Ferrari Performance Analysis Essay Example

Ferrari Performance Analysis Paper â€Å"Whats red, Italian and goes from 0 km/h to 100 km/h in three and a half seconds? † Ask this from any person on the street and you for sure will hear only one answer â€Å"Ferrari†. It was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1943, the first Ferrari was built in 1947 and that is when the legend begins. Now it is hard to think of any other car that can make anyone feel more exclusive. It`s not just a sport car you own it`s quality, passion, luxury and status that comes with it. We chose it for our group presentation for all of those reasons and also because it is an outstanding, not usual brand, with a very special marketing strategy and a small group of exclusive costumers. In order to have a clear understanding of company’s position, potential and direction we used many business measurement tools. First of all, PEST analysis, which helped us to get a better idea about macro-environment in which Ferrari operates. By establishing main Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors we were able to assess current market situation, predict future challenges that company will have to face and think about possible solutions for those problems. After analyzing external factors we`ve identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) in order to understand overall strategic position of the business. In other words, now we were able to evaluate on Ferraris’ internal environment and have a clear view of company’s perspectives, limitations and possible improvement areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Ferrari Performance Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ferrari Performance Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ferrari Performance Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer To complete our environmental research we used Porters Five forces to find out about competition in the industry, potential of new entrants into industry, power of suppliers and customers, threat of substitute products Ferrari`s marketing strategy is also something that makes this company very special. This car is a legend in a world of supercars, everyone knows what a prancing horse logo or at list heard of it. However it never used a penny on advertisement. And indeed, have we seen a single advert about Ferrari? So how come we all know about it? To find the answer for this question have become an interesting challenge for our group. To evaluate our answer we used 4Ps theory or marketing mix theory which looks at the product, price, promotion and place, because a successful marketing mix is a base for successful company. The successful use of marketing mix means putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time. And from what we found in our investigation Ferrari have been doing quite well at that. It managed to produce a unique car, in which every detail is about passion- passion for speed, passion for quality, passion for excludability and luxury. Having a Ferrari is like having a piece of legend. So, here we have a unique product. Further Ferrari pricing strategy is a marketing masterpiece in itself. â€Å"Luxury sets price, price does not set luxury† ( Daye D. , 2010) -this phrase fully demonstrates Ferrari pricing principles. They know what is the right price for the product they offer as you don`t buy just a car, you buy status and quality. Next step, promotion. And here is where we found an answer for the first question that made us so passionate about this topic. To promote their product they simply did what they were best at doing- racing and building an ideal car for speed lovers. Such a simple but such a genius marketing strategy with passion going through its` every detail. Also the company have developed a market of merchandising that helped to expand the brand and increase customer awareness. And finally- the right place†¦ Ferrari is the most valuable exponent of the top quality Italian and German showrooms. No one but exclusive customers can enter these showrooms and this again shows company’s targeting principles- do not waste time on anyone who is not a potential customer. After using 4 Ps theory we`ve learned about main principles of the company and had a better knowledge of the way it works. We also found (From PEST and SWOT analysis) that as any company Ferrari faces some challenges. And that is why after finding enough information we tried to recommend some ways to resolve those problems. Our solutions are the result of group discussions as well as good individual research. We`ve made some basic recommendations such as: invest more money in CO2 emission problem and research and development in order to stay best in technology. Also one of the recommendations was to collaborate with other exclusive brands to produce even more exclusive Ferrari related products, for example collaborate with Rolex to produce exclusive watches. Those are quite common solution for common problems. However, as a group we also came up with some radical and rand new recommendations such as building a Ferrari hotels where only Ferrari owners would be able to stay or inventing a new brand in collaboration with other popular brand, to make something more affordable to middle classes but with a bit of Ferrari in it. This could help to increase their sales, however some would argue that more profits will come at cost of reputation of Ferrari as an exclusive brand that not everyone can afford. To su m up our group work: every member showed a lot of interest, creativity, passion and initiative. Everyone’s opinion was considered when making a decision and discussing the topic. However, more practice needed to improve our presentation skills: luck of confidence and practice have prevented us from making this topic as interesting to the audience as it was for ourselves. So if there is something that should have been done differently – is the amount of time spent on practice. Other than that I found that doing presentation with the group of people who are passionate about the topic was a great experience. Bhasin, H. (2010). Marketing mix Ferrari. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 1st Dec 2011] Bhasin, H. (2010). SWOT Ferrari. [Online] Available at: ; http://www. oogle. com/search? ie=UTF-8=UTF-8=navclient=1=italy_sports_cars_2006#sclient=psy-ab=en=hp=ferrari+marketing+mix=1=ferrari+marketing+=1=g4==e=0l0l2l134l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0=on. 2,or. r_gc. r_pw. ,cf. osb=12ad4e0eba6dfc1f=1246=636; [Accessed 1st Dec 2011] Daye,D. (2008). Italys Master of Marketing Strategy. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 1st Dec 2011] Fiat Group. (2008). Annual Report. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 5th Dec 2011]. SOS emarketing . (2010). Luxury Marketing . [Online] Available at: [Accessed

