7 Principle of Supply Chain Management - 2905 Words

7 Principles of Supply Chain Management 1. Introduction Before we are to analysis this article, first let us clarify something before we start .In this article, it states the 7 principles of supply chain management and its importance in practical ,many of us must have a question, what is a supply chain management and why is it important for a company today ? Supply chain management (SCM) is the process that is used by a company to ensure that its supply chain is efficient and cost effective. They are aiming at provide the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the lowest possible cost through management of material and information flow in the supply chain .It requires the commitment of supply chain partners to work closely to†¦show more content†¦So what is variability? Variability is basically the difference between what we expect from something and what actually happens. It is the statistical distribution of outcomes one can expect from a process. Another is to simultaneously provide high levels of responsiveness and efficiency. In order to maximize sales and profits, companies may choose to use different methods to serve customers .Some products within a portfolio could be served through an efficient supply chain while others are served through a responsive supply chain. For example, a chip company manufacturing two diffe rent types of chips which are normal one and high-tech chips .company may deliver their normal chips through efficiency supply chain and deliver their high-tech chips through highly responsive supply chain. This is what we can understand as segment products through its features .One segment is for normal products which are predictable and another for high-tech products which is unpredictable .Company can through monitor the different segments to set different forecasting and stocking policies. In the 1990s Dell revolutionized both the computer industry and supply chain management with its direct-to-consumer business model. For the past several years, however, the companyShow MoreRelated7 Principle of Supply Chain Management2892 Words   |  12 Pages7 Principles of Supply Chain Management 1. Introduction Before we are to analysis this article, first let us clarify something before we start .In this article, it states the 7 principles of supply chain management and its importance in practical ,many of us must have a question, what is a supply chain management and why is it important for a company today ? Supply chain management (SCM) is the process that is used by a company to ensure that its supply chain is efficient and cost effective. TheyRead MoreSuperior Supply Chain Management Of Li And Fung Ltd1052 Words   |  5 PagesSuperior supply chain management in Li and Fung Ltd Li and Fung Ltd are a global supply chain management business based in Hong Kong. They are the world’s leading consumer goods sourcing and logistics company. Li and Fung Ltd have 5 steps they follow to be successful leaders in their field. These steps are, ‘We collaborate’ with our customers to meet their individual needs. ‘We Innovate’ and develop products and customize services for our customers. ‘We source’ our great products from supplies all aroundRead MoreSuppliers And Supply Chain Management1580 Words   |  7 PagesASSIGNMENT #1:Suppliers and Supply chain management Submitted by Vishnu Gandhamaneni Student Id: 30129773 LECTURER TUTOR: Mr. Gopi Krishna Akella â€Æ' Table of content 1.Abstract 3 2.Introduction 3 3.Basic principles of SCM 4 4.Advantages of SCM 4 5.Problems on SCM 5 6.Solutions of SCM 5 7.Case study description 6 8.Conclusion 8 9.References 9â€Æ' A Complete Study of Suppliers and Supply Chain Management in E-Commerce Vishnu GandhamaneniRead MoreSainsburys Supply Chain Transformation Case Study Examination604 Words   |  3 Pagesdecided to commence a project called 7-in-3 supply chain management project in late 2000. Companys Supply Chain Director, Martin White, summarized the 4 key principles of 7-in-3 supply chain strategy. Rises of automated fulfillment factories and primary consolidation centre. Due to Sainsburys competitor - ASDA is moving forward aggressively, Sainsburys top management noticed that ASDA has an information system that provided a more efficient supply chain. This system pleased customers, improvingRead MoreSupply Chain Standards For Supply Chains1564 Words   |  7 PagesSetting Supply Chain Standards to Improve Supply Chain Management In 2002 congress considered legislation authorizing $47 million to help develop supply chain integration standards. Since the introduction of the bill to integrate supply chains, The legislation, The Enterprise Integration Act of 2002, was enacted to authorize the National Institute of Standard and Technology to work with major manufacturing industries on an initiative of standards development and implementation for electronic enterpriseRead MoreMaterials Management Proposal1445 Words   |  6 PagesMaterials Management Proposal Laura Dean 2/7/2011 Materials Management Proposal Materials and operations management play a crucial role in the success of any organization. Of particular importance to the materials and operations divisions is management’s complete understanding of the hospitals functions as a whole entity. After reading this paper, one will understand the importance of materials management and operations management as well as how both departments must work together to ensureRead MoreThe article describes about the supply chain management and various activities and programmes800 Words   |  4 PagesThe article describes about the supply chain management and various activities and programmes involved in supply chain management. The author even explains different phases in the evolution of supply chain management. Mainly focuses on the 7 principals which bring host of competitive advantage to the company. Andersen consulting listed all the 7 principles and briefly explained them. The role of logistic professionals and the use of techn ology in the implementation of the system. The relation betweenRead MoreAnalysis Of Calls Supply Chain Nirvana1286 Words   |  6 Pages1. Develop a list of about five to eight key principles that management should follow to achieve what the author calls supply chain nirvana. In essence, serve as a supply chain consultant to top management of a firm which has definitely NOT achieved supply chain nirvana. Briefly explain the logic underlying each principle and, if relevant for a given principle, explain why many firms tend to violate that principle or fail to implement it successfully. Perhaps you are familiar with a particularRead MoreProcess Flow Supply Chain Management1528 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: PROCESS FLOW: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROCESS FLOW: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) Clifford Butler Operation Management November 1, 2009 Table of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 The Internet-based supply chain system for mass customized markets†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 The role of electronic data interchange (EDI) and the Internet in supply chain integration..†¦...5 WhyRead MoreThe Impact of Human Resource and Operational Management Practices on Company Productivity: a Longitudinal Study790 Words   |  4 PagesArticle 1: The Impact of Human Resource and Operational Management Practices on Company Productivity: A Longitudinal Study Dana Cuffee BSA 523 Operations Management and Analysis August 31, 2009 Dr. Woo This article talks about human resource and the operational management practices on a company productivity. This paper reports on the study that evaluates the individual and collective impact on manufacturing performance of the seven managerial practices most associated with

Black Americans During The Civil War - 1732 Words

Between the years 1900 and 1919, Black Americans were able to see very few but significant changes in terms of the social, political and economic condition. In December 1865, eight months after the Civil War ended, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was adopted: slavery was abolished. However, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the majority of white Americans continued to strongly believe in ‘racist theories of black biological inferiority’ and therefore were able to justify the need for segregation and the ideology of discrimination between black and white people. This treatment of African American communities led to limitations in terms of public health, poor health status and medical and social problems.†¦show more content†¦Looking further down the historical timeline, it is also worth considering the fact that the struggle for equality continued for many decades after and for many black Americans life continued to be very difficul t without the same access to basic facilities and living conditions. Therefore, the significant changes during this period should be viewed more as being a small step towards the struggle for black freedom and equality. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, African Americans were suffering under ‘Jim Crow’ laws in the South. This law meant that there were segregated restaurants, hotels, hospitals, rail roads, schools and even hospitals. Black Americans were also ‘effectively’ stopped from voting as a result of the introduction of a law which required a literacy test and a poll tax. This meant that you had to pay and be able to read in order to have been able to vote. White Americans were exempted from either one of the tests by the â€Å"grandfather clause†. This clause meant that you were able to vote if you could show any evidence of the fact that your grandfather had also voted. As it was very difficult for many black Americans to show any evidence of their ancestors, to have the ability to

Censoring South Park examples Essay Example For Students

Censoring South Park examples Essay Dick Cavett, a famous American talk show host, once said, â€Å"Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself.† Censorship limits free speech, and it is used constantly today. In South Park’s situation, the writers use logic and evidence to express their opinions on controversial issues, and people think that it should be censored. Just because the show uses morally questionable techniques, does not mean that it is useless. In fact, South Park has taught people a lot; it changes our point of view and encourages us to think deeply about the issues at hand while simultaneously making us laugh. For people unfamiliar with South Park, it is an animated comedy television which airs on Comedy Central. The show revolves around four children living in a small Colorado town and their adventures. South Park has received harsh criticism for its profanity, violence, and offensiveness, but these claims are exaggerated and outweighed by South Parks use of satirical comedy which educates its audience about current events and moral values. Some viewers of South Park have deemed the show to be vulgar and think that it should not have been made. Critics say that young children are watching the show, and they are developing dirty mouths. The episode, It Hits the Fan, was notably criticized for its use of the word â€Å"shit. † South Park kept a tally of how many times the word was used, and the number reached 162. The Parents Television Council, an advocacy group aimed at stopping harmful television programming, is one of the main forces behind censoring South Park. They also criticized South Park for its use of the racial slur, nigger, during the episode With Apologies to Jesse Jackson. Groups like The Parents Television . .ression just because it is not politically correct. Critics of South Park are in denial of what the world is because the world itself is not politically correct. People want to make the world seem like it is not as bad as it is. In the real world, profanity is spoken, violence happens, and racism is committed. South Park shows us what the real world is and how we should deal with it. Works CitedIt Hits the Fan. South Park. Comedy Central: 20 Jun 2001. Television. 9 Oct 2011. Proper Condom Use. South Park. Comedy Central: 1 Aug 2001. Television. 9 Oct 2011. Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants. South Park. Comedy Central: 7 Nov 2001. Television. 9 Oct 2011. With Apologies to Jesse Jackson. South Park. Comedy Central: 7 Mar 2007. Television. 9 Oct 2011. Trapped in the Closet. South Park. Comedy Central: 16 Nov 2005. Television. 9 Oct 2011.

Research Paper on Medical Technology Essay Example

Research Paper on Medical Technology Essay Medical digitized records, powerful imaging devices, small sophisticated tools – medical technology plays an important role in modern healthcare system and significantly alter the provision of care. The world of medical technology is vast. It includes all the medicines, instruments, procedures, and support systems necessary to provide care. Recognized medical experts indicate that medicine become increasingly dependent on the technology. They already became a part of hospitals and even invade our homes. According to the experts, the technologies are used in all medical fields. Doctors and specialists use them both for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as well as for the rehabilitation or home care. For example, doctors use vaccines to prevent disease outbreaks, medical imaging for early detection, or laboratory tests and screening for diagnoses. In addition, there are supporting technologies, such as sterilization, and those relating to infrastructure of hospitals, particularly for ensuring the power supply in case of failure. Without this technology, about 80% of care could not be provided. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Medical Technology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Medical Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Medical Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Medical technology is often associated with big expensive devices such as scanners, the magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine imaging systems. However, these devices represent only a small part of the medical arsenal of a health facility. The park equipment also includes thousands of small instruments and medical devices. It is in this area where there is the largest number of innovations. In many other sectors there are important technological advances, including laboratory analysis. For example, development in genetic testing allows to predict the risk of certain cancer types. Drug technologies also demonstrate considerable progress. Today, drugs are used not only to treat patients, but also to prevent diseases, reduce symptoms, and improve quality of life for people with chronic disease. This change affects spending on drugs. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the cost of drugs has increased from 288 million in 1975 to six billion thirty years later, which represents 22% of health spending in Quebec. In short, if medical technologies improve the quality of health care and health care delivery, they also pose many challenges to be faced. As it was mentioned above, medical technology plays today a very important role in healthcare system. Students, who want to write their research project on medical technology, have to thoroughly study the origins and evolution of the phenomenon. They will have to find and process a great deal of information from reliable and verified sources and present clearly their own ideas on the matter. If you want to write a good research proposal, you have to take advantage of free sample research papers on medical technology. These free papers can guide you through the complex process of scientific text writing and show you how to structure your paper. Are you looking for a top-notch custom written research paper on Medical Technology topics? Is confidentiality as important to you as the high quality of the product? Try our writing service at EssayLib.com! We can offer you professional assistance at affordable rates. Our experienced PhD and Master’s writers are ready to take into account your smallest demands. We guarantee you 100% authenticity of your paper and assure you of dead on time delivery. Proceed with the order form: Please, feel free to visit us at EssayLib.com and learn more about our service!

Sports Role in Your Life free essay sample

What role do sports play in your life? An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature To the typical person this Is what a sport Is; however I have a different Interpretation of the word. Throughout the years of my life sports have transformed from an extra curricular activity to a way of life. What sport you play defines who you are as a person and enhances your credibility in a social setting. Also it demonstrates certain traits that you have acquired through the experience.Intellectual, endurance, determination, competition, dedication, cohesion, pride and hope Are inspirational words I would use to define what a sport means. Each definition has a direct relation to my experiences playing the sport of field hockey and soccer. Being enrolled as a young child has given me the opportunity to be exposed to a productive way to have a healthy lifestyle. We will write a custom essay sample on Sports Role in Your Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Today the world Is a competitive place -sports taught me to strive and compete for what I want out of life.By being Introduced to competition at a young age, I am able to pursue my dreams and prepare me for pot secondary education. This makes me a stronger person by giving me the skills to prosper in todays society. Being healthy is a big part of my life. In my youth sports was essential contributor to mum lifestyle of exercise and eating right. As well as introducing me to alternative ways to stay fit. Sports have not only influenced me physical but spiritually also.If you re satisfied with yourself on the outside it influences you to have a positive outlook of yourself on the inside. This can lead to finding true happiness. Stress Is a mall contributor to casualties In North America. The highest proscribed medicine In Canada Is Anta Depressants such as Approach. These types of drugs are highly proscribed to teens. For me I use sports as my anta depressant. Being able to control each executed move on the field and by being given a challenge calms my soul.

