 280-mile driving range, giving it a huge edge over battery-powered electric cars that travel only about 80 miles before needing 3 to 12 hours off recharging. Fuel cell systems are also being tested in busses, trucks, and other vehicles. Now DimlerChryslers task is to develop this new product into alternative product concepts, find out how, attractive each concept is to customers, and choose the best one. It might create the following product concepts for the fuel-cell electric car: Concept 1 A moderately priced subcompact designed as a second family car to be used around town. The car is ideal for running errands and visiting friends. Concept 2 A medium-cost sporty compact appealing to young people. Concept 3 A inexpensive subcompact green car appealing to environmentally conscious people who want practical transportation and low pollution. Concept 4 A high-end SUV appealing to those who love the space SUVs provide but lament the poor gas mileage. Concept Testing Concept testing calls for testing new-product concepts with groups of target consumers. The concepts may be presented to consumers symbolically or physically. Here; in words, is concept 3: An efficient fun-to drive fuel cell-powered electric subcompact car that seats four. This methanol powered high-tech wonder provides practical and reliable trans potation with virtually o pollution It goes up to 90 miles per hour and unlike battery-powered electric cars, it never needs recharging It s priced, fully equipped at $20000. For some concept tests a word or picture description might be sufficient. However a more concrete and physical presentation of the concept will increase the reliability of the concept test Today some marketers are finding innovative ways to make product concepts more real to consumer subjects For example some are using virtual reality to test product concepts. Virtual reality programs use computers and sensory devices (such as gloves or goggles) to simulate reality A designer of kitchen cabinets might use a virtual reality program to help a customer see how his or her kitschier would look and work if remodeled with the companys products. After being exposed to the concept consumers then may be asked to react to at by answering questions such as those. The answers will help the company decide which concept has the strongest appeal For example the last question asks about the consumers intention to buy Suppose 10 percent of the consumers said they definitely would buy and another 5 pe rcent said obab1y The company could project these figures to the full population in this target group to estimate sales volume Even then the estimate is uncertain because people do not always carry out their stated intentions. Marketing Strategy development Suppose DaimlerChrysler finds that concept 3 for the fuel cell powered electric car tests is best The next step is marketing strategy development designing an initial marketing strategy for introducing this car to the market. The marketing strategy statement consists of three parts. The first part describes the tar get market the planned product positioning; and the sates, market share, and profit goals for the first few years. Thus: The target market is younger well educated moderate to high income individuals couples or small families seeking practical environmentally responsible transportation The car will be positioned as more economical to operate, more fun to drive, and less polluting than today s internal combustion engine or hybrid cars It is also less restricting than battery powered electric cars which must be recharged regularly. The company will aim to sell 100 000 cars in the first year at a loss of not more than $15 million In the second year the company wall aim for sales of 120,000 cars and a profit of $25 million. The second part of the marking strategy statement outlines the product s planned price distribution and marketing budget for the first year: The fuel cell powered electric car will be offered an three colors-red white and blue-and will have optional air-conditioning and power drive features It will sell at a retail price of $20,000-with 15 percent off the list price to dealers. Dealers who sell more than 10 cars per month will get an additional discount of5 percent on each car sold that month An advertising budget of$5Q million will be split 50-50 between a national media campaign and local advertising. Advertising will emphasize the cars fun spirit and low emissions. During the first year, $100,000 will be spent on marketing research to find out who is buying the car and their satisfaction levels. Business analysis Once management has decided on its product concept and marketing strategy it can evaluate the business- attractiveness of the proposal. Business analysis involves a review of the sales costs, and profit projections for anew product to find out whether they satisfy the companys objectives. If they do the-product can move to-the product development stage. To estimate sales, the company might look at the sales history of similar products and conduct surveys of market opinion. It can then estimate minimum and maximum sales to assess the range of risk. After preparing the sales forecast, management can estimate the expected costs and profits for the product including marketing RD operations accounting and finance costs. The company then uses the sales and costs figures to analyze the new products financial attractiveness. Estimate likely selling price based upon competition and customer feedback Estimate sales volume based upon size of market and such tools as the Fourt-Woodlock equation Estimate profitability and breakeven point Product development So far for many new product concepts the product may have existed only as a word a thawing or perhaps a crude mock-up If the product concept passes the business test it moves into product development Here RD or engineering develops the product concept into a physical product. The product development step however now calls for a large jump in investment It will show whether the product idea can be turned into a work able product. The RD department will develop and test one or more physical versions of the product concept RD hopes to design a prototype that will satisfy and excite consumers and that can be produced quickly aid at budgeted costs. Developing a successful prototype can take days, weeks, months, or even years. Often products under go rigorous tests to make sure that they perform safely and effectively, or that consumers will find value in them. Here are some examples of such product tests: Procter Gamb1e (PG)spends $150 million on 4,000 to 5 0O studies a year test in everything from the ergonomics of picking up a shampoo bottle to how long women can keep their hands in sudsy water. On any given day subjects meet an focus groups e11 their dirty laundry to researchers put prototype diapers on their babies bottoms and rub mysterious creams on their faces Last year one elementary school raised $17000 by having students and parents take part in PG product tests Students tested toothpaste and shampoo and ate brownies while their mothers watched advertising for Tempo tissue PG s paper wipes packaged to fit in a car. At Gillette almost everyone gets involved in new product testing. Every working day at Gillette, 200 volunteers from various departments come to work unshaven troop to the second floor of the companys gritty South Boston plant and enter small booths with a sink and mirror. There they take instructions from technicians on the other side of a small window as to which razor, shaving cream or after shave to use The volunteers evaluate razors for sharpness of blade, smoothness of glide and ease of handling In a nearby shower room women perform the same ritual on their legs, underarms and what the company delicately refers to as the bikini area. We bleed so you. 11 get a good shave at home says one Gillette employee. Test marketing If the product passes functional and consumer tests, the next step is test marketing the stage at which the product and marketing program are introduced into more realistic market settings. Test marketing gives the marketer experience with marketing the product before going to the great expense of full introduction. It lets the company test the product and its entire marketing program-positioning strategy advertising distribution pricing branding and packaging and budget levels. The amount of test marketing needed varies with each new product Test marketing costs can be high, and it takes time that may allow competitors to gain advantages. Produce a physical prototype or mock-up Test the product (and its packaging) in typical usage situations Conduct focus group customer interviews or introduce at trade show Make adjustments where necessary Produce an initial run of the product and sell it in a test market area to determine customer acceptance When the costs of developing and introducing the product are low or when management as already confident about the new product the company may do little or no test marketing In fact test marketing by consumer package-goods firms has been declining in recent years Companies often do not test market simple line extensions or copies of successful competitor products For example. PG introduced its Folgerss decaffeinated coffee crystals without test marketing and Pillsbury rolled out Chewy granola bars and chocolate covered Granola Dips with no standard test market. However when introducing a new product requires a big investment or when management is not sure of the product or marketing program a company may do a lot of test marketing. For instance Lever USA spent 2 years testing its highly successful Lever 2000 bar soap in Atlanta before introducing it internationally. Frito-Lay did 18 months of testing in three markets on at least five formulations before introducing its Baked Lays lin e of low fat snacks. And Nokia test-marketed its N-Gage cell phone/mobile game player extensively in London before introducing it worldwide. Standard test Marketing Using standard test markets, the company finds a small number of representative test cities conducts a full marketing campaign in these cities and uses store audits consumer and distributor surveys, and other measures to gauge product performance. The results are used to forecast national sales and profits discover potential product problems and fine tune the marketing program. Standard test markets have some drawbacks. They can be very costly and they may take a long time-some last as long as 3 to 5 years Moreover competitors can monitor test market results or even interfere with them by cutting their prices in test cities increasing their pro motion or even buying up the product being tested. Finally test market give competitors a look at the companys new product well before it is introduced nationally Thus competitors may have tune to develop defensive strategies and may even beat the company s product to the market For example while CLOROXÂ ® was still test marketing its new detergent with bleach in selected markets PG launched Tide with Bleach nationally Tide with Bleach quickly became the segment leader GLOROXÂ ® later withdrew its detergent Despite these disadvantages standard test markets are still the most widely used approach for major in-market testing However many companies today are shifting toward quicker and cheaper controlled and simulated test marketing methods. Control Test Marketing Several research firms keep controlled panels of stores that have agreed to carry new products for a fee Controlled test marketing systems like ACNielsens Scan track and Information Resources Inc s (IRI) Behavior Scan track individual consumer behavior for new products from the television set to the checkout counter. In each Behavior Scan market WI maintains a panel of shoppers who report all of their purchases by showing an identification card at check-out in participating stores and by using a handheld scanner at home to record purchases at nonparticipating stores. With in test stores, IRI controls such factors as shelf placement price and ia-store promotions for the product being tested IRI also measures TV viewing in each panel household and sends special commercials to panel member television sets Direct mail promotions can also be tested. Commercialization Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product into the market. The actual launch of a new product is the final stage of new product development, and the one where the most money will have to be spent for advertising, sales promotion, and other marketing efforts. In the case of a new consumer packaged good, costs will be at least $ 10 million, but can reach up to $ 200 million. In general one can say that it will cost about a dollar for each dollar of sales turnover achieved. Commercialization is often confused with sales, marketing or business development. The Commercialization process has three key aspects: The funnel. It is essential to look at many ideas to get one or two products or business that can be sustained long-term It is a stage-wise process and each stage has its own key goals and milestones It is vital to involve key stakeholders early, including customers Commercialization of a product will only take place, if the following four questions can be answered: When? The company has to decide on the introduction timing. When facing the danger of cannibalizing the sales of the companys other products, if the product can be improved further, or if the economy is down, the launch should be delayed. Every single bank in Nigeria today has been commercialized. But its sad enough to know that most of these banks are not straight forward in their various dealings with their clines/customers. Where? The company has to decide where to launch its products. It can be in a single location, one or several regions, a national or the international market. This decision will be strongly influenced by the companys resources, in terms of capital, managerial confidence and operational capacities. Smaller companies usually launch in attractive cities or regions, while larger companies enter a national market at once. Global roll outs are generally only undertaken by multinational conglomerates, since they have the necessary size and make use of international distribution systems (e.g., Unilever, Procter Gamble). Other multinationals use the lead-country strategy: introducing the new product in one country/region at a time (e.g. Colgate-Palmolive). To Whom? The primary target consumer group will have been identified earlier by research and test marketing. These primary consumer groups should consist of innovators, early adopters, heavy users and/or opinion leaders. This will ensure adoption by other buyers in the market place during the product growth period. How? The company has to decide on an action plan for introducing the product by implementing the above decisions. It has to develop a viable marketing mix and create a respective marketing budget. Test marketing gives management the information needed to make a final decision about whether to launch the new product. If the company goes ahead with commercialization- introducing the new product into the market-it will face high costs The company may have to build or rent a manufacturing facility. And it may have to spend in the case of a new consumer packaged good between $10 million and $200 million for advertising sales promotion, and other marketing efforts in the first year. The company launching a new product must first decide on introduction timing. If DaimlerChrysler s new fuel cell electric car will eat into the sales of the company s other cars its introduction may be delayed If the car can be improved further, or if the economy is down, the company may wait until the following year to launch it. Next, the company must decide where to launch the new product-in a single location, a region the national market or the international market. Few companies have the confidence capital and capacity to launch new products into full national or international distribution. They will develop a planned market rollout over time. In particular small companies may enter attractive cities or regions one at a time Larger companies, however may quickly intro- 1uce new models into several regions or into the full national market. There are the following step of commercialization. Launch the product Produce and place advertisements and other promotions Fill the distribution pipeline with product Critical path analysis is most useful at this stage Organizing for new product Development Many companies organize their new product development process into the orderly sequence of starting-with idea generation and ending with commercialization Under this sequential product development approach one company department works individually to complete its stage of the process before passing the new product along to the development next department and stage. This orderly step-by step process can help bring control to complex and risky projects. But it also can be dangerously slow. In fast changing highly competitive works markets such slow but sure product development can result in pro4uct failures lost sales arid profits and crumbling market positions Speed to market and reducing new product development cycle time have become pressing concerns to companies in all industries. In order to get their new products to market more quickly many companies are adopting a faster team-oriented approach called simultaneous product development (or team bad or collaborative product-development) Under this approach company departments work closely together through cross functional teams overlapping the steps in the product development process to save time and increase effectiveness Instead of passing the new product from department to department the company assembles a team -of people from various departments that Stays with the new product from start to finish. Such teams usually include people from the marketing finance design, manufacturing and legal departments and even supplier and customer companies. top management gives the product development team general strategic direction but no clear cut product idea or work plan It challenges the team with stiff and seemingly contradictory goals- turn out carefully planned and superior new products but do it quickly -and then givers the team whatever freedom and resources it needs to meet the challenge In the sequential process a bottleneck at one phase can seriously slow the entire protect In the simultaneous approach, if one functional area hits snags it works to resolve them while the team moves on. The Data Collection Primary Data BOOKS Principal of Marketing (Eleventh Edition) Part III Chapter# 9 Page # 274,276,280,282 Web site www.learnmarketing.net www.wikipedia.org www.infotrends.com Secondary Data Organization PG Pakistan Private (Ltd