myxococcus xanthus essays

myxococcus xanthus essays The bacteria Myxococcus Xanthus is a decomposer that moves and forms fruiting bodies to reproduce. These fruiting bodies are mounds that grow into mushroom cloud like bodies, where cells differentiate on the inside to form small spores that are heat and desiccation resistant. In her discussion of Myxococcus Xanthus, Dr. Hartzell addresses various complexes that make flagella-less movement possible for the bacteria. The researchers traced cell movements and found that Myxococcus Xanthus moves at a rate of 2.5 micrometers per minute. A rate that is slower than continental drift (3 micrometers per minute). Cell movements occur in two different forms: social (moving in groups of cells) and adventurous (individuals moving). Movement is found to be gene determined. Two genes were found to be required for any movement: mgl A and mgl B. Furthermore, there are specific genes required for social movement and specific genes required for adventurous movement. Mgl A, a magnesium dependant, is a GTP-ase (a protein that binds and cleaves GTP to GDP) like Ras. It was found that mgl A was necessary for development of the fruiting body and for movement, but not for growth of the cell. When mgl A binds to GDP, it is inactive. However, when it binds GTP, it is active. Then mgl A was sequenced and found to have one of the Aspartine amino acids exchanged for a Threonine. If mgl A was mutated to replace Threonine with Asoartine (the way it is in most Ras proteins), no movement or formation of the fruiting body occurred. Also, induced activation of this protein (forcing GTP to bind to it) causes movement, but not development of the fruiting body. The calcium dependent mgl B protein is also required for movement. Found right next to mgl A and transcribed at the same time, mgl B is believed to be a guanyl nucleotide release factor (REM for short). REMs facilitate the release of GDP from Ras type proteins (mgl A) so that it can bind more G...

Units Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words - 2

Units - Coursework Example Internet marketing is â€Å"essentially everything that you do, both online and offline, to influence people to buy your product or service from an online medium such as a website† (Michie, 10). There are some principle benefits from internet marketing like low cost involved and easy reach to customers across the world. With the help of internet marketing, sales can increase rapidly since millions of customers can make easy access to a company’s website and gain knowledge about its products and services. Email communication has become a popular mode of staying connected with customers. For customers it is no longer necessary to rely on telephone for getting information about a company as most companies have their own websites. Thus, with the help of internet marketing it has become easier to achieve business objectives of enhanced sales and huge customer base. Also, internet marketing makes more effective targeting and segmentation since it is possible to keep track of which products have most demand. Moreover, with the internet it is possible to address specific group of customers with similar likes and dislikes. All these will help the company make products according to target customer demand. Market segmentation can be demographic, geographic, psychographic and lifestyle. Demographic segmentation is based on age, social class, gender and income. Geographic segmentation is based on regions where customers belong to since customers from different countries or whether they are in towns or cities of same country display different demands and purchasing capacity. Psychographic or lifestyle segmentation is based on customers’ personality, opinions and interest. Also, the 7ps (product, price, promotion, place, people, process, physical evidence) of marketing mix is very important in internet marketing. Internet is a reliable tool for assessing the demand of a product. Once demand pattern

The Positive & Negative Effects of Labor Unions on the United States Research Paper

The Positive & Negative Effects of Labor Unions on the United States Economy - Research Paper Example Households that have current union members positively view labor unions as having positive effects on American economy than those with former union members and those who have never been union members. People in different income levels observe that unions have positive effects on members’ benefits, working conditions and salary. On the other hand, the bureau for statistics for US says that households in current unions also believe that unions have a positive impact in workplace and US economy. 48% of union household members agree to this, while 34% of the former union members oppose it. In the US, workers who are members of unions receive more benefits at the cost of those who have no unions. However, it has been discovered that unions are fighting for the rights of member workers, but at the same time trying to reap large bundles of their own benefits. The worst problem is that this reduces the competitiveness of US companies in global markets and consequently the economy (Thomas, John, & Valletta, 2004). The authors further state that the benefits of union workers are derived from bargaining power of the union, monopoly, and the face of collective voice. It is clearly evident that labor unions are mainly good for US workers as opposed to the competitiveness of the economy. A research presented by Bureau of Statistics for US in 2009 shows that the rating in favor of labor unions is 45% and though at a low level, it is an expression of a positive view. The rating for business corporations is 47% which also indicates a favorable impression; drop is about a historic low. The expression of American view of labor union’s effects on wages and working conditions are mixed. 53% of them believe that they positively affect union workers’ benefits and salaries, while 17% argue that they have negative effects. The table below shows the declining

