Modern Material Inc Case Study free essay sample

Introduction of Supply-Chain-Management2 Key Individuals and their Effectiveness3 Companies Involved5 Organizational Issues:6 Business Processes Impacted7 Management Takeaway10 Areas of Agreement10 Areas of Disagreement/Concerns11 Recommendations:12 Lessons Learnt16 References17 Objectives (What do you think the author is trying to demonstrate or bring out in the case? ) * A company’s competitive position and profitability can be improved through the use of Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) which if successfully implemented will lead to exemplary customer service. Oz, 2009) * System requirements should be clearly defined and the necessary processes analyzed and agreed upon by all key players/groups before software is coded to avoid reworks and unnecessary spending. * Cohesiveness, coordination, communication and leadership should be evident between stakeholders and management for the successful implementation of a project. * Information systems strategy must be in alignmen t with business strategy and processes to ensure business continuity. Company Background Modern Materials, Inc. (MMI) was established in 1927 and grew through a series of small mergers and acquisitions ultimately earning its name in 1991, when it took over a major competitor and subsequently broadened its product line. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Material Inc Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page MMI manufactures products that are used as raw materials by large manufacturers and the construction industry and was described as one of the giants in the manufacturing industry with two of its facilities producing basic products with special properties and shapes. However, due to difficulties being faced by the manufacturing industry such as overcapacity, foreign competition and reduced profits; spiralled by a depressed manufacturing economy, the company came under immense financial pressure. Ultimately, the company lost money in two of five years and downsized in 1998 which left the remaining workers stretched thin and working at a hectic pace. After the mergers, MMI had several issues as each premerger company became a division of MMI, and each division inherited the Information System (IS) organization of the company from which it was formed, hence, reducing effectiveness. To ensure that a single IS strategy was being maintained and adhered to; MMI outsourced its IS operations to STC, a major player in the IT outsourcing business in 1994. As part of the contract, STC offered employment to all of MMI’s IS staff, most of whom accepted the employment offer. Notably, STC did not evaluate the software and hardware employed by MMI to determine efficiency and applicability. In addition, only a small group of analysts was retained by MMI to address concerns regarding problem definition and process analysis. Introduction of Supply-Chain-Management In 1995 Harvey Woodson was hired as vice president for quality to improve MMI’s competitiveness and profitability. He believed exemplary customer service was the best strategy to do this using the supply-chain management technique. Oz (2009) describes supply-chain-management as the coordination of purchasing, manufacturing, shipping, and billing operations, often supported by an enterprise resource planning system. This system involves entering an order, creating a manufacturing order to guide it through to the required manufacturing process, scheduling it into production, producing, warehousing, shipping and routing it so that it arrives at the proper time, invoicing and billing it, and handling any testing issues or claims that might arise. The company’s information systems however needed to be aligned to Woodson’s plan as supply-chain-management is dependent on efficient processes supported by appropriate information processing systems. Key Individuals and their Effectiveness Several persons were involved in Modern Materials Inc’s attempt to implement a Supply Chain Management system (SCMS) in the company with varying levels of effectiveness. They are as follows: 1. Harvey Woodson, Executive VP, Quality was passionate in his resolve to improve MMI’s competitiveness and profitability. He believed that improving customer service would give MMI competitive advantage and subsequently pushed to develop the company’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) by reengineering its business processes and having efficient information systems to support this drive. He used his seniority to motivate workers to do their best. It can be argued that Woodson was very effective in carrying out his role and drove change within the organization by utilizing several soft techniques. After all, he promoted the project among employees, extolling its benefits and how it would ultimately improve the company. His knowledge about the system and strategies was not shared with others, hence when he departed in 2000, the project was in trouble. Being responsible for a project of this magnitude, he could have ensured that the policies and procedures re succession planning were properly developed and documented. Overall, Woodson was effective given the limitations identified above. 2. George Leach, Director of Planning in Construction Division Although Leach was a sophisticated IT user, he never had the IS expertise to undertake the SCMS project. The case postulates that he understood the SCM process. However, understanding SCM and being a user of technology does not necessarily translate into someone who has the skills/expertise to ensure that the system is well implemented and that there is clear coordination among all stakeholders. He attempted to keep the project on schedule; however his incorrect definition of requirements further delayed the implementation of the MMI order entry system. The case explained that â€Å"when the requirements for a system component fell behind schedule Leach would step into the breach and assist in defining the requirements and specifying appropriate processes†. While this is commendable, as Project Leader, Leach should have been managing the process in such a way to ensure that it remained on schedule. Leach’s lack of IT experience affected his effectiveness. 