Free Essays on History Of The Internet

In 1964, the RAND proposal was put forward. Written by Paul Baran, this proposal stated the principles of a new network which was to be built for maximum strength and flexibility. This new network would have no central authority. The principles of this network were that all the nodes would be equal in status and each could send and receive messages. All the messages would be sent in packets, each with its own address. These packets would be sent at one node and would arrive at another one. This may seem rather obvious, but what was new was that the way the packets went through the net was not important. That means that if one node was destroyed, the rest of the nodes would still be able to communicate. This is of course was inefficient and rather slow, but extremely reliable. The Internet still uses this method nowadays, and there has been only one collective crash so far. The Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) wanted to install an advanced network based on the principles in the US. The network was called ARPANET and consisted of four high speed computers (nodes). In 1969, the first node was installed in UCLA. By 1971 there were 23 nodes on ARPANET. In 1972 the first e-mail program was created by Ray Tomlinson of BBN. He chose the @ symbol to link the username to the address. Telnet protocol allowed logging on to a distant computer. It was published as Request for Comments (RFC). These were means of sharing developmental work throughout the network community. Instead of using the ARPANET for long distance computing, the scientists used it for communicating with each other. Each user had his/her own e-mail address. In 1973, â€Å"Development began on the protocol later to be called TCP/IP, it was developed by a group headed by Vinton Cerf from Stanford and Bob Kahn from DARPA. This new protocol was to allow diverse computer networks to interconnect and communicate with each other (Kristula 1974-1983).†... Free Essays on History Of The Internet Free Essays on History Of The Internet In 1964, the RAND proposal was put forward. Written by Paul Baran, this proposal stated the principles of a new network which was to be built for maximum strength and flexibility. This new network would have no central authority. The principles of this network were that all the nodes would be equal in status and each could send and receive messages. All the messages would be sent in packets, each with its own address. These packets would be sent at one node and would arrive at another one. This may seem rather obvious, but what was new was that the way the packets went through the net was not important. That means that if one node was destroyed, the rest of the nodes would still be able to communicate. This is of course was inefficient and rather slow, but extremely reliable. The Internet still uses this method nowadays, and there has been only one collective crash so far. The Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) wanted to install an advanced network based on the principles in the US. The network was called ARPANET and consisted of four high speed computers (nodes). In 1969, the first node was installed in UCLA. By 1971 there were 23 nodes on ARPANET. In 1972 the first e-mail program was created by Ray Tomlinson of BBN. He chose the @ symbol to link the username to the address. Telnet protocol allowed logging on to a distant computer. It was published as Request for Comments (RFC). These were means of sharing developmental work throughout the network community. Instead of using the ARPANET for long distance computing, the scientists used it for communicating with each other. Each user had his/her own e-mail address. In 1973, â€Å"Development began on the protocol later to be called TCP/IP, it was developed by a group headed by Vinton Cerf from Stanford and Bob Kahn from DARPA. This new protocol was to allow diverse computer networks to interconnect and communicate with each other (Kristula 1974-1983).†...

Justice in the United Arab Emirates (law enforcement ) Research Paper

Justice in the United Arab Emirates (law enforcement ) - Research Paper Example However, the norms related to compliance, accountability and justice are more or less uniform despite the differences. Factors such as independence, transparency of the regulating bodies, negligence and abuse by officials responsible for ensuring justice, etc., play a key role in determining the success or failure of the law enforcement systems. This paper on justice in the United Arab Emirates discusses the status and composition of law enforcement in the region and compares the same with the United States. â€Å"Our system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in our religion, and is based on Gods book, the Holy Quran. ... its teachings are eternal and complete, while the systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete.† Islam is an official religion in the UAE and holds a position of key importance within its constitution. Religion in the U.A.E., holds significant jurisprudence in the middle eastern states and the Sharia Law is the key basis of legal legislations in the middle east. The criminal justice system in the U.A.E., is composed of a two-fold regime which includes the Sharia Law - governed by Islamic legal doctrines and is based on the Holy Quran; the sayings of Prophet Mohammed (known as the Hadith); the juristic consensus arrived at by prominent religious scholars i.e. the Ulema; and the method of reasoning by analogy i.e. the Qiyas. The civil justice system on the other hand, is governed by concepts and ideologies on criminal law derived from the western world (Mostyn, 1982). The Sharia law is mostly applied to matters of personal concern and only the citizens are covered under this law, i.e. the punishments under this law are applicable to the citizens of the U.A.E., while expats and foreigners are referred to and dealt with under the criminal justice system which applies concepts and ideologies derived from western legal laws. The legal system in the U.A.E. is based on its constitution

Sources and Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sources and Writing - Assignment Example Approximately 200 ethnic origins are found in Canada, according to the 2013 National Household Surveys. 13 other ethnic groups have a population of more than one million people (Edward, 2014). The recent immigrant population is relatively young. Since 2006, 58.6% of the immigrants belonged to the 25-54 working age group. Canada entails a linguistically diversified country. The country is increasingly being multilingual, due to the increasing immigrants who do not understand English or French. 72.8% of the immigrant population illustrates mother tongue which is not English or French. Two thirds of the Canadian population is Christian (Doug, 2011). But, the immigration patterns illustrates the increasing levels of individuals with several other religious beliefs; for instance, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhists. Before the 1970s, majority of the immigrants to Canada were from European countries like United Kingdom, Italy and Netherlands. Presently, the levels of European immigrants have drastically reduced (Brooks, 2013). Canada entails multicultural society that has an ethno-cultural composition that has been developed by immigrants over

Dreaming has been there since the existence of man Essay Example for Free

Dreaming has been there since the existence of man Essay Dreaming is a communication between the body, mind and the spirit in a symbolic communicative environmental state of being. Our brains being active way all the time, but at different states of consciousness example, being alert, awake, asleep, bored, day dreaming cause different waves in brain as far as the activity is concerned. The brain mind and spirit, while at rest (when a person is sleeping) will review and analyses many things. This goes around emotions, ideas, thoughts, actions of a short terms memory. This has a background of someone’s past life, and philosophy to influence it. The mind is also processing spiritual data, beliefs, and any communication from the higher power (God). All this information together with subconscious of what people ever told you, is then processed but without supervision by any person. All this information is put together by the mind in a form of Visual Screen play, as a mixture of many things such as sight, sound, emotion and imagined interactivity. This will definitely yield that which is referred to as dreams. Dreaming is easily influenced by factors in a person’s life and spirit, these influences bring about divisions that almost same as God’s. They are usually categorized as standard, prophetic, nightmares and physical dreams. Standard dreams have a tendency of precognition happening randomly. Prophetic ones are those dreams carrying a message of what is going to happen in the future. It could be calling for repentance, change of behavior or getting prepared for an on coming disaster. Nightmares are sort of dreams that will frighten or upset the dream and it may take some time before someone gets back to sleep after having a nightmare. This is why dreaming is such a important thing because sometimes it may bring wealth, health, escape, spiritual gain etc. if dreaming is taken seriously, that is if people could get to concentrate and remember their dreams, there could be very important messages hidden in the dreams. Dreaming may be important to remember and I will discuss a few ways that would help a person interested in recalling their dreams do so. It is believed that if you get to bed a well relaxed person, pay attention to the main issues on the mind, give yourself a suggestion/idea to remember your dreams, plan to wake up slowly and peacefully such that you don’t lost track of the dream you may have had by rocketing out of the bed; then most likely you will manage to recall the dreams you had in the night. It is also suggested that each a well balanced diet will help recall your dreams this is for the reason that all parts of the body including the brain is well nourished with a healthy diet. Once the person recalls the dream, it is important to analyze it. This can be done by identifying the main concept of the dream. This will involve taking away all details and looking at the dream as a whole. Concepts are for helping someone find the bigger picture and since they are too vague to use as a clear picture it is important then to take away details that appear vague and be left with the very central picture. Once this is done then it is important to match the concept to a certain area of your life. Try to see if there any element of your life that seems very precious to you, and then look if there is any possibility of it being damaged in any way as far as the dreams is concerned. If the answer is that there could be damage to your life, then re-examine the situation and the solution might just present itself to you. Dreaming and its meaning are somehow related to animals and other universal symbols. Animals are sometimes symbolizing our traits, good or bad. Vehicles are to symbolize the direction we are headed. Children may symbolize something new and joyous while clothing may symbolize moods which are also related to attitudes we usually have. While dreaming about death may be common and scaring it is believed to bring changes and very dramatic and major ones. It may symbolize confronting fear of change or fear of death. It could also signify threat. Another common dream is that involving people. This may be a symbol of a personal trait as long as the dream is not prophetic.