History of Canadian Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Canadian Labor - Essay Example While plenty of research works paved the way for jotting down crucial historical components related to labor history in other countries, there wasn't too much of study materials for the historians to trace the labor history of Canada. However, with the publication of the Committee on Canadian Labour History, the history of Canadian labor, especially the changing context in the working class section, has assumed an important dimension. Historically, the working class people in Canada, despite their contribution to the economic growth and development of the country, and despite the fact that Canada has always depended more on factory production than service sectors, has remained in the shadows of negligence. The formation of trade unions in the 1880s and the working class revolt in the beginning of the twentieth century have played an important role in shaping the future of Canadian workers. Even today, majority of Canadians earn their livelihood from factory wages. But the changing sc enario is best reflected in the fact that most labors are not registered to unions in modern day Canada. It might be noted however that labor unions, at present or in the past, have been devising effective strategies to take the workers' issues to the respective higher authorities, and this draws the working class into joining unions in large numbers. This paper is going to critically examine the changing situations in the labor history of Canada, especially between 1940 and 1975. Systemization of labor was a major area of focus in Canadian history. This was important because bulk of nation's revenues came from large-scale production. In the 1870s, the living environment of labors in Canada was not at all healthy and conducive to profitable outcomes. So it was important to build a foundation that could lead to prosperity of the workers for the greater welfare of the nation. Incepted in 1869 by Philadelphia garment cutters, the Knights of Labor was one of the prominent labor reformist organizations in the late nineteenth century. The main objective of this secret organization was to launch a campaign for cooperation and education among the working class fraternity, without gender or racial bias. The idea of maximizing the potential of skilled labors was given foremost priority. The age of rapid industrialization required deployment of efficient workers to get optimum output. While the experience and competency of veteran labors was an asset to the management, the youthful exuberance of the young working class brigade was nothing less an important area of contention. The integration of Canadian capitalism in the twentieth century brought a new era in working class history. Diversification of unions, the impending threat of a cold war, gender biases at workplaces, inconsistent wage structures and frequent workouts did not augur well for the overall economic growth of the country. Most workers lived a life of perpetual struggle for food, clothing and shelter. New managerial machinery, so to speak, was introduced to downsize excess workers. It sparked the labor unrest all the more as skilled labors did not appreciate the new rules. Earlier in the nineteenth century, majority of workers in Canada enjoyed supremacy at their workplaces. But

