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Evaluation Of A Customer Relation Assignment - 1329 Words

This paper discusses the results of a customer relation assignment which was designed to create knowledge through observation. Three different healthcare service organizations were observed for this assignment. This technique provided ample amounts of information on how different healthcare facilities handled customer relations. The paper is written from a first person point-of-view and covers the following information such as, the type of the organization visited and services provided by each of them. The paper will continue to explain the process required to obtain information and the willingness to offer information from the organizations. Further the paper will divulge my feelings regarding customer service at each facility and what changes I would have made in order to make the experience better. The three healthcare facilities visited in order to complete this assignment are Breachtree Dental Center, Oakwood Healthcare Clinic, and unit 2 West at Sinai Grace Hospital in the cit y of Michigan. The first organization that I visited was Breachtree Dental Center located in Westland, Michigan. This organization provides care to adults and children who need dental care. There are several dental services offered by this center: oral cancer screenings, bridges, root canals, osseous surgery, veeners and dental implants. The entire environment is warm and comfortable, patients have the options to watch TV, read magazines, or even have a warm cup of coffee while they wait inShow MoreRelatedEvaluation Of A Customer Relation Assignment : Observation Of Three Different Healthcare Service Organizations1324 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper discusses the results from a customer relation assignment which was designed to create knowledge through observation of three different healthcare service organizations. This technique provided ample amounts of information on how different healthcare facilities handled costumer relations. The paper is written in a first person experien ce and covers the following information such as type of the organization and services provided at each of them. Then the paper will continue to explain theRead MoreFinal Marketing Plan Assignment1671 Words   |  7 PagesPlan Assignment and Guide DUE: July 7, 2010 at the beginning of class NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED Marketing plans serve several critical roles within sport organizations. Marketing plans allow everyone to see how their actions fit in with the actions of other employees. Marketing plans also: †¢ provide a road map for corporate development, †¢ assist in the management and implementation of strategy, †¢ communicate role specificity to new employees, †¢ coordinate the assignment of responsibilitiesRead MoreAcct 309717 Words   |  3 PagesACCT 309 COSO Integrated Framework: Internal Environment Part 2 Assignment 1. Download or open the COSO ERM Integrated Framework from Course Handouts in Blackboard. 2. Review chapter 2 â€Å"Internal Environment† pages 27-34. 3. Read the following information about Go-Go Corporation. 4. Determine how each of the issues relates to the eight factors of the internal environment. * Factors of internal environment include risk management philosophy, risk appetite, board of directorsRead MoreWhat Is Customer Service Agent? An Hr Manager?1527 Words   |  7 Pagesessential procedures for implementing job responsibilities necessary to attaining business ingenuities. Try and ponder the multiplicity of customer service agent position obligations in conforming with business s metrics: overseeing of calls, call time, and devotion in maintaining an assured level of consumer service telephone effort. In search to efficacious customer service agents, the pros can point to the ensuing characteristics: 1) Appropriate documentation of each member of staff that has conceptualRead MoreStrategic Plan, Part I: Conceptualizing a Business1108 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness chosen for the assignment. A mission statement will be developed, setting the business apart from others in the same or similar market. The vision statement will also made, discussing the direction the business wants to take in the future. Other topics such as, principles or values will be discussed. Concluding the paper will analyze the mission and vision statement, and values in guiding the business in a strategic direction. Followed by an evaluation of customers need in giving the competitiveRead MoreGlobal Market Demand : The Hub Of A Community1585 Words   |  7 Pagesor reference for local schools or business via community health initiatives. Walgreens the organization has a shared vision of providing its communities and customers trusted services to include medicine preparations, counseling, routine immunization s to specialty pharmaceuticals and wellness amenities. Their goal is to provide each customer and member specialized and adaptive care as evidence to their ongoing initiatives to confirm to the global market demand, as to be discussed below. OrganizationRead MoreAldi Porter Analysis758 Words   |  4 PagesIndividual Assignment BUS845 This assignment requires you to answer two questions. It should be submitted through Turnitin at the latest 3 pm, Friday, Week 5. For the Turnitin submission – title your document with your full name and student number, e.g., Smith20062007. Turnitin can be found on the unit’s iLearn site Answer each question separately and make sure your name and student number can be found in the header of each page. Make sure that the answers to the questions are presented on separateRead MoreThe Importance Of An Efficacious Frame Work1610 Words   |  7 Pagesanalysis as a profession, improve the analysts/policymaker relationships, and effectively measure analytic quality. The Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) established the Intelligence Community (IC) Analytic Standards that govern the production and evaluation of analytic products; articulates responsibility of intelligence analysts to strive for excellence, integrity, and rigor in their analytic thinking and work practices; and delineates the role of the ODNI Analytic Ombuds. Structured MethodologyRead MoreIssues in Global Business1296 Words   |  6 Pagesthe module focuses on enabling students to develop skills in the analysis of the strategic environment, development, evaluation and implementation of strategic concepts. These early stages of the module are designed to develop students’ analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills. The module continues with a study of the global business environment and critical evaluation through the use of case studies to develop the student’s awareness and explore good and bad practices within the businessRead MorePromotional Activities Task Sheet795 Words   |  4 Pagesdesigned to alter customer attitudes, and investigate how the cost of promotional activities affects the final choice of promotional activities. | What you need to produce | You need to produce a plan of a promotional campaign, working within an allocated budget, for a new or existing business, which: A. (A01) Explains the main objectives of the promotion campaign, the range of promotional activities available to the business and the characteristics of the targeted customers. B. (A02) Explains

Risk and Audit of GPSA Limited Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Risk and Audit of GPSA Limited. Answer: Introduction Auditing is the process being undertaken by the certified accountant for the purpose of verifying the books of accounts of a business entity for a particular financial year. The auditing involves risk assessment as the major element (Leung, Coram, Cooper, 2012). The auditor needs to assess the risk of manipulations in the financial statements before commencing the actual verification of the books and records of the entity. In this context, a report has been prepared here that deals with the risk assessment in relation to the audit of GPSA Limited which engages in the research and development activities and investment in properties. The report provides overview of the application of risk assessment tools and techniques such as test of controls and ratio analysis. Further, discussion on the audit steps required to reduce the audit risk has also been provided in this report. Accounts The five accounts as identified by the audit partner, John Richard being potentially risky are given as below: Accounts receivables Current Investments Property Assets Intangible Assets Research and Development Capitalization Analysis The days in accounts receivables have been observed to be rising over the period of three years. In the year 2015, the accounts receivable days were 53 which increased to 61 in 2016 and then further increased to 83 in the year 2017. The increase in the accounts receivable days has been significant in three years, which certain raise concerns of the auditor. Current investment account shows the investments held by the company for disposal in the short term. Current investment forms part of current assets. The current ratio of the company has been observed to be increasing from 1.66 times in 2015 to 1.80 times in 2017. The company makes investment in the properties which are shown under the property assets account. Intangible assets and research and development capitalization accounts are the most crucial for the auditor because these comprise the main business activities of the company. In the year 2016, the company incurred a huge sum on the research of new laser surgery device which one of its competitors has already developed and patented, the expected revenues from this device may be adversely affected. Further, as per the loan covenants the company will be under obligation to pay the loan on demand if the debt to equity ratio goes increases above 1.2:1 (AICPA, 2016). Audit Risk Audit risk is the risk that the auditor would make incorrect audit opinion in regards to accounts examined because the fraud and error remain undetected (Griffiths, 2016). The auditor tries to reduce the audit risk by adopting the test of controls and substantive procedures. In the case of GPSA Limited, the main audit risks have been identified as below: The capitalization of research and development expenses may be manipulated. The accounts receivable might include bad and irrecoverable debt. The company might try to increase the equity to keep the debt equity ratio within the limits specified in the loan covenant. Audit Steps to Reduce Risk The auditor should verify the controls over the accounts receivables and apply extensive checking on the receivable accounts outstanding for more than a considerable period of time. Verify the capitalization in the research and development account and the expected cash flows from the device developed. Apply substantive tests over the equity accounts to verify (ISA 330, 2009). Business Risks Faced by GPSA Limited Business risk implies the possibility of loss that the company may incur due to adverse business conditions. The auditor should strive to find out the events that gives rise to substantial business risk (Reuvid, 2014). In the case of GPSA Limited, it has been observed that the company is facing downfall in the demand in market due to increased competition. The manufacturing and property industry in Australia is under pressure to improve the margins. The return on equity of GPSA Limited is down from 22.17% in 2015 to 7.19% in 2017. Further, the return on total assets is down from 15.52% in 2015 to 4.86% in 2017 and net margin has decrease from 17.85% in 2015 to 10.38% in 2017. The downfall in the key profitability ratio clearly indicates that the company is bearing high business risk and it may incur losses. Further, the debt to equity ratio has also increased from 1.04 times in 2015 to 1.11 times in 2017. If the debt to equity ratio hits the limit as per loan covenant of 1.20 times, the company would incur solvency risk. Thus, overall it could be evaluated that the business risk of GPSA Limited is high for the audit of 2017. Effective Control Some of the potentially effective controls that GPSA Limited has are discussed as below: The company has two non-executive independent directors out of total five on the board. The company has implemented a new IT system for the record maintenance. The access to records is password protected (Graham, 2015). The major shareholders take active part in the management of affairs, particularly related to the managerial bonus and remunerations. Budgeting system is there in place through which company specifies the targets to be achieved in the coming period (Graham, 2015). Risk Alleviated The risks alleviated by the above mentioned controls of GPSA Limited are given as below: It is essential to have independent directors on the board to alleviate the risk of losing governance in the organization. Thus, GPSA Limited, by having two independent directors on the board, alleviates the risk of non-governance in the company (Graham, 2015). The new IT system implemented by the company would alleviate the risk of errors in recoding the transactions and maintaining records. Password protection provides safeguard against the risk of unauthorized access to the accounting records. The involvement of shareholders in the management of affairs reduces the risk of management manipulating the financial statements for personal benefit. Preparing budgets and targets for the future performance helps in tightening controls over the activities of the personnel. The risk of non-performance is reduced to a great extent (Graham, 2015). Test of Control One test of control for the above discussed potentially effective controls is prescribed as below: Inspection of board meeting minutes and resolutions. Test of transactions recorded by the new IT system and verification of the security measures. Verifying the resolution passed and approvals given by the shareholders for the managerial bonus. Verifying the variance report to check that budgetary system is working properly (Graham, 2015). Weaknesses in Internal Control The internal controls laid by GPSA Limited over the sales processes and accounts receivables seem to be sufficiently good but there are certain weaknesses which if the company overcomes would help it to reduce the risk of fraud or error. In the case of incomplete deliveries, the responsibility to probe into the reasons should be assigned to officer other than the dispatch supervisor. Thus, the segregation of the duties does not seem to be proper in relation to delivery of goods and follow ups. The incomplete deliveries should be signed off by the appropriate authority. In the same way, the return of sold material is also not under the watch of proper authority. The sales return should be approved by the sales manager rather than the supervisor of dispatch department. Further, the company does not take confirmation of the material delivered to the customer. In regard to trade receivables, it has been observed that the company does not have a system of account reconciliation. The compa ny does not take balance confirmation from the trade receivables on regular basis which is a significant loophole in the system (Whittington, 2015). Conclusion From the discussion in the report, it could be concluded that the audit of GPSA Limited for the year 2017 should be with more focus and planning because the company is bearing high risk. Further, there has been a change in the internal control system due to implementation of the new IT system. Thus, the auditor needs to go through testing of controls in detail this year. References AICPA. 2016. Audit Guide: Analytical Procedures. John Wiley Sons. Graham, L. 2015. Internal Control Audit and Compliance: Documentation and Testing Under the New COSO Framework. John Wiley Sons. Griffiths, P. 2016. Risk-Based Auditing. CRC Press. ISA 330. 2009. Auditors Response to the Assessed Risk. Retrieved 18 September 2017, from https://www.ifac.org/system/files/downloads/a019-2010-iaasb-handbook-isa-330.pdf Leung, P., Coram, P., Cooper, B.J. 2012. Modern Auditing and Assurance Services, Google eBook. John Wiley Sons. Reuvid, J. 2014. Managing Business Risk: A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Business. Kogan Page Publishers. Whittington, O.R. 2015. Wiley CPAexcel Exam Review 2015 Study Guide (January): Auditing and Attestation. John Wiley Sons.

