Creative Product Promotion Describe the Promotional Mix Free Essays

(a) Describe the limited time blend utilized by two chose associations for a chose item/administration. Coca-Cola Founded in 1886 by drug specialist Dr John S Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia, The CocaCola Company is the world’s driving producer, advertiser and wholesaler of non-mixed drink concentrates and syrups, and creates about 400 brands. www. We will compose a custom exposition test on Imaginative Product Promotion Describe the Promotional Mix or then again any comparative point just for you Request Now coca-cola. co. uk/about-us/presenting our-business. html Coca-Cola was designed by Dr John Stith Pemberton and first went discounted at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia and nowadays Coca-Cola is the world’s generally most loved and most gainful beverage from 1886. Limited time MIX Advertising †Coca-Cola utilizes one of the most present day and well known promoting. Christmas advertisment generally well known and Coca-Cola utilizes Santa Clause since he is with red suit and a white facial hair and he didn't generally look that route as Coca-Cola promoting formed him like that. They utilize various kinds of promoting, for example, * Print advertisements * Radio * Television * Billboards * Banners * Brochures * Signs * In-store shows * Posters * Web Pages * Motion Pictures Personal selling †Coca-Cola Corporation keeps away from individual selling yet if there should arise an occurrence of huge store and inns and so on t uses individual selling. The deal officials contact the proprietors and sell their items legitimately to proprietors. Deals advancement †Sale advancement is significant on the grounds that it can assist with expanding deals in a serious market and along these lines, increment benefits additionally it will assist wit h selling all the current stocks and there are a lot more focal points yet not just for the organization since buyers gets the item at a less expensive rate. The various kinds of offer advancements that Coca-Cola employments: Related paper: Corporate Product Or Service Communications Get one get one free quite a while prior Coca-Cola utilized purchase 2L get 1L free and they found this isn't as viable as â€Å"buy one get one free† along these lines starting now and into the foreseeable future they are utilizing this procedure. Media †Coca-Cola consistently utilized this strategy as it was generally famous and productive simultaneously. To clarify what is media it is an exceptional code or message that can be found on the rear of the top and they utilized two unique techniques for that. First was increasingly gainful way which was putting there codes and you needed to send message or call a number appeared to enter a fortunate draw with different prizes. Second was returning messages on of the top where you could win another container of Coke in a split second. To wrap things up they utilized Joint Promotion †this is getting increasingly well known. Coke is having an advancement from McDonalds, Dominos, KFC, Burger King and numerous different spots, on the grounds that for instance Dominos may have an extraordinary offer when you purchase a pizza you get a jug of coke free. Advertising †The Coca-Cola has thought of an incredible advertising intend to utilize web based life like Twitter and Facebook to pass on their perspectives on the earth and the moves they are making. With crusades like the Polar Bear battle they began to coordinate internet based life into their advertising. Likewise Coca-Cola diminished the percent of plastic in item packaging and made containers recyclable. Direct Marketing is a channel-freethinker type of publicizing that permits organizations and philanthropies to impart directly to the client, with promoting methods, for example, portable informing, email, intelligent shopper sites, online showcase advertisements, fliers, list dispersion, limited time letters, and outside publicizing. Corporate picture Coca-Cola has a decent corporate picture in spite of the fact that they had issues with the substance of the coca-cola as it was containing a great deal of sugar, caramel shading, caffeine and it made it extremely addictive along these lines Coca-cola needed to lessen measures of awful fixings. As should be obvious from this diagram it shows sustenance data and GDA of 500ml of Coca-Cola it plainly shows that 1L of Coca-cola would surpass GDA of sugar whenever devoured in one day. Corporate picture may likewise be considered as the 6th part of advancement blend. The Image of an association is an essential point in showcasing. In the event that the notoriety of an organization is terrible, purchasers are less ready to purchase an item from this organization as they would have been, if the organization had a decent picture. Sponsorship is in some cases included as a seventh viewpoint. Direct Marketing Coca-Cola doesn't utilize direct promoting procedures in spite of the fact that they could consider utilizing direct showcasing strategies, for example, versatile informing, email, intelligent buyer sites, fliers and open air publicizing Sponsorship †Coca-Cola is pleased to have a long history of supporting significant occasions, for example, American Idol, NBA and considerably more London Olympics Games, not even they get a decent promoting from those occasions yet additionally they are in any event, making benefit, and what is better than getting publicizing for nothing. McDonalds Happy Meal Advertising †they promote diffrent times, they additionally put toys in cheerful dinner that is identified with mainstream motion pictures. â€Å"Happy meal† comes in the case cap has games and brilliant pictures and significantly more they even have a site that is spoken to in â€Å"happy meal† and activity around it. Coorparate picture †McDonalds had terrible coorparate pictures until they began to reuse packs and they additionally included solid menu, upbeat dinners after some time is expanding its interest as children likes to get a toy with their supper and furthermore its a decent decision of feast. Direct Marketing †McDonalds utilizes direct advertising through the guardians to the youngsters to sell cheerful supper, additionally they sell it by means of drive-through by offering â€Å"Happy Meal†. Individual selling †McDonalds utilizes individual selling and staff which are named for individual selling they are the person who play out the exercises in regards to selling up of products to clients and pretty much inevitably on the off chance that you request something one of the staff individuals will ask you do you need fries or drink with that and in the event that somebody accompanies the child they will offer cheerful feast for them. Deals advancement †McDonalds utilizes deals advancement through sorting out different challenges, projects, works and advancing diverse selection of items in the glad supper. Additionally they utilizes their cheerful dinner box to promote most recent motion pictures and various occasions that youngsters thinks that its alluring. Sponsorship †No one expected, however 2012 McDonald’s was the greatest sponsorship for London Olympics Games and from my perspective on point that was a savvy move, since they made a ton of benefit out of it, since they was selling their cheap food during Olympics and besides they had so much publicizing that simply expanded their piece of the pie and even improved their corporate picture. Freely and open relationship â€yes they have solid opton adn they are a piece of the olympics Public relations †McDonald’s are improving their advertising throughout the years and their â€Å"Happy Meal† is most loved decision for the children. To improve their advertising McDonald’s have made their â€Å"Facebook† and â€Å"Twitter† pages likewise they arrangement and YouTube channel to keep the clients refreshed with the most recent items and advancements. Proposals McDonalds As I would see it McDonalds should even now attempt to improve their corporate picture, since they had a great deal of terrible tales about their business that their food contains awful fixings that are hazardous for your wellbeing so as to do that they could diminish fat substance and attempt to include increasingly sound alternatives in their menu. Another great suggestion would be more choises in cheerful feast, for example, various burgers or beverages. All things considered McDonalds is a solid brand and these proposals would not influence them a great deal, yet at the same time also amplify benefit and consumer loyalty they should follow each and every shrewd suggestion conceivable. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola had a great deal of terrible stories in past and a ton of them has to do with business morals and not being ecologically well disposed accordingly they made their corporate picture awful for some time, and a few people despite everything recollect those things. So as to improve their corporate picture Coca-Cola should attempt to be more vitality effective, reuse a greater amount of their items, make more occasions and noble cause, make new items and keep their items at serious cost. With everything taken into account coke is most well known soda on the planet and it going to remain for quite a while on the off chance that they continue doing great job. Step by step instructions to refer to Creative Product Promotion Describe the Promotional Mix, Essay models

The realities and fictions of Saving Private Ryan Essay

The real factors and fictions of Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example The initial thirty minutes of the film portrayed the savagery that occurred on the sea shores of Normandy on D-Day. There was a genuine Omaha Beach were American soldiers made their arrival and foothold. The Higgins vessel which moved the soldiers and landed them on the sea shores were exact. The gore portrayed utilized the point of view of the infantryman on the sea shore, which attempted to estimated the severity of the arrivals. Albeit numerous passed on the sea shores and the arrival regions were pre-located by the Germans with their firearms and ordnance, it was not the genuine fight but rather simply a portrayal of what occurred. The character of Lt. Colonel Anderson, Commanding Officer, second Ranger Battalion, who gave Capt. Mill operator his request to discover Ryan, is invented. Mill operator himself was imaginary and there was no such official directing Company C of the second Rangers. Be that as it may, the activities which Miller performed on Omaha Beach were additionally archived as having been finished by genuine American officials who penetrated the German guards. In a similar setting that Anderson and Miller were invented characters, so to were the remainder of the crew which included Sergeant Horvath, Corporal Upham, and Privates Caparzo, Mellish, Reiben, Jackson, Wade and Upham. Truth be told, James Ryan, Private, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Divisi

How to Use the College Essay to Your Advantage College Essay Advisors

How to Use the College Essay to Your Advantage College Essay Advisors How to Use the College Essay to Your Advantage How to Use the College Essay to Your Advantage So, you are settling into your comfy desk chair and cracking your knuckles, ready to start writing. You take a drink of water, open Microsoft Word and stare at the blinking cursor. You suddenly realize: you have no idea what youre supposed to be accomplishing with this essay. Dont worry, we are here to save the day! (Picture us flying through the sky, our capes dancing with the wind.) You should use these essays as an opportunity to say something that hasn’t been said. This is how I FEEL about this thing. This is what is important to me. This is what I value. Maybe you talk about the bonding that occurs in morning car rides shared with your mom, or your nerdy love of experimenting with model rocket ships. Wouldn’t it be fun to detail your all-consuming allergy to processed foods (we are so sorry about that, by the way), or maybe compare your talents and inner qualities to your favorite sports cars? The students who are most successful try to reveal something to admissions officers that they would not be able to find on your transcript. And this doesn’t mean you can’t write about something that already appears on your activity list or in your academic report. What it means is that your essay shouldn’t be about the mission of Habitat for Humanity, or what you did in your community service hours for that organization; rather it should be about how YOUR experience with Habitat for Humanity changed YOUR life in a real and compelling way. What unexpected experience did you have there? How did it make you a more complete and interesting person? If you can’t tell a story that is personal and revelatory, you should consider looking elsewhere for a topic. (Maybe in your own Instagram or Facebook feeds). About CEA HQView all posts by CEA HQ » Want more tips and tricks? Give College Essay Academy a try. TAKE THE COURSE »

Review Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 1301 Words

Stories about quests are common tales told throughout history and in many different cultures. All quest stories follow the same pattern and have the same archetypes. The first stage in a quest is the call to adventure or the protagonist s separation from his or her daily life. The next stage is the , threshold stage. After threshold is initiation or loss and the final stages are, the ultimate boon and return. Within every quest, there is also some lesson to be learned by the protagonist. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story written thousands of years ago by the ancient Sumerians, follows the same archetypes as any modern day quest story. Gilgamesh begins his quest when he is separated from his normal life in Uruk and meets Enkidu. He then†¦show more content†¦This first stage shows shows a lot about ancient Sumerian spiritual culture. First, it shows that the ancient Sumerians were a polytheistic society. Their creator god is a female which shows that females were respected enoug h to hold a position of power. This was most likely because they can create life. Their belief system in gods and goddesses also shows that people believed that the gods could change their society and the daily lives of people. However, Enkidu and Gilgamesh unintended friendship also shows that the ancient Sumerians believed that their deities couldn’t control every facet of life. As the epic continues, Gilgamesh and Enkidu succeed on their mission to kill the demon Humbaba. â€Å"Humbaba the guardian he smote to the ground, for two leagues afar†¦ With him he slew †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, the woods he †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ He slew the ogre, the cedar s guardian, at whose yell were sundered the peaks of Sirion and Lebanon, †¦ the mountains did quake, †¦ all the hillsides did tremble,† (The Epic of Gilgamesh, Ish 26-33). When they return to Uruk, Enkidu has a dream about the gods meeting. In the dream, they decide that Gilgamesh and Enkidu cannot both live. â€Å"â⠂¬ËœBetween these two [let one of them die!]’† And Enlil said: ‘Let Enkidu die, but not let Gilgamesh die!’† (The Epic of Gilgamesh, III(?) col. i). After having another dream, Enkidu falls sick and a few days later, he dies. â€Å"My God has taken against me, my friend, †¦, [I do not die] like one who [falls] in the midst of battle. I was afraidShow MoreRelatedReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1407 Words   |  6 PagesSaif Alkaabi Rebecca Williams HY 101-104 20/10/2014 The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk and Enkidu, their friendship, how Enkidu dies, how Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend and finally he understands enlightened truth . Most of this story is narrated from Gilgamesh’s point of view. The story is set in Mesopotamia and the portrayal of Gilgamesh is ironical. He is described as a king of immense vigor and strengthRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1416 Words   |  6 PagesAlkaabi Rebecca Williams HY 101-104 03/10/2014 The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh dates back to the eighteenth century from Mesopotamia and is believed to be a great work of literature. Some of the copies of this epic are known to be found in the ruins of a library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. The story is about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk and Enkidu, their friendship, how Enkidu dies and how Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend. Most of this story isRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1097 Words   |  5 PagesN.K. Sandars, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is one of the most well-known stories in literature. Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk and one of the most advanced cities during the third millennium B.C. He orders his people to build the strongest walls by protecting them from dangerous attacks. In the Epic, he is described as physically strong, beautiful, and wise ruler of Mesopotamia. Yet, in the beginning, Gilgamesh was uncontrollable of his powers. His people can’t take it anymore and so they prayed to theRead MoreRevie w Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 2187 Words   |  9 Pages Throughout the past century, it has been increasingly the case that authors and artisans utilize familiar stories and adapt them into a different medium. This practice of course, has been in place for many thousands of years, as we see the epic of Gilgamesh transcending its initial narrative to become more poetic, and weave itself into various mythologies, and Homers tales have long since made the rounds through all manner of works, whether narrative, paintings, plays or poetry. However, this practiceRead More A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures1302 Words   |  6 Pages A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans areRead More The Influence of Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Essay580 Words   |  3 Pagesof Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh can be viewed as a writing that describes the social scene of the times it was written in. The characters of Enkidu and Gilgamesh are strong males. The roles of women in Gilgamesh are submissive and subtle. Women in this ancient Sumerian tale tend to be passive, but capable of influencing the outcome of events. Enkidu is a mighty force to confront. He is so strong that he is seen as a wild animal in his first appearances in the book. Gilgamesh is as strongRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1801 Words   |  8 PagesTonisia Tutt Professor Andre World Literature 1 October 11, 2015 The Epic of Gilgamesh does not quite have a happy end. Truthfully, Gilgamesh is not successful in his mission. It is shortsighted and deceived to expect that Gilgamesh, the saint, must be effective in his journey to hold the characteristics of courage. An unsuccessful journey not harsh any more than a courageous ending is essentially joyful. For recognitions of this, we need to look no more distant than the plenty of thoughtful legendsRead More12 Literary Piece1670 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity originating from Palestine and Greece 2. Koran: The Muslim bible originating from Arabia 3. The Iliad and the Odyssey: These have been the source of Myths and Legends of Greece. They were written by Homer. 4. The Mahabharata: The Longest epic of the world. It contains the history of religion in India. 5. Canterburry: it depicts the religion and customs of English in early days. This originated from England and written by Chaucer. 6. Uncle Toms Cabin: written by Harriet Beecher StoweRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Iliad2165 Words   |  9 PagesInstructors’ Name Course Name Date Gilgamesh and Achilles as Portrayed in the Writings â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Iliad† â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Iliad† presented conflict between the ancient kings, the gods, and finest warriors with other ordinary community members. Throughout the writings Gilgamesh, the king of Uru Community, and Achilles, one of the greatest Greek warriors, struggled to resolve the conflicts between the gods and their community members. However, Gilgamesh misused his powers to a pointRead MoreWhat Makes an Epic Hero Essay1823 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is an epic hero? Although we would like to believe that a hero would always be there to save us as needed, that is not always the case. All heroes are different, but what makes them epic? Many would answer that question by saying because they are in an epic poem or story; however, that answer isn’t true. An epic hero, of course is in an epic narrative, but it is what they accomplish in that specific text. First, an epic hero has to make a grand journey and be in the Gods favor or shall we say

Police Interrogation And False Confessions - 802 Words

Police Interrogation and false confessions can damage an adolescent life if they are innocent. There are several things that the police should always keep in mind when integrating a juvenile, understanding a juvenile brain, make sure parents are present when talking to them, don t let them confess to crimes they did not commit, and make sure they understand about waiving and Attorney. Hypothesis, this paper will cover the high pressure of interrogations and false confessions from the police, and how adolescents are exposed to various interrogations tactics. Example, if an juvenile have confessed to a crime because of being pressured to do so by the police are said to have a higher percentage of being found guilty of the crime. This story will support the hypotheses. Police Interrogations and False Confessions 3 In research regarding juvenile ages 13-17 behavior scientific studies of the brain regions associated with emotional impulses and impulse control conclude that adolescent brains are more active than adults brains in regions controlling aggression and fear, and less active than adult brains in area controlling risk assessment and impulse control regions. (1 ) underdeveloped sense of responsibility, which leads to impulsive and reckless decisions, (2) inability to remove himself from negative influences and vulnerability to such negative influences and pressures, and (3) underdeveloped moralShow MoreRelatedPolice Interrogation And False Confessions1697 Words   |  7 Pages Police Interrogations and False Confessions Introduction Police interrogation is a technique that police have used to gather information from anyone involved with a crime for hundreds of years. Police interrogations can last a few minutes to several hours. The police have a right to continue questioning the suspect until they ask for a lawyer (Kassin, 2013). The suspects’ call for a lawyer is a right under the Miranda Rights. In the process of interrogation, the police are not allowed to use cruelRead MorePolice Tactics And False Confessions1432 Words   |  6 PagesPolice Tactics and False Confessions In recent years, there have been multiple high-profile cases of people being exonerated, often by DNA testing, after giving a false confession to a crime they did not commit. People who often fall into this trap are juveniles or those with a diminished mental capacity (Redlich, 2009). DNA testing has helped many innocent people that gave false confessions be free again. This trend brings up the question of how were they able to give a false confession. UsingRead MoreFalse Confession And Justice Miscarriage : Perspectives And The Truth1678 Words   |  7 PagesFalse Confession to Justice Miscarriage: Perspectives and the Truth For a society that is greatly influenced by Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and Bones, a confession of the offender is seen as an ultimate checkmate of a case. A confession, especially the ones with detailed account and perfect representation of emotions (Leo, 2008), implies the guilt of the confessor, outweighs the evidences of innocence and stirs the case against the accused (Kassin Wrightsman, 1985). However, notRead MoreFalse Confession : Criminal Minds And Bones1715 Words   |  7 PagesInvestigation, Criminal Minds and Bones, a confession of the offender is seen as an ultimate checkmate of the case because it implies the guilt of the confessor. Thus, a confession, especially the ones with detailed account and perfect representation of emotions (Leo, 2008), outweighs the evidences of innocence and stirs the