School of Mechanical Essay Example

School of Mechanical Essay Example School of Mechanical Essay School of Mechanical Essay School of Mechanical and Building Sciences Term End Examination – Model Question Paper – April / May 2011 B. Tech. Mechanical Engineering VI Semester Course: MEE308 Industrial Engineering and Management Time: Three hours Max. Marks: 100 Part-A (55 = 25 Marks) Answer any FIVE questions 1. Explain the need for sales forecasting. 2. Discuss about various elements of cost. 3. Bring out the importance of industrial engineering in an industry giving suitable examples. 4. Draw the symbols used for different recording techniques and bring out their importance. 5. How the plant layouts are related to type of production? . What are the factors that influence the selection of material handling equipment? 7. Distinguish between job production and mass production. Part-B (515 = 75Marks) Answer any FIVE questions 8. (a) Compare moving average and exponential smoothing forecasting methods. (b) The annual sales (in Lakhs of rupees) of a product for the past eleven years in given below: Year: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 891011 Sales: 45 43 50 51 62 52 54 64 60 74 71 Using linear regression analysis, forecast the sales for 12th year. 5+10Marks) 9. A medium scale industry incurs the following costs for their products annually. The production volume on an average is 12000 a year. i) Raw material cost including losses due to scrap and wastage (due to rejection) = Rs. 50000 ii) Tool cost = Rs. 4000 iii) Cost of lubricants, cutting fluids, grease etc. = Rs. 2000 iv) Wages to skilled hands engaged on production = Rs. 20000 v) Wages to foremen, other supervisory staff = Rs. 40000 vi) Expenses of office staff (salary, bonus etc. = Rs. 12000 vii) Expenses on sales and distribution agencies = Rs. 8000 viii) Expenses on insurance, lighting etc. = Rs. 4000 Find (a) selling price if 10% is profit on unit cost, (b) direct cost as percent of total cost and (c) indirect cost as percent of total cost. 10. (a) Illustrate different strategies for improving the productivity with examples. (b) Enlist the factors influencing productivity. Explain how each factor will affect productivity. (7 + 8Marks) 11. Describe the steps for doing a method study of job process.Illustrate one of the recording techniques used in the method improvement with a case example. 12. (a) Explain flexible manufacturing system. Its advantages and disadvantages. (b) Discuss the role of material handling systems in improving the productivity of a company. (10+5Marks) 13. Consider the following data on layout planning Area of departments and scale: Department Area (m2) 1. 8000 2. 12000 3. 12000 4. 8000 5. 8000 6. 12000 7. 8000 REL chart: |1 |- | |2 |O |- | |3 |E |U |- | 4 |E |I |U |- | |5 |I |O |A |I |- | |6 |O |U |O |U |A |- | |7 |E | | |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 | |For K product |25 |15 |120 |0 |60 |0 |15 |0 |What should be the size of the orders for item M and when should the orders be released? (5+10Marks) K LT = 2 M(2) LT = 1 R(1) LT = 3 P(2) LT = 4 J LT = 1 M(1) LT = 1

Prince William essays

Prince William essays In this essay, Prince William will be discussed based on information obtained through research on him and his family including general and personal information on him, his schooling and the important influences in his life. Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis Windsor is one of the most known people in the world despite the fact that he is only sixteen. This essay contains general information on Prince William, personal information, Prince Williamss education and his life story obtained from various magazine articles throughout his life. General information will include who Prince William is, where he was born, different forms of his name, and what other monarchists he is related to and how he is related to them. For personal information, Prince Williams physical description, his "likes and dislikes," and his personality will be discussed. His childhood schools will be mentioned and a description of Eton College will be included. The public can often obtain as much information on a famous person's life as they want and because of this abundance of information, Prince William's life will be detailed along with his influences in his life like Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Henry, and Alexandria "Tiggy" Legge-Bourke. "History-to-History" will include another member of the royal family born in 1066 named William I "the Conqueror," who was as famous during his ruling period as much as Prince William is in the 1990s. This essay will cover the above topics. Prince William of Whales is second in line of inheritance to the British throne after Prince Charles of Whales, who is first. He was born June 21, 1982 at 9:03 p.m. weighing seven pounds, ten ounces at Saint Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London after his mother endured seventeen hours of labor. When he was born, his father, Prince Charles said "Nearly seventeen hours is a long time to wait ... Obviously, I am relieve...

How might performance-related pay (PRP) improve performance Are there Essay

How might performance-related pay (PRP) improve performance Are there other forms of financial incentive that could be better suited to the task - Essay Example Thus, need to identify measures that significantly impact the performance of the workforce has become intrinsic to the success of the firms. The paper would focus on the issues vis-Ã  -vis financial incentives that considerably impact the employees’ performance. Human resource is central to the organizational visions and goals and HR leadership initiatives become crucial factor for creating and organizing an effective workforce that is able to make valuable contribution to the increased output and improved performance outcome of the organizational. Hence, HR strategy needs to be redefined as globalization has ushered in a huge database of human capital whose potential needs to be exploited to realize one’s own vision and mission (Taylor, 2008). The challenges of multicultural fabric of society are myriad. Now, the workforce must be looked upon as resource that can be tapped to improve and improvise the performance of the organization in the fiercely competitive business setting. HR leaders need to be aware that the traditional process of labour deployment is undergoing a fast transformation, both in terms of quality and quantity. Scholars assert that information technology and new media of communication channels in the past decade and a half have ushered in radical new forms of processes (Freeman and Perez 1988, Best 1990). The rapidly changing models of work environment has made it imperative for the employees and the job aspirants alike, to keep themselves updated with the knowledge and use of all the latest gadgets and processes which are increasingly replacing the older model of office efficiencies. The innovative measures that link pay to the performance and other such incentive driven tools have increasingly being adopted by the organizational leadership. Bloisi (2007) emphasizes that performance management primarily defines the process through which the managers ensure that employees’ output is at par with that of

