Project Management Common Project Failures - 1617 Words

Common Project Failures Katina King Brenau University Common Project failures All project managers (PM) want their projects to meet all requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner. However, project failure is common in project management because of undefined uncertainties throughout the project. There are many reasons why projects fail and each project can have its own set of complications. Sometimes it is a single incident, but more often than not, several issues that develop over time during the project combined cause a failure. A good project manager must be able to recognize indicators of failure and take action quickly. This paper will discuss six common reasons for project failure and insight into how to avoid them by addressing them immediately and efficiently. Poor Planning Planning is the most important part of any project. A project plan defines the objectives of the project and the goals to be achieved. According to Project Management: A Managerial Approach (2012), the sole purpose of planning is to simplify goal fulfillment over the course of the project’s completion. It acts as a map by helping project members understand what they must do and the risk factors and resources they must utilize along the way. This is a vital stage in the project completion process because when projects are poorly planned, their budgets, schedules, and deliverables may all be in jeopardy. To avoid poor planning issues, the PM should get a good description of theShow MoreRelatedFailures Of The Project Management System1456 Words   |  6 Pagesto garner support of IT Project Management, a rather clear picture has been presented. A staggering number of organizations do not properly employ IT project management, and, as a result, their projects tend to fail. On the opposite end of the spectrum, successful organizations utilize an IT project management system and their projects enjoy a much higher success rate. Based off of the findings, one can conclude that in most organizations the track record for IT projects has been more than lacklusterRead MoreProject Management : Infamous Failures, Classic Mistakes, And Best Practices1093 Words   |  5 Pagesof Ryan Nelson s article. IT Project Management: Infamous Failures, Classic Mistakes, And Best Practices. MIS Quarterly Executive Vol. 6. No.2/June 2007 What is the pressing need to have project management in IT projects? Two out of the three IT projects fail to make the final cut. [1] This article not only elucidates the need for an appropriate project management team but also puts forth what can go wrong if the organization is oblivious to the project management processes. About 88% of the classicRead MoreEven With The Greatest Attempts, Projects Can Fail. Projects1561 Words   |  7 Pagesattempts, projects can fail. Projects can be measured in terms of failures. When looking at the project failures, if the project objectives are not met it then affect the scope, time, cost, quality, and resources of the project. When these items are not met and not approved by senior management of the project team the project is considered a failure. There are several reasons for failures that will be examined. The first reason of project failure is poor planning. This is a very common reason becauseRead MoreCase Study : Macon, Inc.930 Words   |  4 Pagesto blame in project delays or quality standards, and have scarce attention to the organization’s interests. Delays were almost always present, quality compromised, customers were choosing their own project managers to ensure their interests, projects were constantly failing, and the president of the company, who was a strong believer of project management, decided that action was needed to achieve excellence in project management. II. Question and response Considering the Management Support elementRead MoreProject Management Systems ( Pms )1556 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Numerous projects have fizzled severely and get to be unreasonable to the associations concerned. Project Management Systems (PMS) are required to help projects supervisors and the colleagues to deal with their undertakings all the more viably and lessen the dangers of disappointment. This study looks at the normal issues in PMS, which have prompted insufficient venture administration. A model of an online PMS with solid control systems has been produced to address these issues. FurtherRead MoreReasons Why Projects Fail710 Words   |  3 PagesReasons Why Projects Fail By Tom Carlos PMP In a perfect world, every project would be on time and within budget. But reality (especially the proven statistics) tells a very different story. It s not uncommon for projects to fail. Even if the budget and schedule are met, one must ask did the project deliver the results and quality we expected? True project success must be evaluated on all three components. Otherwise, a project could be considered a failure. Have you ever seen a situationRead MoreProject Management : Determining The Success Or Failure Factors1526 Words   |  7 Pagescomplex projects have option of success or fail due to a number of circumstances. The main controversial issue in the project management is determining the success or failure factors. Although projects have built in to be successful there are some risks can’t be avoided and that may lead at the end to failure in the near or far future (Montequin, 2014). Introduction Project management provides reasonable scientific solutions in order to overcome difficulties and achieve success. Each project has aRead MoreCauses of Project Failure1147 Words   |  5 PagesPROJECT DEFINITION A project is defined as a unique set of co-ordinated activities with a finite duration, defined cost and performance parameters and clear outputs to support specific business objectives. [pic] IT-PROJECT DEFINITION An IT-enabled project is any business change activity, including programmes and projects, where the use of IT is critical to its success. WHEN A PROJECT FAILS? †¢ Not meeting project goals, delivering requirements †¢ Not delivering valueRead MoreResponse Of It Project Management : Infamous Failures, Classic Mistakes, And Best Practices778 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Response of IT Project Management: Infamous Failures, Classic Mistakes, and Best Practices†, R.Ryan Nelson (2007) argued that the best way to avoid classical mistakes and finally stay away from infamous failure is to use best practices proactively and knowledgeably. He also suggested that project managers focus on people and process, institute their own best practices, and improve best practices by identifying the problems most occurs in specific project and using the matrix. Firstly, R.RyanRead MoreEffectiveness Of Risk Identification And Analysis Of Construction Projects Of Mumbai City Of Multi Storeyed Building Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract – Risk is present in all projects irrespective of their size or sector. If risks are not properly analyzed and strategies are not developed to deal with them, the project is likely to lead to failures. Therefore, special strategies and processes should be established during the initial phases of the project and also monitored throughout the project life cycle. There are different techniques of risk identification and analysis in construction projects. Applicability of various risk assessment

Schooling in North Carolina - 1715 Words

Schooling in North Carolina When schooling was first created in the US, there were not nearly as many rules. One-room schoolhouses where there were all different kinds of ages and education levels were the norm, and the type of education that was given to students was far different than what they receive today. As education developed and various needs came to light, larger schools were built and students were segregated based on criteria such as age. Separate schooling based on learning ability (special education) was something that came later, but it was eventually developed. The system that is available today is working well in many cases, but there are areas in which it is still failing the students - mainly because there are still too many countries getting ahead of the US in areas such as science and mathematics (Darling-Hammond, 2001; Figlio, 2002). Until the US takes back the number one spot, todays students will be at a disadvantage based on what they are learning and how they can put that education to use in the job market (Collins, 1999; Darling-Hammond, 2001). In North Carolina, as in other states, school attendance is compulsory. In other words, every child who lives in North Carolina must attend school a minimum number of days each year until they reach a set age or until they graduate, whichever comes first. These children can go to private school or be homeschooled (with specific regulations), but they cannot simply be kept out of school. That isShow MoreRelatedEducation and its effect on social hierarchies:1400 Words   |  6 Pagesand faculty reforms. Major education reforms resulted not only changing the way education was being treated, but also challenged social norms and social hierarchies. In 1878, the ratio between male and female teachers was three to one (Leloudis, Schooling the New South; Page 74). Many young men also taught primarily for the work experience, not so much for the children’s sake; for these men, teaching was a â€Å"stepping stone† f or another career path or profession in the future. Feminization of teachingRead MoreThe United States, Schooling System Is Failing To Provide1573 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States, schooling system is failing to provide a well rounded educational future of the millennial generation and the generations to come. Why are traditional public schools failing to successfully graduate a diverse number of students? Students of all backgrounds should graduate being able to go into the workforce or secondary schooling successfully. Changing traditional high schools to career-based schools could help education flourish, access to career-based high schools could helpRead MoreThe Year Round Schooling System Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesYear round schooling has been present since the early 1900’s. It first appeared in urban areas because they were not tied to the agricultural cycle. The first cities to implement this system were Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Was hington D.C. By 1975, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee adopted YRS for at least one school, however Vermont dropped YRS. Many states and school systems at least attemptedRead MorePoverty Is The Most Far Reaching Social Problem847 Words   |  4 Pagesbeing made by those in poverty and the poor’s advocates. Unemployment, low wages, race, gender, and birth class have been constructed as causes of poverty in the United States. The side effects of health, substandard housing, homelessness, limited schooling, crime and political alienation are claims faced by those currently under the poverty line (Macionos). We can agree that food and shelter are essential to life and good health. The majority of the poor today through government intervention do notRead MoreTeaching Is A Difficult Job1478 Words   |  6 Pagesrequirements (North Carolina Virtual Public School). Taking courses online allows students to work on the information independently. Even though they are working independently, there is still an administrator in the room because nothing can replace physical human interaction. When a person has a problem with their television, the problem can only be resolved to an extent over the phone. Other times they must send someone to the address and fix it in person. Although online schooling is effective,Read More The Underground Railroad in North Carolina Essay1277 Words   |  6 PagesThe Underground Railroad in North Carolina The Underground Railroad was perhaps the most active and dramatic protest action against slavery in United States history and as we look at the Underground Railroad in North Carolina we will focus on the Quakers, Levi Coffin’s early years, and the accounts of escaped slaves from North Carolina. The unique blend of southern slave holder and northern abolitionist influences in the formation of North Carolina served to make the state an important linkRead MoreEssay on Improving the Quality of Education1256 Words   |  6 Pagesfor a change. We have heard how the United States ranks in comparison to other post-industrial countries in regards to education. One idea that has proven to be successful in improving the education level of students is â€Å"year round schooling†. Year round schooling would improve the quality of education and the overall school environment. Making this type of change would be a start in increasing the value of our school systems. The term â€Å"year round school† does not mean that students and teachersRead MoreFurnifold Mclendel Simmons Case Study Answers1726 Words   |  7 Pages using readings and your own analysis, why that leader was North Carolina’s most significant political figure of the 20th Century. Furnifold McLendel Simmons was attorney in New Bern in 1854, who later in his life went on to become a senator for thirty years (Christensen 36). Simmons held a degree from what is now Duke University which, led him to practice law (Christensen 37). He was such an influential political figurehead that North Carolina’s democratic organization that he became known as heRead MoreThe United States Foundation And New England1225 Words   |  5 Pages The United States foundation started off with the thirteen colonies. The thirteen colonies consists of Maryland, New Hampshire, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. All of them were separated into three categories. These categories are known as Southern, New England, and Middle colonies. The New England colonies consists of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. In NewRead MoreAndrew Jackson : The Second President Of The Democratic Party935 Words   |  4 Pagesalso opposed the Bank of the United States. Jackson was born in a region near the border of both North and South Carolina, while both states claim him as a native son, he has been quoted saying he is from South Carolina. Both of his parents were Irish immigrants with little money. With very little household income he lacked a formal education. In 1780, while the British marched through the Carolinas, both of his brothers and his mother were killed during this conflict. Also for a short period

