Germination of Seeds: Research on Salinity

Germination of Seeds: Research on Salinity 1.1. Rationale The purpose of this investigation is to develop a more advanced understanding of the germination of seeds. The investigation is worthwhile as it will explain such conditions needed for seeds to maximise germination to allow efficient plant development. This information could help the scientific community know when saline reaches dangerous levels for radish seeds. 1.2. Background Information The aim of this experiment is to find out how the salinity of water affects the optimum germination of seeds. A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food (Seed, 2016). There are mainly two types of seeds: monocots and dicots. The cotyledon in monocots are just thin leaves that usually do not emerge above ground. Dicot cotyledons contain their seeds endosperm, so they are thicker and fuller, which they use to produce more food in photosynthetic metabolism (Burchill, 2017). In dicots, the primary root first grows upward to the surface and then dives again, while the primary root in monocots grows downward. For germination to occur, the seed requires an adequate environmental temperature, light exposure and a regular intake of water (Burchill, 2017). Germination starts when the seed starts to take up water by osmosis, which is the movement of water through a permeable membrane from higher water concentration to a lower water concentration (BBC Standard Grade Bitesize Biology Cells and diffusion : Revision, Page 4, 2014).   Ã‚   The micropyle, an opening in the testa, or seed coat, allows water to move into the seed causing it to swell and thus rupture the seed coat to allow the embryo plant to emerge (Gillam, 2014). Permeability of the testa is a major factor controlling the rate of water uptake. As seeds imbibe- absorb- water, they expand and enzymes and food supplies become hydrated. Hydrated enzymes become active and the seed increase its metabolic activities to produce energy for the growth process. In addition, the water causes turgor pressure to increase in the cells and they can enlarge. There are three stages to seed germination (Germination of Seeds: Stages Factors involved, 2017). The imbibition stage, where water absorption results in rupture of seed coat. The latent stage is where the imbibition of the seed coat results in the emergence of the radicle and the plumule; and is also where the cotyledons get unfolded (Process of Seed Germination | Tutorvista.com, 2017). Finally, the exponential growth stage is where the cotyledons are expanded which are the true leaves. Factors such as oxygen, light, temperature, humidity and soil chemistry can all affect the germination of seeds (M. Krempels, 2017). The factor that will be studied, will be water salinity. Therefore, the independent variable in this investigation will be the salinity concentration (%) as the growth will be recorded based on different concentration, and the dependent variable will be the amount of germination (cm). 1.3. Hypothesis If the concentration of salinity in water (%) is increased, then the less likely/ more time it will take for the seed to germinate. 2.0. Procedure/ Method 4 radish seeds were each placed into a cotton ball which were in 12 petri dishes. On the first day, 15 mL of distilled water was measured and poured in 3 petri dishes, while 1%, 5% and 10% sodium chloride solution was measured and poured each into the remaining petri dishes. However, on the other 4 days, 5 mL of each solution was measured and emptied into the corresponding petri dishes. A photo was taken each day for 5 days and observations were recorded. 3.1. Presentation of Data Percentage of Radish Seeds that Germinated with Varying Solute Percentages Radish seeds that germinated (%) Concentration of NaCl (%) Day 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 0 0 50 66.67 66.67 66.67 1 0 8.33 16.67 16.67 25 5 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 3.2. Interpretation of Data In graph 1, the pattern of the 0% NaCl trend line shows an increase in the percentage of seeds germinating in the first two days, but then slowed down and levelled off until day 4. Similarly, the trendline of 1% NaCl saw an increase in the percentage of seeds germinating until day 2 where it levelled off, however after day 3 a steady increase in the amount of seeds germinating can be seen. In graph 2, the maximum amount of seeds that germinated, 66.67%, is at the optimum salinity for germination to occur in seeds, 0%. As the salinity increased from this optimum concentration, the percentage of seeds that germinated decreases. This can be seen at 1% NaCl because the percentage of seeds that germinated was 25%, and when the concentration was 5% and 10% as the amount of germinated seeds was only 0%. The seeds germinated the most when the salinity of the water was 0% because the average rate of germination in the first two days was 33.34%/day and the maximum percentage that germinated was 66.67%. As compared to: 1% NaCl, where the average rate of germination was 8.34%/day and the maximum amount of seeds that germinated was just 25%; and 5%/ 10% NaCl, where no germination took place. In conclusion, both graphs show that around 0% is the optimum concentration for radish seeds to germinate. In addition, any changes above this concentration decrease the rate of germination. 4.1. Explanation of Results If the concentration of salinity in water (%) is increased, then the less likely/ more time it will take for the seed to germinate. It was predicted that the optimum percentage of NaCl would be 0% and there would be a steady decrease as the salinity increased. When the salinity of the water increases from 0%, the rate of germination decreased which is shown in the results as at 0% NaCl 66.67% of seeds had germinated after 4 days, at 1% NaCl 25% of seeds had germinated, and at 5% and 10% NaCl, 0% of seeds germinated. Optimal germination for most seeds has been reported in non-saline conditions (AoB Plants, 2014). The rate of imbibition decreases with increasing the concentration of a solution in the medium (Monga, 2014). Imbibition is important in seed germination as it involves the uptake of water by the dry seed, initially by osmosis. The water hydrates and activates special proteins, called enzymes, that increase its metabolic activities producing energy that begin the process of seed growth such as starch conversion into sugar (Robb, 2017). In addition, the water causes turgor pressure to increase in the cells so they can enlarge and move the radicle root down and the cotyledons up (Khon, 2017). Turgor pressure is the force of water pushing the plasma membrane against the cell wall of a plant cell (eHowEducation, 2014). Although Imbibition uses aspects from the process of osmosis, imbibition and osmosis are not the same. The uptake of absorption of water by the solid substance without forming solution is called imbibition. Whereas, the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable m embrane from the region of higher water concentration to the region of lesser water concentration is called osmosis (Deena T Kochunni, 2017). In the data, as the concentration increased from 0%, the rate of reaction decreased. The order of concentrations at which the rate of germination will increase from slowest to fastest is 10% NaCl, 5% NaCl, 1% NaCl and 0% NaCl. Therefore, the predicted outcome that the optimum salinity would be 0% was correct as this is what the experiment indicates, which was 0%. This is because seeds need a lower concentration of salinity in their environment, i.e. the soil, so that more water can flow into seed to get imbibed. A University of California study undertaken by Stephan Grattan, plant-water relations specialist, determined that radishes do not tolerate much salt in irrigation water (Grattan, 2002). As radish seeds are sensitive to root disturbances, the salinity of the water affected the rate of germination (How to Grow Radishes 101 gardenswag, 2011). This would suggest why 25% of seeds germinated after five days in an environment containing 1% NaCl, but 0% of seeds germinating in 5% Na Cl and 10% NaCl. When a seeds environment is of the optimal concentration of NaCl, the rate of germination is at its highest and so takes a shorter amount of time. Therefore, at this optimum, the concentration gradient of water is highest which means that maximum imbibition takes place, causing the cells to swell and activate the enzymes which help break down the seed coating. This can be seen at point B on graph 2 where the radish seeds are at the optimum concentration of 0% NaCl and a maximum of 66.67% of seeds germinated. Concentrations above the optimum affect the osmotic process in seeds. Seed imbibition rate and germination percentage decrease as the surrounding water concentration decreases. This is because, increasing the salinity decreases the concentration of water in the external environment of the seed, making the water in the seed cells travel out into the external environment, plasmolysing the cells. When a plant cell becomes plasmolysed, the internal cellular membrane shrivels up as the volume of water in the cytoplasm decreases, which means that there is less turgor pressure (The Effects of Osmosis, 2017). Therefore, it wont germinate. This is also apparent at point B on graph 2, as there is a decrease in the percentage of germinating seeds at salinity percentages above 0%. At 0% NaCl, it is evident that the most seeds, 66.67%, had germinated by the end of day 4. This was where the concentration of water outside the seed was at its