Motivation and Work Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Motivation and Work Design - Essay Example This paper discusses the motivators’ significance and outline ways by which employers can design job roles to take account of individual motivations. Many motivational theories exist that offer bases for understanding effects of motivational factors and strategies for moderating the effects as well as ways for monitoring effects of the factors. Theory X and theory Y, as McGregor offers, is one of such theories. The theory establishes assumptions on human behavior to develop a framework for understanding people in a work environment and to influence actions and behavior of the people towards desired outcomes. Theory X assumes that people are not willing to conform to expectations and calls for managers and organizations’ control of people for achievement of objectives. It therefore suggests guidelines that can be attained through push factors such as punitive measures for failure to comply. Theory Y however argues for responsible behavior and actions in which people can align themselves to set goals in their organizations and work towards realization of the goals (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). According to Theory X, people do not like work and this means that external influence is necessary to influence completion of desired works. The theory also assumes that people are less ambitious and do not like responsibilities. Instead, they prefer to work under control. In addition, people lack creativity into completing tasks and generating solutions into problems to support the postulate of necessity of external influence. In recognition of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Theory X assumes that people are motivated at â€Å"physiological and safety levels† (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). Intimidation is further necessary on people in order to ensure achievement or objectives. A consideration of Theory Y assumptions however recognizes people’s willingness to work provided that suitable conditions exist. Contrary to external pressure to influencing organizational

