PepsiCo Supply chain Essay

For the entire document (with exhibits and important disclosures associated with its content, if applicable), view original document (PDF) The changing beverage marketplace has resulted in some major transformations amongst the industry’s chief competitors. The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc. have both recognized the changes and have taken action to preserve their success with their all-important systems of bottlers. We expect these changes to be beneficial including the opportunity to focus on innovation and to improve the cost effectiveness of bringing the product to market. In 1899, two lawyers from Tennessee secured exclusive rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola for only one dollar (www.coke.com). Asa Candler, then President of The Coca-Cola Company, was not convinced that selling the product in bottles was the way to go. No one could have predicted how popular Coca-Cola and its main competitor, Pepsi-Cola, would become. The relationship between company and bottler has always been very important. Today, 54 billion beverages of all types are served every day.1 Products from PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) and The Coca-Cola Company (KO) account for more than two thirds of the sales in the carbonated soft drink (CSD) category.2 These companies have battled with each other for many years and in the process have had to adapt to consumer shifts and increasing complexity concerning product distribution. Once again, the marketplace for non-alcoholic drinks in North America has evolved away from the current model. To achieve longer term profitability and growth, PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company have both decided to buy the majority of their North American bottling operations. In this report, we will explain how the market has changed and why we expect PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company to be better off in the future. To begin, we need to explain the traditional role of the parent company and its system of bottlers. The parent company (The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo), also called the â€Å"concentrate company,† is basically in charge of producing the concentrate or syrup that is used in a manufacturing process which ends up as a bottle or can of Coke or Pepsi on a shelf in a store. More importantly, it is the concentrate company’s job to create demand through advertising, marketing, and strategic planning. The bottlers buy the concentrate and then manufacture the product so that it can be distributed to a network of retailers and dealers. One major change that has taken place has been the  consolidation of the retail industry. In particular, the discount retailers (Walmart & Target) have allocated a larger portion of square footage to food. For example, about half of 2009 revenues for Walmart (WMT) was attributed to grocery. This compares to 28% of revenues only five years ago. For Target (TGT), food accounts for 16% of sales. Currently, Walmart is the largest grocer in the U.S. with about double the market share of the next largest competitor, Kroger (KR). In 2001, Walmart and Kroger were neck and neck. In 2007, the top fifteen food retailers accounted for 64.4% of U.S. sales compared to 50.1% in 2001. Exhibit 1 in the original PDF shows the evolution of market share from 2001-2007.3 The growth of Walmart is especially impressive. In North America, 19% of revenues for PepsiCo were allocated to Walmart (including Sam’s Club) up from 13% in 2006.3 In short, the food retail segment has become more concentrated and more powerful. The demands for better service from The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have increased. Retailers require more flexibility, innovation, and speed. Consumer beverage choices have shifted production away from the bottlers. Consumers have become more health conscious. Consumers are now more concerned about calories and are interested in drinks that are convenient and healthy. Consumers are buying less carbonated soft drinks and more in new beverage categories. These new categories of beverages include sports drinks, liquid tea, liquid coffee, energy drinks, and bottled water. Exhibit 2 in the original PDF illustrates the change in market share over a five year time frame.4 Overall, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have maintained their total share of the non-alcoholic beverage industry through product expansions, innovation, and acquisitions, including transactions such as PepsiCo’s acquisition of Gatorade and the Coca-Cola Company’s acquisition of Odwalla. The manufacturing process to produce a can of Coke is different from producing a bottle of Powerade. The added complexity of certain products has shifted the manufacturing process away from the bottler. Generally, most sports drinks, teas, juices, and dairy based drinks are manufactured at the concentrate company while carbonated drinks and bottled water are manufactured by the bottler. Those drinks produced at the concentrate company are called, finished goods. These changes have resulted in less profit for the bottlers. The bottlers did not benefit from the growth and higher profitability in finished goods. Capacity utilization has  been down with lack of growth in carbonated soft drinks. Also, bottled water, which was able to offset some of the lower growth in carbonated soft drinks, has been slowing over the last couple of years. In the future, most analysts in this sector agree that higher growth products will require a more complex manufacturing process. Under the old model, this would have been bad for bottlers. Years ago, most large bottlers made a significant capital investment which counted on sustained growth in carbonated soft drinks. Profit strained, the bottlers were less willing this time around to invest in new beverage categories. This was one of the reasons why the bottlers missed out on the popularity of noncarbonated soft drinks. The combination of concentrate company and bottler should yield cost savings and efficiencies allowing for additional reinvestment. Overcapacity and redundant distribution will be rationalized. One example is the sale of both fountain and bottled products to the same location by two different distribution channels. Going forward, one channel will service that particular customer. The combination should lead to a greater use of warehouse distribution versus the current direct-store-delivery system, which is used by the bottlers. The warehouse delivery system (product gets delivered to the retailer’s distribution center and the retailer ships the product to the store) is one that is in demand from large retailers given the lower cost, leaving the retailer with the opportunity to extract more profits from the customer without raising prices. In addition, a more efficient distribution system and less negotiation between organizations (pricing/volume decisions) should allow the product to reach the market more quickly. Despite the ownership structure, the concentrate company and bottler relationship has always been strong. Both entities need each other to survive. We believe the recent transactions are a positive strategic move for both The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo and for the industry. The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are clearly protecting their investment in their key bottlers and securing their strategic position given changes in the consumer and retailers. Going forward, we expect that these companies will continue to adapt to succeed. These particular transactions make sense and should allow these companies to remain competitive and innovative.

Pragmatism and teachers role Essay

Pragmatism is an American philosophy from the early 20th century. According to Pragmatism, the truth or meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences rather than anything metaphysical. It can be summarized by the phrase â€Å"whatever works, is likely true.† Because reality changes, â€Å"whatever works† will also change — thus, truth must also be changeable and no one can claim to possess any final or ultimate truth. C.S. Peirce on Pragmatism: C.S. Peirce, who coined the term Pragmatism, saw it as more a technique to help us find solutions than a philosophy or solution to problems. Peirce used it as a means for developing linguistic and conceptual clarity (and thereby facilitate communication) with intellectual problems. He wrote: â€Å"Consider what effects, which might conceivably have practical bearings, we conceive the object of our conception to have. Then our conception of these effects is the whole of our conception of the object.† William James on Pragmatism: William James is the most famous philosopher of Pragmatism and he’s the one who made Pragmatism itself famous. For James, Pragmatism was about value and morality: the purpose of philosophy was to understand what had value to us and why. James argued that ideas and beliefs have value to us only when they work. James wrote on Pragmatism: â€Å"Ideas become true just so far as they help us to get into satisfactory relations with other parts of our experience.† John Dewey on Pragmatism: In a philosophy he called Instrumentalism, John Dewey attempted to combine both Perice’s and James’ philosophies of Pragmatism. It was thus both about logical concepts as well as ethical analysis. Instrumentalism describes Dewey’s ideas the conditions under which reasoning and inquiry occurs. On the one hand it should be controlled by logical constraints; on the other hand it is directed at producing goods and valued satisfactions. What is the Role of a Teacher According to Pragmatism? According to pragmatism teacher is a friend, guide and philosopher to the child. He must educate the child in social environment so that he may attain social efficiency. There must be positive relationship between teacher and taught. His behavior towards children must be sympathetic. His attitude should be democratic and child must have academic freedom. His function is to suggest problems to his pupils and to stimulate them to find for themselves solutions which will work. His emphasis is not on the knowledge as arranged and systematized in the text-books. He wants the children to do one experiment or to have a particular experience. ‘Doing’ is more important than knowing. Like Socrates the Pragmatist teacher wants â€Å"his pupils to think and act for them, to do rather than to know, to originate rather than to repeat.† Pragmatism and School John Dewey maintains that school is a ‘Miniature Society’ here a child gets real experiences to act and behave according to his interests, aptitudes and capacities. Pragmatists regard school as a social institution where the child gains real experiences of actual life which develop in him social sense and a sense of duty towards society and the nation. Group games, working in laboratories and studying in libraries with others are the various activities and experiences which inculcate in children social qualities, social attitudes together with a spirit of mutual help and cooperative activities. In this way, according to Pragmatism the school is not a centre of education alone but it is also a community centre of various activities and experiences. Contribution of Pragmatism in Education Aims It lays more stress on social and vocational efficiency. Teacher It gives important place to teacher. Student It stresses on child-centered education. Teaching Method New teaching methods are the contribution of pragmatism. Curriculum It lays more stress on experience and learning by doing. Evaluation of Pragmatism Opposition of Pre-determined Ideas Pragmatism opposes pre-determined ideals and values. They are man-made and change according to the changes in circumstances, time and place. Opposition of Eternal Truth Pragmatism does not have any faith in eternal truth. Pragmatists believe that if the result of an activity is satisfactory then it is true otherwise not. No Fix System of Education. Pragmatism provides academic freedom to every institution which leads them nowhere. Pragmatism gives no fixed ideal to education. Such an education is bound to be fruitless. Emphasis on Material and Negation of Spiritual Values There is no room for spiritual values in pragmatism. It gives more Weight age to material values. Without spiritual values, we cannot achieve happiness, contentment and peace of mind and can go astray. Laxity in Discipline Pragmatism allows full freedom to the child who is not proper at the school stage and it leads to serious chaos and confusion. Condemnation of Formal Education Pragmatism advocates that all knowledge should be acquired through direct personal experiences. But knowledge is so vast and the span of life so short, that it is quite impossible to receive all knowledge through direct experiences. Hence acquiring all knowledge needs personal experiences and formal education both. Negation of the Past Pragmatism gives undue importance to the present. It ignores both past and future. The study of past is important to understand the present. Also there is need to link the present with future. Pragmatism is a Method Only. Pragmatism is not a philosophy of life but only a method of education, growth and development. In the words of William James â€Å"There is absolutely nothing new in the pragmatic method. It is just empirical attitude. It has no dogmas and no doctrines save its methods.† Pragmatism believes in Pluralism which is not proper. Merits of Pragmatism Project Method Project method is a gift of pragmatism. Through this method child attains knowledge by solving his practical problems. He performs the problematic acts in natural conditions. This method lays emphasis on learning through experiences. Importance of Child Opposing bookish knowledge and formal education, pragmatism lays great stress upon the development of child’s individuality by his own efforts. This makes education child- centre. Emphasis on Activity The principle of learning by doing is the main contribution of pragmatism. Children are active by nature. It emphasizes on the activity of the child. It prepares the child for future life in a very effective manner. Revolutionized the Process of Education This philosophy has infused life and zest in contribution. The concepts of ‘New Education’, ‘Progressive Education’ and Activity-centre curriculum which have changed the education outlook are the contribution of pragmatism. Social and Democratic Education Pragmatism infuses in a child a spirit of freedom, initiative, equality and also a sense of responsibility in relation to rights and duties of a citizen. This develops in the child love for democratic values and social efficiency which bring harmonious adjustment and development of personality. Progressive Attitude Pragmatism emphasizes the qualities of freedom initiative expression, experiences congenial, environment, purposeful creativity and development of human values for the welfare of whole mankind. In the words of Rusk â€Å"It is merely a stage in the development of a new Idealism that will do full justice to reality, reconcile the practical and spiritual values and result in a culture which is the flower of efficiency.† Pragmatism is an attitude and a way of living which, opposing the old doctrines of Idealism and Naturalism inspires the individual to look ahead and creates new values for an unknown future so that he leads a better, happier and a richer life.

