Saturday, December 28, 2019

Internal Analysis Of Equipment Division At Nike Essay

Assignment #2: Internal Analysis I have completed an internal analysis of the equipment division at Nike through focusing on product differentiation as their generic business strategy. In an effort to fully view the current state, pertaining to competitive advantage, a VIRIO analysis was examined based on a handful of resources and capabilities. After reviewing the 12 bases of differentiation, Nike’s equipment division focuses primarily on product features, consumer marketing, reputation, linkages among functions in the firm, and links with other firms. Product Features: Product features is an obvious way in which Nike differentiates their products by altering the features of the products they have on the market. Product features encompass the characteristics of their equipment products provided by Nike. Nike is able to produce high quality products through focusing on design and innovation. The current President and CEO, Mark Parker stated, â€Å"At Nike, we believe it is not enough to adapt to what the future may bring - we’re creating the future we want to see through sustainable innovation.† The company has built their legacy upon continued improvement and innovation as they focus on their product features. However, Nike does offer a variety of equipment products, which will be assessed more with the VRIO breakdown. It may be difficult to have the resources available to gain a competitive advantage among all the different product lines in which they are involved.Show MoreRelatedNike Case Analysis717 Words    |  3 PagesBusiness: Driving Strategic Integration | [Your Name] | Introduction and Background In 2006, the American footwear, apparel and equipment manufacturing giant announced a major corporate reorganization that would switch the company’s attention from a product orientation to a category-driven approach. A product orientation approach, which was previously effective for Nike, centers all the business activities on continually innovating, improving and refining its products while it is under the assumptionRead MoreNike s Product And Apparel Divisions Essay1065 Words   |  5 PagesNike sales by division from 2011 to 2016 are shown in Chart Y. Its Footwear and Apparel divisions are the largest contributors of sales, accounting for 61.4% and 28%, respectively in 2016. Footwear captures about 70% of the entire footwear market, with competitors such as Under Armour, Adidas, and Skechers (Bloomberg). The footwear division includes running shoes, training shoes, basketball shoes, etc (Trefis, 2014). Year 2016 was a year filled of growth for Nike. This success was due to a â€Å"robustRead MoreStrategic Analysis Nike1619 Words   |  7 PagesMANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT NIKE: Strategic Analysis SUBMITTED TO: AMIT SINHA SUBMITTED BY: Varun Bhatia 191181 FMG 19C Nike’s Global Business Strategy When first founded in 1962 under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports, the strategy was â€Å"to distribute low-cost, high-quality Japanese athletic shoes to American consumers in an attempt to break Germany’s domination of the domestic industry.† Today Nike offers athletic shoes at every marketable price point to a global market. Nike sustains its leadingRead MoreMarketing audit of Nike3562 Words   |  15 PagesSYSTEMS 11 6 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 12 7 CONCLUSION 16 8 RECOMMENDATION 16 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 18 INTRODUCTION Nike is an incorporated company that primarily carries footwear products. The Company designs, develops and markets athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessory products. Former CEO and Pres. Philip Knight co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports with Mr. Bill Bowerman in 1962 which officially became Nike in 1978. At first, Nike was known to distribute inexpensiveRead MoreEssay on NIKE Inc.: Why It Is Such a Leader2547 Words   |  11 PagesBowerman and Phil Knight started Nike Inc. in 1971, formally known as Blue Ribbon Sports. Bill Bowerman was a former track and field coach at the University of Oregon, and Phil Knight was a student-athlete at the University of Oregon. After numerous years of supplying under Blue Ribbon Sports, the two decided to enter the athletic shoe manufacturing business. The first employee of the company was Jeff Johnson, who helped them with branding what is known today as NIKE Inc. NIKE Inc. main headquarters areRead MoreUnder Armour1100 Words   |  5 PagesIBM 4711 International Strategic Management Under Armour: Working to Stay on Top of Its Game Perform a STEEP analysis to understand the general environment facing Under Armour. How will the firm be affected by external factors? Ans. Each factor under STEEP analysis giving Under Armour more information about how company should adapt itself, in order to be survived in the market. Let’s see the effects of these external factors to the company’s strategies each by each. Social factor Demographics Read MoreStrategic Analysis of Nike8813 Words   |  36 Pages------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Read MoreNike Strategic Audit2863 Words   |  12 PagesContent Nike Strategic Audit Page 2 Appendix A IFAS,EFAS,SFAS Page 10 Appendix B Nike Porter s Five Page 11 Appendix C Nike Financial Data Page 14 References Page 19 I- Current Situation A. Current Performance • Robust financial position, $ 15 billion net Profit (See appendix B). • Market share around 47%. • 28,000 employee B. Strategic posture 1. Mission • To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. 