Managing Growth Essay

Sunflower Nutraceuticals (SNC) operates on a very tight cash flow. The past has not been had resources to stay above the water. SNC has been looking at some new projects and for the past nine years the projects and their impact on SNC’s financial impact has been tracked. In the first phase of these new projects two were applied to SNC. Acquiring a New Customer Atlantic Wellness was acquired as a new customer. Sales were increased significantly which in return also increased accounts receivable and inventory balances. This was a good decisions because as sales increase so does income. Additional accounts receivable and inventory can cause more overhead but can always be controlled. Leveraging Supplier Discounts With a new customer top-line growth was achieved. With the added expenses of more accounts receivable and inventory needs the cash flow for these three years was drained. It was however, offset by an added increase in EBIT due to favorable contracts. For the next three years two more projects were acquired. After the rapid increase in top-line growth and the increases it showed, SNC decided to pursue a new project that put SNC’s products into Mega-Mart Inc. retail. This once again increased top-line growth which drives sales higher, it consistently strained the EBIT. Developing a Private Label Since retail has immersed for SNC a private label seemed logical to stand out for consumers. Starting the branding process for SNC. The sale of the private label drove EBIT up again balancing out the next three years. The final three years and the final projects were critical. Since one project after another has off-set each other there is still a need to increase SNC’s cash flow and sales. High-Risk Customer Acquiring a high risk customer was a decision made with careful consideration. Since EBIT and net income were stable, sales was the next thing that needed to increase. Taking on Midwest Miracles increased the sales volume but the impact on the accounts receivables were large. Now there is talk in the business circle that Midwest Miracles is looking to file chapter 11 bankruptcy. This now leaves SNC with the option of possibly writing off a portion of the accounts receivable that has not been collected. Decisions The projects that were adapted by SNC showed that the financial resources can be forecasted and balanced with the right amount of research. Along with the increases and stabilizations SNC’s available credit line that was negative in 2012 when the financial restructure projects started remained steady through 2021. The total current assets also increased each year proving to SNC’s shareholders that a rapid increase in the value of the company has happened. Working Capital Effects â€Å"In business accounting, working capital is a benchmark measure of your company’s ability to meet its short-term obligations. It’s calculated by taking your business’ current assets and subtracting its current liabilities. Current assets are those that can or will be converted to cash in the next year. The major current assets are cash, accounts receivable and inventory. Current liabilities are obligations that must be fulfilled within the next year. For a typical company, the major current liabilities are accounts payable, accrued liabilities (such as wages earned by workers but not yet paid, or rent expenses incurred but not paid), and debt payments† (Chron, 2012). SNC’s total liabilities were up after the nine years of projects. Reference The Effect of Revenue Increase on Working Capital. (2014). Retrieved from

Behavioural based safety strategy

Abstract Behavioural Based Safety, or BBS, has become a topic of substantial debate as the issue has been linked to performance.This dissertation examines the modern development of the BBS philosophy in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the concept. The evidence presented illustrates 1 Introduction1.1 BackgroundEmployee injuries have significant impact on organisations as a whole; for example, reputation, stakeholder expectations, financial implications and legislative (Orr, 2008). Organisations therefore have to look increasingly at more effective measures to control or eradicate such events. To this end historically many organisations have looked to the development and implementation of formal safety management systems in order to address this issue. Safety management systems are a formal and prescribed means of managing organisational safety and improving performance (Agnew et al, 2012). The safety management systems currently implemented within organisations generally are centred on policies, procedures, objectives, processes such as risk assessment, hazard identification the use of various safety tools such as JSA’s and the wearing of personal protective equipment, or PPE, and focus on measuring compliance against key targets and objectives. This diss ertation examines how Behaviour Based Safety, or BBS, aids in the drive to prevent accidents and boost overall employee development (Lebbon, Sigurdsson and Austin, 2012). Qatar holds the position of second smallest country in the Arabian Peninsula after the island state of Bahrain. Qatar’s population currently stands at 2.04 million of Development Planning and Statistics, 94 per cent of which are foreign nationals (Qsa.gov.qa., 2014). Of this 94 per cent the majority is low-paid migrant workers. This number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years primarily due to the coming 2020 World Cup and the need for an influx of foreign labour for the booming construction requirement associated with it (Qsa.gov.qa., 2014). These migrant workers will primarily work on critical construction projects, drastically increasing the need for an effective safety program to be in place. The country has grown in a record breaking manner in the last ten years, to become the world†™s highest per capita GDP National (Fromherz, 2013). This achievement is primarily based on the vast resources of oil and gas discovered in the country. As a consequence of this discovery, construction of mega production plants has been the main focus of development in the country. This level of construction indicates an influx of safety challenges requiring an up to date and efficient method of implementation. These projects have historically required vast numbers of multi-cultural and diverse workforces, coming from different parts of the world (Orr, 2008). This being the case there are many challenges and great difficulties in bringing about a consciousness of safe work practices and in instilling a positive safety culture (Fromherz, 2013). The recognition of the need for workplace safety publicly materialized in the work of Mr Heinrich, an Assistant Superintendent of the Engineering and Inspection Division of Travellers Insurance Company during the 1930’s and 1940â€⠄¢s (Heinrich, 1959). His position required an investigation into the high and rising rate of supervisor accident reports during the period .This report revolutionized the working world by concluding that 88% of industrial accidents were primarily caused by unsafe, possibly preventable acts (Heinrich, 1959). This transformative moment in safety strategy motivated an entire industry to introduce reform (Fogarty and Shaw, 2010). Prior to these period witnessed steadily decreasing standards of working conditions that led to the need to reform the system. Heinrich (1959) subsequently published his first book in 1931; Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach, laying out a more systematic approach to the study of accident data. This indication of a willingness to embrace change was tempered by the overwhelming capacity that big business interests had to keep costs low, creating a volatile safety environment. The modern era has maintained that safety is significant concern for companies, often requiring a considerable fraction of their overall revenue stream (Fromherz, 2013). This drive to increase performance and reduce injury has resulted in many companies showing excellent improvement in the area of safety performance, thereby reducing cost and increasing productivity. The rationale for this research rests on assessing the potential for improvement of HSE performance in the Oil and Gas sector, specifically in the Middle East; through a means of behavioural based safety. The intention of the study is to establish the appropriateness of this hypothesis, whether as a process to be used as a standalone mechanism, or additionally, for the augmentation of an existing HSE management system. Behaviour based safety concept, or BBS, has been considered in industry worldwide for around a decade as a means to achieve a positive safety culture and an improved organizational safety performance (Mohr, 2011). An organisation’s culture can be as influential in achieving good safety results as a safety management system. The positive or negative safety culture of an organisation is directly linked to human factors and the positive behaviour of its workforce (Mohr, 2011). According to Books (1999), the largest influences on safety culture are; 1) the style and management commitment; 2) the involvement of employees; 3)training and competence; 4)ability to communicate at all levels; 5) compliance with procedures; and 6)organisational learning. The current research has affiliation with an earlier study conducted as part of the Post Graduate Diploma award (Turner, 2013). The subject of the previous research was â€Å"Safety Culture or Climate: An Appraisal of Perceptions and Scale†. This research sought to measure the health and safety, culture and climate of the researcher’s employer organisation. In this case the researcher determined that there was evidence of a positive safety culture within the XXXX Group of companies. Howeve r, this research also illustrated that this positive safety culture has not entirely achieved the expected and desired outcome of zero harm to people. All these factors in themselves do not prevent injuries from continuing to occur within the organisation. The previous study and current research focuses on the Middle East region. In particular to the varying needs and challenges faced by operations based in the region; specifically those that require the engagement of personnel from a vast array of differing backgrounds and cultures and how the principles of behavioural based safety may effectively be used to influence this specific workgroup. To facilitate understanding, it is also important to outline the distinctiveness of the location, (Qatar), the demographics of the workgroup, and the difficulties and challenges related to the management of such a work group within a safe work environment. Based on the above reasoning this affords the researcher the ideal incentive to both add ress the topic as an area of research for the required dissertation element in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Postgraduate MSc Degree in Health, Safety & Risk Management and to make recommendations that will enable XXXX Group to continue its safety culture development journey; that is, towards a more safety aware, proactive and empowered workforce; ultimately leading to an overall improvement in the safety performance results attained1.2 Aims & ObjectivesThis dissertation research focuses on the potential for improvement of HSE performance in the Oil and Gas sector, specifically in the Middle East; through a means of behavioural based safety. It is evident from recent research that traditional methods of safety management, such as safety management systems and risk assessments, do not wholly protect employees from incidents and injuries, as such organisations are looking for an alternative approach to improve performance and eradicate injury from the workplace, there fore the aim of this project is The following aim has been developed in order to meet this goal of this research: Critically evaluate existing research into behavioural based health and safety strategies, programmes and model with a view to identify a best practice model for future implementation. Objectives: The objectives of the research are as follows: 1) To critically analyse available literature and research studies pertaining to behavioural based health and safety. 2) To ascertain employee perceptions. 3) To identify best practices and success rates of behavioural based safety programmes. 4) To evaluate performance improvement. 5) Determine an appropriate behavioural approach for Labour safety in Qatar. 1.3 Research Questions In order to fully develop this dissertation the following questions will be considered by this research: 1) What is behavioural based safety and how does it impact Qatar? 2) Which elements of the behavioural based safety process are suited for Qatar? 3) What is the best method of behavioural based safety implementation for Qatar? 4) How to assess behavioural based safety effectiveness in the workplace?1.4 Scope of this researchThis research examines safety perception and behavioural application from 2000 until 2014 in order to ascertain the best possible elemen ts for future implementation. With a national focus on Qatar this research incorporates studies conducted in similar environments and conditions internationally in order to gain insight for these research objectives.1.5 Structure of the DissertationThis dissertation will consist of an Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology and Analysis, followed by Discussion/Conclusion. 2 Literature review 2.1 Overview â€Å"BBS is about everyone’s behaviour, not just the frontline† (Agnew & Ashworth, 2012:1). 3 Methodology / Analysis 4 Discussion/Conclusion 5 References Agnew, J. 2012. Behaviour based Safety. Performance management magazine, 1 (1), p. 1. Books, H. 2009. Reducing error and influencing behaviour. New York, NY. Fogarty, G. J. and Shaw, A. 2010. Safety climate and the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Towards the prediction of unsafe behaviour. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 42 (5), pp. 1455–1459. Fromherz, A. J. 2013. Qatar: Politics and the Challenges of Development by Matthew Gray (review). The Middle East Journal, 67 (4), pp. 649–651. Greene-Roesel, R., Washington, S., Weir, M., Bhatia, R., Hague, M., Wimple, B. 2013. Benefit cost analysis applied to behavioural and engineering safety countermeasures in San Francisco, California. Heinrich, H. W. 1959. Industrial accident prevention. New York: McGraw-Hill. Santos-Reyes, J. and Beard, A. N. 2002. Assessing safety management systems. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 15 (2), pp. 77–95. Lebbon, A., Sigurdsson, S. O. and Austin, J. 2012. Behavioural Safety in the Food Services Industry: Challenges and Outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behaviour Management, 32 (1), pp. 44–57. Mehta, RK. & Agnew, MJ. 2013. Exertion-dependent effects of physical and mental workload on physiological outcomes and task performance. The IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, 1(1), 3-5. Mohr, D. P. 2011. Fostering sustainable behaviour. Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers. Orr, T. 2008. Qatar. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Qsa.gov.qa. 2014. . Welcome to Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics-Statistics sector website :.. [online] Available at: http://www.qsa.gov.qa/eng/index.htm [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014].