Managerial Accounting 2014 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managerial Accounting 2014 Assignment - Essay Example long with the most ancillary objectives of storage and transportation of oil, gas, coal and related consumable and disposable fuel products (Bhattacharyya, 2007). They also include those companies which offer various oil and gas products, consultancy and related services. Thus, to fulfill the objectives of this report in the most suitable order, the company selected for the analysis is Chevron. Chevron Corporation  is among one of the huge Multi-National Companies of the world operating in an energy, oil and gas sector, having it’s headquarter in San Ramon, California. Chevron is currently active and operating among more than 180 countries on a global basis. The wide variety of its dynamic operation in the ever emerging fields of energy and oil sector makes the company highlighted in recent news and developments related to energy industry. In particular, Chevron is basically engaged in every aspects and activities related to oil,  gas, fuel and geothermal  energy framework of industries, which also includes, in depth scale of exploration  and  production activities coupled with oil refining features, storage, marketing, transportation; production and sales of various chemicals and  finally the power generation facets (Chevron Policy, 2014). As of 2013, the company is ranked third in position in the  Fortune Global 500 list among worlds humongous compan ies in energy, gas and oil sector (Fortune, 2014). The latest environmental report of Chevron disclosing the comprehensive and detailed version of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions during the year 2013, included under the broader framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) covers the period up to December 31, 2013. From the point of view of major shareholders and a prospective shareholders of a company, it is very essential aspect to know about the company responsibility towards the environment and how it confronts those responsibilities on an active and transparent basis, in which the investment of

Reading Responses to a Poem Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Responses to a Poem - Assignment Example The following paper is a response to "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats. It explains the elements in the poem that are interesting or engaging. There are four major elements that can be discovered in this poem. They make it interesting and captivating. These include a theme of love, imagery, points of view and tone. Use of imageries is very strong in the poem. The diction has a deep literal meaning that the whole poem paints a mental picture. In stanza 4, the poet writes, â€Å"I met a lady in the meads, Full beautiful- a faery’s child,† which creates a mental picture of the extent of beauty of the lady (Enotes, 2011). This is mainly because of the use of a â€Å"faery’s child† which implies that the lady was very beautiful. This image portrayed is vital to an extent that the speaker is tricked into a trap by the lady. The tenth stanza has also an imagery which makes the poem interesting. This comes about as the ghosts of the lady’s past lovers caution the speaker of being duped, this last image is important since it connects the whole poem to the being state of the knight being alone. A theme of love used in this poem makes it quite captivating too (Melani, 2010). This is because love is a universal topic which the poet wisely chose since it connects with almost all of poem readers. In â€Å"La Belle Dame Sans Merci†, Keats elegantly portrays love as being imperfect at times. This is because of the misfortunes that the knight encounters after he falls in love with a lady who is alleged to be performing tricks to her lovers’ disadvantage. Tone is conveniently used in this poem. The dreamlike tone in the poem brings out a surreal environment. The poet then shift to a loving tone with his attitude in the 5th stanza. This is when he gives the lady some flowers and goes for a walk with her. The tenth stanza changes the tone

Female Juvenile Delinquents Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Female Juvenile Delinquents - Term Paper Example The essence of this paper is to investigate the status quo of the girl child delinquent and to evaluate the effectiveness of the various mitigation measures that have been put forward. Statistics have proved that there is disproportionate growth of the female juvenile crime rate as compared to that of the opposite gender. According to FBI report (2011), female-child arrests increased by 4% between the year 1999 and 2003 in the U.S. Between 2007 and 2008, the female child arrests for minor crimes increased by about 12% while the rate of male juvenile increased only by 2%. The data from FBI statistics point to an alarming growth of the female crime rate, while the effort to control male juvenile seems to be yielding a good reap. In addition, the statistics analysts have predicted that going by the projection of this crime scenario, female juvenile would get out of control by the year 2014. Resultantly, there is a need for quick and effective intervention procedures contain female delin quency before it is out hands. Research has associated the offending behavior of the girl child to a lot early age victimization of this gender. Physical, sexual and emotional harassment predisposes young girls to the risk of engaging in future offending actions. Scholars have identified a causal relationship between female juveniles and a history of victimization during their early age of growth. According to Acoca (2000, p. 48), most of the females offendants who have been arrested have a history of some form of harassment. These scholars believe that female children resort to crime as a way of settling their emotional distress that is hard to cope. Moreover, the female child is more prone to victimization than the male child, which explains why there is a disproportionate growth in crime rate among female child. Various forms of victimization have been manifested among the sample cases that have been used for research. Rape, violent beating, stabbing and clack of parental care we re among the cases that affected many girls at the age of 13 and 14 years. The FBI (2011) blamed increase in child victimization for the rise in female child defendants. According to psychologists, victims of violence manifest symptoms of post-traumatic stress, which if not properly managed can permanently impair the social behavior of the girl child. Most psychologists have drawn an analogy of female delinquency to the condition of battered woman syndrome that is manifested among married women (Paludi, 2011). The similarity between the two is that both are runaways for victims of some form of violence. The Detroit Police Department reported that females who suffered rape either from strangers or from members of their family had a higher risk of engaging in crime. Another trigger for female delinquency is the lack of or poor parenting. Children who have their parents dead either through murder or any other reason ended up indulging in crime. Most orphaned females end up dropping out of school, risk getting pregnant at adolescence and in some instances end up in drug abuse. Eventually, they end up being enrolled in criminal groups as the only consolation for their stressful life. There is more to worry about since these female delinquents end up being the women criminals in the society (Siegel & Welsh, 2008).

Tsunami Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tsunami - Research Paper Example When it reaches shore waters, they rise to form masses of moving water known as â€Å"run-up†. This phenomenon is very many feet high and its variation depends on the strength of striking waves (NOAA, 2009). Normal run-up height is about 30 meters high although there are some extra high run-ups such as that witnessed in Alaska in 1958 which went up to 60 meters high. Run-up rush onto the sea shore and strikes the coastal areas with an intensive, destructive force. Huge earthquakes are able to send tsunami waves across oceans. For instance, recent earthquakes in both Japan and Chile send tsunami waves which struck Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California, and Washington causing enormous losses of life and property. Water masses subjected to tsunami waves can take hours to regain stability hence tsunami effects can experienced repeatedly. Tsunami waves occur in phases called first, second and even the third waves. First waves are always less destructive but the second and third may have catastrophic effect depending on the magnitude of causing forces and the position of origin (NOAA, 2009). Tsunamis have very long waves and crest to crest distance may be anywhere between 10 and 2500 kilometers. It travels through the sea at a speed more than 700 km/h. A series of waves travel and arrive at the sea shore at an interval of few minutes. In most cases, tsunami waves are not noticeable like normal sea waves and tides but it possess large amount of energy than other waves. Due to its influence to entire water column, depth of water determines its force (Nelson, 2012). The long wavelengths make the first sign of tsunami waves at the sea shores to be a drawback. Tsunami is caused by submarine earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption or meteorites (CA, 2009). These causes have common characteristics because they occur suddenly and violently which make them to displace large amounts of water.

