Compare and contrast the prescriptive and descriptive schools of Essay

Compare and contrast the prescriptive and descriptive schools of strategy using relevant business examples to support your analy - Essay Example The Prescriptive Schools Prescriptive School is primarily consists of the following distinct sub-schools: Design, Planning and Positioning (Mintzberg, et al., 1998). Here, it is imperative to explain one by one, the said strategy schools under the Prescriptive umbrella. Design School. It views strategy as being the fulfillment of a precise match between the strong and weak internal traits of the organisation and between the external threats and opportunities. Design strategists in the upper management communicate the goals and means of the organisation to the lower members of the corporate hierarchy. Thus, the staff obtains the responsibility to execute the strategy. This particular school of strategy can be linked with SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis methodology of business experts and corporate planners. As noted by Pahl and Richter (2009), SWOT is not only limited to corporate organisations and business entities, in truth it is even more applicable to government units, non-profit bodies and even to individuals who desire to succeed in certain endeavours. Planning School. With its roots in systems thinking, urban planning and cybernetics, this particular school sees strategy systems as controlled and products of conscious processes of formal planning; in a word, strategy is a cerebral and formal activity (Mintzberg, 2007). It gives heavy emphasis on the structure of the strategy: specific steps and techniques organised in checklists. In this school, responsibility heavily rests on the executive body of the organisation, yet the implementation is still at the hands of the staff. Detailed attention is given to objectives, programs, operating procedures and budgets. This particular school is popular in governmental institutions in the United States and France, where the old adage ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is culturally embedded. While planning is generally a good idea, it has been noted that it also has its inher ent weaknesses: rigidity, time-consuming and expensive. Seifert (2003) emphasised that planning has a tendency to make the whole management process inflexible and would curtail individual creativity and initiative. Positioning School. Anchored mostly on the rule of economics and advocated by Michael Porter in 1980 (influenced by the works of the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu), the positioning school believes that strategy should be based on generic positions through an analysis of industry situations and market dynamics. This is especially true to those strategists who require reliable information from research before any strategy can be developed. Expert workers, firm consultants, military officers are most inclined to follow the doctrine of this school. Specifically in business, the department called Research and Development has been of utmost significance during the past few decades. Its emergence, which can be attributed to the teachings of this school, has been precipitat ed by competition where trends are constantly examined. As opined by Remenyi and Williams (1998), the field of marketing is also one of the great benefactors of the ideas espoused by this

The Democratic Republic of Congo Essay Example for Free

The Democratic Republic of Congo Essay The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been characterized by the behavior of her natives, especially in the eastern part, being engaged into selling some of her valuable minerals such as gemstones and gold to other countries via the black markets mostly located at the country’s borders. The stakeholders in this business include the Senegalese, Indian and Chinese clients. Though the smugglers participating in this kind of illegal business are small part-time group of actors, they earn themselves millions of dollars, part of which is hidden in the country’s distressed backwoods. This income has been used to finance the country’s armed groups (Manson, 1). As a result, it has not been so smooth and easy to get to the bottom of the conflict that has over years existed over the Congo’s minerals. Even some of the smugglers testify that because of the sufferings that they have undergone for quite a long period of time, they resolved to this dirty business since they had nothing else they could do. Arguments from lobby groups in the U. K. reported that in order to attain peace in Congo and resettle the millions of displaced citizens, mineral-related conflicts ought to be contained first. However, it has been very challenging to resolves these conflicts because certain hindrances. To begin with, the smuggling routes are untraceable. Despite these pathways being rocky, twisted and on the green hills, there are armed men who demand for cash taxes and other levies such as their imposed in-kind levies. Moreover the mining sites are all through guided majorly by the PARECO, a former militia group (Global Witness, 1). Manufacturers of mobile phones have also been accused for having helped finance these conflicts since these companies have been using metals such as tantalum and tin which are obtained from the processing of the minerals from this country. As a result, these mobile phone companies have been called upon to review their supply chains with the aim of making certain that their tin and tantalum supplies are not from militia-controlled or military units-controlled mines. Thailand based Thailand Smelting and Refining Company (Thaisarco) has been accused for being a manufacturer of the mobile phones that buys ore from a Hutu Militia group, FDLR (Katrina, 1). Thaisarco is owned by Amalgamated Metal Corporation (AMC), a British company In the resolutions by the U. N. , it was highlighted that a measure to freeze the assets and ban the travels for those involved in financing the illegal Congolese armed groups should be taken on worldwide. In order to help hold back the catastrophes associated with the corrupt and illegal exploitation of the Congo’s mineral resources, the international trade system stakeholders have been urged to mend any loopholes so as to end not only this impunity but also avoid environmental abuses, bring to a halt mineral-linked conflicts and more importantly refrain from infringing the Congolese human rights. Furthermore, guideline to enable the tracing of the sources of the minerals should be put forth. Media analysis has helped me understand clearly the causes of the conflicts that are in Congo that are closely linked with the illegal exploitation of the minerals within the country, the contributors of these conflicts and also the prescriptions, from various public views, on how resolutions may be arrived at. This is because the analysis enhances the understanding of raw data from the various view points. It has played a crucial role in helping relate the events that were occurring in DRC. However, media analysis proves to be limiting is some ways. For instance, the information provided is most a times summarized, missing some first hand information. As a result, one is made to believe on the information at hand. Works Cited Global Witness. Metals in Mobile Phones Help Finance Congo Atrocities. February 16, 2009, Viewed August 2, 2010 from http://www. globalwitness. org/media_library_detail. php/718/en/metals_in_mobile_phones_help_finance_congo_atrocities Katrina, M. Groups Says Suing UK Over Congo Conflict Minerals. Times Live, July 26, 2010. Viewd August 2, 2010 from http://www. timeslive. co. za/africa/article570920. ece/Group-says-suing-UK-over-Congo-conflict-minerals Manson, K. Uphill Task to Solve Congo’s Conflict Minerals. Reuters Jul 30, 2010, viewed August 2 2010 from http://uk. reuters. com/article/idUKTRE66T1LR20100730

The Horror of The Tell-Tale Heart Essay -- Tell-Tale Heart Essays

The Horror of The Tell-Tale Heart    Writers can use many tricks to make a story seem more interesting to the reader. From the words they pick to the setting to the time of the day... the possibilities are endless. In the story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe, the use of light and darkness, the description of the mans eye and the time frame make the story more scary than anything else. Poe also uses suspense at the end to make the readers heart beat faster. The speaker starts the story out by explaining that he doe not hate the old man that he is about to kill. In fact he even says that he loves him and that he has always been nice to him. The reason he must kill him however is because of what he calls his evil eye. When he describes it one can only have the feel of disgust just imaging it. "One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture-a pale blue eye, with a film over it" (Poe, 1). In the way that the reader describes the eye one gets the impression that the eyes looks as if it dead, maybe making the speaker feel that he has the right to kill the man. The next trick that Poe uses and probably the most interesting is the use of lightness and darkness. Every time the speaker goes into the room to look at the man he always describes the room as being pitch black. Even he takes extra precautions so as not to give off any light into the room. When he goes into the room, he takes a lantern with him but keeps it covered. The only time the lantern gets to shine is when the speaker wants to look at the mans face. Even with this he only shines "...a single thin ray...upon the vulture eye" (Poe, 2). It seems interesting that all of the reader's deeds must be performed in the dark almost as if he is ashamed of what he ... ...r night and just watch the man. Not only does the waiting let the reader know about the killer's seriousness but it also questions his sanity. From the begging of the story the speaker is trying to convince the reader that he has justification in wanting this man to die because of his dead eye. The way that he waits up night after night and watches this man reflects that of a stalker. And at the end when he pulls the boards from the floor to reveal the old man's hacked body, he says he did it because the old mans heart kept on beating and the sound was getting to him. One cannot help but think is this the story of a killer or a mad man? This reading leaves many unanswered questions about the speaker and what his real intentions behind killing the old man might have been. However, what it does not leave to the imagination is much room for any more horror.