The Role of Counseling :: essays papers

The Role of Counseling A study performed in 1992, reported approximately 3,400,000 youth had failed to complete high school and were not enrolled in high school (Starr 1998). This statistic is based on the United States where job competition has greatly increased due to technology. Many of these student lacked the support and training necessary to succeed in today’s society. Currently in every high school across the nation, there is a person responsible for offering support and training to the youth of America. Available for all students is a guidance counselor. Counselors within the high school setting play an influential role in the forming of post high school goals through the planning of numerous activities. Education Week reported in the â€Å"Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher 2000† that seventy-one percent of students state their post-high school plans as a four-year college (Eduacation Week, 2000). The fact is seventy-five percent of Americans youth do not graduate from college (Starr, 1998). Due to the inconsistency of the reported statistics a counselor needs to advise each student in the direction that best suits them. This task is difficult considering the large number of students per counselor. Counselors are able to advise more students through planned activities (Ordsmyth, 2002). There is also the need to support students through the transitional stage between significant events. Preparing a student to enter a four-year college, two-year college, military or job force is crucial to their future success. Ways to Prepare the Student A guidance counselor is an important element in the formation of post high school plans. Counselors offer an outlet of information that should be used by all students. There are numerous ways for the counselor to approach post high school planning. One technique is the writing of an essay about their ideal school (Marthers, 1997). This idea was developed by, Paul Marthers, in hopes that conversation would be stimulated. A student involved in the college search should focus on their desires pertaining to college. A study by Nafziger, Holland and Gotffredon, in 1975, indicated the improbability of a student leaving a school that matches their personality type; therefore the importance of the college search is highlighted (Marthers, 1997). Starting the college search with a positive outlook will affect the entire process (Marthers, 1997). Goodnough and Ripley are also accredited with a technique beneficial to post- high school planning (1997).