Thorr Motorcycles Inc. Perceptual maps marketing simulation Essay

Thorr Motorcycles Inc. Perceptual maps marketing simulation - Essay Example The using perceptual maps marketing simulation was a great experienced for me. The simulation taught me the importance of product differentiation and positioning. The company showcased in the simulation was called Thorr Motorcycles Inc.The company is dedicated to manufacturing motorcycles. The company holds a market share of 40% in an oligopoly marketplace. Perceptual maps are used in the simulation to develop a positioning strategy. A perceptual map is the visual representation of the customer’s perception of a brand. In the simulation I served the role of marketing manager. In the first round of the simulation I had to choose four marketing parameters to develop the positioning strategy. The first parameter I choose is price. Customers in all industries always pay close attention to the price of the product or service. The second parameter chosen was lifestyle image. A lot of customers in the motorcycle industry purchase motorcycles because of the image it represents. The th ird parameter I choose was service offering. A survey showed that customers perceive the service of Thorr Motorcycles to be poor. The final parameter I choose was quality engineering. Along with price quality is a very important attribute that all customers evaluate when making a purchase. The four parameters I choose were the optimal solution for the company. The second round of the simulation involved making some strategic decisions. I had to create a marketing plan that will reposition the CruiserThorr or launch a new motorcycle. The marketing budget for the plan was $13 million. One of the tools that were provided in the simulation in order to help me make a decision was a SWOT analysis. The four elements of a SWOT analysis are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. One of the threats discussed in the SWOT is that fact that rising unemployment will decrease the expenditure in lifestyle products. The company’s competitors have low-cost motorcycles that are all geared to attract the younger customers. The CruiserThorr has penetrated the market well, but the product has reached the maturity stage of its product lifecycle. I decided against repositioning the CruiserThorr. My solution was introducing the RRoth model. The second step of round two was deciding the marketing mix of the company among the following four variables: price, place, services, and promotion. The marketing mix of a product can be used to implement a differentiation strategy. The price I chose was in the $13,000 to $15,000 range. At that price range the company will achieve maximum customer reach. The places I choose to sell the RRoth were distributors, dealers, and the internet. Young customers in the United States are using the internet more everyday to make purchases. In 2010 e-commerce sales in the US reached $153 billion. The services I decided to offer were training to dealers, customization options, and financial services. The promotion alternatives I decided to im plement were sponsor events such as Daytona, offer insurance and protection plans, hire celebrities for endorsement, and publicize through Hollywood films. The total costs of my marketing plan were $12,385,000. I achieved savings for the company of $615,000. In the third round of the simulation I had to create and rate the perceptual maps of both motorcycle products. The four attributes of the perceptual map of the CruiserThorr were lifestyle image, price, service offering, and quality engineering. My ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 for lifestyle image, price, service offering, and quality engineering were 10,7,6,9 respectively. The four variables I choose for the perceptual map of the RRoth were price, cool, service offerings and lifestyle image. The rating for price, cool service offering, and lifestyle image were 10,9,8,8. The simulation indicated that I should have added the parameter of quality engineering in the RRoth. A differentiation strategy is used to create a unique produc t that that has different attributes than the competition. A positioning strategy is different

Applying E-Business Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applying E-Business Strategies - Essay Example In spite of having the right to comment about the cafà ©s activities, the customer’s viewpoints reveal ignorance of children’s right towards recreational activities such as storytelling sessions. An open web forum is prone to abusive comments, non-relevant posts, and inciting others regarding an issue concerning either the cafà © or other firms. Consequently, encouraging an open line communication and maintaining an open web forum necessities to the cafà © to ask the customers to agree with the terms of web forum prior to posting their comments. Deleting offensive comments and integrating a word filter into the web forum will further encourage an open line of communication and still maintain an open web forum. The best type of business that fits Broadway cafà © is the advertising e-business that will be executed through a number of strategies including the use social blogs (Canzer 97). A website is one of the way that the cafà © will receive feedback on their services, which facilitate the improvement of services towards customer satisfaction through an effective customer service. Once customers are satisfied, the cafà © will increase sales as they keep on coming back for more increasing the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s revenue. The social platforms form one of the major marketing strategies that the cafà © can use to showcase its products and services and conduct promotions. Posting and sharing of pictures will help in the improving the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s brand providing a direct access forum for the customers to review the services prior to their visit, which further attract more customers; hence, increasing Broadway cafà © revenue. Broadway cafà © can further introduce a cashless payment to deal with the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s finance where the customer is able to pay using an online payment method, which most people find appropriate compared to walking around with cash. Additionally, the cafà © can

Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise in Markets Essay - 5

Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise in Markets - Essay Example This essay focuses on Google company that is a very successful modern and innovative company because it excels in the three fields of innovation, entrepreneurial skills, and developing opportunities. Its business success is probably unprecedented, that's why the researcher explored the company in the essay. Google has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry in just over 13 years. The researcher investigates Google’s business history and their key strategies from the perspective of three ways, such as their innovative strategies, their partnerships, and acquisitions. This strategies have given them an edge and made this organisation such an amazing success story. It is hard to squeeze Google into management theories because it only innovates; that is how it runs its operations and finances. Marketing theories are based on creating/selling products that people demand, whereas at Google, employees work hard to create something new that is good enough to create its own demand. Additionally, when a multi-billion dollar company such as Google hunts for venture capital investment from anywhere and everywhere around the globe, it shows it operations by its own rules and does not fit into any orthodox management theories. No one can contest its business operations because of the entrepreneurial achievements for which it is known. After discussing Google from the three aspects stated above, this essay draws solid conclusions as to what can be deduced from the discussion and analysis.

Confederate camp Essay Example for Free

Confederate camp Essay In the Confederate camp, among the most noted female was Amy Clarke. As in the case of Malinda Blalock, Amy volunteered for military service in order to be with her husband. They fought together in the â€Å"battles of Shiloh, where Mr. Clarke was killed. † After burying her husband personally, Amy continued fighting with the Confederate army under General Bragg in Kentucky. She was wounded in action twice. The first time she suffered only a minor ankle injury. However, her second injury was a breast wound and she was consequently captured by the enemy who promptly discovered that she was a woman. She was later released as a war prisoner on parole on the condition that she would wear woman’s clothes. It did not take long for Amy to rejoin a Confederate unit in Tennessee, however, this time as a lieutenant. (Hall, n. d. ) The case of Rosetta Wakeman was rather different. She did not join the army out of patriotism nor because of any husband or sweetheart. She did it essentially for money. Rosetta belonged to a big family in upstate New York who toiled under almost inhuman conditions on a farm owned by the family. At the age of 19, she decided to leave her family and look for work elsewhere. Since the usual jobs available for women like those of a domestic helper or a laundress were such low-paying occupations, she decided to disguise herself as a man and took on a man’s job as a coal handler in a canal boat. When she heard that a soldier received a much better salary of $13 a month, she joined the â€Å"153rd New York State Volunteers† as a private. As a soldier, she was able to save her salary which enabled her to send large amounts of money to her folks back home and would ask them for â€Å"tobacco, apples, pies, and cakes† in return. According to her family, she used to write and tell them how she enjoyed her life as a soldier, â€Å"having the time of her life† and enjoying freedoms which were not available to her, being a woman. She told them that â€Å"I enjoy myself first rate†¦I have had plenty of money to spend and a good time asoldiering. I find just as good friends among strangers as I do at home. † Rosetta became so good at posing as a man and hiding her real identity that not even her acquaintances from home recognized her whenever she went to see her newly acquired male friends in other units. She continued to deceive everybody even when she was admitted in a hospital for treatment of dysentery. Until the very end, Loreta died and was â€Å"buried as a soldier† at the Chalmette National Cemetery in New Orleans. (CivilWarStudies. org, n. d. ) Regardless of the reasons and the extent of women participation in the civil war, the fact remains that the war had not been an all male show. The history of the American Civil War would not have been as colorful if women chose to simply stay home and do nothing. References Blanton, D. (1993). Women Soldiers of the Civil War, Part 2. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from http://www. archives. gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1. html CivilWarStudies. org. (n. d. ). Why Did Women Fight in the Civil War? About. com. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from http://womenshistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/women_spies_un.htm

