Friday, December 27, 2019

Essay on 3-D Diorama Of the Novel Night by Eli Wiesel

This 3-D diorama illustrates a significant scene in the novel Night. This story originated during the First World War in Sighet, Hungary. The Nazis were in power and they wanted to exterminate the Jewish population; this was referred to as the Holocaust. The religious town of Sighet has not been raided yet, so they’re expecting for the best. The main characters are Elizer and his father. Sadly, the Nazis reach Sighet and gather the Jews. They could only bring what they could carry, so homes and other valuables were left alone. In this scene, the Jewish population of the small town are being deported to Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the first concentration camp they were sent to, so this was going to have a huge impact on their lives. In the†¦show more content†¦The significant colors used are red and black within the scene. There are ruthless officers in the camp covered with blood from the assassinated victims. There is a huge crematorium where people would be burned afte r being killed. There is a red light inside to symbolize blood, screams and death. There are gray ashes rising from the crematorium and these are the only remains of the dead. The cattle car has just reached the Auschwitz station and the officers are preparing for a new batch of Jews. This scene shows the transition between the present and future. Furthermore, it illustrates what the victims of the Holocaust had to lose and endure for several years during the Great War. This scene (selection 2) illustrates an important twist in the beginning of the novel I have incorporated many presentation techniques to further enhance my diorama. For example, my presentation uses many literary devices such as mood, juxtapositions, allusions, imagery and symbols. On the stage, there are two different scenes. One half illustrates Sighet and the other illustrates the Auschwitz station. Firstly, the outside of my shoebox contains two dominant colors: black and white. On one side, it is completely black on the exterior. Black is commonly associated with power, death, struggles and many other negative aspects. This technique better illustrates the literary term imagery. The Nazis were in power and they violently killed the

Thursday, December 19, 2019

College Tuition Should Be Free - 1165 Words

College Tuition Should be Free By: Alonzo Myers 29 February 2016 Gardner-Webb University Dr. Lisa Cantrell English 101 Thesis: College tuition should be free because the number of students in debt after they complete college is extremely high. Outline I. Introduction II. Statistics III. Opposition IV. Conclusion Introduction All over America there are students who go off to visit amazing schools that they think are for them, then they start narrowing down their choices and come to a final decision of the college that suits them. The students apply get accepted and bam the bill comes and either they are rich enough to just pay for school straight out, they got a full ride through sports or academics, they collect a lot of scholarship money, or in most cases they take out a bunch of loans. That is where the problem lies. Yes students are thinking of their education and wanting to better themselves but they are also putting their selves under a lot of pressure. After a student graduates they either get a job in their field or search for a job endlessly with loan repayments sneaking up on them. We all know at least one person who seems to be struggling even though they graduated from college and have a job. It’s because they have to provide for their family which is comprised of providing : food, a home to live in, paying the water bill, paying the light bill, paying taxes off their paychecks, then trying to pay the loan company back before they come andShow MoreRelatedShould College Tuition Be Free?1105 Words   |  5 Pagesget into higher education? College itself is very expensive and puts a financial burden on families.In Europe as well as many other places around the world college is free which allows all sorts of kids to attend. In addition to this, many people do not have the motivation and or desire to reach a upper class of education in college. If we are able to incorporate free tuition in colleges, this would enable families and students to attend. College tuition should be free because families cannot affordRead MoreCollege Tuition Should Be Free Essay1197 Words   |  5 PagesCollege Tuition Should Be Free For All Students College tuition should be free because even with a good degree it is hard for students to overcome the crippling debt of college tuition. High tuition prices are also an obstacle that keeps out those without access to affordable education, even though they may be great candidates who may do well in college and head their field in the future. The current system displays several flaws. The government should put the money slotted for financial aid intoRead MoreShould College Tuition Be Free?1115 Words   |  5 Pagestoday’s society is that college tuition should be free or if not free, more affordable for all students. Certainly, higher education should not be considered a luxury where only the wealthy could afford, but an opportunity for all caste systems. It must be an accessible and affordable opportunity for all students in order for them to invest in their education. Higher education is important because it provides more careers to choose from than the careers offered witho ut having a college degree. UltimatelyRead MoreCollege Free Tuition Should Not Be Free971 Words   |  4 PagesCollege Free Tuition Education is one of the best ways to succeed; however not everyone has access to it and not everyone has the opportunity to have a degree. After high school a lot of students drop out because the college tuitions are too expensive; they can’t afford them. A couple weeks ago, president Obama came with a proposition in which to make community college free for students because more jobs will require a degree in the future. The program will concern the students who are serious.Read MoreCollege Should Offer Free Tuition867 Words   |  4 PagesHaving a college degree is considered to a vital part of being successful in today’s day and age. College degrees are really expensive, but in a long run they really pay off. College can be a big financial burden so with that being said, in my opinion, I think community college should offer free tuition with some sort of standards to be eligible for free tuition. President Barack Obama conveyed a speech at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan this past September. President Obama proposedRead MoreShould College Tuition Be Free? America? Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pages Why should college tuition be free in America? The majority of students who graduate leave their alma mater with two things: a degree and a large sum of debt. The current student debt in America is 1.2 trillion dollars. Graduate students account for nearly 40 percent of this debt. From 1985 to 2007 the amount of student debt increased by 7.9 percent. In 1994 the average student borrowed eleven thousand dollars for school. By 2014, however, that figure had increased to thirty-five thousand dollarsRead MoreShould Community College Tuition Be Free?875 Words   |  4 PagesMy immediate response is yes, of course I want community college tuition to be free but then I realized I am already in my second year this will not apply to me. As I further ponder over it I can not help but to think on what terms would this be under. Will you have to have a certain GPA? Will it only be available to us citizens? Will there be a age stipulation? There is a number of factors that can be put on this â⠂¬Å"Free Tuition†. It sounds like an amazing offer be is it really? After hearing theRead MoreCommunity College Education Should Not Be Tuition Free998 Words   |  4 PagesCommunity College Education Should Not Be Tuition Free Every year, millions of students graduate from high school and consider studying in community college. The main reason for them to choose community colleges over four-year universities is the affordable tuition, or they have undecided majors for their careers. Unfortunately, an academic article published in 2014 â€Å"How to Help College Students Graduate,† Kirp demonstrated, â€Å"American students are enrolling college in record numbers, but they areRead MoreShould The Federal Government Should Allow Free College Tuition And The Effects And Consequences Of Doing900 Words   |  4 PagesIn order to have a decent job it is believed that one must attend college and submerge with a degree. It is exactly why most people in the states pursue higher education, a key component to possess financial security. The task at hand has become a challenging achievement, now more than ever, as a result of skyrocketing tuition cost. It causes students to take out massive loans which, at t imes, cannot be returned and therefore creating billions in debt for the United States. The idea that studentRead MoreShould Taxpayers Fund College Tuition? No?909 Words   |  4 PagesAnna Lis Professor Holly Boux Political Science 103 December 1st, 2015 Should Taxpayers Fund College Tuition? No Dear Representative John Kline, Executive Summary: In the United States, college should remain an accessible opportunity for Americans. Any one who is willing to put in the hard work and effort to make their future better, should be secured an education. A college education is important to one s future and can make a huge difference in how successful someone can become.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Case Conceptualization free essay sample

Assessment is a practice that is utilized to determine diagnosis and treatment planning. Altman, Briggs, Frankel, Gensler, and Pantone (2002) connected the â€Å"relational assessment† practice to the diagnosis and treatment planning. The above authors agreed that for effective therapy and appropriate diagnosis to happen, the treatment plan must be appropriate and relational; so that modifications and adaptations can be adjusted as needed. The goal in assessment and case conceptualization must produce complete findings; therefore multiple forms of assessments are to utilized, as to accommodate each individual person in therapy. Planning and Cultural Sensitivity to Avoid Misdiagnosis To safeguard from cultural biases in the assessment process the â€Å"whole person† must be viewed in the therapeutic process (Briggs, 2002). As a counselor, one must be culturally competent and aware of others’ backgrounds. In order for a counselor to better understand the clients’ background, the necessary information would be needed prior to testing. Also paying close attention to the clients’ native language as it could pose inconsistencies if given in an unnatural tongue (Rodriquez, 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Case Conceptualization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It should go without saying that an effective and competent therapist will be aware of professional standards and ethics involved in the assessment of a culturally diverse population; by being aware of their own ethnic understanding. Rodriquez (2000) further stresses the need to avoid misdiagnoses by utilizing alternative assessment measures. Research has suggested a clear therapeutic alliance, correct diagnosis and less stress exhibited by clients, when valid information is collected (Gensler, 2002). There has been an assumption that counselors whom falsify information for clients to get better managed care, have done so that they will receive better service; primarily because the insurance has reimbursed (Smart amp; Smart, 1997). However, looking at the bigger picture there are so many ethical dilemmas with counselor’s having such practices that the APA frowns upon. Diagnostic findings should include intellectual assessment measures and nonverbal implements that are unbiased. Diagnostic findings must be used with caution when defining categories and management planning because someone’s life is at stake. Conclusions The assessment process, diagnostic information and conceptualization are equally important as they work hand in hand. The culture that we serve must be handled with caution and ethical, competent, behavior set forth by the APA. Reiterating what was previously stated, I believe it is of the utmost importance to make sure that this process including, but not limited to therapy are comprehensive and ethnically sensitive. Understanding the clients’ weaknesses, strengths, indicators and culturally specific goals is outlined in the APA guidelines. This is an area that I feel causes numerous problems not only in counseling but education as well. I feel that sometimes it is assumed that counseling is a â€Å"one size fits all†. It is my goal to make counseling specific, concise, and culturally literate when dealing with the clients that I serve.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Managing Supply Chain of Nokia

