Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 29

Examination Paper Example In any case, the case was excused since Ali sued the human asset chief instead of United States; consequently, the grumbling was excused dependent on the insufficiency of ward. Contrasting the instance of Ali v Rogers and Jack’s case the two cases base confusions on nationality issues. Be that as it may, Jacks case base a bigger number of thoughts on workers instead of states. The case between Ali v Rogers base lawful thoughts on open vessels Act and Admiralty Act ought to have built up a body of evidence against United States as opposed to the human asset executive. Along these lines, the two cases are excused due to deficient wards in the two cases (Ali v. Rogers, 2015). Equivalent Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Peabody 2001, claiming Peabody execution of ancestral recruiting was illicit (EEOC v. Peabody, 2010). It was claimed that Peabody disregarded Title VII of Civil rights Act 1964. Furthermore, Peabody had damaged Title VII of record keeping prerequisites. In jack’s case, Jack was blamed for abusing the company’s records on laws contacting arrangements of the Grocery similarly as EEOC case v Peabody. As per Zeinali v Raytheon business case, the court of offer turned around the region court judgment (The Recorder, 2011). The court kept up government point of reference in barring legal assessment of security approval decisions had no enthusiasm on employees’ and, thusly, victimizing a private boss. Looking at, the case with Jacks, security issues have been tended to in Zeinali case by creating basic security issues for representatives while Jacks case, security of workers isn't mulled over. In July 2011, a dark representative from South Africa called Jack made sure about enlistment as a central security official in a California market. In the second seven day stretch of work at the store, Jack detected a white female client burglarizing things from the store. Jack alarmed Chris to help her in halting the burglary at

Research and Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What's more, Analysis - Research Paper Example The auxiliaries of the organization are generally united from the obtaining date to the date that the organization quits controlling the auxiliary (Gulf times.com). The records for the auxiliaries are set up simultaneously as that of the mother organization. The bookkeeping arrangements utilized are reliable. The gathering for the most part disposes of every one of its adjusts, misfortunes, additions, and exchanges that emerge from intra bunch exchanges. The profits are additionally completely disposed of. The misfortunes that are found in an auxiliary are typically inferable from the non controlling enthusiasm of the organization regardless of whether the outcomes may prompt a shortfall balance. On the off chance that there happen an adjustment in responsibility for auxiliary with no misfortunes, the exchange is recorded as a value exchange. When Mannai corp. misfortunes an auxiliary, it derecognizes its liabilities and resources that were inferable from the auxiliary. It likewise d erecognizes the non controlling interest that was related with the auxiliary. The translational contrasts that were recorded in value are likewise derecognized. Simultaneously, it perceives reasonable estimation of the thought that it gets, reasonable worth that is inferable from ventures gotten and perceives benefits or misfortunes that are related with the auxiliary misfortune. The organization at that point renames a lot of parts in other salary creating roads. Procurement arrangement The organization praised its 60th commemoration in 2010 and it was named as the biggest help and exchanging organization Qatar (mannai.com) The organization pulled together its business in 2001 by stripping its advantage that were abroad and lessening the reliance on repeating exercises. The organization accomplished its rebuilding objective in 2004 when the organization had the option to achieve the limit of conveying economical profit for its investors. The organization turned into an open organiz ation in 2007. In 2011, the organization obtained 35% controlling enthusiasm for Axiom Company. In the year 2012, mannai corp. what's more, EFG Hermes obtained larger part stake in DAMAS Ltd. Inspiration for Acquisitions Although it isn't straightforwardly referenced in the combined proclamations, from the investigation, the organization has inspiration for acquisitions for some reasons. Initially, to upgrade the capacity of the Group to proceed as a going concern dependent on the way this can possibly occur if the Group has enough assets to keep working or working together for years to come. This is apparent in the manner the combined fiscal reports of the gathering keep on being made on a premise of going concern. Second, acquisitions help the gathering in limit liquidity hazard. The Group has been occupied with acquisitions with the primary expectation of having or uniting sufficient liquidity to help meet its liabilities, under both pushed and typical conditions, without enlisti ng inadmissible gambling harm or misfortunes to the Group notoriety and activities. Thirdly, since the gathering relies upon financing from investors and banks credits, the acquisitions serves to reinforce the security or insurance base for making sure about advances from banks. Actually, one of the dangers of the gathering is credit hazard where budgetary liabilities collect because of banks advances or overdrafts (pp. 34). Fourthly, its inspiration for procurement is to expand piece of the overall industry or essentially decrease rivalry. This is on the grounds that, aside from Axiom Limited which is occupied with import, discount and retail offer of different cell phones marks just as related

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Alcoholism and Addiction

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Alcoholism and Addiction Addiction Coping and Recovery Overcoming Addiction Print How Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Is Used to Treat Addiction By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on March 04, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on May 03, 2019 Ned Frisk / Getty Images More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Overcoming Addiction Methods and Support Personal Stories Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use In This Article Table of Contents Expand What It Is Components Duration of Treatment Effectiveness View All Back To Top Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other mental disorders. Yet, it has also been shown to be valuable in treating alcoholism and drug addiction. This is especially true when its part of an overall program of recovery. Cognitive-behavioral coping skills treatment is a short-term, focused therapeutic approach to helping drug-dependent people become abstinent. It does so by using the same learning processes you used to develop alcohol and drug dependence in the first place. What It Is Cognitive behavior therapy is based on the idea that feelings and behaviors are caused by a persons thoughts, not on outside stimuli like people, situations, and events. While you may not be able to change your circumstances, you can change how you think about them. According to cognitive behavior therapists, this helps you change how you feel and behave. In the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence, the goal of CBT is to: Teach the person to recognize situations in which they are most likely to drink or use drugs.Avoid these circumstances if possible.Cope with other problems and behaviors which may lead to their substance abuse. Other Approaches to CBT According to the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists, there are several approaches to CBT. This includes  rational emotive behavior therapy, rational behavior therapy, rational living therapy, cognitive therapy, and dialectic behavior therapy. Components In its use to treat alcohol and drug dependent individuals, CBT has two main components: functional analysis and skills training. Functional Analysis: Working together, the therapist and individual try to identify the thoughts, feelings, and circumstances that led to and followed drinking or using. This helps determine the risks that are likely to lead to a relapse. Functional analysis can also give insight into why they drink or use drugs in the first place. This helps identify situations in which the person has coping difficulties. Skills Training: If someone is at the point where they need professional treatment for their addiction, chances are they are using alcohol or drugs  as their main means of coping with problems. The goal of CBT is to get the person to learn or relearn better-coping skills. The therapist tries to help the individual unlearn old habits and learn to develop healthier skills and habits. The main goal is to educate them about ways to change how they think about their substance abuse. Then they can learn new ways to cope with the situations and circumstances that led to their drinking or drugging episodes in the past. Duration of Treatment Because cognitive behavior therapy is a structured, goal-oriented educational process focused on immediate problems, the process is usually short-term. Although other forms of therapy and psychoanalysis can take years, CBT is usually completed in 12 to 16 sessions with the therapist. Effectiveness According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 24 randomized controlled trials have been conducted among users of tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and other types of substances. This makes cognitive-behavioral treatments one of the most frequently evaluated psychosocial approaches to treating substance use disorders. In these studies, CBT has been shown most effective when compared with having no other treatment at all. When compared with other treatment approaches, studies have had mixed results. Some show CBT to be more effective while others show it to be of equal, but not greater, effectiveness than other treatments. As with other treatments for alcoholism and drug abuse, including pharmaceutical treatments,  cognitive behavior therapy works best when combined with other recovery efforts. This includes participation in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. In short, behavior cognitive therapy works well for some, but not for everyone. This is the case with all alcoholism and drug treatment approaches  because every person deals with and recovers from addiction in a different way. The 9 Best Online Therapy Programs

Essay about Challenges in the Classroom ADHD and Autism

The modern classroom has many challenges that face it. Shrinking budgets, less parental involvement, higher expectations, and growing class sizes, just to name a few. If this list was not daunting enough you also have the special needs students that have an array problems in your classroom that need specialized attention, lessons and seating. There are many forms of diverse learners from students who suffer from ADHD to physical disabilities to students with autism to ones that are bullied in school. There are so many things going on in our students lives we sometimes forget they have lives, pressures and disabilities that affect their performance and attitude in our class that have a profound impact on how they learn. For this paper I†¦show more content†¦Students, who have ADHD have trouble focusing in class, are easily distracted, have very short attention spans, have trouble following through and completing projects, often jump around between tasks, and following simple conversations and instructions. This would obviously make being successful in a traditional classroom very difficult for students who have this type of learn disability. Simple things like going over instructions, explaining assignments or completing homework. These students could easily become behavior problems in the classroom as they have growing frustrations levels over not being able to complete tasks get good grades or follow along with the class. They would require preferential seating and one on one contact with the teacher. By sitting towards the front of the room that would allow to the teacher to constantly check for understanding and make sure the student is on task. They would also require ILP or individual lesson plans. ADHD students would need long term projects and complex assignments broken down into smaller more manageable segments and would need the curriculum and grading expectations adjusted according to the student’s ability. You could also pair an ADHD student with another student in the class to help them with simple task and assignments. These are some of the challenges and solutions that would face students that have ADHD in a classroom. The second diverse learningShow MoreRelatedWorking with Students who have Learning Disabilities Essay examples1481 Words   |  6 Pagesdisabilities. I was shocked at how many there were, the broad spectrum some are categorized under and the severity of others. Some common diagnosed disabilities today are Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), autism, emotional or behavioral disorders and developmental disorders, just to name a few. Other disabilities include communication disorders, low-incidence, multiple and severe disabilities. Physical disabilities, (i.e. traumatic brain injury) otherRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a diagnostic tool used in the United States for psychiatric diagnosis. One of these disorders is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and according to the DSM-5, there are two manifestations. These are: social interaction and communi cation as well as restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests. Deficits in social communication include social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors and social relationshipsRead MoreThe Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Adhd )816 Words   |  4 PagesQuoted from students in the video, â€Å"Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice for Teachers from Students† (Highways, 2015). A link is in the reference page below. This video is filled with many children who differ on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorder, or Central Auditory Processing Disorder. These children wanted to make a video to tell teachers about how their brain works. It makes clear that not allRead