RCWW Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RCWW Response - Assignment Example Additionally, some students do not know how to make conversations because they are used to texting on their phones and when asked about it they state that they will learn how to do it eventually. It is true that people who chat online think that those conversations are actual while in the real sense people need to have face to face conversations to connect and strengthen their relationships. Conversation is vital in people’s lives because through conversations new relationships are created. It is believed that through conversation people learn how to relate with others because they understand their likes and dislikes. For that reason, conversing with people becomes imperative at all times. However, today when a person is not in a position to text or post something online they feel anxious or lonely, as they do not have anyone to make a conversation with on the digital gadgets. The assumption about technology being a way of keeping away from other people is not true because today the only time people can find to talk to their friends is through making conversations with their friends digitally. Therefore, if people wanted to keep themselves separate they would not text or email their

Phases of a Project Lifecycle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Phases of a Project Lifecycle - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that at the initiation stage, some steps are usually involved such as developing a business case, undertaking a business case, performing the project charter, identifying the project team, establishing the project office and performing a review of the phase. At the planning stage there is involvement of creating a suite of planning documents which help in guiding the team throughout the project management. The planning documents help in managing time, quality, change, risk, cost and issues. The steps involved in the planning phase are; creating a project plan, creation of a resource plan, creating a financial plan, creating a quality plan, creating a risk plan, creating an acceptance and a communications plan, then creating a procurement plan, contracting the suppliers and then finally performing phase review. This is the most challenging phase. At the execution stage, deliverables are built and presented to the customer for recognition. When deliverables are b eing constructed, a set of management processes are performed to monitor and control the deliverables being output by the project. Some of the management processes initiated at this stage are time, charge, superiority, amend, risks, issues, suppliers, consumers and communication. Closure is the last phase. It involves releasing the final proposals to the purchaser, handing over project credentials to the business, terminating dealer agreements, delivering project assets and communicating project conclusion to all stakeholders. Some of the equipment used during setting out a project for example for a company such as IT Software Company is; notebook computer which is a very important tool .this is where the researched data is being entered and stored. Electronic mail and access to the internet is made available through a high-speed modem An example of management tool is the jopro central. Jopro central is an asset of software tools that helps in managing the project workflow more effe ctively and efficiently. In addition to that, it helps the project managers in managing time and costs during the process.

Marketing strategies being implemented by Contiki Australia Case Study

Marketing strategies being implemented by Contiki Australia - Case Study Example Introduction Contiki Australia is a coach tour organization established in the year 1962. Major aim of the organization is to provide organised fun and adventurous tours targeted for the youth aged between 18 and 35. This part of the essay will determine the image of Contiki. Discussion The organization provides their target customers the value of an adventurous and organized trip enriched with tours, activities and flexible optional excursions. The image the organization portrays to its group of target customers is of an organization that provides young and energetic individual hassle free tours full of adventures and fun. The organization provides diversified services to its customers. Travel is known as high involvement activity. The company website of Contiki provides key information on its travel tips, tours, videos, FAQs, virtual community, newsletters and competitions. The organization reviewed several aspects in order to motivate and attract young travellers. Generation Y is considered as internet generation. Youth members of generation Y have a powerful sense of autonomy and independence. Therefore, the organization effectively implemented online marketing strategy in late 1970s to attract the young individuals. The company website is very popular with its specific niche market as they provide key information about several tour packages and services. The organization is popular among its target audiences. According to the young target audiences, the organization provides unforgettable travel experience. Contiki promises that the organization will help the customers to discover different cultures and meet with new individuals from all over the world. Effective value creation and lead management strategy helped the organization to fulfil the demand of target audiences. According to a survey, the travellers are motivated to experience different things from their home environment. The organization has successfully developed superior value for its target cu stomers. Rigorous understanding of motivation and needs helped the organization to attract young travellers in the highly competitive global marketplace. Major objective of the brand manager of Contiki is to build meaningful and strong bonds between the organizations and its target customers. The executives of the organization used to share several travel stories to captivate and inspire the target customers. These stories avail several common themes, such as fun, adventure and feel good factor. These stories are arbitrated from several travel videos that feature on several social networking sites and company website of Contiki. The organization incites their users to share the gravel experiences. According to the travellers, the organization provides customer oriented products and services to grab significant market share in this competitive global market place. Conclusion Contiki is one of the leading Australia based travel and tour organizations. The organization provides coach t our facilities to the young customers. The organization is very much popular due to several differentiated products and services. Contiki is a significant example of an organization that has developed superior value to the target customers. Question 2 Contiki tour is an Australia based organization that offers holiday and travel packages to several domestic and international customers. Introduction The organization effectively tried to create value for customers through several key marketing strategies and activities. It is true that the organizations need to develop unique strategies in order to sustain in the competitive global market place. This part of the essay will discuss about the marketing activities that have been practiced by Contiki to create value f

Sociological Systems Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociological Systems Theory - Essay Example A relationship is defined, as the interactive existence of more than one occurrence, in which there is a relative linkage marked by logic, concept, structure, or time. In this mode a relationship between occurrences is more than a proposition. For example, management and organization scientists generally define propositions on stating relationships between two or more concepts. An illustration would be the linkage between the efforts carried on R&D and the satisfaction of users of the new product, which was thus developed. When a relationship is defined beyond the propositional boundaries, it would be similar to the chain architecture of propositions, which compose an entire theory. This flow and changeability of variables are characteristics of a process mode, in which occurrences are linked by virtue of conceptual criteria. For instance, a theory of innovation would be explained in the form of a process, where research flows into development, into testing, engineering, and marketing. Processes are to a large extent structural manifestations of theories where propositions may be ordered to form a coherent theory. Underlying the managerial and organizational approaches to problem solving criteria are four methods: (1) parsimony; (2) simplicity; (3) closeness and realism; and (4) balance and equilibrium. Let us examine each criterion inclusive of its limitations and weaknesses. Methodologies Parsimony: With parsimony, the issue is to achieve economy in describing the phenomenon for the purpose of studying, modeling, and data collection. Burton and Obel have suggested, "Parsimonious explanations are a factor in determining the validity of computational models". (Burton R, and B. Obel, 1995) Parsimony becomes a problem when it contributes to capricious modeling in the quest for economy. Variables that may be factors in alternative explanations should be measured and are left outside the research design for reasons beyond the logical linkage. In the transition from theory to modeling, then to experimental design, the quest for parsimony is additive, hence sequentially and deleteriously compress the universe being investigated. (Geisler, 1999) Issues of construct validity are to be considered in non-adherence to parsimony. That is, in defense of economy and elegance it may be said that by clearly defining the phenomenon, the validity of the design increases, but at what price Largely at the expense of a more productive and comprehensive approximation to a more viable representation of the phenomenon, the result is akin to the problem of accuracy versus useful information. Parsimonious qualification of research into the managerial and organizational activities may lead to a slice of the phenomenon that is highly researchable, accurate, and elegant yet of little use as representative of the broader phenomenon. Simplicity The second methodology is the quest for simplicity. As in the case of parsimony, threats to validity are anchored in both the research desi

Asian Polictical and Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Asian Polictical and Legal System - Essay Example Pakistan being adjacent to Afghanistan, the hotbed of Islamic radicalism, is more then exposed to the extremist forces as compared to Bangladesh. Besides, unlike Bangladesh, Pakistan lies on the route to the oil and natural gas rich regions of Central Asia. A number of affluent and influential nations have a stake in the mineral wealth of Central Asia (Rashid, 2001). Some of these stakes specifically intend to use Islamic fundamentalism as a tool to gain grounds in Pakistan to secure their hold on Afghanistan and Central Asia. Bangladesh, on the contrary is not that lucrative in an economic sense, thus Islamic radicals do not intend to pump much finances in this young nation to propagate their ideology. In addition, considering the military inferiority of Pakistan as compared to India, a section of the Pakistan's political elites and the army, particularly the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) raised and nurtured Islamic fundamentalism over the years to carry on a proxy war against I ndia. It is not a wonder that Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan stands on much firmer foundations as compared to Bangladesh.