Bussines Communication

BUSINNESS COMMUNICATION Business communication it is the communication between the people in the organisation for the purpose of carrying out the business activities. It is a process of exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and as a means that individual or organization share meaning and understanding with one another. In other words, it is a transmission and interacting the facts, ideas, opinion, feeling and attitudes. Communication adds meaning to human life. It helps to build relationship and fosters love and understanding. It is two types of communication formal and informal.FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS- example of formal communication are board meetings , letters. They are formal methods because when we using them we have to use specific formats and follow rules INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONS-example of informal communication are conversations , emails and text messages . Informal communications do not follow any prescribed conventions or formats and often happen spontaneously. I talked about ty pes of communications used by Tesco Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. Related reading: Tesco Communication With CustomersTesco is the fourth-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues, after Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Metro. The second-largest measured by profits after Wal-Mart. It has stores in 14 countries across Asia, Europe and North America and is the grocery market leader in the UK (where it has a market share of around 30%), Malaysia and Thailand. There are few types of communication; verbal, written, on- screen, web-based, multimedia. VERBAL-FACETO FACE -Nothing can replace the value of face-to-face communication.It’s easier to communicate verbally than any other way because you get to understand every detail that is being spoken by the other person. In Tesco customers communicate with the staff members they can ask questions if they don’t understand the instructions clearly. Effectiveness of meetings: When there’s an issue that requires a decision, you’re able to reach a consensus more quickly. When there are m any people in a meeting, there’s more energy and opportunities to participate and creatively contribute. Oftentimes there’s also a synergy that’s achieved which ignites discussion and innovative thinking.You can brainstorm more easily and solve a handful of problems Nonverbal communication:   Someone who is frequently checking their watch or yawning, would tell you very easily that it’s time to wrap things up or make an effort to change the quality of your voice to be more engaging (or at least change the subject. ) And the very opposite is also true; if colleagues are smiling, nodding or leaning forward, you know that they’re invested and have their buy-in. There isn’t much guesswork involved. A personal touch:. There’s a feeling of community because we’re better able to socialize and interact with one another.We quickly build a bond that sets the foundation for trust and ultimately, lasting business relationships. WRITTEN  Ã¢â‚¬â€œLEAFLETS-Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.Leaflets- this type of communication in Tesco is that one can get all the information from a Tesco leaflet that he or she needs and can verify back to it if he or she did not understand the information clearly. And also a good thing because staff can easily give customers written documents that might    be more helpful for people who don’t understand some staff members English accent and etc. ON- SCREEN AND MULTIMEDIA; for example TV- a large number of people can watch the presentation  for example promotions or if there is any discounts or and new system introduced by the organisation.Multimedia information can be text, graphics, audio, animation, video, data and many more. It is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. Multimedia is usually recorded and played, displayed or accessed by information content processing devices, such as computerised and electronic devices, but can also be part of a live performance. WEB BASED-ADVERS-This communications are a very common thing in the retail industry. Retailers find this way of Selling or Advertising a product or even displaying a upcoming product.This is beneficial to Tesco because Tesco don’t need to take up storage in there stores the products can be directly sent form a warehouse and there’s much more of a chance of a customer noticing it on a internet site than walking past it in a store. NON-ELECTRONIC METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION-Non electronic methods of communication are ways of co mmunicating through non-electronic sources such as letters, reports, memorandums, etc. Before the invention of electricity, Communication was slow and difficult. Some messages took days, weeks and even months to arrive to its destination.It was also not as effective and less people were able to receive these messages at once. There four different non-electronic types of communication verbal, non-verbal, memo and letter. -MEMO; an internal form of communication and used for short messages. This is usually not a signed document. -REPORT; a common written communication in a business. The task might be given a formal reply depending on what task has been given. PUBLICITY MATERIALS; this can come in many forms. It is used to attract attention, inform and enhance corporate image. INVOICE; this document is to confirm the details on goods purchased and details on the payment. ELECTRONIC METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION-electronic methods of communication are to using the computer to communicate wi th some one half around the world e. g-electronic fax also facebook chatting with other via the use of the internet or as simple as using your cell phone to communicate with others. Popular form of electronic communication is email, which is a more formal way of sending messages to others. This form of communication is more popular is school, business and even with family.It can range in form from a formal letter to a few quick phrases to just a picture. One of the oldest forms of electronic communication is the telephone. Not a lot of people consider the telephone electronic but it still uses electricity to change our voice into electronic signals from one device to another. Electronic methods of communication; -TOUCH SCREENS; is computer technology which is used by customers to touch certain areas of the screen. -TELEPHONE CALLS; it is a method of fast communication through a telephone handset. DVD; is the video medium of choice for business these day( can be used to show presenta tions to staff) -FAX; it is a method that needs a reproduction machine and telephone line to send pictures and documents. WEBSITE; a site that can be found on the world wide web ELECTRONIC AND NON-ELECTRONIC METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDIENCE: * Age and attention span Most people who are younger can concentrate for less time whereas older or more educated people can focus or listen for a longer period of time.Younger people respond more to videos, images and PowerPoint presentations, whereas older people can read for a long time such as reports etc. * Age, gender and ethnicity To illustrate your explanations, it's a good way to interact with the audience by reflecting on their ethnic background, interest and their experiences. Also draws from the experiences of men and women in a positive ways. * Readability It is important to know who your audience are, this is looking at younger or older people.Younger people may prefer to have simple language than somethin g that is difficult to understand, but older people may understand the language of technical terms, phrases and jargons. * Interest Most people lose interest so it important to get key points across quickly and explain the topic that is related to the audience. Sometimes to be humorous can help to maintain interest but if no-one laughs at your joke then it will put off the audience, so it is important to know when to be funny. Also to interest your audience you can put up some activity for them to do and this will help them engage with you.

Modern Technology Has Made Man Less Human Essay

The modern world has been shaped by its metaphysics, which has shaped its education, which in turn has brought forth its science and technology. So, without going back to metaphysics and education, we can say that the modern world has been shaped by technology. It tumbles from crisis to crisis; on all sides there are prophecies of disaster and, indeed, visible signs of breakdown. If that which has been shaped by technology, and continues to be so shaped, looks sick, it might be wise to have a look at technology itself. If technology is felt to be becoming more and more inhuman, we might do well to consider whether it is possible to have something better-a technology with a human face. Strange to say, technology, although of course the product of man, tends to develop by its own laws and principles, and these are very different from those of human nature or of living nature in general. Nature always, so to speak, knows where and when to stop. Greater even than the mystery of natural growth is the mystery of the natural cessation of growth. There is measure in all natural things — in their size, speed, or violence. As a result, the system of nature, of which man is a part, tends to be self-balancing, self-adjusting, self-cleansing. Not so with technology, or perhaps I should say: not so with man dominated by technology and specialisation. Technology recognises no self-limiting principle — in terms, for instance, of size, speed, or violence. It therefore does not possess the virtues of being self-balancing, self-adjusting, and self-cleans-mg. In the subtle system of nature, technology, and in particular the super-technology of the modern world, acts like a foreign body, and there are now numerous signs of rejection. Suddenly, if not altogether surprisingly, the modern world, shaped by modern technology, finds itself involved in three crises simultaneously. First, human nature revolts against inhuman technological, organisational, and political patterns, which it experiences as suffocating and debilitating; second, the living environment which supports human life aches and groans and gives signs of partial breakdown; and, third, it is clear to anyone fully knowledgeable in the subject matter that the inroads being made into the world’s non-renewable resources, particularly those of fossil fuels, are such that serious bottlenecks and virtual exhaustion loom ahead in the quite foreseeable future.

The Impacts of Introducing an E-Commerce System to an Organisation Essay Example

The Impacts of Introducing an E The Impacts of Introducing an E-Commerce System to an Organisation Essay The Impacts of Introducing an E-Commerce System to an Organisation Essay The impacts of introducing an e-commerce system to the organisation are followed: Organisation can carry out their business without concerning about time and distance. Customer just can log in to organisation’s website whenever they wish to and purchase in single mouse click. Organisation eliminates processing errors; make it faster and convenient for the visitor. Organisation can sell their services/products directly to customers while cutting the costs of traditional retailing method. E. g. E-tailer does not have to spend so much on an expensive high street company. Organisation can reach much wider customers; which means organisation can sell their products/services worldwide rather than being limited to one place. Requires low running cost compare to introducing business on land based. Helps organisation to reduce the delivery time, labour cost and the cost incurred in various area such as document preparation, error detection and correction, reconciliation, mail preparation, telephone calling, supervision expenses etc. The risks of introducing an e-commerce system to an organisation: Risk to organisation information and intellectual property from internal staff and trading partners. It is difficult to control how sensitive information will be handled by third parties or contract workers. Hacker exploitation could cause errors in software applications design, technical implementation or system operation. System could be subject virus attack which may cause non-deliberate alteration on organisation images or web messages. Hence organisation will face embarrassment and damage to business reputation. Credit card payment fraud. Malicious attack from inside or outside the organisation. Technical failure or infrastructure failure which could put halt on the business. Organisation could lose customers hence revenue until system get back on running.