2. Objectives • Provide an environmentRead More Company Overviews of Nike and Reebok Essay3983 Words   |  16 PagesCompany Overviews of Nike and Reebok In 1964 in Oregon, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman join together to make a new enterprise; each contributed about $500 to the partnership. The company started bringing low priced and high tech athletic shoes from Japan to replace the German domination of athletic shoes in the industry. In 1971, a graphic design student created the Swoosh trademark for a $35 fee. In the same year Jeff Johnson, Blue Ribbon Sports’ first employee, made his most durable contributionRead MoreNike Reebok4026 Words   |  17 PagesCompany Overviews Nike In 1964 in Oregon, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman join together to make a new enterprise; each contributed about $500 to the partnership. The company started bringing low priced and high tech athletic shoes from Japan to replace the German domination of athletic shoes in the industry. In 1971, a graphic design student created the Swoosh trademark for a $35 fee. In the same year Jeff Johnson, Blue Ribbon Sports first employee, made his most durable contribution to the

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Should Supplements Be A Type Of Eating Disorder Among Men...

Case description: In this news article, CBS news demonstrated that researchers led by Richard Achiro, PhD at Alliant International University, Los Angeles presented evidence that consuming great amount of supplement is considered a type of eating disorder among men since overusing supplements can also lead to malnutrition and psychological problem. Researchers conducted a survey questioning 195 men between ages 18 and 35 about their diet, their training, and how they view themselves physically in order to observe if supplements have a relationship with eating disorders. The results of the type fitness supplements that the majority of the participants of the survey used were whey protein, creatain, and L creatine. They also used legal enhancing drugs (APED), and worked out minimum twice a week. Also 29% said they worried about consuming on APED and 22% have use this supplements instead of eating. 8% had to cut down on their usage of supplements on the order of their doctor and due to over consuming of supplements. 3% have been hospitalized for kidney or liver complications due to APED drug. This is considered as an eating disorder since instead of using APED to help bulk up, they use it as meal replacement to help cut weight. This is due to having body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem since they have created an image of the perfect body for a male that is unrealistic and can be harmful to achieve. Psychological application: This research discussed how excessively usingShow MoreRelated The Entertainment Industrys Standards of Beauty and Impact on Youth936 Words   |  4 Pagesthing. Unfortunately, they are all setting standards of beauty that are not only unrealistic but could prove to be dangerous when trying to be attained. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of eating disorders, steroid use, and plastic surgery among teenagers. The main reason for this trend is that â€Å"the beauty ideal has shifted towards an increasing emphasis on thinness† (Brown). In the article â€Å"Body Obsessed†, Rebecca Barry says that the world is sendingRead MoreGendered Societal Expectations of Appearance and Their Effects Upon the Individual1721 Words   |  7 Pagesespecially when it comes to societal expectations regarding gender. These gendered expectations cause people to do all types of things for the sole purpose of fitting in to societal norms. Some women exercise religiously to maintain a good looking body, other women go tanning regularly because they think it is embarrassing, or even unacceptable, to be pale; there are also many men who do the same things for the same reasons. While looking good is not a bad thing sometimes these societal prescriptionsRead MoreA Multidisciplinary Approach On Nutrition And Behavior1022 Words   |  5 Pagesmultidisciplinary approach on how the areas of nutrition and psychology connect. The book is comprised of 15 chapters where chapter contents include: concepts and models in nutrition and behavior; effects of chronic and acute forms of under nutrition; dietary supplements, mental performance and behavior; alcohol, brain functioning and behavior; and behavioral aspects of overweight and obesity. The book concludes with an appendix and an index section respectively. Author’s Background and Credentials: John WorobeyRead MoreTaking a Look at Eating Disorders1708 Words   |  7 Pages EATING DISORDERS Introduction: Eating disorders are conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that include excessive or insufficient food eating habits that hampers a person’s mental as well as physical health. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common types. Others are binge eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Classification: †¢ Anorexia nervosa (AN), †¢ Bulimia nervosa (BN), †¢ Eating disorders not otherwise specified †¢ Binge eating disorderRead MoreThe Media And It s Impute On Body Image1850 Words   |  8 Pagesvictims of the media; men also have insecurities about the way they look. Though the desire to be manly may lead to not wanting to directly come out with their insecurities, if someone initiates something that is on their mind, chances are it is also on someone else’s and will make the topic more comfortable (Conway 1). This exemplifies how men feel about not only the struggle of body image, but also the struggle to talk about it and get feedback from a friend or family member. Most men turn to work outsRead MoreEating Disorders Among Teens And Adolescents1566 Words   |  7 PagesEating Disorders in Teens In this generation teenagers fight the everyday struggle of wanting to be perfect. Perfection sells in modern society, with perfection being plastered everywhere, people feel the pressure of having to change their appearance. When looking at television and movies women and men see the ideal model of what the world believes they should look like. This long term process of seeing what you are expected to look like can cause emotional and physical problems such as eating disordersRead MoreHow Does Soociety Respond to the Media ´s Portrayal or What is Beautiful?559 Words   |  2 Pagesdissatisfaction in personal appearance. This overexposure to Hollywood beauty causes women to wonder how come they don’t look like that and often leaves them questioning what they can do to have a picture perfect body and face. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), the promotion of unhealthy standards of beauty by the media often leads to depression and dissatisfaction in personal appearance (Chittom 3). Media have a negative impact on women’s body image and how women respond to the media’sRead More We Must Work Together to Defeat Eating Disorders1873 Words   |  8 PagesAmericans suffer with an eating disorder† (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2013, p.1). Though many may think that an eating disorder is only common in a woman’s life, men also suffer from this disease. Taking that statistic further, â€Å"ninety five percent of Americans between the ages of twelve and twenty five have an eating disorder† (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2013, p.1). Men and women develop an eating disorder which results fromRead MoreMetabolic Disorders : Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Essay1404 Words   |  6 Pages Metabolic disorders-Noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia (cholesterol and triglyceride), gallstones, hyperuricaemia and gout are common among obese. Cardiovascular disorders-Obesity increases the workload of the heart, which enlarges with increased body weight. Cardiac output stroke volume and blood volume are increased, leading to hypertension. Apart from atherosclerosis, obese people develop high blood pressure and increased incidence of varicose veins, Sleep apnea-lt is aRead MoreSpecial Diets Assessment Task : Special Dietary Foods1193 Words   |  5 PagesSpecial dietary foods include products, which are specially processed or formulated to satisfy particular dietary requirements. These special needs may exist because of a particular physical or physiological condition and/or specific diseases or disorders it also may be passed from genetics. The composition of these foods differs significantly from the composition of conventional foods of a comparable nature. Special dietary foods must therefore fulfill the particular dietary requirements: Of certain

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Gulf Cooperation Council

Question: Discuss about theGulf Cooperation Council. Answer: Exchange Rates It is worth pointing out that in the last two decades the GCC have realized considerable economic and financial integration. Most barriers to free exchange of goods and movement of labor have been eliminated. Additionally, the member countries exhibit to a significant degree political and economic homogeneity (Gulf News, 2013). Also, nationals of the member countries are allowed to invest in real estate and stock markets of the member countries (Gulf News, 2013). Today, the countries enjoy low inflation, similar levels of nominal interest rates and stable bilateral exchange rates. The GCC states recognize the prominence of the US dollar in global trade relations. Thus, a majority of the transactions are done using the US dollar (Hassanain, 2017). Today, the most traded commodity in the region is oil, which contributes a large proportion of the GCC revenues. It is also worth mentioning that the member states have pegged their currencies to the US dollar, except for Kuwait. Consequently, the GCC currencies have exhibited an antiquity of coordinated exchange rate fluctuations against the US dollar. There have also been stable cross exchange rates. The Business Cycle Typically, the business cycle pertains to the rise and fall of economic activities in the aggregate economy that occurs over a given period of time. A business cycle often goes through four distinct phases, namely expansion, trough, peak, and contraction (Amadeo, 2017). The GCC countries experience an expansion of the business cycle when the economy is growing consistently. At this time, the GDP expands continuously, and the economic output is recorded as positive (Medhioub Jedidia, 2017). Markedly, a majority of the GCC countries are reported to record high levels of economic growth and high GDP levels. The second phase of the business cycle is the peak. Naturally, this is the phase that the cycle transitions