Geographical Information Systems (Gis)

1. Spatial data are what drive a GIS. Spatial features or entities and their attributes are stored in computers using a number of spatial data models. It is vital to understand the characteristics of them since the data model employed has considerable influence on the functionality of the GIS. Spatial data can represent real world features with discrete boundaries (such as roads, buildings, lakes, rivers, administrative boundaries) as well as real world phenomena with non-discrete boundaries (such as precipitation and nutrient levels, terrain).The basic approaches are: raster data model and vector data model. Depending on the type of problem that needs to be solved, the type of maps that need to be made, and the data source, either raster or vector, or a combination of the two can be used. Each data model has strengths and weaknesses in terms of functionality and representation. | Raster Data Model| Vector Data Model| Descriptions| The raster data model is the simpler model and is ba sed on the division of reality into a regular grid of identically shaped cells.Raster data represent the landscape as a rectangular matrix of square cells. In raster data model, attributes are limited to the numeric values of the cells themselves, and while it is possible to link additional attributes to the groups of cells having same values, which is rarely done in practice because of the low utilizing value and cumbersome data management. | In vector data model, an object’s shape is represented by dots which are located where the shape of the object changes.The dots which are known as vertices are joined by straight lines. Vector data represent features as discrete points, lines, and polygons. In vector model, as a point of difference, vector objects are additionally described by one or more characteristics, in GIS called attributes. Vector files attributes are stored in tables which consists of records (rows) representing individual features, fields (columns) representing a particular theme describing the feature, and attributes that refers to an intersection between a record and a field. Advantages| * The geographical location of each cell is implied by its position in the cell matrix. Accordingly, no geographical coordinates are stored other than an origin point. * Due to the nature of the data storage technique data analysis is usually easy to program and quick to perform. * The inherent nature of raster maps that is one attribute maps, is ideally suited for mathematical modeling and quantitative analysis. * Grid-cell systems are very compatible with raster-based output devices. As reconnaissance satellites and aerial surveys use raster-based scanners, the information can be directly incorporated into GIS. | * Data can be represented at its original resolution and form without generalization. * Graphic output is usually more aesthetically pleasing (traditional cartographic representation). * Allows precise representation of points, boundaries, an d linear features. * Accurate geographical location of data is maintained. * Since most data, e. g. hard copy maps, is in vector form no data conversion is required. Allows for efficient encoding of topology and operations that require topological information. | Disadvantages| * The cell size determines the resolution at which the data is represented. * It is especially difficult to adequately represent linear features depending on the cell resolution. Accordingly, network linkages are difficult to establish. * Processing of associated attribute data may be cumbersome if large amounts of data exist. Raster maps inherently reflect only one attribute or characteristic for an area. Since most input data is in vector form, data must undergo vector-to-raster conversion. Besides increased processing requirements this may introduce data integrity concerns due to generalization and choice of inappropriate cell size. * Most output maps from grid-cell systems do not conform to high-quality ca rtographic needs. | * The boundaries of the resulting map polygons are discrete whereas in reality the map polygons may represent continuous gradation or gradual change, as in soil maps. * The location of each vertex needs to be stored explicitly. Vector data must be converted into a topological structure to achieve effective analysis, which is often processing intensive and requires extensive data cleaning. * Continuous data is not effectively represented in vector form that usually requires substantial data generalization or interpolation for these data layers. * Spatial analysis and filtering within polygons is impossible. | References Heywood, I. S. (2006). Heywood, I. , S. Cornelius, and S. Carver. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lo, C. P. (n. d. ). Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information . Pearson Education Inc. Technology, T.U. (n. d. ). The GIS Spatial Data Model. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in Forest Resources: http://courses. washington. edu/gis250/lessons/introduction_gis/spatial_data_model. html Buckey, D. J. (n. d. ). VECTOR AND RASTER – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from Biodiversity GIS: http://bgis. sanbi. org/gis-primer/page_19. htm 2. Basic concept of GIS As the name implies, geographic information systems (GIS) are systems designed to be input, store, edit, retrieve, analyze, and output geographic data and information.It is composed of an orchestrated set of parts, which includes computer hardware and software, space and organizations within which these reside, personnel who use the system in numerous levels and capacities, data and information upon which the system operates, clients who obtain and use the products, vendors who supply the hardware and software, and other systems within which the GIS functions. These parts allow it to perform its many interrelated tasks well. The main task of a GIS is to analyze spatially referenced data and in formation.There are various ways of classifying the analytical and modeling capabilities of GIS as many of these capabilities interact. Ultimately, the software most certainly contains algorithms and computer code specifically designed to: (i) Organize geographic data within appropriate referencing systems, (ii) Selectively query those data and aggregate them for easy understanding, (iii) Count and measure both individual objects and collections of objects, (iv) Classify and reclassify objects based on user specified properties, (v) Overlay related thematic map data, vi) And be able to combine these individual techniques into ordered sequences of operations designed to simulate some natural or anthropogenic activities for decision making. One of the purposes of using GIS is to take observations of the real world and simplify and scale the data into graphical elements to which are related descriptive features termed attributes. Database management system (DBMS) is used to maintain th e attributes while the graphical elements are described in any one of two general types of spatial structure which are vector and tessellation.Vector structures which refer to discrete elements, points, lines, and polygons, are represented digitally by a series of 2-D coordinates (x and y) that imply magnitude and direction. Whereas tessellation refers to representation of spatial data with a network of elements such as rectangles, squares, hexagons, equilateral triangles, and irregular rectangles. In general, vector methods are more suitable for mapping and performing spatial queries, while tessellation is more suitable to represent continuous surfaces such as topography.The history of development of GIS parallels the history of developments in digital computers and database management systems as wells as those in cartography and automation of map production. The development of GIS has also relied upon innovations made in other sectors including geography, photogrammetry, remote se nsing, civil engineering, and statistics. Generally, GIS can be very beneficial in various fields that some organizations are utilizing it, such as retail, utilities, environment, local government, health care, transportation and financial services.However, it could go wrong if the organization was not really sure how it could use it. It should be determined that how an organization uses spatial data and whether the current practices can be automated, and also identify any new processes which would be useful to help decision making. Some people believe that there is no difference between computer-assisted cartography (CAC), computer aided drafting (CAD), and GIS. Because the graphic display from these three systems can look identical to both casual and trained observers.Nonetheless, CAC computer systems that designed to create maps from geographical objects combined with descriptive attributes are excellent for display but lack of the analytical capabilities of a GIS. Also, for pure mapping purposes, CAC is highly desirable for the input, design, and output of mappable data rather than working through the myriad analytics of GIS to produce a simple map. Whereas CAD is developed to produce graphic images that is excellent for architects, but it is not capable of analyzing maps that it is the primary task assigned to the GIS.A successful GIS may not be an off-the-shelf solution to your problems, while it will require considerable thought for a successful implementation. Applications Nowadays, GIS technologies have been applied to diverse sectors to assist experts and professionals in analyzing various types of geospatial data and dealing with complex situations. GIS plays a vital role to help people collect and analyze related spatial data as well as to display data in different formats in business, education, transportation, public safety, natural resources, mapping and charting, geospatial intelligence, government, tourism, and health service.In agriculture, G IS can be very beneficial too as the ability of GIS to analyze and visualize agricultural environments and workflows has contributed much in the farming industry. Balancing the inputs and outputs on a farm as a fundamental to agriculture success and profitability can be determined easily through GIS. Pest/ disease tracking, farm management, crop monitoring, yield prediction and soil analysis can easily be done through GIS.From mobile GIS in the field to the scientific analysis of production data at the farm manager’s office, GIS is playing an increasing role in agriculture production by helping farmers increase production, reduce costs, and manage their land more effectively. In natural resource management, GIS has also played important role in various applications. For example, groundwater recharge potential evaluation platform, soil database query system, biodiversity geographic information system, climate rainfall map system, private forest land management system, water bo dy quality and pollutant management system, as well as rainfall analysis system.In planning and economic development, GIS helps economic developers in effective decision-making that it conducts analysis, displays and disseminates results and makes informed decisions about where to locate new businesses or grow existing ones. GIS technology is really powerful and efficient in helping economic developers sustain economic recovery and growth. The necessary platform for visualization, modeling, analysis, and collaboration can be provided by GIS tools and help the economic developers to achieve their goals.Next, for public safety, GIS contributes a lot especially in disaster management. There are some systems introduced to detect and prevent disasters such as GIS-based campus emergency system, disaster prevention area planning, urban disaster prevention spatial system, and emergency response digital map platform. However, remote sensing can be combined with GIS to produce a better tool i n disaster management. For example, the Wellington Regional Council (WRC) in New Zealand has developed a comprehensive library of earthquake hazard maps.The data have been digitized and forms part of the WRC GIS. Black and white copies of the maps are faxed to media outlets, police and emergency services while GIS/GPS were utilized to monitor the daily spread of the fire, measure fire suppression actions and assess damage to structures and to natural and cultural sources. Bibliography Basic Concepts. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://www. ce. utexas. edu/prof/maidment/gishydro/docs/reports/smith/sect3. pdf Buckey, D. J. (n. d. ). VECTOR AND RASTER – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.Retrieved November 16, 2012, from Biodiversity GIS: http://bgis. sanbi. org/gis-primer/page_19. htm Demer, M. N. (2009). Fundamental of Geographical Information Systems (4th Edition). United States of America: Wiley. GIS application in disaster management: some examples. (n. d. ). Retr ieved November 2012, 13, from GIS development: http://www. gisdevelopment. net/application/natural_hazards/overview/nho0001. htm Heywood, I. S. (2006). Heywood, I. , S. Cornelius, and S. Carver. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. Linda Loubert, P. n. d. ). GIS for Economic Development. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from esri: http://www. esri. com/library/bestpractices/economic-development. pdf Lo, C. P. (n. d. ). Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information . Pearson Education Inc. Rabley, P. (2009, June). GIS for Agriculture. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from ESRI: http://www. esri. com/library/bestpractices/gis-for-agriculture. pdf SuperGeo. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from GIS Applications: http://www. supergeotek. com/library_GISApplication. spx Technology, T. U. (n. d. ). The GIS Spatial Data Model. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in Forest Resources: http://courses. washington. edu/gis250/lessons/introduction_gis/s patial_data_model. html 3. Future of GIS Geographical Information System (GIS) is a technological tool designed to store, analyze and display geographical data so that a person reading a map can select data necessary for a specific project or task. The demand for GIS tools is constantly growing.Comparing to the early years of GIS one would dream up a new spatial widget, code it, and then attempt to explain to others how and why they ought to use it, nowadays GIS has been applied into various fields whether in data management, economic planning and development, agriculture, and public safety, whereas in future GIS application should be better than this and make jobs to be done more easily. Why is future of GIS valuable? One of the reasons is geographic information science as a new science that is used to design future information systems.Also, it is valuable as it generates expansion into new fields and application areas, discovering new uses and solving problems. In future, the scie ntific visualization and computer graphics will be increasingly integrated with GIS capabilities, especially animated and interactive maps. The potential of future of GIS is far beyond the other sciences for the tools. In today’s world, acquiring data for a new GIS is no longer a major problem. GPS has become a main source of new GIS data and comes increasingly from integrated GPS/GIS systems.Nevertheless, this GIS domain has always been the outdoors where GPS signals are strong and reliable. Thus this matter should be looked into that moving GIS indoors. We need techniques for the rapid, cheap, and accurate capture of 3D geometries and attributes, as well as efficient methods of determining indoor position. The market for solutions to the problem of moving GIS indoors and integrating the indoors and outdoors really holds an enormous potential. By developing GIS trends, knowing where everything is can be very possible.Take consideration during emergencies but not invading pri vacy of ones, tracking individuals using the technologies of GIS would be very useful. For instant, it would be much easier to search for the possible victims if every inhabitant of the Wenchuan area of China had been tracked prior to the May 2008 earthquake. Furthermore, shifting GIS from the relatively leisurely process of analyzing static data to a far more dynamic process of real-time monitoring and decision making can be possible in future also.A GPS navigation system, fed by sensors, might show the state of congestion of the road system in real time; an emergency manager might view the real-time situation of a disaster response; and a public health researcher might monitor the real-time state of a disease outbreak. Nonetheless, as the progress of future of GIS is developing, we should also take the major influencing factors on it either positive or negative into consideration.There are several positive influences of future of GIS that we can see, such as continuing hardware co st reductions and improved performance, improvements in storage capacities and performance, the improved capability and functional range of most software, the adoption of standards for GIS in many countries, the availability of a greater range of digital data sets, the greater recognition of GIS as valuable management tool, and also the perceived success of GIS in a number of varied fields.For the negative sides, the lack of government funding for basic research initiatives, too many systems are stand-alone applications having little incentive to progress, the necessary implementation procedures are very complex, data costs can be prohibitive, too frequently data is difficult to integrate because of structure, accuracy, scale, level of aggregation, as well as the legal concerns over the copyright of data. In conclusion, GIS can be very useful if researches of innovation and evolution can be made more.Of course, advantages and disadvantages of applications of GIS in future have to be concerned much so that it can be fully utilized and the consequence of GIS development can be minimized. Last but not least, there is one fact that is inescapable: the world of GIS has always been full of surprises, and there is every reason to believe the future will be just exciting! Bibliography Basic Concepts. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://www. ce. utexas. edu/prof/maidment/gishydro/docs/reports/smith/sect3. pdf Berry, J. K. (2007). Topic 27: GIS Evolution and Future Trends. Retrieved