Iphone Marketing strategy Essay Example for Free

Iphone Marketing strategy Essay Since its launch, in 2007, and until the end of 2013, Apple sold 500 million iPhones. Its an impressive number. in 2012 alone, Apple sold 120 million iPhones, in 2013 Apple sold 160 million iPhones. Without a doubt, the iPhone has become a cult product, a must have device. Which are the secrets behind the iPhone astounding success? To understand the spectacular iPhone success, and the iPhone phenomenon, we need to start by analyzing the cellular telephone market in the years immediately before the launch of the first iPhone, And the situation inside Apple. Before the iPhone launch, infact, Apple was not a cellular telephone manufacturer, and had zero experience in cellular telephones marketing.  Its only expertise was in computer hardware, computer software, and in portable music devices (the iPod). In 2005-2006, the cellular telephone market was considered a mature and saturated market, with narrow margins, dominated by Nokia and Motorola. And by the Blackberry in the high end, especially in the business and corporate world, which were needing email writing, sending and receiving capability on their cellphone, with a suitable keyboard for texting messages. A mature and saturated market with a fiery competition, such as the cellphone market in 2005-2006, was allowing narrow margins, therefore was unanimously considered unappealing by financial and business analysts. When rumours came out, in 2005-2006, that Apple was in the process of developing a cellular telephone, financial and business analysts were at best skeptical.   To be true, the consensus among financial analysts was that the Apple cellphone would have been a terrible flop. Some of them were privately saying that they were suspecting Apple executives had gone completely mad, to enter such a saturated and non-profitable market. Very few, among the business analysts, had the more objective attitude to just wait and see.  Then, the day came, and the iPhone was launched.  But Apple began with 3 huge, terrible mistakes. We expand on them onwards. When the iPhone was launched, in June 2007, it made an impact. It impressed. The touch user interface and the sleek and beautiful design by Jonathan Ive and his team made it a masterpiece of technology and design. The iPhone was decidedly a superior product.  had a host of pluses against the competition (Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry) It was a highly innovative product, a different product from the other cellphones on the market at the time. Moreover, it was significantly larger and bulkier than the other cellular telephones in the market, when the market trend, for years, had been to have smaller and smaller cellphones: the smaller cellphone you had, the cooler you were. The Apple iPhone went decidedly against the trend. Today, in 2013, with 500 million iPhones sold, and with Apple stock market capitalization at $500 billion, it is easy to affirm that the iPhone has been a game changer. It surely has. Ultimately, today we can affirm that the appearance of the iPhone on the market caused the death of the Blackberry, and the loss by Nokia and Motorola of their previously dominant position in the cellular telephone market. The reason is simple: The iPhone is a clearly superior product. Its touch control features, and its enticing user interface, made the iPhone become a cult product. But in 2005-2006, before it came out, things were different. And the perception was different when the iPhone first came out. No-one, in 2006, would have imagined that an Apple cellphone would have sold 500 million units in 6 years.. No-one would have thought this even in June 2007, when it was launched. The first generation iPhone was launched only in the US on June 29, 2007. It was subsequently launched in three more markets UK, Germany and France 5 months later, in November 2007. In July 2008 the second generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G, was launched at the same time in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France,Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and Brasil. The third generation iPhone, the iPhone 3GS, was launched in June 2009. Each iPhone generation had more features that the previous generation, and had longer battery life, and rendered the previous generation iPhones obsolete. The fourth generation iPhone, the iPhone 4, was launched in June 2010. The iPhone 4S was launched in October 2011. The iPhone 5 was launched in September 2012. The iPhone 5C and 5S were launched in September 2013. Planned Obsolescence has been a conscious marketing strategy by Apple. Thus, any Apple costumers knows (or pretend not to know) that he buys a product that in 12 months will become old and obsolete. However, examining the sales data, this planned obsolescence strategy paid off for Apple, But which were the 3 serious marketing strategy mistakes that Apple made when it launched the iPhone? The 3 Mistakes that Apple made when it launched the iPhone. Mistake #1. To purchase an iPhone, you had to sign a 24 months contract with ATT. You had to marry ATT. And many potential costumers did not want this marriage. you were locked on a 24 months contract with ATT. An expensive contract. In the end, if you were wanting to buy an iPhone, its real cost was more than 2000 dollars. Why forcing your costumers to sign a contract with a service provider? And why a single provider, not giving any other choice? Why not letting your costumers simply buy an iPhone, and let them free to arrange a contract as they please? Infact, there were numerous complaints by iPhone costumers and potential costumers, on this issue. Even, a widespread hacking practice took place, significantly called jailbreak: on several websites appeared step by step instructions on how to hack the iPhone software to let it operate with a different service provider. Infact, 3.3 million iPhones were sold in the US between June andl December 2007, but only 2 million contracts were signed with ATT. Were did the remaining 1.3 million iPhones go? It has to be remarked that the iPhone jailbreak practice infurated Apple executives, who, instead of recognized their marketing strategy mistake, criminalized the jailbreaking behaviour, to the point of blackmailing costumers doing the jailbraking. Mistake #2. On June 29, 2007 the iPhone was launched in the US. It was put on sale only in the US, and in no other nation in the world. Only in November 2007, 5 months later, the iPhone was launched in a few other countries. To be precise, it was launched in just 3 other countries: UK, Germany and France. In each of these countries with the same silly formula that Apple used in the US, forcing the costumer to sign a 24 months contract with a service provider. and in each country with a different provider: O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Orange in France. This was a bad marketing choice by Apple.  There were millions of potential costumers all around the world who were wanting to buy an iPhone, but couldnt, because in their own country it was not on sale.  Many of them went to such length to ask to their friends in the US or traveling to the US to buy one for them. Finally, only on July 11, 2008, one full year after the initial launch in the US, the iPhone was put on sale in other countries, in Europe: Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium;  and in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brasil. It was already the 3rd generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Why so late? Besides, it is interesting to verify the jam and confusion of different prices, terms and monthly fees charged by the service providers in the European countries: O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Austria and Netherlands, Orange in France, Swisscom in Switzerland, Vodafone in Italy, Telia Sonera in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland. It was the perfect formula to confuse potential iPhone costumers and push them away. A self-hammering marketing strategy by Apple. In our opinion, this was a totally wrong marketing strategy by Apple. Infact, numbers do not lie: from July 2008 until the end of 2013, Apple sold a total of 500 million iPhones. From June 2007 until December 2007 when the iPhone was available only in US only 3.3 million iPhones had been sold. Mistake #3 iPhone Pricing. On June 29, 2007, when the iPhone was launched in the US, its retail price was.$599. Just 3 months after, Apple reduce the iPhone price to $399 a 33% rebate . This was an unelegant way to betray and exploit the iPhone early adopters Apple most faithful costumers. And infact, many of them complained with Apple. A smart and attentive company must not indulge in such serious mistakes, betraying their most faithful customer base. Apple had other 3 better options: Apple could have waited 1 year before reducing the price of the iPhone, or: Apple could have delayed the iPhone launch for 3 months, or: Apple could have set the iPhone retail price at $399, since the initial launch. Besides, in July 2008, the iPhone 3G was sold at $199, 66% less than the launch price of just one year earlier. This is not a serious pricing policy. Consideration. Each of these 3 mistakes constituted a bottleneck factor which confused costumers, and seriously hampered the iPhone sales potential in the first year and a half. However, in the following years Apple corrected and amended these mistakes, and things went smoothly and successfully for the company. Infact, from 2008 until 2013, Apple sold 500 million units. in 2012 alone, Apple sold 120 million iPhones, in 2013 Apple sold 120 million iPhones. The iPhone was also a precursor product of the iPad. The iPad, infact, has numerous features and technologies which derive from the iPhone, the main one being the touch control system and the user interface. The iPad, infact, is a sort of big brother of the iPhone. The iPhone certainly has been the key product of the spectacular growth of Apple revenues today at $156 billion in 1 year -, of Apple profits, and stock market capitalization today at $500 billion, making Apple the #1 company in Wall St. See more at: http://www.vertygoteam.com/apple/iphone_marketing_strategy.php#sthash.YDqfyvTj.dpuf

