Focus Plastics Plc - Producer of Moulded Plastic Essay

Focus Plastics Plc - Producer of Moulded Plastic - Essay Example The household items under the brand name ‘focus’ remain almost stagnate i.e. in 1993 it was worth 6056,000 pounds and in 2005 it remains at 6533,000 pounds. But the new product range under brand name ‘concept’ comprising storage years, mixing bowls, strainers, salad bowls, towel holders and other kitchen items, sales have grown from 3411000 pounds in 1997 to 16210,000pound in 2005. In 2005, the company started a new product range with brand name ‘concept office’ comprising filing trays, storage boxes and a range of desk items. This latest and new range of products proved very successful in the very first year of its launch and contributed 1320,000 pounds in sales. The company has divested itself completely from its industrials customers. The company has inculcated a reputation for household products for its quality in the minds of the consumers’. It has used latest technologies and trained manpower but being in an industry, where entry ba rriers are low, it faces on the inherent threat from smaller manufacturers on the pricing front. The company has planed its manufacturing facilities with a process-based layout and having all sorts of injection - molding machines of various ages from latest Robotic devices to operate manually. At the planning level, scheduling all the machines and maintaining inventory levels as well as utilization of equipment, output rates &scrap rates has to be monitored by the planning manager. In this particular area, the company is facing the problem company is also inclined to develop new and innovative products regularly because of the market requirements. Needs and preferences of customers are changing fast and the company has to cope up the changing need of its customers. So the company is always trying to develop newer products but in the process faces some problems in developing products continuously and timely.Now company is facing a new dilemma that whether it may continue with its pro duct range under brand name ‘Focus’ or to emphasize on the other product ranges namely under brand name ‘concept’ & ‘concept office’ in this situation company has to evaluate its production and operations capacities and to find out the right kind of strategies for production, warehousing and distribution.

Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world†. (1) When thinking about going back to school to finish my degree, I came upon this quote by Nelson Mandela. It touched me for two different reasons. The first, because I have not finished my own education; and second, because I am getting my degree in elementary education to be a grade school teacher. When trying to figure out which school would be best for my lifestyle and what I wanted to accomplish, there were several factors to consider. The main factors were degree, cost, time, and what fit my personality best. In today’s society, a college degree is a necessity. It is no longer an option or privilege. Most people feel the need to look good in the eyes of society. With that, comes a degree and with going to school for so long, comes a debt to be paid. WGU is by far the cheapest and quickest way to get a college degree. In today’s society, those are the top two factors when looking into going to school. With the economy being what it is, everyone is trying to better himself or herself to get a better job and make more money. If you’re looking to get your degree, WGU is the answer. The first thing I did when looking into colleges, was look for the schools that had a degree in elementary education. Not only that, but an accredited college with my degree. Several came up; options of online programs or schools with a physical campus. After seeing all the different choices, I had to think about what would work better for me. I am not a fan of a classroom, or a specific time to be in one. I hate driving to school. I am never motivated to do work, unless it is on my time, in the comfort of my choosing. Also, with the job I had at the time, I would not have been able to have a set schedule. So, I decided that online would be the best option. Although WGU does not have a specific degree in elementary education, it did have a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (K-8), which satisfies the requirements. WGU also has one of the more flexible schedules in the online world. In today’s day and age, most everyone going to school has a job. Some even have a couple. WGU is not only aware of that, but they encourage it. They work with your prior obligations so that you don’t feel like school is taking over your life. Once figuring out that online was my best option, I then needed to weigh in on the cost. This was a bit tricky, since every online program sets their price differently. Some did it by the amount of credits taken each semester, some did it by the amount of classes, and WGU priced by term. That was initially what had caught my eye. I had never heard of that before. One set price for the six-month term; no matter how many credits you took? I was shocked. After doing all the calculations of what classes I still needed to complete my degree, WGU was the cheapest – by far. I also needed to see which schools applied financial aid, which most do. But with most of the school’s costs for just the classes, financial aid wouldn’t even make a dent. With WGU, it would pay for tuition, books, fees, etc. , plus extra for cost of living. Sounds like a no brainer, but I wanted to make sure I got the best education for the time I was going to put into it. Which brings me to my next point. I took my top three choices, by degree and cost, and looked into how much time I could put into it and how much time was required of me, for both semester/term and total, to finish my degree. All of them required at least 12 credits per semester/term to be considered full time. Which was what I wanted and needed for financial aid. Two of the three did not allow more than 18 credits a semester, with there being three semesters in a year. But WGU allowed as many credits as you are able to complete per each six-month term. So, although there are only two terms in a year, you could potentially finish school quicker, if you set your mind to it. This is an imperative point to be made when thinking of the future. WGU is the only school online that allows and encourages students to take as many courses as they can handle in a 6-month period. The last factor I had to look at was whether the school was going to fit my personality or if it would be a waste of my time and money. Once all signs pointed to WGU, I called. I spoke with a very nice and informative woman, who told me exactly what to expect and what would be expected of me. She told me that I would be talking with a mentor, in my degree, once a week for the entire time I was in school. I would also have a community for each course, along with course mentors, to reach out to for help understanding the information. She told me about the website and how easy it was to navigate through, and how organized I would be with the degree plan and other tab options they have. She ended the call with emailing me a couple informational packets, along with letting me know I could call or email anytime with any questions. After we hung up, I felt so warm and welcomed. Again, I was shocked. How could a simple phone call make me feel like I was already part of a community? That woman had to have been a great salesperson in a past life, or the school was really just that great, that it made her love her job more than one would think. Either way, she sold me. It sounded like I would fit this school more than any I have looked into in the past and I had made my decision. If you are looking for a school that makes you feel like more than just money in their pocket, some place where you feel important, then WGU is the school for you. After looking at all the research and all the facts, I decided on WGU. When combining my degree with cost, time, and my personality, WGU had it all. The cost alone can sell the school to any Joe Shmoe, but that really was just the icing on the cake for me. With the economy today, and most everyone having to work at least part time, no one has time for school. WGU has the most flexible schedule that works with your free hours, so that you don’t have to stress about getting things done by a certain time. WGU does not only have people who are there for you when you have a question, but they are there for you to root you on and they genuinely want to see you succeed. Who wouldn’t want a bunch of cheerleaders to stand on the sidelines of your own dreams? I have looked into several options for continuing education, and I would, hands down, recommend WGU over any other school out there.