Amazon.Com Supply Chain Management free essay sample

Amazon. com Supply Chain Project Amazon. com Supply Chain Project Jarrel Nightingale [emailprotected] edu Capella University BUS3004: Supply Chain Management Professor Dr. Robert Goldwasser December 10, 2012 Amazon. com Supply Chain Project Introduction In today’s society, Online Shopping and the industry of e-commerce has become very popular and mainstream. Many individuals have integrated online shopping into their normal routine and have replaced traditional shopping altogether. Online shopping has become so popular, there has been a shopping holiday called â€Å"Cyber Monday† which is the equivalent to â€Å"Black Friday. † Traditional brick and mortar retail stores are now forced to offer their products online in order to remain competitive. This is a new position for most businesses to be in, so businesses are forced to make the necessary adjustments to conform to the consumers’ demands. Complying with the demands of technology has become a problem for some of the smaller businesses due to the lack of resources and infrastructure to produce these changes. Amongst the many online retailers that have emerged, Amazon. com has set itself apart as the industry leader in Online E-commerce. Since 1994, Amazon. com has built a successful empire that has become the default name for when one thinks about buying anything online. Through their documented success, Amazon. com has created the blueprint for those to follow in order to become a successful Online Retailer. In this assignment, I will discuss Amazon. com as it relates to their success and the structure of its company. Business Model Amazon. com sells books, music, and other items over the Internet and is one of the pioneers of consumer e-business. Amazon, based in Seattle, started by filling all orders using books purchased from a distributor in response to customer orders. This practice differs from that of a traditional bookstore, which usually purchases directly from publishers and stocks books in anticipation of customer orders. In 2008, Amazon had eight warehouses in the U. S. and another fifteen in the rest of the world. Amazon stocks many books, though it still gets other titles from distributors or publishers. It uses the U. S. Postal Service and other package carriers such as UPS and FedEx to send books to customers. Amazon has continued to expand the set of products that it sells online. Besides books and music, Amazon has added many product categories such as toys, apparel, electronics, jewelry, and shoes. (Chopra, et. Al, 2012) In addition to adding more products, the strategy of Amazon. com is technology based as it relates to consumer demand. Amazons supply chain is so tightly integrated that when an online customer buys a couple of books and a CD, the order-management system communicates with inventory- and warehouse-management systems to find the optimal distribution center or centers for fulfilling the order. The customer knows in less than a minute how long it will take to ship the items and whether they will come in one package or separately (Bacheldor, 2004). Global Challenges Unlike most companies, Amazon. com has positioned itself to remain competitive in the national and global markets as well. Shipping is one of the most main expenses of e-commerce and shipping internationally can be a lengthy and expensive process. As mentioned earlier, Amazon. com has built new warehouses and changed the markets supplied by each warehouse as its customer base has grown. Currently there are 15 warehouses in total; 8 of those are located in the United States and the other 7 are located internationally. As a result, it has lowered shipping costs and improved responsiveness (Chopra, et. Al, 2012). There is a trade off because inventory and facility costs increase as the number of facilities in the supply chain increase; and transportation costs decrease as the number of facilities increase. The functionality of its technology is also designed to help with reducing costs so that transportation costs stay at a point where operating globally is still achievable. Amazon. com’s supply chain management applications communicate in real time when an order is placed and assigns shipping warehousing and cost based on location (Bacheldor, 2004). When the average company ships internationally the response time is typically in excess of 14 days and the cost to expedite takes any potential savings from purchasing online go away. Importance of Aggregate Planning Amazon. com is beginning to aggregate other e-commerce that are linked via strategic placement and investments. The vision is to make it so customers don’t have to go elsewhere to shop very often especially online (Scally, 2000). The reputation it has is so strong that any association with Amazon. com helps create an impression of validity and success for anyone that chooses to partner with them. Amazon has one of the most-sophisticated supply-chain systems in the world, and it was all built from scratch. Homemade applications handle nearly every aspect of its supply chain: warehouse management, transportation management, inbound and outbound shipping, demand forecasts, inventory planning, and more. In the last four years, Amazon has worked to minimize the need for human intervention in its supply-chain processes, such as manually inputting sales forecasts into an inventory-management system (Bacheldor, 2004). Today, Amazons supply-chain apps communicate in real time, a rarity when most companies have to integrate a variety of software tools and manual processes, such as phone and fax orders. Ultimately, the goal is to try to â€Å"touch† every type of transaction on the web dealing with e-commerce and to integrate with business partners to enhance the online shopping experience (Scally, 2000). Many traditional brick and mortar stores are affiliating themselves with Amazon in order to gain online presence and sell its merchandise online. This is a mutual benefit as it allows Amazon to continue to diversify its products. Role of Demand Forecasting and Pricing Promotions To achieve strategic fit, a firm must tailor its supply chain to best meet the needs of different customer segments. To retain strategic fit, supply chain strategy must be adjusted over the life cycle of a product and as the competitive landscape changes. Future risks, uncertainties, and environmental concerns must be accounted for when firms design their supply chain strategy. Customers ordering a book at Amazon. com are willing to wait longer than those who drive to a nearby Borders store to get the same book. In contrast, customers can find a much larger variety of books at Amazon compared to the Borders store. Thus, Amazon customers trade off fast response times for high levels of variety (Chopra, et. Al, 2012). Amazon offers its customers a large menu of prices for products that are purchased from the company. For example, a person purchasing two books worth $30 could use standard shipping (ships in 3–5 business days) at a cost of $4. 98, two-day shipping (ships in 2 business days) at a cost of $13. 97, one-day shipping (ships in 1 business day) at a cost of $22. 97 or use free shipping (ships in 7–14 business days). The pricing menu allows Amazon to attract customers with varying levels of desired responsiveness (Chopra, et. Al, 2012). Whereas customers paying for one-day shipping impose a high degree of uncertainty on Amazon, customers opting for free shipping can be used to level out the workload at the warehouse over time. Amazon can thus use its pricing to provide responsiveness to those who value it while using customers who want a low price to help it improve its efficiency. Amazon also uses pricing effectively to shift some of the Christmas peak to November, by offering free or discounted shipping. The discount moves some of the December demand forward, allowing it to reduce its December peak and improve its efficiency without giving up on responsiveness for those customers who do not want to order earlier. Conclusion Since 1994, Amazon. com has built a successful empire that has become the default name for when one thinks about buying anything online. Through their documented success, Amazon. com has created the blueprint for those to follow in order to become a successful Online Retailer. By offering a vast variety of products, Amazon has changed the way many consumers shop for our merchandise. In addition to more options, the prices are often times cheaper even though the merchandise ordered is always shipped from a different location. What Amazon started in 1994 has now been revolutionized as Amazon continues to find ways to better the merchandise, the technology involved, and most important the customer experience. References Anonymous. 1998. IceGroup Releases Amazon. com Analysis . PR Newswire, Retrieved from www. lexisnexis. com/hottopics/lnacademic Bacheldor, B. (2004). FROM SCRATCH: Amazon keeps supply chain close to home. InformationWeek, (979), 40-40. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/229180916? accountid=27965 Chopra, Sunil, Meindl, Peter. (05/2012). Supply Chain Management, 4/e for Capella University, 4th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions. Scally, R. (2000). Amazon. com: The force thats altering e-tail, one category at a time. DSN Retailing Today, 39(9), 42-44+. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/228466615? accountid=27965 Willis, C. (1998, Apr 06). Does amazon. com really matter? Forbes, , 55-58. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/195047045? accountid=27965

Sputnik Essays - Soviet Union, Sputnik 2, Sputnik 3, Sputnik 1

sputnik Sputnik, name of the first of several artificial satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1961. The goals of the Sputnik program included studying the earth's upper atmosphere, observing animal survival in space flight, and testing Soviet rocket technology. The launch of the unmanned Sputnik 1 and of Sputnik 2, which carried a dog, spurred the United States to invest more money and resources into its fledgling space program, initiating a race between the two nations to land a person on the moon (see Space Exploration). The Sputnik program began on October 4, 1957, with the launch of Sputnik 1, which weighed 83 kg (184 lb). The official name of the satellite was Iskustvennyi Sputnik Zemli (fellow world traveler of the earth). The launch vehicle was a test version of the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile (see Guided Missiles). Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957, and weighed 508 kg (1100 lb). It carried a female dog named Laika. On-board instruments showed that Laika survived in space for several days until her oxygen supply was exhausted. After failing in its first attempt, the United States launched its own satellite, Explorer 1, on January 31, 1958. The satellite weighed only 14 kg (31 lb), including its rocket motor. The Soviets responded by launching Sputnik 3, which weighed 1.3 metric tons, on May 15, 1958. The first three Sputnik satellites each carried instruments to measure the temperature and density of the earth's upper atmosphere, the electron density of the ionosphere, and the size and number of micrometeorites (tiny particles in space). In addition, Sputnik 3 carried the first space laboratory, a wide array of instruments that could transmit information about the environment outside the satellite. Solar energy was used for the first time by Sputnik 3 to power its instruments and transmitters. From 1958 to 1959 the Soviet Union interrupted the Sputnik program to concentrate on the Luna series of vehicles that were sent toward the moon. The Sputnik program was resumed with Sputniks 5 through 10, which were launched from 1960 to 1961. Sputniks 5, 6, 9, and 10 all carried dogs, most of which reentered the earth's atmosphere safely and were recovered. These satellites each weighed several thousand kilograms and were working models of the Vostok spacecraft, which would eventually carry the first human passenger, Yury Alekseyevich Gagarin, into space in April 1961. Sputniks 7 and 8, launched in February 1961, served as launching platforms for the Venera spacecraft, which were sent toward Venus. The Cosmos series of spacecraft carried on the work of the Sputnik program after 1961. In addition to initiating the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Sputnik series of spacecraft also had alarming military implications. The intercontinental ballistic missiles that were used to launch the Sputnik satellites were also capable of traveling from the Soviet Union to military targets in less than an hour-much less than the several hours required for conventional bomber aircraft. President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States reacted to the space race by signing the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, which created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Eisenhower also established the Advanced Research Projects Agency (now the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), a division of the U.S. Department of Defense.