To What Extent Should We Place Trust in the Government These Days?

To what extent should we place trust in the government these days? It is said by American President Barack Obama, †If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost. † From here, we know the importance of people putting trust in their government. However, we can only place trust in them if they are able to take care of their citizens, fulfilling their needs and acting responsibly in the best interest of the citizens.Recently, there seem to be an increase in reasons for us to distrust our government for they are fulfilling less of their duties as the leaders of the nation. Firstly, we should remain skeptical about the government due to the simple fact that the government comprises of humans, and as we all know, no human is perfect. As Gandhi said, †Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed. † With scientific rese arch stating that the humans are born to be greedy, the innate greed in the government officials might be a dangerous trait.Government Regulation on Media in AmericaFor the government, their greed would result in various forms of corruption such as bribery and extortion, negatively impacting the lives of the citizens. For example in sub-Saharan African nations, about half of the funds that were donated for health usages were never invested into the health sectors. Instead they were lavished to support the costly high-end lives of the government officials. This problem is not only limited to the developing countries. World wide, bribery alone is estimated to involve over 1 trillion US dollars annually.Due to the innate greed in human nature, it is evident that many times, the government will not do what is best for the people. Instead, they would think of themselves first, thus we should not place our complete trust in the government. Secondly, governments are no longer taking care o f the needs of the citizens as well as they did. There are basic needs that one should be entitled to, needs such as education and healthcare, and the government should ensure that its citizens get those needs. However, these days many countries are unable to fulfill their citizens' needs.In countries such as Greece, level of healthcare accessible to the public has also been on the decrease due to the recent economic crisis. Five austerity programmes within the space of two and a half years have reduced the health system in Greece to the level of a developing country and stripped working people of the basic right to adequate medical care. Most hospitals lack essential basic materials such as disposable gloves, plaster and catheters. Poorer women have to give birth at home because they cannot afford a hospital birth, which can cost â‚ ¬700-â‚ ¬1,500.On top of that, control of infectious diseases is no longer guaranteed due to the lower standards of hygiene throughout Greece. Ch ronic respiratory diseases, skin diseases and tuberculosis are all on the increase. Outbreaks of malaria infections have been reported in five parts of the country, although the disease had been thought be eradicated in 1974. It can be seen that the government do not have the ability to ensure the basic wellbeing of their citizens thus we should place less trust in the government these days.Thirdly, in many countries, governments are restricting many of the basic rights of people. These rights belong without presumption or cost of privilege to all human beings. However, in many countries, in the excuse to protect national security, the government often stripped the citizens of those rights. Under these kind of circumstances, it is of no surprise why the citizens might not trust the government. For example, in China, the freedom of speech in media and press is largely limited.They have strict censorship rules that include all capable of reaching a wide audience including television, print media, Internet, text messaging and even video games. These rules will greatly limit the ability for press to act as the 4th estate in the country and their ability to keep the government in check. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, many people who tried to report on the shabby construction of schools faced severed punishment. Liu Shaokun, a Sichuan school teacher, was detained for disseminating rumors and destroying social order after taking photos of collapsed school buildings, and putting them online.With these kind of censorship rules in placed, the citizens would no longer have the faith and confidence in their government as they are denied of the truth of the happenings in their country. Thus, less trust are placed in the government these days. However, there are some people who feel that there has been an increase in trust in the government. 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer conducted by Edelman Public Relations has revealed that Singaporeans are the third most trusting of t heir government. They account this to the strong economy, high social security and high standard of living in Singapore.Despite those statistics, the new generation of Singaporeans are placing less and less trust in the government. The parliament of Singapore was traditionally dominated by People's Action Party and the decrease in trust in the leading party was seen when Worker's Party, an opposition party, won it's first Group Representation Constituency in the 2011 general elections. The recent political scandals in Singapore have shaken the trust placed in the government too. Just a month ago, member of parliament, Michael Palmer, announced his resignation after confessing he had an extramarital affair with a community worker.This caused various debates among the citizens that questions the credibility of the parliament speakers. These debates further illustrates the declining trust placed in the government. In conclusion, I feel that people around the world are beginning to lose trust in the government. They no longer feel that the government is able to act to their best interest and that their needs are not fulfilled. They are beginning to be unsure of their government's choices and question the transparency of their leaders. Thus, I do not think that we should trust our government to a large extent. To What Extent Should We Place Trust in the Government These Days? To what extent should we place trust in the government these days? It is said by American President Barack Obama, †If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost. † From here, we know the importance of people putting trust in their government. However, we can only place trust in them if they are able to take care of their citizens, fulfilling their needs and acting responsibly in the best interest of the citizens.Recently, there seem to be an increase in reasons for us to distrust our government for they are fulfilling less of their duties as the leaders of the nation. Firstly, we should remain skeptical about the government due to the simple fact that the government comprises of humans, and as we all know, no human is perfect. As Gandhi said, †Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed. † With scientific rese arch stating that the humans are born to be greedy, the innate greed in the government officials might be a dangerous trait.Government Regulation on Media in AmericaFor the government, their greed would result in various forms of corruption such as bribery and extortion, negatively impacting the lives of the citizens. For example in sub-Saharan African nations, about half of the funds that were donated for health usages were never invested into the health sectors. Instead they were lavished to support the costly high-end lives of the government officials. This problem is not only limited to the developing countries. World wide, bribery alone is estimated to involve over 1 trillion US dollars annually.Due to the innate greed in human nature, it is evident that many times, the government will not do what is best for the people. Instead, they would think of themselves first, thus we should not place our complete trust in the government. Secondly, governments are no longer taking care o f the needs of the citizens as well as they did. There are basic needs that one should be entitled to, needs such as education and healthcare, and the government should ensure that its citizens get those needs. However, these days many countries are unable to fulfill their citizens' needs.In countries such as Greece, level of healthcare accessible to the public has also been on the decrease due to the recent economic crisis. Five austerity programmes within the space of two and a half years have reduced the health system in Greece to the level of a developing country and stripped working people of the basic right to adequate medical care. Most hospitals lack essential basic materials such as disposable gloves, plaster and catheters. Poorer women have to give birth at home because they cannot afford a hospital birth, which can cost â‚ ¬700-â‚ ¬1,500.On top of that, control of infectious diseases is no longer guaranteed due to the lower standards of hygiene throughout Greece. Ch ronic respiratory diseases, skin diseases and tuberculosis are all on the increase. Outbreaks of malaria infections have been reported in five parts of the country, although the disease had been thought be eradicated in 1974. It can be seen that the government do not have the ability to ensure the basic wellbeing of their citizens thus we should place less trust in the government these days.Thirdly, in many countries, governments are restricting many of the basic rights of people. These rights belong without presumption or cost of privilege to all human beings. However, in many countries, in the excuse to protect national security, the government often stripped the citizens of those rights. Under these kind of circumstances, it is of no surprise why the citizens might not trust the government. For example, in China, the freedom of speech in media and press is largely limited.They have strict censorship rules that include all capable of reaching a wide audience including television, print media, Internet, text messaging and even video games. These rules will greatly limit the ability for press to act as the 4th estate in the country and their ability to keep the government in check. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, many people who tried to report on the shabby construction of schools faced severed punishment. Liu Shaokun, a Sichuan school teacher, was detained for disseminating rumors and destroying social order after taking photos of collapsed school buildings, and putting them online.With these kind of censorship rules in placed, the citizens would no longer have the faith and confidence in their government as they are denied of the truth of the happenings in their country. Thus, less trust are placed in the government these days. However, there are some people who feel that there has been an increase in trust in the government. 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer conducted by Edelman Public Relations has revealed that Singaporeans are the third most trusting of t heir government. They account this to the strong economy, high social security and high standard of living in Singapore.Despite those statistics, the new generation of Singaporeans are placing less and less trust in the government. The parliament of Singapore was traditionally dominated by People's Action Party and the decrease in trust in the leading party was seen when Worker's Party, an opposition party, won it's first Group Representation Constituency in the 2011 general elections. The recent political scandals in Singapore have shaken the trust placed in the government too. Just a month ago, member of parliament, Michael Palmer, announced his resignation after confessing he had an extramarital affair with a community worker.This caused various debates among the citizens that questions the credibility of the parliament speakers. These debates further illustrates the declining trust placed in the government. In conclusion, I feel that people around the world are beginning to lose trust in the government. They no longer feel that the government is able to act to their best interest and that their needs are not fulfilled. They are beginning to be unsure of their government's choices and question the transparency of their leaders. Thus, I do not think that we should trust our government to a large extent.

