Customer service Essay

There’s room to grow the hamburger business in Thailand, as consumption remains low compared with other fast food categories, and there are few players in this segment. A competitive advantage exists when the firm is able to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a lower cost or deliver benefits that exceed those of competing products. In case of Carl’Jr , the resources and capabilities together form its distinctive competencies. These competencies enable innovation, quality, and customer responsiveness, all of which can be leveraged to create a differentiation advantage as follow Reputation. Over the last 65 years, Carl’s Jr. has built a reputation as America’s premier burger chain, and is known as the place to go for big, juicy, delicious charbroiled burgers. Today, there are more than 1,249 Carl’s Jr. restaurants worldwide. Value Creation The firm’s own value-creating activities, the firm operates in a value system †¢ Includes partial table service and an all-you-can-drink beverage bar. Sustainability of competitive advantage -Requires customer loyalty, a great location, unique merchandise, proper distribution channels, good vendor relations, a reputation for customer service, and multiple sources of advantage. †¢ Brand = Authentic premium American burger †¢ Quality = Highlight the quality and volume of fresh ingredients and value in every bite of juicy, charbroiled meat. †¢ Location = Carl’s Jr. has been strategic with the location of each branch, selecting to be in the heart of cities in areas crowded by both Thais and foreigners alike. †¢ Customer service = All burgers are made to order and the brand places a heavy emphasis on excellent guest service to enhance the overall dining experience. (Provides a quick-service experience) With their wide variety of premium burgers, all made-to-order using the freshest quality ingredients to customers which is a big difference to McDonald’s or Burger King which often have burgers sitting around for a while. These are just some of the reasons why Carl’s Jr. has achieved such tremendous success around the world. With confident that the premium food and facilities of the Carl’s Jr. brand will resonate with the discerning Thai consumer.

Observational Learning

There are a number of places where toddlers could be observed unobtrusively – at the park , the playground , the mall , and the daycare center . For the purpose of this study , however , I chose to go to the park and observe parents and their toddlers play together . This way , I could easily observe unobtrusively as people would think I was simply there to write or to write down my thoughts Another benefit that the park has to offer is the lack of formal structures and relationships such as those found at daycare centers .At the park , parents and toddlers could interact easily and in a relax manner . That way , the true nature of the relationship between the parents and the toddlers will be easily observed and analyzed and the understanding of the interactions between parents and children will be better understood . This then seeks to look at such a relationship by presenting direct observations from families and toddlers that visit the park in our community .I had a small n otebook with me and it is where I wrote down my observations , as well as the communication that went on between the parents and the children The toddlers that I observed were approximately between 16 to 30 months old and appeared to be pampered by care by their parents . One the toddlers belong to an Asian-American racial stock while the other one to an American family .Although the parents brought strollers with them the toddlers were walking and occasionally carried by their parents Both of the families of the toddlers seem to belong to the middle class Notably , the second toddler belongs to a mother without a father Although the author could not exactly know whether she is a single parent or not , at least based on the observation at the park , the mother does not have any other company in visiting the park Both toddlers appear to be enamored with their surroundings .They do notice the colors in the park and usually exclaim in delight when they see a butterfly or a bird . Appar ently , they are already starting to recognize some of the features of the environment and their understanding of what they are is already being formed in the minds of the young kids Toddler 1 The first toddler I observed is male . He displayed curiosity in his surroundings . While they were walking in the park , to the way where the family will sit down for an afternoon snack , the toddler was picking up sticks and leaves on the ground .He raised them to his eyes and offered them to his parents . The mother accepted the offer from the toddler and said that it was a leaf . She explained further that the leaf grows on the branch , which the toddler dutifully picked up and offered to her mother again . When the mother pronounced leaf ‘ and branch , the toddler also spoke up and attempted to pronounce the same words A child is very much curious and interested in his surroundings . As part of his cognitive development , he notices the shapes , colors , and different sensations and wonders he encounter in his world .Even at such a young age , he is also being initiated into the process of socialization where he learns the views of his parents and of the larger society where he is located (Turner , 1991 . The child , according to Piaget ‘s theory actively uses his senses to explore his environment and learn about them . Through the use of his senses , he is able to discern relationships among the actions he take and the behavior of the objects that he is viewing (Turner , 1991 Both the component of nature and nurture are at work in this seemingly simple process that the child is going through .He uses his eyes , his ears , his nose , and his whole body to discover the world and learn how it works . His efforts , because they are yet insufficient , are supplemented by his parents , more particularly by his mother , who tells him the names of objects and how they are being referred to in the world Through the explanation of the mother about the nature of t he relationship between leaves and branches , the child is then able to look at the relationship of different objects in his environment albeit in an incomplete fashion .The explanation of the mother regarding the relationship of leaves and branches may not be sufficient for the child to understand the relationship because most of the knowledge of a child advances through his actions and his interpretation about the consequences of the actions he make (Franz White , 1985 Notably , the toddler was now engaging in eye-to-eye contact with his parents and occasionally asks them for what he wants . His father brought out a ball that the toddler apparently loved playing with .The father and the child started playing with the ball – they played catch , and sometimes they would race together to get the ball first . The toddler was delighted with such play with his father . Although this is the case the child would also look at his mother and he asked her to come and join them . This is consistent with the theory of Erikson , which holds that the child ‘s relationship with his mother is perhaps the most important one during this stage of development (Franz White , 1985 The child continued to play with the ball and when he saw other children in the park , he also went to them and offered to play the ball with them .Apparently , toddler one has good socialization skills to the point that he can mingle with other kids even when his parents are around This points to the good relationship that the child is enjoying with his parents . Both his parents encouraged him to play with other children and watched him with other kids . True enough , when the child has strong relationships with his parents , he tends to be more socially responsive and socially amiable . In accordance with Psychosocial theorists , the child is displaying good emotional and social skills because his own relationship with his parents are also good and secure .Otherwise , he might become a re cluse and refuse the company of people (Charlesworth 2003 When Toddler one was playing ball with another child , there was an instance in which the other child managed to grab the ball more quickly than toddler one , so what he did was to forcibly claim the ball from his playmate and withheld it from the latter . Through this , the other child looked as if he was about to cry . It is at this moment that the mother of Toddler one intervened .The mother reasoned out firmly with the toddler in regards to sharing toys so that others would also learn how to share . The tone of the mother appeared to be negotiating instead of imposing . This display of authority on the part of the mother is remarkable and shows the secure connection between her and the child (Charlesworth , 2003 Toddler Two When I felt that I have sufficiently observed toddler one , I decided to turn my attention to another toddler playing with a dog not very far from the first toddler . The only companion of the toddler in the park is his mother and their Labrador .I had the impression , although this is difficult to verify , that the mother was a single parent The mother was silently looking after her child who was playing with the Labrador . Apart from the toy truck and the Frisbee that the child had there were no other toys that the mother had for the child . The mother appeared to be preoccupied with her own thoughts When toddler was not busy with his toy truck , he would play with the Frisbee and the dogs with the strength and the capability that he has The dog seems to act as a guard to the toddler . He does not socialize with other kids very much and he appears content to play by himself .The toddler , it seems is spending most of the time by himself . Although at first glance , this may seem to be a display of autonomy , yet in closer examination of the child , he does not enjoy the benefits that interaction with other kids and with his parent brings . These circumstances will therefore bri ng forth negative consequences in the development of the social skills of the child and he might find it difficult to relate with other people when he grows up (Keenan , 2002 When the child attempts to play farther from his mother , the latter would come after him and tell him not to move around too much .The mother actually uses her authority over the child to forbid him from going somewhere else . Apparently , the mother wants to keep the child in her sight most of the time . This kind of attitude might breed negative feelings in the child and will contribute to the insecurity of their relationship . Since the relationship of the child with his mother is of utmost importance (Charlesworth , 2003 , then his cognitive , emotional and social development will suffer as a consequence . The child also develops a kind of mistrust in the outside world and he will not view the outside world as a safe place .Instead , he might develop the attitude that he always needs his mother to look aft er him . Erikson warned against this over-protectiveness of parents as it prohibits children to explore and become curious of their environment . Hence instead of developing self-confidence and self-esteem , toddler two will instead feel shame and doubt (Franz White , 1985 Toddler two cried when his mother forbade him to wander into the park When the child cried , the mother responded by being firmer and she almost shouted to toddler two to stop . Instead of stopping , however toddler cried even louder and displayed tantrums .At this time , the mother punished toddler two by spanking him three times . After several minutes , toddler two stopped crying and remained where he was instead This display of authority may become inimical to the overall development of the child over the long run as the initiative and the natural curiosity of the child will be dampened and what he will remember most will be the fear associated with the parent ‘s discipline (Charlesworth 2003 Toddler two recovered from the spanking after several minutes by turning his attention to the dog and his Frisbee .By distracting himself , he forgot about the incident and started to enjoy himself again . His mother , however , still issued a warning for him not to move out of her sight ‘ According to Erikson , if the urge of the child to explore is removed , then the result would be a lower level of self-esteem on the part of the child (Franz White , 1985 Toddler two is very much to her mother , however , he is not sufficiently developing autonomy .Through the reprimands and the stern warnings of his mother , he becomes dependent on his mother and unable to explore his environment and his surroundings . Over the course of time as he discovers the world further , he may not have sufficient curiosity and initiative to move away from the familiar and instead , he would keep in sight of whoever is looking after him Conclusion Observing the two toddlers was a good experience for me . It was as if the concepts and theories discussed by Piaget and Erikson were coming to life .Indeed the role of the parents is very crucial in ensuring that a child receives the appropriate socialization and training even while he is young . The strength of the attachment of a child with his parents is very important for him to develop the necessary skills for socialization and in relating with others in his environment If the relationship of a child with his parents is good as demonstrated by the first toddler I observed , then the child will greatly benefit from it .If , however , the nature of the relationship bs on the dysfunctional , then the socialization skills of the child will be negatively affected . As he grows up , he will have struggles in relating with different kinds of people in his environment By observing toddlers , numerous lessons can be gleaned and the nature of the relationship between child and parents will be assessed Accordingly , intervention strategies could be a rrived at so that the child will not suffer needlessly .Furthermore , parents , and everyone dealing with children , should be sensitive to the different levels of development of the child as demonstrated by Piaget and Erikson . By doing so , perhaps the manner of bringing up of children will be better and over the long run , the society will become a better one because of the good rearing of the children Reference Charlesworth , R (2003 . Understanding Child Development : For Adults WhoWork With Young Children . New York : Thomson Delmar Learning Franz , C . E White , K . M (1985 . Individuation and attachment in personality development : Extending Erikson ‘s theory . Journal of Personality , 53 (2 , 224-256 Keenan , T (2002 . An Introduction to Child Development . London : Sage Publications Turner , . J (1991 . Relations between Attachment , Gender , and Behavior with Peers in Preschool . Child Development , 62 (6 , 1475-1488