What is Proofreading And Can You Do It Yourself

What is Proofreading And Can You Do It Yourself What is Proofreading? And Can You Do It Yourself? Whether you’re a student, a mechanic, a doctor, or a professional writer, you’ve probably come across proofreading in some form or another - though you might not be aware of it. So much of the work people do these days revolves around the written word. Mistakes in their writing can have a massive impact on their success - which is where proofreading comes in!In this post, we’ll have a look at the ins and outs of proofreading, from the perspective of experienced proofreaders in the publishing trade.What is proofreading?Proofreading is the act of reading written work and marking any errors. These mistakes most commonly involve spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency.In publishing, proofreading comes into play at the very end of the editorial process, after a manuscript has been corrected by a copy or line editor. The proofreader’s job is to comb through the document and look for any mistakes that may have slipped through the cracks. Regardless of h ow meticulous the writer and editor have been, there will almost always be errors when you’re dealing with a book of 80,000 words or more. Find out what proofreading involves right here. What Are the Meaning of Proofreading Marks? Read post Can you proofread your own work?Many writers can and do proofread their own work. Simply reading back something you’ve written will usually reveal typos and ungainly passages. In situations where your writing isn’t intended for a massive audience (for example, in an email to your boss), you can usually rely on an online spelling and grammar checker such as Grammarly to catch any major mistakes.However, when it comes to a longer piece of writing meant for wider consumption - like, say, a book - there’s still nothing that can beat a trained professional.Who should use professional proofreading?In traditional publishing, every book will be proofed before it’s released to the public. If a reader were to find more than a handful of typos or grammatical mistakes in a novel, for example, it could negatively color their reading experience (and damage the publisher’s reputation).In self-publishing, where independent authors often look for ways to reduce th eir costs, proofreading is becoming a non-negotiable part of the editorial process. As indie authors become more professional in their approach, the specter of the â€Å"poorly edited self-pub book† is quickly becoming a thing of the past.Outside of trade publishing, proofreaders will often find work in areas such as academia, journalism, and even advertising. In some corporate settings, they can even be hired to check through slide decks before presentations. Find out how much it costs to hire a pro proofreader. How much does a professional proofreader cost?Based on statistics from Reedsy’s marketplace, proofreading a book costs $10 per thousand words, on average.Of course, this is only a ballpark figure and the final rate will depend on a number of other factors. For example, if the proofreader needs to cross-check the index, this would naturally escalate the cost.In non-publishing industries, costs may also vary. A proofreader with a deep background in technical writing may choose to charge extra for their expertise, for example. But whatever the cost, you can be sure that getting a professional proofreader is worth it. They might just be the difference between a few frustrating typos and a perfectly polished piece.Looking for a proofreader? Sign up for a free Reedsy account and browse through the best freelancers in the business.

What to Do on a Long Weekend

What to Do on a Long Weekend Not sure what to do on a long weekend coming up? From Labor Day in the fall to Presidents Day in the spring, long weekends are a wonderful break from the craziness of college. Unfortunately, however, they can often slip away quite quickly, somehow leaving you with more to do than before the weekend started and no idea of where your time went. So how can you make the most of your long weekends in college? Aim for the 1-1-1 Plan A basic idea that can make your weekend all you need and more: Spend 1 day on personal stuff, like doing laundry, going to the store, catching up on sleep, and exercising. Spend 1 day doing fun and social stuff, like doing something off campus during the day, hanging out at a Greek house, and attending a campus party. Spend 1 day doing homework. The best part? While doing the fun stuff, you dont have to feel guilty, since youll already have done or scheduled in when to do the not-so-fun stuff. Get off campus You may need to head home to get some TLC. You may want to spend a romantic weekend away with your partner. Or you may just want to take a road trip with some friends to somewhere youve never been before. No matter where or why you go, though, you might be surprised at how much better and more energized you feel when you get back. Start preparing for graduate school tests Do you know youll have to take the GRE? MCAT? LSAT? GMAT? No matter what test you have to take, youll definitely have to study for it. Take the extra time you have over the long weekend to figure out a study plan- and start on it. Volunteer Nothing helps keep things in perspective like volunteering. If youre feeling overwhelmed with your responsibilities in college, consider volunteering one morning of the long weekend. Youll undoubtedly get a new look on things while helping out those who are less fortunate. Kick-start/Refocus on your health Did you plan to live a little healthier this year in school? Have those resolutions fallen by the wayside? Consider using the long weekend as an opportunity to refocus on your health. Catch up on sleep, eat well, exercise, and figure out a few healthy ways to keep the momentum going for the rest of the semester. Organize your college life Does it sound lame? You betcha. Will you be glad you did it? Holy cow, yes. Crank up the music in your room and get to work. Clean up your living space, do your laundry, organize stuff for your classes, get your time management system in order, and overall get your college life in order. True, not many people like cleaning up stuff, but nearly everyone likes clean stuff. Just focus on how much better things will feel (and work! and look!) afterward. Get a head start on your academics In looking at your course syllabi, do you know you are going to be completely slammed at the end of the semester? Consider getting a little ahead of your class projects. True, you may not need or want to finish up your research project, but doing something simple like spending a few hours focusing on a topic means you can spend time later in the semester doing research on that topic instead of aimlessly trying to find one when youre stressed out. Earn some extra cash Most long weekends come with big sales at retail shops. Consider applying for a temporary position or, if you already work in retail, asking for extra hours over the long weekend so that you can have some extra cash in your pocket. Spend time researching your future Eliminate a little stress in your life (cue your parents voices: What are you going to do after graduation? What about this summer? Have you even thought about it yet?) by at least starting to look into what your options might be. You can look at short-term options what to do for Spring Break, what to do over the summer - as well as long term options, like graduate school or job opportunities. Get your resume and a cover letter together No matter what youre doing this summer, chances are youll need a resume. Whether youre applying for jobs, looking at internships, considering studying abroad, or getting materials ready for graduate school, your resume (and possibly a cover letter) will be an important part of the process. Put something together as best you can- and then make sure to have someone at the campus career center look it over.

Individual marketing article analysis which happened in 2012 Essay

Individual marketing article analysis which happened in 2012 - Essay Example This is realized from the different point of views as per different analysts of firms with interest in IPOs and general investments. Hersey (1991) argues that there is no much news expected even with companies tying their best within a week. The earliest that this could occur is December 17th with series of meetings so as to interact with potential investors. This has been caused by the new rules, which governs the process of going public. Another hindrance is Christmas, which will come in the middle of marketing and may last for at least one week. The presidential elections also interfered with many companies, which could have had deals before the end of the year. Gaiman (2009) argues, however, not all of the companies had this, there were exemptions who pitched shares just a day after voting due to high levels of confidence in gaining potential customers attention, according to the chief financial officer. It still remains tricky to strike deals before the end of the year. There is a backlog of companies who have signed IPOs initial documents waiting processing but still having the lowest recorded dollar value of IPOs backlog, since the year 2009. Lomborg (2012) argues, however, according to the new laws grading IPOs, companies will have their planning confidentially. Those with an annual revenue less than one billion US dollars will have submissions of prospectus done out of public view. This would remain for at least twenty one days before the company sets off. It has been argued that deals can be underway before the public get a glimpse of the idea (Walter & Howei, 2012). This is not what is reflected by the silence in the markets. Many companies have already put up terms on offer or some have had their deals postponed after pitching to investors. A possibility is that the companies could decide to enter the fray quickly. This may come as a surprise to many who are not aware of what is happening. A typical

SHAME OF THE NATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SHAME OF THE NATION - Essay Example Nowadays it is used to think that democratic views and principles of equality play an overwhelming role throughout the world. However, an outstanding author and public activist Jonathan Kozol makes the emphasis that even the most democratic country, the USA, still has numerous examples of racial inequality.Making school segregation as an extremely significant problem in contemporary America, Jonathan Kozol and other numerous authors proclaim the necessity to solve it and develop democratic values as those, which lead to national prosperity and global piece. From the beginning of the 90s of the XXth century the process of school segregation has increased in a great extent. As a contemporary researcher mentions, "In 1992 nine schools in the Twin Cities area had a majority of students of color. By 2006, that number had increased to 248" (Magnusson 3). Another author also supports and proves the opinion of segregation turning back: "Resegregation, which took hold in the early 1990s after three Supreme Court decisions from 1991 to 1995 limiting desegregation orders, is continuing to grow in all parts of the country for both African Americans and Latinos.." (Orfield and Lee 5). Geographically, as the majority of researchers mention, the process of new segregation mostly occupies the territory of American South and West, since the structure of population introduces high concentration of immigrants there. Being closely connected to general economical aspects, school segregation contains the problems of poverty and discrimination, based on the social status. Undoubtedly, schools for White Americans introduce more conveniences and additional abilities for wealthier population, while schools for poor immigrants do not have the same level of treatment. According to contemporary online sources, "Schools in low-income communities remain highly unequal in terms of funding, qualified teachers, and curriculum..Schools with high levels of poverty have weaker staff, fewer high-ac hieving peers, health and nutrition problems, residential instability, single-parent households, high exposure to crime and gangs.." (Hawkins et al.). As Kozol mentions about suburban computer classes for the non-white, where "according to one student, "we sit there and talk about what we would be doing if we had computers" (Kozol 171). Therefore, racial segregation is closely connected with personal wealthy and social status, which people have today. Jonathan Kozol, being a true teacher and having the ability to investigate the problem of school segregation directly from his own experience, makes the emphasis on unequal status in urban public schools. Considering the differences between education in mega polices and suburbs, Kozol mentions: "in the fall of 2002 that only between a quarter and a third of children in the district had received even a single year of preschool and that less than five percent had been provided with the two years of pre-K instruction that are common in mo st affluent communities" (Kozol 51). Showing that only white suburban have the opportunity to get preschool education, Kozol demonstrates that racial minorities, in fact, have minimum chances to receive a successful formal education. Analyzing factual consequences of current segregation, Kozol and other authors mention considerably difficulties, which segregated students have with the precise process of their education. For instance, poor conditions and unattractive appearance of segregated schools usually cause stressful feeling and the lack of desire to study there. Efficiency-deprived schemes of studying, often overcrowding also