Effect of Exercise on Cancer Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Essay

Effect of Exercise on Cancer Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer - Essay Example The mainstay of breast cancer care is local therapy consisting of surgery along with systemic adjuvant therapy, which includes chemotherapy, hormonal or a combination therapy. Besides major advances in managing both early and locally advanced breast cancer, patients still have to deal with severe side effects of fatigue during adjuvant therapy resulting in substantial impact on patients' quality of life (Markes, Brockow and Resch, 2006). Most cancer patients would say that fatigue is a major obstacle to functioning normally (Portenoy & Itri, 1999). Fatigue is a distinctive, dominant symptom in patients with cancer, that impacts life functional ability and occupational status. The fatigue diminishes the patient's ability to do both physical and mental tasks, as it has physical, affective, and cognitive components of the symptom (Dalakas, Mock and Hawkins, 1998). This kind of fatigue is referred as cancer-related fatigue or CRF. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) as defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network "is an unusual persistent, subjective sense of tiredness related to cancer treatment that interferes with usual functioning" (NCCN, 2005). Since fatigue is not directly observable in most of its forms, its importance and treatment are often overlooked (Newell, Sanson-Fisher, Girgis, & Bonaventura, 1998; Tanghe, Evers, & Parodaems, 1998). Patients suffering from cancer-related fatigue may have difficulty adhering to and completing treatment regimens. Fatigue has also been identified as the main reason patients withdraw from clinical trials. The quality of life of individuals experiencing cancer-related fatigue may be less than satisfactory. The purpose of this paper is to review literatures on the effect of exercise on fatigue in women with breast cancer and make recommendations for nursing practice and health care providers to improve care of individuals suffering from cancer-related fatigue (Visovsky and Schneider, 2003). The following electronic databases were searched Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, Medline, Highbeam and Pubmed. Terms related to breast cancer, exercise, fatigue, cancer-related fatigue and publication type (e.g., random controlled clinical trial) were used in searching. This search strategy was modified as necessary for each database. Fatigue has been reported by 60% to 100% of patients undergoing treatment for cancer and has been identified as a research priority by the Oncology Nursing Society for a decade (Mock, Pickett, Ropka, Poniatowski and Drake, 2001). Cancer-related fatigue differs from normal tiredness by its sudden appearance, its overwhelming nature, and its refractory response to rest. While oncology nurses are well aware that fatigue is a prevalent complaint in cancer patients, the best way to assess and treat this debilitating symptom is less clear (Clark, 2001). Fatigue is one of if not the most common complaints of patients with cancer. The etiology for CRF is unknown, but is theorized to be caused from activation of proinflammatory cytokines in response to the tumor such as interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor, have been implicated in the development of cancer-related fatigue resulting in diminished skeletal muscle protein stores. This reduction in muscle protein, also

How would you describe International Political Economy Essay - 1

How would you describe International Political Economy - Essay Example Consequently, interactions define cooperation amongst nations and corporations in various countries. Hence, it is essential to note that governments have a responsibility of defining economic policies that determine transaction of international trade. Thus, the government’s role in defining economic policies enhances international relations in terms of the economy and politics while international forces in the economy can influence the policies of governments in international relations. Based on the foregoing, this expose describes international political economy on the foundation of interaction between international politics and the global economy. Frieden and Lake defined international political economy as the study involving the reciprocated interaction of politics and the economy in the global economic world (1). Following this perspective, it is common knowledge that the economy is the system that governs the processes constituting manufacturing, supplying, and consumption of products while managing a nation’s wealth efficaciously. On the other hand, politics is the approach towards governing a society and the society’s economy. In effect, international political economy involves studying the relationship between economic systems and political systems in the international arena. Political decisions and actions of nations influenced the flow of products in international trade. In effect, these political actions and decisions influenced the choice of decisions made by nations and entrepreneurs due to the prevailing economic environment (Veseth 3). In this case, international economy and international politics a re two mutually interacting aspects that governments and businesses should consider while developing policies meant to enable a nation to develop by participating in international trade. Despite this knowledge, it is possible for economists to disassociate international

Sustainability in Neo-Classical Economics Coursework

Sustainability in Neo-Classical Economics - Coursework Example The notion of sustainability relates to the creation of economic and social conditions through activities of the present generation for their own existence and maintenance of these conditions in such way that the future generations are able to maintain their own existence (EPA 2013). The following section defines the basic concepts of sustainability and provides an explanation of these concepts, which would allow an in-depth understanding of the issue of compatibility of the neoclassical theory of economics that has been studied in detail in the latter part of the paper. ‘Sustainable development’ is a concept that has gained importance in the late 1990s. It encompasses a vast area of understanding of the path of development of modern economies. However, in common understanding, the ‘sustainable development’ or simply sustainability refers to the path of development for the current generation in these countries. It signifies the way in which the current generation utilizes the resources for satisfying its necessities without indulging in excessive consumption of the resources that the interest of the future generation is hampered. In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development implemented this notion in the political agenda of the Commission (Mulder and Bergh 2001). Since then politically the concept of sustainable development has become an important issue in the development process of the countries around the world.   The world has experienced severely rising interest on the issue of sustainable development in the past two decades. Although it came into political light after the 1990s, economists have been devoting huge to the phenomenon of interaction between the ecology and the economy since the 18th century (Mulder and Bergh 2001). In this context, development means that the resources are utilized in a conscious manner in the current period so that enough resources are preserved for the future generations for the fulfilling of their interests (Asheim 1994, 35). The purpose of taking such a development initiative is to allow all generations to come to live a standard life. However, human activities involving the three interfaces; society, environment, and economy create a range of opportunities for the optimization of profit objectives of business organizations, but in most cases, the core concept of sustainability is ignored while performing this pure economic optimization exercise.