Procurement Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay

Procurement Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay Traditional purchasing and logistics functions have evolved into a broader strategic approach to materials and distribution management known as supply chain management (Tan, 2001). Successful supply chain management requires cross functional integration and marketing plays a critical role (Lambert and Cooper, 2000). Procurement is extension of supply chain management allows the smooth functioning of departments engaged in the management process. Cooper et al (1997) mentioned that practitioners and educators have variously addressed the concept of supply chain management as an extension of logistics, or as an all-encompassing approach to business integration. BCAM is headed by James Irvine, Managing Director holding 40% of the shares while Tom Irvine is the Production Director with 25% shares in the company. The company was established 100 years ago by the Irvine family which came into existence during mass industrialization of UK agricultural sector manufacturing tractors and wide ra nge of associated agricultural equipments like harvesters, balers, mowers and sprayers. Over these years, BCAM was able to build good reputation in the market but lacked innovation and neglected both product and market development failing which the company was not able to react to the demand and had to face stiff competition, mainly from Europe, USA and Far East. As supply chain management and procurement logistics are important in efficient, smooth and continuous functioning of the company, this paper critically analyses the supply chain management process of British Consolidated Agricultural Machinery (BCAM), its consequences on the operation and management of the company and evaluating different approaches of supply chain management to benefit the company in terms of improved procurement and supply chain management. A) Supply Chain Management Process BCAM According to Mentzer (2001) supply chain management is the systematic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain for the purposes of improving the long term performance of the individual companies and supply chain as a whole. Further Hugos (2006) states that supply chain management is the coordination of production, inventory, location and transportation among the participants in a supply chain to achieve the best mix of responsiveness and efficiency for the market being served Various definitions from different authors concentrate mainly on flow of goods and materials within the company for timely production, cost effective operations and better customer service which is not evident or persistent in the supply chain process of BCAM. The supply chain process at BCAM did not meet any of the essential criterions as suggested by several authors in Mentzer (2001). BCAM lacked strategic planning i n its supplied chain process as purchasing officer would make a reorder for the goods and materials only after the low stock level and stock issue made by the warehouse. Warehouse officials manually carried the inventory and issued reorder report to the purchase department after which purchase department would require three days to forward purchaser order to the supplier, which may extend to week further if the individual product lines are batched up into one large order with a single supplier. It may be noted that logistics play a major role in supply chain management process which is not limited to single organization but refers to a network that work together and coordinate their actions to deliver a product to the market (Hugos, 2006). Delivering product to customers requires implementation of the strategic process within the firm to integrate the firm with other members of the supply chain and other operational activities at day to day level (Lambart, 2008). Procurement of mate rials, which is the primary task of purchase department lacked decision making power as it did not vested with any individual and dispersed across different units making it a tedious job for purchasing unit. Organizations give the power to purchasing department to take the decisions and send purchase order to the suppliers, but at BCAM, production staff and engineers made most of the decision that doesnt apply in supply chain process. Moreover, the purchase order is placed in bulk in order to secure maximum discounts but out of the items purchased, only few are used for the production while the rest are maintained in the warehouse which is a serious problem concerning the high operational costs and low profits of the company. The company lacked the basic tenets of supply chain management like integrated behavior, mutual sharing of information, mutual sharing channel risks and rewards, cooperation, similar goal and focus of serving customers, integration of processes and partners to build and maintain long term relationships (Mentzer, 2001). The instance of purchasing materials in bulk shows that the company lacks partnerships with small suppliers as it has to purchase items in bulk to minimize the logistics cost. Moreover, the deliveries of goods by the suppliers were often late, as it is evident that they were not interested in doing business with BCAM due to late payments. Mutual sharing of information is not evident at BCAM as the company was not able to meet the market demand. The instance of new products being launched and irregular notice to the purchasing department makes it clear that there is no cooperation and coordination in the internal business units at BCAM. Market demand could not be meted due to inefficient managing practices because fulfillment of market demand is the process of measuring the process and communicating the results throughout the firm and to key members of supply chain (Lambart, 2008). Marketing department needs to provide neces sary information to the production and purchasing departments about the new product, the market demand and requirements so as to meet the demand on time. Supply chain management at BCAM is not integrated with most of the departments not sharing information which is essential for production and meeting the market demands. BCAMs supply chain management lacks integral relationship with similar goals and objectives and works on its own while decisions are taken at all levels. Lack of basic characteristics of supply chain management has resulted in various challenges to BCAM in form of competitors in the industry, high operating cost, low profit, inability to meet the market demand, inability in procurement of materials, low level of coordination in the management, and the situation where the management is thinking of merger with French firm, Eiffel Mecanisme which is lower than its size but makes more profit than BCAM, thanks to its low operational cost, effective marketing strategy and management. The ineffective supply chain management has very drastic consequences which is evident in case of BCAM which is at the verge of merging with a French company and on condition that all the senior management positions should be French while production operations being transferred to the French factories. In order to avoid the major setbacks and merger with French company, BCAM will have to restructure its organization and reformulate its strategy matching the technology of its competitors and producing innovative products meeting the expectations and demand of the market. B) Supply Chain Management Approaches for BCAM Kale (n.d.) mentioned that the supply chain management within the organization includes all the functions involved in fulfilling a customer demand like new product development, marketing, operations, distributions, finance and customer service and any break in the chain of functioning between these departments will have an adverse effect on the organization (Basu and Wright, 2007). Operating successfully in any business environment today requires companies to become much more involved in how their supplies and customer do business. As global markets expands and competition increases, making products and services that customers want to buy means that businesses must pay closer attention to where materials come from, how their suppliers products are designed and produced, how they are assembled, transported and stored, etc. Steve Darendinger, Vice President of advanced sourcing and supply chain strategy for Cisco Systems, California stated that the key to developing effective supply ch ain management programs is keeping the customer in mind and if the customer is skipped during decision making process, then these decisions transfer risks costs and additional waiting time along the supply chain leading to higher operational costs and lower end customer demands (Wisner et al, 2008). Supply chain is a holistic approach that stretches forward across the organization and customer and backwards through various suppliers and to their suppliers. There can be substantial benefits for all stakeholders by having integration across company boundaries which was missing in BCAMs supply chain management process (Basu and Wright, 2007). Regarding suppliers too, BCAM didnt had much to choose among the suppliers as most of them were not satisfied by the payment terms of the company which resulted in less priority in delivering the goods. The ultimate objective of supply chain management is to achieve strategic fit between the companys competitive strategy and supply chain strategy (Kale, n.d). Cutting et al (2006) states that the main objective of supply chain management is to have the right products in the right quantities at the right time at minimal cost in a situation that would guarantee optimal service levels for the customer and optimal performance for the organization ( Basher, 2010). This is the main problem with BCAM as the departments within were not able to coordinate with each other and the basic objective of supply chain management was not fulfilled. According to supply chain management philosophy (Markland et al 1995) inventory should be the last resort in solving supply and requirement imbalances between the tiers but at BCAM, inventory was carried out manually and 80% of the man hours would be spend on matching the documents of suppliers sent during the delivery of goods. Companies, nowadays, formulate their strategies devising supply chain management that suits their organization. Leo and Bart (n.d.) recognized three basic forms of supply chain namely internal supply chain. which is an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, from supplier and towards the customer; external supply chain, an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, across the direct suppliers and customers; and tota l supply chain, an integrated flow of material and information within the business unit, across multiple trading suppliers and customers. According to Harrison et al (2005) supply chain management is a set of approaches utilized to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses and stores, so that merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantities, to right places and at right time so as to reduce operational costs while giving optimum customer satisfaction. It is important to note that logistics plays an important role in successful implementation of supply chain management. The supply chain management approach differs from the logistics functions like optimization of the transportation and distribution structure. Two different approaches have been identified namely make to stock and make to order. The difference between the two approach lies in production strategy wherein if a product is created according to specific customer demand, it follows make to order approach while production on any other criteria is due to make to stock, as the products are produced to stock in advance to meet the ev er increasing market demand. The supply chain approach benefit the organizations in maintaining low operating costs, flexibility and responsiveness and delivery performance (Dickersbach, 2009). BCAM should reinvent its supply chain management by focusing on internal processes. Internal supply chain would be efficient so as to integrate the departments and initiate systematic coordination, cooperation and mutual sharing of information among the departments in the company. Moreover, the company should focus on make to order approach of supply chain management in the current situation so as to avoid unnecessary costs of extra items being purchased from the suppliers. BCAM should apply modern approach of supply chain management which encourages facing challenges across organizations, different lines of business, and across consumers and eliminate the traditional approach, which is being presently practiced in the organization (Altekar, 2005). In conclusion, Tom Irvine, Production Direct ors strategy should be implemented to improve the procurement and supply chain process which aims to use make to order approach, reduce the excessive inventory and aggressive marketing of the products. Conclusion BCAM should focus on restructuring its supply chain processes so as to improve its performance in the market and withstand stiff competition from its rivals. Toms strategy to revive the companys performance in the market should be implemented as it focuses on reducing the overall operational expenditure and low cost production mechanism.