case against the accused (Kassin Wrightsman, 1985). People believe that they are open-minded about the possibility of false confession but in reality, the public , law enforcersRead MoreTrue Crimes False Confessions1566 Words   |  6 PagesHispanic-American boys were arrested and charged with the crime based solely on the confessions obtained by the police. There was no physical evidence tying any of the boys to the crime. Four of the confessions were videotaped and were later used in court to incriminate the boys. The boys described the crime in gruesome detail and the role that each of them played in the crime. After the arrests, the boys all recanted their confessions, and said that the reason that they felt compelled to confess was becauseRead MoreConfessions By Saul M. Kassin1471 Words   |  6 Pages1.False Confessions by Saul M. Kassin Within the criminal forensic field, there has been a shift in research dealing with DNA exoneration and placing guilt of a crime on the legitimate perpetrator. This scholarly article outlines the implications of DNA exoneration and false confessions, specifically the methods that are used to coerce an individual into confessing falsely. The risk factors for a false confession that are discussed include; interrogation technique such as lengthy sessions, presentationsRead MoreA Case About A Female Jogger1386 Words   |  6 Pageswho was raped, horrendously beaten, and left abandoned in the park. The female jogger survived, but lost her memory regarding the event. Police found five boys who were apparently being wild in the park. They were convicted of the crime, even though there was no physical evidence of them committing the crime. Four of the boys were videotaped for the interrogation. All of them confessed to committing the crime in shocking detail and were sentenced to prison. Thirteen years later, a man named MatiasRead MoreThere are several reasons to why people falsely confess to crimes. This will include different1500 Words   |  6 Pagesoverzealous prosecutor who refuses to accept that the confession does not march the facts of the case and many reasons. Through history we understand that a confession was treated as a conviction. The use of physical torture was very rampant and was used as a means to extract confessions, and at that time all confessions were routinely admitted into evidence without question. However, gradually over the centuries, the status of confessions in the legal system shifted from the courts’ limiting theRead MoreAn Article About A Murder Trial1097 Words   |  5 PagesImagine Sergeant John Hopkins of the Ontario Provincial Police has just called you in for an interrogation. Knowing that you did not commit a crime, you enter the isolated and boring interrogation room. Now stuck in a room being completely bombarded by questions and accusations, thinking that hopefully someone could see what was happening to you inside this room. They keep you their for six hours, tired both physically and mentally exhausted. All you can think of, to get out of this situation, isRead MoreIs The Reid Technique The Best So lution?1710 Words   |  7 PagesA confession is one of the strongest forms of evidence that can be brought into a court of law. In the United States criminal justice system, prosecutors quickly and swiftly seek confessions as they are the most persuasive evidence to win cases. Interrogations are conducted by law enforcement officials in an effort to seek confessions and develop details about crimes.Communication is key to the art of interrogation. Detectives sometimes end up with false confessions from innocent suspects by using

Night World The Chosen Chapter 9 Free Essays

How long since he’d identified with humans? That had all stopped the day he stopped being human himself. Not at the moment he’d stopped being human, though. At first all his anger had been for Hunter Redfern†¦. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : The Chosen Chapter 9 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Waking up from the dead was an experience you don’t forget. For Quinn, it happened in the Redfern cabin on a husk mattress in front of the fire. He opened his eyes to see three beautiful girls leaning over him. Garnet, with her wine-colored hair shining in the ruby light, Lily with her black hair and her eyes like topaz, and Dove, his own Dove, brown-haired and gentle, with anxious love in her face. That was when Hunter informed him that he’d been dead for three days. â€Å"I told your father you’d gone to Plymouth; don’t tell him otherwise. And don’t try to move yet; you’re too weak. We’ll bring in something soon and you can feed.† He stood behind his daughters, his arms around them, all of them looking down at Quinn. â€Å"Be happy. You’re one of us now.† But all Quinn felt was horror-and pain. When he put his thumbs to his teeth, he found the source of the pain. His canine teeth were as long as a wildcat’s and they throbbed at the slightest touch. He was a monster. An unholy creature who needed blood to survive. Hunter Redfern had been telling the truth about his family, and he’d changed Quinn into one of them. Insane with fury, Quinn jumped up and tried to get his hands around Hunter’s throat. And Hunter just laughed, fending off the attack easily. The next thing Quinn knew, he was running down the blazed trail in the forest, heading for his father’s house. Staggering and stumbling down the trail, rather. He was almost too weak to walk. Then suddenly Dove was beside him. Little Dove who looked as if she couldn’t outrun a flower. She steadied him, held him up, and tried to convince him to go back. But Quinn could only think of one thing: getting to his father. His father was a minister; his father would know what to do. His father would help. And Dove, at last, agreed to go with him. Later Quinn would realize that of course he should have known better. They reached Quinn’s home. At that point, if Quinn was afraid of anything, it was that his father wouldn’t believe this wild story of bloodthirst and death. But one look at Quinn’s new teeth convinced his father of everything. He could recognize a devil when he saw one, he said. And he knew his duty. Like every Puritan’s, it was to cast out sin and evil wherever he found it. With that, his father picked up a brand from the fire-a good piece of seasoned pine-and then grabbed Dove by the hair. It was around this time that the screaming started, the screaming Quinn would be able to hear forever after if he listened. Dove was too gentle to put up much of a fight. And Quinn himself was too weak to save her. He tried. He threw himself on top of Dove to shield her from the stake. He would always have the scar on his side to prove it. But the wood that nicked him pierced Dove to the heart. She died looking up at him, the light in her brown eyes going out. Then everything was confusion, with his father chasing him, crying, brandishing the bloody stake pulled from Dove’s body. It ended when Hunter Red-fern appeared at the door with Lily and Garnet. They took Quinn and Dove home with them, while Quinn’s father went running to the neighbors for help. He wanted help burning the Redfern cabin down. That was when Hunter said it, the thing that severed Quinn’s ties with his old world. He looked down at his dead daughter and said, â€Å"She was too gentle to live in a world full of humans. Do you think you can do any better?† And Quinn, dazed and starving, so frightened and full of horror that he couldn’t talk, decided then that he would. Humans were the enemy. No matter what he did, they would never accept him. He had become something they could only hate-so he might as well become it thoroughly. â€Å"You see, you don’t have a family anymore,† Hunter mused. â€Å"Unless it’s the Redferns.