National Food Marketing Report Essay Example for Free

National Food Marketing Report Essay Pakistan is known for spice in the world, as it has brought several sub continental taste from India after independence. National Foods is the leading sub continental recipe masala company of Pakistan with distinct market share as compare to the competitors. National Foods began its journey in 1970 as a Spice company, with a revolutionary product that popularized the concept of having clean, healthy food. National foods’ initiatives were, to make food that is hygienic, reduce time spent in the kitchen by women, foster health and contribute towards personal attractiveness, so that people who use our products would be able to experience a more rewarding life-style. This was long before the phrase ‘Corporate Mission’ had even been invented. However, founder’s philosophy remains unchanged over time. Even if their language – and the notion of only women doing the housework – have become outdated, in this age of rapidly changing lifestyles, fuelled by the rampant development of technology; consumers are compelled to alter their eating habits. National Foods responds to this challenge of developing innovative food products based on convenience and quick preparation in line with modern lifestyles and yet retains traditional values through its diverse collection of food products. In a history that now crosses three decades, National Foods’ success has been influenced by the major events of the day – economic boom, depression, wars, changing consumer lifestyles and technological advancements. Even after three decades the company’s focal point still remains on customer’s needs through product development in line with the changing market trends. COMPANY PHILOSOPHY National Foods must focus on customer’s needs and serve them with quality products at affordable prices at their doorsteps. Our products must be pure and conform to international standards. Our research must continuously produce new adventurous products scientifically tested, hygienically produced in safe and attractive packaging. We must create environment in our offices and factories where talents are groomed and have opportunity to advance in their careers. We must prove to be recognized as good corporate citizens, support good causes-charity and bear fair share of taxes. Reserves must be built, new factories created, sound profits made and fair dividend paid to our stock holders through building a reliable brand. National Foods Ltd. must get itself recognized as leader in Pakistan and abroad. With the help of almighty God, the company can achieve its targets in years to come. VISION STATEMENT The vision of National Foods Ltd. is â€Å"To be a Rs. 50 billion food company by the year 2020 in the convenience food segment by launching products and services in the domestic and international markets that enhance lifestyle and create value for our customers through management excellence at all levels. † BUSINESS PRACTICES NFL believes in conducting its operations with strong ethical and moral standards. NFLs statement of code of conduct business practices aims to provide guidance on carrying out its business related decisions and activities. We wish to achieve excellence in all spheres of our operations for which code of conduct form the basis. Any party entering any form of contract with NFL is bound to comply with the given guidelines. NFLs statement of code of conduct business practices has the following seven guidelines: 1. Unfair Means: Any use of bribery, kickbacks or any form of payment in cash/kind to obtain business related or otherwise gainful benefit for the company is strictly prohibited. Excessive business gifts and entertainment also hold the same meaning and NFL does not approve of such payments. 2. Respect and Integrity: NFL believes in giving respect to individuals. We aim to operate in a manner that discourages discrimination, harassment and/or influence. Discrimination refers to favoritism based on a particular aspect of an individual personality. 3. Conflict of Interest: NFL prohibits actions that are in conflict with the company business interests. This may include but is not limited to providing assistance to the competition or holding ownership interests in a customer, supplier, distributor or competitor and making personal gains at company expense. 4. Confidentiality: NFL believes in confidentiality of information related to company business activities. The company expects employees not to disclose or divulge by any means the confidential and commercially sensitive information except to the authoritative personnel requiring it. 5. Statutory Compliance: NFL believes in providing total support and cooperation to all the governmental and regulatory bodies irrespective of the extent of prevalent enforcement. 6. Financial Integrity: NFL believes in complete compliance with the accepted accounting rules and procedures. This includes but is not limited to Transparency: NFL discourages any illegal activity for the purpose of any benefit to the company or others. All information supplied to the stake holders and/or auditors must be authentic transparent and Disclosure: All transactions must be fully disclosed and must be for the purpose stated for. 7. Health, Safety and Community Responsibility: NFL is fully committed to safety, health and responsibility towards environment and community. All activities of NFL must portray responsibility towards the community and nation as a whole. NFL seeks to employ procedures that are safe, healthy and environment friendly. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS This year brought a series of challenges and transformation for the Sales Team. As the magnitude of the socio-political upheavals increased in the country, the Sales Team was not only determined to face all the adversities, in the face of the law and order situation, but also introduce valuable changes which would be favorable for the overall growth and development of the company. In spite of the prevailing conditions of strikes, shutter downs and political turmoil, the Sales Team delivered its targets. In certain key categories like recipe and salt, we even over delivered. These categories have a significant impact in volume growth and bottom line as well. The Channel Specific approach implemented is beginning to yield results, where the Sales Team capitalized on the market sales potential in areas of Public Account, Local Modern Trade, International Modern Trade, Food Service Division, Special Category and General Trade. Sales growth in Public Accounts (USC-CSD) has more than doubled this year. In Special Category Management (SCM), sales of salt was at an all time high. The 2013 environment was once again challenging on account of deteriorating law and order situation, high inflation, counterfeits and energy shortages. However, in the wake of such challenges, we delivered 20% sales growth (Volume 15%) with an improvement in trading operating margin and EPS growth thereby demonstrating the value of strong alignment of our people behind our strategic priority to become Rs. 50bn business by 2020. Strong presence in international markets is at the core of our vision statement and in line with our aspiration we established a subsidiary in Dubai NFL DMCC to strengthen our export operations and plan to set up more subsidiaries in Europe and North America soon. The sustained business growth that we have evidenced in National Foods as well as strategic alignment provides framework for accelerated innovation, increased engagement with consumers and enhanced operational and financial capabilities. This will enable us to remain fit to win in more intense environment in future. Pakistan is the part of sub-continent, which is known for the high spicy foods and National Foods is the leading recipe masala of the country. But National Foods faced tough competition from the founder of the recipe masalas in the country that is Shan Foods’ Recipe Masalas. National Foods has different food categories and in each category they faced different competitors. National Foods started their operations with Jam, Jelly, Marmalades and Pickles and became a major competitor to Michelle’s and Ahmed Foods. National Foods are perceived as Pioneer in Ketchups and Sauces by competing with Shezan and now Shangrilla too. Following is the SWOT Analysis and Matrix as per National Food’s Strategy Formulation: Strengths: Cultural Image Developer Largest Food Exporter High Advertising Budget International Recognition. Weakness: High Pricing Strategy Limited Products Conventional Packing Stuck with Tradition Opportunities: High Food Entertainment Fond to International Tastes Multi-Cultural Lifestyle Technological Communication SO Strategy National Foods should introduced International Recipes WO Strategy Associate National Food’s Brands with Interactive Social Media Threats: Increasing Dine-in Hangout Low Priced Masala Brands Ready-to-Eat Food Availability Chef’s TV Demonstrations ST Strategy Sponsored the Cookery Shows on Leading Food TV Channels in Pakistan WT Strategy. Cobranding the National Foods with Leading Fast Food Chains for building association Proposed and Designed by Afnan Khan OLD VERSUS NEW BRAND LOGO OLD LOGO For over 40 years, we’ve been known as the one brand women all over Pakistan count on, but just like people grow and change, we’re growing too. And now it’s time for a change. Every year we’re growing bigger, brighter, more global, and our NFL spirit of adventure – which has been the energy behind every new and innovative product – is now the encouragement behind our new logo. The new Pakistani homemaker is feisty and vibrant and our new image is helping her feel just as we have generations of food lovers feel – completely at home. NEW LOGO At NFL, freshness is what keeps us going. We keep life updated with new recipes, new products, and now we’ve got ourselves a Transformed logo. As with everything we do, we took a careful look at what we had, kept the best of the past, and introduced elements that were exciting, appealing, and yet always true to our soul. We’re still caring, optimistic, and reliable and now we’re livelier than ever before! MARKETING MIX Product Categories National Foods Limited has Fourteen Product Categories: 1. Chinese 2. Desserts 3. Health foods 4. Jams 5. Ketchups 6. Pickles 7. Raj masala National Food’s Recipe Masalas are the high revenue generated product, competing with Shan Foods shoulder by shoulder. National Foods launched Rivaaj Pastes in last decade and received acclaimed response from the market by having a competitive advantage in product line. National Foods’ Chinese Recipes are pressured by the Knorr’s Chinese Recipes and failed to receive estimated targets. National Foods’ Ketchups are the followers in the market despite of being founder in the ketchup industry because of Shangrilla’s Chinese flavored ketchups. National Foods’ another product category of Pickles are the second most sales generated product and successfully beating the competing brands of Ahmed Foods and Shangrilla. National Foods launched Fruitily instant drinks around four years back but failed to receive the customer’s response because of mismanaged distribution and high advertising of competing brand of Tang Fruit Juices. Product Growth as per National Foods Annual Report 2013: Recipe Mix: National Recipes sales grew by 25. 