Why is a states authority to govern is always contested Essay Example

Why is a states authority to govern is always contested? Essay In all forms of government there is always an element of dissent and disobedience to the authority of the state. While in totalitarian states, dissent is not tolerated and crushed as and when it happens, in the more democratic forms of government it is actually seen as a healthy sign. If we go back in history, we find that most of the progressive legislations and grants of civil liberties have been won through hard struggle from below. So the merits associated with democratic governance today were largely a product of grassroots struggle of the people and their contestation of the authority of the state. So instead of looking at contestation of state power as a malign expression of social disorder, one could attribute positive conclusions about its role in the development and progress of society. But not everyone agrees with this point of view. Hence, it is safe to say that there is no consensus with respect to the problem of state authority and its relation to the general po pulation. The rest of this essay will explain why state authority is constantly contested by people and will elucidate how it will help foster social justice. The former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK government, Sir David King had once famously remarked that the phenomena of global warming and climate change are more dangerous than social disorder in the form of terrorism. While Sir David King’s assessment might come across as far-fetched at first, there is proper rationale behind his views. To state it concisely, there is elaborate empirical evidence in the form of global temperature statistics and changing weather patterns to back up King’s views, than what one could possibly come up with to present the dangers of terrorism. And more crucially, unlike global climate change, the present governmental actions to mitigate or suppress terrorism are actually proving counter-productive, in that they are triggering off more terrorist retaliations. King’s concerns about the UK’s security are quite relevant in discussing about state authority and governance. For example, under the leadership of Tony Blair, the UK joined hands with the United States in launching counter-terror operations in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. Right from the beginning of these operations, the general public in the UK and the USA were strongly against it. This is clearly seen in the Gallup polls taken at periodic intervals for the last several years. The same polls show that the general population is more concerned with issues of livelihood, environment (including global warming) and civil liberties. Here is a classic case of the idea that the authority of the state to govern is always contested. In this particular example, the actions of the Tony Blair government were not mandated by the general public, as the opinion polls clearly indicate. It is fair to say that the legitimacy of so-called counter-terror operations were strongly called into question by the general public, both in the UK as well as the rest of the world. While the Gallup polls showed the statistical and quantitative proof of this contes tation, the public demonstrations in the form of protests and rallies in the lead-up to the War on Terror gives further credence to public displeasure toward government actions (Bromley, 2009, p.402). We will write a custom essay sample on Why is a states authority to govern is always contested? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why is a states authority to govern is always contested? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why is a states authority to govern is always contested? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Going back to the topic in question, people have a natural tendency to detest authority. It starts from early childhood, when a child resists its parents’ control over its actions and behaviour and later takes the generalized form of resisting those in positions of authority. While conceding that not all forms of authority are oppressive and exploitative in nature, it is also true that subordinate employees do not particularly enjoy taking orders from their superiors in office. It is fair to say that human beings, by virtue of their self-respect and sense of dignity, do not like to relate to other human beings through skewed power relations. This is one reason why a political philosophy such as Communism had found expression on several occasions during the twentieth century and still continues to draw attention in the academia and political debates. Despite Communism’s practical failings, it is closely allied to Anarchism, which is founded on strong distrust of all authority (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p.370). The Making Social Lives text describes governing as â€Å"the process of trying to shape, direct or rule some areas of life. The process of governing – usually governing others – is undertaken by many sorts of agencies and groups who combine two things: a commitment to make things, or people, better (or to keep them the same in the face of threats that might make things worse) and a claim that they have the authority to bring this improvement about. This double aspect of governing – improvement and authority – can be found in many practices of governing†. (Bromley and Clarke, 2009, p.326) Although there is nothing objectionable with this stated objective of governing, there is often a wide gap between the objectives and actual results. There are several reasons why this is so. Firstly, there might be no unity of purpose and co-ordination among the various agencies and groups that were instated to carry out the objectives of governance. Secondly, of the two aspects of governing – improving and authority – the former is likely to be overlooked and the latter is prone to be abused. While national governments are not the only institutions of authority, they are quite distinct from the other forms. For example, institutions such as the Church, minority groups, trade unions, professional associations, human rights groups, etc all wield authority over certain people up to certain levels. This is true even with institutions such as the United Nations and the European Union, which apparently have a broader jurisdiction to exercise their authority. But the authority of the state â€Å"has a control of territory and population that is not generally given to other organizations and institutions, and ultimately it has coercive powers that are also not generally given to others. The government governs in the name of ‘the people’–the population of a given territory. Often, this population is a nation; and we generally associate governments with nation states, although identifying the nation is not always easy.† (Bromley and Clarke, 2009, p.326 ) This insight into the difference between state authority and other forms of authority is quite crucial to understanding why the former is constantly under scrutiny. In all other cases, the objectives are limited and interests are narrowly defined. Moreover, there is no pretence of serving the interests of the ‘greater common good’ with any of the aforementioned institutions. But in the case of a nation-state and its governance through democratic means, the general public has expressed their preferences electorally and is in anticipation of its execution. But only rarely do promises made during election campaigns get reflected in actions and results. Often, election campaigns turn out to be no more than an exercise in grabbing and exploiting authority, rather than an exercise of carrying out the public mandate. Given that this has largely been the trend since the inception of parliamentary democracy in Britain, it is no surprise that the general public views its government with a high degree of suspicion. Seen in this context, it is easy to understand why the authority of the state to govern is always contested. This is true in Western democracies such as the U.K. and the U.S.A, as it is in more authoritarian and dictatorial states elsewhere in the world (Bromley, 2009, p.422). When one takes a look at the disconnection between public policy and public opinion in the U.K., one is inclined to say that contestation of state authority is much warranted. Take, say, the most recent economic crisis that the world witnessed. In early 2008, the whole world was plunged into an economic recession, following the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the United States. The U.K. too was not immune to this global wave and hence got affected quite badly too. Just as some of the major institutions in the U.S.A were on the verge of bankruptcy, our own Bank of England, Royal Bank of Scotland, Merrill Lynch, etc were teetering on the brink as well. The policies of the New Labour government in the years leading up to the economic crisis and the remedial measures in its aftermath do give away where the government’s loyalties lie. The blind adherence to the principle of ‘light regulation’ and the irrational faith in unfettered capitalism had led to several economic crises in the past. But despite repeated failures of this system, the U.K. government has not learnt its lessons, making the people vulnerable to more such turmoil in the future too (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p.352). Just as Sir David King, rightly pointed to the flawed priorities of the government in the context of the War on Terror, the same can be said of the economic policies of our government in the last few decades. Despite growing disparities in the distribution of income between socio-economic groups, and despite falling education standards at primary and high school levels, and despite no improvement in the standard of living for the middle classes, our government is keen on pushing the capitalist agenda on its people. Hence, it is understandable why people have become suspicious of their governments and sceptical of its policies. In order to change the situation, people have to organize at the grassroots level and conduct public demonstrations as a way of letting know the government that its authority cannot be taken for granted. References: Simon Bromley and John Clarke, Chapter 7, Governing Problems, Exploring Social Lives, published in 2009, The Open University. Georgina Blakeley and Michael Saward, Chapter 8, Political Ordering, Exploring Social Lives, published in 2009, The Open University. Simon Bromley, Chapter 9, Pirates and Predators: Authority and Power in International Affairs, Exploring Social Lives, published in 2009, The Open University.

Factors Affecting the Biotic and Abiotic features Essay Example

Factors Affecting the Biotic and Abiotic features Essay Example Factors Affecting the Biotic and Abiotic features Paper Factors Affecting the Biotic and Abiotic features Paper Factors affecting the role that the relationships between biotic and biotic factors contribute to the relationship between foliage and ground coverer Effie Electrocutions:A functioning ecosystem is totally reliant on the way in which factors such as biotic and biotic interrelate and create a balance of living and non-living. Biotic factors are those features of the environments of organisms arising from the activities of the other living organisms, relating to, produced by, or caused by living organisms (M. Than/ M. Hickman 2003:16). Biotic factors are non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment which include light, temperature, water, atmospheric gases, and wind as well as soil. The six major biotic factors are water, sunlight, oxygen, temperature, soil and climate (http://el. ERDA. Usage. Army. Mil/MIS/bicorn l/ HTML labia tic . HTML). Biotic and biotic factors combine to create a system or more precisely, an ecosystem which is a community of living and nonliving things considered as a unit. Biotic and biotic factors are interrelated (Growler 1997:106). If one factor is changed or removed, it impacts the availability of other resources within the system (http://library. Thinkers. Org). If an biotic factor is changed, such as soil nutrient levels, this may affect the growth of a biotic factor such as grass and trees, in turn making the plants decrease in population. This subtle change in turn affects biotic factors such as large organisms that need the plants to survive. This decreases the number of large organisms and affects the balance of the ecosystem. Ground cover is those herbaceous plants, small shrubs and non-vascular plants growing beneath the tree and shrub canopy (museum. Gob. Ins. Ca/man/nature/ nuns/ glossary. HTML. ) Ground cover is used for two main purposes; to hide the round beneath, or to protect it from erosion or drought. Foliage cover is the percentage of a fixed area covered by crowns of plants surrounded by a vertical projection of the outermost perimeter of the spread of the foliage (www. FSP. Fed. Us/re/ Fremont/scan/text/ APPENDIX X_C. HTML). Ground cover and foliage cover are along with biotic and biotic factors interrelated. The quantity of vegetation that lives in a particular area is totally dependent on the percent canopy cover that is above. If the role of photosynthesis; the process by which plants convert water and carbon dioxide into reverberates, using sunlight as the source of energy and the aid of chlorophyll (www. Surds. Haw ii. Du /SURDS glossary. HTML) is relied upon, ground areas with a high percentage of canopy cover will have a decreased amount of living vegetation underneath, as the process of photosynthesis cannot be efficiently accomplished. The relationship between biotic and biotic factors affects the relationship between ground cover and foliage cover as the two factors interrelate and assist or hinder the others actions. Aim: To determine the possible relationships between biotic factors, which include the varying organisms which surround an area, and biotic factors, such as the temperature of an allocated area, humidity, Ph levels and nutrient availability to see how they play a role in the relationship between ground cover and foliage cover. Hypothesis: If there is more overhead foliage cover than there will be less ground cover (in comparison to an area with no overhead foliage cover) because less sunlight and rain will reach the ground, the temperature will decrease and more animals will stand on and eat the ground cover that is there (due to the reduced temperature). Materials:lax mum measuring tappet small stakes Clinometers 1 x hammer lax permanent marker lax roll of marking tappets of good quality striving manometer 1 x canopy densitometer lax sheet of graph appear x thermometers empty AL drink bottles CACM ruler with millimeters marked outpoured:1. The XML transect was marked out by measuring out mum Of string. The stakes Were then placed into the ground at the appropriate measurements and the string was wrapped around as shown in Figure 1 . 2. The length of the string was marked at mm intervals with marking tape and he numbers were written on with permanent marker as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 :Peacetime of the marking tape along the mum string. 3. The gradual slope of the gradient was then taken to determine how steep the selected land area was. 4. This was done with the manometer at zero to half meter by placing each end of the manometer at both beginning and end of each half meter and taking a measurement. 5. This was then continued for thirty meters and was then graphed. See Figure 3. Figure 3 :Peacetime of the manometer at every half meter point. 6. The percentage foliage cover was then taken to determine how much light to though the tree leaves onto the ground below. This was done using the canopy densitometer at zero to one half meters. 7. The densitometer was held directly upwards and looked through. The percent coverage was noted. This was continued for thirty meters. See Figure 48. The percentage ground cover was then taken at every half meter by determining how covered the ground was by grass and plants etc. This number was recorded and this was continued for thirty meters. 9. A description of every meter was taken to investigate was lived there and also how it lived there. Animal excretions and flowers etc. Were taken into account, as well as leaf litter. These results were put into table form. 10. The temperature for the selected area was taken both in the shade; by placing the thermometer under a tree, and in the sun; by placing the thermometer in the open at approximately 12 oclock. It was made sure that there was no human interference when the temperatures were taken. 1 1 . Thermometers were placed out standing upright at five minute intervals and the temperature was recorded. This was repeated over a period of 1 0 days. 12. The rain fall had to be measured so a rain gauge was made. A AL soft drink outlet was cut in half, and then the upper half was inverted to create a funnel. 3. Two gauges were made for under the tree canopy, and out in the open. The measurements were recorded over a period of ten days. The results were then put into table form. 14. A pitfall trap was then constructed to determine what species of animals lived there. A fifteen centimeter square hole was dug in both the undercover and open sections of the belt transect. 15. Two small rocks were placed at e ither side of the hole. The hole was then covered by a large rock resting on the two smaller rocks. See Figure 6. 16. The traps were then left over night, and the findings recorded.

