Swiss Watch Company ROLEX and how they manage customer satisfaction, Essay

Swiss Watch Company ROLEX and how they manage customer satisfaction, loyalty and what the company does to foster customer relations - Essay Example The same include use of titanium and ceramics, apart from gold and diamond in their watches, as well as launching creative customer relations management (CRM) modules to keep the existing customers, whiling adding the new ones. Keeping the quality and customer satisfaction in view, Rolex watch company has limited its production of watches, till recently, between 650000 to 800000 per year. Hence, the demand for their prestigious time pieces has always been more than the production and supply figures, while the waiting list for their stainless steel Daytona watches goes up to five years, at times.(Liebeskind, What makes Rolex tick) & ( Smith, 1996) However, with their planned new production facility at Bienne, the company hopes to add around 400000 cubic meters of quality work space that can cater to almost 2000 employees, in the year 2012†¦.(Swiss watch news, 2009) Rolex watches are made as per the specific customer requirements. For example, Rolex Submariner and Rolex Oyster were designed keeping in view the water sports, while their Explorer range of watches was developed specifically for mountaineers and those needing use of watches in rough and inhospitable terrains. Similarly, Rolex GMT Master was designed to assist pilots with multiple time zones, as the company developed these watches in 1954. While product innovation has been of supreme importance for the company, their time pieces and wrist watches are remembered for reasons other than finding time or date. For example, Rolex gained huge media attention, when its Oyster Perpetual wrist watch helped in solving a murder mystery of English Channel, in 1996†¦..(Morgan, Good reasons why to buy Rolex watches) In addition, the company has least dependence on its suppliers as most of the quality control measures are in-house, for every stage of manufacture. As the entire manufacturing process of the company

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay Example for Free

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you? Why are these concepts important to United States society? Race is usually defined by the color of a person’s skin such as black, or white. These words are used very frequently. Ethnicity is a more proper way to define us as people and usually refers to our cultural background/ancestry. For example: Africans, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. These concepts are important to the United States because of the diversity, and all walks of life, census plays a big role. Our ethnicity/race is what distinctively separates us from one another by groups. Also according to (Office Of Management and budget August 28,1995) In 1977, OMB issued the Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting that are set forth in Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. The standards in this Directive have been used for almost two decades throughout the Federal government for recordkeeping, collection, and presentation of data on race and Hispanic origin. The standards have been used in two decennial censuses and in surveys of the population, data collections necessary for meeting statutory requirements associated with civil rights monitoring and enforcement, and in other administrative program reporting. Data collection agencies have legislative authority to collect racial and ethnic data needed for Federal programs and in the case of the decennial census, for redistricting. They also use racial and ethnic data for analyses of social, economic, and health trends for population groups. Basically it is important for them to collect this info for federal, business, and statistical reasons. References: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_race-ethnicity