Balance Sheet Analysis Applebees International 2004 Essay -- Finance F

Balance Sheet Analysis Applebee’s International 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In analyzing the common-size balance sheet for Applebee’s, it is noted that the total current assets has jumped from 11% to 14% of the total assets. The total assets for Applebee’s has jumped 6% from 2000 to 2001 driven by increased in the total current assets of 28%. Of those 28% increase, they consisted of 88% increase in the Cash & Equivalents (increased of $10.6 millions) caused by the decreased in the Capital Stock repurchasing in 2001 by Applebee’s. The repurchase of capital stock has decreased by 31% as noted from the year-to-year percentage changes of the Statement of Cash Flow which equivalent to about $11 million dollars. The other current assets increased was from the other Current Assets category; there was an increase of 92% from 2000 to 2001. Due to the higher earnings for Applebee’s, there was an increase in income tax due. A significant component of the increase of other Current Assets was from increased in prepaid incom e taxes with net deferred income tax asset of $6.7 millions dollars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The intangibiles has also decreased from 18% to 16% in common-size balance sheet for Applebee’s from 2000 to 2001. This is equivalent to a decrease of 7% from year to year percentage change. This change was driven by amortization of intangible assets related to previous acquisitions of other franchisee restaurants by Applebee’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was a trend in rise of the net property & equipment related assets since 2002 to 2004. This boost in net property and equipment assets was related to the acquisition strategy conducted by Applebee’s. For the $34 millions acquisitions of 21 restaurants in Washington D.C. area on November 7, 2002; $24 millions has been allocated to the fair value of property and equipment plus $10 millions in goodwill. This has caused a jump in net property & equipment assets for 2002 to jumped 16% and Intangibles assets to jumped 12% when compared to 2001. Since most of the purchased are by cash, this has caused a 31% decreased in the Cash & Equivalents for Applebee’s balance sheet. For the 11 Applebee’s restaurants acquisitions in Illinois, Indianan, Kentucky, and Missouri for $21.8 million on March 24, 2003, $7.9 millions were allocated to the fair value of property and equipment, the other $16.6 millions went to goodwill, plus a net liabilities in addi tions of $1.3... ...ense has decreased 82.8% from 2000 to 2004. All the above are contributing factors in Applebee’s achieving higher earnings, a 75% increase in net earnings from 2000 to 2004. Average shares has fall due to consistent share repurchasing programs by Applebee’s. Overall, the common-size analysis of the income statement are relatively consistent over the five years of study. Cost of goods has stayed consistent between 74%-75%, the Depreciation and amortization is between 9%-11%, income from Continue operations and Net Income are also both between 9%-10% in common-size analysis for income Statement. No unusual flutuations has been discovered. As of December 26, 2004, our liquid assets totaled $10,924,000. These assets consisted of cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $10,642,000 and short-term investments in the amount of $282,000. The working capital deficit increased slightly from $50,359,000 as of December 28, 2003 to $51,041,000 as of December 26, 2004. This increase was due primarily to increases in the loss reserve and unearned premiums related to the captive insurance subsidiary and accounts payable and was partially offset by increases in inventories and receivables.

