Proposal Preventing School Dropout Essay

Introduction Currently, it is expected that all students should graduate from high school. Still, hundreds of students in American schools drop out of school before graduating. Many observations made clearly show that more students continue to drop out of schools and the goal ensuring that each student graduate from high school remains a pipe dream. It is becoming clear that the issues of students dropping out of school are related with the social and economic issues affecting the society and can not be dealt with separately. These social-economical issues include unemployment, poverty, social values, discrimination family, the welfare, drug abuse and child abuse. Students who drop out of school are forecasted to increase in future and create a bigger problem. Dropping out of school is a multifaceted problem of which there is no single solution for it. Putting emphasis on solving one element of the issue leads to the need of getting solutions for other related issues. Thus, that is why that a broad range of activities and agencies be involved to help solve the problem. The mission for proposal Having a mission statement is very important as it gives the proposal a direction and objectives and goals of the stated activities. The mission statement is; Ensuring that all students in schools graduates through creating partnership with schools, students, the community and all the stakeholders. How the proposals services is structured Having a clear structure of the proposal is very important in ensuring that proposed services are successful delivered. Accordingly, the proposal services will be structured in way that there is a division depending on the different services. Different divisions will carry out different services accordingly. For example, outreach program division, financing division and vocational training division. The resource path for proposal Financial resources human resource is important in implementing any proposals. In accordance to that the proposal will be financed from grants and aids from private or public bodies including the local government and the federal governments. The human resources will include professional who will work as volunteers and other social workers who will assist the in implementing the objectives and the goals suggested by the proposal. Individual who will carry out this proposal will be social workers, child workers professional, and psychologists. They will do this through conducting group sessions, taking with teachers concerned with students learning progress, doing parenting management and carrying out training skills in students homes. The content of proposal services It has been noted that any meaningful student dropout prevention program should offer strong educational alternatives, challenges, opportunities services and support to the students to assist them to be able to complete and graduate from their respective schools. For the purpose of this proposal program, the key areas that the proposal has identified are; accountably Instructional focus Community involvement School structure Relevancy and learning The above issues when well implemented will provide both the students and their parents with a holistic approach to motivate students to be able to complete school. The agency will coordinate its activities with schools, districts, students, parents and the whole community in carrying out its activities. This will ensure that the agency creates an effective school dropout prevention program. The agency will provide; Professional improvement activities Technical assistance Counselling Financial assistance The content of proposal services Any successful program to prevent students from dropping out of school has to use various strategies to support students’ achievements. I strongly thus suggest that the following programs have to be implemented in the program. Relevancy learning; This program has the ability to motivate a student to learn, the strategies provides a chance for the student to integrate more with the school and the community. The strategy will involve; Mentoring the student; where the student will be mentored by a mentor and be provided with academic support which address the student needs such as math, writing or reading competencies. Service learning; this aspect connects school learning to important community services and experiences. This will provide the student with real world situations and promote the student social, personal and academic growth. Civil responsibility and career development will also be covered here. Alternative schooling; this strategy provides students who may want to dropout with various options which can make the graduate from school. Such options includes, flexible scheduling, distance learning and technology and different program setting. How agency will link with proposal The proposal will be linked with the agency through the management and the outreach program. The program proposal will be carried out by the outreach program which will have a duty of implementing the proposal policies. Partnerships with other agencies with same objectives will be sought to ensure that proposal is well linked. How proposal services will be linked to communities Community participation in any program that involves the society as a whole is very important. Connecting the students to the community at large helps to remove what is seen as the â€Å"school barrier† and assists in providing chances for complete support and planning. It motivates the students towards their career advancement and participation. It also provides the students with the necessary interpersonal and social skills to make them be successful in life. Several strategies will have to be undertaken to achieve this goal, this are: Systemic renewal; it calls for involving the community and other stake holders in regular process of assessing the objectives and in planning, and formulating   policies to prevent students from dropping out of the school. This will also require using the available data, analysing the school system and evaluating the progress made by the students. Community collaboration; community collaboration is beneficial to both the students and the school community. This will help to put up strong infrastructure ad also support the teaching staff with the current complex objectives and goals for the current students. Conflict resolution; an all-inclusive program to build interpersonal skills, enhance conflict resolution ability, and building awareness to prevent violence highly promotes the success of dropout prevention program. Conflict resolution creates an enabling environment and for the young youths (students) to achieve in the society. How you will see implementation of proposal For this proposal to be useful, it has to be implemented by the responsible bodies. Thus, the proposal suggest that the school have principals will have to implement strategies in their schools as suggested in the proposal. The district education board will ensure that the proposals are being carried out correctly. It will be expected that the implementation of the proposals will be done immediately. At the same time the community will be educated through social workers on importance on school dropout programs. Personal effective; carrying out retreat program designed to improve student’s self esteem, through regular classroom- based discussion, participation on interpersonal relations, and individual counselling. Academic; this will be achieved by providing special educational courses, instruction methods that are individualized. Family outreach; this will include home visits and feedback strategies. Work related; this program strategy will involve vocational training, service program and partaking in volunteer service. To ensure that the proposal program is carried out effectively, there will be a project coordinator who will work together with different groups to coordinate activities for effective implementation Evaluating the impact of proposal service on the people you intend to benefit from your proposal To analyse the effectiveness of the proposed program, regular reviews of the number students attendance will be examine in specific schools where the program will be being carried out to analyze the impact of the program. The assessment will be based on measuring the percentage of dropout in schools that have carried out the proposal suggestions. Other measures as the impact of rate of school attendance will also be measured, to ascertain the counselling and interpersonal training effects of the program on the specific students.   Emphasizing the rational reasoning for each of the nine recurring policy issues To support the policies of the proposal research and studies finding will be used. Also practical field experience will be collected and data complied to support the measures of the proposed policies. The results of the proposed proposals from the field will be used to emphasize the measures taken. This will be supported by interviews from participants and from the schools where the program will be carried out. Social work ethical dilemmas does your proposal recognize and address The proposal recognizes the social issue of keeping research information confidential and protecting participants of in the program. All participants observation notes, responses and personal information will be held in the strictest of confidence and will not be revealed even after the study has concluded.   All participants will be required to sign a confidentiality statement and will be encouraged vehemently to concur with the terms of the agreement. (Addressing the `digital divide Technology remains important in facilitated education across the board. Technology allows schools and teachers to carry out effective teaching and educational programs. Schools with well technological equipments have been observed to perform better than those with poor technological facilities. Technology remains in schools and in programs to prevent school dropouts. The implications of lack of access to and or skill in using information Observations show that those schools with better technology have high chances of retaining their students in schools than those with poor technology. At the same time students who have access to computers and other technology equipments are like not to dropout of school than those who do not have the access to technology. Technology such as computer also allows a student to continue with studies for instance by use of distance learning which limits dropout rates. Thus, the badly impacted groups due to lack of technology will be students and teachers Ways to change this lack of access and skills into easy and quick Students and schools can be assisted to access technology through grants and/or financial or technology assistance to equip these schools. Students on the other hand can be trained on technology, given aid in terms of technology or learning materials on the technology. This has to be continuous process so that there lack of technology can be minimized through these programs. Also a program should be introduced in which to regularly train teachers on new technologies available so that they can be equipped with latest technology. Conclusion The issue of school dropouts remains crucial and alarming in the United States. Statistics continue to reveal that a large number of students dropout of schools before they can graduate. Thus, it is important that the issue be addressed fully, it has been noted that school dropout is a social issue that requires to be tackled by different ways to solve it. Some of these ways include involving the community, counselling students and availing technology to both schools and students. However, school dropout problem will continue to challenge the education policy makers in the country.

Pepsi Story

Founded in 1893, Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is a product of the firm â€Å"PepsiCo. † It the sass and sass it was the leading soft drink company in the market. From then to now a lot has changed in terms of market scenario as well as product development. The current market scenario comprises of two main market leaders in the soft drink industry, namely, Pepsi and Coca-Cola (Coke). In addition to these other competitors include Thumbs up, Lima, etc. Pepsi faces heavy competition in the Indian market that is so diverse in terms of cultures, traditions, tastes and references.Narrowing the research to the city of Pun specifically, within India, it can be noticed that the consumer preference is more for Pepsi or Coke over the others. Since Pun is largely a student hub, it contains a lot of the younger generation population. Thus with the research conducted through this study, Pepsi will be able to study how it could get an upper hand over its competitors in the potential and booming market of Pun in terms of brand awareness and consumer preference. Need of the Study The need of the study conducted is highlighted below Will help with competitor analysis.Will help the company to get an idea about consumer tastes and preference. Will help the company get an upper hand over its competitors. Will help the company to gain market dominance. Will ensure brand loyalty. As it can be studied trot the above graph which is based on the responses received from the target market of this study, Coke and Pepsi have a neck to neck competition with Coke leading as compared to the other companies including Pepsi. Thus the main need of this study is for Pepsi to analyze ways in which it could replace Coke to e the market dominator in Pun.It must focus on the branding, pricing and packaging parameters mainly in order to improve or introduce newer products into the market and that is exactly the kind of information this study would provide the firm with. Scope of the Stu dy Scope of the study includes- Parameters such as competitor analysis, branding and packaging analysis. It focuses on carbonated soft drinks. Does not include water and alcoholic beverages. Limited to the city of Pun. Research conducted of behalf of Pepsi. Includes bottled as well as can soft drinks.Limited to age group of about fifteen to forty five years. Included . Methods of Data Collection There are two methods of data collection- 1. Primary 2. Secondary Primary Both males and females Data was collected through the use of questionnaire. First hand information was made available by distributing questionnaires to 50 people in the target market. Secondary It refers to collection of data that already exists and is within reach of everyone else as well. For the purpose of this study secondary data methods such as the internet and various articles were used. Statistical Tools UBar Graph Pie Charts Questionnaire Company Profile Pepsi is a product of the company PepsiCo that is an Ame rican multinational company that has its base in New York. It was founded in 1965, after the merger of Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito Lay. The CEO of the firm is a dynamic Indian lady named Indri Garnishment's Annoy, who has held her position since 2006. PepsiCo owns various firms, namely- Frito Lay Tropical Quaker Oats Storage Various products introduced include Diet Pepsi Lipton Ice Tea 7 up Mountain Dew Miranda Lays Doris These are a few products amongst many others.

