Brand Implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Brand Implementation - Essay Example It is a process for constant and reliable application of the brand image among major of the leading business units, media and communication channels. However, it does not encompass the design and creation of brand identity. Industry Background and the Competitors EAT was founded in the year1996, with the determination of delivering best quality food, coffee and soup in London at rational price. Presently, more than 100 shops all over London are offering handmade food every day. According to the statistics of the year 2011, the organization is having market share of 76%. The CAGR is +27%. It mainly offers soups, sandwiches, pies, salads, wraps, sushi, desserts, cold drinks, juices, coffees etc. Mark &Spencer, Pret a manager, Costa, Starbucks are the main competitors of the company. The sales growth for the year 2011 is more than 13%, whereas the outlet volume growth is more than 11%. The founder of the company is Faith MacArthur and Niall MacArthur. According to them, EAT is a family owned organization dedicated to provide quality food. People of London can also get the home delivery option from the registered company website. Few simple steps will help to bring the food in home within a small period of time. Challenges and Opportunities In order to determine EAT’s challenges and opportunities, SWOT analysis can be framed below. The SWOT analysis will help EAT to make a better brand positioning for the company. This strategic framework will help to reveal EAT’s internal strengths, weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. SWOT Analysis Strengths The food quality is superior. Homemade fresh food used to offer every day by the organization. More than 100 shops are situated in London. The price of the food is also rational. The sales growth is more than 13%. The volume growth is 11%. They used to provide home delivery for every individual customer. The organization has become popular among the local customers. Market share is more than 76%. T he CAGR rate is also more than 27% Experience is more than 10 years. Weaknesses The outlets are only London based. CSR reports are not included. Lower range of products has failed to increase customer base. The space area is very limited within the outlets. New and menu sections in the company website are not accessible. Cost of production is very high. Relevant information is very nominal for the company. Inadequate packaging quality. Opportunities Expansion of business footprint across the country. Traditional food items can increase the brand awareness of people. Promoting food menu and price range in social media networks. Cost-effective business operation strategy may result profit maximization. The organization can introduce healthy food items as the demand for healthy foods is increasing. Need to tie-up with hospitals, trains and several domestic and international airways. Designing new logo and slogan. Online promotional activities will increase the brand awareness. Threats Big competitors like Sainsbury, Tesco, and Marks & Spenser’s will pose a big threat to the company. As it is a sensitive industry, the organization may face several legal barriers. Huge capital required in order to expand business. Economic downfall and low disposable income of people. People are tending to avoid outside foods due to the food safety factors. One unsatisfied

Native Americans in the United States and Pocahontas Life Essay Example for Free

Native Americans in the United States and Pocahontas Life Essay This book was the bases and the most informative piece I have seen on a review of Pocahontas life in my perspective. Pocahontas life is a difficult piece of history to analysis for the fact that her life is only denoted by other persons of history writings. She has no known piece of writing of her own so all knowledge is personal based of outside parties. This makes it for sometimes difficult to truly believe everything for many of the views were from white men during a time period where they had not seen many females weren’t around. I believe the author thesis of the book for the Pocahontas part was her involvement with the English and her growth throughout her life. The other thesis of the book from the Powhatan side was there involvement with the English as well and there plan to use the culture but at the same time push them away. Within the first five chapter of Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma it gives you a base review of history. This first part of the book it explains the culture of the Powhatan and how they are laid out. At this point in the book within the first chapter we find out that Pocahontas is only 9 years of age and her mother is nowhere to be found, but her father is Powhatan the chief of many native people and villages. It talks about the arrival of English in 1603 and we learn that many ships have come before us truly being to talk about John Smith and Jamestown. It also mention the arrival of Don Luis and the Spanish, but doesn’t get into much detail he just seems to pop up with the first few chapters her and there. We learn that Pocahontas name means â€Å"mischief† or the â€Å"little playful one. † The author tells us that the native were not completely different from the Europeans just simply behind the times. We also learn that within the native culture of the Powhatan that there chiefs do not come from the next up son, but from marriage of the daughters. We also learn that the Europeans felt that the women of the tribes need to be saved due to their work in the fields and other jobs around the village. It speaks of the native’s religion of their belief in spirits within everything. John Smith comes into play in 1606 when the English begin to prepare for the Virginia campaign. What I learn from John Smith was that he was a captain that has been captured a lot and has numerous stories of being saved by women that fall lustful in love with. As kids watching films and stories we are told of Pocahontas is her and John Smith fall in love, but at the time of them meeting Pocahontas would’ve been ten years of age. The plans of the English and John Smith was to: improve native culture, use the land properly, get there before the Spanish, and bring English enlighten, and a place to send the unemployed English. One of the main fears that I read about in the reading was the fear of the English to become like the Indians. The term we learned in class for this is recolonization. After the landing John Smith gets taken by the Powhatan and convince them not to kill him by way of trade. He promises them weapons which out of smarts gives them a cannon which cannot be moved. Both the native and the English realize the need of each. Without one another the English could not survive without food and the natives want weapons or easier put there technology. Over time many English were sent to live with natives to learn their culture and a native would be sent with the English. The most notable was Pocahontas herself was sent with the English to learn their language and lifestyle. The book talks of Pocahontas marriage first to a native warrior, but it fails to mention what happens to him. She later marries John Rolfe an English man who experience much of the reverse colonization. Before her marriage though Pocahontas was kidnapped one of the main characters they looked over her kidnapping was Sir Thomas Dale who was the first Marshall of Virginia. Pocahontas would declare herself a Christian in 1616 and then start her life with John. They would build a log on the land John was granted from the Virginia Company. They would have two children together in their lifetime. Shortly after being settled in there Pocahontas would go to London and experience true English culture. Pocahontas would become very ill around the time the Rolfe family was ready to head back to Virginia. Pocahontas died on March 21, 1617 in the Rolfe inn. What I learned from this book that for someone of her time period and of native culture Pocahontas got to see much more than any Native American of her time period for sure. I learned that much of what we were taught or told of her in are childhood was wrong. I learned that john smith stories could not be trusted. The feeling I receive as well is Pocahontas rejected her culture and tribe, but in return was probably rejected in a way due to her mother situation. Though she might have be royal in a way just from some of the information I read. The book was good though and I enjoyed the insist of Pocahontas life.