Heroes Must Die :: English Literature Essays

Heroes Must Die Blaine the big was half badger and half troll. He was a huge beast (nearly twice the height of a human) and was almost completely covered in spikes. He hated his space colony. He lived with fake trees, fake grass, fake rain, and all sorts of fake things. He longed to live on Earth and see the real things. He tried multiple times to break into the space airports and enter a ship to Earth, but the wizard guards always caught him. One day, while Blaine was sleeping, the DANGER 1 alarm went off. The alarm was only used for extremely dangerous situations. Blaine and his pet dorg (a big dog trained to kill), Leo, ran out to see what the commotion was about. He felt cold fear run all down his body. There, right in front of him, was a huge troll. Trolls had horribly big bodies and had spikes everywhere below the neck. It smelt horrible and had a double-ended axe. â€Å"What do we have here?† the troll said. â€Å"Don’t hurt me-I’m half troll. You wouldn’t hurt me would you?† stammered Blaine. Blaine decided to go for the friendly approach. â€Å"Your axe looks †¦ marvelous,† he said. Trolls loved to hear their weapons get compliments. This troll was no exception. â€Å"You think so? I really like my axe. My name’s Pete the Perilous. So, what other half are you?† â€Å"I’m Blaine. I’m half badger as well as half troll,† answered Blaine . Blaine decided that Pete wasn’t all that bad. â€Å"What troll dynasty are you from?† Blaine asked. â€Å"Oh, I’m not a troll. I’m a seronto,† said Pete. â€Å"What!† blurted Blaine. Serontos were extremely rare these days because of their not-so-smart minds. Serontos have the power to change into anything they want, and a lot of times they would turn into something deadly. Therefore, the wizards kill them not knowing they were serontos. â€Å"Turn into something smaller!† hissed Blaine. With a â€Å"pop† he turned into a pen. Blaine hastily put the pen into his pocket. Just then, a score of wizards came around the corner, all with their staffs out. â€Å"Did you see a troll around here?† the eldest wizard asked. â€Å"No† replied Blaine. He didn’t dare tell the wizards that the troll was actually a seronto, because the wizards would have just taken him to the ejection room (a room where you are sent into space to die), innocent or not because of the chaos he created.

Contract and Demand

This is a case of a sales firm which operates for 203 days in a year. Each day the firm operates, it generates revenue (profit) of Rs. 10 Lac. At the beginning of the year, the employees’ union confronts the management of the sales firm over wages and the union presents its demand. The management either accepts this, or rejects it and returns the next day with a counteroffer for wage to be paid to the employees. The firm can open and start functioning only after an agreement on wage is reached between the management and the union.As per the prevailing law in the state and the industry, it is the union’s turn to present its demand on the first day/round of negotiation. At this point the management may either accept or reject the demand made by the union and wait till the next (second day of the year) day to come with its offer. Where again the union has the choice to either accept or reject the offer made by the management and go on to the next (third day of the year) da y to make their demand to management. The rounds of negotiation may go on and on till the last day unless an agreement is reached between the parties over wage. x 5 = 20 (Please indicate the demand and offer in Rupee value and indicate the pay off for both union and management as [a, b] where a = union’s pay off and b = management’s pay off) a. What would be the union’s wage demand on the 1st day/round of wage negotiation between management and union, and in case management accepts it what would be the management’s pay off from such negotiation? b. Who would make an offer or place a demand on the 4th day/round of wage negotiation? What would be the offer / demand? What would be the pay off of each party (union and management) in case the offer / demand made is accepted by the other party? . Who would make an offer or place a demand on the 200th day/round of wage negotiation? What would be the offer / demand? What would be the pay off of each party (union and management) in case the offer / demand made is accepted by the other party? d. Who would make an offer or place a demand on the 203rd day/round of wage negotiation? What would be the offer / demand? What would be the pay off of each party (union and management) in case the offer / demand made is accepted by the other party? Name- SID- SMS ID- Centre Name-

How to Answer “Can I Contact Your Current Employer”