Competition Bike Incs Essay Example for Free

Competition Bike Incs Essay Horizontal analysis compares a company’s performance from year to year. I will be reviewing Competition Bikes Inc(CBI) balance sheets and income statements. During CBI year 6, 7 and 8 I have found their net sales , cost of goods to be fluctuating, and few various other items. The net sales from year 6 to 7 increase 33.34 %. The cost of goods from year 6 to 7 was 31.82 %. The gross profit increase 30.89. Comparing year 6 and 7 I found that year 7 improved, but when I compared year 7 to 8 the results were not good for year 8. The company had experienced a 15 percent reduction in net sales. Cost of goods drops 14.8 % from year 7 to 8. Advertising Expenses CBI advertising expenses increased by 37.5 % from year 6 to 7. CBI made a great investment from year 6 to 7 because the net sales increase at a higher rate the increased advertising cost. CBI reduced their advertising expenses by 16.3 % from year 7 to 8. I believed this was done because of the fragile economy. Many companies are trying to make cuts back during a weak economy. These reduces expenses will hold them over until the economy becomes stronger. Website/Sales The website creation and maintenance expenses during year 6, 7 and 8 stayed the same price. Sales commission increase 33.371 % during year 7 from the previous year. Sales commission decrease by 15 % the following year (8). Distribution Network The Distribution network expenses had a positive increased in year 7 by33.3 % jump from the previous year. Distribution expenses are normally supposed to maintain similar numbers, but when you have an increase in sales it is acceptable to increase the distribution expenses. Distribution network expenses decreased 15 percent in year 8. This was caused due to less revenue. Transportation CBI had 33% transportation increase from year 6 to 7. This was caused CBI had more products sold and required more products to be shipped. CBI saw 15 % transportation decrease from year 7 to 8. CBI had less products sold and this caused transportation to decrease in year 8. Administrative Expenses from year 6 to 7 saw 21.43% increase. Administrative Expenses maintain the same expenses from year 7 to 8. Executive expenses increased 29.42 % from year 6 to 7. Year 7 and 8 maintain the same level of expenses. Employment taxes rose by 25.81 % increase from year 6 to 7. Year 7 and 8 maintain the same level of employment of expenses. Administrative expenses are expected due to company having increase production and sales. Utilities expenses rose 3.84 % from year 6 to 7. CBI operation worked proficiently in year 7, and this helped them experienced only an increase of 3.8% in utilities. This was caused due to increase production. CBI utilities increased by 11.11 during year 8. I would suggest CBI have their utilities monitor from day to day to see how they can prevent an increase in expenses when the company is not performing well compared to the previous year. Research CBI saw research and development saw a 37.5 % percent increase from year 6 to 7.During year eight CBI reduces their research and development expenses by 16.3 %. A company should never reduces their research and development if they company perform well in the previous year. I believe this was one of the reasons why CBI had a great year during 7 because they knew what consumers wanted. Due to lack of spending on research and development this caused their sales to drop. Research and development is an important component of competition against other companies without a company will fail to succeed. Interest Income CBI interest income rose 38.1% from year 6 to 7. During year 7 CBI income was properly invested. During year 8 CBI investments had a 3.4% reduction. The reduction was small, but small things do add up over time. I would suggest CBI to monitor their investments and make plans to move around their money if the current trend continues. Balances sheets CBI accounts receivable rose 164.3% from year 6 to 7. During year 8 CBI accounts receivable drop 15 percent. CBI should monitor accounts receivable more closely to make sure past due balances are paid on time. This was caused due to the company noticing a large increase on accounts receivable during year 7 and they tried to capitalize on it. This caused their accounts receivable to drop. Raw Materials CBI manages their raw materials well during year 7. CBI had 3.1% percent reduction in year 8. CBI should incorporate lean production method and Just in time production to avoid wasteful spending and production. Liabilities CBI liabilities increase 1.2% from year 6 to 7. This is expected due to year having 7 having an increase in sales and productions. CBI reduces their liabilities by 3.1% from year 7 to 8. This is good because CBI had a 15 percent reduction in net sales. Vertical analysis A method of financial statement analysis in which each entry for each of the three major categories of accounts (assets, liabilities and equities) in a balance sheet is represented as a proportion of the total account. The main advantages of vertical analysis are that the balance sheets of businesses of all sizes can easily be compared. It also makes it easy to see relative annual changes within one business(Investopedia,2013). Income Year 7 net sales were 7% higher than year 6.CBI preserved their selling expenses at 6.7% of total Net Sales. CBI reduced General Admin Expenses from 17.1% during year 6 to 15.5% during year 7.This would lead to an increase in Operating Income from 2.8% of Net Sales from year 6 to 5.3% in year 7 and CBI Net Earnings would increase from 1.1% (year 6) to 3.3% (year7). CBI did not perform well in year 8 because their expenses increase during year 8. This caused CBI net earnings to reduce.. CBI Administrative expenses increased 15.5% from year 6 to 7. CBI net sales increase 18.4% from year 7 to 8. CBI operating expenses income was reduce 5.3%of net sales to 1.9 % causing CBI net earnings from 3.3% to a .7%. I would recommend CBI to monitor their general and Admin expenses. Majority of expenses stayed the same during year 6,7 and 8. However during year 8 the CBI did not perform well. I believed CBI needs to find ways to reduces expenses when the company is having a low sales volume. CBI should incorporate just in time principles and lean manufacturing principles. I believe this would help reduce wasted production and this would help reduce utilities expenses. Just in time principles and lean manufacturing principles could also reduce employee expenses. ASSESTS CBI in the cash and cash equivalent accounts drop from 6.2 % in year 6 to 2.7%. However, during year 7 more products were sold compared to year 6. CBI accounts receivable had a major increase from year 6(6.5%) to year 7(16.6%).CBI needs to monitor their accounts receivable accounts more closely and make sure they’re collecting the amount owed to them. During year 8 CBI cash and cash equivalents had risen from 2.7 %( year 7) to 10.3%(year 8). The reason why this happen was due to CBI had started to monitor their accounts receivable. This helped them collect the money they were owed on past due accounts. I would recommend CBI to avoid making purchase on accounts and find ways to use the cash in a more efficient way. CBI should realize it important they have enough reserves during a recession. This will help hold them over until the economy bounces back. â€Å"Trend Analysis is the practice of collecting information and attempting to spot a pattern, or trend, in the information (Wikipedia,2012).†CBI sales were lower than year 7, but they still were able to make a profit. CBI should expect to see growth in the next few years based on their current trend. CBI is expected to have 3,510 units sold in year 9. CBI will have 3,660 units sold in year 10. Finally during year 11,CBI will sell 3,800 units. The forecast numbers are based on the economy recovering. This will encourages CBI sponsors to invest in professional riders and this will increase new bike sales. Currently is cost CBI 1,047.50 to make each product. I would recommend CBI find suppliers who have the same quality parts, but at a lower cost. I would also make recommend CBI is following just in time and lean manufacturing principles. This could help CBI increase their profit margin. Ratio analysis- analyzes numbers Ratio analysis is a method used by businesses to assess their financial situation by comparing two sets of linked data. Current ratio will measure a companys ability to pay short-term obligations. CBI had a reduction from year 7 (5.9%) to 8(5.35%). Two wheel racing (TWR) current ratio was 4.2% for year 7 and 8. A debt ratio will determine if a business is able to handle any unexpected liabilities it that may come up. A business needs to make sure they enough money to pay off debt to avoid problems with their debt. During year 7 CBI debt ratio was 46.8%. The follow year the debt ratio was 46%. The debt ratio only drops .08 percent during year 8. TWR debt ratio was 38% in year 7 and 8. An acid test ratio will determine if a company can back their liabilities. CBI is doing better than (TWR) by 1.12% and .85%. Inventory turnover- determines the number of times a company can sell it average level of inventory throughout the year. CBI bicycles are customizes for customers so I am unable to compared CBI and TWR. Average collection period, This determines how well a company is able to collect money to the customers they extended credit to.CBI has higher collected amount compared to TWR. CBI was 11.3% higher in year 7 and 8. Gross Profit Margin, will tell investors how much revnue was gain after selling the product(Cost of Good-revenue/gross profit. TWR profit margin is 32.10% higher than CBI profit margin in year 7(27.4%) and 8(27.0%). TWR is operating more effectively. Operating profit margin Measures management efficiency (Operating income/total sales). CBI year 7 was 5.3% and TWR was 5.2%. Year 8 TWR performed better with 5.3% compared to CBI(1.9%). Net Profit Margin show investors the percentage of each sale dollar earn as net income. During year 7 CBI net profits was 3.3% and in year 8 it was .8%.TWR was 5.14% year 7 and 8. The portion of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serves as an indicator of a companys profitability(Investopedia,2013).TWR was $.08 for year 7 and 8. CBI was $.20 during year 7 and $.04 in year 8. Return on total assets-determine how successful a company is to earn profit with their assets. TWR total assets was 4.8% for year 7 and 8. CBI was 4.5% in year 7 and year 8 was .8%. Return on Common Equity- Income between net income and stockholder equity. During year 7 CBI equity was 8.5% AND TWR was 8.1%. CBI equity in year 8 was 1.5% and TWR was 8.1% Price / Earnings Ratio- Stock prices and company earning. CBI earning share 49.67 and TWR was 29. During year CBI price jump to 83.73 and TWR was still 29. Times Interest Earned Determines the numbers of times operating income can pay interest expense. Year 7 interest earn was 5.27 and TWR was 4.24. During year 8 CBI interest earn drop to 1.77 and TWR remained 4.24. ‘Working capital is a financial metric(current assets minus company liabilities) which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other entity, including governmental entity(Wikipedia,2013).† The financial metric system will analyzes if a company will be able to pay their short term liabilities or do they need to take an alternative solution. CBI working capital in year 6 was $382,394: CBI working capital at the end of year was 1,306,617. CBI increased their working capital by 70.7% at the end of year 8. After reviewing CBI working capital the results indicated they will be able to pay their short term liabilities Recommendation I would recommend CBI to have their accounts executives to build a better relationship with customers and make sure they’re satisfied with the work they are receiving. One of the most important things a company can do is listen to their employees. I would also recommend CBI to reduce their accounts receivables. This could be done by making sure that larger orders from customer are sent out faster. CBI inventory cost increase over 24% from year 6 to year 8.CBI should follow the just in time and lean manufacturing principles. This will reduces inventory cost for CBI. CBI transportation expenses are one of their highest expenses. I would recommend CBI to consider to purchasing their own delivery truck and see if this will help them reduce their transportation expense. Internal controls Internal controls helps a company infrastructure run smoothly. Internal controls also help protect and prevent fraud. Internal control will try to remove the temptations for employee to act unethically in the aspect of putting the company at risk of lawsuit. CBI purchase department (PD) will purchases orders from suppliers based on their monthly budget. Once the order has been received the PD will evaluate bids from different suppliers. Once the order has been received they’re given to the production line. The invoice will be sent to the PD. If there are any supplies left they will be sent to raw materials. The PD will then send an accounting department who issues a check to the supplier. Recommendation I would recommend the whole entire processed be revamped. The first thing I would recommended is to separate the duties of researching the bid and purchasing orders. The next thing I would suggest is to make the receiving department in charge of verifying the shipping when the packages arrive. The receiving department needs to verify every item is there from the supplier and their no missing item from the delivery. The receiving department should maintain an inventory control system. After the receiving department has approved the invoice, they should forward to the purchasing department. The purchase order will be forward to the accounting department for payment. Accounting has currently been only receiving unverified invoices. Risk Accounting has currently been only receiving unverified invoices. The lack of verification could cause CBI to get double charge for item they already paid for. Currently their lack of inventory control system. Currently unused supplies are being sent to raw material without anyway of tracking it. This would make it easy for employees to steal because lack of inventory control system. Recommendation I would suggest an inventory control system be implemented. I would make sure all packages received by receiving department be verified by management to avoid being double charge. The inventory control system will help prevent theft from employees. I would also hire outside firm every quarter to check inventory levels to make sure no one is stealing from the company. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Sarbanes-Oxley Act is government regulation that congress pass in order to improve financial disclosures. This would help prevent accounting fraud and improve financial disclosures from corporations(Wikpedia,2013).†Section 302: A mandate that requires senior management to certify the accuracy of the reported financial statement Section 404: A requirement that management and auditors establish internal controls and reporting methods on the adequacy of those controls. Section 404 had very costly implications for publicly traded companies as it is expensive to establish and maintain the required internal controls (Investopedia,2013). CBI does not mention that they were audited by outside firm. I highly recommend CBI to hire auditing firm to review the company’s annual statement before releasing the numbers to the public to make sure there is no accounting errors. Internal controls are implemented and effective at the end of year 8(Dec 31). The CEO, and CFO certification is need because it is required by SOX and this could not be located. Auditor releases the following statement to shareholders. A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis Recommendations CBI needs to make sure they are in compliance with the regulations set forth by Sarbanes-Oxley CB. The first thing I would recommend is to conduct a internal control assessment. The next thing I would recommend CBI to hire accounting firm to review their internal controls. The control needs to be based on Sox guidelines. The CEO and CFO needs to certify they’re aware of the CBI internal control and the actions the company have taken to protect investor’s investments. It is very vital CBI CEO and CFO certifies they’re aware of internal control because Sarbanes-Oxley requires this to be done. Since the accounting firm made assessment that the internal control is effective their might be some problems that could arise from the following statement, â€Å"A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.† I would recommend the CEO or CFO to take action fix the internal control problem because they could face jail time for making statements that were not true. .† CBI should base their guidelines set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tread Way Commission(CSOTWO). CSOTWO is joint inivate five private sector organizations devoted to providing leadership through progress and guidance on enterprise risk management, internal control and fraud dictation. This is a great way for C BI to improve the internal control process. References Free Dictionary(2013) http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sarbanes-Oxley+Act+of+2002 Investopedia(2013) http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/horizontalanalysis.asp#axzz2Hh4rgfuE True Bussiness(2013) http://truetobusiness.com/finance/ratio-analysis Wikipedia(2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_control