Individual development plans (IDPs) part 2 Essay

Individual development plans (IDPs) part 2 - Essay Example An important characteristic of development objectives pertains to skills assessment. It is crucial for an individual to conduct an assessment of all the required and necessary skills to meet the objectives. An honest self-assessment will help identify gaps, as well as, strategies to seal the gaps within the specified timeframe. Strategies are such as one-on-one tutorials, workshops, and seminars can help accomplish the objectives (Feldman, 2011). The second aspect that leads to the effectiveness of the IDP is the timeline of the development. One ought to have a strict schedule that he or she will commit towards a particular development. It is impossible to attain all the skills needed for a long-term development in a few weeks. In the same way, a short-term development requires less time to acquire the needed skills (Feldman, 2011). A timeline serves as the roadmap to success for one to achieve various professional and academic developments. Setting a realistic timeframe for each development is crucial to the fruition of the IDP. Commitment to the development within the set time is an important characteristic needed for one be successful (Feldman,

Revision Timetables as an Effective Way of Making Learners Calm During Essay

Revision Timetables as an Effective Way of Making Learners Calm During Examination Process - Essay Example Advantages of revision timetables individual locate a good place for revision, which is important for most individuals who want to excel in their studies. Concentration is a major factor in a revision because it contributes to the understanding of concepts. A quiet place with a desk is ideal for any students who want to achieve their goals (Cottrell 2007). A comforting place helps individuals engage with what they are studying, and understanding becomes easy. In addition to, another advantage, of creating revision timetables, is that it helps individuals recall and summarize their notes. Revision timetables are an effective way of reading for exams in the end. There are disadvantages because it is not applicable to a situation where the date of the examination is closed. The technique works when there is adequate time to plan for examination. It is not applicable where the time to revise is limited. In the scenario where the time is limited, the revision timetable is difficult to use (Sherratt 2012). Exam timetables have been individualized for most students when they want to read about their assessment tests. Individuals who create an organized timetable can create breaks. The breaks are important to the readers because it helps them to relieve stress during the revision process. Anxiety and stress create panic among students when it comes to revising for an examination (Smeeton 2005). Statistics indicate that most parents do not encourage and motivate their children, and it creates the panic among them. One of the weaknesses of exam revision timetables is that parents do not offer words of encouragement. Checking the exams timetable of students encourages them to work extra. A balanced revision timetable helps the students have a balanced study plan that involves balancing all subjects. Revision timetable helps in managing all because to achieve the set target all subjects are balanced. Listing all subjects and organizing them in a timetable helps in balancing all subjects.

Case 12-1; Litchfield Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case 12-1; Litchfield Corporation - Essay Example This means that despite Litchfield Corporation of a favourable environment to operate in the UK, the perceived profits will decline as the margin is to be taxed by the federal government. The establishment of an offshore subsidiary firm enables the institution split its profits into two where; export profits from the sale of the umbrellas to the subsidiary which is subject to income tax while export profits from the subsidiary sales to foreign buyers is not subject to the US federal income tax unless distributed to the parent firm in the form of a dividend (Burman & Slemrod, 2013). Litchfield Corporation’s ambitious expansion certainly will have to handle and manage the risks that are associated with exportation so as to ensure maximum profitability and limits losses. The risks likely to be encountered include; Credit risk; this might affect the parent company since the credit worthiness of the offshore subsidiary may be questionable. The credit worthiness limits the risk of late payments, non-payments hence minimizes the risk of reduced profits. Transportation and logistics; the company faces the risks associated with movement of goods over long geographical locations. This increases the costs of operation since more is invested in risk transfer and profit margins are likely to be reduced. Therefore, the risks that might likely to affect the business need to be identified and proper steps undertaken so as to minimize the risk of loss of profit. Some of the risk management options include; insurance that covers country risk cover, credit risk cover, and transit risk cover ensuring that Litchfield competes profitably in UK. Cost-based; this is transfer price based on the cost of production of material. This determination is set to include a profit margin for the producer. However, the simplicity of application of the cost based transfer price method, two problems arise such as the measure of

The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society Essay - 1

The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society - Essay Example It entails the earnings from provision of goods and services less the cost incurred in providing those goods and services. Thirdly, the statement of owner’s equity reports on the activities of shareholders during a given period of time. It shows how much the business received from shareholders and how much went back to them in terms of dividends. It shows the portion of a business entity’s earnings that goes to shareholders, thus the reference to it as a statement of retained earnings by some companies. Finally, the cash flow statement shows sources of cash during a given period of time and its uses. To me, the income statement is the most important. This statement shows how much a business entity earns within a given period of time (Gibson, 2012). Of course, businesses are established with the purpose of making profits and creating wealth for its shareholders according to Mittal and Singal (2007). Therefore, if a business posts losses on this statement, it does not serve the purpose for its existence and should be wound up. However, if it records profits, then the venture is sustainable and meets the intended objective. 2. An accountant would be that person with a bachelor’s degree specialised in accounting or any specialisation in finance. At times, an accountant would be that person who has gained experience dealing with financial matters over time. The roles of search persons have historically been bookkeeping. They prepare financial records and maintain them. With additional professional certification, then such an accountant would qualify as a certified public accountant, CPA (Walker, 2012). This comes with greater roles as CPAs conduct financial audits thus fostering transparency and accountability. Such a person holds public trust and should be fact-based, non-ideological and nonpartisan. The arguments for accounting include its role in giving objective and unbiased information on the

Discuss the Ways in which Cohesion and Coherence Contribute to Making Essay

Discuss the Ways in which Cohesion and Coherence Contribute to Making Meaning in texts - Essay Example This paper will explain the concept of cohesion in greater detail, and will apply the concepts introduced to two different speeches, one from John Kerry and one from George W. Bush. Discussion According to Cutting (2008), cohesion may take either the form of grammatical cohesion or lexical cohesion. In grammatical cohesion, a referring expression links with another referring expression which is cohesive with â€Å"the previous mention of the referent in the text† (Cutting, 2008). In other words, certain words, known and endophora, refer back to certain other words – the word â€Å"them† will refer back to an earlier noun, and the word â€Å"this† will refer back to an earlier sentence. Further, endophora may be associative, which means that the context in which a word is used tells the listener or reader the meaning of that word. Anaphora means a word which refers to the previous text, and cataphora refers to following text (Cutting, 2008). Moreover, Kerry uses anaphora much more than Bush does, with 7 different anaphoric sentences, compared to 3 different anaphoric sentences in Bush’s speech. ... Basically, grammatical cohesion is a type of short-hand, where short words are used to refer back to other words, and ambiguous words are defined by their context. Further, endophora may be contrasted with exophora, which refers to outside context and not what occurred in the text – the listener knows the meaning of the word through its context (Cutting, 2008). Exophora reference is a cohesion concept that both George W. Bush and John Kerry use extensively. Both men used exophora 8 different times in the speeches. However, while much of John Kerry’s use of exophoric terms are some variation of â€Å"you,† â€Å"we,† â€Å"our† and â€Å"us,† with Bush, he doesn’t use these same terms. He uses the word â€Å"we’ve† in three different sentences – 16 to 18 – but, other than this, the terms that Bush uses which are exophoric are â€Å"lofty† sentences such as â€Å"freedom† in sentence 12, â€Å"l iberty† in sentence 13, and â€Å"great land† in sentence 23, as well as the term â€Å"our alliances† in sentence 10. Hoey (1991) states that cohesion can further be broken up into five classes – conjunction, reference, substitution, ellipsis (all part of grammatical cohesion) and lexical cohesion. Conjunctions are words which mark a semantic relationship to a previous sentence. These words might include â€Å"however,† which signifies that the coming sentence is an exception to the rule of the previous sentence, or â€Å"alternatively,† which means that the coming sentence presents an alternative from the previous sentence. Reference is a semantic relation and the identity of the word can be ascertained by the previous text – pronouns such as â€Å"them† and â€Å"this† in the examples above would be an example of a reference. Substitution refers