COP 3530, Discrete Data Structures and Algorithms, Summer 1999, Homework 4 :: UFL Florida Computer Programming Homework

Class Notes: Data Structures and Algorithms Summer-C Semester 1999 - M WRF 2nd Period CSE/E119, Section 7344 Homework #4 -- Due Wed 16 June 1999 : 09.30am -- Answer Key Answers are in blue typeface. * Question 1. Write pseudocode and a diagram that shows how to implement the merge part of the merge-sort algorithm using two stacks (one for each subsequence), and be sure to use the correct ADT operations for stacks. Do not write Java code, or pseudocode for merge-sort. Answer: 1. Put the two sorted subsequences to be merged, denoted by S1 and S2 on stacks of the same name. Assume that the sorting is in ascending order; hence, each stack has its minimum values at the top of the stack. 2. The merge algorithm proceeds as follows: { repeat until S1 or S2 is empty { v1 = pop(S1) v2 = pop(S2) output(min(v1,v2)) if (max(v1,v2) = v1) then push v1 onto S1 else push v2 onto S2 endif }

Media pays too much attention on famous people Essay

Television, newspapers and other media tackle many issues such as various national and international news, namely sports, business issues and other events, as well as keep people updated with news about famous people. However in my view, nowadays the media spends an inordinate amount of time reporting on famous people. With the remarkable development of media, the personal life of a famous person is no longer ‘personal’. Every day, there are plenty of news reporters and journalists waiting outside the homes of famous people. They take pictures of the things they do, and the people they meet. Anything that seems strange or unusual and often the most ordinary things too, would make the next day’s front page and headlines followed by all kinds of wild stories. Sometimes it is absurd and annoying, and has greatly disturbed the normal life of those people. Personally, I cannot agree more with media paying too much attention to them. Some people say that it is actually ‘fun’ to read about the reports on famous people. Mostly none of them are true, so why do people even bother reading them? Honestly, I must say that people are forgetting that every single human being in this world is just a person with feelings and do not deserve to be driven into insanity and drug abuse- for instance, like young celebrities are. No matter where we stand because of our achievements, our luck or destiny, the truth is that we are all equals, competing each other in the great human race. A typical example of this issue is the untimely death of the beautiful princess known by all, Princess Diana. It was due to an accident while trying to run away from the paparazzi following her and her boyfriend. This is proof that the excessive attention media pays on such personalities can even be fatal. It not only disturbs them, but can harm them in ways we cannot expect. After weighing up the pros and cons of this issue, I strongly believe that television and newspapers spend too much time reporting on famous people. Media should stop this obsession, and focus on informing people more about important world events instead. Even celebrities and famous people are humans just like us; they too have a right to live their personal lives in happiness and peace.

5 Types of Hyphenation Errors with Numbers

5 Types of Hyphenation Errors with Numbers 5 Types of Hyphenation Errors with Numbers 5 Types of Hyphenation Errors with Numbers By Mark Nichol Mistaken insertion or omission of hyphens in phrasal adjectives that involve quantities is a common error. The following sentences illustrate several types of incorrect usage to avoid. 1. In his most successful season, he made 13-of-16 field goals. In the context of sports, in a simple reference to a number of attempts achieved, hyphenation is extraneous: â€Å"In his most successful season, he made 13 of 16 field goals.† The exception is when an â€Å"x-for-y† phrase stands on its own (as an adverb) in place of an â€Å"x of y† phrase serving as an adjective for a noun or noun phrase describing the results: â€Å"Smith went 4-for-5 to lead the team to victory.† 2. The team’s efforts to repeat the successes of the previous season were stymied by a 57-day long players’ strike. This sentence describes a long players’ strike consisting of 57 days, but that’s not quite what it is intended to mean. The strike was 57 days long, and that combination of numbers and words, not just the first two elements, constitutes the phrasal adjective describing the players’ strike: â€Å"The team’s efforts to repeat the successes of the previous season were stymied by a 57-day-long players’ strike.† 3. The 6 acre town is situated in a small valley between rolling hills. The number and the unit of measurement together provide information about the town, so the two elements of this phrasal adjective should be hyphenated: â€Å"The 6-acre town is situated in a small valley between rolling hills.† 4. Smith is still expected to rake in enough votes to clear the 15-percent threshold to get a share of the delegates. An expression of a percentage that modifies a noun, unlike a similar-looking reference to a dimension (â€Å"15-foot threshold†) or a dollar amount (â€Å"fifteen-dollar threshold†), is not hyphenated: â€Å"Smith is still expected to rake in enough votes to clear the 15 percent threshold to get a share of the delegates.† 5. A study says that his grammar skills are equivalent to that of 10 and 11 year olds. This type of description, in which only the head (the first element) of a phrasal adjective appears when a parallel and complete phrasal adjective follows (indicating that the two heads share the body that follows the second head), is often styled incorrectly. Because the correct format is â€Å"x-year-olds† (with an implied noun following this phrasal adjective, making the phrase itself a noun), the full phrase should be hyphenated, and a hyphen should follow the first head to indicate that it shares year and olds with the second number: â€Å"A study says that his grammar skills are equivalent to that of 10- and 11-year-olds.† (Note that letter spaces precede and follow and.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases8 Writing Tips for BeginnersMay Have vs. Might Have

Analysis of Gluckel Hameln essays

Analysis of Gluckel Hameln essays Gluckel of Hameln was a seventeenth century Jewish woman from Hamburg who wrote a lengthy memoir in Yiddish. While she was not a famous person in her time, Gluckel's memoir has been regarded as one of the most important documents for European Jewish history, of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and the earliest autobiography written by a Jewish woman. Beginning in 1690, Gluckel's diary of a German Jewish widow is addressed to her fourteen children, and is written as an undertaking as a kind of therapy after her husband's death, to get her through her sadness and, "melancholy thoughts." She writes to her children reassuring them that she is not writing these memoirs as a book of morals, but rather the memoir is an attempt to include her children into her experiences, memories and life. In her memoir she explains how she directed the financial and personal destinies of her children, how she engaged in trade, while promoting the welfare of her large family. Gluckel's memoir enables a reader to gain an understanding of what a widowed Jewish woman would face in Christian dominated Germany both from a personal and public perspective throughout seventeenth and eighteenth century. Throughout her memoirs Gluckel describes the worries that a mother would have over her children, her relations with both her first and second husband while addressing the responsibilities she faced as a businesswoman. Gluckel arranged her life narrative in seven books. The first four books and the opening section of the fifth book have been written consecutively in the months or year of mourning after Haim's (her first husbands) death in 1689. The rest of Book 5 was written during the decade of the 1690's but given final form after her second marriage. The sixth book was written in 1702 or shortly afterward, during the initial shock of Hirsch Levy's (Gluckel's second husbands) bankruptcy in Metz, and the seventh and final book was...

Essay Sample on Hypothesis Testing My Educational Experience in the US and Saudi Arabia

Essay Sample on Hypothesis Testing My Educational Experience in the US and Saudi Arabia The first hypothesis states that there would be a strong correlation between the years of residency of students in the US and how uncomfortable Saudi students who are working in the classroom with an opposite gender and how uncomfortable the Saudi students working in pairs or small groups with students of the opposite gender. It was tested using the quantitative survey where the students were to answer questions. An example of such as the number 11 question that my ESL teacher in the US encourage contrasting opinions and points of view more than my Saudi teacher and #14 that required the students to comment on whether their ESL teachers in the United States encouraged more verbal responses from the students the their Saudi counterparts. Following the analysis on the available studies on the subject through the belief held by the literature, ESL teachers based in the US encouraged verbal communication to and with the students. On the other hand it was different in Saudi Arabia where the classroom lessons were not student-focussed as it was teacher-focused and the objectives were memorization of the language. The hypothesis was also designed to test US ESL are far better versed in student-focussed pedagogies than their Saudi counterparts. the formulated hypothesis was proven to be true that the majority of the participants said that the teachers from the US encouraged verbal communication by emphasizing on participation more than the Saudi counterparts. Generally more than half of the participants agreed with this statement. The second hypothesis stated there would be a strong correlation between English teachers in the US do a better job of meeting my specific language needs than do the Saudi English teachers. the other hypothesis states Saudi students ESL teachers in the US use much wider range of materials in class than Saudi ESL English teachers. Also question # 13 stated Saudi ESL teachers in the US encourage the students to out additional information on topics from the library, internet and many other sources more than the Saudi ESL teachers. The second hypothesis was tested using cumulative survey by questionnaires. The question #16 focused on obtaining information in regard to uncomfortable working in the classroom with an instructor from the opposite gender The questionnaire also asked the students to respond to #17 which stated that uncomfortable working in pairs or small groups with students of the opposite gender. There results indicate that there is a balance between those who supported that students are ok with different sex teachers in the classroom and those that were against this claim. To the students learning English as their second language from Saudi Arabia the gender of the teacher is important. The female Saudi were found to be gender selective but not male counterparts. The third hypothesis stated that There would be a strong correlation between the Saudi student overall education experience in the US if it has been similar to the education experience in Saudi Arabia and the other question in the questionnaire stated the learning environment in the US is much less structured than in Saudi classroom (#18). This was vested using the quantitative survey. Hypothesis stated that My ESL teacher in the US use a much wider range of materials in class than my teacher. the other read English teachers in the US used visual aids and other real objects to help make connections with the language more than in Saudi English teachers (#19). The finding was that this is partially true. The opinions are polarized between those that believe that the teachers use teaching aids and those that do not. By use of the hypothesis it helps correct some of the beliefs. For instance in the questionnaire #6 stated that my overall educational experience here in the United States has been very similar to my education in Saudi Arabia. Hence by use of this hypothesis there are conclusions that can be made.