from the expansion stage towards the contraction period. During the contractionary phase, the GCC economies experience significant declines in the level of activity in the aggregate economy. Normally, the GDP growth rate falls below 2 percent. In the event that the growth level drops further towards negative, the economy may fall into a recessionary period. At such a time, the levels of unemployment rise substantially. After the contraction phase, what follows is the trough. By and large, this is the period in which the economy moves from the contractionary phase towards the expansion stage. During this stage, the economy hits bottom before recovering and transitioning towards expansion. It is crucial to point out that the business cycle is a continuous cycle that transitions between phases with respect to the economic performance of the member countries. What Drives the Business Cycle in GCC? By and large, the business cycle is influenced by the underlying economic conditions within the union. However, the most predominant factor that influences the business cycle is the level of the prevailing oil prices (Iqbal, 2014). As such, oil is a major commodity in the gulf region. Predominantly, it is a chief contributor to the economys GDP (Iqbal, 2014). For this reason, fluctuations in the general price level of oil and oil products have a significant effect on the level of GDP recorded in the country. Particularly, when the prices of oil go up, the level of GDP of the union also rises. Subsequently, this increases the level of activity in the aggregate economy, thereby enhancing employment opportunities in the region. In turn, this leads to the expansion of the economy. In contrast, when the prices of oil drop significantly, the revenues received by the countries also decline. In turn, this leads to the shrinking of the GDP in the member countries. Consequently, this leads to a decrease in the level of activity in the aggregate economy. Eventually, this increases the level of unemployment in the union, creating contractionary effects in the economy. What is more, the business cycle is influenced by global trade. Specifically, this affects the business cycle of the UAE. Predominantly, this is because the non-oil exports for this economy accounted for about 75 percent of its total exports in 2013 (Iqbal, 2014). Likewise, the prevailing interest rate levels affect the unions business cycle (Iqbal, 2014). One can attribute this to the fact that the currencies are pegged to the dollar. For this reason, the global interest rates also affect the local interest rates significantly. Furthermore, global demand for the GCC countries exports influences the business cycle. Monetary Policy- Conventional Primarily, monetary policy refers to the actions of the monetary authority tasked with the responsibility of determining the level and growth of the money supply in the economy. Markedly, conventional monetary policy pertains to the actions of the monetary authority in maintaining the economic stability in the country. By and large, monetary policy in the GCC is maintained through the regulation of the level of interest rate, and selling or buying government bonds, among others (Raghu, 2013). Normally, the monetary policy implemented in the region is either expansionary or contractionary. It is imperative to note that the union has transferred its monetary policy duties to the US Federal Reserve. Therefore, all monetary policy decisions are undertaken by the US Federal Reserve (Raghu, 2013). In this regard, the union has an obligation to mimic and implement the policies as directed by the Fed, regardless of its domestic economic underpinning. Luckily, this arrangement has worked to the advantage of both parties with regards to economic and business cycles of the GCC and the US. It could be noted that the cycles of the two economies are roughly synchronized (Raghu, 2013). Monetary Policy-Non-Orthodox Pegged Currencies In 2002, the union adopted a common currency and pegged their currency to the new currency. At the time, the GCC authorities agreed to peg the mutual currency to the U.S dollar (Fasano, 2003). The adoption of the pegged currency facilitated and eased the transaction process between the various countries in the union given the importance of the US dollar. As such, it allowed for a myriad of exchanges between the GCC countries and the rest of the world. Ever since its adoption, the dollar peg has provided a foundation and reference point for macroeconomic policy, confidence and stability in the region. However, over time, Europe has gained importance in the world economy. Thus, the union made way for trade arrangements with the European Union. In turn, this has led to the emergence of changes in the economic structure and exports across the union. Consequently, this has created the need for other options apart from the initial pegging to the US dollar. Specifically, this has paved the way for options such as pegging to a basket of currencies. This way, trade transactions between the two regions is smoothened and made relatively easier. Balance of Payments and Long-run Purchasing Power Parity The balance of payments encompasses all international financial transactions undertaken by the residents of the GCC. By and large, the balance of payment is calculated by summing up the values of the current account to that of the capital accounts of the GCC countries (Amadeo, 2016). On the other hand, purchasing