Orion Nebula :: Essays Papers

Orion Nebula The Orion Nebula contains one of the brightest star clusters in the night sky. With a magnitude of 4, this nebula is easily visible from the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months. It is surprising, therefore, that this region was not documented until 1610 by a French lawyer named Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc. On March 4, 1769, Charles Messier inducted the Orion Nebula, M42, into his list of stellar objects. Then, in 1771, Messier released his list of objects for its first publication in Memoires de l’Academie.1 The Orion Nebula is one of the closest stellar regions to the Earth. Using parallax measurements, it has been estimated that this nebula is only 1,500 light years away. In addition, the Orion Nebula is a relatively young star cluster, with an approximate age of less than one million years. It has even been speculated that some of the younger stars within the cluster are only 300,000 years old. The Orion Nebula is an emission nebula because of the O-type and B-type stars contained within it. These high-temperature stars emit ultraviolet (UV) light that ionizes the surrounding hydrogen atoms into protons (H+) and electrons (e-). When the protons and electrons recombine, the electrons enter a higher energy level (n=3). Then, when the electron drops from the n=3 level to the n=2 level, an Hï  ¡Ã¯â‚¬  photon is emitted. 2 This photon has a wavelength of 6563 Ã…, and therefore corresponds to the red portion of the visible spectrum. It is these Hï  ¡ photons which give the nebula the distinctive red color which we see. The extreme brightness of the O-type and B-type stars, coupled with the Earth’s atmosphere, has always made high-resolution imaging of the star-forming region difficult. But recent advances in adaptive optics and the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope have allowed for incredible detail into the center of the dust cloud. 3 The technological advances have also helped reveal several faint stars within the center of the nebula. The Orion Nebula is a spectacular sight. Consequently, it has been a preferred target of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) over recent years. The HST has provided a great deal of insight into the complicated process of star formation. In June of 1994, C.

Ben&Jerry Business Problems

As Bob the new CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, we believe that the following factors currently pose the most critical problem to the firm. Firstly, our internal x-factors namely manufacturing, inventory management, research and product development are in dire need of improvement. Currently, Ben & Jerry’s is highly dependent on Dreyer’s for production of its ice cream; up to 40% of Ben & Jerry’s total ice cream is produced by Dreyer’s. Ben & Jerry’s high dependency on Dreyer’s hasn’t been solved due to its inability to open and operate its third factory in St.  Albans, Vermont.This was due to the lack of understanding of the complex automated manufacturing systems which led to the adoption of simpler proven processes. Bob was hired to solve this problem due to my expertise in manufacturing and distribution in the food industry, even though his work experience in several aggressive management style corporations remain a concern due to the fact that ben&jerry’s is one of the most famous conservative social enterprise.However, this social enterprise was being criticized for corporate activities from damaging tribal cultures till other smaller issue, these issues could damage the brand reputation and sales further in the future. There are also several other x-factors apart from manufacturing which must also be solved. In my perspective, the firm’s R&D department is in need of improvement as the firm currently relies solely on the founder’s ideas and tastes, neglecting altogether the formal market research on the development of new flavors. This has led to problems of shortages and overstocks of particular flavors.Another serious problem within the firm is the 7:1 ratio, causing the firm to fail in attracting competent professionals and incentivizing mid-level employees from working hard and earning a promotion. The number one external problem facing the firm is the naturally slow growth in this hig her competition industry and the shifting demand within the super-premium ice cream segment towards the premium ice cream and frozen yoghurt segment. From the figures in exhibit 4, the frozen yogurt per production increased approximately 73% from 1. 34 in 1989 to 2. 32 quarts in 1994.We can clearly see that this increase in production has been primarily to meet the growing demands of more health-conscious consumers. The effect of more value-conscious consumers can also be seen in the shifting demand from the super-premium ice cream segment to the premium ice cream segment. Therefore we believe that we should merge or takeover a key player in the premium ice cream segment in order to enter the growing premium market, as seen in exhibit 6, and better utilize our existing cash and assets which has been unproductive for the past several years, as seen in exhibit 2.Moreover, this will help us in dealing with the possible threat of Unilever buying Haagen-Dazs in an attempt to dominate the ice cream market. If this deal happens to go through, Haagen-Dazs will exceed us in every aspect including channels of distribution, marketing, and operations. Therefore, we believe that negotiations with Unilever are crucial at this moment in time. The higher competition has induced firms to advertise more, thus eating a substantial portion of the profits.In 1994, we spent $6 million on advertising alone, causing expenses to jump significantly resulting in a net loss for the first time in the firm’s history. If the competition wasn’t so high and we didn’t have to spend $6 million on ads, our firm would still have been able to absorb the cost of the write off without incurring a net loss. The higher competition in recent years causes the profit margin in the industry to fall with merging or taking over will improve our company reduce our operating costs, thus, higher profit margin.