Sexism in Our Society Essay -- Sexism Gender Women Men Essays

Sexism in Our Society Sexism has always been a major issue for women. It seems that today, everyone has to be careful of what they say and do so as to avoid offending someone. While everyone is busy worrying about extinguishing sexism towards women - which still is an issue that needs to be taken care of, who is concerned with sexism towards men? Sexism is just as much of an issue to men as it is to women. Many people believe that men have advantages over women when comes to a topic such as occupation. Although this may be true, in some cases it is in fact exactly the opposite. Today?s society is so concerned with political correctness and equal rights to women that it has almost completely forgotten about equal rights to men as well. If, in a hypothetical example, a man and a woman go into the same job interview for a company that was involved in a sexual harassment suit with a female employee some years before, and has since had trouble keeping its female employees, there is a very good chance that the woman applicant will get the job, even if the man may be better qualified for the position. If instead, a company was deciding between a man and a woman candidate for a promotion, and was worried about its image as a sexist industry? Not to say that men are always better-qualified than women, or always passed-over for a position or promotion because the company wants to save-face, but unfortunately it does happen in our culture. Granted, women are still often the unfortunate victims of sexism in today?s society, being denied a job opportunity or equal pay because of their gender or because they are thought to be for example too fragile or too emotional for the applied position. Women ... ...ough name-calling and sexist actions. Men and women are also both stereotyped and judged by their looks. A small, attractive woman is less likely to get a job in a warehouse or packing-plant than a larger, more rough-looking woman, regardless of skills or qualifications. The same goes for men in such a situation; an attractive man is assumed to be better suited for an office or sales job, whereas a less-attractive man would be assumed to be better at a job such as truck driving or something with manual labor. Although the issue of sexism has gotten better over the years, and continues to do so, we as a culture must not neglect to realize that women are not the only sufferers of this offense. The more society focuses solely on sexism as an issue toward its women, the less it will recognize that sexism is just as much of an issue to its men.

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest- Ken Keseys Characterization Of Women Es

Kesey’s characterization of women is by no means fair. He perceives one type to be the bossy domineering woman, and the other type to be submissive whores. He is subjective to the inmates being futile, perceiving us to think that their wives and especially Big â€Å"Powerful† Nurse took away their manliness. Kesey tries to imply that whores such as Candy Starr, contradict that, and offer them courage and pleasure. In this book, there are no regular women, just these two extremes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest does not seem to intentionally degrade women. Although Kesey may not have, there is a shadow of doubt in how he illustrates it. The Nurse’s name itself symbolizes this. A Ratched is perceived to sound like a wretched conniving drill sergeant, with no feelin...

Symbolism and Themes in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay -- Paper

Symbolism and Themes in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Toni Cade Bambara wrote the short story, The Lesson, in 1972. The Lesson is considered by the Literary Canon to be a wonderful work of fiction because of its use of language, humanistic theme, symbolism, and non-genre plot. Two essential elements that add to the depth and enhance a reader?s comprehension of The Lesson are Bambara?s use of symbolism and theme. The Lesson takes place in New York?s inner city. The fictional story begins with a group of poor, uneducated, lower class city kids standing in front of a mailbox, preparing themselves for another day of being taught by Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore felt that it was her duty to help underprivileged children learn because she was one of the only women in the neighborhood to earn a degree. The main character is Sylvia, who tells the story in a first person narrative. Sylvia is a young African American girl, probably around fourteen years old, who is very judgmental about the world around her. By Bambara?s choice of words, the reader can tell that she is extremely opinionated, presents a very tough, hostile exterior and not at all happy about having to be taught anything by Mrs. Moore. For instance, she states ?we kinda hated her too, hated the way we did the winos who cluttered up our parks and pissed on our hand ball walls? (Bambara 121). On this hot summer day, Mrs. Moore felt that there was a lesson to learn at FAO Schwartz, a very expensive, upper class toy store in downtown Manhattan. After stepping out of the cab and peering into the window, Sylvia knows that this is not just any toy store and they are not just there for any reason. The reason Mrs. Moore brought the children to FAO Schwartz is captured... ...e born on the social ladder is not a choice and might not be considered to be fair. Although it is easy to take from those beneath you, to move up, one must take a much longer, more difficult approach. Bambara incorporates the theme of The Lesson into the story with very precise wisdom. The Lesson is a brilliant piece of fiction. The theme and symbolic elements will hopefully help this short story, stand the test of time. Bambara was able to express and show different views on life by bringing a few poor city kids into a ritzy toy store. This is a short story that should be read by all in hopes to educate today?s children. Works Cited Bambara, Toni. ?The Lesson?. Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience. Shorter 7th ed. Ed. Richard Abacian and Marvin Koltz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 121-126.

Effects of Having a Schizophrenic Family Member Essay

A. What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder that makes it hard for people affected to think clearly, have normal emotional responses, act normally in social situations and tell the difference between what is real and what is not. It makes people withdraw from the outside world and always act out in fear. People suffering from schizophrenia may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange ways, think that people are trying to harm them, and always feel as if they are being watched. They have difficulty in doing activities of daily life. This disease is caused either by one’s genetic make-up or abnormal brain structure. But the environment can be a cause too, as for the environmental factors, more and more research is pointing to stress. Like any other disease, schizophrenia has its own symptoms like strange ways of speaking, inability to express emotion and irrational statements. It is in these symptoms that we can detect persons with schizophrenia. And it is important that we diagnose them for medical treatment for schizophrenia may lead to violent behavior. B. Statement of the Problem People with schizophrenia don’t relate with people well and therefore makes it hard for the people who care for them to maintain a healthy relationship with them, the people they are related to, for example. For Schizophrenic people, it is hard to hold a stable job or even care for themselves. This makes them dependent on others and who else is best to care for them than their own family. However, schizophrenia sometimes results to violent behavior due to their inability to think clearly and belief that people are always trying to harm them. That is why many of their family members don’t know how to deal with them and this causes stress within the family. C. Thesis Statement Effects of Having a Schizophrenic Family Member D. Significance of the Study Schizophrenia is not a rare condition. The lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia is widely accepted to be 1 in a 100. It therefore affects thousands of families. The love and support of a family is vital in treating Schizophrenia but it is difficult to cope with its symptoms. A family member deals with extreme reactions, deterioration from personal hygiene, inability to concentrate and social withdrawal. It is seen that families only put up with the patients for a short period of time because of their frustration in what seems to be lack of progress in treatments. In their inability to understand a person with schizophrenia, a family’s emotional support may wane and some even cut off all contact with their schizophrenic son, daughter, or sibling.

Hope for Melal

The book â€Å"Melal â€Å"by Robert Barclay takes place in 1981 in The Marshall Islands of the South Pacific. The people known as the Marshallese are the natives to these islands. Overtime other cultures began to settle on these islands also, such as the Spanish, Japanese, and Americans. Out of these three cultures the Americans were the most domineering and devastating to the Marshallese people. The Americans took over the Marshallese native land and forced all of them to live on one island in deplorable conditions. The Marshallese had their freedom revoked from them; they then had to live under the Americans rules. Two of the Marshallese characters in this story who believes strongly in withholding many of the native Marshallese custom and traditions are Jebro and Rujen. These two characters portray great hope that they can sustain these important aspects of their culture. Hope starts with believing in something one desires can happen. Sparks of hope are revealed throughout this story through the character Jebro. Jebro’s hope comes from believing that he can continue on the traditions of his native culture, so that the traditions will not be lost. He believes he can do this by teaching important Marshallese traditions to younger Marshallese, and Americans who take an interest in learning. â€Å"Maybe on one of your days off I can swing by with a boat and we’ll go fish. The rules say we’re not supposed to stop over here, but I’m sure we’ll get away with it. You can show me how you knew where that school was gonna come up. Or did you use that magic finger of yours? Jebro nodded, smiling now. Okay we go fishing sometime, but if you want my secrets that are worth more than any boat you give me! He laughed â€Å"(Barclay 253). I think this passage in the story shows that Jebro is realizing that not all Americans like Travis, are bad people. This gives him hope that he can begin to teach Americans about what is important to the Marshallese natives, so they can come to better understand some of the traditions that the natives value. Rujen’s hope in this story is derived from him finally acting on his beliefs in Part 3 of the story. This took place after Rujen tried to integrate for such a long time with the Americans, which lead Rujen into such an empty ife he could no longer take it. He finally snapped and realized that he is a Marshallese and should stop pretending to be something he is not. â€Å"Yokwe, he said, he drove the knife down. That was when blood came up from the mouth of the mermaid on Good Friday, 1981 â€Å"(Barclay 262). I think this is Rujen’s first sign that he has belief that there is still hope for the Marshallese. Rujen performed this act of killing the dolphin, because the Marshallese people believe that it is bad luck to not kill any dolphin that came into the lagoon. This is Rujen’s way of standing up for the traditions and culture he was brought up in. If Rujen did not perform this task, the Americans were going to make it a law that it was illegal to kill dolphins. The fact that Rujen got away with this task, gives all Marshallese people hope that their traditions can still be performed. The second sign of Rujen‘s hope in this story is shown in the following passage, â€Å"How could a Marshallese be trespassing on a Marshallese island? The ticket filled Rujen with an unbearable loathing of the ignorant man who had written it. He waved the ticket in front of Oly’s face, nearly slapping him with it. Maybe you better pay me fifty bucks! You pig â€Å"(Barclay 271). In this passage Rujen is standing up for the Marshallese people in hope of reclaiming the land that had been taken from them. â€Å"I like it when boys like yours go trespassing on the outer islands. All boys should go if they have the chance, instead of just lying around and drinking. He slapped Lazarus’s knee. Maybe we all should go, Alfred said. We should go live on those islands and tell the Army to shoot their missiles at Ebeye instead! Kinoj and the others, not laughing, seemed to be giving Alfred’s proposal serious thought† (Barclay 279). I think that this passage shows that a lot of the Marshallese agrees with Rujen. They have hope that if all the Marshallese stick together and try to take their land back over, that they will be successful. The Marshallese has real hope that they can believe in. Hope that there belief’s and traditions will be carried on for many generation’s. If they stick together, I think that they can be successful in gaining their lives back. I believe the Americans and Marshallese will find a common ground and live happily together, and share the land. They are two different cultures, but many different cultures co-exist. People to have different beliefs and values and we can all learn from one another. If in the South Pacific everyone was governed by the same laws, and was treated equally I feel that the quality of life would drastically improve for the natives in that region.