picking a college Essay -- essays research papers

Picking A College Picking the right college is an important step in contributing to the outcome of a person’s life. But finding the right college to suit the needs and desires of a young individual poses a difficult task.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much time and effort must be spent on deciding which college to attend. Avoid making a horrible mistake by rushing a decision and going somewhere not compatible with one’s aspirations. Visit the college, ask for information, look at the courses offered, and research its reputation for education. Check out the dorm rooms and campus life. Is it a beautiful campus, or just filled with buildings? Find quiet places that time could be spent reading and studying. Also look at its strengths, along with the weaknesses. Meeting with the professors and discussing what is offered are magnificent ways to learn more about the college. By thinking with a broad frame of mind, one doesn’t look just at colleges with the big names. Though these institutions may be wonderful colleges, they might not offer specific courses. Maybe the smaller, private schools -- with their much smaller professor to student ratios -- are more desirable places.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, considering the location of the college is crucial. For instance, interests in outside sports, such as golf, should be concentrated toward the lower half of the country. Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Mississippi are prime states regarding golf. A school without a strong go...

Juvenile Detainees Essay

Criminal Justice and the juvenile justice systems are almost the same but are different. When corrections’ officials have to deal with juvenile detainees, such a situation needs to be dealt with care. In identifying such situations, we will look at child development, punishment and deterrence. Juvenile detention officers work with incarcerated youth. Although juvenile detention officers deal with many of the same realities as other corrections officers, juvenile detention officers have the opportunity to assist young offenders in their attempts to be rehabilitated into responsible adults. In a sense a Juvenile detention officer is the perfect blend of a jailer and social worker. While the Juvenile detention officers must be alert and tough enough to work with young criminals, he or she must also be committed to helping troubled youngsters change their life. Since Juvenile detention officers work with youth, they have to see to it that young offenders receive all the services they need and that they are meeting their legal and therapeutic obligations. As such, Juvenile detention officers are responsible for making sure that inmates arrive on time to appointments within their facility and outside of it. According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a juvenile detention officer, â€Å"Prepares detained youth for court appearances, transports and escorts detained youth to medical, criminal justice, social services and judicial facilities as needed according to departmental and facility policy and procedures.† Of course, this implies keeping track of incarcerated youth and not letting them flee. Aside from insuring that juvenile offenders receive proper care and keep appointments, juvenile detention officers teach wayward youth how to function in society by acting as models of proper adult behavior. For instance, juvenile detention officers in Kitsap County, Washington are expected to † Assist juveniles in cultivating appropriate social, behavioral, and interpersonal skills and attitudes useful in community living; lead recreational activities and give instruction in games.† Juvenile detention officers may also lead the youngsters in cleaning and maintenance activities in order to model good hygiene and to demonstrate proper adult housekeeping habits. Although there is an emphasis on rehabilitation and inmate care in juvenile correctional facilities, juvenile detention officers are subject to the hazards of working in a locked facility with young criminals. In addition to rehabilitation and treatment related activities, juvenile detention officers may have duties similar to those of any other corrections officer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the duties of detention officers include searching for contraband, weapons and drugs, resolving conflicts between inmates, and â€Å"enforcing discipline.† This means monitoring vehicles and packages coming in and out of locked facilities as well as frequent personal and room inspections. Juvenile detention officers are, of course, responsible for knowing the whereabouts of all inmates and preventing them from leaving the locked facility. Laws we have regulated the way we have set up punishment for juveniles. The punishments we have in tact usually serve to rehabilitate the juvenile to do better in the future. Our laws have extended that to sealing juvenile records for the sake of protection. Juvenile crime and punishments can be different from the types of punishments that are ordered in adult criminal cases. The first court established expressly for juveniles was built in Chicago in 1899 to address the issue of juvenile crime and punishments. Juvenile crime and punishments peaked in 1994. The 1990s saw a swell of public scrutiny over the perceived juvenile crime epidemic. In an effort to crack down on juvenile crime and punishments, many state legislatures have adopted harsher laws regarding juvenile crimes. In my opinion, the best two ways to prevent juvenile crime is strengthening families and education. In American Samoa, a block grant was introduced and tested from 2002 to 2004. This block grant was for Preventing Substance abuse targeting the families and children. The idea behind the program was to seek if a problem existed, what the effects of substance abuse and how it can be fixed. The interesting factor and I suppose the most important was how the Samoan family evolved from closely knit and knowing every aspect of their children’s whereabouts to children becoming simple renters in the parent’s homes. Long story short, American Samoa was awarded funding for 10 years or so long as the program is needed. The theme of the program was strengthening families. I believe that it is an important part in anyone’s life. Sociologist’s believe that one’s environment affects one’s way of life. However, in some unfortunate cases, not everyone has the chance to grow up with a traditional family. The idea is, one’s family should be the biggest and the most important supporters in their lives. We define our familes different, whether it is a mother, a father, brother, sister, grandparent or even your best friend’s family. The point is having the sense of strength in one’s home is important to one’s success or failure. Strengthening families can be accomplished by offering help to those that need it through information and education. Which leads to my second point is education. Juveniles feel lost as do most of us that don’t know what to do or which direction to head to. Through education we get an idea of where we would like to go in our lives. Some juveniles do not have access or do not see the importance of education until there is support, programs, and resources available to them. We promote education through the media and all sorts of things, but are we really making it available for everyone? My mother in law always tells us, children are like cameras, they take images of everything around them. The product of these images are the problems we face today. Reference: Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections: An introduction (3rd ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

My Favorite Hobbies

Movie is one of my biggest hobbies. Each film has its own beauty, therefore, it’s really hard for me to pick one to be the movie that I like the most. However, according to some films I have watched recently, it is nothing but ‘the pursuit of happiness’ which has great influence on me. The beautiful relationship between father and son is the thing that makes me like it. ‘The pursuit of happiness’ tells us the story of a father and his little son. After a fail investment, the father – which was acted by Will Smith – loses everything: his wife, his house, his money. The only thing that helps the man keep on living is his little son. The whole movie describes those worst days of his life. No money, no place to live, the two men even have to sleep in a public rest – room. I really like the way the main character protects his son, the way he fights against fate and the way he gets back his life. Thanks for the director – Gabriele Muccino – ‘the pursuit of happiness’ has a happy ending. Will Smith is famous for action films but this time, he shows the audience a new appearance. Rarely can I see such a wonderful movie about relationship between father and son like this. It is a bit embarrassing but I still have to admit that I cried when watching this movie. If you are the type of people who like movies about family, you should not miss ‘the pursuit of happiness’. I have many hobbies,such as reading,swimming,and watching TV. But reading is my favourite hobby. I like reading for three reasons. First of all,books introduce me to a new world,which is colorful and without time and space limit,Though reading,I can trace back to ancient Egypt,the cradle of human civilization. It can bring myself to the United states,a glamorous land I have been longing to visit. Secondly,reading can better myself by showing me a new horizon. In the past years,most of my knowledge has been obtained form books. I have learned form many people by reading about their ideas on science,politics,life and society. Thirdly,reading the gap between my dream and my goal. In order to succeed in my career in the future,I must keep reading,thinking and practicing. Reading has become part of my life. Every day,I spend some time reading books,newspaper and magazines. At night,I can hardly go to steep without a novel in my hand.