3. Charles Hastings, Chief Information Officer – Hastings’ selection to the post of Chief Information Officer was a reactive rather than a proactive move. It can be argued that being in charge of IS at one of MMI’s plants was not enough for him to be employed in this post. After all, the system being developed was to be spread across all MMI’s departments. His IS experience may have been limited; however he assessed the project in a timely manner and provided overall IS leadership where it was lacking. The case shows all the problems Hastings found; lack of project management responsibility and lack of communication and provided only a cursory glance at what Hastings accomplished. He emphasized that the order entry system was successfully installed, coordination issues were being addressed and the project plan was redone. However, the case does not provide any information to indicate the degree of success the order entry system had or how Hastings planned to address the deep rooted coordination problems. There was also no indication of how realistic the new project plan was. It can be argued that the most effective move Hastings made was to hire the consultant, Carol Young, to take a comprehensive look at the project. 4. Matthew West, Financial Vice President – Based on the financial history of the company, West strongly believed that the project should be abandoned or put on hold for revisiting at a later date. However, he was effective in presenting the financial context in which the project operated. 5. Carol Young, Project Manager – Young’s experience and expertise in project management was unquestionable and her business-like approach to the task was commendable. In her assessment of the project, her findings showed a great level of research. While, Hastings’ projections were on the surface, Young was detailed. For example, she and her team interviewed the functional persons involved (first time they were being included in anything related to the project) and identified the implications for lack of testing and staffing needs. Young did a â€Å"health check† of the project where she evaluated the company’s risk, financial and schedule management. She highlighted Leach’s short-comings as a project manager as well as criticized his ‘big bang’ approach that was costing MMI time and money. She recommended the ‘rolling wave’ approach as a better option. While her recommendations were valid, Young’s tone was confrontational and was interpreted by Leach as being offensive. Young’s involvement in the case was effective as she was able to present a realistic picture of the project and identify a clear path to successfully implement the project. GROUP The Task Force * Comprised of four senior executives and chaired by Woodson * Responsible for developing a proposal to be presented to MMI * Appointed UCA to develop the new system Also had the alternative of enhancing the current system Companies Involved STC – The case describes STC as a major player in the IT outsourcing business. In accepting MMI’s contract, most of the MMI’s IT staff were offered jobs. STC also became responsible for MMI’s hardware and software and were responsible for coding, testing and installing the system. They were also responsible for solving th e company’s Y2K compatibility issues and bringing in Carol Young as consultant on the orders of the Chief Information Officer. There was no indication as to how STC was chosen and whether or not their track record was successful. It can be argued that the lack of leadership at MMI led to STC’s poor performance. United Consultants Associates (UCA) – Appointed by the task force under Woodson’s leadership, hence management thought they were a good fit. They were employed to develop a single plant operation that would be expanded and enhanced to suit MMI. They provided the code for a system developed for MMI’s competitors, lead the requirements definition effort and helped to develop the system design and program specifications. However, a few red flags were raised when it became clear that the system to be developed was far greater than what UCA had previously done. Also, the fact that the IS system implemented by UCA had only 50 – 60 per cent functionality was questionable. It would have been more realistic to get a company that had 100 per cent functionality. Individuals Mary Ellis – Construction Division representative on steering committee Organizational Issues: MMI is a multibillion dollar manufacturing company and one of the giants in the industry. The company has, however, experienced many organizational challenges which affected the successful implementation of the SCMS project. These included; lack of leadership, teamwork and clear policies and procedures to guide the implementation process. Some of these challenges are detailed below: * MMI experienced difficulties such as overcapacity, global competition and a depressed manufacturing economy that plunged profits and as a result the company had to downsize. In order to regain market share and boost profitability, MMI developed a strategic plan and sought to develop new information systems. The organization had a conventional IS structure with each division/department having their own systems and eventually outsourced its IS organization to STC. This meant that STC had control of MMI’S hardware and software. * The organizational culture seems to support hiring within as opposed to hiring the most suitable candidate, even if it meant looking externally. This was eviden t in Leach’s appointment. * There was a lack of cohesiveness, teamwork and effective leadership within the organisation. Business Processes Impacted The case indicated that MMI’s production processes were â€Å"highly automated, with exceptional computer controls,† however the inadequacies of the business processes and supporting information systems does not facilitate outstanding customer service. Modern Materials Inc. implemented a new Supply Chain Management System in order to provide outstanding customer service and improve the company’s position and profitability. Supply chain management involves the â€Å"oversight of material, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. It involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. † The objectives of the new Supply Chain Management to be implemented by MMI are highlighted below; 1. Reducing inventories 2. Increasing market share 3. Enhancing profits 4. Reducing operating costs 5. Increasing customer service The following business processes were reengineered and replaced by the new Supply-Chain Management System (SCMS): * Sales-order entry * Sales forecasting * Order status * Pricing * Scheduling and planning * Manufacturing data collection * Inventory control * Quality tracking * Traffic Shipping * Invoicing * Billing * EDI Additionally, with the implementation of SCMS, the following business functions will be impacted: * Customer Service One of MMI’s main objectives is to improve profitability through exemplary customer service. This includes, taking orders, producing the product and getting it the customer at the right time and the best cost. SCMS would enable MMI to achieve this goal by managing customers’ orders more efficiently and reducing the delivery time from 120 days