† Since then, Quinn had thought of himself only as a vampire. He shook his head, feeling clearer than he had for days. The girl had disturbed him. The girl in the cellar, the girl whose face he had never seen. For two days after that night, all he could think of was somehow finding her. What had happened between them†¦ well, he still didn’t understand that. If she had been a witch, he’d have thought she bewitched him. But she was human. And she’d made him doubt everything he knew about humans. She’d awakened feelings that had been sleeping since Dove died in his arms. But now†¦ now he thought it was just as well he hadn’t been able to find her. Because the cellar girl wasn’t just human, she was a vampire hunter. Like his father. His father, who, wild-eyed and sobbing, had driven the stake through Dove’s heart. As always, Quinn felt himself losing his grip on sanity as he remembered it. What a pity that he’d have to kill the cellar girl the next time he saw her. But there was no help for it. Vampire hunters were worse than the ordinary human vermin, who were just stupid. Vampire hunters were the sin and the evil that had to be cast out. The Night World was the only world. And I haven’t been to the dub in a week, Quinn thought, showing his teeth. He laughed out loud, a strange and brittle sound. Well, I guess I’d better go tonight. It’s all part of the great dance, you see, he thought to the cellar girl, who of course couldn’t hear him. The dance of life and death. The dance that’s going on right this minute all over the world, in African savannas and Arctic snowfields and the bushes in Boston Common. Killing and eating. Hunting and dying. A spider snags a bluebottle fly; a polar bear grabs a seal. A coyote springs on a rabbit. It’s the way the world has always been. Humans were part of it, too, except that they let slaughterhouses do the killing for them and received their prey in the form of McDonald’s hamburgers. There was an order to things. The dance required that someone be the hunter and someone else be the hunted. With all those young girls longing to offer themselves to the darkness, it would be cruel of Quinn not to provide a darkness to oblige them. They were all only playing their parts. Quinn headed for the club, laughing in a way that scared even him. The club was only a few streets away from the warehouse, Rashel noted. Made sense. Everything about this operation had the stamp of efficiency, and she sensed Quinn’s hand in that. I wonder what he’s getting paid to provide the girls for sale? she thought. She’d heard that Quinn liked money. â€Å"Remember, once we get inside, you don’t know me,† she said to Daphne. â€Å"It’s safer for both of us that way. They might suspect something if they knew that first you escaped and now you’re turning up with a stranger.† â€Å"Got it.† Daphne looked excited and a little scared. Under her coat, she was wearing a slinky black top and a brief skirt, and her black-stockinged legs twinkled as she ran toward the club door. Under Rashel’s coat, hidden in the lining, was a knife. Like her sword, it was made of lignum vitae, the hardest wood on earth. The sheath had several interesting secret compartments. It was the knife of a ninja, and Sensei, who had taught Rashel the martial arts, wouldn’t have approved at all. He wouldn’t have approved of Rashel made it in, too, her story must have passed inspection. That was a relief. Inside, the place looked like hell. Not a shambles. It literally looked like Hell. Hades. The Underworld. The lights turned it into a place of infernal fire and twisting purple shadows. The music was weird and dissonant and sounded to Rashel as if it were being played backward. She caught scraps of conversation as she walked across the floor. â€Å"†¦ going out Dumpster diving later†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ no money. So I gotta jack somebody†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ told Mummy I’d be at the key-dub meeting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  You get a real cross section here, she thought dryly. Everybody had one thing in common, though; they were young. Kids. The oldest looked about eighteen. The youngest-well, there were a few girls Rashel would put at twelve. She had an impulse to go back and insert something wooden into Ivan. A slow fire that had started in her chest when she first heard about the Crypt was burning hotter and hotter with everything she saw here. This entire place is a snare, a gigantic Venus’ flytrap, she thought as she took off her coat and added it to a pile on the floor. But if she wanted to shut it down, she had to stay cool, stick to her plan. Standing by a cast-iron column, she scanned the room for vampires. And there, standing with a little group that in-duded Daphne, was Quinn. It gave Rashel an odd shock to see him, and she wanted to look away. She couldn’t. He was laughing, and somehow that caught hold of her like a fishhook. For a moment the morbid lighting of the room seemed rainbow-colored in the radiance shed by that laughter. Appalled, Rashel realized that her face had flushed and her heart was beating fast. I hate him, she thought, and this was true. She did hate him for what he was doing to her. He made her feel unmoored and adrift. Confused. Helpless. She understood why those girls were clustered around him, longing to fling themselves into his darkness like a bunch of virgin sacrifices jumping into a volcano. I mean, what else do you do with a guy like that? she thought. Kill him. It would be the only solution even if he weren’t a vampire, she decided with sudden insane cheer. Because prolonged contact with that smile was obviously going to annihilate her. Rashel blinked rapidly, getting a grip on herself. All right. Concentrate on that, on the job to be done. She was going to have to kill him, but not now; right now she had to get herself chosen. Walking carefully on her heels, she went over to join Quinn’s group. He didn’t see her at first. He was facing Daphne and a couple of other girls, laughing frequently- too frequently. He looked wild and a little feverish to Rashel. A sort of devilish Mad Hatter at an insane tea party. â€Å"†¦ and I just felt so totally awful that I didn’t get to meet you,† Daphne was saying, â€Å"and I just wish I knew what happened, because it was just so seriously weird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was telling her story, Rashel realized. At least none of the people listening seemed openly suspicious. â€Å"I haven’t seen you here before,† came a voice behind her. It belonged to a striking girl with dark hair, very pale skin, and eyes like amber or topaz†¦ or a hawk’s. Rashel froze, every muscle tensing, trying to keep her face expressionless. Another vampire. She was sure of it. The camellia-petal skin, the light in the eyes†¦ this must be the girl vampire who’d brought Daphne food in the warehouse. â€Å"No, this is my first time,† Rashel said, making her voice light and eager. â€Å"My name’s Shelly.† It was close enough to her own name that she would turn automatically if anyone said it. â€Å"I’m Lily.† The girl said it without warmth, and those hawklike eyes continued to bore straight into Rashel’s. Rashel had to struggle to stay on her feet. It’s Lily Redfern, she thought, working desperately to keep an idiot smile plastered on her face. I know it is. How many Lily’s can there be who’d be working with Quinn? I’ve got a Redfern right here in front of me. I’ve got Hunter Redfern’s daughter here. For an instant she was tempted to simply make a dash for her knife. Killing a celebrity like Lily seemed almost worth giving up the enclave. But on the other hand, Hunter Redfern was a moderate sort of vampire, with a lot of influence on the Night World Council. He helped keep other vampires in line. Striking at him through his daughter would just make him mad, and then he might start listening to the Councilors who wanted to slaughter humans in droves. And Rashel would lose any hope of getting at the heart of the slave trade, where the real scum were. I hate politics, Rashel thought. But she was already beaming at Lily, prattling for all she was worth. â€Å"It was my friend Marnie who told me about this place, and I’m really glad I came because it’s even better than I thought, and I’ve got this poem I wrote-â€Å" â€Å"Really. Well, I’m dying not to hear it,† Lily said. Her hawklike eyes had lost interest. Her face was filled with open contempt-she’d dismissed Rashel as a hopeless fawning idiot. She walked away without glancing back. Two tests passed. One to go. â€Å"That’s what I like about Lily. She’s just so absolutely cold,† a girl beside Rashel said. She had wavy bronze hair and bee-stung lips. â€Å"Hi, I’m Juanita,† she added. And she’s serious, Rashel thought as she introduced herself. Quinn’s group had noticed her at last, and they all seemed to agree with Juanita. They were fascinated by Lily’s cold personality, her lack of feeling. They saw it as strength. Yeah, because feeling hurts. Maybe I should worship her, too, Rashel thought. She was finding too many things in common with these girls. â€Å"Lily the ice princess,† another girl murmured. â€Å"It’s like she’s not even really from earth at all. It’s like she’s from another planet.† â€Å"Hold that thought,† a new voice said, a crisp, laughing, slightly insane voice. The effect it had on Rashel was remarkable. It made her back stiffen and sent tingles up her palms. It closed her throat. Okay, test number three, she thought, drawing on every ounce of discipline she’d learned in the martial arts. Don’t lose zanshin. Stay loose, stay frosty, and go with it. You can do this. She turned to meet Quinn’s eyes. How to cite Night World : The Chosen Chapter 9, Essay examples

Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan Essay Example

Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan Paper . Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan University of Phoenix Strategic Management MGT/498 Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan A world renowned plastics manufacturer employing nearly 550 workers worldwide, Riordan Manufacturing Co. a leader in the industry of plastic injection molding, has more than $1 billion in revenue. With operations based in California, Michigan, Georgia, and China, review of current resources within Riordan’s business structure reveal numerous areas in need of redefining to improve operational efficiency company-wide. Implementation of this proposed strategic plan will address issues areas of improvement including †¢ Ethical and social responsibility considerations †¢ Competitive advantages, strategies, improved innovation, and sustainability in domestic and international markets †¢ Strategy effectiveness measurement guidelines to be used †¢ Internal dynamics, cultural, and structural leadership †¢ Business continuity †¢ Assessment, feedback, and alternative directions as needed Since the founding of the company in 1991, Riordan manufacturing enjoys status as Fortune 1000 company and shares a number of competitive advantages with many other companies in various lines of business. Riordan shares the competitive advantages of direct selling along with customer, employee, and shareholder commitment with global Internet retailer Amazon. com and juvenile product and toy retailer Toys†R† Us. Riordan provides revenue and profitability growth as they provide products at the lowest cost along with a commitment to the communities Riordan serves. We will write a custom essay sample on Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Riordan Manufacturing Strategic Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Riordan also shares the advantage of strong brand recognition in their industry just as Nike, Ford Motor Co. , Homes. com, and Federal Express have in their markets. Riordan is also known for their strength of quality in engineering on par with the Ford Motor Co. Strategic Plan Riordan was founded by Dr. Riordan, a professor in chemistry in 1991 (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Over the years Riordan has expanded the business from development, to manufacturing and, to production. Riordan was able to accomplish this expansion by acquiring a manufacturing plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and an additional plant for production in Albany, Georgia. In 2000 Riordan took their operation global and opened a manufacturing plant in China. Riordan has been able to manage three locations successfully to date. However, Riordan recognizes the need to develop a strategic plan to increase profitability by establishing new accounting and marketing systems. A strategic plan must be realistic and attainable. Riordan’s strategic plan should serve as the framework for future decisions, it should inform, motivate, and involve their stakeholders. The strategic plan should include benchmarking and performance monitoring. The plan should stimulate change and become the building block to future plans within Riordan Manufacturing. Riordan’s strategic plan should address the finance and accounting department’s inability to obtain seamless data reporting within the three locations that cause delays in month end reporting (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). The ability to provide timely month end reporting to the board of directors is essential to recognizing potential financial threats and trends in the business. In addition the strategic plan should address the antiquated marketing system. Riordan has achieved several accolades over the years. However, most of this data is filed away and not easily accessible to the marketing department. The development of a marketing information system will give research and development the ability to use historical data for tracking units, volumes, and products sold for developing new marketing strategies (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). The Role of Ethical and Social Responsibility Ethical and social responsibility will have an intricate role in Riordan strategic management plan. Ethics involves knowing right from wrong and simply doing the right thing. Riordan must ensure they are reporting true and accurate financial records to all stakeholders. Today Riordan uses three separate accounting systems to compile financial data. This data is often re-entered by the headquarters office in San Jose. Manual entry of information is subject to reporting inaccuracies that may question Riordan’s ethics. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud. Riordan has a social responsibility to ensure the manufacturing plants are producing quality materials. Riordan must ensure they establish an effective quality control program consisting of design reviews, engineering analysis, adequate recordkeeping of raw materials and finished goods, inspection of incoming materials, testing during the manufacturing process and finished part inspections. These records should be of sufficient detail to document the steps that were performed in manufacturing the product. Such records should include results of design reviews; supplier information, product testing and inspection; equipment calibrations; and product tracing information (AM Trust North America, 2010, p. 4). The records will assist in timely detection of safety hazards and trends within Riordan Manufacturing. Environmental Scan To better understand what Riordan’s competitive advantages are and which competitive strategies Riordan should use to improve innovation and sustainability, members of Team A must first perform an environmental scan. The simplest and most effective way of con ducting the scan is by performing a SWOT analysis on Riordan (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Riordan possesses manyuch strength’s as the team observeds fromin the internal environmental scan. The corporation’s brand is widely recognized in the automotive parts, aircraft, and appliance manufacturing industries as well as with the Department of Defense, beverage makers, and bottlers. The company manufactures its products on two different continents, so it can reach an international market and reduce some costs by manufacturing in a more underdeveloped country, China. This adds to Riordan’s ability to offer their products at lower prices while maintaining revenue and profitability growth. The manufacturing firm also boasts high standards of quality as it exceeds ISO 9000 standards (Apollo Group, Inc. 2008). Riordan has several weaknesses. The first is their costs of goods are directly related to the rising cost of oil. Because Riordan’s products are made from polymer and derived completely from oil, profit margins are greatly affected when oil prices rise. Riordan’s finance and accounting systems in each of their manufacturing branches are not com patible with one another. This has resulted in higher labor costs, costly monthly auditing, slow reaction time to financial