Biography of Louise Nevelson, American Sculptor

Biography of Louise Nevelson, American Sculptor Louise Nevelson was an American sculptor best known for her monumental monochromatic three-dimensional grid constructions. By the end of her life, she was met with much critical acclaim. She is remembered through many permanent public art installations throughout the U.S., including New York City’s Louise Nevelson Plaza on Maiden Lane in the Financial District and Philadelphias Bicentennial Dawn, made in 1976 in honor of the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Fast Facts: Louise Nevelson Occupation: Artist and sculptorBorn: September 23, 1899 in present-day Kiev, UkraineDied:  April 17, 1988 in New York City, New YorkEducation: Art Students League of New YorkKnown For: Monumental sculptural works and public art installations Early Life Louise Nevelson was born Louise Berliawsky in 1899 in Kiev, then part of Russia. At the age of four, Louise, her mother, and her siblings set sail for America, where her father had already established himself. On the journey, Louise fell sick and was quarantined in Liverpool. Through her delirium, she recalls vivid memories which she cites as essential to her practice, including shelves of vibrant candies in jars. Though she was only four at the time, Nevelson’s conviction that she was to be an artist was present at a remarkably young age, a dream from which she never strayed. Louise and her family settled in Rockland, Maine, where her father became a successful contractor. Her father’s occupation made it easy for a young Louise to interact with material, picking up pieces of wood and metal from her father’s workshop and using it to construct small sculptures. Though she began her career as a painter and dabbled in etchings, she would return to sculpture in her mature work, and it is for these sculptures that she is best known. Though her father was a success in Rockland, Nevelson always felt like the outsider in the Maine town, notably scarred by the exclusion she suffered based on her height and, presumably, her foreign origins. (She was captain of the basketball team, but this did not help her chances at being crowned Lobster Queen, a distinction awarded the most beautiful girl in town.) Though her father was known around Rockland due to his professional activities, Nevelson’s mother secluded herself, rarely socializing with her fellow neighbors. This hardly could have helped young Louise and her siblings adjust to life in the United States. The feeling of difference and alienation drove young Nevelson to escape to New York by any means possible (a journey that reflects somewhat of an artistic philosophy, as she has been quoted as saying, â€Å"If you want to go to Washington, you get on a plane. Someone has to take you there, but its your voyage†). The means that presented itself was a hasty proposal from Charles Nevelson, who young Louise had only met a handful of times. She married Charles in 1922, and later the couple had a son, Myron. Advancing Her Career In New York, Nevelson enrolled in the Art Students League, but family life was unsettling to her. In 1931, she escaped again, this time without her husband and son. Nevelson abandoned her newly-minted family- never to return to her marriage- and departed for Munich, where she studied with the famous art teacher and painter Hans Hoffman. (Hoffman would himself eventually move to the United States and teach a generation of American painters, perhaps the most influential art teacher of the 1950s and 60s. Nevelson’s early recognition of his importance only reinforces her vision as an artist.) Louise Nevelson with her work in the 1950s.   Getty Images After following Hoffman to New York, Nevelson eventually worked under the Mexican painter Diego Rivera as a muralist. Back in New York, she settled in a brownstone on 30th Street, which was filled to bursting with her work. As Hilton Kramer wrote of a visit to her studio, â€Å"It was certainly unlike anything one had ever seen or imagined. Its interior seemed to have been stripped of everything...that might divert attention from the sculptures that crowded every space, occupied every wall, and at once filled and bewildered the eye wherever it turned. Divisions between the rooms seemed to dissolve in an endless sculptural environment. At the time of Kramer’s visit, Nevelson’s work was not selling, and she was often by her exhibitions at the Grand Central Moderns Gallery, which did not sell a single piece. Nevertheless, her prolific output is an indication of her singular resolve- a belief held since childhood- that she was meant to be a sculptor. Persona Louise Nevelson the woman was perhaps more well-known than Louise Nevelson the artist. She was famous for her eccentric aspect, combining dramatic styles, colors, and textures in her clothing offset by an extensive collection of jewelry. She wore fake eyelashes and headscarves that emphasized her gaunt face, making her appear to be somewhat of a mystic. This characterization is not contradictory with her work, which she spoke of with an element of mystery, as if it arrived from another world. Louise Nevelson in the eccentric costume she was known for, photographed in her New York studio in 1974. Jack Mitchell / Getty Images Work and Legacy Louise Nevelson’s work is highly recognizable for its consistent color and style. Often in wood or metal, Nevelson primarily gravitated towards the color black- not for its somber tone, but for its evincing of harmony and eternity. [B]lack means totality, it means contains all†¦ if I speak about it every day for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t finish what it really means, Nevelson said of her choice. Though she would also work with whites and golds, she is consistent in the monochrome nature of her sculpture. A characteristically monochrome abstract sculpture by Nevelson. Corbis/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images The primary works of her career were exhibited in galleries as â€Å"environments†: multi-sculpture installations which worked as a whole, grouped under a single title, among them â€Å"The Royal Voyage,† â€Å"Moon Garden One,† and â€Å"Sky Columns Presence.† Though these works no longer exist as wholes, their original construction gives a window into the process and meaning of Nevelson’s work. The totality of these works, which were often arranged as if each sculpture were a wall of a four-sided room, parallels Nevelson’s insistence on using a single color. The experience of unity, of disparate gathered parts which make up a whole, sums up Nevelson’s approach to materials, especially as the spindles and shards she incorporated into her sculptures give off the air of random detritus. By fashioning these objects into grid structures, she endows them with a certain weight, which asks us to reassess the material with which we come in contact. Louise Nevelson died in 1988 at the age of eighty-eight. Sources Gayford, M. and Wright, K. (2000). Grove Book of Art Writing. New York: Grove Press. 20-21.Kort, C. and Sonneborn, L. (2002). A to Z of American Women in the Visual Arts. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 164-166.Lipman, J. (1983). Nevelsons World. New York: Hudson Hills Press.Marshall, R. (1980). Louise Nevelson: Atmospheres and Environments. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.Munro, E. (2000).  Originals: American Women Artists. New York: Da Capo Press.

Try to vs. Try and

Try to vs. Try and Try to vs. Try and Try to vs. Try and By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Would you consider a post on the difference between try and [do something] and try to [do something]? [] I hear and read more people using try and [do something] but that doesnt seem as logical as try to [do something].   Is there a difference between the two terms?   If not, is one to be preferred?   I’m always amused when objections to idioms are raised on grounds of logic. â€Å"Try and† followed by a coordinate verb is an idiom; idioms don’t have to be logical. Nevertheless, a lot of speakers object to the use of â€Å"try and do† instead of â€Å"try to do.† What do the authorities think? Merriam-Webster is unambiguously supportive: Almost all disparaging criticism of â€Å"try and† comes from American critics; British commentators have generally been tolerant. There appears to be no rational basis for hostility to the expression and no need to avoid it in appropriate surroundings. The OED includes an entry for â€Å"try and,† but still labels it as a colloquialism. OxfordDictionaries observes that â€Å"In practice there is little discernible difference in meaning, although there is a difference in formality, with try to being regarded as more formal than try and.† Even M-W, with the reference to â€Å"appropriate surroundings† implies that â€Å"try to† is preferable for formal use. But is there, as our reader asks, a difference between such wordings as, â€Å"Try and stop complaining† and â€Å"Try to stop complaining†? Fowler discerned a difference: Though â€Å"try to do† can always be substituted for â€Å"try and do,† the latter has a shade of meaning that justifies its existence; in exhortations it implies encouragementthe effort will succeed; in promises it implies assurancethe effort shall succeed. It is an idiom that should be not discountenanced, but used when it comes natural. A Columbo episode has the title â€Å"Try and Catch Me.† A rebellious teenager might respond to a request by saying, â€Å"Try and make me.† In discussing a modern painting, art critic Sister Wendy says, â€Å"I’ll try and make sense of it.† In each of these examples, the and conveys something to would not. Perhaps we can add â€Å"effort† to Fowler’s â€Å"exhortation and promises.† How correct is Fowler’s statement that â€Å"try to do can always be substituted for try and do†? As a rule, it has its pitfalls. For example, consider the following headline and sentence: Two Judges Try and Fail to Shut Down Union Rights It’s better to try and regret, than not to try and regret. In the first example, changing the â€Å"try and† to â€Å"try to† would leave the reader wondering why the judges tried to fail in their purpose: â€Å"Two judges try to fail to shut down union rights.† Changing â€Å"try and† to â€Å"try to† in the second example would result in the sentence, â€Å"It’s better to try to regret, than not to try to regret.† The original sentence, however, means something very different: â€Å"It’s better to try [to do something] and regret [having tried], than not to try [doing something] and [then] regret [not having tried].† The note at OxfordDictionaries includes an explanation as to why â€Å"try and† remains questionable in formal usage despite its ubiquity in conversation: The construction try and is grammatically oddin that it cannot be inflected for tense (e.g. sentences like she tried and fix it or they are trying and renew their visa are not acceptable, while their equivalents she tried to fix it or they are trying to renew their visa undoubtedly are). For this reason try and is best regarded as a fixed idiom used only in its infinitive and imperative form. Careful writers will continue to scrutinize their use of â€Å"try and† in formal contexts, but they can still feel free in conversation and dialogue to follow Fowler’s advice about using it â€Å"when it comes natural.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†For Sale vs. On SalePractice or Practise?

Micro-structure of ceramic, polymer and composite material Assignment

Micro-structure of ceramic, polymer and composite material - Assignment Example According to Whitney (2000), ceramic structures come in a variety and each structure has its own unique properties. For instance, some are very high thermal conductors while some don’t conduct heat at all but they possess other properties. Micro structures of Ceramics also vary in nature as some are pure glass, some crystalline and others are a combination of the two. Ceramics with glassy structures have properties that differ from metallic structures, and the difference in these properties is the atomic structure of the glass (Russell, 2009). Silica is the most common products that makeup glass where when it is fused together then placed in cold temperatures; the glass is formed. The main advantage of ceramic glass is its ability to be made into different shapes when it is still a soft plastic. Ceramics in crystalline form have the metallic and non-metallic atoms which should be balanced for the crystals to be made. During the crystallization, the arrangements in ions mainly determine the manner in which cells will be arranged. Whitney (2000) outlines that crystal structures are neutral in nature and the structures are closely parked together. These ceramics combines the properties of other materials to create a complete product, and they are hard in nature and mechanically stable. According to (Russell, 2009) Nitride ceramics are mainly used to cut wood materials due to their hardness. The process of making nitride ceramics is an irreversible process because of the arrangement in the lattices that are interchangeable. One of the main disadvantages of ceramics is the presence of impurities in the metals, and this affects its formation. There are also some defects that affect the neutrality of the atoms and these defects are, as a result displacement of atoms from their positions, therefore, creating a vacuum. Other shortcomings of ceramics are the formation of solids that lack clear chemical formulae due to their

Evaluate and revise A Strategy for Scottish Tourism Essay

Evaluate and revise A Strategy for Scottish Tourism - Essay Example It was evolved primarily based on the views that the overseas target markets showed declining performance, there was considerable increase in short tours and also the expenditure was exceeding budgets as per the targets set. The new strategy was the result of a consultation document from Henry McLeish MSP, Honorable Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning in 1999. The consultation document provided the broad items that could go to make for the new strategy, viz., optimal use of IT, tourism promotion to remote and rural areas, assuring quality, identifying future markets, domestic as well as overseas, extending the tourism season, improving training, improving accessibility of areas for tourism interest in Scotland, ATB functioning, as well as making tourism sustainable in the long term. It is therefore in this context that the strategy was examined. Acknowledges are due and hence conveyed in all earnestness to the university professors, fellow students as well as the different authors and experts who have permitted quoting their works in this report. In particular, mention needs to be made of JRB Ritchie and GI Crouch, whose painstaking work The Competitive Destination: A sustainable tourism perspective, 2003, has afforded this study to be made on the basic of fundamental strategy and tourism concepts outlined by these eminent authors. The study examined the new Scottish Tourist Board (STB) strategy according to the principle that tourism development needs to both competitive and sustainable in the long term. Sustainability means conserving the natural resources of Scotland and protecting its heritage structures. The strategy recognizes the natural advantages of Scotland in its scenic beauty and varied landscape and also highlights efforts to be undertaken like technology adoption, customer focus, service quality assurance, lifelong learning, training, better coordination among public bodies and greater involvement of

