The Position Of Tesco In The Grocery Industry

The Position Of Tesco In The Grocery Industry The humble beginning of this grocery company started in 1919, and the name Tesco appeared first at the top of a shop at Edgware in 1929. This company has been growing in size and complexities ever since. The company is today the Britains leading retailer and the 3rd largest retailer in the world.(Guardian 2010) Presently, Tesco has more than 4,300 grocers, which now operate in 14 countries: South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland, Thailand, Asia, India and US. They have over 2,329 stores overseas and are still growing. The company is good at buying and selling. The company invest in what matters to people, and that is the major thing that propels Tesco progress. This progress bestowed on The Present Chief Executive Terry Leahy who has contributed immensely to the growth of the company and that is why he has spent 13 years in the position he is still maintaining that. This is evidenced by the launch of the Loyalty Scheme club card and Tesco.com, internet home shopping service etc. The company passed through the global recession and yet grew stronger than it was by recording a 10% increase in profit to a mighty  £3.4 billion at April 2010. 1.1 Environmental Analysis of Tesco (PEST) The environmental analysis of Tesco will help one understand what is happening both at the inside and outside of Tesco, and to increase the probability that the organisational strategies will appropriately reflect Tescos environment. The strategy of Tesco should be directed at exploiting the environmental opportunities and to block environmental threats in a way that is consistent with the internal capabilities (Robson, 1997). Although Tesco is waxing stronger and was able to declare 10% increase in profit in spite of the recession, the analysis is still important as to determine what might affect it in the future. Environmental analysis of a company should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. Political Factors Presently, there is no huge recognisable factor affecting Tesco. However, the winner of the fourth coming election is still unknown. Speculations have it that the Labour might loose out for the conservatives. The new government coming in might bring in a lot of unfavourable or favourable laws and policies for the UK grocery industry and other industries as well. Economic Factors The scourge of global recession that hit around 2008, this affected a lot of sectors globally. It could rather be said that Tesco withstood it by improving on there strategy, by changing there prices to suite every classes of individuals without compromising the quality. This is evidenced by 10% increment in profit they declared this year, making over 3.4 billion this year. The chairman as at last year that I am pleased to report that despite the extra ordinary economic environment we find ourselves in, Tesco has once again delivered a good set of results. This demonstrates that Tesco is coping with the down town. Despite the challenging conditions around the globe we have remained resilient and are growing as fast as any major international retailer. (Tesco 2009). After the declaration of the huge 2010 profit, Terry Leahy declared the retailer stronger than it was before the recession. (Guardian 2010).Tesco used its strategy to beat the economic recession. So the economy had no nega tive e effect on Tesco. The spending power of people could equally affect groceries. The economic crunch has made quite a number of people change the way and manner at which they buy things. For instance, because of this economic crisis, a lot of people prefer to buy ingredient and cook because they see it cheaper to do so. Inflation is another powerful factor that could affect the grocery market. This is an incessant increase in the price of items and services, leading to a drop in the currencies purchasing power. Ta However, Economists believe that supply of money is the key factor of inflation.(Economy Watch 2010). Socio-cultural Factor Lifestyle, healthy and fresh produce, immigrants and produce lines.The behaviour of humans also matters in this business. Most customers prefer buying the Tesco branded products. They prefer they go for the fresh products. Tesco are sensitive to read people and know what they need with the club cards. The peoples religion might affect the way they buy things, they might declare fasting within a location it could be mostly in there international locations, and it will reduce the number of sales within such periods. So Tesco take time to consider these as it affects the business. The population of inhabitants and the kind of life they live and the class of people within an area affects a business. Technological Factor Technology is another key thing that contributes to Tescos success is the introduction of Tesco club card. This has helped Tesco in reading and knowing the need of over 16 million of there club card holders in the UK and over 400 million globally. They know what you need and they provide them, which is one of there key success factors. The implementation of Information technology has contributed towards the efficient management of inventories logistics and ware housing which helps in bringing the cost down. Automatic tills, their online operations, electronic supply chain management etc Industry Analysis UK grocery industry is a highly contributor towards UK economy, as buyers are in need everyday and people must satisfy their needs everyday. The buyers in the UK are equally very big because grocery/retail industry is a must in our everyday lives. There are a number of grocers in the UK: Tesco, Morrison, Asda, wal-mart, Sainsburys, Co-op, Iceland, Waitrose, MS, Netto, Farmfoods, Aldi, and Somerfield etc There are the major player in the industry which include Tesco , Sainsbury, Morrison, Iceland, Asda Wal-Mart, MS. The Grocery industry could be examined properly by adopting the Michael porters five forces. Which include the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, and threat of new entrants, Threats of substitutes and Rivalry among competitors? 2.1 Porter Five Forces: Tesco The bargaining power of supplier in this industry matters, the key player in the industry now is Tesco and there are others like Sainsburys, Iceland, Morrisons but Tesco is just the giant, in the UK grocery industry. They made a profit of  £3.4 billion this year 2010 despite the scourge of the economic down turn. Tesco as a competitor buy in a very large scale because they have over 2000 stores in the UK and about 2300 stores across the UK. They have a wider market share, and they have a very high advantage over there suppliers. This is critical success factor that Tesco picks on to keep on dominating in the industry. They could even fix prices for their suppliers. What then could be the fate of other competitors in the system? MS is great going by that brand name the company has. It is a nice advantage. Asda Wal-Mart is equally waxing well in the industry after it was acquired by Wal-Mart in 1999.They get there supplies within and outside of UK. Sainsburys adopted other means to beat the market, they grow there own organic products even their meat in order to grow and maintain stands in the market. They do this in collaboration with the farmers. The same applies to Morrisons and Iceland. They use other measures to get supplies, and they do not depend on a particular source of supplies. (Guardian 2010) Bargaining power of buyers in this industry is not so significant yet it matters in the sense that even though prices are fixed and the consumers (buyer) can not bargain, they can check in other outlets. In that case they will not buy the product. The availability of various grocers at a place will make prices drop more. Though the price drop down may not be in the favour of the competitors. It is beneficial to consumers, and not the buyers. For instance, Tesco as a top grocer, with over 2000 locations in UK and still expanding, have a higher market share, they have a higher supply advantage ,consumers will not have bargaining power over them, as they have already brought down their prices and have numerous locations scattered all over the city. This is most likely to be affecting other key players in the industry. New Entrant coming into the industry will easily start because of the large market share of the grocery industry but will rather find it very difficult to penetrate the market and beat the already existing competitors especially the giant like Tesco. The grocery environment in the UK could be seen as oligopolistic one. The major grocers in the UK are few and the market share for this industry is large. Yet it would be difficult for a new firm to spring up or rather the younger firms to rise, except for a bigger firm to acquire an existing one. Just like Wal-Mart acquired Asda in 1999. ( ASDA 2010). It is because of the high rate of competition in the industry, and most other grocers like Sainsburys, Morrisons, Iceland, and MS were adopted growth strategies, and where increasing there location most especially Tescos. The Grocers in the industry has diversified and they do a umber of different product ranging from home use