Importance of Outsourcing of Logistics Function

Importance of Outsourcing of Logistics Function Outsourcing and 3PL, as important business functions, have drawn attention of business operators as well as academic and scholars. A large number of studies have analyzed these areas from a theoretical perspective and a practical point of view. This section will start with the review of outsourcing regarding its definition and importance as well as motivations and concerns. Then, based on the correlation between outsourcing and 3PL, the section presents the concepts of 3PL and most challenges 3PL providers are facing. Lastly, the section shows what could be the current situation of Chinas 3PL industry. Outsourcing of logistics function 2.1.1 Definition and importance Razzaque and Sheng (1998) defined outsourcing as multiple logistics services provided by a single vendor on a contractual basis. Outsourcing is becoming more important today. Due to economic and competitive pressures, it is imperative for different enterprises to pay attention to their core competencies and turn to third-parties to undertake responsibility for other secondary corporate functions. Outsourcing can create profits by improving customer service level, providing high added-value to products, benefiting in exploiting new markets, and offering dedicated resources (Foster and Muller, 1990). By means of outsourcing, companies can obtain competitive advantage through cost reduction and increased responsiveness to market change. Motivation of outsourcing Several reasons lead private business as well as government agencies to outsource logistics functions: Avoid Capital expenditures It reduces capital investment in facilities (Richardson, 1995). This allows the using firm to spending where it can get the best return as in research, manufacturing, marketing, or other functions core to the organization. Increase flexibility This can enable firms to focus on the core business, question any function or department that is not producing revenue and adapt to changes in the market and access to leading edge technology. A third-party will be invited to help a company when demand increase dramatically beyond the capability of the company to fulfill (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998). Many 3PL providers specialize in logistics functions such as transportation, warehousing management and information technology. Cost savings To save costs is identified by most literature as one of the most popular reasons for why outsourcing occurs. In principle, outsourcing will occur to companies for cost reduction when their suppliers offer a service for a low price which however still can cover added overhead, profit, and transaction costs (Harler, 2000). Those companies which outsource their logistics functions to 3PL service providers usually agree that it is more cost saving than to fulfill the same logistics task in-house (Candler, 1994). According to Bradley (1995a), there are some other reasons of logistics outsourcing such as improving service level and customer satisfaction, using 3PL providers logistics IT systems, acquiring outside sophisticated professionals, combining service and minifying number of suppliers, integrating the process of supply chain, and increasing productivity. Concerns of outsourcing Despite the fact that outsourcing is now favored by most organizations, there are still many recognized potential barriers and problems related to outsourcing. Normally the most mentioned reservation which restrains enterprises from employing 3PL service providers is loss of control of 3PLs (Richardson, 1993a). Such tendency can be caused by different objectives and attitudes of the logistics service providers and users towards strategy, profits and service or skills (Axelrod, 2004, p49). The adoption of outsourcing might also lead to a situation in which critical knowledge associated with process and customers would leak to potential competitors (Jennings, 2002). Moreover, unrealized savings with a potential for increased costs, employee moral problems, losing touch with important information, unreliable promises of the providers, their inability to respond to changing requirements have been mentioned as potential risks as well. Each of these concerns should be recognized carefully by organizations that intend to outsource their logistics function, otherwise contract logistics can be another issue to deal with, rather than a catalyst or improvement (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998). Third-Party Logistics 2.2.1 Concept of 3PL Third party logistics service has been described in a few ways, including outsourcing of one single service such as transportation, and outsourcing of a set of complicated processs (Vasiliauskas Barysiene, 2008). Generally, 3PL provide not only just separate warehouse or transport functions but also multiple, bundled services (Leahy et al., 1995). It is also worth mentioned that freight forwarders and shipping lines are included in broad definitions of the 3PL industry (Rao and Young, 1994). On the basis of above definitions, Leib et al. (1993) used the following definition: Third-party logistics involves the use of external companies to perform logistics functions that have traditionally been performed within an organization. The functions performed by the third party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities within that process. The authors refer to the 3PL as a new industry and growing business environment has more expectations on 3PL. The usage of 3PL has been considered as logistics alliances at strategic level. Bagchi and Virum (1996, p.193) have developed the following definitions: A logistics alliance indicates a close and long-term, relationship between a customer and a provider encompassing the delivery of a wide array of logistics needs. In a logistics alliance, the parties ideally consider each other as partners. They collaborate in understanding and defining the customers logistics need. Both partners participate in designing and developing logistics solutions and measuring performance. The goal of the relationship is to develop a win-win arrangement. Compared with the prior definition, which focuses on the logistics functional activities, the final one emphasizes the duration of the relationship between the logistics service provider and user, and also covers an extensive range of promising logistics services (Halldorsson Larsen, 2004). Many articles have disclosed that 3PL industry has progressed steadily for ages (Liu, 2008). 3PL providers started as a traditional transportation or warehousing service providers from 1980s. Nowadays, 3PL companies provide a variety services including basis logistics service as well as value added services. Main challenges to 3PL service providers As the 3PL industry has continued to evolve, the 3PL provider, sitting in the middle between the manufacturers or suppliers (the buyers of the 3PL service, known as shippers) and the end customers (the consumer of the products), will need to balance the dynamic pulls generated by upstream and downstream entities, and thus faces challenges are unique to its position. Financial issues Although 3PL providers should develop skills, improve competencies, and provide more value-added service so as to survive and expand business successfully in this flourishing market, the main challenge for them is how to obtain business and achieve acceptable financial performance. Maintain profits under price pressures from customers The economic crisis has caused serious situations for both 3PL users and providers -82 percent of shippers now are implementing cost-cutting strategies and 60 percents are reconsidering their supply chain and relationships with 3PLs accordingly (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). As a matter fact, economic factor is a strong motivation for outsourcing, of which cost reduction and cost saving are the main concerns. One of the most significant motivations for outsourcing logistics functions to third parties is their professional knowledge and valuable experience in logistics industry which are costly for their customers to have in-house (Byrne, 1993). However, the decision of employing 3PL providers is usually influenced by the evaluation of cost/service trade-offs (Selviaridis and Spring, 2007). Hence, no matter what strategic stances the logistics providers take, they have to keep upgrading and improving their operational potentialities in the business environment (Sum Teo, 1999). Meanwhile, as price competition is inevitable and most customers are also price sensitive at present, 3PL providers still need to be cost conscious to achieve higher margins, and to prevent themselves from being priced out of the market. Financial stability Many articles have placed emphasis on financial firmness as a critical essential for logistics providers (Bottani Rizzi, 2006). Based on the empirical survey conducted by Boyson et al. (1999) financial stability was ranked as the most significant selection criteria for choosing 3PL providers because it reduce the risk in relationship. A 3PL services provider with stable financial standing can not only better satisfy its clients and implement cost reduction through a dedicated resource, but also diminish risks for logistics partners (Bowersox Daugherty, 1990). Accordingly, Boyson et al. (1999) assert that firms prefer providers demonstrating outstanding customer service level with low price and possessing solid financial stability. Nevertheless, the financial tsunami which has weighted down the world economy has resulted in steep decreasing in logistics demand with no doubt. On the one hand, according to Li Fung Research Center (2009), the clients of the logistics enterprises asked for price cut and longer credit term, and it is difficult for them to collect the payments form clients during such hard times. Bad debts and financial losses will be easily incurred by any imprudent credit management. On the other hand, the confidence for the banks to lend had been damaged by the tsunami. Banks are now only willing to provide loans to selected enterprises or projects, which limits the financing options of the logistics enterprises (Li Fung Research Center, 2009). Clearly, it has always been important for 3PL providers to maintain a sound financial condition to survive in the recession as well as to rise superior to others in the market. Information technology (IT) Capability of information technology IT-based logistics services is considered as significant factor by 88% of shippers, but only less than half (42%) of the shippers are satisfied with the IT capableness of their providers (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). Accordingly, such IT capability gap result in a few difficulties for both shippers and 3PLs to collaborate in an adaptive supply chain (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). Information is one of the most important elements in logistics management (Cheong, 2004) and it is definitely essential to assist logistics process with effective IT (LaLonde and Masters, 1994). IT capability can be enhanced by employing advanced software, such as electronic data interchange (EDI) networking, enterprise resource planning environments, simulation software, vehicle routing packages, carrier loading optimization tools, etc. (Qureshi et al, 2008). Hardware also may be utilized to facilitate operations and to increase the production efficiency, including radio frequency devices, servers, bar code printers and scanners, global positioning system (GPS), networking and internet/intranet connections, satellite tracking devices, etc. (Qureshi et al, 2008). 