International Operational and Logistical Strategies Assignment

International Operational and Logistical Strategies - Assignment Example For airlines, this may be in the form of the number of seats in its aircraft; for hotels, this would be the number of rooms available for occupancy; for retailers, capacity is denoted by the amount of floor space; and for manufacturers, this is the expected operating output of their machinery – or where several machines are operated in a product line, the output of that line. Even these refinements are insufficient in describing capacity in a way that would be meaningful or useful in management decision making. Many other factors influence capacity. For hotels, this would be the number of persons in each room, for manufacturers the availability of qualified machine operators and raw materials; for airlines the number of pilots, length of trips and turnaround time between flights, and for retailers the accessibility of its location to the customers (Barnes, 2008, p. 138). Having an understanding of capacity, the next step is to try to define capacity management. According to Grummitt (2009, p. 23), capacity management is defined by its primary objective, which is â€Å"to serve the needs of the business by ensuring that the organization understands and tracks demand and can maintain required service levels under both normal and contingency conditions both now and in the future within agreed cost constraints.† Simply stated, capacity management ensures that the firm possesses the right amount and type of resources available where and when needed to meet demand as it materializes, and thereby attains the target performance level of the business. Since the year 2000, Toyota and other car manufacturing companies have been aware that there is an excessive global capacity in the manufacture of automobiles; added to this is the need to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Toyota’s capacity management strategy is to enhance production  efficiency â€Å"by increasing the number of automobiles that are produced using common vehicle platforms and by sharing research and development expenses for environmental and other technology†.

Btranding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Btranding - Essay Example An organization attracts and maintains a base of loyal customers by promoting their prestige, image, value and lifestyle through the efforts of branding. A number of studies have shown that proper branding leads to higher sales of the products and other services associated with the brand (Hill, 2008). For example, if a customer likes Dairy Milk, a brand of Cadbury, he or she is more likely to taste Bourneville as well. A good brand has the ability to deliver the messages of the company to its target audiences, influence and motivate the buyers, confirms the credibility of the firm and emotionally connects with the target population. However, to achieve success by means of proper branding practices, it needs to understand the needs and wants of the customers (Clarke, 2001). It is often argued that a brand resides in the mind and the heart of a consumer and positively influences customer purchase behaviour, but few academicians disagree to this fact and deem that a brand image can infl uence the purchase negatively as well (Knox and Denison, 2000). This report seeks to analyse the opportunities for development of a particular brand. However, prior to the identification of the opportunities of the brand, the study will review and identify the weak points and challenges of the brand. On the basis of the findings and analysis, the study will elucidate the required changes in the brand and rebranding will serve the purpose of the company. The brand chosen for this purpose is Benefit cosmetics. A brief synopsis of the brand is presented below in order to help the reader understand the same. Benefit Cosmetics: A Brief Synopsis Benefit Cosmetics is a brand named after its company, Benefit Cosmetics LLC. The company is presently headquartered in San Francisco, California and was founded in the year 1976 (Benefit Cosmetics, 2013). The company specializes in offering beauty solution to the customers across several parts of the world. One of the key selling points of the com pany is their creative and vibrant packaging. Presently, the company operates in 35 countries and has successfully delivered the required services to the customers. Studies have shown that the brand has been performing well since the last few years and their financial situation reflects the same. One of the essential characteristics of the products of Benefit is that they are manufactured with natural ingredients and as a result of that, the products hardly have any negative skin effects. According to the experts of this industry, it is the quality of Benefit and instant solution capability that has made the brand a household name and a ‘must-have’ beauty product across the consumers of the world. Brand Analysis In this section, analysis of the brand, Benefit Cosmetics, will be carried out in order to identify the possible challenges and weaker areas of the brand (Kautish, 2011). In addition with this analysis, the study also seeks to underpin the opportunities of the b rand. The brand will be analysed by considering certain parameters and factors that lead to higher brand value. Furthermore, brand analysis also has the ability to pin down the current state of a brand. This will help in satisfying both the aforementioned intentions. The factors to be considered in this context are emotional value, brand awareness, brand image, purchase intention, brand loyalty and perceived