2% further establishing its market leadership. Gross margin improved, thereby further strengthening the financial health of this important category. The National Recipe Princess contest was conducted in fifty colleges across six cities in Pakistan targeting college going female students. The Karachi Special launch was a laser focused activity to cater to Karachi by launching the recipe mixes keeping in mind the Karachi taste palette. Ketchup: The Sauces Category recorded star performance of 39. 6% growth underpinned by highly successful consumer offering of Ketchup and Chat Masala Combo Pack during peak seasonal period of Ramazan. Gross margin also improved significantly in this category. In addition to well-planned and tightly orchestrated advertising and promotional campaign, penetration, availability and visibility provided the brand fuel for growth to register impressive growth. Fruitily: Despite strong competitive environment in this category, Fruitily recorded 5. 6% growth, gained market share with noticeable improvement in Gross margin. As this is new addition to National Foods portfolio, we will continue to invest in this category to accelerate growth for the future. Salt: Sales grew by 26. 5% with Gross margin improving significantly thereby delivering healthy bottom line. This category has significant potential on health platform as it serves the human body’s requirement for Iodine. Pickles: The category grew by 18%, despite stiff competition. However, Gross margin was diluted on account of higher material cost as we did not pass on inflationary pressure to consumers. The manufacturing process has been redesigned to fully exploit the potential of automation and further upgrade the safety standards. Pricing Strategy National Foods launched their brands with penetrating marketing strategies especially for Masala Recipes, Pickles, Jams but found to be involved in skimming strategy for their brand Rivaaj. National Foods’ Masala Recipes are following the same pricing of Shan Recipes Masalas, but after the recent launching of Mehran Recipe Masalas and Nice Recipe Masalas at high priced strategy, National Foods are counted as on the skimming pricing. As National Foods are following the international quality standards with high marketing budgeting, they compel to be on their well settled prices instead of getting down, but to tackle the competition raised by Mehran Recipe Masalas and Nice Recipe Masalas, National Foods introduced Sachet at half price. Distributional Sales Force The National Foods sales team has also made a significant development toward rural penetration and coverage through a dedicated Rural Development Force (RDF). RDF has extended its operations up to 370 uncovered rural settlements and expanded its distribution to more than 4,000 outlets. To improve our distribution operations in Balochistan, they have appointed Muller and Phipps (MP), which is expected to enhance our sales performance in this geography. They have also taken initiatives to deploy IT solutions to maximize the benefit of information management in sales. A new software was implemented across Pakistan with key distributors to capture information on real time basis that will assist NFL to take quick action, provide analysis and assist in decision making. Promotional Activities National Foods is pioneer in developing state of the art promotional ideas in the food industry of Pakistan. Due to extra ordinary creative marketing and advertising campaigns, National Foods is perceived on the priority level as compare to their direct competitor i. e. Shan Foods in recipe masalas. Following are the leading marketing and advertising campaign: Rang Bharti Jao National Recipes celebrated its vivid persona with a two minute TVC, bursting with colors, emotions and sensorial shots of rich home-cooked food. In the background, the majestic voice of Tina Sani singing â€Å"Rang Bharti Jao† added to the surreal delicacy of the video. The â€Å"Rang Bharti Jao† campaign was a great success, as it won over the hearts of consumers due to its emotional appeal, and impressed the jury at the PAS awards. The amazing response led to National Recipe acquiring the Best Campaign Award in the Culinary Category. Karachi Special Launch After National Recipe’s great success, the Marketing Team was set out to cater to Karachi by launching recipe mixes especially made keeping in mind Karachi taste palettes. These recipe mixes have five different variants that are fierier and more flavourful to accommodate and satisfy the bold taste buds of Karachiites. Campaigning for these special recipe mixes was also in full throttle; with a TVC, hoardings and a massive BTL campaign, where the NFL float would go to different apartments and cook for the people there (trial activity). Moreover, Chef Saadat in support of National Foods would go to the float and cook for consumers all across Karachi. All this information was shared on our Facebook page for added hype. The Karachi Special Launch was a great stepping-stone for the brand’s aspirations of having long-term National Recipe loyalists in Karachi. National Ketchup Campaign National Ketchup experienced a huge boost in sales due to creative campaigns that coined the product as 100% tomatoes, making it synonymous with â€Å"real tomatoes†. Consumers highly appreciated the pre-emptive organic link to freshness and made the campaign, which ran on ATL and POS, very effective. The campaign also supported Ramadan season, which provided added exposure. National Recipe Princess Hundreds of college students were given a chance once again by National Foods to showcase their culinary skills. The National Recipe Princess contest was conducted in fifty colleges across six cities in Pakistan, with the aim of searching talented young girls who have a flair for cooking to compete for the title of Recipe Princess. This activation was highly successful as electronic media and digital media (Facebook page) gave it a huge boost. College students could keep track of the competition through photos, maps of the contest route, and group discussions and comments, resulting in colossal exposure of over a million views of the competition nationwide. Celebrity guest judges were also invited to the competitions for added hype and brand publicity creating the ideal recipe for success! National Pickles Campaign The attempt to reinvent the brand image of National Pickles proved to be a great success. The aim was to reposition it as a happening brand with an added zing, along with highlighting the pure, delicious and rich ingredients that make National Pickles the best. From the hummable tune to mouth-watering food shots and sensational ingredient shots, the campaign spoke to audiences of all ages, and increased the number of National Pickles fans in no time. National Ka Pakistan Pakistan’s culinary diversity and vivid culture are its joy and pride. National Foods sent out television’s renowned Chef Saadat on an exciting journey to discover the culinary gems hidden in the country’s nooks and crannies. Being the first ever attempt by a food company to create exciting episodic content that reflects the rich fusion of tradition and taste, this series was an attempt to showcase a safer and softer image of Pakistan along with highlighting Pakistan’s unparalleled love for food. The episodes were aired on 9 channels and were heavily supported by digital media as well. The show attained top ten ratings on news and entertainment channels, making it incredibly popular. National Ka Pakistan also bagged the prestigious Passion for Pakistan Award in the PAS awards 2012, triggering overwhelming success. Taste Of Pakistan National launched ‘Taste of Pakistan’, a unique cookbook that captured Chef Saadat’s journey from ‘National ka Pakistan’, and also celebrated Pakistan’s wonderful cuisine with 50 mouth-watering recipes from all across Pakistan. The response to this book was extremely positive because of the fact that the informative cookbook was not only a source for scrumptious recipes, but also a travel log, which helped consumers discover different regions of Pakistan and their delectable cuisines. Facebook Page Support By creating a presence on Facebook through the brand page, National Foods was able to interact with consumers on a much more consumer-friendly forum. It encouraged engagement as National Foods fans could now be updated about all the latest launches, BTL, contests, recipes, amongst other activities. Likes skyrocketed from a mere 15,000 to 60,000 within only eight months which resulted in an increase in the National Foods fan following, while setting sails to rising success for the brand. One-Minute Recipes In the fast-paced world of today’s times, people are always looking for quick solutions to everything. Taking the growing digital users as a base, National Foods launched the first ever one-minute video recipe cards in Pakistan. These one-minute videos were the quickest way to view a recipe with ease, and therefore, they gained a great deal of popularity, especially among the younger audience. The videos are now available on Google Play for Android cell-phone users too. To date, these videos have been viewed more than 55,000 times and the application software has been downloaded more than 6,000 times, thereby demonstrating its success. NATIONAL FOODS AS LEADING EXPORTER BThe wide range of National Foods products enjoys unparalleled acclaim across the world as we believe in providing nothing but the best. National Foods products are famous globally for their freshness, taste, hygiene and value for money. Providing you the exotic taste of Pakistan, National Foods products are distributed in over 35 countries in 5 continents, through our strategic partners. And with our continuous success, we are rapidly making inroads into new markets worldwide. NATIONAL FOODS IN COMMUNITY Commitment to CSR has been a part of the NFL strategy since its inception. Different initiatives reflecting our values are undertaken to give back to the society that has supported our business throughout the years. At NFL, we believe that CSR starts with providing the highest quality of products and services at the least cost and with the least environmental impact. From this foundation, our CSR aspirations continue to grow, incorporating processes and activities that aim to strengthen society and ensure sustainable social delivery. Sustainability underlines the foundation for NFL’s business endeavors, where we especially engage in strategic social investments, working to empower and uplift communities. The CSR Mission of National Foods is â€Å"Our CSR commitments must reflect all facets of our corporate personality – NFL as a manufacturer, an employer, a consumer in itself and as an industry leader. We uphold these commitments through our values, policies and our practices. †