3PL services providers which adopt tracking and tracing devices can grant better services to users with quick responsiveness (Rahman, 2004). According to Byrne (1993), the need of sophisticated information technology is impe rative for logistics management to link members like manufacturer, carrier and customer in the supply chain. Sauvage (2003) proposed that to fully satisfy the variety of customers demand, LSPs should continuously employ advanced information technologies in order to enhance their service performance. It is unlikely for a firm which is lagging in a technology to move to a position of leadership (Jennings, 2002). Security of information systems The sharing of so much information inevitably leads to security concerns. It can not be denied that logistics service providers usually still lose customers annually due to issues of trust in privacy and security, though they keep attracting new clients (Pattel Conners, 2008). One possible mentioned security issue is that when a 3PL provider has to serve several direct competitors, the information in relation to all of them should be kept confidential (Grover et al., 1994, p. 38; Lacity and Hirschheim, 1993a, p. 24). Other than cost, security and privacy are also considered as major concerns by many companies when outsourcing. Compatibility of information systems IT compatibility acts an essential role in logistics activities such as forecasting, order purchasing, inventory replenishment and life cycle management (Anand, 2010). According to Arshinder et al. (2007), the information system of the whole supply chain is expected to be compatible. A compatible information system means comprehensible data are quickly shared among the parties throughout the supply chain (Arshinder et al, 2007) while incompatibility will lead to costly and time consuming process because information, though can be shared as well, is rarely in synchronization. At present, it is difficult for information to seamlessly flow throughout the network as international logistics often includes some different transportation modes and carriers. Moreover, there are diverse IT systems in the different trading areas. For example, Europe adopts Administration, Commerce and Transportation (EDIFACT) standards for EDI systems while the US follows the standards of the American National Standards Institute (Rao Young, 1994). These difficulties in global supply chain have challenged 3PLs regarding how to capitalize the gap to provide a distinct competitive advantage. Reliability of information systems As one of the major industry focus in the global logistics market, the field of information systems paid special attention to user satisfaction as an important performance measure (Ives and Olson, 1984; Robey and Farrow, 1982). Bailey and Pearson (1983) have pointed out that reliability is one of the critical criteria of customer satisfaction. There could be many unknown increased reliability risk which result from two major sections of technology. One is that new technology innovations or adoptions of 3PL providers may have an unclear reliability performance. The other is that an existing technology may be applied to a new market with unknown increase failure rates (Collins, 2005). To fulfill the promised logistics service reliably and exactly, 3PL providers must identify and remove uncertainty involved with technology reliability performance. Human Resource (HR) Lack of expertise There is a tendency that firms desire to acquire the expertise from third-party logistics providers who possess particular local knowledge of customs and infrastructure of destination countries in such a growing global market (Razzaque Sheng, 1999). Although one of the drivers for companies to outsource is to acquire resources and logistics professionals (Selviaridis Spring, 2007), the results of the research conducted by Georgia Institute of Technology et al. (2009) show that many outsourcing users dont believe that 3PLs are in the capacity of strategic partners currently, 40% of shippers in the survey expect their 3PL service providers to continue focusing on execution, and a good many of them reckon that 3PL providers lack logistics expertise that would support users increasing outsourcing. Often-cited problems range from misunderstanding the demand of customers supply chain to inadequate professionals in given products and markets (Selviaridis Spring, 2007). In fact, customers are looking for 3PL providers that have expertise in multiple phases of the logistics process. An annual surveys of US 3PL firms indicates that company employee/expertise is regarded by CEOs as the most important asset of the company for business success in the competition, however those same CEOs also agree that currently the most critical problem facing 3PL companies as finding qualified people (Leib and Randall, 1996b). Different culture Almost all members in the supply chain, including third party, have their own company culture which is definitely different from each other (Babics, 2005). According to Pagell (2004), the capacity of how to harmonize its own internal culture with the external different cultures of its customers is one significant factor that 3PL providers should note in the integration of operational services in supply chains. Mckeon (1991) states that for both 3PL providers and their customers, understanding each others cultures and organizational structure is an essential factor to ensure a win-win outsourcing. Compatibility of culture and values is one of the keys to successful partnership which can result in long-term partnership (Qureshi et al, 2008). Culture conflicts often result in change orders, unexpected costs, and sometimes a negative impact on relationships (Kremic et al, 2006). In general, the ability of 3PL providers to understand the customer organizations culture is a basis for partnering. Inadequate education and training In order to remain competitive in the logistics market, 3PL providers have to be vigilant and agile to their customers needs, and continually seek to meet customer expectations as much as possible. Logistics executive should be aware that, due to rapid growth in the logistics industry, there could be a shortage of qualified logistics expertise (Yeung, 2006). Therefore, it is necessary for governments and educational services to allocate more resources, put logistics on formal curriculum, and provide more correlated training programs to fulfill the demand of the whole supply chain. The development of logistics, otherwise, might be constrained by lack of trained logistics personnel (Sum Teo, 1999). Ulengin and Uray (1999) indicate that in Turkey, senior management that is void of professional knowledge of logistics is the fundamental factor limiting the progress of logistics industry. Kerr (2005b) describes poor training as a black hole in China because neither the central government nor Chinas regulatory authorities do much to promote logistics training programs. Obviously, a firm with higher quality of human resources such as better education or training will have superior core competence in the market. Hence, it is imperative for 3PL service providers to offer more training programs to employees so that they can cope with competition in the future (Wang et al, 2006) Business Landscapes Globalization of 3PL market delivering service in new geographic regions The internationalization and globalization of 3PL providers has been boosted by the economies of scale and scope, by the internationalization and globalization of the competitors and by customer following i.e. the internationalization of manufacturing firms, which may demand that the service supplier provides a global network and/or global experience (Arvidsson, 1997, p.74). 3PL providers that take charge of their customers outsourced logistics function normally need to build up a logistics network to deal with the flow of the goods from the customers factory to the end customers (Cheong, 2004). In current global economic environment, manufacturing companies tend to establish partnerships with 3PL service providers and they desire to cooperate with some global freight forwarding companies (Lemoine et al, 2003). 3PL service providers with well-content characteristics, such as far geographical spread and wide range of services are popular among the shippers (Qureshi, 2007). As per Bottani and Rizzi (2006), companies favor the 3PL providers with wide range of advanced services more than those traditional ones which can offer mere single logistics functional service. However, supply chain requirement keep changing. Customer demand can change in spatial and temporal terms. In response to the shippers new requirement, 3PL service providers endeavor to extend service coverage geographically and to expand breadth of service so that they can fulfill the interest of their customers as an integrated logistics provider (Qureshi et al, 2008) Relationship with customers 3PL service providers are normally very concerned with the relationship with their customers because they attempt to establish a long-term one with the users (Cheong, 2004). Long-term customer relationships can enable 3PLs to provide more sophisticated services, reduce the risk of replacement, achieve more earnings, and avoid expense of developing new customer (Cahill, 2006). In addition, long-term relationship is built on the basis of mutual trust and sharing of risk and reward (Qureshi et al, 2008). Bothe shipper and 3PLs will benefit from such long-term relationship (Qureshi et al, 2008). Most of 3PL services users agree that logistics costs could decrease even more through strategic relationships with 3PL service providers. Langley et al. (2004) point out that the successful relationship with 3PL service providers will assist the users to achieve their major objective. Customer relationship management is necessary once a 3PL provider first establishes a relationship with a shipper. To keep customers satisfied and coming back, 3PL providers must demonstrate their capabilities and the value these capabilities provider to customers (Wisner et al, 2005). Third-party logistics service providers in China: China has become the most attractive country for more and more foreign investments, manufacturers, and retailers from all over the world, which results in the fast growth of the Chinese economy (Liu, 2008). Accordingly, the development of 3PL has been spurred in China and 3PL industry has achieved significant achievement. Currently, most logistics companies offer extensively various value-added services and have confidence in the continuous development of Chinas logistics industry. Many