Benefits of Physical Exercise

Benefits of Physical Exercise Regular physical exercise is beneficial to the body on a long-term basis. Most experts believe that healthy eating enhances the health of the body. However, recent research indicates that healthy eating has to be in tandem with physical exercises in order to ensure that the body systems function best. Regular physical exercises ensure that the body is able to manage heart diseases and other ailments such as diabetes. By engaging in physical exercises, an individual is able to enhance his or her chances of living longer, while keeping diseases at bay. Additionally, physical exercises ensure that blood lipid patterns are kept at a minimum (Langlois, 2013). Although heart diseases are usually associated with lack of physical exercises, staying active also ensures that the body effectively manages all kinds of diseases. For instance, people can be protected against high blood pressure and breast cancer if they take physical exercises as routine. Exercise and Mental Health Apart from physical exercises ensuring the long-term health of an individual through overcoming diseases, the mental health of the individual also improves. Physical activity ensures the release of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals maintain a relaxation atmosphere in the body. The aspect of relaxing the mind raises the self-esteem of a person because it increases self-confidence (Langlois, 2013). People who spend most of their time in the office usually develop stress. Involving in physical exercise provides the individual with an opportunity to relieve stress. Physical exercises increase norepinephrine concentration (Penedo Dahn, 2009). This chemical empowers the brain to effectively respond to stress. Penedo and Dahn (2009) acknowledge how the increased temperature through physical exercise helps to reduce tension within the muscles. This leads to relaxation that overcomes stress. An additional benefit of working out is that it increases the concentration of the mind. Studie s have shown that exercises boost sleep, while at the same time helping people who are suffering from depression. The natural tendency of the body to treat depression can also be envisaged through the increased secretion of endorphins due to physical exercises. Experts such as Penedo and Dahn (2009) state that hormones secreted by the brain during heavy physical exercise reduce depression to greater levels. The authors state that exercise is an effective antidepressant. This signifies that individuals who perform regular physical exercises would not need to use antidepressant pills for treating depression. Individuals who have had difficulties in sleeping would find regular exercises to be effective mechanisms to induce sleep. Research shows that regular exercises usually help individuals to fall sleep faster, and maintain the duration of sleep for a longer period. Control of Body Weight, Bones, and Muscles Individuals who habitually involve in physical exercises seldom have challenges with controlling their body weight. Most adult American citizens usually add weight, and this makes them susceptible to illness such as arthritis, stroke, and breathing complications (PHC, 2012). The excess energy that compiles within the body can be reduced through physical exercises. It is important that adults involve in exercises that are more physical in order to maintain their weight. In particular, it is important that fat be converted into muscles. In order to maintain muscles, regular physical exercises are mandatory, because they also reduce the tendency to develop fractures. A study performed on older people in a Liverpool community indicated that Muscles and bones benefit through physical exercises because they become strong (PHC, 2012). Therefore, for older people, it is quite necessary for them to develop strong bones through performing exercises such as weight lifting, walking and running. This can help them to lower their chances of developing osteoporosis; an ailment that is associated with old people. How Physical Exercises Reduce Lung Cancer Research undertaken by the American association of cancer research (2006) indicated that physical exercises reduce lung cancer. In particular, the report by Aacr (2006) suggests that women who smoke and involve in physical exercises can enjoy a reduced risk of developing lung cancer. In general, it appears that a physically active smoker has lesser chances of developing lung cancer compared to a sedentary smoker (Aacr 2006). Aacr (2006) further adds that both male and female smokers who have tried and failed in quitting smoking would find physical exercises as an effective option to reduce their susceptibility to developing lung cancer. Thune (2011) supports this argument by arguing that physical exercises usually reduce the prevalence of lung cancer in men and women by 20-50% and 20-30% respectively. Moreover, research has proved that physical exercises usually improve pulmonary functions while reducing the concentration of carcinogenic agents in the lungs (Andersen, 2011). This inc reases the immune functioning of the body while at the same time enhancing DNA repair capacity (Thune 2011). Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases Many people know the importance of physical exercises in reducing cardiovascular diseases. The aspect of consuming a high calorie diet devoid of any physical exercises ensures that the body accumulates cholesterol (Cdc, 2014). This cholesterol is responsible for heart diseases. Although many experts have argued that it is important to maintain a low calorie diet, regular physical exercises usually help the body to adjust to a low calorie diet. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that irrespective of an individual’s body weight, staying active usually boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The center further stipulates that good exercise normally results in the smooth flow of blood, an aspect that reduces the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases. Citizens do not value physical exercises because of the belief that they are strenuous. However, it is recommended that just a few minutes of walking can have a great effect on the health of the body. A 30 -minute walk that is done on a regular basis can have a greater effect of preventing cardiovascular diseases. In essence, it is always better to start the habit of having a daily walk early, rather than waiting for the onset of diseases. In the medical field, exercises not only help in preventing and diminishing cardiovascular diseases, but also ensure that an individual looks younger and fitter (Cdc, 2014). How Physical Exercises Enhance Endurance and Intimacy Little research has however been done to ascertain how exercise can benefit the endurance of an individual. For instance, physical exercise increases the strength of the body, thus making it easier to overcome challenging tasks. This is achieved through the increased volumes of oxygen that is pumped into the tissues. This delivers enormous energy that is never accessed through the sedentary state. Consistent energy within the body is therefore an assurance of stamina that makes it easier to go through the daily chores of life (Cdc, 2014). Physical intimacy can also receive a boost if couples can choose to involve in regular physical exercises. The fact that an individual feels energized after going through physical exercise is an indication that couples can easily rejuvenate their intimacy through working out (Cdc, 2014). In particular, women who regularly involve in physical exercises usually enjoy enhanced arousal. For men, sexual challenges such as erectile dysfunction can be overcome through regular physical exercises. Physical Benefits Through Socialization The physical health of the body depends on a variety of factors. The aspect of maintaining strong social ties with friends and families usually helps to keep the mind and the body in the best state. In this sense, physical activity enhances the overall happiness of people through the fun associated with it. The social setting that is associated with physical exercise ensures that individuals remove the habitual boredom associated with the formal environment (Cdc, 2014). For instance, dancing classes and soccer teams are excellent settings through which people can enjoy, gain new friends, and try something new that may have an economic benefit. The Role that the State can Play Physical exercises serve many functions. This signifies that the State can play its rightful role in ensuring that citizens can become healthy through working out. In the American and UK situations, the state can provide a comprehensive physical activity program in order to improve physical exercises among citizens. Currently, deaths from chronic diseases among Americans and Britons are high. These deaths could have been avoided if the respective countries could have unveiled programs that would have encouraged citizens to involve in more exercises that are physical (Alderman, 2009). Therefore, states have a strategic role in ensuring compliance to physical exercises. Evidence suggests that America has half a million deaths in a year resulting from physical inactivity (Macera, 2010). In this regard, the state can encourage increased physical activity to sedentary subgroups and populations. This would be achieved through measures such as community wide campaigns that target a diverse audience. Programs that target individuals can also help to enhance behavioral change. For instance, the State can come up with reward systems in order to celebrate the achievements that have been made by people who have taken up physical exercises and posted excellent results. Cases of obesity in the UK are on the increase among school going children, and this is setting a bad precedent for their future. The country can intervene in this situation through establishing public policies that encourage physical exercises. For instance, school based physical education (PE) programs are good examples (Pate, 2006). Such programs would ensure that a curriculum of vigorous physical exercises is esteemed and followed strictly. School administrators would be required to increase the amount of time allocated to physical activities (Alderman, 2009). States can also increase civil education initiatives that can be used to change cultural attitudes towards physical activity and obesity. People usually associate an increased body weight with prosperity, and those with lean bodies are regarded as being unhealthy. Such mindsets usually encourage people to eat high calorie foods while making them to lead a sedentary lifestyle. State interventions would therefore encourage citizens to involve in physical exercises while disregarding such retrogressive cultures. The US government may also invest in zoning, in which government policy can make it mandatory for people to involve in physical activities. (Pate, 2006). These programs would ensure that citizens use stairs rather than elevators when making movements in tall buildings. Conclusion Physical exercises play a distinct role in ensuring the physical and mental well being of citizens. Apart from diminishing the prevalence of diseases, physical exercises help one to overcome depression and stress. People who perform physical exercises also live longer compared to those who seldom perform them. The state has an important role in establishing policies and interventions that can promote physical exercises. School going children can benefit more through programs such as physical education (PE). References Aacr. ( 2006, December 11). Exercise Can Reduce a Smoker’s Lung Cancer Risk, but Quitting Smoking Is Still Most Important. Retrieved from http://www.aacr.org/home/publicmedia/aacr-press-releases/press-releases-2006.aspx?d=699 Alderman, B. (2009). Enhancing Motivation in Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance , 77 (2), 1-1. Andersen, A. (2011). Do patients with lung cancer benefit from physical exercise? Acta Oncologica , 50 (2), 307 313. Cdc. (2014). Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html?s_cid=tw_ob387 Langlois, F. (2013). Benefits of physical exercise training on cognition and quality of life in frail older adults. The journals of gerontology , 68 (3), 1079-5014. Macera, C. A. (2010). Promoting Healthy Eating and Phyisical Activity for a Healthier Nation. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/publications/pdf/pp-ch7.pdf Pate, R. R. (2006). Promoting Physical Activity in Children and Youth. Retrieved from : http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/114/11/1214.full Penedo, Dahn, F. a. (2009). Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current opinion in psychiatry , 18 (2), 189 193. PHC. (2012). Benefits of physical exercise for older people confirmed. Primary Health Care , 22 (8), 7. Thune, E. (2011). Physical activity and lung cancer prevention. Recent Results Cancer Research , 186, 101-133.