Low Stakes Paper: The Shepherd’s Horn Essay

In â€Å"The Shepherd’s Horn†, persuasion plays an essential role throughout the entire story. Persuasion can be an extremely powerful tool and through telling this story, Hansen illustrates just how significant it can be. â€Å"The Shepherd’s Horn† tells the story of a young couple, Ragnhild and Guttorm, who are prevented from having a relationship by Ragnhild’s protective father, Thord. Together, Ragnhild and Guttorm have a child out of wedlock, therefore forcing the couple to hide their relationship as well as their child from Ranghild’s mother and father in fear of disapproval. However, with the help of Caroline, the story’s narrator, the couple is finally reconciled with her parents because Caroline’s abilities to persuade are no match for Thord. Caroline’s curiosity in the story is essential because without it, the story may not have had such a happy ending. His recognition of the sound from the mysterious horn in his dream is what ultimately leads him to learn about the story of Ragnhild and Guttorm and to his surprise, their child. Touched by their romantic story, Caroline was able to convince Ragnhild and Guttorm to have courage and tell her parents the truth about their relationship, as well as their child. This is where the first major instance of persuasion occurs in the story. Caroline’s influential approach was the first step in having the couple confess to Ragnhild’s mother and father the life that they had been hiding for many years. After he was able to convince them to lay â€Å"their fate in [his] hands†, they proceeded to find Thord. Ragnhild and Guttorm had been hiding this child for months, and their relationship for even longer, so the fact that Caroline was able to convince them with such ease to finally admit this story shows that Caroline is a very skillful persuader. However, rather than flat out telling Thord the truth, Caroline first went about telling him in a very clever manner. Caroline started by telling Thord a â€Å"tale† that paralleled the story of Ragnhild and Guttorm, easing the idea of the reality of the situation onto Thord. As he saw Thord grow more and more intrigued in the story, he skillfully explained at the end, how the story taught, â€Å"about your royal lineage†¦here lies the word of the Lord, which teaches that we are the same before God. It teaches humility and forgiveness, mercy and love†. His choice to compare his tale with that of Ragnhild and Guttorm’s was witty as he was first able to explain the moral of the story before Thord became too enraged to listen, which may not have been the case if he had only heard the story of Ragnhild and Guttorm. After Thord had heard everything that Caroline had to say about how, in fact, this story taught valuable life lessons about forgiveness, Caroline decided to proceed right into revealing Ragnhild and Guttorm’s child. At first, Thord and his wife were angry and upset. However, it was Caroline’s continuous efforts to persuade the couple combined with the respect that the couple had for him that eventually lead to their forgiveness. Much to all of their surprise, Thord was able to forgive Ragnhild and Guttorm and open to making peace with the situation. The story ended with Ragnhild and Guttorm happily married and the child was named after Caroline as a means of respect for what he had done for their family. After reading this story, I was able to see how prevalent the idea of persuasion was. It occurred throughout the entire story in instances that may have gone unnoticed, such as when Caroline convinced his driver to drive to the location after hearing the horn, as well as in very impactful places, when Caroline convinced Thord and his wife to forgive their daughter. Whether it was a climactic or part of the story or not, Caroline was very tactful in his methods, which ultimately lead to the happy ending of this story. While sometimes persuasion can be seen as manipulative, in â€Å"The Shepherd’s Horn†, it illustrates how the persuasion of even strangers can have such a positive impact. Caroline was able to use things such as diction, reasoning, and other persuasive strategies in order to achieve his goals of easing the reality of the situation on Ragnhild’s parents. Not only does persuasion take a lot of strategy, but it also requires courage. If it weren’t for Caroline’s persistence and persuasive methods, Ragnhild and Guttorm may not have had the courage to tell her parents and would ultimately live in hiding for the rest of their lives.

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

International Law - Essay Example Due to the increase in these multinational corporation cases, American courts employed the doctrine of forum non conveniens, as a shield to limit the increasing use of the American legal system by foreign plaintiffs. The argument behind all this is that the foreign victims tend to take advantage of the procedural and substantive law.2 As a result of global development and globalization of most business activities, the multinational corporations are discussed at an international platform. The globalization of these corporations as well as economic institutions in the world brings wider media coverage that even the very small accidents can be viewed by millions in the world. This keeps the whole world alert about the multinational corporations, which are best known to violate human rights. ... The reasons for the inclusion of the Alien Tort Statue in this Act were not very clear, but however its enactment was originally for the use against pirates, and to prevent the mistreatment of foreign ambassadors, but it was left inactive and forgotten until 1980 when it was rediscovered and put into use by lawyers.5 The Alien Tort Statute was first used in solving the Filartiga V. case. The plaintiffs were a Paraguayan father and daughter who brought a complaint with the help of human rights activists. They alleged that the defendant a former Paraguay police officer had tortured their brother and son to death. They won the case and were rewarded a significant monetary amount.6 Since the enactment of the Alien Tort Statue, a significant number of cases have been brought forth concerning human rights abuses committed abroad including claims against American corporations. The Alien Tort Statute has really helped to solve many cases. This statute has made it possible and easier for fore igners to bring civil cases in the United States district level courts, for crimes committed anywhere in the world by an individual, government, and corporations that violates the law of nations or treaty of the United States.7 The Alien Tort Statue also gained importance in kadic V, Karadizic. Karadizic expanded the capacity of human rights claims under Alien Tort Statute to cover private non-state actors who violated human rights. This means that, it was directly applied against corporate defendants and this indicated that American courts were, and are willing to consider claims based on violations of international human law against Multinational Corporations.8

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

LAW - Essay Example As such, the national courts are under an obligation to promote EU law. However, the English courts follow a dualist approach in dealing with cases of non – compliance. This practice has resulted in a number of barriers for the UK courts to integrate the EU law with their national legislation1. In order to interpret the EU law, the European Court of Justice mainly depends on three sources; namely, the EU Treaties, Articles of the Treaties and provisions of EU law. The ECJ deals with cases of breach of EU law by Member States if their national legislation fails to correctly interpret the EU law. The ECJ then examines the legal basis of the Acts enacted by the institutions of the EU to find out their legality and practicality. Member States refer cases of infringement of EU law to the ECJ for the proper interpretation of EU law2. In the context of European integration, the United Kingdom has retained its parliamentary sovereignty to a very limited extent, in several matters relating to the European Union. The UK cannot escape from being penalised for breach of EU law; and it cannot determine the scope and extent of the penalties imposed upon it. Furthermore, the United Kingdom cannot abstain from implementing any directives issued by the EC nor does it have the power to withhold parts of directives from being implemented. This was established in the case of Factortame in 19913. In that case the parliamentary sovereignty of the UK was completely ignored by the European Court of Justice. The House of Lords refused to implement the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 on the plea that the Act challenged and derogated from, parliamentary supremacy in the UK. In another case, namely, R v. Secretary of State for Employment4, the House of Lords held that the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 was not in accordanc e with the EU Law. Their

Vermont Teddy Bear Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vermont Teddy Bear - Research Proposal Example Validation of Organizational Vision In specific, it is an understanding that vision and mission of a company plays the most crucial role in providing a fundamental basis to the organization, as well as a sense of strategic understanding to its employees and stakeholders. However, at the same time, it is essential that processes of the organization should be in line with the identified aims and value statements of the company as mission and values provide a virtual roadmap to achieve some target in the future. For this reason, the proposed research will include analysis of mission, objectives, and value statements of Vermont Teddy Bear (VTBC, 2011) along with their comparison analysis with existing strategic processes of the organization. In this regard, website of Vermont Teddy Bear (VTBC, 2011), as well as published brochures and reports will be an efficient way of getting hold of its mission, objectives, and values statements. At the same time, the same resources will be helpful in the evaluation of their implementation and effectiveness in different processes of the organization.