Amitraz Poisoning Management | Case Study

Amitraz Poisoning Management | Case Study Title of the article: Amitraz Poisoning – A rare pesticide Poisoning Abstract: Amitraz, an insecticide/acaricide of the formamidine pesticide group, is a alpha 2 adrenergic agonist used to a great extent in veterinary and agricultural products for the treatment of ectoparasitic manifestations. In the current article we report the findings of a case of 22 year old female who consumed about 50 ml Amitraz poison by oral route as a suicidal attempt. On arrival to Emergency Department the patient presented in deep comatose state, respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, miosis, hypothermia, and hyperglycemia.she recovered completely within 48 hours with adequate supportive care. The case report throws considerable light on the management of Amitraz poisoning, good prognosis with early recognition, initial stabilisation, reducing absorption, supportive management with Iv fluids, airway management, monitoring urine output and other supportive care, very few cases of intoxications in human beings due to the pesticide have been published in literature It has be come imparative to intruct the pesticide manufacturers to initiate suitable measures to decrease the incidence of Amitraz poisoning by prominent and clear warning labels on the containers and potential hazards of the compound. Key-words: Amitraz; poisoning ; alpha 2 adrenergic agonist; miosis Key Messages [D1]: Introduction Amitraz, a triazapentadiene compound and a member of the amidine chemical family is a formamidine pesticides which is increasingly being used as an insecticide and an acaricide to control animal ectoparasites [1-3]. The formulations available for chemical use contain 12.5-50% in an organic solvent called xylene, which itself is used in plant cleaners and glues[4].Amitraz is a Alpha 2 adrenergic agonist stimulating alpha 2 adrenergic receptors in the Central Nervous System(CNS).and both alpha 1 and alpha 2 adrenergic receptors in the periphery. Poisoning occurs throgh oral, inhalational (the mostpotential), and dermal routes and is accompanied by numerous signs and symptoms varying from CNS depression (drowsiness, coma, and convulsion), to miosis, or rarely, mydriasis, respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, hypothermia or fever, hyperglycemia, polyuria, vomiting, decreased gastrointestinal motility, and intestinal distension [4].Adverse effects and side effects have been re ported in animals exposed to the product : however only few cases of human toxication have been published in Indian literature. we present a young female patient with Amitraz poisoning who was conservatively managed with complete recovery hence significantly contributing to the limited human toxicological data. Case History[D2]: An 22 year old female was brought to our Emergency Department (ED) with a history of suicidal consumption of about 50 ml Amitraz poison eight hours before being brought to our ED, her first symptom had begun about 30 minutes post ingesion and included nausea and vomiting, thus she was taken to a hospital in their locality where intravenous crystalloids were started and referred to our centre. On arrival to our department the patient was deeply comatose with a GCS scale of 4/15. Her pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and temperature were 50/min, blood pressure was 92/64 mm of Hg, 16/minand 36.8 degree celsius respectively. On examination of CNS her pupil were bilaterally constricted, all four limbs had hypotonia and there was bilateral flexor plantar response. Other systemic examination were normal, there was no exessive oral secretions or any fasciculations.Gastric lavage with activated charcoal was given and patients airway was secured with endotracheal intubation due to l ow GCS.she was then admitted to ICU for further management her lab tests (Complete blood count, serum electrolytes, renal function tests, liver function tests), serum pseudocholinestrase levels, electrocardiography, routine urine tests and chest xray were normal except glucose level of 192 mg/dl.A urine test for drugs of abuse was negative and blood alcohol levels were normal. Ct brain plain was done which was normal.She was treated with supportive care in the ICU with IV Flluids, respiratory and cardiac monitoring, Atropine (once 2mg stat) was adminitered for transient bradycardia.over the next 24 hours she gradually improved and was extubated. Her vitals signs were Heart rate of 70/min and blood pressure was 110/70 mm of Hg. By the following day she was completely concious and was able to answer the question and she was shifted to general ward and was discharged after consultation with a psychiatrist. Discussion: Amitraz is increasingly being used worldwide in veterinary and agricultural products for the treatment of ectoparasitic manifestations. Formamidines show reversible toxic effects on both animals and humans [1]. The present knowledge about Amitraz and Foramine pesticides is usually built on animal studies as the available human intoxication is limited. It can cause poisoning in animals and humans via oral, inhalational or dermal routes. The toxicity from this poisoning can be attributed both Amitraz and the solvent, xylene. Although the ingested dose of Amitraz can not be determined because it is diluted 1 part in 500 before usage. The acute oral medical lethal dose(LD50) for the rats is 800/kg body weight.[3, 4]. The clinical features of this poisoning reported in previous reports include CNS depression, drowsiness, vomiting, miosis, bradycardia, hypotension, and hyperglycemia. The duration of CNS depression has ranged from a few hours to 24 h [4]. CNS symptoms began within 120-180 m inutes and resolved within 12-24 hrs in our case. Sedative effects of ÃŽ ±2-agonists are dose dependent[1]. Coma, absence of light reflex, and respiratory failure are due to the ingestion of greater amounts of amitraz supporting its dose-dependent effects. Our patient was fully conscious after 48hrs. This time has been reported to be 2-48 h in previous reports. The effect of amitraz on ÃŽ ±1– and ÃŽ ±2-receptors causes bradycardia [5]. In addition, literature reported hyperglycemia, hypotension, and bradycardia in amitraz poisoning and attributed them to the alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist action of amitraz [6]. In our case, bradycardia was also present accompanying with miosis. Co-existence of bradycardia, miosis, and the respiratory depression leads to confusion with organophosphate or opioid poisonings, both of which should be excluded. Using atropine for treatment of bradycardia is controversial. Most studies, however, have reported atropine to resolve both miosis and bradycardia. Atropine is the first line therapy for the bradycardia resulted from vagal stimulation and atrioventricular blocks. Alpha-2 adrenergic drugs can also cause bradycardia by stimulating the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve. Studies have shown that atropine increases the heart rate and prevents Amitraz induced bradycardia in Animals(2). In our patient atropine was given once with the adult dose. Amitraz and its active metabolites inhibits insulin and stimulate glucagon secretion, hyperglycemia was detected in our case as reported in previous studies by Demirel and colleagues[7] Kalyoncu and colleagues have reported hyponatremia in their three cases[9], Usually BUN, creatinine, serum sodium and potassium do not change with this poisoning, in our case creatinine, serum potassium and sodium were normal. Kalyoncu and associates have reported respiratory alkalosis in two, respiratory acidosis in three and metabolic acidosis in five cases[9], in our patient the analysis of blood gases were normal. Avsarogullari et al reported hyperglycemia and fast deterioration of the patients with amitraz poisoning(within 5 minutes of ingestion of toxin)[8] Whenever a patient presents with bradycardia and miosis, organophosphorus compound poisoning should be considered as a differential diagnosis a along with Amitraz. Other signs and symptoms of organophosphorus compound should be looked for and a cholinesterase level should be done. Amitraz levels in blood was not done because it was unavailable at our institute and other referral laboratories. It is made clear that the basic approach to a patient with amitraz poisoning involves initial stabilisation, reducing absorption and increasing elimination of the toxin. there is no specific antidote[2] medical management involves supportive measures like gastric lavage, activated charcoal administration and securing the airway. Depending on the patients condition additional measures like oxygen supplementation or mechanical ventilation for respiratory depression, atropine for severe bradycardia, intravenous fluids and vasopressors for hypotension, diazepam or lorazepam for seizures. This case report throws considerable light on the management of Amitraz poisoning, good prognosis with early recognition and timely supportive management as the available human toxicological data are limited. When appropriate timely supportive treatment is given, Amitraz intoxication in humans caries a low morbidity and mortality inspite of rapidly progressing and life threatening clinical picture. It has become imperative to instruct the pesticide manufacturers to initiate suitable measures to decrease the incidence of Amitraz poisoning  by placing prominent and clear warning labels on containers. References[D3]: Queiroz-Neto A, Zamur GSC, Carregar O AB, 182 Motoqueiro MI, Harkins JD, Tobin T. Characterization of the 183 antinociceptive and sedative effect of amitraz in horses. J Vet 184 Pharmacol Ther 1998; 21:400-5. 1852. Agin H, Calkavur S, Uzun H, Bak M. Amitraz poisoning: clinical and laboratory findings. Indian Pediatr 2004; 41:482-6. Eizadi-Mood N, Sabzghabaee AM, Gheshlaghi F, Yaraghi A. Amitraz Poisoning Treatment: Still Supportive? Iran J Pharmaceut Res 2011; 10:155-8. Shitole DG, Kulkarni RS, Sathe SS, Rahate PR. Amitraz poisoning-an unusual pesticide poisoning. J Assoc Physicians India 2010; 58:317-9. Jorens PG, Zandijk E, Belmans L, Schepens PJ, Bossaert LL. An unusual poisoning with the unusual pesticide amitraz. Hum Exp Toxicol 1997; 16:600-1. Jones RD. Xylene/amitraz: a pharmacologic review and profile. Vet Hum Toxicol 1990; 32:446-8. Demirel Y, Yilmaz A, Gursoy S, Kaygusuz K, Mimaroglu C. Acute amitraz intoxication: retrospective analysis of 45 cases. Hum Exp Toxicol 2006; 25:613-7. Avsarogullari L, Ikizceli I, Sungur M, Sà ¶zà ¼er E, Akdur O, Yà ¼cei M. Acute amitraz poisoning in adults: clinical features, laboratory findings, and management. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2006; 44:19-23. Kalyoncu M, Dilber E, Okten A. Amitraz intoxication in children in the rural Black Sea region: analysis of forty-three patients. Hum Exp Toxicol 2002; 21:269-72. [D1]1 Provide appropriate messages of about 35-50 words to be printed in centre box [D2]1 Include the tables/charts at appropriate places in the text it self. Do not include images in the text. Mark the point of insertion of images (e.g. Figure 1) along with the legends. Send the images separately as jpeg files (not larger than 100 kb each) [D3]1 Follow the punctuation marks carefully. Do not include unnecessary bibliographic elements such as issue number, month of publication, etc. Include names of six authors followed by et al if there are more than six authors.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

IntroductionIn today ‘s metropoliss, interior decorators are faced with the corporate creative activity of a incorporate model for new development, out-of-door environmental rivals. Designer ‘s part is frequently to go after the fact, beauty intervention and maltreatment of patients is to make infinites for public utilizing program in the first topographic point. In the urban development procedure as usual landscape located in an stray object, instead than as streets, squares, big portion of the edifice construction, and possible unfastened infinite. ( Roger Trancik,1986 ) Therefore, how to put up the infinite in most environments today was the of import issue.Botching the metropolisGuggenheim Museum Bilbao – Bilbao, SpainIt is one of the universe ‘s most celebrated edifices ; which is an attractive and impressive architectural plants in many ways. Unfortunately, as a public infinite, it is really successful – and even unsafe. Dramatic beauty and sculpture edifice, Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, monumentally for successful as a landmark edifice attempts, and besides has attracted people ‘s attending on Bilbao metropolis. However, the undertaking has failed as a public infinite, losing an of import chance to observe and back up the cultural and community life that will throb throughout of the metropolis. Highlight the centre of Bilbao which located near the waterfront, the edifice disrupted metropolis life, as an abuse to a prosaic who is willing to utilize anything more than other constructing goggling at this topographic point. Frank Gehry, the designer who designed the museum, seem to fear that support, or even acknowledged that human activity and the surrounding edifices. The museum is likely to convey people to Bilbao, but it is merely reduced the civic and cultural life, that is doing people proud to hold their life in metropoliss. In add-on, as a successful investing in the building symbol, it limits the function of the architecture is merely the icon. It received attending, the edifice overlooked the river, giving its prominent, and it ignores the big public topographic points, whether it is comfy, worst of all, it ignores the metropolis, it is merely to pull draw attending. Walking through Bilbao, the edifice make distraction from the most dynamic public infinite in Europe, that is the sort of some of the intervention in community life. While the landmarks of power have been broadcast around the universe, it can easy be interpreted as a human activity and civic life in onslaughts. Although Bilbao as a metropolis could be near to the tallness of civilisation, and Frank Gehry ‘s is the position of an icon as a beacon of urban services, it is besides a public infinite, that is a considerable recreation of civilisation, should be suppose to celebrated. Architecture emerged to go a great success manner that is able to reflect and back up the edifice of civilisation, civilization and regard for the intent of professional characteristics. Gehry ‘s edifice seems to neglect in all these countries, therefore doing great harm to Bilbao, and to the building industry. The great edifices and major public topographic points should be go manus and manus, but unluckily, they seldom do so. The Guggenheim in Bilbao ‘s haughtiness and it indicates that the design and development attack is an abuse to public topographic points everyplace. Around this edifice, public infinite is a nothingness in the civic life of great metropolis. It can be said that this edifice has brought attending to Bilbao, but in this attending has been distracted, or at best a short-run high-sugar, for a metropolis with some of Europe ‘s best public topographic points in many ways. As the Museum non merely merely ignores the context, but besides enhances the distance and fells Bilbao rich cultural and societal life, it is a metropolis ‘s net loss.Canary Wharf – London, UKThere are many concealed positions by out-of-door public infinite and a labyrinth of belowground stores. While I came to this country, I feel even more defeated than I expected. They have four out-of-door public topographic points and the Numberss of stores in the resistance like the maze which concealed positions in fact, it is hard to happen. All people in a public topographic point are full of the auto. Clearly, They argued that the public infinite or non ; they think it is a auto show, is to pull them to be more active. This has a really big graduated table in office park with complex challengers. It is complex instance with the failure consequence for each. The undersides of the edifices are inordinate stark, empty, or conceal with columns to conceal those use-things may seek to reach in any intent. Even if you stand back of the columns or arcades, and you get some good retail or a good entryway, the consequence is still inexorable, and non attractive. Any outside streets is uninteresting and non appealing. Some one would wish to see a few more suited characters to add, and some personality countries. Clearly, there has a really limited set of patronages who want to pull. Contrast to either Battery Park City or Rockefeller Center, it is so baffled to tag Canary Wharf, is so far off the grade. Some one has thought as Winston Churchill, †¦ we are determining our edifice, and so they are determining us†¦ reasonably chilling! It is non easy to hold a position connexion. How do you believe this component will heighten people community. It is evidently a auto show. There are the tall edifices, autos environing the people who need a public infinite.Evaluation on Public SpaceIn research for the public infinite, it is non difficult to happen, there are four qualities of success, and those decided it does work or non: accessible, activities, comfy and community.Access & A ; LinkagesYou can find whether it has convenience connexions to a topographic point or its environing countries, including ocular and physical. A successful public infinite is easy to happen and acquire through ; it is seeable in footings of short distance. The borders of a infinite key are besides important: for illustration, shops sit along a street will be more interesting and by and large safer than walking in a space wall. There is convenient public conveyance, if accessible infinites have a high parking turnover.Pioneer Courthouse Square, PortlandPioneer Courthouse Square, was known as the â€Å" Portland ‘s life room † , as a public infinite in mention to heighten this topographic point to garner in and usage of citizens. These modern designs, including public art, recreational installations, flowers, trees, and walls and sitting country were designed. This is a often happening on-site, and includes a java store, nutrient providers, and information Center for Tri-Met ( regional Portland ‘s theodolite bureau ) , which is the square cardinal factor in the success of the renovation. From doubleduty the siting countries by integrate public art, flowers, trees, walls and ample stepss. This is the activities event of the site that used often, from enhanced a java store and nutrient sellers, and besides as coachs and light rail service in the centre. Pioneer Courthouse Square is one of the first new regeneration of public infinites. It is no longer as a inactive green infinite, and it designed for the square scheduling and supposed to utilize by public. In fact, for such the utilizing substructure is constitutional, but they are responsible for the direction of infinite entities to guarantee that there continued effectual usage. Pioneer Square, Law Courts Building, the procedure of creative activity – the public arguments, fund-raising, the expansive gap ceremonial – were designed to back up occupants, which related to the Polish population. Support and three ocular connexions were from Tri-Met contacted Peoples with the square and metropolis centre as a whole. With an effectual direction organisation, the square has become the metropolis ‘s pride topographic point and the focal point of a assortment of community activities. Proved that the revival of downtown Portland square on the far-reaching impact livability. All sorts of the installations support the each facet of public infinite to community with people.Comfort & A ; ImageWhether it is a comfy infinite – to hold a good image, is the key to success. Comfort is including the safe facet, cleanliness and the handiness of topographic points to sit – allow the people choose what they want to sit ; most people have underestimated the importance of. In peculiar, adult females have the good Judgess on comfort and a good image for their more favoritism.Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, FranceLuxembourg Gardens is likely one of the most successful Parkss in the universe, because so good in the cloth environing the metropolis, which makes it has convenient integrating. There are many things to make, where people who use it: kids, the aged people, the Sorbonne University pupils, widely shown that the people throughout the tiffin interruption, and so on. Peoples go to walk, play cheat, sit down to read, people watching, sitting in a coffeehous e or to convey their kids or grandchildren adult female to one of the kids ‘s many attractive forces. Events go on in the park, including tennis, siting pony, marionette theaters, plaything boat ( child drifting in their them by cardinal fountain ) . Visitors besides can halt within the Palace, and attended by the Gallic Senate, which is a public clear. The park besides organized, such as aerial exposure, that from around the universe in fictile wrap, and besides keep advanced exhibitions and shows around the garden ; a big wooden platform displayed the map which including exposure web site, supplying people with slippers who wants to walk on it – many of the same.Uses & A ; ActivitiesActivity is an indispensable constituent of a topographic point. Something to cover with, it need to gives people a ground to put – and return. When there is anything we can make, a infinite will be empty, and normally means what is incorrect.Kungstradgarden, Stockholm, SwedenKungstradgarden is in the bosom of the metropolis, owed a small past embodiment from the royal household kitchen gardens to lush Parkss to bore the military personnels on the land. The 1953 became the birthday jubilations of Stockholm ‘s 700-year-old site, and the cardinal portion of the direction has been uninterrupted since so, as a flexible event and public presentation infinite. It has besides been the Swedish premiere of the phase: In 1953, the first hot Canis familiaris has been served at that place, and Piccolino introduced java and java in this King ‘s Garden, to the delectation of Swedish roof of the mouths. In 1962, the first unreal ice frozen skating-rink is completed in the park, and the first out-of-doorss cheat set and placed that began in the 1970ss. It is the flourish position in Kungstradgarde, as its direction capacity to accommodate such seasonal usage of a broad scope of public infinites. One of the chief elements in the Kungstradgarden is a big collapsible shelter covering major phases in the warm footings, where they perform about every twenty-four hours. Wholly, it has about 150 phases happen each twelvemonth. In add-on to 100-150 yearss of exhibitions, a Christmas market in December over the weekend, every bit good as a host of other activities. There are trees in the courtyard and on both street-sides of eating houses. A stairss to the sunken fountain is located in forepart of a eating house, garden centre is equipped with a big round place, a winter skating rink. While there are some warm-weather activities such as cheat, assortments of draughtss, table tennis, in a little ruddy bungalow for which the equipment was is available occur to the extent of these activities. The garden was redesigned in 1998, although before there was the same like this minute in the universe in footings of flexibleness, the ensuing layout is more stiff, so that many of these activities no longer possible. In add-on, there is a presentation resort area provided for kids ‘s playing. In all, nevertheless, Kungstradgarden is stay its popular, fantastic urban centres in the nucleus of a well-ventilated topographic point – and compared with the most other topographic points, it still has a wealth of events, activities and public presentations, each season, sponsored by local concerns and organisations, it is impressive.SociabilityThis is a hard topographic point to accomplish quality, but one time achieved it becomes a clear and univocal map. When people see friends, dating, run into their neighbours, should experience comfy interaction with aliens, they tend to experience that fond regard to the topographic point or a sense of belonging in their communities – and local publicity of these types of societal activities.Jackson Square, New Orleans, LAThis is the cardinal square in New Orleans Gallic Quarter is important keen layout, with three park confronting exuberant trees, flowers and attack in full of historical edifices. Outside the park, in add-on to the constitution of the fencing from the elegant, hustling with instrumentalists, creative persons, providers, fluctuations in the activities of prosaic entree, and street public presentations. From the next street is likewise impressive, foregrounding the rule, we in the Spirit frequently described as â€Å" making out like an octopus. † When you are closer and closer to capture the positions of an attractive square, street-level experience in alteration more interesting and look forward to is how to hold on the true power of you. Jackson Square is the figure of â€Å" sacred topographic points † in a peculiar metropolis. This sacred topographic point should be the basis of the metempsychosis of New Orleans. If each community can regenerate the focal point on the cardinal public topographic points such as Jackson Square itself, the metropolis may be powerful hurricanes than of all time before.Mentionhypertext transfer protocol: //www.pps.org/