highest resulting in the most amount of water travelling into the seed at a time. In other words, the seed was in a hypotonic environment. Thus, the seeds could germinate quicker as more enzymes could become active and carry out the processes important to break the walls of the seeds. This is evident in Graph 1, as at 0% NaCl 50% of the seeds had started to germinate, which is the highest of any salinity percentage on day one. The maximum percentage of seeds germinating was 66.67%. Germination could also be seen at 1% NaCl, with 25% of the seeds germinating by the end of day four. This occurred as the water concentration on the outside was the same as the water concentration on the inside of the seed cells. Therefore, the seed was in an isotonic solution. Due to this, water was still able to come into the seed cells, however, there was less turgor pressure as the seeds cells were flaccid. Germination was still able to occur as some enzymes could become stimulated to aid in breaking the seed coating. This is apparent on graph 1 as on day 3 16.67% of the seeds had germinated, but at the end of day 4, 25% of the radish seeds germinated, suggesting that germination was still taking place in the other 75% of seeds. However, no obvious germination could be seen in 5% NaCl or 10% NaCl, even after the fourth day. The reason for this, is that the percentage of salinity was too much in the external environment, which means that the concentration of water in the external environment was lower than the water concentration inside the seeds cells- in a hypertonic environment. Consequently, more water was going out of the seeds cells than water was coming out, therefore the cells plasmolysed. The lack of water inside the cells could not activate enough enzymes to continue the process of germination. This is clear on graph 1 as 0% of seeds germinated throughout the 4 days. Per the results, it can be verified that as the salinity increased from 0%, the imbibition of the seed decreased causing the rate of germination to decrease. This increase in salinity caused the concentration of water outside the seed to increase, causing a hypertonic solution, which consequently made more water travel out of the cells than into, causing the cells to plasmolyse. Thus, decreasing the rate of germination. 4.2. Evaluation of Experiment To ensure that an experiment is a fair test, only one factor can be changed at a time while keeping all other conditions the same (Doing a Fair Test: Variables for Beginners, 2016). This experiment had several control variables that had to be kept constant, variables such as: the temperature of room; the type of seed; the amount of solution used; time of day watered; vessel that carries the seed; how seeds are placed; amount of seeds placed in each petri-dish; and the light reaching plants. The external environment was kept constant as the experiment was conducted indoors with the air conditioner set to 22 °C and the seeds were placed in the same place on a window sill. Also, the type of seed was kept the same as radish seeds were used. In addition, vessel that carried the seeds, amount of seeds in each petri dish and how seeds were placed were all kept constant as four seeds were placed in four cotton balls in each petri dish. However, the amount of solution was not kept constant each day, as 15mL was used to water the seeds on day 1, but on the second and third days 5mL was used, and no watering took place on days 4 and 5. To improve this, the original 15mL of water should be used to water the seeds every day. Even though the environment was kept constant, to maximise seed germination, the investigation needed to take place inside of a greenhouse. In addition, the time of day was not kept constant, to ensure that the watering was at the same time every day, the radishes needed to be watered at around 5 oclock every morning so that the seeds could maximise sunlight throughout the rest of the day. Validity encompasses the entire experimental concept and establishes whether the results obtained meet all of the requirements of the scientific research method (Shuttleworth, 2008). Possible errors in the results include: human error in reading measurements; not watering the seeds evenly; human error in remembering to water the seeds; and not using the same amount of cotton wool. The main reasons for this was the lack of time during a school day. In addition, there was no real way to measure out each cotton wool ball. Therefore, the results are valid for this experiment, but are not reliable to use for further research into radish seeds. The aim of this experiment was to find out how the salinity of water affects the optimum germination in radish seeds. The predicted outcome that the optimum temperature would be 0% was correct as this is what the experiment indicates. Per the results, it can be verified that as the concentration of salinity increased from 0%, the water moving into the seed decreased causing the rate of germination to also decrease eventually causing 0% of seeds to germinate in 4 days, at which the water moving into the seed was less than the amount of water moving out of the seed. Any increase in salinity concentration decreased the number of enzymes being activated to start breaking the seed coating due to the lack of water inside the seeds cells, causing the seeds to not germinate by the end of day 4. Theory Sources AoB Plants. (2014) (6th ed.). BBC Standard Grade Bitesize Biology Cells and diffusion : Revision, Page 4. (2014). Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/biology/investigating_cells/cells_and_diffusion/revision/4/ Burchill, S. (2017). The Open Door Web Site : Energy and Activity : How Plants Survive Winter : Seeds and the Conditions Needed for Seed germination. Saburchill.com. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.saburchill.com/ans02/chapters/chap036.html Deena T Kochunni, J. (2017). Difference between Osmosis and Imbibition.Majordifferences.com. Retrieved 25 February 2017, from http://www.majordifferences.com/2013/12/difference-between-osmosis-and.html#.WLGCpPk2vIU eHowEducation,. (2014). What Is Turgor Pressure in Biology? : Biology DNA. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckKRfhD5sE0 Doing a Fair Test: Variables for Beginners. (2016). Science Buddies. Retrieved 13 May 2016, from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_experiment_fair_test.shtml Germination of Seeds: Stages Factors involved. (2017). Education Science Tips. Retrieved 6 February 2017, from http://www.rajaha.com/germination-seeds/ Gillam, P. (2014). osmosis | PMG Biology. Pmgbiology.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017, from https://pmgbiology.com/tag/osmosis/ M. Krempels, D. (2017). GR 1 Laboratory: Environment and Development: The Effects of Environment on Seed Germination. Laboratory Exercise, Miami. Grattan, S. (2002). Irrigation Water Salinity and Crop Production (1st ed.). Oakland: ANR Publication. Retrieved from http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8066.pdf How to Grow Radishes 101 gardenswag. (2011). Gardenswag.com. Retrieved 27 January 2017, from http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/how-to-grow-radishes-101/ Khon, C. (2017). Seed Germination [10]. Retrieved from http://www.shsu.edu/academics/agricultural-sciences-and-engineering-technology/ Monga, S. (2014) Imbibition [4]. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/sheelumonga/imbibition-is-the-phenomenon-of-adsorption-of-water Process of Seed Germination | Tutorvista.com. (2017). Tutorvista.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017, from http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-iv/plant-growth-movements/seed-germination-process.php Robb, A. (2017). What is Seed Germination? Definition, Process, Steps Factors Video Lesson Transcript | Study.com. Study.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-seed-germination-definition-process-steps-factors.htmlp Seed. (2016). ScienceDaily. Retrieved 19 February 2017, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/seed.htm Shuttleworth, M. (2008). Validity and Reliability How to Know if the Research is Correct?.Explorable.com. Retrieved 13 May 2016, from https://explorable.com/validity-and-reliability The Effects of Osmosis. (2017). Etomica.org. Retrieved 6 February 2017, from http://www.etomica.org/app/modules/sites/Osmosis_old/Background1.html Diagram Sources Biology 1903,. (2017). Eudicot germination.. Retrieved from http://bio1903.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch38/38_10SeedGermination-dicot.jpg EdExcel,. (2014). There is an opening in the testa called the micropyle that allows water to move into the seed causing it to swell and thus rupture the seed coat to allow the embryo plant to emerge.. Retrieved from https://pmgbiology.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/image024.gif imgarcade.com,. (2017). osmosis 1. Retrieved from https://image.slidesharecdn.com/osmosisamazingss-111004150133-phpapp01/95/osmosis-1-8-728.jpg Pearson Education Inc.,. (2017). Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/biomembrane1/images/Tonic2.gif University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Gorgan,. (2012). Effect of NaCl concentration on germination of Velvetleaf (A) and Bamyardgrass (B). Retrieved from http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/pd/v28n3/02f03.gif

Alliance Boots Marketing Essay