3 Questions About Hyphenation with Adverbs

3 Questions About Hyphenation with Adverbs 3 Questions About Hyphenation with Adverbs 3 Questions About Hyphenation with Adverbs By Mark Nichol Writers are often confused about whether a phrase beginning with an adverb should be hyphenated. The answers to the following three questions explain when hyphenation is required and when it is incorrect. 1. I read an article that included this sentence: â€Å"Smith did his best during a nationally-broadcast speech this month to scare voters away from Jones.† Is that hyphen correct? Adverbs ending in -ly are generally not hyphenated, because the suffix signals that the adverb modifies the word that follows it, not the noun that follows both words, so a hyphen is redundant. Many people, including your friend, confuse such adverbial phrases with adjectival phrases (or phrasal adjectives, as they’re more commonly called), which do usually take hyphens. 2. True or false: If an adverb is a part of the phrasal adjective, it does not need a hyphen to connect it. For example, â€Å"She was a highly motivated student.† Assuming that is true, how would you approach the phrasal adjective in this sentence: â€Å"We’re having nowhere else conversations in this confidential community.† Else is an adverb, but to modify conversations, does â€Å"nowhere else† need a hyphen? True and false: In discussions of adverbial phrases that modify a noun, the distinction described in the answer to the previous question and repeated here is sometimes ignored: Adverbs ending in -ly are never hyphenated in such phrases, because the suffix signals that the adverb modifies the next word, not the noun, so a hyphen is redundant. Adverbs with no such suffix, however, should be hyphenated, as in â€Å"nowhere-else conversations.† (However, I do not recommend that particular construction.) 3. A coworker who edited a report I wrote insists that the hyphen in the following sentence is required: â€Å"Condemnation of her offensive response was near-universal.† Is she right? Your colleague is under the near-universal misapprehension that when the adverb near precedes an adjective, the two words are always linked by a hyphen. However, this is true only when the words combine to modify a noun that follows, as in the phrase â€Å"near-universal condemnation.† (This is a case of hyphenation with an adverb that does not end with -ly, as discussed in the answer to the previous question.) This distinction is the same as for phrasal adjectives consisting of an adjective and a noun converted to an adjective, as in the difference between â€Å"the highest-grossing film† and â€Å"the film that is highest grossing.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesHow to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Chemiluminiscence Experiment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chemiluminiscence Experiment - Lab Report Example This undertaking involves the use of dissimilar concentrations of luminol and at varied temperatures (Roda 51). The experiment requires various chemicals and apparatus in order to become successful. About 25 ml of chlorine in liquid for will be useful as an oxidizing agent (Roda 53). Quantities of water of half liter will be desirable in the process together with 0.12 grams of luminol. Beakers will be in use for putting the reagents of the experiment. A beam balance will perform various measurements, which are suitable, for this experiment (Roda 53). An ice bath and a thermometer for aiding temperature measurements are fundamental. Other materials will involve a funnel plus a plastic tube. The procedure for the experiment involves measuring 0.12 grams of luminol by using a beam balance and mixing the mass with 250 Ml of water in distilled form (Roda 53). The action results in a solution of luminol. While measuring the luminol substance, a minimum of three measurements are significant for providing accurate measurements. This is possible by conducting about three measurements and finding the differences in mass. There should be a consideration of the mass of the paper that will contain the luminol substance in order to maintain accuracy (Roda 55). Maintaining accurate measurements is critical in reducing errors in experiments or deviation from the expected results. The next step will involve production of the bleach contents. It entails performing a mix of 25 ml of chlorine bleach in liquid form and about 225 ml of water in distilled form. The bleach and the luminol solutions are cool in an ice bath and the temperatures put in the record. The recording is for both solutions put in separate containers (Roda 55). Darkening the room will ensure efficiency in performing observations, especially, the amount of light seen when the two solutions come in contact. A funnel linked with the plastic tube will be present to

Medictest Laboratories Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medictest Laboratories - Case Study Example This means eliminating some of their best supervisors they have worked with for many years. The decision is final and the only way to settle this issue is through having the right communication process. A formal general meeting with the supervisors together with their chosen staffs should be conducted. In line with this, the information regarding some external factors may be well explained. Furthermore, the reason why there is a need to cut off and absorbed employees will be clearly discussed in detail. This has to be done by the Human Resources department to be backed up with the head office. In order to remarkably consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation, it is good that the company will start informing the employees with their performance and appreciating them of a job well done if necessary. Furthermore, the company should continue enhance technical and leadership skills of the chosen supervisors as a way of empowering them and as a way to cope with the new company system structure. Problem Statement The case talks about the need to streamline the operation of Medictest Laboratories, a group of testing centers with satellite branches in Sarnia, Ontario under the supervision of a regional manager Jean Kelly. ... Problems/Subproblems/Issues Jean wanted to create a plan that would consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation. Thus, the heart of the said issue significantly concerns the following specific questions stated in the case: 1. How should the changes be conveyed to the supervisors leaving, to those who are staying, and to the staff? 2. Where should the discussion be held? 3. Who should communicate the decisions? 4. In what sequence? 5. What should be the physical set up? 6. How should head office be involved? Analysis The case of Medictest Laboratories in Sarnia, Ontario is a remarkable proof that the external environment has significant impact on an organization’s success. The budget cut that has to be implemented by the government is a significant external force that eventually would affect Medictest’s system structure. Although it is an integral part of its success, this is beyond the control of a business firm and it has nothing to do about it. What it can actually do with this is to consider its internal environment where it has substantial influence and this remarkably includes its human resource. The human resource is something that Medictest can influence in the midst of some impacts brought about by its external environment (Berger 2). The only way to influence the human resource is to create some changes within the firm and in the case of Medictest, its essential point would be to streamline its operation and move forward to empowerment of its personnel. This is the very core of the challenge that the said company must face. At this very point, the firm must choose the best among the best and it has specific

Competition to Gain Competitive Advantage among Firms Essay Example for Free

Competition to Gain Competitive Advantage among Firms Essay In the current world market, there are many products and services available to fulfill the needs of individual and businesses. According to Barney, Wright and Ketchen (2001), to succeed in such a competitive market, a competitive advantage is required to provide any firm with necessary tools, useful in increasing sales and market share, improving profit margins for a given period of time in a new existing market, ensure survival of the firm in extremely competitive markets and also develop hard to copy mixes. A firm that lacks competitive advantage can imitate firms that already have an edge in competition, either through direct duplication of resources or substitution (Combe, 2006). The firm can determine which way to go, by first conducting a research of the main competitors, so as to identify the resources they have, that contribute to their success in the market (Porter, 1980). When this is established, the firm should then evaluate itself so as to know the resources it has, and whether it is feasible to invest on these resources so as to improve its competitiveness in the market. Among the things that the firms can do to improve its competitive advantage is to introduce new products and processes, it can also adopt managerial methods and organizational form from the better firms and also engage in timely investment during market entry (Combe, 2006). In addition to this, the firm should learn what the customers want, carefully analyze their competitors and create product differentiation with creative techniques. The goal of any new introduction is to meet consumers’ needs with a quality product at the lowest possible cost in order to return the highest level of profit (Combe, 2006). Introduction of new products can be broken down into five distinct parts which include idea validation, conceptual design, specification and design, prototype and testing and commercialization (Porter, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 1980). If the new product satisfies the consumers needs then it going to be appreciated well in the market, and put the company in a good competitive edge. Adopting managerial methods and organizational form is also important. The firm should adopt the managerial methods practiced by the better firm so as to realize a competitive edge (Barney et al. , 2001). This poses some challenges in terms of resources in cases where additional input of capital is required. Nevertheless if the investment is worth, then we should not give up. Also investments in the market should be carried out timely so that the prevailing market conditions do not negatively affect the investments leading to big loses incurred by the firm (Porter, 1980). The firm should investigate to know the best investment periods so that it’s on the correct path of competition. Bad timing of entry into the market can really make any firm to lose grip of the market by incurring great loses that might take time for the firm to recover (Barney et al. , 2001). Thirdly the firm should analyze the market to know what the consumers want and the form in which they want it. If the customer becomes the priority in any firm, then the firm should realize some benefits as a result of customer loyalty (Porter, 1980). The design of the products should also be done creatively in a way that is most convenient to the customers. Products may be similar in all aspects but a small difference in presentation can greatly increase its demand in the market. Competitive advantage can be attained if the current strategy is value-creating and not currently being implemented by present or possible future competitors (Barney et al. , 1991). Competitive advantage has the ability to be sustained but a competing firm can enter the market with a resource that has the ability to invalidate the priors’ firms’ competitive advantage and is COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE therefore independent of timeframe. When imitation actions comes to an end without disrupting the firms competitive advantage then the firms strategy can be called sustainable. Porter (1985) portrays contrary views that competitive advantage is maintained when it provides above average returns in the long run.

The Mediterranean Climate in Modern and Roman Times Essay -- Roman Emp

The Mediterranean Climate in Modern and Roman Times Florence, Italy lies in the Tuscan region in the middle of the Italian peninsula, and is a part of the temperate Mediterranean climate region. Being in such a temperate zone means that Italy is less subject to extreme climate change than other parts of the world. This does not mean that throughout recorded history the climate of the region has been static, however we can see many similarities between the climate today and that of the time of the Roman Empire. H.H. Lamb describes a gradual global warming in Europe leading up to AD (CE) 400. As he says, this is consistent with a rising sea level during the same period of time. We have evidence of Roman writers indicating that olive and the vine could be grown farther north than earlier in Roman history (Lamb, 157). As those two crops are very prominent cultural aspects of Rome, this is a very culturally pertinent piece of evidence. Not only was this northern cultivation of olive and vine possible during Pliny’s time (1 st century CE), but it is still possible now, as olives and wine are two very important parts of Mediterranean culture. Ptolemy kept a weather journal in the 2 nd century, near the time of Pliny, which Lamb refers to, citing â€Å"occurrence of rain in every month of the year except August, of thunder in all summer months, and in that days of great heat were commonest in July and August† (Lamb, 159). This is still more or less true of the Mediterranean, particularly Florence. [tu30.jpg]While Lamb says that â€Å"today the continual north and northwest winds off the sea in [July, August] lower the temperature,† Ptolemy kept his journal in Alexandria, farther south than Florence. While Florence may not have expe... ...e had shifted dramatically south. Eventually, as we know, the Roman Empire fell apart and was unable to maintain its magnitude or its grandeur, and its downfall is closely linked to climate change. The ecotone currently lies in southern France, where, as Fagan tells us, we can see the vegetation change from Mediterranean to temperate within a few meters. The trend today suggests warming, but unlike in the high period of the Roman Empire, today a lot of this warming appears to be caused by human activity. Political trends show that an Empire of such magnitude as Rome would not be possible today, but undeniably the history of human life is tied closely to our climate. Bibliography Lamb, H. H. Climate, History, and the Modern World. 2nd ed. London and New York: Routledge, 1982. 156-170. Fagan, Brain. The Long Summer. New York: Basic Books, 2004. 189-212.