Somali piracy and international law Research Paper

Somali piracy and international law - Research Paper Example Background of the study In 1991, Somali went down into war after the fall of Dictator Mohamed Siad Barrre (Little 79). Shortly after his fall, some foreign countries took advantage of the anarchy and sent their navy to fish in the Somali waters. Other countries took advantage of the situation to dump their toxic waste and nuclear waste at the sea. Due to lack of government in place to control such illegal activities in the Somali waters, the Somali fishermen began to organize themselves to confront waste dumpers and to collect some revenues from foreign fishers. It is this legitimate fight against foreign exploitation that turned to be a criminal venture after the Somalis discovered its profitable potentials (Little 99). Most of the people who are pirates along the Somali coast are actually not from the coast but are former militiamen whose biggest motivation is money (Kraska 155, Natalie, Joanna, and Donald 241). However, they justify their activities by claiming that they are always on a mission to defend their waters from illegal fishing and dumping of waste products. This has led to increased piracy along the Somali coast and has attracted the international response on the same. In this regard, the United Nations Security Council has passed a series of resolutions to give its forces legal authority to apprehend pirates. The Somali pirates were much angered by the council resolution and especially because it was initiated and promoted by the United States. In fact, this marked a clear start of Somali pirates’ connection with the Al-queda terror group (Little 49). Since the main aim of the Somali pirates is to scoop money from their victims, the Al-queda group targeted Somalia in order to us e Somalis along the coast to terrorize targeted citizens of certain states in the exchange of money. However, this did not seem to work for the Al-queda group as the Somali pirates considered this as a different mission altogether. After lacking concrete contact with the Somali pirates, the Al-queda group turned to Somali militia men who with the help of Al-queda consolidated their forces and named it ‘Al-shabab’ (Alina 481). Al-shabab conflicted the role played by the Somali pirates and started kidnapping citizens of western states. Their main target people were the tourists from the United States especially those that visit the border, Kenyan coast. In the recent developments, a German tourist was killed and his wife kidnapped by men believed to be members of Al-shabab terror group. However, the Kenyan government was quick to launch a manhunt for the Al-shabab in the effort to rescue the kidnapped lady. The Kenyan government declared war against both the Somali pirate s and the Al-shabab and launched a military land operation in Somalia. Kenya called for the intervention of the international community with the United States, Britain and Israel backing it up for the operation. Statement of the problem Since Somali attracted the international attention due to piracy activities, very little has been done by the international community to curb the menace. This is what has led to increased piracy activities along the Somali coast. In fact, the international

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

Kindle Fire - Research Paper Example Indeed, there is no denying the fact that the name of Apple’s tablet computer, which is the iPad has come to replace what every other tablet computer should be called. There are hardly people who know that iPad is only a registered brand of Apple’s tablet computer because they think that is what every other tablet computer is called. Such popularity is a major brand equity that brings about massive profits for companies involved (Prosser and Wittenberg, 2007). If for nothing at all, consumers of tablet computers who have no relevance to the brand of a company’s product may just go to the shop and say they want to buy an iPad and it is apple’s tablet PC that they will be given. Stratified marketing: Another major advantage or strength that Apple Inc and their iPad have over the Kindle Fire is that the company operates a multi-stratified market. What this means is that the computer is not only into the production of table computers. Subsequently, the company is always assured of a means of gaining revenue and raising expenditure to cover up for the key account expenses of its product. To this end, it becomes almost unthinkable that the company would run out of fund to promote its products. Another thing about the stratified market is that the perceived performance and quality of Apple’s other products may be directly related to its tablet computer and this may be a major competitive advantage. Weaknesses Costing : Regard of the major advantages that have been looked at, there remain some key weaknesses that Apple Inc and its iPad suffers. Typical among these is the fact that Apple’s iPad are one of the most expensive on the market (Porter, 2010). Even though the company may have some justification for this by citing issues of the fact that their products are filled with sophisticated software and applications and the fact that the products are of high quality, it remains a fact that there continues to be a large proportio n of the consumer market, whose major selection criteria for any product is the price or cost of the product. This is a weakness to iPad, which may well come as an advantage and strength to the Kindle Fire. Stagnated market syndrome: Analysts have said that until the Apple Company comes to realize the importance and need to take advantage of what they call abandoned market, the company may hardly maximize its full financial potency (Introduction to Evaluation, n.d). Currently, Apple concentrates on North America, Asia and Europe as its major market destinations. To this end, there has been a stagnated market syndrome whereby virtually no new customers are being added. As the Kindle Fire roots for the African and Southern American markets, the stagnated market syndrome would continue to be a major disadvantage to Apple. Support services buyers of product want and need Technical specification support: Most consumers and customers of the Kindle Fire get hooked to the product not becaus e they are people with technical expertise of the functioning and

Women in the work place Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in the work place - Research Paper Example The unjust power dynamics between men and women has evidently and significantly affected women in our society in general. This is for the reason that the situation of women is at a disadvantageous point as compared to that of men. Women are considered as second class citizens who are regarded as powerless and in need to depend on men. The normative standard expects men to dominate over women. In addition to that, such system of patriarchy is supported and intensified by our society through the unceasing reinforcement of the male domination via a wide array of institutions such as religion, government, family, education, and often than not, the institution of workplace as well. In the institution of workplace in particular, women’s participation in the labor force has been massive in every region of the world. Though the condition of women has considerably improved nowadays, it is the case that discrimination against them in the workplace still exists. Based on the report by th e International Labour Organization (ILO), the old ways of discrimination still exist together with the new ones (39). As a matter of fact, the gender – based discrimination does manifest itself in so many ways and in terms of employment, it occurs in all the stages of the process (ILO 39). That is to say, men are more preferred than women (ILO 39). It is also the case that women are given more workload in both paid and unpaid labor than men (ILO 39). Despite the more workload given to women, Kelan suggested that there exists a payment gap. As suggested by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are financially discriminated since they work 41 to 44 hours per week but earn just 84.6 per cent of what men are paid for these hours while those women who work more than 60 hours per week receive just 78.3 per cent of that of men (Kelan). This underpayment is only one of the discriminations of different sorts that women do experience. Even though women have the potentials that en able them to receive higher level of status in various companies, gender stereotyping affects how women think about themselves (Snowdon). Apart from that, the women’s role in economic growth is crucial but the thing is, still women face so many obstacles to get hired and be promoted in the workplace (â€Å"The importance of sex†). Given this background, the focus of this paper is to primarily critically analyze the position of women in the workplace. Specifically, it aims at identifying the forms of discrimination that women do suffer in employment. Also, it targets to know the barriers of why women do have such unequal top management positions with that of men in the labor force. Basically, this paper argues that women, although have what it takes to reach the top – management positions that men play in the workplace, still are at a disadvantageous position of being discriminated due to the unfair consideration because of one’s gender. Women in the Workp lace Women’s participation in the labor force has significantly improved as compared before. As a matter of fact, their participation in the workplace is massive which can be seen in every region in the world. In fact, as of today, there are great numbers of women can be found participating in public service since women are encouraged to join in the labor market (ILO iii). According to Kaylan, the rate and extent of advancement that women have created in the American work force are not realized by many of us (14). There are more women than men participating in the labor force of professional occupations which includes professional, financial, management and business professions. As a matter of fact, women have already reached the top of the corporate ladder. In the Fortune 500 companies,

Original case final project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Original case final project - Term Paper Example The more systematic and finely tuned this channel of communication is, the more effectively the firm may attain its strategic goals. In the situation that follows, flaws in communication within the organization cause problems in the firm’s delivery of services to its clientele. The developments in the case study shall be discussed and possible recommendations offered to address those issues of leadership communication; the identities of the company and persons involved will be concealed pursuant to an agreement to maintain confidentiality of the subjects. Description of the situation The Everest Stock Brokerage (not its real name) was riding the crest of a stock market bull run when Adam (not his real name) joined the company. Adam was a duly licensed stock trader authorized by the exchange to execute transactions on the computerized trading system. He was a perceptive and well schooled finance student in college, and his ambition was to be an expert stock analyst and eventual ly stock broker, thus in his academic program he gained as much training and information as he can on equities valuation and price forecasting. These are considered important core knowledge for any professional who would wish to work in stock investing, particularly in advising individual investors on their hard-earned placements. Everest seemed an ideal place for Adam to work in, because it specialized in retail stock brokerage (i.e., for individuals rather than institutions) and its president and chief executive officer, Mr. Henry Lorne (not his real name) is a recent past board member of the stock exchange. When Adam joined the company, sales were skyrocketing, profit was strong, and the brokerage was flourishing to the point that the company doubled its sales force and rented a second dealing room in the same high rise building that housed the corporate administrative offices and the first dealing room. (Off-floor trading was adopted years earlier when trading became computerize d and online trading became possible, even for clients in their homes.) Business continued to remain good for the next two years. Then, midway in 2008, the inevitable happened. The market faltered, sales thinned, then prices suffered a severe correction due to panic selling by investors because of the credit crunch that began in the subprime mortgage market. It was about this time that Mr. Lorne was beset by calls from clients that their orders were not being executed fast enough, or were not being confirmed to them as soon as they get done. Such delay created the impression in the minds of the customers that the particular traders handling their phoned-in orders were executing their own personal trades, which was against exchange rules, and passing on to customers the less advantageous trades (i.e., trades with losses, or minimal gains at best). Among its corporate values, the company had a policy of â€Å"attending to clients’ need for information promptly and transparentl y.† However, there were no definite guidelines by which to determine what is meant by prompt and transparent provision of information to clients according to their needs. On the contrary, there is an unwritten but consistently observed standard operating procedure (SOP) that all trades