Work, People and Productivity Mgt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Work, People and Productivity Mgt - Essay Example These include; Preoccupation with failure, sensitivity to operations, reluctance to simplify interpretations, deference to expertise and commitment to resilience. People in HRO work in recognition of the high risk environments and occupations. In order to enhance productivity and reliability the HRO must carry out self-assessment and evaluation. These characteristics provide a guide to the thinking and mindfulness in the organization (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). It is important to recognize that policies and manuals in an organization constantly change; the HRO should be mindful and be sensitive to the complexity of the systems and environment of the HRO. The HRO should quickly work to identify and anomalies and problems and quickly eliminate potential problems. As an HRO it is important to always be aware and have updated information on the state of the systems and processes in the organization. This is key to identifying possible problems and preventing them (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). It is important that the HRO offer concrete and detailed explanation and documentation of processes in the organization. Simple explanations to processes and activities are not ideal for proper diagnosis of problems in the organization. This eliminates the problem of not knowing what’s going on in the organization until it’s too late. Concise and clear explanations of processes improve reliability and productivity of the organization (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). Failures and errors are bound to occur in any HRO, it is the roles of the HRO to identify, predict and eliminate possible catastrophes rather react to them. An HRO constantly keeps in mind that they might have omitted something that might put the organization at risk. This should be viewed as opportunities to improve current systems by determining weaknesses, examining

Finance Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance Paper - Essay Example The Mission statement of the firm â€Å"is to build the premier specialty retailer of jewelry by  offering consumers high quality products at compelling values through an empowering shopping experience.† Values The Company emphasizes in great customer satisfaction and delivering that satisfaction through high-quality products. The key element for the company is to make the customer feel special and give them a shopping experience that will leave them in awe. From a business perspective, the company has developed â€Å"Code of Ethics† which list out some key values that the company strongly believes in. For instance, each individual should be treated with fairness, compassion and respect. The company also believes in strong foundation of complete, efficient, and accurate recording methods to the government. Strategy The marketing strategy for the company is effective and is consisted of penetrating the online market and attracting its customer. The company is expected to earn around 75 cents(earnings per share), which is 34% from the previous annual year. The organization’s strategy is to penetrate the market segment by selling their products at a lower price than the traditional jewelry stores. The company possesses two key competitive advantages. One competitive advantage is to cut the cost of buying diamonds only if there is a guarantee that the customer will purchase them. In essence, the customer cannot breach the contract, which enables it to be cost-effective and makes them unique compared to traditional jewelry stores. Blue Nile Company utilizes pull marketing strategy as it uses clever pricing strategy to accomplish its goals. The company believes in being just 10% better, a no nominal feat in these harsh economic times. Moreover, the company emphasizes in brand recognition and enhancing consumer traffic through their online website. The focal point remains through the search engines such as Google, YAHOO and Bing.com. The company offers incentives through internet by persuading customers to subscribe to their newsletter, which gives them special insights about promotions, sales, and coupons. The company invests little in brick-and-mortar advertisements and billboards. Without a doubt, the management team is vital towards the success of the organization. Diane Irvine, the CEO and the President has created a culture that thrives on â€Å"thinking outside the box.† It is astonishing to see how a company is flourishing in this business without owning diamond mines, a feat that may seem impossible. Ms. Irvine along with Susan Bell and Marianne Marck acknowledged that certain months are extremely busy for the stores. Thus, the decided to have a strategy in which they launched new, creative desings for the jwererly around that time period. In essence, the management team was ready to face the challenges of the customers head-on. Moreover, Irvine and her team excelled in customer service by returning custome rs demands and shipping their packages in timely manner. Furthermore, the management administration staff placed high priority in consultation and pursued the engagement rign business to the fullest, which made them highly profitable. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BALANCE SHEET Period Ending Jan 2, 2011 Jan 3, 2010 Jan 4, 2009 Assets Current Assets Cash And Cash Equivalents 113,261  Ã‚   78,149  Ã‚   54,451  Ã‚   Short Term Investments -    15,000  Ã‚   -    Net Receivables 2,328

Implications for an Economy of a Rising Exchange Rate Essay

Implications for an Economy of a Rising Exchange Rate - Essay Example There are two types of foreign exchange rate, the spot exchange, and the term forward exchange rate. The first is defined as the rate that is currently applicable, while the latter is defined as the rate that is currently quoted and used for trading. Foreign exchange rates are determined by either a fixed rate, or a floating rate regime. A fixed rate regime of foreign exchange means that the value of the currency against a foreign currency is determined by the government through its central bank. A floating rate regime determines the value of the currency based on the dictates of the market, hence, through supply and demand principles. The private sector largely determines the appropriate exchange rate in a floating rate regime. Foreign exchange is among the three frequently used indicators to assess the health of an economy. The other two indicators are the interest rate and the inflation rate. However, it is said that foreign exchange plays a vital role in the country’s level of trade, which is critical to most free market economy in the world. Such importance has made its role in the economy critical, and with its impact, it has thus became the â€Å"most watched, analyzed, and governmentally manipulated economic measure†. ... A large, consistent government deficit, crowding out domestic borrowing, 5. A strong domestic financial market. 6. strong domestic economy relative to weaker foreign economies, 7. No record of default on government debts, 8. Sound monetary policy aimed at price stability, and 9. Political or military unrest in other countries. A combination of the above conditions will give rise to a stronger currency. Some of them may be construed as a sign of good economic housekeeping. But who directly benefits from a strong currency, and who will eventually lose out if a strong currency prevails over a longer period of time? How does a rising foreign exchange rate, then, make its impact on the economy? Foreign exchange rate would move in two directions. It moves either up or down (an appreciating or a depreciating currency). In either direction, however, it impacts the economy with some sectors being positively affected, and some sectors being negatively affected. It is therefore a question of ba lancing or mitigating its impact by government regulators in order to as much as possible keep all stakeholders happy. A rising foreign exchange rate, as stated, primarily affects a country’s exports by making them more expensive for other countries to buy. They will become more expensive to importing countries and are therefore less competitive compared to other countries. Economies whose growth is generally export-led and are relying mainly on income from exporting goods and services will be highly affected by a continuously appreciating local currency. It is the exporting sector of the economy who bears the brunt of an appreciating currency, where their produce have become less competitive in the global market relative to other similar commodities from other countries. Thus, a

Study skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Study skills - Essay Example In the backdrop of this, we shall take an in-depth view of some the policies that Mayor Johnson has proposed for the City of London, in particular those that address environmental concerns. Additionally, we shall review the powers and responsibilities of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London so that we may understand their scope in administrative matters. A thorough scrutiny of some of polices stipulated by the mayor shall also be reviewed in this essay. One of the main responsibilities of Mayor Johnson is to promote economic development and creation of wealth. Being the executive of the strategic authority of London, the mayor is mandated to ensure that there are avenues for job creation and a good atmosphere for doing business. Availability of jobs and the abundance of business opportunities open up room for economic development in the city. The mayor is also mandated to create policies and strategic plans to address transportation, development and planning, environmental issues, health, economic development, culture and housing issues. With the aid of bodies mandated to carry out specific functions, such as Transport for London, the mayor is able to implement these policies. Appointment of board members of the different functional bodies such as London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is often done by the mayor. These bodies have specific roles that address different development issues, such as crime and transportation. In addition to this, he can appoint a chair to these boards or chair the boards himself, like he has done with the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Transport of London (Beatley, 2012). As the executive, the mayor sets out annual budgets for funding services in London. This is often done by funding bodies that provide such services. These include; Transport for London, Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), London Development Agency (LDA),

The role that agents of socialization play in shaping an individuals Essay

The role that agents of socialization play in shaping an individuals political culture - Essay Example In fact, journalism has the capability to challenge the political arrogance displays and acts as a potential channel to display the voices of political situations in a particular region. The news media conveys messages, meanings and symbols to the wider society and political news can actually affect the image of a politician or a political party in general (Schudson, 2002). Education system also has a role in forming the political culture of an individual. People learn through the various books, theories and history the political culture and heritage enjoyed in the country. Also civics and law gives a lot of insight about the political structures and systems prevalent and the constitutional rights enjoyed by a particular nation thereby helping an individual to form an opinion (Zechenter, 1997). Other than these, religion and the workplace of an individual are important components shaping the political culture of an individual. Religion is especially a dominant force in forming political culture. Also the workplace of an individual helps him to get information and form opinions about political culture. If the individual meets people from different regions coming from varied cultures, values, beliefs and religions then he may have more knowledge about the cultures and opinions of other individuals. However, according to me the education systems and the media portrayal of the issues taking place have helped in forming a political culture. The history and civics subject helps us to know more about the political systems in the country and the media including newspaper, television and radio have helped in forming my personal opinion about the political culture. Another important factor which helped to shape my political culture is my parents, peers and relatives. Discussions and debates help in knowing more information thereby helping in forming an opinion about the political culture. To conclude, a culmination of