Egypt Warfare Essay

By and large, ancient Egypt is considered to be one of the most peaceful of ancient civilizations — so peaceful, in fact, that they did not have a proper army until the invasion of the Hyksos during their 15th Dynasty! For the longest time, the extent of their military consisted of foot soldiers whose biggest job might involve settling civil unrest. There were still palace guards and those who watched the borders of the country, not to mention men whose job it was to guard trade ships, but until it was absolutely necessary, that was the mainstay of their army. Prior to the Hyksos invasion, fighting was less prevalent in ancient Egypt ; warfare involved campaigns sent out to unify the country, and other, smaller disputes often required the use of foreign mercenaries. Because of their strong leanings toward religion, Egyptians did not have a drive to leave their own lands to fight foreign armies in case they were unable to give the proper funeral rites to their fallen soldiers. When the Hyksos invaded Lower Egypt, they introduced the country to weapons and protective gear never before seen that close to the Nile . Because of the invaders, walls in the tombs of dead nobles and kings were covered in paintings of ancient Egyptian war chariots being driven with an archer who steered the horses with the reins tied around his waist. Other weapons used by the ancient Egyptian army included clubs and maces, as well as axes, knives, and swords; they were also handy with projectile weapons such as spears, bows and arrows, and javelins. Shields were the main bit of defensive equipment, with the occasional use of limited body armor. The Egyptians also used siege weaponry when necessary, such as towers and battering rams. During the time of Amenhotep III and beyond, a good portion of the enlisted men were prisoners of war. Recruits from Nubia and other neighboring areas were also brought in, and eventually a good percentage of Egyptian men were required to join the military, especially towards the time of continuous war due to invaders from not only surrounding areas but from Greece and Rome, as well. As the ancient Egyptians were a very religious people, they had many gods and goddess to pray to. This included the Egyptian god of war, Onuris, who is in many ways similar to Ares, the Greek god of war. His Egyptian name, Anhur, means â€Å"he who leads back the distant one. † He is considered to be the son of Ra, the sun god, and is believed to hunt down and kill the enemies of his father. Ancient Egypt and its people went from being very religious and peaceful to needing to keep their lands free of foreign hands. It worked well for them for a while, at least, though with the invasion of Alexander the Great and his army, Egypt never quite regained what it had been before.

Free Essays on Revenge In Hamlet

, the ghost puts the play in motion, for the rest of the story will be governed by Hamlet’s quest for revenge. But for Hamlet, this is not such an easy undertaking. He sees revenge as his moral obligation, but external obstacles and inner conflicts prevent him from carrying it out successfully. Hamlet delays his revenge of his father’s death not because he is a coward but because his psychological feelings and need for a perfect revenge cause him to delay in order to wait for the perfect moment to kill Claudius. Before Hamlet can even begin to enact a plot to kill Claudius, he must first have proof that he is in fact a ... Free Essays on Revenge In Hamlet Free Essays on Revenge In Hamlet Revenge as a main in theme in Hamlet Someone once stated, â€Å"Revenge proves its own executioner†. It has caused the downfall of many people throughout history, for its consuming nature causes one to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. In Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet, this dominant theme of revenge saturates the play and is the manipulative influence behind the actions that make the play a tragedy. In discussing Hamlet and its themes, Patrick Cruttwell describes Hamlet as being â€Å"†¦almost nothing but an embodiment of revenge† (â€Å"Patrick† 235), which ends in the deaths of almost everyone involved. Usually, revenge is seen as an easily rationalized emotion; one turn deserves another. On paper, it seems a simple and easy task to carry out, but the actions of Hamlet and the problems that arise as he attempts to avenge his father’s murder prove otherwise. The ghost of Hamlet’s father, the old King, introduces the first ideas of vengeance into Hamlet’s mind. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was wrongfully killed at the hands of his traitorous brother, the present King Claudius. He urges Hamlet that he must take revenge for his murder and kill Claudius, and says, â€Å"If thou didst ever thy father love/...Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (I.v: 29, 31). With these words, the ghost puts the play in motion, for the rest of the story will be governed by Hamlet’s quest for revenge. But for Hamlet, this is not such an easy undertaking. He sees revenge as his moral obligation, but external obstacles and inner conflicts prevent him from carrying it out successfully. Hamlet delays his revenge of his father’s death not because he is a coward but because his psychological feelings and need for a perfect revenge cause him to delay in order to wait for the perfect moment to kill Claudius. Before Hamlet can even begin to enact a plot to kill Claudius, he must first have proof that he is in fact a ... Free Essays on Revenge In Hamlet Revenge in Hamlet According to Webster’s, â€Å"Revenge† means to inflict punishment in return for injury or insult (1245). Throughout the history of literature, the theme of â€Å"Revenge† has been used to portray a critical moment in a character’s life. The outcomes that result are often devastating and mostly, in one way or another, fatal. A Revenge Tragedy is a drama in which the dominant motive is revenge for real or imagined injury. Most Revenge Tragedies end with a scene of carnage that disposes of the avenger as well as his victims (Britannica 538). Revenge Tragedy is a dramatic form made popular on the English stage by Thomas Kyd, a contemporary of Shakespeare, whose Spanish Tragedy is an early example of this type. Such a play calls for the revenge of a father by a son or vice versa, an act that is initiated by the murdered man’s ghost. Other devices found in a Revenge Tragedy include hesitation by the hero, real or feigned madness, suicide, intrigu e, and murders on stage (Girard 160). Without a doubt, the play Hamlet, can be classified as a Revenge Tragedy. It has all of the credentials that are needed to fulfill the requirements in order for it to be recognized as a Revenge Tragedy. â€Å"The play is, in effect, as much about revenge drama as about revenge itself or about Hamlet†(Ray 277). The essence of any tragedy of revenge is that its hero has not created the situation in which he finds himself and out of which the tragedy arises (Gale 225). Therefore, â€Å"Revenge† is a major theme in Hamlet because this theme is developed throughout the entire play and through many characters. For example, Hamlet avenges his father’s death; Laertes seeks revenge on Hamlet for killing his father and abusing his sister; and Claudius seeks revenge on Hamlet because he is aware that Hamlet knows who has killed his father. Thus, the theme of â€Å"Revenge† is repeatedly used throughout the play Hamlet. Although ...

Free Essays on Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee â€Å"Proven Leadership for Arkansas†. Many Arkansas either see or hear this phrase a number of times throughout his/her day due to the upcoming Arkansas Governor election. I chose Mike Huckabee in the governor’s race not because I support his party or his previous experience; I would like to discuss some of the issues he stands for. Aside from his campaign, I would also like to give a brief political background of the candidate and cite his opponent and the issues she supports. Some of the topics on Governor Huckabee’s agenda are technology and welfare reform. In his technology concerns, he addresses a new type of government he hopes that will fit into Arkansas economic scheme. He calls this type of government E-Government. E-Government is supposed to make government more accessible. One of the categories on the itinerary is a new and improved system for renewing car tags. Soon Arkansas would have the convenience of renewing car tags and other driver concerns at their local Wal-Mart. As for Welfare-Reform, Mr. Huckabee’s record speaks for itself. Arkansas’ paychecks to welfare check ratio is the best it has ever been in our states history. Another issue that effects nearly every voter in Arkansas is the better highway campaign. Road construction has erected throughout various roadways all over the state. This construction is an attempt to make for safer driving on our state’s highways. Mr. Huckabee’s long-term goal is to have one of the smoothest road systems in the country. All together a total of three hundred and eighty miles of roadway will be reconstructed. Governor Huckabee feels that a quality interstate system is vital for Arkansas’ ability to attract new business, industry, and jobs. While technology, welfare-reform, and highways are part of the large scope of things, the two major issues Huckabee attacks is schools and health. Arkansas has made great strides in increa... Free Essays on Mike Huckabee Free Essays on Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee â€Å"Proven Leadership for Arkansas†. Many Arkansas either see or hear this phrase a number of times throughout his/her day due to the upcoming Arkansas Governor election. I chose Mike Huckabee in the governor’s race not because I support his party or his previous experience; I would like to discuss some of the issues he stands for. Aside from his campaign, I would also like to give a brief political background of the candidate and cite his opponent and the issues she supports. Some of the topics on Governor Huckabee’s agenda are technology and welfare reform. In his technology concerns, he addresses a new type of government he hopes that will fit into Arkansas economic scheme. He calls this type of government E-Government. E-Government is supposed to make government more accessible. One of the categories on the itinerary is a new and improved system for renewing car tags. Soon Arkansas would have the convenience of renewing car tags and other driver concerns at their local Wal-Mart. As for Welfare-Reform, Mr. Huckabee’s record speaks for itself. Arkansas’ paychecks to welfare check ratio is the best it has ever been in our states history. Another issue that effects nearly every voter in Arkansas is the better highway campaign. Road construction has erected throughout various roadways all over the state. This construction is an attempt to make for safer driving on our state’s highways. Mr. Huckabee’s long-term goal is to have one of the smoothest road systems in the country. All together a total of three hundred and eighty miles of roadway will be reconstructed. Governor Huckabee feels that a quality interstate system is vital for Arkansas’ ability to attract new business, industry, and jobs. While technology, welfare-reform, and highways are part of the large scope of things, the two major issues Huckabee attacks is schools and health. Arkansas has made great strides in increa...