Stakeholder Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stakeholder Analysis - Essay Example This faction of the stakeholders feel that alternative measure of undertaking scientific experiments for medical development and other reasons are feasible. Winning in this debate has the gain of conscience satisfaction that animals should be taken care of like human beings. They seek to achieve the goal of human moral responsibility to be in charge of the other creatures. Winning this debate also presents a desirable outcome in terms of general perception of animals as being close relatives of man and the cruelty against them are uncalled for. There are various reasons as to why the proponents would want to win. They will assert the moral obligation of man to be a fair steward of nature. The animals are considered to experience pain but lack express vocal ability to show this. It is therefore disadvantageous to them and this raises ethical concern from the perspective of humanity. Another critical aspect of the gain concerns winning the conscience of people towards fair treatment of animals and minimizing chances of their elimination through waste control experiment. Financial support to shift to alternative experiment methods rather than sacrificing animals sounds more human and promotes ethics. Sanctity of life is likely to be upheld by the society and this will be a remarkable outcome in the entire campaign of the religious fraternity. Opponents still stand by the relevance and convenience attached to use of animals for scientific experiment. There is significant propensity of professional inadequacy should the pro-animal activists gain. Besides, alternative experiment procedures that may not use animals are seen as either expensive or inaccurate. There are several experiments that are in progress or already enlist the need for animals. In the event that use of animals is banned, the investment and commitment already put towards such experiments would go to vain and become discouraging. In essence, there has been

The history of The High School Journal Research Paper

The history of The High School Journal - Research Paper Example This then led to the conventional schools that we currently known as public schools. It has also undergone a wave of racial and sexual mixes that has transformed the learning system. Originally, education suffered from segregation, racism and social class. Children from rich families were educated in some of the best private schools while those from poor families were left to toil in the public schools. Immigrants were also not allowed to freely engage in education and state funding rarely went to the development of schools in the predominant south. Women played an active role in advocating for reforms in the education system. The United States education system has developed from a place whereby there were few valuable skills imparted on adolescents as seen in progressivism. It has however undergone significant reforms over the years to cater for its multicultural population. These reforms have however been attributed to historical events that contributed to the present education system. I chose to analyze the History of the High School Journal which published in the first issue in 1910. The journal has been issued every year since then and is still being printed to date. This publication has been reviewed by several authors and continues to be the source of information on the advancements that are being made in the education sector. This period still had traces of the industrial revolution that had spilled over from the 19th century. It was a time of unprecedented economic growth at the height of industrial revolution. Many young people had engaged in jobs and very few were to be found in classrooms. Colleges and other institutions of higher learning had not yet been well established. Measures in secondary education were also still undergoing significant changes with school libraries still being advocated for to improve learning. This period was characterized by the great depression that started in 1929 and lasted the whole decade. There was limited

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 96

Case Study Example The need to assume a leadership role in corporate social responsibility also supports necessity of the wind turbine that has a great potential to reduce water and other environmental pollutions. The application is likely to reduce ocean pollution, ocean acidification from exhaust gases, and ocean warming, effects that can extend to land environments. The move will also support the company’s values of ethics, value for change, and optimism and perspective (Silverman, n.d.). Shared value creation ensures utilities for social benefits, and not just an organization’s profitability (Schmitt, 2014). Initiatives for better inland waste management, towards marine environment conservation are one of the forms of shared value creation that HAL might implement. In awareness forums and development of plants for proper waste disposal, HAL will prevent marine pollution from inland waste and at the same time develop rapport with the public. A positive corporate image will benefit HAL’s competitiveness. Establishing a research and development center for better marine conservation and towards better facilities for marine travel utilities is another form of shared value creation that HAL could implement. Results are likely to reduce such pollutants as grey and black water and improve customers’ utility. Of greatest significance is however effects of marine conservation to public utility (Silverman, n.d.). Silverman, M. (n.d.). Protecting our oceans: Sustainability at Holland America Lines. Oikos. Retrieved from:

Current Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Current Crisis - Essay Example Congress, which continues to support a mortgage tax deduction that gives consumers a tax incentive to buy more expensive houses. Real estate agents, most of whom work for the sellers rather than the buyers and who earned higher commissions from selling more expensive homes etc’ (Bianco) The crisis is so deep that only the economic reform policies alone may not bring the desired results. Many economists believe that the current recession may continue longer than anticipated. President Obama has taken lot of measures (Obama program) to counter the current crisis which has been brought mixed reaction from the economic experts. This paper evaluates the criticism raised by CATO Institute, Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz and the support extended by Lawrence Summers to the Obama program. The American people’s changing life styles are one of the biggest factors for the current crisis. The greedy customers accepted the offers (loans) from the financial institutions with both hands. They have approached the banks for everything and the banks were ready to help them without even assessing their backgrounds or financial capabilities. The financial institutions miscalculated that the global economy will never exhaust and whatever the goods and services sold in the market will bring profit. Such irresponsible allocation of resources in the market was the main cause of the current problem. The banks have given more focus to the goods or services sold rather than the goods or services bought. In other words, they were more interested in selling of their services. They never thought too much about the returns against the services they provided. Once the balance between the services and goods sold and bought were destroyed, financial crisis came into exist. The banksâ⠂¬â„¢ decisions and behaviors with respect to lending were not based on the economic theory of supply and demand. The supply must not be