literatures have research the Chinese logistics area from diverse perspectives and some supply chain-related difficulties facing foreign 3PLs are identified. High transport cost It is not deniable that Chinese government has invested a lot in the logistics sector to improve traffic in recent years. However, poor transportation is still considered as one significant challenge for logistics industry in China, which may result in the increase in logistics cost and the decrease in company profits (Lau Zhang, 2006). Li Fung Research Center (2009) notes that the transportation occupies more than 50 percent of the total logistics cost in China, and undoubtedly the operation costs of 3PL service providers will still be ascending due to the price upswing of commodity and fuel. Another culprit is high local road tolls and other hefty transportation fees (Kerr, 2005b). Underdeveloped physical infrastructure Many MNCs find that it is difficult for them to implement coherent strategies in China because underdeveloped transportation system hinders their distribution and sourcing throughout the country (Speece and Yukiko, 1995). Although Chinas economy and industrial production have been developing rapidly, the current logistics system is loaded with new challenges as it can barely keep pace with the growth rate of economy (Carter et al, 1997). The undeveloped logistics infrastructure in China, including deficient highways, aged port facilities, and limited runways and airports, can hardly fulfill the growing logistics demand in the progress of new economy (Pollit, 1998). The insufficiencies of present distribution system have restricted foreign enterprises to immensely exploit the plenty opportunities in Chinas market (Goh and Ling, 2003). It is thus imperative that the distribution of products and services be supported by a reliable transportation system. The need for guanxi Literally, guanxi means relationship. It is noted that Chinese culture is quite distinct from Western culture in numerous aspects, including the way to conduct business (Jiang and Prater, 2003). Guanxi, which is an important concept for successful business in China, refer to relationship between people (Michailova and Worm, 2003). It suggests a conveyable, reciprocal, invisible and useful responsibility to dyadic personal relationships (Luo, 2000). It is not surprising that Chinese prefer to deal with people they know and trust. As Wang et al. (2003) indicated, guanxi which is created on the basis of mutually beneficial can lower risk as well as competition in business circles. Millington et al. (2006) also state that when looking for satisfying vendors, guanxi is more useful than other information from website, trade market or media. This implies that the knowledge and expertise to understand local circumstance and the communication skill with foreigners are absolutely necessary for establishment of a successful cooperation (Lightfoot and Almeida, 2007). Government regulation Kerr (2006) identifies that government regulation is still 3PL providers biggest challenge. The development of 3PL in China is obstructed by some barriers such as underdeveloped infrastructure and entrenched regulatory circumstance (Lau Zhang, 2006). In the meantime, various regulations set up by different provinces forcefully influence business activities so that the founding of national networks is hindered (Kerr, 2005). It also has made it difficult for 3PL providers in China to fully meet the requirements of their clients. Moreover, there are many regulations and rules for foreign 3PL providers who plan to enter China logistics market. According to Lai and Hsu (2007), foreign 3PL providers must apply for the class A license issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTERC) if they plan to establish subsidiaries as international freight forwarders in China. A survey conducted by Li Fung Research Center (2009) also identifies that the regulations and policies associated with logistics industry are not unalterable because the government will supervise the execution and analyze the effect of the existing ones and then will formulate new ones accordingly to boost the growth of the industry. It is true that a number of government departments which are involved in policies related to logistics industry have impact on the rhythm of changing regulation (KPMG, 2008). Local 3PL providers Chinas local logistics providers have been growing rapidly because foreign firms are increasingly looking to source there. To contend with foreign logistics providers, domestic companies have to upgrade facilities and enhance their service level (KPMG, 2008). Jiang and Prata (2002) indicate that in contrast with foreign 3PL entrants, local players are always in the close association with local or central governments. For instance, Sinatrans is a state owned company and is the only 3PL service provider in China who can provide a nationwide logistics service with full license. The authors also mention that a number of local 3PL providers at regional level have their own special strength in specific areas or specific business. Some of them even look for individual connection built directly with government officials which may be valuable in their daily business. Literature review summary This section has reviewed the literature ranging from some fundamental definitions of outsourcing and 3PL, to challenges for 3PL industry globally and especially in China which represents the current situation foreign 3PL providers are facing in China. In table 2.1, we summarize the above referred articles in each of the focus challenges. Importance of Outsourcing of Logistics Function Importance of Outsourcing of Logistics Function Outsourcing and 3PL, as important business functions, have drawn attention of business operators as well as academic and scholars. A large number of studies have analyzed these areas from a theoretical perspective and a practical point of view. This section will start with the review of outsourcing regarding its definition and importance as well as motivations and concerns. Then, based on the correlation between outsourcing and 3PL, the section presents the concepts of 3PL and most challenges 3PL providers are facing. Lastly, the section shows what could be the current situation of Chinas 3PL industry. Outsourcing of logistics function 2.1.1 Definition and importance Razzaque and Sheng (1998) defined outsourcing as multiple logistics services provided by a single vendor on a contractual basis. Outsourcing is becoming more important today. Due to economic and competitive pressures, it is imperative for different enterprises to pay attention to their core competencies and turn to third-parties to undertake responsibility for other secondary corporate functions. Outsourcing can create profits by improving customer service level, providing high added-value to products, benefiting in exploiting new markets, and offering dedicated resources (Foster and Muller, 1990). By means of outsourcing, companies can obtain competitive advantage through cost reduction and increased responsiveness to market change. Motivation of outsourcing Several reasons lead private business as well as government agencies to outsource logistics functions: Avoid Capital expenditures It reduces capital investment in facilities (Richardson, 1995). This allows the using firm to spending where it can get the best return as in research, manufacturing, marketing, or other functions core to the organization. Increase flexibility This can enable firms to focus on the core business, question any function or department that is not producing revenue and adapt to changes in the market and access to leading edge technology. A third-party will be invited to help a company when demand increase dramatically beyond the capability of the company to fulfill (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998). Many 3PL providers specialize in logistics functions such as transportation, warehousing management and information technology. Cost savings To save costs is identified by most literature as one of the most popular reasons for why outsourcing occurs. In principle, outsourcing will occur to companies for cost reduction when their suppliers offer a service for a low price which however still can cover added overhead, profit, and transaction costs (Harler, 2000). Those companies which outsource their logistics functions to 3PL service providers usually agree that it is more cost saving than to fulfill the same logistics task in-house (Candler, 1994). According to Bradley (1995a), there are some other reasons of logistics outsourcing such as improving service level and customer satisfaction, using 3PL providers logistics IT systems, acquiring outside sophisticated professionals, combining service and minifying number of suppliers, integrating the process of supply chain, and increasing productivity. Concerns of outsourcing Despite the fact that outsourcing is now favored by most organizations, there are still many recognized potential barriers and problems related to outsourcing. Normally the most mentioned reservation which restrains enterprises from employing 3PL service providers is loss of control of 3PLs (Richardson, 1993a). Such tendency can be caused by different objectives and attitudes of the logistics service providers and users towards strategy, profits and service or skills (Axelrod, 2004, p49). The adoption of outsourcing might also lead to a situation in which critical knowledge associated with process and customers would leak to potential competitors (Jennings, 2002). Moreover, unrealized savings with a potential for increased costs, employee moral problems, losing touch with important information, unreliable promises of the providers, their inability to respond to changing requirements have been mentioned as potential risks as well. Each of these concerns should be recognized carefully by organizations that intend to outsource their logistics function, otherwise contract logistics can be another issue to deal with, rather than a catalyst or improvement (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998). Third-Party Logistics 2.2.1 Concept of 3PL Third party logistics service has been described in a few ways, including outsourcing of one single service such as transportation, and outsourcing of a set of complicated processs (Vasiliauskas Barysiene, 2008). Generally, 3PL provide not only just separate warehouse or transport functions but also multiple, bundled services (Leahy et al., 1995). It is also worth mentioned that freight forwarders and shipping lines are included in broad definitions of the 3PL industry (Rao and Young, 1994). On the basis of above definitions, Leib et al. (1993) used the following definition: Third-party logistics involves the use of external companies to perform logistics functions that have traditionally been performed within an organization. The functions performed by the third party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities within that process. The authors refer to the 3PL as a new industry and growing business environment has more expectations on 3PL. The usage of 3PL has been considered as logistics alliances at strategic level. Bagchi and Virum (1996, p.193) have developed the following definitions: A logistics alliance indicates a close and long-term, relationship between a customer and a provider encompassing the delivery of a wide array of logistics needs. In a logistics alliance, the parties ideally consider each other as partners. They collaborate in understanding and defining the customers logistics need. Both partners participate in designing and developing logistics solutions and measuring performance. The goal of the relationship is to develop a win-win arrangement. Compared with the prior definition, which focuses on the logistics functional activities, the final one emphasizes the duration of the relationship between the logistics service provider and user, and also covers an extensive range of promising logistics services (Halldorsson Larsen, 2004). Many articles have disclosed that 3PL industry has progressed steadily for ages (Liu, 2008). 