History and Background of the Company Nokia Corporation is a Finland based company that primarily deals with the manufacture of mobile telephones. The company’s brand product is the Nokia phones. The success of the Nokia Company is largely attributed to its best management in supply chain practices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Supply Chain of Nokia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This project will tend to analyze the supply-chain management practices at the Nokia Corporation. It gives a vivid description of how the company is enhancing its efficiency in a supply chain so as to counteract the impact of reduced market demand of mobile phone handsets. Nokia is the number one producer of mobile phone devices in the world, and its supply chain has been rated as number six in the ranking of world’s top 25 companies in the world in terms of their supply chain. Nokia Company was founded in 186 5 as a paper milling plant, and it was until 1982 that it began producing mobile phones. Nokia Corporation has 15 mobile manufacturing plants that are spread in nine countries. Their plants are found in the following countries: Brazil, Romania, South Korea, Finland, China India, Mexico, Hungary and Great Britain. Its mother depot is located in Gurgaon. The mother company provides help in the selection of market partners like distributors and dealers; it also provides monetary privileges to its priority dealers in order to assist in promotion of the Nokia products on a larger scale (Scribd, 2011). Supply-chain management is defined as the totality of all activities that are involved in the delivery of company products to the customer. This process involves the sourcing of raw materials, assembling of the raw materials to form the finished products, warehousing, distribution and delivery of the final product. Nokia operates two business groups, Nokia mobile phones and Nokia networks. The company provides wireless communication products and services. Nokia supplies equipment and communication services all over the globe. Nokia is considered as a leading international communication company which focuses its operations on wireless and wire line telecommunication areas (Shah 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is the pioneer of digital technology and wireless data communications network; its innovativeness enhances its competitiveness and telecommunication network growth. Nokia is listed in four stock exchange markets (Nokia Website, 2011). Overview of its Supply Chain Supply chain of an organization is the system of all the activities and resources that are involved in transferring a product from the supplier to the consumers, it is the transformation of the raw materials and the components into finished goods, which are ready for use by the customer. Market analysts associate the success of the Nokia Corporation to its best supply chain practices. The supply chain of Nokia Corporation is an integrated one with â€Å"intertwined suppliers, manufacturing plants, contract manufacturers, sales and logistics service providers and the ultimate consumers† (Kalra, 2011, p. 3). The company has entered into a relationship with its suppliers while supporting them in their processes. Nokia has been in a better position to keep the prices of its products low due to its efficient manufacturing system and production processes. Nokia Corporation has adopted a hybrid system of manufacturing, which is a combination of both in-house and outsourcing manufacturing. To enhance its competitiveness, the company has incorporated smart manufacturing techniques in its manufacturing facilities. The company’s distribution network is wide, and this has enhanced its ability to reach the majority of its consumers. Nokia stands far much ahead whe n compared with other companies, particularly in regional outsourcing and its unique feature of collaborating with the suppliers to form an organized design of the supply chain (Cavinato, Flynn, Kauffman, 2006). Nokia has a complex supply chain which has the capacity to handle approximately 100 billion components, together with sixty strategic suppliers and ten manufacturing plants globally. Nokia Corporation established its supply-chain management (SCM) transformation in the year 1995, and it was aimed at replacing its inventory with information, which could create a pull driven supply chain that was integrated to link the suppliers, production plants, telecommunication operators, distribution partners, sales offices, financial institutions, contract manufacturer logistics providers and ultimately, the consumers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Supply Chain of Nokia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Th is was aimed at creating an efficient network of supply that can provide solutions to customer expectations (Nokia Website, 2011). The secret to the success of Nokia Corporation lies in its creation of value-oriented partnership with the suppliers, which is guided by true information, trust and better leadership, which are realized through its principle of collaboration. Nokia has suppliers all over the world and its base suppliers are in countries like Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Morocco and Canada among other many more countries. Nokia embraces supplier diversity, which ranks top on its corporate responsibility. The company only spends on those suppliers who can contribute to the economic prosperity of the company. The company has developed its set of Nokia Supplier requirements that encompass environmental and social demands and are based on international standards (Kalra, 2011). Supply chain is an important operation area for Nokia. It is considered as an instrument towards the realization of the competitive nature of the company. Nokia places emphasis on the efficiency of the demand and the supply network which may be significant in the achievement of ever increasing demand for the Nokia products. Proximity of cooperation between the customers and the suppliers is a central organ of its development principles. Cooperation also promotes diversity in the supply chain (Burt, Petcavage Pinkerton, 2010). Organizational Structure The organizational structure of Nokia is that of four business groups and two horizontal groups. In this kind of organizational structure, the four business groups are: mobile phones, multimedia, enterprise solutions and its networks while the two horizontal groups are customer and market operations and the technological platform. This organizational structure is illustrated by the diagram below.