dilemmas, compliance to government regulation strains, and high inventory costs (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). The external environmental scan shows some opportunities for Riordan. Consumer demand and capital spending remain steady in the midst of a global economic downturn. Globalization is also allowing manufacturing companies to lower operating costs by producing their products in underdeveloped countries where labor costs are much lower. Finally, Brazil is becoming the leading producer of bioplastics and recently has discovered technology to compete with current oil derived plastics prices (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Threats to Riordan could be devastating to the company if not approached correctly. The downturn in the economy is affecting every industry and thus the supplier of polymer parts. Oil prices are rising each year and increasing the costs of producing plastic materials and parts. Finally, more consumers are pushing for environmental practices and products from large corporations (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Competitive Advantages From this SWOT analysis, Team A observes Riordan’s competitive advantages. Like Toys R US and Amazon, Riordan provides low prices to its customers and maintains revenue and profit growth. The firm has strong brand awareness and provides the highest quality in manufacturing (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Competitive Strategies and Measurement Guidelines To improve innovation and sustainability in both domestic and international applications, Riordan must approve and implement a few competitive strategies. Riordan managers must reduce inventory costs by 30% and lower labor costs in its existing plants and headquarters by 10%. This strategy can be accomplished by seamlessly integrating each Finance and Accounting department of each branch manufacturing plant and the corporate headquarters. By implementing a state-of-the-art ERP manufacturing, distribution, and financial software application software, Riordan can reach the above stated strategic goals (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). The cost of the integrated system is $1,350,000. Riordan’s CFO will need to make two payments of $250,000 over the next year, and the remaining will be financed through the bank with 8% interest, which will be paid over 60 months. The investment will include manager training and additional licensing for expansion. The system implementation and training will take one year. The second year will be used to observe opportunities to minimize labor and inventory costs. By year three, audits should be reduced by half, labor costs by 15%. Inventory cost will also drop to 30% by year three because invoices and accounting information will be delivered in real-time, which will allow the company to ship products quickly after they have been produced (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Measurement guidelines must be in place to ensure these strategies effectiveness. By the end of the second year of deployment, labor costs should be minimized by 5% with the remaining 10% reduced by the end of the third year. Inventory costs should drop by 10% by the end of the second year and the remaining 20% by the end of the third year of implementation. These percentages will be monitored quarterly by the executive management with the current budgets, income statements, and balance sheets. The next proposed competitive strategy is to expand to new markets and increase the company customer base and revenue by 25% in five years. This will be accomplished by moving to a joint venture with Braskem, the world’s leading producer of bioplastics. Based in Brazil, this venture would allow the corporation to broaden its customer base by manufacturing products for the medical device, cosmetic, food packaging, and personal-hygiene industries. The move would also protect Riordan from fluctuating oil prices by diversifying its resources with plastics made from renewable resources, which are now competitively priced with oil-derived polymers. Providing products out of renewable resources or green products would allow the company to reach more environmentally conscious customers (Morales, Pulido, Ticas, 2009). The venture would cost $15 million dollars, which would be funded by Riordan Industries and would surpass the 12% hurdle rate. The investment includes infrastructure, logistics, labor, marketing, and additional machinery and supplies (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). The measurement guidelines to ensure the strategy’s effectiveness are based on a percentage of yearly growth added to the company’s current revenue growth from established locations. By the end of the second year of implementation, 2% growth must be recorded, 7% at the end of year three, 15% at the end of year four, and 25% by the end of year five. These benchmarks will be monitored by the executive management against current revenues. Metrics for new clients, life of existing clients, and lost clients will be monitored monthly to ensure strategy effectiveness. Cultural and Structural Leadership Cultural and structural leadership strategies need to be implemented at Riordan Manufacturing, â€Å"Strategy implementation is a process by which strategies and policies are put into action through the development of programs, budgets, and procedures. This process involves changes within the overall culture, structure, and management system of the entire organization† (Wheelen Hunger,  2008,  p. 1). The culture and structure of the organization must be compatible with the new strategy. The strategy implementation is reviewed by the top management team and is conducted by middle and lower lever managers of the organization. Leadership in an organization is vital at all levels of the organization. Ongoing communication is nec essary at all levels of the organization as Riordan moves forward to implement the strategic changes (Wheelen Hunger,  2008). The mission of an organization is the purpose for the company’s existence. The mission tells what the company does. The vision of an organization describes what the organization would like to become. The mission and vision should capture the culture of the organization (Wheelen Hunger,  2008). The current mission of Riordan consists of four parts: focus, customer relationship, employees, and future of the company. The focus of Riordan is Six Sigma, having the leading edge of research and development (RD), and exceeding ISO 9000 standards. Their focus also includes continuing to be the industry leaders in using polymer materials and identifying industry trends. The mission of their customer relationships is to strive to be a solution provider for their customers and not be part of customer challenges. The focuses of the long-term relationships are to maintain quality control, a responsive business, innovative solutions, and reasonable pricing. The mission for their employees is to maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. The focus of their future is to achieve and maintain reasonable profitability to ensure that the financial and human capital of Riordan is available for sustained growth (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2008). Corporate culture should be considered when implementing the business strategy for Riordan, †Corporate culture is the collection of beliefs, expectations, and values learned and shared by a corporation’s members and transmitted from one generation of employees to another† (Wheelen Hunger,  2008,  p. 149). Intensity and integration are two attributes of corporate culture. The cultural intensity consists of the degree to which members of a unit accept the values and norms associated with the organization. The cultural integration is the extent to which the units throughout the organization share a common culture. The corporate culture on an organization reflects the mission and the values of the founder. The culture also reflects the organization’s values (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Divisional structure, functional structure, strategic business unit structure, and matrix structure are types of the organizational structures