Louisbourg Report :: essays research papers

The Fortress Of Louisbourg   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all of North America, you will not find a more power fortress than Louisbourg. It was said to be indestructible, but was proven otherwise on a number of occasions. Established in 1713 and located on Northern Cape Breton Island, Louisbourg was not only a fortress but a major commercial center as well. Louisbourg was originally known as Port St. Louis, and its main purpose was protecting Quebec and Montreal by guarding the entrance to the St. Lawrence River against hostile ships. The other main job for Louisbourg was serving as a base for the cod fishing industry. French fishing ships could come to Louisbourg to unload their catch instead of taking it all the way back to France. This arrangement saved time and money and allowed the ships to catch more fish in a season, since they didn’t have to make the long trip back to France with each load. However, Louisbourg was also sending out raiding parties to attack New England villages along the coast. The New Englanders soon heard of the mutiny at Louisbourg, so the villages decided to fight back against this threat. In 1745, 4000 New Englanders, along with the Royal Navy, launched an attack against the fortress, but Louisbourg didn’t think them of as a threat. Louisbourg thought that the New Englanders wou ld not be able to launch a serious attack with any kind of heavy artillery, since they attacked the weak rear side, travelling over marshy, wooded areas to reach the fort. The people of Louisbourg were wrong, however, as the New Englanders did indeed manage to bring in artillery over the marshy terrain. Had Louisbourg attacked the New Englanders now with their entire garrison, the English may very well have turned and ran, but they chose to attack from within their walls with only muskets. This allowed the English to pound the fort with their cannons, as well as exchange musket fire with the French. Since the Royal Navy prevented the bringing in of supplies and reinforcements, Louisbourg was soon forced to surrender to the New Englanders, who banished the French back to France.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The War of the Austrian Succession, which began in 1940 in Europe, ended in 1948 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle. As part of this treaty, Cape Breton Island, along with Louisbourg, is returned to France, outraging the New Englanders who fought so hard to take it just 3 years earlier.