Task 1 (L.O.1.1) What is the Marketing Process? There are many different definitions of the Marketing Process, here are just two of them. i) â€Å"Marketing is the social process by which individuals and organizations obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging value with others.† (Kotler and Armstrong 2010) This basic definition of marketing explains how societies and organisation interact, where an organisation fulfils the wants or needs of individuals. In return, the organisation hopes to make a profit. ii) â€Å"Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational goals† (Marketing Principles, BPP Learning Media,2010 pg.6) This definition looks at marketing more from the view of an organisation. It takes into account a lot more factors, such as the marketing mix, and looks at marketing as something that has to be done in order to achieve their goal, ie. Profits. The marketing mix is essential for an organisation to establish both its target market and unique selling point, it uses the 4 P’s to help find these. The four P’s are the idea of modern marketing theorists and they cover the ways that an organisation can influence consumers to buy their particular brand. The Four P’s are Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Product: A product is anything that can be offered to the marketplace for consumption that will satisfy a need or want. It is not just something physical (tangible), it can also be a service provided e.g. cleaners, psychics etc., where, once the transaction is finished the consumer does not have anything to show for the money spent. These are non-tangible goods. The packaging of a product is important, not only as protection, but for communication (how to use a product), to remind consumers of the brand, and also to express company brand values (fair trade, supporting charities etc.). (appendix 1.1.1) Price â€Å"Costs will dictate the minimum price that can be charged in order to make a profit† (Marketing Principles, BPP Learning Media Pg.19)  Except for Loss Leaders, the purpose of a product is to make a profit for an organisation. The product must be bringing in more money than it’s costing to make or it’s not a viable source of income. This involves balancing a range of factors. Some examples are: 1. The price of competitors: If a product costs too much when compared to a similar product, the company could price itself out of the market. 2. What the target market is willing to pay: â€Å"The amount your target market is prepared to pay for your product depends on its features and the target market’s budget.† (http://www.learnmarketing.net/marketingmix.htm). 3. Consumers Perception: Some consumers will equate the price of goods with quality. What matters for a product in relation to pricing is the average price paid. Eg. Fashion & technology starts off with high prices, while FMCG’s start low Place   Traditionally in the 4P’s, place refers to distribution. It is concerned with where the product is bought and consumed, and getting the product in the right place at the right time (S. Hilliard, notes). Distribution also concerns itself with where a product is made, how it is stored and how many people are involved with a product before it reaches the shelves. The more people involved, the more expensive the product. If the producer of a product sells directly to the public, they must be easily accessible. There are three main distribution strategies available: 1. Intensive Distribution: This can be used for impulse or low-priced goods e.g. Coca-Cola. 2. Selective Distribution: This is used when a product is sold in a few places. Products still gets to wide geographical markets, but at the same time, feels like there’s some exclusivity to it. Eg. John Rocha at Debenhams. 3. Exclusive Distribution: Is when a product  is given to a sole distributor. The product is usually high-priced. Eg. Ferrari dealers or boutique clothes. Promotion Promotion is the means by which information about a product is communicated. It is done through advertising and Public Relations, where the company pays for, and so has control over information given to the consumer (Tesco’s Computers for schools programme). Publicity is uncontrolled and so can have a bad, as well as a good impact on a company (BP’s Gulf of Mexico’s oil spill). It is vital for businesses to have good reputations since the internet is so easily accessible to the public nowadays, and news is not so easily forgotten. Promotion also involves the selling efforts of staff involved with a product. If a consumer is happy with service they would be more likely to come back to the same store but may not talk about it to other potential clients, on the other hand, if a consumer has a bad experience in a place they are far more likely to tell other people about it. You can find examples of this all over social media sites. Promotional offers are also helpful in stimulating a demand for goods, especially impulse bought goods. Eg. Boots pharmacy’s â€Å"Three for the price of two†. Task 2 (L.O.1.2) Alliance Boots Marketing Approach: Charles Revlon said â€Å"In the factory we make cosmetics, in the store we sell hope†. This can also be said of the company this assignment will be looking at. Alliance Boots marketing approach is both market and consumer based. They have necessary goods like prescription medicines & opticians, but they also have their health and beauty ranges in-store, they are also a major pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor, in doing this they have become a world leader in their field. Their revenue at year ended 31March 2012 is  £23 billion, up 18.4% on 2011. Their trade profit was almost  £1.03 billion, up 12.4% on the previous year and 88% over the last five. The cause for this is that they been increasing their direct ownership in emerging global markets, they have also been increasing joint ventures with companies such as Farmexpert & Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation in China (Alliance Boots Annual Report 2012 Pg.7). They have brought their products such as No.7 and Boots Laboratories into countries where they do  not have a retail presence through selling to independent pharmacies and online. In their stores, the organisation is very concerned with customer care. They have training programmes for their staff when launching a new product so staff can be informed in case of questions from the public. At the moment they are refitting stores and opticians so as to make them more accessible to consumers. Boots are continuing to develop their website, and also their BootsWebMD.com page, a health. The Boots brand is the most recognisable pharmacy-based health and beauty brand in Europe and their No.7, Soltan and Botanic ranges are synonymous with good quality and good value (Appendix 1.2.2). This and other promotions like their â€Å"Only at Boots† offers are what they use to keep themselves ahead of competitors. They seek to give consumers the best possible value by reducing prices where possible and also increasing their â€Å"Advantage Card†, and in doing so promote brand loyalty, which leads to extra sales. The organisation has gone into multiple charities to continue with improving the brands name and keeping itself in the public’s mind. They understand that the â€Å"link between good Corporate Social Responsibility and good business is vital† (Boots Annual Report 2012 Pg44). In this, they encourage their people to volunteer in charities that benefit local communities, and have developed a good reputation by doing so. They have volunteers that travel to the developing world to help promote eye-care in collaboration with Vision Aid Overseas. (Appendix 1.2.1) In the U.K. especially, Boots have a very selective strategy when looking at where to put their stores so as to maximise their profits. They place their flagship stores in the heart of major towns or cities for all the consumer’s needs, their local pharmacies are healthcare focused for communities, high street stores are geared towards health and beauty, and finally their stores in airports for travellers’ last minute needs. Task 3 (L.O. 2.1) SWOT Analysis of Alliance Boots Strengths * They are world leaders in a market that has potential for long term growth and so are at the forefront of technology * 69% of a survey asked why they shopped at Boots said it was because of the range of products in  their store(*table down the bottom*). They have a wider selection than competitors in their market. * With training programmes for Boots staff, especially for their own brand products, consumers can be more informed about any questions or worries they may have without necessarily having to go to a doctor. * Their brands are well trusted by consumers so they have a loyal group of consumers. * Through BCM, their Contract Manufacturing business, they manufacture special prescription medicines for individuals. * Boots have an excellent reputation when it comes to delivery of prescription medicines for patients’ needs Weaknesses * As a major organisation in their field, any negative publicity could cause major damage to the brand’s name. In 2011 Alliance Boots offered members of its final salary scheme the chance to take part in a so-called â€Å"pensions increase exchange†. This would see members handed a one-off increase to the value of their pensions in place of annual inflation-linked rises. This may lead to problems for them in the future if pensioners do not get enough money to see them all the way through old age which, in turn, could see consumers look at Boots in a bad light. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/8820994/Alliance-Boots-could-be-open-to-pension-mis-selling-claims.html) * During a recession, people are more willing to buy generic brands, in doing this, the organisation may lose out on selling their own brand products and so lose out on profits. Opportunities * Boots are continuously evaluating franchise opportunities in selective countries with large populations, and growing healthcare expenditure that they have not yet penetrated. * They have attempted to tackle the weakness mentioned above by releasing their own generic brand of pharmaceuticals, â€Å"Almus†, which has been released in six countries, after the recent launch in Germany. * In certain health and beauty stores (mainly stores inside shopping centres), the group have just started to sell sandwiches and drinks to give consumers a place to grab a quick lunch. When it comes to profit, to paraphrase another company’s slogan â€Å"Every Little Helps† . Threats * Boots had an excellent market position; it was in this position that the company had to deal with changes in the external business environment. There were supermarket chains like TESCO that entered the personal care market with big plans and stores that covered every product line that the customer would deal with. Naturally, supermarket chains threatened the niche that Boots was ruling and these large retailers had much more to offer than just drugs, drawing in crowds from all parts with a comprehensive product package under one roof. * Other more direct competition, like Superdrug have been a threat to Boots recently. They have launched their own brand of cosmetics which has meant that Boots, in response have had to lower their prices. Pest Analysis of Alliance Boots Political With governments increasing the number of medicines available for purchase for minor illnesses, Boots have been able to sell a lot more over the counter products to consumers without them having to go to the doctor for prescriptions. The American company Walgreens have bought a stake in the organisation. â€Å"The U.S. government is becoming the largest payer of prescription drugs could be a larger long-term challenge for pharmacy reimbursement.† (http://eupolitics.einnews.com/article_frame/120352863) There is a view that this has been done as a way for Walgreens to hedge their bets, in case it becomes problematic getting reimbursed from a government trillions of dollars in debt. Economics With the worldwide recession at the moment, a lot of companies are finding it hard to run a business profitably. Alliance Boots seem to have made their industry recession-proof. Consumers may go without holidays or nights out, but it seems the population still can’t do without their health and beauty products. Although, consumers do seem more brand aware and are more receptive to lower priced or generic brands. Sociocultural Factors A person’s social environment includes their living and working conditions, income level, educational background and the communities they are part of. The organisation seems to understand this and in developing worlds where they have a market presence they support multiple charities, Doctors without  Borders in Africa and South America. â€Å"As an organisation focused on pharmacy-led health and beauty, promoting and supporting a range of initiatives that improve the health and wellbeing of the communities in which we serve is a natural extension of our business activities.† (http://media.allianceboots.com/app_media/alliancebootscsr/home/pdfs/AllianceBootsCorporateSocialResponsibilityReport.pdf). Closer to home, they understand how the government are trying to promote a more healthy lifestyle (although not doing a whole lot to encourage it, reduce taxes on health products/ fruit)* and are trying to capitalise on the idea. Technology Through Boots â€Å"Centre of Innovation†, the organisation tries to get new entrepreneurs to get in contact with them. If a product is good enough Boots may help fund it with a view to the product going into their stores. In the U.K., they are trying to lower their carbon footprint by fitting new stores, and refitting existing stores with sky lights, sun pipes and solar panels. These stores have seen their carbon emissions reduced by a third. Task 4 (L.O.2.2 & 2.4) Buyer behaviour is the study of the why, when, what, where and how consumers buy a certain product. To steal a line from the real estate industry, the three most important things in marketing are segmentation, segmentation and†¦ segmentation. Research places groups into different segments and allows an organisation to know the geographic, demographic, and psychographic variables (target market) to aim their products at. The two products this assignment will be looking at are 1) â€Å"Boots Winter vaccine† and 2) â€Å"FCUK men’s deodorant†. (Appendix 2.2.1, 2.2.2 & 2.2.3) The stages of buyer behaviour are: * Need recognition * Information search * Evaluation of alternatives * Purchase decision * Post purchase evaluation (Marketing Principles BPP Learning Media Pg. 132) Need recognition: 1) A person vulnerable to influenza and wants to protect against it. 2)  Consumer needs a new can of deodorant. Information search 1) Internet search, Emails ( If the consumer has an Advantage Card) 2) Ask friends, TV adverts, flyers from the last time shopper was in the store Evaluation of alternatives: 1) Talk to a GP. Are the GP’s services more hygienic? 2) Is the price okay for the product compared to the other products like Lynx, Nivea etc, does it smell better than the other products? Purchase decision: 1) Confirm that factors important to the consumer are met. 2) Price is right, product smells good. Post purchase evaluation: 1) Did the vaccine work? Were the standards of the consumer met? 2) Does the spray do what it was bought for? Segmentation: Geographic: As seen in task 2, Boots have strategically placed stores to maximise their consumer base and profits. (Flagship stores corner shops, airports etc.). Demographic: Appendix 2.2.4 1) Winter Flu Vaccine: * With winter starting soon Boots are beginning to promote their Winter Flu vaccination service. This will be aimed at a wide demographic. * This vaccination is strongly recommended for: * persons aged 65 and over †¢ Those with a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart or lung disease †¢ People whose immune system is impaired due to disease or treatment †¢ Persons with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40 †¢ Pregnant women (can be given at any stage of pregnancy) †¢ Residents of nursing homes and other long stay institutions †¢ Healthcare workers †¢ Carers †¢ People with regular close contact with poultry, water fowl or pigs. (http://www.boots.ie/winter-flu-vaccination-service.aspx) 2) FCUK men’s deodorant: Boots target market for this and all other â€Å"designer† body-sprays are males aged from 16 to 35. These are consumers (usually) with plenty of discretionary income and who may feel more under pressure to look their best. They don’t always worry about money when it comes to this. Psychographic: 1) Winter Flu vaccine Boots aim this product at people who are security and status seeking. If this is to work for them they cannot afford to be lackadaisical when it comes to hygiene. They can instil confidence in their consumers simply because they are such a well-known brand, and if they had any negative press it would surely be widely reported on. 2) FCUK men’s deodorant: This product is a more expensive option than a lot of the competitive products Boots have for sale. It’s also a bit more expensive than if consumers were to go into a supermarket and buy the same product. As FCUK is a well-known brand, consumers who are status seeking could be looked at as a potential target-market base, but consumers who have the â€Å"Hedonistic† approach to life would be more appropriate. Task 5 L.O. (2.3& 2.5) Boots target-market ranges from the pharmacies they supply as part of their wholesaling and distribution right through to what they hope will be their loyal consumer. Through wholesaling, they must ensure their products are the best quality for the best price when compared to rivals like Superdrug. If they were to be found to lack the quality of their rivals it could have a lasting damaging effect on the organisation. (Boots estimate the goodwill of their name in their joint ventures to be worth  £4.7billion). As a pharmacy store Boots are aimed at consumers who are security and status seeking. Recently their â€Å"First Leaf† advertisement for the autumn/ winter begun on television and was aimed at mothers who want to avoid illnesses in their family throughout the winter with vitamins and throat sprays, and at the  same time promotes luxury items like bubble-bath and autumn coloured hair-dyes. The â€Å"advantage card† is a major factor in how Boots target their market. They have been able to understand their target market so well that they send separate offers to individuals based on their spending habits, which encourages consumers back to the store and can only be an advantage on their behalf. The card has also gotten excellent reviews from consumers on websites like reviewcentre.com. Boots are in a very strong position for the challenges that may face them in the next few years. Although with the â€Å"green movement† becoming a more prolific part of lifestyle segments, they could promote their CSR, which does a lot of charity works in developing countries they have employees in. They do not test on animals, or have testing carried out on their behalf. With governments looking to provide more cost-effective ways of managing healthcare, Boots could possibly expand in communities through weight- management programmes, health check-ups and smoking cessation advice. But if they don’t do this I still think they’ll be fine.