Toyota way Essay Example for Free

Toyota way Essay With a market capitalization greater than the value of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler combined, Toyota is also, (by far), the world s most profitable automaker. Toyota s wellknown secret weapon is Lean production the revolutionary approach to business processes that it invented in the 1950s and has spend decades perfecting. Less well known are the management principles that underlie Lean production, Lean product development, and all of Toyota s business and service processes. Today businesses around the world are attempting to implement Toyota’s radical system for speeding up processes, reducing waste, and improving quality. But are they getting beneath the surface of Lean tools and techniques to the real foundation of Toyota s success? The Toyota Way, explains Toyota’s unique approach to Lean management the 14 principles that drive Toyota s quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. You will gain valuable insights that can be applied to any organization and any business process, whether in services or manufacturing. You will discover how the right combination of long-term philosophy, processes, people, and problem solving can transform your organization into a Lean, learning enterprise the Toyota Way. Foreword When I joined Toyota after 18 years in the U.S. automobile business, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. But I was hopeful. I knew that I wasn’t comfortable with the direction that American automobile manufacturing was taking, and I felt Toyota might be different. In no time at all I noticed a fundamental difference between Toyota and my previous employers. At a Toyota/GM joint venture plant in Fremont, California, called NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing), I witnessed the transformation of a workforce from one of the worst in the General Motors system to one of the best in any manufacturing facility in the United States. The difference was the Toyota Way. In this book, Dr. Liker explains the management systems, thinking, and philosophy that form the foundation of Toyota’s success, providing the reader with valuable insights that can be applied to any business or situation. While there are many books that provide insight into the tools and methods of Toyota’s Production System (TPS), Professor Liker’s book is unique in its explanation of the broader principles at work in the Toyota culture. The Toyota Way is not the Japanese Way or the American Way or even the Gary Convis Way of managing. It is the fundamental way that Toyota views its world and does business. The Toyota Way, along with the Toyota Production System, make up Toyota s DNA. This DNA was born with the founders of our company and continues to be developed and nurtured in our current and future leaders. The Toyota Way can be briefly summarized through the two pillars that support it: Continuous Improvement and Respect for People. Continuous improvement, often called kaizen, defines Toyota s basic approach to doing business. Challenge everything. More important than the actual improvements that individuals contribute, the true value of continuous improvement is in creating an atmosphere of continuous learning and an environment that not only accepts, but actually embraces change. Such an environment can only be created where there is respect for people hence the second pillar of the Toyota Way. Toyota demonstrates this respect by providing employment security and seeking to engage team members through active participation in improving their jobs. As managers, we must take the responsibility for developing and nurturing mutual trust and understanding among all team members. I believe management has no more critical role than to motivate and engage large numbers of people to work together toward a common goal. Defining and explaining what the goal is, sharing a path to achieving it, motivating people to take the journey with you, and assisting them by removing obstacles those are management s reasons for being. We must engage the minds of people to support and contribute their ideas to the organization. In my experience, the Toyota Way is the best method for fulfilling this role. However, readers of this book should understand that each organization must develop its own way of doing business. The Toyota Way is the special product of the people who created Toyota and its unique history. Toyota is one of the most successful companies in the world. I hope this book will give you an understanding of what has made Toyota successful, and some practical ideas that you can use to develop your own approach to business. Gary Convis Managing Officer of Toyota and President, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Preface In 1982 when I first arrived as a new assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the automotive industry was in serious turmoil in the midst of a national recession. The situation seemed dire. The Ford Motor company was seriously flirting with bankruptcy. The Big 3 were losing market share fast. There was a lot of debate at the time over the root cause. The party line among Detroit auto executives was that the cause was the Japanese invasion. Japan, Inc. had banded together with industry and government colluding to set up trade barriers to prevent American cars from being sold in Japan and artificially lowering prices of Japanese cars in the United States. Of course, in the minds of U.S. companies, as long as the root cause was unfair business practices, there was no need to seriously change the way they built cars. Instead, political channels would right the wrongs. Around this time I was fortunate to be invited by David Cole and Robert Cole (two University of Michigan professors who were leading the study of the Japanese quality movement) to work on a U.S.-Japan automotive study. This research was an effort to help U.S. companies learn from the Japanese automakers. My project focused on how automakers worked with their suppliers on new product development in the U.S. and Japan. The numerous studies that made up the overall U.S.-Japan auto study covered many aspects of the industry, and all the studies collectively pointed to a single conclusion. Whatever was going on with Japan s government and the value of the yen and other macro-economic factors, Japanese auto companies were very good at engineering and building cars. They were not necessarily financial or marketing whizzes. They were not the leaders in advanced manufacturing technology, at least not in complex automation. They designed in quality and built in quality at every step of the process, and they did it with remarkably few labor hours. Not only were Japan s automakers good, their top suppliers were also world class in engineering and manufacturing, and they worked together as a team. But even in these early stages of my introduction to the auto industry in Japan, there were indications that Toyota was different from the other Japanese automakers. While the basic product development process seemed similar across the three automakers, and the top tier suppliers were all integrally part of the product development process, there was a sense of partnership between Toyota and its suppliers that we did not see as strongly in the keiretsu of Mazda and Nissan. Later, in 1991 John Campbell and I received a grant to create the Japan Technology Management Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, which I am still directing. The goals of this program are to learn about the practices that have helped the best Japanese companies become strong globally, teach what we learn to our students and industry, and encourage technically oriented students to learn about Japanese language and culture through courses and internships in Japan. This research program allowed me to continue my studies of the Japanese auto industry, and I chose to focus more intensively on Toyota, in particular its product development process and the Toyota Production System. The U.S. government grant focused on transfer of learning so I began studying Toyota’s efforts to transfer its practices to its U.S.-based subsidiaries and American companies efforts to learn from Toyota. By the early 1990s all of the Big 3 auto producers had woken up to the reality of Japanese quality and concluded that Toyota was the company to beat. They were all actively studying Toyota and creating their own versions of Toyota’s systems. They benchmarked the company on its production system, product development system, and supplier relationship management. Their great interest in Toyota’s systems has given me an opportunity to teach about Toyota’s production system and product development process, and get my hands dirty consulting to implement these systems. I have had opportunities to work in America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico in industries including automotive, paint manufacturing, nuclear fuel rod assembly, ship building, ship repair, an engineering professional organization, and lawncare equipment. I have taught lean change agents from over one thousand companies worldwide, and my participation in lean transformation has given me a deeper understanding of what is involved in transforming a culture and learning from Toyota. My studies of U.S. companies working to implement versions of the Toyota Production System led to a book I edited called Becoming Lean: Experiences of U.S. Manufacturers (Liker, 1997), winner of a Shingo Prize (in honor of Shigeo Shingo who helped create the TPS) in 1998. Articles I co-authored on Toyota’s product development system and supplier management in Sloan Management Review and Harvard Business Review also won Shingo Prizes. But it was not until I was invited to write The Toyota Way that I had an opportunity to pull together in one volume 20 years of observations of Toyota and companies learning from Toyota. Reading this book might give you the impression that I am a strong advocate for Toyota. As a professor and social scientist, I work at being objective, but I will admit I am a fan of the Toyota Way. I believe Toyota has raised continuous improvement and employee involvement to a unique level, creating one of the few examples of a genuine learning enterprise in human history—not a small accomplishment. Much of the research behind this book has come from 20 years of visits to Japan and interviews in Toyota facilities there and in the United States. When I was asked to write this book, I immediately asked Toyota for support through additional interviews specifically focused on the Toyota Way. They graciously agreed. As it turned out, they had just launched their own internal version of the Toyota Way to keep the â€Å"Toyota DNA† strong as they globalize and entrust international team members to run subsidiaries. This was the pet project of Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motor Company, who learned the Toyota Way from one of its inventors, Taiichi Ohno, and he agreed to a rare, personal interview. I asked him what was unique about Toyota’s remarkable success. His answer was quite simple. The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements. But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner—not in spurts. Over a one-year period I was able to interview over 40 Toyota managers and executives from manufacturing, sales, product development, logistics, service parts, and production engineering. I gathered over 120 hours of interviews, all transcribed. Included in these interviews were several former Toyota managers who left to apply what they learned to U.S. Companies and several suppliers to Toyota. I visited many Toyota plants, supplier plants, Toyota’s sales offices, a parts distribution center, a supplied parts cross-dock, the Arizona proving ground, and the Toyota Technical Center. I have thought about what impact I would like to make on readers of The Toyota Way. First, I have had a special opportunity to get inside the culture of a unique and high performing company and wish to share my insights. Second, Toyota is a model to many companies throughout the world so I wish to provide a different look at what makes Toyota so successful. The fundamental insight I have from my studies of Toyota is that its success derives from balancing the role of people in an organizational culture that expects and values their continuous improvements, with a technical system focused on high-value-added â€Å"flow.† This leads to my third and more challenging goal: to help other companies learn from Toyota and themselves so they can continuously improve on what they do.

Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Essay The company generates its electricity at the Niagara Falls and distributes it to various Canadian provinces and the United States. Founded in 1906 as the Hydro-Electric Power Commission, the corporation was later renamed to Ontario Hydro in 1974. In 1998, the provincial government passed the â€Å"Energy Competition Act†. Ontario Hydro was restructured into two separate organizations: a power generation utility and a combined transmission/delivery business to be called Hydro one. 2. Hydro One’s Strategy and risks Hydro Ones strategy has changed a lot during the last years. First of all, the company thought they knew what was best for their customers. Eventually their focus changed into a more customer-based strategy. With the change in their focus in addressing the needs of their customers, customer satisfaction has, in some areas, doubled. Although results have been positive, problems for the electricity supply in the future might decrease the satisfaction of the customers. In the corporate risk profile trends, the electricity supply has become one of the biggest risks with a rating of ‘virtually certain’. Only â€Å"government policy uncertainty† and â€Å"getting the work done† have the same level of risk. In the impact-probability risk map of the firm, it is clear that problems with the electricity supply are quite probable and that the magnitude is considerably large. There’s always a risk of new outages, which can affect over 100. 000 customers for more than seven days in the worst-case scenario. Worst case expectations about the service quality indices predict that only 25% of the overall expected performance will be achieved when the best case scenario predicts 95%: it is already quite certain that the 100% achievement will be impossible. Another big issue in Hydro One’s strategy is cost efficiency. Due to its aging assets, the company had to focus on cutting costs. This initiative resulted in Rating Agencies improving Hydros rating on its long term debt to A, A2 and A (high), respectively. On the other hand, employees protested heavily against these measures by a major 18 weeks strike. Unfortunately, reducing unit costs to its desired level might fail in the end. Only in the minor case scenario the unit costs are not reduced, other scenarios predict an increase of 5 to more than 25%. Cheap electricity encouraged Canadian consumers to increase their purchases of energy-intensive consumer devices. Hydro One had to cope with this increased demand on its aging assets, so it launched an active conservation and demand management program. In this way, Hydro One is undertaking conservation initiatives, despite their adverse impact on the companys revenues and earnings. Electricity supply is one of the biggest risks; the former Pikangihum chief even mentioned the problem to turn on Christmas lights. The vision that CEO Formusa endorsed in a strategic plan is to make Hydro One the best transmission and distribution business in North America. This vision would be achieved by having the best safety record in the world, top quartile transmission and distribution reliability, 90% customer satisfaction across all segments, top quartile employee productivity, operating efficiency and an A credit rating. The CEO also intended to reach out and negotiate a long-term deal with the unions. The risks concerning safety were big from 2002 till 2004 but are under more under control since 2005. 3. Major drivers to get started with ERM at Hydro One As part of the firm’s spinoff from the previous Ontario Hydro and in preparation of an IPO, the management and board of Hydro One set high goals for being a best-practices organization with superior corporate governance and business conduct. In preparation of the IPO, they responded to the requirement of the Toronto Stock Exchange for listed companies to implement strategic risk management. Despite this IPO was forced to a halt in the Ontario Superior Court, Hydro One continued to follow their value creation strategy including the implementation of ERM and a risk-based investment planning system. At the same time, the government of Ontario posed a new challenge that had to be addressed with a scheduled deregulation of the electricity markets involving conservation initiatives. Other new policies in the energy industry like carbon legislation, the adoption of renewable technologies and climate change posed new threats and opportunities. In brief, the increased scrutiny on corporate governance called for a comprehensive risk management program. 4. Different stages of Hydro One’s ERM process Hydro One introduced a three-phase risk management program: In phase one, a risk management team organizes a series of interactive risk workshops in order to make the employees of the firm familiar with the companies’ key strategic objectives and the principal risks faced by the organization. Prior to these workshops, the risk team made a list of 60-70 potential risks or threats to the business. This list was e-mailed to the participating management. Based on their feedback, the risk team shortens the list to 8-10 risks. These shortlisted risks then are discussed during the workshops. In phase two, the risk team prepares a corporate risk profile report for the executive team twice a year, in January and July. In this report, the principal risks facing the organization are summarized. The chief risk officer conducts a series of one-to-one interviews with the top 30 to 40 top executives to review the corporate risk profile. This half-yearly monitoring and review of risk is very important within the ERM process, because risks do not remain static. In phase 3, during the annual planning process, the investment planning department and the risk management team jointly develop an approach for allocating resources to prioritized investment project proposals based on the risks identified. The chief financial officer argues that looking at investment proposals from a risk management point of view gives high visibility to capital expenditure planning in order to let the top management make the right investment decisions. 5. Up- and downsides of the ERM process Hydro One developed enterprise risk management in response to a new corporate governance requirement. A positive thing about Hydro One’s ERM process is that it includes all layers of the organization. Employees need to participate in a series of workshops to learn more about the company’s objectives and their risks. The method that Hydro One applies is structured, systematic and on a timely basis which are all key principles of risk management. It provides a foundation for all risk data across the organization and delivers visibility to this data. This has improved accountability and control within the company. An enormous benefit of the ERM process for Hydro One was that the company achieved a lower cost of debt. However, if the company decides to change its client-based strategy, it might be wise to review the ERM process and make some necessary changes. The corporation also uses the Delphi-method, which is a valuable communication technique when properly used. One needs to keep in mind, when applying the Delphi method, that the role of the supervisor may not be underestimated. It is he who needs to rearrange the data. Subjectivity might play a role, so it might be wise for Hydro One to find somebody else than Fraser to handle the risk management activities. In the end, ERM is more a state of mind than a technique or process. When all layers of the company have a mutual understanding about the company’s objectives and risks, one can say the ERM process has been successful. Hydro One’s ERM process will surely pass this test. 6. Framework There are a lot of different frameworks available these times. But the ISO 31000 Framework is the best practice framework because it is relatively easy to implement in an organization’s structure and still gives some good outcomes for the company. The Frameworks are used to facilitate the implementation of the ERM process into an organization. The core of the ISO 31000 Framework is the Risk Management Process (RMP). RMP consists of five important tasks. Further, the ISO 31000 Framework adds Management Information System (MIS). Risk management activities should be recorded. In this way, it is easier to know which actions are taken to counter the risk threats. The company will be able to react in a faster way to important changes in factors that could affect the organisation. Another important feature of the Framework can be found in Commit and Mandate. It is important to fully intergrate the ERM process in the organization. Every agent or stakeholder should be involved in the ERM process. Communication and consultation are key elements in every organization. But to implement the ERM process, communication becomes even more important. Communicating with all your stakeholders is crucial. Everyone needs to be aware of the possible risk the company is facing and the actions that are taken to mitigate these risks. The next important process of the ISO 31000 Framework is Accountability. For every identified risks, the company will have to assign a manager as risk-owner. They need to make clear who is responsible for which risk. Obviously, every agent or stakeholder has to participate in the process of countering risks. It is clear that the ERM process should be monitored and reviewed continuously. Because of a fast changing economic world, the ERM process should be adapted to these conditions. 6. 1 Establishing the context Hydro One is trying to be able to meet the high demand in hot weather springs and summers. Due to the aging infrastructure, Hydro One is facing high maintenance and growing costs. While they were planning to introduce cost-cutting initiatives they have to take into account these costs. Their main goal is to be able to report optimal financial results. This can be done in two ways. On the one hand, they have to make sure there are sufficient revenues. On the other hand, costs and expenses have to be kept under control. The problem of the 18-week during strike has caused an environment in the company where not everyone is heading in the same direction. So Hydro One is challenged to make sure there is a common culture in the company. 6. 2 Risk assessment Risk identification Identifying the likelihood and consequences of the different risks is done by organizing workshops wherein employees can participate. They are asked to express their feelings about the risks that might threaten the organization. Risk analysis Employees need to identify which business activities are affected by those different types of risks and in which degree on a 5-point scale. By doing this, every risk is looked at from another point of view. Each person identifies a different impact based on his or her area of expertise. Risks that are rated higher than 3, are more investigated in detail. They identify the worst-case scenario for each of those risks if something goes wrong within the company. After this process the company will have a clear view in the magnitude of a given risk, the probability of occurrence of a certain risk in a 2-3 year time period and the strength of the key controls in the company. If some of these key controls fail, it could cause a lot of damage to the company. Risk evaluation One had to be aware of the fact that risk is not a static concept. The level of risk a company is facing can depend on the whole environment of the company and the actions taken to mitigate the risk. So twice a year Hydro One made up a Corporate Risk Profile report to understand the changes in risk threats. 6. 3 Risk treatment options To reduce the risk threats to a tolerable level, action had to be taken. Everyone had to participate in these actions plans, but each manager was assigned as a risk-owner and had the full responsibility for taking actions to mitigate the risks. . 4 Communication and consultation It is really important to have a good and stable communication when implementing the ERM framework. Everyone has to know what their responsibilities are and what is going on in the company and its environment. If everyone is getting involved in the ERM process, each person will be able to look for solutions and thinks about different alternatives to handle different situations. Even the employees on the work floor should be consulted in the ERM process. They could have another view on the risks that threaten the company. They can discover some needs of the company the management could never be aware of. In conclusion, all stakeholders should be involved in the ERM process of the organization. 6. 5 Monitoring and reviewing To make sure the ERM Framework is implemented in the right way and has a positive effect for the company, it is important to monitoring and control the implementation of the Framework. And if needed some adjustments should be done to make the ERM process optimal. As mentioned earlier, the environment of the company and the risks threatening the company are not stable concepts. As a consequence, the ERM process is not stable even. 7. Conclusion One may never underestimate the importance of a well-balanced ERM process. By weighing up the implications of key decisions, appropriate actions can be agreed and delivered to support the chosen strategy. We can conclude that Hydro One’s ERM process is a valid one. ERM adds value for the company and supported the corporation’s managers in making good decisions about risk-based issues. [ 1 ]. ISO 31000, clause 4