A Critical Analysis of Womens Social Realities in Ancient Greece Essay

A Critical Analysis of Womens Social Realities in Ancient Greece - Essay Example In a number of cases in Greek medical science, law, social status, etc, women were considered as inferior and subservient to their male counterparts. Greek society was accustomed to view women as addendum to the males. A close analysis of the Greek medical treatises by some anonymous Greek scholars including Hippocrates1 shows that though Greek medical science has made a significant effort to look deep into the scientific rationales to explain women’s physical realities, the tendency to view women as addendum to their male counterparts has always prevailed over these medical interpretations. But in other sectors such as economy, politics, religion, law, etc there were strictly demarcated dichotomies between men’s and women’s role. But the Spartan women would enjoy more civil, social and economic rights than the Greek women did. Scholars argue that as a military polis, Sparta had been able to forsake the gender bias in its attitudes to women and allow its women to enjoy more freedom according to their military career and services to the state. As revealed in Hippocrates’ corpus, ancient Greek medical science was highly infused with male ideology and tendency to view women’s reality as â€Å"special cases†2. ... gard, Sue Blundell says, â€Å"In the discussions of women’s reproductive system in particular, ideas about women’s physiology can be seen to reflect and reinforce ideas about their social and moral identity†.4 Greek views on female puberty, menstruation, sex, reproduction, conception, menopause, etc necessarily reflects women’s subjectivity to their male counterparts. Marriage as well as sexual intercourse was supposed to be a solution to a number of female problems of female physiology. Menstruation is one of these problems that were thought to be cured with sexual intercourse. In cases of menstrual hallucination and suicidal tendency of young girls, one of Hippocratic authors’ advice is as following: â€Å"My prescription is that when virgins have this trouble, they should marry as soon as possible. If they become pregnant, they will be cured†.5 Young girls who had reached puberty were thought to be uncontrollable and, therefore, to be mis creant in the society. In the case of sex and reproduction, a woman’s value had been assessed in terms of her ability to give a child. In a male-centered society, a woman without fertility was nothing but a barren land which gives nothing to its owner. Like most other male dominated societies of human civilization, classical Greek society used to view women as a property of the males. Therefore, Greek women could not inherit property and run business. According to Sue Blundell, â€Å"Athenian Women could not by law enter into any contact ‘beyond the value of one medimnos of barley’: a mdimnons was a measure of grain, [which is] sufficient to keep a family fed for five or six days†.6 Classical Greek women could acquire property in three ways: inheritance, dowry and gifts. Indeed, inheritance was a legal means which

Why Women Should Not be Allowed in Active Combat Duty Essay

Why Women Should Not be Allowed in Active Combat Duty - Essay Example They are admirable in the way they acquit themselves in times of conflict and split second decision making and maybe, just maybe -- we might even have a female president some day. Women still have lofty ambitions when it comes to more things that they hope to do in terms of male equality and, along with the presidency, fighting alongside men in active combat is still one glass ceiling they cannot break. Although there already exists cracks in that particular ceiling, I do not believe that women should ever be allowed to see active combat for a number of valid reasons. There are two main reasons that women should not be allowed in combat according to Robert Bork (qtd. in Sowin). Those reasons are: 1. Putting women in combat is crucial to women’s self-esteem and to men’s respect for women. (That has never been true in the past and it is impossible to see why it should be true now.) 2. Combat roles are important to military advancement. The above arguments are all based up on the way that women are traditionally viewed in our society. Women's rights activists protest the idealization of the female role in society because it makes them seem like fragile, emotionally weak people who do not have any desire or capability to defend themselves or others. By joining the military and joining active combat, women feel that they are an equally strong sex and are capable of fighting the good fight also. This is one case wherein the intentions may be sound, but the execution will always be weak. The reality of women in the military is that they are given preference and leeway in most streneous and taxing activities because women do not have the same stamina as men. In fact, women who train in West Point and other military institutions are not made to compete against other men or by male standards, they are only measured in terms of capabilty against other women. This can prove to be detrimental on the battlefield where they fight alongside men who are faster and stronger but are then held back in order to allow the women to catch up. (Sowin Why Women Should Not Be Allowed in Combat). Gender norming and lowering the training standards in order to allow women to pass is a disservice to our world class soldiers who are expected to lead on the battlefield. Women are still thought of all over the world, most specially in the Muslim territories as being weak and dependent on the male species. Majority of the modern women have managed to change that idea by proving that they can be emotionally and physically strong in various ways. I take my hats off to those women. However, fighting in an active battlefront requires much more than just marathon training and endurance tests. There are those who take on the point of view that : Women are not suited by temperament or by physical characteristics for the highly aggressive, ultra-violent pursuit of victory in battle. Much of an army’s success depends upon intimidation of the enemy. A force compo sed of women is far less intimidating than one consisting of macho men. Intimidation of the enemy saves lives in wartime. (Women Should Not Be Allowed in Military Combat). Consider if you will, that the enemies of our nation field burly, scary, and brainwashed men into battle. They live to intimidate the weak. The simple glare of of their eyes, flare of the nostrils, or clearing of the throat is designed to instill fear into any enemy be he male or female. Fighting a war does not allow for segregation of the sexes in order to effectively fight the battle. It is man vs. woman in most cases and, no matter what Hollywood says about G.I. Jane, a woman can easily be taken down by a well trained and strength enhanced enemy. This will then pose a problem for the team who will

To what extent does leadership research support the idea that there is Essay - 1

To what extent does leadership research support the idea that there is one best way to lead people in organisations - Essay Example This paper touches upon these key areas to establish where leadership reigns supreme, be it a democratic form of leadership or autocratic one, and how that ‘one best way’ to lead the employees within organizations is made proper. Both democratic and autocratic forms of leadership can give rise to motivation which is the basis of knowing that employees will time and again fall down and then get up to make sure that they are positively driven to achieve the organizational objectives through research, analysis and evidence. This is bound to happen because there are times when frustration runs high and people need support from a number of directions. However, on the same token, what is most important is the self-motivation construct that wins many favors for the employees who are looking to solve a problem (Axley, 1996). Motivation is therefore dependent on the people for whom it is coming into play. An employee who is not motivated enough will perform worse off than a person who is motivated to go out there and do something on his own (Fulton, 1998). Under leadership, the seniors also enforce their say through different programs and teamwork exercises. When employees feel that they are being properly led by, jo b satisfaction is bound to happen. When job satisfaction is ensured, leadership comes about in full circle and hence the leaders are able to lead people easily. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, the task of the leader becomes easier. The leadership knows where to instill confidence and in what quantity this has to be done to derive sound results. Also what needs to be understood is the fact that more productivity will be achieved once leaders are able to do their jobs well (Butkus, 1999). Leaders are inclined to exercise restraint over employees who are motivated enough to perform their respective tasks, thus coming directly under the authoritative leadership realms. What this implies is the fact that since they

