Software Engineering Assignments

1.For each of the following documents, indicate in which phse(s) of the software life cycle it is produced: final user manual, architectural design, SQA plan, module specification, source code, statement of work, test plan, preliminary user annual, detailed design, cost estimate, project plan, test report, documentation.2.Order the following tasks in terms of the waterfall model: acceptance testing, project planning, unit testing, requirements review, cost estimating, high level design, market analysis, low-level design, systems testing, design review, implementation, requirement specification.3.How does a phased life cycle model assist software management?SOFTWARE METRICS1.What is McCabe’s cyclomatic number? Determine the same for:2.In Halstead’s metrices, what is the significance of : (i)operators and operands (ii)potential operands, (iii)Length (iv)Estimated length (v)Volume (vi)Potential volume (vii)Implementation Level3.How is effort and time calculated in Halstead method?4.Why is the number of decisions + 1 an important method for calculating McCabe’s cyclomatic no.? (Ans: It would be very time consuming to have to construct the control flow graph for large programs).5.Why is monotonicity an important characteristic of a size or effort metric such as Halstead’s effort metric? (Ans: If adding more code can cause the value of the effort metric to decrease, then the metric’s behavior is not understandable. It may also mean that the metric is manipulated).6.Why is complexity not readily measurable? (Ans: Complexity is not well defined and each one has different interpretation. It is interaction between person and code that makes it difficult to define). 7.Calculate McCabe’s complexity on the following source code. Draw a control flow graph. Read x,y,z;Type = ‘scalene’; If(x= =y or x= =z or y = =x) type = ‘isosceles’; If(x= =y or x= =z) type ‘equilateral’; If(x> =y+z or y > =x+z o r z>= x+y)) type ‘not a triangle’; If(x< =0 or y< =0 or| z

Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric Surgery Indication: No studies evaluate the commonly used indications for bariatric surgery. Consensus guidelines suggest that the surgical treatment of obesity should be reserved for patients with a body-mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m(2) or with BMI >35 kg/m(2) and 1 or more significant co morbid conditions, when less invasive methods of weight loss have failed and the patient is at high risk for obesity-associated morbidity and mortality (strength of recommendation: C, based on consensus guidelines). Types:There are two basic types of weight loss surgery — restrictive surgeries and malabsorptive/restrictive surgeries. They help with weight loss in different ways. Restrictive surgeries:  work by physically restricting the size of the stomach and slowing down digestion. A normal stomach can hold about 3 pints of food. After surgery, the stomach may at first hold as little as an ounce, although later that could stretch to 2 or 3 ounces. The smaller the stomach, the less you can eat. The less you eat the more weight you lose. Malabsorptive/restrictive surgeries:  are more invasive surgeries that work by changing how you take in food.In addition to restricting the size of the stomach, these surgeries physically remove or bypass parts of your digestive tract, which makes it harder for your body to absorb calories. Purely malabsorptive surgeries — also called intestinal bypasses — are no longer done because of the side effects. Specific Types of Weight Loss Surgery There are many different surgical procedures for weight loss, and each has several variations. Adjustable Gastric Banding Gastric banding is among the least invasive weight loss treatments.This surgery uses an inflatable band to squeeze the stomach into two sections: a smaller upper pouch and a larger lower section. The two sections are still connected; it's just the channel between them is very small, which slows down the emptying of the upper pouch. Gastric banding physical ly restricts the amount of food you can take in at a meal. Most people can only eat a ? to 1 cup of food before feeling too full or sick. The food also needs to be soft or well-chewed. There are several brands of adjustable gastric bands available. They include LAP-BAND and REALIZE. Pros.The advantage to gastric banding is that it's simpler to do and safer than gastric bypass and other operations. It's routinely done as minimally invasive surgery, using small incisions, special instruments, and a tiny camera called a laparoscope. Recovery is usually faster. You can also have it reversed by surgically removing the band. Because the band is connected to an opening just beneath the skin in the abdomen, it can be easily loosened or tightened in the doctor's office. To tighten the band and further restrict the stomach size, more saline solution is injected into the band.To loosen it, the liquid is removed with a needle. The Cons. People who get gastric banding often have less dramatic we ight loss than those who get more invasive surgeries. They may also be more likely to regain some of the weight over the years. The Risks. The most common side effect of gastric banding is vomiting, a result of eating too much too quickly. Complications with the band aren't uncommon. It might slip out of place, or become too loose, or leak. Sometimes, further surgeries are necessary. As with any surgery, infection is always a risk. Although unlikely, some complications can be life-threatening.Sleeve Gastrectomy This is another form of restrictive weight loss surgery. In the operation, which is usually done with a laparoscope, about 75% of the stomach is removed. What remains of the stomach is a narrow tube or sleeve, which connects to the intestines. Sometimes, a sleeve gastrectomy is a first step in a sequence of weight loss surgeries. It can be followed up by gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion, if more weight loss is needed. However, in other cases, it might be the only s urgery you need. The Pros. For people who are very obese or sick, standard gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion may be too risky.A sleeve gastrectomy is a simpler operation that allows them a lower-risk way to lose weight. If needed, once they've lost weight and their health has improved — usually after 12 months to 18 months — they can go on to have a second surgery, such as gastric bypass. In people with high BMIs, sleeve gastrectomies result in an average weight loss of greater than 50% of excess weight. Because the intestines aren't affected, a sleeve gastrectomy doesn't affect the absorption of food, so nutritional deficiencies are not a problem. The Cons. Unlike gastric banding procedures, a sleeve gastrectomy is irreversible.Most importantly, since it's relatively new, the long-term benefits and risks are still being evaluated. The Risks. Typical surgical risks include infection, leaking of the sleeve, and blood clots. Gastric Bypass Surgery (Roux-en-Y Ga stric Bypass) Gastric bypass is the most common type of weight loss surgery. It combines both restrictive and malabsorptive approaches. It can be done as either a minimally invasive or open surgery. In the operation, the surgeon divides the stomach into two parts, sealing off the upper section from the lower. The surgeon then connects the upper stomach directly to the lower section of the small intestine.Essentially, the surgeon is creating a shortcut for the food, bypassing a section of the stomach and the small intestine. Skipping these parts of the digestive tract means that fewer calories get absorbed into the body. The Pros. Weight loss tends to be swift and dramatic. About 50% of it happens in the first six months. It may continue for up to two years after the operation. Because of the rapid weight loss, health conditions affected by obesity – such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, sleep apnea, heartburn, and other conditions — often improve quickly.You'll probably also feel a dramatic improvement in your quality of life. Gastric bypass also has good long-term results; studies have found that many people keep most of the weight off for 10 years or longer. The Cons. By design, surgeries like this impair the body's ability to absorb food. While that can cause rapid weight loss, it also puts you at risk of serious nutritional deficiencies. The loss of calcium and iron could lead to osteoporosis and anemia. You'll have to be very careful with your diet — and take supplements — for the rest of your life.Another risk of gastric bypass is dumping syndrome, in which food is â€Å"dumped† from the stomach into the intestines too quickly, before it's been properly digested. About 85% of people who get a gastric bypass have some dumping. Symptoms include nausea, bloating, pain, sweating, weakness, and diarrhea. Dumping is often triggered by sugary or high-carbohydrate foods, and adjusting the diet help s. However, some experts actually see dumping syndrome as beneficial, in that it encourages people to avoid foods that could lead to weight gain. Unlike adjustable gastric banding, gastric bypass is generally considered irreversible.It has been reversed in rare cases. Therefore, getting this surgery means that you're permanently changing how your body digests food. The Risks. Because these weight loss surgeries are more complicated, the risks are higher. The risk of death from these procedures is low — about 1% — but they are more dangerous than gastric banding. Infection and blood clots are risks, as they are with most surgeries. Gastric bypass also increases the risk of hernias, which can develop later and may need further surgery to fix. Also, a side effect of rapid weight loss can be the formation of gallstones.Biliopancreatic Diversion This is essentially a more drastic version of a gastric bypass, in which part of the stomach — as much as 70% — is r emoved, and even more of the small intestine is bypassed. A somewhat less extreme version of this weight loss surgery is called biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch or â€Å"the duodenal switch. † While still more involved than a gastric bypass, this procedure removes less of the stomach and bypasses less of the small intestine. It also reduces the risk of dumping syndrome, malnutrition, and ulcers, which are more common with a standard biliopancreatic diversion.The Pros. Biliopancreatic diversion can result in even greater and faster weight loss than a gastric bypass. Studies show an average long-term loss of 70% to 80% of excess weight. Although much of the stomach is removed, the remainder is still larger than the pouches formed during gastric bypass or banding procedures. So you may actually be able to eat larger meals with this surgery than with others. The Cons. Biliopancreatic diversion is less common than gastric bypass. One of the reasons is that the risk of nutritional deficiencies is much more serious.It also poses many of the same risks as gastric bypass, including dumping syndrome. However, the duodenal switch may lower some of these risks. The Risks. This is one of the most complicated and high-risk weight loss surgeries. According to National Institutes of Health, the risk of death from the duodenal switch ranges between 2. 5% and 5%. As with gastric bypass, this surgery poses a fairly high risk of hernia, which will need further surgery to correct. However, this risk is lower when the procedure is done laparoscopically. Reference: News release Allegran.ACP Medicine: â€Å"Endocrinology Chapter X: Obesity. † American Society for Bariatric Surgery web site: â€Å"Brief History and Summary of Bariatric Surgery. † American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery web site: â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: Postoperative Concerns. † National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases: â€Å"Gastrointestina l Surgery for Severe Obesity. † Obesity Action Coalition web site: â€Å"Gastrointestinal Surgery (Bariatric Surgery),† Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. † Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on May 29, 2012  © 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Solutions for Air Arabia Thesis Proposal

Sustainable Solutions for Air Arabia - Thesis Proposal Example This research will begin with the statement that Air Arabia is basically a low-cost airline company that offers flight services to at least 88 destinations throughout the Central Asia, Europe, Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and North Africa. In 2013, Air Arabia was able to receive an award for being the â€Å"best low-cost airline† company in the Middle East. During the 4th quarter of 2013, Air Arabia managed to earn a net profit of AED 94 million which is 12% higher as compared to its net profit during the 4th quarter of 2012. To ensure that Air Arabia is able to maintain its competitive advantage within the aviation industry in UAE, it is best to compare to and contrast the strategic management used by this particular airline company with those of the flydubai and flynas. Aside from being able to contribute positively to the economic situation of a given country, sustainable solutions also make it possible for the key stakeholders to develop and implement effective soluti ons that will enable a business organization to fulfill its role in terms of protecting the overall welfare of people and the environment. Basically, one of the main reasons for writing the paper is to enable the student gain a better knowledge, understanding and experiences when it comes to the application of strategic management theories and core concepts when analyzing the business situation of Air Arabia. The description of theories and core concepts will be tackled based on the weekly assigned tasks.