MoreMainstreaming Interview1441 Words   |  6 Pagesthe homework done. Making rules for behaviors and give clear instruction are essential to Ms Ng, especially for students with ADHD. It is difficult to get their attention and following directions. Sometimes, they would talk loudly in the classroom and other students are influenced to learn. Ms Ng would explain the consequence if they play without thinking in the classroom and guide them to collaboration. Communication with parents is a way to support teacher to get children’s success. Sharing theRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder : A Common Behavioral Disorder Essay1472 Words   |  6 Pageswhy. Children with this disorder are hyperactive and experience problem when focusing. They may understand what’s expected of them but have trouble following the rules because they can’t sit still, pay attention or attend to details. Children with ADHD experience major difficulties in social relationships (Hinshaw, 2002; Landau Moore, 1991). Studies have shown that behaviors associated with this disorder have been measured, which include, both positive and sometime negative peer ratings, parentRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1480 Words   |  6 PagesNext to Autism, ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is one of the fastest climbing diagnoses among children (Pastor, Reuben, Duran, Hawkins, 2015). Within school aged children, those with neurological diagnosis as well and neuro-typical children, require movement throughout their day. School districts are significantly decreasing and sometimes removing the physical activity from a child’s day through recess depletion. This is creating an increase in off task behavior, decreased concentrationRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorders And Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder1235 Words   |  5 PagesFor my fact sheet, I have picked third grade Social Studies. My two categories are Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Characteristics for students ASD include but are not limited to, not making eye contact, overall difficulty communicating with teachers and peers,and make honest, but inappropriate observations. Their speech may be abnormal, as in they may speak really low or with a high pitch. They repeat words or phrases several times and may use short uncompletedRead MoreEssay about Students With ADD/ADHD and Class Placement1218 Words   |  5 PagesContemporary students with learning-disabilities such as ADD/ADHD are continuously perceived as incompetent to adapt in an ordinary classroom setting with other students without learning-disabilities. Consequently, many students with learning disabilities are placed in classrooms that are designated only for students with learning disabilities. It is because of this classroom placement problem that many learning-impair ed students are doing worse academically and socially in a non-inclusive settingRead MoreAuditory Processing Disorder ( Adhd )928 Words   |  4 PagesDisorder affects many children. It affects the way incoming sounds and speech are perceived and processed. Many times Auditory Processing Disorder goes undiagnosed and misdiagnosed as other disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These Children will also be perceived as unintelligent. A majority of the time these children are of normal intelligence, but due to the difficulties they experience with hearing they are perceived as unintelligent. By examining and studying severalRead MoreInterview Questions On Children And Students With Special Needs1416 Words   |  6 Pagespresent? Mrs. Sanchez teaches the following categories of children: SLD, Autism, ADD/ADHD, Emotional Disturbance, the hearing impaired, and some children with multiple disabilities. The most present categories she sees in her classes are children who have specific learning disabilities, those with ADD/ADHD, and students with emotional disturbances. The least present categories she sees in her classes are those with Autism, the hearing impaired, and students with multiple disabilities. 2. What

US Imperialism on Panama - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1671 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Imperialism Essay Did you like this example? Faith Ann Hawkins Mr. Collins World History and Geography 3 November 2018 In history, it is a common theme to see that sacrifices must be made, but can some be too drastic? Many people today know of the vital waterway called the Panama Canal. Opened in 1914, the Panama Canal was one of the greatest engineering achievements in the world.(Alfaro, 2018). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "US Imperialism on Panama" essay for you Create order It was first a project started by France in 1881, but they quit due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The U.S took over the project in 1904. This canal cuts through the Isthmus of Panama with a 51-mile long waterway, turning a ship ride around a continent into an 8-10 hour cruise through the canal. This canal has seen many owners, including Columbia, France, and the United States. Though, the way America got this canal is still a controversy. Was it right for Americans to do whatever it took to make this strategic waterway? The wrongdoing of this is summed up in the word imperialism. Though the Panama Canal is very important, how the U.S obtained it was not right. Imperialism is quite a strong word. At the time the canal was built, most countries sought to imperialism others for power. Imperialism is the control of one nation over another. Though, in this time era, the late eighteenth century, there was a different form of imperialism, New imperialism. This started when countries wished to have complete control over colonies instead of just setting up trading ports and such. America, even though people dont hear it much, was an imperializing nation too. What was so wrong with imperialism? There are many periods in history that are strong examples of to why imperialism is corrupt and wrong. There were three continents in which imperialism was very popular, Africa, India, and Asia. In southeast Asia, Great Britain was the first to start imperializing using the concept of new imperialisation. They wished to take Burma but failed. Instead, there constant influence in Burma caused the monarchy to fall and they took over. Many countries soon heard of this and started following so they wouldnt fall behind. New ways to rule an area appeared such as indirect rule, direct rule, and making protectorates. This colonialization caused many indigenous people to suffer. Colonizers didnt want the colonies to make industries, this policy often led to the development of plantation agriculture (Spielvogel 229). In this system, peasants worked as laborers on others plantations. The workers were kept at the poverty level for profit increase and many died due to the unhealthy conditions. Things like this continued in many areas of the world as they were colonized. The process usually was that colonizers took the area, colonists moved in, natives were treated unfairly, they colonizers try to change the culture, and then revolts pop up. The reason that the imperialist counties gave for these terrible actions was that Western powers were bringing the blessing of Western civilization to their colonial subjects, including representative government.(Spielvogel 229). Even then, not many native people were allowed to be in the government or even educated because the idea of political rights to the people scarred the colonizers. This example of imperialism doesnt show the full suffering of the native people. In India, people would hold parties at the Taj Mahal, a grave burial for the kings beloved wife. They would even chip pieces off as souvenirs. Imperialism corrupted many cultures and caused enormous amounts of hate and racism. Now, is it possible to see that imperialism is unacceptable? The U.S is no exception. The United States intruded onto Latin America and became known as the Big bully to the north(Spielvogel 243). The U.S imperialization of Latin America included Panama. People had dreamed of building a canal across Central America to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (President Roosevelt Decides To Build The Panama Canal. VOA. N. p., 2006. Web. 4 Dec. 2018.). This included President Theodore Roosevelt. Two places in North Latin America caught the eye of Roosevelt and the U.S; Panama and Nicaragua. Engineers claimed that in the 1880s, Panama would be the cheaper choice. Though, at the time, they would have to buy land and building rights from the French company who was already there, through imperialism. With these two purchases, it could easily cost a hundred million dollars just to own the land. Congress approved of the building of the canal in Nicaragua. A debate soon sparked however because Fra nce had lowered the price of Panama. Roosevelt supported the Panama plan, but it was clear Nicaragua would win this debate. But as volcanic action destroyed homes and killed thousands, Panama became the only choice. The people in this area of Colombia wanted to separate themselves from the Columbian rule, so the U.S gave them a little shove. The United States was intrigued so much by Panama that they convinced rebel groups to take arms against the Colombians with the support of American troops and resources.(Effects On Panama Imperialism In Central America. Sites.google.com. N. p., 2018. Web. 6 Dec. 2018.). The Panamanians successfully won their independence from Columbia with the support of the United States. Though, the US only helped for one reason, the location to build the canal. Almost instantly the Americans restrained Panama with a treaty that gave the US the land where the canal would be built. The treaty was almost an exact replica of the treaty the US tried to give Colombia. Expect that the canal zone was now 16 meters wide instead of 10 and the US got permanent control of the canal (President Roosevelt Decides To Build The Panama Canal. VOA. N. p., 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2018.). Panama signed it just 15 days after their declaration of independence from Colombia in 1903. Many Columbians and Americans protested and resented the actions of Roosevelt. Many saw him as a pirate. However, Roosevelt continued to build the canal. He said, I took the canal zone and let Congress debate. And while the debate goes onso does work on the canal. After ten years, the canal was finished in 1914. Panama, from 1903 to 1939, became a US protectorate. In 1921, Colombia and the United States entered into the Thomsonâ€Å"Urrutia Treaty. (Panama Canal. En.wikipedia.org. N. p., 2018. Web. 9 Dec. 2018.). In this treaty, paid Colombia $25 million and granted Colombia privileges to the canal. Colombia, in return, recognized Panama as an independent nation. Through all of the troubles of the imperialization a Panama, the US decided to return the canal. In 1977, US president Jimmy Carter and Panama leader Omar Torrijos signed a treaty that promised full control of the canal to Panama by 2000. Panama got full authority on December 31, 1999. The previous paragraph represented how the US controlled Panama and built the canal through the years, but what was the most important was how the people felt and were affected by this stage of imperialism. At first, once America had helped Panama lead a successful revolt, the leader of the revolution, Manuel Amador, said, Yesterday, we were slaves of Colombia. Today, we are free. President Theodore Roosevelt has kept his word. Long live the Republic of Panama! long live President Roosevelt!. This shows that at first, Panama found the US as an ally that had helped lead them to freedom. Soon, however, they realized this was not true. Colombia protested. It said the United States had acted illegally in Panama. Many American citizens protested, too. (President Roosevelt Decides To Build The Panama Canal. VOA. N. p., 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2018.). As stated earlier, Roosevelt was widely seen as a pirate. Despite all these protested, Theodore Roosevelt didnt care. He stated, I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal, but to debate me. Panama was utilized as a tool for Americas growing economy. Once the canal was finished, The US attempted to control all the profits made from it. The US propaganda that was directed toward the Panama government promised that the Panama canal would be profitable for their citizens. However, this was a complete lie on the USs part. Americas only interest was to imperialize Panama and take control and use the country as a source of profit exclusively(Effects On Panama Imperialism In Central America. Sites.google.com. N. p., 2018. Web. 9 Dec. 2018.). Truly, wealthy American businessmen were the profiteers. The attraction to the Panama canal was for economic growth, but instead, it aggravated tensions between Panama and the Us. Eventually, it leads to thousands of injuries and riots. Many other Latin American nations grew to fear the idea of American imperialization. Roosevelt, however, claimed that the US would only take action on nations who had debts to European countries. Despite the unjust sides of this, there were some ups. America brought in railroads, sewage, electricity, and schools. No matter what, the cons overpower the pros. What the US did was wrong. Many unfortunate things befell on the people of Panama, and it happens to be Americas fault. In the end, America shouldnt have imperialized Panama or any Latin American nation. After Roosevelt left office, the United States signed an agreement that showed Americas regret and gave $25 million to Colombia. Even though Roosevelt was out of office, his friends in the Senate rejected the proposal in his place. After his death, another agreement was signed. It still included the money but didnt include a statement of regret as the previous one did. This agreement was approved by the Senate. The engineering of this canal is something that should strike awe into anyone. The canal has a total of 3 locks and 3 chambers on each side of the ocean. The locks lift and lower ships from the Gatun Lake, an artificial lake to reduce excavation for the canal. This waterway is very important today. However, the imperialization that took place has left a permanent mark on the history of the US. People can hope that the US isnt seen as a nation who conquers others for wealth and resource, but instead as an ally to other nations across the world.