Changes to McDonalds: An Analysis

Changes to McDonalds: An Analysis Introduction About the Report The main objective of this report is to actually look in depth on McDonalds, a fast food restaurant that has been there for so many years and analyze the differences between McDonalds in the past and at present which can be explained further using SWOT and PEST analysis. From there onwards, we are able to see and understand how McDonalds changes through time so that the company can compete with other companies and yet at the same time cater to the different needs of its consumer. Information gathered are from internet resources and my personal experience working in McDonalds for more than half a year. McDonalds History McDonalds is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 31,000 local restaurants serving more than 58 million people in 118 countries each day. So ever wonder how the world famous McDonalds begins and who were the ones that started this business? The McDonald brothers Dick and Mac opened the first McDonalds restaurant at 1940 in San Bernardino, California. In 1954, Ray Kroc became the first person to gain the rights to franchise McDonalds; opening his first restaurant in Des Plain, Illinois on April 15 and the McDonalds corporation was created. Phenomenal Growth in the 1960s and 1970s In 1961, Kroc bought all the rights of McDonalds concept from the McDonald brothers for$ 2.7 million and at the same year, the Hamburger University was opened. During 1960s and 1970s, McDonalds success was i large part due to the companys skillful marketing and flexible response to customer demand, introducing new burgers like the Filet-O-Fish and Big Mac. The first restaurant outside of the USA opened in Canada and Puerto Rico. Fred Turner became the companys president and chief administrative officer. Kroc became chairman and CEO until 1973. Turner had originally intended open a McDonalds franchise, but when he had problems with his backers over location, he went to work as a grill man for Kroc in 1956. As operations vice-president, Turner helped franchisees get their stores up and running. He was constantly looking for new ways to perfect the McDonalds system, pointing out that seconds could be saved if McDonalds used buns that were presliced all the way through and were not stuck together in the package. Such attention to details was one of the reasons for the companys extraordinary success. In 1972 passed $1 billion in annual sales; by 1976, McDonalds had served billion hamburgers and system wide sales exceeded $3 billion. McDonalds in the recent years McDonalds had been recording declining profits since 2001. Although turnover was increasing, there was a continuous declining in its operating profit and net profit margins. To turnaround its fortune, the company adopted the â€Å"Plan To Win† strategy in 2003. The main purpose of the strategy was to bring about the improvement in the companys performance by building it around five key drivers of customer experience-People, Product, Price, Place and Promotions; and by identifying opportunities on the basis of the four basic aspects of its mission statement Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. The strategy was also based on what McDonalds considered as three essential components of success-Operational Excellence, Leadership Marketing and Innovation. McDonalds Corp. has finally selected a new trans-fat-free oil for cooking its French fries, hash browns, all chicken choices, and Filet-O-Fish and has made the switch during 2008. This change has been made because consumption of trans fat increases the risk of getting coronary heart disease and customers are being more aware of that. Though McDonalds was among the first to say it would stop using unhealthy oils, it has been slow to make the change. On the other hand, its competitors like Yum Brands Incs KFC and Taco Bell and Burger King Holdings Inc had earlier swapped for trans-fat-free oil in 2007. Companys Mission and Vision statement McDonalds Mission statement Be the best employer for our people in each community around the world Deliver operational excellence to our customers in each of our restaurants; and Achieve enduring profitable growth by expanding the brand and leveraging the strengths of the McDonalds system through innovation and technology. McDonalds Vision statement â€Å"McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile.† PEST Analysis Political The international operations of McDonalds are highly influenced by the individual state policies enforced by each government. (2001, 705) For instance, there are certain groups in Europe and the United States that clamor for state actions pertaining to the health implications of eating fast food. (2005) They have indicated that harmful elements like cholesterol and adverse effects like obesity are attributable to consuming fast food products. On the other hand, the company is controlled by the individual policies and regulations of operations. Specific markets focus on different areas of concern such as that of health, worker protection, and environment. All these elements are seen in the government control of the licensing of the restaurants in the respective states. For instance, there is an impending legal dispute in the McDonalds franchise in India where certain infringement of rights and violation of religious laws pertaining to the contents of the food. The existence of meat in their menus in India is apparently offensive to the Hindu religion in the said market. There are also other studies that point to the infringement of McDonalds Stores with reference to the existing employment laws in the target market. Like any business venture, these McDonalds stores have to contend with the issues of employment procedures as well as their tax obligations so as to succeed in the foreign market. Economical Organisations in the fast food industry are not excused from any disputes and troubles. Specifically, they do have their individual concerns involving economic factors. Branches and franchises of fast food chains like McDonalds has the tendency to experience hardship in instances where the economy of the respective states is hit by inflation and changes in the exchange rates. The customers consequently are faced with a stalemate of going over their individual budgets whether or not they should use up more on these foreign fast food chains. (2004) Hence, these chains may have to put up with the issues of the effects of the economic environment. Particularly, their problem depends on the response of the consumers on these fundamentals and how it could influence their general sales. In regarding the operations of the company, food chains like McDonalds tend to import much of their raw materials into a specific territory if there is a dearth of supply. Exchange rate fluctuations will als o play a significant role in the operations of the company. As stated in the paragraph above, McDonalds stores have to take a great deal of consideration with reference to their microenvironment. The companys international supply as well as the existing exchange rates is merely a part of the overall components needed to guarantee success for the foreign operations of McDonalds. Moreover, it is imperative that the company be cognizant of the existing tax requirements needed by the individual governments on which they operate. This basically ensures the smooth operations of the McDonalds franchises. In the same regard, the company will also have to consider the economic standing of the state on which they operate on. The rate at which the economy of that particular state grows determines the purchasing power of the consumers in that country. Hence, if a franchise operates in a particularly economically weak state, hence their products shall cost higher than the other existing products in the market, and then these franchises must take on certai n adjustments to maintain the economies of scale. Social Cultural Articles on the international strategies of McDonalds seem to function on several fields to guarantee lucrative returns for the organisation. To illustrate, the organisation improves on establishing a positive mind-set from their core consumers. McDonalds indulge a particular variety of consumers with definite types of personalities. (1994) It has also been noted that the company have given the markets such as the United Kingdom, an option with regards to their dining needs. (2005) pointed out that McDonalds has launched a sensibly valued set of food that tenders a reliable level of quality for the respective market where it operates. Additionally, those who are aged just below the bracket of thirty-five are said to be the most frequent consumers of McDonalds franchises. (2005) The multifaceted character of business nowadays is reflected in the harsh significance of the information on the subject of the existing market. This procedure is essentially identified in the field as market research. (1997) Information with regards to the appeal and potential fields of the market would double as obstructions to the success of the company if this area of the operations is neglected. In the case of McDonalds they establish a good system in determining the needs of the market. The company uses concepts of consumer behaviour product personality and purchasing decisions to its advantage. (1998) it is said to have a major influence on the understanding of the prospective performance of the organisation in a particular market. (2000) Technological McDonalds generates a demand for their own products. (2006) The Companys key tool for marketing is by means of television advertisements. There are similarly some claims that McDonalds are inclined to interest the younger populations more. The existence of play spots as well as toys in meals offered by the company shows this actuality. (1995) Other demonstration of such a marketing strategy is apparent in the commercials of they use. They employ animated depictions of their characters like Grimace and Hamburglar. Other advertising operations employ popular celebrities to promote their products. The like has become endorsers for McDonalds worldwide â€Å"loving it† campaign. Moreover, the operations of McDonalds have significantly been infused with new technology. Elements like the inventory system and the management of the value chain of the company allows for easy payments for their suppliers and other vendors which the individual stores in respective markets deal with. The i ntegration of technology in the operations of McDonalds tend to add value to their products. Basically, this is manifested in the improvements on its value chain. The improvement of the inventory system as well as its supply chain allows the company to operate in an international context. Conclusion Observations In order to gain any advantage over businesses in the same market, a company must find some sort of differentiation to exploit- McDonalds is no different. They have focused their marketing advantage on good food with fast service as well as their willingness to change and innovate. An example of this can be found with the implementation of Chicken McNuggets. At first, people were not thrilled with eating meat with their hands but McDonalds responded by adding BBQ sauce for dipping, which cause McNuggets to explode onto the scene. McDonalds successful name brands have spread all over the world, and with their competitive advantage, and marketing campaign dominating over competing companies, they look to stay at the top of the fast food business for the foreseeable future. Recommendations Implement new healthier food options in their menus. It is obvious they already did this to some extent with offering milks, salads and yoghurts, but they can do more to continue to flourish. In order to stay above negative press about health risks (â€Å"Supersize Me†, etc), McDonalds must bounce back by altering their menus in a positive, health conscious way-dramatically change their food choices. Refurnish restaurant franchises by changing their entire look of what the inside of McDonalds looks like. Instead of the old fashioned tiles and outdated table and chairs, McDonalds should employ a more contemporary ‘new age look. By doing this, they will change the way consumers think of McDonalds s just a fast food restaurant joint, instead sending them the message that is instead a high-scale restaurant. By simply changing the physical surrounding inside McDonalds (as well as adding few TVs and modern amenities), the restaurant will appeal to many more people who have been overexposed to â€Å"the same old thing†, as well as giving them more excitement/enthusiasm to come and eat at McDonalds. McDonalds should work more to expand beyond its namesake franchise. As a company they should take advantage of the name brand recognition associated with McDonalds brand and create other brands producing new, dynamic types of food. By moving to adjacent markets, McDonalds can use their current success to their advantage by starting to become involved in diverse food markets, which will increase revenue in the long run. Conclusion McDonalds is and will be the leading food services for the many years to come. But the company can do more by changing their menus into a much healthier menu by introducing more vegetables and fruits as there are a growing number of health conscious consumers and if the company is able to so, they can attract more customers and hold off their competitors such as Burger King and KFC. So with that in mind, there are still many aspects that McDonalds can improve on to continue their domination in this world of business.

