Solectron From Contract Manufacturer to Global Supply Chain Integrator Essay Example

Solectron: From Contract Manufacturer to Global Supply Chain Integrator Paper In 1977, Solectron was founded in the wake of the solar energy boom, and primarily focused on making solar energy products. They soon began assembling printed circuit boards for other electronic firms. Solectron was located close to Silicon Valley and its electronic industry, so a number of clients were readily available for its manufacturing services. In the early 1980s, Solectron turned their efforts towards contract manufacturing, which turned the job shop business into an important industry. Solectron began to purchase the manufacturing facilities of its customers, which enabled them to sign long-term supply contracts with them as well as increasing supply to multiple other customers. By the end of the 90s, Solectron had three strategic business units- Technology Solutions, Global Manufacturing, and Global Services. Solectron focused their business on superior customer service and respect for the individual. It was through constant assessment and continuous improvement that Solectron was able to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award two consecutive times, which was a new record. Solectron continued to lead innovation in technological developments, which continued to increase their advantage over their competitors. In 2000, a softening economy led to falling demand for Solectron services, and at one point, Solectron’s inventory rose to an excess of $1 billion. After restructuring for the slower economy, Solectron was optimistic about its future in developing markets. Questions: What value did Solectron provide to its customers, and how did it evolve over time? Value Solectron provided to its customers: We will write a custom essay sample on Solectron: From Contract Manufacturer to Global Supply Chain Integrator specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Solectron: From Contract Manufacturer to Global Supply Chain Integrator specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Solectron: From Contract Manufacturer to Global Supply Chain Integrator specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Cost – President Dr. Winston Chen insisted that lowest cost could only be achieved with highest quality. This element challenged the practice of their competitors. Quality – Solectron’s high focus on high quality electronics manufacturing services was reflected in their receiving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award twice. The management at Solectron used the award’s evaluation application process as a benchmark for continuous improvement. All of the recommendations were used in many aspects of the company’s operations for improvement. Flexibility – Solectron offered a wide range of products in a number of areas to its customers, including Networking, Telecommunications, and Computers. The strategic acquisitions in the early 1990’s allowed the company to have a broad variety of manufacturing facilities and expand the services offered. Service – The company used the basic principles of superior customer service and respect for the individual to run the company. These principles were evident in their interaction with its customers. For example, they relied heavily on the customer’s input and feedback for continuous improvement and used various measures of customer satisfaction to work towards becoming best manufacturing company in the world. Value evolved over time: Cost – Solectron used their strategy of becoming the premier source of outsourcing for businesses as a strategic advantage. Their volume increased greatly due to their growing number of customers and business. This allowed them to offer reduced prices due to the greater volume purchasing and economies of scale production. Quality – As production quality can be limited to certain physical features and customer specifications, Solectron has shifted towards a more service quality oriented partner while maintaining product superiority. Although the focus on product quality is imperative to maintaining relations with customers, service quality is a significant source of differentiation in an industry that already expects great production capabilities. Flexibility – With increasing production demands from customers along with an extensive range of desirable markets, flexibility must be a key consideration when competing in the EMS industry. Evolving alongside market conditions, Solectron has acquired many facilities in order to accommodate both consumer and locational demands of their customers. By becoming in essence a global supply chain integrator, Solectron is able to utilize each production facility to an optimal level, source from regions where most value is captured, as well as capitalize on market lead-times from close proximity to target markets. Service – Building upon a great foundation of customer service, Solectron has developed to encompass an essential array of services to offer their customers. This cornucopia of services was broken down into three distinct business units, with one supplying each. As stated by Diana Farrell in Beyond Offshoring, the IT/business process outsourcing in a global standpoint has only a 1% annual value of global trade to annual value of industry sales ratio, indicating significant potential for improvement and capitalization of future revenues. By offering these services especially in the EMS industry that is mostly production centered, Solectron is able to differentiate themselves from its competition by offering excellent service competence. Considering this service factor coupled with great product quality, Solectron is very hard to beat in this industry. The technology solutions unit provided modular and embedded systems design and manufacturing systems that customers could utilize to enhance their operational efficiency. The global manufacturing unit allowed Solectron to handle the demands of product manufacturing of their customers. Although contract manufacturing was their main source of revenue, they also offered new product introduction services and pre-manufacturing capabilities to further offer their expertise on production efficiencies and excellent sourcing. The global services unit was essentially Solectron’s formal customer service business unit. This unit offered product repair, upgrades, and maintenance services through both production facilities and service centers. In addition to the product oriented services, this unit also offered service concerning warehousing, logistics, returns management, engineering change management, and end-of-life management. The global materials services supplemented each of the three business units with operational proficiencies such as interactions with suppliers, procurement, optimizing inventories, preparing market forecasts, and providing worldwide logistics support. How has the company been able to successfully integrate its acquisitions? The company successfully integrated its acquisitions by focusing on two important aspects, employees and culture. The success of Solectron was dependent upon Solectron’s ability to leverage the new employees’ intelligence and experience. There was an integration team with members representing the functional areas to plan a business integration process before the acquisitions were even finalized. An even more detailed plan was created upon finalization, which helped the training of new employees to act as a Solectron resource. Analyze the strategic factors behind Solectron’s move from a contract manufacturing supplier to a supply chain integrator. How did globalization help Solectron in this endeavor? Strategic factors behind Solectron’s move: New Business Model – OEMs decided to concentrate their efforts and resources to their core competencies of product definition, engineering, and marketing in order for Solectron to focus on their core competencies of procurement and production. By realigning the focus of their customer’s primary activities, Solectron was able to transition towards their position as a long-term partner rather than a contract manufacturer. From a strategic standpoint, this stance of the global marketplace leverages Solectron with a sustainable competitive advantage; however, it requires extensive global utilization of resources and relationships to be able to supply the customer’s demands. Consolidation and Relocation – The EMS industry had consolidated most of the top tier firms to create fewer, but larger controlling firms. With this consolidation, Solectron’s new global network was developed to be strategically close to customers in emerging markets which allowed them to introduce new products in the areas with the end user with great product-to-market lead-times. This allows Solectron to fulfill its role as the global supply chain integrator for customers with much flexibility and responsive capabilities. o Information Systems – Solectron used technology to its advantage by improving its operation and allowing the customer to optimize their supply chain in different ways. This allowed multiple parties to have access to the same data and information and ultimately reduce the bull whip effect, which fluctuates demand forecasts significantly. Global Supply Chain Integration Services – As a player in the EMS industry, Solectron had to shift their focus to being a strategic option, rather than a tactical option from their customers’ standpoint. To supplement their excellent service from a purely manufacturing view, another point of differentiation that Solectron utilized was their position and culture in customer service. They expect only the highest quality out of their products, services, and employees. To further build upon this idea of customer service, Solectron has organized the firm into three distinct business units including technology solutions, global manufacturing, and global services, which are all supplied by global materials services, covered in detail earlier in the report.