Process Design Analysis Free Essays

A Process can be defined as a collection of equipment, methods, people, and systems used together to produce the products/ services required. A Process Strategy in an organization’s approach is to transform resources into goods and services. The objective of the process strategy is to build a process that meets customer requirements and product specifications within cost and other managerial constraint. We will write a custom essay sample on Process Design Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now The process selected will have a long term effect on efficiency and flexibility of production, as well as on cost and quality of goods produced. Therefore much of the company’s operations strategy is provided at the time of process decision. Within a given facility, several strategies may be used. These strategies are often classified as: Fig. 1 Process-Focused Repetitive-Focused Product focused Process-Focused Strategy The characteristics: facilities are organized by process, similar processes are together (example: all drill presses are together), low volume, high variety products, ‘Jumbled’ flow. Products follow many different paths. Other names for process focused strategy are intermittent process or Job shop. Process-Focused Strategy Examples: Machine Shop, Hospital, and Bank. Custom Woodworking shop Advantages: 1. Greater product flexibility 2. More general purpose equipment 3. Lower initial capital investment Disadvantages: 1. High variable costs 2. More highly trained personnel 3. More difficult production planning control 4. Low equipment utilization (5% to 25%) Repetitive Focused Strategy Characteristics: Facilities often organized by assembly lines, Characterized by modules, Parts assemblies are made previously; Modules are combined for many output options. Other names are Assembly line, Production line E. g. auto-manufacturing, personal computers, house-hold appliances, etc. Assembly line example Product focused strategy Characteristics: Facilities are organized by product which require High volume and low variety ; Conversion or further processing of undifferentiated materials such as petroleum, chemicals, or beer; Follows a predetermined sequence of steps, but flow is continuous rather than discrete – highly standardized. Also known as line flow production or continuous production. Examples include paper making, light bulbs, soft drinks, etc. Advantages 1. Lower production cost per unit 2. Lower but more specialized labour skills 3. Easier production planning and control 4. Higher equipment utilization (70% to 90%) Disadvantages 1. Lower product flexibility 2. More specialized equipment Types of flow system Continuous flow It is characterized by a streamlined flow of products in the operating system. The Conversion process begins with input of raw material at one end, progresses through the system in an orderly fashion to finally become finished goods at the final stage. Production process is sequential and the required resources are organized in stages. Examples are several chemical processing industries such as manufacture of Petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceutical, cement and glass. It ia also used in a discrete manufacturing industry high volume production of very few varieties (such as electrical bulbs or spark plugs) Intermittent flow It is characterized by mid-volume, mid-variety products/services. It increases the flow complexities. The flow and capacity balancing are difficult but important in intermittent type of flow system. Process industries use batch production methods while discrete industries use alternative methods of designing layout issues. The capacity estimation is hard and production planning control is complex. Process design for intermittent flow in Discreet Manufacturing Jumbled Flow System It occurs on account of non-standard and complex flow patterns characteristic in certain systems. Items are highly customized here and customer orders for one or a few products. Operational complexity arising out of jumbled flow is high. Discrete manufacturing with Jumbled flow uses a Job Shop structure Examples are turnkey project executor such as BHEL or LT, customized manufacturing systems such as PCB fabricators, sheet metal fabricators, tool room operators and printing and publishing. Process flow in job shops Complex issue is capacity management of jumbled flows 1. Considerable time is lost due to repeated setup of processes 2. Due to jumbled flow, crisscrossing of jobs in the system results in poor visibility. 3. Problems are often hidden and build up of work in process inventory takes place 4. Cost accounting and estimation systems are crucial as there is a constant need to quote for specific customer orders Process analysis and design Organizations have realized that the first step in achieving success is to analyse and define their operations processes. An operations process is a set of related activities that combine to deliver something of value to a customer or to the organization. There are a number of methods of analysing process designs. Some of them that are discussed here are Flow diagrams, Time-Process-Function mapping, Value stream mapping, process charts and service blue printing. Process flow chart A process flow chart is an instrument that visualises and analyses the various systems and procedures (e. g. delivery of services, decision-making, funds allocation, accountingand monitoring) within an organisation. What can you do with it? The flow chart analysis helps to identify the bottlenecks in the different processes within the organisation. It identifies unnecessary involvement of people, loopholes in decision making or unnecessary delays in the process. It assists to make the organisation more efficient in its operations. The process flow chart helps to design new processes for the primary process, support processes and supervisory processes, and helps to analyse the bottlenecks in existing procedures. It is very useful to help participants understand the interrelation of the work activities and to realise how the work of one person influences the others. Steps in making a process flow chart 0. Formulate the (sub-) question that you want to answer by making a process flowchart. Aims for which a process flow chart is suitable are: ? ? ? To decide how to optimise core processes (operational planning and strategic decision making) To prepare strategic choices, identifying strengths and weaknesses (step to strategic decision making) To judge organisation suitability and performance (to make funding and programme positioning decisions) 0. Define the field of analysis. Decide whether you depict: ? ? ? ? ? Current practice (daily practice; the informal reality) Current design (how it should happen according to ‘the books’) Redesign (establishing the desired process) Clearly distinguish current practice from current design and/or redesign Analyse the redesign (and even current design) only after the current practice 1. Choose the process. ? ? ? ? Which process are you going to analyse? Unique or standard Define the starting point Specify the outcome/result of the process 2. Describe the process as indicated below, using the indicated symbolism: ? ? ? State the start and end point (outcome/result) Divide the process in 5-10 activities of the same level of analysis. If you have more than 10 steps: Cluster them or Make more than one flow chart Identify decision moments. Describe these decision moments inyes/no questions. Check that both the â€Å"Yes†-side and the â€Å"No†-side have a follow-up activity (arrow that leads somewhere), ifthat is reality. For example: Proposal approved? Yes: Proceed + Send confirmation to client No: File the proposal + Inform client with reasons ? Identify the responsible person/unit for each activity (this may not be the same as the implementing person). All activities/decision moments that follow the symbol are the responsibility of the person/unit indicated. Therefore, if the responsible person/unit stays the same, you need not repeat the in-charge. ? Identify the information coming into the process and all information going out of the process. The arrows of the connecting lines indicate whether the information is going in or out ? Connect the symbols with arrows that indicate the flow of the process. Include loops to show that an earlier activity should be repeated 3. Add key information and write it next to the activities/decisions or arrows ? ? Volume: The quantity of the product or service you process in a certain period of time. This indicates the magnitude of the subject Time/Cost: The average or annual time/cost (expenditure) involved in each activity (write next to step). This indicates the organisation efficiency Duration: The (average) time that passes between two steps (write next to arrow). This indicates the responsive ness to clients 4. Identify possible bottlenecks. Ask questions like: ? ? ? Why does the activity/decision take place? Why does the activity/decision take place at this point in the sequence? Why does the activity/decision (or the time between them) take the time it takes? ? ? ? ? ? (Why) is the activity/decision difficult to carry out? Why is this person responsible for this activity/decision? Who co-ordinates and supervises at different moments? What is the effect of external (information, input, and means) dependencies? What are the risks (what can go wrong) in the activity/decision? 5. Assess options for improvements. Check each option considering: ? ? ? ? Can you leave out activities, decision points or information? Can you combine/change activities, decision points or information? Can you simplify activities, decision points or information? Can you change the responsible person? 6. Evaluate improvements, considering whether the options result in: ? ? ? ? ? Less effort (better methods, upgraded staff, better means and inputs) needed Less time (better sequence or screening, less rejection) needed Better quality service/product (better guidelines, control) Less resources (optimising expenses and quality) needed Better working conditions (more safety, fulfilment, less stress) 7. Draw conclusions, in relation to your (sub-) question. Write strengths and weaknesses (judged from the point of view of your question) on green and red cards respectively. Figure below shows a process flow chart for electrical fittings manufacturing. Time based process mapping (TBPM) Process mapping allows the identification of business processes, organisational roles and financial accountabilities, and how these inter-relate between functions, with a view to their subsequent re-engineering and improvement. However, conventional process mapping techniques do not focus on the important metric of time. Time Based Process Mapping is a tool for visually representing and analysing the key interconnecting processes which collectively constitute the supply and manufacturing chain in relation to the consumption of time. It must be emphasised that TBPM is quite different from the traditional ‘Time and Motion’ studies as practised by generations of Industrial Engineers. TBPM concentrates on the speed of progression of specific components through the production cycle, whilst time and motion studies are only concerned with the labour output and utilisation rates of employees. Time Based Competition Time-based companies reduce cost indirectly through compressing time. When a company attacks time directly, the first benefits to show up are usually shorter cycle time and faster inventory turns. So when a company goes after time reduction in the right way, it tends to get both time and cost out. The reverse is not always so. Successful companies have shifted the focus of their source of manufacturing compete over the past few decades. Time Based Competitive Advantage The increased emphasis over the past few years on, the Order Winning Criteria of delivery time can be considered to be a new competitive paradigm. The subject of ever shortening product lifecycles and rapid market obsolescence has received considerable academic attention and a wealth of literature has been published. The compression of time provides organisations with a distinct competitive cost advantage. Companies discover that costs do not increase when lead times are reduced – they decline. Costs do not increase with greater investment in quality-they decrease and also costs do not go up as product variety increases and response times reduce – they go down. Key features of organisations that compress time are that they place high emphasis on: customer focus, responsiveness, RD and innovation. Objectives of TBPM The three main objectives of TBPM are to: i) ii) iii) Fully define and simplify the production