power parity compares different countries economies through a market basket of goods (Al-Hassan, 2009). According to a survey done between 1990 and 2007, the relative PPP does not hold for GCC countries (Al-Gasaymeh Kasem, 2016). In turn, this indicates that the creation of a single currency for the union is not a good idea. Medium-Term Current Account Imbalance Over the past few years, the current account surpluses of the GCC states have been growing significantly. In 2007, for example, the surplus increased by about 30 percent of the GDP (Peeters, 2011). Before the global crisis of 2007, the money flowing into the economy was almost equal to the money flowing out of the economy. Positive trade balances offset the deficits in the balance of service and outflow of remittances. Essentially, for GCC countries, the current account balance as a percentage of the GDP is estimated as the sum of all the current account balances of the member states divided by the aggregate nominal GDP of the member states. Short-Run Asset Markets Predominantly, the asset market comprises of capital items which are more volatile and vulnerable to prevailing economic conditions. Between 2000 and 2008, the GCC capital account was negative (Peeters, 2011). Principally, this reflects the continuous change in domestic ownership of assets. Specifically, it indicates that the change in domestic ownership of foreign assets in the region surpassed the foreign ownership of domestic assets. Thus, the net investments by the union overseas were higher than the net investments by foreigners in the GCC. For this reason, the balance of their FDI, portfolio and other investments are negative. Conclusion All in all, the question remains as to how much the current exchange rates arrangements of the Gulf Cooperation Council are sustainable. To some degree, the current arrangement has acted as a basis for economic stability and macroeconomic policy in the union. It is sustainable to the extent that the regime has kept the union afloat for the years that the arrangement has been operational in the region. However, beyond that, it can be argued that the current exchange rate regime is unsustainable for the GCC economies. Primarily, this is because pegged currency keeps fluctuating with changes in the US dollar. Specifically, any small fluctuations in the US dollar and US policies significantly influence the rates in GCC countries. In turn, this creates instability in the region. Therefore, it is crucial for the GCC to find other sustainable current exchange rate arrangements. Reference List Al-Gasaymeh, A Kasem, J. (2016). Long-Run Purchasing Power Parity and Exchange Rates: Evidence from the Middle East. The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, 10(2), pp.42-46. Al-Hassan, A. (2009). A Coincident Indicator of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Business Cycle. 1st ed. [ebook] International Monetary Fund, pp.4-26. Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0973.pdf [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Amadeo, K. (2016). Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries. [Online] The Balance. Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/gulf-cooperation-council-3306357 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Amadeo, K. (2016). What Is Balance of Payments? Components and Deficit. [Online] The Balance. Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-balance-of-payments-components-and-deficit-3306278 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Amadeo, K. (2017). What Is the Business Cycle?. [Online] The Balance. Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-business-cycle-3305912 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Fasano, U. (2003). Monetary Union among Member Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. [Online] IMF. Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/op/223/index.htm [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Gulf News. (2013). Four GCC countries to announce common currency by end-December. [Online] Available at: https://gulfnews.com/business/economy/four-gcc-countries-to-announce-common-currency-by-end-december-1.1262037 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Hassanain, K. (2017). Stock Prices and Real Exchange Rate Movements in the Gulf Cooperation Council. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 7(1), pp.12-34. Igbal, F. (2014). Economic Outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2014: A Goldilocks Moment?. [Online] The World Bank. Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/arabvoices/economic-outlook-for-the-gulf-cooperation-council [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]. Medhioub, I. and Jedidia, L. (2017). GCC monetary union and the transmission of business cycles: evidence from temporal correlations. International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance, 10(1), pp.14-18. Peeters, M. (2011). The Changing Pattern in International Trade and Capital Flows of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries in Comparison with other Oil - Exporting Countries. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, 1(7), pp.2-20. Raghu, M. (2016). GCC needs monetary policy independence. [Online] Gulf News. Available at: https://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/banking/gcc-needs-monetary-policy-independence-1.1909260 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017].