Learn Direct Response Copywriting From Junk Mail Pros

Learn Direct Response Copywriting From Junk Mail Pros Are you ashamed at how vulnerable you are to junk mail? Direct response letters are part of the pantheon of junk mail.  Or at least, that’s one way to look at them. They are those letters that arrive that sell a product or solicit a donation from you, the main reason the postal service is probably still in business. Yet  direct response letters are an example of copywriting that can be extremely effective in getting your reader to take action. And, in that sense, they are not junk mail. They’re a copywriting gold mine. How To Write The Best Copy Ever With Advice From Junk Mail via @JulieNeidlingerDirect response copywriting is different from indirect response copywriting because of the timing of the response. Indirect response is copy that eventually leads to a purchase over time by building trust and awareness. Direct response pushes for a purchase immediately, at the end of that copy. That means that direct response copywriting is easily tested; you’ll know quickly whether your copy is working or not. Advertising czar David Ogilvy refused to hire any copywriter unless they’d spent a few years writing and studying direct response copywriting, that’s how valuable he thought direct response techniques were. Bill Jayme, Direct Response Extraordinaire In the 20th century, Bill Jayme’s direct response copywriting (via mail) was second to none. He was the king of the direct response mailed letter with clients lining up to pay him to write their letter. One of his better-known examples was something he wrote to help launch the magazine Psychology Today. Jayme also wrote the copy for the envelope, and for this particular piece, he posed a provocative headline: From Mike Capuzzi’s blog post on provocative headlines. The envelope needed to be opened, just like your marketing emails need to be opened, just like your blog posts need to be read. Jayme wrote a headline that piqued curiosity, and then combined it with a free take-it-now psychological test and another free offer. Whether a person answered yes or no to the question was irrelevant. It got them in the door. Marketer Gary Elwood suggests that Jayme was successful with his direct response copywriting because he took an unorthodox approach combining both the visual design of envelopes with powerful copy techniques that included: Using mystery and intrigue. How do you get people to open envelopes? To read? You make them curious. Jayme frequently asked questions or used cliffhangers to get people to proceed. Involving readers psychologically. Jayme would ask seemingly strange questions that would pull readers in. Questions such as, â€Å"Are you embarrassed to eat in a restaurant alone?† or â€Å"How much should you tip the waitress, when you’re planning to steal the ashtray?† are effective, regardless of whether the reader answers yes or no. They’ll keep reading to find out what their answer means. Using urgency. Jayme would create scarcity by suggesting there was only a limited quantity or a limited time. Scarcity motivates people. No one wants to be left out. Turning the service/product into something else. Jayme never lied about the product or service for sale, but he turned it into something more valuable. For example, you’re not selling a financial magazine, you’re selling knowledge that will make someone a savvy investor and ultimately more rich. Saying the word â€Å"free.† Jayme used the word â€Å"free† in as many ways as possible, even providing an example: ‘Free gift comes to you with our compliments gratis- on the house. It’s yours to keep as an outright present without cost or charge- not a penny!' That’s about eight ways to say â€Å"free† in two  sentences! Using exciting words. The words Jayme used were not boring. They often had cacophony to their sound and excitement in their meaning. They were words that caught attention, such as: dead, naked, free. Knowing who was reading. In order to ask the right provocative question, Jayme had to know what buttons to push. And that meant understanding the reader a bit. Elwood uses an excellent example of this: promotional copy for Coastal Living said, â€Å"If you love the shore, this new magazine will do you a world of good.† The first five words establish who the audience is that Jayme was targeting. Jayme was fond of empathy as a selling technique. This is evidenced by how he started most letters with â€Å"Dear Reader.† Empathy, incidentally, requires a far better understanding of your audience than mere demographics. Demographics tell you who the reader is and what they’re interested in. Empathy taps into understanding what the reader wants. For Further Reading: The Gary Halbert Letter: Gary Halbert has used classic direct response copywriting techniques in his pared down website. Read some of his copy to get an idea of how direct response copy sounds. â€Å"Junk Mail’s Top Dogs†: New York Times article that covers the history of the practice, and highlights Bill Jayme’s work. Bill Jayme’s â€Å"Cool Friday† letter: A wildly successful direct response letter Jayme wrote for Life Magazine, considered a classic in the genre. Armageddon Advertising: Putting fear into readers might not be the best route for you, but studying â€Å"armageddon advertising† is still a useful learning tool, as it taps into reader psychology. Learn From Direct Response  Copy Examples Clearly, direct response â€Å"junk mail† is powerful, even if we think it’s cheesy and doesn’t work. Because it does work, even on marketers who know what’s up. John Jantsch, from DuctTapeMarketing, pulled together some examples of sales letters, and extracted the foundation of what made them tick: They use a headline. There is always some sort of startling, attention-grabbing headline at work in a sales letter. Whether it was on the outside of the envelope or in the letter itself, the success of the sales letter hinged on this. They demonstrate how a reader benefits. The copy of a sales letter isn’t telling the reader how great the company or product is. Instead, they show how the reader will have a better life if they buy. They offer something logical. There must be an offer, of course, or it wouldn’t be a sales letter. But that offer must, by the time the reader gets to the end of the letter, make sense. Ads don’t offer anything. They announce sales and product prices. Too often, our copy does the same. There is a difference between an offer and an ad. The best offer is a deal that can’t be refused. With those three characteristics in mind, Jantsch dissects sales letter samples. I’ve summed up the sales copy approach with a template so that you can see the method distilled down. â€Å"If Your Name Is On This Letter† In this example of a letter from Newsweek, readers were encouraged to subscribe to the magazine. This type of sales copy, according to Jantsch, feeds into reader vanity. It suggests there is exclusivity at work and that the reader, should the offer apply to them, is special. Otherwise, if the offer isn’t of interest to them, they are common.  This copy relies heavily on the second person (â€Å"you†), and often starts out describing what isn’t (the negative) instead of what is (the positive). Writing to sell? Tell your reader they're special, offer exclusivity, guarantee enrichment.The first paragraph assures readers they are special (â€Å"your education and income set you apart from the general population†). The letter then proceeds to tell readers that subscribing to Newsweek won’t make them rich, won’t give them more friends, or give them a better job. At this point, readers are curious as to why they should get the magazine. The sales copy responds to that question by showing how the magazine can satisfy curiosity, reduce the boredom of small-minded conversation, and expand knowledge of what’s happening in the world. It then presents an offer that reduces risk by letting readers know they can get money back. Reader, you’re special. That’s why we contacted you. We’re not going to lie about what our offer will do for you. But we will enrich your life. If you don’t like it, we’ll return your money. â€Å"Two Young Men† The next example Jantsch uses is from the Wall Street Journal. This direct sales copy uses a story (which readers love) to promise readers success if they buy (and suggest a warning if they don’t). The Wall Street Journal starts with a simple paragraph telling the story of two young men who met back during a 25th college reunion. One man was a success, the other was not. The letter then proceeds in sections, outlining what made the difference between the two men (knowledge provided by the publication, in this case), and how that applies to the reader. Read this interesting story about two possible outcomes. We’ll tell you why this happened. We’ll show you how our offer will give you the better outcome. We’ll reiterate, one more time, why those outcomes were different. And then we’ll make you a risk-reduced offer, and remind you again of the story. â€Å"Dirty Hands† The third letter example in Jantsch’s ebook is from Popular Mechanics, and uses a couple of unique things. The letter itself has a visual box at the top, filled with brief copy that establishes whether the reader is the right audience using vanity and rather obvious qualifications we all want to assign to ourselves. â€Å"If you want to live better, don’t mind hard work, like to pay your own way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The rest of the copy works very hard at appealing not to the elitist, but to the â€Å"average Joe†.   It’s filled with homey phrases that promote elbow grease, hard work, and flag-waving. Write to sell: Appeal as understanding, offer just for them, give away a bonus for  free.Popular Mechanics knew its audience pretty well, and they knew this would be best way to elicit trust and provide a sense that they truly understood what their readers wanted or thought. In this case, it was an illustrated handyman guide, and the selling points were how it would save you money by showing you how to make repairs yourself, that it was easy to use, and it was for readers â€Å"just like you.† To cap it off, the offer included a free first book, no strings attached, telling you what kind of projects you could find on specific pages in that first book. We understand you perfectly, and we made this product for readers like you. It’s so good, we’re giving the first one away completely free. â€Å"Quite Frankly† This letter example, from American Express, relies heavily on exclusivity. More than anything, we all like to know we’re good enough to be part of an elite and exclusive club, and (shamefully) that other people won’t get in. Compared to the other letters, this letter isn’t particularly long. It’s main punch is in two sentences in the opening paragraph, making a point to say that not everyone who applies to get the card will, and that such a card isn’t for everyone. The rest of the letter is a list of the perks and benefits the card provides. We’re exclusive, and not everyone gets in. You’re lucky we’re inviting you in. Look at all the benefits you’ll get. We expect you’ll apply now. â€Å"A Story About Grandmother† Using the story approach, this letter writes in first person and tells of memories of grandma. It’s very personal and approachable, and draws the reader in immediately. This letter is for Prevention magazine, and uses memories of healthy food vs. chemical-laden food, and the need to better understand how things had changed since the time of those grandma memories. The reader then learns about how the magazine can help them, being quite direct as to how it will make their lives better. In some sense, it taps into fear, suggesting that even their doctor isn’t telling them all they need to know. For all of us, the fear that we are being kept in the dark is a highly motivating one. The letter closes with bonuses that the reader could receive, and Jantsch notes that some people will buy based on the bonuses they get when making the initial purchase. So do offer bonuses. Let me tell you a personal story. Then I’ll tell you why you should be a bit afraid. But don’t worry; I have the solution. And, if you buy, I’ll give you lots of great extras! Putting Direct Response  Methodology To Work Direct sales letter writing techniques are directly applicable to your landing pages, of course, but also some of your blog posts. Challenge: The next time a direct sales letter arrives, don’t throw it. Dissect it. Figure out what they are doing in that copy, and what makes it work (or fail). Or, do some online searches and find more examples of direct response  letters, or landing pages that employ the same techniques. Do you feel motivated to buy at the end? Why or why not? What is the writer appealing to? Fear, vanity, trust? How long is the copy? How many words? How is the offer presented? Are there bonuses? Is the copy written in first or second person? These are just a few questions to ask as you figure out what makes direct response  copy work.