route, Compress the production cycle time, and Reduce the non value adding activities Increase the value adding proportions of the process. What data is necessary? Key questions that need to be asked to gather the required data are: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) What is the process? Where does it start and finish? How long does it actually take from the first input to the last output? Does the process require a decision, how long does it take? How long should it take? How much time is spent on queuing prior to being processed? How much time is spent on rework? The figure below shows the service blueprint for Overnight Hotel Stay Service Process Charts The charting of work flows, working processes, systems and procedures is a useful way of recording the essential features of a work situation for subsequent analysis. Process Charts are one of the simpler forms of workflow charting and are still in regular usage but are less common than they once were. A variety of process charts have been designed to meet the needs of a particular level or stage of analysis; they can be used at a detailed level (recording activity at a specific work station or workplace), but also at the wider system, process or procedure level. The different kinds of process chart share a common core set of symbols, though some have additional symbols for specific and specialised process steps. The common symbols (of hich there are only five) were first promulgated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and have become known as the ASME symbols. OPERATION: a main step, where the part, material or product is usually modified or changed INSPECTION: indicates a check for quality or quantity TRANSPORT: the movement of workers, materials or equipment STORAGE: controlled storage in which material is received into or issued fr om a store, or an item is reference purposes DELAY or TEMPORARY STORAGE: indicates a delay in the process, or an object laid aside until required These symbols are simply linked together in a vertical chart representing the key stages in a process; it is usual to place a commentary in an adjoining column recording contextual/environmental information. e. g. against a Transport symbol would be recorded, start of journey, end of journey, distance and mode of transport. The simplest form of process chart is known as an outline process chart and records an overview or outline of a process. Only those steps of a process that can be represented by the ASME symbols of operation and inspection are recorded. An outline process chart is often a useful first step to identify key areas of concern before recording (part of) the process in more detail. In a â€Å"full† process chart, where all symbols are used, it is common to chart the process from the â€Å"viewpoint† of the material being processed, the worker carrying out the work or, less commonly, a piece of equipment. Thus, the same symbols can be used in different ways. As a simple example, a piece of equipment can be represented on an equipment-type flow process chart as a delay because it is not in use; while a material-type flow process chart of he same process would show the material being transported to the next work station, and a man-type chart could show the operator involved in another operation on another machine. The chart to be used may be determined by the purpose of the investigation or by the relative costs involved in the process – a highly capital-intensive process may focus more attention on the equipment being used. Process charts may also be used at a more micro level of analysis. An example is the two-handed process chart which records the motions performed by both hands during a task. The sequence of motion of each hand is charted using the same symbols as before. There are slight changes to the meaning of the symbols, however. The delay symbol is used to indicate that the hand is waiting to carry out its next task. The storage symbol is used to indicate that the hand is holding on to a piece of material or a document. Two-handed process charts are usually drawn on a pre-formatted diagram. Their use has generally been superseded by the analyses involved in the use of low level pre-determined motion time systems. The figure below shows the process chart for Requisition of Petty Cash Value Stream Mapping Value Stream Mapping is a method of creating a â€Å"One page picture† of all the processes that occur in a company, from the time a customer places an order for a product, until the customer has received that product in their facility. The goal is to depict material and information flows across and throughout all Value-Adding Processes required to produce and ship the product to the customer. Value Stream Maps document all of the processes used to produce and ship a product, both Value-Adding and Non-Value-Adding (Waste) processes. Why Value Stream Map? During the team creation of a Value Stream Mapping, business and manufacturing waste that occur in the processes can be easily identified. Once the Current State Value Stream Mapping is created, it becomes the baseline for improvement and for the creation of a Future State Value Stream Mapping. The FSVSM can then be used as a World Class Manufacturing implementation road map. The steps to implement value stream mapping are: Step 1 – Determine the product or service to be analyzed. Step 2 – Author a value stream map that depicts the process steps, information flows, and timelines that are required to create the product or service being analyzed. The mapping can either be a design, production, or service flow and may use standardized value mapping process symbols. Step 3 – Examine the process streams on the value stream map to determine if there are any redundancies or wasteful steps and mark them for modification or deletion. Step 4 – Redraw the mapping as a future state value stream map with the wasteful steps removed. Step 5 – Implement process changes in the organization to work towards the new value stream mapping. The figure below shows value stream map of a typical manufacturing firm Service Blue Printing The service blueprint is a technique used for service innovation. The blueprint shows processes within the company, divided into different components which are separated by lines. Service blueprints are maps or pictures that precisely portray how a service process is built up. It is used to provide individuals, which are involved in the process, help to understand and to deal sober with certain circumstances. Blueprints are especially useful, when it comes to developing and designing new services. It visualizes the service simultaneously depicting the visible components of the service, the roles of employees and customers, the intersections of customer contact, and the process of service delivery. The blueprint provides a way to divide a service into logical elements and to picture the tasks or steps in the process, the guideline how customer experience a service, and the instruments by which the tasks are accomplished. Blueprinting is already used in different techniques and fields, including computer systems analysis. The service blueprint consists of 5 components: 1. Customer Actions 2. Onstage / Visible Contact Employee Actions 3. Backstage / Invisible Contact Employee Actions 4. Support Processes 5. Physical Evidence 1. Customer Actions This component contains all of the steps that customers take as part of the service delivery process. This element is always on top of the service blueprint. 2. Onstage / Visible Contact Employee Actions This element is separated from the customer actions by a ‘line of interaction’. These actions are face-to-face actions between employees and customers. . Backstage / Invisible Contact Employee Actions The ‘line of visibility’ separates the Onstage from the Backstage actions. Everything that appears above the line of visibility can be seen by the customers, while everything under the line of visibility is invisible for the customers. A very good example of an action in this element, is a telephone call; these is an action between an empl oyee and a customer, but they don’t see each other. 4. Support Processes The ‘internal line of interaction’ separates the contact employees from the support processes. These are all the activities carried out by individuals and units within the company who are not contact employees. These activities need to happen in order for the service to be delivered. 5. Physical Evidence For each customer action, and every moment of truth, the physical evidence that customers come in contact with is described at the very top of the service blueprint. These are all the tangibles that customers are exposed to that can influence their quality perceptions. Building a blueprint The process of structuring a blueprint involves six steps: 1. The identification of the service process, that is supposed to be blueprinted 2. The identification of the customer segment or the customers that are suppose to experience the service 3. Picturing the service from the customer’s perspective 4. Picturing the actions of the contact employee (onstage and backstage), and/or technology actions 5. Linking the contact activities to the needed support functions 6. Adding the evidence of service for every customer action step The figure below shows the service blueprint for Overnight Hotel Stay Service Service processes What is a Service? A Service is the value provided to the customer through a set of interactions and impacts on the input from the customer. The service process is implemented and executed by the service provider. The input to the service process from the customer may be in form of information, belongings or even the person of the customer itself. The service and service process are designed to reach a goal which has been defined by the stakeholders, especially the customer and the service provider. The service, its goal, the service process, the customer, the service provider and the resources are embedded into an environment which is source of legal compliance requirements etc. All together they constitute a service system. Service processes and their properties There are a number of crucial differences between service and business processes. 1. There are intense interactions with the customer: For example, it may be necessary that the customer provides some information to allow the further proceeding of the process. It is important to emphasize that a service process must describe the interaction between customer and service provider. 2. Service processes differentiate two areas, front stage and back stage. The front stage contains the activities of the customer and the service provider’s activities that are visible to the customer. The back stage contains the activities not visible to the customer. 3. Service processes need to represent the handover of resources and information from the customer to the service provider and the restitution vice versa. Furthermore, service processes are often cross-organizational. A top-level service process that is responsible for providing the service to the customer coordinates a number of sub processes. Fig. 2 Product Process Design (top) v/s Service Process Design (bottom) Characteristics of services ? Services are tangible ? Service output is variable ? Services have higher customer contact ? Services are perishable ? Services are inseparable from delivery ? Services tend to be decentralized and dispersed ? Services are consumed more often than products ? Services can be easily emulated Many services come as part of a larger package of bundle of things. The service-product bundle consists of 1) The physical goods or facilitating goods, 2) The tangible service provided or explicit service, and 3) The psychological service or implicit service For example, at a winter ski resort. The facilitating goods are the chair lifts, buildings and mountain itself at the resort. ? The explicit service is primarily the skiing experience, but you also have the interaction with employees and the visual experience in the shops and sleeping quarters. ? The implicit service pertains to the fun generated, the sense of security you have and the excitement of the skiing. It is important to pay attention to all these experiences . Service recovery is the ability to quickly compensate for the failure of service delivery and restore, if possible, the service required by the customer. Obviously, service failure should be held to a minimum, but the recovery can also mean the difference between success and failure of the company service Guarantees help the company in clearly defining the process of service delivery and specify the extent of service recovery, if needed. Thus a process can be designed to provide consistent