Human resource development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human resource development - Essay Example Gone are the days when, competency was defined by the level of education one has attained. Although, there is a link between academic qualifications and professional knowhow, competency can be enhanced via advanced training. It’s for this reason that the government has initiated lifelong learning as a main initiative, with the aim of raising employability. Through government spending on investments that promote lifelong leaning such as job training programmes, in addition to other normal education schemes, citizens not only get access to these facilities but also motivation to improve their skills. As matter of fact, it’s the mandate of the government to ensure steady economic growth as well as improving citizen’s welfare status, given that UK is a welfare state. Thus, since capital in UK has almost been fully employed, the only ways to increase productivity has been seen as increasing labour efficiency, achieved through generation of self-motivation of employees to lifelong learning. To boost self-motivation, the government provides work base awards through the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) initiative. Possessing an NVQ in a certain fields implies that one has satisfactorily completed a certain training and assessment and thus guarantees both capability and efficiency in the field. Moreover, training needs to be extended to include literacy help to refugees, asylum seekers, and mostly parents to increase their social lives which is exactly what the government has been doing. Competency movement, came into light with the aim of establishing the difference between academic qualification and job expertise, with the latter defining competence more precisely than the former. The development of competency movement was accompanied by economic growth as well as increased competition among all industries (Cohen-Scali, 2012). Due to this both private and public companies developed a culture of

Blue Ocean Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Blue Ocean Strategy - Research Paper Example 2.0. Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create Grid Table 1. Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create Grid (ERRC) for Nintendo Wii  Eliminate Raise Game expansion packs Purchaser influence Simplicity / easy to play Reduce Create Gaming technology Health & lifestyle benefits Family experience 2.1. Eliminate Here BOS advances that Nintendo Wii has to look for those factors in the gaming industry that the industry has been competing on that can be done away with. Traditionally, in the Red Ocean, game expansion packs are utilised as a customer lock-in strategy. They are used to extend the gamers interest beyond the original version of the game. Nintendo Wii, unlike its competitors, does not offer expansion sets and this has enabled it to develop new value in two ways. Firstly, expansion sets lead to an extra cost to both manufacturer and users. By eliminating these expansion packs Nintendo Wii is able to save costs on production, distribution, promotion and sales. Secondly, these expansion sets needs serious gamers who are focused on extending their gaming experience beyond leisure. Expansion packs are also seen in some quarters as being as an unethical way of increasing customer loyalty through promotion of addiction (â€Å"Why are Video Games Addictive - Reasons & Theories,† 2011). The Wii targets the casual gamer who does not have that urge for an extended gaming experience. In fact, the Wii could use this to promote itself as the non-addictive gaming choice. 2.2. Reduce According to the Four Actions Framework at this juncture the Wii needs to determine whether products or services have been overdesigned in the race to match and beat the competition. Wii’s big competitors, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, have concentrated on differentiating their products through over-serving customers with provision of cutting-edge technologies such as increased graphics and HD. The benefits that these companies obtain through this strategy are marginal in comparison to the costs they incur. Kim and Mauborgne (2005) referred to this as increasing cost structure for no gain. PS3 and Xbox 360 are forced to provide cutting-edge game play because they are fighting over the same market of demanding, die-hard gamers. On the other hand, the Wii opted to focus on the three groups of noncustomers: those people at the market edge who are undecided, those that flat out refuse to purchase a Wii because they are committed to another system like the XBox 360, and the unexplored, who may not know about the Wii or possibly cannot afford it. Nintendo reduced their costs by going low tech and increased the value of the Wii by instead focusing on making it easy to understand, fun to play and highly interactive. According to Scott (2008) Nintendo expanded the market by making video games simpler and more accessible. 2.3. Raise As stated above the Wii utilised a strategy that was different from its rivals, focusing on raising the simplicity, fun an d interactivity of its games as its customer value proposition rather than using superior gaming technology as its value proposition. This is in line with the third action of the BOS Four Actions Framework which seeks to identify factors that need to be raised well-above the industry standards (Kim & Mauborgne,

Write 2 suggestions for each of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness that Assignment

Write 2 suggestions for each of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness that would be beneficial for easing into the aging process - Assignment Example Emotional- this includes self esteem, self confidence and satisfying relationships that leads to a person having emotional wellness. Maintaining emotional health requires monitoring your thoughts and feelings (Hettler 23). Emotional wellness is a dynamic state that influences all the dimensions of health. Intellectual- The height of intellectual health includes openness to novel ideas, capacity to think critically and the willingness to master new skills. In order to enjoy intellectual health, one should never stop learning (Hettler 27). One realizes new experiences and challenges as he actively solves them. Environmental – a person’s health is dependent on his surroundings. There are various threats that challenge our environmental health and this includes UV radiation and different forms of pollution. To have an environment that is healthy, one should try to avoid such hazards by eliminating them or avoiding them. Social – social health is very important as it also helps in one’s physical and emotional health. There is need for mutual affectionate and offering support to other people. Good communication skills will help someone to develop interpersonal skills. This will cultivate the aspect of caring for

Business Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Research Methods - Essay Example The personal interview will allow the investigator to connect with each individual which will facilitate the process and create a connection that should translate in honest and truthful answers for the investigation. It would hard to collect the information the investigator seeks utilizing other methods that utilized standardize questions. B. The best primary research method to perform poll on large group of students concerning their preference among preferential candidates is to submit the group to self-administered questionnaires. This is the best option because we are dealing with a large population which creates the necessity for a method that is effective and easy to administer (Mann, 1995). Since the scope of the information needed is simplistic a questionnaire can be utilized effectively in this research application. The questionnaire is also the best alternative because is the most cost effective solution for this particular problem. The students would fill out the questionnaire themselves without the assistance of the investigator in the process. Once all the questionnaires are collected the investigator can perform other qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate the data collected. C. In this example there is need to survey 58 wholesale grocery companies about their personal management policies. One of the constraints of the situation is that each of the companies is scattered in different locations in the eastern part of the United States. The best research method for this particular situation is to perform telephone interviews. A phone survey is a systematic collection of data from a sample population using a standardize questionnaire (Responsivemanagement, 2009). All the participants can be easily reached by the utilizing the telephone as the main communication device. The phone survey is effective for this particular situation because it speeds up the process in comparison with visiting

E portfolio assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E portfolio assignment - Essay Example Accordingly, skulls are divided into three categories. The mammals like sheep, pigs, cows and horses have non-primate skulls. Baboon, Gorilla and Chimpanzee belongs to non-human primate skulls. The third category, called hominid skulls details the shape, size and other known parameters of human skulls.(NS 201, p87) The study of historical components of life within the scope of Biology relates to biodiversity. In addition, the recent space research results have aroused the interest of many scientists to study the possibility of existence of life, in planets beyond earth, like Mars, Saturn or some moons of Jupiter. Such studies are called â€Å"exo-biology†.(NS 201, p34) Many species of animals and human beings have common characteristics in their structures that show the similarities of their organisms. Accordingly, Homology relates to studies in this direction. For example, many similarities are found in the structure of human skeleton and that of a chimpanzee. Many animals from a common ancessetor inherit the basic vertebrate â€Å"body plan†, although they may have distantly related organisms. Such animals have homologous skeleton structures.(NS 201, p51) According to Darwin, natural selections are slow and dependant on the environmental changes. Hence, these may not be observable during the lifetime of any scientist. Accordingly, these mechanisms are studied with the help of simulations, using different methods like directional, stabilizing and disruptive selection models.(NS 201,

Business Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Research Methods - Essay Example The personal interview will allow the investigator to connect with each individual which will facilitate the process and create a connection that should translate in honest and truthful answers for the investigation. It would hard to collect the information the investigator seeks utilizing other methods that utilized standardize questions. B. The best primary research method to perform poll on large group of students concerning their preference among preferential candidates is to submit the group to self-administered questionnaires. This is the best option because we are dealing with a large population which creates the necessity for a method that is effective and easy to administer (Mann, 1995). Since the scope of the information needed is simplistic a questionnaire can be utilized effectively in this research application. The questionnaire is also the best alternative because is the most cost effective solution for this particular problem. The students would fill out the questionnaire themselves without the assistance of the investigator in the process. Once all the questionnaires are collected the investigator can perform other qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate the data collected. C. In this example there is need to survey 58 wholesale grocery companies about their personal management policies. One of the constraints of the situation is that each of the companies is scattered in different locations in the eastern part of the United States. The best research method for this particular situation is to perform telephone interviews. A phone survey is a systematic collection of data from a sample population using a standardize questionnaire (Responsivemanagement, 2009). All the participants can be easily reached by the utilizing the telephone as the main communication device. The phone survey is effective for this particular situation because it speeds up the process in comparison with visiting

Imaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Imaging - Essay Example To better understand the physiology of the airway and its system, it is encouraged to know the anatomy first. With this in mind, the paper will try to explain the anatomy of the lungs of an adult person with presumed healthy and complete parts of it. The Right and the Left Lungs. Normally, the human body has a pair of lungs floating freely inside the pleural cavity which is made up of epithelial membranes forming the pleura. The one which is faced to the lungs is the visceral pleura and the outer is called the parietal pleura. The lungs are contained inside the thoracic cavity and are situated beside each other; thus, the right and the left. They are divided by the mediastinum. Although they are basically and supposedly aren’t connected with any other part in the cavity, they are technically attached to it by its root and the ligamentum pulmonale. When held, the lung would feel â€Å"light, soft, and spongy in texture† and can float when placed in a container with water (Cunningham & Robinson, 1918, p. 1091). According to the authors, the color of the lungs is dependent on the age of a person. It appears rosy-pink in its early years and is darker in adults. This is due to the exposure levels of the lungs to dusts a nd other impurities. The Lungs and Its Form. The form of the lungs is essentially the result of the structure of the thoracic cavity. As the airways seem to represent an inverted tree, the individual lungs are like inverted cones with the tip of the lung in the superior part and the wider part as its inferior and forming its base. The tip is called the apex and the flat surface is the base. The right lung is slightly larger than the left and is, at the same time, bulkier (Gutman, 2009, p. 77). According to Cunningham and Robinson (1918), the location of the liver below the right lung contributes to this (p. 1091) along with the presence of the flat diaphragm underneath the both of

Beethoven Sonata No 27 Essay Example for Free

Beethoven Sonata No 27 Essay This piece is highly unusual for Beethoven Sonatas. One, although it was written at the start of his late period, this sonata had only two movements, the first being extremely short. Secondly, this was the first that Beethoven started writing his tempo markings in German, as though implying that this Sonata was more personal. Beethoven has also remarked on this piece that he considered titling it either â€Å"Struggle Between Head and Heart or Conversation with the Beloved. This sonata was dedicated to Count Moritz von Lichnowsky and so describes the love affair he was having at the time. Beethoven literally gave the Count this sonata with the words, â€Å"This Sonata describes your love life.† The first movement of the sonata has an extremely short development, and a surprising coda. The second movement is much longer, much like a Schubert sonata and has another surprising ending of a small epilogue. In fact, Schubert’s first sonata (unfinished) 2nd movement, shows a distinct likeliness to this piece’s 2nd movement. It would almost seem like Schubert’s first sonata was a tribute to Beethoven. Written in 1814, there is a 5 year gap from his last sonata. He gives exact instructions for his tempo markings because, as he said, â€Å"I am deaf, and I can no longer play the piano. Therefore, I must give exact instructions to the performer.† In fact, he became so particular, that he started notating exactly where his dynamic changes are, leaving almost no room for the performer for adjustments. Listening to a lecture recital by Andrea Schiff, he has remarked that Sonata no. 27 is one of the most mysterious of the 32 sonatas. This sonata was written deliberately not to ‘please’ his audience. He wrote it to promote discussion among music lovers and pianists. This sonata wasn’t even written to be performed on stage. Both movements of this piece end quietly, written subito piano and no retardando could be seen. The piece ends quietly and the audience is barely aware the piece has even ended. This sonata is not meant to make an impression. Andrea Schiff has even gone so far to say that, â€Å"Ideally, we wouldn’t even have an applause at the end of this piece, there is nothing to applaud!† Furthermore, the sonata after, No. 28 (in A Major), sounds like a continuation of the 2nd movement. I will be doing a structural analysis of the Sonata, however, I will also be adding some commentary on some aspects I find more interesting. Starting from the beginning of the first movement, we have the exposition and the first theme. Already here in the first eight bars we can see the conflict â€Å"between the head and heart†, like this movement is so aptly nicknamed. In m. 8-16, we see some use of syncopation, indicating that the movement should be counted in one and not three in the  ¾ time signature. In the first 24 measures, ending with the fermata on a rest, we see clearly the backbone of the whole sonata. In the next section starting with an open b octave, we see the composer has marked in tempo and pp. Beethoven really marks everything for the performer, leaving little to question on how exactly he wants it performed. In m. 55, where we have a very awkward left hand broken chords, I would like to point out that the base line for these seemingly randomly spaced chords is actually the inversion of the original theme at the beginning of the piece. The second movement starts at m. 82 on a single b. At m. 109, we have a sudden reminiscence of polyphonic texture much like what Bach would have written. Starting in m. 113, just when the counterpoint ends, we see that the theme has migrated to the tenor line in the left hand, leaving the right hand free to ‘improvise’ over. We modulate at m. 130 and in m. 136 there is an echo of the first theme. Just when we think that it sounds somehow familiar, the recapitulation suddenly appears at m.144. There is a little coda at m. 231 and the first movement ends quietly with no retardando marked. It is assumed that the performer moves immediately to the 2nd movement. The opening theme in the rondo is something that the performer becomes familiar with very quickly, because it is repeated in the entire movement no less than sixteen times. In contrast to the fighting between the head and heart in the first movement, this movement is nicknamed, â€Å"Conversation with the Beloved†. This theme is so unlike Beethoven that it has almost a Schubert-like quality to it. I would also like to note that the opening theme of the second movement is an inversion of the first theme in the first movement. The epilogue at m. 286 quietly ends the piece, just slipping away. No one notices that it has ended until the surprising silence occupies the space. There is no retardando written and the dynamic marking is pp. I would also like to do a Golden Mean analysis with the first movement, the second movement, and the entire work. Movement one: 145m x .618 = 89.61 Movement two: 290m x .618 = 179.22 Whole work: 535m x..618 = 330.63 or 185.63 in the 2nd movement In movement one, the midpoint falls a few measures after the development, where the theme is being repeated in the surprising key of a minor. This is right before we crescendo up to a climax at m. 92. In movement two, the midpoint falls onto another a minor chord. This measure is right before we transition to another choral in the key of B Major. The midpoint of the entire piece falls on an unassuming measure in the middle of the first theme of the second movement. As for the most important parts of the entire work, I would point out the interesting inversions scattered across the board. First would be the awkward broken chords at m. 55 in the first movement that I have mentioned before. And then again right before the recapitulation when the theme is echoed over the keys. Then again at the little coda at m. 231. As for the second movement, the whole theme is the inverted first theme of the first movement.