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More (Nokia Website, 2011) Overview of new-product development Process The development of new Nokia product in the market can be demonstrated in the following stages: In Nokia Corporation, it is believed that the life cycle of a market product is two years after which another product is originated and hence the development of a new product is carried out concurrently with the research and the design of the new product. Stage one: generation of the idea; the idea may be from internal or external source. Internal ideas may emanate from the research and development department, while the external sources of ideas may originate from competitors, customers suppliers or distributors. Stage two: screening of the idea; in every preceding stage in product development, the price may be high, and it is therefore imperative that any idea that is poor should be eliminated. It is at this stage that all the ideas are evaluated to allow for elimination of unworthy ones. Stage three: generation and testi ng of the concept; concept development enhances the creation of the exact version of the idea as explained in meaningful terms. It is at this stage that the consumers are asked to evaluate the concept. Stage four: marketing strategy; this stage involves mapping out the target market as well as positioning the product in readiness for the market. Consequently, the price of the product, distribution strategy and marketing is mapped out at this stage. All analysis regarding the product is undertaken at this stage. Stage five: business analysis; at this stage, the sales, costs and the projection of profit are analyzed. Stage six: product development. The typical development of the product and its testing are done at this stage. Stage seven: marketing test; three market tests are undertaken at this stage. These are: standard test marketing, simulation marketing and the controlled test markets. Stage eight: commercialization; this stage involves the presentation of the product into the ma rket (Scribd, 2011). Nokia Corporation places a lot of interest on the transformation aspect of its production. The Corporation emphasizes on the production of new and diverse products so as to make them competitive in the market. There are circumstances where a phone can be available in more than 170 different kinds. The operations’ philosophy that has supported the complex nature of its production is to think locally and acts globally, which implies that the company balances localized decision-making with its objective of global planning. How the Organization Manages Quality of its Products Quality is at the heart of Nokia products. It is their objective to provide quality products for its customers. Quality brand is a characteristic of the products and services of Nokia Corporation. Nokia Company is linked with the passion for the pursuit of constant improvement to an extent that it will exceed the expectations of the customers. Since Nokia is a leading telecommunication c ompany in the globe, it is necessary that high-quality standards should be upheld in all aspects of its operations. Nokia has the desire to achieve quality in the following fields: customer services to enhance customer loyalty, products through constant innovation and improvement and quality in its operations by ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in its management. Analysis of when and how the company can determine whether to outsource or make product in-house As a global company, Nokia sources materials and components as well as services from all over the world. Its sourcing can be classified into two, namely, direct and indirect sourcing. Outsourcing is considered as one way of reducing costs while enhancing performance. A company can only outsource that service which is not central to the business of the corporation. Direct sourcing: this is responsible for the material supply of Nokia’s products; these may include the components, product parts, packaging and software a s well as research and development of new products. Indirect sourcing: this is responsible for the capital equipments like furniture and computer. It also encompasses the sourcing of catering and consultancy services. To be competitive in the market and for profitability, Nokia outsourced its IT services to Capgemini, which is an IT consultant firm of France origin. Outsourcing is necessary to enable the company focus on the supply chain as well as the need to address market efficiency, which has the potential of saving costs and transforming the production process in the chain of supply. Consequently, the company has also outsourced the production of Symbian software development to a company called Accenture, as part of the deal, Nokia was to transfer 2, 800 of its workers to Accenture. Accenture was to provide software services to Nokia operations in Britain, US, India, China and Finland. In this scenario, outsourcing was necessary since it was used as a measure to minimize the la bor force and costs to be able to remain competitive in the market and to catch up with its rivals like Smartphone manufacturers. How the Organization deals with Issues of Contract Under its contract with Capgemini, the IT firm was to provide management services like the delivery of goods and making of customer order management as well as invoicing. In this contract, matters facing customers are not entered or covered in the contract. Matters of contract are listed in the supplier requirements. It is therefore, the duty of the suppliers to best decide whether they can meet the demands and the terms of the contract. When Nokia enters into a contract with suppliers, the following issues are put into consideration; what they are supplying, what they require in order to supply, how long the suppliers will be obligated to supply, their price of supplying it and what they will be held liable in case things do not flow as expected. All the above factors will define how the supplier will ha ndle the commercial agreement and how business will be consulted under the agreement. It will also make it easy for the supplier to operate under the terms of the agreement. With regards to Nokia’s contract with the customers, the customer would want to be guaranteed of the flexibility of the product to be supplied and the price to be paid for the product. A short-term of Nokia’s contract with the customers is the bonus factor. Generally, confidentiality is important in contract negotiations and there is also need for boiler plate clauses in the contract. Production and Inventory Control Measures When compared with its competitors, Nokia utilizes the life cycle concept of the production process. This involves the manufacturing of mobile phones in two main phases; first is the building of the innards of the phone while the second stage is labeled as fast turnaround, and it is referred as the assembly to order. Nokia Company has almost ten production units with high prod uctivity and a big production capacity. These units are only in those countries that Nokia has operations. Consequently, Nokia has a better production technology savvy which can produce the products at an amazing speed as well as sustaining mass production. Nokia Company enjoys very big economies of scale. It is estimated that it averages at $88 making a phone and $129 retailing it; this is an indication that Nokia’s gross profit margin is very high. The production department of the Nokia Corporation is a central competency of the Company. The company has the potential and the