CHANEL - Brand Equity, Brand Positioning, Brand strategy Essay

CHANEL - Brand Equity, Brand Positioning, Brand strategy - Essay Example Even if they are somehow surviving, that is not because of what they are but because of what they were. They are â€Å"Too Big to fail† but not good enough to succeed, move forward and grow. One cannot completely blame these brands, their marketing managers, and owners for their failure. In the last few decades, the world changed in such unexpected and ruthless way that nobody got a second chance. Moreover, in the name of globalization, increased competition and customer awareness and empowerment, life became even more troublesome for these oldies. However, there are still some brands that were able to absorb all these shocks, maintain their integrity, respect and dignity, outclassed their competitors and are still very much captivating and appealing (Koda, Bolton & Garelick, 2005). They have become symbols of class, respect, honor, and success. However, the question here is what made these brands so great that when their competitors where winding up their businesses, they were still on the road of growth? What has been their magic formula that has been strengthening them over the period? What branding strategies have kept their brand alive and intact? This paper would move further by narrowing its focus to one of the brands that fulfill the above-mentioned criteria of long historical presence and everlasting brand power. Without any doubts, Chanel fulfills these criteria qui te comfortably. Quite understandably, Chanel enjoys immense brand equity in the market and that is why it has been so successful over the past decades. According to marketing experts, there are many reasons for the same. Firstly, the long and eventful history of Chanel provides it an edge over others and contributes to its equity. Previous records of accomplishment, past history and previous customer experiences play a crucial role in branding. This is because one of the most important roles of branding is to help customers to assign responsibility to the

Strategic Management - Business & Management Essay

Strategic Management - Business & Management - Essay Example The company did not respond to the changing management needs and continued to pay heavy packages to its workers and coupled with low response to fashion changes, it has lost its customers confidence. JZ Benny did not respond to the competitive edge that the new entrants like Spanish El Dorado and Scandinavian Helgar were employing. It remained static in the fashion outsourcing even when its competitors changed to fast fashion model shops. While the competitors outsourced their fashions from Eastern Europe, JZ Benny instead rushed to China and South East Asia which sold at low cost. Thinking this as a cost advantage over the rivals, it turned out to be a stock burden for the company since they had to buy in bulk and hence were left with indispensable stock at the end of the season. This was a miscalculated marketing strategy resulting from inefficient market analysis. The company failed to keep up with its competitors who resulted to e-supply chain which enabled them to connect the customers with the designers hence placed in the market what the customer preferred. This ensured that they were always ahead of other retailers since they stocked what the customers liked. JZ Benny saw a management gap and responded by fishing Bob D’Saster from competitor Helgar Fashions. As the CEO of JZ Benny, D’Saster was confident that cost cutting measures and investment in technology would turn the chain around to start making profit. Cost cut measures were implemented leading to layoff of about 20% of the staff and heavy investment in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to help in improving the Barcode Inventory Processing. However this did not help the company and the AGM dismissed D’Saster and placed John Hammond as the CEO. As expressed by Courtney et al., 1997, the case of JZ Benny is a management problem. The company has been under a management that does not recognized that

The developments of the laptops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The developments of the laptops - Essay Example Nobody can think in terms of carrying a desktop with them while travelling for business purposes. â€Å"Of course, the main benefit of a laptop is the portability. This can be a huge benefit, allowing you to take your computer to and from work, on planes, on camping trips, and practically anywhere else† (Laptop vs. Desktop, 2010). Laptops can be accommodated in a suit case or carry bag easily and because of superior battery power, it can be used at places where electricity is not available. â€Å"Laptop and the social network have become very essential to our teenagers. Internet makes it possible to connect them with their interest. Many of them like to spend their time in front of a laptop, having an internet connection† (Laptops, Internet, Social Networking And Their Influence On Teenagers, 2010). The increasing popularity of social networking sites will increase the popularity of laptops further in future. This paper briefly analyses the possible future developments which can take place in laptop market. The Future of Laptops The future of laptops is unpredictable. Many people believe that a pocket sized laptop with all the computer facilities and communication technologies may evolve in near future itself. Moreover, pocket sized laptops are going to conquer the lives of the people because of the huge developments in computer technologies and nano technologies. Nano technology is developing rapidly and many people are of the view that the processing power of the microprocessor chips is going to increase as a result of that. Moreover, the size of the laptops may also be considerably reduced. Even a small chip can handle thousands of gigabyte data if nano technology developed properly. Under such circumstances, the sizes of the storage devices used in laptops are going to be reduced. â€Å"One of the most recent trends in laptop technology is the touch screen. These laptop companies are vastly producing a good majority of their laptops now integ rated with touch screens† (Helphrey, 2011). Touch screen mobile phones are already in the market. Touch screen technology is going to capture the laptop industry as well. New operating systems are supporting touch screen technology which is a blessing for the laptop manufacturers. â€Å"All of the major semiconductor companies are trying to create powerful processors that use very low-voltage†(Bajarin, 2011). In other words, laptops with higher battery life are possible. Current laptops are offering maximum 6 to 8 hours battery life. However, with the introduction of new technologies laptops which may work even up to 24 hours with the help of battery alone are possible. It is not necessary that the designs or the shapes of the future laptops would be the same as that of the current ones. Revolutionary changes in design, functionality and performances are waiting for the future laptop users. Laptops with the size of a mobile phone are going to enter the market very soon. Thickens, weight, length, breadth etc of the current laptops are going to be reduced very much. Dell recently unveiled one of their interesting netbooks recently. â€Å"At first look, you might think that this is just a tablet device, but you'll be surprised to know it is also a netbook. Flipping the screen from within the frame will display the keyboard and turns this device into a netbook† (Tuvie: Design of the future, 2011). Rolltop design is another interesting model proposed for future laptops. Some of the proposed future laptop designs are given below. (How Laptops May

The Color Purple Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Essay A symbol of freedom and liberty, individuality yet togetherness; the American Flag has presented an image of America for decades. Ever since Francis Scott Key wrote his poem about the â€Å"broad stripes and bright stars,† the United States of America has been marked with this simple, yet lucid icon of peace and sovereignty. Symbolism in literature plays a bigger part, one that relates an object or ideology to stress a connection to a more discrete or unclear picture. Alice Walker, a novelist, utilizes many symbols to depict the struggle of young African American women to find and rid themselves from captivity. Through many images, Walker allows for recognition between specific symbolic portrayals and the main ideas of the novel. In her novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses symbolism to express the transformation of oppressed women in a segregated society from total constraint to self-empowerment and newfound identities. Through the neglected character of Celie, Walker depicts a reconstruction from weakness to authoritative behavior using symbolism. Because she is a woman, Celie is very under-appreciated and not expected to become anything substantial in society. At the beginning of the novel, Celie allows this image of being a â€Å"mule† to control her life. She describes how she is â€Å"another piece of wood†(30) to numb herself from the painful life she lives. However, later in the novel, Shug Avery, a singer whom Celie becomes very close with, tells her to live with freedom and independence, as well as love and passion. Eventually, this guidance turns her to sewing, a symbol introduced to describe Celie’s sense of pride, accomplishment, and individuality. When Mr. ________, Celie’s husband, comes to visit her while she is sewing, he asks â€Å"what was so special bout [her] pants†(276). She says that â€Å"anybody can wear them†(276), except Mr. ________ replies that â€Å"men suppose to wear the pants†(276). New to her personality, Celie snaps back and says, â€Å"So†(276)? Before her newfound identity, Celie would have never talked back to Mr. ______, now called Albert, because s he would have been abused. She has come to the realization that she is not one that needs to back down to â€Å"hierarchy† because of race and gender. Through this journey toward self-actualization, Celie distinguishes a personality with voice and freedom, thus, much different from her past, imprisoned lifestyle. Similarly to the path of Celie, Squeak, an abused character in the novel, learns that she needs to act upon her uncle’s sexually abusive behavior. The reader changes his/her perception of Squeak when she begins to sing, an activity symbolizing power and voice. Her lover, Harpo, discusses her distinct path to reaching this feeling of self-confidence by stating that â€Å"[Squeak] sit in the corner a year silent as the grave. Then you put a record on, [she] come to life†(100). She develops voice, a characteristic most women lack during this time period. Like Celie’s use of sewing, Squeak’s utilization of singing gives the reader a new depiction of character. These specific representations correspond to each individual’s journey to break free from the wrath of these men, and live a life of confidence and fortitude. Furthermore, Walker not only presents symbols as a way to interpret transformations, but also to display identity, specifically in the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug. Color, thus, is one symbol that is explained to fully develop ones sense of selfhood. At the beginning of the novel, Celie shops for clothing, and while shopping she â€Å"think what color Shug Avery would wear†(22). Celie looks for the bright colors, the reds and the purples, however is shut down and forced to buy a color that she may not particularly enjoy in the long run (22). Her sense of entitlement seems to be tarnished and her lack of individuality is clearly portrayed. However, Shug â€Å"wears a skintight red dress†(54) reflecting her strong personality and extreme sense of independence. When Celie begins her transition to freedom, she learns about the importance of color. She returns from her visit in Memphis wearing â€Å"little red flat-heel slippers† (220), displaying a sense of uniqueness and individuality that is newly portrayed to the reader. In addition to color, Walker uses names in the novel to symbolize the identity of characters. Moreover, Squeak is given this nickname during the novel, proving how insignificant women’s voice is throughout the story. Celie tells her to make people call her by her real name, however, she doesn’t seem to understand because she is so used to not talking back to the male figures in society and telling them what to do (86). It is evident that she lacks self empowerment; a specific sense of power. Later, she is raped by Harpo, pushing her over the edge. She forces him to call her by her real name, Mary Anges, which symbolizes a feeling of power and authority. Another name that is introduced throughout the novel, is God. Celie writes her letters to God in a very personal way, as though God is a man, a white man reading her every word, yet not concerned with her prayers. Shug talks to Celie and displays her feeling of God by saying that â€Å"[She] believe God is everything†¦Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you’ve found it†(197). Due to Shug’s ability to guide and lead Celie down the correct path, Celie learns to believe that God is not a figure or a man, but yet an essence, a feeling; he is everywhere. She begins to write her letters not only to God, but also to the stars and the trees and the sky, depicting that God is in everything and in everyone. This sensation, passed on by the guidance of Shug, proves that she has moved in a direction of knowledge and passion, toward self-actualization. In the novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug to display the common themes of transformation and new identity through the literary device of symbolism. Symbolism in literature acts as a depiction of a broad topic; it is a useful tool to help display a wide range of ideas or beliefs. Walker forces the reader to understand that the symbols she uses do not just represent one idea or one focus, but many themes such as the development into a new person, the transition to gain a new identity. These symbols help portray a sense of individuality and power, just as the American Flag does for the citizens of the United States of America. Its powerful image gives way to the greater idea it presents: liberty and entitlement.