products, electronics, technologies, automobile, etc. This is a strategy for them to survive in the industry. In this industry, threat of substitute does not really take so much effect; this is mostly all about food. Buying a product here is almost the same in the other shop. For instance buying a digestive biscuit in Tesco, you go to another shop to buy digestive of different brand, it does not make much effect because they are all biscuits. They do not deal on one item; they deal on a variety of items. So, one can not substitute tens of thousands of item, when a normal grocer does ten brand of same item or product. However, where threat could be envisaged is at, may be the health/hygiene product. For example, the government has publicized to encourage healthy eating. It recommends eating 5 a day it has been noted by many other food retailers, who now label their foods with in depth nutritional information. The degree of rivalry in the grocery industry in the UK is very high. Highly perishable items are part of the contributor of the rivalry in the industry. Tesco is indeed an extremely powerful economic force in the in the industry. They are growing every now and then. They have the highest number of branches in the UK; UK is their biggest market when compared to other locations outside the UK. This is evidenced by the huge profit of  £3.4 billion profit they recorded this 2010. It is a 10% increment in profit when compared to last years profit. It is today beloved that in every  £10 spent on grocery in the UK, Tescos account for  £3. Tesco occupy about 2/3 of the grocery market in the UK. Presently they are rated the 3rd retailer in the world. In addition to the degree of rivalry, this report will explain the competitors analysis that has been taken place in this industry (Quick MBA 2007). (remember to affix in text reference in the industry analysis where necessary) 3.0 Competitor Analysis for Tesco Porters five forces will be a better tool for accessing the stand point of Tesco in the grocery industry. These include the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, the threat of new entrant, threat of substitute and the degree of rivalry. The bargaining power of suppliers towards Tesco is very low, as Tesco is such a very large grocer. They have over 2000 stores within the UK only and 4300 stores in general, so as such they buy in a larger quantity far greater than its competitor. Going by this bulky purchase, the suppliers seem to be at their mercy because of their high demand of products. They tell the suppliers what to sell and they stick to that. Considering the huge profit they declared this year 2010, inspite of the economic downturn, the strategy they adopted was that they have envisaged the change in the behaviour of people, and they changed strategy by doing more discount, price ranging for various classes of people, whilst maintaining its quality, and doing more promotions. They tell the supplier what they will buy; they have no choice than to succumb to it. More so Tesco produce most of their foods and meat by employing or hiring people. (Tesco 2010). The bargaining power of buyers towards Tesco is obviously very poor. This report suggests that there is no power Tesco buyers have at all. Tesco is absolutely in charge. Tesco wields so much power in the grocery business and they have brought their prices so low to match different classes of people in the society. More over their prices are fixed already. They provide promo for their customers and issue free club cards that grants you point in any item you purchase that is above a pound. At the end they use it to calculate the points and read what your likes and shopping behaviour. With this, they give offers to its customers. So, Tesco always have their focus on its customers. (Guardian 2010). Threat of new entrant is never an issue to Tesco PLC because of their strengths, which include but are not limited to their brand name, the large number of their locations, The higher number of their staff, their chain business, The high power they have over their suppliers and buyer and so on. However, a new entrant can come as an existing world class retailer to acquire or merge with another top retailer that is the only way they could penetrate. Though even at that, it is still very difficult to beat Tesco most especially in the UK as it is evidenced in the 2010 Tescos strategic intent;to develop retailing services, maintain strong core UK business and be as strong as non-food, as in food. (Tesco 2010) Threat of new substitute could not be seen much in a high degree when it comes to Tesco and grocery industry at large. Tesco sell their branded food as well as other products from various brand. So any substitute that is food, every tendency is their for Tesco to sell it. Another thing is that because of their high bargaining power, they could buy over a producer and that product will be done in the name of Tesco. Nevertheless, the switching cost for customers could be easy, but it could be hindered by proximity barrier because before he could walk for 5 to 10 minutes, he will see another Tesco shop instead of others. One can not because of one item and travel so far. Tesco has withstood the threats of Rivalry in the grocery industry through a number of ways, these include: The long years of consistence and care towards its customers, Their high bargaining power, The loyalty they have built vis-à  -vis their customers, Their high network of branches, their technologies, chains of other businesses, high performance all year round, they where able to make huge profits this year 2010. 10% increment against what they made last year in spite of the global down turn.(Tesco 2010). It is also believed presently that out of every  £10 spent on food here in the UK, Tesco accounts for  £3 pounds Guardian 2010). More so, Tesco keeps on bringing in more and more strategies that will make them be the no.1 in the world as they hope to be as strong in non food as in food, an international retailer, Maintain a strong core UK business, develop retailing services and put community at the heart of what they do. The competition is there, but Tesco has a core competency in the grocery industry. They wield much power. (Tesco is in the star position of the BCG Matrix. They have a high market growth rate and a high market share. Their 2010 revenue is  £62.54 billion while the 2010 operational income is  £3.41 billion i.e. 10% increment against 2009). 4.0 Portfolio Analysis This could be seen as the collection of a business and product that make up the company. The best business portfolio is the one that match the companys strengths and help bring out the attractive opportunities. The two better best known portfolio planning methods are the BCG matrix and the McKinsey / General Electric Matrix. In GE Matrix, market attractiveness replaced market growth of BCG as the dimension of the industry attractiveness and includes other range of factors other than the Market growth rate. Secondly, competitive strength replaces market share as the dimension by which the competitive position of each SBU is assessed. (Tutor2u 2010) Market Growth Rate of Tesco Tesco is a great force in the grocery market. The major strengths of Tesco is: they have their focus on customers at all times, Like the MD would ask what do you need. They believe that when you look after your customers, everything else will look after itself. Yes other companies are as focused as Tescos, but size of the company is a great strength. Having more locations means selling more, cause most shoppers goes to the nearest shop to buy. The more locations for Tesco brings about selling more, and selling more brings about better buying terms ,and which brings about lower pricing and or higher profit margin. The lower prices then bring in higher sales volume. Tesco has made itself classless with price ranges formed to cater across the board.