3PL providers started as a traditional transportation or warehousing service providers from 1980s. Nowadays, 3PL companies provide a variety services including basis logistics service as well as value added services. Main challenges to 3PL service providers As the 3PL industry has continued to evolve, the 3PL provider, sitting in the middle between the manufacturers or suppliers (the buyers of the 3PL service, known as shippers) and the end customers (the consumer of the products), will need to balance the dynamic pulls generated by upstream and downstream entities, and thus faces challenges are unique to its position. Financial issues Although 3PL providers should develop skills, improve competencies, and provide more value-added service so as to survive and expand business successfully in this flourishing market, the main challenge for them is how to obtain business and achieve acceptable financial performance. Maintain profits under price pressures from customers The economic crisis has caused serious situations for both 3PL users and providers -82 percent of shippers now are implementing cost-cutting strategies and 60 percents are reconsidering their supply chain and relationships with 3PLs accordingly (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). As a matter fact, economic factor is a strong motivation for outsourcing, of which cost reduction and cost saving are the main concerns. One of the most significant motivations for outsourcing logistics functions to third parties is their professional knowledge and valuable experience in logistics industry which are costly for their customers to have in-house (Byrne, 1993). However, the decision of employing 3PL providers is usually influenced by the evaluation of cost/service trade-offs (Selviaridis and Spring, 2007). Hence, no matter what strategic stances the logistics providers take, they have to keep upgrading and improving their operational potentialities in the business environment (Sum Teo, 1999). Meanwhile, as price competition is inevitable and most customers are also price sensitive at present, 3PL providers still need to be cost conscious to achieve higher margins, and to prevent themselves from being priced out of the market. Financial stability Many articles have placed emphasis on financial firmness as a critical essential for logistics providers (Bottani Rizzi, 2006). Based on the empirical survey conducted by Boyson et al. (1999) financial stability was ranked as the most significant selection criteria for choosing 3PL providers because it reduce the risk in relationship. A 3PL services provider with stable financial standing can not only better satisfy its clients and implement cost reduction through a dedicated resource, but also diminish risks for logistics partners (Bowersox Daugherty, 1990). Accordingly, Boyson et al. (1999) assert that firms prefer providers demonstrating outstanding customer service level with low price and possessing solid financial stability. Nevertheless, the financial tsunami which has weighted down the world economy has resulted in steep decreasing in logistics demand with no doubt. On the one hand, according to Li Fung Research Center (2009), the clients of the logistics enterprises asked for price cut and longer credit term, and it is difficult for them to collect the payments form clients during such hard times. Bad debts and financial losses will be easily incurred by any imprudent credit management. On the other hand, the confidence for the banks to lend had been damaged by the tsunami. Banks are now only willing to provide loans to selected enterprises or projects, which limits the financing options of the logistics enterprises (Li Fung Research Center, 2009). Clearly, it has always been important for 3PL providers to maintain a sound financial condition to survive in the recession as well as to rise superior to others in the market. Information technology (IT) Capability of information technology IT-based logistics services is considered as significant factor by 88% of shippers, but only less than half (42%) of the shippers are satisfied with the IT capableness of their providers (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). Accordingly, such IT capability gap result in a few difficulties for both shippers and 3PLs to collaborate in an adaptive supply chain (Capgemini Consulting et al, 2009). Information is one of the most important elements in logistics management (Cheong, 2004) and it is definitely essential to assist logistics process with effective IT (LaLonde and Masters, 1994). IT capability can be enhanced by employing advanced software, such as electronic data interchange (EDI) networking, enterprise resource planning environments, simulation software, vehicle routing packages, carrier loading optimization tools, etc. (Qureshi et al, 2008). Hardware also may be utilized to facilitate operations and to increase the production efficiency, including radio frequency devices, servers, bar code printers and scanners, global positioning system (GPS), networking and internet/intranet connections, satellite tracking devices, etc. (Qureshi et al, 2008). 3PL services providers which adopt tracking and tracing devices can grant better services to users with quick responsiveness (Rahman, 2004). According to Byrne (1993), the need of sophisticated information technology is impe rative for logistics management to link members like manufacturer, carrier and customer in the supply chain. Sauvage (2003) proposed that to fully satisfy the variety of customers demand, LSPs should continuously employ advanced information technologies in order to enhance their service performance. It is unlikely for a firm which is lagging in a technology to move to a position of leadership (Jennings, 2002). Security of information systems The sharing of so much information inevitably leads to security concerns. It can not be denied that logistics service providers usually still lose customers annually due to issues of trust in privacy and security, though they keep attracting new clients (Pattel Conners, 2008). One possible mentioned security issue is that when a 3PL provider has to serve several direct competitors, the information in relation to all of them should be kept confidential (Grover et al., 1994, p. 38; Lacity and Hirschheim, 1993a, p. 24). Other than cost, security and privacy are also considered as major concerns by many companies when outsourcing. Compatibility of information systems IT compatibility acts an essential role in logistics activities such as forecasting, order purchasing, inventory replenishment and life cycle management (Anand, 2010). According to Arshinder et al. (2007), the information system of the whole supply chain is expected to be compatible. A compatible information system means comprehensible data are quickly shared among the parties throughout the supply chain (Arshinder et al, 2007) while incompatibility will lead to costly and time consuming process because information, though can be shared as well, is rarely in synchronization. At present, it is difficult for information to seamlessly flow throughout the network as international logistics often includes some different transportation modes and carriers. Moreover, there are diverse IT systems in the different trading areas. For example, Europe adopts Administration, Commerce and Transportation (EDIFACT) standards for EDI systems while the US follows the standards of the American National Standards Institute (Rao Young, 1994). These difficulties in global supply chain have challenged 3PLs regarding how to capitalize the gap to provide a distinct competitive advantage. Reliability of information systems As one of the major industry focus in the global logistics market, the field of information systems paid special attention to user satisfaction as an important performance measure (Ives and Olson, 1984; Robey and Farrow, 1982). Bailey and Pearson (1983) have pointed out that reliability is one of the critical criteria of customer satisfaction. There could be many unknown increased reliability risk which result from two major sections of technology. One is that new technology innovations or adoptions of 3PL providers may have an unclear reliability performance. The other is that an existing technology may be applied to a new market with unknown increase failure rates (Collins, 2005). To fulfill the promised logistics service reliably and exactly, 3PL providers must identify and remove uncertainty involved with technology reliability performance. Human Resource (HR) Lack of expertise There is a tendency that firms desire to acquire the expertise from third-party logistics providers who possess particular local knowledge of customs and infrastructure of destination countries in such a growing global market (Razzaque Sheng, 1999). Although one of the drivers for companies to outsource is to acquire resources and logistics professionals (Selviaridis Spring, 2007), the results of the research conducted by Georgia Institute of Technology et al. (2009) show that many outsourcing users dont believe that 3PLs are in the capacity of strategic partners currently, 40% of shippers in the survey expect their 3PL service providers to continue focusing on execution, and a good many of them reckon that 3PL providers lack logistics expertise that would support users increasing outsourcing. Often-cited problems range from misunderstanding the demand of customers supply chain to inadequate professionals in given products and markets (Selviaridis Spring, 2007). In fact, customers are looking for 3PL providers that have expertise in multiple phases of the logistics process. An annual surveys of US 3PL firms indicates that company employee/expertise is regarded by CEOs as the most important asset of the company for business success in the competition, however those same CEOs also agree that currently the most critical problem facing 3PL companies as finding qualified people (Leib and Randall, 1996b). Different culture Almost all members in the supply chain, including third party, have their own company culture which is definitely different from each other (Babics, 2005). According to Pagell (2004), the capacity of how to