to 45 days; ultimately enhancing customer relationships through better service levels and value-added services. Marketing SCMS would allow MMI to identify its profitable and non-profitable products which would help to drive the company’s marketing efforts. The compatibility of the MMI’s marketing concepts with SCMS will help to ensure that the company satisfies customers at a profit through inter-functional coordination. * Finance and Accounting SCMS maximizes efficiency and provides the opportunity for the company to realize cost savings. The system will track and record payments, cash receipts, and all cash movement. SCMS will help MMI to create the visibility that leads to improved budget management, effective cost-reduction strategies and more accurate forecasting. SCMS also facilitates the easy tracking of financial transactions, thus allowing for detailed analyses of trade payables and receivables. With the implementation of SCMS, MMI will have a better view of the long-term financial health of the organization. * Operation The implementation of SCMS facilitates reduced inventory because of the expected improvement in the delivery time. Operational information regarding supply chain management is usually available in real time. * Human Resource Management With the implementation of the new SCMS, staff will need to undergo training so that they can be equipped with the knowledge and skill sets needed to maneuver and manipulate the system. This will ensure effectiveness and efficiency of staff before, during and after the system has been implemented. SOFTWARE: Applications: * Microsoft Excel * Microsoft Access SYSTEMS Production systems which were replaced with one integrated system The data processing systems: Supply chain management system * Sales-order entity system * Sales forecasting system * Order status system * Pricing system * Scheduling and planning system * Manufacturing data collection system * Inventory control system * Quality tracking system * Traffic system * Shipping system * Invoicing system * Billing system * EDI system Management Takeaway The case provides an interesting glimpse into the life of a company and specifically the dynamic relationships and issues that manifest themselves when implementing a project. After analysing the case, it is clear that in implementing the SCMS project, Modern Materials Inc could have handled the process better, however, there were areas in which they excelled. This section will highlight the areas with which we agreed and disagreed as well as make some recommendations and indicate lessons learnt that MMI could possibly consider in moving forward and in implementing other projects in the future. Areas of Agreement 1. Hiring Woodson as project leader for the SCMS. He understood leadership and was a good change agent who spent time explaining inconsistencies and encouraging others. . The decision to establish the Chief Information Officer position (CIO) and appoint Charles Hastings to fill the post. This decision, even though a bit overdue, was very instrumental in bringing leadership to the project. The CIO was charged with the responsibility of straightening out the problems with the SCMS systems. 3. Business process reengineering BPR helped MMI to fundame ntally rethink how they do their work in order to dramatically improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors. 4. Leach’s role in defining systems requirements; however this must be done in consultation with the person responsible for that area or processes. 5. Leach’s recommendation that MMI continue with the SCMS as this will give the company a competitive edge and provide an integrated supply plan for the entire organization in real time technology. 6. The following recommendations made and actions taken by Carol Young: Recommendations * The need for an elected project manager who takes full control of the entire project and promotes effective communication between all stakeholders. Employing more efficient business processes. * Completing each stage of the project as opposed to Leach’s strategy of working on a number of the phases independently; thereby ensuring that each stage works properly, ultimately saving the company money by eliminating the process of reworking if a fault is found after the fact. Actions * Performing a â€Å"health check†, interviewing func tional and end users of the project and reviewing the project plan. * Researching what needed to be done to make the project a success Areas of Disagreement/Concerns 1. Decision to devote most of STC’s resources to dealing with Y2K compatibility issues which resulted in less resources being spent on the SCMS project and added to its non-completion. 2. The decision by UCA to begin the systems design and program specifications without input from the users. 3. Despite the numerous benefits to be had from SCMS, the importance of trust comes into play and hence MMI must develop mutual trust and understanding between parties (suppliers etc) to achieve collaboration. 4. Reorganizing the task force and replacing senior managers with middle level managers. This project required MMI changing the way it does business, and considering its importance to the long term viability of the company; MMI should have kept the senior managers. 5. Mathew West’s recommendation that the project be abandoned. As the Vice President of Finance, West considered the overall dire financial condition of the company, highlighted the financial context within which the company operated and questioned the affordability of the project’s completion. It can however be argued that West failed to assess the benefits to be derived if the project was to be completed and implemented on time. 6. MMI not having a project leader with demonstrated experience in implementing projects of this magnitude and nature; distinct from the leader of the steering committee with overall responsibility for the project’s implementation. 7. MMI not conducting a risk analysis or having IT governance of the project in place. As such, the project was not properly planned, and possible risks, obstacles and setbacks were not considered. 8. Carol Young’s affiliation with STC and her recommendation that she be brought in to manage the project. This can be viewed as a conflict of interest as she was a hired consultant of STC, an affiliate company. Recommendations: 1. MMI should proceed with the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS). Despite the obvious monetary challenges that the company is presently facing MMI should implement the system as planned because of the array of benefits to be derived from SCMS, inclusive of regaining market share and increasing profitability. 