The Way the U.S.A Prepares

The government's role is mostly to hand out the cash for the people of the states to repair and and to prepare.The cash is raised by the senate when needed.State use the cash to prepare by funding shelter,hospitales,and other places to be ready for the disaster they are expecting.such as when they prepare for a hurricane they would use the money to prepare storm shelters and stock food for after the hurricane. There was also the preparation of people .Such as hurricane michel there were many active members of the u.s military that participated it search and rescue.Other nations prepare in similar was such as funding local place with disaster relief and readiness,but is different in what they prepare for some disasters are not as common here as somewhere else . The government is not alway helpful in these matters since the president has the power to allow or deny request for money.it is not uncommon for a president to deny the request as well.They could change this by giving the support that the state need at the time so they can help the people faster.The federal government is well prepared for the hurricane coming,and florida is preparing as well getting preparations ready. After the hurricane passes relfe services will be put into action such as giving food to those that need it and other necessities.A similar case is puerto rico and how they are still recovering from a disaster they recently went though.they are looking to find housing for those that lost it and giving help to relief efforts,but the country can not handle such a task so it has sought the help of the u.s federal government.in the u.s we have services such as FEMA and the USDA to help citizens when disaster strikes. Not only those but each branch helps in there own way.executive can give the states the money they need,while the judicial branch restores order.lastly the legislative decides the policies on how they go about handling the situation and raises the money for the states.Policies such as the disaster relief bill the senate passed to help the victims of hurricane harvey.

Netflix: A Case Analysis Essay

Netflix offers a variety of product services to its customers. The company offers traditional DVD rental by mail, instant streaming of DVD content through home PCS, and streaming on Netflix-ready devices that could be hooked up to one’s TV. Netflix has a subscription based model, which allows customers to utilize their products/services through a per month fee rather than a pay as you go rate. Although the company offers eight different subscription packages, it derives its largest revenues from its $8.99, $13.99, and $16.99 subscription plans that include unlimited DVDs per month, 1-3 titles out at one time, plus unlimited streaming of online content. The Netflix Strategy Netflix’s strategy so far has been to focus on not just one or two aspects of their customer base, but to focus themselves in a number of directions in order to build upon and capitalize on a growing subscriber base. Their main strategy has been to build and maintain the most comprehensive selection of DVD titles in the industry, and they have done so by creating mutually beneficial relationships with a number of entertainment video providers. Their second main strategy has been focused on product differentiation- not only how customers receive content and consume it, but also how customers choose what to watch. Netflix’s number one competitive advantage is their unique software that takes what a customer has seen or rated, and based upon that information builds a list of suggested titles similar to ones they have just watched. While other companies like Blockbuster had begun to leak into the rent-by-mail niche category that Netflix had started, no other company had cus tomer profiling software quite like Netflix. U.S. Movie, TV, & Video Game Rental Market (2006-2009) Consumer Movie Rental Market Revenue ($ million) 2006 2007 2008 2009 In-store Rentals $7,030 $6,215 $5,674 $5,118 Vending Machine Rentals 79 198 486 917 By Mail Rentals 1,291 1,797 1,949 2,114 VOD (cable, digital, & subscription) 993 1,077 1,365 1,684 Between 2006 and 2009, the film rental market underwent a major shift. The in-store rental market declined by nearly $2 million, while vending machine rentals increased tenfold and by-mail rentals nearly doubled. However, VOD services through cable, digital, and subscription also saw major increases. All of these changes meant companies like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery had to either reorganize and make a complete business model shift- or face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the increases in by-mail rentals and VOD subscription, two services that Netflix offered, meant that the number of Netflix subscribers more than doubled in that same time frame. Purchase decisions from customers were focused on convenient access, price, variety of DVD offerings, ease of return/return fees. Therefore, the key success factors within the U.S. DVD rental industry were quickly becoming: 1) A variety of distribution channels (mail, online streaming, streaming to TV, vending machine, etc) 2) Superior video libr aries (including new releases,  classics, hard to find) 3) Little to no fees associated with renting or returning DVDs 4) Ease of use (in terms of returning) 5) A strong network of entertainment video providers, i.e. suppliers Customers like variety; a video rental store that only stocks the newest releases will not appeal to all markets. Increasingly, customers are becoming more nostalgic in their movie preferences, searching for titles long past premiere. Customers have also become increasingly busy, often not having the time to go to a store to pick out a movie or remembering to return their rentals on time. We live in a world of instant gratification, where being able to click a few buttons and watch the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com or an old cult classic like Rocky Horror is extremely important. Customers also do not like fees. More and more companies today are offering free shipping/return shipping, and the same is true in the DVD rental industry. Five Forces Analysis of the Industry Rivalry among competing sellers: High. Buyer costs of switching brands is low and product offerings are weakly differentiated. The number of competitors is growing and rivals have diverse strategies for providing their services. Competitive pressure from buyer bargaining power: Medium to high. The cost of switching to competing products is low, as well as the level of convenience for switching. Products are for the most part undifferentiated. Competitive pressure from supplier bargaining power: Low to medium. There are a large number of suppliers within the industry and a variety of ways in with to gain access to the needed material. However, most sellers cannot self-manufacture these movie titles; whereas the suppliers could easily begin offering these services themselves. Competitive pressure from substitute products: Low. The cost per DVD to buy is greater than that to rent or stream a movie. Buyer demand for purchasing DVDs is decreasing due to the lack of disposable income creat ed by the financial crisis, as well as the practicality of owning a vast collection of physical DVDs. Potential of new entrants: High. The market is growing at an ever increasing pace and barriers to entry are low. Buyer demand continues to increase as well, and existing industry members are looking to expand their market reach. (See Appendix 1 for a visual representation). There are a number of drivers of  change affecting the movie retail industry. As mentioned previously, there has been a shift in consumer’s willingness to go out of their way for certain products or services. The consumer climate has shifted to an instant gratification model, in which if acquiring a movie to watch requires more effort than clicking a few buttons, then it is no longer worth the consumer’s time. This force is somewhat unfavorable in terms of competitive intensity because it will drives firms within the industry to compete in a never ending sprint to offer the most titles in the shortest amount of time, which will eventually hit its peak and taper off. However, this force will also positively impact future industry profitability since the more streamlined the process becomes, the more users and more uses the industry will gain. Another force driving change is the switch from buying physical DVDs and acquiring movie collections to accessing them online as needed. This saves consumers valuable time and money, and they no longer need to worry about keeping their DVDs in good condition. This force will positively affect future industry profitability because it will reduce the number of distribution plants needed to sustain video libraries, thus significantly reducing operating costs. Not having to stock multiple copies of millions of DVDS will mean that companies will no longer have to spend money on: Multiple large plants Staffing said plants with a large labor force Operating said plants in terms of rent, utilities, etc Postage (in terms of Netflix specifically) DVD maintenance Mailing and location software One more force that is affecting the movie rental industry is the introduction and proliferation of VOD services offered directly from cable networks and providers. Barriers to entry for these already existing firms is extremely low, and if all networks chose to offer these services, a large portion of profits would be cannibalized from outside companies such as Netflix or Hulu. This force will negatively affect competitive intensity, but positively affect future industry profitability. If the large supplier companies (cable networks & providers) all started offering their own VOD, competition from smaller independent renting firms would disappear. Yet  profitability would increase due to the ease of access to entire network libraries. Mapping the Movie Retail Industry The competitive characteristics that differentiate firms within the movie retail industry are as follows: Use of distribution channels Product line breadth Price Geographic coverage Ease of access/use In conducting my analysis of the strategic positioning of firms within this industry, I chose to focus on price and use of distribution channels (See Appendix 2). Netflix and VOD providers are positioned most favorably on the map because both offer moderately priced subscription packages for access to a comprehensive list of movie and TV show offerings using a variety of distribution channels. Netflix is positioned most favorably due to its relative low cost compared to the variety of products it offers access to. Redbox is priced well, but it only offers one method of distribution. Whereas Blockbuster is priced higher than average, but has begun to offer streaming and mail rental options in addition to in store rentals. A Financial Analysis of Netflix Overall, Netflix has fared fairly well over the past several years, even surviving the financial crisis. They continue to generate a profit, and their revenue has grown at a steady rate indicative of the growth of the mail rental & online streaming movie retail market. The company has been growing at an average rate of 20% over the last four years. However, from 2007 to 2008, Netflix only grew at a rate of 13.22%. This noticeable fluctuation in their growth rate can most likely be contributed to the financial crisis that swept the nation during that year. Aside from that dip, Netflix can be expected to continue to grow at a rate indicative of the continued growth of mail and digital movie rental industry. Product costs for Netflix have remained relatively stable over the last four years at over 60% of revenue, fluctuating only by 4% or less. This is  despite the fact that revenues for the company have been steadily increasing. This clearly shows an inability to control manufacturing & operating costs. As Netflix expands, so does its physical DVD inventory and size/number of distribution plants. Although one of their strategies is transition subscribers to streaming delivery as opposed to mail delivery, it is obvious that they have yet to be truly successful in that endeavor. Netflix’s ROA hit an all-time high of 17.05% in 2009, which is somewhat surprising given that the company is deriving most of its revenues from a nubile market. The mail and digital movie rental industry is still growing, so to have an ROA that high is quite an accomplishment. It is clear that the company’s investments in new assets are succeeding in generating returns. (See Appendix 3 for a complete financial analysis of Netflix from 2006-2009). SWOT Analysis of Netflix’s Standing within the Market Strengths Opportunities Netflix cornered the market on direct mail renting before anyone else offered it Has a wide geographic coverage and the fastest turnaround rate Known for its 1 month free trials The brand has a following across a wide variety of consumer segments Their strong relationship with a large network of entertainment video providers Top management realizes the importance/emergence of the digital environment and is trying to shift subscriber use accordingly Netflix has developed unique and comprehensive movie selection software that customizes the consumer experience by capitalizing on their movie tastes and making accurate suggestions Netflix offers the most detailed movie information including customer reviews, critic reviews, etc The increasing demand for digital streaming is clearly an opportunity The shift from by mail rental to digital streaming gives Netflix an opportunity to restructure its subscription packages and price them even more competitively The firm can look at joining forces with some of the networks that are beginning to offer VOD streaming Weaknesses Threats Netflix is a market leader in by mail rental, which has now capped off and started to become a declining category The company’s comprehensive DVD libraries and distribution centers are eating up a large chunk of their revenues Unlike other movie rental/streaming companies, Netflix does not offer access to newly released films Changing subscriber preference towards online streaming will affect Netflix’s current portfolio mix The increasing intensity of competition from other companies, such as Hulu with their Hulu Plus program will eat into Netflix’s consumer base Increasing number of networks that are beginning to offer free streaming of content on their websites For the moment, Netflix’s overall situation is fairly attractive. Being the first company to introduce a new niche in a market is a huge asset. A company cannot simply ‘buy’ cornering the market on a good or service. Since Netflix already offers unlimited direct streaming, that puts it ahead of some of its competitors. However, Netflix will need to restructure and reevaluate the profitability of its by mail rental service in the near future. Compared with Blockbuster and VOD Providers, Netflix has the highest level of competitive strength at 46 points. Netflix by far has the most comprehensive number of products and distribution channels, given that consumers can either rent DVDs by mail or stream them on their PC or TV. The number of distribution channels factors into the company’s ease of use, as does the fact that their DVDs come with prepaid return envelopes. VOD Providers are a similar ease of use to Netflix given that consumers can just click a few buttons on the TV and instantly be watching their chosen film. Blockbuster is ranked lowest in terms of price & fees because their prices are based on a per DVD cost, and when sales began to decrease, the company increased its prices. Not to mention that there are late fees associated with renting, whereas with Netflix you can keep a DVD for as long as you like without incurring fees. Blockbuster also scores lower in terms of the number of products because their l ibrary is limited by store space, whereas Netflix and VOD Providers can have a virtually unlimited library of titles spanning the entire duration of the movie industry. Performance Concerns Overall, Netflix’s performance is quite satisfactory. The company persevered through the financial crisis and has managed to hold on to market majority despite growing competition from rival firms. a) My main concern for Netflix is the amount of revenue that is currently being eaten up by product costs. Despite steadily increasing revenues, Netflix’s COGS continues to take up more than 60% of said revenue. In the coming years when the market shifts entirely to direct streaming, Netflix will be left with millions of  DVDs and operating costs associated with the large distribution centers required to house these DVDs. If the company takes too long to phase out this aspect of its product/service portfolio, it could lose out on major profits and potentially wind up in debt. b) A second issue I see for Netflix is that more and more companies are beginning to offer streaming of their own content either for free to the public, or free to subscribers of certain cable companie s. Since Netflix has a cost associated with it, its customer base could be cannibalized by these new entrants. Recommendations a) Given that by mail renting is on the decline, Netflix should work quickly to phase out this service from its current offerings. Right now there are still companies out there willing to take on extensive DVD libraries- five or so years from now, that may not be the case and Netflix will have lost out on an opportunity to avoid a significant loss. b) Netflix needs to look at restructuring and re-pricing their current subscription packages. The number of packages and their prices that the company offers are no longer relevant to demand. With more and more entrants into the market, Netflix is losing its competitive pricing advantage. In sum, in order to remain competitive Netflix needs to restructure both its product offerings and pricing strategy. The company should be looking ahead to see what the next big thing in movie rental/streaming will be and capitalize on that, while other firms are still entering the market and developing what Netflix already has.