Introduction To Beats Frequency Philosophy Essay

Introduction To Beats Frequency Philosophy Essay The sound of a beat frequency or beat wave is a fluctuating volume caused when you add two sound waves of slightly different frequencies together. If the frequencies of the sound waves are close enough together, you can hear a relatively slow variation in the volume of the sound. A good example of this can be heard using two tuning forks that are a few frequencies apart. A sound wave can be represented as a sine waves, and you can add sine waves of different frequencies to get a graphical representation of the waveform. When the frequencies are close together, they are enclosed in a beat envelope that modulates the amplitude or loudness of the sound. The frequency of this beat is the absolute difference of the two original frequencies Examples and applications of beat frequencies:- A good demonstration of beat frequencies can be heard in the animation below. A pure sound of 330 Hz is combined with 331 Hz to give a rather slow beat frequency of 1 Hz or 1 fluctuation in amplitude per second. When the 330 Hz sound is combined with a 340 Hz sound, you can hear the more rapid fluctuation at 10 Hz. Another example of beats:- When you fly in a passenger plane, you may often hear a fluctuating droning sound. That is a beat frequency caused by engine vibrations at two close frequencies. Application of beats:- A piano tuner will strike a key and then compare the note with a tuning fork. If the piano is slightly out of tune, he will be able to hear the beat frequency and then adjust the piano wire until it is at the same frequency as the tuning fork. If the piano is severely out of tune, it makes the job more difficult, because the beat frequency may be too fast to readily hear. Adding sine waves :- Although sound is a compression wave that travels through matter, it is more convenient to illustrate the sound wave as a transverse wave, similar to how a guitar string vibrates or how a water wave appears. The shape of such a wave for a single frequency is called a sine wave. Its fig isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in fig:- Here Sine wave represents a single frequency of sound with constant amplitude When we add sound waves traveling in the same direction together, elements of the sine wave add or subtract, according to where they are in the waveform. we add the amplitude of each wave, point by point. Making a graphical representation of the sum of two waves can be done by hand, but that can be be tedious. Beat envelope:- If we add two waves of slightly different frequencies, the resulting amplitude will vary or oscillate at a rate that is the difference between the frequencies. That beat frequency will create a beat envelope around the original sine wave. In this figure beat envelope modulates the amplitude of the sound Since the frequencies of the two sounds are so close and we would hear a sound that is an average of the two. But we would also hear the modulation of the amplitude as a beat frequency, which is the difference between the initial frequencies. fb = | f1 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ f2 | where fb is the beat frequency . f1 and f2 are the two sound frequency. | f1 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ f2 | is the absolute value or positive (+) value of the difference . Examples:- For example, if we add a wave oscillating at 445 Hz with one that is at 450 Hz, the resulting frequency will be an average of the sum of the two waves. (445 Hz + 450 Hz)/2 = 447.5 Hz. This waveform is close to a sine wave, since the frequency are almost the same. The amplitude of volume of this combination will oscillate at the beat frequency of the difference between the two: (450 Hz 445 Hz) = 5 Hz. Now, if we add 440 Hz and 500 Hz notes, the resulting waveform will be a complex version of a sine wave and will sound like a fuzzy average of the two tones. The average frequency of this complex wave will be (440 Hz + 500 Hz)/2 = 470 Hz. Also, its beat frequency will be 60 Hz, which would sound like a very low-pitched hum instead of a fluctuating volume. When two sound waves of different frequency approach your ear, the alternating constructive and destructive interference causes the sound to be alternatively soft and loud a phenomenon which is called beatingor producing beats. The beat frequency is equal to the absolute value of the difference in frequency of the two waves. -:Applications of Beats:- -:Envelope of Beat Production:- Beats are caused by the interference of two waves at the same point in space. This plot of the variation of resultant amplitude with time shows the periodic increase and decrease for two sine waves. The image below is the beat pattern produced by a London police whistle, which uses two short pipes to produce a unique three-note sound. Sum and difference frequencies Interference and Beats:- Wave interference is the phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium. The interference of waves causes the medium to take on a shape that results from the net effect of the two individual waves upon the particles of the medium. If two upward displaced pulses having the same shape meet up with one another while traveling in opposite directions along a medium, the medium will take on the shape of an upward displaced pulse with twice the amplitude of the two interfering pulses. This type of interference is known as constructive interference. If an upward displaced pulse and a downward displaced pulse having the same shape meet up with one another while traveling in opposite directions along a medium, the two pulses will cancel each others effect upon the displacement of the medium and the medium will assume the equilibrium position. This type of interference is known as destructive interference. The diagrams below show two waves one is blue and the other is red interfering in such a way to produce a resultant shape in a medium; the resultant is shown in green. In two cases (on the left and in the middle), constructive interference occurs and in the third case (on the far right, destructive interference occurs. But how can sound waves that do not possess upward and downward displacements interfere constructively and destructively? Sound is a pressure wave that consists of compressions and rarefactions. As a compression passes through a section of a medium, it tends to pull particles together into a small region of space, thus creating a high-pressure region. And as a rarefaction passes through a section of a medium, it tends to push particles apart, thus creating a low-pressure region. The interference of sound waves causes the particles of the medium to behave in a manner that reflects the net effect of the two individual waves upon the particles. For example, if a compression (high pressure) of one wave meets up with a compression (high pressure) of a second wave at the same location in the medium, then the net effect is that that particular location will experience an even greater pressure. This is a form of constructive interference. If two rarefactions (two low-pressure disturbances) f rom two different sound waves meet up at the same location, then the net effect is that that particular location will experience an even lower pressure. This is also an example of constructive interference. Now if a particular location along the medium repeatedly experiences the interference of two compressions followed up by the interference of two rarefactions, then the two sound waves will continually reinforce each other and produce a very loud sound. The loudness of the sound is the result of the particles at that location of the medium undergoing oscillations from very high to very low pressures. As mentioned in a previous unit, locations along the medium where constructive interference continually occurs are known as anti-nodes. The animation below shows two sound waves interfering constructively in order to produce very large oscillations in pressure at a variety of anti-nodal locations. Note that compressions are labeled with a C and rarefactions are labeled with an R. Now if two sound waves interfere at a given location in such a way that the compression of one wave meets up with the rarefaction of a second wave, destructive interference results. The net effect of a compression (which pushes particles together) and a rarefaction (which pulls particles apart) upon the particles in a given region of the medium is to not even cause a displacement of the particles. The tendency of the compression to push particles together is canceled by the tendency of the rarefactions to pull particles apart; the particles would remain at their rest position as though there wasnt even a disturbance passing through them. This is a form of destructive interference. Now if a particular location along the medium repeatedly experiences the interference of a compression and rarefaction followed up by the interference of a rarefaction and a compression, then the two sound waves will continually each other and no sound is heard. The absence of sound is the result of the par ticles remaining at rest and behaving as though there were no disturbance passing through it. Amazingly, in a situation such as this, two sound waves would combine to produce no sound. location along the medium where destructive interference continually occurs are known as nodes. Two Source Sound Interference:- A popular Physics demonstration involves the interference of two sound waves from two speakers. The speakers are set approximately 1-meter apart and produced identical tones. The two sound waves traveled through the air in front of the speakers, spreading our through the room in spherical fashion. A snapshot in time of the appearance of these waves is shown in the diagram below. In the diagram, the compressions of a wavefront are represented by a thick line and the rarefactions are represented by thin lines. These two waves interfere in such a manner as to produce locations of some loud sounds and other locations of no sound. Of course the loud sounds are heard at locations where compressions meet compressions or rarefactions meet rarefactions and the no sound locations appear wherever the compressions of one of the waves meet the rarefactions of the other wave. If we were to plug one ear and turn the other ear towards the place of the speakers and then slowly walk across the room pa rallel to the plane of the speakers, then you would encounter an amazing phenomenon. we would alternatively hear loud sounds as you approached anti-nodal locations and virtually no sound as you approached nodal locations. (As would commonly be observed, the nodal locations are not true nodal locations due to reflections of sound waves off the walls. These reflections tend to fill the entire room with reflected sound. Even though the sound waves that reach the nodal locations directly from the speakers destructively interfere, other waves reflecting off the walls tend to reach that same location to produce a pressure disturbance.) Destructive interference of sound waves becomes an important issue in the design of concert halls and auditoriums. The rooms must be designed in such as way as to reduce the amount of destructive interference. Interference can occur as the result of sound from two speakers meeting at the same location as well as the result of sound from a speaker meeting with sound reflected off the walls and ceilings. If the sound arrives at a given location such that compressions meet rarefactions, then destructive interference will occur resulting in a reduction in the loudness of the sound at that location. One means of reducing the severity of destructive interference is by the design of walls, ceilings, and baffles that serve to absorb sound rather than reflect it. The destructive interference of sound waves can also be used advantageously in noise reduction systems. Earphones have been produced that can be used by factory and construction workers to reduce the noise levels on their jobs. Such earphones capture sound from the environment and use computer technology to produce a second sound wave that one-half cycle out of phase. The combination of these two sound waves within the headset will result in destructive interference and thus reduce a workers exposure to loud noise. Musical Beats and Intervals:- Interference of sound waves has widespread applications in the world of music. Music seldom consists of sound waves of a single frequency played continuously. Few music enthusiasts would be impressed by an orchestra that played music consisting of the note with a pure tone played by all instruments in the orchestra. Hearing a sound wave of 256 Hz , would become rather monotonous (both literally and figuratively). Rather, instruments are known to produce overtones when played resulting in a sound that consists of a