2. Appropriate Technology to support SCMS. MMI should consider purchasing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) which has a system that allows information about a product to be recorded. â€Å"It contains an electronic product code (EPC) which provides much more information than the Universal Product Code. The tag can include the date of manufacturing, the plant in which the product was made, lot number and many other details that help track its movement and sale†. This would help MMI to improve its service and enhance its customer relations. 3. Project Managers should be clearly identified. Effective project leaders are critical for the successful completion of any project. If MMI decides to proceed with the project as recommended, a project manager should be appointed. 4. Feasibility Analysis. MMI should  undertake a  feasibility analysis of the project on an economic, technical, operational and temporal basis. This would  better assist MMI to determine project outcomes ahead of time, thus allowing the stakeholders to make better/more sound decisions. 5. Customer Relationship Management. MMI should consider implementing customer relationship management (CRM) systems to support its SCMS so that it can plan its resources. CRM systems increase the quality of customer service information captured which can be further analysed to learn about the buying habits and service preferences of customers; ultimately enhancing strategic planning. 6. Project implementation should have a clear deployment strategy. This involves planning how and when execution takes place, the training of operational staff, data conversion and piloting (acceptance testing). IT projects undertaken should first be ‘piloted’ in all departments that will be affected by the change. To this end, staff directly involved in /affected by the changes should be frequently informed on the project’s progress. The company should ensure that sufficient time is dedicated to testing. There should first be unitary testing, once this is successful then MMI should proceed to integration testing. If there are any issues, this must be dealt with before full implementation. 7. An independent audit should be commissioned by MMI’s management team, MMI should invest in an independent external audit. It is recommended that the audit be carried out by a company/organisation that has no prior affiliation with the SCMS project so that an unbiased and objective analysis of the project’s status and the way forward can be determined. 8. An organizational structure should be outlined for the project. A representative from every facet of the project should be accounted for in the organisational structure to ensure that information is communicated in a structured manner. This will increase the efficiency of the communication process thereby reducing delays. 9. A clearly defined communication strategy/plan should be developed for the project. Developing a communication strategy or plan will facilitate the smooth running of the project. This may help to identify potential areas of concerns, allowing for project leaders to be proactive rather than reactive. A communication plan would have proven beneficial to MMI in its dealings with independent/outsourced contractors UCA and STC. This was due to a breakdown in communication between the companies which accounted for a great percentage of the delays in the beginning stage of the project implementation. These companies should have specific service level agreements which have a clause for consequences of non performance 10. Alternative cost saving measures should be considered by management instead of staff cuts. It is recommended that instead of cutting staff, management look at alternative cost saving measures. Management should consider that the project is still in its implementation stage and the existing staff is already stretched beyond its full potential. As such cutting staff may have a negative impact on the successful completion of the project. 11. Effective monitoring mechanisms should be introduced by management. Management should implement project management systems to facilitate tighter control and monitoring of projects. This will help to ensure that delays are minimised, deliverables are achieved, deviations dealt with immediately and the project is kept on schedule. 2. Policies and Procedures should be adequately documented and updated on a timely basis to facilitate knowledge management. There should be documentation and timely updating of processes and procedures used during a project’s implementation so that team members are aware of how particular systems work. 13. Mapping of business processes should be undertaken by the relevant department manager. IT projects an d processes must be implemented based on what the actual specifications are and not on what the IT specialists think they ought to be. Therefore the project leaders must ensure that consultants liaise with the required department head before designing a project. The processes and requirements should be properly defined and signed off by affected parties before coding is done. 14. MMI should ensure there is succession planning in place. In the case of the SCMS, too much of the project was in the hands of one person. When under taking a new project, management must ensure that its project management team has the requisite systems and people in place to facilitate easy handover if necessary. Developing a succession plan will aid in minimising completion lags and cost-overruns where there is a change in the team composition 15. The composition of the Information System Steering Committee should be reviewed. This committee should consist of the CEO (Chair), all senior executives, Chief Information Officer, selected technical managers, selected users, domain and subject matter experts and champions. 16. MMI should employ effective IT governance. This is critical if MMI wants to earn value from IS/IT. Effective IT governance helps to clarify business strategies, measures and manages the amount of money spent and assigns accountability for organizational changes. (Solutions, 2007) 17. MMI should implement a business recovery plan. The business recovery plan will assist MMI in outlining the procedures for bringing the business to normal operations after a disaster or other emergency. The plan will also help MMI’s management to better identify their key staff, vendors, equipment and clients; establish a communication protocol and identify any alternate emergency location for work to resume. Lessons Learnt 1. A project plan should be implemented with clear communication strategies. 