(Guardian 2010). In summary, Tescos focus on customers; their numerous stores scattered all over and their classless pricing is the major strength that brings about the market growth. They declare huge profits at all year. In spite of the recession, Tesco declared  £3.41 billion profit this April 2010 i.e. a 10% increment in profit as against 2009 financial report. However, the people have a high demand for Tesco products majorly because its close to them and because they sell cheaper and general items, you must need in one or two ways. They have a very high bargaining power over their suppliers and buyers. Their market growth rate is indeed very high. Market Share of Tesco The club card which rewards customers is a good contributor to Tescos success. There is a research group called dunhumby co owned by Tesco, they analyse the 16 million cards and study the buying habits of there shoppers and tailor offers to them. This factor contributes to their high market share. Tesco has existed for 91 years, and as such they multiply in size and complexity as the year goes bye. This has given rise to so many loyalists to the company. The various promo they arrange for their shoppers from time to time especially at this recession, helps build up Tescos market share. Tesco today has the highest market share in the grocery industry in the UK. 5.0 SWOT Analysis for Tesco (Explain a brief about swot) Strengths of Tesco The strengths are those things that propel the steady growth of Tesco. Usually, they are positive things .It could be by way of action of the company, process, or service. These include: the introduction of Tesco club card which not only makes them no the no. Of their dedicated customers, but helps in offer to their customers. Tesco have a very high reputation in the grocery market and as such that makes their market share so high. The technologies Tesco have are an added advantage to them and they try to improve on it everyday. The own label ranges e.g. Tesco finest; Their range of store format e.g. Tesco express convenience stores, Tesco metro stores which can be found on high street and in city centres, Tesco super stores and Tesco extra-Hypermarket. they have They have a very powerful supplier relations ion. The scattered locations they have is an added advantage, their strengths is very high and they beat their rivals in the industry, They have over 2300 locations outside the co untry and still expanding. This adds to their market share globally. They have got a good distribution chain; Tesco has a very strong brand. Their online services is an advantage as well, they offer high quality items to people. Most of the other grocers in the UK does not have their own research company, but Tesco does and has contributed towards Tesco growth, especially in the area of Tesco club card. Above all, it is pertinent to note that Tesco withstands every force that may likely affect their grocery business. Weaknesses This could be seen as things that could or makes Tesco not to meet their objectives. This weakness could also be seen as those elements that hampers the growth and development of Tesco. Though that there is no recognisable weakness of Tesco because of their core competency and team player spirit they posses. One recognisable weakness this report may suggest is that they need to improve on their market, they have not yet fully covered the whole of UK; they do not provide fresh fruits in Tesco, especially at Tesco Express. They have not gained full dominance in the world when it comes to retails. Opportunities These are those external things that could improve the Tesco more. Some of the opportunities of Tesco include: Tescos objective to open a Tesco cash and carry shop at India is an opportunity for them to explore. Tesco plans to open bank this year 2010,They hope to create more employment this year by recruiting about 9000 employees more. Some of the other grocer is not doing well at the moment, so that could be an opportunity for them to acquire them. Threats Threats of Tesco are those factors that are beyond the control of Tesco, and they are likely to jeopardize the company. Some of these threats include: The daisy nature of area of investment or diversification could pose a threat due to unforeseen events. Grocers could start to reduce price even to a break-even point. There could be Likely tendency of 2 or more mergers to form a more formidable player in the industry to compete with Tesco, unforeseen inflation could pose a threat to Tescos Strategy and the value rate of GBP is dropped gradually in recent times. 6.0 Vision Providing value, care and satisfaction to its customers and its people; through collaborative efforts. 6.1 Mission To maintain a strong core local and international business by creating value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. 6.2 Objectives of Tesco This report states that the objectives of Tesco are: providing customers with quality items that goes in commensuration with their money value; offering progressive returns on investment for their shareholders, improving on technology and investing on efficient stores and distribution depot for profit maximisation. Build a long term rapport with the suppliers so as to gain a lasting relationship based on price and quality level; help in protecting the environment; focusing on the community and catering for them, through the provision of customers needs based on steady soughting of their opinion on the aspect of quality, pricing, innovation, technology and other aspects whilst acting on them; awarding all its staff an equal opportunity , by giving them good training and proper management practices; contributing in the National Food Industry Policy, in the area of food hygiene, health safety and nutrition. 6.3 Measures Some of the things Tesco should adopt in order to achieve there objectives is to continue with low price and promos because people has not fully recovered from the recession, in addition, they should also continue to increase their locations because their are some places that Tesco needs to establish in. Doing this could go a great length to be building more and more their market share they should extend this to the Tesco international, as this would take them up a bit in the global ranking. They should adhere strictly to any laid down format towards achieving the companys objectives; these include Key performance Indicator. They should continue to maintain and protect the Environment locally and internationally. Never should they fail in constantly taking care of there customers by fulfilling their social responsibility. Tesco must continual with staff training and management practice across board and equally invest more on RD, for farther progress. 6.4 Strategic Intent Inasmuch as Tesco has attained a height in the grocery industry in the UK, they need to take it up to a commanding height of excellence by becoming the no. 1 in the globe. They need to establish anywhere favourable in Africa, after a careful research. In that case, this report suggests that Tesco should improve on the position they are at present, and climb to the next level as a world leader in food and non food market. 7.0 Strategic Development The summary of Tescos Objectives is to be an international retailer, maintain a strong core UK business, be as strong as in non food as in food, develop retailing services and put community at the heart of what they do. The Ansoff matrix will be a better tool to decide Tescos development strategy. Tesco need to improve, to be rated no 1 in the globe. Existing Products New Products Existing Market New Market Diagram 1: Ansoff Matrix Representation. 7.1 Market Penetration Tesco need to spread more of their products (its known already) spread more branches within UK so as to make business impossible for new entrant, and make business tougher for the existing ones, more customers will be using the product etc. Market development Tesco need to expand and as such this strategy will Tesco sell their existing products at new markets. This is most needed in the overseas where they are yet to be known. Product development This strategy is essential to adopt when Tesco wants to introduce any of their new products into an existing market like UK. Diversification It is a strategy that will enable Tesco market new products such as other non food items, in a new market. Tesco hope to establish a bank soonest in the UK, they could equally strategize on extending to other countries. They should adopt this strategy would help. 8.0 Strategic Implementation For market penetration strategy, it needs to be adapted to in order to boost the market share. They will achieve this by continually highly distinguished competitive price and more promotions for the customers, personal selling is encouraged and advertising. This will go a great length to dominate the market for Tesco. The management of Tesco needs to approve aggressive promotional campaign, with this will go vis-à  -vis a pricing strategy that will make other the market unattractive for other competitors. When they are doing this, they are restructuring a mature market for themselves. They also need to introduce a loyalty scheme. They should carry out a market development strategy to extend to those existing markets they have not been to with their already existing products. Just like some other countries in Asia. They should extend their existing products to such places. They need new competencies and those products should be modified so as to draw the attention of the existing market. Diversification could be a risky strategy. Tesco is about to start a Bank soon, which is expected to cash on opposition that exist amidst consumers toward UKs banks. (Guardian 2010),it is a good growth strategy for them, because this was what helped them, they started a non food items in 1997 which was led by Terry Leahy the chief Executive of Tesco (Tesco 2010) ands it immensely contributed to their profits. The Tesco non food raised 6.2% to  £13.1 billion with  £9 billion in the UK. They made  £4.1 billion in international. (Tesco corporate 2010). They should apply their usual process; use the competencies to carefully assess the risk involved and the gains in the diversification they would make. 9.0 Recommendations and Conclusion Inasmuch as Tesco is the leading grocer or retailer in the UK, they need to adopt the market penetration strategy of Ansoff matrix to dominate the market completely and broaden more and more their market share, thereby making the present notion that in every  £10 spent in grocery market in UK, Tesco account for  £3.The notion will change to every  £12 spent, Tesco accounts for  £6. It would be easier because they are not new in the market. Tesco need to use their competencies to extend and develop in foreign places, most especially Africa. They exist in almost other continents, but not Africa. Africa contributes either directly or indirectly so much towards the Economic growth in UK and America. (Lagos Chamber of commerce) Tesco should be continual in the study of customers so as to know the best strategy to adopt when there is another economic or socio-cultural situation. In conclusion, Tesco needs is a large diversified company and obviously they are doing better than others, but they still need to adhere to those measures and observe these suggested recommendations to be a world leader in retail industry. References/Bibliographies AICC (2010) Industry Analysis; The five forces [Online]. Available from: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/ec/ec-722.pdf [Accessed: 26th April 2010] Economywatch (2010) Inflation; Economic inflation [Online]. Available from: http://www.economywatch.com/inflation/ [Accessed: 27th April 2010] Guardian, (2010) Tesco beats the recession to unveil record profits again [online].Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/25/tesco-record-profits-terry-leahy [Accessed: 25th April 2010] Porter M.E.(1980) Competitive Strategy; Technique for analysing industries and competitors. New York: First Free Press. Quick MBA (2007) Strategic Management [Online]. Available from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml [Accessed: 25th April 2010] Robson W. (2007). Strategic Management and Information Systems. 2ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Smith P. J. (2006). Strategic Planning Readings. Cape Town: Creda Communications Socyberty, (2007) Government intervention in the UK supermarket Industry [Online] Available from: http://socyberty.com/economics/government-intervention-in-the-uk-supermarket-industry/ [Accessed: 25th April 2010] Tesco PLC, (2009) Tesco Annual Reports and Financial Statements 2009 [Online] Available from: http://www.investis.com/tesco/pdf/repp2009.pdf [Accessed: 25th April 2010) Tesco corporate (2010) Tesco Plc Preliminary Results 2009/10 [Online] Available from: http://www.tescocorporate.com/plc/media/pr/pr2010/2010-04-20/ [Accessed: 27th April 2010) Tesco (2010) Media press releases 2010 [Online] Available from: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/pr/pr2010/2010-04-20/ [Accessed: 27th April 2010]

Mission statement summarizes companys strategies for achieving its goals

Mission statement summarizes companys strategies for achieving its goals Introduction A corporate formal mission statement summarizes a companys strategies for achieving its goals, by stating the important goals that its employees must strive to meet (David, 2009). It is a statement that states the reason why a company exists and states a companys purpose in the business world. Constructing a formal mission statement that explains a companys interest in the market world is among the most difficult tasks that an executive committee leader faces. In this paper, Coca-Colas formal mission statement will be evaluated by comparing the core values, suppliers, products and services, markets, shareholders, employee and customers concern for profitability and philosophy. Coca Colas Mission Statement Coca Colas mission statement is to maximize shareowner value over time. Its strategic business objectives are to expand its production volume, expand its share of worldwide nonalcoholic ready to drink beverage sales, improving its economic profits and economic value and lastly to maximize the long term cash flows. In order to achieve its mission statement, Coca Cola Company has taken the initiative of creating value when serving its constraints which includes its customers, its bottlers and the community. The company explains that its mission of existence is to refresh and benefit anyone that uses its products. According to Dess et al (2007), evaluating a companys mission statement involves conducting a research on whether the mission statement fulfills the following conditions; if it focuses on fulfilling the companys need rather than focusing on the product, clear and easily understood by all, it explains how it will serve its customers, based on the companys strengths, motivates and inspires it employees, realistic and fits in the current market situations and lastly if it is specific, short and states what the company wants to be remembered for in the future (Thompson et al, 2007). A company must redefine its formal mission statement after a considerable time so that it does not lose its credibility in defining the definite course for a company. Without a formal mission statement, a company may lose track and drift according to the pressures in the business environment. Viljoen Dann (2003) stated that for a company to stay focused in the business environment, it should have a clear and a concise formal mission statement. Coca Cola company mission statement defines the business and this can be depicted from the amount of sales that is realized in the company. Its mission was to get access to all persons by making them enjoy their products. Its local marketing strategy enables Coca Cola Company to listen to all voices around the world and this has contributed to making beverages that can be consumed by any person, anywhere depending on personal preferences and occasions. The company is not only determined to make great drinks for its customers, but it also contributes to communities in the local market through involvements in education, diversity, health and wellness. In order to achieve its mission statement, Coca Cola company has come up with visionary goals and articulate corporate philosophy which includes; being a great place to work for its employees, bringing a portfolio of different brands that satisfies peoples needs and desires, building mutual loyalty with its partners, being a fast moving organization and highly effective, maximizing returns to shareholders while at the same time being mindful of their responsibilities and lastly being a global citizen that brings a difference in the market. The companys mission statement can be perceived to be effective basing on the fact that it has established a wide range of markets and consumers. According to Woo and Cooper (2002), a companys mission statement is perceived to be effective and appropriate if it fulfills its goals such as fulfilling its community and customers needs and desires. The company has produced a nonalcoholic beverage that caters for each and every customers need, financial status, occasion and preference. The corporate level is the highest level in any organization. According to White (2004), corporate managers have the duty to address issues pertaining to overall organization, decision making and planning strategy which affect the other levels in the organization. Marketing involves strategic planning in all levels of an organization (Corner, 2004). Grand et al (2011), defines strategic marketing as marketing activities that affect the business, corporate and marketing strategic plans. The marketing activities try to involve everyone in the organization towards achieving the companys mission statement, goals and objectives. It helps organizations to execute a marketing philosophy that can be applied through the planning process (Jones et al, 2007). According to Grant (2010), a companys vision specifies what the company wants and how it plans to achieve that. Hill et al (2007), indicates that a comprehensive vision should state a companys market, objectives, desired public image, core values and basic companys basic philosophy. Most organizations developed a mission statement to communicate their corporate vision to the interested parties. A mission statement then becomes an important element that can be used in the strategic planning process because it specifies the boundaries under which a business operates. According to Grant (2010), the Coca Cola Company being the leading distributor, manufacturer and marketer of nonalcoholic beverages in the world, has an efficient personnel who make all this achievable. It the worlds largest producer, marketer and distributor of coca cola products and it operate in more than 200 countries worldwide. Strategic management, as defined by Hamel (2002), is the process that identifies a companys objectives and mission statement and developing policies and plans that can be used to achieve the objectives. It provides a guideline to those in the managerial position to work towards accomplishing an organizational goals and objectives. It is the highest managerial activity that is performed by an organizational chief executive officer (CEO). Strategic management deals with study of functions and responsibilities of those in the managerial position in the organization (Lewis et al, 1999). A companys CEO undertakes strategic monitoring in the company, to check t he progress of the company toward achieving its goals and assessing whether the company needs any modification to arrive at its goals (Hill et al 2007). According to Mintzberg et al (1998), having knowledge on strategic management helps the CEO to be in a position to know