How to Convert Nanometers to Angstroms

How to Convert Nanometers to Angstroms This example problem demonstrates how to convert nanometers to angstroms. Nanometers (nm) and angstroms  (Ã…) are both linear measurements used to express extremely small distances. Conversion Problem The spectra  of the element mercury have a bright green line with a wavelength of 546.047 nm. What is the wavelength of this light in angstroms? Solution 1 nm 10-9 m1 Ã… 10-10 m Set up the conversion so the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want angstroms to the remaining unit. wavelength in Ã… (wavelength in nm) x (1 Ã…/10-10 m) x (10-9 m/1 nm)wavelength in Ã… (wavelength in nm) x (10-9/10-10) Aring/nm)wavelength in Ã… (wavelength in nm) x (10 Aring/nm)wavelength in Ã… (546.047 x 10) Ã…wavelength in Ã… 5460.47 Ã… Answer The green line in mercurys spectra has a wavelength of 5460.47 Ã… It may be easier to remember there are 10 angstroms in 1 nanometer. This would mean a conversion from nanometers to angstroms would mean moving the decimal place one place to the right.

INTERIM PROJECT REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERIM PROJECT REPORT - Essay Example They have become an expensive and drag-back problem in many ways. Accidental though avoidable back injuries are responsible for thousands of hours of lost output in the place of work and millions of dollars in lost returns. If you add health related costs, that including employee reimbursement claims and medical care that includes a range from simple first aid to key surgeries, and the expenditures incurred by the World’s business and industries makes them slug behind. Project scope and introduction In reference to The National Safety Council 1990 "industrial accident specifics", job related accidents caused injuries to the back more than any other body parts that were studied during the1989 research study. It was noted that back injuries were responsible for twenty-two percent of all the reported cases. All industry stakeholders, including employers, workforce, customers and the economy in general are all enormously affected. (Daltroy, L.H., Iversen, M.D., Larson, M.G., Lew, R., Wright, E., Ryan, J., Zwerling, C., Fossel, A.H., Liang, M.H. (1997). A controlled trial of an educational program to prevent low back injuries. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 337, Number 5, 322-328.) Guidance, education and preventive methods in work surroundings are not only a requirement for the wellbeing and safety of the workforce; they are also a legal obligation. Most countries’ labour laws require that employers meet the terms of the safety principles and policy in the place of work or they face huge fines. The aspect of plummeting the causes and frequency of back injuries in the places of work is not only critical for the well being of the workforce but also for the economic well-being of the business. As an employment prerequisite, each worker has the duty to work and act carefully on all jobs, at all times. An individual’s responsibility is to the business, their family and to an extent, themselves. (Amdam, R. P. (2010).  Insights into the S ustainable Growth of Business. Bradford: Emerald Group Pub.) Project Control It is very essential for a business like JIM’S CLEANING to make available a secure and healthy work environment. There are numerous situations where the regulations do not always comprise a specific situation hence you have to take time to constitute a level playing status and put into practice one’s own intelligence and education in order to carry out the task at hand without any injury incidents. . Any employee contributing to an injury has to explain what caused the injury thus the employer will be able to comprehend the reason and thwart any potential similar injuries. It is referred to as safety counselling. Counselling serves two essential roles: 1) To give details on how the worker contributed to the injury, hence getting to know what went wrong and how to go about the predicament. 2) To put into a document the actuality that the business is concerned about the safety of all workers and takes the necessary action to guarantee that injuries can be avoided through training. Safety counselling is not planned as a punitive action. It is simply a training means to make workers aware of what they did wrong and the procedures that should be taken to avoid similar injuries. With such kind of measures in place should an employee continue demonstrating hazardous activities or continue to defy

Categorize Costs as Fixed, Variable and Semi-Variable for a Given Assignment

Categorize Costs as Fixed, Variable and Semi-Variable for a Given Scenario - Assignment Example Contribution per product/customer will calculate how much contribution a certain product would earn for every unit of sales generated, which is expressed as a percentage or decimal. If the C/S ratio is 0.4, for every  £1 of sales revenue, 40 pence will be a contribution. Cost-Volume-Profit analysis looks at changes in profits as variable costs, fixed costs, sales price and quantity change. It is also called â€Å"what if?† analysis and it particularly looks at sales less variable costs. It is also called a contribution. With the contribution, management can easily understand the level of sales that they are likely to start making profits or cover all costs. For one to have a successful business there must be a clear understanding of the financial impact that basic financial decisions may pose (Dohr, Howell 1946, p15). One is ought to know his or her most profitable services or products, what will happen if sales volumes will suddenly drop, the impact of lowering sales prices or taking a loan, etc. To answer these questions, Cost/Volume/Profit (CVP) analysis becomes the answer (Atkinson 1997, p51). Cost/Volume/Profit analysis examines the relationships between variable costs and fixed costs, profits and sales volumes. The contribution margin analysis will help an entrepreneur in comparing the profitability of different products, services or even a line that he or she is offering. Breakeven analysis will help a businessperson to tell the sales volumes that he or she will need to breakeven under different cost scenarios and prices (Upchurch, 2002, 72). Operative leverage, on the other hand, will examine the degree at which the business is using fixed costs, this will in turn magnify the returns when there is an upturn in sales and will also magnify losses as sales will be  dropping.