2. Poor project planning, insufficient communication, ineffective management (process, project and change), failure to align with constituents and stakeholders and poor or missing methodology and tools are recipes for the failure of any project. (Gulla, 2012) 3. Business activities outsourced should be monitored, similarly to any internal activity, in an effort to  prevent loss of control and damage to the organizational brand. 4. System requirements and definitions should be properly established/agreed upon before the project is embarked on. . Management should ensure that stakeholders are in agreement with the project so that there is cohesion and no dissent. 6. Change project and process management are key to successful implementation of any project. 7. When embarking on large company wide projects as in the case with MMI, persons with demonstrated Project Management experience and relevant technical exper tise should be appointed to spearhead same. 8. For IS to be effective, the necessary business processes and support systems must be in place and must be aligned with company objectives. 9. When undertaking projects, risk analysis must be done and contingency plans drafted. References Gulla, J. (2012, February ). Seven Reasons IT Projects Fail. Retrieved October 28, 2012, from www. ibmsystemsmag. com: http://www. ibmsystemsmag. com/power/Systems-Management/Workload-Management/project_pitfalls/? page=3 Oz, E. (2009). Management Information Systems 6th Edition . Massachusette, USA: Course Technology . Solutions, H. G. (2007, October ). How to prepare a business recovery plan. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from www. hostway. com: http://www. hostway. com/newsletter/2007/08/

King Cobra Snake Facts

King Cobra Snake Facts The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a snake known for its deadly venom and impressive size. Its not truly a cobra (genus Naja), although both species belong to the famiy Elapidae, which includes venomous cobras, sea snakes, kraits, mambas, and adders. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, means snake eater. It is the king because it eats other snakes. Fast Facts: King Cobra Scientific Name: Ophiophagus hannahCommon Names: King cobra, hamadryadBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 10-13 feetWeight: 13 poundsLifespan: 20 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: India and Southeast AsiaPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Vulnerable Description The king cobra is the worlds longest venomous snake. Adults typically measure 10.4 to 13.1 feet in length, but one individual measured 19.2 feet. King cobras are dimorphic in size with males larger than females (the reverse of most snake species). The average adult of either sex weighs about 13 pounds, with the heaviest recorded individual weighing 28 pounds. The snake is brown or deep olive green with black and either yellow or white crossbands. Its belly is cream-colored or yellow. King cobras can be distinguished from true cobras by its two large scales on the top back of the head and chevron neck stripes instead of eyes. A king cobra may be identified by the two scales on the back of its head and the chevron pattern on the back of its neck. gaiamoments, Getty Images Habitat and Distribution King cobras live in India, Southeast Asia, and southern East Asia. The snake prefers forests near lakes or streams. Diet and Behavior A king cobra hunts using its eyes and tongue. Because it relies on keen eyesight, it is most active during the daytime. The snakes forked tongue senses vibration and transfers chemical information to the Jacobsons organ in the snakes mouth so it can smell/taste its surroundings. King cobras primarily eat other snakes, but will take lizards, rodents, and birds if necessary. When the snake is threatened, it tries to escape. If cornered, it rears its head and the top third of its body, extends its hood, and hisses. A king cobras hiss is lower in frequency than that of most snakes and sounds like a growl. Cobras in threat posture can still move forward and may deliver multiple bites in a single strike. Reproduction and Offspring King cobras breed between January and April. Males wrestle each other to compete for females. After mating, the female lays between 21 and 40 leathery white eggs. She pushes leaves into a pile over the nest so that decomposition provides heat to incubate the eggs. The male remains close to the nest to help guard it, while the female stays with the eggs. While normally not aggressive, cobras readily defend their nests. The eggs hatch in autumn. Juveniles are black with yellow bands, resembling a banded sea krait. Adults leave the nest after the eggs hatch, but may mate for life. The average life span of a king cobra is 20 years. A baby king cobra hatches from its egg. R. Andrew Odum, Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the king cobra conservation status as vulnerable. While its difficult to gauge the number of remaining snakes, the population is decreasing in size. King cobras are threatened by habitat loss from deforestation and are heavily harvested for skin, meat, traditional medicine, and the exotic pet trade. As venomous snakes, cobras are often killed out of fear. King Cobras and Humans King cobras are well known for use by snake charmers. Cobra bites are extremely rare, but most cases of bites involve snake charmers. King cobra venom is neurotoxic, plus it contains digestive enzymes. The venom can kill a human within 30 minutes or even an adult elephant within a matter of hours. In humans, symptoms include severe pain and blurred vision which progresses to drowsiness, paralysis, and ultimately coma, cardiovascular collapse, and death from respiratory failure. Two types of antivenom are produced, but they are not widely available. Thai snake charmers drink a mixture of alcohol and turmeric. A 2012 clinical study verified turmeric confers significant resistance to cobra venom. The mortality rate for untreated cobra bites ranges from 50 to 60%, implying the snake only delivers venom about half the time it bites. Sources Capula, Massimo; Behler. Simon Schusters Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. New York: Simon Schuster, 1989. ISBN 0-671-69098-1.Chanhome, L., Cox, M.J., Vasaruchapong, T., Chaiyabutr, N. and Sitprija, V. Characterization of venomous snakes of Thailand. Asian Biomedicine 5 (3): 311–328, 2011.Mehrtens, J. Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling, 1987. ISBN 0-8069-6461-8.Stuart, B., Wogan, G., Grismer, L., Auliya, M., Inger, R.F., Lilley, R., Chan-Ard, T., Thy, N., Nguyen, T.Q., Srinivasulu, C. Jelić, D. Ophiophagus hannah. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T177540A1491874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T177540A1491874.enWood, G.L. The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. Sterling Publishing Co Inc., 1983 ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9.