Baria Planning Solutions Essay

The company Baria Planning Solutions is a specialty provider of spend analysis and management services to its customers. BPS was an early entrant into the market but rapid market growth in the past few years has attracted larger software companies to the market. In order to remain competitive against larger companies BPS has expanded beyond the energy sector to acquire other industry-niche providers. Once additional industry sector firms were acquired BPS was tasked with integrating parts of their operations across sectors to ensure operating efficiency. Each industry firm provided services to address the same general type of customer needs but they all differed in technology requirements and service delivery. These differences made it difficult to integrate operations between industry sectors. At the most recent year end the company realized a drop in new client sales and client renewal rates. The sales support team had faced challenges meeting the deadlines promised to clients and as a result they could not capture new sales or retain existing clients. Initial Assessment: Sales opportunities varied between quarters and across industries. BPS has not yet effectively designed the sales support process to meet varying demand levels throughout the year, therefore causing delays in the process. Variation in demand throughout the year caused the industry groups in the proposal support division to have inconsistent productivity levels. Capacity was being inefficiently utilized in the proposal process. As a result the sales support division had trouble meeting proposed deadlines. This then resulted in customer dissatisfaction as well as delays in assisting the salespeople. BPS believed an industry centered approach would be beneficial and provide a competitive advantage but they did not adequately structure their operations to support such a centric process. The sales support process is fragmented and there is no evidence of shared responsibility or employee empowerment. Because the process is fragmented adequate resources  should be provided at each stage in the process and utilized at an efficient level to meet demand. The acquisitions made by BPS are the precedent reason why the sales team is divided by industry sector and the sales leaders believe it is important to maintain an industry specific orientation. The sales team is divided by industry sector while the sales support team only has one of its divisions divided by industry sector. The salespeople have not been able to receive sales support assistance in a timely manner. Directors have suggested the sales support team organize into divisions by industry sector to provide more focused and dedicated support assistance to the sales division. The sales operations group leader disagreed with the proposal to separate sales support by industry division based on the belief that such a structural change would require hiring additional staff. The director of the sales operations group and the previous director of sales support played an influential role in the implementation of the current hybrid structure of the sales support group. In an effort to streamline the sales support group after the acquisition, all functions within sales support were integrated into teams that could serve all industry sectors acquired except for the proposal support group. The reasoning behind the proposal group separation was to allow BPS to continue offering and industry centered, consultative sales process. The hybrid structure was unique to the market, as most similar companies were organized into geographic divisions. BPS believed they could differentiate themselves from competitors with an industry centered niche. However, the industry specific focus could quite possibly be the reason why the sales support team hasn’t been able to meet deadlines and has been missing out on new sales and renewal opportunities. The entrance of competitors in the market has increased customer buying power and their evaluation of alternatives when buying business solutions. Quality assurance of the proposed value BPS offered was an emerging requirement for customers. BPS adopted a solution selling process to meet customer quality expectations and expected the additional performance would create demand which in turn would increase new sales and renewal rates. Because solution selling was a consultative sales process, a considerable amount of additional effort was required in the pre-contractual stage of the sales process to demonstrate value to customers in the proposal. It is important to have the proposal ready in time for the customer. Any delay  will discredit the quality and service promised in the initial selling process resulting in lower customer retention rates. Alternatives Assessment: *Hire additional resources to handle the large workload place on the proposal support staff. Sales support is a service process that requires human capital rather than physical capital. If additional resources are acquired they should be additional staff. Additional capacity should first be added at the bottleneck before it can effectively be added to other divisions. *Integrate all areas of sales support and get rid of the industry centered structure of proposal support. BPS has relied on the unique industry-centric organization of their sales support and salespeople for competitive advantage. Customer surveys to gauge how much they actually value the industry niche approach could be useful in determining what effect any deviation from industry focus would have on demand for BPS services. *Organize all sales support divisions into industry centered processes. This would likely require a significant amount of time and resources dedicated to training and salary expenses. This would be a mid range solution. For now the focus should be on immediate solutions. *Continue or discontinue with the solution selling process. The current trends of consumer choice in the industry, BPS should continue using the solution selling process. In such a service sector, customer satisfaction is vital to stimulate future demand especially if there are other available alternatives. *Cross-train or hire new employees to meet demand and improve utilization. It is relatively inexpensive to cross-train employees [($105,000/52)*3=$6,058] but additional hires might be necessary to meet the demand that cross training cannot. Analyzing utilization rates would help to make this decision. Final Recommendation: In the service sector, demand management involves scheduling customers while capacity management involves scheduling the workforce. Often in the service sector managing demand is not feasible, so companies must focus time and resources on managing capacity. The Theory of Constraints provides a useful framework to address the issues faced by BPS. There is obviously a constraint in the sales support process that must be identified. Exhibit 4  in the case shows the maximum sales support hourly times spent on each function fall outside of 3 standard deviations from the mean amount of time spent on each function. Once the sales support has been redistributed to the highest demand industry sector each quarter, the process should be able to handle the capacity required to fulfill the requests in a more efficient timely manner. Thus, the seasonal variations in demand can be met and assignable variation can be eliminated. The process time variation is expected to be reduced and more reliabl e utilization estimates can be determined. The utilization rates shown in Exhibit 7 of the case should be calculated for each quarter to identify how much pressure there is on a division each quarter and how feasible it is for the division to handle their workload without delay during each quarter. By doing so, it becomes apparent that the seasonal variations in the workload are the reason in proposal delays because the current staffing levels make it impossible to complete such variable demands. The utilization rates by division by quarter are displayed in Appendix 1. Cross training workers and/or hiring additional workers would enhance the capacity to meet the demand. The industry sector proposal divisions are the constraint in the system and can be fixed by offloading the work or increasing the capacity. Adding human resources and distributing them throughout the division will decrease the effect they have on the proposal delays. To improve utilization of resources the following scheduling and staffing requirements are recommended and the subsequent utilization rates are shown in Appendix 2. Hire two part time workers and cross train two full time workers. For a total equivalent of 14 workers on the Proposal support team. In Q1 move 2 full time people from government to retail. Place one part time worker in energy and one part time worker in government. In Q2 no full time workers will change but one part time worker will go to retail and the other will go to energy. In Q3 move 1 full time person from retail to government. Place one part time worker in government and the other in retail. In Q4 move 1 full time person from government and 1 full time person from retail to manufacturing. Place one part time worker in retail and the other in manufacturing. For now, only the proposal support staff will be redistributed. Ongoing quality management will indicate the need for additional staffing changes. By redistributing the proposal staff each quarter, utilization becomes more efficient and capacity is more  consistent with expected demand. Variation due to seasonality should be eliminated. Continuous quality improvement through monitoring the sales support process will provide additional information as to how capacity can be further managed. Process cycle time will provide evidence of the proposed utilization improvements. Customer service is an important aspect of quality than BPS will need to access often if they want to continue with a solution selling process. The solution selling process is essential to the value proposition and will enable BPS to remain competitive in the spend analysis service sector. Utilization improvementswill result in improved cycle times by eliminating variation in the process. Minimizing delays will create value to the customer as well as to BPS and improve customer satisfaction which will almost guarantee increased win and renewal rates.

University Student Success Guide essays

University Student Success Guide essays This paper discusses the qualities and methods needed in a student success guide. This guide outlines what students must do to perform well and complete their education satisfactorily regardless of the institution they attend. Of primary concern to most students when entering college is their ability to achieve, succeed and acquire their diploma. Many universities now offer success guides to students with the hope that students will benefit from these guides. This paper hypothesizes that a successful student guide will encourage students to find intrinsic motivation and adopt learning strategies that support a self-managed approach. A self-managed approach is one where students have control over the courses they take and the manner in which they study (Dembo, 2000; Bandura, 1982). This approach does not suggest teachers do not involve themselves with students; rather it suggests the role of the teacher is to offer students skills that help them organize their coursework and encourage them to create a plan of action that motivates them on an individual level. Stipek (1998) notes that many students feel they have a limited ability to succeed. Thus, it is the teacher's role and the role of the student guide to help encourage the student and suggest this feeling is false and then helps the students identify their personal motivational triggers. Once a student understands what motivates them, they are more likely to change their behaviors and their beliefs about their ability to succeed. Also important to include in a student success guide are tips and strategies that will enable students to learn how to manage time effectively, especially when they are involved in multiple activities or extracurricular activities while attending university (Britton ...