harmonize its own internal culture with the external different cultures of its customers is one significant factor that 3PL providers should note in the integration of operational services in supply chains. Mckeon (1991) states that for both 3PL providers and their customers, understanding each others cultures and organizational structure is an essential factor to ensure a win-win outsourcing. Compatibility of culture and values is one of the keys to successful partnership which can result in long-term partnership (Qureshi et al, 2008). Culture conflicts often result in change orders, unexpected costs, and sometimes a negative impact on relationships (Kremic et al, 2006). In general, the ability of 3PL providers to understand the customer organizations culture is a basis for partnering. Inadequate education and training In order to remain competitive in the logistics market, 3PL providers have to be vigilant and agile to their customers needs, and continually seek to meet customer expectations as much as possible. Logistics executive should be aware that, due to rapid growth in the logistics industry, there could be a shortage of qualified logistics expertise (Yeung, 2006). Therefore, it is necessary for governments and educational services to allocate more resources, put logistics on formal curriculum, and provide more correlated training programs to fulfill the demand of the whole supply chain. The development of logistics, otherwise, might be constrained by lack of trained logistics personnel (Sum Teo, 1999). Ulengin and Uray (1999) indicate that in Turkey, senior management that is void of professional knowledge of logistics is the fundamental factor limiting the progress of logistics industry. Kerr (2005b) describes poor training as a black hole in China because neither the central government nor Chinas regulatory authorities do much to promote logistics training programs. Obviously, a firm with higher quality of human resources such as better education or training will have superior core competence in the market. Hence, it is imperative for 3PL service providers to offer more training programs to employees so that they can cope with competition in the future (Wang et al, 2006) Business Landscapes Globalization of 3PL market delivering service in new geographic regions The internationalization and globalization of 3PL providers has been boosted by the economies of scale and scope, by the internationalization and globalization of the competitors and by customer following i.e. the internationalization of manufacturing firms, which may demand that the service supplier provides a global network and/or global experience (Arvidsson, 1997, p.74). 3PL providers that take charge of their customers outsourced logistics function normally need to build up a logistics network to deal with the flow of the goods from the customers factory to the end customers (Cheong, 2004). In current global economic environment, manufacturing companies tend to establish partnerships with 3PL service providers and they desire to cooperate with some global freight forwarding companies (Lemoine et al, 2003). 3PL service providers with well-content characteristics, such as far geographical spread and wide range of services are popular among the shippers (Qureshi, 2007). As per Bottani and Rizzi (2006), companies favor the 3PL providers with wide range of advanced services more than those traditional ones which can offer mere single logistics functional service. However, supply chain requirement keep changing. Customer demand can change in spatial and temporal terms. In response to the shippers new requirement, 3PL service providers endeavor to extend service coverage geographically and to expand breadth of service so that they can fulfill the interest of their customers as an integrated logistics provider (Qureshi et al, 2008) Relationship with customers 3PL service providers are normally very concerned with the relationship with their customers because they attempt to establish a long-term one with the users (Cheong, 2004). Long-term customer relationships can enable 3PLs to provide more sophisticated services, reduce the risk of replacement, achieve more earnings, and avoid expense of developing new customer (Cahill, 2006). In addition, long-term relationship is built on the basis of mutual trust and sharing of risk and reward (Qureshi et al, 2008). Bothe shipper and 3PLs will benefit from such long-term relationship (Qureshi et al, 2008). Most of 3PL services users agree that logistics costs could decrease even more through strategic relationships with 3PL service providers. Langley et al. (2004) point out that the successful relationship with 3PL service providers will assist the users to achieve their major objective. Customer relationship management is necessary once a 3PL provider first establishes a relationship with a shipper. To keep customers satisfied and coming back, 3PL providers must demonstrate their capabilities and the value these capabilities provider to customers (Wisner et al, 2005). Third-party logistics service providers in China: China has become the most attractive country for more and more foreign investments, manufacturers, and retailers from all over the world, which results in the fast growth of the Chinese economy (Liu, 2008). Accordingly, the development of 3PL has been spurred in China and 3PL industry has achieved significant achievement. Currently, most logistics companies offer extensively various value-added services and have confidence in the continuous development of Chinas logistics industry. Many literatures have research the Chinese logistics area from diverse perspectives and some supply chain-related difficulties facing foreign 3PLs are identified. High transport cost It is not deniable that Chinese government has invested a lot in the logistics sector to improve traffic in recent years. However, poor transportation is still considered as one significant challenge for logistics industry in China, which may result in the increase in logistics cost and the decrease in company profits (Lau Zhang, 2006). Li Fung Research Center (2009) notes that the transportation occupies more than 50 percent of the total logistics cost in China, and undoubtedly the operation costs of 3PL service providers will still be ascending due to the price upswing of commodity and fuel. Another culprit is high local road tolls and other hefty transportation fees (Kerr, 2005b). Underdeveloped physical infrastructure Many MNCs find that it is difficult for them to implement coherent strategies in China because underdeveloped transportation system hinders their distribution and sourcing throughout the country (Speece and Yukiko, 1995). Although Chinas economy and industrial production have been developing rapidly, the current logistics system is loaded with new challenges as it can barely keep pace with the growth rate of economy (Carter et al, 1997). The undeveloped logistics infrastructure in China, including deficient highways, aged port facilities, and limited runways and airports, can hardly fulfill the growing logistics demand in the progress of new economy (Pollit, 1998). The insufficiencies of present distribution system have restricted foreign enterprises to immensely exploit the plenty opportunities in Chinas market (Goh and Ling, 2003). It is thus imperative that the distribution of products and services be supported by a reliable transportation system. The need for guanxi Literally, guanxi means relationship. It is noted that Chinese culture is quite distinct from Western culture in numerous aspects, including the way to conduct business (Jiang and Prater, 2003). Guanxi, which is an important concept for successful business in China, refer to relationship between people (Michailova and Worm, 2003). It suggests a conveyable, reciprocal, invisible and useful responsibility to dyadic personal relationships (Luo, 2000). It is not surprising that Chinese prefer to deal with people they know and trust. As Wang et al. (2003) indicated, guanxi which is created on the basis of mutually beneficial can lower risk as well as competition in business circles. Millington et al. (2006) also state that when looking for satisfying vendors, guanxi is more useful than other information from website, trade market or media. This implies that the knowledge and expertise to understand local circumstance and the communication skill with foreigners are absolutely necessary for establishment of a successful cooperation (Lightfoot and Almeida, 2007). Government regulation Kerr (2006) identifies that government regulation is still 3PL providers biggest challenge. The development of 3PL in China is obstructed by some barriers such as underdeveloped infrastructure and entrenched regulatory circumstance (Lau Zhang, 2006). In the meantime, various regulations set up by different provinces forcefully influence business activities so that the founding of national networks is hindered (Kerr, 2005). It also has made it difficult for 3PL providers in China to fully meet the requirements of their clients. Moreover, there are many regulations and rules for foreign 3PL providers who plan to enter China logistics market. According to Lai and Hsu (2007), foreign 3PL providers must apply for the class A license issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTERC) if they plan to establish subsidiaries as international freight forwarders in China. A survey conducted by Li Fung Research Center (2009) also identifies that the regulations and policies associated with logistics industry are not unalterable because the government will supervise the execution and analyze the effect of the existing ones and then will formulate new ones accordingly to boost the growth of the industry. It is true that a number of government departments which are involved in policies related to logistics industry have impact on the rhythm of changing regulation (KPMG, 2008). Local 3PL providers Chinas local logistics providers have been growing rapidly because foreign firms are increasingly looking to source there. To contend with foreign logistics providers, domestic companies have to upgrade facilities and enhance their service level (KPMG, 2008). Jiang and Prata (2002) indicate that in contrast with foreign 3PL entrants, local players are always in the close association with local or central governments. For instance, Sinatrans is a state owned company and is the only 3PL service provider in China who can provide a nationwide logistics service with full license. The authors also mention that a number of local 3PL providers at regional level have their own special strength in specific areas or specific business. Some of them even look for individual connection built directly with government officials which may be valuable in their daily business. Literature review summary This section has reviewed the literature ranging from some fundamental definitions of outsourcing and 3PL, to challenges for 3PL industry globally and especially in China which represents the current situation foreign 3PL providers are facing in China. In table 2.1, we summarize the above referred articles in each of the focus challenges.