Automobile Scenario of India Essay Example for Free

Automobile Scenario of India Essay The Automotive industry in India is one of the largest in the world and one of the fastest growing globally. India manufactures over 17. 5 million vehicles (including 2 wheeled and 4 wheeled) and exports about 2. 33 million every year. It is the worlds second largest manufacturer of motorcycles, with annual sales exceeding 8. 5 million in 2009. Indias passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the seventh largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3. 7 million units in 2010. According to recent reports, India is set to overtake Brazil to become the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, growing 16-18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12 In 2009, India emerged as Asias fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles and more than 3. 7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33. 9%), making the country the second fastest growing automobile market in the world. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual car sales are projected to increase up to 5 million vehicles by 2015 and more than 9 million by 2020. By 2050, the country is expected to top the world in car volumes with approximately 611 million vehicles on the nations roads. The dominant products of the industry are two wheelers with a market share of over 75% and passenger cars with a market share of about 16%. Commercial vehicles and three wheelers share about 9% of the market between them. About 91% of the vehicles sold are used by households and only about 9% for commercial purposes. The industry has attained a turnover of more than USD 35 billion and provides direct and indirect employment to over 13 million people. The supply chain of this industry in India is very similar to the supply chain of the automotive industry in Europe and America. This may present its own set of opportunities and threats. The orders of the industry arise from the bottom of the supply chain i. e. , from the consumers and go through the automakers and climbs up until the third tier suppliers. However the products, as channeled in every traditional automotive industry, flow from the top of the supply chain to reach the consumers. Interestingly, the level of trade exports in this sector in India has been medium and imports have been low. However, this is rapidly changing and both exports and imports are increasing. The demand determinants of the industry are factors like affordability, product innovation, infrastructure and price of fuel. Also, the basis of competition in the sector is high and increasing, and its life cycle stage is growth. With a rapidly growing middle class, all the advantages of this sector in India are yet to be leveraged. Note that, with a high cost of developing production facilities, limited accessibility to new technology and soaring competition, the barriers to enter the Indian Automotive sector are high. On the other hand, India has a well-developed tax structure. The power to levy taxes and duties is distributed among the three tiers of Government. The cost structure of the industry is fairly traditional, but the profitability of motor vehicle manufacturers has been rising over the past five years. Major players, like Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki have material cost of about 80% but are recording profits after tax of about 6% to 11%. The level of technology change in the Motor vehicle Industry has been high but, the rate of change in technology has been medium. Investment in the technology by the producers has been high. System-suppliers of integrated components and sub-systems have become the order of the day. However, further investment in new technologies will help the industry be more competitive. Over the past few years, the industry has been volatile. Currently, India’s increasing per capita disposable income which is expected to rise by 106% by 2015 and growth in exports is playing a major role in the rise and competitiveness of the industry. Tata Motors is leading the commercial vehicle segment with a market share of about 64%. Maruti Suzuki is leading the passenger vehicle segment with a market share of 46%. [18] Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra and Mahindra are focusing expanding their footprint in the overseas market. Hero Honda Motors is occupying over 41% and sharing 26%[18] of the two wheeler market in India with Bajaj Auto. Bajaj Auto in itself is occupying about 58% of the three wheeler market. Consumers are very important of the survival of the Motor Vehicle manufacturing industry. In 2008-09, customer sentiment dropped, which burned on the augmentation in demand of cars. Steel is the major input used by manufacturers and the rise in price of steel is putting a cost pressure on manufacturers and cost is getting transferred to the end consumer. The price of oil and petrol affect the driving habits of consumers and the type of car they buy. The key to success in the industry is to improve labour productivity, labour flexibility, and capital efficiency. Having quality manpower, infrastructure improvements, and raw material availability also play a major role. Access to latest and most efficient technology and techniques will bring competitive advantage to the major players. Utilising manufacturing plants to optimum level and understanding implications from the government policies are the essentials in the Automotive Industry of India. Both, Industry and Indian Government are obligated to intervene the Indian Automotive industry. The Indian government should facilitate infrastructure creation, create favourable and predictable business environment, attract investment and promote research and development. The role of Industry will primarily be in designing and manufacturing products of world-class quality establishing cost competitiveness and improving productivity in labour and in capital. With a combined effort, the Indian Automotive industry will emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacturing of automobiles. History The first car ran on Indias roads in 1897. Until the 1930s, cars were imported directly, but in very small numbers. Embryonic automotive industry emerged in India in the 1940s. Mahindra Mahindra was established by two brothers as a trading company in 1945, and began assembly of Jeep CJ-3A utility vehicles under license from Willys The Company soon branched out into the manufacture of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and agricultural tractors. Following the independence, in 1947, the Government of India and the private sector launched efforts to create an automotive component manufacturing industry to supply to the automobile industry. However, the growth was relatively slow in the 1950s and 1960s due to nationalisation and the license raj which hampered the Indian private sector. After 1970, the automotive industry started to grow, but the growth was mainly driven by tractors, commercial vehicles and scooters. Cars were still a major luxury. Japanese manufacturers entered the Indian market ultimately leading to the establishment of Maruti Udyog. A number of foreign firms initiated joint ventures with Indian companies. In the 1980s, a number of Japanese manufacturers launched joint-ventures for building motorcycles and light commercial-vehicles. It was at this time that the Indian government chose Suzuki for its joint-venture to manufacture small cars. Following the economic liberalisation in 1991 and the gradual weakening of the license raj, a number of Indian and multi-national car companies launched operations. Since then, automotive component and automobile manufacturing growth has accelerated to meet domestic and export demands. [21] Following economic liberalization in India in 1991, the Indian automotive industry has demonstrated sustained growth as a result of increased competitiveness and relaxed restrictions. Several Indian automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra, expanded their domestic and international operations. Indias robust economic growth led to the further expansion of its domestic automobile market which has attracted significant India-specific investment by multinational automobile manufacturers. [22] In February 2009, monthly sales of passenger cars in India exceeded 100,000 units[23] and has since grown rapidly to a record monthly high of 182,992 units in October 2009. [24] Objectives of study: Since the Auto Component industry is growing substantially, it is very important to know and identify how the industry is growing and creating its own place in the industrial sector helping the economy to grow. So the objectives of the study are: 1. To understand and analyse the current status of Indian Automobile Industry. 2. To Analyse the trends in the automobile industry in India. 3. To study the growth potential and challenges faced by automobile industry in India. Market and its Growth. The automotive industry of India is categorized into passenger cars, two wheelers, commercial vehicles and three wheelers, with two wheelers dominating the market. More than 75% of the vehicles sold are two wheelers. Nearly 59% of these two wheelers sold were motorcycles and about 12% were scooters. Mopeds occupy a small portion in the two wheeler market however; electric two wheelers are yet to penetrate. The passenger vehicles are further categorized into passenger cars, utility vehicles and multi-purpose vehicles. All sedan, hatchback, station wagon and sports cars fall under passenger cars. Tata Nano, is the world’s cheapest passenger car, manufactured by Tata Motors a leading automaker of India. Multi-purpose vehicles or people-carriers are similar in shape to a van and are taller than a sedan, hatchback or a station wagon, and are designed for maximum interior room. Utility vehicles are designed for specific tasks. The passenger vehicles manufacturing account for about 15% of the market in India. Commercial vehicles are categorized into heavy, medium and light. They account for about 5% of the market. Three wheelers are categorized into passenger carriers and goods carriers. Three wheelers account for about 4% of the market in India. Domestic Market Share for 2010-11(%)| Passenger Vehicles| 16. 