Educational Leaders And Public Policymakers - 4023 Words

Research conducted from economist to neuroscientist, educational leaders and public policymakers have confirmed that early education matters. Studies like the High Scope/Perry, Abecedarian and Chicago Child- Parent Centers indicate that children who attended preschool were comparatively ahead in early reading and math skills (Barnett M. N., 2013). Similar studies have also revealed that depending upon various factors; such as preschool quality, social class and race, educational boost can continue through K-12 and well into adulthood. Various studies have shown that high-quality preschool saves schools and states money, and provide long-term benefits to children and communities (Magnuson, 2013; Heckman, 2010; Mead, 2012). A study conducted in 1995, by Betty Hart and Todd R. Riley, called the Million Word Gap, declared that by age 3 affluent children will have been exposed to 30 million more words than low income children. This was alarming research and has led to numerous investiga tions on preschool and earl learning. Despite the recent attention given to the importance of preschool, children are still entering Kindergarten under prepared (Mead, 2012) . Disproportionate access to high quality preschool is a rising public policy interest as indicated by an increase in state and federal investments in early childhood development and quality improvement initiatives (Miller, 2011).This paper seeks explore the following questions: what are the various types of preschoolShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Paul C. Light s The Tides Of Reform914 Words   |  4 Pagesoutcomes can be observed. Katherine Boo’s insightful New Yorker’s story, â€Å"Expectations,† tells the story of a major citywide initiative taken for improving its public education system. The city of concern is Denver which is thoroughly concerned about improving its public education system. For the city’s elected leaders enhancement of public education system became a priority and its popular mayor, John Hickenlooper, by the end of his term, was thoroughly convinced that even though he was successfulRead MorePolitical Culture And Higher Education Regimes1738 Words   |  7 Pagesas well. California According to Kleiman and Gittell, political culture is â€Å"a combination of history and social factors,† and it has an impact on â€Å"state policies, including higher education† (in Brown et al., 2010, pp. 713). In California’s educational system, this is evident. The Master Plan established in 1960 shows evidence of the impact a populist system on political culture on education (Kleinman and Gittell in Brown, 2010). This system provides differentiation in the functions of universitiesRead MoreEvaluating Strategies For Retaining Effective Teachers980 Words   |  4 Pagesretaining quality teachers. Literature Review Today, the nation’s single largest educational expenditure is represented by teacher salary and benefits (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Educational policymakers have interest in how to use allocated money to retain effective teachers. The biggest obstacle in school systems is the achievement gap. The achievement gap represents the educational inconsistency of children in urban schools suffering from stifled education due to lackRead MoreThe Current School Reforms Essay930 Words   |  4 Pages Overall, Ravitch presented several strong points about the nature of the current school reforms. First, the market is not the best way to deliver public services. Ravitch stated that business leaders favor the idea of modeling schools like the marketplace, however structuring schools so that they function like a business destroys communities and replaces them with consumers (Ravitch, 2011, p. 221). New York City offers an example of why the business model does not wor k in the school system. In 2002Read MoreHigh Education : A Education System Of Public Higher Education945 Words   |  4 Pagesof efficient medical assistance. This is the result of a wasted educational system and unmotivated college campuses that will leave the population uneducated. What will be the downfall of society if the current and future generations do not have open access to higher education? Despite California’s decreasing state budget, the purpose of enforcing higher education is to have job stability in the future, assign educated policymakers to take over the state’s affairs, and meet the demands of the laborRead MoreCorruption In The Ukraine Government1483 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The educational challenges endured by the Ukrainian government and its citizens is a suitable option for the final comparison paper. Ukraine shares a longstanding history with Russia having only attained independence in 1991, and the government aimed to cultivate a relationship with Western Europe, particularly the European Union (EU). Discouragingly, twenty six years after independence Ukraine wrestles with a depleted economy inherited from former and first President LeonidRead MoreThe Problem Of The Decline Of Education1251 Words   |  6 Pageseach policy solution. Then it will analyze the pros and the cons, and potential strengths and weaknesses of each solution. Last this paper will offer some personal observations on the problem if educational decline. In the United States in education system is declining in many different ways. The public school system has come to care more about the money they will make from the student who goes to school rather than the teaching of the actual student and caring about their education. Therefore,Read MoreSingle-gender classrooms would not improve the quality of education in American public schools.9319 Words   |  38 PagesSingle-gender classrooms would improve the quality of education in American public schools. Contentions----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contention 1: Single-gender classrooms would leave students unprepared for college and for life. Subpoint 1: College Preparedness College Preparedness: Single-sex schools fail to prepare students for college. Edelman Public Relations 2008 Raà ºl Hinojosa-Ojeda, Ph.D. is the founding director ofRead MoreRacial Discrimination and Hispanics in the United States1512 Words   |  7 Pagestype of work. Recent educational cuts and kick-backs have affected English as a second language classes. These classes are becoming fewer in many school districts throughout the United States. The Census Bureau estimates that Hispanics will account for 30 percent of the United States population in 2050. From just 2001 thru 2008, the percentage of Hispanics in the U. S. public schools grew from 17% to 21%. In the state of Texas, Hispanics make up the majority of public school students. This factRead MorePatient Centered Primary Care Collaborative Stakeholders1418 Words   |  6 Pagesexecutive committee at Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative. The five stakeholder groups consist of: 1. Advocacy and Public Policy 2. Care Delivery and Integration 3. Employer and Purchaser 4. Outcomes and Evaluation 5. Patients, Families, and Consumers The Advocacy and Public Policy center works with the government leaders at the state and federal level, policymakers, and agencies to craft together policy to include essential features of the medical home. Payment reform, changes in health

Financial crisis effect on global FDI flows - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1180 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? The global crisis that started in mid-2007 brought an abrupt stop to the sustained rise in international financial integration over the previous decade (figure 1). Global capital flows had steadily increased from less than 7 percent of world GDP in 1998 to over 20 percent in 2007, led in particular by a dramatic expansion of flows to and from advanced economies. These flows simply evaporated during the crisis, turning sharply negative in late 2008 on heavy selling of foreign assets worldwide. Understanding international capital flows is highly relevant for policymakers. Economic theory Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial crisis effect on global FDI flows" essay for you Create order argues that international capital mobility allows for savings to be funneled towards the countries with more productive investment opportunities and for a better sharing of macroeconomic risk between countries subject to different shocks. Hence, the analysis of this financial issue will help to study the factors that have lead to a decrease in global FDI flow and consequently report to stakeholders such as the government and other economic policy makers who will thereby devise strategies to counter any forthcoming similar issues and hence, stimulate foreign direct investment globally. INTRODUCTION In 2007, the financial crisis, which started in the United States subprime market, developed into the most brutal financial crisis since the Great Depression. Only an unprecedented fiscal and fiscal stimulus in the developed economies prevented an even more severe global recession, but the price tag for the economic downturn still remains a record-breaking high. Even the overwhelming estimated costs devalued the true worth of the crisis, as they do not take into consideration productivity losses; moreover, they ignored the unconstructive effects of the crisis on individual and societal development, and it will now take years to recuperate from the setback towards the achievement of the millennium development goals. While some developed markets and a number of large emerging economies are now showing some signs of upturn, the outcome of the crisis on emerging countries has not yet fully unfolded. It is probable that the pessimistic economic and social consequences of the economic downturn, for instance on employment, will be felt in due time particularly, given that a double-dip recession in the developed markets cannot be ruled out. The crisis affected developing economies mainly via the trade channel, increase in commodities prices, and financial linkages. Some emerging market economies which entered the crisis with strong fiscal positions or with large war chests of foreign exchange reserves were able to implement counter-cyclical macroeconomic policies. However, most low-income countries were in a much weaker position and were not able to respond to the crisis with adequate policy actions. As a consequence, the severity of the external shocks directly passed through to their economies. PROBLEM STATEMENT FDI is considered to be the most attractive of capital flow for emerging economies as it is expected to bring latest technology and enhance production capabilities of the economy. During 2003-2007, FDI flows followed an upward trend, fuelled by steady world economic growth, ongoing liberalization in investment regimes and the implementation of large-scale internationalization strategies by a growing number of transnational corporations (TNCs). This led to an unprecedented level in FDI flows in 2007, with flows reaching a historic record of $1.8 trillion. The financial instability triggered by the United States sub-prime crisis which began in summer 2007 has led to a progressive deterioration of the investment situation. Various indicators during the first half of 2008 already suggested a decline in world growth prospects as well as in investors confidence. This deteriorating climate began to leave its first negative marks in investment programmes, including FDI, in early 2008. Accord ing to UNCTADs 2008-2010 World Investment Prospects Survey conducted April-June 2008, 40 per cent of the respondent companies at that time had financial instability or had a negative or very negative impact on their investment expenditures and programmes. The global economic slowdown is projected to continue and recession is still gripping a number of major economies, tighter credit conditions and falling corporate profits, many companies have announced plans to curtail production, lay off workers and cut capital expenditure, all of which has implications for FDI. Aims and Objectives The main aim of this research is to study the effect of the recent financial crisis on the global FDI flows. In order to ease the analysis, there are several objectives that need to be taken into consideration. -Analyze the factors that have lead to the financial crisis. -Study its effect on global FDI flows. -Identify the fiscal policies of international institutions to counter the crisis and stimulate global FDI flow. -Measure the effectiveness of the policies implemented. Methodology The research will consist of both qualitative and quantitative data collection method. Firstly, a a literature study will be undertaken to evaluate past research and hence, address criticism to the theory proposed. In describing the chronology of the impact of the financial crisis on global FDI flows, the proposed study will review and include, where applicable, primary data related to the global FDI flows. A documentary analysis will be carried out from publications of international institutions which reports the Balance of Payments statistics on FDI and economic growths of most countries. The IMF publication International Financial Statistics is an important source of information. UNCTAD and OECD publications are alternative sources but the IMF data gives a more broad analysis by accessibility of data for a larger set of countries. The secondary data collection method will also cover journalistic coverage and other publications. Hence, a regression analysis may be utilized to identify the relationship between different variables. As far as primary data collection method is concerned, interviews with financial analysts may be tape-recorded. Moreover, a questionnaire may be designed to gather information from top management of firms in the financial sector. Benefits of the research The purpose of this research is to investigate the current trends in the cross-border Foreign Direct Investment flows and to identify gaps in current economic policies and to ultimately help countries to devise public policies in the restoration of constructive environment for a quick recovery in FDI flows. Thus, structural fiscal reforms should seek at ensuring more stability in the global monetary system, improved commitment to an open environment for inward and outward FDI and the implementation of policies aimed at promoting investment and innovation are key issues in this respect. Thus, this research will help stakeholders, especially economic policymakers, to deal effectively with crisis and its economic aftermath. Hence, it is important for them to resist the enticement of quick fix solutions or protectionism, and to maintain a favorable business and investment environment overall. The printing and stationary costs consist of printouts for the working papers pertaining to literature review, research proposal and for the overall project. The internet fees are forecasted/ partly incurred while searching for information online. It is based on the local cyber caf rate. The transport costs include bus tickets for groupworks and the forecasted amount to be incurred in carrying the survey is inclusive. The tape-recorder is an important element since interviews will be carried out with stakeholders. The Questionnaire costs include costs for the printing and distributing questionnaires to the targeted population.