Paleozoic Fossils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paleozoic Fossils - Essay Example 3. The marine community which existed in the Cambrian age was mainly consisted of the brachiopod. Graptolite and sponge were also found in this age. 4. Relationship between climate and plate tectonics to Paleozoic life: The late Paleozoic movements were closely associated with the plate tectonics theory. These movements are also known as Appalachian Movements. 1) Invertebrate went under a huge change during this age. They changed from low diversity to high diversity. Class and families were soon formed within the community. North American continents show the changes found among the vertebrates in this age. Plants were found mainly in the wetlands which covered most of the world. Plants were the first sign of life in this era. 2) The Gulf of Mexico came into existence during this time in the Pangaea. On the other hand the Caribbean Sea was also formed. The Jurassic Age was the most important period for all these changes. 3) Greenstone Granite Belts: West Africa, Precambrian age. 5. Permian Period was the last time period in the Paleozoic Age. The time is about 290 million years ago from now. The formation of Pangea became complete by this age. The reptiles got a new life because of the climatic change. Changes favored the arrival of the mammals. Part 2 Paleozoic Era is one of the most interesting eras in prehistory of biological science. This is the age when some of the major climatic changes took place. So fossils are the main things which are to be displayed before the common people coming to the museum. There will be computer animations which will show the gradual changes among the vertebrate, invertebrate and the plant lives in this period. We should also concentrate on the evolving of the...Changes favored the arrival of the mammals. Paleozoic Era is one of the most interesting eras in prehistory of biological science. This is the age when some of the major climatic changes took place. So fossils are the main things which are to be displayed before the common people coming to the museum. There will be computer animations which will show the gradual changes among the vertebrate, invertebrate and the plant lives in this period. We should also concentrate on the evolving of the mammals in the Permian Age because common people will be interested in it. As for the children there must be large pictures of dinosaurs which lived in the Paleozoic Era. There will also be a Paleozoic global map which will show the existing lives in different parts of the world. The interactive exhibitions will have guides who will help the visitors to get what they try to know.

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

International Business - Assignment Example The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a post-war establishment, which was primarily set up as an attempt to liberalize world trade. Prior to this, trade settlements were conducted by International Trade Organization (ITO) and then by GATT. The end of Uruguay Round in 1994 led to establishment of WTO and this was a major departure from GATT on two main grounds. The first was inclusion of better dispute settlement measure in order to promote international cooperation and the second was inclusion of agriculture and services in the agreements to mainly promote progress of the developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of WTO in promoting economic development among nations. The system operates in the gamut of multilateral trade agreements to contribute to economic development and employment for all its member nations. The organization has its headquarters in Geneva with 159 member countries. China was one of the last countries to have joined WTO, which had significant impacts on the entire global trade (Faizel, 2005). One of the primary focus of WTO since its inception has been the promotion of free and fair trade through multilateral negotiations. The WTO involves all its member countries in the decision making process to ensure that outcomes from the agreements are fair for all. The economic rationale behind this idea is that international trade has a major role in alleviation of poverty. The WTO has realized that least-developed countries are the most vulnerable ones and therefore, commits to increase their participation in the multilateral trading system, thereby assigning equal importance to these countries (Klug, 2006). The task undertaken by WTO is a very complex one because its member countries have different political, legal and economical status. This means that developed countries are in a better position

What Is Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi's Relevance On Foreign Policies In Dissertation

What Is Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi's Relevance On Foreign Policies In Modern Day India - Dissertation Example However, his exploits are not just restricted to bringing freedom to his motherland but has also extended to the basic philosophy that an average individual leads his or her life with. Thus, there is hardly any doubt about the fact that Gandhi ji’s beliefs and philosophy also underlies the foreign policies of the nation to a great extent. However, policies do change over the years, and even if we consider Gandhi’s towering personality as well as influence at the time of the independence of India, it can hardly be said without taking a relook at the contemporary scenario whether the legacy of consulting Gandhian policies for embarking upon any policy of substantial importance for India stills holds value or not. If the existing foreign policy of India were to be evaluated in the light of Gandhiji’s outlook or for that philosophy, then an obvious approach would be to start with the freedom struggle of India, a time that was overtly dominated by the strategies formu lated by Gandhiji as well as his thousands of ardent followers.Bandyopadhyaya notes that the Gandhian ideals were more of a set of policies that governed the strategies of freedom struggle movement of the Indian National Congress, the biggest political organization spearheading the freedom movement in India. The author further reports that this typically successful strategy has been utilized by the government of independent India under its ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ in the pretext of â€Å"peaceful settlement of international disputes†. This is significant to our understanding of how important Gandhi ji and his preaching have been for the formulation of what India presently is. In terms of the relevance of Gandhi ji in today’s political context, we must acknowledge the fact that some of the most crucial policies pertaining to the domain of foreign relations have been deeply influenced by the legacy that the Mahatma has left behind. In the light of what he professed, preached as well as practiced it is on us to give due recognition to the enormity of his foresight, the magnitude of his philosophy as well as the vastness of his acute perception of the scheme of things in the political arena. Thousands of books, articles, research papers have been published on this â€Å"great soul† (Adams, 2010; Wolpert, 2001) and a formidable bulk of literature has been published on various topics related to Gandhi ji and of course not without reason. Among the salient tenets of Gandhian philosophy, one of the foremost pillars was his affinity for as well as staunch belief in the practice of non violence. As various authors quote Godse in his book, who calls Gandhi ji a â€Å"violent pacifist†, though whether the Mahatma actually brought â€Å"untold calamities to the nation† is seriously questionable (Elst, 2001; Nussbaum, 2007; Karawan, 2008; Godse & Godse, 1989). Obviously Godse accuses Gandhi ji of being responsibl e for many a debacle that has shaken India by its roots at the time of independence and thus the term â€Å"violent pacifist† is basically used in the pejorative. Now we may also take a relook at what the term may mean apart from the pejorative connotations that Godse attached to it and therefore we may indulge in deconstructing the meaning of the term in the light of Gandhi ji’s contribution to the freedom struggle as well as his philosophy being tantamount to become instrumental in shaping the future of the nation not in within the country but also externally as well. Coming back to the moot point of that of Gandhi ji’s relevance in modern day India’s foreign policies, we should obviously start from the very beginning and trace the

Business Report Finance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Report Finance - Term Paper Example However, some small organizations have only a small finance department that handles all the financial operations of the company. Nonetheless, some organizations have a finance department as the general overseer of the financial matters of the company, and under this umbrella, are a number of specialized functions such as accounting, bookkeeping and taxation (Boros, 2012). The finance department has three main divisions, which oversee the proper execution of its goals and objectives. These three corporate divisions of fiance include capital budgeting, business finance and corporate governance. Capital budgeting relates to the way a company budgets and plans for its long-term projects. These long-term projects are usually investment projects that deal with the investment of a company, targeted at generating sustainable income and profits for the company. A company uses capital budgeting in choosing the right projects to undertake in order to maximize its profits. In addition, corporate governance refers to the executive administration of the business activities of the company. This means that the operations of the company have to adhere to the rules and regulations set up by the relevant bodies, such as the GAAP and the IFRS, as well as incorporation of SAP and other quality management standards. Business finance, on the other hand, specializes in the daily operations of the business and the activities that generate income to the company (Brickley, Smith & Zimmerman, 2007). Capital budgeting is the essential area in business development and project administration. Capital budgeting is the process of firms making decisions on which long-term investments to undertake. Projects under capital budgeting have a high expectation to generate constant cash flows over a period of years, i.e. potential long-term investments. The decision to either reject or accept a Capital Budgeting Project solely depends on the analysis of cash flows generated by the project over the year s and the cost of setting up the project. This analysis considers the following three decision rules in capital budgeting, i.e. payback period, internal return on investment, and net present value. It is mandatory for a capital budgeting decision to satisfy the following criteria, i.e. should consider all the cash flows in the project, it should consider the time value of money, and it should lead to correct decisions when selecting among mutually exclusive projects (Cleverly, Cleverly & Song, 2011). Statement of Purpose The purpose of this report is to inform me, as well as those following a similar career path in finance, and especially specializing in project management under business finance, with an in-depth study of our professional community. The study will enable students in this area to understand better (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2006). Statement of Problem Although academically well prepared, finance students are not quite familiar with their professional community, espe cially understanding the way they have to deal with certain aspects of financial management and business finance. This is because what these students learn is majorly theory and they lack enough opportunities to put it into practice, especially for the capital budgeting projects that they have to undertake. The decision-making on these capital budgeting