capacity to meet the increasing market demands for mobile phones while enjoying economies of scale because of the massive production of mobile phones. It is the production technology that is utilized by the company that makes it rank as the best and the largest mobile manufacturing in the world. Nokia Corporation is the leading mobile phones’ manufacturer in the market based on its volume of sale s and the quality of its products. This is due to its ability to select best suppliers in the market and also its large production capacity. Nokia Corporation has one of the best and wide networks of product distribution, which stems from the village market to the remotest parts of the globe where they have stalls to the most advanced markets in Europe and America where they have concept stores. Joint ventures and cooperation with the supplier has enabled Nokia to utilize its inventory levels. Nokia suppliers who are at times contracted to be Nokia partners take part in the product-development process to satisfy the demands for the future production. The effective and efficient management of inventory in the Nokia Company is backed up by diversification of supplier location. Consequently, Nokia built its inventory based on demand but there is always minimum levels inventory that should be kept constant. Relationship between Demand, Supply and Logistics in the Organization Though it is necessary to match supply and demand in every organization, there are often some difficulties that are encountered in the efforts to match demand and supply. This may include the uncertainties in demand and supply, variations in consumer requirements and the fragmentation of the supply chain. Logistics is understood as the flow of materials, money and information from the suppliers to the consumers while demand, on the other hand, is defined as the flow of operations from the supplier to the manufacturers’ locations and finally to the consumers. The logistics costs that are attached to the demand supply include the freight costs, warehousing and the interest rates levied. It is the responsibility of the logistics to find the cheapest and most affordable way of producing a product and the best method of reaching to the consumers. The logistics department must establish the most economical element of supply (Scribd, 2011). Conclusion The shortening of the product life-cycle poses problems to the development of a new product by Nokia. Several companies no longer comply with the demand that a product should undergo all the stages from design to launch for it to be made available to the market. This has, however, facilitated faster and active procurement in companies. Nokia Corporation acknowledges the importance of outsourcing to realize high profitability. Consequently, the company requires its sub-contractors and suppliers to adhere to the stipulated terms of contract to prevent unnecessary legal complications, which might spoil the reputation of the company. Like any other company, Nokia has suppliers from all corners of the world, and it is the duty of the company to define its requirements for suppliers in wherever they are situated. To ensure efficient and reliable product supply, Nokia has devised a Nokia Supplier Requirements (NSR) that its suppliers must subscribe and comply with. Nokia stresses the need for openness and trust in its transaction s with the suppliers; it is thus two phrases that drive compliance and improvements of performance. This can be assessed through supplier assessments by the company. To enhance supplier confidence and reliability, Nokia undertakes supplier training, which makes it a unique company in the globe. References Burt, D. N., Petcavage, S. D., Pinkerton, R. L. (2010). Supply management (8th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw†Hill. Cavinato, J.L., Flynn, A.E. Kauffman, R.G. (2006). The supply management handbook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Kalra, D. (2011). Global supply-chain management of Nokia. Slide Share net. Web. Nokia Website. (2011). Supply chain. Nokia Corporation. Web. Scribd. (2011). Supply-chain management in Nokia. Web. Shah, J. (2009). Supply-chain management: texts and cases. India: Pearson Education. This essay on Managing Supply Chain of Nokia was written and submitted by user Gianna Jennings to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Swatch Group Essays

Swatch Group Essays Swatch Group Paper Swatch Group Paper The global watch Industry Is an Industry that Is In midst of change, where technology considered high-tech Is now considered behind or companies who were leaders are now just fads. The Swatch group falls in this category as it is a company facing the issues of the necessity of reposition itself, facing increased competition and higher than normal production costs. The swatch group seems to be in a stage in their company that has kept growth low, and the future shaky thus a strategy has been set forward for the company. The recommended strategy of partnering with Titan Industries is a strategy, If Implemented properly will be able to deal with someone of these core Issues at hand. The strategy Is aimed to reposition the company, while taking advantage of external opportunities such as international expansion and lower production costs. In the following document, a closer insight into the watch industry and the swatch group itself gives a better more in-depth look of its current strategies, external/internal threats and opportunities and other possible strategies with the partnership as the ultimate outcome. External The global watch industry has been consistent and continually provoking more interest. The watch industry has usually in the past used a horizontal structure in which suppliers, craftsmen and sub-contractors supply movements and external parts to assemblers , who in turn put the final product all together. Although in rare instances the use of vertical structure has been used in the Industry, where the company builds the product completely within the company. The Industry takes more of a fragmented stance with more of a spread of players in the Industry. The products primarily offered in the global watch industry revolve around electronic, prestigious, luxurious and appealing watches. Various opportunities and threats in he industry are discussed below as well as in Exhibit A Major opportunities in the industry include the continued technology advances occurring In society, with technology continually advancing opportunities for more Innovative product lines exists and at potentially lower cost production. Another opportunity that exists in the industry is international expansion, as the watch market continues to become more relevant in the world, international expansion is up for grabs. The keys to success for companies in the industry