Macbeth - Images and Imagery :: Macbeth essays

MacbethL Imagery One of the most important tools in literature is imagery. It is not just in there to fill up paper; rather, there is at least one dramatic purpose for each image and there are many different types of imagery. This essay seeks to prove that in the play Macbeth the author William Shakespeare uses darkness imagery for three dramatic purposes. Those three purposes are, to create atmosphere, to arouse the emotions of the audience and to contribute to the major theme of the play. The darkness imagery in Macbeth contributes to its ominous atmosphere. In the very beginning of the play the three witches are talking and the first witch says "When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" (Macbeth 1. 1. line 1). This is a good example of darkness imagery because when you think of the crashing thunder, lightning and rain, they all remind you of evil and ominous things. Later on the Sergeant is talking with Duncan and Malcolm when he states "Ship wrecking storms and direful thunders break" (1. 2. l26). Again this darkness imagery contributes to the ominous atmosphere of the play, having reference to thunder and dark storms. Finally, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are talking in the scene just before the murder of Banquo and Macbeth says "Light thickens, and the crow makes wing to the rooky wood: Good things of day begin to droop and drowse, whiles night's black agents to their preys do rouse" (3. 2. l50-53). This example of darkness imagery is saying that the day is turning into night, all the good things are going to sleep, and the evil creatures are coming out . The evil in this previous quotation and the two before adds to the ominous atmosphere. Since the imagery creates an ominous atmosphere it would then lead to the second dramatic purpose, to arouse the emotions of the audience. Darkness imagery is a very good tool for arousing the emotions of the audience. It enables people to create a mental picture of the what they are reading. For instance, in this instance of darkness imagery Duncan and Macbeth were talking when Macbeth says aside "Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires" (1. 4. l50-51). When words like dark and desire are put in that context it creates many horrible mental pictures about murders and fights which arouses peoples emotions. Ross is later talking with an old man when he states "By the clock `tis day, and yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp" (2.