25| Commercial Vehicles| 4. 36| Three Wheelers| 3. 39| Two Wheelers| 76. 00| Source: Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturing (SIAM) GROSS TURNOVER OF THE AUTOMOBILEINDUSTRY IN INDIA| Year| (IN USD MILLION)| 2004-05| 20,896| 2005-06| 27,011| 2006-07| 34,285| 2007-08| 36,612| 2008-09| 38,238| The production of automobiles has greatly increased in the last decade. Automobile Production. Automobile Production Trends (Number of Vehicles)| Category| 2004-05| 2005-06| 2006-07| 2007-08| 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| Passenger Vehicles| 1,209,876| 1,309,300| 1,545,223| 1,777,583| 1,838,593| 2,357,411 | 2,987,296 | Commercial Vehicles| 353,703| 391,083| 519,982| 549,006| 416,870| 567,556 | 752,735 | Three Wheelers| 374,445| 434,423| 556,126| 500,660| 497,020| 619,194 | 799,553 | Two Wheelers| 6,529,829| 7,608,697| 8,466,666| 8,026,681| 8,419,792| 10,512,903 | 13,376,451 | Grand Total| 8,467,853| 9,743,503| 11,087,997| 10,853,930| 11,172,275| 14,057,064 | 17,916,035 | Automobile Sales. Automobile Domestic Sales Trends(Number of Vehicles)| Category| 2004-05| 2005-06| 2006-07| 2007-08| 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| Passenger Vehicles| 1,061,572| 1,143,076| 1,379,979| 1,549,882| 1,552,703| 1,951,333 | 2,520,421 | Commercial Vehicles| 318,430| 351,041| 467,765| 490,494| 384,194| 532,721 | 676,408 | Three Wheelers| 307,862| 359,920| 403,910| 364,781| 349,727| 440,392 | 526,022 | Two Wheelers| 6,209,765| 7,052,391| 7,872,334| 7,249,278| 7,437,619| 9,370,951 | 11,790,305 | Grand Total| 7,897,629| 8,906,428| 10,123,988| 9,654,435| 9,724,243| 12,295,397 | 15,513,156 |. Automobile Exports Automobile Exports Trends(Number of Vehicles)| Category| 2004-05| 2005-06| 2006-07| 2007-08| 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| Passenger Vehicles| 166,402| 175,572| 198,452| 218,401| 335,729| 446,145 | 453,479 | Commercial Vehicles| 29,940| 40,600| 49,537| 58,994| 42,625| 45,009 | 76,297 | Three Wheelers| 66,795| 76,881| 143,896| 141,225| 148,066| 173,214 | 269,967 | Two Wheelers| 366,407| 513,169| 619,644| 819,713| 1,004,174| 1,140,058 | 1,539,590 | Grand Total| 629,544| 806,222| 1,011,529| 1,238,333| 1,530,594| 1,804,426 | 2,339,333 | Supply Chain of Automobile Industry. The supply chain of automotive industry in India is very similar to the supply chain of the automotive industry in Europe and America. The orders of the industry arise from the bottom of the supply chain i. e. , from the consumers and go through the automakers and climbs up until the third tier suppliers. However the products, as channelled in every traditional automotive industry, flow from the top of the supply chain to reach the consumers. Automakers in India are the key to the supply chain and are responsible for the products and innovation in the industry. The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs( Original Equipment Manufacturers). They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. Indian automotive companies †¢Chinkara Motors: Beachster, Hammer, Roadster 1. 8S, Rockster, Jeepster, Sailster †¢Hindustan Motors: Ambassador †¢ICML: Rhino Rx †¢Mahindra: Major, Xylo, Scorpio, Bolero, Thar, Verito, Genio †¢Premier Automobiles Limited: Sigma, RiO †¢San Motors: Storm Tata Motors: Nano, Indica, Indica Vista, Indigo, Indigo Manza, Indigo CS, Sumo, Venture, Safari, Xenon, Aria. Foreign automotive companies in India Vehicles manufactured or assembled in India †¢BMW India: 3 Series, 5 Series, X1. †¢Fiat India (in collaboration with Tata Motors): Grande Punto, Linea. †¢Ford India: Figo, Ikon, Fiesta, Endeavour. †¢General Motors India †¢Chevrolet: Spark, Beat, Aveo U-VA, Aveo, Optra, Cruze, Tavera. †¢Honda Siel: Jazz, City, Civic, Accord. †¢Hyundai Motor India:Santro, i10, i20, Accent, Verna Transform, Sonata Transform. †¢Land Rover:Freelander 2 †¢Maruti Suzuki: 800, Alto, WagonR, Estilo, A-star, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Versa, Eeco, Gypsy. †¢Mercedes-Benz India: C-Class, E-Class. †¢Mitsubishi[80] (in collaboration with Hindustan Motors): Lancer, Lancer Cedia, Pajero †¢Nissan Motor India: Micra. †¢Renault India:Fluence †¢Toyota Kirloskar: Etios, Corolla, Innova. †¢Volkswagen Group Sales India: †¢Audi India: A4, A6, Q5. †¢Skoda Auto India: Fabia, Laura, Superb, Yeti. †¢Volkswagen India: Polo, Vento, Jetta, Passat. Opel was present in India until 2006. As of 2011, Opel only provides spare parts and vehicle servicing to existing Opel vehicle owners. Vehicles brought into India as CBUs †¢Aston Martin: Vantage, Rapide, Virage, DB9, DBS, One-77. †¢Audi: A7, A8, S4, S6, S8, Q7, TT, R8, RS5. †¢Bentley: Arnage, Azure, Brooklands, Continental GT, Continental Flying Spur, Mulsanne. †¢BMW: 5 Series GT, 6 Series, 7 Series, X3, X5, X6, X6 M, M3, M5, M6 and Z4. †¢Bugatti: Veyron. †¢Chevrolet: Captiva. †¢Ferrari: California, 458 Italia, 599 GTB Fiorano, FF. †¢Fiat: 500, Bravo. †¢General Motors: Hummer H2, Hummer H3. †¢Honda: Civic Hybrid, CR-V. †¢Hyundai: Santa Fe. †¢Jaguar: XF, XJ, XK. †¢Koenigsegg: CCX, CCXR, Agera. †¢Lamborghini: Gallardo, Murcielago. †¢Land Rover: Discovery 4, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport. †¢Maserat: Quattroporte, GranTurismo, GranCabrio. †¢Maybach: 57 and 62. †¢Mercedes-Benz: CL-Class, GL-Class, M-Class, R-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, SLK-Class, Viano, G-Class, SLS. †¢Mitsubishi: Montero, Outlander, Evo X. †¢Nissan: Teana, X-Trail, 370Z, GT-R. †¢Porsche: 997, Boxster, Panamera, Cayman, Cayenne, Carrera GT. †¢Rolls Royce: Ghost, Phantom, Phantom Coupe, Phantom Drophead Coupe. †¢Skoda: Yeti, Superb. †¢Suzuki: Grand Vitara, Kizashi. †¢Toyota: Prius, Camry, Fortuner*, Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado. †¢Volkswagen: Beetle, Tiguan, Touareg, Phaeton. †¢Volvo: S60, S80, XC60, XC90. *Toyota Fortuner is imported as a CKD kit from Toyota Motor Thailand Commercial vehicle manufacturers in India Indian brands †¢Force †¢Hindustan Motors †¢Premier †¢Tata †¢AMW †¢Eicher Motors Joint Venture Brands †¢VE Commercial Vehicles Limited VE Commercial Vehicles limited A JV between Volvo Groups Eicher Motors Limited. †¢Ashok Leyland- originally a JV between Ashok Motors and Leyland Motors, now 51% owned by Hinduja Group †¢Mahindra Navistar a 51:49 JV between Mahindra Group and Navistar International †¢Swaraj Mazda originally a JV between Punjab Tractors and Mazda, now 53. 5% owned by Sumitomo Group †¢Kamaz Vectra A JV between Russias KaMAZ and the Vectra Group Foreign brands †¢Volvo †¢Tatra. †¢MAN as a JV with Force Motors, makes MAN Trucks in India †¢Mercedes-Benz sells luxury buses in India †¢Daimler AG manufactures BharatBenz, a brand of trucks based on the Fuso and the Mercedes Benz truck platforms, which Daimler AG owns †¢Scania †¢Iveco †¢Hino †¢Isuzu †¢Piaggio †¢Caterpillar Inc. Electric car manufacturers in India †¢Ajanta Group †¢Mahindra †¢Hero Electric †¢REVA †¢Tara International †¢Tata Opel was present in India until 2006. As of 2011, Opel only provides spare parts and vehicle servicing to existing Opel vehicle owners.. *Toyota Fortuner is imported as a CKD kit from Toyota Motor Thailand. Market Characteristics Market Size The Indian Automotive Industry after de-licensing in July 1991 has grown at a spectacular rate on an average of 17% for last few years. The industry has attained a turnover of USD 35. 8 billion, (INR 165,000 crores) and an investment of USD 10. 9 billion. The industry has provided direct and indirect employment to 13. 1 million people. Automobile industry is currently contributing about 5% of the total GDP of India. India’s current GDP is about USD 650 billion and is expected to grow to USD 1,390 billion by 2016. The projected size in 2016 of the Indian automotive industry varies between USD 122 billion and UDS 159 billion including USD 35 billion in exports. This translates into a contribution of 10% to 11% towards India’s GDP by 2016, which is more than double the current contribution. Demand Determinants Determinants of demand for this industry include vehicle prices (which are determined largely by wage, material and equipment costs) and exchange rates, preferences, the running cost of a vehicle (mainly determined by the price of petrol), income, interest rates, scrapping rates, and product innovation. Exchange Rate: Movement in the value of Rupee determines the attractiveness of Indian products overseas and the price of import for domestic consumption. Affordability: Movement in income and interest rates determine the affordability of new motor vehicles. Allowing unrestricted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) led to increase in competition in the domestic market hence, making better vehicles available at affordable prices. Product Innovation is an important determinant as it allows better models to be available each year and also encourages manufacturing of environmental friendly cars. Demographics: It is evident that high population of India has been one of the major reasons for large size of automobile industry in India. Factors that may be augment demand include rising population and an increasing proportion of young persons in the population that will be more inclined to use and replace cars. Also, increase in people with lesser dependency on traditional single family income structure is likely to add value to vehicle demand. Infrastructure: Longer-term determinants of demand include development in Indian’s infrastructure. India’s banking giant State Bank of India and Australia’s Macquarie Group has launched an infrastructure fund to rise up to USD 3 billion for infrastructure improvements. India needs about $500 billion to repair its infrastructure such as ports, roads, and power units. These investments are been made with an aim to generate long-term cash flow from automobile, power, and telecom industries. Price of Petrol: Movement in oil prices also have an impact on demand for large cars in India. During periods of high fuel cost as experienced in 2007 and first –half of 2008, demand for large cars declined in favour of smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. The changing patterns in customer preferences for smaller more fuel efficient vehicles led to the launch of Tata Motor’s Nano – one of world’s smallest and cheapest cars. Key Competitors Tata Motors:Market Share: Commercial Vehicles 63. 