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Term Paper

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court - Term Paper Example On this day, there was a sitting of a full SJC bench at John Adams Courthouse, courtroom one. The bench sat in full, to hear the appeals, composed of an uneven number of judges, seven. There were two criminal cases that were listed, SJC-11164 Commonwealth vs Leslie Bertini, and SJC-11163 Commonwealth vs Eugene Bertini. The defendants had been indicted for an armed robbery, armed assault with intent to rob, assault, and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon and larceny of over $250. The trial court had granted the Commonwealth orders to compel the accused to produce a buccal swab, allowing the commonwealth to employ reasonable force to ensure compliance with the said order. Subsequently, the defendants sought review of this order from a single judge. Moreover, Eugene Bertini filed a petition arguing that the Commonwealth had not discharged the burden to show that the evidence being sought was relevant to the matter in question and that use of force to extrac t his DNA sample while he had not been convicted, violated his search and seizure rights under the fourth amendment and article 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. Leslie Bertini also filed an application for leave to appeal to the mass. R.Crim.p.15 (a)(2). She also argued that the Commonwealth had failed to show that the evidence sought would go towards proving her guilt, and added that allowing the Commonwealth to obtain the evidence by force, violates her rights to due process and not to self-incriminate. incriminate. The petitions were denied by the single justice, prompting the appeal before the full bench. The appeal also raised matter of constitutional law. The appellants argued that the order was violating their constitutional rights to privacy and to be free from unlawful search and seizure. Consequently, the matter was listed for full briefing and oral arguments, touching on the merits of the trial court’

Balanced Whole System Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Balanced Whole System Parenting - Essay Example This essay investigates the two sides of the argument concerning banning of Red Dye #40 in order to conclude on best scientifically acceptable option. Support for those in favour of banning Red #40 is based on an association of the food colouring with symptoms such as hypersensitivity in sections of the population. It is noted that Red #40 should be banned because of its side effects that include swelling around the mouth and causing hives for those who consume food dyed by the additive. The negative effects of Red #40 have also been experienced in children who have experienced extreme emotional reactions such as hyperactivity after consumption of the dyed food. The reaction is experienced a few hours after taking food with the affected children demonstrating violent disposition or lose self-control (Borg, 2012). Yu and Scherer (2007) support this argument noting elimination of the Red Dye #40 from food has been found to reduce the levels of hyperactivity, impulsivity, compulsive beh aviour and emotional difficulties. Additionally, some of the consumers buying this food and beverage with Red Dye #40 might not be aware of the effects even when there are labels indicating presence. Consequently, the most appropriate approach n dealing with the issue is banning Red Dye #40 to stop its sale in food stores. The argument against the banning of Red Dye #40 is based on refutations of some of the grounds used to call for the banning of the food-colouring additive. For instance, removal of Red Dye #40 from food should not be perceived as only means of eliminating hyperactive disorders for concerned children. This is because studies in this area have not been specific when assessing some of the symptoms.

The Unredeemed Captive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Unredeemed Captive - Essay Example Young as she was, she was taken to Canada along with other 100 captives from Deerfield. The raid was later named the Deerfield Massacre. The story of Eunice reveals the experiences of New England including how the colonial events impacted the Indians, English, and French or colonists both negatively and positively. Eunice, a daughter of a crucial person, was captured by French soldiers to be used in a part exchange deal. The raid was organized by the governor of New France, who wanted to rescue a British captive named Capt. Pierre Baptiste. Captain had attacked British ships on the Atlantic Coast on behalf of the French authorities. In an attempt to save the captain, the New French decided to capture an important British prisoner. French authorities obtained Eunice in order to get the captain from the British authorities. Capturing the daughter to one of the powerful and influential people in England was an effective and logical that would prompt the English authorities to negotiate with the French. Eunice’s captivity had an adverse impact on the people of Deerfield. According to Haefeli and Sweeney, they had lost a daughter to their prominent minister and some of their populations. They grieved and were in sorrow.2 In an attempt to free his daughter, John Williams tried to convince the French authorities to release her daughter, but his attempts proved futile. To add to that, Eunice, after being fully assimilated into the Indian culture, decided to stay away from home. Her decision was followed by numerous futile attempts by both his brother and father to convince her to come home. Consequently, her refusal to go back home became the primary source of her family’s misery. Apart from Eunice, several young Deerfield captives never returned to their families, but instead joined either the French authorities or the Native American society. The captivity of Eunice had a positive impact on the Indian people. They were overjoyed and

21st Century Hero vs Beowulf Essay Example for Free

21st Century Hero vs Beowulf Essay Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon hero who fought many battles and proved his physical strength. Today, in the 21st century, a hero can be described as someone who is strong willed or strong minded. In our comic books that are now becoming movies our heroes are strong and very brave. Heroes in the 21st century don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to be strong minded and strong willed. The heroes in our comics are extremely strong. Take Superman for example, his only weakness is kryptonite. He is big and strong and he always saves the world. He may have a lot of enemies but all super  heroes do. Then again he has super powers that make him strong. He survived an attack on his home Planet Krypton and because he gained his super strength. Because of his alien like super strength people didn’t know how to react to him until they found out that he was a good man. Now he is America’s favorite superhero. The same goes for other comic superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman and Ironman. They all have a super power. Spiderman is most like Superman because he had something ‘terrible’ happen to him and gained his super powers. Spiderman was bit by a radioactive spider and acquired spider like senses. He can ‘feel’ when something is wrong with the city and can shoot webs. Batman is most like a normal human being. He is just a rich man powered by the fear of a previous experience with bats. He disguises himself as a human-bat combination and he uses his father’s tools and resources to create everything he uses to save the world. Ironman is similar to Batman in that they both don’t have super powers and they’re both rich. Ironman made a suit of iron with many different ‘superpowers. ’ He can fly and shoot energy from his suit. Our real life 21st century heroes are those that don’t have a superpower that children dream of. Their superpower is that they have faith and they are strong willed or strong minded. The people you automatically think of are those who are battling a terrible life threatening disease but still stay happy and do all that they can at all times. People who have cancer are often the first of our thoughts when thinking of this type of heroes. On CMT’s Worlds Strictest Parents two high strung kids go and live with the Sheffield family. They help a close family friend, Brocker, who is battling cancer. The man has a 14year old daughter and lives on a huge farm. The kids were originally angry that they had to help him until they heard his story. The fact that he had such an illness and still works as much as he can on his farm and takes care of his daughter inspired the two kids. He said people were helping him and when he said they didn’t need to they would say â€Å"remember when you helped me with†¦this is for that. † The people who stay positive while in the worst possible condition are the real heroes. When everything is going wrong and they still keep their head up and smile and try to get through it, they show real and true inner strength and they are heroes. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is strong according to the scops. They are the story tellers and poets. All of the scops use hyperboles and litotes to show exaggeration and understatement. A hyperbole is an exaggeration. An example of his strength in a hyperbole is on page 22 line 156 when â€Å"For hours he sank through the ways. † This describes the strength of his lungs while fighting Grendels mother. A litote is an understatement. An example of this is on page 293 line 202 saying â€Å"He was weary. † This understates how tired he must be after fighting a huge sea serpent like monster. Both of these statements describe how overall strong Beowulf is. Strong could have different meanings depending on what you mean and how you use it. Beowulf is physically strong in the Anglo-Saxon time period but the type of hero he is, is a fake one. He is just a man in a story saving the town. Beowulf is like the modern day heroes in our comic books. Not real and full of surprises. The real modern day heroes are those fighting for their life. Everything could be going wrong and they still are happy and stay strong and smiling. 21st century heroes don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to have a strong mind and heart.