National Identification System Essays - Genetics, Biometrics, DNA

National Identification System Essays - Genetics, Biometrics, DNA National Identification System Should a national identification system in which each Americans DNA pattern is registered be established? Has the U.S. come to the point where we have to devise a national identification system in which everyones DNA pattern is registered in a network of computers? I believe so, and the process of using a persons DNA pattern for a national identification system is a very good idea. This identification system could be used to offer new jobs, put criminals - who are guilty - in jail, and also provide people with medical information about themselves and their health. I believe using a persons DNA pattern for a national identification system is a very good idea, even better than fingerprints. Although every human being is 99.9% identical, that .1% left makes a big difference between two people. By using a genome of 3 billion letters your DNA chain that tenth (.1%) is actually three million separate links in your DNA chain. That is how the difference between two people is figured out. I know its a difficult process, but it can be very useful in our society today, and that is why I think it is a very good idea. Although the identification system is a very complicated matter it could open up doors for job opportunities, for people that qualify. People that are qualified for the job might have to be: computer literate, able to work long hours, reliable and trustworthy to run sophisticated and expensive machinery, and have a background of knowledge of the DNA chain and patterns among it. Also, probably being a government funded job, benefits would be available, and the pay wouldnt be too bad either. Fingerprints are very useful in burglary and property crimes, but what about a rape case? Fingerprints wouldnt be very useful in a rape case, so DNA testing would have to be done on semen samples found at the scene of a crime. Fingerprint variations are spectacular and were considered state of the art about 10 years ago, but not any more. Now we are capable of reading DNA patterns, and DNA is a hard thing to fight against in court when a persons DNA and the DNA found at a crime scene are identical. DNA patterns are also useful when searching for diseases or types of cancer that a person might be subject too in their older age. So by using DNA as a national identification system we could also provide people with important information about their health and what they are to suspect in the future. Also if a person knew about a type of cancer they might be subject too, they could tell a doctor and treat the cancer before it comes about and be cured of the cancer before it even started to effect their life. DNA patterns, as a national identification system isnt a bad idea. Having many good qualities, Im sure there are bad qualities, but it seems like a very useful idea that could benefit todays society. So, I think a national identification system by using a persons DNA pattern is a good idea and if came to the poles for election, would sure get my vote. Bibliography none

A Literature Analysis Of Tom Tykwers Movie Run Lola Run

A Literature Analysis Of Tom Tykwer's Movie Run Lola Run Run Lola Run, a German film directed by Tom Tykwer, is a thriller that talks about a woman named Lola trying to obtain enough money in twenty minutes to save her boyfriend. The film follows Lola’s sequential journey showing three different scenarios of her rescuing plans. While Lola changes her paths and plans each time, people she encounters also receive distinct consecutive consequences resulted either from time or behavioral differences. Although the rescues are motivated by a strong sense of love, the film does not solely center on the love-bond between Lola and Manni. The life-changing twists of those who meet with and pass by Lola in the film show the interrelationship and importance of time, decision and fate. In this paper, I will discuss how the film deals with realism in an unrealistic setting. Having the restart button is never a concrete case, but the lessons of making decisions, learning from mistakes, living with surprises and running against time are genuine. Life comes with many crucial moments. With one decision has been made, it will lead to a different life path. Tom Tykwer deals with the significance of decision making in the film. Within the limited time frame, he chooses to use several photomontages to portray different fates. For instance, the old lady with a stroller who gets her own baby taken away decides to steal another person’s baby in the first scenario. The photomontages show her love for the kid, her frustration after baby is taken away and her sickened excitement seeing another baby. In the second scenario, the montages again indicate moments with strong emotions like showing off the lottery ticket, overloaded happiness after winning the lottery and clams and satisfaction after owning the sudden wealth. The same montage technique applies to the biker and the hallway lady as well, showing their love stories or suicides in different scenarios. Whatever their destinies are, the photomontages catch the key moments, th e moments with strong emotions that reflect how they perceive their decisions. Happy or sad or hopeful or disappointed, the moments are their turning points of life just like the old lady decides to live in an unhealthy relationship or deciding to buy a lottery. She lives with the same man and the same kid in two scenarios, but her decisions make a huge difference. The technique cuts straight to the points in fleeting speed where it conveys that sometimes it is just a matter of a fleeting moment that will ultimately determine a life path. The setting of three scenarios is already exceed the conventional expectation of a film, but the unexpected factors that happen each time make the film even more complex and interesting. For instance, the first time when Lola encounters with the ferocious dog, she gets scared. When she is well-prepared in the second time, the dog owner unexpectedly trips Lola and makes her fall off downstairs. Similarly, after Lola fails to get money from her dad, she robs the bank instead. When she finally meets with Manni with the money, the scene almost makes viewers believe it is the end. However, an ambulance runs over Manni and leads everything to the third sequence. Even tough Lola has previous experience and memory, she still unable to avoid the unexpected events and people. Indeed, life is unpredictable and full of surprises. People seemingly feel confident about their doings based on their experiences, like Lola knows the dog will be there and viewers know Lola is prepared. However, the ans wer to who would expect the dog owner would get involved is absolutely no one. There is no guarantee that a similar experience will doom a success, but it definitely helps with better preparation in the future. The mistakes Lola learned from the first and second sequences lead her to decide to jump over the dog in the third time, but again, winning the jackpot and even successfully meeting with Manni with the extra money on hands are also surprises. Besides Lola is the main character, time is another main matter that simultaneously exists. The film gives several close-ups to clocks and watches that symbolize the time. On one hand, it always reminds Lola and viewers of the limited twenty minutes. On the other hand, it indicates the crucial fact that you have to catch up with time rather than another way around. In an unrealistic setting that lives can be given a second chance and time can be reversed, the time runs at the same pace each time. Regardless what happens, it cannot prevent time from running. For instance, in the opening scene when Lola going over who can help in her head, the arc shot moves in circle like how clock runs. With Lola stands still in the circle, it forms strong contrast that the time does not wait as you stop. Additionally, when Lola screams in her dad’s office, the clock is broken to pieces. Though the physical object is broken and paused at eleven fifty, the rule of time can be resisted. When Lol a asks the old lady for time, it already passed eleven fifty. Thus, the time is always running and Lola is just running out of time. People in real life race against time too, but without having the chance to reverse it. It is a race, an unfair one, that people have to adjust plans or speed up in order to be efficient enough in twenty-four hours. In conclusion, Run Lola Run is a love story, yet reveals many philosophies that deal with life. Three scenarios prove that each person has a different fate and a fleeting moment and a decision can be crucial to determine a life path. Whether the life path moves toward a positive or negative direction, people can never predict the future because life may not go smoothly as expected. Though people can change their plans to pursue a better future, but time cannot be reversed or paused, people have to chase the time.