Australia in a Business Context Essay Example for Free

Australia in a Business Context Essay 1.1 Introduction In today’s world, internationalization is inevitable for companies competing in the global world, where their production, target market, business model were integrated across different frontiers (Robins 2000) and between different people in different countries (Schulte 2000) In this report, we will discuss about Fraser and Neave and the potential of a joint venture with University of Queensland, Brisbane to build student hostels within the university’s premises. The entry mode will be suggested based on supporting context and company analysis. Predicted impact of action will be considered and suggestions for further expansion of the university hostel market under the name of Fraser and Neave will also be made. 2.1 Context Analysis 2.1.1 Australia in business context Australia, being an open economy with open policies for trade and investments, she has attracted many foreign investors without the need of providing any special incentives (Euromonitor business environment: Australia 2013). Reaching a $986.7 billion of total GDP in year 2013, $618.9 billion comes from FDI alone. Due to harsh contractions in mining financial tightening by both the state and federal governments and the strong Australian dollar, the country’s economic growth will ease in the year 2013. (Euromonitor Australia Country Profile 2013) 2.1.2 Australia: Cultural Analysis Culture is a ‘powerful social construct’ (Boyacigiller, 2004) in diverse multicultural workforces, particularly vital in the sustainability and success for any international business (Doney, 1998). Through a series of empirical studies, Australia being a country of low context culture (Markus G 2011, 75) has 4 main characteristics identified of their community (Australia World View, 2001) and (Communicaid: Doing Business in Australia): 1. Linear, logical, individualistic, and action-oriented people. Australians are generally results orientated. Therefore when dealing business with Australians, statistics and figures are essential for a successful deal. Since they can be seen to have confrontational and strong opinions, business dealings with them would need to back up with research or evidence in order to convince them. 2. Community likes to avoid uncertainties As Australians are people who like to avoid uncertainties, they tend to be very straight to the point with their words with the intention of having them taken literally. To avoid any misunderstanding or future conflicts, business dealings with them would have to be very literal with all conditions on the table for discussion. Implicit messages will most probably go unnoticed. 3. Adopts a very egalitarian culture Australians avoids differentiation between individuals and are often preferred to be impartial, modest and have mutual respect for others. Therefore they prefer a more down to earth approach to business. They are also altogether more receptive to innovation, fresh ideas and encourage active discussions or debates. 4. Appreciates privacy When dealing with Australian business counterparts, it would be wise to stay within the lines and treat attempts at developing interpersonal relationships with much caution. 2.1.3 Australia: Legal Environments In relation to the construction of property, we would be looking at laws that are relevant. As a joint venture is suggested for the construction of the student hostel, we would have to consider the complications of contract law besides the obvious property law, employment and industry relations, and general tax issues. As the land that we are proposing to construct is within the University’s premises, a partnership with the university will give Fraser and Neave access to the land without any legislation to bind or cripple the project. Nevertheless, there would be a need to attain approval for development through the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. An application would have to be submitted in order to get a development permit for the construction of the hotels. Required information for the approval will be as follows: * Material used * Any impacts to the surrounding environment * Completed development look (Queensland Government: Development Approvals, 2013) Further legal issues will be discussed at a later date when the university of Queensland accepts the joint venture intention. 2.1.4 Australia: Political Environments The Australian’s political environment have been consistently stable since the year 1996 to 2011 with a small drop in the year 2009 according to the political stability index (World Governance Indicators, 2011). Ranked top 50 worldwide, Australia’s political environment has made the nation an attractive location for business makers to invest in. In order to protect Australia’s AU$15 billion international education industry from competition, the government have made its commitment to quicken visa processing for international students and release a list of policies universities, international education and research (Back to board on foreign students, 2013). Although concrete releases of these policies are not known yet, we can expect better support from the government on Australia’s international education industry. This would mean the future outlook of industry sees potential for further educational development. With a faster visa processing for international students, the demand for accommodation will increase and there will be our market. 2.1.5 Market Size and Growth We first identify the primary market for student hostels as domestic and international students, those in which plans on residing away from their homes in pursuit of their academics. Based on the study by Government of Australia and assuming 20% of the Domestic Students and 80% of the International require hostel accommodation, Australia Universities will require hostels to accommodate about 450,000 students: Australia| Domestic| International| Full Time| Students enrolled| 934,110| 323,612| 884,179| Students(estimated) needing Accomodation | 20%| 80%| | Rooms Required| 186,822| 258,890| 445,712| Study done by Government of Australia (Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education) in 2012 Looking at the numbers reflected above, the demand for student accommodations is substantial, especially among international students where accommodation serves great importance as it puts their respective parents at ease of sending their Children overseas. Students commencing would also be a positive indicator for high occupancy turn over rates. Although reports have shown that Australia is one of the most expensive countries to study abroad in (Cost of studying in Australia putting off international students, it is claimed, 2013), Australia remains optimistic about the future of international education program as part of their GDP contributor. In the report by International Education Advisory Council (Australia Educating Globally), there would be an estimated increase in total number of international students by 30% in the year 2020. Market growth in this market would be projected to be escalating even if it might be time periods where the growth might temporarily slowed down (Australia focused on international student enrolment growth, 2013). 3.1 Company Analysis 3.1.1 Fraser and Neave Formed in the year 1883, Fraser and Neave have flourished into a brand that is ranked as one of the most successful and established organization in the Asia Pacific region. With a remarkable array of renowned brands that relish strong market leadership, Fraser and Neave traditionally made its reputation through the production and distribution from its own FN range and several other international brands. In the recent decades, Fraser and Neave have moved on to property development and publishing with ravishing results. Operating at S$32 billion worth of shareholders’ funds and total assets, Fraser and Neave is present over 20 countries spreading across Europe, Asia Pacific and the USA. Leveraging on its strength in brand and financial management, research and development, marketing and distribution, as well as many years of acquisition experience, its subsidiary companies across the three industries are able to receive strategic directions and key resources to ensure sustainability and success. 3.1.2 Fraser and Neave: Properties As part of the business diversification, Fraser and Neave developed the Property Industry as a new core business. Since 1990 from a single mall operator, Fraser and Neave have blossomed into a full-fledge real estate group, Frasers Centrepoint Limited (â€Å"FCL†), which achieved a total of $1,345 million dollars just in year 2012. The group’s overseas property subsidiary in Australia, Fraser Property Australia, has made outstanding success in the Australia property market with the very prosperous development of residential and commercial projects. Involved in joint venture partnership with Sekisui House Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Fraser Property Australia has established its brand and reputation as a property developer in Australia having their projects span across Perth, Western Australia and largely in Sydney. Aside from just property development, the group have also developed and runs a service apartment under their Fraser Hospitality where they own full management rights. 3.2.3 University of Queensland Ranked in the top 100 universities in the world, University of Queensland is the first university that opened in the state and the largest university in Queensland. With a total of 4 major campuses – St Lucia and Herston in Brisbane and Ipswich and Gatton in South-East Queensland, the University have invested significantly in development and construction providing students with conducive environments for studies, research and other school activities. Covering a total of 1376 hectares of land 754,500 m2 (gross floor area) of which occupied by 764 buildings holding 522 teaching rooms and 1588 laboratories. 10 of which are residential colleges that provides student accommodations and places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty. All residential colleges are located at the main St Lucia Campus. We note that there are no other student accommodations located in the other 3 campuses – Herston Ipswich and Gatton. Students studying in these campuses are encouraged to look for accommodations that are near the schools. In the University of Queensland, there are more than 46,863 students including 11,389 international students from 142 nations around the world. Of the total 46,863 students, there are presently only 2,955 rooms available within the University as follows: College with Residence| Student with Residence at the College| Cromwell College| 247| Duchess College| 200| Emmanuel College| 340| Grace College| 180| Halls of Residences| 440| International House| 238| Kings College| 298| St. John College| 263| St Leo’s College| 212| Union College| 334| Woman’s College| 203| Total Residence| 2,955| Assuming 80% of the International and 20% of the Australian Students desire accommodation within the University, the University of Queensland will require an additional of 13,000 rooms that it does not have today! Based on an average AU$4,500 per year per residence fee, we estimate a Business Potential of AU$58 million per annum if all 13,000 rooms are provided. 4.1 Entry Mode 4.1.1 International Joint Venture We proposed that the entry mode for Fraser and Neave in developing and managing Hostel Accommodation within the University be an international joint venture with University of Queensland. This entry mode is proposed mainly due to the ownership rights for the land within University. This also simplifies the challenges of property rights and taxes. This Joint Venture is formed on the basis of University of Queensland providing the land while Fraser and Neave will provide the resources to build and operate the Hostel, which is the key strength of Fraser Property Australia. Through the company analysis, it can be seen that University of Queensland has a potential shortage of 13,000 student accommodation. Therefore the construction of a student hostel in the campuses will increase the attractiveness and reliability of the school to domestic or international students. In the initial phase, the proposed hostel construction would take place in campuses in South-East Queensland (Ipswich and Gatton) as these campuses are far away from the only campus in Brisbane that provides student accommodations. Based on the current capacity of only 2,955 residences within the University, we are confident that there will be strong student occupancy rates to uphold the sustainability of the hostels. We believe that the University of Queensland would be able to attract and house more domestic and international students with the value addition of these hostels while receiving percentage of it earnings. Fraser and Neave could also benefit by entering the market of student hostels through this singular joint venture. If proven to be a success, Fraser and Neave could move into the development of student hostels in Australia and the rest of the world that offers international studies aside from residential and commercial buildings. This is a niche market that has not been developed by any multinational companies and has the potential worth looking into. As Fraser and Neave is already in a joint venture with Sekisui House Australia Holdings Pty Limited with its subsidiary Fraser Property Australia, it would be wise to approach this new joint venture as partners. This would allow Fraser and Neave to once again tap onto the expertise of its local partner and mitigate the development cost between its partners. Therefore the joint venture will be proposed to run three ways. 5.1 Scale Analysis: International Joint Venture 5.1.1 Scale of Entry Since construction and management of student hostels in a University is considered to be a new extension of Fraser and Neave’s properties development, we would propose a conservative approach in the scale of market entry. We would propose an initial accommodation for 500 students, which will generate AU $2.25 million per annum, and this can be subsequently expanded to more accommodations depending on the availability of land within the University of Queensland. Although small, it allows Fraser and Neave more time to learn about this market. As this particular market is very niche with only small players traditionally, it will take time for Fraser and Neave to study the characteristics of the market and develop the most effective and functional way to progress this into a large-scale international hostel construction business. This also limits Fraser and Neave’s exposure to the monetary and economic losses that might follow if this project is a failure. 5.1.2 Risk Levels and control Given that the hostel is only for 500 students, the risks in this project are also relatively low in relation to the small scale of entry. Nonetheless, these are the possible risks involved and how to mitigate them: Sudden project withdrawal from the University of Queensland Land owned by the school required for the hostel constructions may be needed for other University purposes. To avoid this risk, conditions for the withdrawal of the joint venture have to be carefully constructed in the contract to ensure a high penalty cost if any party were to decide to withdraw. Disapproval of property development by local authorities or state government agencies To avoid last minute disapproval, Fraser and Neave must ensure that all conditions posed by the authorities are fulfilled before filing for approval. Sudden hike of interest rates for the properties building sector Although this is a risk that cannot be mitigated substantially, a possible way to minimize it would be to make payments in full. This would however increase the financial investment for the project in a shorter time frame. A more prudent approach is to ensure fixed interest rates are negotiated prior to the start of the projects. Sudden drop in student numbers in the proposed campuses Opening the rooms for rent to students of schools nearby could mitigate this risk however; it would have to be based on agreement with University of Queensland. Students from the university will also be given priority in this case. 5.1.3 Return Levels Return of investments for the proposed project will be 17% 20% per annum for each hostel. Payback period for the hostels will be at approximately of 4 years. 5.1.4 Control Levels Control levels for this form of entry mode is lower due to the number of parties involved. As this is a three way partnership proposed, Fraser and Neave must ensure that it has all the management decision for construction and management of the hostel thereafter. The agreement with the other 2 joint venture partners is needed and should be detailed in the agreement prior to project start. 5.1.5 Integration Levels With a long-term joint venture partner (Sekisui House Australia Holdings Pty Limited), integration with the local construction environment will not pose a great threat to Fraser and Neave. Along with the past experiences of commercial and residential properties in Australia, the integration of their construction contribution in this project is expected to be positive. On the other hand, partnership with a University is a first for Fraser and Neave and they might be hindered by the new rules and regulations that are imposed by the school. This can be mitigated by understanding the limitations of the school and its school grounds before the commencement of the construction. 6.1 Conclusion There is a great potential in extending Fraser and Neave construction line towards hostels construction with the increasing demand of international education in Australia. Being an undermined market, hostels construction will give Fraser and Neave competitive advantage as one of the first multinational company to internationalize this business. A joint venture with a renowned University worldwide gives the group an exposure to other Universities if proven to be successful. The joint venture would also provide the group with reliable knowledge and information essential for bringing this business into international grounds. A possible development can also arise from this business plan with the introduction of a brand new brand extension ‘Frasers Hostels’, the management of all the Fraser and Neave hostels across the globe. Total Word Count: 2750 References: Websites Fraser and Neave. Our Business. Available: http://www.fraserandneave.com/FN_ourbusiness_properties.asp. Last accessed 17th Aug 2013. Central Intelligence Agency (2013). The World Fact Book: Australia. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html. Last Accessed: 17th Aug 2013. Fraser and Neave. Fraser Property. Available: http://www.frasersproperty.com.au/. Last accessed 23th Aug 2013. Alvin Chua. (2011). Fraser and Neave. Available: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1792_2011-03-04.html. Last accessed 23th Aug 2013. Communicaid. (2009). Doing Business In Australia, Australian Social and Business Culture. Available: http://www.communicaid.com/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Australia.pdf. Last accessed 20th Aug 2013. College of Marin. High-context and Low-context Culture Styles, Available at: http://www.marin.edu/buscom/index_files/Page605.htm. Last Accessed: 18th Aug 2013. http://acad.depauw.edu/ (2001). Australia World View. Available at: http://acad.depauw.edu/~mkfinney/teaching/Com227/culturalportfolios/australia/WorldView.htm. Last Accessed: 18th Aug 2013. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2012). Legal Systems. Available at: http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/legal_system.html. Last Accessed: 22th Aug 2013. Intead International Education Advantage, LLC (2013). Australia focused on international student enrolment growth. Available at: http://www.intead.com/australia-focus/. Last Accessed: 23th Aug 2013. Queensland Government Department of State Development. Infrastructure and Planning (2013). Development Applications. Available at: http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/development-applications/development-application-process.html. Last Accessed: 25th Aug 2013. Queensland Government Department of State Development. Infrastructure and Planning (2013). Development Assessment Process. Available at: http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/development-applications/development-assessment-process.html. Last Accessed: 25th Aug 2013. Worldwide Governance Indicators. Australia. Available at: http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/sc_chart.asp#. Last Accessed: 25th Aug 2013. Newspaper Article Andrew Trouson and Bernard Lane (2013). Back to board on foreign students. The Australian, 04 September, Available at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/back-to-board- on-foreign-students/story-fn9qr68y-1226710079478. Last Accessed: 4th Sep 2013 Books / Peer reviewed journals Jan Aart Scholte (2000). Globalization: A Critical Introduction Second Edition. Great Britain: Creative Print and Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale. Robins Kevins (2000). ‘Encountering Globalisation’ by David Held Anthony McGrew. The Global Transformations Reader. Great Britain. TJ International, Padstow, Cornwall. pg 239 – 245. Markus G. Kittler, David Rygl and Alex Mackinnon. (2011). Beyond culture or beyond control? Reviewing the use of Halls high-/low-context concept. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management. 11 (1), pg 63-82. Doney PM, Cannon JP, and Mullen MR (1998). Understanding the influence of national culture on the development of trust. Academy of Management Review 23: 601–20. Boyacigiller NA, Kleinberg J, Phillips ME, and Sackmann SA (2004). Conceptualizing culture: elucidating the streams of research in international cross-cultural management. In: Punnett BJ, Shenkar O (eds) Handbook for International Management Research. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press 99–167. Reports Fraser and Neave (2012). FN Annual Report 2012. Fraser and Neave. Singapore. Last accessed 17th Aug 2013 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank (2013). Doing Business 2013. The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Washington Dc. Last accessed 17th Aug 2013. Euromonitor International (2013). Business Environment: Australia. Euromonitor International. Last accessed 17th August 2013. Global Market Information Database Euromonitor International (2013). Australia Country Profile. Euromonitor International. Last accessed 17th August 2013. Global Market Information Database Clayton UTZ (2012). Doing Business in Australia. Clayton UTZ. Last accessed 22nd Aug 2013 International Education Advisory Council (2013). Australia – Educating Globally. International Education Advisory Council. Australia. Last accessed 23th Aug 2013. Government of Australia Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (2012). Summary of the 2012 full year higher education student statistics. Government of Australia Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. Australia. Last accessed 23th Aug 2013.