Personal Choices in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken Essay -- Road No

Personal Choices and The Road Not Taken When I read The Road Not Taken, I thought right away of the choice I made in high school not to study foreign languages. In the poem, the speaker makes his choice in either fall or spring - when the woods are yellow. I see both these seasons as times of new beginnings. In spring, everything new is growing. In fall (at least for students) it's the start of a new school year. I made my choice one fall when a guidance director told me I was not "college material" and recommended that I drop my French class. September should have been a beginning, but I saw it as an end to my dream for college. It's only now that I can begin to think it was-in a way - a beginning, too. Dropping French was desirable because I didn't do well in languages, but taking a language was also desirable because you had to... ...ence to her own choices in life. Her observations show that she became genuinely interested in Frost's theme and was able to appreciate his poem more fully by bringing something of herself to her reading. You may think her commentary is very different from what you have previously thought of as "literary analysis." Certainly, her ideas are expresses informally and personally, yet she has indeed "analyzed" the poem (looked at how parts of it work to create the whole).

Eastern foods assigment Essay

Background: As the building work is going to be complete in July 1st and therefore there is a plan to start the business early in May 1st. To develop the business the Eastern Foods is facing the following challenges with regards to HRM, Accounting, Marketing and Operations Management. (a) Overview of Challenges Facing Eastern foods: Human resource Management (HRM) Human resource management is also identified as â€Å"personnel management†. There will be in detail study required of whole business for the recruitment of the new staff. There should be study of hierarchy of the management level that will be necessary to manage the operations of business. And what skills will be obligatory for conducting the operations of business. The workers that will be recruited must have the knowledge and experience relevant to the operations of East Foods Company’s business. Such as in production there must be those people who have best knowledge of production. The diversity on workplace will have to be considered like the marital status, sexual orientations, ethnicity etc. These all criteria must be set in consideration of requirement of work for example if work required at plant needs the male man power then the women cannot be recruited there. Similarly there will be requirement of special team for marketing of the new project from the marketing backgrounds like peoples who have studied in Business Marketing and have good previous experience in marketing. The human resource should be managed in following way Digram1 (Process of Human Resource Management) Finance: Finance is the most important part of any kind of business. Through accounting the transactions are recorded and summarized and the results are generated also the figures of profits are determined. For the complex and frequent transactions the accounting software and staff who know how to operate that software are required as will. The team should study that  weather the software are required for accounting for Eastern Foods business and if it is required then which software will be suitable and whether it should be bespoke software. Then the cost of purchasing and its annual subscription will be an issue. Marketing Marketing is also essential for the success Eastern foods. In marketing the need of the consumer are known and then make research on that specific need to produce it and after production that product is advertised for sale also Eastern Foods must develop the marketing mix (4 p’s): price, product, place and promotion. Therefore the project team has to pay special attention on marketing, there should be staff for the research to invent new products and produce it to meet the customer need and take the competitive advantage if you are the first one to invent that product. Then there should be selling team who must advertise it in market to make sale. (Diagram2) (Marketing Mix 4P’s of Target Market) Operations Management Operations management is section of business management which is concerned with supervision operations for example asset management , cost management ,designing, and calculating the process of production and redesigning business operations in the production of goods or services. It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as few resources as needed, and effective in terms of meeting customer supplies. It is concerned with managing the process that converts inputs (in the forms of raw materials, labor, and energy) into outputs (in the form of goods and services). For the success of Eastern Foods it is very necessary to run the operations in sequences and in smooth manner therefore project team has to focus on the planning of management of operation and designing of operation for new business is great task. For example after estimating the future sale the project team has to focus on required production. How the things will be produced, preserve and sold everything needs planning. Different models must be designed for operation management and the best one which is most efficient and cost-effective must be chosen. The HRM and operation management are the key issue and should be addressed in effective way to run the business in smooth manner. (b) Two key issues key issues and how they can be addressed: Operational Management To address the issue of operational management the management team which is responsible for the business activities that is going to be start on May 1st must be response in following manner (Diagram 3) Service management functions 1. Optimizing Before start of the business the following level of management must be optimized. I. Service level management There is monitoring and management of the quality of services and entity’s key performance in Service-level management. The key performance indicators range from coarse-grained availability and usage statistics to fine-grained entity-contained per-interaction indicators. There is comparison of actual performance with pre-defined expectations and determine suitable actions and producing meaningful reports in Service level management. II. Financial management In financial management there is effective and efficient management of money which accomplish the goals of organization. It is the specialized functions directly associated with the top management. The significance of this function is not only seen in the ‘Line’ but also in the capacity of ‘Staff’ in overall administration of a company. The financial management is defined differently in different fields. III. Capacity management Capacity management is a procedure used to manage information technology (IT). Its primary objective is to ensure that IT capacity meets current and future business needs in a cost-effective way. One common analysis of  capacity management is described in the ITIL framework. ITIL version 3 views capacity management as comprising three sub-processes: business capacity management, service capacity management, and component capacity management (known as resource capacity management in ITIL version 2). As the usage of IT services change and functionality evolves, the amount of processing power, memory etc. also changes. If it is possible to understand the demands being made currently, and how they will change over time, this approach proposes that planning for IT service growth becomes easier and less reactive. If there are spikes in, for example, processing power at a particular time of the day, it proposes analyzing what is happening at that time and make changes to maximize the existing infrastructure, for example, tune the application, or move a batch cycle to a quieter period. IV. Availability management Availability Management aims to define, analyze, plan, measure and improve all aspects of the availability of services. Availability Management is responsible for ensuring that all infrastructure, processes, tools, roles etc are appropriate for the agreed availability targets. V. IT service consulting management The practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, operates primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and the development of plans for improvement. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to the consultants’ specialized expertise. VI. Work force management Encompasses all the activities needed to maintain a productive workforce. Under the umbrella of human resource management, WFM is sometimes referred to as HRMS systems, or even part of ERP systems. Recently, the concept of workforce management has begun to evolve into optimization. One main player in WFM Optimization and WFM BPO is Workforce Insight (WFI). VII. Infrastructure engineering Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise or reproductive system ,[1] or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function.