Cost Control and Cost Reduction

PRINCIPLES OF COST CONTROL 1. 1 Introduction Cost is important to all industry. Costs can be divided into two general classes; absolute costs and relative costs. Absolute cost measures the loss in value of assets. Relative cost involves a comparison between the chosen course of action and the course of action that was rejected. This cost of the alternative action – the action not taken – is often called the â€Å"opportunity cost†. The accountant is primarily concerned with the absolute cost.However, the forest engineer, the planner, the manager needs to be concerned with the alternative cost – the cost of the lost opportunity. Management has to be able to make comparisons between the policy that should be chosen and the policy that should be rejected. Such comparisons require the ability to predict costs, rather than merely record costs. Cost data are, of course, essential to the technique of cost prediction. However, the form in which much cost data are recorded limits accurate cost prediction to the field of comparable situations only.This limitation of accurate cost prediction may not be serious in industries where the production environment changes little from month to month or year to year. In harvesting, however, identical production situations are the exception rather than the rule. Unless the cost data are broken down and recorded as unit costs, and correlated with the factors that control their values, they are of little use in deciding between alternative procedures. Here, the approach to the problem of useful cost data is that of identification, isolation, and control of the factors affecting cost. . 2 Basic Classification of Costs Costs are divided into two types: variable costs, and fixed costs. Variable costs vary per unit of production. For example, they may be the cost per cubic meter of wood yarded, per cubic meter of dirt excavated, etc. Fixed costs, on the other hand, are incurred only once and as additional units of production are produced, the unit costs fall. Examples of fixed costs would be equipment move-in costs and road access costs. 1. 3 Total Cost and Unit-Cost Formulas As harvesting operations become more complicated and involve both fixed and ariable costs, there usually is more than one way to accomplish a given task. It may be possible to change the quantity of one or both types of cost, and thus to arrive at a minimum total cost. Mathematically, the relationship existing between volume of production and costs can be expressed by the following equations: Total cost = fixed cost + variable cost ? output In symbols using the first letters of the cost elements and N for the output or number of units of production, these simple formulas are C = F + NV UC = F/N + V 1. Breakeven Analysis A breakeven analysis determines the point at which one method becomes superior to another method of accomplishing some task or objective. Breakeven analysis is a common and important part of cost cont rol. One illustration of a breakeven analysis would be to compare two methods of road construction for a road that involves a limited amount of cut-and-fill earthwork. It would be possible to do the earthwork by hand or by bulldozer. If the manual method were adopted, the fixed costs would be low or non-existent.Payment would be done on a daily basis and would call for direct supervision by a foreman. The cost would be calculated by estimating the time required and multiplying this time by the average wages of the men employed. The men could also be paid on a piece-work basis. Alternatively, this work could be done by a bulldozer which would have to be moved in from another site. Let us assume that the cost of the hand labor would be $0. 60 per cubic meter and the bulldozer would cost $0. 40 per cubic meter and would require $100 to move in from another site.The move-in cost for the bulldozer is a fixed cost, and is independent of the quantity of the earthwork handled. If the bulldo zer is used, no economy will result unless the amount of earthwork is sufficient to carry the fixed cost plus the direct cost of the bulldozer operation. Figure 1. 1 Breakeven Example for Excavation. If, on a set of coordinates, cost in dollars is plotted on the vertical axis and units of production on the horizontal axis, we can indicate fixed cost for any process by a horizontal line parallel to the x-axis. If variable ost per unit output is constant, then the total cost for any number of units of production will be the sum of the fixed cost and the variable cost multiplied by the number of units of production, or F + NV. If the cost data for two processes or methods, one of which has a higher variable cost, but lower fixed cost than the other are plotted on the same graph, the total cost lines will intersect at some point. At this point the levels of production and total cost are the same. This point is known as the â€Å"breakeven† point, since at this level one method is as economical as the other.Referring to Figure 1. 1 the breakeven point at which quantity the bulldozer alternative and the manual labor alternative become equal is at 500 cubic meters. We could have found this same result algebraically by writing F + NV = F' + NV' where F and V are the fixed and variable costs for the manual method, and F' and V' are the corresponding values for the bulldozer method. Since all values are known except N, we can solve for N using the formula N = (F' – F) / (V – V') 1. 5 Minimum Cost Analyses A similar, but different problem is the determination of the point of minimum total cost.Instead of balancing two methods with different fixed and variable costs, the aim is to bring the sum of two costs to a minimum. We will assume a clearing crew of 20 men is clearing road right-of-way and the following facts are available: 1. Men are paid at the rate of $0. 40 per hour. 2. Time is measured from the time of leaving camp to the time of return. 3. Total walking time per man is increasing at the rate of 15 minutes per day. 4. The cost to move the camp is $50. If the camp is moved each day, no time is lost walking, but the camp cost is $50 per day.If the camp is not moved, on the second day 15 crew-minutes are lost or $2. 00. On the third day, the total walking time has increased 30 minutes, the fourth day, 45 minutes, and so on. How often should the camp be moved assuming all other things are equal? We could derive an algebraic expression using the sum of an arithmetic series if we wanted to solve this problem a number of times, but for demonstration purposes we can simply calculate the average total camp cost. The average total camp cost is the sum of the average daily cost of walking time plus the average daily cost of moving camp.If we moved camp each day, then average daily cost of walking time would be zero and the cost of moving camp would be $50. 00. If we moved the camp every other day, the cost of walking time is $2. 00 lost the second day, or an average of $1. 00 per day. The average daily cost of moving camp is $50 divided by 2 or $25. 00. The average total camp cost is then $26. 00. If we continued this process for various numbers of days the camp remains in location, we would obtain the results in Table 1. 1. TABLE 1. 1 Average daily total camp cost as the sum of the cost of walking time plus the cost of moving camp.Days camp remained in location| Average daily cost of walking time| Average daily cost of moving camp| Average total camp cost| 1| 0. 00| 50. 00| 50. 00| 2| 1. 00| 25. 00| 26. 00| 3| 2. 00| 16. 67| 18. 67| 4| 3. 00| 12. 50| 15. 50| 5| 4. 00| 10. 00| 14. 00| 6| 5. 00| 8. 33| 13. 33| 7| 6. 00| 7. 14| 13. 14| 8| 7. 00| 6. 25| 13. 25| 9| 8. 00| 5. 56| 13. 56| 10| 9. 00| 5. 00| 14. 00| We see the average daily cost of walking time increasing linearly and the average cost of moving camp decreasing as the number of days the camp remains in one location increases.The minimum cost is obta ined for leaving the camp in location 7 days (Figure 1. 2). This minimum cost point should only be used as a guideline as all other things are rarely equal. An important output of the analysis is the sensitivity of the total cost to deviations from the minimum cost point. In this example, the total cost changes slowly between 5 and 10 days. Often, other considerations which may be difficult to quantify will affect the decision. In Section 2, we discuss balancing road costs against skidding costs.Sometimes roads are spaced more closely together than that indicated by the point of minimum total cost if excess road construction capacity is available. In this case the goal may be to reduce the risk of disrupting skidding production because of poor weather or equipment availability. Alternatively, we may choose to space roads farther apart to reduce environmental impacts. Due to the usually flat nature of the total cost curve, the increase in total cost is often small over a wide range o f road spacings. Figure 1. 2 Costs for Camp Location Example.