will revolve around companies investing more heavily in R and D to maintain with the technology advances and take advantage of the international opportunities. Another opportunity in the Industry revolves around the ability to continue to produce watches at cheaper costs. Keys to success Include companies being able to locate sufficient outsourcing opportunities with production being cheaper in these locations. The major threats that occur in this industry involve around the market becoming too saturated. Since the ability to produce will become cheaper, in a sense the opportunities for companies already in the industry will also be considered a threat as continued new entrants in the market segments will appear. The same goes for International expansion, as companies expand Internationally, messmates companies are being threatened and requiring defense of their companies. Both these threats will lead to profits being diluted and a market shares being cut in to. Keys to success for companies will be able to fall heavily on their reputation along with maintaining strong existing connections customers to maintain the competitive advantages that exist, taking a more focused differentiation strategy and possibly looking for mergers to defend the international expansion and take advantage of the international expansion at the same time. Internal Assessment The swatch group is a diversified multinational holding company that was formed in 1983 through two Swiss watch manufactures. The swatch group manufactures and sells finished watches, Jewelry and watch components. The group is the leader in the world when it comes to watch making and the group supplies nearly all the components required for the watches. The groups production companies supply watch components and movements to third part watch makers in Switzerland and around the world. The swatch group has a reputation and customer loyalty that is rare and quite positively unmatched in the watch making world. Switzerland had commonly been known well for their ability to produce high quality clocks and relies heavily on its reputation based in its watch market. The Swiss watch represents wealth, power and status and with the swatch group as representative of the Swiss watch market, its stance in strong and trustworthy. The swatch group also relies heavily when it comes to their research and development segment in there company. And this is done rightly so as the companies R and D segment has continued to show innovation that has kept them as a world class company and watch maker. The many continues to enhance and develop the design of watch. This is a vital strength because the swatch group utilizes the end-user as a starting point of the departments research. The issue that arises is that with the continued development of R and D in competitors, this is considered an imitable strength and temporary distinctive competency A rising weakness that the swatch group continues to face is the high production costs the company faces. While most watch companies locate manufacturing activities in countries with lower production costs, swatch continues to remain committed to its Swiss home production. While they may consider this important to their D. AN. F the company, it will and has already started to deteriorate profits which have started to plateau profits. Swatch group can convert this into strength if other options of manufacturing their product is realized and considered. Financial Analysis The Swatch group continues to be a leading force in the global watch industry, as it is considered in value terms as the worlds leading watch manufacturer with 14 percent of the world market. The company continues to see consistent growth around 15 25 per cent per year, and saw an increase in gross sales and gross profits y 7. And 7. 5 percent respectively in 1998. This can be primarily attributed to a repositioning strategy initiated in the early asss, by replacing expensive metals with cheaper brands used to refresh the company and by also reducing its streamlined models from 2500 to 130. Another successful initiative that saw the company become stronger financially was a marketing campaign that saw increase its awareness Tort ten omega watch Increase, Ana Decode stronger especially Witt an average of a 50 percent price point below its main competitor Role. Financially where the swatch group lacked was the fact that there sales have began o plateau at levels around 18 to 20 million units a year. The issue the company faces would be that if sales continue to plateau the company will have to rely more heavily on debt and borrowing as the company moves the future. Attempting to utilize its assets more efficiently is one step, another is reducing costs. Current Strategies The Swatch Group and Hayes currently deploy a differentiation strategy in their company which relies on their ability to create a watch that is able to stand out when grouped in with their competitors. The Swatch group has implemented this strategy and sustained its competitive advantage through innovation and their dedication to quality. Innovation at the Swatch group has been an important cornerstone in the groups development and progress towards the future. Innovation from adapting to technology advances in the watch market to their vertical integration strategy by keeping cost production costs lower through reducing the numbers of parts and automating the manufacturing process. Swatch cut the number of parts from 91 to 51 resulting in production costs of under 10 Swiss francs. The Swatch group also relied heavily on their marketing campaign to create brand wariness for their brands and reinvent the watch concept for consumers. The Swatch group positioned their products as accessory items opposed to time keeping. They did this through creating fashionable designs, creating large scale advertisements, limited editions and event sponsoring. The ass they switched their distribution channel to swatch concept stores where the brand products were displayed. A final important part to the Swatch group was the vision set out by Hayes (CEO). The Swatch group wanted to convey a message like no other watch brands in the watch market. Hayes and the swatch group made it clear that the group wanted to target ND be present in all market/ price segments from top to bottom and willingness that the group would be able compete in the markets. Key Issues After clearly seeing the nature of business the swatch group takes, it is clear the Swatch group has a couple of different issues that need to be addressed in order for the company to move in the right direction. The issues the swatch group faces is first that currently their position in the industry is ambiguous and needs to be re organized/ re positioned to give a clearer out look o the future. They