Panera Bread Company Essay Example for Free

Panera Bread Company Essay SWOT Matrix Stakeholder Matrix Financial Ratios Financial Trend Graphs Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation Business Strategy Functional Area Strategies Assessment of Panera Bread Company? s Strategic Performance Resources Value Chain Assessment of Panera Bread Company? s Financial Performance and Capabilities Strategic Issues Panera Bread Company Faces Management? s Values Organizational Culture Executive Summary: Our consulting team completed an analysis of Panera Bread Company mainly focusing on the opportunities and threats within the industry, Panera? competitive capabilities, and the company? s strengths and weaknesses. The following recommendations contain the opportunity or threat within the industry, the strength or weakness that allows Panera to pursue or defend against the critical issues and the tools needed to take immediate action. We recommend that Panera Bread Company: 1. Open cafes in untapped markets, and focus on utilizing franchising to achieve the desired 1:160,000 cafe: person ratio by 2010. We found that the restaurant industry life cycle is still in growth. This growth coupled with Panera? strong franchising capability offers a significant opportunity for Panera to pursue. To achieve this Panera must first use the current site selection and market analysis processes to chose ideal locations for new cafes in untapped markets. Panera should also utilize this process to assess the logistics necessary to support the potential locations. Next, Panera needs to utilize the established, stringent franchisee selection criteria to identify candidates that are a good fit, and then work with the selected franchisees using the existing franchise assistance programs to educate and train franchisees in Panera? unique brand, vision and culture. Once Panera sets up franchising systems in new markets, the company should measure success by whether or not the 1 cafe per 160,000 people per location by 2010. Panera also must assess the new franchisees based on the historical areas of success. 2. Bolster the current promotional strategy to a more aggressive soft-sell promotional strategy while still utilizing word-of-mouth tactics to increase first-time customer traffic. We found that customers are prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial. Panera has underutilized potential in its promotional strategy to allow customers to know of newly opened cafes. Panera can pursue the opportunity within the industry if it strengthens the current promotional strategy to promote awareness. This helps Panera promote brand awareness to become a dominant leader in the bakery-cafe industry. To do this, the company must begin expanding to untapped and lowpenetrated markets where customers will not know much about the company. The company must then increase excitement about these new cafes before opening by using guerilla marketing. An example of this is hiring plain-clothed personnel to circulate future and current development sites and engage potential consumers by drumming up interest in cafe openings. The next implementation step is to distribute coded coupons with a two-week expiration period, and an additional coupon to be given to a friend. Success can be measured by tracking new customer foot traffic in the specific cafes and the new cafe? s sales volume in the first six months. 3. Implement the â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† program that will increase customers switching costs and reward buyer loyalty through progressive discounts based on levels of return patronage. Our analysis revealed that the restaurant industry is threatened by low switching costs and low customer loyalty. Our analysis revealed that Panera had strengths in buyer loyalty. Panera should first begin steps one month prior to the start of this service using signage and promotion. Next Panera should print menus that displaying the oven fresh option and distribute them at the point of sale. Panera should cross train employees on the oven fresh operational procedures of taking orders and bringing orders to customer? cars. Next Panera should purchase or lease 2 to 3 parking spots per location in close proximity to the door with signs for designated parking. Last Panera should place a pre-paid post card with survey questions inside to-go packaging and place customer loyalty punch card in packaging that rewards returning loyal customers. Panera should track the discounts given by customers. Because of the progressive nature of the discounts, Panera can identify its most loyal clientel e based on the level of the discount rate. 4. Broaden the product scope and service offering to include a wider array of light entrees, dinner fare, and beer and wine available after 4:30 at select locations nationwide. The new offerings will be paired with community events such as wine-tastings and fundraisers to bolster the perceived dinner atmosphere. Our analysis of the restaurant industry led us to determine that there were a large number of buyers available to firms providing an opportunity for increased market share. Our analysis of the competitive capabilities showed that Panera had an internal strength in research and development. Panera needs to utilize the extensive research and development skills to determine ideal menu offerings, portions, price, and locations suitable for beer and wine. The new product offerings will be introduced to a limited number of stores to determine customer response and verify the scalability to ensure quality. The successful food and alcohol items will be introduced to pre-determined ideal locations along with marketing and training support. The final implementation step will be a market survey question at the point-ofsales system that will determine the number of new dinner customers. The ultimate goal of this recommendation is to increase market share for Panera. Macro-Environment: The United States saw 3. 0% growth in the overall economy for the year 2006. Additionally, real disposable income increased by 2. 1% from the third quarter of 2005 until the end of 2006. The unemployment rate continued on a downward trend from a high of 6. 0% in 2003. Unemployment was 4. 65% in 2006. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer expenditures were $48,398 and $2,794 was spent on food away from home per household. Because there was overall economic growth, consumer expenditures ere high, and unemployment was on a downward trend, the economy at large was in a healthy state. When economic conditions were perceived as good, consumers were more willing to spend excess income, as opposed to saving or investing. Therefore, consumers were more likely to spend money on eating out for various meals; this was an opportunity for the restaurant industry. The legal, regulator y and political environment was relatively stable in 2006. Because there was a stable regulatory and political environment, business owners were able to operate at a more functional level. Companies were not worried about significant changes to regulations which hinder business growth. Therefore, this stable environment was an opportunity for the industry. The population demographics for the U. S. consumer in 2006 were as follows. The population was 49. 27% male and 50. 37% female; the median age was 36. 4. About 15. 07% of the population was over 62 years old. The median income was $46,326 for a single earner household and $67,348 for a dual earner household. Of the total 299,398,484 consumers, 36. 43% lived in the South Region, 18. 8% in the Northeast Region, 22. 12% in the Midwest Region and 23. 16% lived in the West Region. In the U. S. 31. 7% of persons over the age of 25 were a high school graduate; 18. 3% held a Bachelor? s degree, and 9. 7% held an advanced degree. Because of the large number of variables and the diversity of the U. S. population across all descriptors, the restaurants industry? s target market was large and the individual buyers were small and numerous. This caused decreased competition over potential buyers, and therefore was an opportunity in the restaurant industry. There were two significant societal trends that emerged among restaurant industry stakeholders in 2006. First, the issues surrounding trans-fats in restaurants were coming to a head after a 2003 court case. Consumers called for a ban on trans-fats in restaurant food in many different states. Since this made restaurants appear to be the culprit, it decreased customer satisfaction with local restaurant establishments. This decrease was a treat to the industry. Second, the baby boomer generation was aging, and the children of the baby boomers were moving out. This increased the number of empty nesters in the U. S. With no children at home and both husband and wife working, the couple was less likely to arrive home and feel the need to cook dinner. This phenomenon led to more dinner outings and consumers looking for an establishment to eat a quick and quality meal. Because this increased the numbers of consumers looking to dine out, the aging baby boomer population increased the number of meal occasions and therefore was an opportunity for the industry. Industry Analysis: i. Industry Drivers: The market size of the industry was quite large. Commercial eating places accounted for about $345 billion†¦ The U. S. restaurant industry †¦ served about 70 billion meals and snack occasions, and was growing about 5 % annually. † Based on unit sales of $345 billion, sales volume of 70 billion and a growth rate of 5 % annually, we conclude that the market size of the restaurant industry was quite large and growing. Because when the mar ket size of the competing industry was growing, rivalry among competitors decreased, we conclude that decreased rivalry was a threat for the restaurant industry. The scope of the competitive rivalry was broad. Restaurant chains competed on regional, national and global levels. The product scope was also broad. The industry served breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack covering many ethnic tastes. Because geographic and product scope were wide, industry members competed in many geographic areas and over a wide array of product lines. Because competition was increased, we conclude that the scope of competitive rivalry was a threat for the industry. Market growth rate and position in the business cycle was in the growth stage. The U. S. restaurant industry†¦ served about 70 billion meals and snack occasions, and was growing about 5 % annually. † Because the industry was growing at a rate of 5 % annually we conclude that the industry was still in the growth stage. Because no indication was given that growth rate was declining, we conclude that the rate was not increasing at a decreased rate and therefore not approaching maturity. Because e xpanding buyer demand produced enough new business for all industry members to grow without using volume-boosting sales tactics to draw customers away rom rival enterprises, rivalry in the industry was decreased when the life cycle was in growth. Because rivalry decreased when the industry was in growth, we conclude that the growth rate was an opportunity for the industry. The number of buyers and their relative size in 2006 were as follows. â€Å"On a typical day, about 130 million U. S. consumers were food service patrons at an eating establishment – sales at commercial eating places averaged close to $1 billion daily. † Since 130 million consumers spent $1 billion daily, we conclude that on average, each consumer spent $7. 9 per day. Based on our analysis, we conclude that the number of buyers was large and their relative size was small. Because buyers have more power when they are large and few in number, we conclude that many small buyers was an opportunity for th e industry. The pace of technological innovation in product introduction was fast. â€Å"Most restaurants were quick to adapt their menu offerings to changing consumer tastes and eating preferences, frequently featuring heart-healthy, vegetarian, organic, low-calorie, and/or low-carb items on their menus. It was the norm at many restaurants to rotate some menu selections seasonally and to periodically introduce creative dishes in an effort to keep regular patrons coming back, attract more patrons, and remain competitive. † The constant change in consumer tastes and habits and the rate at which most competitors stayed on top of the changes made product competition very fierce. To stay competitive, establishments needed similar commitment to constant revision of menu items. We conclude that the fast pace of innovation in product introduction was a threat for the industry. Product differentiation in the industry was common. Industry members pursued differentiation strategies of one variety or another, seeking to set themselves apart from rivals via pricing, food quality, menu theme, signature menu selections, dining ambiance and atmosphere, service, convenience, and location. † Despite attempts to differentiate products, the restaurant industry operated in a pure competition environment where switching costs were low and there were many competitors. Because the industry products by nature were weakly differentiated, we conclude that the extent to which rivals differentiate their products was a threat to the industry. The learning and experience curve for the restaurant industry was low. â€Å"Just over 7 out of 10 eating and drinking places in the United States were independent single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees. † Because 70 % of competitors were restaurants who could open and close at any time, new entrants did not need large corporate backing and were free to open anywhere. The ability of so many small competitors to enter and compete in the industry indicated a steep learning curve. The steep learning curve and low capital requirement was threat to the industry because of the ease of rivals to enter the industry. i. Five Forces: Our analysis revealed that there were about 624,511 commercial eating locations in the industry. Because rivalry intensifies as the numbers of competitors increase and as competitors become more equal in size and competitive strength, we conclude that the high number of competitors was a threat for the industry. Based on industry sales of $ 345 billion, the leading competitor Starbucks had less than two percent of the market share. This fact coupled with the above mentioned 70% single unit establishments characterized the industry as having many competitors with very small market share. Because rivalry tends to be stronger when competitors are numerous or are of roughly equal size and in competitive strength, we conclude that the small relative size based on market share was a threat for the industry. Switching costs and buyer loyalty were low for the industry. â€Å"Consumers (especially those who ate out often) were prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial†¦loyalty to existing restaurants was low when consumers perceived there were better dining alternatives. Because low switching costs and low buyer loyalty increase rivalry among competitors, we conclude that low switching costs and buyer loyalty were a threat to the industry. It was not more costly to exit the industry than continue to participate. â€Å"Many restaurants had fairly short lives. † Based on our previous analysis of market share, we determined competitors were small in size and can enter and exit with little capital requirements. Assets were sold easily and the workers in the industry were not entitled to significant job protection. Because rivals had low barriers to exit they did not resort to deep discounts to remain in business. Continuous new entrants increased rivalry. We conclude that the ease of entry was a threat and ease of exit was an opportunity for the industry. The industrys products were discretionary purchases. â€Å"The average U. S. consumer ate 76% of meals at home. † The fact that consumers could eat at home for less characterized the discretionary nature of the eating out option. Because discretionary spending was not necessary and represent consumers? first costs to cut in economic difficulty, we conclude that the discretionary nature of the purchase was a threat to the industry. iii. Changes to the Industry Structure and Competitive Environment: As of 2006, the restaurant industry was growing by 5% a year. Due to this growth rate there was room for more firms to enter the industry. This changed the industry structure in the coming years by introducing more competitors. However, since the market was not saturated, firms entering were in a business environment that allowed them to obtain new market share. Since the long-term growth rate was increasing there was an opportunity for new firms to gain the growing market share. The average U. S. consumer ate 76% of their meals at home. The average person in 2004 had $974 of income to spend on food purchases away from home. Customers were less likely to be loyal to a restaurant if they perceived a better option available to them. Patrons also used restaurants for more than just eating. Restaurants served as places where people could catch up on work, meet friends, and read the paper. The fact that majority of meals were eaten in the home and that restaurant spending was discretionary, coupled with the fickle and specific nature of the customer created strong competition among rivals, and resulted in a threat to firms. Marketing innovation in product and promotion was especially strong in the restaurant industry. Firms constantly updated their menus to accommodate new trends such as low calorie, organic, vegetarian, and heart healthy foods. Restaurants also utilized Wi-Fi and large television screens in order to enhance the experience for customers. Happy hours and other events served as promotion to attract new customers. The constant marketing pressures created complex rivalries between firms and resulted in an altered industry structure. The industry structure resulted in a business environment where firms diligently adapted and changed with updated marketing mixes. This constant change was a threat within the industry. Entry into the restaurant industry was marked by just over 7 of 10 eating and drinking places being independent, single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees. Exit from the industry was frequent and often firms were limited to short lives. The easy entry and exit of firms to and from the industry created a business environment that was fiercely competitive. The ease of new rivals entering and the large failure rate was a threat for firms within the industry. iv. Existing Rivals Competitive Capabilities Analysis: The case did not provide specific information about rivals? resources and strategic goals to formulate conclusive competitive capabilities. v. Key Success Factors: The key success factors in the restaurant industry were dictated by what consumers deemed necessary attributes to have and what allowed the business to profit. Consumers did not dine at particular places that did not possess these qualities because they lost value in their purchase. Also, there were many substitutes that offered the key factors to patrons instead. The particular key success factors related to the restaurant industry were: low-cost production efficiency, customer service, breadth of product line and selection, ability to respond quickly to shifting market conditions, overall consumer experience, image and reputation, and high consumer volume. The first key success factor was low-cost production efficiency, which was crucial in lowering prices for the consumer. When a restaurant could not keep costs low, the high costs were passed through to the consumer with a higher price. If customers did not believe the value in what they were buying was worth that high price, they did not pay for it. Since there were many competitors in the restaurant industry, the