Models of Accounting Analysis

Models of Accounting Analysis Historic Cost In accounting, historic cost is the first money related quality of a financial item. Historic cost is focused around the stable measuring unit assumption. In a few circumstances, assets and liabilities may be demonstrated at their historic cost, as though there had been no change in value from the date of acquisition. The balance sheet value items may subsequently vary from the accurate value (WIKIPEDIA). Principle An accounting system in which assets are recorded on an balance sheet with the value at which they were obtained, rather than the current market value. The historic cost standard is used to get the measure of capital expended to acquire an asset, and is helpful for matching against changes in profits or expenses identifying with the asset purchased, and in addition for deciding past opportunity costs (Business Dictionary). Impacts Under the historical cost basis of accounting, assets and liabilities are recorded at their values when first acquired. They are not then generally restated for changes in values. Costs recorded in the Income Statement are based on the historical cost of items sold or used, rather than their replacement costs (WIKIPEDIA). Example The main headquarters of a company, which includes the land and building, was bought for $100,000 in 1945, and its expected market value today is $30 million. The asset is still recorded on the balance sheet at $100,000 (INVESTOPEDIA). Current Purchasing Power Accounting Capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power (CMUCPP) is the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) basic accounting model originally authorized in IFRS in 1989 as an alternative to traditional historical cost accounting (WIKIPEDIA). Principle Current Purchasing Power Accounting(CPPA) includes the re-statement of historical figures at current purchasing power. For this reason, historic figures must be multiple by conversion factors. The formula for the calculation of conversion component is: Conversion factor = Price Index at the date of Conversion/Price Index at the date of item arose Conversion factor at the beginning = Price Index at the end/Price Index at the beginning Conversion factor at an average = Price Index at the end/Average Price Index Conversion factor at the end = Price Index at the end/Price Index at the end Average Price Index = Price Index at beginning + Price Index at the end/2 CPP Value = Historical value X Conversion factor (Account Managment Economics). Impacts on Financial Statements financial statements are ready on the basis of historical cost and a supplementary statement is ready showing historical items in terms of present value on the basis of general price index. Retail price index or wholesale price index is taken as an appropriate index for the conversion of historical cost items to show the changes in value of money. This method takes into consideration the changes in the value of items as a result of general price level, but it does not account for changes in the value of individual items (Accounting Managment). Example XYZ Company had a closing balance of inventory at 30 June 2012 equal to $10000. This inventory had been purchased in the last three months of the financial year. Assume the general price level index was 140 on 1 July 2011, 144 on 31 December 2011, 150 on 30 June 2012, the average for the year (July 2011-June 2012) was 145 and the average for April 2012 June 2012 was 147. For showing updated inventory with CPPA, we will use following formula Book value of inventory X current month general price index/ average index of three months = 10000 X 150/ 147 = $ 10204 (Accounting Education). Current Cost Accounting Current cost accounting is a procedure of accounting that attempts to give quality of benefits on the basis of their current replacement require as opposed to the sum they were purchased for (Ask). Principles It influences all the records and accounting reports also their balancing items. A fundamental principle underlying the estimation of gross value added, and hence GDP, is that yield and intermediate utilization must be value at the costs present at the time the processing happens. This intimates that goods withdrawn from inventories must be value at the price prevailing at the times the goods are withdrawn and not at the costs at which they entered inventories (Glossary Of Statistical Terms). Impacts Accounting systems that help in the preparation of financial reports, the cost accounting systems and reports are not subject to rules and standards like the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. As a result, there is huge variety in the cost accounting systems of the different organization and sometimes even in different parts of the same organization (WIKIPEDIA). Advantages Of Historic Cost Historic Cost provide straight forward procedure. It records gains until they are recognize. Historical Costing method are still using in accounting system. Dis-Advantages Of Historic Cost Historic Cost consider as a acquisition cost of an asset and does not recognize current market value. Historic Cost only interested in allocation of cost, not in the value of an asset. It’s neglect the current market value of the asset that may be higher or lower than its suggested. It’s gives flaws in time of inflation (Study Mode). Comments Historical Costing method is still using in accounting system, it is a traditional method of accounting system it is not represent the market value of items, due to which it is not a appropriate method to adopt. Advantages Of Current Purchasing Power Accounting Current purchasing power method uses as measuring unit. It’s provide the calculation facilities to gain or loss in purchasing power due to holding monetary items. In this method, historical accounts continue to be maintained because they prepared on supplementary basis. This method intact the purchasing power of capital contributed by shareholders, so the method is important from the shareholders point of view. This method provides reliable financial information for the management to formulate policies and plans. Dis-Advantages Of Current Purchasing Power Accounting This method is only consider changes in general purchasing power, it does not consider the changes in the value of individual items. This method based on statistical index number which not used in individual firm. It’s difficult to use suitable price index. This method is failed to remove all defects of historical cost accounting system (Accounting Management). Comments Purchasing power accounting is very useful to provide financial information for management and its intact the purchasing power of capital which contributed by shareholders, its useful in inflation time so now in current time this method is very useful. Advantages of Current Cost Accounting This methods use present value of assets, instead of the original purchase price. This type of accounting is addresses the difference between historical and current cost accounting system. This method assigns higher values on the assets owned by the business. This method also used during bankruptcy and liquidation procedures to find the total loss to the owner (Ask). Comments Cost accounting provides accurate situation of the connection between specific cost and specific outputs because traces resources as they moves through company. By adopting cost accounting for business, in that way we learn resources are being wasted and which resource are most profitable (Chron).

The Jungle Essay -- Essays Papers

The Jungle In Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle not only symbolized an era where dirt and filth ran rampant in meat packing industry, but it also exposed people to the natural human desire of greed, power, and corruptions. This in turn was a socialist transformation itself. Sinclair also provides the meaning to the phrase â€Å"wage slavery† in different ways. In the novel Sinclair tells a story about a man name Jurgis, a Lithuanian immigrant who gets married to young lady named Ona Lukoszaite, who’s also a Lithuanian immigrant. At the wedding there are saloon-keepers who cheats the family on liquor and beer, claiming that the guests consumed more than they actually did. Since the family had enough sense not to argue with these powerful people they decided to do as they were told. Since Jurgis felt that he was strong enough to work off the money that was owed to these people he decided to work harder. Throughout the 1st two chapters of the novel Sinclair finds a way to talk about Socialism. Socialism is the belief that whoever controls the means of production holds the power to determine how well the people live. â€Å"The Socialists were organized in every civilized nation†(Sinclair 315). When Jurgis had made himself familiar with the Socialist literature, as he would very quickly he, would get glimpses of the Beef Trust from all sorts of aspects, and he would find it everywhere the same; it was the incarnation of blind and insensate Greed. In the Nove...

Corporal Punishment Is Physical Abuse :: essays research papers fc

Corporal Punishment Is Physical Abuse Corporal punishment is the execution of a judicially imposed sentence that inflicts a manner of physical pain upon the offenders body without killing him. In the past corporal punishment included flogging, whipping, branding and facial or bodily mutilation of all types. Corporal punishment also refers to the discipline of children at home and in schools but it was made illegal for punishing schoolchildren in 1986. Historically, corporal punishment was used in the ancient law codes of Hammurabi and Moses, in laws of Sparta and other Greek city states, in early Christian church teachings and in Anglo-Saxon common laws. It is still used in many parts of the world and remains in the criminal codes of several European communities. In the twentieth century, corporal punishment has received severe criticism. Many people believe it is a barbaric relic of a bygone age, completely opposite with present day humanitarian ethics. With a rising crime rate many are favouring the reinstitution of physical punishment for very wicked crimes. It has been shown that many adults in England want the restoration of corporal punishment for certain crimes, hoping that it will effect the reaction against an ever increasing amount of crime. The use of corporal punishment on children has also dropped sharply. In many school systems of the United States, for example, corporal punishment has been outlawed, it is also illegal in countries such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. Corporal punishment for certain offences is very effective, because it's done quickly and feared by all. Not only will it teach the offender not to repeat his violent actions but it will also discourage him. It teaches the school boy or convict that doing wrong will be followed by pain and suffering. When used justly and without anger the giver is not brutalised. In many independent schools where it still occurs it is thought of as a final punishment. It accustoms the pupils to the hardships of real life and no bitterness is left after it has been used for good reasons. It is always impossible to make the punishment fit the crime, with corporal punishment the amount can be adjusted to suit the offender. It is much better than other punishments which are deadening to the mind and the body. Schools which don't find corporal punishment essential, especially for young children, substitute it with other methods which are equivalent to terrorising. Detentions are also harmful because they increase the nu mber of hours a boy is forced to spend indoors in physical inactivity. His restlessness is increased by the enforced restraint which leads to further