Grand foods, Ltd Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Grand foods, Ltd - Case Study Example The product managers now bear the greatest responsibility of coming up with the best solution that could look into the matter. The discussion sparked some other issues that may be behind the poor performance. These issues include; the pricing structure, sales promotion, cooperative advertising and food distribution in market. Jessica Walters, the marketing manager isn’t against the solutions raised but is concerned with the possible effects that this would have on the company’s policies and its structure. Background Grand Foods Limited is a Canadian company and has its international headquarters in Minneapolis, in Toronto. The company has its subsidiary branches all over Canada and also in the U.S. Quebec and Ontario are the main largest markets of the company, where it accounts for 69 percent of the $350 million sales in Canada. The worldwide sales of the company in 1991 were more than $2 billion. Jessica Walters is the marketing manager of the company and has been in the position for four years. His efforts towards the success of the company are tremendous and this has seen an overall improvement in the company’s sales. Products from the Grand Foods Ltd are enjoyed by the people in the entire Canada and Quebec province. These products include cake mixes, pie fillings, puddings, and frozen dinners among others. To do away with monotony of the food preference, the company has introduced six new products into the market in the last six years. These products were gladly received by the consumers. Problem statement In the previous month, the company saw poor performances in some of its products. The main region hit by this problem is the Quebec province, which is largely dominated by the French. This means that the consumers did not buy the products and the reason behind this is subject to thorough investigation and coming up with necessary recommendations. According to Marie Lemans, a product manager, the problem was with the marketing of the products. Quebec, as stated before is largely dominated by the French speaking people. Leman suggested that this region should then be treated differently from the rest of the Canada population. This then would be done by coming up with an appropriate marketing plan for the French-speaking people. The company’s products would therefore be advertised in the French language in the Quebec region and in English in the rest of Canada. Jessica Walters needed to have a closer look and a bit of analysis on the implications of the matter before implementing it (Canada Business Network, 2012). Food distribution across the Quebec province is another problem discussed by the managers. They argued that most of the bigger supermarkets and big stores had low market shares. The only advantage that the company has on food distribution in Quebec province is that the products are stored on best selling stores. The managers raised concerns on including the big supermarkets in selling these item s since they have more customers. This, they said will help raise the sales. The company has also done less in boosting attraction of customers in the discount policies and pricing structure of the products. The prices need to be reviewed and at least introduce some discounts. This issue has made the customers to shun away and hence the drop in the amount of sales. Jessica Walter is the major player here since he is the manager. The issues raised might look simple and easy to implement but the effects that it will have on