consumer shopped around for similar food at a lower price. Restaurants needed to keep these costs low to stay competitive and not risk bankruptcy. Customer service was another key success factor because it added value to the meal. The consumer was not just purchasing food; they were paying for the entire experience. A component of this was having pleasant employees in all customer contact positions. Good customer service skills that made the customer feel comfortable in the restaurant helped to keep customers coming back. When a waitress went above and beyond her normal duties to please a customer, the patron was likely to return because of the great experience offered. Exceeding customer expectations was crucial in attracting loyal customers who returned to the establishment. Another factor for success was having a wide breadth of product line and selection. Restaurants needed to offer many different kinds of dishes to attract a broad group of buyers. Some examples were serving chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetarian. If there were ten dishes or so within each of those categories, the restaurant was offering a large selection and a customer could find a meal they craved. Offering various types of dishes helped widen the breadth of what was offered, such as: breakfast, lunch, dinner, soups, salads, pasta, and sides. There were also various styles of food offered such as Mexican, bland, Cajun, Irish, Italian, Mediterranean, and more. Such a broad selection ensured that customers found what they were looking for. If the consumer saw multiple meals he or she as interested in, he or she returned. The fourth key success factor within the restaurant industry was the ability to respond quickly to shifting market conditions. Customers were constantly changing what they wanted, and restaurants needed to keep up with those changes. If a restaurant had an inability to change its menu, it could not compete with its rivals. Recently, consumers changed their needs to heart healthy, vegetarian, organic, low calorie, and low-carb. This also took into consideration seasonal changes. Soups became more prevalent in the winter than the summer. Certain seasonal soups like pumpkin, squash, and others were craved around the holidays, but not as much during other times in the year. Desserts and specialty beverages followed similar patterns. Restaurants needed to change their menus to satisfy customers? cravings and remain competitive within the industry. Having a good overall consumer experience was extremely important in the restaurant industry. This was crucial in building a loyal clientele that could promote the business through word-of-mouth tactics and regularly dined at the establishment. The overall experience took into consideration more than just food and customer service because it encompassed the entire value perceived by the consumer. This included price, food quality, quality of service, ambience and atmosphere, and having a variety of offerings. Without that great experience, a customer would not return and they could verbally damage the restaurant? s reputation when they told friends about their poor experience. This factor was important to build loyal customers and increase brand awareness. Image and reputation was another key success factor because this was what attracted customers to the establishment. This also created word-of-mouth advertising for a restaurant. When something happened to tarnish a restaurant? s reputation, patrons no longer dined there, which led the company to go out of business. Image and reputation was how consumers perceived the company, which could add value for the customer when it was extremely good. Another key success factor was having high consumer volume. No matter what type of eating establishment, having high customer foot traffic was essential for success. This increased brand recognition, word-of-mouth advertising, and sales. This factor was essential to success in the industry, without it, a restaurant was unable to grow, or even survive. These seven key success factors dictated the industry and how restaurants needed perform in order to remain competitive in the industry. The restaurant industry was purely competitive and extremely risky due to the large number of rivals. The seven factors were areas to focus on because that was what consumers deemed important. Critical Issues the Industry Faces: Our analysis led us to the following critical issues faced by the restaurant industry. There were many opportunities in the industry for businesses to capitalize on. According to the analysis of the industry drivers, we concluded that the business life cycle was still in growth and there was a capacity shortage in the industry. This was an opportunity for the industry. Based on our analysis of the five forces model, we concluded that there were many buyers in the industry with many choices in selection of products. This was also an opportunity for the industry. Based on our analysis of the industry drivers, five forces model, and the changes to the industry structure, we concluded that there were untapped markets and consumers were prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial. Based on our analysis of the changes to the industry structure and the competitive environment and the five forces model, we concluded there was a threat to the industry in that there was low customer switching costs and low customer loyalty. Panera Bread Company’s Competitive Capabilities: i. Business Strategy: Panera Bread Company? s strategic intent was â€Å"to make Panera Bread a nationally recognized brand name and to be the dominant restaurant operator in the specialty bakery-cafe segment. † Panera intended to achieve this by â€Å"being better than the guy across the street† and implementing a successful business model. Panera? s business model satisfyed customers? needs through providing quality food in a casual setting that continued to bring customers in for the ambiance as well as the food. Panera achieved sufficient profits to cover the costs of providing this value to the customers by selling food in the cafes and by collecting franchising fees and a percentage of franchisee sales. Management intended to grow the number of Panera Bread locations by 17% annually and expand further into suburban markets. Panera focused on achieving a 1 cafe per 160,000 people per location ratio by 2010 through effective use of franchising. Panera intended to build a loyal clientele by employing a superior business model and offering artisan breads as a base of a high quality menu that changed to reflect evolving consumer tastes. The prevailing market in which Panera operated experienced 5% growth in 2006. Thus Panera? s strategy of growth was in sync with market conditions. Furthermore, by focusing on building a loyal clientele through quality breads and a menu that suits customers tastes, Panera tailored the strategy to strengths the company already possessed. Panera? ability to create well crafted, predictive strategies and adapt well to changing conditions with reactive strategies indicated that Panera? s strategy was a dynamic fit to the company and market. Therefore, Panera? s strategy was a good fit for the company. Operating in an almost pure competition environment, Panera faced threats from low cost and differentiated products. Panera employed a best cost provider strategy to take advantage of the large amount of value-conscious buyers who want a good meal and pleasant dining experience at an affordable price. Taking a position as best cost provider, in conjunction with a commitment to â€Å"providing crave-able food that people trust, served in a warm, community gathering place by associates who make guests feel comfortable† helped Panera achieve a strong strategy, but the competitive nature of the industry does not permit the strength of Panera? s strategy to become a competitive advantage. Panera had 0. 5409% market share of the $345 billion annual sales in the restaurant industry. Though Panera was not a dominant operator, this was a relatively big market share, given the nurture of the industry. The company? s profits and number of locations grew from 2002 to 2006. Panera? s strategy led to a strong financial position and a sizable market share. Because Panera? s strategy was a good fit for the company, was strong in the competitive industry, and was financially successful, we concluded that Panera? s strategy was working very well and gave the company a competitive position in the industry. Therefore we feel Panera? s overall strategy, as well as its strategy to grow the business and build a loyal clientele was a strength. ii. Functional Area Strategies: Panera? s marketing strategy contained three distinct initiatives. The first aimed to raise the quality of awareness about Panera by focusing on quality crave-able food the consumer can trust, and by enhancing the appeal of its bakery-cafes as gathering places. The second initiative focused on boosting awareness and trials of Panera at multiple meal times. The third initiative was to increase consumers? perception of Panera as a dinner option. Throughout the entire marketing strategy Panera avoided hard-sell, in-your-face advertising. Panera preferred consumers â€Å"gently collide† with and discover the brand. As Panera performed well financially in past years, this marketing strategy was successful. However our analysis led us to conclude there was an untapped potential in the soft-sell marketing technique. This was a weakness that Panera must bolster to pursue industry opportunities. Panera? s production and distribution strategy was to use economies of scale and centralize operations for the dough making process. There were 17 regional fresh dough facilities to service the 1,027 Panera bakery-cafe locations. By controlling the process at central locations Panera was able to ensure consistent quality and dough making efficiency. Panera? s production strategy supports the overall strategic intent of being better than the guy across the street and ensures quality to keep customers coming back. Because Panera? s production strategy supported the company? s overarching strategic goals, we concluded that the strategy was working well and was a strength for Panera. Panera had a unique franchise system. Each franchise license was for a multi unit deal, usually for 15 bakery-cafes to be opened over six years. Panera only granted licenses to applicants who met stringent criteria. These criteria included a net worth of $7. 5 million or more, access to resources that would allow for the expansion of 15 locations, real estate and multi unit restaurant operator experience and commitment to Panera? s brand, culture and passion. Historically, Panera? s ambitious franchising model was a success. Franchisees indicated a high level of satisfaction with Panera Bread Company? s concept, support and leadership. Likewise, Panera reported satisfaction with the quality and pace of franchisee openings and the franchisees? perations. Panera committed limited fiscal resources to franchising; the company did not â€Å"finance franchisee construction of area development payment, or hold any equity in any of the franchise-operated bakery-cafes. † Because the franchising model supported the company? s intent to grow to a dominant restaurant operator, we concluded Panera? s franchising system was a streng th. Panera committed to constantly staying in tune with consumers? changing tastes for the base of the research and development strategy. Panera regularly reviewed the menu and revised the options to sustain customer interest. When developing new products, Panera first made the menu items in test kitchens before introducing them in a select few bakery-cafes. Panera used the test kitchens and select rollouts to determine customer response and ensure that the products could be produced in mass quantities and still maintain the high quality standards associated with the Panera brand. The successful products were then introduced in all the chain locations and integrated into menus. Because it helped keep up the Panera standard for quality food that customers craved, the research and development aspect of Panera? s strategy supported the marketing strategy. Furthermore, by ensuring consistently high quality food that consumers depended on, Panera? s extensive research and development supported the company? s strategic goal of becoming a dominant operator in the restaurant industry. iii. Assessment of Panera Bread Company’s Strategic Performance: -Business Strategy Performance The strategic intent of Panera was to become a nationally recognized brand and dominant operator in the specialty bakery-cafe segment. In 2005 Panera Bread was the highest rated for the fourth year in a row among competitors in the Sandleman ; Associates national customer satisfaction survey. Panera had also won â€Å"best of† awards in 36 states and across a range of markets. In addition, â€Å"J. D. Power and Associates? 2004 restaurant satisfaction study of 55,000 customers ranked Panera Bread highest among quick-service restaurants in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States in all categories, which included environment, meal, service, and cost. † Panera created this nationwide renown through the successful implementation of the company? s business model. In 2006 Panera opened 155 company and franchise owned cafes bringing the total units to 1,027 in 36 states. The continued expansion of cafes in new markets showed that Panera was operating successfully within the framework of the intended strategy. However, Panera managed to open only 1 cafe per 330,000 by 2006. So, although Panera had begun the process of increased penetration into markets, the benchmark given of 1 cafe per 160,000 people in 2010 at the time of the case had not been reached. Therefore a complete analysis of the success of the growth strategy was not possible. Panera differentiated the bakery-cafes by implementing several important menu changes that addressed the targeted consumer needs and trends. The addition of â€Å"good carb† breads, antibiotic-free chicken, and an artisan line of sweet goods were employed as part of a differentiation strategy. In 2005-2006 Panera introduced the G2 concept in an attempt to bolster the dining environment, thus providing more value for the customer. There was no data to support or deny the effectiveness of these strategic moves. -Functional Area Strategic Performance Due to fact that the Panera won considerable accolades in consumer satisfaction, we determined that its marketing initiative of developing customer awareness of the quality and trust-worthiness of the company? s food was working. The second initiative of boosting awareness and trial of dining at Panera Bread at multiple meal times had not been shown operationally. Therefore, we were not able to determine the performance of this strategy. The marketing data showed that, â€Å"85 % of consumers who were aware that there was a Panera Bread bakery-cafe in their community or neighborhood had dined at Panera on at least one occasion. † From this data, we concluded that the strategy was sound to pursue and specifically implement. The third initiative of increasing consumers? perception of Panera as a dinner option had not yet been implemented with specific steps. The marketing research showed that 81% of consumers indicated a â€Å"considerable willingness† to try Panera at other meal times which supported following this strategy into the implementation phase. Panera? s production and distribution goal was to ensure lowered costs and quality control with a strategy of centralized locations taking advantage of economies of scale. The quality of the product was evidenced by the many â€Å"best of† awards and other consumer satisfaction accolades. The lowered costs due to economies of scale and the high quality of the products indicate that Panera? production and distribution strategy was successfully implemented and executed. Panera pursued a unique franchising model based on multi-unit, multi-year deals with franchisees who were selected based on stringent criteria. The franchised cafes performed better in return on equity investments and average weekly and annual sales than company-owned cafes and were also equally or slightly m ore profitable. The measured success of the franchisee owned stores showed that the franchising model strategy was performing well. The research and development strategy was to stay in tune with customers? changing tastes. The implementation consisted of regularly reviewing and revising the menus, and the use of test kitchens for exploring new products and determining customer response. In 2003 Panera scored the highest level of customer loyalty among quick-casual restaurants, according to a study conducted by TNS Intersearch. This customer loyalty indicated the success of Panera in anticipating customer needs through the company? s research and development strategy. iv. Resources: Panera had skills and expertise in sight selection and cafe environment. They chose sights and cafe environment by the following method. Based on analysis of this information, including the use of predictive modeling using proprietary software, Panera developed projections of sales and return on investment for candidate sites. † This recourse was difficult but not impossible to copy. The length of time it would last depended on how hard competitors chose to work to develop similar technology. This resource was really c ompetitively superior because no other competitors had it. It could not be trumped by rival? s resources because the same software had to be developed before competitors could use it. Because this resource was hard to copy, competitively superior, potentially long lasting and could not be trumped by rivals? resources, the site selection and cafe environment was a competitive capability. This competitive capability was a strength that gave Panera a competitive advantage. Our analysis revealed that Panera? s advertising and promotion strategy was too weak. They had underutilized promotion potential. Panera? s strategy was to raise the quality of awareness by the â€Å"caliber and appeal of its breads and baked goods, by hammering the theme â€Å"food you crave, food you can trust. Panera also aimed to â€Å"raise awareness and boost trial of dining at Panera Bread at multiple meal times (breakfast, lunch, â€Å"chill out† times, and dinner. )† Panera avoided hard-sell approaches, preferring â€Å"instead to employ a range of ways to softly drop the Panera Bread name into the midst of consumers as they moved through their lives and let them „ge ntly collide? with the brand; the idea was to let consumers „discover? Panera Bread and then convert them into loyal customers by providing a very satisfying dining experience. † This approach was a great concept and successful to an extent, however we conclude that because many of Panera? competitors were using more aggressive promotion, the current strategy was not aggressive enough. â€Å"Management claimed that the company? s fresh- dough-making capability provided a competitive advantage by ensuring consistent quality and dough-making efficiency. † Because this dough making capability allowed Panera to maximize the production capacity, used no preservatives, did not freeze the product and control the quality of the dough by making it themselves, this recourse was hard to copy. How long it would last depended on strengthening competitor capabilities and their interest in the dough making market. Based on the first two tests, we conclude that this capability was really competitively superior and could not be trumped by rivals? capabilities and therefore a competitive advantage. Panera? s franchise system used superior intellectual capital with the use experienced and capable workforce. The success of the franchise system was an example of proven managerial know-how. The site selection software granted the franchises