What Opportunities Made Cinemexs Success Possible Finance Essay

What Opportunities Made Cinemexs Success Possible Finance Essay Several factors made it possible for Cinemex to emerge as a highly successful exhibition movie theatre chain. First, the Mexican exhibition market was highly regulated for decades and these regulations established a fixed, low ticket price. This provided a disincentive for exhibition owners to invest in their properties since they were unable to raise ticket prices to compensate for their investments. The end-result was a growing collection of old and dilapidated theatres. When the regulations were lifted, Cinemex co-founders Matt Heyman, Adolfo Fastlich, and Miguel Angel Davila believed that an opportunity to provide a high-end movie watching experience by constructing state-of-the-art theatres existed. The team followed a strategy of differentiation through branding. Cinemex improved moviegoers experiences by installing larger screens, providing better sound, employing courteous staff, and making other improvements over what was considered the typical Mexican exhibition. Based on t he information available, this quality advantage seemed to last at least until Cinemex was acquired by Canadian buyout firm Onex. Next, Cinemex capitalized on the declining value of the peso in late 1994 and early 1995. This decline allowed Cinemex to purchase land at a cheaper price. Furthermore, it fortuitously (for Cinemex) discouraged potential competitors in the high-end field, such as AMC and Lowes, from entering the Mexican market. The value of the Mexican Peso continued to substantially decline. This made it continuously cheaper for Cinemex to use US Dollars to purchase new land to build Mexican movie theatres. Further, the improving Mexican economy, population growth in Mexico City, and continued emergence of middle class in Mexico all provided opportunities for Cinemex. Graph the time series of attendance and prices for each Wednesday in 2001. What factors account for the week-on-week differences in attendance for Cinemex and the city as a whole? What is the interpretation in terms of a demand curve? Several factors account for the week by week differences in attendance for Cinemex and Mexico City theatres. Factors such as the ticket price, time of the year, popularity of current films, local weather conditions, and timing of holidays all made attendance highly variable from week to week. In terms of the demand curve, it may move out or in depending on the combination of the above variables. In Spring 2001, Cinemexs main competitor introduced 2-for-1 pricing. Describe, in conceptual terms (and using a demand diagram), the effect this had on Cinemexs demand curve. In the same diagram show the effect of Cinemexs price response. Conceptually, when Cinemexs competition introduced 2-for-1 pricing, the demand curve for Cinemex moved in (or left). At a given ticket price, a certain percentage of moviegoers who would typically choose to see a film at Cinemex would instead choose to forego the additional quality of Cinemexs theatres and take advantage of Cinemexs competitions lower prices. In the chart below, D0 (blue line) is the demand at a given price for Wednesday showings at Cinemex before the 2-for-1 pricing was introduced by competitors. D1 (red line) represents the reduced demand for Cinemex after 2-for-1 pricing was introduced by competitors. Finally, the bullet point outlined in yellow on line D1 reflects Cinemexs new Wednesday 2-for-1 price. 0: Equilibrium before price changes 2: Cinemex lowers price on Wednesdays 1: Cinemex demand moves left after competitors introduce 2-for-1 pricingC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21298_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21434_.gifC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIAOFFICE14BulletsBD21298_.gif Please note, D1 is shown to the left of D0 since we are speaking in conceptual terms. In actuality, other factors beneficially impacting Cinemex may place the true location of D1 to the right of D0. Further, the price change took place over a year after the initial placement of D0. Therefore, there is some time for beneficial factors to have a sum impact that is relatively more positive than the negative impact Cinemex competitors price drop would have. We explore these possibilities in later answers. How would you construct a counter-factual scenario for what would have happened had this 2-for-1 pricing by competitors not occurred? [Suggestion: one useful place to start might be to compare 2001 to 2000. Explain your answer in terms of the diagram you drew in the previous question. The 2-for-1 pricing by Cinemex competitors did not occur until after week 13 in 2001. Therefore, by comparing the weeks 2 through 13 in 2000 and 2001, we can estimate the increase in attendance from comparable periods in the remaining weeks. This growth factor, or ratio, can then be applied to the 2000 attendance figures in order to estimate what the attendance in 2001 would have been if Cinemexs competitors had not put forth the 2-for-1 deal. Applying the growth factor eliminates the effects of Cinemexs competitors 2-for-1 deal and creates counterfactual data that takes into account other socioeconomic factors driving increased attendance over time. These socioeconomic factors include low unemployment, low inflation, population and GDP growth, and the continued emergence of the middle class. Essentially, this methodology allows our team to reconstruct the original demand curve (D0) and account for growth in the overall market. Construct this counterfactual for attendance. Discuss how you isolate the effect of the competitors price change from the effect of all the other things pushing demand around (the stuff you discussed in part (b)). Be clear about the extent to which you are able to do this (remember no analysis of real data is ever perfect in this regard, but it is important to be able to spot the limitations of whatever methodology you do employ). The table below illustrates attendance at Cinemex on Wednesdays. Weeks 2 through 13 can be analyzed between 2000 and 2001 to determine a growth factor for Cinemex. This growth factor is determined by taking the ratio between the average attendance numbers of 2000 and 2001 for Block 1. In this case, the growth factor is equal to 1.09 (it is the same between 2001 and 2002). The predicted Cinemex attendance for 2001 (depicted in the table below) is determined by multiplying the 2000 attendance numbers, for Blocks 2 through 5, by 1.09. The result of this calculation gives the attendance numbers that Cinemex would have seen had its competitors not established the 2-for-1 deal. Wednesday Attendance Figures Cinemex 2000 2001 (without 2-for-1) 2001 (with 2-for-1) Block Weeks Actual (Avg) Predicted (Avg) Actual (Avg) 1 2 to 13 51602 56445 56445 2 14 to 22 60762 66231 57305 3 23 to 27 66626 72622 67124 4 28 to 34 97717 106511 105479 5 35 to 48 46195 50353 *60642 NOTE: The year was broken down into 5 blocks in order to better analyze the effect of seasonal demand. Week 1 and weeks 49 to 52 were omitted due to the volatility of the holiday seasons attendance. Also, predicted and actual numbers match for Block 1 due to this period being utilized for determination of the growth factor. *- Indicates that both Cinemex and its competitors are using 2-for-1 pricing. Using this counterfactual, quantify the impact of competitors 2-for-1 pricing in Cinemexs Wednesday attendance? Our team analyzed the difference in predicted and actual weekly attendance on Wednesdays at Cinemex during the time period when Cinemexs competitors utilized the 2-for-1 deal and Cinemex maintained its pricing (Blocks 2, 3 and 4). The data indicates that the competitors 2-for-1 deal adversely impacted Cinemexs actual attendance. We observe attendance figures that are lower than the predicted attendance figures. The below table quantifies the average weekly impact of the competitors 2-for-1 deal. To arrive at the estimated dollar impact, we multiplied the difference between predicted and actual attendance by the average ticket prices during each Block. For example, the average ticket price during Weeks 14 to 22 was $20.98. Therefore, $20.98 times 8962 equals $187,288.41. Weekly Impact on Cinemexs Wednesday Attendance 2001 2001 2001 Block Weeks Predicted minus Actual (Avg/week) % Dollar Value of lost Attendance (Avg/week) 1 2 to 13 0 0.00% $ 0.00 2 14 to 22 8926 -13.48% $ 187,288.41 3 23 to 27 5498 -7.57% $ 114,216.15 4 28 to 34 1032 -0.97% $ 21,552.93 Please note, Block 5 was not included in this impact analysis because it encompasses the time period during which Cinemex matched its competitors 2-for-1 deal. Cinemex was most adversely impacted during Weeks 14 to 22 and Weeks 23 to 27. Fortunately for Cinemex, the 2-for-1 deal offered by competitors had only a minimal impact on the summer months. This is likely due to the superior quality of socioeconomic conditions and movies offered during this time (i.e, summer blockbusters). It appears that individuals are willing to pay a higher price to watch superior movies in a superior environment. Overall, Cinemexs actual attendance during Weeks 14 to 34 was 1,589,718. Our team predicted that had the competitors not implemented a 2-for-1 pricing strategy, Cinemex would have had attendance numbers of 1,704,766. This represents an impact of 6.7%, or 115,048, on attendance over the 21 week period in which Cinemex did not offer a 2-for-1 deal and its competitors did. Taking the average ticket prices during Blocks 2, 3, and 4 ($20.98, $20.77, and $20.88 respectively) and multiplying it both actual and predicted revenues allows us to evaluate the dollar impact. Total actual revenue was $33,213,977 and predicted revenue was $35,621,524, a difference of $2,407,547 or 6.76%. Building on the strategy you developed, quantify the impact of Cinemexs own 2-for-1 deal on its Wednesday attendance? Discuss your methodology in terms of a demand diagram framework. Cinemex matched its competitors 2-for-1 deal in Block 5. Based on the data, it appears that this time period has reduced demand compared to the summer months. Demand appears to be similar to Block 2 (Weeks 14 to 22). Therefore, had Cinemex not matched the 2-for-1 deal and maintained their prices, we assume that their attendance numbers for Block 5 would have dropped by the same percentage as Block 2, or 13.48%. Wednesday Attendance Figures Cinemex 2001 No 2-for-1 Deals Both Use 2-for-1 Only Competitors Use 2-for-1 Block Weeks Predicted (Avg) Actual (Avg) Predicted (Avg) 5 35 to 48 50353 60642 43565 As illustrated in the table above, Cinemexs actual average weekly attendance during this period was 60,642. Cinemexs predicted average weekly attendance for Block 5, assuming no 2-for-1 deals, is estimated by using the aforementioned 1.09 growth factor. This provides an estimate of an average weekly attendance of 50,353. If Cinemex had not engaged in the 2-for-1 deal, and its competitors did engage in the 2-for-1 deal, then we predicted the average weekly attendance for Cinemex would decline the same as it did in Block 2, by 13.48% of the No 2-for-1 Deals figure, or a total weekly average of 43,565. This decrease is identical, in terms of percentage (13.48%), as the predicted impact of competitor pricing on Block 2. Blocks 2 and 5 represent the worst case scenario for Cinemex in terms of attendance totals and represent the point of highest demand elasticity. Overall, Cinemexs actual attendance during Weeks 35 to 48 was 848,988. Our team predicted that if Cinemex chose to not use the 2-for-1 promotion, attendance would have been 690,910. This is a difference of 239,078. The actual average ticket price for Block 5 was $15.20. Our team assumed that the average ticket price would have remained roughly the same in Block 5 as it had been in Blocks 2, 3, and 4 had Cinemex not chosen to do the 2-for-1 promotion. The average ticket price for Block 5, therefore, would have been the same as the average ticket price for Blocks 2, 3 and 4, or $20.88. This results in actual ticket revenue of $12,908,555 versus predicted revenue of $12,734,921. The 2-for-1 promotion improved ticket revenue by $173,634.h) Extending the analysis from the previous question, provide an estimate of Cinemexs demand elasticity (with respect to its own price) for Wednesdays. Extending the analysis from Part G, two points on the D1 demand curve have been established and the elasticity (within the 2-for-1 market) can now be estimated for Wednesdays. At the $15.20 ticket price, elasticity is -0.75. This represents a relatively inelastic demand and Cinemex should increase price. Demand Elasticity Estimate Cinemex Block 5 Attendance Block 5 Attendance Cinemex Not Using 2-for-1 Cinemex using 2-for-1 Attendance 43565 60642 Price $20.88 $15.20 Elasticity -0.75 The equation for the 2001 Cinemex Demand Curve is: , or, in other words, . Knowing that ; we can determine elasticity at any point of the curve. Taking the derivative of the Demand curve gives us: ; and so the elasticity equation becomes: ; for any point along the demand curve. Bottom line: Was Heyman right to match the 2-for-1 pricing? Discuss Our team believes that Cinemex should not introduce yearly 2-for-1 pricing. As illustrated in the chart below, our team developed a scoring system to determine which pricing strategy would be most effective. Cinemex Employs 2-for-1 Deal 2-for-1 customer Regular customer 20.43% 79.57% Revenue Ticket Price $15.20 $15.20 Concession Per Person $10.00 $13.96 Other Revenue Per Person $0.20 $0.24 Total Revenue $25.40 $29.40 Expenses Concession Expense Per Person $2.70 $3.77 Payroll Per Person $3.82 $3.82 Supplies Per Person $3.18 $3.18 Occupancy Expense Per Person $6.10 $6.10 Total Expenses $15.80 $16.87 Total Income Per Person $9.60 $12.53 Weighted Average $11.93 x20.43% Attendance Growth Final Score $14.37 The following assumptions were made: We took year 2000 actual attendance for Block 5, multiplied by the expected growth rate of 1.09, and arrived at 50,353. From here, we saw the actual attendance in 2001, when Cinemex did match prices, to be 60,642. This is an increase of 20.43%. Therefore, on average, we expect a 20.43% increase in attendance as a result of the 2-for-1 promotion. This increase in customers would be made up of a stingier group of individuals. These individuals, instead of paying $13.96 on average for concessions, would pay $10.00. Also, the other revenue would drop by roughly the same proportion to $0.20. We found the average income per moviegoer and arrived at the weighted average of $11.93. Then, seeing as attendance increased by 20.43%, we arrived at a final score for this solution of 14.37. Finally, we assumed screen advertising would stay the same since Cinemex is now playing to more full theatres rather than half-empty theatres. Argument can also be made that scale could reduce per-ticket costs, but we did not believe the attendance boost was substantial enough for that. In contrast, had Cinemex not implemented 2-for-1 pricing, the final score would be higher, 18.51. Cinemex Does Not Employ 2-for-1 Deal Regular customer Income Ticket Price $21.18 Concession Per Person $13.96 Other Revenue Per Person $0.24 Total Revenue $35.38 Expenses Concession Expense Per Person $3.77 Payroll Per Person $3.82 Supplies Per Person $3.18 Occupancy Expense Per Person $6.10 Total Expenses $16.87 Total Income Per Person / Final Score $18.51 The final score here is 18.51, higher than 14.37. This is because Cinemex cant discriminate against the type of customer. By reducing the ticket price for all customers, it negatively impacts its box office revenues. 80% of the customers would have attended had prices not been reduced. Furthermore, our assumption that the growth will be fueled by stingier customers reduces concession stands sales. These factors combine to make it a money-losing proposal to offer 2-for-1 deals. If Cinemex could somehow strategically target certain Wednesdays or certain customers, the 2-for-1 proposal may be more viable. Overall, as it stands now, Cinemex should not offer a 2-for-1 deal for all Wednesdays.