Kmart and Sears Merger Essay

Kmart had been established in 1962 by its parent company S. S. Kresge as a discount department store offering the most variety of goods at the lowest prices. Un- like Sears, the company chose not to locate in large shopping malls but to establish its discount stores in highly visible corner locations. During the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, Kmart prospered. Retail formats in operation Kmart – is a chain of discount stores that are usually free standing or located in a strip malls. Big Kmart – signals a different kind of Kmart. These stores are bigger, brighter and offer big savings, big value, big selection and big convenience. Big Kmart stores are designed to increase store sales by increasing the frequency of customer visits. The format focuses on three distinct businesses – home fashions, children’s apparel and consumables – and features an expanded food area known as the â€Å"Pantry†. Kmart Super Center – is a chain of hypermarkets that carry everything a regular Kmart carries, but also have a full grocery section with meat and poultry, baked goods, a delicatessen, garden produce, and fresh seafood. Most Kmart Super Centers operate 24-hours a day and offer special services. In 1999 Kmart began offering a dial-up internet service called BlueLight, which was eventually spun off as an independent company. BlueLight was initially free and supported by banner ads. BlueLight dropped the free service in February 2001 and was reacquired by Kmart in July 2001. In 2002 United Online, which also owns NetZero and Juno, bought the BlueLight service after Kmart filed for bankruptcy. In August 2006, Bluelight dropped the banners. As of August 2006, the service costs $14. 95 a month and has around 165,000 subscribers. Promotional Pricing model Promotional pricing had always been the forte at Kmart. Offering a lower price temporarily in order to enhance the effectiveness of product sales efforts to cost sensitive consumer. In 1990, Wal-Mart overtook Kmart in sales, they tried to wean the company away from this strategy. Kmart cut process on 38,000 items and promoted the with expensive television commercials, which failed to lure younger shoppers. Then Wal-Mart countered by using its greater efficiency and economies of scale to fight back on pricing. The outcome was 1% drop in Kmart’s sales in December and 8% increase in those of Wal-Mart. Financial Analysis Prior to 2001, company was making continues losses, in order to understand scenario; we first analyze the period from 1995 to 1998. Here, Kmart started making some profit. And the second part from the year 1998 to 2002, where they actually went bankrupts. In 1995, the firm suffered a huge loss of $571 million. This was because of the non-performance of 127 international stores. It was in the same year that COGS as a percentage of sales were too high as 78%. Operating expenses as a percentage was in proportion to that of the industry. However due to the low performance of the international stores, stores outside t United States, Kmart had a bad financial year in 1995. It was the same year that the management decided to do away with the non preforming stores and thereby closed all its international stores and started four new stores in the home market. The list of stores by Kmart during the period can be seen as under: In 1999, COGS was 78% of sales as compared to 72 % of sales in the year 1998. Also, COGS increased drastically compared to increase in sales. Sales in 1999 increased by 6. 26%, however COGS increased by 12. 23%. Thus, there was a major decrease in the grow profit from 27% of sales to 21% of sales. This was the beginning of the downfall of Kmart. From here on, COGS kept on increasing. In 2002 COG reached 85%, thus gross margin reduced from 21% in 1999 to 14% in 2002. During the same time, Kmart’s operational efficiency too decreased and it increased from 18% in the year 1999 to 21% in 2002. Thus, increase in the COGS, lowering of the gross margin and increase in the operational costs, all contributes to the fall of Kmart. Competitors within the industry Its primary competitors were Wal-Mart, Sears, Target, Kohl’s, and J.  C. Penney, with secondary competitors in certain categories. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart followed the lower cost competitive strategy of cost leadership. According to our textbook cost leadership aims at the broad mass market and requires efficient scale facilities, cost reductions, cost and overhead control; avoids marginal customers, cost minimization in R&D, service, sales force and advertising. Therefore Wal-Mart could get following benefits: this strategy provided defense against competitors, provides a barrier to entry for new competitors and generate increased market share. Wal-Mart managed to maintain â€Å"everyday low prices† and achieve highest sales in the industry. It should be noted that Wal-Mart’s 2005 revenues exceeded that of the next ? ve U. S. retailers combined: these are Home Depot, Kroger, Sears Holding Company (which includes Sears and Kmart), Costco, and Target. Wal-Mart’s technological edge is in its logistics, distribution, and inventory control helped it reduce cost and offer customers product cheaper than its competitors. Moreover it could benefit from economies of scale. Wal-Mart also used differentiation focus strategy by creating a product and service unique to customers, according to ReferenceForBusiness. com. It could be argued that this feature is not real and just in the mind of the customer; customers believed they were being offered something special. Wal-Mart achieved this strategy by offering unique warranties and brand images. Wal-Mart customers believed they were being provided with something that they cannot find at any of the store’s competitors. Wall-mart’s value chain worked in following way: Vendors, Wal-Mart’s suppliers delivered products to Wal-Mart’s distribution center or directly to one of the stores. Wal-Mart was able to bargain for the lowest possible price because of the high volume of sales. Therefore, Wal-Mart could pass this savings to its customers. After that once the products were delivered to the distribution center, they were sorted and placed on trucks to be delivered to stores. This allows for less than 48 hour deliveries to stores and increased efficiency on trucks with backhauls. After products were delivered to the stores, they were placed on the appropriate shelf location for customers to view. Store locations were located throughout the U. S. in rural and urban towns. Moreover customers could purchase products at very low prices and have the ability to return any item. These were the key elements of Wal-Mart value chain. Overall Wal-Mart’s competitive advantage over its competitors was efficient supply chain management and lower prices achieved through maintaining low costs. Sears Sears, with the second-highest annual sales, had a strong position in hard goods, such as home appliances and tools. Around 40% of all major home appliance sales continued to be controlled by Sears. Nevertheless, Sears was struggling with slumping sales as customers turned from Sears mall stores to stand-alone, big-box retailers, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, to buy their hard goods. Sears main competitive disadvantage was its store locations. Sears has been too slow to expand away from mall locations, industry analysts said. As Sears Chairman Alan Lacy said: â€Å"Our service and products are as good as our competitors but they’re not where our customers are. † Target Target was third in sales but second in profits, behind Wal-Mart. It used differentiation strategy and tried to offer customers quality products and had distinguished itself as a merchandiser of stylish upscale products. Targets mission statement focused on great guest service, clean stores and speedy checkouts. Along with Wal-Mart, Target had flourished to such an extent that Dayton-Hudson, its parent company, had changed its corporate name to Target. Its main focus was statically higher income consumers and early internet adopters. Target’s main competitive advantage was good customer service and quality product. This is where it creates value for its customers. Kohl’s, and J. C. Penney Both Kohl’s and J. C. Penney emphasized on soft goods, such as clothing and related items. They both chose differentiation strategy. Kohl’s concentrated on selling both private and exclusive brands which were â€Å"only at Kohl’s† as well as national brands like Nike, Adidas, Lee, Levi’s, Jockey, Van Heusen. Private and exclusive brands contributed a lot more to the gross margin as Kohl’s has significant control over the production, manufacturing and marketing expense of these brands. Keeping this in mind, Kohl’s has shifted its merchandise gradually towards this section of merchandise. In 2004, Kohl’s carried 25% in Private and Exclusive Brands, and this figure rose to 50% in 2011. Moreover it tried to provide â€Å"convenience† promise to customers – an easy and satisfying shopping experience. Kohl’s organized departments by lifestyle, added signage and graphics depicting key trends, and presented merchandise to suggest how customers can create new looks. They also continued to improve inventory management to deliver more new product more often, to differentiate line mixes according to geographic preferences, and to assure a â€Å"shelf never empty† of products the consumer desires. J. C Penney targeted moderate income customs, mainly women who as company executive said that were with, â€Å"too little time, too little money, and two little kids. † Kmart versus Competitors Kmart’s main problem was that it did not have clearly defined competitive strategy. In 2001, Kmart proclaimed a new retailing strategy that included less advertising, fewer advertised specials, and lower daily prices on many items. In short, Kmart tried to challenge Wal-Mart as the everyday low-price leader. Wal-Mart responded to the Kmart challenge with still lower prices. These new initiatives further weakened the ? nancial position of Kmart Corporation. The Kmart assault on the Wal-Mart image as the low-price leader failed, and Kmart was left with huge volumes of unsold merchandise (Turner 2003, 71–72). Kmart forgot to take into consideration that its capacity to lower prices was limited because of its poor supply chain management, often popular products would be out of stock, in some cases stored in trailors outside of the stores. Kmart was not successful in using differentiation competitive strategy either. While Wal-Mart reigned supreme as the low cost leader, Target was perceived as being a â€Å"higher quality† retailer. There was basically nothing left for Kmart. In attempt to pursue differentiation strategy Kmart updated and enlarged the stores, added name brands, however this was not successful either, acquisitions all performed poorly posting minimal net income or losses and distracted management from core business. Kmart’s main competitive disadvantages were problems in value proposition, poor supply chain/inventory management and poor customer service. It needed to choose competitive strategy suitable for it and concentrate on it.