his business environment and how to control it, know how to manage and understand how policies can be formulated to achieve the companys goals. Coca Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and its current CEO is Muhtar Kent, U.S. Kent has worked in the Coca Cola Company for a long period and when he ran Coca Colas international units, it accounted to 83% profit and sales value of more than $20 billion (Grant 2010). He joined the Coca Cola Company in Atlanta in the year 1978 and has held a lot of operational roles in his career. Between the years 1995 and 1998, he served as a managing director of the coca cola Amtil-Europe Company and covered operations in 12 countries. He was then named president and chief operating officer of the Coca Cola Company in Northern Asia, Middle East and Eurasia from the year 2005 till 2006 (Grant 2010). He served as the international president through the year 2006 until when he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer on 1st July, 2008. He succeeded Neville Isdell who was at the post. Under his leadership, various Coca Cola bottler companies experienced extra ordinary growth, over 250 percentage increase in the market capitalization and triple digit growth in different financial sectors. He has then joined as a chairman of board of directors in Coca Cola Company on 23rd April, 2009 (Grant, 2010). Evaluation of a CEO Performance According to Johnson et al (2005), a successful CEO is one who is available to subordinates and is able to relate with his or her organization in a trusted way. This extends to the way he/she conducts himself/herself to the public, its employees, suppliers and customers. Grant (2010) argues that he/she should be able to motivate the employees in an effective way so that they can work towards fulfilling the customers needs and desires. A good operational organization should have a CEO who can be looked upon by the other members of staff for decision making process. Liebeskind (2006) indicates that the performance assessment of a CEO can be done by observing the management system in an organization. A good CEOs performance will be reflected in the companys overall performance in the global market as it competes with the others. This requires a transparent communication concerning a companys progress with its customers, suppliers, employees, media and shareholders. It has been observed that Coca Colas CEO performs well in his position. He does this by promoting business care internally. According to Evens and Wurster (2007), a good performing CEO should place highlights to its employees in a persuasive manner, by motivating them to work towards achieving the companys goals and most importantly along the mission statement. The employees should also be motivated to work towards fulfilling the needs of the customer and this is what is seen in Coca Colas CEO. The CEO also engages the financial sector by focusing on the interest of the shareholders. He has engaged proactively with their major investors, bankers and insurers on issues that affect the companys innovation and business opportunities (Grant 2010). He has also articulated purpose, principle and values both internally and externally. He does this by communicating and behaving in a manner that is consisted with the companys proposed values, purpose and mission statement. The CEO makes sure that he holds regular meetings with his employees, interacted well with his business associates, holds dialogues and communication with the stakeholders and organizing for annual reports and other corporate publications. Shareholders It is observed by Barney (2001), that Coca Cola Companys mission statement drives and focuses on the interest of the shareholders. The companys CEO has identified several long tern objectives that maximize share owners value over time. The companys shareholders congratulates the efforts of the CEO who has seen that the company involves them in the decision making process. The Coca Cola Company as argued by Grant (2010) has committed itself to supporting the community in various ways such as; ensuring access to clean water and environment and providing employment opportunities which promotes economic growth. Suppliers According to White (2004), the principal raw material used by Coca Cola Company in United States is corn syrup, a form of sugar that is found from different local and domestic sources. The raw material that is used by the soft drink industry outside United States is sucrose which is also available from different sources. The managers have been observed to maintain a good relationship with its suppliers who contribute to the good performance of the company. Coca Cola Company has employed methods such as minority ownership and strategic alliances to improve and secure god and fruitful relationship with its suppliers (White 2004). Employees The employees at Coca Cola Company enjoy the benefits that the company offers. White (2004) argues that the company has initiated the use of total quality management system (TQM), which requires a well trained workforce that participates fully in ensuring the companies goals and objectives are achieved as stipulated in the companys mission statement. Such participations are usually reinforced by rewarding the employees and taking them through training programs (Nag et al, 2007). The employees of Coca Cola Company state that the ongoing education and training program in the company has helped them improve their knowledge, skills and the quality of work they produce, and makes it easy for the company to realize the objectives stipulated in the mission statement. The CEO of Coca Cola company has ensured that its employees are encouraged to be more responsible, communicate effectively and that they act creatively and innovatively. According to Thompson (2007), people mainly behave the wa y they do in organizations on the basis of how they are remunerated, and this can be linked to customer satisfaction (White 2004). Coca Cola has spread its interest to its employers by working so closely with them by asking them to openly identify, communicate and discuss environment issues to the top management. It hands out global employee engagement surveys regularly to allow the employees to make suggestions concerning the companys performance, and thus provides checks and balances to ensure the mission statements objectives are well maintained. Customers Coca Colas mission statement focuses on identifying customers needs and fulfilling it. The company has worked hard to reach to its potential and existing customers by considering their views and suggestions when making decisions. Johnson et al (2005), explains that the most effective way to reach to the customer is listening to what they have to say about the company. The Coca Cola Company has done excellent job in creating a friendly, convenient and informative website to discuss the factors that affects its organizations. The website also allows the customers to give personal suggestion on the products offered by Coca Cola Company. It has also fulfilled it goal by fulfilling the customers needs. It has a range of products that can be consumes freely by any consumer irrespective of the status or income level. It has also nicely packaged products which makes it easy for customers to carry about. Conclusion In line with the definition of a good manager as argued by Hamel (2002), the performance of Coca Cola CEO can be summarized to be one of a good manager. According to Corner (2004), a companys CEO has the ability to influence decision making process in the organization. He has the ability to control the internal factors in the organization by focusing on the companys stakeholders. The CEO has to ensure that the company operates in line with the companys mission statement, and at the same time fulfilling the companys visionary goals. Coca Cola company has matched its mission statement by involving the employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders in the decision making process. It has implemented an open door style to its stakeholders in which any of them can go to the management in case of any problem. All this has made the CEO to think out of the box when making decisions in the company. It has also enabled the CEO to identify and solve small problems before they become big and irresolvable. The majority of the top managers have well rounded backgrounds in the company, and this gives the CEO an easy time in handling them. It has also allowed problems in the company to be looked at from multiple angles all of which ensures that the mission statement objectives are met. Coca Cola Company conducts annual chief executive officer performance evaluations, which ensure that he offers the best leadership for the company. His performance is measured against the companys goals and objectives as projected in the mission statement. Coca Cola has nearly 7 million potential customers and counts its success by its ability to satisfy more of their beverage demand and adding value to the customer. It also does this by placing the right products in the right market at the right time, thus making it a reliable source of beverages for its customers and thus maintains its corporate image as projected in the mission statement.