Meeting Stakeholder Quality Needs Essay

Reflective Statement In this module I have had to think about how this company functions in a lot more detail than I have ever done before. It is easy to take for granted some of the work that is done on the quality side of the business. It was interesting to look at and audit my department and discuss with my manager areas where I believe we can improve. The skills I have been taught have given me a new view on the processes I complete and I am now considering alterations and improvements which I did not do before. The module has led me to question why things are done the way they are done, and if there is a better, more efficient way. Finally the concept of stakeholders, whilst not new, has been made more relevant. I am more aware of what I do and how it affects others within Allen Gears. I am more aware of how the company is viewed within the community and the importance that of the community as a stakeholder in the business. 1.1 Determine organisational stakeholders and their expectations Stakeholders can be categorised as any party that has a share or an interest in an undertaking. This could mean literal ownership and shares in a business or an actual interest in a business succeeding as its success is in some way tied to your own. This therefore includes customers, suppliers, employees and the local community. When considering Allen Gears, as an employee I would be considered a stakeholder. The Management team of Directors are stakeholders not only through being employed but not as owners. As a company that pays taxes the government are a stakeholder and as an employee of nearly 200 people the surrounding area would be considered a stakeholder. Another way of determining stakeholders is to identify those who are directly impacted by the project and those who may be indirectly affected. Examples of directly impacted stakeholders are the project team members or a customer who the project is being done f or. Those indirectly affected may include an adjacent organization or members of the local community. Directly affected stakeholders will usually have greater influence and impact of a project than those indirectly affected. Every stakeholder has their own needs and requirements. Each of their requirements will not be the same and may divert along different tangents. For example within Allen gears a concept to produce fewer gearboxes but at higher margin for more profits may sit well with government and shareholders, but if it comes at the cost of jobs and less revenue for suppliers then this would not be in their interests. It is therefore difficult to please all stakeholders at all times as their requirements may be at odds with each other, but awareness of your stakeholders and their expectations can help when you are making decisions that directly or indirectly impact on your stakeholders. 1.2 Discuss methods of meeting stakeholder expectations or requirements Stakeholders can b e defined as all entities that are impacted through a business running its operations and conducting other activities related to its existence. The impact can be direct in the case of the business’s customers and suppliers or indirect in the case of the communities in which the business chooses to place its locations. Businesses must consider the needs and expectations of its stakeholders, though it need not consider them to be of equal importance. Certain stakeholders such as owners and investors are more important than others. Once the business has identified its stakeholders and their importance to the business, it can begin to plan based on their needs and expectations. Each stakeholder has concerns that it expects to be met by the business. For example, the business’s owners expect it to be profitable and to distribute that profit to them while local and federal government agencies expect it to obey the law and pay its taxes on time. The importance of each stakeholder to the business determines the degree to which the business attempts to accommodate the stakeholder in the course of planning its actions. [ (Li, 2013) ] If identifying the stakeholders is the first step then the second step is to plan how you intend to communicate with them. If there is a two way method of communicating not only can you inform the stakeholders that you are meeting their expectations, more importantly they can inform you when you aren’t. These can be as easy as a brief conversation or a detailed as a monthly meeting with the chamber of Commerce. Within Allen Gears I attend several weekly meeting where stakeholder requirements are not only expressed but tracked to make sure we meet pre agreed targets and delivery dates. Any information gathered from communication needs to be disseminated throughout the company. This is so that all aspects of the company are aware of the stakeholder expectations. Once the relevant information is received it can be acted upon and the results can be reported to the stake holder. Within sales our key stakeholders are typically customers. We communicate via meeting, ov er the phone or by e-mail. Typically any requirements that are technical are e-mailed and upon receipt someone in our department is tasked with resolving any questions or requirements. The results are then feedback to the customer. 1.3 Identify methods of communicating stakeholders’ requirements with team members Communication Methods The method to communicate within Allen Gears should be based on: * The type of information to be distributed * The audience requirements * The timeline for a required response [ (Abudi, 2009-2013) ] Within Allen Gears the sales team all sit within speaking distance of one another so it is quite easy to express any immediate stakeholder requirements or issues. For formal clarifications or where a response needs to be documented e-mails are usually the preferred method. These are easy to store and handy to reference in complicated situations or where a large amount of information needs to be given. In sales we also regularly visit our customers who are our primary stakeholders. As we operate around the globe a cheaper alternative to this is conference calls. Any relevant information from these calls or meeting can then be fed back to team members via visit reports or one-to-one sessions. We also operate a database which holds all the latest information gathered or sent to our stakeholders. This is accessible by all members of the sales team. 1.4 Explain processes for updating information on stakeholder requirements Stakeholder requirements will change rarely stay fixed. Dependant on the nature of the stakeholder they can change due to your actions or their situation. Within sales our primary stakeholder is the customer. Part of our sales role is to review the status and satisfaction of the customer. Feedback may indicate that we need to change your approach to stakeholders. Within Allen Gears another key stakeholder is the projects management team. We regularly discuss how to improve and if we can prove a better quality of work. If an improvement is found it is implemented through team meetings and process change. There are a number of implications o f not responding quickly to a change in stakeholder requirements, including wasted resources, broken relationships, and damage to the organisation’s reputation. At Allen Gears one of the tools we employ to update stakeholder requirements is a tender database. This holds the latest information received from our stakeholders and is sorted by each tender or project. Against each entry is a section that records any necessary action to be taken with respect to the latest information received. This tool allows us to maintain a record of the latest information and encourages dialogue with our stakeholders to make sure we are meeting their expectations. 2.1 Discuss the meaning of quality to an organisation When discussing the meaning of quality to an organization it is important to define meaning of quality. For Allen Gears quality could be described as meeting the needs and expectations of our customers. What must also be considered is the cost of achieving that quality. The â€Å"cost of quality† isn’t the price of creating a quality product or service. It’s the cost of not creating a quality product or service. A useful tool to help recognise failures and re-work is the Cost of Quality (CoQ) Model. In this, every activity is classified either as Core Work, Failure, Appraisal or Prevention. The Cost of Quality is the sum of Failure, Appraisal and Prevention costs. This is a relevant way of thinking about waste and failure. Core Work| All work carried out directly for the benefit of a customer, done right the first time. These are real, value-adding activities. Customers would happily pay you good money to do these, on their behalf.| Examples: Delivering service to a customer, manufacturing a product, issuing an invoice, processing an order| Failure| Any activities associated with producing errors, or services that are not right the first time, or dealing with work that was not done right the first time. None of this is â€Å"good†.| Examples: Handling complaints, paying compensation for problem, dealing with queries, responding to help-desk calls, correcting errors, solving problems, repeating previously done work| Appraisal| Any activities carried out to check if work has been done right the first time. Some of these activities are â€Å"good†, if they lead to prevention activities that improve core work.| Examples (good): Audits that lead to improvement, staff performance appra isals Examples (bad): checking somebody else’s work, authorising, counter-signing, QC checks| Prevention| Any activities carried out to ensure other activities can be carried out right the first time. These are â€Å"good† things to do.| Examples: Training, coaching, developing standard operating procedures, identifying customers’ requirements, briefing staff on plans and requirements, developing error-proofed systems, establishing policies| The theory behind the Cost of Quality (CoQ) Model is that, the more time that is spent on Prevention activities, the less time will need to be spent on Appraisal and dealing with Failures. Prevention activities build quality in. Both Appraisal and Failure are â€Å"after the event†, and therefore are too late and add cost. (Seath, 2006) Examples within Allen Gears include: * The reworking of a manufactured item. * The retesting of an assembly. * The rebuilding of a tool. * The correction of a tendered document. In short, any cost that would not have been expended if quality were perfect contributes to the cost of quality. (Campanella, 1999) To reduce the cost of quality a business needs to employ a process that can be reviewed, maintained and assessed so that quality is not only always achieved but is done so in the most efficient manner. 2.2 Identify and apply organisational quality policies and procedures ISO 9001 (OE and Services) ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for the quality management of businesses. It applies to the processes that create and control the products and services an organisation supplies, and prescribes systematic control of activities to ensure that the needs and expectations of customers are met. ISO 9001 is designed and intended to apply to virtually any product or service, made by any process anywhere in the world [ (ISOQAR Limited , 2013) ] There are 6 mandatory procedures required by the ISO 9001 standard. * Control of Documents * Control of Records * Internal audit * Control of non-conformance * Corrective action * Preventive action Within Allen Gears we adhere to all these procedures as standard. Documents are required to have an issue number. Records are controlled and stored by the quality department. Departments are internally audited every six months. As Allen Gears manufactures many parts any non conformance is highlighted and corrective and preventative action is taken as standard. This also happens in all areas of the business but this tends to occur more in manufacture due to the unique and complex nature of our products. ISO 14001 (OE and Services) ISO 14001 is an international standard that specifies a process for controlling and improving a company’s environmental performance. ISO 14001 consists of: * General requirements * Environmental policy * Planning * Implementation and operation * Checking and corrective action * Management review This means you: Identify elements of your business that impact on the environment and gain access to the relevant environmental legislation. Produce objectives for improvement and a management program to achieve them, with regular reviews for continual improvement. Primarily within Allen Gears this relates to the environmental consequences from the manufacture of our products. Allen Gears uses hazardous substances that must be controlled and managed in a safe and an environmental friendly way. Also within our office there is a recycling policy that is part of the overall environmental policy. [ (ISOQAR Limited , 2013) ] ISO 18001 (OE and Services) BS OHSAS 18001 is intended to help businesses control occupational Health and Safety risks. It was developed in response to a widespread demand for a recognised standard of certification, and actually works well with the ISO 14001 standard. It is a framework that allows a business to consistently identify and control its Health and Safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents and legal issues, and improve overall performance. (ISOQAR Limited , 2013) Within Allen Gears this standard requires the completion of risk assessments and risk control.This is especially important within a company that operates heavy machinery, which Allen Gears does. We also required to report all incidents and check for corrective and/or preventative action. 2.3 Determine how to encourage staff to contribute ideas to improve quality At Allen Gears due to the specialised nature of our gearboxes everything that we do is centred on providing a quality, bespoke product. To that end the ideas and practices of promoting quality are ingrained into the company structure. We are consistently looking at improving and checking that processes are as efficient as possible. We have several methods which we use to encourage staff to suggest ideas to improve quality. Allen Gears runs a suggestion box which looks for quality improvements and process improvements. This is reviewed weekly and there is a monthly cash prize for the best idea which promotes staff participation. Staff are appraised and performance is discussed. Key performance indicators are agreed and these relate to quality as well as productivity. The appraisals are a two-way dialogue therefore staff have a chance to highlight areas of concern and methods to improve quality. Staff are encouraged to participate, give their thoughts and are made to feel that it is a safe environment to make suggestions. Around the business there are information screens which give all member of the company the latest information on how we are performing as a company against agreed targets. This shows the parts of the business that are on target and the parts that are not. This helps the business to focus on the areas that need the most attention. Given the importance of quality, you can never have too many ways to encourage improvements. Using a â€Å"negative focus† is one of those methods. The rea lity is that when members of staff make errors or mistakes, someone has to do extra work to make up for the issues at hand. Typically this is at an extra cost or within a short time frame than the original work. When you link poor quality to extra work, you challenge employees to face reality for themselves and others. Mistakes and errors have a negative impact. The way to reverse this situation is to reduce or eliminate them and by highlighting the issues employees are motivated to think of solutions. 