Cozumel essays

Cozumel essays Cozumel: Ah-Cuzamil-Peten The place known as modern day Cozumel was settled over 2,000 years ago by people of the Maya Civilization. They discovered the tiny island off the Yucatan Peninsula and named it Ah-Cuzamil-Peten., meaning land of the swallows, after the native birds that live there. The island was an important trade and religious center for the Maya. Merchants used to buy the salt and honey produced on the island. The Maya considered salt and honey more valuable than gold. Historians believe that El Caracol ruin was built as an ancient lighthouse to guide the travelers safely to shore. Cozumel was also the home of the Ixchel (lady rainbow), the Moon Goddess of fertility, pregnancy and childbirth. Ixchel was one of the most important gods in the Maya religious pantheon. Every woman in Mesoamerica was required, at least once in her life, to make a pilgrimage and place an offering on Ixchels altar. Today, Ixchels ruins and ceremonial center can be seen at San Gervasio ruins. . During the early 1500s, shortly after the New World was discovered, Spain began intensely exploring. In 1518, Juan de Grijalva, the nephew to the Cuban Governor, was investigating the Yucatan Peninsula. He left Havana with 300 men and four ships. Eighteen days into his trip, he discovered Cozumel when his ship was blown off course. He mentioned the island to Hernan Cortes who arrived in 1519 in search of gold. In 1519, when Herrnan Cortes, arrived at Cozumel with 11 hips and 750 men, he found two shipwrecked Spaniards. Geronimo de Aguilar and Gonzales Guerrera had been living on the island with the Maya for over 15 years, first as slaves but then finally as citizens of the community. Legend has it that de Aguilar was so happy to be rescued that he jumped from shore and started swimming towards the Cortes ship when it was still 20 miles away. Guerrera chose to remain on the isla...