[2] It can be generally defined as the set of interconnected structural elements that provide framework supporting an entire structure of development. It is an important term for judging a country or region’s development. VIII. Security management Security management is the identification of an organization’s assets (including information assets), followed by the development, documentation, and implementation of policies and procedures for protecting these assets. After the step of optimizing there is step of changing of management according to business need. 2. Changing The changing process are consists of three steps. I. Change management The management is changed as per current requirement of business activities it may be shuffle in different departments or may be fired and recruited new one. II. Configure Management After deployment of new management the staff is configured in right way to do effective work to generate the results which is goal congruence. III. Release management After training of management it is released to do work. 3. Operating I. System administration When the management is trained and deployed and functions have been started then there is need of administration on all system of business like procurement, production, storage and sales. II. Security Administration The operations of security must be administered by admin department because for safeguarding of assets the security is very important. With the help of effective security the accidents can be avoided. III. Service monitoring and control To maintain the quality there must be effective control on all services like the procedures of procurement and production must be monitor to maintain the quality. IV. Directory monitoring administration Directory monitoring administration play important role in smoothness of operations. V. Network Administration For the fast communication there is highly need of suitable network. Therefore the networks like internet, mobiles and telephone exchange must be properly hold by company. VI. Storage management The stock must be preserved in effective way to avoid the loss and to maintain the quality of products. VII. Job Scheduling The staff must be available every time to continue the operations therefore the roster must be maintained and monitor. 4. Supporting I. Service Desk A Service Desk is a primary IT service for in IT service management (ITSM) as defined by the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). It is intended to provide a Single Point of Contact (â€Å"SPOC†) to meet the communication needs of both Users and IT employees. II. Incident Management Incident management is a term describing the activities of an organization to identify, analyze, and correct hazards to prevent a future re-occurrence. These incidents within a structured organization are normally dealt with by either an Incident Response Team (IRT), or an Incident Management Team (IMT). These are often designated before hand, or during the event and are placed in control of the organization whilst the incident is dealt with, to restore normal functions. III. Problem Management Problem management is the process responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems. The primary objectives of problem management are to prevent problems and resulting incidents from happening, to eliminate recurring incidents, and to minimize the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library defines a problem as the cause of one or more incidents. HUMAN RESOURCE MANGEMENT: Human resource management (HRM) is the management process of an organization’s workforce, or human resources also the main foundation in management activity of any Business is the HRM. It is responsible for the attraction, selection, training, assessment, and rewarding of employees, while also overseeing organizational leadership and culture and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws. In circumstances where the employees’ desire and they are legally authorized to hold a collective bargaining agreement, HR will also serve as the company’s primary link with the employees’ representatives. HR is a product of the human relations movement of the early 20th century, when researchers began documenting ways of creating business value through the strategic management of the workforce. The function was initially dominated by transactional work, such as payroll and benefits administration, but due to globalization, company consolidation, technological adv ancement, and further research, HR now focuses on strategic initiatives like mergers and acquisitions, talent management, succession planning, industrial and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion. In startup companies, HR’s duties may be performed by trained professionals. In larger companies, an entire functional group is typically dedicated to the discipline, with staff specializing in various HR tasks and functional leadership engaging in strategic decision making across the business. To train practitioners for the profession, institutions of higher education, professional associations, and companies themselves have created programs of study dedicated explicitly to the duties of the function. Academic and practitioner organizations likewise seek to engage and further the field of HR, as evidenced by several field-specific publications. HR is also a field of research study that is popular within the fields of management and industrial/organizational psychology, with research articles appearing in a number of academic journals, including those mentioned later in this article. In the current global work environment, all global companies are focused on retaining the talent and knowledge held by the workforce. All companies are focused on lowering the employee turnover and preserving knowledge. New hiring not only entails a high cost but also increases the risk of the newcomer not being able to replace the person who was working in that position before. HR departments  also strive to offer benefits that will appeal to workers, thus reducing the risk of losing knowledge. 1. Recruitment Management The recruitment is most important step in human resource management. It must be consider that the staff recruited by the management should be suitable to run the operation of business. For this purpose different techniques of recruitment can be obtained like written test, aptitude test and interviews. And different task base test this step must be done to identify the candidates and to have the decision which candidate to accept it. 2. Employee Management Once the employees are recruited they should be trained and then deployed in their relevant roles and their performance should be evaluated. 3. Shift Management The roster of employees must be scheduled and their shift should be managed in a manner that there should not be any discontinuity in operation of business. 4. Attendance Management The attendance register of employees must be regularly maintained and monitored by authoritative person. 5. Leave Management The annual leave days allowed must be decided and employees should be given holidays according leave rules. 6. Payroll Management The remuneration or salary must be decided according to the ranks and work of employees. And remuneration must be performance oriented to motivate the employees. Conclusion: Plan for Organization In conclusion to run the organization successfully we need to set up all the four key functions Accounts, HRM, Operation Management also marketing on similar basis. There should be finance for running the operations therefore we have to arrange the investors. Then we have to implement the designed operations like procurement (must be different department) and the production unit must be installed and relevant recruited staff will be deployed in unit. Likewise the warehouse to store the products and there should be selling and delivering man force to make sales. And the skilled  man force is needed for marketing to enhance the sale. And there will be accounting software and professional staff to record the transaction and generating results. The managing of operations will be required on ongoing basis in other words the operation must be monitors and results must be match with targeted performance. References: http://www.teamquest.com/resources/ www.ca.com/us/products/detail/ca-capacity-manager.aspx‎ www.workforce.com/‎ Alexander Bickerton lecture PowerPoint www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm www.servicenow.com/products/it-service†¦/incident-management.html‎ neoenglish.wordpress.com/†¦/what-is-hrm-–-human-resource-management http://hrm2013.blogspot.co.uk/ http://www.quadrasystems.net/serv_ourapproach.htm https://www.smartdraw.com/examples/view/4ps+marketing+mix/ http://shal2788.hubpages.com/hub/Role-of-Human-Resource-Management-HRM

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buy custom Earth Science Research essay Gardner defines the solar systems as a combination of the sun and other astronomical bodies that are attracted towards the sun by gravitational force. These astronomical bodies rotate around the sun (Gardner Labaff, 2007). According to Gardner and LaBaff, these bodies are formed from remains of cloud molecules. In addition, they consist of other smaller objects that rotate around the sun. Role and limitations of computers in scientific research In my view, as the article states, there is still much more to be studied on Earth. Computers can thus be used in gathering information concerning various aspects of Earth. Research depends on accuracy of data. Computers can, therefore, be used to obtain, analyze, interpret and store such important information that has been gathered during the research studies. According to Kraut, Brynin Kiesler, computers also assist in doing complex research computations, complex data analysis as well prediction and forecast modeling (Kraut, Brynin Kiesler 2006). When researchers use computers in their research studies they gain access to a wide range of credible scientific information from other electronic sources and internet. In geographic research, computers can be used in mapping of cartographic works. However, it is worth noting that computers will completely depend on data-input fed to it by the users. In this case, therefore, if the researcher enters incorrect data into the computers system, the informational output from these data will be equally wrong and unreliable. In addition, data stored in a computer is vulnerable to manipulation or damage which leads to unexpected loss of vital information. This further diminishes the quality of research work. Similarly, overreliance on the internet may lead to obtaining information from deceptive or untrustworthy sources. This also encourages over-dependency. Buy custom Earth Science Research essay