service. Service Process Design Service process design refers to the arrangement of service facilities where the service is provided and the processes through which the service operations are structured and delivered. Lovelock classified service process by the extent of demand fluctuations and the extent to which supply capacity is constrained. When demand is highly fluctuated and peak demand regularly exceeds capacity, managers must consider altering either demand pattern or supply capacity so that service can be delivered without incurring long customer waiting time. In case demand pattern cannot be altered, managers could consider operations-oriented strategies to control the level of service supply, such as scheduling parttime workers and cross training service personnel. The way in which the service process is designed determines, to a large extent, the wait that customers experience. Any reductions in customer waiting time by better management of process design can certainly help lower both customer dissatisfaction and defection. Often, managers have a number of alternatives to choose from when shaping the design of their service delivery process. Fig. 3 Service Design Process The Service Matrix As the popularity of Service Learning grows, the need to have a common language for discussion is critical. Currently there are a tremendous amount of resources on Service Learning, but often these resources are complex and abstract, leading to difficulties in describing and defining quality service learning experiences. In order to address this problem, The Service Matrix was created. The Service Matrix was designed to plot individual contributions to a particular service effort but is not intended to plot an entire service effort. With these parameters in mind, the X axis measures the value of a service effort to the community, while the Y axis measures he formal learning that occurred during the service effort. These axes intersect and provide the framework for the four quadrants of The Service Matrix. The following examples best describes these four quadrants of The Service Matrix. Quadrant One: Basic Volunteerism (Lower Formal Learning, Lower Value to the Community) Anthony attends a blood drive and gives a pint of blood. This example is considered basic volunteerism because Anthony l earned very little (lower formal learning) and the individual pint of blood is small when compared to the overall need for blood in the community (lower value). Quadrant Two: Community Service (Lower Formal Learning, Higher Value to the Community) In this example, Chloe brings 10 of her friends to the blood drive. Although, Chloe’s formal learning has not increased (Lower Formal Learning) with this example, due to her efforts she has now increased her value to the community (Higher Value to the Community) by meeting the need with greater impact. Chloe’s contribution is considered community service; however, her friends remain in the basic volunteerism quadrant. Quadrant Three: Community-Based Learning (Higher Formal Learning, Lower Value to the Community) Carlos is a high school senior enrolled in a Certified Nursing Assistance (CNA) class. As part of his coursework, he is assigned to attend a blood drive and observe nurses drawing blood. As a result, Carlos saw firsthand how his course work applied to real life situations (Higher Formal Learning), although his individual contribution to the community was insignificant (Lower Value to the Community) because there was no service performed on his behalf. Quadrant Four: Service Learning (Higher Formal Learning, Higher Value to the Community) Pauline is in a marketing class at her high school. After learning basic marketing principles, her assignment is to apply her knowledge in a way that would benefit the community. Pauline reads in the local paper that there is a need for blood in the local blood banks and hospitals. Responding to this need and using her marketing knowledge, Pauline organizes a blood drive at her high school. Putting theories into ractice, Pauline was able to internalize and reinforce her marketing knowledge (Higher Formal Learning). At the same time, because of Pauline’s efforts, 100 pints of blood were collected. (Higher Value to the Community) Objectives 1. By using The Service Matrix, individuals will gain a clear framework for understanding the different levels of service, including service learning. 2. Individuals using The Service Matrix as a reflection tool will be able to evaluate the quality and imp act of their individual contribution(s) to a particular service effort. Customer Waiting Time The total elapsed time between issuance of a customer order and satisfaction of that order. Ideally, CWT will include all customer orders, regardless of commodity or source, immediate issues, and backorders (and) include issues from wholesale and retail stocks as well as various other arrangements. Consumers today are more constrained by time than ever before. In an intensely competitive world the pressure, expectation and need to accomplish more in less time is unlikely to diminish. Service providers understand the premium that consumers place on time they view as wasted while waiting for the delivery of services. A customer waiting in line for service is potentially a lost customer. As such, managers of service operations constantly strive to shorten customer waiting time during service delivery. Firms across a variety of industries have introduced numerous peripheral service elements to the service package experience of their customers, in an attempt to shorten customer waiting times. Such efforts are best illustrated by retail stores that have check-out registers which automatically print the date, amount and name of payee on the cheques customers use when making payment. More recently, new technology offers even more opportunities to improve service process and thus customer service in various industries. For instance, the practice of â€Å"e-ticketing† in the airline business has definitely made a huge impact on ticket purchasing as well as airport check-in processes. Productivity Productivity is the ratio of outputs (goods and services) divided by the inputs (resources such as labor and capital). It differs from Production in that production is a measure of the output and not the efficiency. Productivity = Units produced / Input used ? Measure of process improvement ? Represents output relative to input ? Only through productivity increases can our standard of living improve Example: Improving Productivity at Starbucks A team of 10 analysts continually look for ways to shave time. Some improvements: 1. Stop requiring signatures on credit card purchases under $25- Saved 8 seconds per transaction 2. Change the size of the ice scoop- Saved 14 seconds per drink 3. New espresso machines- Saved 12 seconds per shot Operations improvements have helped Starbucks increase yearly revenue per outlet by $200,000 to $940,000 in six years. Productivity has improved by 27%, or about 4. 5% per year. Multi-Factor Productivity Productivity = Output / Labor + Material + Energy + Capital + Miscellaneous ? Also known as total factor productivity ? Output and inputs are often expressed in dollars Labor Productivity Productivity = Units Produced / Labour hours used Service Productivity ? Typically labor intensive ? Frequently focused on unique individual attributes or desires ? Often an intellectual task performed by professionals ? Often difficult to mechanize ? Often difficult to evaluate for quality Work Measurement Work Measurement refers to determining the output in quantitative terms. It implies measuring the volume of work completed and the time spent in completing it. It involves the study of the time required for performing each element of an office operation. Thus, work measurement includes the analysis of each operation, identifying its elements of parts and measuring the time taken by an employee in performing each element of the operation. This technique used for work measurement is known as â€Å"Time Study†. Besides determining the actual time taken in performing any operation, time study also enables time standards to be set for performing the operation. Although the main objective of office work measurement is to aid management n planning and controlling office operations, yet some of the other objectives of work measurement are: a) Decide the number of employees in each department b) Determine the standard work-load for each employee c ) Measure the performance of individual employees d) Help decide appropriate methods of motivation e) Simplify work systems f) Increase individual efficiency g) Reduce the cost of office services St eps in Work Measurement The following steps should be taken by the office manager before work measurement is undertaken in an office: a) Planning b) Work improvement c) Standardisation of office work measurement and standardisation of activities d) Listing of tasks to be measured e ) Defining unit of measurement and methods of measurement f) Securing subordinates’ willing co-operation g) Executing the programme. vQuick Check Mark True or False 1. One of the objectives of work measurement is to evaluate the year-on-year output produced. (ANS:F) 2. Labour Productivity is defined as Output per unit of Labour. (ANS:F) 3. Service Productivity is difficult to mechanise and evaluate. (ANS:T) 4. Simplifying work systems is an objective of work measurement. (ANS:T) Importance of Office Work Measurement 1. Planning and Scheduling Work 2. Appraisal of Employee Performance 3. Estimation of Manpower Requirement 4. Cost Calculations 5. Improved employee motivation and morale Techniques of Work Measurement in Office 1. Past Performance Basis 2. Time Study 3. Work Sampling Time Study Time Study is the most widely used and best known technique of work measurement. Time study method helps in setting time standards for work. This method is also known as a ‘stop watch study’ method to measure work. Time study or ‘stop watch study’ is the process of recording and analysing systematically the time required to perform office operations by an average employee working at average speed under standard conditions, using standard methods. Essential requirements for time study are: 1. Skilled analyst 2. Standardisation of work methods 3. Standard conditions under which work has to be performed 4. Selection of well-trained employees who are acquainted with the purpose of the study 5. Determining the duration of the study The following steps are to be taken for conducting a time study programme: i) Identify the job to be studied and break down the relevant tasks into basic elements. For example, the task of mail opening nvolves five elements, that is, picking up envelope, cutting the edge of envelope, removing the contents of the envelope, connecting the cover with papers contained in the envelope and placing the letter in the tray. ii) Determine the number of work cycles to b e observed and design the time date sheet for recording time elements for each time cycle. iii) Record the time taken for each element of the work process on the designed time date sheet. A stop-watch is generally used for determining the time taken. This process has to be repeated as per (ii). iv) Calculate the average time for each element from the work cycle readings (iii). v) Add allowances for delays, fatigue, etc. i) On the basis of above steps (iv v) work standards can be determined and report drafted/ This method is simple and can be adopted without much additional cost. But the data collected are subject to the nature of conditions and the competence of employees; hence, the standards set so may not be much reliable. However, scope of improvement in this method is not ruled out. Summary A process strategy is used by organizations to build a production process that meets customer requirements and adheres to product specifications within cost and other constraints. An efficie nt process strategy helps the organization to develop a competitive advantage over other organizations. Various process strategies can be classified under one of the four broad process strategies: namely process focus, repetitive focus, product focus and mass customization. The choice of process strategy depends upon the type of product to be produced. In order to determine which process is most suited to transform resources into goods and services, operations managers compare various aspects of the process such as maximization of customer value, competitive advantage etc. There are a number of tools which can be used to understand the complexities of process design and redesign. Some of these tools are flow diagrams, time-process-function mapping, value-stream mapping, process charts and service blueprinting. Each