multiple of frequencies. Such instruments are described as being rich in tone color. And even the best choirs will earn their money when two singers sing two notes i.e., produce two sound waves that are an octave apart. Music is a mixture of sound waves that typically have whole number ratios between the frequencies associated with their notes. In fact, the major distinction between music and noise is that noise consists of a mixture of frequencies whose mathematical relati onship to one another is not readily discernible. On the other hand, music consists of a mixture of frequencies that have a clear mathematical relationship between them. While it may be true that one persons music is another persons noise (e.g., your music might be thought of by your parents as being noise), a physical analysis of musical sounds reveals a mixture of sound waves that are mathematically related. To demonstrate this nature of music, lets consider one of the simplest mixtures of two different sound waves two sound waves with a 2:1 frequency ratio. This combination of waves is known as an octave. A simple sinusoidal plot of the wave pattern for two such waves is shown below. Note that the red wave has two times the frequency of the blue wave. Also observe that the interference of these two waves produces a resultant (in green) that has a periodic and repeating pattern. One might say that two sound waves that have a clear whole number ratio between their frequencies interfere to produce a wave with a regular and repeating pattern. The result is music. Another easy example of two sound waves with a clear mathematical relationship between frequencies is shown below. Note that the red wave has three-halves the frequency of the blue wave. In the music world, such waves are said to be a fifth apart and represent a popular musical interval. Observe once more that the interference of these two waves produces a resultant (in green) that has a periodic and repeating pattern. It should be said again: two sound waves that have a clear whole number ratio between their frequencies interfere to produce a wave with a regular and repeating pattern; the result is music. Finally, the diagram below illustrates the wave pattern produced by two dissonant or displeasing sounds. The diagram shows two waves interfering, but this time there is no simple mathematical relationship between their frequencies (in computer terms, one has a wavelength of 37 and the other has a wavelength 20 pixels). We observe that the pattern of the resultant is neither periodic nor repeating (at least not in the short sample of time that is shown). It is clear: if two sound waves that have no simple mathematical relationship between their frequencies interfere to produce a wave, the result will be an irregular and non-repeating pattern. This tends to be displeasing to the ear. A final application of physics to the world of music pertains to the topic of beats. Beats are the periodic and repeating fluctuations heard in the intensity of a sound when two sound waves of very similar frequencies interfere with one another. The diagram below illustrates the wave interference pattern resulting from two waves (drawn in red and blue) with very similar frequencies. A beat pattern is characterized by a wave whose amplitude is changing at a regular rate. Observe that the beat pattern (drawn in green) repeatedly oscillates from zero amplitude to a large amplitude, back to zero amplitude throughout the pattern. Points of constructive interference (C.I.) and destructive interference (D.I.) are labeled on the diagram. When constructive interference occurs between two crests or two troughs, a loud sound is heard. This corresponds to a peak on the beat pattern (drawn in green). When destructive interference between a crest and a trough occurs, no sound is heard; this corres ponds to a point of no displacement on the beat pattern. Since there is a clear relationship between the amplitude and the loudness, this beat pattern would be consistent with a wave that varies in volume at a regular rate. The beat frequency refers to the rate at which the volume is heard to be oscillating from high to low volume. For exà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, if two complete cycles of high and low volumes are heard every second, the beat frequency is 2 Hz. The beat frequency is always equal to the difference in frequency of the two notes that interfere to produce the beats. So if two sound waves with frequencies of 256 Hz and 254 Hz are played simultaneously, a beat frequency of 2 Hz will be detected. A common physics demonstration involves producing beats using two tuning forks with very similar frequencies. If a tine on one of two identical tuning forks is wrapped with a rubber band, then that tuning forks frequency will be lowered. If both tuning forks are vibrated together, then they produce sounds with slightly different frequencies. These sounds will interfere to produce detectable beats. The human ear is capable of detecting beats with frequencies of 7 Hz and below. A piano tuner frequently utilizes the phenomenon of beats to tune a piano string. She will pluck the string and tap a tuning fork at the same time. If the two sound sources the piano string and the tuning fork produce detectable beats then their frequencies are not identical. She will then adjust the tension of the piano string and repeat the process the beats can no longer be heard. As the piano string becomes more in tune with the tuning fork, the beat frequency will be reduced and approach 0 Hz. When beats are no longer heard, the piano string is tuned to the tuning fork; that is, they play the same frequency. The process allows a piano tuner to match the strings frequency to the frequency of a standardized set of tuning forks. Important Note:- Many of the diagrams on this page represent a sound wave by a sine wave. Such a wave more closely resembles a transverse wave and may mislead people into thinking that sound is a transverse wave. Sound is not a transverse wave, but rather a longitudinal wave. Nonetheless, the variations in pressure with time take on the pattern of a sine wave and thus a sine wave is often used to represent the pressure-time features of a sound wave. Whenever two wave motions pass through a single region of a medium simultaneously, the motion of the particles in the medium will be the result of the combined disturbance due to the two waves. This effect of superposition of waves, is also known as interference. The interference of two waves with respect to space of two waves traveling in the same direction, has been described in previous section. The interference can also occur with respect to time (temporal interference) due to two waves of slightly different frequencies, travelling in the same direction. An observer will note a regular swelling and fading or waxing and waning of the sound resulting in a throbbing effect of sound called beats. Number of beats heard per second Qualitative treatment:- Suppose two tuning forks having frequencies 256 and 257 per second respectively, are sounded together. If at the beginning of a given second, they vibrate in the same phase so that the compressions (or rarefactions) of the corresponding waves reach the ear together, the sound will be reinforced . Half a second later, when one makes 128 and the other  128*1/2 vibrations, they are in opposite phase, i.e., the compression of one wave combines with the rarefaction of the other and tends to produce silence. At the end of one second, they are again be in the same phase and the sound is reinforced. By this time, one fork is ahead of the other by one vibration. Thus, in the resultant sound, the observer hears maximum sound at the interval of one second. Similarly, a minimum loudness is heard at an interval of one second. As we may consider a single beat to occupy the interval between two consecutive maxima or minima, the beat produced in one second in this case, is one in each second. If the two tuning forks had frequencies 256 and 258, a similar analysis would show that the number of beats will be two per second. Thus, in general, the number of beats heard per second will be equal to the difference in the frequencies of the two sound waves. Analytical treatment:- Consider two simple harmonic sound waves each of amplitude A, frequencies f1 and f2 respectively, travelling in the same direction. Let y1 and y2 represent the individual displacements of a particle in the medium, that these waves can produce. Then the resultant displacement of the particle, according to the principle of superposition will be given by Y=y1+y2 This equation represents a periodic vibration of amplitude R and   frequency  . The amplitude and hence the intensity of the resultant wave, is a function of the time. The amplitude varies with a   frequency Since intensity (amplitude)2, the intensity of the sound is maximum in all these cases. For   to assume the above values like 0, p, 2p, 3p, 4p,. Thus, the time interval between two maxima or the period of beats = When the difference in the frequency of the two waves is small, the variation in intensity is readily detected on listening to it. As the difference increases beyond 10 per second, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish them. If the difference in the frequencies reaches the audible range, an unpleasant note of low pitch called the beat note is produced. The ability to hear this beat note is largely due to the lack of linearity in the response of the ear. Demonstration of beats:- Let two tuning forks of the same frequency be fitted on suitable resonance boxes on a table, with the open ends of the boxes facing each other. Let the two tuning forks be struck with a wooden hammer. A continuous loud sound is heard. It does not rise or fall. Let a small quantity of wax be attached to a prong of one of the tuning forks.. This reduces the frequency of that tuning fork. When the two forks are sounded again beats will be heard. Uses of beats:- The phenomenon of beats is used for tuning a note to any particular frequency. The note of the desired frequency is sounded together with the note to be tuned. If there is a slight difference in frequencies, then beats are produced. When they are exactly in unison, i.e., have the same frequency, they do not produce any beats when sounded together, but produce the same number of beats with a third note of slightly different frequency. Stringed musical instruments are tuned this way. The central note of a piano is tuned to a standard value using this method. The phenomenon of beats can be used to determine the frequency of a tuning fork. Let A and B be two tuning forks of frequencies fA (known) and fB (unknown). On sounding A and B, let the number of beats produced be n. Then one of the following equations must be true. fA fB = n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (i) or fB fA = n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (ii) To find the correct equation, B is loaded with a little wax so that its frequency decreases. If the number of beats increases, then equation (i) is to be used. If the number of beats decreases, then equation (ii) is to be used. Thus, knowing the value of fA and the number of beats, fB can be calculated. Sometimes, beats are deliberately caused in musical instruments in a section of the orchestra to create sound of a special tonal quality. The phenomenon of beats is used in detecting dangerous gases in mines. The apparatus used for this purpose consists of two small and exactly similar pipes blown together, one by pure air from a reservoir and the other by the air in the mine. If the air in the mine contains methane, its density will be less than that of pure air. The two notes produced by the pipes will then differ in the pitch and produce beats. Thus, the presence of the dangerous gas can be detected. The super heterodyne type of radio receiver makes use of the principle of beats. The incoming radio frequency signal is mixed with an internally generated signal from a local oscillator in the receiver. The output of the mixer has a carrier frequency equal to the difference between the transmitted carrier frequency and the locally generated frequency and is called the intermediate frequency. It is amplified and passed through a detector. This system enables the intermediate frequency signal to be amplified with less distortion, greater gain and easier elimination of noise Summary:- A beat frequency is the combination of two frequencies that are very close to each other. The sound you hear will fluctuate in volume according to the difference in their frequencies. You may often hear beat frequencies when objects vibrate. Beat frequencies can be graphically shown by adding two sine waves of different frequencies. The resulting waveform is a sine wave that has an envelope of modulating amplitude.