Free Color Purple Essays: Strength of the Black Woman Revealed :: Color Purple Essays

Strength of the Black Woman Revealed in The Color Purple  Ã‚   The story tells of one lady who, through fruition and hardship, discovers the proficient, content, and proud woman repressed inside of a young "shut-mouthed" girl. The Color Purple, the third novel written by the Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, has been both respected and berated in numerous essays and reviews. Although the critics agree to disagree about many aspects of this novel one thing is clear, The Color Purple affirms "the survival and liberation of black women through the strength and wisdom of others." (Draper, 1810) In Walker's personal view, the black woman's history falls into three stages; the woman suspended, the artist thwarted and hindered in her desires to create, living through two centuries when her main role was to be cheap source of cheap labor in the American society, and the modern woman. (Washington, 139) The feminist Alice Walker writes in a circulatory pattern. Her female characters move in a common three-stage cycle: 1)the suspended woman-cruelly exploited, and spirits and bodies mutilated, 2)the thwarted woman-desires most to be a part of mainstream American life, and 3)the modern woman-exhibits the qualities of the developing emergent model. Before Celie, our main character, makes her way into the cycle the story sets her as a child, eager to learn, love, and enjoying life. She and Nettie, her, sister attend school on a regular basis, complete all of their chores, and still make time to talk, to play, and/or to just spend time together. Then, just as Celie reaches womanhood, s he finds her way into the first stage: the suspended woman. The suspended woman plays the role of the inclement exploit with a warped spirit as well as body. Celie's body is first desecrated through her stepfather's sexual misconduct. Succeeding this comes continuing sexual and physical abuse by her husband Mr. ______. Here, Celie slips into the second stage: the thwarted woman. In this stage the character desires most to become a part of mainstream American society. In most cases, they are also victims of psychological abuse that alienates them from their roots and real contact to the world. The desecration and abuse her body survives, notwithstanding, her spirit is broken when not only have her children been taken away from her by her stepfather, but Nettie is forced, by Albert, to leave he and Celie's house.

Local Motor

Local Motor Input from potential customers and car enthusiasts Community-help-> select the model to produce Create ideation contest Existing customer to bring new customer Involve customers to cars production->Customer assembles parts-> 60 hours of assembling- incriminatory(local) Good ? Yes. Big players are bankrupt American market Is moving to full-design and attentive No mass production->Seek (experimental) Are the designer customers? Are car enthusiasts customers?Do-it -yourself who might be customers Ideal business model: Design online enthusiasts (critique/ votes, design willingness) – customer (get money here and pose sales If possible For design: perfect competition Perfect Information Best designs For online enthusiasts: Best design/constraints Best design-> Customers want For customer Best design is exactly what the customers want Sold and make money True model: Transaction cost: Designers are cars enthusiasts so that is may not entirely fair It is hard to recruit de signers Increase Price Money for competition Explicit Incentive Designers IP (intellectual patent) Final decision may not what the customer wants What design Is actually manufacture Ensure suppliers? And service? 1. The designers are mostly the car enthusiasts while the customer may not, and we 2. The factor of the manufacture availability should be taken into consideration when deciding which design should be manufactured. 3. The intellectual patent of the designer. How we should protect their P? 4. It is hard to recruit car designers 5. The service supplied to the customer Make sure the vote is fair. If it matches what the customers want Designers may not afford to buy a car A way to make designer a customer?