Wal Mart case study analysis :: essays research papers

Central Issue The main issue facing the management of Wal –Mart was how to sustain their extraordinary growth. As the domestic market reaches saturation, a strategy for at home and for global expansion will be necessary. Recommendation Wal-Mart needs to identify and nurture the primary core competency that fueled their growth: fulfilling customer needs with a wide spectrum of products at â€Å"everyday low prices†. This competency is the product of the aggregate of competencies across individual skill sets and organization boundaries: Wal-Mart is a leader in channel management, inventory control, distribution and customer service. This is a result of the company’s ability to coordinate a complex information management and distributing network and to efficiently manage supplier relations, through the use of new technologies and the seamless flow of information. Wal-Mart’s extensive communications network connects all stores, warehouses, offices and suppliers. This enables Wal-Mart to not only provide value to its customers by offering a wide variety of goods at the lowest prices, but also to provide value to its suppliers as a large, ever present channel for sale of goods. This channel also prov ides a highly efficient feedback loop on unit sales, demand and inventory, facilitating a just in time supply management system and an effective needs-based position. Through careful bargaining and sheer-size, Wal-Mart has power over the suppliers, and can purchase goods cheaper than the competition. Wal-Mart can also differentiates through private branding, i.e. Sam’s Choice. In addition to the added differentiation, they can become less dependent on branded manufacturers, further eroding the power that suppliers may wield. This also allows them to exploit their initial strategy of opening stores in rural areas that were traditionally neglected, by maintaining a steady supply of low priced goods with low inventory costs. This raises the barriers to entry. By offering such a broad spectrum of products at the lowest prices, Wal-Mart reduces the threat of bargaining power of buyers. Wal-Mart was a leader in Uniform Product Codes scanning. For the two years that it took K-Mart to implement their system, Wal-Mart had, at least temporarily, a competitive advantage that was both valuable and rare. Another characteristic that is valuable and difficult to imitate: a loyal and motivated workforce. It requires time to develop a company culture of dedication and commitment to hard work. Providing value to the customer through low prices and excellent customer service, the threats of substitution are reduced. Customers won’t switch to competitor chains.

Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder Essay -- Biology Essays Res

Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder Anxiety is a common occurrence and emotion in everyday life. Yet there are several individuals today who suffer from great pangs of anxiety and feelings of panic at such extremely high levels that it becomes quite debilitating. A normal, everyday environment can become so overwhelming that the day itself can stop dead in its tracks while the sufferer rides through the wave of intense emotions and thoughts which seem to be going a million miles a minute and showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of a multitude of Anxiety Disorders that affect many people around the world. An individual suffering from GAD differs from anyone else dealing with natural anxiety due to the chronic and exaggerated worrying that can occur on a daily basis. The worries and anxieties usually are not provoked by anything, and finding the source of the worries is usually quite difficult. They are associated with daily things, such as but not limited to, health, money, family, or work. People with GAD cannot alleviate their concerns and usually become so overwhelmed by the anxiety that getting through the day and doing their usual activities proves too difficult.(1) As a disorder, GAD is diagnosable. However, it is usually a difficult thing to do since GAD, unlike many of the other Anxiety Disorders out there, does not have any definite symptoms like a "panic attack". Individuals are diagnosed with GAD when they spend at least six months worrying excessively about a number of everyday problems and the worrying happens more often than not. Other symptoms of GAD may include: Trouble falling or staying asleep, muscle tension, sweating, nausea, gastrointestinal... ...and problems that can go on with the brain show how delicate a human's mentality and stability is, and how vulnerable it seems to be to the rapidly changing times and developments of society. It seems to be the nature of the brain and mentality to be slow in adjusting to the various new outputs that are created as society and the world progresses. Will science be able to find a way to make the brain adjust and accept change more quickly? This can be seen as a task similar to making evolution as fast as the first world's rate of development. References 1)http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxiety/gad/gadinfo.htm 2)http://www.adaa.org/AnxietyDisorderInfor/GAD.cfm 3)http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxiety/gad/gadfax.htm 4)http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx24t.htm 5)http://www.buspar.com/whatis.htm 6)http://www.anxietynetwork.com/gawhat.html

Could Have Been Different :: essays research papers

Could Have Been Different   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I had a situation once when I wished that I could have re run it. If only I had thought about what was happening and the power that I actually had, I would have had an entirely different situation at hand. I could have prevented the whole thing a lot sooner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The whole thing started when I was working at an auto shop called Car Quest. My friend Tammy had just gotten me the job starting as a cashier. Even in the few days that I worked there, I loved my job and everyone I worked with. . I really liked my boss because he was always so cool to me, letting me do my homework with my free time when no customers were around and letting me just mess around with the guys I worked with. Soon, I was beginning to close the store alone with my boss, a lot. He would make weird comments and things but I never really questioned them. I thought that maybe he was just kidding around as everyone there always did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One night when I was finished closing my drawer with my boss Lonnie, we were heading to the front of the store when he told me he had something to say but it could wait until the next time I worked with him. I insisted that he tell me then. He pulled me to the side and started telling me how beautiful I was and what a great personality I had. I didn’t know what to say so I just said â€Å"thanks†. Ever since then he started to ask if I would kiss him and all these offensive things. I guess I just never knew what to say to him. I mean I was 16 and he was like 50. That was like him being my dad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went through this for a long time before I got the nerve to tell my other boss at work Kathy. I guess she wasn’t really my other boss; she was just the only other woman I worked with that could help me out. I told her the entire situation and that I was getting sick of Lonnie’s comments. Once I had told her this she told me that Lonnie was married and had two sons. I thought that was worse. I was beginning to get scared that something more would happen.

My Knowledge Positive Replacement Behaviors Essay

Positive replacement behaviors seem simple enough to understand when breaking down each word. It’s to have the undesired behavior or desired behavior replaced with a positive reinforcement. When doing this you want to try and bring in a replacement behaviors. It is helpful to have a target behavior that is not compatible with its. For example if Roger doesn’t like to have his shoes untied because he has difficulty tying them, make sure to ask his parents or try to obtain shoes that don’t need tying like Velcro. Overall as an educator you want to try and avoid the target behavior and use the replacement behavior as much as possible. What does reinforcement mean? Reinforcement in simple terms is defined as a consequence that follows a behavior. The consequence is used to strengthen the behavior immediately after it has occurred. If you really think about it reinforcement happens all the time in everyday life. Reinforcements happen in a lot of ways outside of the classroom. The reinforcement that first comes to mind for me is doing chores. If I continued to do my chores on a constant basis I would get paid for doing so. Even though this reinforcement isn’t the same it works in a similar way. The main goal for reinforcement is to set a goal or a standard for that person and in the end your get an award for it. There are many different types of reinforcers to help behavior but there are specific types of reinforcers that work for different students. The four reinforcer types are: Natural reinforcers, token reinforcers, social reinforcers, and tangible reinforcers. Natural reinforcers are kind of self-explanatory. For example if Becky Sue stays on task and does her homework, then she will get good grades. Token reinforcers are usually given when a student is executing actions that the teacher has suggested, when given these tokens they can be exchanged for something of value. Social  reinforcers are similar to verbal praise or specific approval of behavior. For example Bobby gets his English paper back and his teacher writes excellent work! The last reinforcer is tangible reinforcement. Tangibles are used a lot with educators and involve a physical award such as treats, money, or prizes. What is positive and negative reinforcement? Positive Reinforcement is a technique used by professionals and parents to modify their children’s behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors. Positive reinforcement can be used as a reward. Educators are well known for using reinforcement in education. â€Å"When you need to help your children learn new behaviors, increase behaviors you desire and reduce undesirable behaviors, your chances for success will increase if you use positive reinforcement† (Butler, 2010). This term is familiar throughout society and is used as a great method for behavior modification. Sometimes