Crafting and Executing Strategy Apple Inc. in 2008 Case Study

Crafting and Executing Strategy Apple Inc. in 2008 - Case Study Example The company believes in creating better and more innovative devices in every subsequent product they launch. This has this far worked to their advantage revamping their sales year after year. After releasing the first version of iPhone in mid-2007, the company under the watch of its chief executes Steve Jobs watched as the product struggled to keep pace with the other leading mobile devices in the market. The product eventually sold a million copies in close to three months. Being the preliminary product, the first iPhone served its purpose effectively by pointing out the specific features about the smart phone market that the company might not have considered before unveiling the product. It is therefore from this that the company learnt to revamp innovation in their subsequent product. Innovation refers to the process of altering a product in order to create a newer product possibly from an existing one. The iPhone 3G succeeded the first iPhone and level of innovation in the new product became evident even in the name of the device. This product promised faster performance with download speed unique to the smart telephony market. Besides the faster processor, the phone had new better performing application intentionally added into the product to win new markets within the previously existing market (Thompson, 2011). It was therefore not surprising that within three days the phone had outsold the figures it took its predecessor three months. The innovative brand-positioning tool worked effectively for the company with the new applications increasing the sales despite the obvious performance flaws. Innovation is a marketing strategy that if used effectively alongside other marketing techniques yields results as was the case with the Apple Inc. in 2008. It is important for business organizations to carry out expansive market research in order to determine the new features. It is more prudent for the new features to have an inclination towards

Challenges Faced by a Country for Economic Development Essay Example for Free

Challenges Faced by a Country for Economic Development Essay An economy is flourishing and is shown to be beneficial and fruitful for the people living in it only when the growth of the economy goes up continuously. It is essential for a country to not only develop politically or socially but it also needs to demonstrate economic development in order to sustain in the international market and in order to come ahead of other countries. But it is not very easy for any economy to economically keep growing because an umpteen number of internal and external factors that affect the growth and the economic development and it is essential and crucial for the countries to address the issues and move ahead. There are some very common challenges that are faced by an economy that are discussed below. The presence of external imbalances in the global economy is one of the most influential causes that impose a challenge on the economic development of any country. There can be reasons such as political disruptions, changes in import-export scenario or foreign currency reserve changes that can lead to imbalance in a country that is external to an economy. But the disruptions taking place in one country can adversely affect the economy and economic growth of other countries as well. The monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the government of an economy also have a huge role to play in the economic development. These policies tend to impact the interest rates, money supply and foreign exchange rates of an economy and if the policies are not in the favor of the growth, they can become major challenges and major issues all over the country. Read more: Essay About Disadvantages of Population The change in trade situations can also affect the economies. Exports of a country help it in generating external revenues while imports can be done for different purposes such as facilitation of a manufacturing process, providing basic necessities to the people etc. And hence if there is an imbalance in the external trade that is taking place in a country, it can lead to severe turbulence and can adversely impact the economic growth. Other economic factors such as poverty, inflation rate, population also are dependent on an economy and also impact the economy. If a nation has higher level of poverty, it is more likely to have economic challenges and similarly high population is not desired and not advisable for high economic growth. And that is the reason why the governments usually try to avoid these unfavorable situations and try to maintain a balance in the countries by different measures. There are many more reasons why the economies face severe challenge of demonstrating growth and hence it is crucial for the countries to adopt different and new policies in order to avoid these challenges and facilitate growth. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/international-economics-homework-help/ View as multi-pages

Business Reengineering Essay -- Business, Change

Reengineering or the business process reengineering was one of the biggest business ideas in the 1990s, in its classical view, Davenport et al (2003) claimed, it incorporated few diverse ideas: â€Å"a) The radical redesign and improvement of work; b) The attacking of board, cross-functional business processes; c) [Stretch] goals of order-of-magnitude improvement; d) The use of IT as an enabler of new ways of working† (p. 157). In the beginning, reengineering was simply an idea to rebuild processes using the then new applications of IT, but lastly it became a dissolute thing: laying-off loads of workers or cutting the cost of production merely to get a company's stock price up; it instead became a real hierarchical diversion or pastime for senior executives that they suppose to create solution or new approach for issues (Ubiquity, 2003). 3C leaders and managers must learn all these past mistakes of reengineering related to organizational change and new business ideas, as Davenport et al (2003) analyzed and suggested: 1) Do not forget that any transformation, change must be implemented by employees. If people and their wishes and behaviors are not consider firstly in any new business approach, it will probably have a tough time succeeding; 2) Do not seize-upon the most radical, hype-laden narrative of the new idea as the one you want to set up in your organization; the expectations about what you can achieve may be raised higher than what you can achieve; 3) Reengineering should augment or supplement rather than replace ideas; No single idea is all-encompassing or all-powerful; 4) Radical or across-the-board change is inherently riskier than incremental change; 5) When carrying out a new business idea, managers are all ... ...in which to run experiments that the gurus may need to develop their proposals or ideas (Harvard). In strategic planning and evaluating creativity, 3C management must measure the courses of idea and creativity to ensure they obtain the best and maximum returns from platforms; feedback, criticism and suggestion could develop into the direction or focus of creativity, but they also would facilitate, motivate and improve idea or innovation in the organization (Davenport et al, 2003). Overall, in order to manage and deal with the attributes that consider stifling creativity in 3C, management not only must discourage intolerance or fear of failure and maintain openness with constructive and optimistic, but they also must continue tolerance, flexibility, determination and intelligent risk taking with understanding creative potential in self (Harvard, 2003).