Food security Essay Example for Free

Food security Essay All efforts to bridge the gap between government estimates and the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council over the Food Security Act are coming up against a central concern posed by the Congress chief: How can the selection criteria ensure the poor and deserving dont get left out? NAC members who interact with the government point out that Sonia repeatedly underlines her personal experience over the years during visits to deprived areas where she has found that the poor are simply not counted in any state survey and are denied any benefits. The Congress chiefs poser that the inability of the poor, particularly tribals and dalits, to access below poverty line cards needed to tap official welfare schemes will defeat the very objective of a law providing 35 kg food grain a month to the widest set of recipients is proving tough to answer. Here, even automatic inclusion parameters may not mean the severely disadvantaged groups will be assured a minimum level of food security, said sources familiar with the Congress supremos thinking. Sonia is keen the proposed law be effective in addressing needs of those who live on the brink and need state support and her conviction that exclusion criteria are applied in a bureaucratic manner and end up leaving the needy out in the cold tilts the scale towards universal eligibility which the government continues to baulk at. Several permutations have been considered including limiting universal public distribution system to districts with chronic poverty or looking for the right urban-rural ratios. But while some campaigners argue that governments fears of having to maintain large stocks are misplaced as universal PDS will be accessed only by those who need it, the government is not quite convinced. The government feels that legal provisions stating population percentages to be catered for will mean it has to provide for adequate food grain for all intended beneficiaries. A law is mandatory and the optimum values have to be factored in. The tussle over selection of beneficiaries has seen populist politics pushing for dilution of criteria like pucca houses or income levels. But the Congress presidents core concern that expanding the net still does not necessarily mean that obvious beneficiaries are being catered for being tossed up and down the table in both formal and informal consultations. Food security act pledge in Prezs address A national food security act to guarantee 25 kg of rice or wheat a month to BPL families, consolidation of rural employment and Bharat Nirman, a focus on terrorism and Indias neighbourhood, initiatives for urban employment and a promise to battle recessionary trends are likely to be part of Presidents address to Parliament. The first meeting of the Union Cabinet after the conclusion of government-formation, scheduled for Saturday morning, may consider President Pratibha Patils speech to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The speech, to be delivered on June 4, has been extensively worked on by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Presidents address is expected to highlight areas outlined by the PM like infrastructure and security. High on the governments agenda are plans for a National Counter Terrorism Centre, modernisation of police forces through training and technology and diversified recruitment. It will also speak of pushing programmes like highways that have languished. Some legislations like the Unorganised workers social security bill and Right to Education Bill, National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, expansion of the Rashtriya Swathya Bima Yojana and the National Child Labour Project, integrated development of minority concentration districts and approval of a National Tribal Policy are initiatives the government would like to speeden up. With economy and job losses very much a concern, the address will look to stress development of social and physical infrastructure along with specific plans like an urban employment safety net. The government will work on a comprehensive overhaul of public healthcare, restructuring Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), strengthening implementation of 11th and 12th plan power projects and attention on employment-generating small sector enterprises. The government is planning major efforts to decrease infant and mother mortality rates, bring about accountability in Primary Health Centres, initiate a household survey of the National Rural Healthcare Mission, besides approving rigorous oversight in ensuring dispensation of medicines before expiry dates. In the education sector, the main focus is likely to be on quality education by restructuring SSA, seen as a success story, and on guaranteeing education for all. The government is expected to  restructure SSA into a Mission for Quality Elementary Education to deal effectively with teacher absenteeism and drop out rates. The government has set up a target of adding 78,577 Mw of power generation capacity in the current 11th five year plan which has been raised to 1 lakh MW during the 12th five year plan. A major thrust on the micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector hit badly by the global economic slowdown to protect workers and artisans can be expected. Government may insist on use of handlooms and handicrafts in decor for government offices as well as for venues for the forthcoming At the start of UPAs first term in office, the Presidents address had reflected the commitments made in the common minimum programme and this time around, Congresss manifesto is expected to be foundation of the speech. A nation-wide skill development programme and scholarship schemes for needy students and those from the minority communities are on the governments check list. The electoral success in attracting minority votes could see the President refer to Congresss poll promise of taking its minority reservation models in states like Andhra Pradesh, to the national level. The government feels that it has been the recipient of a rural feel-good with the agrarian economy benefitting from higher MPS, NREGA and the loan waiver. With an eye to consolidating its image as pro-farmer, the government is expected to work towards providing interest relief to all farmers who repay bank loans on schedule. The loan waiver has reached 3.68 crore families. In the power sector, operationalisation of the National Electricity Fund, infrastructure implementation in the north-east, faster implementation of flagship programmes and monitoring through third parties and capacity building are on the table. Sanghatana says Food Security Act will ruin farmers The Shetkari Sanghatana has come out strongly against the proposed Food Security Act of the UPA government terming it as anti-farmer and a measure that would fuel inflation, derail countrys economy and produce an army of lazy people who get food almost for free without need to work. The proposed law is aimed at only garnering votes in 2014 elections by the ruling parties at the Centre. Providing subsidized food to 67% of countrys population or 81 crore people would cost the country Rs1,25,000 crore. It would have far-reaching implications on productivity and economy of the country and destroy dignity of labour, said Ram Neole, spokesman of the Sanghatana. Providing cheap foodgrains to the disabled, needy people can be seen as a noble gesture of a caring government in a welfare state. But the Food Security ordinance brought in a haste without waiting for a parliamentary clearance to cover an overwhelming majority of population is a cheap political gimmick, said Neole. His Shetkari Sanghatana led by Sharad Joshi favoured free market economy with farmers getting adequate rates for their produce. The Food Act would mean that farmers producing paddy, wheat and coarse grains like jowar would never get the right price as the government that controls pricing and procurement would never allow a hike so as to contain the cost of the scheme, explained Neole. Under the new law those demanding the foodgrains would be given rice for Rs3, wheat for Rs2 and jowar for Rs1 a kg. Of course, when faced with huge budgetary deficit that is bound to happen, the government would increase taxes on traders and salaried classes and businessmen and professionals burdening them further, Neole apprehended. All this will lead to loss of income for farmers, more taxes and non-availability of labour force for productive work at farms and factories, he feared. Contradicting this viewpoint, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari has jumped in support of the law. In a statement here, he said: Only those ignorant of hunger and deprivation that kills lakhs of people in villages every year would oppose the law. Such political parties and people would be taught a lesson in 2014 elections for opposing a pro-poor policy, said Tiwari. The poor have a right to food and the proposed law is the first step to acknowledge it, he added. Food subsidy bill may touch Rs 75K cr on back of Food Security Act The proposed Food Security Act may not put additional burden on the government in the current fiscal year as the government can find the resources to fund the plan from the spending outlined for 2011-12, finance ministry officials said. However, the food subsidy bill could soar to as much as Rs 75,000 crore from the estimated Rs 60,572.98 crore for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Finance ministry officials said the government will provide the money for funding this exercise. The ministry has already asked various departments to  tighten their belts and not to undertake any new spending commitments as it sticks to its plan of meeting the fiscal deficit target of 4.6% of gross domestic product. The government is keen to stick to its deficit target as it has embarked on a drive to mend public finances. Earlier, the government had said it was ready to provide for any additional fuel subsidy as result of the spike in global crude oil prices and is confident of finding the resources from within the budget for the 2011-12 financial year. The government has an ambitious share sale programme in state run companies and plans to raise Rs 40,000 crore. Despite volatile stock market and global economic conditions, finance ministry officials are confident of achieving the target. It is also banking on other non-tax revenues to help it keep within it spending limits despite pressure points on the subsidy front. Sources said the ministry of food and consumer affairs was staring at a requirement of over 70 million tonnes of foodgrain to support the food security act. Given the trends in procurement and the need to maintain buffer stocks, it could pose a problem for the government and force it to import from the international market. Any plans to impose large quantities of grains could push up prices in the global market and widen the governments subsidy burden. Some analysts say the food subsidy could touch Rs 1 lakh crore in two years. It remains to be seen how the government balances the demand for the food security act against the backdrop of a tight fiscal situation. Analysts say importing costly food to run the Food Security Act could blow a hole in public finances and reverse the trend in fiscal consolidation. Congress hopes to get food bill passed Conscious that the window to secure passage of the food security bill is narrowing as the scheduled end of the monsoon session of parliament nears, the Congress on Sunday expressed the hope that the landmark measure will get approved during the coming week. We hope the food bill will be passed in parliament on Monday or Tuesday, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko told IANS. The ongoing monsoon session of parliament is scheduled to end on August 30. Though the lower house functioned on Saturday, in lieu of a holiday last week, the food bill was not listed as opposition parties wanted it to be  debated on Monday. The food bill will be taken up on Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had told reporters on Friday. If it gets passed in the lower house on Monday, the bill can be taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Politics scuttled Congress managers plans to get it passed for the entire week Aug 19-24 as the opposition did not let the house run over the issues of missing coal-block allocation files, statehood for Telangana and high prices of food items. The managers hope that Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs statement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday would end the controversy over missing coal-block files. The speakers suspension on Friday of 12 anti-Telangana members, who had been disrupting the lower house, has sought to address the issue of endorsement for a new state. The Lok Sabha functioned Saturday for the first time since the session began Aug 5 and passed three bills Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Bill, 2012, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012.