Dart Group Plc SWOT and Porters 5 Analysis

Dart Group Plc SWOT and Porters 5 Analysis We chose our company from the aviation industry, because we think it can be interesting to analyze an airline in the current economic situation, how they can survive and actually realize profit and growth in this really strong competition. Furthermore our company, the Dart Group PLC is not just an airline but operates in three segments, it is a Leisure Airline, Package Holidays and Distribution and Logistics Company. So it can be interesting to see in the end of our semester that which is the part they can really grow and which segments need to be focused on and manage precisely. The company is specializing in the operation of scheduled and charter flights by Jet2.com to leisure destinations throughout Europe; the provision of ATOL protected package holidays by its tour operator Jet2holidays, and the distribution of fresh produce, temperature-controlled, and ambient products to supermarkets and wholesale markets throughout the United Kingdom. Dart Group Plc is a successful British company established in 2003 and only came to Hungary in 2006. The CEO is Philip Meeson, the company is operating from 8 airports, with 42 aircrafts, with more than 1500 employees. The leisure but also low cost airline division trades under the Jet2.com brand and operates scheduled flights to a range of destinations from its home base at Leeds Bradford International Airport, and Belfast, Blackpool, East Midlands, Edinburg, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle airports. Jet2holidays is the Groups package holiday operator; it is an integral part of the leisure travel activities, working closely with Jet2.com to provide holidays to a wide range of destinations from their 8 Northern UK bases. The Fowler Welch is one of the UKs leading logistics providers, serving UK retailers, importers and manufacturers. The business operates from 12 regional distribution centers and offers a range of logistics solutions, including storage, case pick-to-order and national distribution of both temperature-controlled and ambient products. They success is in always keeping the deadlines, working 24/7, providing integrated supply chain solutions to leading supermarkets including Tesco, A sda. Porters five forces This model analyzes the micro environment of the firm and gives a detailed understanding and evaluation of the forces that helps to measure the direct strategic competition. According to Porter the five forces are: the buyer and supplier bargaining power, threat of entry, industry competitiveness and threat of substitutes of products and services. The more unique the product, the smaller is the buyer power. The customers are sensitive for the price however if they make alliances for their best interest, they can get more information about the product and prices. The bargaining power of suppliers is influenced by their concentration and the number of unique product they offer. National and industry standards determine the entry to the market, and if these limits can be met easily then the sector becomes more and more attractive for other companies as well. If certain products or services are inflexible, so there is no substitute product, the company is able to determine very high pric es because the customers do not have other choices just buy them. So the profit of the firm depends on the substitute products and the quality of those products. The most important force is the bargaining power, the competitiveness, the strategy of the prices, the quality and the marketing. Buyer bargaining power The strong bargaining power of the Dart Group Plc. can be seen from the ratios analysis that we will mention later in the paper. The customers are very sensitive for the prices, so that is why they sometimes choose another airline that offers the same quality for cheaper prices. The services are not really differentiated, only in some parts eg. Jet2.com flies with allocated seats while like Ryanair let you seat wherever it is not taken yet. Some people prefer one some prefer the other. The bargaining power is very important in case of the cost reduction. If the company has lot of information of others and other opportunities they have the opportunity for change. They also need good and improved technology and their loyalty program to attract the customers with highly developed and fast services to be successful. Supplier bargaining power As we know the suppliers bargaining power is growing because the logistics and distribution industry is more strongly concentrated which can be seen in the prices and in the quality they offer. The change of the supplier can cause problems and has a high risk factor, it can result lower quality for the customers which decrease the whole value of the service. Also there is a threat that the supplier also can manufacture, produce the products. The bargaining power of suppliers depends on price of fuel, taxes and government policies which we are going to mention later as well. Threat of entry In the aviation industry the possibility of competitors to entry the market is small because large capital it is needed, which has a risk that it will not return. The congestion is high of the airports, even if these low cost airlines use the smaller airports. The industry has so many regulations, government policies, economic conditions, environmental and political risks which we are going to mention later in the paper. Finally we have to mention the brand loyalty because people prefer to use their well-know airlines, not just because the comfort but their loyalty program. So to conclude the barriers are very high to enter this industry. In the logistics and distribution the entry is easier, but to be successful they need to be good at several fields, transportation, inventory, packaging, integrating information and security also. Competition, Competitors The Group has active competitors in each business areas. The distribution market has consolidated; smaller companies exited the market or got taken over by bigger players. Risk appears in the sector by losing substantial customers, but the company could focus on services levels and cost control so the risk factor has been decreasing. The airline and the package holiday sectors are very intensely competitive, and the fare price competition is still intense at every base where they fly from. There are a huge number of airlines who try to be successful in different areas, in different comfort and price levels. They have to face slow growth rates because of the high competition and high fixed costs. As we already mentioned the low service differentiation does not help customers to choose, so it is only about small differences in schedules, prices on a given day and also the frequent flier program can be a reason for our decision. They try to focus on the customer needs, and reschedule in order to maximize the load factor, yield and revenue. For example in the winter they fly from Manchester to Budapest in the morning at 8am, while in the spring at 1pm and in the summer at 3pm. To operate efficiently after arriving to Budapest they depart back to Manchester in half hour. Jet2holidays operates competitively from all 8 UK base to the European destinations, mainly to the Mediterranean Sea in the summer, and to the ski resort in the winter time. Threat of substitutes of products and services The substitute of the aviation is road by car and bus, rail by train and the marine by ferry and ship. These are sometimes cheaper solutions, but definitely take longer time to get to a further destination; however sometimes the low cost airlines can offer very cheap tickets that can be cheaper even in shorter way however we have to add longer waiting time (get to the airport 1-3 hours before takeoff). So we can say that the threat of substitute of service is moderate. In case of the distribution the substitutes can be other transportation opportunities for cheaper. SWOT analysis Table: SWOT analysis Strengths 3 operating sections Growth and expansions Strong bargaining power Friendly low fares Safety Good technology Best scheduled British Airline in 2005 Group Leisure Award in 2012 Weaknesses Weather conditions High Competition Non-differentiated services Opportunities Exposure the high fuel price differences Expand the Jet2holidays program Expand the destinations of the airline Expand the companies who they deliver for Threats Fuel pricing Economic conditions Environmental risk Government policy Own Source In the next part we would like to mention further characteristics of the company that they have to face. The Groups strategy is to grow a combination of organic expansion and carefully planned acquisitions in the existing businesses and markets. The group has many uncertainty factors through its competitors, fuel prices, economic conditions, environmental risks and government policy. The cost of fuel it very important risk factor and the company aims a fuel price risk management strategy that enables to exposure the high price differences. In this case the Distribution sector is not very affected by the price fluctuation because due to their contracts they can increase prices to their customers. Due to economic uncertainty there was a discretionary reduction in travel in case of the UK consumers, even if they regard their pleasure time as a very important element of their budget. The company will plan its flying program carefully and use new strategies to forecast the demand more precisely to decrease the uncertainty risk. They also plan to expand the Jet2holiday program with new locations and new offerings that can increase the revenue as well. The political uncertainty also has an impact on the demand, and also on the prices of fuel and exchange rates. They can decrease this risk with a good management of the routes and through hedging fuel and foreign exchange risk. The aviation is always at a risk from the extreme weather conditions, and also we could see in the last years that volcanic activities can have a serious impact. They need a very precise respond to uncertainty events, and also they have a high level of liquid funds to get through an unsuccessful period. The tax burden increase in the aviation industry and the increase in Airline Passenger Duty caused the suspension of two flights to Egypt in 2011. These cost are always increasing and there is a chance that these economic cost of emissions will also decrease the demand of passengers. Strategy versus Ratios In the business life we use financial ratios to figure out what is the real standing of a certain firm. Through the usage of financial ratios we are able to understand better how the operations of the firm run, how utilized the all-day processes are, and how well does the company prevail in the competitive environment of its industry. The strategy of a firm bright out clearly from these easily-estimated ratios; in the following of our paper we will describe the relationship between the strategy of the Dart Group Plc., and the ratios that came from its annual reports starting from 2007. Of course the frame of this paper does not enable a wide and deep analysis; we would rather concentrate on those ratios that could show us how the strategy is supported by the financial policy of the group. First of all in the previous section of our paper we found that the group must operate in a very competitive environment together with several other jet companies that provide similar services. In our opinion a strong competitive environment generates price war, and harsh cost reduction. Price war brings the revenue down, that doesnt mean too much trouble on its own, but if it comes along with almost strict cost, then the profit margin will be quite small. In the case of an airline company this is the reality if we look at the structure of the costs. The main types of costs are fixed; these costs must be paid to anyway, so their reduction is not a real option. In addition one main element of the operating costs, namely the fuel cost is very sensitive to the changes of the global economy. Because of the fixed operating costs and through the price war generated almost strict costs, the only real option to maintain the profit level is to expand, to diversify the services of the group, a nd to build an empire. As we have already described in the previous sections of our paper, the strategy of the firm is to be bigger and bigger, because in the current economic situation this is the only reasonable strategy to generate enough profit, and to be successful in the aviation industry. The group level revenue is continuously increasing, from the 2007 amount of 349 M pounds to the amount of 683 M pounds in 2012, which is an almost 200% increase. This trend could be observed in the case of the costs, from the 2007 starting 348 M pounds they increased almost to the double, to 654.5 M pounds in 2012. This is a significant growth level, however in the case of the Gross Profit Margin a little fluctuation could be observed. The value of the ratio is the less in 2007 (0.3%) and the most in 2009 (9%), but mostly it is in the interval of 3-5%. Another issue is the liquidity risk at the company that we would like to cite from the Annual Report 2012 At the end of the year the Group had significant cash balances, together with a range of unutilized banking facilities, and had met all banking covenants. The Groups strategy for managing liquidity risk is to maintain cash balances in appropriately liquid form and in accordance with approved counterparty limits, whilst securing the continuity and flexibility of funding through the use of committed bank facilities. Additionally, short term cash flow volatility risk in relation to margin calls in respect of fuel and foreign exchange hedge positions is minimized through diversification of counterparties and appropriate credit thresholds. The Group seeks to match long term assets with long term liabilities wherever possible. (Annual Report 2012 p.15.) The company also uses foreign exchange and fuel forward contracts to hedge its exposure to movements in US dollar and euro exchange rates and to jet fuel prices. (Annual Report 2012 p.15.) The Groups policy is to forward cover future fuel requirement up to 100% and up to three years in advance. (Annual Report 2012 p.15.) They have a remarkable foreign currency exposure; the most notable are the US dollar and the euro. We also know from the Annual Report that the company have a conservative dividend policy, they rather retain the profit to support further growth in the sector. Another important phenomenon, the increasing bargaining power of the firms can be identified from the financial ratios of the Dart Group Plc. The stronger bargaining position comes eventually with the large size of the company, and it is also supported by the ratios. Let us see how the turnover times of the group change in time!As we could easily observe from these ratios the companies of the group seem to be in a position where they are able to hold back payments to finance their current assets in the best way. From these ratios we are able to read out the strategy of the group: their goal is to build up a dominant position in their supply chain in order to be more flexible, and less reliant on maintaining good liquidity. The average turnover period of the Payables is very high and it goes up year by year; so is the situation with the average turnover period of the Receivables, however the increasing rate is not as high as in the case of the Payables, and it is much more controllabl e in our opinion. When we examine the relationship between the current assets and current liabilities we can observe some other strategically important issues. It comes logically from the large difference between the accounts payables and account receivables that the difference between the current assets and current liabilities will be also large; plus the fact that the amount of current liabilities is more than the amount of current assets will generate a negative net working capital ratio. This ratio show us that not only short term assets are financed with short term liabilities, some of the non-current assets are also financed with such sources, what could generate a problematic situation, if the bargaining power is low. But in the case of Dart Group Plc we found that their bargaining position is strong, so they are able to perform such a financial strategy. We can also observe from this ratio, that its value decreases year by year, that points towards a more stable and sustainable future. This ca n also mean that the company will reach the mature position in the life cycle of corporations, its size will be even more controllable, and the possible problems from the empire building strategy will be easier to manage. The empire building and growing strategy of the firm could be also observed in the usage of their Free Cash Flow. The group uses a large amount of their free cash flow on capital expenditures; however the negative working capital change does influence the reinvestment rate, which will be also negative because of it. From these ratios we are able to see, that in the current state of the Group the growth is slightly unstable, some of the free cash flow needs to be hold back to ensure the controlling of the net working capital changes, plus the high amount of capital expenditures and depreciation also reduces largely the free cash flow. The growth is financed from inside. Conclusion So as a conclusion we can state that strategy of the company is to continue to grow in all three business section organically. They aim is to ensure the high quality service by meeting and transcending the needs and expectations of customers in all three section. They also try to improve their website with more convenient access to their services. The holiday program is carefully tailored to different leisure destinations according to the season and also provides carefully chosen accommodations from all-inclusive to self catering with leisure airline scheduled flights. Their strategy is to maximize revenue through fully loaded aircrafts and utilize the cabin crew. In case of the logistics, provide the best distribution service of both ambient and temperature-controlled products.