Analysis Of International Expansion Samples

International expansion of organizations provides them with opportunities to increase their revenues and profitability. The organizations however need to analyse the external environment where they are planning to expand so that they can decide upon the ways by which they set up their business. The organization that is taken into consideration for expansion is Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The area where the company is planning to expand its operations is India and the city is Mumbai (Ang, Benischke & Hooi, 2018). Marina Bay is a resort which is located in Marina Bay, Singapore. The resort started its operations in the year 2010 and was named as the most expensive casino in the world. The Marina Bay resort consists of 2561 hotel rooms and many facilities within its premises (Singapore, 2018). The target market of the company will be India. The huge population and developing economy of the country will facilitate the operations of the organization in the country. The service sector of the country acts as the major driver of growth of its economy. Almost 28.6% of the entire population of India is employed in the service sector. The service sector of the country mainly comprises of the hotels and restaurants. India has been named as the most advanced traveller nations related to the usage of digital tools for the purpose of planning, then booking and further experiencing a particular journey (Papadopoulos, Gulanowski & Plante, 2018). The hospitality and tourism sector is considered to be a part of the top 10 sectors which are able to attract foreign investment. The government has also been taking many initiatives related to the promotion of the tourism and hospitality sector of the country. The hospitality and tourism industry of India has huge potential related to growth in the future. These qualities of the hotel industry of India will help in the growth and will further increase the revenues of the Marina Bay Sands resort (Yoder, Visich & Rustambekov, 2016). Marina Bay Sands can however face challenges related to various factors in the country which are as discussed below, Marina Bay Sands will face many challenges in the new area of their operations in Mumbai, India. However, the organization has to device strategies so that they can combat these challenges and set up a successful business in the country. The organization needs to conduct extensive research in the Indian hospitality sector before entering and investing in the market. The organization can take the help of promotions and advertising to promote their services and offerings in the country. The promotions can be done with the help of digital media and the with the help of social media   marketing as well. Marina Bay needs to a build a competitive edge so that they can differentiate themselves in the market. The shopping experience that the organization provides to the guests is a new concept and can help them in creating a different position in the market. Marina Bay will be able to create a different market for their offerings by introducing this new concept in the market. A wholly owned subsidiary mainly refers to the type of company which is totally owned by another company. The organization which owns the other company is known as the parent company or the holding company. The stocks of the subsidiary company are totally owned by the parent company. The market entry strategy that can be undertaken by the organization is a wholly-owned subsidiary. The wholly owned subsidiaries will be able to take control of the entire supply chain and will be able to control them totally (Santos, Brochado & Esperanà §a, 2016). The suppliers of the organization are under total control of the owners in this case. This means that an entirely different organization will be opened in India which will be a part of the Marina Bay Resorts Group. The organization needs to make a huge investment in this case, however, the growth levels of the Indian market will be suitable for the fast pace growth of the resort. The development of the organization will be facilitated by the increased number of foreign tourists in the city. The investment needs to be made by the organization as the facilities need to be built in such a manner so that it can accommodate the services that are provided by the resort in Singapore. The brand value of the organization will also help them attracting guests and setting up the business in a profitable manner (Andreu, Claver & Quer, 2017). Andreu, R., Claver, E., & Quer, D. (2017). Foreign market entry mode choice of hotel companies: Determining factors.  International Journal of Hospitality Management,  62, 111-119. Ang, S. H., Benischke, M. H., & Hooi, A. W. L. (2018). Frequency of international expansion through high control market expansion modes and interlocked directorships.  Journal of World Business. Doyle, G. (2015). Brands in international and multi-platform expansion strategies: Economic and management issues. In  Handbook of Media Branding  (pp. 53-64). Springer, Cham. Leonidou, L. C., Leonidou, C. N., Fotiadis, T. A., & Aykol, B. (2015). Dynamic capabilities driving an eco-based advantage and performance in global hotel chains: The moderating effect of international strategy.  Tourism Management,  50, 268-280. Papadopoulos, N., Gulanowski, D., & Plante, L. (2018). The Role of Knowledge in International Expansion: Toward an Integration of Competing Models of Internationalization.  Review of International Business and Strategy, (just-accepted), 00-00. Santos, M., Brochado, A., & Esperanà §a, J. (2016). Foreign direct investment patterns of global hotel chains.  Journal of Business Research,  69(11), 5235-5240. Singapore, 5. (2018).  Singapore Luxury Hotel.  Marinabaysands.com. Retrieved 16 March2018,fromhttps://www.marinabaysands.com/hotel.html#osSwY5SPJvKoE5Yx.97 Yoder, S., Visich, J. K., & Rustambekov, E. (2016). Lessons learned from international expansion failures and successes.  Business Horizons,  59(2), 233-243.

Photographic Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Photographic Industry - Assignment Example Previously a photograph taken in a camera could not be viewed unless developed through a process, but now in this world of digitization things have changed a lot. Now the screen within the digital cameras allows you to delete, edit and perform different operations on the spot. The result is that they need not be printed. They could easily be shown via camera, or uploaded through computer or sent through camera phones. The result is decline in prints. Prints was one of the major component in the success of photographic industry and hence its affecting the business. Though overall there has been increase in the number of overall pictures being taken but on the same side decrease in the printouts being taken out as there exist cheaper ways of showing those pictures to concerned people. Joh Larish (2006) in his article " The Analysts Speak Out: Is There a Future for the Photo Industry" states that PMA has been the largest photographic convention and trade show in the United States. This year's PMA was considerably smaller than last year because of the demise of major exhibitors such as Agfa, Konica Minolta, Bronica and others. In addition, many other companies greatly downsized their exhibits or didn't attend at all. The Kodak exhibit was less than half its normal size. There was