Night by Elie Wiesel and A Spring Morning by Ida Fink

Dehumanization With an overwhelming amount of power, humanity becomes lost in the desire to control. In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel and the connection â€Å"A Spring Morning† by Ida Fink, both authors demonstrate a common theme of dehumanization by using literary devices such as: specific diction, symbolism and tone. Throughout the novel and connection, specific diction is used to express the hatred the Germans felt towards the Jewish during the Holocaust. In the connection â€Å"A Spring Morning†, the author uses words such as: â€Å"cruel†, â€Å"torment† and â€Å"murder† to show how the humiliation and fear within the Jews. Each of these words demonstrates a sense of inhumane acts of terror, for example, to be cruel to someone/ something means to be unnecessarily mean or evil. Fink also portrays the Jews as becoming dehumanized emotionally. The Jewish are â€Å"terrified† and in â€Å"despair† of the German officers and do not k now what will become of themselves once they are taken to the camps. The Germans have the Jewish detained and frightened, like caged animals, making them feel more animalistic than human. In the novel Night, Wiesel describes his journey through the Holocaust as â€Å"inhumane† and â€Å"cursed†, further showing how the Jews were treated poorly due to the Germans undeniable hatred towards them. The novel shows how the Nazi’s took advantage of the power and control they had over the Jews, making them unaware to the torment and hazard they were causing the Jews. Wiesel uses the word

What Is a Data Warehouse Free Essays

Question 1 What is a data warehouse? What problems does it solve for a business? A data warehouse is a place where data is stored for archival purpose, analysis purpose. Usually a data warehouse is either a single computer or many computers servers tied together to create one giant computer systems. Data warehouse solve a lot of problems to companies as it helps to structure files and avoid unnecessary duplication of data. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is a Data Warehouse or any similar topic only for you Order Now Data warehouse also allows to easily updating data and encourages management to regard data as a resource that must be properly managed just as any other resources. Question1B What do you see as the benefits of using a web-like browser to access information from a data warehouse? The benefits of using a web browser to access information from a data warehouse is that it allows users to have access to different search engines and opens up different links with the relevance key search. Some results will be more complete than others as they have different ways of indexing websites.Using a web browser to access information from a data warehouse is also useful as the links give you access to images and videos which interact users but can also slow down the logon level of speed operations meaning that the data warehouse is accessed at a fast speed. Question2 The SAP system is a collection of software that performs standard business functions for corporations. Here are some applications developed by SAP for consumers use, they are regrouped into categories of utilities[1]. Financials applications The SAP Financials applications contain all of the functionality needed for enterprise-wide financial management. These include: Financial Accounting (FI), Provides a complete financial accounting solution, including income statements, balance sheets, journals, ledgers, and all areas of financial accounting. †¢ Enterprise Controlling (EC): Assists in controller tasks. †¢ Capital Investment Management (IM): Assists finance organizations in their capital investments and tracking. †¢ Controlling (CO): Assists the controller organization. †¢ Treasury (TR): Assists with transactions related to the U. S. Treasury. Human Resources applications †¢ Personnel Administration (PA): Assists with all areas of personnel administration, including applicant tracking and personnel history. Personnel Development (PD): Assists with training and educational status of employees. These systems handle all of the mundane HR tasks, such as personnel and payroll, and also a number of more esoteric HR functions, such as seminar and convention management. Logistics applications The SAP Logistics applications include SAP’s most popular modules. †¢ Materials Management (MM): Manages raw materials, inventory, and all aspects of goods manufacturing. †¢ Production Planning (PP):Offers sophisticated tools for planning large production environments. General Logistics (LO): Manages logistics for companies that require large-scale deployment of goods and resources. †¢ Sales and Distribution (SD): Manages the inventory and distribution of finished goods. †¢ Plant Maintenance (PM): Manages the resources required for large manufacturing plants. †¢ Quality Management (QM): Captures and maintains quality control for manufacturing environments. †¢ Project System (PS): Assists with the scheduling of project tasks and interdependencies between tasks. ;; Oracle is the leading company in a leading software development and provides usiness with systems and information with reliable, secure, and integrated technologies[2]. These software’s include: †¢ Agile Link-to-SAP XI: Agile Product Collaboration provides a comprehensive solution to manage bill of material (BOM), item, and engineering change order (ECO) data necessary for product content collaboration across the manufacturing supply chain. †¢ Oracle Communications for SAP RM-CA Manage: SAP RM-CA Manager integrates the BRM billing platform with SAP Revenue Management–Contract Accounting (SAP RM-CA), a revenue management system that SAP offers to the telecommunications industry Siebel Connector for SAP R/3: The Siebel Connector for SAP R/3 supports both synchronous and asynchronous transactions across application boundaries. The resulting consistency of data provides efficient coordination between front and back-office operations. †¢ Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (BI Apps) are prebuilt BI solutions that deliver intuitive, role-based intelligence for everyone in an organisation that enable better decisions, act ions, and business processes.Based on best practices, these solutions enable organisations to gain greater insight and value from a range of data sources and applications including Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, Siebel, and third party systems such as SAP. †¢ Imaging ; Process Management (I/PM), part of the Stellent assets, provides organizations with a scalable solution focused on process-oriented imaging applications and image-enabling enterprise applications.With I/PM, organizations can quickly integrate their content and processes directly with Oracle and other third party enterprise applications, such as EBS, PeopleSoft Enterprise, JD Edwards Enterprise One and JD Edwards World, Microsoft Business Solutions, SAP, Lawson, and Baan. Here are the advantages of these two very competitive companies in the industry of enterprise application software reported by Eweek[3]. Oracle advantages |Control of the Oracle database | |Without data, enterprise applications are little more than empty containers.As the Oracle database platform evolves, it is | |becoming the data management system for enterprise applications. | | | |More open environment | |Oracle has done a better job of embracing Web- and Java-based application development paradigms that are familiar to a broader| |number of developers. | | |Customers relationship management | |Due to its acquisitions of Siebel and PeopleSoft, Oracle has a deeper knowledge of business processes, driven more often than | |not by front-end CRM (customer relationship management) applications. | | | |Middleware | |Oracle isnt that much better than SAP in this category, but at least Oracle has recognized its weakness in the middleware area| |enough to try and acquire BEA. | | |Mid ma rket channel | |Oracle has a stronger history in the channel than SAP, and, as such, has a better ability to leverage third-party solution | |providers in the small and midsize business market. | | | |Flexibility | |Oracle is a little more flexible in its approach to the business processes it will support, compared with the more | |hierarchical SAP model. | | |Global development Team | |Oracle development teams work together around the globe with relatively equal levels of autonomy. | | | |More third party application | |Years of working with ISVs on its database have created a stronger Oracle ecosystem. | | |Stronger OEM partnership | |The Oracle database is a critical piece of enterprise software driving server sales for Dell and Hewlett-Packard (and making | |the latter companys sales force an extension | SAP advantages Legion of consultants | |A large army’s worth of business consultants owe their professional existence to SAP and help keep SAP the market leader. | | | |CIO loyalty | |Many CIO’s3 have invested millions of dollars in SAP and have staked their careers on its continued success. | | |Partnership with IBM | |IBM is probably one of the largest resellers of SAP software, on top of DB2 databases. | | | |Partnership with Microsoft | |Although SAP has ambitions in the SMB space in which Microsoft sells its own applications, a marriage of convenience results | |in a lot of Microsoft Office-to-SAP enterprise application work. | | |Open source | |Although SAP would balk at the idea of open-source application software, it provides tons of resources for the development of | |open-source infrastructure software—making more money available for SAP software. | | |Business Process Integration | |Years of work in this area have resulted in a depth of expertise that is difficult to replicate. | | | |Global Footprint | |SAP has extended its enterprise application customer base around the world. | | |German Engineering | |Although it is sometimes seen as overly rigid, a reputation for attention to detail works in SAPs overall favor. | | | |Vertical market penetration | |Compared with Oracle, SAP has had more time to gain expertise across a broader array of industries. A recent Forrester research paper[4] found that Oracle has a strong middleware platform and better support of open standard and as such it is the right choice for customers who rely heavily on custom development in conjunction with