A Night at Alpine Restaraunt on Thursday.

A Night at Alpine Restaraunt on Thursday. It is 6:30 p.m. and I have just arrived at home. Rushing to ready myself as fast as I can for several hours of line dancing, carousing and a scrumptious meal at the Alpine Restaurant in Torrance, CA. Now it is 7:00 p.m., and I have my mind set on a beef dip sandwich and a bowl of the best potato soup. My dad gives me a ride and drops me off at the front entrance of the restaurant at the Alpine Village.I kiss my dad good-bye and walk through the front doors. I pick up a schedule from the maitre'd and start walking across the restaurant to my favorite table. The schedule has a monthly listing of band performances that are also used as place mats at the dinner tables. To me, there is nothing like a Thursday night of dancing at the Alpine Restaurant with my friends.English: Line dancing at a Country Western Dance H...Of coarse, I do not make it all the way to my awaiting table. I see familiar faces along the way as most of my friends begin to surround me with their questions about colleg e and life. My friends are the "regulars", like myself. I give them all hugs as they compliment me on my dancing outfit. I love my friends, as they are like family to me. Most of them are old enough to be my grandparents, but I enjoy their company.I finally make it to my table where my closest friends are waiting for the music to begin. We are a combination of many different age groups and have never lost the art of knowing how to talk about life in real terms of endearment. Casey is 15; Lyno is 30; Tracy is 25; Roselyn is 19: Travis is 70; and my mom well...

Lab Report on Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption in Fish Essays

Lab Report on Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption in Fish Essays Lab Report on Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption in Fish Paper Lab Report on Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption in Fish Paper Within fish, the counter-current exchange system allows for the efficient extraction of oxygen from the water by the gills. Basically when a fish takes in water, the flow of it is opposite to the flow of blood. As they rush by each other oxygen from the water is given to the blood (metabolic rate is also effected in animals that remain active because tend to consume more oxygen than those at rest). The size of a fish is relevant to oxygen consumption as larger fish consume more oxygen overall than smaller fish. The primary objective of this experiment is to note the effects of temperature on the oxygen consumption and ventilation rates of goldfish. We hypothesize that the ventilation rate of those fish that are subjected to warmer water temperatures versus colder temperatures will have a higher ventilation rate. The Fish in the warm water will consume more oxygen than the fish in the cold water. Overall oxygen will be mostly consumed by the fish that are in the warm water. MATERIALS METHODS Split into groups of two, we were given Goldfish fairly similar in weight. We then transferred the fish to the appropriate jar from the beaker that was used to sigh them and added sufficient amounts of water to fill their capacities. After about 10 minutes, we hastily added the sponges to the jar pushing it halfway down the jar to assure no oxygen had entered the empty spaces between the water and the sponge. We then refilled the jars with the appropriate amounts of water and allowed a small amount to overflow. We then quickly placed the calibrated oxygen probes on and took the initial readings for the ventilation rate (Ventilations per minute), oxygen concentration (MGM/L) and temperature (co) for O minutes. Ventilation rates are in direct correlation with temperature. Graph II. Oxygen Concentration of Group and Class. Warm water shows a trend f less oxygen concentration while cold water shows a higher concentration of oxygen. Graph Ill. Oxygen Consumption of Group and Class. The trend shows that fishes consume more oxygen in warm water, except after the 30 min. Interval. DISCUSSION In Graph l, as predicted the fish in the warm water will have a higher rate of ventilation compared to fish in the cold water. The Class Mean of Ventilation Rates showed an overall significant difference where the fish in warm water has a high ventilation rate than the fish in the cold water. In Graph II, as predicted the fish in warm water used up more oxygen and thus ad a lesser concentration than the fish in the cold water as their body processes slow down and oxygen is conserved itself. There was an error as oxygen concentration increased after 30 minutes for the fish in warm water as some how it seemed as if more oxygen was added in the closed container. The result of the fish in the cold water, as predicted showed that oxygen gradually decreased which itself as the body processes of fish slowed down. In Graph Ill, in general the results showed that both the fish in our group and by the class standard had something go wrong as for the warm fish, oxygen munitions should have remained stable over periods of time, and the oxygen consumption of the fish in the warm water should have over all been higher as the fish in the cold water slow down their metabolic and respiratory processes. In both interpretation of the data, oxygen consumption increased and decreased repeatedly. Meaning oxygen was somehow added to the beaker containing the fish. This error may have happened through individual groups not properly securing that their sponge had no air bubbles within it, before replacing it back into the beaker with the water. This may have possibly been responsible for the Geiger concentration of oxygen therefore interfering with our results. Also for every group their opposing fish in similar weight, were not identically the same size, each fish was a mere estimate one another. This may have tempered results as fish that are generally larger in size consume more oxygen. As a fish ventilates, it absorbs oxygen and within a closed chamber (as conducted by this experiment) the amount of oxygen present decreases. Metabolic rates depend on temperature. As temperature increases the rate of oxygen consumption increases too, although an increase in temperature demands efficient amount of oxygen. ABSTRACT Oxygen is just as fundamentally vital for fishes as it is for the well-being of Humans. In this Lab we examined if varying the temperature of the water had caused a change in the ventilation rate and oxygen consumption of Goldfish. In this experiment we hoped to demonstrate the effect of temperature variance on the ventilation rates of Goldfish. This was done by having two fish (similar in weight) respectively placed in tanks of differing water temperature. One tank filled with water 25 degrees Celsius (room temperature) and another tank with eater of 15 degrees Celsius. We then measured ventilation rate and oxygen consumption. The results showed that the fish placed in the warmer water had a higher ventilation rate than those that were placed in the colder water. They also expended more oxygen having lesser concentration than the fish in the colder water. There is however, a probability of error. Firstly, because our fish were not completely identical in weight and secondly, when placing the sponge into the jar containing fish there may have still been oxygen bubbles within it that may have manipulated our results.