The Mother Should Have the Choice Essay -- Abortion, Argumentative, Pr

The Mother Should Have the Choice When abortion is being discussed in any case, there is one common question to be answered; does the mother or the fetus have the rights? Aborting pregnancies has been around for centuries, and so has all of the controversy around abortions, dealing with religious beliefs and morals. After all sides are looked at women, the mother should have the right to decide what she wants to be done with her unborn child. This essay will support the idea that women have the right to choose what is to be done with there unborn child only in the first trimester of their pregnancy. The first trimester of a pregnancy is where the decision should be made about the unborn child. After that time frame abortion should not be allowed for the damage is too great on the woman’s body and the unborn child has devolved too much. The sooner the abortion takes place the safer the outcomes. In addition, "forcing a woman to carry a fetus to term unless she meets certain criteria unrelated to her own aspirations and priorities is a profound interference with a woman’s body and thus a violation of security of the person." (Smith 105) Smith makes a good argument here, stating that forcing laws and morals on the mother is violating her right to security of persons. The mother is the individual and the fetus is part of her body, which is why the mother has the right to choose what will happen to her body, only in the first trimester. Next, "The only good solution to the moral ambiguities involved is to prevent unwanted pregnancies." (Cauthen) Preventing unwanted preg nancies would help reduce child abuse, child neglect, reduce adoption and just help control the abuse a child receives. A woman may have gotten pregnant for man... ... life and let some else love the child and provide for it. In the end the child should be able to live. With everything to take in to consideration the mother should be the one to have the choice as to what should be done to her body and her unborn child in the first trimester. While the issues apposing abortion are strong, the woman should still be the one allowed to decide what is in the best interest for herself and the unborn child. As law states now and as it will go in the future woman will be able to choose what happens to them as and their unborn child. The mother will be the only one to decide what is morally and ethically correct for her and her unborn baby. Works Cited Mason, J K, and R A McCall Smith. Law and Medical Ethics. London: Butterworths, 1994. Cauthen, Kenneth. "Abortion." 18 June. 2001 http://www.frontiernet.net/~kenc/abort.htm.

The Industrialists :: essays research papers

The Industrialists   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company observers and historians have never agreed on their judgment as to whether or not large business tycoons like Rockefeller, Gould, and Carnegie were ?captains of industry?, or ?robber-barons?. My opinion is that these men have only followed what every human has ever dreamed of in this free country, which is to succeed far above everyone else, so that they could live in luxury, with wealth that they hope can bring them happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being very smart and persuasive, through threats and or secret deals ?under the table?, they found ways to get their way, and win in any situation. In everything from controlling downsizing to manipulating stocks, these captains of industry have set a path that can be looked back upon as ingenious and very well thought and executed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jay Gould, in a partnership with Drew and Fisk, was so surprisingly great that he could foil a plan that his own teacher of the business world had conceived. He also went behind the backs of his friends, learned that the government was soon to sell gold at a lower price, and rather than tell his friends, he sold his gold before the market dropped the price. With his friends lying in ruins, he had made a $12 million dollar profit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jim ?Jubilee? Fisk, was a man who was cheated, but managed to make it great while being cheated. When Gould had illegally dropped 50,000 new shares of the Erie railroad stock on the market, Fisk was able to bribe enough legislators in the state capital of Albany, to have Gould?s new stock legalized. Fisk also forced Drew out of the Erie after a betrayal concerning contempt charges. Soon, Fisk and Gould had the Erie under their complete control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Carnegie, as an official for the Pennsylvania railroad, invested in the Pullman carts, and had profits soaring in his benefit. Taking every advantage of the low construction costs, he built a Bessemer process factory in Pittsburgh where the intersections of transportation lines met, coal from Pennsylvania and iron ore from Minnesota, with the minimum cost applied reducing production costs. He then achieved horizontal integration by owning everything that he needed to produce steel, and insured sufficient supplies at a stable price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cornelius Vanderbilt, aka ?the Commodore?, began his career as a ferry boy, but soon made a fortune from steamship lines and stock speculations. He invested primarily in the railroad franchise, gaining complete control of three major railroads, the Hudson, traveling from New York City to Albany, the Harlem, which ran through New York City, and the New York Central, which went from New York City to Toledo.