Marketing communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing communication - Essay Example The selection of the proper target group and promoting the event is very much important. To satisfy the demanding customers the event management companies are creating new ways to win the customers mind. The Glastonbury Music and Art festival is one of the legendary events in the world. And to design a marketing campaign for this event is a challenging work to do. However, the proper marketing communication mix is discussed in this particular paper to make it the best event in UK. The events like Woodstock music festival, October Fest, many sports events like Football World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Olympics, and art and music festival like Glastonbury Festival of contemporary performing art are globally renowned events and managing these events with suitable marketing communication is a very challenging job Introduction: Marketing is concept that, boost up the sales. It is basically a presale activity. Marketing is something which needs innovation and creativity as the act of marketin g depends on the need and preferences of the consumers. The marketing is the blood of the company, without the proper act of marketing it is very hard to sell a product. Marketing consist of many factors and, it is always changing with the changes in the mind of the customer. There are many theories in marketing management but, most of the times these theories are better to be read in the books for the academic excellences but, in real life the marketing have ever changing dimensions. It should be remembered by each and every marketing person that, marketing is not only about the selling product in a fast manner. It should be remembered that the proper marketing strategy would give a long term effect on the product itself to modify into a brand. Most of the time marketing and sales is taken as the cause and effect, but marketer forget about another asset associated with the marketing and that is brand. This paper will take an attempt to identify the best marketing communication proc esses, advertising tag lines and best ethical practices of the advertising with the proper regulations for the event called The Glastonbury Music and Art festival. The paper will mostly focus on the best marketing campaign which includes media, PR and online promotions. The identification of target audience, conceptualizing the event and post event analysis is very much important for any event management company. The event management industry has given a new look to the global event business. The properly managed international events have a great effect on the economy of the country. The event management business and the core concept of globalizing the events have given a great repute to the cultural festivals. An Evaluation of Marketing Communications: The marketing mix: In this new era of marketing the traditional 4 Ps are not enough anymore. As every product is associated with some kinds of services so the 7 Ps are more relevant. Service marketing required some more specification s as far as the marketing is concern. The traditional four Ps of marketing are very important for the product marketing. However, according to Crane (1993) the additional three Ps are also very important for the service oriented business (Crane: 1993). And they are people, physical evidence and the process. According to Rutherford and O’Fallon (2007) the hospitality industry works with three main parties and they are the owner of the hotel, the management team and the

MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

MARKETING - Essay Example HFSS refers to foods high in fats, sugars, and salts. This key marketing issue aligns with the advertising appeal strategy (Zou and Fu, 2011: 116). According to this theory, products ought to be advertised or marketed in a manner that would manipulate or control consumer behavior in relation to purchasing. The message in the advertisement particularly in the media according to Akabas, Lederman and Moore (2012: 49) should be captivating in order to capture the attention of the consumers. The article posits the introduction of regulations in the year 2009 in a bid to limit advertisement of unhealthy foods. As a consequence of the regulations, the rate at which unhealthy foods has been advertised in the media has been curtailed. As elucidated by Veenema (2003: 172), the Maslows hierarchy of needs outlines health in terms of safety as one of the basic need in human existence. Obesity is considered one of the most serious childhood health issues in the developed world. This has been largely contributed by advertisement through the social media and other channels (Delgado, 2013: n.p). It is of significance to posit that children are easily manipulated hence are more likely to develop food preferences from advertisements (Varley, 2012: 92). This is one loophole that has been exploited by food companies in marketing unhealthy foods to children through the social media. Therefore, ensuring that children access information of healthy foods is imperative for the maintenance o f a healthy and productive population (Samour and King, 2012: 518). Though the regulations introduced in 2009 have reduced promotion of unhealthy foods in the television sets, there has been an observable increase in advertisements particularly in the social media (Preedy, Watson and Martin, 2011: 982). In the contemporary world, there has been a lot of advancements in terms of technology. It is very easy for individuals