Colonialism and Disease in Cholera, Kuru and Anthrax Essay

Colonialism and Disease in Cholera, Kuru and Anthrax - Essay Example Spain in the early 1600s and other huge nations was looking to develop land in the new world for themselves and get gold, silver, and power whilst converting natives. After coming to the new world, the Spanish explorer, conquering the natives and built settlements. However, with an increased rate colonialism, many historians observe that the rate of contagious some particular disease also increased and the western medication is another justification for promoting colonialism. Historians such as Roland Chrisjohn and John S. Milly from Canada have since published documents showing evidence on how the discussion about disease spread concealed by colonialists to hide the actual origins of the natives were infected with the new diseases. Historians have stated that European colonists on discovering that the indigenous people were not immune to certain diseases, they deliberately spread the diseases for military advantages and to subjugate the local people. Therefore, the correlation between colonialism and disease can be examined in following disease cases: Cholera in India, Kuru in eastern Highlands of New Guinea and smallpox in China during Late Imperial Time. Cholera, as defined as an Asian or Indian disease during the 19th century (Nappi, Lecture 3.1 21 January 2014), was rampant in India and also in the industrially developed country as the United Kingdom. It spread across the world from its source in the Ganges delta, in India. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal and virulent disease that affects both children and adults and kills within hours if left untreated. Effective control of cholera relies on the preparedness, prevention, and response. According to most European and American physicians, Cholera was a locally produced miasmatic disease which was brought about by direct exposure to filthy and decayed products.  

What Have I Learned This Semester Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Have I Learned This Semester - Essay Example In this essay I will try to condense all the things that I learned from studying these three books with emphasis on the last two in the essay. The book, â€Å"Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments† by Lester FaigleyAnd Jack Selzer, is one of the most informative books I have read in a long time. The book in essence teaches you how to argue with authority. Here I found out that argumentation is a very powerful and effective tool not only to getting your point across but also a getting what you want in general. It talks about why people argue and when they do why do some win and some do not. Before I read this book I had a very haphazard method to argumentation. Basically I just said what I want to get across and hoped that people would agree with me. But with this book I found out that arguing actually is a science and that there is a method to all this argumentation. I learned that there are two goals of an argument, these are position and proposal. In a position, one has to take a stand and make an argument about it. In a proposal, one proposes to solve a certain problem and proposes a solution to the problem. I learned about the tool called rhetoric; pathos, ethos and logos. I also learned about how understand an argument. This helps in weeding out a weak argument. This is very useful for me because with I would be able to spot a weak argument and avoid it. It also taught me to recognize arguments, and that they are present even in every day conversations. This book has taught me to appreciate a good argument and to formulate an even better one on my own. The book A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah is the true story of a boy who is forced to become a soldier in the war. In the process he becomes cold and bloodthirsty; the struggle here is his desire to escape his situation and his long and harrowing journey to becoming a child again. The book at first was not easy to read, for some like me who never exper ienced war and has lived a comfortable life the beginning of the book is a bit hard to digest. I could feel the horror and the fear that Ishmael felt, it was almost like watching a very gruesome war movie. The thing stuck to me was that in the war movies and stories that I know of the soldiers are usually young men or grizzled veterans. In this story the soldier is more of a schoolboy than a soldier. Eventually the book begins to pick up when Ishmael realizes that he must leave Sierra Leone if he ever wants to become a normal human being again. The mood of story begins to change when he sets of to find the peace he has been longing for. The book has interesting characters that and themes. There are important lessons I picked up from this book. The one that stuck with me is that in life no matter what happens there is always hope. No matter how hard the road that Ishmael had to travel he still persevered and in the end he found what he was looking for. This proves that no matter what happens in life if we strive for something better we will most likely receive it. The journey that Ishmael undertook is proof of this. The book Sizwe's Test: A Young Man’s Journey through Africa’s AIDS Epidemic by Jonny Steinberg, is another book that I picked up valuable lessons from. This book tackles a very sensitive yet widespread topic; it is about the AIDS epidemic in