vacant exhibit space all over the trade show floor. Nowadays people prefer... These advancements have surely made things easier but what about the photographic industry What measures do they take for their survival Most of the topped ranked companies have stopped producing the older versions of cameras, which required reels to catch the moments of life. Starting from Kodak, it is stated in Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2006), that on January 13, 2004, Kodak announced that they would stop producing traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada and Western Europe. By the end of 2004, Kodak ceased manufacturing cameras that used the Advanced Photo System and 35mm films. Production of film continued. These changes reflect Kodak's new focus on growth in digital markets. The Economist (2002) in one of its articles "Prints and the Revolution" states that 80% of digital camera owners still use film cameras more than half the time and fewer than 20% of the 30 billion digital photos taken each year are ever printed out. The industry is now trying to solve this problem since prints are what make money. From music and newspapers to travel and advertising, industries are trying desperately to forge a clear vision for themselves in a digital age that is still opaque. Amy Yee (2006) states in her article "Banishing the negative: how Kodak is developing its blueprint for a digital transformation" about Konica Minolta, which trails in third behind Fuji Photo in the film-making market, gave up the struggle, announcing that it was pulling out of its traditional camera and photo businesses to stem growing losses. This shows some companies just don't know what to do. Things were expected to improve, not change completely. She further writes that Nikon is also discontinuing single lens

INDUSTRY OF SHOPPING CENTERS IN HONUDRAS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INDUSTRY OF SHOPPING CENTERS IN HONUDRAS - Essay Example The real estate investment in the country was able to drop by 15 percent, and this drop was due to the contraction of the global credit as well as export market and political crisis. Now Honduras has some of the best shopping malls in the world with modern facilities inside the malls (Ling and Naranjo 3). One of such a kind of mall is San Pedro Sula mall, and this mall has about 150 stores, an Applebee’s restaurant, 23 eateries that offer food products, an arcade, a Cinemark movie theatre, a banking centre, and a parking lot located in the underground. Besides the underground parking lot, the mall also has 1,200 extra parking spaces with 100% air-conditioning system and security cameras. San Pedro Sula shopping mall has a friendly atmosphere as well as stores with international standards, and the services offered here present many clients with opportunities that are only visible to many through television adverts. Some of the international standard stores in this mall are Lady Lee, Puma, Jet Stereo, and Carrion with a modern state of art technologies. The stores have automated systems as well as electromechanical systems for communication, air conditioners, and monitoring of the stores. The latest technology incorporated in this mall made it win an award from International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), some of the contributing factors to winning the award besides the latest technology were the best traffic flow design of the mall, and this made it able to compete with other malls in Dubai and Brazil. In 2012, the country’s GDP was 17.97 billion US dollars, and this value represented close to 0.03% of the total world economy. There has been a great improvement in the economy because in 1960, the GDP stood at 4.57 USD up to 2012 and this year GDP, the value has shot up to 17.97 USD. This improvement is practically an indicator of how lucrative the businesses are in the country, and the booming business is the commercial real estate business. T he hiring and renting of commercial real estate in the country are relatively cheap, and most of these commercial real estates have modern designs and technology. They offer a variety of the cool and serene business environment that ensures comfort ability of the occupants. Renting of these apartments is renewal, and the clients are always at liberty to renew the trading contracts with the commercial real estate owners. Most of the tenants in Honduras are American citizens, and the laws and practices that govern real estate ownership in the country are quite different from the ones in America. Because most of the tenants are Americans, some of the insurance firms from the USA have been on the front line to provide title deeds for most of the lands in the country through the help of attorneys from the country (Total Transaction Costs 6). Most of the cases involving land ownership in the country have been prolonged by the judiciary system of Honduras, and this has led to the loss of m oney by many American citizens in their quest to get justice. Besides the long case protocols, most of the Americans have also been frustrated in their quest to settle most of the disputes resulting from land ownership (How High 9). Most of the foreign tenants have been brushed off using violence in some of the disputed cases. The Honduran laws have imposed

Cell Phones And Driving: Dangers Involved with Cell Phone Use While Dr

Most people don’t abide by the rules and regulations of the road. Most people don’t even know that they are breaking the law because they do it so often. Talking on the cell phone and driving has become a very popular thing these days. Technology is coming out with the newest phones that can do everything for you and people are attracted to that. There are people that don’t have hands free and drive their car with only one hand, people that text and totally take their eye off the road and type conversations to each other. Bluetooth is another technological breakthrough where you wear an ear piece and can receive phone calls by one touch of a button on the ear piece. This alone takes our attention off the road and into the cell phone. This is ridiculous and everyone has these gadgets and they drive their car day in and day out. Whether it be talking using your hands, talking by text or talking hands free; are all dangerous. It is likely that everyone has ta lked on the cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. I believe that this is a very bad issue that we have going on and not much enforcement is being made. I have five different sources that all say that driving and talking on the phone is dangerous, even fatal. The Governor Highway Safety Association(GHSA), presents us with cell phone driving laws and has made a chart showing the states that have cracked down the cell phone usage with laws. They say that several states restrict cell phone use while driving. This shows us that this is a problem and that states are making laws to control drivers to obey the rules and pay attention on the road. 29 states have collect crash data from cell phone use and driving. 9 states have preemption laws. 5 states have handh... ...elf, or another person due to a non important conversation that could wait depending on the drive. Just pull over and talk. Remember, you have voicemail for a reason. Works Cited â€Å"Cell Phone Driving Laws† by Governor Highway Safety Association, 30, March 2008. http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html Insurance Information institute, â€Å"Cell Phone and Driving† April 2008. http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/ Live Science, â€Å"Drivers on Cell Phones Kill thousands, snarl traffic† 01, February 2005, http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_cell_danger.html Cnet, â€Å"Cell phones as dangerous as drunk driving,† 01, July 2006. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html ABC News, Why Cell Phones and Driving Don't Mix, 29, June 2005. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/story?id=889064&page=1