are being seen by consumers as Just a fad of the earlier days and Ewing over looked by upcoming and exciting watch industries like Timex. Another is their high manufacturing costs of producing watches in Switzerland which is becoming a strain on the company financially. With more and more of the competition looking for outsourcing possibilities in countries with low cost production solutions, the swatch group has started to fall behind. The problem has really started to affect the company and stands at the forefront of their issues. Continuing to manufacture in one of the most expensive countries in the world and began to take a toll on the company. Another issue that is posed on the swatch group is the increasing competition and different market niches. With companies beginning to take Autocue Transliteration strategies In tenet companies, certain market segments and price segments are becoming increasingly more competitive. This stands as a serious issue for the swatch group as they are present in all market segments and price categories and can result in decreased net margin. Strategic Alternatives The first alternative that Swatch group can pursue is moving manufacturing out of Switzerland into Asia, countries with lower cost production solutions. This will lead to watch taking a cost focused strategy approach. By moving production out of Switzerland the swatch group will be able to maintain with its competitors in regards to production and its productions costs will move from a weakness to strength. By moving production out of Switzerland and still be compliant with the Switzerland government, the swatch group will be able to continue forward with growth and have more to invest in their R and D department. The second alternative that the Swatch group can pursue is a strategic partnership with titan industries (a watch making company based out of India) which will help with the many reposition itself internationally, significantly helping its efforts of gaining more international recognition. Titan industries is also another extraordinary success story in the industry, there expansion has been quick, profitable and recognized by the industry. In this broad differentiation strategy an alliance with a company like titan suits swatch well, as both are looking to continue to grow internationally and avoid the wide spread of competitors continuing to enter the market while both focusing primarily on the watch industry. With immense domestic demand and low cost labor, titan seems to be an exciting and profitable opportunity. The third alternative that swatch can explore is reorganizing its product portfolio. With continued increase in competition especially with competition in niche markets tightening up, swatches current strategy of attempting to be present in all market and price segments seems to have expired. In this focused differentiation alternative swatch will focus their attention on their product lines that are more profitable for the company and abandon their other markets. This means swatch will put more focus on their middle to luxury market segments. This will create a more of a focused differentiation approach strategy. Criteria and evaluation of alternatives by criteria In determining which option will best suit the Swatch group and lead them to more prosperous future, the alternatives that have been discussed need to be asses against three criteria. The first criterion that needs to be met in order to ensure future success for the alternatives would be to produce a positive NP (Net Present Value). The second criterion that needs to be assessed is how each alternative will affect the companys long term sustainability. The final criterion that will be assessed or each alternative is risk level of each possible direction, in the sense evaluating if any of the alternative imposes any greater risks on the Swatch group or the risk of the strategy failing In the first alternative of moving production out of Switzerland with regards to the first criteria of NP, this criterion would produce a NP of $5,333,543,488 which satisfies the criteria. In terms of long term sustainability, moving production out of Switzerland could play a positive role with this criterion. As production is being moved out, costs will De raceme, growth can De Increased as cap tall can De ovate to toner important initiatives of the company and the selling price can be readjusted. The risk level of alternative is tarnishing the Swiss made label that has been the foundation of the company. If consumers drop the product because the prestigious label has become cheaper the company could lose market share in the higher to middle end market segments, which would hurt growth in the company and the futures outlook. The second alternative of partnering with titans industries, creates an NP of $9,027,460,032 which is not only positive, satisfying the first criterion it is the largest NP produced, a important factor to consider. With regards to long term sustainability, this alternative seems to be the strongest in this criterion. With the company needing to reposition itself and create a firmer outlook in a fickle industry, partnering would create the companys outlook stronger and create a synergy between two rising companies looking for international expansion. The partnership would assist in lowering costs, opening up new markets, benefiting from economies of scales, combining assets, advanced growth and competition advantages. The risk level of this alternative is the possibility of losing some of its Swiss made label, which could hinder the future. Also since titan had failed in an alliance earlier, the possibility of failure is possible. The last alternative of reorganizing their portfolio by reducing their product line to the most profitable product, satisfies the first criterion producing an NP of $5,447,279,600. With long term sustainability, the company would be able to see growth through focusing on their most profitable product lines, except costs would increase because the producing these higher end market segments would be more expensive. The risk level of this alternative is that consumer would be lost resulting n lower revenues and if they cant attain higher market share in the product lines they focused on the company would not see growth. The pay out of this alternative might not be worth the risk of consolidation of the products. Recommendation and Implementation Based on the evaluation of the alternatives, the recommended strategy to implement is to create a strategic partnership with Titan industries. The criterion shows that this alternative would be the most attractive in dealing with the key issues the Swatch group faces in the future. Profits would be increased, costs would be reduced b, intention reduced and the company would be