Open Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Open - Research Paper Example Qualifications wise the board is a mix of innovators and researchers. The board comprises two PhD holders and key personalities like Robert A. Iger the current CEO and president of The Walt Disney Company (Apple Inc., 2013b). The combination of innovation and research gives Apple’s Board the leadership qualities that are needed for consumer electronics business. Research provides Apple with access to the latest technology while innovation provides the company’s products with the competitive edge over its rivals. The board can take decisions based on both technology and innovation. 2. Committees the board sits on: The board at Apple Inc. sits on three committees: Audit and Finance, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance. The Audit and Finance committee is responsible for maintaining the financial matters of the company. Moreover the committee looks after the audit system, performs risk management and also looks after the security of the data. Financial matt ers are of great importance to Apple Inc. and to make sure that the committee functions at optimum efficiency the members of the committee are some of the brilliant minds of the leading companies in the world (Apple Inc., 2011a). The second committee is Compensation committee whose main purpose is to design incentive plans for the company. In addition to designing the Committee can also review and modify any incentive plan as it sees fit. The committee has three members with Andrea Jung being the chairperson for the Committee (Apple Inc., 2013a). The third Committee is Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee whose sole responsibility is to nominate candidates for the Board of Directors at Apple Inc. In addition the committee can advise the Board of Directors regarding matters of governance. The committee comprises three members and William V. Campbell is appointed as the Chairperson of the Committee (Apple Inc., 2011). 3. Management at Apple Inc: Most of the individuals workin g for Apple have been working with the company since its formation. There are a few who joined shortly after Steve Jobs was made the CEO at Apple Inc. in 1997 (Apple Inc., 2013d). The management team is a relatively experienced one with people who have worked with some of the greatest companies in the world. One such example is Craig Federighi the Senior Vice President at the company. Federighi worked for NeXT Inc. and Ariba before working for Apple in 2009. NeXT Inc. and Ariba were one of the most popular IT companies of their time. Federighi is just one example of the many experienced individuals working for the management of Apple Inc. (Lowensohn, 2011). 4. Board’s Philosophy on Executive Compensation: Executive compensation at Apple Incorporation is determined by the Compensation Committee which comprises 4 non-employee directors of the company. As per the â€Å"Definitive Proxy Statement†, the executive compensation program of the company includes awarding Restric ted Stock Units (RSU) to all executive members of the company (Apple Inc., 2013d). However, the RSUs were not awarded to one executive member, Timothy Cook, who was promoted to the CEO of the company. In addition, the Compensation committee also has established a sound basis for determining the remuneration and bonuses for executive members of the company. As for instance, the Committee considers a number of factors while evaluating the remuneration and bonuses of the executive members, which include: Competitive Market

Child and Family and their Social, Cultural and Relationship Problems Essay

Child and Family and their Social, Cultural and Relationship Problems - Essay Example A family assessment should contain discussions regarding the type of family, family finance, safety, health, emotional support within the family and outside the family and family roles. (Pillittery, 2007). This will be the guide that this paper will use in order to gain the necessary information it needs in order to create an appropriate conclusion. This will also help in the goal of the paper, which is to provide recommendations on nursing recommendations for a six(6) week period. This papers main discussion points are; The case we are presented with provides us with a multitude of variables, facts, ideas and sources. Most, if not all of these things are things that will have some sort of effect on the child, either for short-term or in the long run. We were provided with a short family background, relationship descriptions, summaries of actions and histories, and these are the points of the case that our paper will focus on and use in order to get the needed results. We will also be relating these facts to current literature in order to get a bearing on the correct path to take for the assessment and nursing care plan. Aside from the family influence, cultural, religious and environmental influences also play an important role in this case, as, according to a paper by oregonstate.edu, these social influences will have a resounding effect a persons attitude or outlook. Aside from the factors stated above, the case had also described some issues such as the child's difficulty in adjusting to life in a foreign place, being diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder, suffering from a form of Dyslexia, being diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, having been teased at school due to his racial background, and being unable to be with the people he is comfortable  with for one reason or another. On their own, these issues may be minor, but combined, they create a massive impact on the child and his wee-being. We will take all of these factors into consideration for the entire duration of the case.