cutting-edge knowledge in technology to choose locations and cafe environments. The stringent franchisee requirements employed only the most dedicated, well capitalized and capable franchisees as managers. The franchise system was hard to copy because of the stringent requirements for the franchisees, managerial know-how and the proprietary site selection software. Site selection system would tend to last because of how difficult it was to copy and could not be trumped by rivals because it was so rare, and was characterized by a gradual learning curve. This analysis led us to the conclusion that Panera? s franchise system was a distinct competitive capability and therefore gave Panera a competitive advantage. The product research and development program was also an example of Panera? superior intellectual capital. â€Å"Product development was focused on providing food that customers would crave and trust to be tasty. New menu items were developed in test kitchens and then introduced in a limited number of the bakery-cafes to determine customer response and verify that preparation and operating procedures resulted in product consistency and high quality standards. If successful, they were then rolled out system wide. † The research and development system was hard to copy because of the gradual learning curve and constant need for revision. Because every competitor was also engaged in tactics to improve product development, we conclude that this intellectual capital was only hard to copy in Panera? s specific product line. Because it was not generally hard to copy we do not conclude that it was competitively superior. Based on our analysis, we conclude that Panera? s product research and development was a resource capability and therefore strength, but it was not a competitive advantage because many competitors have the same resources. Panera? s financial position was an important resource. Panera had a low debt to equity ratio. In 1998 this strategy began with the sale of Au Bon Pain for 73 million in cash. This strategy was well served by the franchise system. â€Å"Panera did not finance franchisee construction or area development agreement payments or hold an equity interest in any of the franchise- operated bakery-cafes. † The franchise system allowed Panera to keep long term levels debt low. This allowed Panera to use cash reserves and or take on long term debt at lower costs when capital was necessary to seize opportunities. Panera? s financial position was a resource capability because it was hard to copy. The resource tended to last long because the franchise system kept debt low. It was not really competitively superior because other competitors could have had similar financial positions. Because this capability was hard to copy but it was not competitively superior, we conclude that it was a capability and there for strength, but not a competitive advantage because others may have a similar financial position. v. Value Chain: -Inbound Logistics The case does not provide enough information to comment on the inbound logistics that Panera has with suppliers. However, each franchisee purchased dough directly from Panera Bread. Panera had an interest in each of the franchised stores succeeding because the company received 4%-5% royalties from sales continually. This meant Panera as the supplier had an interest to keep prices of dough as low as possible to maintain viable franchise operations. -Operations Panera provided and required comprehensive front and back of house training, market analysis, and bakery-cafe certification. This corporate level tactic impacted the company? franchised and company owned stores by enabling Panera to develop systems used by all the cafes thus applying economies of scale to operations. Since each cafe-bakery did not have to develop its own operations structure this reduced costs for each store. In addition, the methods Panera introduced to each store had proven historically successful, thus increased the learning curve for a new cafe and lowered costs. Panera had a policy to not finance new franchisees, area development payment agreements, or hold any equity in the new cafes. This operational model resulted in minimal long-term debt and low capital intensity to expand the Panera brand. All the cafes offered an assortment of 20-plus varieties of bread baked daily and as of 2006 at least 22 types of sandwiches. Each of these breads and sandwiches were regularly reviewed to determine whether the products matched regular customer needs, new consumer trends, and seasonal relevance. The complexity of the product line enabled Panera to match menu items with a variety of customer needs. This process ensured that weak selling items would be removed limited excess inventory. Outbound logistics Each franchisee purchased dough directly from Panera Bread. Each dough making facility was able to produce dough for six bakeries. The fresh dough was sold to both companyowned and franchised bakery-cafes at a delivered cost not to exceed 27% of the retail value of the product. These costs margins were achieved by producing the dough at central locations employing economies o f scale. -Sales and Marketing Panera used focus groups to determine customer food and drink preferences, and price points. This work was done by only a few individuals at the corporate level and scaled to the rest of the cafes. The existing company and franchise owned cafes would be able to take advantage of this market information and reduce costs associated with sales and marketing information. The franchising model Panera used required the franchisee to pay 0. 7% of total sales to a national advertising fund and 0. 4 % of total sales as a marketing administration fee. Franchisees were also required to spend 2. 0 % of total sales on advertising in local markets. Panera contributed similar amounts of capital from the company owned stores. Requiring the franchise owned cafes to pay a significant portion of marketing costs allowed Panera Bread to lower the company? s capital contribution. -Research and Development New menu items were rolled out in limited cafes and developed in test kitchens prior to nationwide release. This process addressed two cost drivers. First, by employing economies of scale individual cafes will not have to spend resources and capital investing in the development of new menu items. Second, through the expertise of the advanced research and development department Panera ensured both quality of product and process. This resulted in less product waste and increased customer satisfaction and in turn lowered costs. -Integrated Value Chain Effect Panera Bread utilized both structural and executional cost drivers to lower costs on the value chain particularly in inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and research and development. The cost reduction across the value chain gave Panera a strong capability. vi. Assessment of Panera Bread Company’s Financial Performance and Capabilities: Panera Bread Company showed growth in its profitability from 2002 to 2006, but there were no industry standards presented to compare the numbers in relation to the industry and individual competitors. Panera Bread Company stated a desired growth rate of 17% each year, and the sustainable growth rates from 2003 to 2006 were all above this desired rate (See Financial Ratios Section), but the internal growth rates were slightly lower for these years (See Financial Ratios Sections). For the most part, Panera Bread Company showed consistent results for the profitability financial ratios calculated. Therefore the company maintained management? s objectives and values each year. Panera? s ability to maintain cash reserves allowed the company to expand and open new cafes while maintaining management? s goal of not taking on large amounts of long-term debt. Panera Bread Company showed increased revenues as the number of cafes increased, which shows company growth (See Financial Trend Graphs Section). Also, Panera? current ratio was 1. 16 in 2006, which shows the company was able to satisfy all current obligations from operating activities without the need for long-term financing. Since Panera strives to decrease long-term debt, the cash reserves could be used for expansion without the need to restrict assets for future obligations. The company presented low total debt and debt-toequity ratios which allowed the company to avoid overleveraging itself. This also left so me capacity for the company to take on long-term debt if deemed necessary during expansion. The company created a strong financial position for itself by having available cash reserves and diminishing the amount of long-term debt assumed. This created an opportunity for expansion. vii. Strategic Issues Panera Bread Company Faces: The strategic issues that Panera faced were as follows. Our first strategic issue was Panera? s potential to use its internal franchising capabilities to take advantage of the fact that the industry life cycle remained in its growth phase. The second strategic issue Panera faced was how to alter its existing promotion strategy in untapped markets in order to take advantage of the opportunity presented by customer? s willingness to try new restaurants. The third strategic issue was how Panera could use its internal capability to build loyal clientele to defend against the threat of low switching costs and low customer loyalty. The final strategic issue was how Panera could use its internal capability of advanced research and development skills to take advantage of the large number of buyers within the industry. iii. Management’s Values: Management valued the enthusiasm Panera Bread cafes showed for the quality and value of the products offered. The main example was in the company? s dough making capabilities. Panera believed that actions spoke louder than words, so the company needed to show the high quality of its food to the customers. Management believed that the â€Å"attractive menu and the dining ambience of its bakery-cafes provided significant growth opportunity, despite the fiercely competitive nature of the restaurant industry†. Management strived to become the dominant operator within the bakery-cafe segment as well as a leader in the specialty bread segment while making its brand name nationally recognized. Another key value within Panera? s management was maintaining a debt-free balance sheet. The ability to uphold this value came from the company? s franchising model because the franchisees financed the majority of the cafe building expenses. Management stressed the quality of the food and service offered and knew that all other goals, such as expansion, recognition, and holding a higher market share, would simply fall into place as a result. x. Organizational Culture: Panera Bread Company? s organizational culture began with the overall company and the dough-making facilities and spread out to the bakery cafes, whether company owned or franchised. Panera Bread Company was centered on its dough-making capabilities. The company guaranteed freshness and high quality in each dough it created. The dough was then passed to the cafes, where it was baked fresh and delivered to the customer. The quality controls within the company were maintained through the entire process to ensure that the customer would be pleased with his purchase. Quality was the basis for success, and quality was what the company relied on to generate loyal customers. Franchising was also a crucial aspect to Panera? s organizational culture because cafes were where the majority of customer contact occurred, and it was the basis for some of management? s values. Panera? s franchising model was extremely stringent, so only certain individuals were able to have cafes. There were eight criteria that had to be met in order to be considered, and a passion for fresh bread was one of them. Panera ensured that each franchisee had the capital and prior knowledge necessary to succeed. The stringent criteria and Panera? s site selection technology provided a strong basis for cafe success, which in turn led to a strong and satisfying organizational culture. Although Panera did not own the franchised cafes, the company dictated where supplies could be obtained to ensure quality. Panera also trained the franchisees so they could operate on their own successfully, but turn to the company for guidance when necessary. The open environment was helpful without it being too overbearing. The strength in the organizational culture was a contributing factor to Panera? success and continued growth. Appendices i. ii. iii. iv. v. SWOT Matrix Stakeholder Matrix Financial Ratios (See attached Excel file) Financial Trend Graphs Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation i. SWOT Matrix STRENGTHS: -Strong and attainable growth strategy -Ability to build a loyal clientele -The business model -Franchising system ; site selection and proprietary software -Research and Develo pment ; Product Innovation -Financial position – lack of long term debt -81% of frequent and moderately frequent customers indicated a willingness to try Panera for multiple meal times WEAKNESSES: -Under utilized potential in promotion strategy -Frequent diners only come at one meal time per day -Only located regionally OPPORTUNITIES: -The industry life cycle is still in growth -Low cost substitutes viewed as lower quality ; value -Large number of small buyers in the industry (Lack of buyer bargaining power) -Buyers are characterized as likely to give new restaurants a try THREATS: -Low switching costs/low customer loyalty -Product is a discretionary purchase -Substitutes are convenient and lower priced -Wide breadth of competitive rivalry -Steep learning curve ii. Stakeholder Matrix Stakeholders Companies, Groups, And Individuals Type/Nature of the Relationship/ What We Do For Each of Them -A chain of cafes perceived as a neighborhood bakerycafe which can be found in various locations around the U. S. and quality is consistent in all locations Needs How We Satisfy Those Needs Customers -U. S. Consumers -A quality food option which is perceived as a good value -A pleasant dining experience with good service and a warm ambiance -By providing quality food in a casual setting that continued to bring customers in for the ambiance and the food -Creating food consumers crave and can trust at all locations Competitors -Independent single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees -Competed on a local level, as Panera desired to be seen as the local, neighborhood cafe and gathering place -Fast-casual restaurants -Competed on inviting dining environment, quality of food and enticing menus -Commercial eating institutions -Competed on price, service, ambiance, overall experience and convenience -Provide a successful franchising model to be pursued by highly -Preopening assistance with market -Provided market analysis and site selection assistance, lease review, Employees -Franchisees capitalized, experienced and passionate individuals analysis and site selection, training programs, leadership new store opening assistance, a comprehensive initial training program, and a program for hourly employees, benchmarking data regarding costs and profit margins, company developed marketing and advertising programs, neighborhood marketing assistance Shareholders -Owners of the 31,313 shares outstanding -The community of the regional markets of company and franchised cafes Provided a stable company to invest in -Do not pay dividends -provide a gathering place for locals and visitors and support the community the locations operate in -A food option and company that adds value to its product and the community at large -Panera sponsored local community charity events Community iv. Financial Trend Graphs: Net Income 70000 Net Income (Millions) 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 2002 2003 2004 Year 2005 2006 This figure shows the net income for Panera Bre ad Company from 2002-2006. It depicts a steady increase in net income each year. Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities Nat Cash Provided by Operating Activities (Millions) 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 2002 2003 2004 Year 2005 2006 This figure depicts the net cash provided by operating activities for Panera Bread Company from 2002 to 2006. It shows an increase over time, except from 2005 to 2006. Open Cafes 700 Number of Cafes Open 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Franchised Cafes Company Owned Cafes Year This figure shows the number of cafes opened at the end of each year. It depicts growth within the company. It also shows that franchise-owned cafes are more prevalent than company-owned ones, which shows success in the company? s franchising model. Store Revenues 2500 Store Revenues (millions) 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 Year 2004 2005 2006 This graph shows a steady increase in revenues for each cafe over time. v. Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation: Alterations to Opening Cafes in Untapped and Low Penetrated Markets Recommendation Our recommendation needed to be altered to provide a separate action plan from recommendation to pursue a more aggressive soft-sell promotion strategy. We altered this recommendation by moving Panera? s focus when opening new bakery-cafes using the superior franchising model to solely untapped markets. These untapped markets would allow for sufficient growth to achieve the desired 1:160,000 ratio. Alterations to the More Aggressive Soft-Sell Promotional Strategy Recommendation: Recommendation two needed to be altered from a marketing strategy to a purely promotional strategy. Panera needed to promote its quality menu by implementing the suggested promotional strategies in its bakery cafes. The purpose of the promotional campaign was to bring new customers into the cafes. This satisfied the opportunity within the industry that customers are prone to try newly opened eating establishments in their community. The campaign needed to be implemented in untapped and low-penetrated markets in order to develop brand awareness by attracting new patrons. Though it may help, it will not be as successful in the highly-penetrated markets because Panera is already an established company with high brand awareness and loyal customers. Alterations to Implementation of â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† Program Recommendation In response to your concerns regarding recommendation three, we agree that our implementation of â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† did not specifically address the low switching cost threat by rewarding return customers for their loyalty. To resolve this issue, we altered the implementation steps to include a punch card in the to-go packaging that would reward existing â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† customers for their loyalty and raze their switching costs with progressive discounts based on their level of return patronage. Alterations to Broaden Product Scope Recommendation During the presentation of the recommendations there was concern that recommendation 4 did not adequately address the goal of increasing market share. The primary concern was that offering an expanded dinner menu after 430 pm would not be incentive enough to overcome factors of image, location, and substitutes for Panera to obtain a relevant increase in market share. To bolster the strength of our recommendation and overcome the aforementioned hurdles to success we have amended our recommendation to include the addition of beer and wine at select Panera locations. A Panera site will qualify for alcohol consideration if the area demographics and local legal and regulatory environment are ideal. Selected locations will participate in wine-tasting and other events to engage the surrounding community. The combination of new menu items and select sites serving alcohol will create a new and lively experience for dining at Panera.