Crime and Criminal Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crime and Criminal Behavior - Essay Example The truth is that the poor have many disadvantages which they must struggle against. They are marginalized and left out in the cold. They have few opportunities. Their lack of education limits what they can do and their tattered clothing signals to all and sundry that they are poor. Many sociologists suggest that young people growing up in ghettos and in poor neighbourhoods have a rage against the world (Samenow, 3). The world or the â€Å"system† as they sometimes call it is set up against them, they believe. They owe it nothing and also seek to remake the world, often by tearing it down in the first place. They feel excluded from a world they do not understand (Paugam, 42)This is a serious problem and clearly supports the idea that poverty causes crime. This is also borne out by the idea that more poor people in cities and urban areas and these have higher crime rates (Horowitz, 54). There are many problems associated with poverty. Housing is usually of bad stock and as a re sult health problems can occur. Children who grow up in poverty have poorer health and less educational opportunities. People who are poor often are more likely to use drugs. As a result they may become addicted and be forced to break laws in order to make money to pay for their habits. This is a very negative thing but it is clearly a product of cause and effect.

Analysis of Zircon Cars Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis of Zircon Cars Company - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of Zircon Cars Company" analyzes if it is profitable to acquire the Korean Composites Company as Zircon Cars is contemplating on reducing its production costs. The diversification finance concept dictates it is advantageous to invest in several market segments, including investing in the new Korean fibre body shell market segment. On market’s profitability will reduce the risk of losses in another market. The above table 6 shows the combined financial report for two segments. The combined report is based on the 2016 accounting period. The United Kingdom is one of the chosen Zircon Cars market segments. The United Kingdom Zircon Cars market segment sales is  £113,100,000 and the Korean Composites global fibre body shell market segment generated 48,140,000,000 Korean Won Currency amount. The conversion or translation of the Korean currency to the United Kingdom currency, British Pound. The sales amount of the Korean Composites Company for 2016 is  £28,407,548.59. Combining the 2016 accounting period sales of both the Zircon Cars’ United Kingdom market segment and the Korean company’s sales, the total sales figure is  £141,507,548.59. Also the United Kingdom Zircon Cars market segment income before tax deduction is  £ 22,857,510 and the Korean Composites global fibre body shell market segment produced 9,621,706,787.40 Korean Won Currency amount income before tax deduction amount. There is the same conversion of the Korean currency to the United Kingdom currency, British Pound.

The Divine Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Divine Model - Essay Example The name Ramayana is a compound of Rama and ayana meaning going or advancing which translates to the travels of Rama. The Ramayana is made up of 24,000 verses in seven cantos and narrates the story of a prince Ayodhya known as Rama. Ramas wife Sita is possessed by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Rama is the stand out character in the epic tale that has brought much inspiration to many people (Banker 74). Throughout the tale, he is portrayed as a reincarnation of the god Vishnu. As the eldest and most loved son of King Dasharatha from Ayodhya, Rama grows to be loved and respected by many subjects. King Dasharatha out of love for Kaikeyi, one of his wives, succumbs to pressure to order Rama to forfeit his position as the rightful heir to the throne for her son. The King also forces Rama out on exile and Rama is left with no option but to go on exile. During his time in exile, Rama encounters and kills Ravana, the daemon King, marking a turning point in his life. Rama is considered a deity who is worshipped by Hindus. Every year, pilgrims celebrate his divinity by marking the route of his journey. Hindus consider Rama as an incarnation of god Vishnu, whose purpose was to give mankind a sense of direction by demonstrating a righteous and holy way of life. Throughout the reincarnation, Rama portrayed a lot of character traits that made him stand out as a true divine reincarnation of god. They include; Rama portrays exemplary leadership traits with supernatural aspects (Kessler and Wong-MingJi 308). When Rama was in exile, Ravana the demon king abducted the beautiful Sita, taking her away with an aerial chariot. When Rama heard of this, he embarked on a quest to rescue her. Rama was able to know the whereabouts of Sita through the help of wild bears and monkey tribes. It was through Ramas leadership that an army of monkeys were raised to help fight Ravana. In the end, Ravana,

Complexity Theory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Complexity Theory - Article Example The chaos approach involves consideration of an overall state of being within the organization, with the state of chaos facilitating the need for change in the business environment or becoming the desired state of an organization to bring about much needed change. Both approaches are considered within the healthcare setting, as well as in the global business expansion realm. Examples of the types of change required for each situation apply the different approaches of chaos and the continuum. Defining Complexity Theory Complexity theory is based on the principle that various processes within a business production unit are comprised of tasks, with varying levels or degrees of difficulty. Complex systems are fractal in nature, comprised of complex patterns with similarities, though they may possess varying degrees of complexity (Lindberg et al, 1998). Though Lindberg applies the theory to the healthcare industry, it can easily be adapted to nearly industry or organization with outputs o r processes of production. A comparison of patient management and organizational management is used to explain the theory’s application to healthcare. The complication of treating interacting health care issues is compared to the challenge of administering healthcare in a cost effective manner. Views on Complexity Theory Early supporters of complexity theory explain the phenomenon as a mechanical process that follows a specific cause and effect pattern, such as in disease processes. However, opposing perspectives suggest that the processes are made up of a combination of complex activities and the combination of various facets is what makes a system complex. In such a view, healthcare is a complex system in itself, made up of challenges in addressing patient health issues, challenges in the administration of healthcare and challenges in preparing healthcare providers to care for an increasingly diverse population. It is the degree of challenge or difficulty in addressing each of these areas of the industry that drives innovation, or new ways of delivery within the system. The Continuum Approach Complexity is explained as existing on a continuum between chaos and stability. All complex systems go through change, which, at times, pushes those systems toward the brink of chaos and away from stability. This explanation is applicable to many industries and types of businesses struggling to find their way in a global environment. To do so often requires change, or adapting new ways of looking at the business environment. Often change disrupts the methods and current strategies used by an organization. However, when an organization faces change or develops a change strategy, a means of greater contribution from each member of the organization is created. In the more stable environment, there is less contribution, as everyone exists in more of a state of complacency. Complexity and Change If complexity theory relates to change, then it makes sense to assume tha t the more change is needed within the organization, the more complex the system becomes. Greater contributions from a variety of sources make the change process inherently more complex. In the health care setting, just as in any other business environment, some problems or issues do not require complexity. A patient having a mole removed expects little, in terms of the unknown. The procedure and results

English Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Proposal - Essay Example Traffic flux concentration around the campus area has created a wedge between the neighborhood and the campus. The rising animosity of the social and environment protecting NGOs, for the university, owes to the damage to the environment caused by encouraged use of automobiles and the university catering to this cause instead of putting it to a halt. The construction of the parking areas, their operation and maintenance takes a large portion of the funds from the university authorities that can be brought to use for other reasonable projects. "The university has created opportunities to make capital investments in buildings supporting education instead of structures for cars." Says Peter Dewy, assistant director of transportation services. The reliance on automobiles can be set off by the proposal I suggest to the Office of the Chancellor/ Public Affairs. This proposal would help bridge up the gap between the neighborhood and the campus, help sustain the environment, maintain green society, narrow down the budget, abate the traffic flux and give the students a breathing- friendly atmosphere. Students are chauffeured to their schools but once they start off with universities they prefer driving to their campus on their own. In a survey, almost out of every 10 students 7 owned their own cars. The increasing reliance on automobiles has rendered students incapable of even walking from one side of the campus to the other. A few colleagues use their cars to drive from their dormitories to the classes, which are only a few minute walk away. Colleges and universities are somewhat unique in their access requirements, since they are made out of different schools, each having its own specific needs to secure its assets. This poses many challenges in the process of designing a parking and access control system for them. Designing an efficient and cost effective automated access and parking system for university campuses goes