2.4 Conduct a quality audit and make recommendations for improvement One of the most important objectives of an internal quality audit is measuring the effectiveness of an organization’s quality management system. For this to happen, executive management must first meet its overriding responsibility of establishing and maintaining a system regarding quality policy, goals, resources, processes and effective performance–including monitoring and measuring the system’s effectiveness and efficiency. For example below is a portion the sales process for enquiries that is to be audited. Audits are conducted to verify whether processes are conducted in accordance with documented processes, BS EN ISO 9001, customer requirements, and legislation and for aerospace processes, subject to AS9100. Compliance against Rolls-Royce and customer specifications may also be audited. Audits shall be used to determine the effectiveness of the quality system and the results fed back to top The ultimate aim of the audit process is to identify weaknesses within the Allen Gears processes – as continuously improving these will prevent quality and delivery issues. Scheduled internal audits of compliance with company procedures and BS EN ISO 9001, AS9100 checklist covering all teams having an influence on the quality of the product or the environment. Unscheduled audits of any area, function or activity as deemed necessary. In instances of non-conformance to procedures, BS EN ISO 9001 or AS9100 an ‘Audit Failure Entry’ (Corrective Action Request) shall be raised for each clause or procedure contravened. Each Corrective Action Request will be given a unique number via the IBS system. The Auditor shall discuss non-conformities with the Manager and agree a mutually acceptable rectification plan and close out date. This shall be recorded on the GD233-2. Should t he auditor have difficulties in obtaining a commitment to rectify a non-compliance, then the Director or MD shall be consulted. It is the process owner’s responsibility to close down non-conformances with their area. A table listing the questions and corrective actions based on the Sales report can be seen below: Question| Y/N| Examples /documentation| Issues?| Corrective action/Recommendations for improvement| Have all members of the sales team got access to the standard practices and process?| Yes| On the desktop of every computer or laptop is a shortcut to Allen Gears Standard Procedures. Members of staff are made aware of this and part of the training is to go through this in detail| No issues| No corrective action required| Are all staff aware of the standard practices and processes for their job role?| Yes| From discussions all members of the sales team are aware of the standard practices. These practices require that documentation and databases are filled in. The staff completing these tasks is an example of their awareness| No Issues| No corrective action required| Are tenders highlighted as highly likely or unlikely?| Yes| Within the tender database there is a section for highlighting the likely hood. Part of the tendering process is to complete this.| On a few tenders this part of t he tender database has been left empty leaving it unclear whether the tender is likely or not.| A regular review of the database to make sure all aspects are fully completed and filled in.| Are the tender database and tender files kept updated| Partially| The tender database was reviewed and there were examples of recent correspondence with customers.| The tender database has a section that records actions and the date they are due to be completed by and there is evidence that this part of the database has not been updated for some tenders. A print out of files that have not been updated is issued but not acted upon| A regular review of the database to make sure all aspects are fully completed and filled in. Meetings to unsure that the information is up to date| Are customers contacted regularly for information?| Yes| Important e-mails are forwarded to management and are also recorded in the database. Phones and correspondence is recorded in the database. Weekly meetings are held to discuss ke y projects. This meetings are recorded in Outlook| No Issues| No corrective action required| Are bid no bid reviews completed?| Partially| Bid no bid reviews are recorded in outlook as a weekly Monday meeting.| If an enquiry comes in that requires immediate attention,(or needs resolution before the next Monday) there is no structure for impromptu bid no bid reviews| An alternative method of reviewing short term proposals and projects should be formulated.| Are Specification reviews completed?| Partially| There is evidence of specification reviews taking place for highly likely projects only| If a project that was not likely becomes likely it may not have been reviewed to a sufficient level and this will not be recorded.| Within the tender database there should be a section to record that a review has taken place. A tick box would suffice. It is not necessary to review all projects.| Are tender documents produced in accordance with the sales process?| Yes| There is evidence within th e tender files of General Arrangement drawings, tenders and datasheets. They are stored correctly and completed to the required standard.| No Issues| No corrective action required| Are tenders turned down and closed down in accordance with the sales process?| Partially| There is evidence of tenders that are dead, but they have not been closed out to a sufficient level| The major issue is that reports that are run will include incorrect data| The database and tender files need to be checked more regularly to ensure that data held is accurate| Is all order documentation completed correctly and within the minimum timescale?| Yes| There is evidence in the tender files of all the documentation in accordance with Allen Gears procedures being completed and examples and notes from the necessary pre order meetings. This shows that orders are completed to the required standard| No Issues| No corrective action required| 3.1 Discuss the concept of, and need for, continuous improvement A culture of continuous improvement is necessary to enhance productivity and free up the capacity that will provide manufacturers a stable foundation to pursue innovation and growth. (The National Institute of Standards and Technology , 2011 ) For a business it means that you are constantly and consistently improving your competitive position by improving efficiency, quality, innovation, or any other attribute that is vital to the system or process within the business. If you do not continuously improve any number of bad outcomes can occur. Customers stop buying, profitability declines and morale decreases. The plan–do–check–act cycle (Figure 1) is a four–step model for carrying out change. Just as a circle has no end, the PDCA cycle should be repeated again and again for continuous improvement. Figure 1: Plan-do-check-act cycle When to Use Plan–Do–Check–Act: * As a model for continuous improvement. * When starting a new improvement project. * When developing a new or improved design of a process, product or service. * When defining a repetitive work process. * When planning data collection and analysis in order to verify and prioritize problems or root causes. * When implementing any change. [ (American Society for Quality, 2004) ] Within Allen Gears we use the plan-do-check-act cycle. Typically on a quarterly basis we brainstorm and produce evaluation matrices based on areas where we believe we can bring about change and improvement. Recently we investigated reducing the total time spent in productivity meetings. As they involve several members of management and take 30-45 minutes, any time saved would be seen as a quantifiable improvement. Following the evaluation process we began the trialling of a new method for displaying productivity figures for our weekly meeting. This was a small scale test to see if time was saved. After a month there was agreement that this method made it easier to analyse where productivity was falling and where staff were not being utilised efficiently. This meant the meetings where shorter. This display method is now used in several other areas of the business to display their productivity figures on a monthly and quarterly basis. 3.2 Assess work activities and identify areas for improvement In my roles as a Sales Engineer my key deliverables and work activities are to: * Produce proposals in response to client’s enquiries. * Manage the interfaces of Engineering, procurement, Commercial and Tendering inputs to ensure all proposals are commercially and technically robust. * Manage and agree prioritisations of Engineering, procurement, Commercial and Tendering to ensure clients required dates are adhered too. * Communicate with customers throughout proposal preparation, post submission and ongoing, in order to develop long term customer relationships. * Undertake customer visits in support of the sales strategy. Producing proposals is an important part of informing the customer how the gearbox Allen Gears intends to produce is aligned with what they have requested. Currently there are parts of the proposal that are standardised. Whilst it would not be possible to standardise the whole proposal there are steps that could be taken to reduce the overall time to complete a proposal with standardisation. The management of the process by which parts of the business provide input for proposals is also not effici ent. Whilst communication is good it could be improved. The information received varies between members of staff and there is not a set process which details what should be received and the timescales. If this was implemented the process could be benchmarked and we would have a clearer understanding of the issues that cause delays when completing proposals. Customer communication is an important part of any business and at Allen Gears one of my key activities is to receive and act on any feedback from customers with regards to the proposals we are sending. Allen Gears currently has a very good method of collating this information and we use it as a benchmarking tool to review if we are meeting customer expectations. Whilst the tool is very effective there is always room for improvement. The tool should be reviewed for effectiveness. There is some data that is not captured within the system and on review some data that is captured but not relevant. By reviewing the tool Allen Gears can continually assess it for effectiveness and make sure it is always providing the most useful information. 3.3 Encourage staff to contribute ideas for continual improvement In these current times of austerity any competitive advantage must be realised as securing orders and making profit become increasingly difficult. By recognising the current climate and highlighting the situation within Allen Gears it is possible to get employees to suggest methods and processes which can cut costs and help the company win business. Allen Gears has tried to encourage its employees to look at processes that they are completing regularly and consider improvements. If you concentrate on nurturing the process, the results will come as a natural consequence. Everyone has processes and every process can be improved. Unintended variation in our processes leads to undesirable variation in the outcomes of our processes. If you discuss the process with process stakeholders they will be able to suggest ideas for process improvement. Another option is to provide incentives for employees who innovate. By creating a culture within Allen Gears where creative thinking and innovation is rewarded rather than frowned upon will help to constantly generate new ways that employees can function better individually and as teams, as well as improving the way the company operates as a whole. Throughout Allen Gears mangers should look for problems that need to be solved within the organisation. There is no such thing as a perfect company. A company that thinks it has nothing to improve on will certainly improve nothing. If Allen Gears or any company proactively looks for areas where your company could improve, it will give you targets to focus the energies of your employees on. Another idea is to promote the idea concept of experimentation. An organisation that is truly committed to continuous improvement is filled with people who are comfortable with learning from what doesn’t work. An organisation where people are afraid of consequences will never be successful at continuous improvement. At Allen Gears we have a research and development team where a large portion of what they produce is experimental. Bibliography Abudi, G. (2009-2013). Abudi Consulinting group. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from GinaAbudi.com: http://www.ginaabudi.com/methods-for-distributing-information-on-projects/ Ad Esse Consulting Ltd. (2008). Managing your Stakeholders. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from ad esse: http://www.ad-esse.com/resources/documents/Articles/managing_stakeholders.pdf American Society for Quality. (2004). Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle . Retrieved March 2013, from American Society for Quality: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/project-planning-tools/overview/pdca-cycle.html Campanella, J. (1999). Principles of Quality Costs: Principles, Implementation, and Use, Third Edition,. ASQ Quality Press. ISOQAR Limited . (2013). ISO 9001 (QMS). Retrieved from ISOQAR – Part of the Alcumus Group: http://www.alcumusgroup.com/isoqar/standards/iso9001-quality/ Li, A. (2013). How Do the Needs & Expectations of Stakeholders Influence a Program’s Plan? Retrieved March 6, 2013, from Demand Media: http://smallbu siness.chron.com/needs-expectations-stakeholders-influence-programs-plan-36119.html The National Institute of Standards and Technology . (2011 , April 10). U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): http://www.nist.gov/mep/ngs-continuous-improvement.cfm Seath, I. J. (2006, October 19). Cost of Quality – the forgotten tool? Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.performance-measurement.net/news-detail.asp?nID=222