Critical Thinking English- A New Earth Chapters Eight and Nine Essay

Critical Thinking English- A New Earth Chapters Eight and Nine - Essay Example It is all about holding on and never about letting go. Therefore, even I myself can only hardly comprehend the meaning of letting go, especially on the spiritual level. Nevertheless, perhaps, what we human beings have not noticed is that the more we try to hold on to something – no matter how much we love and value it, the more fear we experience. Fear is a debilitating phenomenon and it is real. If fear reaches its maximum in us, we would not be able to function as good individuals anymore and we react with anger even towards that thing that we have always held on to. The only way therefore to enjoy our lives without the fear is to let go. The process of letting go begins with the acceptance of the inevitability of change. This mere acceptance may bring about negative feelings in us or even more fear at first. Nevertheless, it will definitely eventually bring us the inner peace that we have always been longing for. This peace is the realization that the material comes only se condary to the spiritual. We can always let go of the material so that we can let go of the fear. When we have let go of things and when we have let go of fear and when we are filled with great peace, it is only then that we realize that we are powerful. In fact, as what Rilke said in â€Å"Buddha in Glory,† â€Å"Now you feel how nothing clings to you/ your vast shell reaches into endless space/ and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow/ illuminated in your infinite peace† (Rilke). From Chapter 9, the line that appealed to me the most was â€Å"Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment† (162). Success is fleeting, and it is sweet because it only happens at a specific moment and deep down we know that the happiness that success brings will not last long. The society we live in as well as our educational system and everything else around us and within

Human Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Capital - Essay Example In the current scenario, people are the differentiators of a business enterprise; human capital is the profit lever of the knowledge economy. Human capital is the combination of genetic inheritance, education, experience and attitude towards life and business (Bontis & Fitz-enz, 2002). Human capital is the source of innovation and strategy. Sustained competitive advantage can accrue from a pool of human capital. Human capital adds value and is not substitutable. With these factors in mind, IBM, world's leading IT hardware, software and services company has devised its own strategy for recruitment and selection. Gordon (2002), states that organizations encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining top talent because they have yet to deal with today's most critical human resources issues. It is essential to create a talent powered company consisting of highly motivated, skilled and loyal employees because such companies not only recruit the best but also retain the best through employee-centered strategies. In toady's world compensation packages do not matter. What is important is for the managers to take responsibility for retaining the best people. Managers need to meet their employees to discuss workplace concerns and possible solutions. If the managers are able to identify what the employees value, then they have the key to retention strategy that does not rely solely on financial benefits. Person-Organization (P-O) fit is the new approach that attempts to understand the selection process as this is directly related to talent retention within the organization (Westerman & Cyr, 2004) . Research suggests that the recruiters' perception of fit is often inaccurate as they are more predictive of hiring decisions than the actual fit between an applicant and the organization. High employee turnover is a consequence of poor P-O fit. IBM however follows a different system of recruitment and selection and is able to retain talent. They believe in equal opportunity, in work force diversity, they believe in promoting women and also re-employing the older staff. While HR practices were traditionally performed internally, companies have increasingly started outsourcing such activities. Recruiting and selection (R&S) has gradually become one of the most outsourced HR functions (Ordanini & Silvestri, 2008). According to the transaction cost principle if the cost of using the market is lower than that of internal production, it should be outsourced. The resource based view suggests that internal resources should be utilized for core competencies otherwise the activity should be externalized to preserve the internal resources for core functions. Based on these theories it has been considered profitable to outsource R&S functions and IBM too has taken such steps. In order for organizations to develop an image of 'employer of choice', they have to tread carefully in outsourcing recruitment (Thite, 2004). Mills (2002) says it is impossible to run the recruitment process single-handedly while simultaneously developing the core business. It is advisable to outsource the primary candidate selection and the first round of interviews while keeping the final selection decision with the company. Outsourcing recruitment process alleviates the administrative burden of sourcing and screening candidates with the right skills but Fish and Macklin (2004) caution the HRM professionals must ensure that the service providers have knowledge, integrity,

Personal Statment Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statment - Personal Statement Example On the other hand, weaknesses are very imperative and essential to complete an individual’s life, and individuals become successful when they are able to utilize their strengths in a way to turn their weaknesses into qualities. In this regard, I have felt that I am holder of a very altruistic personality that often seems a weakness in this materialistic world in which, everyone is running after notions of success, money, and fame. I am glad that I have been successful in turning my weaknesses into a strength that has allowed me to become a mature person in this life who has the vision and capability to bring some constructive change in this world. However, it is very essential that individuals should set realistic objectives to be successful, and application for attaining Bachelors Degree in Petroleum Engineering is part of such belief that will allow me to acquire understanding of theoretical frameworks related to the field of engineering. In addition, acquisition of this degree will facilitate me in achieving my objectives of obtaining a sound career in the engineering field. I have carried out extensive research regarding the engineering profession, and have gained tremendous respect for it, as the field has been significant in bringing influential and positive alterations in so many lives globally. I belong to a country that is rich in natural resources, specifically petroleum that indicates the wide-ranging scope of the petroleum engineering in the country. Besides scope, engineering subjects have always been ahead in inspiring me with their calculations and formulas that is another reason of choosing the engineering field for my career. For this reason, I have explored different aspects of the field, and petroleum engineering seemed the ideal field for me. In this regard, I have searched your reputable academic institution, and have utmost

Constitutional convention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Constitutional convention - Essay Example by the bankruptcy it was steeped in, and could not afford to compensate the military for their services in the Revolutionary warfare, or settle the loans approved to finance the war effort. By 1786, United States was insolvent. Additionally, the liberal country experienced a lot more other challenges and threats. States were ravine with the war of economic bigotry against trade from other states. Southern states locked horns with northern states for economic benefit. The nation was badly prepared to fight a war; this prompted other countries to doubt whether pacts with the United States were really up to the task of the paper they were written on. Ever so, the American citizenry suffered from the indignant conceit, as European countries rejected the United States as a mediocre republic. America’s money lending class was deeply steeped in anxiety. It is these troubles existent in the Confederation of States which persuaded the Continental Congress, in the fall of February 1787, to convene for a conference of delegates to rally in May in Philadelphia (McClellan 1-2). For three and a half consecutive months throughout a sweltering, clammy Philadelphia summer, the delegates argued about outstandingly perceptive issues, including whether the national government should be permitted to sanction state laws and whether the states should be abolished. To hearten the delegates to articulate unequivocally, the Constitutional Convention seized astonishing foot paths to guarantee confidentiality. Guards were stationed at the doors of Independence Hall, and no replicas of the periodical were tolerable. Delegates were advised to raze their annotations (Linder 1). The Virginia Plan that was originally written by James Madison but offered by Edmund Randolph favored a national legislature separated into two houses, that is: the senate and the House of Representatives. Ideally, electorates in every state would vote members of the House of Representatives. Even more, the American

Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operation Management - Essay Example The utilization of capacity management ideology in running a restaurant enables managers to make accurate decisions regarding staffing and procedures to enhance profit gaining and improve the guest experience in the restaurant or hotel. The paper aims to espouse on the overall concept of operation management and describes the operational management activities utilized to realize success, in terms of capacity management in hospitality in this particular hotel. The paper extensively tackles the general aspect of the operation management in conjunction with the tactics and application requirements needed in the establishment of an affiliation on the grounds of adept hospitality and capacity management. Operation Management Operation Management is a tremendously important facet in the business world today (Greasley 2008). All organizations in the world, regardless of their types produce an assortment of products and services. All corporations depend on operation management, as it is an i mportant asset in improving the efficacy of the affiliation and delivery of quality customer service. An influential business skill determines business changes like in customer preferences, internet technology-based supply networks and details of work. In order for all the other branches of a company to work hand in hand, operation managers should unite and toil together. A more accurate definition of operation management perhaps is that, it is part of businesses and companies, which deals with organizing and controlling the company’s assets to guarantee victorious delivery of the products and services. ... In this case study, we look into the strategies and tactics used to manage capacity in a hospitality operation of Hotel du Vin Birmingham UK. The main purpose of operations management is to alter the inputs of a corporation into the services or products that are saleable. Inputs are such things as employees or workforce of the company, the amenities and practices, including the information, technology and materials. At a manufacturing plant, the conversion process is the process of physically converting unprocessed materials into ready to use merchandise, for instance, changing skin and rubber into sneakers, or plastic into toys. With airlines, the procedure is utterly different. It is, in this case, the successful relocation of people from a certain position to another. At a hotel, it is the housekeeping and offering of specialized service in rooms, with new linen, excellent cuisine and the output is happy customers who then pay up (Bettley, Mayle and Tantoush 2005). At a hospital, the efforts and outputs are also different. The input could be doctors getting organized, medical attention, and offering of drugs to convert the patients into strong individuals. Hotels select a dissimilar approach in their pursuit for affluence. They use a control tool known as, yield management (Karlsson 2008). Organizations majorly employ this technique to effectively exploit the utilization of the accessible capacity and seek monetary affluence. Yield management is not a new conception. Other corporations like airlines employed this notion before its implementation by hotels (Wild 2002). Most hotels carry out different forms of yield management, for instance, they could