Discuss the different types of love Essay

In Act 3, Shakespeare portraits love in different characters’ point of views, also showing the different ways love can be expressed in. Orlando and Silvius both express their love openly, not fear of embarrassments. Touchstone’s love is very realistic; Phoebe’s way of express is very childish; and Rosalind’s words are very self-contradicting. Touchstone’s point of view of a â€Å"wife† is a tool that can be replaced or thrown away at any time. Just from the excuse he gave from not having a proper wedding â€Å"for he is not like to marry me well and, not being well married, it will be a good excuse for me hereafter to leave my wife†, it can show that he doesn’t really value this marriage and is already thinking about divorcing before they are even married. Also from the reason he gave about the marriage is just â€Å"by so much is a horn more precious than to want†, we can tell how he sees Audrey as a person. Audrey in Touchstone’s eyes can be seen as an object or just a releasing of sexual needs, he is not respecting her in any point. As a professional jester, people usually imagine them as very nai ve and stupid, but in a contrast to Orlando from a noble family, he acts more mature and is more realistic. By using big difference in status, Shakespeare shows that the way of thinking is actually not affected by the status and job of that person. Different from Orlando, Silvius pursues Phoebe day and night, and begs that she would accept him, while Orlando is just expressing his love without even the courage to go see Rosalind face to face. But the love between Silvius and Phoebe is one sided. We can tell this after Silvius said she is like â€Å"the common executioner, whose heart th’accustom’d sight of death makes hard† begging her to go easy on him, but just in return receives Phoebe’s mocking. She mocks him about his hyperbolic language and says â€Å"now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee†. During the whole scene, she only said Silivius’s name once, showing that she does not even spare him a glance. Not only is their love one sided, Phoebe acts really irritated and is very cruel with the words she chose to use. Like â€Å"if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee†, suggests that she would rather kill him than to give him a little of her love. Although she says cruel things, but she never kicked Silvius or physically hurt him. She also never said anything like â€Å"stay away†, I think is because she likes to feeling of being â€Å"popular†, and the amount of attention Silvius is giving her. I think she mistook that every man is like Silvius, only crying for her love, and falling before her knees, that’s why she acts like a queen. This shows that Phoebe actually has very little contacts with people outside even the others in the forest. Phoebe actually is very inexperienced with love. Although she didn’t say openly, but saying â€Å"I had rather hear you chide than this man woo† to a man which she has just saw reveals her affections. Shakespeare here uses dramatic irony, because Phoebe doesn’t know that Ganymede is actually a women in disguised. And denying her own love is just like the actions of a child towards his or her first love, so I think she is very inexperienced in love. The love Orlando holds for Rosalind is very inconsiderate. As Rosalind says, he â€Å"haunts the forest that abuses out young plants with carving ‘Rosalind’ on their bards; hangs odes upon hawthorns and elegies on brambles; all, forsooth, defying the name of Rosalind†. He doesn’t care how much trouble he is causing to the forest and other people that lives in the forest, just for the sake of his â€Å"quotidian of love†. He didn’t care about Rosalind’s feelings whose name is written by him all over the forest, which makes her widely known, just for the sake of his â€Å"love†. Orlando is very childish, naive, and venire. He wants the whole world to believe that he is in love with Rosalind, even the â€Å"Ganymede† for which he has only seen. He said, â€Å"fair youth, I would I could make thee believe I love† and â€Å"I swear to thee, youth, by the white hand of Rosalind, I am that unfortunate he†. From his urgent tone, we can tell that how much a stranger’s word weighs on his heart, in order for him to swear. â€Å"White† using to describe a person’s skin can mean that he or she is ill, but I think Orlando mean no harm, but this is just the word he can find to describe Rosalind. So, again, we can see the big difference in education between Rosalind and Orlando. He said the verses above right after Rosalind (now as Ganymede) said he doesn’t look like he is in love, so he reacted greatly from just a stranger’s words. Just from one side of the story, without questioning the truth, Orlando accepted the â€Å"help† of a stranger, without even knowing that person. If it was a trap, Orlando would be dead by now, so he is very nai ve. As a woman, Rosalind loves Orlando by heart. By the way she questions Celia about Orlando, â€Å"answer me in one word† shows that Rosalind is very urgent about everything that is about Orlando. Although she loves him, she doesn’t show it very much, denying the â€Å"love rule† in Shakespeare’s plays, which when characters fall in love hard and fast, they would be desperate and reacts greatly. Rosalind’s love is very self-contradicting. She says â€Å"love is merely a madness† when she also, is madly in love. She says as if she was very experienced with love, but actually she doesn’t hold much experience than Orlando does. These contradictions only happen when she is dress as a man, showing the difference in gender can bring much difference in the way of talking and gestures. Rosalind is a very ironic character. She comments on love from two different points of views when she is having two different identities. She uses her identities to her greatest benefits, but in return receives a self-contradictory image about love. It is because in Shakespeare’s period, all actors were men. Imagine a man playing a woman who plays a man in order to win a man’s love, the neat borders of gender becomes hopelessly muddled. I think Rosalind’s â€Å"Ganymede† identity is use to show that men is actually not much better than women, because the things men can do, women can also do if they want. Shakespeare displays love in many different angles, showing to the audience that love cannot be too realistic like Touchstone, but cannot be too imaginative like Orlando; love is a poison that can bring suffer like Silvius and Phoebe, but can also bring sweetness. The love in â€Å"As You Like It† is far to unrealistic that they are not likely to happen, but this is just a hyperbolic play, suggesting that it might occur in another form. Like Rosalind’s identities, love need to strike a balance; otherwise they would create problems for others and themselves.