Measuring Calories and Structure and Role of Macronutrients

My hypothesis was incorrect for this experiment; the manufacturer’s calorie count was considerably higher than the results of this experiment. Originally I thought that the manufacturers would have a lower calorie count in order to attract more customers into eating their products. Major companies would have proper facilities to be able to correctly measure the amount of calories in their products; however there are several things that could have given a more accurate reading in the experiment. I believe that this is the reason why the results from the experiment were so different to that of the manufacturers. It is important to know exactly how many calories are in the food and drinks we consume, this is because our bodies only need a certain amount which we can work out with our BMR. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate and to calculate this it takes into account the persons age, weight, height and average level of exercise. If someone who has a BMR of 2200 calories and they are consuming 2500 calories each day then that person will gradually gain weight unless they increase their level of exercise, using this same type of thinking it would work the other way around, if the same person consumed 2000 calories each day then they would gradually lose weight. Considering the experiment actually showed that the manufacturers have stated lower amount of calories I think that the main reason for this would be down to the experiment itself. If I could do this experiment again I would try to find a way to trap more of the heat and send it towards the can, in this experiment the foil was just below the can which could allow a lot of heat to be lost to the environment which could make the results show the calories were lower than they really are. Another factor that could affect the results is that the tin can itself could take some of the heat away from the water, the experiment requires the water to get heat to gather a reading however if the can must be heated before it can reach the water then heat energy will be lost in the process. One aspect of the experiment that I would definitely change if I did it again would be to test more foods and to test each one multiple times rather than just once each, this can ensure a more accurate reading. Explain how cells and tissues make use of macronutrients and review the scientific evidence that supports the idea that an individual with a high BMI may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. To keep the human body functioning correctly it needs nourishment, through eating and drinking the body can get this. The most important nutrients the body requires are called macronutrients; they are called this because they are the big (macro) nutrients. There are three macronutrients that are vital for the body to survive and these are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbohydrates can be obtained through consuming bread, cereals, honey or other sugars. These carbohydrates are the bodies main source of energy, once they are in the body they can be broken down in two ways, the simple sugars can be used straight away within the cells were as the more complex sugars need to be broken down by the enzymes in the gut to make them into the simpler sugars. Once these sugars are in the cells they can be used for internal respiration to help the cells and tissues to function. If not all the energy from the carbohydrates is required then the body can also store it as fat. Fats are used for two main purposes, the first being insulation. When the environment is too cold for the body to handle fats can help to insulate the heat and keep our bodies warm. The second use of fats is food storage, when the body is not getting enough energy from foods it can break down these food stores to produce extra needed energy. Fats can be obtained from foods such as butter or olive/sunflower oils. Proteins are the last macronutrient, these can be used for energy however this is not their main function. The main function of the proteins is the building and repair of tissues. Our muscles are made of an estimated 20% protein, when tissues such as muscles get damaged proteins are used to repair them so the body can function once more. Information provided by the BMJ (British Medical Journal) states that â€Å"research has shown children who have a high BMI between 9 and 12 years of age are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels (all risk factors for developing heart disease) by the time they reach adolescence. † This shows that there is a link between BMI and the causes of cardiovascular disease. An individual’s BMI can be calculated by using their height and weight so it can tell you if you are over, under or the healthy weight. So this research is basically saying that if a child is overweight and continues to be overweight, the chances are they could develop symptoms that commonly lead to cardiovascular problems. Being overweight can be caused by the body storing too much fat, which in turn can be caused by eating too many fats and/or carbohydrates and not doing enough physical exercise. If a person has a high BMI it means that their body is getting more nourishment than it needs or is not using up enough of the carbohydrates leading to fat stores. Cardiovascular disease can be caused by a variety of different symptoms such as the ones mentioned in the report. An example of how these could be linked to having a high BMI could be high blood pressure, if there are fats or cholesterol blocking a part of the cardiovascular system, the heart will have to work harder to pump the blood around the body and by doing this it is causing unnecessary work for the heart, and this is what leads to more life threatening problems. What is the role of vitamins and minerals in the human diet? Give one example of each of the above that affect the same body tissue/organ if that are deficient. As well as the macronutrients the body also needs micronutrients (minerals) and vitamins. Examples of minerals would be calcium, iron, etc. These are important like the macronutrients however they are just needed in smaller doses giving them the name micro (small). Examples of vitamins would be vitamin C which is found in citrus fruits and vitamin K which can be found in leafy green foods such as broccoli or spinach. Much like minerals, these are important just like the macronutrients but these vitamins are just needed in very small doses. Examples of how these can affect the human body would be calcium and vitamin D. Calcium can be mainly found in dairy products as well as leafy green vegetables. Calcium is what builds and maintains our bones. Without calcium in our bodies bone density would decrease and would be more likely to suffer from breaks. As well as consuming enough calcium the body also relies on a healthy level of vitamin D, this is mostly produced in the skin through the use of ultra violet rays from the sun. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption within the body. This means that bones rely on a healthy balance between both calcium and vitamin D. If the body is deficient in either one of these two nutrients the whole skeletal system could be at risk of developing problems such as ricketts or osteoporosis. Ricketts is when the bones a softened due to the lack of calcium present in them, causing them to be prone to fractures or deformity. Osteoporosis is when the bones become less dense causing them to weaken, become brittle and break. The main problem with osteoporosis is that once the bones have broken, they are difficult to heal again as there is simply not enough calcium to maintain them again.