Barriers Of Enterprise System Information Technology Essay

Barriers Of Enterprise System Information Technology Essay This report focuses on the impact of Enterprise System on ALDI supermarket. ERP systems are costly and complex. They require heavy investments and experts. This research examines key dimensions of implementation of Enterprise system within ALDI supermarket. The components of Enterprise System Software: ERP, CRM AND SCM and its benefits to ALDI supermarket are identified and discussed. Although enterprise system benefits ALDI in many ways, there are some disadvantages and barriers to implement it. These barriers and risks are identified and possible solutions are suggested. INTRODUCTION TO ALDI ALDI (Albrecht Discount) is a discount supermarket chain which is based on Germany and is one of the cheapest and smartest ways to buy groceries. ALDI was established in 1913 and the chain is made up of two separate groups, ALDI North and ALDI south. By the early 1990s the company operated an estimated 3,000 stores in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Today, ALDIs rapidly growing network has more than 7,000 stores and serves millions of people across three continents. Aldi has taken this retail concept, which features low overhead and scanty selection, to its extreme. Unlike other supermarket chains, which continuously increase their product offerings and selling space, Aldi holds selection at its stores to about 500 items. The bulk of these items are packaged grocery or dry goods. ALDI claims Simplicity, consistency and responsibility have always been our three defining core values. As an expanding discount retailer, our actions have international influence in different markets and along the supply chain. ALDI has a different strategy of doing business and saving money. ALDI stores are usually small, from 8,000 to 15,000 square feet. ALDIs outlets also used to bypass expensive barcode scanners that are used by other stores to inventory and price products. Instead, a stockperson would simply post a sign with the price nearby. Price lists were memorised by the cashier but with the demanding information technology, ALDI has now started to use barcode scanners. Each product that ALDI sales have 4 barcodes which makes it quicker to scan and increases the productivity of the cashier (this has been inspected in one of the ALDI store in seven sisters, London). ALDI has also decided not to sell fresh meat which again saves company money as it can avoid steep refrigeration costs as well as the high wages the meat-cutters unions demand. ALDI also has a strategy to keep labour cost low in different ways. ALDI charges four cents per bag to their customers and the customers must bag their own groceries. Customers can rent a shopping trolley for 25 cents and they get their quarter back when they bring the shopping trolley to the front of the store. By doing this, ALDI does not have to pay someone to collect the trolley in the parking lot or replace stolen ones. ALDI also keeps the telephone numbers of their stores unlisted so that employees dont waste time answering the phone. Aldi-style austerity holds labour costs to an estimated four percent of store sales, compared to ten percent to 12 percent for most supermarkets. ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE Enterprise software services a larger amount of users and needs, typically through the use of a network and multiple points of processing and clients. Enterprise software provides services which are typically business-oriented tools such as online shopping and online payment processing, interactive product catalogue, automated billing systems, security, content management, IT service management, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, Human Resource management, manufacturing, application integration etc. It is normally multi-tiered client/server. In the past, companies were used to compete based on one or two competitive performance objectives such as price and quality. However, present markets demand both price and quality in addition to greater flexibility and responsiveness. Information systems such as Enterprise resource planning (ERP) have gained ground in providing support for achieving an integrated supply chain. Firms around the world have been implementing ERP systems since the 1990s to have a uniform information system in their respective organisations and to re-engineer their business processes. There are three main components of Enterprise System Software. They are: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM) ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) ERP uses internet technologies to integrate the flow of information from internal business functions as well as information from customers and suppliers such as manufacturing, finance, procurement and distribution. The system uses a relational database management system, within client/server network architecture, to capture valuable management data. ERP systems offer companies the following three major benefits: Business process automation Timely access to management information Improvement in the supply chain via the use of e-communication and e- commerce. ERP links all areas of a company including order management, manufacturing, human resources, financial systems, and distribution with external suppliers and customers into a tightly integrated system with shared data and visibility. It is not a good move to just plan resources required to run the enterprise; they need to be managed as well. An organisation must access itself, to see if it is ready for ERP. It must determine if it is ready for the competitive business environment and then strengthen its position for future changes. ERP software helps companys operations after they are integrated into the system with the help of experts. In addition, in order for them to be efficient, they have to be used by experienced personnel so it can sometimes be very costly. There are number of ERP softwares such as: SAP R/3, ORACLE, IFS APPLICATION, SAGE MAS 500, CANIAS ERP, SAS etc of which SAP R/3 is the most popular and is used by most of the organisation. BENEFITS of ERP ERP software can help ALDI supermarket in following ways: End user service delivery: ERP software has the features and functions that enable end-user services: innovative support for ALIDs business roles that help to extend the reach of human resource processes to all stakeholders. It also boosts productivity and efficiency and reduces many transactions and processes once handled by HR staff. Reduce operating costs: ERP software can help ALDI supermarket to reduce cost such as inventory cost, production cost, marketing cost etc. with ERP software, ALDI can improve coordination across functional departments and increase efficiency of doing business. Support strategic planning: Strategic planning defines business target and set of goals and objectives. It assesses plan and design coordination strategies and logically connects these strategies to needs, assets and outcomes. Part of ERP software systems are designed to support resource planning portion of strategic planning. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Business in todays world is customer driven. In the past, price and quality were the key factors to successful business but now, customer satisfaction and flexibility have also become equally important. Customer Relationship management is very important to a business successfully. The better the customer relationship is, the easier it gets to conduct business and generate revenue. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software helps to understand customer needs and allows ALDI supermarket to design customer-specific levels of service and also increases value per customer and customer retention. CRM softwares can be categorised into four different types: outsourced solutions, off-the shelf solution, bespoke software and managed solutions. It might be very costly and time consuming at times to implement CRM software however it can benefit ALDI in many ways: Based on previous records, it can increase sales through better timing by anticipating customer needs Can identify needs by understanding customer requirements Can identify which customers are profitable and which are not Can improve profitability by focussing on most profitable customers. BENEFITS OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Customer Relationship Management (CRM) helps to build profitable and lasting customer relationship by providing the insight and analysis needed to anticipate customer needs. CRM provides the following: Flexibility to create unique customer experience: CRM software helps end-to-end business processes to address an array of marketing, sales, and service situations. The CRM software easily adapts and extends to create a more distinctive customer experience. Drives organisation to more consistent interactions across all channels: CRM software can help ALDI to make the most of every customer interaction that is consistent and relevant, with real-time information about the complete history, value and profitability of each customer across the entire customer life cycle. Enables end-to-end process within the industry value chain: CRM software can help ALDI drive customer value, loyalty across the entire value chain. CRM can turn the vision of customer-driven growth into reality with the best in class front office functionality that complements industry-specific processes. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply chain management can be defined as the management of a distribution channel across organisations. It is the design, planning, execution and monitoring of all supply chain activities. Supply chain management can benefit ALDI supermarket to plan smoothly and execute related operations to achieve long-term profitability and maintain a solid competitive edge. BENEFITS OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Improve supply chain network: with supply chain management, ALDI can monitor the status of all activities across all suppliers, production plants and distribution centres. SCM enables an effective way of tracking and managing all related processes, from ordering through manufacturing and shipping of end product to customers. Minimized Delays: Delays in supply chain can result in poor relationship, unsuccessful business and eventually loss of business. With supply chain management software, all activities from start to finish can be coordinated with higher level of on-time delivery across the board. Enhanced collaboration: Supply chain softwares can bridge the gap between departed business software at remote locations to improve collaboration among supply chain partners. All participants can dynamically share vital information such as demand reports, forecasts, inventory levels etc. in real time. Reduced Costs: Supply chain software can help ALDI supermarket reduce overhead expenses in many ways. It can improve inventory management and facilitate successful implementation of on-time stock models. It also helps ALDI to make effective demand plans, so production and sales level can be set to the maximum. It can also help improve relationships with distributors which can cut the cost in ordering products in volume. BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTING ENTERPRISE SYSTEM SOFTWARE Though enterprise system softwares have many benefits, these benefits can sometimes be matched with high level risk because of its complexity. According to Soh (el al 2000), some companies even terminate the implementation of enterprise system software regarding time, cost and disruption caused and sometimes limited benefits once the system becomes operational. There may be some barriers while trying to adjust the enterprise software and barriers cause decrease in organisational performance instead of improvement. Organisational change is one of the most important barriers encountered in transition of new systems. Some of the barriers involved during implementation of enterprise system software are: Structural Barriers, Technological Barriers, Intellectual and Socio emotional Barriers and Cost Barrier. STRUCTURAL BARRIERS It is very important to understand the organisational structure existent in the organisation before implementing enterprise system software to prevent possible knowledge integration problems that could exist. The main structural barrier is that organisational structural limits the interaction among the different functional areas. The level of efficiency reached in the implementing enterprise system software depends upon how the organisational structure aligns with the nature of the tasks performed by members. Ross and Vitales (2000) found that the majority of the firms surveyed perceived enterprise system software implementation to be extremely disruptive. Enterprise software implementation may only succeed when the organisation is able to re-structure itself, and not just overlay the new management information system on the old organisational structure. Hammer (1999) argues that the ERP implementation is an integrative mechanism that connects diverse departments establishing integra ted processes. TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER The IS people within the information systems department who are the founders of the pervious system might have problems to understand and maintain the new enterprise software easily. This is when the technological barrier emerges. The IS people may not be able to provide good support the new enterprise software users because they had not internalised the routines necessary to support the new enterprise software. The second technological barrier could be the parallel use of legacy systems. According to Mileton-Kelly (2004), the new systems may quickly become legacy systems as they might not meet the full requirements of the users and may not be able to fully support business evolution. Furthermore, most of the legacy systems do not use a relational database management system (RDBMS); they still use proprietary flat file system. The reason for this is because there is no central ownership of data or information items in use by companies. This problem could be solved with the use of legacy systems for validation reasons only. Since ERP modules, processes or reports were validated, users only will have access to the ERP environment for their day to day work. This solution reduces the amount of work in terms of duplication of efforts. Moreover, users will focus only in the ERP system; this means a reduction of the comparisons with the legacy systems, an increment of the users productivity, and a possibility to integrate user knowledge in the ERP system. INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL BARRIERS The intellectual dimension is related with the learning and knowledge of users, and the socio-emotional dimension considers the feelings and the willingness to improve skills of the users. The main barriers involved in these dimensions could be: knowledge transfer between the legacy system and the new ERP system, and between consultants and ERP users. According to Ko, Kirsch, and king (2005), not much is known about knowledge transfer from consultants to ERP users, in which the knowledge structure of the participants is asymmetric. The consultant primarily possesses technical knowledge, whereas their clients and future ERP users primarily possess business knowledge. Hence, the knowledge initially possessed by the consultant must be integrated and embodied in the knowledge of the ERP users. This might remove barriers and also allows both parties to minimize disagreements and enhance their ability to work together for effectively transferring knowledge. The concern about users preferri ng old procedures and not adopting to the new ERP environment could be prevailing. Users may not be resisting to the change, but they might be trying to make sense of the change. This approach is related with the socio-emotional dimension because users need to justify that these changes are better from them. User training could be a key requirement for ERP implementation. Those organisations which invested in training had successfully overcome socio-emotional barriers involved with the ERP implementation. The individual knowledge barrier could be overcome by the identification and definition of new procedures and functions to shift the user perspective from the individual level to the organisational level. This means that to reach the knowledge integration process across the organisation, there may be a need to map the existing knowledge into the ERP functionality. This new vision helps to reduce the perception of the new ERP system. Pan et al. (2001) also suggests that ERP team members must instigate a process of relationship building through increased information sharing and social interaction among users. This behaviour promotes the structural integration to improve knowledge integration through users willingness to share information and ideas in the form of political transparency or process de-layering. COST BARRIER Although Enterprise system software can benefit ALDI in many different ways, it is very costly and hard to implement. ALDIs main strategy is to sell cheap products and use less technology. They sell the products cheap as they save money on technology but if they use technology, they might not be able to sell the products so cheap which is going to bring another competition among other supermarkets and is against ALDIs current strategy. CONCLUSION In the report, a brief history and introduction to ALDI supermarket was discussed. ALDI is a supermarket which was established in 1913 at Germany. Today, ALDI has more than 7000 stores and serves millions of customers across three continents. ALDIs business strategies were studied by visiting ALDIs local store and conversation with managers of ALDI. An overview of Enterprise Software and its components: Enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and supply chain management were discussed. Benefits of using ERP, CRM and SCM were identified and it was discussed how ALDI would benefit by using these enterprise system software. Finally, barriers and risks of using enterprise system software were identified and solutions to those barriers were discussed.