Remember the Titans 2: Invasion of the Gorgons :: Women Sports Essays

Remember the Titans 2: Invasion of the Gorgons Years after the heart-wrenching tale of young males overcoming racism by bonding over sweat and spandex pants comes the sequel, Remember the Titans 2: Gorgons. Instead of addressing the racial issue, it will follow the integration of women into the tradition of football. The unification comes about when a professional football is given the choice to drop out of the world altogether or merge their male and female teams due to new law that states that all teams must be coed. The story opens in the locker room of the women's football team. The team is fairly new, shown by new equipment and jerseys, with their mascot, the Gorgon, proudly emblazoned in green on white jerseys. Redefining Title IX years before had brought about this change. Women must have exactly the same sports as men, with the same funding. Somehow, it all worked and women's sports are finally on par with men's sports; even as women draw the same size crowds, however, they still maintain a physical and strategic difference from the men. Women, in football especially, play a quicker, more strategic game than men. Men over the years have gotten bigger, stronger and more stupid. Strategy developed into a clash of shoving bodies. But now, the schools have run out of money. Also, the fans have become restless, waiting for the sport's new development. When the team integrates, it becomes doubly sized and doubly staffed. No one wants to give up his or her position, least of all the coaches. In the tradition of the original movie, the non-traditional coach becomes the leader of the team. With a female as head coach, men, especially the drugged and technology enhanced male players must learn to cope with this loss of authority. The movie medium is perfect for representation of this situation; the coach berates an unruly player while he towers above her, roughly three times her size even as she puts him in his place. With such a size difference, drama ensues, as some female players get hurt. Women's status as an equal sex is tried and triumphs as the men and women learn to work as a unit and stop trying to kill each other. The public wants none of the political or economic burden of the shift. They want their old sports back; sports as a whole evolved since the first movie.