Blue Dart Express Limited Management Essay

Blue Dart Express Limited Management Essay On a late summer afternoon in May 2012, Ketan Kulkarni, Vice President and Head of Blue Darts Marketing, Corporate Communication Sustainability division, was working on the proposed future plans of marketing strategy in his plush office in Blue Darts head office in Mumbai. He had  a meeting scheduled with Tulsi Mirchandaney, Managing Director and Accountable Manager for Blue Dart Aviation to discuss the companys plans to address the intense competition and growing challenges of the express industry. Looking outside through the clear windowpanes, Ketan thought about the Blue Darts remarkable journey. Blue Dart was the leading express company in India, engaged in door to door pick up and distribution of packages, documents, and shipments in India and overseas. In its first decade since its inception in 1983, Blue Dart became the dominant player in the courier industry and in the next decade it surpassed all the competition and became South Asias premier number one express company in air and integrated transportation, distribution and logistics. In India, Blue Dart was one of the very few companies providing an array of services in air express (both domestic and international through DHL), air freight, ground and charters. It was a one stop solution for any logistical requirement. Blue Dart enjoyed a 45.9% market share and gained a significant increase in both, volumes and value. In the ground segment, the company garnered a market share of 12.4%. Blue Dart not only offered secure and reliable delivery of consignments, but also managed to deliver impressively on the financial front with the help of its widespread infrastructure network and aggressive growth strategies. Rs.10 billion in annual revenues was a remarkable landmark for any logistics company. Blue Dart managed better, leaping over the 11-digit barrier to record Rs. 14.89 billion in top line during FY2011. The company was established with a vision to be the best and set the pace in the express air and integrated transportation and distribution industry, with a business and human conscience. Through high quality and professional service, and use of sophisticated technology, the company was committed to meet and exceed customer and stakeholder expectations profitably. With a dedicated air and ground network optimized by cutting-edge technology, Blue Darts core competence was in the business of superior express delivery services, maintaining reliability levels of 99.96%. A people-first company, Blue Dart continued to deliver value to its stakeholders through its people philosophy and corporate governance, based on distinctive customer service, business ethics, accountability and profitability. The marketing strategies were of utmost importance for any company to become and to remain a market leader. Tulsi Mirchandaney summed up the marketing strategy of Blue Dart in India and outside in just five words Care Customer Addition, Retention Empathy. However, against the backdrop of volatile economic scenario of 2011, global economic crisis, and companys declining profits in 2012, the company needed strong and aggressive marketing strategies to hold and further strengthen its market leadership position. Ketan came out of his reverie as thought of the future marketing strategies and wondered whether the will be enough to meet 2012s target, especially when the profits declined by around 20% in the first quarter of 2012. With a cup of strong coffee in one hand, he started thinking about how to make Blue Dart grow faster and which marketing plans the company should implement to handle the multiple challenges. Company History In November 1983, three young entrepreneurs, Clyde Cooper, Tushar Jani and Kushroo Dubash identified tremendous opportunities in Indias expanding exports market and came up with an idea of delivering small packages and samples. On that date, Blue Dart was established in a space of 200 square feet under a staircase, with a capital of Rs. 30,000. Grit, determination and hard work propelled the young company from sorting and delivering a few dozen packages outside Mumbai airport on that first night, to handling nearly 200,000 shipments each day. In a study conducted by Dhristi Strategic Research Services in 2007, Blue Dart emerged as one of the strongest brands in India with amongst the highest top of mind recall. In its early days, Blue Dart forged ties with Gelco Express International, UK to introduce an international air package express service from India and thus enhance the value offered to its customers. In 1993, foreseeing the potential in India, Blue Dart decided to shift focus from international to domestic service. It went on to become the first Indian courier company to conceptualise domestic on-board couriers with a guaranteed 10:30 am delivery to major metros. In 1994, the company went public with an IPO of 2.55 million shares. In the same year Blue Dart launched its multi-modal, premium package delivery service DartApexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (Air Package Express) and COSMATIIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, an advanced tracking and ERP system that redefined the industry. In that year, too, Blue Dart Aviation, a 100% subsidiary of Blue Dart Express, was incorporated and became the first private company to receive government approval for the operation of cargo aircraft in the country. In 1995, Blue Dart Aviation acquired two B737 aircraft and developed SMART (Space Management Allocation Reservations and Tracking), the first cargo reservations systems in India. The following year, Blue Dart launched the first jet express airline and also became the first express company to receive an ISO: 9001 Certification. 1995 was also momentous because in that year Blue Dart crossed Rs. 100 crore (US$ 25 million) in turnover for the first time. 1997 witnessed the launch of domestic charter operations and the signing of interline agreements with international airlines for distribution of bonded cargo within Blue Darts network. Today, these have extended to 26 operators and include bonded warehousing and transhipment facilities. In 1998, the company developed Indias first Load and Trim software for its aircraft, reducing handling time by 80%. In 1999, Blue Dart moved to its state-of-the art administrative, technology and operations Super hub and Headquarters, the Blue Dart Centre, in Mumbai. In 2001, a third Boeing 737 was added to the Blue Dart fleet. A year later, Blue Dart entered into a sales alliance with global leader DHL Express Worldwide. Today, DHL owns 81.03% stake in the company. In 2002, Blue Dart was re-certified to the new global ISO 9001 2000 standards for Design, management and operations of countrywide express transportation and distribution service within the Indian subcontinent and to international destinations serviced through multinational express companies. Blue Dart was one of the few Indian companies to get this certification. Blue Dart signed a pioneering alliance with the DHL Worldwide Express, the leading international air express company. Blue Dart also crossed 1,00,000 shipments per day. The fourth aircraft joined the fleet in 2004 and Blue Dart became the first private operator in India to receive approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for undertaking heavy maintenance D-checks on its aircraft. Two B757 freighters the first in the Indian skies joined the Blue Dart fleet in 2006. In an effort to fortify its unique capability of offering the entire gamut of end-to end distribution solutions, Blue Dart launched its ground express service Dart Surface Line in September 2007 and inducted the third B757 freighter. In 2008 Blue Dart completed 25 years of facilitating trade and commerce. The land mark year also saw the launch of twenty-five new products and services to its customers. By 2011, Blue Darts infrastructure comprised a fleet of three Boeing 737 and four Boeing 757 freighters operating each night to the 7 main metros in India and offering a revenue payload of over 370 tonnes per night. It owned a flotilla of over 6,272 vehicles, 365 facilities including 7 aviation hubs and bonded warehouses, 56 domestic warehouses and 12 express hubs delivering excellence. [1] Current Operations Blue Dart offered express air and integrated transportation, distribution and logistics services and as part of the DHL Group accessed the largest and most comprehensive express and logistics network worldwide. It offered an entire spectrum of distribution services including international air express, freight forwarding, supply chain solutions and customs clearance. Blue Dart was the largest player in the domestic segment of documents and non-documents with 26 per cent market share in terms of tonnage. In terms of overall (domestic plus overseas) market share, it was the largest express company in India with a share of about 45.9 per cent. The company had a turnover of Rs 14.89 billion in 2011 and has had an annual growth rate of about 50 per cent while the industry growth rate has been hovering around 35 per cent. The company had showed a tremendous growth over the years (see Exhibit 1 and 2). The core function of Blue Dart was the physical transportation of a shipment from its origin to the destination which was performed by the operations department. The distribution system followed the hub-and-spoke concept, i.e., shipments picked up at a particular origin location were transported to the nearest hub, which in turn routed these shipments to the hub to which the destination location was attached. The destination hub routed the shipment to the specific destination location where the staff delivered the shipment to the consignee. (see Exhibit 3) Blue Dart offered secure and reliable delivery of consignments to more than 35,900 locations in India and to over 220 countries and territories worldwide through its integrated air support and ground network group company DHL Express. In 2011, Blue Dart operated through 1,342,677 sq. ft. of facilities and carried over 988.5 lacs domestic shipments and over 8 lacs international shipments weighing over 423,000 tonnes. Administratively, the company was organized into regional centers at six major cities namely, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Calcutta. Each regional center was responsible for a number of branch locations under which there were area locations. The company currently had around 7,800 employees. Each major branch had a team of operations personnel who managed the entire network, transportation and tracking of shipments. They also liaised with airline and transportation agencies and took care of scheduling out-bound couriers. Other responsibilities of the operations department included routing, sorting, security checking, fleet management, and customer billing. Commercial functions like finance and marketing were centralized at the head office in Mumbai. Its international out-bound gateways functioned at Dubai, Singapore, London, and Mumbai. The in-bound international gateway was at Mumbai which received packages from London, Frankfurt, Singapore, and Dubai. [1] -Company history was referenced from Blue Darts 19th annual report. The Express Industry Structure, Overview and Developments The express industry was a key enabler in facilitating trade and commerce because of the time-sensitive nature of most goods and the increasing demand for reliability, efficiency and speed. The Indian logistics industry was growing at a steady pace. The growth in this industry was largely driven by increase in trade, government policy reforms, increased spending on infrastructure, and the overall economic growth driven by the domestic consumption and growing affluence. The demand for express services was surging with each passing year and customer expectations had also risen tremendously. Today, the Indian express industry provided integrated, value-added, time-bound, door-to-door delivery of documents, parcels and merchandise. It supported industries such as electronics, telecommunication, IT, banking, retail, auto-components, textiles and apparels, gems and jewellery and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, with India recognized as an outsourcing destination, manufacturing sectors such as textiles, automobiles and pharmaceuticals were likely to witness increased activities in the medium to long term. In order to maintain competitiveness, companies operating in these industries were expected to outsource their logistics requirements to third-party logistics service providers and concentrate on their core-competency of manufacturing and marketing. Furthermore, the opening up of banking, insurance, telecom and retail sectors had increased the demand for value-added express services in India, as these were major user industries. The courier industry in India has expanded its horizon to provide a wider range of services. Whereas it started initially as a service provider for the document and samples demand of industry, it is now viewed as an important part of the supply chain for industries, which demand speed, reliability, security and just-in-time distribution. Though this market is still in its infancy in India, it is growing. Tulsi Mirchandaney, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Projects According to Anil Khanna, Managing Director, Blue Dart, the growth in the Indian economy and the overall economic scenario, fuelled primarily by domestic consumption, was promising. The Indian economy was poised to record growth between 7 and 8 per cent in the financial year 2012. The Indian organised Express Market (a part of the overall logistics market) was about 4500 crores2 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 17%2. This included organised Air Express and organised Ground Express which for 2011 were estimated at 2000 crores2 and 2500 crores2 respectively. This in itself was a strong indicator of the potential of the express industry. However, the logistics industry in India still remained largely unorganised and fragmented. The industry faced several challenges like high logistics costs, inadequate infrastructure, capacity constraints, low usage of technology, complex tax laws, over regulation, policy issues and lack of skilled manpower. The need for the highest levels of efficiencies still existed. Competitive Edge: Building IT for Business Agility Blue Darts Information Technology (IT) infrastructure remained one of its key differentiators and enabler to values. Blue Dart was always in the forefront of technology and its technology innovations played a key role in the companys premium positioning and in bringing global standards to the Indian customers doorstep. 