Dettol Soap

Dettol Soap Introduction Dettol Antiseptic Liquid Disinfectant is the name of commercial liquid and solid antiseptic products belonging to a household product line manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser. The traditional liquid product is a light yellow colour, but becomes milky white when diluted in water. This diluted mixture can be used to clean cuts etc. The active ingredient which defines its unique antiseptic property is an aromatic chemical compound known as chloroxylenol (C8H9ClO). This makes up 4. % of Dettol's total mixture,[1] with the rest composed of pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil soap, caramel, and water. Because several of the ingredients are insoluble in water, Dettol produces a white emulsion of oil droplets when diluted during use. Diluted Dettol can also be used to treat acne[2] in small quantities, but it must not come into contact with eyes, mouth, or nasal passage[citation needed]. Its topical application is a remedy for boils (skin abscess). [citation needed] Like other household cleaners, Dettol is poisonous and should not be ingested.In an extreme case, a forty-two-year-old British man died from Dettol overexposure in May 2007. [3] The company ran a controversial advertising campaign where it claimed that your toilet seat was cleaner than kitchen work surfaces. It was forced to withdraw the campaign. In Australia, the use of Dettol in a spray bottle is used to combat Cane Toads, as spraying the disinfectant kills the toads quickly. Dettol has been a highly reputable producer of hygiene products in the UK for numerous years. They are a company that takes great pride in the accomplishments and achievements that they have made.With numerous products working for both them and the customers that use them they have made great strides in keeping hygiene in the home and office around the country. Dettol handwash is a very common product that can be found filling many of the soap dispensers in restaurants, schools and even hospitals in this country . The Dettol antiseptic liquid can also be found in many of these areas. Both work well in keeping the harmful bacteria that infects people at bay, and thus reduces the amount of germs that are spread to others.People that access these products should be sure to follow the directions on how to use them properly if they are to get the full benefits of these products. If this is done then you can rest easy knowing that the harmful germs and bacteria are being cleansed from the areas that had come into contact with. STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES Reckitt Benckiser's objective is to generate above industry average profitable growth by: †¢ Focusing on building the power brands in high growth categories †¢ Geographic expansion of the portfolio †¢ Continuous innovation Higher investment in brand building †¢ Margin expansion and cash conversion to fund reinvestment in core brands and to grow returns to shareholders. †¢ Selective add-on acquisitions DETTOL PRODUCTS Dettol soaps Dettol liquid Dettol hand wash Dettol Prickly powder Dettol multi purpose cleaner Which includes dishwasher, floor mopping liquid, washroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner I have chosen Dettol Soap MARKETING STRATEGY SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS Soap is a major consumer item and there is a huge demand and potential in this market particularly the anti – bacterial segment.The anti bacterial market segment has grown year on year by more than 7 % percent due to increased consumer awareness and education on the benefits of anti-bacterial soaps. As a result, the pie is growing bigger every year. Some uncontrollable situational factors that are faced by the Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan and Dettol soap are as follows, †¢Demand: Although the demand for Reckitt Benckiser products is very high but when we talk about the demand of the Dettol soap the demand is growing in the antibacterial category.The market share of Dettolsoap is more than 10 % in Pakistan out of the Rs 11 billion soap mark et. †¢Competition: There was no direct competitor of Dettol soap at the time of launching but today; two brands are directly competing Dettol. Safeguard (P & G) and lifebuoy (Unilever) are direct competitors †¢Legal/political: these are the uncertainties that are extremely variable in the political conditions of Pakistan. Constant political instability does affect the company in terms of building new relations with new governments all the time. Social and Cultural factors: the company has to be very careful in the implementation of its promotional campaigns, since the social cultural environment of Pakistan is very conservative and any suggestive advertisements usually face a lot of negative reactions on the part of the consumer. †¢Other factors: like the government regulations and technological advancements have had no significant effect on the product and the company. MARKETING ANALYSISIn the mind of the consumer, anti-bacterial soap should have the following: A pro duct whose core function is to clean skin, making it softer and smoother, while leaving a feeling of freshness behind. Good perfume and foam combine to deliver this freshness experience. The key functional benefit is that it removes dirt, oiliness and other impurities from skin. Germs are not top-of-mind for the average consumer, but are a function of Dirt and disease. Research led us to know that consumers are largely unaware of the diverse nature of ‘jaraseem’.They just know that Germs (jaraseem) are the bad guys. They don’t know that there are different types of germs. Different antibacterial competitors are trying to own a higher ground by building on already present germ-kill equity. Like Dettol has given it’s slogan of â€Å"Dettol protects against a wide range of unseen germs, including bacteria and viruses† While safeguard is focusing on ‘Din Raat Lagataar Tahaffuz’ which is more powerful in the mind of the consumer. Lifebuoy is following the â€Å"germ buster’s† strategy. TARGET MARKETThe target market for Dettol soap is all households (primarily mothers) who can afford buying soap and who want to fulfill an everyday need (primarily bathing) that provides them and their family with a 100% anti-bacterial solution – complete protection from all germs/ bacteria and cleanliness from dirt / grime. MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS (GEOGRAPHIC, DEMOGRAPHICS, BEHAVIORAL FACTORS) The target markets analysis of Dettol soap is:- Geographic location Include almost all Urban; suburban; small town; and some rural areas of Pakistan Demographics Gender Male; female mainly mothersAge 18years to 45 years Socioeconomic status Mainly targeting middle class and upper middle class in urban and sub-urban areas – primarily cities and surrounding areas. Rural market penetration is limited and is primarily driven through indirect channels (e. g. Wholesale) Psychographics Young housewives and mothers who care about t he health and well being of their family. MARKET NEEDS (QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP, INNOVATIVE DESIGNS, CUSTOMER SERVICE) RB is conscious of the changing consumer needs and trends and is constantly conducting market research to assess opportunities and threats.Quality of the product is the number 1 priority as well as research on new variants. The next planned variant is Dettol Herbal soap. In addition, a new customer hotline has also been added to get instant feedback on product use, problems and activities. MARKET TRENDS The soap market has been most affected by the recent sky rocketing price of palm oil which is the primary ingredient of soap noodles. This has caused the average price of soap noodles to increase by 20% – 25 % forcing producers (also RB) to increase prices of their soap products by almost as much so as not to put excessive pressure on their margins.This will undoubtedly result in decrease in soap sales volumes (higher prices means less consumer off take) as well as disruption in the market due to several quoted prices of the same product available resulting in dissonance in the wholesale and retail markets as well as confusion in consumer buying decisions at the point of sale. MARKET GROWTH The overall soap market is growing by 10 % while the antibacterial segment is growing by 7%. Hence, there is a lot of potential in the market for growth and additional brand penetration and brand building.SWOT ANALYSIS THE STRENGTHS †¢ The brand’s Germ-kill heritage (brown liquid) is seen as strong and adds on trustworthiness (RTB) †¢ Excellent for treating skin irritations, cuts/bruises and seasonal applications †¢ Brand comes from a reputable (old) company †¢ Loyal following of ‘Original’ THE WEAKNESSES ?Not perceived as an ‘everyday soap’ due to: ?Smell – strongly associated with hospitals ?Is harsh on skin – makes skin dry ?Does not make satisfying lather ?Shape not user-friendly ?No awareness of variants No perceived as a dynamic, innovative and contemporary brand ? Low Top-of-Mind recall: Communication not engaging THE OPPORTUNITY ?Leverage the powerful brand equity associated with the Dettol Brand to make Dettol Soap an everyday use proposition. ? THE THREATS Other main players in the antibacterial soap category (Safeguard and Lifebuoy) have positioned their brands for everyday use against bacteria – Dettol soap positioning lacks that desired everyday benefit and experience! COMPETITION ANALYSISHere is a brief description about the antiseptic soap producing companies Dettol soap is a brand of Reckitt Benckiser Pak Ltd and it has been operating in Pakistan since 1999 after taking over from Reckitt & Colman. Market share of Dettol soap in the soap market is around 10% at the end of December 2007. The Dettol soap users have the perception that it is effective in germ kill with the medicinal smell of Dettolliquid which is used for Bruises & Cuts, Insect b ites, washing of clothes, Mopping of floors, Shaving, Bathing and Cleansing of skin and used mostly during summers.Its functional core need is incidental antibacterial. Safeguard ® is the No. 1 antibacterial soap worldwide; it is the only bar soap registered with the FDA. Safeguard is designed to provide excellent germ protection for the whole family. Safeguard, launched in 1995 by Procter & Gamble has set new standards for defining â€Å"health & hygiene† in Pakistan. It is an anti-bacterialsoap that provides germ protection for twice as long as ordinary soaps making it the doctors' number 1 recommended choice throughout the world.The market share of safeguard is the biggest in antiseptic soapcategory with 22 % share. Safeguard users have the perception that it is providing them with Continuous Germ Protection, Gentle on skin, Smells Good, has a easy to grasp shape and the functional needs portrayed is of an everyday soap with germ protection. Lifebuoy is one of Unilever's oldest brands. Lifebuoy Royal Disinfectant Soap was launched in 1894 as an affordable new product in the UK, to support people in their mission for better personal hygiene.Lifebuoysoap aims to provide affordable and accessible hygiene solutions that enable people to lead a life free from hygiene related worries, everywhere, regardless of the boundaries of