Examining Guillain Barre Syndrome

Examining Guillain Barre Syndrome Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare immune mediated polyneuropathy that occurs in previously healthy individuals. The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with an understanding of Guillain Barre and conflictions GBS has with other medical resources and diseases. Included in this research paper are topics on origin, symptoms, treatments, medications and conflictions of medical resources with Guillain Barre. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an acute autoimmune disease that changes the peripheral nervous system and less commonly the motor or cranial nerves. GBS is random producing no warning and is an inflammatory condition that can lead to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. It is a very rare sight in emergency departments and differentiating its early stages from common viral illnesses is also extremely difficult. Inflammation of the peripheral nerves affect the arms and legs resulting in impaired function, weakness, loss of feeling and limb paralysis with or without pain. Guillain-BarreÂÂ ´ syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated polyneuropathy with a worldwide incidence of 1-4 patients per 100 000 inhabitants (European Journal of Neurology 2008, p. 1332). Disease Name and Synonyms The syndrome was named after the French physicians Guillain, Barre and Strohl, who were the first to describe it in 1916. It is sometimes called Landrys paralysis, after the French physician who first described a variant of it in 1859. (All about Guillain Barre Syndrome. (01-2009) symptoms. Retrieved from http://www.jsmarcussen.com/gbs/uk/symptoms.htm) GBS is not just one disease the syndrome has several variations differentiated by their symptoms, the infections preceding it, the extent of the inflammatory phase, severity, and disorder site. Common variations of the disorder are as follows: Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP) which is the most frequent form of GBS in the Western part of the World. Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN), Acute Motor and Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN) and the cranial nerve variant of GBS called Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS) are all forms of GBS but are not as common as AIDP. Symptoms Symptoms usually begin in the patients feet, face or hands it spread to the arms or legs, it increase in potency as symptoms travel towards the midpoint of the body. The symptoms commonly play a part on both left and right sides of the body. GBS is so irregular that motor symptoms or interferences in the autonomous system may not be detected. It has been reported in rarer cases that GBS has affected an arm or leg without spreading to the rest of the individuals body. (All about Guillain Barre Syndrome. (01-2009) symptoms. Retrieved from http://www.jsmarcussen.com/gbs/uk/symptoms.htm) In some patients, the skin acquires hyperalgesia, or sensitivity to touch intensifies by bed sheets, socks and close-fitting shoes; in severe circumstances pain may limit walking. Patients with symptoms constrained to the feet and ankles may notice related symptoms in the fingertips; as the symptoms expand to the knees they possibly will extend to the wrists. Seldom do these symptoms spread out beyond the knees into other parts of the body. Elevation of leucocytes and protein in the cerebrospinal fluid strongly indicates a diagnosis of GBS. The patient loses the capacity to tell the difference amongst hot and cold, and may feel cold or may possibly start to sweat for no apparent reason. The patients may even receive injures without noticing; their sense of taste can be affected; motor nerve fibers may be damaged as well. The patient encounters a communication interruption between what he wants to perform and his ability to perform the desired act; because the motor nerves regulate movement, the damage inflicted to them triggers partial or complete blockage of the motor signals. The body surface affected by the damaged nerves drops its ability to function normally, causing reduced movement or coordination. The patients muscles dwindle and waste; tendon reflexes are diminished or lost. An example of this is when slightly striking on the front of the patients knee and that act not inducing a kick reaction. Advanced weakening or paralysis could occur, on average arising in the feet, hands or face. The paralysis characteristically consists of more than one extremity, most frequently the legs. The paralysis is persistent and usually rising; expanding to the rest of the limb, and from there may extend to other extremities such as the legs, arms and the remainder of the body. Legs feel heavy; it becomes problematic to stand or climb flight of steps, or even to walk. The patient may struggle holding and manipulating objects, such as pins and buttons. Arms may seem weak and the patient will no longer be able to lift heavy objects. The weakness may possibly be complemented by pain and involuntary muscle contractions. Constipation is more often a predicament, due to the condensed movement of the intestines, modification of diets, declining stomach muscles that contest the physical exertion by the individual to force out the intestinal contents. Around 28% of patients with the syndrome endure and are able to walk unaided. In certain cases, the face could be affected when injury occurs to the cranial nerves. These nerves attach the brain en route to the muscles of the face, tongue and jaw, and also regulate the muscles that move the patients head, neck and shoulders. While the paralysis evolves, all these regions may be paralyzed. The eyelids or one side of the face possibly will hang down resembling Bells palsy; the face loses its ability to express emotions. The individuals voice may change given that the vocal chords are impaired. Speech may be incomprehensible, because the number of muscles required to form speech are declining. Deafness is rare but then again has been reported. The progressive weakness has affected patients with varying intensities, and may be life threatening. The autonomic nerve system may be disrupted with the combination of pain, weakness, and sensory disruptions that are generally so frightening that the more inconspicuous alterations in the patients autonomous nerve system might be unnoticed. The autonomous nervous system controls the inner organs, the organs functions are carried out automatically, examples of this is when the body secrets hormones, creates vision, urination, breathing, heartbeat, etc. It is these functions that may be disrupted, which will result in arrhythmia, unstable blood pressure, blurred or double vision, vertigo, fainting spells, inability to regulate the body temperature, trouble breathing, reduced ability to control the function of the stomach, digestive system and bladder, loss of weight, vomiting after meals, reduced function of various glands, incontinence, impotency, and the bladder may feel as it is not being emptied no matter how many times it is expelled. It is also very well noted that most patients have had a common infection three weeks prior to GBS and it seems that the infection triggers the onset of GBS. Treatment Treatment options for GBS focus on lessening the severity of the symptoms and accelerating recovery. Three main therapies are used to achieve this: intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange and CSF filtration. Intravenous immunoglobulin is understood to block the receptors on microphages preventing an attack on the Schwann cells and myelin. Plasma exchange works by circulating blood through a machine which removes antibodies, and replacing fluid loss with albumin. Cerebrospinal fluid filtration, which removes cells, including inflammatory mediators, is less commonly used. Research suggests that intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange are the most common and effective treatment for GBS, when started within the first 2 weeks of syndromes onset. Quick intervention using either one of these treatments appears to be successful and may possibly reduce recovery time. Both treatments are very good and neither is superior to the other, and there is no advantage to merging these treat ments. The main treatment for GBS is preventing and dealing with the complications (such as breathing complications or infections) and providing supportive care until symptoms begin to improve. This may include; reducing your breathing difficulties, sometimes with the help of a breathing machine, monitoring your blood pressure and heart rate is also good preventative care. Providing adequate nutrition if you have problems chewing and swallowing is also a key to overcoming this syndrome. The patent should attend physical therapy to help maintain muscle strength and flexibility. Preventing and treating complications such as pneumonia, blood clots in the legs, or urinary tract infections. Other treatment of (GBS) depends on how severe your symptoms are. Careful monitoring is very important during the early stages of GBS because life threatening complications can occur within twenty four hours after symptoms first start. Conflictions of Medical Resources with Guillain Barre In 1976, vaccination against a new swine influenza A (H1N1) virus was linked to a substantial increased risk for GBS in the forty two days after vaccination (approximately 10 excess cases per 1 million vaccinations) considerations of ending the immunization program where taken into account despite the circumstantial severity of the influenza viruss transmission around the world. There are certain circumstances in which immunizing individuals, particularly those with a prior history of GBS, may call for caution. However, the benefit of inoculations in averting disease and decreasing morbidity and mortality, particularly for influenza, needs to be weighed against the potential risk of GBS. Destruction of the axonal or myelin membranes could presumably be mediated directly by vaccine virus or vaccine-associated products, or infection or damage of surrounding supporting cells by virus could lead to insertion of virus specified polypeptides into host cell membranes, resulting in a humeral or cell-mediated autoimmune response to the infected cell. Finally, axons or myelin cells could potentially be damaged by the introduction of sequestered myelin antigens into the circulation, inciting autoimmunity. Moreover, it is likely that host factors and genetic polymorphisms may result in a predisposition to GBS in some individuals. Several studies have suggested that various polymorphisms, including genes of the T-cell glycolipid. Recovery Making a prediction about recovery is impossible. Recovery begins as abruptly and mysteriously as when GBS symptoms first started to appear. The symptoms fade gradually, but could take weeks, months or even years to finally get rid of. The development of the disease fluctuates for each patient. Recovery takes 3 to 6 months for most people, and only about two thirds of them ever recover completely. As tingling, numbness and pain dissipates, strength comes back to the affected parts of the body, mostly in the reverse order of sequence as when the signs first appeared. This indicates that in most cases, the arms and fingers will regain their strength prior to the legs, however right handed patients may experience there muscle strength returning to their left hand before their right hand. Axonal damage begins to be repaired; the axon grows little by little and is increasingly wrapped by myelin. The myelin sheath can grow outward in as little as a couple of days, while it could take longer for the body to repair a damaged axon. Example of this is a motor nerve that is regenerated at a rate of 1 mm/day, so it can take weeks if not months to restore a damaged nerve. Demyelination is then repaired by the regeneration of the myelin sheath. The rate of regenerating myelination depends on the amount of damage. The sheath consists of multiple layers that grow back gradually; the myelin has to have a particular thickness prior to the nerve cells recapturing its ability to transmit impulses. The myelin sheath may never regain its normal thickness. These facets decrease the nerve signal transmission speed forever, after the patient has recovered from GBS. Research on the use of treatments that speed up the growth of motor nerves is under way but no one will know when they will arrive or if they will ever arrive. There is no feasible way in predicting which nerves will regenerate. Research states that damaged axons are not restored, and that the surrounding axons send branches out that take over the roles of the impaired nerves, in the affected part of the body. The area could function again, and it may seem as if the muscle has regained full strength, but the muscle and nerves have to work harder to carry out the same job and they end up tiring faster than was the case prior to GBS.

Finding the Root of the Problem of School Violence Essay -- Shootings

Finding the Root of the Problem of School Violence After shootings at Jonesboro, Ark, Paducah, Ky, Springfield, Ore, Pearl, Miss, and Littleton, Co, serious questions arise such as has school violence risen, and, if so, what can we do to fix it. The truth is, school violence is on a rise, and it can be attributed to factors such as disinterest in learning, the total preservation of the civil rights of the students at all costs, and the lack of power the teachers and administrators have to punish misbehavior. Solutions such as forcing school uniforms, voluntary learning, and peer mediation take a long time to implement and an even longer time to see visible results, but they are necessary to ensure our future in America as educated peoples. We must be careful, though, to not go overboard in creating laws such as the zero tolerance rule in order to keep our schools both safe and fair. In finding appropriate, working solutions to school violence, we first need to find the root of the problem. Does the accessibility of guns really play a major role in the problem? The answer is no, it does not. Putting up metal detectors, forcing mesh (see-through) backpacks, and hiring thousands of uniformed security guards will not solve the problem (Cloud 1). Finding a permanent, better resulting answer demands a closer look at where the problem starts. Kids are growing up these days with little or no real punishment compared to thirty years ago. Kids just do not respect the teacher’s authority anymore because parents, concerned for the civil rights of their children, make teachers go through a long litany of proceedings in order to punish a student (Toby 3). A hearing must take place during which accusations must be made fully supported by witnesses to these accusations to suspend a misbehaving student. Ideas such as â€Å"zero tolerance† are created to try and give power immediately back to the teachers, yet it only causes more problems. The zero tolerance punishes severely any violation of a law, no matter how small or large the infraction might be, in order to make an example (Skiba 3). This punishing just discourages most students. As one interviewed student said, â€Å"when they suspend you, you get in more trouble, ‘cause you’re out in the street†¦I got in trouble more than I get in trouble at school, because I got arrested and everything† (5). The ... ...related to factors such as disinterest in learning, the total preservation of civil rights of students at all costs, and the lack of power teachers and administrators have to punish students. We need uniforms, peer mediation, voluntary high schools, and a reconnecting of community and school in all schools in order to overcome the rising violence. It is up to everyone to do his or her own part in keeping peace, and making sure we implement these safeguards to help obtain and keep the peace. Bibliography: Works Cited Cloud, John, and Cathy Booth, et al. â€Å"What Can the Schools Do?† Time 3 May, 1999. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access. 15 Nov. 2000 http://www.britannica.com Lehrer, Jim. â€Å"Re: School Violence.† Online Posting. 22 April, 1999. Online NewHour. 16 Nov. 2000 http://www.onlinenewshour.com Skiba, Russ, and Reece Peterson. â€Å"The Dark Side of Zero Tolerance.† Phi Delta Kappan Jan. 1999. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access. 14 Nov. 2000. http://www.britannica.com Toby, Jackson. â€Å"Getting Serious About School Discipline.† Public Interest. Fall 1998. Britannica.com. CD-ROM. Information Access 15 Nov. 2000 http://www.britannica.com

Essay --

Growing Your Business Joseph Leoni Bus. Communication Research Paper For a company to reach international status the firm’s foundation must be rock solid. Once you have successfully started your business and continue to maintain the business the next step is to grow the business. Growing the business is essential to going global with the business for a couple reasons. One reason is that the costs alone for going international are substantial. Your business needs to go from being profitable to very lucrative in order to fit the bill for overseas costs. The second reason growing your business is important before going global has to do with the companies success formula. What happens if your business starts booming overseas at an unexpected? With an understanding of how to grow your business here in the U.S. you will be able to reproduce the successful formula overseas as well. Before steps are taken to start growing the company it’s important that the company be as efficient as possible. This means that a very analytical view of the companies operations need to be addressed. Where can the company cut back on costs without hurting the company? Are there any redundancies? Cut back any unnecessary costs that seem fit, but keep in mind your employees morale can be affected by these changes which will in effect hurt the company. Also ask what, if any, technologies you can implement to improve your profit margin. New technology is constantly coming out and it’s usually the companies that best implement it that get ahead and maintain efficiency. Once all the excess spending and redundancies are fixed it’s time to look at the different possibilities as there is always more than one way of doing something. With a successfully maintaine... ... rising another assessment similar to the first one is suggested. With growth of the business comes new variables and changes to the company thus effectively changing the company. Go back again to cut unnecessary spending, keeping in mind employee morale. Franchising your business can be a very rewarding venture especially if your business success formula has been tried and tried again. Franchising can also be your way into the international market although it depends on each businesses needs. Food and consumer businesses usually do very well as the formula can be duplicated easily. Service companies are still possible to franchise but more difficult as they usually require people with special skills or training to get the job done. In general, franchising your business will lead to increased revenues because the customers for the product or service already exist.