The Divine Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Divine Model - Essay Example The name Ramayana is a compound of Rama and ayana meaning going or advancing which translates to the travels of Rama. The Ramayana is made up of 24,000 verses in seven cantos and narrates the story of a prince Ayodhya known as Rama. Ramas wife Sita is possessed by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Rama is the stand out character in the epic tale that has brought much inspiration to many people (Banker 74). Throughout the tale, he is portrayed as a reincarnation of the god Vishnu. As the eldest and most loved son of King Dasharatha from Ayodhya, Rama grows to be loved and respected by many subjects. King Dasharatha out of love for Kaikeyi, one of his wives, succumbs to pressure to order Rama to forfeit his position as the rightful heir to the throne for her son. The King also forces Rama out on exile and Rama is left with no option but to go on exile. During his time in exile, Rama encounters and kills Ravana, the daemon King, marking a turning point in his life. Rama is considered a deity who is worshipped by Hindus. Every year, pilgrims celebrate his divinity by marking the route of his journey. Hindus consider Rama as an incarnation of god Vishnu, whose purpose was to give mankind a sense of direction by demonstrating a righteous and holy way of life. Throughout the reincarnation, Rama portrayed a lot of character traits that made him stand out as a true divine reincarnation of god. They include; Rama portrays exemplary leadership traits with supernatural aspects (Kessler and Wong-MingJi 308). When Rama was in exile, Ravana the demon king abducted the beautiful Sita, taking her away with an aerial chariot. When Rama heard of this, he embarked on a quest to rescue her. Rama was able to know the whereabouts of Sita through the help of wild bears and monkey tribes. It was through Ramas leadership that an army of monkeys were raised to help fight Ravana. In the end, Ravana,

English Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Proposal - Essay Example Traffic flux concentration around the campus area has created a wedge between the neighborhood and the campus. The rising animosity of the social and environment protecting NGOs, for the university, owes to the damage to the environment caused by encouraged use of automobiles and the university catering to this cause instead of putting it to a halt. The construction of the parking areas, their operation and maintenance takes a large portion of the funds from the university authorities that can be brought to use for other reasonable projects. "The university has created opportunities to make capital investments in buildings supporting education instead of structures for cars." Says Peter Dewy, assistant director of transportation services. The reliance on automobiles can be set off by the proposal I suggest to the Office of the Chancellor/ Public Affairs. This proposal would help bridge up the gap between the neighborhood and the campus, help sustain the environment, maintain green society, narrow down the budget, abate the traffic flux and give the students a breathing- friendly atmosphere. Students are chauffeured to their schools but once they start off with universities they prefer driving to their campus on their own. In a survey, almost out of every 10 students 7 owned their own cars. The increasing reliance on automobiles has rendered students incapable of even walking from one side of the campus to the other. A few colleagues use their cars to drive from their dormitories to the classes, which are only a few minute walk away. Colleges and universities are somewhat unique in their access requirements, since they are made out of different schools, each having its own specific needs to secure its assets. This poses many challenges in the process of designing a parking and access control system for them. Designing an efficient and cost effective automated access and parking system for university campuses goes

Google in China Case Study Essay Example for Free

Google in China Case Study Essay In the case study presentation regarding the Google Company there have been many challenges that have arisen during the growth of the global leader. One of those challenges is in regards to the penetration of the largely available market in China. Google has a mission â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.† (Closing Case: Google in China) Google has constructed a largely profitable advertising business that piggy backs its search engine; which by far is the largest in the world. Using a business model called pay-per-click; advertisers pay Google each time a user of the search engine clicks on one of the paid links that are usually listed on the right hand side of engines results page. These are the paid links and are not included in the main search results generated by Google. The Move In order to penetrate a larger market and further increase popularity Google began running a Chinese language service in 2000 for the largest country on the planet; even though the service was operated from the United States. In 2002, Chinese authorities blocked the site. The people that would have been using Google’s search engine were directed to a Chinese rival search engine company. This came as a huge surprise to Google’s managers. When this occurred the co-founder of Google quickly ordered several books on China and began studying in order to understand its vast country and its culture. In just two weeks’ time the services were restored in China. It appeared that this had just come out of nowhere. It was reported by Chinese users that politically sensitive material sites were no longer accessible. This gave way to the suggestion that the Chinese government had begun monitoring search activities more aggressively. This also generated the suggestion that the Chinese government had constructed a giant firewall between Chinese internet and the internet in the rest of the world allowing the Chinese government to block any sites that were deemed insurrectionary. Due to the fact that serving the Chinese from the United States was incredibly slow and the new censorship imposition was ruing search results Google decided it was time for some change. In a new mindset of operations Google decided to open up a site in China using Chinese management and employees and even a Chinese home page. The Culture and Conclusion It appeared that the cultural divide between Google and China caused some misunderstandings to take place; this in-turn caused some serious offenses to be made. Chinese government did what it felt needed to be done in order to keep the divide between government and citizenship as strong as it has always been. Realizing that it had crossed the line, the search giant Google decided to move its Chinese operations overseas. Google was faced with two choices, they could give up China or and lose over 100 million users, a number that rapidly increases every year, or operate out of China and respect the culture. Now that Google is up and operating in China, even though they have to provide a slightly more less lucrative service, they have provided a small notation for every site that has been blocked once the search results show up; a service no other provider gives. References Closing Case: Google in China; by International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, Seventh Edition Chapter 4: Ethics in International Business: by Charles W. L. Hill copyright  © 2009 McGraw-Hill, a business unit of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx

Competitive Forces And Value Chain Models Information Technology Essay

Competitive Forces And Value Chain Models Information Technology Essay In order for a company to survive in its area of business it must be superior compared to its competitors and therefore strive for competitive advantage. According to Bocij et al (2006 pg 57) competitive advantage is when a organisation or business strives to be the market leader in the area they offer their business or service. Competitive advantage can be achieved by a organisation in a variety of ways such as implementing some of the following techniques; restructuring the business, processes to reduce overheads, offer extra services to existing customers as well as looking for new customers and always looking at the changes in the internal and external environment and respond to changes that may affect the businesses profitability. By implementing some of these techniques this will allow the organisation to increase its profitability and increase its market share. For a company to be achieving competitive advantage the organisation can be analysed in two ways. These two ways are Porters Five Forces and The Value Chain Model. Both of these analysis techniques look at different aspects of the business. In this case Panasonic will be analysed using both of these techniques. According to Laudon and Laudon (2005 pg 102) Michael Porter developed the five forces in 1979. Michael Porter says there are five forces that influence the competitive advantage of a firm. The five forces that that Michael Porter has come up with looks at what influence the external environment (macro environment) has a affect on the internal environment (micro environment). These are the five forces that Michael Porter came up with: Traditional competitors every business has a share in the market they specialise in. with this share of the market the organisation develops their brand and identity and devise new ways of offering extra services that other businesses in their market do not offer. This will attract new customers so and the extra cost of this will be past on to existing customers. New market entrants this is when a organisation or a individual person is able to set up and offer a service or product that will have a large customer base that is able generate profitability for offering a service or product. Substitute products these are alternative products that are available on the market that people may be inclined to use as these products are cheaper compared to others. Customers a organisations profitability is determined how it keeps hold of existing customers and how it attracts new customers. The customer holds the key power of determining how successful a organisation is as customers can easily switch to another brand if the current organisation does not match or beat the price of the product or service they are receiving. Suppliers the supplier has a big impact on how the end product is marketed as the organisation is able to offer its product to the end customer at a competitive price compared to its rivals. So if a organisation has more than one supplier the organisation can have more control over the pricing of the product, replenishment and availability. Above: shows Porters Five forces that affect the stability of a organisation and what are responsible for any actions that may be taken to keep the organisation at a competitive advantage and keep it in profitability. The five forces are Traditional rivals , Customers , Suppliers , New market entrants and Substitute products. (Essentials of Management Information Systems Managing The Digital Firm, Laudon and Laudon 2005 pg 103) Value Chain Model Laudon and Laudon (1995 pg 53) the Value Chain Model was developed by Michael Porter in 1985. The Value Chain Model highlights specific activities within the business where competitive strategies can be applied and where information systems are likely to have a strategic impact. The Value Chain Model identifies precise, critical leverage points where a organisation can use information technology most effectively to increase its competitive advantage within its market share. The increase in the market share will allow the organisation to become more profitable, reduce operating costs and improve communication within the organisation internally and externally. The Value Chain Models looks at a organisation as basic set of chain activities that add a margin of value to a firms products or services. These activities are categorised in to two activities. These activities are known as Primary and support activities. Primary activities Laudon and Laudon (1995 pg 54) says the primary activities of a organisation are related to the production and distribution of the final product or service that a organisation provides. Primary activities include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. Inbound logistics includes the receiving and storing of materials ready to distribute to the appropriate department for the end product to be mage. Operations create to the materials in to the final product. Once the product has been created outbound logistics distributes the made products to the correct sorting point. Once the product has been sorted and stored sales and marketing promote the organisations products and sell them when they receive orders for them. The service activity makes sure that the organisations products are repaired (when needed) and are maintained to make sure any future problems (if any) cause the minimal amount of disruption. Support activities Laudon and Laudon (1995 pg 54) to make sure that the Primary actives are delivered to the highest standard support activities are in place to make sure the infrastructure is functioning. Support activities include administration and management, human resources, technology and procurement. Administration and management is in charge of how the organisation functions on a day to day basis and is in charge of how the organisation is structured. Human resources take care of the welfare and benefits of the employees within the organisation in terms hiring, training and retaining its employees. Technology allows the organisation to improve the production of goods and procurement supports by purchasing inputs. Above: shows Porters Value Chain showing the primary and secondary activities of a organisation and which department adds value to the organisation.(Essentials of Management Information Systems Managing The Digital Firm, Laudon and Laudon 2005 pg 96) Porters Five forces: Panasonic analysis Traditional competitors Since Panasonic was founded in 1918 it has steadily become the largest Japanese electronics maker. Panasonic owner Konosuke Matsushita first started the company selling lamps for bicycles and then diverse to sell other electronic products. Later in 1961 after being rebranded under different names the Panasonic brand was formed in 1961 when it started the produce televisions (TVs ) for the American market. From than it has become one of the most competitive and leading companies for research and development in the electronic sector. As the competiveness in the electronic sector is so reliant on technology it is important for a organizations to innovate new ideas in to products. Panasonic is based in North America, Asia and Europe. As mentioned before Panasonic has found success on the TV industry. The global sales figures for Plasma TV s show that Panasonic ( 40.7%) is the leading supplier in terms of shipping volume around the world closely followed by Samsun g on (33.7%), LG on (23.3 %) and other brands accommodated for the (2%). (HDV TEST ,2011) New market entrants There is no threat of any other brand entering the market and become dominant. This is due to the barrier entry system of some one entering the market with a product or service. These two barriers are known as high barrier and low barrier entry products / services. High barrier service / products is for high end products or services for example if somebody wanted to open a new bank the interested party will have to go through tough regulation and be approved and regulated by a outside firm for example FSA to make sure they are operating within the guidelines set by the government. The other barrier is known as low entry barrier markets. This entry barrier is for a low entry product or service. A example of this is if somebody wanted to open a corner shop little government regulation is needed and there is little set up costs. Along with the barrier entry system the new entrant must have the technology know how that will allow them to develop their products furthe r. Substitute products The threat from substitute products is fairly low as people are more inclined to use brands that they are familiar with so if they wanted to switch brands for a alternative cheap brand the costs are low but they can be high if they wanted to switch to a much alternative brand such as Sony which is generally seen more expensive. Technology can also be a factor for example now people can watch TV on mobile phones and laptops. Another example is when Sony In 2005 Panasonic has reacted well to change and development in technology this was seen when Sony, Panasonic and Philips launched Bluray technology against the HD DVDs that were launched by Toshiba, Microsoft and Hitachi. Much of the success of the format was dependent on which retailers favoured and marketed products their products. Customers Panasonic is a international brand and is recognisable all over the world. It has posted respectable results. In 2010 Panasonic posted the following sales Japan 54% Asia 23% , North America 12 % and Europe 11% .(These figures accommodate for Panasonic products only). As technology evolves Panasonic has kept up with the pace for example 3D films produced by Hollywood such as Avatar has enabled Panasonic to develop their 3D LCD TV that enabled them to obtain (50.5%) of the market share from 230,000 units sold all around the world. Samsung came second with a 3D market share of 41.7%, followed by LG with less than 10% at the end of 2010.(HDV TEST ,2011)Panasonic has ensured that the end customer is able to understand the end product having a strong relationship with its retailing outlets that sell its products. This is very important because loyal customers that use and buy the Panasonic brand and do not switch to a alternative brand. Consumer demand for electric products is b roken in to two segments. People who will have a more disposable income will go for products with good quality such as high definition and wide screen plasma technology and people who do not have a less disposable tend to stick with less expensive products that are easier to use. Suppliers Panasonic has a intimate relationship with its suppliers. This is due to how the business structure is set up and operates. The Panasonic brand is under the brand of the parent company called Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd under this band there are another 15 subsidiary companies for example SANYO and Technics that specialise in their own department. With each company specialising in their own department Panasonic understands what they can offer to the new product that is being developed. Value Chain model: Panasonic analysis Primary activities / support activities As the Panasonic brand comes under the parent company of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd, when it became a global company it had a decentralized strategy as none of the offices outside of Japan had a centralized database that they could retrieve information from. Altogether Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd had set up 13 major labs in foreign countries -in the US, three in Asia and three in Europe. Many of these labs were established to modify and customize products for the local markets. They also took advantage of locally available technological information and skilled personnel so only catered for the country they operated in instead as a company as a whole. Components that were to be manufactured and used in Panasonic products are internally outsourced to the other brands it owns so the relationship between all of its suppliers is strong. This relationship is also important as Panasonic as a company can relay on that the components needed to make its products are of t he highest standard and there are minimal chance of defects within its products and it a defect occurs they can locate the problem quickly and solve the problem causing minimal negativity about the products. The distributors who sell Panasonic are well educated and informed by Panasonic to make sure that their product stands out when the end customer is purchasing the end product. Provide a critical analysis of how Panasonics information management problems affect its business performance and ability to execute its strategy. Panasonics information problems affected its business performance and ability to execute its strategy. Panasonic was enjoying the number of successes factors however this success did not take in to the account on what Panasonic was spending on its administration costs. A information system would have allowed Panasonic to access and centralize its information so it could be easily retrieved when needed. A information System (IS) is defined by Avison and Fitzgerald (2003 pg 20)is when a organisation collects and stores key business processes on a single database and saved on a computer network and information can be accessed and data can