people think positive reinforcement is only used for the students that struggle with undesired behaviors but it also there for students that continue to their good behaviors. Negative reinforcement involves strengthening a behavior through the removal or avoiding of negative outcomes. This reinforcement is confused with being negative and used as punishment, when it is not. Negative reinforcement is used in hoped that the behavior will not reoccur. As you can see punishment and negative reinforcement are used in two different ways as one is in hope that it won’t occur again and the other is in hopes of decreasing the behavior. How would you use positive reinforcement in the classroom environment? When I think of a positive reinforcement I think of positive things throughout your classroom and the day. First I would start the day off by greeting my students as they come into the classroom. If I see a few students sitting quietly putting their stuff away and sitting on task I would use verbal praise by saying, thank you for coming in and doing what you need to do in the start of class. A lot of my reinforcements would be verbal and specific to their behaviors and the individuals. When using my verbal praise I would make sure to use a loud but pleasant voice to make it known to that student. Even though it’s great to use individual reinforcements I think it is also crucial for students to have positive  reinforcement as a group. For example if every student gets there homework done in class or close to done they the class receives a smiley face. If the class receives 10 smiley faces they will get a pizza party. Sometimes this is hard to obtain from the whole class but once they do it is great because the class earned this a whole. My plan that including goals and objectives for a student with an emotional disabilities My plan that including goals and objectives for a student with an emotional disabilities Emotional disabilities can be fragile to work with. When working with students that have disabilities like these I would first and foremost be patient with the student. The Article Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Defined states â€Å"Emotional or behavioral disorders can be divided into three groups that are characterized by externalizing behavior, Internalizing behaviors, and low incidence disorders† (Smith, 2007). By looking over these three categories there is a difference between the three. I would try and figure out the students that fell into each group. For goals I would try to make sure that they were measu rable for the students. From the beginning of figuring out their emotion disability I would set up specific goals and objectives for each student to follow. Each student is different so this would be done on an individual basis. When including goals I think it’s great to develop short and long term goals for students. The plan that is developed could have a reward system. For example for every 30 minutes the student doesn’t disrupt the class or have and outburst they will get a check, if the student obtains 10 then they get to do something of their chose like read for 15 minutes or have 10 minutes computer time. After a period of time like two months or every semester/quarter I would evaluate the plans and goals that I have set. I would ask myself, is this effective for the student? Have I seen an emotional change, and if not I might have to reevaluate what is working and what is not. Overall with positive replacement behaviors you want to make sure they are obtainable for the student to achieve. With great planning and getting to know the student it can happen. Reference John Wheeler & Dean Richey. (2010).Behavior management. Retrieved from http//gcumedia.com/digital-resources/pearson/2009/behavior-management_principles-and-practices-of-positive-behavior-supports_ebook_2e.php Butler, A. (2010). Behavior modification through positive reinforcement. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/139880-behavior-modification-through-positive-reinforcement/ Smith, D. D. (2007). Emotional or behavioral disorders defined. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/emotional-behavioral-disorders-defined/

Internet Cafe Business Plan

An Internet cafe or cybercafe is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the cafe in the name. The fee for using a computer is usually charged as a time-based rate. Internet cafes are a natural evolution of the traditional cafe. Cafes started as places for information exchange, and have always been used as places to read the paper, send postcards home, play traditional or electronic games, chat to friends, find out local information. Cafes have also been in the forefront of promoting new technologies. Internet cafes are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access webmail and instant messaging services to keep in touch with family and friends. Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafes are the primary form of Internet access for citizens as a shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software. A variation on the Internet cafe business model is the LAN gaming center, used for multiplayer gaming. These cafes have several computer stations connected to a LAN. The connected computers are custom-assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer games. This is reducing the need for video arcades and arcade games, many of which are being closed down or merged into Internet cafes. The use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and The Philippines. In some countries, since practically all LAN gaming centers also offer Internet access, the terms net cafe and LAN gaming center have become interchangeable. Again, this shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software, specially since games often require high end and expensive PC's. There are also Internet kiosks, Internet access points in public places like public libraries, airport halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing. Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the convenience of their guests; this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a web browser that uses the in-room television set for its display (usually in his case the hotel provides a wireless keyboard on the assumption that the guest will use it from the bed), or computer(s) that guests can use, either in the lobby or in a business center. As with telephone service, in the US most mid-price hotels offer Internet access from a computer in the lobby to registered guests without charging an additional fee, while fancier hotels are more likely to charge for the use of a computer in their â€Å"business center. For those traveling by road in North America, many truck stops have Internet kiosks, for which a typical charge is around 20 cents per minute. Internet cafes come in a wide range of styles, reflecting their location, main clientele, and sometimes, the social agenda of the proprietors. In the early days they were important in projecting the image of the Internet as a ‘cool' phenomena. Building up an internet cafe seems so easy from outside. It feels as if one just needs to pull some chairs and tables, few computers and an internet networking system, and here goes the flourishing business. One has to take many steps and decisions to make his business successful. It needs a lot of patience, administrative quality and leadership skills to maintain an internet cafe. Running an internet cafe is quite challenging job as you have to deal with the employs, customers, the safety on internet, environment of the cafe and the quality of internet. One has to satisfy everyone, has to keep an eye on because there is lot of competition in this field too. It might difficult at the beginning, because there were not many resources. But nowadays, with the invention of high technological efficient internet cafe software, it has been quite little easy for the internet cafe owners to take care of all their duties. A lot of burden has been raised from their shoulders. Having a check on the customers activities as the cyber crime rate is getting sky high, blocking of different sites that are harmful for the environment of the viewers and giving a homely environment to users, are some of the various advantages that one can achieve using the internet cafe software. Moreover to these advantages, internet cafe software also accelerates the speed of internet. It makes the users feel contented while using the internet in cafe as it increases the downloading speed and improves the quality of internet. Due to all above discussed reasons the work of cafe owners has become trouble-free and convenient. The customers are attracted towards the cafes due to their better performance and professional environment. As the environment is professional, it does not fascinate only one class of people, it caters to the need of people of every age. As Internet access is in increasing demand, many pubs, bars and cafes have terminals, so the distinction between the Internet cafe and normal cafe is eroded. In some, particularly European countries, the number of pure Internet cafes is decreasing since more and more normal cafes offer the same services. However, there are European countries where the total number of publicly accessible terminals is also decreasing. An example of such a country is Germany. The cause of this development is a combination of complicated regulation, relatively high Internet penetration rates, the widespread use of notebooks and PDAs and the relatively high number of WLAN hotspots. Many pubs, bars and cafes in Germany offer WLAN, but no terminals since the Internet cafe regulations do not apply if no terminal is offered. Additionally, the use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is very difficult in Germany since the Internet cafe regulations and a second type of regulations which was originally established for video arcade centers applies to this kind of Internet cafes. It is, for example, forbidden for people under the age of 18 to enter such an Internet cafe, although particularly people under 18 are an important group of customers for this type of Internet cafe. In Asia, gaming is very popular at the Internet Cafes. This popularity has helped create a strong demand and a sustainable revenue model for most Internet cafes. With growing popularity, there also comes with this a responsibility as well. In fighting for competitive market share, the Internet cafes have started charging less and hence are adopting alternate means to maximize