Wall Mart of the Internet

From â€Å"Earth’s Biggest Bookstore† to â€Å"everything to everybody† to â€Å"Wall Mart of the Internet† to â€Å"World’s most customer-centric company†, Amazon has been tagged with these kinds of labels by its customers and followers. The reason for these many labels is because of the Amazon changing business model. Starting from Single-product and an intermediary with little inventory in 1995-1997 to Multi-product, profit-making, customer-oriented, investor, Services provider in 2000 Amazon has been changing its business model according to market conditions.One indication of a smart company is to continuously change its business model; it is an indication of smart company and ultimately the smart management team. It is also an indication that the company is learning and adopting itself to the external and internal environment. Amazon is the clear market leader for the largest US e-retailing categories of books, CDs and DVD movies. In var ious consumers’ polls, when respondents are asked for their experiences of e-shopping, Amazon â€Å"streaked ahead† of all others as the world’s favorite e-retailer.This means that Amazon is the undisputed favorite on considerations such as convenience, reliability and customer service. Amazon has achieved worldwide success and brand recognition due to paying attention to extensive offline advertising, which helped the company to become one of only three dot. com brands in the Interbrand world league table. It is an illustration of the power of branding that Amazon is the world’s top e-retailer. Before the dot. com downturn in the spring of 2000, the word â€Å"Internet† keyed into what seemed pervasive optimism for a new century.It meant youth, new possibilities and an opportunity to break with traditional business and create new rules. However, in 2000 things drastically changed as many e-commerce start-ups failed to return expected profits and w ent bankrupt. After this came valuable lessons across e-commerce, and evidence for incumbent retailers that factors such as having an established brand provide significant advantages in e-retail and play a part in customer loyalty and increased profit. Analysis of dot.com failures and comparison with traditional retailers in the same industry, for example eToys, which folded in 2000 and was subsequently bought by an established toy retailer, vs. Toys R Us, which successfully opened an e-retail channel through collaboration with Amazon, has revealed several advantages for the established retailer. Newcomers usually build their initial strategy on attracting new customers through aggressive marketing, brand-building and advertising, which logically lead to massive expenses and cash shortages.Amazon, however, has an existing customer base and can build on brand values that are already in place. Amazon’s marketing budgets allow the company to attempt new online projects or busine ss lines, unlike many start-ups. Founder of Amazon. com, J. Bezos rejected the traditional model for retailing. Having known that the usage of Internet is increasing every year with gigantic steps, – some resources report about 2000% usage increase annually, – Bezos decided that his retailing model should be intrinsically connected to Internet.While opening new physical retail outlets can expand the geographical reach of a business and add convenience for consumers, retailing online not only carries these benefits, but also offers further returns that are more specific to online trading. Bezos put books as Amazon’s core product, because they almost ideally correspond for the model of e-retailing. Low unit price, low risk cost, easy to pack and ship, and finally in a high and growing demand, books have become a perfect solution for Amazon’s model. Now books are by far the largest e-retailing category in the US.Research carried out by many companies illustr ates that about 65 per cent of the purchases made by Web shoppers in the US consisted of books. For newly created company, the Internet had global reach and provided the opportunity to trade internationally. For Bezos, Amazon’s broad benefits included the ability to trade 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and operate with lower overheads in terms of staff and space, while more particular advantages included the ability to increase the number of customer â€Å"touch points† and build more personalized customer experiences, products and relationships.However, again for J. Bezos these e-retail advantages did not imply that an online presence is a recipe in itself for success; that kind of thinking was tried and failed with the dot. com boom and bust. Instead, if there was any recipe for successful integration, Bezos found it in variants of established business practices, such as an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the business, for example in relation to technology awareness, which is a good indicator of e-commerce success.Amazon’s mission and strategy is quite simply â€Å"to offer Earth’s Biggest Selection and to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they may want to buy online and [we] endeavor to offer our customers the lowest possible price. † The company accomplishes this by operating six global internet sites: www. amazon. com, www. amazon. ca, www. amazon. de, www. amazon. jp, www. amazon. co. fr and www. amazon. co. uk.Through their zShops, auctions, affiliate program, [email  protected] and Amazon Marketplace programs, Amazon, and their sellers and partners, offer new and used collectibles and products in categories such as apparel and accessories, DVDs, electronics, computers, books, music, videos, cell phones, tools and hardware, the list is almost endless. In order to maintain quality, the company packages and ships all of its merchandis e. They also continue to negotiate volume deals with suppliers to meet their goal of lowering prices.Additionally, Amazon has formed partnerships and alliances with publishers, other on-line retailers, technology providers, either handling their web site operations or linking them to its virtual portal. As part of their diversification strategy, Amazon recently acquired Internet Movie Database www. imdb. com (IMDb), which is an authoritative source of information on movie and entertainment (Dennis et al, 2004). This acquisition is one of many Amazon is making expand its product and service offerings.The company is also preparing to sell internet domain names and already has received the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approval. In order to improve customer service the company is investing in operational facilities, like its multi-lingual customer service support center in the Netherlands, to meet its rapid growth, increase selection and meet future operat ional needs while building efficiencies. This strategy helps Amazon increase its low profit margin, decrease its operational cost, increase customer response and order processing services and pass that savings on to the customer.Amazon strives to provide customers with the best possible online shopping experience by leveraging their powerful and innovative technologies. Part of the company’s competitiveness lies in their proprietary technology, which is licensed to companies like Target to run their e-commerce site. Its patented portal technology allows the customer to customize their on-line experience with personalized home page, product recommendations, email notifications on orders and new products, the ability to post reviews, 1-click ordering, search functions, up selling, and secure shopping cart functions, to name a few.Furthermore, they use technology to drive customer relationships. As an example, the company uses pop up daughter windows to quiz customers about Amaz on. These pop up windows survey the customer about Amazon related facts and in return the customer can get up to . 25 cents a day put in their account for answering questions. Building on this use of technology the company recently received patent approval and plans to add a chat function to enhance the customer experience and help consumers find products through each other.Through its Web Services development and affiliate program it encourages web site owners and developers to create applications capable of interacting with Amazon’s catalog, search engine, shopping cart and merchandising tools. In an effort to remain competitive and preempt new technology Amazon has an ongoing program to develop, update and add software and hardware including partnerships like it’s recently inked deal with Google. com. This will allow them to avoid service disruptions; slow response times, poor levels of customer service, and delays in information delivery.Amazon uses its proprietary technology to transform the online purchasing experience into the easiest and most enjoyable shopping experience online. The site communicates to the customer a visual feel of being in a one stop shop where they can find and purchase virtually anything they want. The site loads quickly, is easily navigated, allows the customer to instantly see an array of products, and provides a host of other customer driven enhancements designed to drive customer satisfaction. Amazon’s site conveys to the customers they can have it their way, all day.And by placing its image on everything it touches Amazon continually reinforces its brand, making it one of the most recognized customer-centric brands in the world. For the first time in year 2000, Amazon management has set its focus on making profit. Again, it is an indication of nothing but smart, opportunistic management that utilized its strength to grow. It is very clear that Amazon management team is very focused. In order to meets its future targets, Amazon has implemented a restructuring plan.It will allow Amazon to reduce operating costs, reduce employee staff, and strengthen some of its fulfillment and customer service operations. According to the quarterly report released by amazon. com for quarter ended September 30, 2004 â€Å"There has been a steep decline in operating costs† (Amazon, Quarterly results, 2004). This has improved the performance of the company. Since its beginning, Amazon has adopted various e-Business model to increase its customer base and recently set its focus on making profit. Given below are the strategies adopted by Amazon.Amazon has a track recording of first gaining expertise in the market and then scaling into other areas. For example, Amazon started with a web-based bookstore model and after gaining expertise in various operations expanded to other segments and geographies. Another example is, after capturing the US market; it expanded its business to Europe, namely the U. K, France and Germany and then to Japan. One advantage of this approach is that the incremental costs to expand the business, whether to multiple product line or geographically are small.This strategy of perfecting before scaling helps in long-term survival and growth of the company. Since its beginning, Amazon has always kept focus on the needs of its customer and never lost sight of it. This gives Amazon a strong foothold of the internet retail business. Playing on this customer strength, Amazon has struck deals with industry leaders retailers Toysrus. com, Borders, Drugstore. com, and Target to help them draw customers to their Web sites, thereby giving birth to its services segment. Amazon is playing on its strength here and in the process creating a place for itself as a provider of e-tail services.Under Amazon’s cooperative model, the partners do not compete with each other and try to lessen each other risks. This cooperation represents a symbiotic relationship, where t he two partners do what they do best while depending on each other to eliminate respective weaknesses. On August 10 2000, Amazon and Toyrus announced a strategic alliance. According to the press release by Amazon â€Å"The two companies have entered into a strategic alliance under which each company will assume responsibility for specific aspects of the toy and video games and baby products stores.Toysrus. com, in collaboration with its majority shareholder, Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc. , will identify, buy and manage inventory; Amazon. com will handle site development, order fulfillment, and customer service, housing both Toysrus. com's and its own inventory in Amazon. com’s U. S. distribution centers† (Dennis et al. , 2004:118). This alliance helped Amazon in eliminating its inventory risk, as it does not have to purchase or store any toys until the customer have ordered and paid for the goods. Under Amazon’s coopetitive model the two parties act as provider and customer.Both the parties compete with each other but one party tries to lessen other risks and in return gets the share of others business. On Apr 11, 2001 Amazon and Border announced strategic alliance. According to the press release by Amazon on Apr 11, 2001, â€Å"Amazon. com will be the seller of record, providing inventory, fulfillment, site content and customer service for the co-branded site. The new site will continue to offer content unique to Borders. com, including store location information and in-store event calendars† (Prior, 20001:6).In this case Amazon will continue to sell books on its own, but will also provide services to Border. In return Amazon will get a share of every sale by Border. According to an article on Informit. com â€Å"The Click and Brick model allows an existing offline business to profit from partnering with an emerging online presence†. [5] In this regard, Amazon has struck a deal with electronic retailer Circuit city. This wil l give the customer, the advantages of picking up their purchases from hundreds of stores rather then paying for shipment charges.Amazon will receive a share of the revenues for all Circuit City electronics goods sold through Amazon. Amazon will be responsible for processing the transaction while Circuit City will be responsible for order fulfillment and product-related customer service. In all these cases, Amazon is extending its channel expertise in Web retailing to â€Å"e-nable† other retailers. With a full year’s experienced retailers under its belt, Amazon is set to scale the service model. The Borders and Circuit City deals are important steps in that direction.The coopetitive model is converting Amazon into a â€Å"product-less platform provider†, directly impacting its bottom line, with no inventory costs. The business model adopted by Amazon has given it a boost in its online business. By making strategic alliances with the industry leader and making t he life of customer has made Amazon a profit making company. According to 2004, financial results Amazons’ â€Å"Operating cash flow was $567 million for 2004, compared with $392 million for 2003. Free cash flow grew 38% to $477 million for 2004, compared with $346 million for 2003.Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totaled 434 million at December 31, 2004, compared with 433 million a year ago. Net sales were $2. 54 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $1. 95 billion in fourth quarter 2003, an increase of 31%. Net sales, excluding the $85 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 26% compared with fourth quarter 2003† (Amazon, 2005). Amazon business model has steadily evolved and over the years the large retailers have realized the importance of Business-to-consumer e-commerce.In contemporary context, along with other e-commerce companies Amazon experiences several problems. Financial and marketing analytics indicate that due to increased online competition, Amazon is gradually loosing its market share. Experts and investors indicate that Amazon’s technology and content costs soared 59% in the quarter, while the company keeps spending heavily on marketing campaigns, free-shipping promotions and other marketing activities to attract customers to shop regularly on its site.It is not surprising that Amazon is spending estimated 60 percent of their revenue on numerous marketing activities and building an appropriate brand image. Amazon’s brand allows company to be known, distinct, and credible in the minds of existent and potential customers, consumers, and stakeholders. Amazon’s brand facilitate the building of relationships with existing and potential customers, consumers, and stakeholders. In addition, company’s brand communicates the benefits offered to buyers and stakeholders that embody the value system of the company.Due to increased online comp etition, the brand image strategy utilized by Amazon is justified because it helps to retain existing customers and to attract new ones, gradually making them returning. For every business, particularly online e-retailing, good customers’ returning rate is an indication of a healthy business. That’s why Amazon should pursue this aggressive marketing and branding strategy to keep its customers. Many analysts discuss merger opportunities for Amazon. The merger will help Amazon. com expand the market share in E-commerce and create a new passageway.For instance, Amazon. com can merge with Wal-Mart, which has $26 billion market value and only $756 million debt. Now Wal-Mart is interested in E-commerce and online shopping. If Amazon. com merges with Wal-Mart, they will become the largest retail company in E-commerce. Amazon. com will also increase its market share. In addition, after the merger, Amazon. com can gain more marketing resources from Wal-Mart to create a new sale s passageway. For instance, customers can purchase the products from Amazon. com on the Internet and pick the items, or return them at Wal-Mart.It will provide additional choose for customers. The merger may help Amazon to create new customers and products. Bertelsmann has $14 billion market value and the company’s strategy now is focusing on music retailing and book sales. Their business is related to Amazon’s business. The CEO of Bertelsmann is also trying to open their business in American market (Brynjolfsson & Urban, 2001). If Amazon. com merges with this company, it will gain the new customers from Bertelsmann. Furthermore, integrating the products from Bertelsmann, Amazon.com can create new products on their website. Finally, a merger can improve and cover the financial loss of Amazon such as net sales loss, long-dept and cash loss. For instance, if Amazon merges with General Growth Properties, which has 136 malls in 37 states and owns $2. 8 billion market value , Amazon. com can still keep the power of operation and exercise the new marketing strategies (Brynjolfsson & Urban, 2001). Moreover, Amazon. com can gain the financial support from this company to cover its long-debt $2 billion. In addition, the merger will help Amazon.com increase the financial resources such as the amount of cash flow, and also decrease the cost and expense of the company. Another future prospect is to invent a new E-business strategy. E-commerce is one way that people can trade on the Internet. This trading system is very important, but it is not the only thing that the e-commerce enterprises should focus on. Amazon. com is a giant in E-commerce and the company uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to trade, but Amazon cannot make profits even though the company has very strong technological support.Some specialists point out that communication, resources allocation, and project management guarantees success in E-commerce. Effective communication, which can improve bu siness performance, is one of the objectives that Amazon. com should fulfill. Effective communication includes two aspects: internal and external. First of all, internal communication emphasizes negotiation. Necessary and correct information must be communicated precisely between the employees or the departments. Secondly, external communication emphasizes on empowerment and good timing.For instance, Customer Services is a department that helps customers to solve problems. They have to communicate with the customers and understand what the customers want and need, and then report to the departments or the board. If the customer service department has the power to react immediately from the problems of customers and has good communication and relationship with the customers, it will create more business opportunities for Amazon. com. The second key that helps industry to succeed in E-commerce is resources allocation. There are various resources in the enterprises such as human resour ces and customer resources.First of all, concerning human resources, Amazon. com should understand employees’ particularities and arrange them in appropriate positions. If the employees are set in the right positions, the company should become more efficient. Secondly, in regard to customer resources, Amazon should collect information, such as suggestion, complaint or demand from the customers and then try to improve their products or services to provide better services to the customers. If the services satisfy the customers, Amazon will create more and more opportunities and new customers in the near future.For example, new outsourcing strategies should be used to collect focus group to survey customers’ opinions. The third key that may become helpful for Amazon is project management. A successful E-commerce enterprise should focus on project management. Project management emphasizes teamwork (Epstein, 2004). There are many teams in the company and each team has its d ifferent project and goal. Each team also has its power to make the decision. The responsibility of the team is to achieve the product. The responsibility of the enterprise is to manage the teams and make sure that the projects can be finished effectively.Distributing the limited resources to different teams and projects is the great challenge to the project management. The best way to overcome this challenge is to emphasize effective communication and negotiation Amazon. com is now considered as the world’s largest e-retailer of books, CDs and DVDs. The Amazon’s web portal is user-friendly, enabling e-Shoppers to find books quickly by title, author or subject. Users can find their title in seconds from a few keywords. Synopses and contents lists are provided, along with a list of other relevant books.Amazon keeps a record of customers’ preferences and advises when new books likely to be of interest are published. During many years, Amazon is renowned for custom er service, security and fast delivery. However, in current business context, the company is loosing market share, though is still well-recognized leader in online industry. The company keeps heavily investing in its brand through aggressive online and offline marking, building appropriate brand awareness among its current and potential clients. References Amazon, Inc. (2004). Quarterly results, Available at < http://media. corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/97/97664/reports/91338ACL. pdf> Amazon, Inc. (2005). Press release Q4 Financial Results, Available at < http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/97/97664/news/Release_Q4_04. pdf> Retrieved June 5, 2006 Dennis C. , Fenech T. , Merrilees B. (2004). E-Retailing, Routledge, London Brynjolfsson E. and Urban G. (2001). Strategies for E-Business Success, Jossey-Bass Epstein M. (2004). Implementing E-Commerce Strategies: A Guide to Corporate Success after the Dot. Com Bust, Praeger Prior, M. (2001). â€Å"Amazon to Operate Borde rs. com. † DSN Retailing Today, May 1, 40(9): 6.