Panera Bread Marketing Mix Proposal

Signature Frozen Yogurt Table of Contents Executive Summary For the past 28 years we have been committed to offering a wide variety of healthy entree options at the highest quality for a reasonable price, however, we have never offered a selection of healthy option desserts and therefore have decided to launch a new product, the Signature Frozen Yogurt. This product is a secret blend of all-natural ingredients. One of the most important ingredients is real nonfat milk, which has been certified by the National Yogurt Association to carry the Live and Active Cultures. Regardless of the flavor, our crispy and tangy yogurt is designed to awaken the senses and blend perfectly with each of our freshly cut fruit toppings. It is low in fat, contains no cholesterol, no preservatives, is fortified with calcium, and is made of the highest ingredients. The competitive advantage of this product is the place the product will be sold, at our already established cafes. The cafe already draws in customers and now to complete their meal, instead of having to travel elsewhere for a healthy option desert, they have it already where they are eating, which means no extra traveling costs, or planning is required. The convenience factor is now added which is a very important in the American lifestyle today. Unlike the fast food competitors, our new dessert will keep us at the top of the fast-casual, bakery-cafe industry by continuing to provide for the millions of Americans who are looking to eat healthy. While competitors are struggling to keep up with today’s prominent healthy-eating trend, we remain a valuable asset to the cause. We will use mass marketing techniques in order to target our chosen market for the newly created Signature Frozen Yogurt . The initial market will consist of New York and California, two places which have seen a growing trend in the market for frozen dessert. The population will consist of individuals roughly between 19-35 years of age, both male and female individuals that come from the upper middle class, are health-oriented, and currently frequent Panera Bread, but rarely eat dessert because of the poor healthy choices currently offered, and is currently measured at approximately 7, 927, 516 individuals. We will use price skimming for our pricing strategy. In the past we have not needed to cut the prices of our food as a way to bring in customers. Our company is known to have great quality, and you may have to pay a little extra for it. Since we are an already well-established bakery chain, we have the ability to have the product enter the market with the price skimming strategy. We feel like this strategy best fits our company image as a whole, and will fit in with the prices of our other products. For the communications strategy, our media mix will be fairly standard for a new product being introduced at the national level. We will use mass media exposure. We will use TV, Magazines, Internet, and Outdoors. With TV we will have a wide reach, and will be able to target our demographic specifically through certain TV shows and time slots. We have written, shot and edited our own TV spot for the new product. We have used our original slogan â€Å"A loaf of bread in every arm†¦Signature Frozen Yogurt in every hand†, as well as a summertime theme associated with our frozen yogurt. We will also use magazines, the Internet with our website, Facebook, Twitter, sales promotions including coupons and samples. We pride ourselves in making our bread, salads, sandwiches, and all desserts fresh daily. The actual ingredients used to make these delicious entrees, however, are provided by our own distribution center. We use a vertical marketing channel in which the members act as a unified system in all three stages- manufacturing, wholesaler, and retailer, and each level has an increase of formalization and control. Our goal in introducing the Signature Frozen Yogurt into the described market is to increase our current market share for healthy option dessert and create top of mind awareness of our brand. The goal is to have customers name Panera Bread as their number one option when asked about their preferences of frozen yogurt. Along with the introduction of the Frozen Yogurt into the New York and California store locations will be an initial investment of $685,816, which consists of all the machinery, installation and training costs for all 154 cafes located in the mentioned states. The forecasted return on investment is predicted to be 0. 16, and to break even we would have to obtain sales of 152,765 units at an averaged out price of $4. 9, which takes in account all variations for the different prices for different size containers. Based on our established customer list, we expect that 40% of all the people in the states of California and New York will be our customers and that 30% of these customers will be likely to purchase dessert and one of their store visits throughout the year, which we have calculated to be roughly 12-20 times for each individual. In the first year of im plementation, from April 2010 to December 2010, we expect to have sell approximately 14,408 units and double sales volume by year end 2011. We expect that this project will increase Earnings Before Tax and Interest (EBIT) by approximately $30,593 and increase Net Income by approximately $18, 968. Business Mission and Vision Our mission statement is â€Å"A loaf of bread in every arm and frozen yogurt in each hand. † Our commitment is to actively contribute to the community today through donation of our daily extras to the local community in need, one loaf at a time, feeding the community and wasting not a crumb. We not only have a commitment to giving back to the community but consistently holding the highest standards of quality for every customer regardless of which Panera you dine at. Finally, we also commit to providing a sound environment with integrity present for our employees. Goals and Objectives By entering the frozen dessert market, we will further increase our distinctive qualities because no other competitor in the restaurant industry has a similar frozen yogurt product. The Signature Frozen Yogurt will take on the familiar qualities of all other products by use of the â€Å"Signature† title. This consistence will remind consumers that all our â€Å"Signature† products are similar in an important aspect: quality. Also, our company is creating more value for the new product itself by displaying the ingredients and nutrition facts to prove to consumers that the dessert is a truly healthy one. Finally, our decision to enter this new market gives consumers a much more accessible product. Currently, there are only a few big-name frozen dessert foodservice venues that offer a frozen yogurt product, including TCBY and Baskin Robbins. Our company recognizes the great potential in this growing market, in great thanks to society’s healthy eating trends. The frozen yogurt market is being revitalized now that consumers have realized that with healthy eating comes a great need to satisfy the sweet-tooth cravings, and that is where our Signature Frozen Yogurt comes into play. Our company is introducing a product that satisfies two consumer needs: a truly healthy, low-fat, low-calorie dessert, and a reinvented, flavorful product that used to have an image of plain and boring. So long as Panera Bread keeps these important attributes of our new product in mind, we are sure to be a unique success. The goal for our entire company is to become a leading national brand in the restaurant industry, as well as a leader in the frozen dessert market. The new market expansion will initially include New York and California, and eventually all 50 states, including the western states which we do not have a very strong presence in and can use popularity of the frozen yogurt as an advantage for entry. The global expansion, to be started approximately a year after the successful frozen yogurt introduction in the United States market is also a future goal for the company. In addition, we hope to maintain strong relationships with our franchises to continue working together in efforts to satisfy changing consumer needs. For different regions, our franchises will lend their customer feedback to our company to inform us of new possible flavors and toppings for the Signature Frozen Yogurt that can be introduced in those particular regions. Our goal in introducing the Signature Frozen Yogurt into the described market is to increase our current market share for healthy option dessert and create top of mind awareness of our brand. The goal is to have customers name Panera Bread as their number one option when asked about their preferences of frozen yogurt. We are also looking to increase consumption of desserts at our locations, considering that we acknowledge that the current desserts offered do not accurately fit in the healthy option category. The frozen yogurt will be low fat and encompass fresh fruit among other indulgent toppings that are guaranteed to satisfy every palate. Customers want healthier dessert options that they can trust to be of the highest quality, thus they will have no trouble purchasing our Signature Frozen Yogurt. Our current customers, especially, will perceive the new product as valuable enough to buy because of the firm’s commitment towards providing excellent customer service and a quality experience for any meal served, no matter if it is eaten in the restaurant or taken to go. For new and old customers alike, this product will be received well because few other restaurants in our industry offer a healthy dessert option that can prove its caloric or sugar levels. As to price and value capture, we have been able to build our name and image over the past few decades, all the while having prices set above those of fast food competitors. We have also been able to continuously increase profits because of the perceived value that we offer in making specialty products, as well as hand-made and made-to-order meals, the moment a customer walks in to the establishment. This value-based pricing strategy has worked in our favor as customers feel they are getting a higher quality meal at a slightly higher cost. In addition, we are also looking to increase EBIT constantly through the next three years. The capital investment required will be approximately $686, 916 for the initial cost of the machines to be installed at each of the 86 cafes located in California and the 68 cafes located in New York, their installation cost and training procedures. This will increase cost of goods sold, labor, and other general operating costs by fifteen percent. The projected ROI will be 0. 16 SWOT ANALYSIS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS We compete in the firm-intensive restaurant industry within multiple markets, including fast food, casual dining, specialty dining, and bakery-cafe. We even compete on a time basis, in other words, breakfast, lunch, PM â€Å"chill out†, lunch at night, and take-home. Competitors include both national chain restaurants, as well as independent local firms. Our recent, most threatening competition comes from restaurant chains that have begun to align their menus with society’s increasing trend for healthy eating. Some of the â€Å"big-name† competitors include McDonald’s, Starbucks, Subway, and Chipotle Mexican Grille, among others. Even with their menu changes, however, we have been successful in maintaining and promoting an image of healthy eating on a higher scale of quality. This particular reputation has helped acknowledge our firm as a leader in the restaurant industry. McDonald’s is one of our largest competitors in the fast food industry. With almost 32,000 establishments operating globally, McDonald’s switch to a new focus on healthier eating habits has helped its company strengthen its position among health-conscious consumers. The chain has introduced menu items that serve as alternatives for their popular, but unhealthy, longstanding products. For instance, McDonald’s offers wraps in place of white bread, grilled chicken instead of fried, and apple slices in place of French fries. Wendy’s and Burger King, as well as many other fast food chains, followed suit after McDonald’s menu changes, further increasing our competition. We are not too concerned about the fast food industry’s push towards healthy food, however, because McDonald’s has been intensely focused on expansion into global markets. Therefore, their attention to the healthy consumer market is nowhere near as intense as it could be. Also, each of these fast food firms are known to be â€Å"hamburger-based,† giving us the competitive edge of offering made-to-order, specialty items of a much healthier caliber. We have not been impacted significantly enough by the fast food giant’s healthy initiatives to feel it necessary to react with our own menu or company changes. Within the fast-casual dining market, Chipotle Mexican Grill, a company of over 800 establishments nationwide, has become a one of our direct competitor, as the company offers some healthier eating selections, quick service, and a casual environment. The main distinction between these two restaurants is their very different menu styles. Chipotle offers Mexican style food, including burritos, tacos, and enchiladas. While Chipotle is now recognized for its healthy veggie options from local supplies and fresh grilled chicken salads as a replacement for the high-calorie burritos, we have the obvious advantage of a menu that is appealing to multiple target markets, rather than just the one market for Mexican-style food lovers that Chipotle caters to. Subway, of the Doctor’s Associates Incorporation, is yet another restaurant competing in the mix of a healthy, fast food type of market. Subway has had a successful impact on health-conscious fast food consumers ever since â€Å"The Subway Guy,† also known as â€Å"Subway Jared† revealed to society that he lost a couple hundred pounds from simple exercising, and most importantly, from eating Subway subs every day. Subway’s profits surged after these commercials featuring Jared were released across the country. While Subway has a presence in our health-conscious target market, their primary competition is more likely to be Chipotle Mexican Grille, instead of Panera Bread. This is due to the fact that both restaurant chains have buffet-style ordering, where customers have complete and total control over their meal. Unlike these firms, we at Panera Bread are in favor of offering our customers a choice of unique, specialty menu items that have been pre-tested in multiple variations until the perfect combinations were found. We want our customers to enter or establishment and enjoy the meal itself and all of its uniqueness, rather han have to create their own. In the specialty cafe market, Starbucks, a company of over 16,000 global establishments, is our foremost competitor. This firm is renowned for its distinctive features, which are similar to our company. Starbucks has the uniqueness of an intimate, yet casual environment, as well as a vast array of specialty coffee products. The main diffe rence is that Starbucks focuses primarily on the beverage market, whereas Panera Bread’s focus is on our variety of food products and specialty breads. Starbucks is an important competitor to watch because much like our firm, their customers perceive the business to be of very high quality. Thus, Starbucks has a similar advantage in having the ability to retain a very loyal customer base. They also have an edge on Panera Bread in terms of their larger company size, for they have more market penetration and therefore a greater influence within the specialty cafe market. Finally, although Starbucks specializes in gourmet coffee beverages, they do have a pastry selection that is comparable to ours. Our firm believes that in the short-term future, Starbucks will not have a presence as strong as that of Panera Bread in the bakery market. In review of the frozen yogurt market, the number one competitor is actually the first ever national frozen yogurt restaurant chain. TCBY, also known as â€Å"The Country’s Best Yogurt,† has been the major source for frozen yogurt for many decades, and thus, their brand recognition is incredibly strong. This firm’s product has always been a favorite frozen dessert alternative for the health-conscious consumer. We believe our competitive advantage lies in the fact that in today’s society, consumers of all demographics are looking for everything they want and need at the reach of their fingertips. TCBY only offers frozen desserts, and while their innovative and specialized dessert options are noticeably unique, the firm simply does not have the vast variety of menu selections that we offer. Our company satisfies much more than just the sweet-tooth cravings of our customers, and this makes us even more distinct than TCBY and similar frozen yogurt competitors. The new Signature Frozen Yogurt is a type of healthy frozen dessert that is not found at our most comparable restaurant competitors. The closest comparison from the fast food industry would be McDonalds’ McFlurry and Wendys’ Frosty, two ice cream-based products that are not low-fat, low-calorie, nor nutritious. Previously mentioned competitors in the fast-casual restaurant industry, however, have no product like the Signature Frozen Yogurt. Our company also has very few competitors in the frozen yogurt market. TCBY is the leading brand for companies selling only frozen yogurt. Other competition in this market comes from small, localized firms that have entered the market within the past ten years, for example, Yogurbella and Red Kiwi in the Southern Florida region and Pinkberry in New York. Overall, the introduction of our Signature Frozen Yogurt is perfectly timed for our firm, as well as society’s growing trend of healthy eating. We have countless unique advantages over the competition. Our strong brand name is an immediate competitive edge because it is associated with our high quality products. The slightly higher prices are reflective of the quality product and overall experience that each consumer receives when he visits a Panera Bread location. This experience can in great part be attributed to the casual, inviting, and relaxing ambience of every establishment. Of course, our bakery