Strategic Planning and External Analysis Tools Essay Example for Free

Strategic Planning and External Analysis Tools Essay Summary of key concepts and ideas from the lectures, tutorials and readings (500 words) Strategy is a roadmap designed to route the direction of the organization towards achieving its goals. Through an understanding of the organization’s vision and mission and the matching of resources and skills to the environment, the company can formulate and implement strategic plans to achieve long-term sustainable competitive advantage, meet the needs of consumers and satisfy stakeholder’s expectations (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2004). Before formulating a strategy, an organization has to gauge its current position in the market using strategic analysis. This involves the use of internal and external analysis tools to gain both an inside view of an organization and the macro environment. Internal analysis tools are used to identify and evaluate an organization’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of its resources, operational capabilities and core competencies. This gives the organization a picture of what strengths to exploit and develop further, and what weaknesses should be corrected to reduce market liability (Hill and Jones 2012). External analysis tools such as Porter’s five forces gives a view of the immediate competitive environment to reveal market opportunities and threats. It allows the organization to identify the market forces, which they have little to no control over, in order to develop contingencies into their strategic plans (Porter 1980). Dynamic capabilities such as SWOT analysis, is a combination of internal and external analysis to reflect an organization’s ability to adapt to volatile markets (Teece 2009). The strategic analysis process would provide a comprehensive overview of an organization’s competency, which then provides the basis for strategic formulation. A suitable approach to strategy formulation would strongly depend on the size and nature of the organization. One method that can be applied across different industries as well as organizations sizes is Porter’s generic strategy. It involves three different strategy classification; low cost leadership, product differentiation and target market focus (Porter 1980). Another method is Miles and Snow’s (1978) typology. It suggests that competing organizations are characterized based on their individual view of the competitive environment and how they allocate resources accordingly. The four basic categories are defender, prospector, analyzer, and reactor. Formulated strategies are not always acted upon, but may serve as a learning process towards more efficient strategy formulation. Allio (2005) states â€Å"immediately following the formal ratification of the firm’s vision and set of strategies, implementation can begin in earnest†. However, implementation of a strategy is considered the greatest challenge due to the risk of setbacks such as the lack of communication throughout the organization, unclear planning as well as poor monitoring and controls. Lastly, a key performance index is used to measure the current or future success of a strategy. It should be closely monitored as it measures performance aspects, which are critical towards the success of the organization (Paramenter 2007). Plans never always work out as anticipated, and contingency plans should be established to better prepare for unforeseen events (Steiner 1979). Therefore, strategy management should be treated with the utmost importance, as it differentiates between the success and failure of the firm. Section 2: Application of key concepts and ideas to the current business news (600 words) Griffin and Kucera (2012) article talks about PayPal’s tie up with Discover to achieve a competitive edge and strengthen its market position. By applying Porter’s five forces (1980) to access their strategic position, majority of forces are posing a challenge for PayPal and Discover. There is high competitive rivalry amongst major credit card companies with Discover  trailing after Visa, MasterCard and American Express (Barr 2012). Forecasted to surpass $171. 5 billion in 2012, up from a value of $105. 9 billion in 2011 (Gartner 2012), the burgeoning mobile payment market has attracted a high number of new entrants. Many major companies are creating their own individual systems to compete for a share of the market. One example is the Isis system by the major telecommunication companies (Johnson 2012). Finally, there is a high threat of substitute as consumers might find it more convenient to simply use cash or swipe their plastic card as compared to the new mobile payment method (Passy 2012). However, one market grabbing force is the low bargaining power of suppliers as the merchants supplying the service would be subjected to lower transaction costs under the PayPal system as compared to their counterparts (Hamblen 2012). Nevertheless, the bargaining power of customers in conjunction to new entrants and substitutes remains high, as there are just too many choices to choose from. Therefore, PayPal and Discover are in an unfavorable position. Welch’s (2012) article talks about how Campbell is innovating its soup products to meet the taste of a new generation. Through the use of the SWOT analysis (Andrews 1971), majority of factors prove positive. With the threat of a declining domestic soup market and difference in preference of a younger generation, it presents Campbell with an opportunity to innovate and differentiate its products in order to achieve market growth (Schultz 2012). Relying on its strengths to introduce new and innovative products fast, Campbell was able to generate a line of new products to address the needs of the new generation. However, Campbell’s weakness lies in the high selling price of its new line of products, three times the price of a can of normal soup. This along with the threat of cheaper alternatives by their competitors, such as Healthy Choice, may prove detrimental to Campbell’s success. Nevertheless, Campbell has had previous successes with higher priced products due to their strength to innovate their products towards the needs of the consumers. They also invest millions in target marketing and merchandising to extend its reach to consumers (Todd 2012). Therefore, it is a good strategy. Edwards (2012) article talks about GameStop’s shifted efforts into the refurbishing of Apple products to counter a declining market. Using the Boston Consulting Group’s Growth Share Matrix (Phadtare 2011), this strategy shows high return potential. With the decline of the gaming industry, sales fell by 25% from last year (Tassi 2012), GameStop’s former ‘Star’ which is the sale of new and used gaming hardware and software, has shifted into a ‘Cash Cow’ due to the decline of market growth. This shift presents an investment opportunity for ‘Question Mark’ to become a ‘Star’, through the conversion from a console game supplier, into the repair and resale of  Apple gadgets. However, with the dwindling interest of consumer to purchase overpriced resale items (Munarriz 2012), GameStop’s ‘Cash Cow’ would eventually shift to a ‘Dog’, providing difficulty in profit generation. There is also a risk that their ‘Question Mark’ would not become a ‘Star’ and just cost large efforts with little return. Nevertheless, Apple products still presents the biggest opportunity due to its large consumer base of over 230 million apple devices. Just by reselling 5 percent of the market, GameStop stands to gain $1 billion of new revenue over the next few years.