of these five process analysis tools has its strengths and variations. Service processes, unlike production processes, are heavily dependent on customer interaction and customization according to customer needs. Although customer interaction often affects process performance adversely, it can’t be done away with in case of service processes. The effectiveness of a service process depends upon the level to which the manager can accommodate the special requirements of a customer. Service processes having high labour intensity can be improved by focussing on human resources whereas services involving low labour intensity benefit from innovations in process technology and scheduling. Equipment and technology are other important factors that need to be considered during process design or redesign. These decisions can be complex because of availability of large amount of alternatives in both production and service processes. Some of the production technologies that are widely used today are machine technology, automatic identification systems (AISs), process control, vision systems, robots, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRSs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) and computer integrated manufacturing (CIMs). The choice of technology depends upon the type of product and the budget constraints. Technology advancement has taken place in service design as well. Industries such as hospitality, airlines and even food beverages have seen a rapid change in technology which has resulted in more efficient and therefore better quality of services. Consumer demands are dynamic and therefore keep changing with time. Consequently, business processes also need to be redesigned from time to time in order to cope up with changing demands. Effective redesign depends upon questioning both purpose and underlying assumptions of a process and addressing the issues. Process redesign can also address issues of expanding a business, improving the quality or efficiency of a process, or adding variety to the type of products manufactured. Redesigning of a process casts aside all notions of how a process is currently being done and focuses on improvements in customer value, cost, and time. Another important aspect of process design which has caught attention is the ethics and environmental friendliness of a process. As businesses are becoming more and more socially responsible, ethical and environment friendly processes are the need of the hour. Some of these actions are legally required, such as pollution control, while others are done by businesses as part of their corporate responsibility towards society. In future, the main focus of businesses will be to make their processes socially responsible, i. . helping in the welfare of the society along with making profits for the business. Short-Answer Questions 1) What is a process strategy? Why is it useful for an organization? 2) Name different kinds of process strategies. Write short notes on each explaining the types of products for which they can be used. 3) Mention three differences between product focused and process focused strategies. 4) What are the factors that need to be considered while analyzing and designing processes? 5) How is time-function mapping different from value-stream mapping? 6) Briefly explain the difference between production process design and service process design. ) Write short notes on Flexible Manufacturing Systems and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Systems. Point out the difference between them. 8) Give two examples of technology improvements in service sector. 9) What is process redesign? When is it required in an organization? 10) Demonstrate the importance of ethical and environmental factors to businesses with at least two examples. Long-Answer Questions 1) Briefly describe mass customization process indicating the instances where it can be used. What are the requirements to make mass customization work in an organization? 2) Describe an instance where product focus can be used. Draw flow diagram for the exa mple given. ) What are crossover charts? Briefly explain how they can be used to compare various process strategies. 4) Write brief notes on: a) Flow Diagrams. b) Time-Function Mapping. c) Value-Stream Mapping. d) Process charts. e) Service Blueprinting. 5) What are different production technology tools available to businesses today? Write a short note on each of them. Also, give examples of products where each of the production technology tools can be used. Multiple choice Questions 1) Process focused strategy is used for a; Low volume, low variety products b; Low volume, high variety products c; High volume, low variety products d; High volume, high variety products ) Product focused strategy is used for a; Low volume, low variety products b; Low volume, high variety products c; High volume, low variety products d; High volume, high variety products 3) Mass customization strategy is used for a; Low volume, low variety products b; Low volume, high variety products c; High volume, l ow variety products d; High volume, high variety products 4) Crossover charts are used for a; Comparison of process choices b; Design of process choices c; Both comparison and design of process choices d; None of the above 5) Which among these is not a focus point while designing process strategies? a; Customers ; Products c; Suppliers d; Technology 6) Product focussed facility is a a; Low fixed cost and low variable cost facility b; Low fixed cost while high variable cost facility c; High fixed cost while low variable cost facility d; High fixed cost and high variable cost facility 7) Which of these is not a process analysis and design tool? a; Time-function mapping b; Human-resource mapping c; Vale-stream mapping d; Service Blueprinting 8) Which of the following is not a production technology area? a; Automatic Identification Systems b; Flexible Management Systems c; Layout Management Systems d; Computer Integrated Manufacturing 9) Service Blueprinting focuses on a; Time taken to complete individual processes b; The processes which result in adding value to the product c; Customer and the provider’s interaction with the customer d; Symbols which are used to differentiate between activities 10) Which among these is not a process strategy? ; Product focus b; Process focus c;Mass customization d;Process control 11) The decision to be kept in mind while analyzing and designing processes are a; whether the process minimizes total cost b; whether the process saves time c;whether the process adds value as perceived by the customer d;All of the above 12) Equipment utilization in case of a process-focused facility is in the range of a; 5%-25% b; 25%-45% c; 50%-70% d; 75%-95% Numerical-Problems 1) XYZ ltd. has 3 alternatives to produce 30000 units of a certain product X. The total fixed and variable costs related to each alternative are mentioned in the table below: Alternative 1 Total Fixed Cost Total variable Cost/ Unit 40000 18 Alternative 2 90000 16 Alterna tive 3 130000 15 On the basis of the data given above, answer the following questions: a) Draw a cross-over chart reflecting each alternative. ) Which alternative is best for producing product X? c) Which alternative will be the best one if the units to be manufactured are 45000? d) Determine the economic volume for each process. 2) An automobile repairing garage has an average of 30 cars turning in for maintenance every day. The annual fixed costs of repair maintenance is Rs 730,000 and variable cost of maintenance per car is Rs 50. A new technology has come up in the market which will reduce the variable cost per car to Rs 40 but will increase the annual fixed costs to Rs 109500. Is it advisable for the owner of the garage to switch to new technology? Assume negligible installation costs and 365 days in a year. ) Clean-tech washing machine manufacturers have four options to produce their washing machines. The costs involved in each process have been tabulated below: Process Contr ol Annual Fixed Costs 150000 Direct Material/Unit Direct Labour/Unit Power Expense/Unit 32 56 34 51 28 49 27 47 34 Robots 180000 33 FMS 200000 35 CIM 220000 34 The number of units manufactured annually is 4500. Answer the questions below: a) Draw crossover chart reflecting each process and find out the indifference points. b) Which alternative is best for producing the washing machines? c) If the number of washing machines manufactured annually changes to 8000, which one would be the best alternative? ) Draw flow diagrams for: a) An iPod b) A Mercedes-Benz c) Johnny-walker scotch whisky 5) Prepare process charts, time-function maps and service blueprints for the processes mentioned in Q-4. Case Studies: Case Study 1: Simulation modelling for manufacturing of major Boeing components using FMS, MCM and AGVs Every Boeing commercial airplane is customized for a specific customer. Manufacturing processes of some major components are desirable to follow the FMS concepts in a customized ma nufacturing environment. In the case study that follows, a wing assembly process is examined by means of discrete simulation modelling. There are more than thirty complex processes applied to more than fifteen machine classes. Most processes require a different number of labour entities from various labour classes. The overall pace of the whole system (i. e. , the system take time) is desired to be a variable that impacts the process time of all related processes, as well as the number of assigned labourers. A modular approach to MCM system design will not only benefit the overall performance of a flexible MCM system, but will also enhance simulation-modelling exercises. Discrete event simulation technology employs the same platform concept as in modelling highly flexible and rapid reconfigurable production lines. Such modelling methods reflect manufacturing processes according to the ever-changing customized demands. Many fundamental manufacturing process parameters, such as layout reconfigurations, and resource re-allocations, can be derived ahead of time from the simulation models. A high-level process flow of the simulation model is shown below in figure 1, where source 1 generates incoming parts according to the system take time with optional statistical distributions. Buffer S receives incoming parts via the only crane resource in the system. The part will then be lifted by the crane to the machine B where multiple processes will be performed by multiple resources. The part then continues to move from the machine B to the machine P, the end of the process line. Multiple processes are assigned throughout this line on each machine. An additional process is needed in the middle of the line where the part will be transferred to the buffer A followed by a couple of external processes. Figure 1: The simulation model process technique Afterwards, buffer A receives the part and calls for the overhead crane to transfer the part back to buffer T where the part will continue through the rest of the process. At the end of the line, the part goes from the machine P to the buffer A then to the sink, which is the final destination of all parts in the simulation model. Two different part-carrying platforms are involved in the system. The â€Å"high speed† dolly transfers parts to and from buffer A. The â€Å"low speed† dolly carries one part at a time from machine B all the way to machine P. Additional components are introduced to the system from source 2 and 3 at different stages of the process line. Figure 2: An aircraft major component assembly line simulation model Resource class types in this model consist of labour, machine, and Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) elements. The machine class stands alone for each machine, while the labour and AGV classes are managed by their respective controllers. Those thirty plus processes that are stand-alone objects can be assigned to multiple machines. Thus, each machine has from two to six assigned processes. Processes run at all times in an endless do-loop as part of the nature of this modelling environment. As soon as a condition is met for a process, it will execute its logic and its assigned time duration on the machine where it resides. After the last process sequence of the last machine class has been executed, the part is transferred to the sink class where it will be logically destroyed and removed from the modelling system. The approach of this simulation modelling successfully manages a flexible customized manufacturing system in a flexibly modulated and customized fashion. For each complicated customized scenario, it is comprehendible that traditional manual modelling modification will take much longer effort than this technique. As compared