2 AT Kearney figures from Blue Darts 2011 Annual report Blue Dart became an important part of the supply chain of many companies by providing integrated services. Blue Darts in-house IT team constantly developed technology solutions over the past seventeen years. Such has been the ramifications of these offerings that more than 79% of Blue Darts regular customers used it actively. These Home grown innovations included COSMAT IIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (the tracking and ERP system), TrackDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (monitoring shipment status), MailDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking shipments over e-mail), InternetDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (memory bank for shipments), PackTrackà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking software for medium and large customers), ShopTrackà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking and CRM tool for e-business portals), ImageDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (online download of proof of delivery challans/documents, to speed up the customers bill process, waybill issuance capability, customer directory, data upload and download of tracking information). The company also provideed econom ical packaging that facilitates customers sending documents at a price that includes door-to-door delivery service within India. These innovation solutions enabled the weaving of thoughtful information management to the logistics business. With this advanced technology support Blue Dart delivered door-to-door to over 13,000 locations in the country with an in-house team of experts to handle inter-state regulatory requirements. Quality levels were at 99.95% and were monitored daily. Blue Darts IT infrastructure strengthened both its business and marketing strategies. Blue Darts Marketing Strategies In 2011, a combination of new product launches and tactical shift in focus across sectors helped Blue Dart register growth in spite of an overall slowdown in the economy. For instance, in order to lessen the impact of the slowdown in client verticals such as automobile and realty, it consciously improved its focus on sectors such as health sciences and the spare parts segment of the auto sector. It also built on its exposure to high-growth segments such as e-commerce and SMEs and high-growth potential Tier-II and III cities in 2011. These put together helped the company grow its revenues and profits by about 34 per cent and 42 per cent by the end of quarter 3 in 2011. On various other fronts the company provided multitude marketing strategies. Product Offerings A combination of the right product mix helped Blue Dart build strong brand loyalty over the years. Blue Dart offered a range of products and services that could be customised to address individual requirements. Blue Darts core business was domestic door-to-door and integrated (air and ground) express distribution. Each product has been developed with a customer centric approach. The products were proficiently supported by cutting-edge technologies. Blue Dart offered express, air freight, ocean freight, supply chain solutions, customs clearance, project handling, freight forwarding, and charters through its synergies with the three DHL Business Units DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Exel Supply Chain. Air Express segment included Time Definite Solutions (Domestic Priority 1030, Domestic Priority 1200, Dart Apex 1200) and Day Definite Solutions (Domestic Priority, Dart Apex, Dart Surfaceline). Packaging Solutions included Express Pallet, Smart Box Ground Express, Time Definite Delivery, etc. The company also offered Cargo Solutions like Airport to Airport, Interline and Charters besides offering Festive Solutions and discounted Student Solutions. A recent addition to Blue Darts product portfolio was Import Express. It was the only service of its kind in India and offered door-to-door facility for importing shipments from over 200 countries. Services Blue Dart presented a range of services: Domestic Priority a fast reliable service for non-commercial documents and non-documents. Dart Apex supported reliable commercial distribution and supply chain requirements. Dart Surface line a reliable and secure surface option, and an airport to airport option included charter of aircraft for large volumes and urgent shipments. (See Exhibit 4) Blue Dart also offered some of the best services such as free computerized proof of delivery, real time tracking, regulatory clearance and free pick up from the location of the customer. The most used features were real time tracking and Money Back Guarantee (MBG) offered on specific shipments. The express services offered domestic priority for non-commercial domestic documents and small packages under 32 kilos. Freight services included domestic, early morning airport-to-airport deliveries to the seven metros in India. Charters also offered carriage of urgent and large volumes to eighteen airports in India and four international airports in the region. Solutions like Temperature Controlled Logistics (TCL), Dart Surfaceline Plus, Point to Point (P2P) and a host of value added services like Demand Draft on Delivery (DOD), Freight on Demand (FOD), Freight on Value (FOV), Cash on Delivery (COD) etc. represented tailor made services for specific industry requirements. Blue Dart was in the process of rolling out several sector-specific, innovative products and services in a phased manner, in line with specific needs and requirements of different industries like BFSI, Pharmaceuticals, IT, Consumer Durables, FMCG, Automotive, Retail, Textiles, Telecommunications etc.. These products provided the much-required flexibility to the shipper and consignee. Pricing Though Blue Darts offerings were known to be reliable, these were offered at a very high price compared to that offered by competitors. In India, where huge section is of middle class buyers, this pricing strategy was awkward. However, Blue Dart maintained the view that for customers, aspects like service quality, consistency, responsiveness and reliability were of paramount importance because these dimensions directly impact their business outcomes. Blue Dart held the view that when customers experience optimal service with Blue Dart, they do not mind paying a premium for these products. Connecting with Customers In such a competitive industry, Blue Dart tried to differentiate itself from its competitors by establishing its core focus on strengthening customer relationship and on making more effective use of the 4800 plus vehicles as mobile touch points. Blue Dart always made a conscious effort to create a bond with its customers. Perhaps, because of this, the brand became synonymous with value, quality, speed, efficiency, responsiveness and service excellence. Blue Dart constantly rolled out promotions for its customers to keep them updated on our various offerings. Blue Dart successfully ran a loyalty programme Blue Points: Returns to provide customers value while making shipments through Blue Dart. As part of the its ONE-RETAIL focus, the company regularly ran a retail store promotion drive across the country. Company had a dedicated team of specialists who provided the expertise for customs as well as regulatory clearances at all States within the country, to support seamless service to the customer. Customers Growth Strategy Blue Darts strategy was to focus on existing customers to scale up existing relationship. There was also a special focus to select high potential clients by offering them a lot more than what Blue Dart has been traditionally offering them. This strategy was expected to not only lead to revenue enlargement, but also to give an army of loyal customers. Positioning Blue Darts positioned itself to offer a consistent, premium, standardized quality of service. Its competitive advantage was driven by its extensive and consummate domestic network which was linked by some of the most advanced communications systems. Blue Dart was focused on carrying packages as its prime business, rather than as a by-product of a passenger airline. Blue Dart also had a dedicated self-sustaining aviation system to support its services, with its own bonded warehouses, ground handling and maintenance capability. Blue Dart envisioned itself as a warehouse in the sky creating a niche segment in supply chains that demand critical deliveries, low inventories and reliable and timely distribution. Blue Dart was now strategically positioned as the market leader in the air express segment. It also had an aviation system with an in-house ground handling and maintenance capability with stringent security and quality norms. Blue Dart also invested extensively in technology for integration, data flow and customer software for greater customer convenience and efficiency. Promotion Blue Dart was not known to be aggressive advertiser, but as aggressive marketer. Blue Dart tried to focus on the total customer experience the brand tangibles such as the retail outlets (service counters), vehicles, signages, etc, as well as the intangibles at the customer contact point. The company emphasized that the personal touch was essential and thus has also strengthened the areas of customer care centres. Blue Darts promotion method was to create a strong emotional connect with customers, in order to achieve brand strength, saliency and equity. Even its TV commercials and print ads tried to connect emotionally with customers. Blue Darts prime communication vehicle was PR land direct mailers, with support from a large sales force across the country to directly engage the customer. New Areas for Business Growth and Expansion Blue Dart already had an aggressive market share plans which aimed to increase its market share both in air and ground express divisions. For this, Blue Dart would have to grow faster than the industry. Blue Dart already identified some growth levers. One of these was adding lot of new products. The company has been regularly introducing new products such as the latest Go Green carbon neutral service and it intends to continue. The other growth lever was the sectorial focus. There were certain sectors that do not get impacted by a slowdown sectors like health sciences and the spare parts segment of the auto sector. Demand for streamlined supply chains from the auto, pharma, hitech and retail sectors was expected to drive growth. Thus, Blue Dart was detecting opportunities and offering sector specific solutions, which had and would help in the overall growth strategy of the company. Third, Blue Dart was focussing on verticals which were high-growth verticals like e-commerce. The company also identified small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as another growth lever and efforts had been underway to tap this segment across industry verticals, aggressively. For a company, which has probably focussed more on our large customers, SMEs thus offered an tremendous opportunity. Finally, the company was looking at geographic expansion. It intended to reach out to those towns and cities where it currently did not have any presence. Also, prior to this, in smaller cities, the company was more focussed on the in-bound side. It then realised that a lot of these tier-II and tier-III cities had a lot of out-bound potential. These provided additional opportunity for business expansion. Blue Dart planned to continue to focus on transit time improvements, and strengthening channels to gain further market share. Looking ahead Blue Dart has been able to differentiate itself and achieved scalability due to its focus on technology right from the early stages of its business. It was reflected in the way the company moved its products, in a manner which was more cost-effective, more fuel-efficient and more environment friendly. However, Blue Dart Express net profit declined by 19.47% in the March 2012 quarter. Blue Dart faced the challenges of increase in fuel cost, inadequate infrastructure, and increasing competition. But of these the biggest challenges was Infrastructure of both air and surface. Space at airports, airside and city-side infrastructure were often inadequate. In addition, parking bays, air-side/city-side access and traffic congestion adversely impact costs as well as service quality. Air express companies were constrained by the sizes of the facilities at the airports, as they have remained the same while the loads have increased many folds. It was estimated that though 70% of the freight transportation in India was through roads, National Highways constitute merely 2% of the total road network in India. Fuel prices were also a concern. In an industry, where space was a highly perishable commodity, any disruption in services, due to either natural disasters or manufactured reasons, affects us adversely, as the days capacity inventory was lost forever. Ketan Kulkarni, Vice President and Head of Blue Darts Marketing, Corporate Communication Sustainability division In addition to above problems, Blue Dart also faced a tough competition from multiple courier service providers. (See Exhibit 5 and 6) Thus an aggressive business and marketing strategy was the need of the hour. How Blue Dart would rise to the occasion remained to be seen. With this thought, Ketan Kulkarni was wondering how Blue Dart can further differentiate itself and would remain a market leader in the coming years. Exhibit 1 Financial Summary of the last five years (Rupees in Lacs) (Source: Blue Darts 2011 Annual report) Particulars 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Particulars 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Income from Operations 80,872 97,446 90,523 1,14,741 1,48,960 Other Income 311 1,071 760 532 2,426 Total Income 81,183 98,517 91,283 1,15,273 1,51,386 Total Expenditure 68,083 84,935 80,150 99,324 1,31,338 Operating Profit 13,100 13,582 11,133 15,949 20,048 Interest (Expense) 40 50 55 1 0 Gross Profit 13,060 13,532 11,078 15,948 20,048 Depreciation 2,403 1,657 1,776 1,922 2,160 Profit Before Tax 10,657 11,875 9,302 14,026 17,888 Taxation 3,664 4,140 3,232 4,589 5,664 Profit After Tax 6,993 7,735 6,070 9,437 12,224 Equity 2,376 2,376 2,376 2,376 2,376 Reserves 29,354 36,811 42,605 51,765 63,438 Gross Fixed Assets 25,692 28,562 30,036 32,544 39,326 Net worth 31,730 39,188 44,981 54,141 65,814 Book Value 133.72 165.15 189.57 228.17 277.37 ROCE (In percentage) 37.13 33.63 22.24 28.3 29.83 Exhibit 2 Income and Profit trends from 2007 to 2011 Exhibit 3: Shipment Movement from Pick up to Destination Exhibit 4 Services by Blue Dart Domestic Priority 1030 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of shipments by air the next possible business day by 10:30 hours, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Domestic Priority 1200 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of shipments by air the next possible business day by 12:00 hours, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Dart Apex 1200 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of commercial shipments by Air that require regulatory clearances and specialized handling on the next possible business day by 12:00hrs, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Dart Surfaceline Blue Darts premium ground express service provides economical, door-to-door ground distribution solutions. Smart Box A convenient door-to-door service for cargo in two sizes 10 kilos and 25 kilos, available on air and ground express modes Smart Truck An intelligent pick-up and delivery vehicle that combines a number of innovative technologies including a route planner. Exhibit 5 Competitors TNT Express: TNT Express is the key leader not only in the Indian market, but also in the international market in the sector of global express services. They ensure timely and safe delivery of parcels, freight and document