expertise, healthy menu options, and artisan breads are a founding pierce of our company’s success. Therefore, our introduction of new products, including the Signature Frozen Yogurt, will have an easier time of gaining market acceptance, as well as our consumer’s confidence. Marketing Strategy Research The U. S. Market for Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts According to trend data, the sales of low fat or diet ice cream are increasing while the sale of regular is decreasing. This shows that the market for healthy frozen desserts is rapidly growing. In addition, consumers are looking for different flavors and type of frozen desserts that will give them a surprise factor. Frozen yogurt which was more popular in the 1980’s and 90’s is making a comeback in more cafe settings that resemble coffee shops. These cafes would offer healthy yogurt as well as premium healthy toppings for the yogurt. They cater to consumers that want the same atmosphere and effect as Starbucks The trend for ice cream in the food service industry is that consumers will pay a little more and wait a little longer for the upscale experience and the atmosphere. In the next three years, frozen yogurt is the one frozen dessert that will experience the highest growth in sales in the food service industry. Projected U. S. Foodservice Sales of Frozen Desserts (in millions) Along with the nformation gathered from secondary research, we also used primary research techniques including a survey (see appendix), of which the results were as follows: Do you like frozen yogurt? {draw:frame} Yes =44 Indifferent =8 No =0 How Often do you go to Panera Bread every three months? {draw:frame} Often (7+ Times) =4 Sometimes (3-6 times) =39 Rarely (0-2 times) =9 Do you think that Panera Bread’s current desserts are healthy opt ions? (Current dessert menu items include: cookies, brownies, pastries, scones, cinnamon rolls, muffins) {draw:frame} Yes =2 Somewhat =16 No =34 Would you be more willing to get dessert at Panera if there were healthier options? {draw:frame} Yes =32 Indifferent =22 No =4 Target Market Strategy Panera has found a home in the niche market of suburban regions, where consumers are looking for quick, convenient, and high quality menu options. We have designed our establishments to allow for a relaxing, lounging environment, as well as just the opposite- a fast moving order line that will have a consumer and his packed to-go meal out the door in just a couple of minutes. We will use mass marketing techniques in order to target our chosen market for the newly created Signature Frozen Yogurt . The initial market will consist of New York and California, two places which have seen a growing trend in the market for frozen dessert. The population will consist of individuals roughly between 19-35 years of age, both male and female individuals that come from the upper middle class, are health-oriented, and currently frequent Panera Bread, but rarely eat dessert because of the poor healthy choices currently offered, and is currently measured at approximately 7, 927, 516 individuals. Ranked the number one option in the cafe/bakery market, we have the highest level of customer loyalty among quick/casual restaurants, according to the Wall Street Journal. We have also received several awards for excellence, and have been named the number one fast food chain for popular salad and healthy option facilities. The introduction of the Frozen Yogurt will The Signature Frozen Yogurt will strengthen our current competitive advantage over the cafe industry and add value to ourcurrent menu. The dessert will be freshly made at each location; it will not be an industrialized food product, thus always guaranteeing its freshness. Customers will be able to customize their choice; they will be able to choose the flavor of the yogurt and what toppings they’d like, therefore always allowing them to have their way. Positioning Statement For the health-conscious consumer, Panera Bread present the Signature Frozen Yogurt, an all-natural, low-fat, low-calorie dessert that will remind consumers why our copmany is such a trusted brand and is nationally recognized for our quality products. The nutritious, low-fat, low-calorie treat is yet another specialty product produced by a company who loves their bread, their employees, and their customers. Unlike the fast food competitors, our new dessert will keep us at the top of the fast-casual, bakery-cafe industry by continuing to provide for the millions of Americans who are looking to eat healthy. While competitors are struggling to keep up with today’s prominent healthy-eating trend, we remain a valuable asset to the cause. Marketing Mix Product The signature frozen yogurt is a convenience type of product. Since it is a dessert the consumer will not put much time in researching where to purchase the product. There are five product flavors: four that are classic flavors and on that is a seasonal flavor and will change every three months. The flavors are as follows: Macadamia Nut, Chai Tea, Dulce de Leche, and Orange Scone. The first seasonal flavored launched will be pineapple upside downflavor. The topping options will be as follows: fresh cut fruit bits (strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and banana), pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips, coconut, heath bar crunch, cookie dough, and drizzles (caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter). The signature frozen brand features ingredients including real nonfat milk, so you get all of the benefits derived from dairy, at a fraction of the caloric intake. This differs from other frozen yogurts in the marketplace, which are created using predominantly water, milk and sugar. At Panera, the proof is in the taste. We strive to make each cup of yogurt from the highest quality of ingredients. You know you can tell the difference from the very first spoonful. Our frozen yogurt is a secret blend of all-natural ingredients. One of the most important ingredients is real nonfat milk, which has been certified by the National Yogurt Association to carry the Live & Active Cultures seal. Regardless of the flavor, our crisp and tangy yogurt is designed to awaken the senses and blend perfectly with each of our freshly cut fruit toppings. There are only 90 calories in each 8-ounce serving of Signature Frozen Yogurt. It is low in fat, contains no cholesterol, no preservatives, is fortified with calcium, and is made with the highest quality ingredients. Children, adults and the elderly can enjoy this great tasting healthy option dessert! The product itself is packaged from the distribution warehouse and brought directly to each Panera cafe. There is it dispensed into the frozen yogurt machines at each site. When served to the customer, the yogurt can be served in three different size cups, which will include small (8 ounces), medium (10 ounces), and large (12 ounces). This product is considered a brand extension. The Signature frozen yogurt is adding another product category, which is the category of frozen yogurt under the product line of dessert. Essentially it is adding product depth. We currently have several different product categories under this product line including pastries, cookies, brownies, coffee drinks, and smoothies. Currently, we have not encountered any special issues involved with this product. Since we are striving to provide a healthier item for our dessert menu in order to reach out to those who are conscious about their health, below is the label containing the nutrition facts for the Signature Frozen Yogurt, which will be readily available in all stores and in our company website in the occasion that the customer wishes to inquire about their intake of calories when consuming this item. Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 8 oz Est. Percent of Calories from: Place/ Distribution We pride ourselves in making our bread, salads, sandwiches, and all desserts fresh daily. The actual ingredients used to make these delicious entrees, however, are provided by our own distribution center. We use a vertical marketing channel in which the members act as a unified system in all three stages- manufacturing, wholesaler, and retailer- and each level has an increase of formalization and control. We use product pooling where there is one main distribution center within driving distance from a store. Each store is normally re-stocked twice a week and is delivered the ingredients from our privately owned trucks. Inventory can be delivered on an as needed business if demand is higher than expected. Once the product arrives in the store then the frozen yogurt will be placed in the dispensing machine and ready to be served to the customer. Price We will use price skimming for our pricing strategy. In the past we have not needed to cut the prices of our food as a way to bring in customers. Our company is known to have great quality, and you may have to pay a little extra for it. Since we are an already well-established bakery chain, we have the ability to have the product enter the market with the price skimming strategy. We feel like this strategy best fits our company image as a whole, and will fit in with the prices of our other products. The pricing is as follows, small for $3. 99, medium for $4. 50, large for $4. 99. Each topping is an additional $. 99 cents. Both internal and external factors have been considered when setting the prices. First, we have chosen selective distribution when it comes to the place. We are a well-distributed chain, but not massively distributed across the country and not distributed at all outside the United States. Also, a survey was performed in a randomized sample of 50 individuals who were asked what their maximum willingness to pay would be for the Signature Frozen Yogurt. About 40% of the individuals surveyed said they would be willing to pay at most $5 for a 10 ounce serving of frozen yogurt, thus we priced the product accordingly. We also considered internal factors such as relative dessert prices currently sold at our locations. Some prices for comparison are as follows: chocolate chip cookie: $1. 99, orange scone: $2. 99, and chocolate brownie:$3. 50. In order for the product launch successfully the product must be priced according to the other products offered by Panera. The prices for the products are on the more expensive side but not overly expensive. The higher price of the good is a way to hold up the reputation we have built that we do not sacrifice quality for price. An external factor that has been considered is our current competition. The introduction of frozen yogurt will drive the company to compete with local frozen yogurt vendors, TCBY, and developing yogurt chains such as Yogurbella and Chicberry. Although our product is priced slightly higher than TCBY and about the same as Yogurbella and Chicberry, we wanted this product to be competitively priced but at the same time hold a standard of higher quality, therefore a little higher priced than TCBY. The frozen yogurt industry itself instigates monopolistic competition. There are several competitors and therefore competition is very tough. The key to survival in this market is differentiation. The product itself may not be that different than other local current local vendors beside certain flavors offered or the quality of the taste, but the key to successfully positioning the product in the chosen market is the place. The yogurt will be sold at a cafe that already draws customers in for lunch or dinner, and now to complete their meal, instead of having to travel elsewhere for a healthy option dessert, they have it already where they are eating, which means no extra traveling costs, or planning is required. The convenience factor is now added, which is a huge factor in the American lifestyle today. This will add the competitive advantage to purchasing frozen yogurt at one of our locations, and not elsewhere. The competitors, in response may respond by dropping their prices in hopes that lower prices will make up for the inconvenience factor of having to travel to get your dessert after dinner. Although the competition may be able to lower their price and still make a profit, this may not be enough to sway the competition. Promotion and Communications Advertising The advertising objectives of this new product are to inform consumers about the new frozen yogurt product line that we are beginning to sell. We will emphasize that this is a new product being offered at our locations. We will also emphasize the unique and fresh aspects of ourSignature Frozen Yogurt. Some aspects that make this product ‘unique and fresh’ are the healthy nature of the product, the high quality materials used to produce it, and the relatively expensive price. The message execution of the advertising will be a lifestyle choice; we want to introduce the idea of getting a healthy good tasting dessert at Panera Bread. Our media mix will be fairly standard for a new product being introduced at the national level. We will use mass media exposure. We will use TV, Magazines, Internet, and Outdoors. We will also place a picture of the Signature Frozen Yogurt in all company owned delivery trucks; since all food is delivered via them and it can reach a wide audience while driving. With TV we will have a wide reach, and will be able totarget our demographic specifically through certain TV shows and time slots. We have written, shot and edited our own TV spot for the new product. We have used our original slogan â€Å"A loaf of bread in every arm†¦Signature Frozen Yogurt in every hand†, as well as a summertime theme associated with our frozen yogurt. With the magazines,we can hone in our message to specific demographics that will be interested in our product. The subscribers will also most likely pass along our message to others, and we consider word of mouth to be a powerful, free, advertising tool that can certainly be used to our advantage. We will use our logo to create brand recognition among consumers, and we will use our slogan to create interest. The main message encoded to the consumer will emphasize how this product has a healthy advantage in comparison to other frozen yogurts, and it will emphasize the variety that our product has. With the Internet we can have a wide reach;we can link to detailed content, we can hone into our demographic and we can have interactive features. Through the internet will also use our slogan and logo to foster brand recognition and toemphasize the healthy advantage and the variety of the product. It will have similar encoding and message as our magazine ads. We will advertise our website through print ads and TV, but will also have links to our website from other company websites that appeal to our target audiences. Some types of sites we would like to buy ad space from are health websites, fitness websites, food and entertainment websites, and search engines. We already have a really well established and well formatted website. It is easy to use and readily accessible, meaning we would simply add to its current featuresto include information about Signature Frozen Yogurt. This information would include all sales promotion information as well as details about the product and where it can be found. Outdoors advertising is cheap;we can gain repeat exposure, and we can direct customers to a local store off of the road. The style of this advertising will be more along the lines of flashy and fancy, we want to emphasize the status and the quality of our company. Our timing will incorporate a flighting strategy; we want to initially attack our consumers with our message aggressively and consistently to build a base of consumers that know and understand our message and our new product. This will serve the purpose of informing the customer of our product. Once we feel that our product has become commonplace for our consumer we will convert to a less aggressive strategy, slowing down our advertising. We will increase our advertising once again once we have a new twist on the product or a new feature, such as a new season flavor, that needs to be expressed and told to the consumers. Public Relations Public Relations tools that will be used will be annual reports, electronic media, and media relations. Annual reports will be used to give financial performance information to investors and others about what is going on in the organization. This can provide us with projections for the new product, as well as give us results and an opportunity for analysis in accordance with Signature Frozen Yogurt. Media relations will be used to create news coverage and public awareness of the new product for our company; this will be done by news releases and event sponsorships. In addition, electronic Media will be used to inform, interact and generate a buzz about our new product; this will be done through web sites and email campaigns. Press Release Panera Bread Launches New â€Å"Healthy Option† Signature Frozen Yogurt in Select Markets NEW YORK— April 18, 2010—Panera Bread? officially announced the launch of a new product into select cafe’s in the beginning of May. The product will put a new spin on dessert options offered in their bakery. In the past, Panera? has been known to have indulgent pastries, brownies, and cookies high in calories, sugar, and fat. However, they have also been known to have several healthy options for lunch or dinner, including a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and soups. So, why aren’t their healthy dessert options as well? This question was raised when the development of the signature frozen yogurt was originally brought up in corporate back in September of 2009. â€Å" We wanted to innovate our selection of dessert. We pride our company on being one of high quality and healthy options, but we weren’t following through with that in our dessert section of our menu,† comments Ronald Shaich,CEO. With the implementation of this new product into the product line we hope to keep our very health conscious customers around for dessert and not travel elsewhere to satisfy their sweet tooth,† says Ronald Shaich. The frozen yogurt is a secret blend of all-natural ingredients. Probably one of the most important ingredients is real nonfat milk, which has been certified by the National Yogurt Association to carry the Live & Active Cultures seal. Regardless