How to Answer â€Å"Can I Contact Your Current Employer† If anyone asks where you were today, you were at a dentist’s appointment. Right? The vague â€Å"appointment,† always in the middle of the day, is a classic tactic for interviewing for new jobs while you’re still at your current one. You just put up your â€Å"out of office† message and hope no one notices that you’re awfully dressed up for a Wednesday. However, your slick cover story could be blown if the interviewing company contacts your current one. How does one avoid this potential explosion of awkwardness?Look, everyone understands that the sneaky interview is kind of the dirty little secret of the working world. Everyone does it at some point, in hopes of trading up their current position, or pursuing a new opportunity. That doesn’t mean you want your intentions broadcast across your current company- especially if you don’t get the new gig. Ideally, the interviewer will accept your list of non-current-boss references without que stion. But there’s a chance he or she might ask you the dreaded question: â€Å"Hey, do you mind if I contact your current employer?†DO understand that they’re not trying to double-cross you.No one is snitching†¦the person interviewing you merely wants to get a sense of what you’re like as a current employee. He or she knows it’s awkward, but it’s a valid question. After all, your current boss might know you’re interviewing for a variety of reasons (like your job is ending due to a layoff, your job is temporary, etc.)- so it certainly can’t hurt to ask.DON’T panic, and assume that everyone will soon know about your secret interview.It’s definitely okay to say that you’d like to keep your job search under wraps for now.DO have some current colleagues in mind that you could include as a reference.If you have a trusted coworker who has a clear sense of your abilities as an employee, but who can also be tr usted with a secret (and who has been told ahead of time that you’re on the hunt), then offer them as an alternative reference. That way, you can say to the interviewer that you’re not comfortable if she talks to your current boss yet, but that you have another reference at your current company whom she could talk to in the meantime.DON’T act cagey, like you have something to hide.Be up-front that you’re not comfortable offering up your current boss as a reference at this time. Emphasize that your available references are well aware of your abilities as an employee, and let the interviewer know that they’re happy to talk to him or her in the meantime.DO leave the door open for the future.After you say that you’re not comfortable with the interviewer talking with your current manager, make sure they know that it’s not a final â€Å"no.† Let him or her know that when the timing is right, you’d be open to them contacting yo ur current company.If all goes well, you can sneak back into your office with a spring in your step, and secure in the knowledge that your secret is safe for now.

Free Essays on Turkish Revolution

Under the rules of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the Ottoman Empire was going into a trouble at the years after mid-1870s. The majority of citizens were supporting Sultan Hamid II because he was also a religious leader for Muslims. Because of Hamid's Arab devotion, he had an enmity to west. Although there were good economic conditions with west in these years, Hamid had never changed his mind about hostility to west. Because of Hamid's hostility, the Ottoman Empire could not kept in step with technological developments in West. In developing world, regressions of the Ottoman Empire yielded the end of approximately one-thousand years old Ottoman Empire who had territories in 3 continents and lost most of them in a short time except Anatolia. Because of the occupations Anatolian people wanted to fight with enemies but the Ottoman Empire did not have power to fight. For that reason the citizens gathered together and fought against to enemies. After their success they realized the Turkish Revol ution and changed the regime. So the most important cause of the Turkish Revolution was the weakness of the Ottoman Empire. Refusing the idea of modernizing started the regression of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Hamid II was nursing a grudge to west from past. Although he rarely interested in western technology or some western products, he had never given up his hostility manners to west. While countries was developing in science and military, the Ottoman Empire started to perceive advanced western countries threat over them. The Turkish intellectuals who are inspired from west and some other developed countries like China, were accusing Sultan Abdul Hamid II because of the Ottoman Empire's backwardness in contrast to the developed countries. Meanwhile Sultan Abdul Hamid II annulled the constitution since 1876 and he started to manage the country with his own rules and the intellectuals did not like this situation. Sultan Abdul Hamid II had n... Free Essays on Turkish Revolution Free Essays on Turkish Revolution Under the rules of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the Ottoman Empire was going into a trouble at the years after mid-1870s. The majority of citizens were supporting Sultan Hamid II because he was also a religious leader for Muslims. Because of Hamid's Arab devotion, he had an enmity to west. Although there were good economic conditions with west in these years, Hamid had never changed his mind about hostility to west. Because of Hamid's hostility, the Ottoman Empire could not kept in step with technological developments in West. In developing world, regressions of the Ottoman Empire yielded the end of approximately one-thousand years old Ottoman Empire who had territories in 3 continents and lost most of them in a short time except Anatolia. Because of the occupations Anatolian people wanted to fight with enemies but the Ottoman Empire did not have power to fight. For that reason the citizens gathered together and fought against to enemies. After their success they realized the Turkish Revol ution and changed the regime. So the most important cause of the Turkish Revolution was the weakness of the Ottoman Empire. Refusing the idea of modernizing started the regression of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Hamid II was nursing a grudge to west from past. Although he rarely interested in western technology or some western products, he had never given up his hostility manners to west. While countries was developing in science and military, the Ottoman Empire started to perceive advanced western countries threat over them. The Turkish intellectuals who are inspired from west and some other developed countries like China, were accusing Sultan Abdul Hamid II because of the Ottoman Empire's backwardness in contrast to the developed countries. Meanwhile Sultan Abdul Hamid II annulled the constitution since 1876 and he started to manage the country with his own rules and the intellectuals did not like this situation. Sultan Abdul Hamid II had n...