Applied Research Technologies Incorporation Analysis

Applied Research Technologies Incorporation Analysis Introduction of Case study:- The case study is about the Applied Research Technologies Incorporation, which is an emerging corporation in the field of technology. Company has built up its strength from mergers and acquisitions in the year of 1980 and 1990. As a result, in the year of 2006, the ART portfolio consist of 60 business units having major divisions of Industrial automation, Health care, HVAC (Heating ventilation and air conditioning) and Water management Division. Backbone of the business:- Innovative Culture:- The company success is based on the innovative environment and friendly culture for the entrepreneur mind people. The encouragement for innovative ideas can be idealized from the fact that company spends double money on supporting innovative ideas from the other industrial companies. This innovative culture comes from the top, because the CEO (David Hall) encourage employees to spend half day in a week in brainstorming, problem solving and experimenting which is referred as tinker time. According to the CEO, he likes to have meetings of managers and innovators so that new ideas emerged. According to him, it is the fact that you will not succeed every time but we should celebrate worthy attempts even they are unsuccessful. Knowledge Sharing:- Knowledge dissemination and sharing is also a promising picture that reflects the cooperative culture of the company. Experts of different department help each other in the successful completion of the project as well as problem solving. Funding to entrepreneurial ideas:- As discussed earlier, company serve significant amount of resources on innovative ideas. Whenever an idea comes which successfully complete the beta batch production and market potential analysis process also called proof of concept, quickly the resources are put behind the idea. CEO of the company wanted to minimize the period from the emergence of idea and the successful launching of commercial product. To convert this idea into reality company introduce a program which is referred as fast track pipeline, the main purpose behind this activity is to provide additional resources for the high priority projects. Competitive targets and executive compensation:- As the structure of the company belief on decentralized decision making, so to coordinate the activities toward the completion of business as well as corporate goal highly performance targets are set followed by executive compensation. In 2006, the company gives the target referred to as 10(sale growth 10%)/ 15(pretax margin 15%)/ 20(return on investment). Work force Diversity:- CEO of the company wanted to have a global presence. For this, he not only want to expand his business in different geographical areas but also to open its branches in different areas to grasp the talent and utilize for the further development of the company. In response to this idea, RD group of ART has opened Indian Technical Center (ITC) in 2000. Filtration Unit:- Our main area of discussion is regarding Filtration unit that struggled hard to reach at a success level. This business has been acquired in 1996 from oil and gas Service Company. Its core products are relating to the Government requirement of recycling of water at drilling sites and well heads. A change comes into this business when a 32 years old manager is hired for this unit called Vyas. Having an enthusiastic personality, he immediately starts hiring innovative and creative mind people into his team. Janice Wagner is one of those hired people who have already worked as marketing department of HVAC division of ART Inc. Small scale Oxidation Unit:- Vyas has a strong belief that innovation is the key to success. So to make an innovative culture more strong, he hires a team of technology evaluation. During his review of current and some near past project, he came to know that ITC was working on a project of water purification for developing countries water problem. This small scale oxidation project had been set aside because of increased cost. Market analysis:- Vyas closely review the project and convinced that it could be a considerable idea. ITC was so much motivated and developed a promising design of the product. They claimed that this product can process approximately 2000 liters of unhygienic water. Vyas was quiet satisfied that the product would be a successful one but he also asked Wagner to arrange a brief market analysis. After her analysis, he pointed out some facts: Only 2.5% pure water was available in the World and most of them was frozen. 1.1 billion people suffered due unavailability of pure water. 3.1 Million (90% children) people had been died in 2002 as a result of diarrheal diseases. On these finding and promising design of product enforced Vyas to pursue the project. In result he gave a go ahead sign to ITC technicians and also asked Wagner to make a comprehensive market analysis of potential customer, so that the product would be developed according to the target market demand. After market assessment, she give the report about target customer. In his report he pointed out following customer. For Developing Countries: Purified water is required for drinking. For USA Residential landscape irrigation. Disaster relief. Military. Commercial landscape irrigation. Farms etc. She also claimed that many other industries of China, Europe, Canada and USA were trying researching on this type of product but our design was probably the superior one. First generation product:- Vyas team targeted the developing countries customer who suffered from infected water. Team contacted with funding agencies and made the small scale oxidation system for field testing. This was unfortunate that regardless of too much research and hard work behind the product, it was failed because of significant smell was still found out in the purified water. In the result, funding agencies rejected the projected. Second generation product:- Although the failure of the product was a big disaster for the Vyas, but he came up with a new enthusiasm and tried to turn the tables over. The team decided to work for another group of potential customers that was mentioned in Wager market analysis report. In this time they wanted to manufacture a product for military and disaster relief NGO, s. They refocus all their efforts and at the end they succeeded to overcome the odor problem. But in this time problem caught them in another way, due to high power requirement a frequent battery replacement was a necessary outcome. So, no order would be expedited in near future. Third generation product:- It is the reality that there were two consecutive failures but the Vyas team still thought that it was not the end of story. They made up a new plan and demanded $2 Million. A new six person development team was designed by Vyas who had smart project management and leading skills. The team work tirelessly for the completion of three phase model of Cynthia Jackson (Vice President of Water Management Division). Cynthia Jackson gave a three phase model for third generation product: Market analysis. Technological development. Business planning. Phase 1: Market analysis and product concept:- Before starting the product idea, Wagner took the responsibility of market research of product. This time focus was on the residential water purification. In this sector, she wanted to analyze that cushion was available in domestic agriculture applications or not. She found in her research that there was a water scarcity problem in the Western and Southeastern region of USA. Due to this reason government imposed restriction on the usage of water for residential irrigation. Also, when the water was used for irrigation then the lower quality water could be accepted. It was also indicated in the research that domestic water treatment market generate sale of app $9 Billion. Also, sprinkler units available in the market were ranging from $1800 $4000. So Wagner was quiet sure about the positive response of the market regarding this product. After the research had been made, the team compiled the results and for the Residential irrigation mini-oxidation system (RIMOS) decided a retail price of $2000. But there would be significant discount on price per acre for Agriculture irrigation large oxidation system (AILOS). Vyas and Wagner formed a formal report including all the research analysis and recommendation of the prices for the approval from Jackson. Jackson response on the research was not satisfactory. She had concerns on many issue. After reviewing all the report, she advised the team to reduce the cost of the project either by rejecting RIMOS or AILOS. Vyas and his team agreed upon the rejection of AILOS and decided to unite the efforts for the success of RIMOS project. Phase 2: Initial design and product specification:- Vyas and his team immediately started working on prototype. They should restrict the design in such a way that the cost remain at the level, given in the research. They wanted to convert the design of generation one product into the new product for irrigation. The managers had to face many challenges; one of them was a situation of misunderstanding between researchers team of India and United States. The conflicting point was the delay in production design deadline. The Indian researcher had clarified that wanted to develop a design that satisfy the needs of the customer. They clarified that there is no need to rush and the product design would be finalized after proper testing. The reason behind such a watchful way of developing the design was the threat of failure and that was not acceptable in any case. Jackson was quiet satisfied because the team showed their strong willingness and put efforts for the success of product. But she also advised to use the full internal resources of ART Company. Vyas found out managers and engineers with the help of Jackson form HVAC and Healthcare divisions who coordinate with the team. They suggested some production specification and design changes with resulted in the cost reduction. Phase # 3: Business Plan:- The business plan was a real challenge for Vyas and his team. Anyhow they put all their efforts and made a sale projection, cost elimination plan, product concept, marketing plan and cost projections for RIMOS. They also still believe that there was a big market of water purification for the underdeveloped countries waiting for them. Although the team worked with full commitment but Jackson challenged the pro forma report of financials and instructed the team to review the assumptions given in the report. On the other hand, Vyas and Wagner were pretty sure that the research was quiet satisfactory and had been worked out with due diligence by technological and manufacturing experts. Jackson was also concerned about the price of $2000 and advised Vyas to closely observe the risk linked with it. So, the teams also made a risk assessment. The results showed that: Company should take a close look at beta batch that helps to reduce flaws. Price could be justifiable by increased water efficiency. Competition could be low because of the global impact of ART, its after sale service, distribution channel and supplier relationship. Market acceptability could be increased by highlighting the ART name which has significant value in market. Also distribution channel of HVAC should be used. Decision for the project:- Vyas was still thinking whether to accept the proposal or to reject it. He knew that his team has the required potential for gaining success. His team was absolutely sure about the good performance. On the hand, Jackson heard from grapevine that Vyas had received the funding request of $2000. She was thinking over and over again what would her answer when Vyas came for approval. She knew that her action would