94%, Passenger Vehicles 16. 45%. Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of USD 14 billion in 2008-09. It is the leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. Tata Motors has winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. The company is the worlds fourth largest truck manufacturer, and the worlds second largest bus manufacturer with over 24,000 employees. Since first rolled out in 1954, Tata Motors as has produced and sold over 4 million vehicles in India. Maruti Suzuki India: Market Share: Passenger Vehicles 46. 07% Maruti Suzuki India Limited, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, is Indias largest passenger car company, accounting for over 45% of the domestic car market. The company offers a complete range of cars from entry level Maruti-800 and Alto, to stylish hatchback Ritz, A star, Swift, Wagon-R, Estillo and sedans DZire, SX4 and Sports Utility vehicle Grand Vitara. Since inception in 1983, Maruti Suzuki India has produced and sold over 10 million vehicles in India and exported over 500,000 units to Europe and other countries. The company’s revenue for the fiscal 2010-2011 stood over Rs 375,224 million and Profits After Tax at over Rs. 22,886 million. Hyundai Motor India:Market Share: Passenger Vehicles 14. 15% Hyundai Motor India Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of world’s fifth largest automobile company, Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea, and is the largest passenger car exporter. Hyundai Motor presently markets 49 variants of passenger cars across segments. These includes the Santro in the B segment, the i10, the premium hatchback i20 in the B+ segment, the Accent and the Verna in the C segment, the Sonata Transform in the E segment. Mahindra Mahindra: Market Share: Commercial Vehicles 10. 01%, Passenger Vehicles 6. 50%, Three Wheelers 1. 31% Mahindra Mahindra is mainly engaged in the Multi Utility Vehicle and Three Wheeler segments directly. The company competes in the Light Commercial Vehicle segment through its joint venture subsidiary Mahindra Navistar Automotives Limited and in the passenger car segment through another joint venture subsidiary Mahindra Renault. In the year 2009, on the domestic sales front, the Company along with its subsidiaries sold a total of 220,213 vehicles (including 44,533 three wheelers, 8,603 Light Commercial Vehicles through Mahindra Navistar Automotives and 13,423 cars through Mahindra Renault), recording a growth of 0. 6% over the previous year. Mahindra Mahindra is expanding its footprint in the overseas market. In 2009 the Xylo was launched in South Africa. The company formed a new joint venture Mahindra Automotive Australia Pty. Limited, to focus on the Australian Market. Ashok Leyland: Market Share: Commercial Vehicles 16. 47% Against the backdrop of the sharp slump in demand for commercial vehicles, during 2008-09, Ashok Leyland registered sales of 47,118 medium and heavy commercial vehicles (MHCV), 37. 5% less than in the previous year. This includes 16,049 MHCV buses and 31,069 MHCV trucks respectively, 8. 7% and 46. 3% less than in the previous year. Hero Honda Motors: Market Share: Two Wheelers 41. 35% Hero Honda has been the largest two wheeler company in the world for eight consecutive years. The company crossed the 15 million unit milestone over a 25 year span. Hero Honda sold more two wheelers than the second, third and fourth placed two-wheeler companies put together. Bajaj Auto: Market Share: Two Wheelers 26. 70%, Three Wheelers 58. 60% Bajaj Auto is ranked as the worlds fourth largest two and three wheeler manufacturer and the Bajaj brand is well-known across several countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South and South East Asia. Despite falling demand in the motorcycle segment, the company has succeeded in maintaining an operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) margin of 13. 6% of net sales and other operating income. From 1. 66 million motorcycles in 2007-2008, the company’s domestic sales fell by 23% to 1. 28 million units in 2008-2009. Key Success Factors The key to success in the industry is to improve labour productivity, labour flexibility, and capital efficiency. Having quality manpower, infrastructure improvements, and raw material availability also play a major role. Access to latest and most efficient technology and techniques will bring competitive advantage to the major players. Utilising manufacturing plants to optimum level and understanding implications from the government policies are the essentials in the Automotive Industry of India. Effective cost controls Close relationship with supplies and goods distribution channels. Establishment of export markets Growth of export markets Having an extensive distribution/collection network Goods distribution channels Successful industrial relations policy Ethical and tactical industrial relations Both, Industry and Indian Government are obligated to intervene the Indian Automotive industry. The Indian government should facilitate infrastructure creation, create favourable and predictable business environment, attract investment and promote research and development. The role of Industry will primarily be in designing and manufacturing products of world-class quality establishing cost competitiveness and improving productivity in labour and in capital. With a combined effort, the Indian Automotive industry will emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacturing of automobiles. Growth Potential: 1. Increasing demand for vehicles: Increase of disposal income ,easily availability of finance,invreasing consumer awareness and close linkage with global automobile trends. 2. Stable economic policies adopted by successive Governments: The Government of India has continuously made several reforms for the groeth of automobile sector in India. It has lowered the excise duties and have relaxed many policies to boost the local demand . Implemeentation of VAThas helped India to position itself as one of the leading low cost manufacturing sources . 3. Availability of low cost skilled manpower: The cost of quality manpower in India is one of the lowest in the world . Each year the huge number of engineering graduates are produced who provide their skill at comprising salaries . 4. Quality standards: Manufactured in India or â€Å"Made in India† brand is rapidly getting associated with quality. The Indian manufacturer have focussed on quality and most of the leading automobile manufacturer are ISO certified Key Challenges Faced by Indian Automobile Industry Indian auto industry is one of the most promising and growing auto industries across the world. But at this juncture the Indian auto industry is facing various challenges catering to the growing domestic market. Recently, SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) organized an Annual Convention in association with the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises to discuss the current scenario of the auto industry as well as to define the key challenges faced by the industry. The meeting focused to pave a way to transform challenges into business opportunities and boost the status of automotive industry in India. Some of the key challenges discussed faced by auto industry are fuel technology and nurturing talented manpower. These challenges are explained below in detail: Fuel Technology: Technology is significant and needed to ignite the growth of auto industry. Whether it’s a two-wheeler or a car, technology drives the growth. The challenge of alternative fuel technology ensures a brighter vision of the auto industry in the country. The increasing environmental pollution has become a concern for manufacturers and all associated with the industry. All of them are struggling hard to come up with a holistic and integrated approach to reduce carbon dioxide emission. Some of the initiatives to reduce the level of automotive emission include introduction of fuel-efficient cars, obligatory periodic maintenance, and inspection of automotives, designing automotives with recyclable materials, use of alternative fuels like CNG, LPG, biodiesel, and introduction of electric and hybrid cars. Car manufacturer like Maruti Suzuki has already introduced the new concept of using recyclable substance for car production in its dazzling car Maruti Suzuki A-Star. After the production of Maruti Suzuki A-Star, the company thrives to apply the same concept in all its future car models. In addition, it is believed that the Bharat IV Emission Norms are stringent and are to become mandatory in the next couple of years. The growing industry is hunting for more advanced ways and measures to meet the stringent norms. Some of the cars and other automotives may even be phased out during that period. Nurturing Talented Manpower: Manpower and human resources has always been a key growth driver in any industry including the automobile industry. Though India has a vast pool of talented and skilled professionals, the country needs initiatives and support to treasure these resources to excel in all arenas of the industries. Automobile industry is no exception and highly skilled manpower will further become the most reliable source of competitive advantage across the global as well as Indian automobile industry. More than even before creativity, innovative ideas, and expertise in different areas have become an asset these days. Talking about cars, car designers infuse their creativity in their designed car models and that’s something which attracts car customers Further to that, the industry has to foster the talent for servicing and maintenance as well.