nationality, religion and socio-economic status. Lifebuoy has a market share of 16 %. Lifebuoy users see the soap as a decent quality, affordable germ protection agent containing carbolic acid as its germ protection agent and its functional need portrays that it is an everyday soap with germ protection for the middle and lower middle class. OPPORTUNITY ANALYSISBased on the competitive analysis, Reckitt Benckiser found out that there are a lot of opportunities which will help the New Dettol soap capitalize a greater market share. New Dettol Soap’s ability to gain real consumer insights, to launch products and variants that c onsumers actually want, supported by insightful advertising that talks to consumers in their own language, are all vital elements, which will lead to success of Dettol and the New Dettol soap as a brand. †¢ Extensive Market Growth †¢ Market Penetration and Market Expansion. Achieving High Gross Margins †¢ High Customer Services and Satisfaction †¢ New Product Development and Entrepreneurship. PRODUCT OFFERING The product is offered in 5 variants (2 skus – 115 Gms and 70 Gms): †¢ Original: Contains essence of the Dettol antiseptic solution †¢ Skincare: Contains moisturizer for Skin care. †¢ Active: Contains Active cleaning agent for Active cleaning. †¢ Fresh: Contains Fresh scent for a Fresh feeling. †¢ Sensitive: Contains Skin-friendly ingredients for Sensitive skin. POSITIONING STRATEGY Positioning Against CompetitorDettol is positioned as a premium brand which the mother chooses for 100% protection against all germs and bacteria for her family. The mother of the family is the focal point for Dettol Soap positioning compared to Safeguard and Lifebuoy which focuses on children. Positioning In Relation To Product Attribute: The primary positioning vis a vis product attribute is that Dettol Soap has the essence of Dettol Solution, the no. 1 antiseptic brand in the world trusted by families everywhere for over a century – which its competitors do not posses. Hence, it is considered a premium brand in the anti-bacterial segment.Positioning by price and quality As Dettol is a premium brand, it is priced at a premium to its competitors (Safeguard and Lifebuoy). Being premium means there will be no compromise in quality as the link between price and quality exists and customer is always willing to pay more for perceived quality which in the case of Dettol soap, he/she does! MARKETING MIX STRATEGY PRICING STRATEGY Price v/s non price competition Dettol soap is priced at retail price of Rs. 38. 00 (115 gms) and Rs. 26. 00 (70 gms) which is at a premium of Rs 3 and Rs. 2 to its competition (Safeguard and Lifebuoy).Discounts and allowances RB give a special trade offer on Dettol Soap of 2% during the summer season so as to push to product into retail and an additional discount of 4 % to wholesalers to maximize loading in the channel and improved distribution when demand (consumer pull) is maximum. In addition, for the months of June to August – RB runs a special consumer promotion pack of three DettolSoaps (in one package) with a Rs. 19 price off on a purchase of three soap bars. Geographic pricing strategy In pricing the seller must consider the cost of shipping.There are different geographic strategies. But RB utilizes the uniform delivering pricing (the same delivering price quoted to all buyers regardless of their location) for Dettol Soap. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION FOR CONSUMER PRODUCT There are 2 primary channels of distribution for Dettol soap: Distributors and sub distributors: The company sells the products to its appointed distributors and sub distributors (+300 all over Pakistan) that are responsible for the distribution of pre-defined geographical areas who distribute it further to wholesalers and/or retailers.The retail distribution is further classified into TOP STORES (TSP’s) which include all the high profile outlets like al-fatah, HKB, Akbari stores etc and whole sale comprises of categories of diamond, gold and silver divided on the based on their average purchase per month and from here the product reaches the point of sale for the customer. Direct Delivery (Key Accounts) The company provides direct delivery to select large customers like institutional buyers of key accounts which sell directly to the consumer (in case of USC and CSD) or to small retailers / end-consumer (in case of MAKRO / METRO).INTENSITY OF DISTRIBUTION RB has an intensive distribution strategy of the product through its distributors that cover e very geographical area and who resell onwards to wholesalers and retailers. There is also direct delivery service to key accounts (USC, CSD, MAKRO &METRO). Every available channel is utilized for maximum distribution and coverage to all the hypermarkets, supermarkets, general stores, kiryana stores and medical stores. The company also has in place a RDF (rural development force) which is covering the rural areas and exploring new markets for potential market penetration.PRODUCT STRATEGY Consumer and biz product Dettol soap is a fast moving consumer product. Convenience good It is an essential good vis-a-vis it’s target market, which is all households (primarily mothers) who can afford buying soap and who want to fulfill an everyday need (primarily bathing) that provides them and their family with a 100% anti-bacterial solution – complete protection from all germs/ bacteria and cleanliness from dirt / grime. Product mix The five variants provide an ideal product mix in terms of consumer needs i. e.Original with Dettol Solution, Skincare with moisturizer, Active with active cleaning agent, fresh with fresh scent and Sensitive for sensitive skin. A new launch of Dettol Herbal Soap, which takes the tally of soaps to six variants. Unique Proposition that Dettol Herbal Soap has to offer is: â€Å"The fundamental idea is that ordinary beauty soaps only offer aspects of beauty but what healthy skin requires is both freedom from germs and the use of natural extracts; something only offered by Dettol Herbal Soapwhich provides not only Maximum Protection from germs but also contains Aloe Vera, Avocado oil and botanical extracts. Product line extension and uses The product is used primarily for showering / bathing but is also used for hand washing. A product line extension is Dettol Hand wash which is also available under the Dettol Brand. Product Life Cycle Since this is a Fast Moving Consumer Product, the average product life cycle of this product (if use d every day) is 30 days and 2 years if not in use (if stored in a cool and dry location). The brand is entering from growth to maturity. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION STRATEGY COMMUNICATION STRATEGY OF DETTOL SOAP Reposition Dettol soaps range as a preferred everyday use solution for the whole family† COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES †¢ Announce new & improved Dettol soap. †¢ Protection against a wide range of unseen germs (including bacteria & viruses). †¢ Better experience (lather / perfume / feel-on-skin). †¢ Show all 5 variants of new Dettol soap. AGENCY SELECTION Almost 135 Advertising agencies exist in market but Reckitt Benckiser has selected Manhattan International Limited (MIL) Advertising Company because of their outstanding work in Pakistani market.BUDGET Dettol soap is a Rs 1 billion brand annually and so the marketing budget allocated to it approx 20 % of total Net revenue, not much resources have been allocated to Dettol soap marketing efforts due to its squeezed margins and close competition with other antibacterial soaps, it mainly derives its sales from the brand equity of Dettol liquid. MARKETING COMMUNICATION METHODOLOGIES This is a summary section. Give a brief overview of your advertising, consumer promotions, personal selling, sponsorship programs and database programs.Discuss the relative mix of each of these components and how you will integrate them together into seamless plan. This discussion should relate back to your Marketing Communication Objective and how these methodologies will help in accomplishing the objective. Different advertising rates of various media vehicles have been given in the appendix 1, 2, 3 and 4. ADVERTISING (TVC) Television is still the primary medium for advertising for Dettol soap, and print also forms a crucial part of the communications strategy. But increasingly campaigns are integrated across all these communication channels.All advertisements of Dettol soap are a blend of hard sell and sof t sell advertising, as all the Dettol soapadvertisements first show the ingredient it contains (Dettol Antiseptic solution) and then portray the emotional benefit for the user which revolves around the theme of a mother and children in which the mother is the one who makes her family use Dettol soap as she is one who decides what is best for her family in personal health, indicating that the target market of Dettol soap are the health conscious mother’s of young children. The main model used in almost all of the Dettol ad campaign is mahnoor baloch.When it comes to advertising, DETTOL prefers TV because of their philosophy that; â€Å"HEALTH AND HYGIENE ALWAYS COMES FIRST. † Thus TV is the best media, as you can show how Dettol soapkeeps you hygienically clean and protected and gives you daylong protection from body odour. Apart from this, in Pakistan, TV is a strong medium, it has highest reach. Thus a large part of advertising budget is focused on TV. Dettol soap spe nds around 60 % of the TV advertising budget on all channels with high rating points like PTV, PTV WORLD, GEO, ARY, INDUS VISION etc. Dettol soap advertises highly in summer season i. . mid of the year, as people prefer frequent washes in such seasons to keep hygienically clean and long lasting protection against body odour. MEDIA PLAN-TV Dettol has devised a well approached media plan which covers almost all of the major channels which are covered through high frequency spots on all (over 12 minutes per channel per day! ), with the Dettol soap ad showing in the headline news of geo and PTV. Cable branding has also been carried out two major cities, in Karachi – world call channel branding (72 spots/day) and in Lahore – cable spots (72 spots/day).CONSUMER PROMOTION Dettol soap also provides additional support by giving away various consumer promotions to provide the consumer with the extra value benefit. The consumer promotion introduced by Dettol soap was that on a pu rchase of three soaps the consumer will get a saving of Rs 19. The consumer promotion is as under. Another consumer promotion opportunity as a part of new product promotion and sampling effort has been carried out at METRO stores in Lahore and Islamabad where a free soap bar is being offered on a single purchase of the new product, Dettol MPC.INSTORE PLACEMENT STRATEGY Dettol soap has also planned an in-store placement strategy to promote and market their product so to have maximum visibility to the consumer; they have assigned dedicated shelves to the product and are also promoting their product in metro and makro aswell. Their placement strategy is mainly focused on O Place Dettol Soap next to Safeguard O Equal or more facing than Safeguard. O Place between Lux & Safeguard where Possible. O Build brand block wherever possible.