Mary Somerville, Mathematician, Scientist, and Writer

Mary Somerville, Mathematician, Scientist, and Writer Mary Somerville (December 26, 1780–November 29, 1872) was a mathematician, scientist, astronomer, geographer, and a gifted science writer, who in the era of burgeoning social and scientific change was able to convey both the substance of science and the scientific sublime. Fast Facts: Mary Somerville Known For: Scientific work in mathematics, astronomy and geography, and gifted science writingBorn: December 26, 1780 in Jedburgh, ScotlandParents: William George Fairfax and Margaret Charters FairfaxDied: November 29, 1872 in Naples, ItalyEducation: One year of formal education, but Somerville was primarily home-schooled and self-taughtPublished Works: Physical Geography (1848), Personal Recollections of Mary Somerville (1873, after her death)Spouse(s): Samuel Greig (m. 1804–1807); William Somerville (m. 1812–1860)Awards: Honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society (1833), gold medal from the Royal Geographical Society (1869), elected to the American Philosophical Society (1869)Children: Two sons with Grieg (one survived to adulthood, barrister Woronzow Grieg, d. 1865), three daughters (Margaret (1813–1823), Martha (1815), Mary Charlotte (1817)  and a son who died in infancy in 1815) with Somerville Early Life Mary Somerville was born Mary Fairfax in Jedburgh, Scotland, on December 26, 1780, the fifth of seven children of Vice-Admiral Sir William George Fairfax and Margaret Charters Fairfax. Only two of her brothers survived to adulthood and her father was away at sea, so Mary spent her first years in the small town of Burntisland being home-schooled by her mother. When her father returned from the sea, he discovered 8- or 9-year-old Mary could neither read nor do simple sums. He sent her to an elite boarding school, Miss Primroses School in Musselburgh. Miss Primrose was not a good experience for Mary and she was sent home in just a year. She began to educate herself, taking music and painting lessons, instructions in handwriting and arithmetic. She learned to read French, Latin, and Greek largely on her own. At age 15, Mary noticed some algebraic formulas used as decoration in a fashion magazine, and on her own she began to study algebra to make sense of them. She surreptitiously obtained a copy of Euclids Elements of Geometry over her parents opposition. Marriage and Family Life In 1804 Mary Fairfax married- under pressure from family- her cousin, Captain Samuel Greig, a Russian navy officer who lived in London. They had two sons, only one of whom survived to adulthood, future barrister Woronzow Grieg. Samuel also opposed Marys studying mathematics and science, but after his death in 1807- followed by the death of their son- she found herself with the opportunity and financial resources to pursue her mathematical interests. She returned to Scotland with Woronzow and began to study astronomy and mathematics seriously.  Ã‚  On the advice of William Wallace, a mathematics teacher at a military college, she acquired a library of books on mathematics.  She began solving math problems posed by a mathematics journal, and in 1811 won a medal for a solution she submitted. She married Dr. William Somerville in 1812, another cousin. Somerville was the head of the army medical department in London and he warmly supported her study, writing, and contact with scientists. Scientific Endeavors Four years after marrying, Mary Somerville and her family moved to London. Their social circle included the leading scientific and literary lights of the day, including Ada Bryon and her mother Maria Edgeworth, George Airy, John and William Herschel, George Peacock, and Charles Babbage. Mary and William had three daughters (Margaret, 1813–1823; Martha, born 1815, and Mary Charlotte, born 1817), and a son who died in infancy. They also traveled extensively in Europe. In 1826, Somerville began publishing papers on scientific subjects based on her own research. After 1831, she began writing about the ideas and work of other scientists as well. One book, The Connection of the Physical Sciences, contained discussion of a hypothetical planet that might be affecting the orbit of Uranus. That prompted John Couch Adams to search for the planet Neptune, for which is he is credited as a co-discoverer. Mary Somervilles translation and expansion of Pierre Laplaces Celestial Mechanics in 1831 won her acclaim and success: that same year, British prime minister Robert Peel awarded her a civil pension of 200 pounds annually. In 1833, Somerville and Caroline Herschel were named honorary members of the Royal Astronomical Society, the first time women had earned that recognition. Prime Minister Melbourne increased her salary to 300 pounds in 1837. William Somervilles health deteriorated and in 1838 the couple moved to Naples, Italy. She stayed there most of the remainder of her life, working and publishing. In 1848, Mary Somerville published  Physical Geography, a book used for 50 years in schools and universities; although at the same time, it attracted a sermon against it in York Cathedral. William Somerville died in 1860. In 1869, Mary Somerville published yet another major work, was awarded a gold medal from the Royal Geographical Society, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society. Death By 1871, Mary Somerville had outlived her husbands, a daughter, and all of her sons: she wrote, Few of my early friends now remain- I am nearly left alone.  Mary Somerville died in Naples on November 29, 1872, just before turning 92. She had been working on another mathematical article at the time and regularly read about higher algebra and solved problems each day. Her daughter published Personal Recollections of Mary Somerville the next year, parts of a work which Mary Somerville had completed most of before her death. Publications 1831 (first book): The Mechanism of the Heavens- translating and explaining Pierre Laplaces celestial mechanics.1834: On the Connection of the Physical Sciences- this book continued in new editions through 1877.1848: Physical Geography- the first book in England on Earths physical surface, widely used as a textbook at schools and universities for 50 years.1869: On Molecular and Microscopic Science- about physics and chemistry. Major Awards and Honors One of the first two women admitted to the Royal Astronomical Society (the other was Caroline Herschel).Somerville College, Oxford University, is named for her.Dubbed Queen of Nineteenth-Century Science by a newspaper on her death.Organizational Affiliations: Somerville College, Oxford University, Royal Astronomical Society, Royal Geographical Society, American Philosophical Society. Sources Neeley, Kathryn and Mary Somerville. Mary Somerville: Science, Illumination and the Female Mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.Somerville, Martha. Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age of Mary Somerville, with Selections from her Correspondence. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1874.OConnor, J. J. and E. F. Robertson. Mary Fairfax Greig Somerville. School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, Scotland, 1999.Patterson, Elizabeth Chambers. Mary Somerville and the Cultivation of Science, 1815–1840. Springer, Dordrecht, 1983.

Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life Research Paper

Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life - Research Paper Example Death is not a feared and neither does it worry these people. This is because in several these people, death is generally embraced and besides, others celebrate its occurrence. It is of paramount importance to note that the same way other events taking place among the Hispanics are treated as family affairs, death of individuals is similarly viewed as a family issue, and all family members are always involved irrespective of their religions. In the funeral homes that specialize in their burial ceremonies, several families bring clothes as well as dresses to the departed, while a good number of them prepare the hair of the deceased by stitching it. In addition, inside the casket is lined with fabrics and the photos of Virgin Mary are pinned in the casket, moreover, Rosaries together with jewelry, books, as well as poems are also included. A wake generally takes place just before the commencement of the funeral, which is a social event whereby time is taken in order to recall the good times the family members had with the deceased. It is very hard for Hispanics to donate the bodies of the deceased or their organs in the event of death. They are usually not willing to donate based on their religious beliefs, as they believe that an individual cannot make to heaven when some parts of his body are lacking. The rights conducted before death of an individual entails anointing the sick person and confession of sins by the individual who is dying. Besides, absolution is also conducted and a prayer as well as communion is offered to the individual, and after all these, the individual is blessed. During the death of an individual, another person must be with him or her until he dies; this is to make sure that the death does not occur when the individual is alone. They always insist that a person who is on the deathbed has company. The devotion as well as care provided by these people cannot be compared with any other culture. During the final moments of an individual, he/ she receives utmost love and care (Van, & Meleis, 2003). Burial arrangement usually commences after the demise of a person and it starts with the wake. During the wake, the family of the departed person will sit the departed’s body just to provide the dead with company. The wake is very important for these people. The family gathers just to recall the good times they had with the departed. As the wake goes on, several people will play cards. Usually, individuals are served with food as well as drinks (Cuevas, n.d). During the funeral, which priests conduct, individuals pay final respect to the departed person. People usually speak their thoughts as they also bid goodbye to the departed. In several cases, personal effects are placed into the casket together with the departed individual. Hispanics represent a huge array of cultures who may be immigrants from countries that are culturally diverse like Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Per u. Because there is no one culture for the Hispanic, there may be variations in the manner in which grieving as well as bereavement are carried out. The Hispanics usually value and have respect for those in their deathbed. In the Hispanic culture, entire families are always involved when critical life decisions are made, as they usually have very strict hierarchies in their families and these have to be honored

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Business management - Essay Example Risk is defined as the uncertainty of profit or danger of loss due to some unforeseen events. Some form of risk is present in all functional areas of business, be it production, marketing, sales or operations. ABC Chemicals employs some 50 people whose duties include performing day-to-day business transactions and decanting of the chemicals into smaller containers. As the company deals in chemicals, the materials being used may be toxic, foul smelling, corrosive, carcinogenic, staining and allergenic in nature. A routine exposure to such chemicals without deploying safety mechanisms can cause serious health ailments for the employees. Research has proved that constant exposure to harmful chemicals can lead to cancer, skin diseases and other organ malfunctioning besides causing irritation and dizziness. Fires and explosions in the premises due to chemical reactions or toxic spills can cause massive destruction of business operations and human lives. At a distance of 25 meters from the company site is a local nursing home that cares for elderly residents with age-related conditions like dementia. Across the road from the nursing home is a child care centre that provides day care for children under 5. A chemical house like ABC Chemicals, releases toxic waste whether it is involved in the process of manufacturing chemicals, refilling the drums carrying solvents and acids or in the transportation of the same. Harmful chemicals are released while decanting and pouring the material in separate drums. As the entire process is done manually, there could be spills and leaks. One cannot even rule out the possibility of this waste reaching the nursing home and child care center in the neighborhood through drains, water pipes or soil. Study indicates that the elderly residents at the nursing home suffer from problems like dementia. According to ‘MedicineNet.com,’ an online, healthcare media publishing company, based in California, â€Å"dementia is a