repositioning itself for the future. Implementing this strategy would have be done delicately and ensured that not too much time is spent to distract them from moving forward. First part of production would be moved to India resulting in redistributing the cost savings in R and D and some production kept in Switzerland to attempt to keep the Swiss made label. A marketing campaign would be implemented to create a view of the future for the organization and ensure consumers know where the organization stands. The marketing campaign would involve social networks, heavy advertising and the SE of celebrities from all over the world wearing the watches. Then continue to produce product lines, with a more international aspect being implemented so new markets are created. Competition will then be targeted, innovating together by destroying images of others and increasing market share of their own. Avoidance of WOO De nope In tens partnership to rely more on current assets AT ten alliance. Limitations and critique of recommendation While this strategy of partnering with Titan industries seems to look strong and quite promising for the organization certain limitations exists. The first one being that Titan had already tried to work with a partner to develop internationally and move forward, this company being Timex. While a failure seems possible, the difference in this scenario is that both companies are more suitable for a partnership opposed to the partnership with Timex, who really never needed one and was becoming strong on their own. In this scenario swatch and titan need each other more then Timex needed titan. Another limitation that occurs is the fact that even though some production stays in Switzerland, the Swiss made label needs might be tarnished. While this risk seems possible, a proper advertising campaign can mitigate this risk and help the organization move forward without fear of this really hurting the company. The limitations are a concern only if the Swatch group does not commit fully to this strategy. Exhibit 1 External Analysis Opportunities and Threats: Opportunity: New Markets * Opportunity to expand internationally with new markets being produce * Deciding whether to enter the markets or not * With new markets being entered, hype/ attention will be back on swatch * Technology advances creating new markets Opportunity: Low Cost Production solutions Over seasons markets open to inexpensive cheap labor * Could be considered a threat if not taken advantage of * Lower costs of production leads to lower overall costs and higher profits Threat: Market saturation * Companies investing more in research and development in niche markets(RD) * Heightened competition in focused markets, creating tougher markets to compete in Threat: New Markets * International expansion helping companies move internationally, and steal market share from other companies * New competition taking advantage of innovation in the industry, creating new product lines Conclusion: To take advantage f these opportu nities means to take advantage of them now before they disappear. In the watch industry, it seems of late its becoming an ever changing industry where position needs to be firm. With regards to the threats, if they arent dealt with they can be a serious detrimental issue to a business in the industry.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Starbucks Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Starbucks Analysis - Case Study Example Additionally, a number of similar companies such as Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's and Caribou Coffee among others are implementing strategies that are helping them to conquer a larger share of the market. The main objective of this study is to provide a lucid comprehension about how the aspect of employee development can facilitate Starbucks to mitigate the rising issues and also to maintain their competitive position amid their competitors. Discussion Describe The Importance of the Employee Life Cycle Stage Selected to any Organization’s Human Capital Strategy The advancement in the technological aspect and the advent of globalization have not only created opportunities for small firms to establish themselves in the global level but are also creating challenges for business firms through rise in the number of competitors. In this regard, it has become vital for every business to implement employee life cycle stages that would not only aid in maintaining an effective workforce wit hin the business but would also facilitate them to develop skills that would aid to achieve the organizational goals effectively. Employee life cycle is considered to be a Human Resource (HR) process which helps in identifying stages in an employee’s working life along with guiding him/her through the application of management and optimized association process. Six of the common stages in an employment life cycle are recruitment, selection, performance, succession, employee development and transition (Greg Roche, n.d.). The aspect of employee development is considered to be one of the most important functions of Human Resource Management (HRM) in today’s growing competitive business world. In general, employee development implies those actions that help in developing the abilities of an individual employee and organization as a whole. Human Resources of an organization are determined to be amongst the most vital aspects to ensure organizational work efficiency. Loss of a single employee from an organization may at times severely affect the entire working process. The rapid changes in the way businesses are being conducted today have forced large organizations to implement strategies that would not only aid them in updating the skills of their employees but would also help in maintaining a good retention rate of the workforce (Noe, 2010). The concept of employee development has become important over the years because it aids in improving knowledge, skills and competencies which in turn facilitates them to complete their assigned tasks effectively. Additionally, it has also been viewed that the aspect of employee development helps in developing a deep coordinated relation amidst employees of an organization as it indicates that the organization cares about its employees and wants them to work with them in the future (Hameed & Waheed, 2011; WorkSmart, n.d.). Explain How Your Ideas Relate To, and Will Therefore Help To Resolve, the Issues Starbucks A re Facing With reference to the case i.e. Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service by Moon, Y., and Quelch, J., it can be viewed that Starbucks was enjoying its 11th consecutive year of growth rate in terms of sales. However, according to a market research conducted by Starbucks, it was viewed that the company was not meeting with the