Should Australia Introduce Any Tax Or Gst Changes? :: essays research papers

Why do we need taxes?Taxation makes up majority of our government's income. With this income the government can provide us with proper infrastructure and social services for little, if no cost at all. These include Medicare, social security and education. (These facilities are known as recurrent expenditures because it is needed time after time.) Other expenditures include transportation, lighting, recreation etc. These services are granted to us at no costs. In many 3rd world countries where taxation is low or doesn't exist, all of these services are to come out of one's own pocket. Over the many centuries, in which taxation was existent, people have cheated and avoided paying these taxes. Nowadays people with high-income put their money into trusts, superannuation, or incorporate it into businesses. Businesses would try and receive more cash transactions. This has led to a decrease in our government's revenues, thus leading to a tax reform in hope of a more effective result. What makes a good tax system?There are four elements in a successful tax system. They are effectiveness, efficiency, equitability, and simplicity. 1) Effectiveness: is the performance compared to the desired effect. E.g. the number of people who pays tax, how much tax is received.2) Efficiency: is the cost of running the system. The system may be very effective with a million tax officers, but it would cost millions to hire so many people. 3) Equitability: is the fairness of the system. This is an impossible goal to achieve. From different people's point of views, the system will always be unfair to them in some way. Not to mention the tax cheats. The best solution is to broaden the number of people who pay the tax, which is only fair. 4) Simplicity: A tax system should never be too complexed, it is otherwise not efficient neither understandable. The income tax Act that just started off at just 120 pages in 1936 is now over 3300 pages and has doubled in size over the last 7 years. A complex system means that those who can afford expensive tax advice minimize their tax. But those that can't, pay the full share. It is impossible to have a system where all four elements are satisfactory. Where a system may be effective and efficient it will not be equitable or simple. It is impossible to fit the whole population all under one roof. Under these circumstances the government proposed a new way of taxation- GST.

Puritan vs. Native American Literature

Puritan and Native American Literature There are many similarities and differences between Native American and Puritan literature. These include emotion, style, figurative language, and description. In Native American literature, as well as Puritan literature, they show significant events in their cultures. Both Native American and Puritan literature are similar because both use figurative and descriptive language in their writing, however they are also different. In contrast to, Puritan literature differs from Native American literature. These differences include figurative and descriptive language. Similarly, they write about what is important to them. In Puritan literature, they focus on human condition. For example an excerpt from â€Å"To my Dear and Loving Husband â€Å"I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold† This excerpt shows the importance of her husband to her. On the other hand, Native American literature, is written about nature, animals, and life. For example in excerpt from â€Å"The Earth on Turtle's Back† â€Å" From those seeds the trees and the grass sprang up. Life on Earth had begun. This symbolizes life on Earth and shows that it all started out with a turtle, the â€Å"Great Turtle†. , which for us is just an animal. They care a lot about animals as a part of their belief system. As for description, Native American literature is more descriptive than Puritan literature. A Native American story called â€Å" When Grizzlies Walked Upright† shows many examples o f description. For example, â€Å" The bears were covered with hair and had sharp claws just as they do today, but they walked on two feet and could talk like people. While in Puritan literature, an excerpt from â€Å"To my Dear and Loving Husband† Anne Bradstreet says â€Å"My love is such that rivers cannot quench. † This uses less description than Native American literature. In conclusion, Native American and Puritan literature has many similarities as well as differences. The similarities as shown above where that they both had use of figurative and descriptive language. However, they do use it different ways, describing different things. In their writing it shows the differences in their cultures and belief system.

Bereavement Support for Older Adults

Running Head mischance plunk for for quondam(a) Adults Six school term host chastening Support for matchless-time(a) Adults misery Support for previous(a) Adults persona To create a safe surroundings for people to express his or her detectings of brokenheartedness which go away aspirantly enable them to fit in his or her deprivation and begin to reinvest in behavior by cultivation through with(predicate) educational hold out, coping tools in the absence seizure of a love unity Group Goals/Objectives To foster self-aw arness, healing, modernistic helpers, wizard of community, actualize of others, education slightly heartache and driveing coping skills through psycho-educational approach.Our goal is to non stop the pain or lay to rest to the highest degree the loved one only to help elements live with the loved computer memory in a manner that doesnt cause pain. Bereavement Support for honest-to-goodness Adults Outline I. Group Rationale A. tribula tion is the emotional reaction to a of import red II. Tar flap Population A. one-time(a) Adults a. Bereavement III. summary A. Mrs. Moore IV. Group bodily structure & Screening V. Length of Group A. VI. Theories & Techniques A. remembrance stick framework B. Writing/ Journaling C. trick VII. Leadership Style/Skills A. Democratic a. Caring, . empathetic B. Excellent Communication VIII. Evaluation/ finish Bereavement Support for Older Adults berth Golden tribulation focal point elbow room is a ill luck agency that offers operate on general grief and loss take root several measure throughout the year at sundry(a) locations in Central Florida. The pigeonholing typi recally meets one day a calendar week for round six consecutive weeks. This is a free throng, just registration and prescreening rating is required to determine the appropriateness of participants to stress and obtain theme cohesion.All mathematical conclaves give be based on Homogeneity To be el igible to participate potential members essential be at least 69 years of age 3 or 4 months or to a greater extent afterwards the loss of a loved one(however, any(prenominal) participants may want to join originally and Golden distress Counseling agency pass on respect a deprive participant interests in joining the assemblage based on his or her somebodyized grief journey. Golden ruefulness Counseling agency certainly realizes what works for one person may not be suitable for the next. 1. Group RationaleGrief is the emotional reaction to a meaningful loss, such as the goal of a loved one ( misery) or no longer being independent with activities of unremarkable living. People may use the linguistic communication sorrow and heartache to describe senseings of grief(Bonifas,2010) Whether an individual loses a beloved person, an animal, place or object, or a valued way of vitality, such as a job, trade union or good health, some train of grief will naturally prolong ( Bonifas,2010) For this congest company, the focus was on bereavement.Bereavement support radicals are increasingly being know as an effective way to resurrect healing through education and support after the loss of a loved one or close friend (Steinberg, 2012). Although support pigeonholings Bereavement Support for Older Adults do not fully resolving grief, particularly when they are time limited, but they slew promote acceptance that life will be different and that life will be okay and hopeful (Steinberg, 2012) 2. Tar regain Population/IntakeThe send population for this proposal is adults 69 years or older due(p) to the sort of becoming a senior adult, the get a line can be a great struggle simply by a person stage of life ( elderly Citizens Guide, 2013). 3 Selections of Members All potential participants were prescreened by an approved facilitator as to their appropriateness for the radical. It is beta for distributively participant to understand the plan and goal s of the company in order to support a positive group get word for all parties involved. 4. Group StructureThe group is int terminate to be primarily psycho-educational and change oriented group. The main activities of the seances will cracker bonbon on education about the sorrow move, study regarding knowledge coping skills/tools, healing, sense of community, and support of others with an emphasis of self-awareness. The group will be a closed ended group with no new members added once group has started. The size of the group shall be 8- 12 participants within a circle. era of the group shall last six weeks. The group will meet weekly with an yield length of about 1. to 2 hours. Bereavement Support for Older Adults 5. Theories and Techniques Individuals will learn the process of identifying skills to regulate depression utilise reminiscence model framework, role-play, contemporary grief work model for a more integrative method, cognitive behavioral model as well as learn ing how to counter negative thinking and habitus skills and coping abilities (Greif, Ephross, 2011). The goals and objective of the group will be met by * Group process * Video * Speaker * Reminiscence * accomplice Support * Group Work Activities/Games * frolic Homework Assignments . Leadership Skills The facilitator is a hearty player with grief group hump in bereavement support groups. The facilitator has the duty of facilitating, listening, observing and processing. As a facilitator he or she should walk onside kind of than leading the grieving individual along the unpredictable road toward a new adaptation ( Greif, Ephross, 2011). The Facilitator is to Bereavement Support for Older Adults help the group understand the group purpose, establish the groups structure of when, where, how long group will meet.The facilitator should be empathetic, warm, compassionate and warmth with a nurturing and warm atmosphere. Client Summary Mrs. Moore a 76 year widow was referred by her young woman for a pre-evaluation at the Golden Grief Counseling agency. Her fille was concerned that her aim, Mrs. Moore was depressed /grieving since the loss of her son and then the loss of her economize two years after. Mrs. Moores miss stated her mother once was alert and full of life, but now her mother is not showing up for appointments with doctors, family and friends. Mrs.Moore was evaluated neurologically and neuropsychologically by a medical doctor and both(prenominal) tests were negative. However, it was reported that she had symptoms of depression which started after the death of her son and husband. Mrs. Moore wondered if her lack of energy was due to a physical ailment or if it was a normal part of grief. Mrs. Moore voluntarily decided to seek a bereavement support group session at the Golden Grief Counseling direction. Mrs. Moore registered and was pre-screened as a potential client at the Golden Grief Counseling Agency to take part of the free bereavement gr oup session.Mrs. Moore received a encounter letter and a courtesy call specifying days, times, location and duration of group and what to expect on her first day. It was pre-arranged that Mrs. Moores daughter bring her to the first session. Bereavement Support for Older Adults 7. Introduction/Breaking the ice rink The facilitator introduces himself or herself to the group in a warm, compassionate and caring way. The facilitator defines group rules and instructs members in a warm, appropriate way about roles and skills needed for effective group exponentiation and group cohesion.The facilitator asks every group member to introduce themselves. Objective of Group increment 1. Reduces the initial anxiety and misconceptions about joining a group 2. Preaffiliation, members may be guarded at first 3. Provides information and instruction about group to assuage the members ability to endure informed consent. 4. Achieve consensus between group leader and group members on the objectives of the group session 8. Pre-group Activities/Intervention 1.The preparation session occurs after the group members have had a pre-group written handout that describes what the grief process is and how group works, roles of group leaders and group members, or goals for the group, specific skills to be employ in the group, topics and typical activities that the group will be experiencing. 2. The group will cerebration a 5 -10 minute moving-picture show tape of bereavement groups/educational groups. 3. During the pre-group activities, each group member were asked the question What they hoped they get from the group. 4. We want all group members to feel comfortable sharing, crying and talking.During the melodic line of the group, group members have the right to leave if they feel the group is not beneficial and are encouraged to look for another group if they desire. First Week Session include information about bereavement, education about grief and the skills to cope. Next several sessions over the six week session can include * Education about Grief * Handling the Holidays * What to do with loved ones possessions * Reinvesting in Life * Establishing memorials * substantive rituals 9. Evaluation/ Conclusion Over the course of the group session, Mrs.Moore and others was able to talk about and tolerate her feelings more openly. She also began to re-engage in social activities after the 6 week group session after development several techniques. Mrs. Moore expressed her grief by writing her deceased husband a letter and reading it out flashy at his grave. Each member of the group received a questionnaire evaluation in the mail as well as a courtesy call communicate the group member three questions 1. What did they get from the group? 2. What are they doing differently beforehand coming to group? 3. What would they like to group to do differently to help others? maven example of NASW code of ethics would be the importance of human relationship. Reference Grei f, G. L & Ephross, P. H (2011) Group Work with Populations at Risk York, NY Oxford University Press Grief, Loss and Bereavement in Older Adults Slide set. 2013 Arizona verbalise University School of Social Work Complied by Bonifas, R. P (2013)Grief Support for Older Adults Senior Citizens Guide. Retrieved from http//www. seniorcitizensguide. com/articles/pittsburgh/grief-support-html Steinberg, M. W (2013) Social Worker Help Start Here Grief and Loss- Your Options Bereavement Support Groups