Study Notes †Balance management Essay

Customer Flow: Taco Bell serves on average 1,500 customers per day (15 hours). On average there are 75 customers in the restaurant (waiting to place the order, waiting for the order to arrive, eating, etc.). How long does an average customer spend at Taco Bell and what is the average customer turnover? R=1,500 customers/day I=75 customers T=I/R=(75 cus/1,500 cus/day)x(15 hrs/day)x(60min/hr)=45 minutes Customer turnover=1/T=(1/45 min)x(60 min/hr)x(15 hrs/day)=20 times per day Job Flow: The Travelers Insurance Company processes 10,000 claims per year. The average processing time is 3 weeks. Assuming 50 weeks in a year, what is the average number of claims â€Å"in process†? R=10,000 claims/yr T=(3 weeks)/(50 weeks/yr)=3/50 yr I=RT=(10,000 claims/yr)Ãâ€"(3/50 yr)=600 claims Material Flow: McDonalds’s holds raw hamburger meat an average of three days before its cooked and sold to customers. The typical inventory of raw meat is 2,500 lb. What is the average amount of hamburger McDonald’s goes through in a week and what is the takt time of processing hamburger in a 15-hour day? R=I/T, R=?, T =3 days=3/7weeks, I=2500lbs, R=2500lbs/ 3/7weeks R=5,833lbs/week, Takt =1/R 1/5833 lbs/week x 7days/week x 15hr/day x 60min/hour = 1.08min/lb – means none of the processes can take more than 1.08min Monetary Flow: For the new Euro introduction in 2002, Wim Duisenberg had to decide how many new Euro coins to stamp by 2002. Euroland’s central banks’ cash-in-coins handling was estimated at â‚ ¬300 billion per year. The average cash-in-coins holding time by consumers and businesses was estimated at 2 months. How many Euro coins were to be made? R=300 B/yr T=(2 months)/(12 months/yr)=1/6 yr I=RT=(300 B/yr)x(1/6 yr)=â‚ ¬50 B Cash Flow (Accounts Receivable): A wholesaler sells $300 million worth of clothes and accessories to retailers per year. The average accounts receivable is $45 million. What is the average billing to collection process cycle time? T=I/R=($45 M/$300 M/yr)x(52 wks/yr)=7.8 weeks A general manager at Baxter states that her inventory turns three times a year. She also states that everything that Baxter buys gets processed and leaves the docks within six weeks. Are these statements consistent? No, because if the flow time is 6 weeks, then inventory turns should be 1/T=(1/6 wks)x(52 wks/yr)=8.7 turns/year. 1. Registration: Average Inventory = 20, Throughput = 20 per hour, Average flow time = 20 / 20 = 1 hour Triage: Average Inventory = 5, Throughput = 20 per hour, Average flow time = 5 / 20 = 0.25 hour, Admit: Average Inventory = 10, Throughput = 5 per hour(25%of20), Average flow time = 10 /5 = 2 hours Average time spent by people admitted = 1 + 0.25 + 2 = 3.25 hours Routine: Average inventory = 10, Throughput = 15 per hour (75%of20),, Average flow time = 10/15 = 0.6667 hour Average time spent by routine care patients = 1 + 0.25 + 0.6667 = 1.9167 hours Average time in ER for all patients = 0.25(3.25) + 0.75(1.9167) = 2.25 hours OR 2. In this case we have: Average Inventory = 20 + 5 + 10 + 10 = 45, Throughput = 20 per hour, Average flow time = 45 / 20 = 2.25 hours. Inventory turns can be calculated using financial statements by dividing COGS (R) by average inventory value (I), linking flow time (an operational measure) to financial measures. With a decrease in total assets (such as inventory, accounts receivable, and plant & equipment), return on assets (ROA) improves. Flow Time = Inv/COGSInv Turns= COGS/Inv