What do you need to become a good architect

What do you need to become a good architect Hashtag: #architectureMW What Do You Need to Become a Good Architect? The recent architectural competition at the British Museum revealed over 130 stunning architectural design and structures from around the world. One of them is the reconstructed Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room (left image). The architecture according to German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is the self-conscious act of building with artistry. For this reason, the architect must be knowledgeable of not one but many branches of study and continually learning from theory and actual practice theory. Primarily, an aspiring architect needs a college education and strong focus on art, drawing, and design. He or she may also engage in non-academic activities such as exploration of the built environment, visit architecture firms and schools, and if possible obtain an internship with established architecture firm or get involved in design-related organizations such as a museum. After-school programs can also help an aspiring architect know more about his or her future profession. Good architects have more than passion and patience. They continuously build at whatever scale to enhance their understanding of design and assemblies. Moreover, they often seek opportunities where they can best use their education and talents and fulfill their aspiration to grow. However, since the profession and the role of architect according to study are changing, a good architect often approach his work from this perspective. More interesting information here: Twelve Angry Men: Democracy with Its Flaws Is the Use of Animals for Research Purposes Justified? Art Essay Writing Guide Should You Believe Every Word in an Infomercial? Developing Students Creativity Changes and Trend in Architectural Education Architecture nowadays is gradually becoming a purely design-oriented profession. It is according to literature is reverting back to its traditional â€Å"Master Builder† role as director of shape, form, and organizer of society that operate within the built environment. Choosing a school that can satisfy your interest in design, urban planning, sustainability, and preservation is an important step. Take all relevant classes that can give you adequate knowledge and skills in freehand drawing, painting, sculpture, arts and crafts, sculpture, and furniture design. Moreover, since architect role in today’s practice changed from someone remote from building activity to designers that offer complete building design and construction services, architectural schools are now offering construction studios and classes for building works for architects who want to maintain parity with other professionals. In the United States, continuing education and professional development of architects are mandatory. This is because architects are professionals that affect the health, safety, and welfare of the public or HSW. Unfortunately, such mandate was largely overlooked in traditional architecture education and therefore resulted in licensure and liability issues. For instance, many architects avoid designing condominium because such building type demands knowledge of HSW. In light of these educational needs, architecture schools with urban planning classes include additional housing type specialization classes to cover government’s HSW requirements. Building construction technology is another area that made today’s architectural practice difficult. New building systems in large building types for instance demand general knowledge of the system thus many architects hire qualified consultants for evaluation and solutions. Another challenge for architects is the rapid developments in building materials and construction methods. For instance, architect often fails to specify compelling new product or finish, provide cost considerations, lea times, and so on because of they do not have enough knowledge about new products. Consequently, many architects according to study used the Internet to educated themselves about new products and building types, modern project delivery methods and fast-tracked construction scheduling, and take control of the entire design and construction process.

Marketing Plan Assignment Sample

Marketing Plan Assignment Sample Marketing Plan Assignment Sample Marketing plan assignment sample is worked out to provide an example of the plan that will help to define the further directions of the company and identify its primary needs to achieve the stated aims. Marketing plan consists of the particular sections that include: market research (gathering and classifying the current data about the market of the the organization as well as its dynamics, customers, competition, and the current sales volume for the industry as a whole), market plan strategies (include advertising, direct marketing, training programs, trade shows, website), marketing plan budget (means that top managers need to review their current financial situation), and marketing goals (monitoring of the marketing plan results). Besides, the organization needs to identify the strategies that are working and those that are not working. Before performing the marketing analysis, an understanding of the core term has to be achieved. Thus, market research means gathering and classifying the current data about the market of the organization. Besides, a short introduction to the company itself has to be performed. The company PeopleAhead works with the improvement of the career advancement. Particularly, it provides a basis for the potential employees to find, advance, and develop the careers they already have by sharing their aims, holding conversations on their professional opportunities and development plans, and communication with other professionals in the related areas. On the basis of the examining of the market dynamics, customers, and the current sales volume for the industry as a whole, it has been revealed that the company currently helps people with the career advancement and improve the human capital in the organizations. The website of the company acts as a networking platform for the professionals and career matching. The market dynamics is reported to be positive. Besides, the company has its constant customers and productive sales. The examining of the competition will be focused on the small and medium businesses as these entities are underserved by the great competitors in the online recruitment market. Simultaneously, such choice stems from the fact that this demographic has a less effective recruitment procedure that would cause advantages mostly from the services of PeopleAhead. Within this segment, the HR managers are responsible for the sourcing of the applicants. The market plan strategies are the following: the company will become the leader of the career advancement online service where people would create a history and establish the connections in the place that would make the company a staple among the chosen websites. The company will deliver the professional development and the career opportunities to provide people with the opportunity to create the professional records and useful career advancement instruments. The marketing plan budget is the following: the overall cost structure would include the administrative and general operating expenses, the sales agent salaries, and marketing. The first year, marketing monthly costs are considered to be $6,250. Monthly overhead is expecting to achieve $24,750 and be constant. The marketing goals are: to use the brand matching technology; to establish a critical mass of the customers; to drive the traffic to the site through the marketing blitzes; and to start using the word-of-mouth advertising from the satisfied customers. Monitoring of the marketing plan results has to be performed as well. At you can buy a custom marketing plan online. All you need is to fill in the order form at your site.

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Change Management - Essay Example Secondly, the tem will start to design and develop applications for a new smart phone, a challenge that will require new skills and experience that some of the team members do not possess in the first place. These reorganizations will affect the team in a number of ways but most importantly, the team will be limited by the lack of skills and experience of some of its members since the designing and development of applications for the smart phone will require new skills and experience. Additionally, since the administration has requested for a reduced timeline, the team will have to put in substantial extra hours to meet the timelines in the design and development of apps for the smart phone. Change Management Strategies Communication of change will be a crucial aspect of the change process, particularly because it facilitates change receptivity (Frahm and Brown, 2007); the first way to communicate the reorganization plans with the team is through staff forums, where team members rais e and address all the real issues and concerns related with their work. The second way of communicating change is through site visitation, to interact with the team to find out the particular projects they are working on, and to invite them to suggest innovative ways of doing things differently. Buy-in from the team will facilitate the change process since it will align the team to the reorganization changes; the first way of gaining buy-in from the team is through clarity and consistency of the change message i.e. by offering a solid rationale for the change and passing the key message of change to all team members consistently. The second way of gaining buy-in from the team will be through invitation of dialogue, drawing the team members together in a forum for open discussions to urge their engagement and participation in the reorganization changes; participative management reduces resistance to change because it encourages members to feel valued and their opinions count (Pardo-d el-Val, Martinez-Fuentes and Roig-Dobon, 2012). The first way of dealing with resistance from the team will be though fostering openness and two-way communication by asking for suggestions on how change can occur since when team members feel in control of the process, they are more likely to accept change. The second way of dealing with resistance will be through transparency, by providing all the details of the reorganization changes without holding back information from the team. The first way of leading and motivating the team through the change will be by coaching and empowering the members to be part of the change by engaging them in decision-making processes, and to encouraging them to come up with innovative solutions to challenges by giving them responsibility. The second way of leading and motivating the team through the change is through provision of feedback that creates positive reinforcement to team members, and suggesting areas that need enhancement; coaching and feedb ack are powerful tools for maximizing performance efficiency while minimizing weaknesses (Gilley, Gilley and Heather, 2009). Two specific ways that will be used to inform the supervisor of plans and progress will be face-to-face communications and regular progress reports, which will provide details of progress including quick wins already gained in the course of change implementation. Face to face are the most effective and preferred mode of communication, especially because they allow