Microsoft’s monopoly Essay

The global market economy includes several market structures. One of these structures is the monopoly. Monopoly happens when only one firm provides a specific good or service to the consumers and generally dominates the whole industry by controlling the market. In this case, the dominant firm has the ability to set the price while there are no other rivals to force competitiveness. In order to keep their domination, firms are likely to grow a behaviour that prevents other potential companies from breaking in the industry (Krugman, P. R.et al, 2012). How firms will behave, especially in a monopoly market where the demand is inelastic, is a very significant factor for the public interest. For a firm having no rivals, consumers run the risks of high prices for low quality and quantity products as the dominant firm loses the incentive to satisfy them. Furthermore you will be provided with a brief description on how firms tend to behave in this market structure, together with some information of Microsoft’s behaviour against public interest. Monopoly is a very crucial position to be. A firm wants to maintain this position and keep controlling the market by using as barriers the advantages the monopolistic power offers. Due to their long existence, established monopolies afford to grow special skills that makes their production and marketing very efficient. Together with the good control of their finance and costs they come to great results and supernormal profit in the long-run. Part of this profit is usually spent researches, investments and generally for their further development. The huge amount of output they produce, gives them the opportunity to reduce their average costs and form a low, but profitable price. These factors make the entrance of new firms almost impossible. A new company has to invest gigantic amounts in order to break in, something that is very risky. Even if they do, the firm owning the monopoly position can start a price war or enormous advertising campaigns which will again bring the new firm in a very difficult position (Sloman, J. et al, 2013). Figure 1: (Riley, G. , College E. , 2006) â€Å"Differences between monopoly and perfect competition markets†. Through the diagram above, the main differences of a firm operating in a monopolistic market rather than a one with perfect competition are identified. As stated before, the dominant firms are able to regulate the price of its product according to its marginal revenue and costs as the market appears to be of inelastic demand. This gives them the ability to operate in a profit maximising point (MC=MR) of Pmon-Q2 rather than Pcomp-Q1. As a result, firms are pushed away from the demand supply equilibrium that might had been set if there was competition, creating inefficiency and consumer surplus is lost because less output is supplied in higher price. This brings the reduction of welfare which is likely to be purely transferred to the producer through higher profits, but part of the loss is never reassigned to any other economic agent, bringing the known as â€Å"deadweight welfare loss† which is equal to the area ABC (Riley, G. College, E. , 2006). Inappropriate use of this power can sometimes be considered as consumer’s exploitation and market abuse in general. In these cases, governmental policies are likely to intervene. These can be departments or organizations that enforce the consumer protection and competition law in order to adjust justice and equality in the market. A good example were the US Justice Department took action is in Microsoft’s case. Microsoft is the biggest software company in the planet holding the reins of the industry for many years. Microsoft afforded to have its operating system, MS-DOS, installed in more than 90% of the world’s computers. For more than the half of its lifetime, Microsoft was taken to the courts by the US Government for exploiting its monopolistic power and trying to obliterate all its rivals. â€Å"Microsoft attempted to collude with Netscape Communications to divide the Internet Browser market. Netscape Communications refused† (Sloman, J. et al, 2010:170). Then, using a series of illegal actions, Microsoft tried to force other computer manufactures to promote and use its web browser â€Å"Internet Explorer† rather than Netscape’s Internet navigator (CNN Money, 2002). Microsoft was also sued for illegally restricting the multimedia player market by bundling Windows Media Player with its operating system and making it mandatory for all clients using Windows. (European Commission, 2007). To defend itself, Microsoft pointed that these actions were part their effort further innovation and development of their product, actions that had nothing to do with market abuse and consumer’s exploitation. This excuse was never accepted by the law. It was in the early 2004 when this case finally and Microsoft was forced to pay a fine of 497 million dollars for abusing its monopoly position (Sloman, J. et al, 2010; Sloman, J. et al, 2013). The main consideration is how were consumers affected by these series of actions across the years, was it against or in the public interest? On the one hand, considering what Microsoft stated in the court, this can be deemed to be a good kind of monopoly operating positively for the consumer’s interest. The continuously process of product innovation through research and development offered the ability to the consumer to enjoy an improved and updated product at reliable prices and satisfying quantities. In a market where the demand is so high, and the technology is growing so rapid this is of great importance. On the other hand, some of these actions might considered to be against them. The way Microsoft tried to promote its product, not only left consumers with no alternative choice in the operating system’s market but also forced them to make use its substitute programs (e. g. Windows Media Player). As a result, the consumer was indirectly ‘locked in’ a one way road consuming specified products produced by a single firm. To sum up, as all market structures monopoly carries both advantages and disadvantages. Whether this structure is deemed to be for or against the public interest is in basis of how firms owning the monopolistic position will behave. As for the market outlined above, my opinion is that Microsoft’s behaviour had a good overall approach towards consumers and should be considered as a good kind of monopoly. Relatively low prices on products with excellent quality and performance I think is a fair treatment for them. Especially now, after the entrance and gradual growth of some new players in the industry such as iOs and Android, the market has reached a fair level for the public interest giving the opportunity to the consumers to choose through a wide range of products that still offer good qualities.