Ryanair Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses

Ryanair Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses Michael Porter defines Strategy as a combination of the goals for which the firm is striving and the means and policies by which it is seeking to get there. According to him the Strategy is about competitive position, about differentiating yourself from the point of view of the customer, about adding value through a mix of activities different from those used by competitors. Kenneth Andrews defines Corporate strategy as the pattern of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities.. Background Currently, the commercial world and its borders are changing more rapidly with regard of terms of size and speed. Travelling all around the world is no longer a luxury but a requirement for many of the population. In the past only rich people could afford to travel, in nowadays with the increasing movement of the technology, students as well as people with average profits can benefit. Due to this fact, in the past decades the number of airlines worldwide has been increasing significantly and respectively in early70s a new type emerged for the first time in the U.S.: the low cost airlines. The first low cost airline was Southwest Airlines which began operations in 1971 and was profitable only in 1973 (Oliveira and Huse, 2008). After twenty years after the Americans (Beigbeder, 2007) due to the fact of the deregulation of European skies in early 1990s, the phenomenon appeared in Europe. One of the first low-cost airlines which emerged was Ryanair (Ireland) and Easy Jet (UK) and they keep being still among the most active on the market. Companys history, development, and growth Ryanair is one of the Worlds favorite airlines and operates more than 1,400 flights per day from 44 bases and 1100+ low fare routes across 27 countries, connecting 160 destinations. Ryanair operates a fleet of 250 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with firm orders for a further 64 new aircraft which will be delivered over the next 2 years (www.ryanair.com). Ryanair is a innovator among LCA (Low Cost Airline) companies in Europe. They were among the first and they are still today the most active LCA on the continent. This business is increasing fast and from the beginning has passed through very significant phases. Ryanair was founded in 1985 by the Ryan family in Ireland. In 1988 and during only one year due to financial losses, the company launches a business class service and a frequent flyer club for customers, neither of which prove particularly successful. This change has meant that Ryanair has changed its generic strategy. Indeed, the company since the early 90s pursuing a cost strategy. Ryanair now offers the lowest fares in every market, high frequency flights, moving to a single aircraft fleet type, scrapping free drinks and expensive meals on board. These decisions have significantly reduced ticket prices for customers. In order to reduce again costs, Ryanair decided also to narrow down traveling lines from 19 to 6 routes between 1990 and 1992. With this new policy the Irish firm carry over 1 million passengers in one year for the first time in 1993. On 29th May 1997 Ryanair becomes a public company for the first time with a successful flotation on the Dublin and NASDAQ (New York) St ock Exchanges. In March 1999, Ryanair accepts the delivery of five new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. Those new aircrafts began operations from the main base at London Stansted, and their impact allowed Ryanair to operate with significantly lower seat costs and to offer much lower airfares, but with better reliability and a fantastic new customer product (www.ryanair.com). Communication between customers and the company is always a priority. In 2000, Ryanairs website (www.ryanair.com) became the largest booking website in Europe with more than 50.000 bookings each week. This source of information allows also customers to avail of the lowest car hire, hotel accommodation, travel insurance and rail services. At that time, Ryanair was the only LCA which developed interactive useful internet services for customers. Ryanair was in 2003 in the category most popular brand the fifth most searched website in the world (http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2003.html). The Irish airline became also the first LCA to sponsor a program on television in order to gained more customers. The company decided to sponsor Skynews Weather reports. Following this effort in communication, 1 million people traveled for the first time in during a month with Ryanair in august 2001. According to R. OBrian (mail communication, 15 April 2009) in order to be closer to custome rs, they build also the first continental base at Brussels Charleroi Airport in Belgium between 2001 and the end of 2002. In 2002, the company selected Frankfurt Hahn as the second Continental European base and launched in April with 10 routes. German customers flock in their millions to avail of the lowest air fares to and from Frankfurt according to J. Meier (personal communication, 15 April 2009). To accommodate this growth, Ryanair announced the largest ever aircraft order by an Irish airline by increasing their aircraft order with Boeing from 45 to 125 firm aircraft, with a further 125 options. The value of this order exceeds à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 6 billion and signals Ryanairs ambition to continue to be the largest LCA in Europe. Ryanair became also the number one in Europe of customer services beating all other European airlines for punctuality, fewer cancellations and least lost bags (www.ryanair.com). Meanwhile according to the company respondent communications to customers have not stopped. In 2004, Ryanair is named the most popular airline on the web by Google, as the website continues to be the most searched travel one in Europe. These performances continued and now more than 98% of all Ryanair bookings are made through the website and Internet customer services. During 2005 and 2006, Ryanair used communication tools in order to try to be different from other airlines for customers. First, they made a big communication called no fuel surcharge guarantee. Following the statements by the respondents , this was a new communication for customers because many full service airlines such as British airways, Air France or Lufthansa continue even today to supplement already high fares fuel with surcharges in case of extra costs. Second, Ryanair became The Worlds Favorite Airline because they carried more customers than British Airways and all other airline and LCA firms. Third, Ryanair was and is still the most punctual company in Europe with more than 90% of flights who arrived on time and respect schedules. Many radio advertising were made with this information. Finally, in order to attract new customers, they offered 100.000 seats for 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for the 20th birthday of the Irish brand. From 2006 until now, a new customer service was launched . According to the respondent This is a web check-in service giving passengers the opportunity to check-in online across Ryanairs entire route network. The company is also the first airline worldwide to carried more than 5 million travelers in a month and created plan for a new customer service: onboard mobile. For the moment, Ryanair has 830 low fare routes all around Europe and across 26 different European countries. They produced customer services from their 31 European bases. Ryanair currently has a team of more than 8,000 people and expects to carry approximately 73.5 million passengers in the current fiscal year (www.ryanair.com). Strategy Ryanair strategy remains the same from the beginning of the 90s and since then it continues to act as the European LCA leader and continues the expansion in order to attract more customers. Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generates increased passengers traffic while maintaining a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies (Ryanairs annual report from 2008). Business Model Full Service : Low Cost: Using HubSpoke network, Congestion during peak hours Delay of only a few inbound flights Will spill over across large portions of the network Low average daily utilization of aircraft, higher costs per seat mile Enormous transaction costs Complex fare structure Non-stop point-to-point services High seating density and load factors, Uniform aircraft types (usually the 737-300) Direct booking (internet/call centre no sales commissions) No frills such as free food/drinks, lounges or air miles Simple systems of yield management (pricing) Use of secondary airports to cut charges and turnaround times The main components of their strategy are low fares, customer services, frequent point-to-point flights on short-haul routes, low operating costs, high maintaining productivity, high personnel productivity, low customers costs, airport access fees, taking again a better advantage of Internet in order to serve the customer, commitment to safety and quality maintenance, enhancement of operating results and ancillary services and focused criteria or objectives for growth (Ryanairs annual report from 2008). Passengers may trade-off price savings against service reductions but anyway Ryanairs market success shows that the product/price trade-off is broadly in line with customers requirements so far. One of the key to the success of Ryanair was that they adopted the decision to build a powerful brand and as an example in 2003 the company was declared the fifth most searched website in the world. This confirms Gilbert ´s (1996) assumptions that branding is becoming increasingly important when it comes to product differentiation. In the case of LCA`s building brand recognition can be seen as another effective tool to be prepared for the competitive environment. These assumptions will be tightened through the argumentation by O ´Connelly and Williams (2005) that for LCA ´s who are offering a strong alternative to full service airlines it is from special relevance to build a strong brand around the company, but with the addition of customer loyalty and satisfaction. During the years the airline has stated clearly the product and stayed rigidly to that model with over 180 routes and 17 bases. In order to maintain the low fares the company has decided to eliminate the amount of travel agents and marketing costs and to sell tickets per internet. This strategic decision had a positive impact and as a result the number of the customers has increased because the clients prefer to avoid the agency and to check, compare and buy the tickets themselves. Since the implementation of internet booking in 2000, passenger numbers has grown rapidly. The growth rate increased from 15,7% (in 1999) to 30,7% (in 2000) and to over 40 % in the following years. Ryanair stimulated the passenger growing by focusing on price and not on service. Thinking on long terms this can arouse problems when another new airline enters the market and this may adversely affect Ryanair`s market share and profitability. This assumption is mainly based on statement by Lawton (1999) where it is said that just having the focus on one strategy, for instance price leadership, will be unsustainable in the future. Mainly driven by the Ryanair will to expand it is certain to sustain its competitive advantage by setting the focus secondary. While the rate of price reduction in air fares charged by low cost airlines is likely to moderate the passenger demand for the Ryanair product is likely to remain high. Ryanair clearly satisfies the markets demand which indicates that the strong price reducing strategy attracts a high number of customers. We can suppose that this fact will remain the same as far as the clients dont change their preferences and their necessities, as long as they want just to move from one point to another and nothing more. The clients tend to keep and select the low cost airline especially for the low cost services provided by them. However the Ryanair is not really focused in the relations with the customers and are counting every penny in order to maintain them on the market. To give you anecdotal case experience I had with Ryanair: one of my Ryanair flight was cancelled so I ended with no communications at all, no change of the ticket, no accommodation provided. Writing numerous letters to Ryanair didnt get me not even a reply and only after writing to the European Commissions for Air Passengers Rights after 3 years Ive got my money back. The conclusion is that what is really important for the company is to keep the low cost as low as possible, no matter what is takes. Otherwise Ryanair could even however face the problem of cost cutting itself out of the market. What counts to the customers is to obtain fair services in direct rapport with the fair prices. The focus that Ryanair need to be focus is the importance of relationship building with its customers, otherwise it may risk losing its position. In case that the airline is capable to unite the low price with a special network of customer fidelity, only then the competitive advantage can be obtained. Strategies could be influenced directly by the numbers of travellers. According to the history of the Ryanair, in its initial stages the company wasnt very effective and after introducing the hard discount pricing strategy the firm became really successful and attractive for the clients. Companys internal strengths and weaknesses SWOT Analysis Strengths Low Cost Pioneer First in cost reductions 1stmover advantage Strong Brand Established market share Variety of supplementary services Weaknesses Week relations with customers Unpredictable customer relations Poor relations between employees Refused to recognize unions Reliance on Michael OLeary Unfriendly connection with competitors Opportunities Continuing development Advanced fee decreasing EU growth Traveller Destinations Rapidly developing competition New low cost entrants Alliance/Mergers between rivals Threats Industry criticism Alternative transportation(cars, trains) External environnement Analyzing the external environment we can define 4 categories of external factors that influence the strategy of Ryanair. Political and legal: Have an increased Trade-Union pressure, EU abolishment of Duty-free Sales, EU expansion Advertising and Marketing Campaigns Economic: Continuously price growth of fuel Depreciation of US dollars EU Commissions Decisions regarding: communication with passengers, cancelled passenger compensation, overbooking, getting illegal subsidies from airports. Sociocultural: The developing of new style of living by travelling, increasing demand of business with require travelling Increasing of new high-speed trains, better cars and other ways of travelling Technological: With Internet, and all the IT technology, everything is much simple you can book, cancel, buy easily a ticket wherever you like Competitors Ryanair now has a number of low-cost competitors. In 2004, approximately 60 new low-cost airlines were formed. Although traditionally a full-service airline, Aer Lingus moved to a low-fares strategy from 2002, leading to a much more intense competition with Ryanair on Irish routes. AirBerlin wich uses a Business model -instead of point to point connections, it offered guaranteed connections via its hubs, low fare alliances. Another new competitor is BNIBaby a subsidiary of BMI British Midband and leading low cost carriers in the Midlands and Nothern England. Alos is FlyBE which has an incorporated aspect of budget airline model. Airlines which attempt to compete directly with Ryanair are treated competitively, with Ryanair being accused by some of reducing fares to significantly undercut their competitors. In response to MyTravelLite, who started to compete with Ryanair on the Birmingham to Dublin route in 2003, Ryanair set up competing flights on some of MyTravelLites routes until they pulled out. Go was another airline which attempted to offer services from Ryanairs base at Dublin to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. A fierce battle ensued, which ended with Go withdrawing its service from Dublin. [Quinn, Eamonn. No competitors for Ryanair in Dublin, says Cassani, 30 November 2003, at Tcm.ie. Retrieved 18 December 2006.] Ryanairs biggest competitor is EasyJet, announced routes to the Republic of Ireland for the first time, beginning with the Cork to London Gatwick route. Until then, EasyJet had never competed directly with Ryanair on its home ground. [Mulligan, John. Ryanair wins judicial review of decision over Knock route, 10 September 2008 at Independent.ie] External Analysis Porters Five Forces Threat of new Entrants Medium Is somehow affected by new comers in the market Suppliers Bargaining Power Low Industry Competitors Competition Among existing Firms High There are several strong competitors fighting for the same clients. Buyers Bargaining Power Low Threat Of Substitute Products Medium There is a living style that makes EU people to travel during the weekend with, buses, cars, caravans, trails Ryanair Competitive Advantage In nowadays the company tries to position itself by providing a strong brand on the market and obtaining a good reputation. Driven by this, company has to adapt each time to the condition of the market following strategies that can improve their competitiveness. These include cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership and integrated cost leadership/differentiation. Ryanair restructured the model and they moved from conventional airline to the first European low fare. At the beginning it provided services only between Ireland and the UK. At the end of 1990 in spite of the increasing in clients, Ryanair faced losses of 20 mln IR pounds. At this period of time and directed by Michael OLeary the company decides to adopt the model of successful American Southwest Airlines. The problems encountered at this stage were that, Ryanair tried to concentrate and on costs and also on focus. At this stage, the competitors can invade the market, and without a proper strategy the compa ny cannot position themselves on a segment and survive. So they choose to go for Cost Leadership which proved to be a right choice. So how they do that: Fleet Standardization The company uses the most sold and used planes from the world Boeing 737. Maintenance costs are low, spares parts are chip and because of this, the Ryanair is capable to keep the low prices, New Aircrafts, Owns Own Fleet, Operations Denominated in Euro, Hedge Fuel Risk Airport Charges The company chose to avoid main airports and to use secondary or regional airport but closed to big cities, and respectively these airport charge lower taxes Limited Airport Transportation Employees and Productivity The company provides lower employment costs, but the staff can earn more money based on their performance Model Online Bookings, One Class Travel, Ticketless Boarding, Unallocated Seats, Point-to-Point Flying, No Frills, Reduced Turnaround Times, No Refund Policy Outsourcing of Services The company uses the third part services such as aircraft handling, ticketing. Highly Successful Ancillary Service Offering, Outsourcing of Services at International Airports, Marketing and Advertising The companys promoting is basically in newspaper, radio, television and their web site Advertising on Airplanes, In-house Marketing Basic Service on board Offers minimum standards of service and very low prices for point-to point short have flights, no extra such as in flight meals, advance seat assignment, free drinks and other services. Eliminating seatback pockets, No blankets or pillows, Airsickness bags distributed on request, Charges larger penalties for overweight luggage This strategy was a success and by 1997, Ryanair was floated on the Dublin Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ. Expansion strategy is another factor that enables Ryanair to position itself in the marketplace. The company has been known to be an airline which launches new routes since its operation begins. In addition, under the expansion strategy, company acquires Buzz in February 26, 2003. Such acquisition enables Ryanair to gain immediate access to11 new French regional airports and makes the company the largest airline operating at London Stansted Airport. In addition, the company continues to expand by opening two new Continental European bases with low-fare flights from Milan Bergamo and Stockholm. In the year, 2003, the company has been able to launch 73 new routes and carry over 2 million passengers in one month (July). In addition, the company website has been able to make the company position itself in the global market. Corporate Strategy High Global Strategy Transnational Strategy Low International Strategy Multidomestic strategy Low High Future of Ryainair Cutting costs: Race to bottom Ryanair, the Worlds favorite airline, today (9th  July) launched an online poll to ask if   passengers would stand on short flights if it meant they could travel for FREE, or pay 50% less than seated passengers.  Ryanair is gauging passenger demand for its vertical seating which will allow passengers to travel for free in a secure upright position on short flights of approximately one hour. Source:http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=09month=julstory=gen-en-090709 Ryanairs Future Plans, Cutting the costs, No Window Blinds , No Reclining Seats, Leather Seats , Velcro Headrests , Carry-on Luggage Profit enhancement Satellite Television , Internet On-board , Rented In-flight entertainment Future plans Free tickets. In a decade or so, airlines will pay travellers to distribute people around Europe. The airline industry is Tesco, is Ikea, is network TV in the way viewers watch for free and advertisers Pay for access to them, is the internet in the same way that websites earn money for delivering click-through traffic or other sites. Michael OLeary ,Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair Issues at Ryanair Risks and Challenges Extra capacity building would create certaintly about the success of new routes and locations Fuel Prices Vulnerable to rising fuel prices Represents 35 % of the operating costs Compensation to passengers Regulation by the European Union Terrorism and security Added risks and Costs to the industry Expand into Central and Eastern Europe Continue aggressive acquisition Overhaul the customer service Internet ticketing Develop the smaller operating base Increase the ancillary revenues-focus on after sales Future Conclusion Despite the fact that Ryanair is tied to low cost policy and doesnt care about the loyalty of the clients, the relations with the Clients, the service and with bad experience with them, the customers and myself will keep to buy their services, yes we will get the basic service but is cheap, is easy and after the exams I will fly with them in Portugalia. Ryanair rapid growth is due to: Low cost Airline Business Model that restructured European Aviation Industry Pioneer innovative cost reduction methods Creative alternative revenue generation free flights goal in next phase evolution Value segments consist of travellers interested to optimize comfort, time and price. This would mean a requirement for city-centric airports, and comfortable departure times. Competitors are catering to value market segment and have established slots at some primary airports, furthermore provide cost effective basic services. Acquisition of a similar airline would enhance expansion into value-orientated market segments without comprising its top position in the low-price segment. The key challenge for Ryanair in the next few years therefore is developing a successful strategy for not only winning the war in Low Price segment but acquiring solid position in the Value Segment and in new non-European markets. 5. ReferencesBelfast Telegraph. Finance crisis good for