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

ICT Project and Scope Managementplan

Question: Discuss about the ICT Project and Scope Managementplan . Answer: Scope Management Plan The scope management plan defines the key requirements of the project along with the project deadlines and out of scope items. The scope management plan is an essential element for successful delivery of projects since it removes any doubts related to the requirements and all parties can come off the same page. Once the scope management plan has been defined and signed off, it can only be changed when the business owner decides to completely revamp the functionality due to some business exigency. The scope management plan when rolled up helps in the creation of the project management plan which defines the resource allocations as well as clear timelines for the project related tasks. (Kerzner, 2011). The requirement of the project is to automate the manual sales order management process which is currently in place in Grand Wines Ltd. The sales team spread across NSW will be able to get real time updates via their wireless devices about the stock levels in the inventory and the orders they bring can be updated back the main system in a seamless manner. Requirement gathering is a key phase of all projects and if not done correctly, it leads to certain failure of projects. (Smith, 2014) In Scope It is part of the scope of the project to select, configure and integrate the wireless handheld devices for use by the sales team with the sales order management system. The sales order management application needs to be integrated with the inventory management application. All existing manual reports which are required by the management will need to be generated from the sales order management system Out of Scope The sales order management application will not be integrated with any other application like dispatch tracking, HRMS in this phase of the project. Any hardware issues will not be covered in the scope of the project. The hardware used for setting up the servers and the handheld devices will be maintained by Grand Vines Ltd themselves or any third party vendor they decide upon. Any new functionality or feature which has not been signed in the requirement gathering exercise will be out of scope of this phase of the project. In case a business urgency arises, then the project plan needs to be revised in order to accommodate the new functionality, Acceptance Criteria The timeline of the project is 6 months and the allocated budget is AUD 60,000. The project needs to be successfully delivered within both these constraints. The existing order management and inventory management system need to be integrated with the new system and eventually the old order management application will be phased out. All wireless handled devices will need to be integrated with the sales order management system and the maximum turnaround time for data to sync in 5 minutes if the device is within network. In case the handheld device is out of network, the device should have the capability to automatically save and sync the data when the network is available. Deliverables The following are the deliverables identified for the project: The first document to be signed off and delivered will be the Project Charter. Once the project charter is signed off, a software requirement specification document will be shared with all the stakeholders and a sign off will be required. Post sign-off a project management plan will be shared with key stakeholders and signed off. The rest of the artefacts will be shared as per the project milestones. The key responsibility for delivering the project lies with the Project Director and the Project Manager. All minutes of meeting will be shared with the stakeholders within a day of the meetings occurrence. The project status report will be weekly shared and the detailed project update will be shared by the Project Manager once a month to the management. Assumptions and Constraints The project needs to be completed within a budget of AUD 60,000 and a time frame of 6 months. The sales team once trained will be able to punch the sales orders via the handheld devices. Another assumption for the system is that the existing inventory management application has accurate data and the records will be updated on a real time basis in the base application since this data will be fetched for the sales order management system. The budget allocated for the project is AUD 60,000 and the cost breakup estimate is close to AUD 56,000. A buffer of AUD 4,000 is available for the project manager if need be. However, in case of an emergency this budget will fall short and the budget will need to be revisited. This is a major constraint for the project. Gantt chart Time-phased budget Task Name Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Sales and order management system Project initiation Obtain system requirements 2400 Interview end users 1920 Create requirement document 2400 Sign-offs 640 Milestone 1: Scope document plan Project planning Finalize scope 2560 Hire team 2560 Sign-offs 640 Milestone 2: Project plan Project execution Develop business requirements Find manual processes 2000 Final legal issues 1600 Find regulatory norms 2560 Create system development plan 2240 Milestone 3: Requirement document Create system architecture Create design methods 2000 400 Prepare system design 2400 Design Document Create wireframes 1600 Prepare system content 1600 Prepare navigation 1440 Prepare visual structure 1200 Milestone 4: Design document System development Create database 1200 Develop business structure 800 4000 Unit testing 840 Milestone 5: Coded system System testing Create test plan 1920 Perform UAT 1000 120 Fix bug 1600 Prepare technical manual 2800 User Training 2800 Milestone 5: Tested system Project closure Release resources 2560 Prepare budget summary 2560 Milestone 6: Close report Cost/month 12480 11040 10640 7760 7320 5120 Cumulative cost 12480 23520 34160 41920 49240 54360 Risk Register No. Rank Risk Category Description