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc This paper shall discuss about the financial management of Kingfisher Plc. This report shall include the background information of the organization which will tackle the brief history of the organizations formation and development, its mission statement, and its organizational values. The major stakeholders shall also be examined and their powers and function shall be evaluated as well. An environmental analysis of the organization shall also be conducted. The company shall also be appraised by means of a SWOT analysis. Finally, the organizations strategy shall be identified and evaluated. History of Kingfisher Plc The origins of the company can be traced back in the year 1982 when FW Woolworth was acquired by Paternoster. This deal came with a small chain of home improvement stores. This was the start of the creation of Europes biggest retail company. In 1984, the company bought the chains of Cornet electrical and the health and beauty stores of Superdrug in 1987. During the 1990s, the companys BQ continued its expansion when it opened its Warehouse style stores in the year 1994. On the year 1998, BQ merged with Frances leading home improvement retail store, Castorama. The following year, BQ opened its first store in China. The decade also marked other acquisitions such as Screwfix. The year 2000, the organization has decided on focusing its expansion on its home improvement stores. Woolsworth was demerged and Superdrug was sold towards the end of the year. On the year 2002, the remaining stakes at Castorama was acquired in order to continuously develop the home improvement chains in Europe. The organization has focused in expanding internationally such as creating new businesses in Turkey, Spain and Russia. Core businesses were also developed in the United Kingdom, France and Poland. Towards the end of the decade, the organization has a total of 830 stores and eight markets across Europe and Asia. The organizations mission statement is delivering more value for the shareholders of Kingfisher by focusing on three key priorities namely: management; capital and returns. SCC is geared towards providing an environment that encourages and gives merit to team efforts. They are committed in having consultative and participative management instead of directive management. They also encourage appropriate authority delegation and decision making on the lowest possible member of the organization. Collective effort and teamwork is being insisted. It is Kingfishers belief that a rich network of communication which is informal and open can lead into greater trust, learning and innovation. Kingfisher supports the concept of attractive compensation to a great performance. Kingfisher cultivates a set of beliefs that are shared within the organization wherein all policies and actions are based. It is believed that success is the goal for each effort and that determination in improving and innovating are constant challenges and stimuli. It is also believed that integrity, objectivity and fair play in business as well as in relationships with staff are very important. Mutual trust and respect are also very vital culture being practiced. Work in the company is perceived as enjoyable. Finally, Kingfisher believes with the perpetuity of its organization. Organizational Values The organization aims in achieving sufficient profit so that it can provide very attractive returns to is shareholders as well as financing the companys growth. For the company, profit is the organizations reward for their effort in offering the consumers the right kinds of products and services. For the long term, profit is the one absolute measure of their corporate performance. It is the organizations belief that in continually meeting their profit objective, other corporate objectives shall follow as well. Kingfisher believes that as a company is their duty in providing clients with quality products and services. The organization values that customers shall always come first. The customers interest should be the companys interest as well, and this should provide them with a long-term partnership with one another. The organization is committed in earning a preferred position with each of their clients by offering a consistently highest quality and reliability of service. Kingfisher ensures that they products always represent the best value for money. It is Kingfisher strategy in exerting its efforts only to those markets, industries and products wherein the organization can excel. Kingfisher believes in providing its people an environment wherein they can excel, develop and have growth in the company. Kingfisher considers its human resources as its most important asset. It aims in attracting people, developing them and retaining those with the highest foundations of character and competence. It does its best in providing training and opportunity to the people for development in improving themselves so that they could expand in their career opportunities. It is expected that their manpower will be full of initiative and drive and is eager in staying and growing with Kingfisher. It ensures that the people of Kingfisher get the recognition they deserve and that the people should be grateful with their accomplishments and that the company has its best choice with them. Examination of Major Stakeholders Stockholders elect the members of the board and they represent the stockholders interests in the company. Board members are at the apex of the decision making body of Kingfisher. They ensure that corporate strategies are met and are all in the interest of the stockholders. They can also do sanctions such as voting against nominees for the board of directors. Further, the board of directors has the authority in hiring, firing and compensating corporate employees. Authorities are centralized at Kingfisher. The managers in the organizations upper levels have retained the authority in making decisions. Decision making that is centralized is easier to coordinate with regards to organizational activities in order to carry out the strategy of the company. This also means that the organizations decisions are fit with the organizations objectives. In times of crisis, this decision making gives strong leadership that is focusing with one person or group. It allows a faster decision making process and a concerted response throughout the organization. Kingfisher clusters its people through groups of common expertise and experiences. This is called Functional Structure which has several advantages. First, the employees perform together and from this they can learn from each other. Employees become more productive on something that they do. Second, employees can monitor on their tasks and make sure that they are giving their best and do not let their responsibilities shrink. The result of this is that the work process becomes more effective. Most of all, the Functional Structure gives the manager a greater control of the activities within the organization. Environmental Analysis Five Forces Model and PESTLE Analysis According to Michael Porter (2009), there are five competitive forces that shape strategy. These are the established rivals; supplier power; customer power; new entrants; and the substitutes. According to Porter, customers dictate to lower the prices by playing the organization and its rival against one another. Suppliers on the other hand can hinder an organizations profit if they charge higher prices. The aspiring new entrants are armed with much newer capacities and are hungry for a share in the market can ratchet your investment in keeping Kingfisher in the market. The offered substitutes can just drive customers away. Porter has suggested tactics designed in reshaping these forces for your organizations favor. In neutralizing the power of the supplier, specifications of your organizations should be standardized so that shifting to other vendors can be easy. Customer power can be countered by expanding the organizations services so that it will be hard for the customers to leave. In tempering wars established by rivals, organizations should invest heavily with products that are different with that of the rivals. New entrants can be scared away by elevating your organizations fixed costs like increasing your organizations research and development. Threats brought about by the substitutes can be limited by offering products with greater value. Figure 1 is the PESTEL analysis for the organization of Kingfisher. Political factors such as regulations and politicians often affect an organizations strategy. This is the same as the legislative factors which includes legislation from the European Union and directives from the United Kingdom. Fortunately over almost twenty years in the business Kingfisher is able to adapt through these changes in policy. Economic trends which include world trends as well as that of the United Kingdom and homebuilding industry also affected the strategies of Kingfisher. But through the means of effective planning and execution of strategies, it was able to address the ever changing trends of these factors. Technology has always been a factor in advancements. Kingfisher was able to meet the demands of this fast paced factor. It was able to deliver a more effective service and product to its consumers. Social factors that is very important. Based on the strategies of the company their relationships w ith its stakeholders are of utmost importance. Activities in promoting and practicing corporate social responsibility were ensured to be given top priority. Finally, the environmental factors such as public opinion, cost implications and sites and locations were ensured that adherence to guidelines were followed. SWOT Analysis Kingfishers greatest advantage is its very adept experience in its line of business. Through extensive research and continuous development, it is able to produce top of the line products. With an over 100 operations all over the globe, it has a great marketing advantage over its competitors. Its greatest advantage is its workforce. Kingfisher ensures that the manpower it appoints has the advantage in handling its operations both culturally and technically. Kingfishers most valuable capability is its ability to produce great products and its marketing expertise all over the world. It is best that they would continue to do research for the continual improvement of its products towards customer satisfaction worldwide. Threats to the organizations operations are small homebuilding businesses especially in the local scenarios. These businesses would often offer cheaper prices and its managements are often run by locals that are undeniably more knowledgeable of the local market. Since the firms strength is its efficient product and very capable marketing ability, it is better to continue developing its products to address the ever changing needs of homebuilding industry. The only weakness that can be derived on this case study, based on the facts given, is its inability to train people for future succession plans. The threats are the local competitors in China which in all factors, know the Chinese market very well than anyone. It is with this given threat, that opportunities such as training more competent employees that are culturally and technologically adept should be considered. Evaluation of Organizations Strategy The article of Sveiby focuses on the very little development of strategy in firms that are not in the manufacturing industry. It also emphasised on the notion that strategies were juts formed and developed for the manufacturing industry. It was imposed on this article regarding knowledge intensive companies those in the service industry. This sector is a phenomenon of all types of companies that range from organizations that took the effort in refining and packaging their outputs. Knowledge industries are the ones in the service sector. Heavy investment in knowledge and highly innovative. An ongoing process of solving the problems of the customers by the producers is the emergence of service. Roos, G. R. (1997) came to the conclusion that standardized service or package was only appropriate on a short term base. The provider of the service is an expert while the customers want their problems to be solved by the expertise of the provider. It is therefore fitting that the knowledge in dustries know how to treat their clients as individuals. According to Morton (2010), when strategy and strategic planning is defined, it should always include as taking all the proactive approaches in evaluating all activities basing it in how well the activity moves towards the core goal of the business. More specifically, strategies are the plans for reaching a business objectives and goals. The concept of shaping strategies was discussed by John Hagel in his article Shaping Strategies. According to Hagel (2008), shaping strategies are strategies that use positive incentives in mobilizing and focusing thousand of participants to shape a specific desired industry or market. The elements that come together in this strategy are the compelling shaping view in providing focus for the participants of investments, a very power platform that will shape the economic leverage of the participants, and the shapers sets of acts and assets in communicating conviction and capabilities to potential participants. Hagel (2010) believes that shaping strate gies hold a great promise in the business world as business executives hold a greater freedom in shaping their target markets and industries during these times of high uncertainty and rapid change. For the case of the Kingfishers organization, its strategy is on focus strategy. Over the years it has developed new products engaged in businesses, merged with other companies and many other business ventures. All of these decisions are focused on what they do best to provide the consuming public with the best home improvement products and services that they can give.