the flavor, our crisp and tangy yogurt is designed to awaken the senses and blend perfectly with each of our freshly cut fruit toppings. There are only 100 calories in each 5-ounce serving of Signature Frozen Yogurt. It is low in fat, no cholesterol, low in calories, no preservatives, fortified with calcium, and made with the highest quality ingredients. Panera? plans to launch the product first regionally in the New York and California corporate stores. â€Å" We picked these locations first to test the success of this product because research shows that frozen yogurt is on a rise in these areas especially in cafe like settings,† explains Domenic Colasacc, Lead Independent Director. If the product reaches their goal of sales then it will be released nationwide in the corporate stores and eventually offered to the franchises. Press Contacts: Deidre Novotny [email  protected] com (727) 692-2194 Sales Promotion We are not known for using a variety of advertising on television, such is the case for competitor McDonalds. We choose not to spend large amounts of money on advertising because our loyal customer base is so strong and has so rapidly grown over the years that we feel our brand is well established without enormous advertising campaigns. Since we are introducing a new product that has never been on the menu before, we will strengthen the quantity of advertising so that consumers will be aware of its existence. As always, in-store marketing efforts will be effective for visiting consumers, and as always, their positive word-of-mouth is a great promotion tool. We will use sales promotion tools to create awareness and a buzz about our Signature FrozenYogurt. We will use coupons, samples, and deals. We will use the coupons to give the consumers a discount; this will stimulate demand, and also allowus to directly track sales. This would be active only during our initial campaign for the ad to spread awareness and create an incentive to purchase the newest addition to our menu. The initial coupons will consist of a half off for any Signature Frozen Yogurt. This will establish a customer base, word of mouth, and reduce the risk of our consumer in trying to product. We will use samples to encourage trial, andoffer direct involvement. This method of sales promotion will also create an opportunity to attract consumers, get them to try and enjoy the new product, and if they enjoy the production will create positive word of mouth. This will be standard for the first week after the launch of the product at all Panera Bread stores located in New York and California, and then will cease immediately. This will flood consumers who attend the store regularly with the product, hopefully creating word of mouth and another reason for them to keep coming back to Panera Bread. We will also create deals, for example, buy a sandwich and get a free signature frozen yogurt with your sandwich. This will encourage trial and reduce customer risk. A deal like this will only be implemented in the first two weeks after the launch of the product. Personal Selling There will not be any personal selling necessary for this product, but we will push at the registers for our special sales promotions and educate the customer on the qualities of the Signature Frozen Yogurt if needed, hoping that this will promote the trial and purchase of signature frozen yogurts. Direct and Online Marketing Most of our direct marketing will be done through the internet. Telephone, mail, infomercials, and catalogs as well as other non-internet based marketing did not seem like it would be appropriate or effective. Through internet based direct marketing we can use email to inform our target consumer of our new product. We can also use email to establish our promotional sweepstakes for Signature Frozen Yogurt. Budget Our current market consists of 7, 927, 516 individuals between the ages of 19-35 years of age currently residing in California and New York. Assuming that 25% of these individuals frequent Panera Bread and 30% purchase the Signature Frozen Yogurt , the introduction of this product in the market will affect sales in the following manner: * * 2010* * * * 2011* * * 2012* Return on Investment (ROI): $111,701/$685,916=0. 16 Payback Period (without taking in consideration variable present value): $685,916/111,701=6. 14 years Break Even Analysis: In order to break even, our company would have to sell 152,765 units of Signature Frozen Yogurt, averagely price at $4. 49 per unit. Communications Budget: Advertising will take 2. 6% of annual sales. Therefore, the advertising expense to implement the project will use approximately 40% of the overall communication budget and will be distributed as follows: Magazine/ Newspaper Expense: $1918 Internet/ Search Engine Expense: $1918 TV Commercials Expense: $5,753 Outdoor Commercial Expense: $1918 Total Communication Budget: $11,506 $1,106,295x. 026=$28,764 for the year of 2010 and a forecasted value of $1,194,799x. 026=$31065 for the year of 2011. Implementation Our company has great proficiency in developing, testing, and launching new products. This can be credited to our goal of continuously creating new products to satisfy changing consumer tastes, as well as to reposition ourselves, all the while getting our customers excited about new and improved products for their enjoyment. Our new or reinvented products are introduced on a periodic or seasonal basis, and we call them Celebrations. The most important part of our growth strategy is to carefully evaluate these product launches. For the Signature Frozen Yogurt, we spent our best efforts developing our marketing strategy based on what we believe and know about our consumers’ preferences and what they value. Our product has been chosen; our price has been decided; our places have been selected; and our promotions are ready to be released. The next step is to launch our new product. We will be sending out the press release for our latest Celebration, the Signature Frozen Yogurt, on April 18, 2010. On this date, we will begin executing our various promotional tools as previously discussed, including our product commercial, print ads, and online media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, among popular search engines. We will launch the Signature Frozen Yogurt on May 10, 2010. Using test marketing, our company will be launching the product in specified regions. We choose not to launch new products nationwide because it is a very costly decision that cannot guarantee exceptional returns. The regions chosen for this particular mini-launch are New York and California. Our company establishments, as well as franchise establishments, will be adding the Signature Frozen Yogurt to their menus for a specified time period. We have chosen these regions because they are welcoming in a newly revamped, ultra-healthy frozen yogurt market, currently consisting of smaller independent firms. This provides our company with a unique opportunity to take advantage of. Based on various results in a three-month period from the mini-launch, we will then decide whether or not to launch the product nationwide. Customer reactions from regional launches will verify if the marketing plan and strategy chosen for this product were the best choices. Consumers will be questioned and surveyed regarding the new product’s consistency and level of quality, in comparison to our current standards. If customers do not react well, the product will not be launched on May 10, 2010 as according to plan. Instead, the marketing team will revise the marketing mix and strategy, as well as refocus on determining exactly what consumer need they were trying to satisfy. Assuming the mini-product launch is a success, the company will introduce the product nationally. Launches will be put into effect on either a periodic or seasonal rotation, a choice made while keeping in mind the time frame at hand. Competitors, namely fast food firms such as McDonalds and Wendy’s, have recently begun to alter their menus in an attempt to fulfill consumer demand for healthier eating options, therefore, our Signature Frozen Yogurt comes at a possibly risky time, as competing firms are stepping up to participate in society’s healthy-eating trend. Fortunately, we have a sustainable competitive edge because of our long-standing image of a business serving nutritious, quality food, an image that no other firm has in the fast food segment of the restaurant industry. We also maintain our competitive advantages because of our position in a niche market known as â€Å"quick-casual† and â€Å"bakery cafe†. This niche protects our company from competitors; actions regarding menu changes, as well as new product developments, although the recent economic recession in the United States has severely impacted the restaurant industry, mainly because consumers immediately decrease their restaurant outings. For us, our loyal customers have helped the firm verify the strength of their brand and image, even in these tough economic times. We have chosen to not change or lower menu prices because of the recession, instead focusing on further improving the quality of what is offered. As a result of this initiative, it is harder for consumers to completely give up healthier quality food in this economy, especially when it is provided in such a convenient and quick manner. We employ a growth strategy by continuously reinventing the menu, completed through rotations of new and old products, followed by careful evaluation of their performance. Such products are introduced on a regular periodic basis, or on a seasonal basis. It is the hope of the company that the new Signature Frozen Yogurt will find a place on the menu indefinitely. As our brand is already well established, the company will work to increase popularity for the frozen yogurt product. This will be achieved through prominent in-store promotions and sample testing. Advertisements will range from television commercials, to print ads in magazines and newspapers to outdoor advertising. We strive to remain in the evoked mindsets of our loyal customers whenever they think about where they will go for a healthy, guilt-free dessert. No matter what product is introduced and how it performs, our main focus will continue to remain on our employees, channel members, society at large, and most of all, our customers. We strive to provide a fully satisfactory experience each and every time a customer enters a Panera Bread establishment. We offer more than just food; we seek to offer a valuable way to spend time, which is especially precious to each individual customer. Evaluation and Control Ourimplementation approach will have our company focusing on various results from the test marketing stage. For the launch of the Signature Frozen Yogurt, we have chosen to conduct the first performance evaluation after the product’s first three months on the regional menus. Customer reactions from these launches will help us verify whether or not the marketing strategy chosen for the Signature Frozen Yogurt were the best and most efficient choices. Consumers will be questioned and surveyed regarding the new product’s consistency and level of quality, in regards to other products and standards. We then combine these results and information with past sales of comparable products, as well as the projected expectations of the new product. The company then will decide if the product remains on the menu or is taken off. There are two obvious situations that can result from a new product launch; to put it simply, consumers will either accept the product, or consumers will reject the product. If our customers do not react positively to the frozen yogurt, the product will not be launched nationally just yet. The product will be removed from all establishments it was featured in and then the company has two possible plans of action to choose from. One option in this scenario would involve having our marketing team immediately revise the marketing mix and strategy of the new product after it is pulled from the menu, as well as reassess exactly what unfulfilled consumer need they were trying to satisfy. After completing intensive revisions, a new marketing strategy is prepared and the product can be re-launched for the next round of Celebrations. A second option entails putting the product away for at least a three-month period before attempting to reconfigure a new marketing strategy. With this option, members of our marketing and development teams will have an extended period of time to let the failed product concept settle, so team members can recoup and come back to the drawing tables with a refreshed mind. From there, they will begin revising and making the necessary adjustments on the product’s original marketing strategy. A third option, the most drastic one, involves scrapping the new product completely. This occurs in rare situations when a new product fails miserably in the launch regions, to the point where the entire cumulative sales of an individual establishment are negatively affected from the single, new product. In the anticipated case that consumers accept and then demand our Signature Frozen Yogurt, we will launch the product nationwide, in all establishments, in all regions of the country. For the first year of the new product’s life, we will measure its performance every three months. In the product’s second year of life, we will scale back evaluations to every six months. If a new product, including the Signature Frozen Yogurt, has remained on the menu for a third year, performance evaluations will be conducted after 9 months, and this evaluation will be strictly compared against its’ past two years of performance. In evaluating the new Signature Frozen Yogurt product, Panera Bread’s marketing strategy, marketing mix, media mix, and implementation plans will be continuously reviewed and evaluated using a few different methods. Marketing metrics will be used to quantify the trends, dynamics, and characteristics of the frozen yogurt consumption. We will use sales and profits as a measurement tool by comparing our new product’s results to the financial performances of TCBY’s frozen yogurt. We have chosen TCBY as a benchmark company to compare our performance to because although it specializes in only the frozen dessert industry, it is a large, established brand that has been a leader in its industry for many years. We can also compare product performance to the frozen desserts of fast food firms, such as McDonald’s or Wendy’s, because although they are very different types of desserts, these chain restaurants have been competing in the same market for a long period of time. It will be important to factor in the differences of company size and market share of the industry when using these metric tools. The most important measurement tool for our new product will be customer satisfaction. It will be measured using in-store, online, and direct email surveys. This particular evaluation can become more in-depth if deemed necessary. After our managers gather these results, they will make necessary modifications based on why our goals for the new product were, or were not, achieved. Throughout the evaluation process, the current economy conditions will remain factor in actual performance of products. Finally, the managers at each individual location will conduct a portfolio analysis to ensure that if the new product is a success, a proper amount of resources will be allocated to that particular product. Product performances must be strictly controlled for multiple reasons. First, a failing product left on the menu for a time past the set period of three months may result in an unusually difficult task of turning around more than one financial quarter’s declining profits. Second, a failing product that is strongly disliked by consumers may hurt the company’s brand image, and negative word-of-mouth may be spread. Third, a failing product that is harshly criticized by the media will severely hurt the firm’s brand name, image, and reputation, and this would occur in a much more public fashion. Finally, for the opposite situation, an excessively successful product can result in the cannibalization of other products that we offer. In regards to the Signature Frozen Dessert, there is a possibility of the product casting other desserts on our menu into obscurity. By preparing for future possible scenarios before the implementation process begins, we minimize the chance of having to take future corrective actions, and thus, this is the importance of continuous product review, evaluation, and control. For evaluation of our new Signature Frozen Yogurt, the first product review will be conducted on August 10, 2010, three months after the launch date of May 10, 2010. We will gather the financial performance results per location, including sales, costs, and profits. We will then factor in the customer feedback. Managers and marketing team members will also be focusing on evaluations of the strengths, weaknesses, customer satisfaction and acceptance of our new product. After compiling this information, the company has multiple options as to which step to take next. We can launch the frozen yogurt nationally, make improvements on the product and re-launch it in the same or different regions, or we can take the product off the menu completely. We are confident that our upcoming launch of the Signature Frozen Yogurt will be an immediate success, solidifying our entry into the frozen dessert market. Works Cited â€Å"Datamonitor Industry Market Research: United States – Fast Food. † Business & Company Resource Center. DatamonitorMarket Definition, 15 Aug. 2007. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. http://iiiprxy. library. miami. edu:2309/servlet/BCRC? rsn=unknown&rcd=naics&locID=miami_richter&brv=722211&srchtp=ind&ids=restaurant&c=2&iType=naics&mode=i&ste=87&tbst=tsIS&cind=722211+-+Limited-Service+Restaurants&tab=2048&docNum=A169919235&bConts=2306. Jargon, Julie. â€Å"Wall Street Journal: Slicing the Bread but Not the Prices. † Panera. com. Panera Bread, 19 Aug. 2009. Web. 12 Oct. 2009. Minkin, Tracy, and Brittani Renaud. â€Å"America’ s Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants. † Health. com. Health magazine, 15 July 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. . â€Å"Panera Bread Co. (NMS: PNRA), Property . † Mergent Online.