Feasibility Analysis Executive Summary for a Video Store

Contents Feasibility Analysis Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Business Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 System Request – Lucky8 Video Store †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Project Standards†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 Description of the Application †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Risk Assessment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Feasibility Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 Functional Requirements: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Nonfunctional Requirements: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 Appendix A: FSSD Financials †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 23 Appendix B: DFD †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 26 Appendix C: ERD & Database Relationships †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Appendix D: System Analysis Scheduling †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 31 Lucky8 Video’s System Feasibility Analysis Executive Summary The First State System Development team has created the following feasibility analysis for the Lucky8 Video’s System Project. The System Request is attached, along wit h a detailed feasibility study. The highlights of the feasibility analysis include: Technical Feasibility ? Competition risk: high ? Technological feasibility risk low ? Cost of materials risk medium ?Location feasibility risk medium Economic Feasibility ? Costs and benefits Development Expenses include: Developer salaries, server hardware Operation Expenses include: Maintenance salaries (servicemen/programmer troubleshooters) Intangible benefits include: Faster service, more convenient ? Values of Costs/Benefits Estimated Development Expense: $7500 ($2500 server + $5000 total development salary) Estimated Operational Expense: $700 maintenance fee Estimated Consumer-Related Expense: $20,000 for each rental box (includes DVD’s, Blue-Ray, and Games) 2 ?Cash Flow Year 1: $8200 Year 2: $700 + ($20,000 * X) Year 3: $700 + ($20,000 * X) Year 4: $700 + ($20,000 * X) Year N: $700 + ($20,000 * X) ? Net Present Value (NPV) Current Redbox Competitor System Cost: $15,000 each Redbox rent al unit + $7000 merchandise $2 – $20 per DVD Computer Analyst – Annual Salary: $57,202 Marketing Manager Annual Salary: $90,000 500 – 1000 items in a Redbox machine $147,202 Redbox income DVD rental price $1. 20 * X Blue-ray rental price $1. 50 * X Game rental price $2. 00 * X Lucky8 System Cost: $20,000 each Lucky8 rental unit 3 Servicemen at $15,000/yr 1 System administrator at $56,000/yr $101,000Lucky8 income DVD rental price $1. 20 * X Blue-ray rental price $1. 50 * X Game rental price $2. 00 * X 3 Net Present Value = 147,202 – 101,000 = $46,202 Return on Investment (ROI) (147,202 – 101,000) / 101,000 = 0. 457 Break-even Point $8200 4 First State System Development Business Plan Description of FSSD A pioneer in comprehensive IT outsourcing since 2008, First State System Development (FSSD) is a full-service IT consulting and outsourcing firm for businesses in and around Wilmington, Newark, and Philadelphia.Our clients represent a crosssection of all industries and rely on FSSD for many different IT services. However, their requirements are the same: technology must support their business and operate reliably. FSSD is dedicated to delivering superior, enduring solutions that are the best match between business and infrastructure, implemented by the best certified consultants in the industry. Whatever your need is, FSSD will meet it with a broad selection of onsite and remote IT services that are available as pre-packaged programs or a la carte, and all under one roof.Comprehensive IT services, broad expertise, and dependable customer service are just some examples of the services we offer. FSSD expands your IT capabilities and resources dramatically and ensures that technology works for you. FSSD’s comprehensive IT services outsourcing is the perfect fit for our clients. Our broad expertise expands the IT capabilities of these companies, giving them technology that fits their business and supports their business†™ success and growth. Our out sourcing program includes Networking, Business Application Development, Web Design, Support, Preventive Care, and nyielding Customer Service. Market leaders in a wide range of industries rely on FSSD services and solutions to power their most sophisticated computing environments. There's no escaping it: technology is a necessity in today's business and critical to your business’ success. But how do you find the right IT solution and make it work for you? The good news is that you don't have to be an IT expert to be in business. You don't even need an in-house IT department. All you need is FSSD Technologies. 5FSSD takes the worry out of IT management. Our comprehensive IT outsourcing, technology consulting, and managed IT services immediately broaden your IT capabilities, giving you the power and flexibility to handle any aspect of your technology needs. Are you ready to make technology work for you? Take a closer look at how FSSD can help: ? ? ? ? ? ? Outsourced IT Managed Services Software Solutions Technology Assessments Procurement Design & Architecture Most companies today rely heavily on technology to keep their businesses running.FSSD’s clients are no exception, but they do have a distinct advantage: We ensure that their technology drives their business’ success. We understand their business, and we understand technology. Combined, our knowledge enables us to customize and deliver sound, strategic IT solutions that function as part of our clients' long-term business strategy. Our financial numbers speak for themselves in order to provide you with a clear idea of t how FSSD has been growing in the last years. For that reason we are proud to share our comparative income statement and balance sheet with you. See appendix A) 6 System Request – Lucky8 Video Store Project Sponsor: Prem Tandon Business Need: The goal for this project is to increase Lucky 8 Video’s market share for movie and gam e rentals by spreading rental kiosks across the state. Business Requirements: Customers of Lucky 8 Video will be able to rent or buy DVD, Blu-ray and video game discs from a kiosk in their area. They will then be able to return the rented disk to the same or a different rental kiosk. Servicemen will be able to update the inventory of available products in the machine.Sales information from each Lucky 8 machine will be remotely transmitted back to a central information system for analysis. Each rental kiosk will contain: ? ? ? ? A touch screen interface An internal inventory of discs stored in cases A wireless transceiver for transactions and information communication A software system for processing customer transactions Business Value: We anticipate a wider customer base because of the ease of use and convenience of using our video rental kiosks. We also expect increased rentals at our video stores, due to the increased brand recognition.Conservative estimates for the total benefit s over the project lifespan ? ? ? ? $250,000 savings from faster service $180,000 reduction in labor costs $1,138,000 increased sales $220,500 total net cash flow 7 Special Issues or Constraints: ? ? ? ? Regular inventory updates will be required to keep available movies and games recent. The database of products in the machines will also need to be updated when new releases are added to the inventory. Rental kiosks locations will be limited to areas that receive wireless service. Customers will not be able to return disks to a machine that already has a full inventory.Roles and Responsibilities Name Position Description of Responsibilities Project planning Project control Project communication Resource management Internal project reporting and administration. Andrew Shearer Project manager Oversees all aspects of the organization’s quality or business improvement efforts, such as developing and administering the program, training and coaching employees, and facilitating chan ge throughout the organization. Responsible for establishing strategic plans, policies, and procedures at all levels so quality improvement efforts will meet or exceed internal and external customers’ needs and expectations. Understands basic revenue models, p/l, and cost-tocompletion projections and makes decisions accordingly. Understand our pricing model and billing procedures. Accurately forecasts revenue, profitability, margins, bill Alex GrierTechnical Analyst rates and utilization. Assures project legal documents are completed and signed. Tracks and reports team hours and expenses on a weekly basis. Manage project budget. Determine project roles of team members based on project requirements, timeframes and budget. When necessary work with external contractors in addition to internal resources.Define skill sets (competencies) required for the project based on project specifications and requirements. Abram Watson Business Analyst Determine resource requirements (includin g staffing, software, hardware, and facilities) of projects, based on project specifications. Designing the Company’s Processes Business Analysis in IT Analyzing the Various Business Models Detailed Planning 9 Business Advisors is someone who analyzes the Business Advisor organization and design of businesses, government departments, and non-profit organizations; BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology.Wilson Hsu Systems Analysis Plan a system flow from the ground up. Interact with customers to learn and document requirements that are then used to produce business requirements documents. Write technical requirements from a critical phase. Interact with designers to understand software limitations. Esteban Solorzano Vivar Perform system testing. Deploy the completed system. Document requirements or contribute to user manuals. Whenever a development process is conducted, the system analyst is responsible for designing components and providing that information to the developer.Database Technical Help programmers during system development, ex: provide use cases, flowcharts or even Database design. 10 Project Standards Documentation standards: ? Project name, date created and/or modified should appear on the top of each document. ? 1. 5 spacing should be used ? Fonts must be Arial 12pts. ? Each document created shall be kept in the project binder Coding Standards: ? All variable names will have relevant names and be in headless camel case. ? All Class names will be in camel case. ? The project will use object oriented design patterns. The code will be split between several different classes. ? Each class will have methods to divide the logic of the program. ? Comments will be added to all sections of code that need further explanation. Procedural standards: ? All staff will require meeting every Mondays at 10:30 for the team meeting. ? A special team Meeting will be executed every first Friday on the month. ? All changes must be approved by the project manager first prior to their execution. Specification requirements standards: ? Name of software package. ? Technical description of the package. Purpose of software package. ? Due date User interface design standards ? All buttons will be enlarged for use with a touchscreen. ? All text will be large enough for customers with vision impairments to see. ? A color scheme will be used thought-out the entire user interface. ? Returning to the main menu should take no more than two clicks. 11 Description of the Application The application allows customers to browse through discs available in the machine. Customers are able to add movies and games to a shopping cart. The customer will be prompted to enter their zip code and email address.This information is used to send a receipt to the customer and for credit verification. The disks are then dispensed from the machine. 12 Risk Assessment Risk#1: The creation and implementation of the database portion of the syste m may consume additional time resources due to the extensive amount of DVD, Blu-ray, and games in all their platforms. Likelihood of risk: Medium possibility of risk. Potential impact on the project: This will delay the programming part by 15 – 25%. Ways to address this risk: Our team will hire one or two part-time employees in order to enter the information to the database temporarily.The payment of this staff would be assumed by FSSD with no additional charge to the customer. 13 Feasibility Study 1. Client Information. 1. 1. History and Background of the Organization. The organization is a fully functional video rental store by the name of Lucky 8. The business started as a family run business and has since expanded. Lucky 8 has been operational for a little over 6 years. Within those 6 years, the business has done exceedingly well, making enough profit to expand with 20 rental kiosks 1. 2. Description 1. 2. 