Root Causes Potential Responses Risk owner Probability Impact Status R1 1 Project budget overrun Cost risk Over-budgeting Budget overrun can be due to requirement change, lack of proper resource or any change in the organization of govt. policies The weekly status report should be shared with the key stakeholders of the project to inform them about the project status with respect to the project management plan. Project Director Low High Medium R2 2 Schedule overrun Time risk Project Milestone dates are not being met Milestones cannot be met due to multiple reasons like QA throwbacks, build issues, integration issues and delay in sign off from the management. Weekly status report should be shared with the key stakeholders of the project to inform them about the project status with respect to the project management plan. Project Manager High Medium Extreme R3 User requirements are not med Scope risk Scope change Scope creep can occur when the business users are not sure about the requirements and frequently change them as per their liking. -Meetings with stake holders, management, and end users, to check over the responsibilities, risks and activities Project Manager Low High Medium (Smith Erwin, 2017) Conclusion The sales order management system will be implemented in the month of April and a couple of months of beta testing will happen. Once the system is accepted by the users, the focus can move on to enhancing the system and making it a full-blown ERP solution. Grand Vines should be able to understand the importance of automation once they implement the solution and the return on investment start cropping up. Also, the all the project milestone dates are clearly defined in the project management plan which should help the management understand the entire process of software development. Reference Haugan, G. (2012).Effective work breakdown structures(1st ed.). Vienna, Va.: Management Concepts. Kerzner, H. (2011).Project management(1st ed.). New York: John Wiley. Smith, M. Erwin, J. (2017).Role Responsibility Charting (RACI)(1st ed.). Smith,, A. (2014).Requirements Management a Core Competency for Project And Program Success(1st ed.). Project Management Institute. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/requirements-management.pdf

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Skills Development free essay sample

1. Active listening through body language and minimal interventions; being physically and vocally attentive while being almost transparent in the interaction gives the client a space they rarely find available to them. Put simply, we are talking about a helper who is really listening, actually caring and not interrupting to project his or her own opinions. When I have combined this with empathic reflection the results have felt like a miracle to be part of. I have witnessed clients unravelling themselves and exploring deep and meaningful things about themselves that they somehow knew but had ‘covered over’ or ‘locked away’. I feel blessed to have been part of these instances and welcome more of the same into my future. 2. Drawing on your Reflective Journal and Skill Practice Evaluation Forms, explain how your skills have developed during the Skills Practices and / or in your personal and professional life.  Coming to this course from the ‘introduction to counselling skills’, I already had some awareness of the skills and my ability to use them, be that inconsistently. We will write a custom essay sample on Skills Development or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the start of this ‘certificate’ course I had a very rough toolkit of active listening, paraphrasing and empathic reflecting. I have always been a listener; I strongly suspect during my childhood my mother’s needs rewarded me for listening. However, my mother’s needs also called for validation and me having an answer that made her feel ok about herself. This need to validate people was still present at the start of the course, alongside my need to be validated as a ‘life’ expert having the answers people need; I wanted to ‘fix’ people with my views of life and the attainment of fulfilment from my years of self development and reading. Person Centered theories have totally changed my approach. I have been amazed and overjoyed to discover this approach and witnessed it first hand as a helper/counsellor in my own professional counselling clinical settings as a personal trainer. I have been blessed during my day job to be part of a client’s self-discovery while discussing family relationships and my client’s weight loss challenges. To help a person see their true self and the beliefs and behaviours that are locking them into a repeated pattern that is limiting their growth really gives me a deep feeling of satisfaction and pleasure. There have been instances of such great empathy within me that I have felt tears well up when a client is expressing some deep emotion or joyful moment. I don’t yet know whether this is my own inner story surfacing, transference from the client, or pure empathy at the client’s story. I have always been able to get in touch with other people’s stories; I could shed a tear at a happy emotional TV advert. During client sessions I have experienced that without my intervention or getting into a conversation containing my views, they held the answers within themselves and were partly relieved and tearful at seeing this. All I did was to listen, empathically reflect and summarise; leading the client to focus on the things they felt most strongly about. I have enjoyed pointing out the incongruence between their words and the feelings and reactions I see in their bodies and expressions; listening to a client think down through those layers of faà §ade to find themselves is a pleasure to witness. This may sound arrogant and a little colloquial, I feel as though I have been handed a super power that I must wield carefully. Feedback during class based skills sessions shows me I still have a way to go in terms of framing the counselling session; initially this feels tough to take, I want so much to be ‘seen’ as being great at this. I now see that as a need for external validation and continue to practice letting that desire pass. This has lead to taking recent feedback as a chance to grow; it pleases me; I am loving the journey.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Preface Compared To Job