be watched critically because many managers of her division think that filtration unit caused to much loss and this is the time to set aside the project. Porter Five Forces Analysis (Figure.1) Willingness to pay Value for the customer Porter five forces analysis consist of following: Price Bargaining power of customer. Bargaining power of Supplier. Threat of new entrance. Cost Competitive rivalry within an industry. Threat of substitute. Bargaining power of customer:- First of all we have to understand the logic behind power of customer. We can clarify our mind from the figure.1, if the price of the product is lower than the willingness to pay range, power of customer is low and vice versa. When we look at the whole scenario, we came to know that filtration made many researches regarding the target market. They have made the prototype for several times and for several types of products. Also a comprehensive study had been conducted to rightly identify the product price with respect to value given by the product. Now to comment on the power of customers, there are two divisions: Bargaining power of customer for first two generations: The product of first generation is highly demanded in the marked. Also the target market was quiet perfect for the product. If the prototype became successful in that time then bargaining power of the customer would be lower than supplier (also depend upon the price charged). Same would be the case with Second generation product. Although the product was a good solution for military and disaster relief activities but the price at sale cost will be very high. Customer had to spend too much money on continuous changing of the battery. Due to this reason customer may be on upper end. So the company realizes this fact before time and leaves this plan. Beginning power of the customer for third generation:- In the third which was under consideration, I believe that the product is a good solution for the customer and available on compatible price in relation to the competitors. As US government had imposed restriction on the landscape irrigation so for landscape irrigation people have to purchase these types of products. So there is a bid market available. Company also has brand equity because of its customer relationship, global presence and speedy efficient distribution channel. So, as the value of product is high, bargaining power of seller is also high. Bargaining power of supplier:- Bargaining power of supplier can also be described for the three scenarios separately. Bargaining power of supplier for first two generations:- Bargaining power of supplier would be very high for the supplier if the odor problem could be solved (also depend upon the price of the product) because the target market chosen by the supplier was quiet demanding for that kind of product. Same would be the case with second generation where target market was properly set, product had a value for the customers but in the end same problem occurs with the company and rather than solving the problem they start thinking for the new product. Bargaining power of the supplier for the third generation:- In this situation, if the product is launched successfully, bargaining power of suppliers will be slightly high. The reason behind that the value of the product will be high for the customers because of government restriction on water irrigation and compatible price. Also the company has its distinct value in the minds of customer regarding its quality, after sale services and distribution channel. Threat of new entrance:- Wagner had analyzed the market for the first generation and pointed out that many private and government sectors RD efforts had been in progress for the purification plant but finally she gave the remarks that our technology was the best amongst all up till that time. For second generation, cushion of success was available as Wagner had pointed out this factor in her analysis. For third generation product, competitors are already into action and new comers are also expected. But the advantage of the company is its compatible price, its global presence, distribution network and suppliers relationship as compared to the competitors. Competitive rivalry within an industry:- We can perceive from the case that competitive rivalry was very high in the first generation because Wagner analysis highlight the Europe, USA, China and Canada government and private sector companies, already working on such a product. But she was also sure that ART technology was far better than the competitors. Also the significant global presence of ART along with the enthusiastic distribution channel and after sale service increases the value of product in the eyes of customers. Competitive rivalry factor is always present in most of the industries dimensions. So this factor is also present in second generation. Competitors are already present in third generation product but as discussed earlier company has a distinguishable position in the market that leads towards high brand equity. Also price and quality of product is some what same as compared to the competitors of the market. So there are bright chances of the success in the market. Threat of substitute:- Substitutes are available for the generations but the technology and brand equity provides special edge to ART. The only lacking factor was the lack of consistency. When we take a look at the case, we came to know that when a problem occurs in the product they simply reject the product. The rational behavior should be that they have to think over the problem and solve it rather than leaving the project and put all the effort into loss. Pestle Analysis:- By Pestle analysis, we mean to say: P = Political analysis E = Economic analysis. S = Social analysis. T = Technology analysis. L = Legal analysis. E = Environmental analysis. I will explain each part separately. Political analysis:- Third generations product is most effected from the political point of view. Third generation product is actually related with the irrigation of residential landscape. But as the case suggest that due to less rain and increasing population growth extreme scarcity of water take place in the region because of that government impose limitations on landscape irrigation. Now this political move causes increase in the demand of the product. So this government action is affecting the demand positively. Economic analysis:- While making the analysis of the product target market and product acceptability, one thing that should be kept in mind is the economic condition of the target market. Because it may be possible that there is a need of product, people are willing to purchase and product contents are absolutely matched with the needs of target market but only due to high cost incurred on the production process it is away from the reach of market. This was the case with second generation product where a problem of consistent change would cause an increase in cost of product that is unacceptable for the target market. Social analysis:- Social aspect also disturbed the ART progress regarding this filtrations unit. Corporate RD section of ART opened ITC and water purification project concept emerged from that unit. But due to difference in social values and culture of the two different continents, there was a situation of misunderstanding communication gap exist between head office and this unit. We can see the confusion among both units, when mini-oxidation plant face a problem of odor and project will be closed that make the ITC technicians harsh. Some situation happens when the third generation product design becomes late. Technological analysis:- ART has advanced technology but the only issue is regarding proper research, effective utilization of technology and consistency. In my view when first generation product faces the problem of odor, there would be a need to reorganize all technological aspect and a RD operation would be done with new passion. It might be a chance that the result would be in companies favor. Same will be the case with second generation product. Legal analysis:- There are minor legal issued faced by the organization. Only the restriction of landscape irrigation is a legal issue that proves beneficial for the increasing demand of the target market. Environmental analysis:- Environmental factor also have a some effect on the existing scenario. The target market of the generations has some environmental characteristics that collectively results in the emerging needs of the products produced by the ART business unit. For example polluted water of underdeveloped countries increase the need of purified water and lack of rain increased population results in the demand for landscape irrigation product Strategic group analysis:- ART has many business units depending upon the different type of products they have provided. Corporation has brand equity in the market due to its after sale services, customer satisfaction, global presence and distribution network. IF we look at the strategic strengths of the organizations on over all bases, we came to know that the corporation has a strategy of growing itself with innovation and entrepreneurial activities. And knowledge sharing dissemination helps to achieve the target. Tinker time is a helping step to achieve that strategic goal. Strategic analysis has another view; filtration unit is a part of the corporation. Having core product of water treatment for oil and gas exploration that meets the government requirement of recycling. The case shows a sort of strategic mistake from the point of view of management while new project was under progress. There is a lack of consistency and lack of commitment that can be seen easily. First generation product came into the field-testing phase after the lab test had been completed. Then, why this problem not be shown in that phase? May be that would happen because of careless attitude while testing or may be the product quality in lab test was different from the field-testing product quality? Even then, if product faces odor problem, the management should encourage the ITC technicians to overcome the problem rather converting the face of project in different way. Same will be the case with second generation product which shows a careless attitude of management as well as lack of strategic vision regarding the project. Key Success Factors:- If we take a birds view of the case, we can easily assess that innovation, entrepreneurial activities, knowledge sharing and dissemination are the four active participants that guides ART towards the success story. Corporation has an urge to achieve competitive advantage over rivals through these factors. CEO advice of tinker time is an example of the innovative vision of the corporation. Key drivers of change in selected industry:- After the two failure of purification water project, now the company stands on a crucial point regarding the decision of investment on the landscape irrigation project. The under discussion industry should keep the vision of innovation and entrepreneurial activities in mind but to achieve a goal this business unit also needs to be more disciplined. Managerial decision should be taken by keeping in view the broader aspect and by analyzing that what impact this decision would be on whole Corporation. Following are the point that should be kept in mind if the company wanted to have success in this project: Critically analyze the market analysis and financials of the plan. If that found to be practical, make the prototype version followed by field testing production. If the product gets success in field testing production then company has to move toward marketing and production. Regular innovative change not only helps to sustain a competitive advantage but also create value for the customer and then increased value can be enjoyed through fruitful profit generation.