packaged app lications. The reporters Wang and Rymer asserted that companies in the high-tech manufacturing market segment would likely be better off with Oracle while companies in the pharmaceutical and utilities industries would be more likely to choose SAP. In the light of this report my choice between theses systems will be based on the targeted market segment, in other words I will select the vendor that best suit my business activity. So therefore, I will select Oracle enterprise application if my company focuses on high-tech or with heavy reliability on custom development in conjunction with packaged applications. My choice in the other case will be to go for SAP if my business is found in the utilities industries or pharmaceutics. Making these choices will surely enable great customers satisfaction since they provide employees with the best equipments to serve these customers.Question3 Week 4 Lecture summary relating to: Data base models A data base model is a theory or specification describing how a data base is structured and used . several models have been suggested: The Hierarchal model is organized in to a tree like structure aiming to keep data in an organized manner. This structure allows one relationship between two types o f data i. e the parent child relationship, the child may have only one parent but the parent can have many children’s. The Network model organizes data using two fundamental records and sets.In other words the network model allows a many to many relationship meaning that the program maintains a current position and navigates fron one record to another by following relationships in which the record participates records can also be located b supplying key values. ( we have seen that most data bases used on man frame and minicomputer are based on the network or the hierarchal model. Relational model 3 key terms are widely used in the relational data base model these are relations , attributes and domain. A relation is theh colum and rows the named colums of the relations are called attributes and the domain is the set of values.The relational model was introduced as a way to make data base management system more independent. The structure of the relational model is a table where rows and columns of the tables are related. Database Development Entity modeling Entity relationship diagrams and entity relationship model illustrate the correlation and its nature between entities. The entities identifies the needs of the business and holds information of it all, with this method the relationship may be one to one or one to many. There are diverse benefits to the entity relationship modeling as it gives a specified picture of the current and requested system data.Normalization Normalization is the procedure of removing duplication of data. Normalization is also the process of verifying by making sure that there are no problems when updating the database and the operations on the various relations will not lead to conflicting and incorrect data. Part 2 Question1 (iii) What is the role of entity-relationship diagram and Normalization in database? Normalization and ERM are useful techniques for data management be cause normalization is the process of organizing data to minimize duplication, it usally divides a database into two or more tables defining relationships between the tables. The objective of normalization is to isolate data so that additions, deletions, and modifications of a field can be made in just one table and then spread through the rest of the data base via the defined relationships. I. e the customers number is related to its matching customers name and matching customer order. Therefore ERM and Normalization techniques ensure that data is well organized so that when updating some data you face no duplications or error. Data modeling is the process of creating a logical representation of the structure of a data base because it provides a unified view of data which is independent of any model. How to cite What Is a Data Warehouse, Papers

Customer Purchase Behavior

Question: Discuss about the Customer Purchase Behavior. Answer: Introduction The process used by customers in deciding whether to purchase a product or service is indeed changing day in day out. The behavior is so complex that the producers, the sellers, and marketers find it so hard in identifying the exact features and factors that influence customers in making the buying decision. Customer behavior, therefore, is defined as the complex and dynamic process a user or buyer of a product goes through before purchasing a product. It is a process that starts with the development of the desire to buy a particular commodity (Blythe, 2009). It starts with the realization of the need. To satisfy this need, the customer has to purchase the product. And before buying this product, a customer usually undergoes various stages explicitly discussed in the body of the report (Blythe, 2009). In this report, I have covered the subjects as follows. First and foremost, there is the identification of a company as well as the product offered. Then concerning this product, I have comprehensively discussed customer behavior. The primary factors covered under the section include personality, attitudes and motivation. Secondly, the report has explored how these two elements relate to the customer behavior. Also, the report has how the marketers in Woolworths Limited can apply the understanding of these influences on customer purchase behavior to enhance acceptance of clothes in particular suits offered by Woolworths. Lastly, the report has provided recommendations concerning marketing and customer behavior. Company Woolworths was established in 1924 and majorly carry its operations in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, Woolworths Holdings Limited is one of the biggest Supermarkets and commands a market share of about 40% in retail and grocery industry. It majorly sells home ware, digital products, foods, clothing, drinks, and others. Customers prefer shopping in the stores of Woolworths just because of high-quality goods and varieties of the goods provided at the same warehouse. The company has recorded stellar performance for several years in Australia. Through the duopoly that was established between Coles and Woolworths, the strategy assisted them to dominate the market for a long period. However, the entrance of competitors like Aldi into the industry has spurred a new rivalry. The pricing strategy adopted by Aldi has successfully won a significant market share that was initially for Woolworths. The new market forces have thus forced Woolworths to redefine marketing and operational st rategy to retain the market share and even grow further. Product and location As earlier noted, Woolworths provides various types of products. These goods can only be sold in bulk if proper marketing plans are put in place to enhance consumer preference. This report has primarily based on the entire range of products offered by Woolworths. They include clothing, electronics, fruits, drinks, vegetables, and other household goods. The fact is that convincing a customer that these are the best quality and products that can satisfy their need require the application of various marketing and promotional approaches. For instance, if Woolworths was a manufacturer, I could suggest that it manufactures quality products, offer discounts to customers and further base much on sales promotional initiatives. With the case of a retailer, however, the requirements are slightly different. Indeed, these stylish products like clothing, electronics and drinks require regular study of the users behavior and enact different principles to influence the buying behavior. Moreover, Woolworths Supermarkets has located its headquarters at Bella Vista in New South Wales, Australia. It has about 961 locations or branches that were established to serve the ever-growing consumer needs. Woolworths works closely with the farmers and growers in Australia to enhance production of quality products. Additionally, it has incorporated technology through creativity and innovation. Using this technology, consumers are able to shop online. They use the developed Woolworths app to place orders wherever they are and the products are timely delivered to their door steps. Any person within Australia can order the products without consideration of the distance. It thus implies that the company is located in most parts of the country and even those who hail from the interior parts of Australia can be served. Consumers These are individuals who purchase the products for consumption purposes. Before making the purchase, they follow various steps and considerations. In this report, the consumers are the entire population in Australia since Woolworths provides a range of quality goods and services to all groups of people. Photos of some of the target market by Woolworths Discussion and analysis Marketers, therefore, have to use conceptual skills, technical expertise and marketing knowledge to ensure they read consumer's mind and apply an appropriate technique to influence the purchase process (Lancaster et al., 2002). Customer behavior is affected by internal and external factors. The internal forces are those that can be controlled by the customer and are classified into personal factors and psychological factors. The individual factors include age, income, occupation, lifestyle and personality. The psychological factors include motivation, perception, learning and beliefs and attitudes (Salomon et al., 2010). On the other hand, the external factors are those that are beyond a customer control. They are primarily classified into cultural factors and social factors. Cultural factors include culture, sub-culture and social class. The social factors include the family, reference group and role and status (Awa et al., 2010). Figure 1.1 factors that influences consumer behavior. From the figure above, customer behavior is influenced by four major factors which include the cultural, social, personal and psychological. Just to mention, a customer undergoes five stages to purchase a product. The first step includes problem recognition. Here the customer realizes the need for a product. Next, the user search for more information regarding the product. The third step includes the evaluation of alternatives. The customer now uses the information gathered to assess if