revenue. This includes selling food, beverages, game and telephone cards to its patrons. Today in the Philippines, the net cafe business has even expanded to online gaming to which most net cafe owners admit rakes in the bigger share of their monthly revenues. Then, there’s the local chain of net cafes like Netopia and Station 168 that’s been mushrooming all over the country. So it looks like putting up an internet cafe is still a viable business. But, and that’s a big BUT, take into consideration several factors that will spell the success or failure of your business venture. As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow here in Philippines specifically here in Albay, easy and affordable access is quickly becoming a necessity of life. We will provide communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoying it with snacks we offer, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that we will be provided provides. Internet Cafe Business Plan The Integration of Computer in Manufacturing Business Executive Summary â€Å"Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the integration of total manufacturing enterprise by using integrated systems and data communication coupled with new managerial philosophies that improve organizational and personnel efficiency. † This is according to Erhums. This system helps to reduce problems regarding to the manufacturing of products with the help of the implementation of computers. This strategy helps to improve the performance of manufacturing.It is implemented to satisfy the needs and demands for a productivity enhancement and higher quality products with fewer errors in production process. This paper discusses about the help provided by the computer-integrated manufacturing in various business. It also states here the illustration of the key issues of the integration and adaptability of CIM. In addition, a new framework has been proposed in this paper for the design and implementation of CIM. Introduction Business has so many things to consider. And one of it is how will you increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors.Before, the only way to manufacture products is through manual approach wherein there is a possibility of wrongdoings which may lead to business failures. But since advanced technology has been developed, it will be a very big advantage in the field of manufacturing business. It focuses on producing products in its most favorable condition, and at the same time, guaranteeing high quality, low costs, high flexibility and even smaller production quantity. Computer-integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is concerned with the integration of the business, engineering and manufacturing processes of an enterprise.It helps the enterprise to achieve and maintain a competitive edge in the manufacturing marketplace. Over a period of time, factory owners have integrated computer systems in order to control the entire production process. This is done by taking the design, analysis, planning, purchasing, cost accounting, inventory control and distribution departments and interlink them with the factory floor, material handling, and management departments. This system will have an impact on every system within the factory.This paper focuses on the integration of computer in the manufacturing process. This is an area of significant importance of computer application which is inclined to the field of Information Technology in business. Literature Review According to the US National Research Council, CIM improves production productivity by 40 to 70 percent as well as enhances engineering productivity and quality. CIM can also decreases design costs by 15 to 3o percent, reduce overall lead time by 20 to 60 percent, and cut work-in-process inventory by 30 to 60 percent.Managers who use CIM believe that there is a direct relationship between the efficiency of information management and the efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the ma nufacturing enterprise. Thacker’s view is that many CIM programs focus attention on the efficiency of information management and the manufacturing machines, material transformation processes, manufacturing management process, and production facilities. Computer-integrated Manufacturing can be applied to manufacturing organizations by changing the manufacturing focus toward a service orientation.CIM and Job Definition Format (JDFF) are becoming increasingly beneficial to printing companies to streamline their production process. A better understanding of manager’s needs would help systems develop recognize the emerging opportunities for creative use of information technology, and implement necessary changes. Methodology Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the system used to describe the full automation of manufacturing plant, with all processes functioning under computer control and digital information on tying team together.This system was promoted by machine tool man ufactures in the 1980’s and the society for Manufacturing Engineers. It is not the same as a â€Å"lights-out† factory wherein it will run completely independent of human intervention. The hearts of CIM are the Computer-aided design (CAD) and Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM). These systems are essential in reducing cycle times in the organization. Functional requirements must be compared to the current inventory of systems and available technologies to identify the accessibility of the system.According to Jorgensen and Krause, there are techniques that is being used in satisfying system requirements which includes utilizing unused and available functional capabilities of current systems; identifying functional capabilities but not currently in house; recognizing state-of-the-art technology that is not immediately commercially available on a system; foreseeing functional capabilities of systems on the technical horizon; and identifying whether the requirement is beyon d the capabilities of systems on the technical horizon. StudyComputer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system is simply the manipulation of computers in manufacturing products or other activities where final products or other activities are the main concern of this system. CIM has a big role regarding to the development of a product concept that may exist in the marketing organization which includes product design and specification, commonly the responsibility of an engineering organization; and its extension through production into delivery and after-sales activities that reside in a field service or sales organization.CIM systems had come into view as an outcome of the developments in manufacturing and computer technology. This integrated computer aided manufacturing system, operates on both hardware and software. The software is simply what runs the factory or it is the brain of the factory. And the hardware is what makes the machine functions or run, or simply hardware is the musc le of the factory. These systems run on efficient output process. This means that the hardware and software works in the factory together. They should be not separated because as a unified unit, it operates for the peak benefit of the whole factory.CIM system divided every individual â€Å"center† of the factory into work cells. As work cells, they are then divided into individual stations. He stations are the broken down to the individual processes and this process are what metamorphosis that raw materials into actual product. It may sound interweaving, but it streamlines the whole manufacturing process. This also allows the operations to change any necessary things that should be altered to the system without shutting down the whole system. In this way, optimizing production and its good quality will be highly obtained.Analysis In spite of all the positive outcomes of the computer-integrated manufacturing system, there are also problems or key issues arose that needs to be ponder carefully such as the equipment incompatibility and difficulty of integration of protocols. The integration of different brand equipment controllers with robots, conveyors and supervisory controllers is a time-consuming task with a lot of pitfalls. In other words, the time required for software, hardware, communications and integration and large investment cannot be financially justified easily.Another problem is data integrity. Machines react clumsily to bad data and the costs of it upkeep as well as general information systems departmental costs is higher than in non-CIM facility. Another problem that evolved is to try to accomplish in programming extensive logic to be able to produce schedules and optimize part sequence. There is no human mind that is to put into place of this approach in reacting to a dynamic day0today manufacturing schedule and changing priorities.On the other hand, integrated manufacturing is neither a universal remedy nor should it be embraced as a rel igion. It is an operational and tool that if executed and used properly will provide a new dimension to competing. Eventually, it will introduce quickly new customaries high quality products and delivering them with unprecedented lend times, swift decisions, and manufacturing products with high velocity. Conclusions and Recommendations Computer is one of the models of the information and communication technologies in manufacturing.There are factors which are involved when it comes to the CIM implementation and this includes production volume, in order to make the integration, the experiences of the company or personnel is highly concerned also the level of the integration into the product itself and the integration of the production process. When a company wants to integrate the computer into their business, they must be careful in starting manipulating this system for this undergoes a complex process. Computers, made an enormous impact regarding on the speed and accuracy of the pro duction process.With the help of this system, it is now accessible to create high quality outcomes in just a short period of time and it is hustle-free and less effort not like in the previous tomes, it would have taken a number of days to make the same products with no assurance that they would all be able to have the same quantity and quality. Computer-integrated manufacturing is a very interactive and hands on system. If it is applied appropriately, it will surely increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors to the whole factory. References http://www. computerintegratedfacturing . com/