to alternative approaches to this MCM application, benefit of this innovative methodology is evident in the following points: †¢ Customizable †¢ Ease of deployment †¢ Scalable Additional detailed verification between simulation models and flexible MCM exercises on the shop floor remain to be fully performed once this conceptual process development turns into reality. Nevertheless, approaches and methodologies presented in this work illustrate unparalleled advantages in operating flexible and customized manufacturing systems. Authors: Dr. Guixiu Qiao, Computer Scientist Manufacturing Systems Integration Division National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, MS 8260 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8260, USA qiao@cme. nist. gov qiaogx@hotmail. com Tel: 301-975-4735 Roberto F. Lu, PE, Associate Technical Fellow Boeing Commercial Airplanes Manufacturing R D The Boeing Company PO Box 3707 Mail Code: 6X-TR Seattle, WA 98124-2207, USA roberto. f. lu@boeing. com Tel: 425-234-4049 Charles McLean, Computer Scientist Manufacturing Systems Integration Division National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, MS 8260 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8260, USA Mclean@cme. nist. gov Tel: 301-975-3511 Case Study 2: Computer Integrated Manufacturing in Small Companies Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) technology provides companies with an excellent opportunity in order to compete in the present global context. The actual situation also favours small companies in developing and implementing CIM applications, due to many concurrent factors (de Venuto et al. 1994; Gupta and Brennan, 1995): †¢ availability of low cost hardware and software tools, with better performance and quality, makes CIM solutions accessible even to limited budget companies; †¢ technical improvement in the fields of networking and personal computers allows f or reliable distributed information systems, providing the opportunity to use an affordable stepby-step approach while safeguarding integrity; †¢ Increased awareness, at management level, of the competitive potential offered by CIM solutions; †¢ actual turbulence of markets requires small companies to continuously increase performance, such as production flexibility, timely purchasing and delivery, process and product quality, in order to avoid the risk of quickly being overshadowed by more farsighted competitors. As a consequence, the introduction of CIM technologies may represent, particularly for small companies, one of the most promising strategies to acquire and maintain a competitive edge, from product development to marketing and distribution. The case study presented concerns CIM introduction in a small company (Italpneumatica Sud) working in the area of pneumatic components with the trademark SMC (one of the leading producers in the world). Like many other small medium-sized companies, Italpneumatica Sud has to solve integration problems on a limited budget. The strategic requirements to be met are as follows: †¢ Need to guarantee customer service by reducing lead times: this involves timely information, accurate delivery times and a reliable logistic system; †¢ Need to guarantee product and process quality: this requires accurate operations and process control to make quality certification possible (EN 29000); †¢ need to guarantee the setting up of a safe and timely corporate information system able to supply each user with online data required for operational and decision-making procedures. The main problems in this case study can be summarized as follows: †¢ High throughput time; †¢ Production management practically characterized by no scheduling; †¢ Excessive reliance on paper support for information exchange; †¢ Low level of process control; †¢ Scarce visibility of manufacturing process at management level; †¢ Accumulation of work in process inventory at shop floor level; †¢ Stock levels not optimized; †¢ Actual production costs not foreseeable. Prepare a detailed Computer Integrated Manufacturing System for Italpneumatica Sud. Authors: A. C. Caputo, G. Cardarelli, M. Palumbo and P. M. Pelagagge Reference: Industrial Management Data Systems 98/3 [1998] 138–144 References i) Naughton, S. (2000) Understanding Service Learning. Wellesley, MA: National Institute on Out-of-School Time at Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. ii) http://www. uwex. uwc. edu/service-learning/documents/ideasSheet. pdf iii) MDF. 2003. Process Flow chart. http://www. toolkitsportdevelopment. org/html/resources/2F/2FD8A4 BAA5B8-4C7C-A4A4-FC8022D81E69/14%20Process%flow%20chart. pdf. (accessed November 16 2011. ) iv) Magnier,Ph. 2003. The Lean Enterprise Value Stream Mapping. http://www. nwlean. net/ tools CD/VSM/4%20steps%20to%20VSM. pdf. (accessed November 16 2011. ) v) Clarke,D. 1997. Time Based Process Mapping, Process Capability And Business Benefits. 5th International Conference on FACTORY 2000, 2-4 April 1997, Conference Publication No. 35 vi) Institute of Management Services. 2011. Process Charts. http://www. ims productivity. com/page. cfm/content/Process-Charts/( accessed November 16 2011. ) vii) viii) ix) x) http://media. wiley. com/product_data/excerpt/48/04713472/0471347248-4. pdf http://personal. georgiasouther n. edu/~gburke/6%20Process%20Strategies. pdf Hayes, Robert, and Steven C. Wheelwright. â€Å"Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles. â€Å"Harvard Business Review, January-February 1979, 133–140 Ahmad, Sohel, and Roger G. Schroeder. â€Å"Refining the Product-Process Matrix. † International Journal of Operations and Production Management 22, no. 1 (2002): 103–124. How to cite Process Design Analysis, Essays

Kfc Marketing Research free essay sample

Malaysia’s first ever KFC Restaurant was opened on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, and KFC Malaysia has grown ever since. KFC Malaysia is a Western Quick Service Restaurants (WQSR) operation, well known for its fast food service. It is the single largest WQSR chain in Malaysia and in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan). ? The items on its menu are mostly chicken-related items. But besides the chicken products or items that they serve, there are also side dishes included in the menu such as coleslaw, French fries, mashed potatoes, and potato wedges. KFC Malaysia caters to various groups of people; from individuals to families, and children as well. They serve different sets of meals to suit the different group of customers KFC Malaysia caters to. People can never be fully satisfied. Lately, people have become more worried about their health and because of that, sales of fast food have been declining. Therefore, ideas of introducing a range of healthier eating alternatives to KFC’s existing product range have been put forward. However, there are certain things that must be identified before the ideas can be put into action. The purpose of this report is to identify the following: -Is there consumer demand for a new range of healthier products? -What type of new products should be introduced? -How should these new products be marketed? ? Fast Food Operations, Business Structure, http://www. kfcholdings. com. my/kfch_corp/business_fast. htm 2. 0Current Market Situation 2. 1 Microenvironment Analysis 2. 1. 1 Suppliers KFC Malaysia has developed its operations over the years and has in a way become its own supplier. As the only integrated food operator in Malaysia, KFC has undertaken operations in hatchery, breeder farms, feedmill, and processing. It does, however, import hatchers and incubators from Chickmaster, USA to be used in the hatching processes. KFC also has exclusive rights to Ross Breeders of Scotland to breed the fast-growing broilers. ? 2. 1. 2 The Company’s Market KFC Malaysia uses the differentiated or segmented marketing strategy. The geographic, demographic, and psychographic variables are the 3 main segments that KFC Malaysia uses. Psychographically, KFC Malaysia’s market is mainly segmented based on the lifestyle its regular customers, basically those who have work on their hands all the time. This kind of customers would want quick-serving food, and KFC provides just that. Demographically, KFC Malaysia’s market segment is based on age. KFC caters to, generally, people who are roughly in the age group of 4 to 40 years old. Elderly people would not choose to go to any fast food outlets, including KFC, as their health is at stake. Geographically, KFC Malaysia’s market segment is largely based on density. There are around 340 KFC outlets in Malaysia, and most of them are situated in suburban and city areas. Figure 1 shows the locations of the KFC outlets all around Malaysia. Integrated Poultry Operations, http://www. kfcholdings. com. my/kfch_corp/business_fast. htm Figure 1: KFC outlets in Malaysia, taken from http://www. kfc. com. my/outlets/index. html 2. 1. 3 Competitors Like any other fast food service, KFC Malaysia has many competitors that range from those selling chicken based products to those selling non-chicken based products. Despite the many competi tors that KFC Malaysia has, it still is by far the most popular Western Quick Service Restaurants (WQSR) chain around, controlling almost 60% of the WQSR market in Malaysia. But this might soon change if KFC Malaysia does not act faster than its competitors in introducing a new range of healthier products. McDonald’s (Malaysia) is the closest rival or competitor of KFC Malaysia, and it has reacted quickly in the wake of people wanting healthier products. ‘Bubur Ayam McD’ is an example of a healthier product that McDonald’s has come up with. It contains a certain amount of vitamins, carbohydrate, minerals and fibre. The chicken used in this product is shredded, and is therefore healthier compared to fried chicken. Another competitor, Kenny Roger’s, a chicken based fast food restaurant, offers roasted chicken, which is healthier than fried chicken as it does not contain so much oil, while Nando’s Chickenland Malaysia has grilled chicken on its menu. Other competitors, such as Burger King, AW, Shakey’s Pizza, and Malaysia’s very own Marrybrown, are mainly offering salads in order to attract more health-conscious customers. 2. 2 Macroenvironment Analysis 2. 2. 1 Economic Environment The economic environment is a crucial macroenvironment force that plays a big part in KFC Malaysia’s performance and operations. It mainly consists of factors that affect the consumer buying power and spending patterns of KFC’s customers. The economic condition in Malaysia has been growing well, with an average of about 5% growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the year 2003. This continued growth of the Malaysian economy would allow consumer purchasing power to increase and thus, bring about a possibility of an increase in sales of consumer products and services. The chart below shows the Malaysian economic growth throughout the year 2003. Figure 2: Quarterly growth of Malaysian economy throughout 2003. % figures were taken from http://www. kfcholdings. com. my/kfch_corp/kfch_ar2003. pdf, â€Å"The Economy†, pg . 30. of KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Annual Report 2003. ] 2. 2. 2 Demographic Environment The demographic environment is another major macroenvironment force that has an influence over KFC Malaysia’s operations. Size, density, location, and age are some of the demographic for ces that are important to KFC Malaysia. All of these forces contribute to how KFC operates and market its products. Most of KFC Malaysia’s patrons usually come in between an age group of 7 to about 30 years old. Nearly 70% of KFC Malaysia’s total customer population come from this age group. KFC Malaysia’s market is mainly focused based on its density, where places such as towns and cities have more outlets than others places where the density is lower. This is because the size of population in those kinds of places is usually higher, and thus makes the possibility of gaining higher sales greater as well. 2. 2. 3 Technological Environment KFC Malaysia’s operations are, in some ways, very much influenced by the technological environment. Technological forces can allow KFC Malaysia to broaden its market opportunities, as well as create new products for its customers who are now living in a technologically advanced era. Operations of KFC Malaysia can also be smoothened as new technologies come in. 2. 2. 4 Cultural Environment The Malaysian society’s basic values, perceptions, preferences, and behaviours are the cultural forces that affect KFC Malaysia’s performance and operations. The way KFC’s customers look and view this organisation plays a big role in how it is run. KFC Malaysia has always been viewed as the provider of a â€Å"finger lickin’ good† eating experience, and it is vitally important that its customers continue to have that perception on KFC. 3. 