buying the product will be the best option. The consumer, however, weighs the needs and information identified to formulate a solution. The next step involves the purchase of the product. After the purchase, the consumer will undergo post purchase behavior which is the last step (Kardes et al., 2008). Figure 1.2 consumer behavior purchase process Source: Form this report. Personality Personality emanates from the interaction of physiological and psychological influences in an individual and leads to a constant character. It includes attributes like curiosity, adaptability, shyness, confidence and more (Sarker et al., 2013). Usually, customers apply these attributes in various proportions while trying to purchase a product. Some perceive that if they are purchase particular products, it can build the self concept (OCass, 2000). Personality extends to consumers desire to be categorized in a particular social class. Some products can be seen as inferior and persons who may associate other factors like level of education, economic class and the status quo (Haliru, 2013). However, personality attributes vary from one person to the other. A marketer too has to be in position to identify complaint personalities, aggressive personalities and attached personalities to find appropriate measures how to handle such customers. Adaptability From the reading, I recognized adaptability as one of the personality exhibited by many youths. Woolworths provides high quality products. Some research say youths are people who go by fashions in most of the products they purchase (Rogers, 2010). Before consumers with personality issues purchases a product from the stores, they usually ascertain that any of the highlighted character attributes favors them. For instance, based on electronics, a consumer has to ascertain the manufacturer, the features, price and alternatives available. To overcome this form of personality, Woolworths for our case should ensure that all varieties possible in the retail industry should be provided (Chowdhury, 2007). These products should be further segmented based on attributes like price such that people from all economic spheres should get their quality in the same store (Tan et al., 2004). The diversification and offering of latest products will be an appropriate solution for this influence. Curiosity Most customers prefer trying out products that are very new to them. For instance, they can enter the shop just to check about the new fashions in the store. If they miss getting such products, they may develop a negative attitude about the company (Mathur, 2008). Notably, if customers fail to get the latest products, they may take long to make decision regarding whether they should make a purchase or not. To overcome such an influence, a company should provide varieties of products to allow them taste any that already exist in the market (Martinez, 2012). Besides, Woolworths should provide a variety of products to the entire target market to allow them to get all the products in one store. Discussion and analysis of motivation Everyone is motivated in a different ways to purchase a commodity. Motivation is perhaps a challenging aspect to identify from a customer because it involves working with the subconscious level (Murat, 2011). Because of the difference in biological, social and physiological needs, consumer motivation to purchase of particular products will always vary. A need becomes urgent when it is pressing (Schiffman Kanuk, 2008). Pressing needs Pressing needs are those that cannot be postponed (Frey, 2008). They are actually the opposites of impulse purchases. These majorly affect consumers in the food but the electronics and clothing departments where the quality, innovativeness, fashion, brand design, are needs that can be postponed. with motivation, a buyer has just to develop a desire to satisfy a particular need. This issue can be adequately addressed by providing a variety of quality products, in that when any need arises, consumers can access the product from the premises. However, considering this motivation aspect, the firm should establish some measures to influence undecided customers to perform an impulse buying. The goods should be appealing and conspicuous to make a consumer who had not developed the need for a given product to develop suddenly (Cook, 2008). Impulse purchase decision. These are needs that customers dont have a priority over them. They can be postponed and get satisfied the other time. Sometimes, they can fall under impulse purchasing decision making. Some buyers are usually undecided about the goods to purchase. Such people are significantly influenced by the attributes of the commodity. This factor is, therefore, sensitive for the marketers to be in a position of identifying such customers and convincing them to purchase the merchandise (Whiteside Lynam, 2001). This consideration should be at the heart of the electronic and clothes department where the needs sometimes arise unexpectedly (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). Marketers should therefore, be in a position to identify such customers so that they can convince them to purchase some commodities. Ways the marketers can apply the knowledge of consumer behavior in developing marketing strategies. Marketers can, however, fail to hit targets if they lack sufficient knowledge about the consumer purchase behavior. These strategies can base on Porters five forces to identify the level of competition in the markets and relate with the consumer behavior in establishing marketing strategies. For instance, the tool will assist in understanding the degree of competition, the possibility of a new entrance, powers of suppliers and powers of customers and formulate appropriate marketing strategies (Jobber, 2007). Command of adequate knowledge about internal and external influences on purchase behavior will assist marketers to apply the knowledge in undertaking the following: First, the marketers can use the knowledge in segmenting the market. During marketing and sales promotions, Woolworths should use different mechanisms to differentiate. Based on the internal influences consumers should be segmented according to the age, personality, attitudes and more. The segmentation will assist in presenting the right product to the right people (Hawkins, Best Coney, 2000). For instance, offering a free sample like match box to an individual hail from a royal family cannot create a positive impact, or giving the same matchbox to a kid of five years cannot positively influence the attitude of such customers. Therefore, a clear understanding of the internal forces can assist marketers to segment the market accurately. Secondly, the marketers can apply the information to perform Target marketing. A strong understanding of consumers influence can help the marketing personnel to target the right group of customers (Kotler et al., 2005). Though the goal can involve the general public, some group of people will require being reached more than the other. Maybe, they could have developed a negative attitude towards the company, or they could be unwilling to associate their personality with the enterprise due to wrong information they withhold. Additionally, the knowledge about consumer behavior is instrumental in assisting marketers to apply the marketing mix tool and promotional mix to ensure the right information reaches the target market (Heath, 2001). The marketing mix (4ps) Products; through an understanding of the consumer behavior, the firm should provide products that only suits customer needs. They will also present the right products to the required target market. Price; the firm can charge the right price. The variety of products offered will be tagged with an affordable price. Tagging of the price on products will enhance viewing of products by customers and those who are price sensitive can purchase the product based on the comparison. Place; understanding the consumer behavior will assist in arranging the products in the stores to accessible places. The stores will also be located at a hub where customers can easily access them at their convenient time. Promotions; the firm will manage to carry out appropriate promotions activities. It will lay out strategies that ensure the promotion campaigns reach every individual as planned (Vargas, 2013). Recommendations Woolworths however, has to consider adopting more strategies to ensure that it fully understands customer behavior and how the business has been affected. Some of the suggestions include the following: First and foremost, the company has to undertake a significant investment in research. The research should focus on marketing and customer behavior. By so doing, it will be possible to unearth all the influences that affect purchasing behavior of different segments in Australia. Also, the management should intensify the use of marketing campaigns. The campaigns can enhance the reach of more customers, identify some of their needs, and further affects their attitudes towards the company and its products. This closeness and interactions with the customers at the grassroots will foster a good relation hence reducing some of their consideration before making purchases. Finally, the management should consider establishing career development programs. These programs should include training, coaching and seminars just to impart the relevant and current skills about consumer behavior. As a result, the marketers will use the skills to identify some influences and induce consumer purchases. Conclusions In conclusion, this dynamic and complex customer purchase behavior is a challenge to most of the marketers in developing appropriate marketing strategies. Apparently, most of the marketing mix and promotional strategies applied by organizations have failed to adequately address the challenge. Research is, however, believed to supplement technology in understanding the unknown characters about consumers. Marketing, therefore, intends to influence the customers in making a decision regarding a product and further make a purchase. It is the responsibility of the marketers to accurately position the product and assist the consumer to understand more about the product. Doing this can enhance purchase of a commodity and even create loyalty that automatically results in a repetitive purchase. 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