about the leviathan. God speaks of all the fearful qualities of the leviathan to show Job that one of his creations can strike that much fear in a man then he has no business challenging God. The answer to the questions in â€Å"Preface† are found in lines 20 through 24: â€Å"It’s only... Free Essays on Preface Compared To Job Free Essays on Preface Compared To Job In comparing Edward Taylor’s â€Å"Preface† with Job 38-41 there are several similarities in structure, language and imagery, and answers to the questions being asked in each passage. In Taylor’s poem, man is questioning who is responsible for the creation; who God is. In Job 38-41, Job is questioning God because of his long suffering. God responds to Job with a series of questions for the purpose of teaching. Both passages use incredible word pictures to describe creation. God’s almighty power and presence in creation are realized in both passages. The passages both use the question format as their structure. The questions are related to creation. There are many similar questions about creation. In â€Å"Preface†, Taylor asks, â€Å"Who laid its cornerstone?† (line7). From Job 38:6 God said, â€Å"On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone ...?†. All of the questions were asked not to get an answer but to make a point or teach a lesson. By using the question format, the reader gets a sense of God’s power. Another tool used to give the reader a sense of God’s power is the language of the passages. Imagery and metaphors are used throughout the lines. One example is in â€Å"Preface†, line 14, â€Å"Who in this bowling alley bowled the sun?†. Edward Taylor uses an image that we’re familiar with to try to explain something that is hard to imagine. A familiar image can also be found in Job 38:37-38, â€Å"Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?†. Chapter 41 of Job invokes the imagination with its words about the leviathan. God speaks of all the fearful qualities of the leviathan to show Job that one of his creations can strike that much fear in a man then he has no business challenging God. The answer to the questions in â€Å"Preface† are found in lines 20 through 24: â€Å"It’s only...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Management - Assignment Example Leadership involves establishment of a clear vision, sharing and conveying the vision with the associates so that they can follow it enthusiastically, providing knowledge, information as well as describing the methods by which the vision can be realized, balancing the conflicts and coordinating with the stakeholders and other associated members. In this tumultuous business environment, the importance and necessity of efficient leadership cannot be denied. The complex and dynamic nature of business has further augmented the need of leadership in an organization. As a result of this, it has been observed that companies nowadays have started to instigate several leadership development trainings and programs which clearly points out that although off late, originations have been able to understand the extent to which efficient leadership adds to the efficiency and competence of an origination (Agard, 2010). Leadership is a vast area and its application is be found in different facets of an organization. However, there are huge differences between management and leadership styles. Moreover, the role played by leadership is different from that of the role of managing. Although the major role of leadership is to ensure people in n organization are working towards a common goal, but is not constrained or limited to only a single area. Leadership also plays several other roles and is crucial to an organization’s day to day activity. Some of the most crucial roles played by leadership in an organization are describe below. Management of the Workforce: - Leadership is extremely important in organizations to ensure proper management of the people. Leadership not only provides assistance in initiating actions within organizations, but also plays actives roles in motivating the workforce, providing them with guidance, building confidence, improving the morale, creating a healthy working environment and also coordinating with the employees for better outcome. Strategy Implementation: - The notion of leadership is also vital in the strategy implementation process of an organization. The implementation of stagey in organizations is equally important like that of strategy formulation. A strategy is generally formulated by the upper management but the implementation is in the hands of the leaders. They are the one who are accountable to implement and communicate the strategy to the entire organization. Hence, the role of leadership in strategy implementation is imperative. In the meantime, it has been also observed that, employees often resist the implementation of a new strategy thinking that this may dislocate their current state. In this context also leadership plays a crucial role in managing the resistance to the change offered by the employees thereby implementing the strategy successfully. The above discussion has made it evident that leadership practices are indeed significant for an organization. Therefore, it is also necessary to shed light on the different types of leadership. The type of leadership practices differ from one organization to the other. The leadership style or the type of leadership is greatly dependent upon the objectives of the organization and also the intentions of the organization. A number of authors in this context argue that the leadership style of an organization also depends upon the organizational culture. Echoing these thoughts, several other scholars have mentioned that the national culture of a country also