1. The Organization. The organization is a fully functional video rental store by the name of Lucky 8.The business started as a family run business and has since expanded. Lucky 8 has been operational for a little over 6 years. Within those 6 years, the business has done exceedingly well, making enough profit to expand with 20 rental kiosks. 1. 2. 2. The Organizational Structure. ? The owner is considered the primary manager; however, the responsibilities for managing the three stores are divided among crew members. Each Lucky 8 store also has an on-site assistant manager. Cashier, stock, and sales associates are on the same hierarchy level in the organizational structure. 14 1. 3.The Client Information All communications take place with the business owner, and all information regarding the project must be discussed with him. Any changes or additions to the project must be presented to the owner for approval, and he is solely responsible for the final acceptance criteria Owner Name: Prem R. Tandon Contact Details: Cell Phone Number: 302-555-5555 E -Mail Address: For documentation: [email  protected] edu Client Background: Before opening Lucky 8, the owner was the regional manager of Blockbuster in the Delaware Tri-State. He has no formal education with regards to media or entrepreneurship. . The Business Problem: Lucky 8 video store has been having a moderate but steady growth in recent years. However, due to the increasing growth of video platforms such as Netflix or OnDemand services provided by cable operators, many of the mayor video rental companies are closing their doors. A clear example of this trend is Blockbuster. However, not all are bad news. A new video rental system has been implemented in recent times with great success by the public. This is video rental kiosks. That is the technology strategy that Lucky 8 wants to target. 3.Proposed New System Lucky 8 video store currently has no system in place to monitor or provide the rental of DVDs, Blu-rays, or games trough kiosks. The proposed system would offer funct ionality in the areas of inventory management, order tracking, staff management, reporting, and real time data sharing between kiosks. A custom designed system will be built in JAVA for this user to meet his specific needs. Microsoft Access will be used as the organization’s database. FSSD will also provide all the components in order to build the first kiosk. The user will assume the 15 cost of additional kiosks he will require in the future.However, FSSD will provide the technical assistance to install the system in the new kiosk with no extra charge. 4. Feasibility Analysis 4. 1. Technical Feasibility 4. 1. 1. Competition risk: high ? ? ? Redbox has an estimate of 33,000 kiosks across the country and has a well-established customer base. Redbox averages an estimate of 35,000 customers a day at their terminals. Blockbuster has been around since 1985. Blockbuster has an estimate of 10,000 rental kiosks across the country. However, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy September 2 3, 2010. 4. 1. 2. Technological feasibility risk low ? The technology is already on the market; there should be no doubt this is feasible. You can actually purchase pre-made rental kiosks online. 4. 1. 3. Cost of materials risk medium ? ? The rental kiosks are estimated to cost between 15,000 and 20,000. Companies like Redbox get a little over half their inventory from producers like Warner Brothers. However, they bring in a little under half their inventory from stores like Wal-Mart. The reason Redbox has resorted to buying from chains like Wal-Mart is due to the fact that producers like Warner Brothers have been trying to regulate and restrict access to movies for Redbox. Due to the fact that buying merchandise from chains like Wal-Mart, KMart, or any other seller that has a large inventory is possible, getting our merchandise won’t be a problem 16 4. 1. 4. Labor feasibility risk low ? For companies like Redbox who have an estimate of 33,000 kiosks their cost of maintenance and labor is very expensive and tedious. However, for a small start-up company like you the cost of maintenance won’t be too high. ? ? You can actually purchase pre-made rental kiosks online. One or two servicemen will be required to keep the kiosks up to date 4. 1. 5. Location feasibility risk medium ?Since the idea of DVD rental kiosks, the locations in which they’ve been placed have benefitted a great deal because of them. The kiosks bring in business for grocery stores, McDonalds, Walgreens, and many other franchises across the country. ? ? Because of the profitability of having a kiosk on your front door step these franchises offer their space for free. The only risk is Redbox is in numerous locations and stores may be hard pressed to accept your kiosk over a renowned Redbox. 4. 2. Economic Feasibility See attached spread sheet for economic feasibility analysis. 4. 3.Organizational Feasibility It is concerned with determining whether the business itself has suffi cient skills and resources to bring their product or service to the market table successfully. a) Three Primary Factors ? Management Expertise ? Acceptability ? Resources 17 b) Management Ability ? Andrew Shearer displays a management prowess that is requisite for this position and is firmly dedicated to the completion of this project. ? Andrew Shearer has worked on numerous projects similar to the build of this with an outstanding success rate. We have no trouble appointing him as a fit candidate for this project. ) Resource Allocation ? Nonfinancial Resources ? ? ? ? ? ? Three Lucky 8 home stores. Large media collection. Well versed in media sales. Established cliental base. Available office space. Likelihood of establishing favorable strategic partnerships is high. ? Financial Resources ? ? ? Numerous liquid assets. Minimum $1,000,000 budget for expansion. Steady profits. d) Acceptability. ? â€Å"If we build it, will they come? † ? The users of the system have already exp ressed a strong interest in the implementation of a kiosk ‘come as you please’ based system.The implementation of Redbox kiosks nationwide has brought mountainous profitability to not only the business, but the proximity business owners. Why not Lucky 8? ? Very convenient for consumers who are already on their way to a local store like Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or Shop Rite. ? Our $1 rental price is much cheaper than other media rental stores. 18 ? Concerns ? If a kiosk is full you must drive to another kiosk or wait for open availability ? ? Credit card or debit card access is required Summary ? The advantage we have is that the idea has already been produced and yielded success, so how can we fail?The benefits of the project far outweigh the risks. If we build it they will come. 19 Lucky8 Cost – Benefit Analysis 4/18/2012 2012 Benefits Faster Service Increased Convenience Increased Sales Total Benefits Development Costs 1 Server @ $2500 Development Salary Total Deve lopment Cost Operational Costs 3 Servicemen @ $15,000 /yr 1 System Administrator @ $56,000 /yr Total Operational Cost Consumer-Related Costs 20 Rental Boxes @ $400,000 Total Consumer-Related Cost Total Costs Total Benefits – Total Costs Cumulative Net Cash Flow Return on Investment(ROI) Break-even Point 31. 18% 3. 32 years 013 $50,000 $45,000 $130,000 $225,000 2014 $50,000 $45,000 $161,000 $256,000 2015 $50,000 $45,000 $192,000 $287,000 2016 $50,000 $45,000 $225,000 $320,000 Total $250,000 $180,000 $708,000 $1,138,000 $2,500 $5,000 $7,500 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $0. 00 $2,500 $5,000 $7,500 $56,000 $56,000 $45,000. 00 $56,000 $101,000 $45,000. 00 $56,000 $101,000 $45,000. 00 $56,000 $101,000 $45,000. 00 $56,000 $101,000 $180,000. 00 $280,000 $460,000 $400,000. 00 $400,000. 00 $463,500 ($463,500) ($463,500) $0. 00 $0. 00 $101,000 $124,000 ($339,500) 0. 00 $0. 00 $101,000 $155,000 ($184,500) $0. 00 $0. 00 $101,000 $186,000 $1, 500 $0. 00 $0. 00 $101,000 $219,000 $220,500 $400,000 $400,000 $867,500 $270,500 20 Functional Requirements: 1. Search and Browse 1. 1. The System will allow customers to browse movie/game choices by predefined categories 1. 2. The System will allow customers to search for movie/game chooses by title, maker and genre. 1. 3. The System will allow customers to see s short sample of a movie/game selection. 1. 4. The System will enable customers to add game/movie to a â€Å"favorites† list. Purchase 2.Purchase 2. 1. The System will enable customers to create a customer account that will store customer data and payment information 2. 2. The System will enable customers to specify the game/DVD to rent/purchase 2. 3. The System will collect and verify payment information. Once payment is verified the machine will eject DVD/Game 3. Promote 3. 1. The system will keep track of customer interest on the basis of previous searches and will use this information to promote DVDs/Games during future visits 3. 2. Marketing department can create promotions and specials on the Web site. . 3. Based on customer’s previous purchases, DVD/Game chooses can be targeted to the customer on future visits to the Website. 3. 4. On the basis of customer interests, customers can be notified of special offers on DVD/Games that can be purchased at a reduced rate. 21 Nonfunctional Requirements: 1. Operational 1. 1. The Digital database will be constructed to facilitate searches by title, genre, publishers and series 1. 2. In the event of a failure during a transaction the customer will be able to start over. 2. Performance 2. 1.Database/transaction speeds will be monitored and kept at an acceptable operating level. 2. 2. Browsing speed should take no more then 10-20 seconds. 3. Security 3. 1. Customer information will be secured 3. 2. Payment information will be encrypted and secured. 3. 3. Customers will not have access to encrypted information(other customers previous searches an d account information) 4. Cultural and political 4. 1. An additional language will be provided if necessary for Spanish speaking customers. (Espanol) 22 Appendix A: FSSD Financials 23 FSSD Income Statement Year 2008 – 2011 Income StatementRevenue Consulting Fees Network Design Fees Software Design Fees Total Revenue Expense Advertising Cost of Goods Sold – Labor Cost of Goods Sold – Hardware Depretiation Income Tax Expense Insurance Interest Expense Other Expenses Payroll Expenses Profesional Expenses Rent Repairs & Maintance Salaries & Wages Utilities Total Expenses Net Income 45,765 129,874 178,956 17,895 7,896 12,462 15,792 67,529 67,487 25,045 38,000 7,894 148,645 25,841 789,081 66,343 68,945 158,478 297,456 29,854 8,412 49,045 28,745 112,456 124,529 38,045 48,000 9,845 248,512 48,562 1,270,884 165,057 97,458 74,895 359,126 45,987 11,046 15,123 42,045 115,621 152,456 32,556 105,000 16,456 359,784 58,741 1,586,294 204,046 97,805 209,563 489,954 67,235 25,987 18,564 59,785 156,254 249,563 41,856 120,000 29,874 584,126 78,456 2,229,022 385,858 210,485 287,454 357,485 855,424 405,673 397,812 632,456 1,435,941 546,512 468,974 774,854 1,790,340 789,056 678,945 1,146,879 2,614,880 2008 2009 2010 2011 24 FSSD COMPARATIVE BALANCE SHEET YEARS 2008-2011Cash Accounts Receivable Notes Receivable Other Receivables Inventory Securities Total Current Assets 2008 ASSETS 53,039 192,484 882 25,363 23,539 5,000 300,307 2009 18,382 195,112 139 35,304 30,876 10,000 289,813 2010 130,442 206,395 2,965 27,143 20,158 20,000 407,103 2011 59,788 270,606 175 32,789 16,116 25,000 404,474 Fixed Assets – ALLOWANCE FOR depretiation Net Fixed Assets Investment Miscelaneus Receivables Differes Charges Other Assets Total Assets 16,601 (179,370) 237,231 537,538 LIABILITIES 92,168 20,037 54,505 6,572 173,282 1,000 174,282 34,075 15,000 191,788 240,863 537,538 440,116 (212,915) 267,639 557,452 529,554 (261,915) 267,639 674,742 589,509 (320,463) 269,046 673,520 Accoun ts Payable Notes Payable Other Payables Accruals Total Current Liabilities Deferred Liabilities Other Liabilities Total Liabilities Profit Common Stock Retained Earnings/Surplus Total Equity Total Liability + Equity 88,022 22,785 39,601 2,558 152,966 3,000 155,966 15,819 15,000 201,196 232,015 516,984 47,376 27,764 34,399 34,110 243,649 4,000 247,649 80,366 15,000 260,631 355,997 674,742 106,380 25,101 83,714 15,540 230,735 10,000 240,735 57,400 15,000 309,866 382,266 673,520 25 Appendix B: DFD 26 27 Appendix C: Relationships ERD & Database 28 29 30 Appendix D: Scheduling System Analysis 31 ID Project Name Days Start End 1-Feb 8-Feb 15-Feb 22-Feb 29-Feb 7-Mar 14-Mar 21-Mar 28-Mar 4-Apr 11-Apr 18-Apr 25-Apr 2-May 1. 0 Development Schedule Planning Phase Project Initiation Project Management 91 1-Feb 2-May 1. 1 1. . 1 1. 1. 2 27 11 16 1-Feb 1-Feb 10-Feb 28-Feb 12-Feb 26-Feb 1. 2 1. 2. 1 1. 2. 2 1. 2. 3 Analysis Phase Analysis Strategy Requirements Gathering System Proposal 19 5 9 5 28 -Feb 28-Feb 4-Mar 13-Mar 18-Mar 4-Mar 13-Mar 18-Mar 1. 3 1. 3. 1 1. 3. 2 1. 3. 3 1. 3. 4 Design Phase Design Strategy Architecture Design Database & File Speculations Programming Design 26 1 8 8 9 18-Mar 18-Mar 19-Mar 27-Mar 4-Apr 13-Apr 19-Mar 27-Mar 4-Apr 13-Apr 1. 4 1. 4. 1 Implementation System Construction 19 19 13-Apr 13-Apr 2-May 2-May 32

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