be manipulated to create a series of reports and queries. This usually helps a organisation when it spreads its business dealings around the globe and therefore trades on a international platform which allows the organisation to expand in new markets which in turn will increase the profitability of the company. This is known by the term of Globalisation. (Avison and Fitzgerald 2003 pg 8). This is seen when Panasonic expanded its operations throughout Europe, Asia and North America. This included 15 subsidiaries, 14 manufacturing facilities, and five research and development centres, and seven administrative offices. A Management Information System (MIS) was also needed as this would have combined different sectors of the business and will help it to make different decisions at different levels. A typical system has four processes that work on three levels and have certain characteristics an is used by the appropriate level of management. They only see the data that may affect their area of the organisation they are looking at. A Executive Support Systems (ESS) produces reports and responses to queries a Decision Support Systems (DSS) helps the organisation to make decisions on important decisions that the organisation may face these two systems are used by senior management, a Management Information Systems (MIS) allows the organisation to access past records and view current performance of the organisation this will allow the organisation to find any trends or patterns to make any decisions these decisions are made by middle management and a Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) records transac tions and events these records are seen by operational management. ( Laudon and Laudon 2004 , pg 53) As Panasonic was also experiencing problems managing its data efficiently as product and customer data was inconsistent, duplicate, or incomplete. Different segments of Panasonic used their own data management operations that were isolated or different from other locations within the company. Panasonic also had problems when it launched a new product as each product included photos, product specifications and descriptions, manuals, pricing data and point of sale marketing information. When this information was sent out to the various locations each location adapted this information for the region and country they resided in. this resulted in problems when Panasonic launched a product globally as information about the product had to be condensed to a common set of data for launching the product globally. This problem delayed the launch of new products so competitors seized upon this opportunity to seize infiltrate in to markets did not reach in its first phase of the launch. Analyse the management, organisation, and technology factors that were responsible for the problems identified in the previous question. A IS system is just more than inputting and outputting business processes to consolidate information together. From a business point of view a IS system also looks at other environmental factors within the organisation. From a business perspective a IS system is a organisational and management solution based on information technology to a challenge based on the environment it is in. to understand how a organisation operates and what obstacles it may face a manager must understand the environment it is in a organisation is much more than computers it also has to understand the broader organisation, management and information technology. Above: a diagram showing that information systems are more than just computers. Using Information Systems effectively requires and understanding of the organisation, management and technology. (Essentials of Management Information Systems, Laudon and Laudon 1995 pg 9) Organisation IS systems are a major part of a organisation structure and without this they may not able to exist at all for example a credit reporting firm without this system they will not be able to operate at all. The major elements of a organisation are its people, structure and operating procedures, politics and culture. Formal and large organisations are different as they are divided in to hierarchal structure. This structure is a pyramidal structure with management being at the top middle management in the middle and operational staff at the bottom. There are different types of employees within a organisation and work at different levels. Knowledge workers are people such as engineers and architects who innovate ideas for the organisation. These people work at the top of the organisation, data workers such as secretaries and bookkeepers who work with the middle management and at the bottom level are the production or service workers who work on providing the service or creating the final product. (Laudon and Laudon 1995 , pg 9) Management Managers are responsible for innovating new ideas so that the organisation is always developing new products or delivering new service. The three type of managers are senior management who are responsible for making long term decisions, middle management who are responsible for helping the senior management to make these decisions and operational management to take of day to day running of the organisation and tackle any short term problems. (Laudon and Laudon 1995 , pg 9) Technology IS systems are one of the tools that a organisation uses to deal with change and more importantly it holds the organisation together. This is done through a number of different technologies such as computer hardware that enables the organisation to input, out put and process information throughout the organisation. A example of computer hardware is monitors, keyboards and printers. Computer software is a sequenced programming instruction that allows the hardware to function. Storage technology allows the data to be stored and can be transferred between computers a example of storage technology is disks, tapes and pen drives. Telecommunication technology allows all of the physical hardware to connect together. This also includes out put components such as printers. This allows programs and information to be accessed anywhere within the organisation. (Laudon and Laudon 1995 , pg 9) As Panasonic was not managing its data within the organisation properly. This is shown when the different divisions of Panasonic (Europe, North America and Asia) did not share a single platform as they should have because of the size of the company and the different countries and time zones they were in for example they had inconsistent data on its products and customers. This problem in turn affected the culture of the organisation as each office in each time zone were not working towards the same goal and objective set out by Panasonic instead they were totally focused on their own region on a product launch instead. this resulted in a decrease in operational efficiency and higher costs from the company. This shows that Panasonic did not have any control over the data it possessed and therefore was useless possessing this data as it was not in any logical order to use. The management of Panasonic had changed the CEO in 2006 to a person called Fumio Otstubo. In 2006 Panasonic was operating margin was only 5% and the goal for 2010 was 10%, in the industry where consumers expect the price of new technology to decrease over time. It was impossible to expect to increase profit margin by increasing prices, instead there was a need to reduce costs and increasing sales. To achieve this target he decided on the strategy was reducing the cost and increasing sales. To solve the problem Panasonic decided to collect their data pursue a single vision of truth. This information gathered came through a variety of formats for example fax machines, mail, e-mails and phone calls. How ever using this system also had a risk of inaccuracies and inefficacies. Evaluate how the master data management address these problems and discuss the effectiveness of this solution. Panasonic decided to change the strategy of how it obtained its data from within the company. The strategy that Panasonic was using was the pull model and replace it with a push strategy. These models differ in how data is obtained and affects how a organisation is run. The push model is also known as the build to stock model. In the push model production within the organisation is based on forecast sales it has made. The forecast are guesses and demands for the actual product or service that the organisation is going to provide. (Bocij p et al 2006, pg 170) Above: a diagram showing the push model. Note that the suppliers production is based forecasts throughout the chain except from manufacturer pulls from the supplier. . This goes from the supplier, manufacturer, distributor and retailer. (Management Information Systems Managing The Digital Firm, Laudon and Laudon 2006 pg 366) , The pull model is also known as the demand driven model or made to order model. A actual product or service is only manufactured once a ordered. The main difference between both of the models is a organisation only makes what they sell, not what they make. (Bocij p et al 2006, pg 170) Above: a diagram showing the pull model. Note that each process is pulled from the customer through each process to the supplier. A product is only made when a customer orders the product to reduce costs in wastage.(Management Information Systems Managing The Digital Firm, Laudon and Laudon 2006 pg 367) When Panasonic implemented a push model to replace a pull model to interpret and sort data as previously when employees in marketing looked for specific information they had to look in many different locations. Using the push model allowed Panasonic to create a centralized data bank then this sends the requested information to employees in marketing and sales immediately and constantly. Retail partners such as Wal-Mart who are recipients of the data can view the data at all phases of a product rollout. Therefore, specific employees can have better visibility of their products and services. The outcome of this push model is that customers are less likely to become confused while researching Panasonic products. Panasonics Europes data management was upgraded with master-data-management (MDM) software and this was provided from IBMs Web Sphere line. The software enabled Panasonic Europe to gain better control of their data and better streamline the business process. The MDM implementation included the business process analysis, data assessment, data cleansing, and a master data service layer. The MDM allows employees with access to view the companys data and activities throughout the organization. The aim of the MDM was integrate all of the various departments and consolidate them so any information can be accessed from the master file. Within a year and a half, Panasonic Europe was getting products to market faster and spending 50 percent less time creating and maintaining product information. Time-to-market for a product was reduced from five to six months to one to two months. Critically analyse the challenges Panasonic faced when implementing this solution. During the installation stage Panasonic faced some problems when they implemented the new system. When Implementing MDM system it is a multi-step process that includes business process analysis, data assessment, data cleansing, data consolidation and reconciliation, data migration, and development of a master data service layer. The MDM bought together all of the business processes this required information from all of the departments to come together. There was the issue of levels of authenticity of accessing data at different levels. Another problem that Panasonic faced was at its North America that it had to confront a number of countries that spoke different languages and each country had its own currency. Each country would have its own culture and therefore would have contributed more problems for Panasonic. The culture within a organisation or country is defined as being shared values, in written rules an assumptions within the organisation and how the organisation works. This problem was also faced by its European arm had to do when implementing its system. (Laudon and Laudon 2004 , pg 390) Panasonic also faced another problem this was reorganising and consolidating data information for its products for Wal-Mart. Then Panasonic stated to look closer on what information was needed for Wal-Mart and looked at what was adhered by the industry standards. Panasonic decided to look in its legacy systems for this data. Panasonic then turned to IBM to help them to create an interface apparatus to collect the required data for a repository. Bob Schwartz made a strong case to the corporate office in Japan that integrating a data management strategy globally would be a major benefit to the companys infrastructure. This was going to be hard as traditionalists would have resisted change. This is due the culture of fear that is within a organisation when implementing change as employees fear that the way they are working is fine and there is no need for change as new change within the organisation will be a threat to their jobs. Bob Schwartz also realised that Panasonic needed to integrate their new system with MDM technology. Bob Schwartz increased profits by integrating shared data inventory among the vendors such as Best Buy and Circuit City. As a result of them implementing MDM, Panasonic had become more competitive and could produce new products for the global market.