How to Choose a Content Management System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to Choose a Content Management System - Essay Example Overcomplicated, end-to-end packages can as much as quintuple site operational costs over human labor alternatives. Unfortunately, the breadth of many vendors' all too-inclusive 'silver-bullet solution' vision has left these companies struggling with platform lock-in, overengineered site infrastructures, exorbitant technical maintenance costs, and per-business-user costs averaging as much as $25,000 per year." Investing in this technology is not cheap; an enterprise-wide system such as Interwoven can cost over $300,0005 to purchase. Open-source solutions such as Zope may save on license fees but will have development and maintenance costs too. Common problems include overspending on the platform, poorly implemented search solutions6 and manually updating content - all of which undermines ROI and TCO. WebSideStory's paper addresses a real training need by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches to CMS implementation and identifying how to leverage the technology to add value to the business. The paper is positioned to inform and persuade the reader that internet-based subscription CMS will prove to have the lowest TCO and ROI of any of the 4 approaches for implementing CMS (manual, automated, subscription o

Shifting cultural attitudes towards smoking Essay

Shifting cultural attitudes towards smoking - Essay Example Attitudes towards smoking have undergone considerable changes over the past six decades. In the 1950s, there was minimal, if any, awareness amongst the population regarding the effects of smoking.In fact smoking became a common practice amongst physicians after the World War I. Doctors did not warn people against engaging in smoking, active or passive; some of them were even involved in the promotion of the tobacco industry without disclosing the deleterious nature of smoking (Novella). Advertising companies employed such tactics to make people believe that smoking was not harmful since a large proportion of the doctors smoked. In fact doctors used to recommend patients to smoke to pacify their nerves as exemplified by the advertisements of Camel cigarettes â€Å"If you are acting grumpy, then have a smoke and mellow out† (Hoover). Advertisements in the 1940s and 1950s used to reflect the same consumer trend. In one such advertisement, a doctor is questioned â€Å"what brand of cigarettes do you smoke, doctor?† (Novella). Novella observes that the 1950s represented a paternalistic relationship between the doctor and the patient. The doctor used to be the final authority and no one used to doubt his judgment. However the 1950s saw a change in the cultural attitudes towards smoking. This change is attributable to the completion of three significant epidemiological studies which concluded a strong relationship between smoking and cancer.... According to Job Fowles, a Harvard University Graduate, by analyzing six advertisements between 1940 and 2000, one can appreciate how subtly advertising has encouraged youth to initiate smoking. One of the reasons why such advertisements have been successful is because they tend to create the impression that smoking can provide what the youth are looking for. Typically, these advertisements have attracted the youth by promoting that they deliver prominence and a means of escape and affiliation to the youth; this has been at least the case for the earlier smoking advertisements. An advertisement of Philip Morris in 1956, for example, focused more on how younger generation, having â€Å"fresher, unspoiled tastes† are able to appreciate the â€Å"gentleness and delicate flavor† of the cigarettes (Media Awareness Network). Marlboro, in 1955, started featuring well-built men with tattooed arms and the 1960s saw the company showing cowboys and the American West. A lot of mone y was put into the advertisements of tobacco by tobacco companies, working towards making people believe that smoking was a trendy and fashionable thing. Smoking was classy and enjoyable and was expected to provide sex appeal, style and longevity (Chickenhead Productions). Indy Speedway reviewed the changes in cigarette advertisements over the past few decades. According to it, Camel cigarettes introduced the images of men and commercialized their toughness even in the 1970s. They emphasized on the uniqueness and physical appearance of the men. The advertisements of Camel cigarettes also featured women, admiring the men, and every advertisement used to have a different woman staring at the men. Indy