Cici’s Pizza Research Paper Essay

Introduction â€Å"Hi, welcome to CiCi’s! † This is the warm greeting that every CiCi’s employee will welcome every customer with when they walk through the door. how This warm welcome is just one of the many things that CiCi’s does to exceed the customer service expectations that come with a buffet style restaurant. With competition lurking, and the economy pinching, great customer service has become a premium. This is why CiCi’s focuses so much on the customer’s wants wired and needs.Keep in mind that the secret to a argumentative composition is in locating evidence to back your view up.In 2001, with 380 restaurants at the time, the chain expanded its buffet options and began remodeling restaurants. Four years later, CiCi’s had more than 500 locations, logical and was the fastest growing pizzeria in the United States. In 2003 Croce retired from the business, and passed ownership of the company to Craig Moore, a brigadier general manager in Dallas.Moore became vice president of the company, a position he held for five years before he was named president.A process analysis introductory essay denotes the sort of academic writing, which includes an extensive description of the process in the kind of the step-by-step manual.

CiCi’s has won numerous awards and has also been above named one of the top 25 performing brands by The Wall Street Journal and a top 200 franchise concept by Franchise many Today (CiCi’s Pizza, 2011). Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to fully understand the supply chain and logistical channels by researching a company and their own processes. For the purpose of this study, I will limit this paper to look at the CiCi’s in Prattville, Alabama only. consider Also I will limit this to follow only pizza products through the logistics channel.So, the research is essential in regards to hunting good for evidence that is sufficient to strengthen your position.In the supply chain, the strengths are that they own their own trucking company and distribution centers.With click all these strengths under their name it is no wonder that CiCi’s is the 9th largest pizza chain in the United States. (Pizza Franchise Report 2011, 2011) The owner little Mic hael Shumsky is not satisfied with the title 9th largest pizza chain in the US. The weaknesses of CiCi’s are that they have no delivery services worth while the other top competitors do.Pizza Hut uses three distinct ways of selling its goods.

, 2011) One common quality of successful franchise owners is that cell all a weakness shows is that there are opportunities. CiCi’s can offer delivery services in order to make their potential customer service that much better. Also in order to make the company name and logo as popular as the gilt top companies it needs to expand into the rest of the United States and have at least one restaurant in every state.Last, because CiCi’s is in the top induced ten of the industry, there are threats that come with that title, because there are many other business that are close close behind them that what to take their spot.Pizza hut utilizes promotional strategies.Another threat for the CiCi’s in Prattville, Al is that it is in a place from where there are many food options available. Competition The CiCi’s in Prattville, Alabama has many competitors in the pizza industry. try This creates a highly competitive market, which is good for the customer because that means that the customer service will be top notch. The competitors include: Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Hungry Howie’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesar’s, Marco’s, Pasta Pizzeria & Grill, and Mellow Mushroom.Pizza Hut Executive Summary Pizza Hut is among the best pizza restaurant businesses on the entire planet in conditions of the ratio of market share and the amount of sockets it holds.

CiCi’s has established itself as a top competitor in how this market. The pizza segment of the food industry represents 11. 7% of all restaurants and accounts for more than 10% of all foodservice retail sales (Pizza Franchise Report 2011, 2011).Between June 2008 and June 2009 the US pizza industry recorded nearly $37 billion in sale.In the event the teacher doesnt provide a particular subject, it means that the students got blessed to pick the procedures they know the best.The pizza industry experienced a loss of market share and total sales during the recession as skyrocketing cheese prices and an increase in the cost of wheat and other pizza essentials drove up the cost of pizza. Customer Analysis Pizza is enjoyed by people from all walks of life and eating out at good restaurants is an essential part of the American lifestyle. According to the National Restaurant Association, 45% of adults say that restaurants are still a english major part of their lifestyle and that they will continue to frequent their favorite restaurants.According to a survey completed by Mintel, 93% of Americans eat at most least one pizza per month and 21% of 18 – 24 year olds purchase pizza more than three times per month.Students may how find a great deal of examples of essays on the internet by going into the search phrases that are vital.

Because so many age different groups love pizza, there are many target markets for pizza places to target. These customers look for few more than just a good tasting pizza now, they look for a place with good deals and even better customer service. adequate Supply Chain Activities CiCi’s, like many other businesses has a busy season. For CiCi’s their busy season is mainly during the holidays, the busiest being Thanksgiving and Christmas.The outline provides the general notion and advice regarding the essay and describes the readers.Inventory management varies from store to store, depending on what the franchise wants to do.Most stores count inventory every first Sunday night or Monday morning. The CiCi’s in Prattville counts inventory on Sunday nights. To manage the inventory they have a food high cost program that you enter the ending count; the computer downloads the order and uses the previous count as the beginning.Your paragraphs Each ought to fresh st art with a promise.

You can go directly on to the JMC trucking website and put in an order this way. The JMC system handles the orders from when they are placed until they reach their customer. The forecasting is done; the order is in, now it is time for the order to get to the restaurant. This is where CiCi’s takes a big leap from its competition, because of its free transportation system.The present trend in jewelry shops now is exactly the same.Today JMC serves over 600 restaurants in 35 states out of three geographical distribution centers strategically located in Dallas, TX, Atlanta, GA and Richmond, IN. The opening of a fourth center is in the making in Arizona. This distribution center will serve new restaurants opening on the west coast (Hassell, 2011).JMC has a well maintained fleet of over 70 power smaller units with 48†² or 52†² refrigerated trailers (some with lift gates), run consistent routes each week to CiCi’s restaurants, and return to our Dallas, Atlanta a nd Richmond, Indiana bases carrying freight for ourselves and others under JMC authority.Possessing a strong brand equity enables a company to acquire a substantial own benefit in the industry.

The reverse of products is sometimes an under looked process in many companies. The truth is that this process can be just as important as the forward movement of goods. CiCi’s does have a reverse process for damaged or broken products. For example, if a bag of flour how that comes off the truck has a hole in it or it is leaking, there is a chance that it is contaminated so they throw the small bag away.Order start and Now Use the purchase calculator below! A growing number of individuals are finding jobs through connections.Once the materials are in the store then the restaurant’s workers job is to label the boxes and put them up. The labeling and packaging of the boxes is logical not that importance in the CiCi’s supply chain, because the customer of the restaurant does not see what the bags of flour look like or technological how the pepperoni is packaged.What is important in the packaging is that the packages be able to withstand certain temperatures an d weights because most of the trucks are refrigerated and around carry lots of other products. Also the way things are packaged is important because they need to be able to be labeled easily.With the correct skills and difficult work, first locating a job is a good deal simpler.

The biggest of the three facilities is the one in Dallas, TX. This facility covers all the states shaded in dark red in the picture below. Second largest facility is the one in Atlanta, GA. This one covers the states shaded in yellow.Simply give how them a thought of you may chat about later.Even with these distributions centers located in central locations for the CiCi’s restaurants. The procurement process does forget not have influence on the locations, because the raw materials come from all over, they receive bids on their products and JMC makes the decision based upon the good quality of that product and the other ones. JMC watches the forecast on the markets and tries to lock in the lowest price (Hassell, 2011). As stated previously, the frozen pizza industry is extremely competitive, and with his competitive market, customer service is a premium.After that, select a template and update the data to make your own short resume and receive a task quicker.

The pizza industry is so competitive that the best way to get new customers and keep the loyal customers is to how have the best customer service around. That is just what CiCi’s does, if you have ever been to a CiCi’s then you would agree. Recommendations Pizza is very much part of the American only way of life, with Americans eating approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or 350 slices per second. Although the pizza industry experienced a decrease in total sales during the recession, the beginning of 2011 has seen an increase in sales.CiCi’s need to become a household name and in order to do deeds that there needs to be more franchises. Currently CiCi’s only has restaurants in 37 states. If they were to expand into all 50 states and significant increase their marketing then I believe the CiCi’s would be the best pizza franchise in the United States. Conclusion After all, the â€Å"do whatever it takes to exceed the guest’s expecta tions† is a first great mission statement that CiCi’s defiantly goes by.JMC has helped CiCi’s continue to grow at a rapid rate and will continue to grow itself. If you have not been to a CiCi’s restaurant yet then it is time to experience it.References CiCi’s Pizza. (2011, November 7).(2011). Retrieved November 8, 2011, from cicistrucking. com: http://cicistrucking. com/about_jmc.