0The New Healthier Product Proposal 3. 1 New Proposal There are now a growing number of health-conscious individuals in the world, especially in Asia, and that includes Malaysia. Fast food has always been one-of-those ‘unhealthy’ food in people’s minds. Therefore in order for KFC Malaysia to attract this group of people and not lose its current customers who are now health-conscious, new proposals of a healthier menu is a necessity. There are 2 proposals in this report; one of them is making some modification to KFC’s current menu, while the other is a proposal of a few new ‘healthier’ products. Adjustments or changes that are to be implanted into KFC Malaysia’s current menu must not be too drastic that it takes away the tastiness of its menu. Here are some proposed modifications. -Replace ice-creams with not so expensive, fruit yogurts in its family set meals. -Use less fattening or fat-free dressings for the coleslaw. -Put less gravy on top of the mashed potatoes. Add more lettuce in its burgers, less sauce. -Give customers the option to choose fruit juices instead of soft drinks in its set meals. Apart from the modifications on KFC Malaysia’s current menu, there are other additional products that could be included into its menu. Here are the proposed additional products. -A set meal consisting of a Tender Roasted Chicken Sandwich, a customer-choice fruit juice (orange/apple/w atermelon/honeydew/mango), and a cup of BBQ baked beans. -Salads, such as Garden Salad and Chicken Salad. 4. 0Market Potential for New Proposal In order for the new proposal to be implemented, it is important for KFC Malaysia to take a brief look into its market potential, target market, and product rationale. 4. 1 Product Rationale 4. 1. 1 Objectives or Purposes of New Product There are a few reasons why the new proposal has been proposed. KFC Malaysia needs to be sensitive to the current situation in Malaysia, where more people are becoming health conscious. Fast food restaurants are one of the very few restaurants that people would usually go to when it comes to eating healthy food. KFC Malaysia ought to try to change these people’s mindsets, and that can be done by introducing the new ‘healthier’ and modified products. A healthier menu which is able to maintain the â€Å"finger linkin’ good† eating experience that KFC usually provides would definitely have a positive impact on its market demand. The proposed modified and new KFC products would allow KFC Malaysia to develop its product, and expand its current menu. This is called product development, as shown in the product/market expansion grid in Figure 3. Existing ProductsNew Products Existing MarketsMarket PenetrationProduct Development New MarketsMarket DevelopmentDiversification Figure 3: The Product/Market Expansion Grid.? ? Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. , Principles of Marketing, 10th ed. Pearson Education International, pg. 48 The potential increase in sales is another reason why the proposal should be implemented. As the Malaysian society is moving towards a health conscious mindset, it is only natural for the demand for healthy products to increase. A similar outcome would be expected of the new and modified KFC products, once they are introduced. A possibility of an increase of about 20% of its current sales should be a practical expectation. As this takes place, KFC Malaysia’s profit would, likewise, be expected to rise accordingly to about up to 15% of its current profit level. KFC’s profits would be expected to rise further as time goes by, when people are more familiar with the new and modified products. The new and modified KFC products would also be a boost to its current market share. KFC Malaysia is believed to be dominating about 50% of the WQSR market share at the moment. Investing into the healthier menu would increase its market share by about 5% or more. This would be a vital step to brush off challenges from KFC Malaysia’s main competitors, notably, McDonald’s. 4. 2 Target Market As KFC Malaysia is often viewed as a family oriented fast food restaurant, its target market would mainly be focused on families that consist of parents, particularly those with young children, who are concern for theirs and their children’s health. However, the healthier menu would not only be targeted at this group of people, but also at young working adults who are health conscious, and teenagers who are concern about their body shape. Young working adults, youths, parents and children would be able to enjoy the Tender Roasted Chicken Sandwich and the salads without feeling guilty of consuming unhealthy and fattening food, as they consist of good, healthy nutrition. 4. 3 Market Potential The market potential for the healthier menu is indeed very good. Malaysia has a population of about 24 million people, where slightly less than two third of that number consume fast food. The fast food market in Malaysia is mainly dominated by KFC Malaysia. Therefore with the introduction of the healthier menu, KFC Malaysia can expect to attract more potential customers than its competitors. And as more people get to know about the healthier menu that is to be introduced, KFC Malaysia can expect its market to broaden. 5. 0The New Product Range 5. 1 Positioning Strategy 5. 1. 1 Competitive Advantage KFC’s dominance in the Western Quick Service Restaurants (WQSR) market in Malaysia, where it controls more than 50% of the market, is a major competitive advantage that it has over its competitors, such as McDonalds, Burger King, Kenny Roger’s, Shakey’s Pizza, and other fast food operators. KFC Malaysia’s position as a â€Å"Great Value for Money† fast food operator is often present in the mindset of most Malaysians, and this is another competitive advantage for KFC. However, KFC’s competitors have been trying to move a step forward and challenge its position in the market by introducing healthier products in their menu. Therefore, KFC Malaysia should, likewise, take action and enforce brand image differentiation. KFC should plant a new image of itself into the public’s mind and make them view KFC as not only a provider of tasty chicken products, but also a provider of healthy and, yet, affordable fast food. . 1. 2 Overall Positioning Strategy and Positioning Statement KFC Malaysia should adopt the ‘more for more’ positioning strategy, where it implies that the new healthier menu is better than the previous menu, and it is charged at only a slightly higher price. The new modifications such as replacing the ice-cream with a fruit yogurt in the family set meals requires a higher cost as yogurts are more expensive, therefore the slight increase in price is mainly to cover that additional cost. Nevertheless, the healthier menu, although slightly more expensive, is still very much affordable. A positioning statement is important as it sums up KFC Malaysia’s positioning in the market. As offering a healthier menu would implant a new ‘healthier’ image of KFC in the public’s mind, its positioning statement should be â€Å"To health conscious people who want to consume healthy food, KFC (Malaysia) is a well established fast food operator that allows you to enjoy healthier, nutritious, and yet, tasty original recipe fast food. † 5. 2 Product Strategy 5. 2. 1 Product Attributes 5. 2. 1. 1 Product Quality The quality of KFC Malaysia’s fast food dishes is a major characteristic that would make its customers come back for more. As the quality of its current menu has always been well maintained, the quality of its healthier menu should either be just as good, or better than before. Total quality management (TQM) is an approach that KFC Malaysia can use to improve the quality of its products. 5. 2. 1. 2 Product Features Product features are a competitive tool that differentiates KFC Malaysia from its competitors. As for KFC, its new and modified healthier menu is offered alongside the current menu. Customers can either decide to consume on the new menu alone or together with any dish on its current menu. For example, the Garden Salad can go together with the KFC Chicken Nuggets or be consumed as a lone dish. This would allow KFC Malaysia’s customers to have a greater variety of choice. 5. 3 Pricing Strategy 5. 3. 1 Cost-Based Pricing This is the simplest pricing method that KFC Malaysia can use is deciding the prices for its new and modified healthier menu. By using this pricing method, the cost of its products is the main determinant that would affect the pricing decision of KFC Malaysia. For a start, KFC Malaysia would charge an extra amount of RM0. 0 for each of its family set meals because of the introduction of the fruit yogurts in place of the ice-creams. As for the newly proposed products, which are the Tender Roasted Chicken Sandwich set and the salads, it would be appropriate not to charge a high price for them. It would be recommendable for KFC Malaysia to price the Tender Roasted Chicken Sandwich set at RM6. 90 per set. The salads, on the other hand, would be priced at RM3. 50 per dish. However, the cost-based pricing would not be KFC Malaysia’s long-term pricing method. It can be slowly changed to value-based prising. 5. 3. 2 Value-Based Pricing Getting feedbacks from KFC Malaysia’s customers would be a sensible thing to do in order for it to switch its pricing method to value-based pricing. As time passes, KFC Malaysia’s customers would get familiarised with the healthier menu. KFC should then consider getting its customers’ feedbacks and perception of value of the healthier value. If its customers view the menu highly and would be willing to pay a higher price for it, then KFC Malaysia should consider increasing the price by a small sum and see if there is any change in the demand for its healthier products resulting from the change in price. . 3. 3 New-Product Pricing Strategy The Tender Roasted Chicken Sandwich set would be something new to KFC Malaysia’s customers. Therefore it should adopt the market-penetration pricing strategy, as it would allow KFC to first introduce the new product at a reasonably low price and then, increase the price slightly as demand increases. 5. 4 Promotions Advert ising, sales promotion, and public relations are the promotion tools that KFC Malaysia should use as the healthier menu is relatively new to its customers. 5. 4. 1 Sales Promotions KFC Malaysia could use sales promotions in the early stages of introducing the new healthier menu in order to encourage its customers to, at least, try it out. Promotions such as special contests, giving coupons, and special offers during public holidays would be useful in attracting customers to try the healthier menu. 5. 4. 2 Advertising Advertising the new menu through television would be an effective method as it would be able to introduce the new healthier menu to a large number of Malaysians, most of which watch the television almost everyday. The advertisement should focus on the healthy aspect of the healthier menu and stress on KFC’s priority in providing healthy but yet, tasty fast food to its customers. This would help improve the public’s perception about KFC’s products. The pull strategy could be used in its advertising as well. 5. 4. 3 Public Relations KFC Malaysia should always be in relation with its customers. This can be done by organising special events such as charity programs and health talks, and running clubs that are similar to that of KFC Kids’ Fun Club. By doing so, its customers can feel that there is a close link or connection between KFC and them. 5. 5 Placements KFC Malaysia should practise test marketing since the healthier menu is relatively new to its customers. As for now, KFC should introduce its new menu in a few of its existing outlets, perhaps focusing on the West-coast of Malaysia, as there is where most of the towns and cities are located. Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, would be an ideal place to start introducing the healthier menu. Once the menu is well recognised, KFC Malaysia can start introducing it to other KFC outlets in Malaysia. 6. 0Conclusion In conclusion, KFC Malaysia must act towards the new shift in demand for healthier products even though it is dominating the Western Quick Service Restaurants (WQSR) market in Malaysia. KFC should use its advantage as a leading WQSR operator to take a strong hold in the new and uprising market of healthier fast food products. It is quite clear that there would be demand for a new range of healthier products. Therefore, people with a health conscious mindset, and people who are concern about their body shape are the 2 segments that would form the target market for KFC