that could be considered by Riordan to implement their business strategy. Divisional and functional structures are examples of the basic organizational structures. In the divisional structure the employees tend to be functional specialist organized according to the product/market distinctions. The divisional structure is used in large corporations with many products lines in several related industries. In the functional structure the employees tend to be specialists in the business functions vital to that industry. The business functions include manufacturing, marketing, finance, and human resources. Functional structure is commonly used in medium-sized organizations with several product lines in one industry. The strategic business unit structure is groups or divisions composed of independent product/market segments. These groups are given the primary authority and responsibility for the management of their own functional areas of the organization. In the matrix structure the functional and product forms are combined at the same level of the organization. The matrix structure the employees have a functional manager and a product manager (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Team A has determined that the best organizational structure for Riordan to implement their business strategy would be the divisional organizational structure. Riordan products include plastic bottles, fans, heart valves, medical stents, and custom plastic parts. Riordan must manage a diverse product line in different industries. The divisional organizational structure will allow Riordan to decentralize the decision-making authority. Implementing the divisional organizational structure will allow Riordan to maintain their functional specialization in each division. Evaluation and Control Once the company’s strategies have been integrated into its operation, the final stage of strategic management is utilizing applications that will properly and accurately assess the performance outcome within a corporate, a divisional, and a functional viewpoint. Employing measures that will evaluate and control the implemented strategy by Riordan will enable the firm to ensure that the company is in the direction of reaching its goals by simply comparing its actual performance outcome with the expected results consisting of its performance data and its activity reports, which will provide the compulsory feedback for management to evaluate results and to take corrective action, as necessary (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Evaluation and Control Process The evaluation and control process will provide Riordan with a general outlook of the firm’s productivity. Primarily, it is usually initiated when a gap appears between a company’s financial objectives and the expected results of current activities (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Evaluation and control consist of a five step process that assesses and establish guidelines that will address the efficiency and the effectiveness of Riordan’s integrated plan. The five steps are 1) Determine what to measure, 2) Establish standards of performance, 3) Measure actual performance, 4) Compare actual performance with the standard, and 5) Take corrective action. In summary, the process evaluates and establishes a level of standards on the elements of concern of any new stratagem and then comparing its actual outcome with its level of standards. Should the outcome fall below the set standards, only then remedial actions would be necessary. Figure. 1 depicts the evaluation and control process:   [pic]Figure. 1 Measuring Performance Measuring productivity following Riordan’s integrated plan is done by evaluating the firm’s performance level. Utilizing the numeric values extracted from its activity and financial reports can calculate the effectiveness or lack of the company’s performance, in an effort to expose any unwanted flaws or unexpected discrepancies. There are specific tools that Riordan can use to measure performance in order to analyze its results within the present time or to foresee possible outcomes. Return on Investment (ROI), Earnings per Share (EPS), and Return on Equity (ROE) are tools typically used to evaluate the corporation’s or division’s ability to achieve the firm’s profitability objective (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Each tool can only calculate earnings during the present time and does not foresee likely profitability; however, ROI, EPS, and ROE are done only when all the accounted figures from the company’s financial and activity reports have been documented. In contrast, these feats would not be ideal when evaluating social responsibility or employee development (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). A more appropriate tool to better evaluate Riordan’s overall performance level is by utilizing a method known as steering control, which will research variables that will manipulate prospect profitability. Steering control is categorized into three subcategories, which are input controls, output controls, and behavior controls. Input controls oversee the company’s resources such as knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and motives of the employees. This will help assess of Riordan’s internal infrastructure. Behavior controls are company protocols based on the firm’s policies, rules, operating procedures, and orders from its management. Output controls focuses on areas of the business that are done in a specific way based on the effect of the behaviors through the use of objectives and performance targets (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Shareholder value is a present-day application that most companies employ to evaluate its performance. To help asses Riordan’s operation, this will be a valuable tool in order to estimate economic value, likely profitability, and strategic management effectiveness. Shareholder value is the present value of the anticipated future stream of cash flows from the business plus the value of the company if liquidated (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Cash flow is the element that is measured to determine the financial strength and stability of a company. In turn, to label a company financially sound, profits are weighed against the cost of capital. If Riordan’s profits outweigh the money invested as capital, the company will appear financially strong to its shareholders. There are two methods to measure shareholder value, which are, 1) economic value added (EVA), which assesses the dissimilarity between the pre-strategy and post-strategy values of a firm, and 2) market value added (MVA), which is the difference between the market value of a business and the capital provided by shareholders and lenders (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). In combination with the shareholder value method, Riordan will also employ a balanced scorecard. A balance scorecard is a combination of financial and operational measures that will entail data outlining the results of business actions that have occurred along with detailed information documenting customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the corporation’s innovation and improvement activities. These components are the drivers of future financial performance (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). There are four elements that make up a balanced scorecard, which are 1) Financial: How do we appear to shareholders 2) Customer: How do customers view us 3) Internal business perspective: What must we excel at, and 4) Innovation and learning: Can we continue to improve and create value (Wheelen Hunger, 2010)? Business Continuity Riordan struggles in the continuity of its finance and accounting systems in three locations, San Jose, Michigan, and Georgia, with the three locations running separate accounting systems. Although each system is effective separately running the core functions of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, order entry, procurement, sales and purchasing history, invoicing and shipping, payroll, financial reporting, three other critical functions, EDI, bar code reading, and EDSS exist only in the San Jose office, where all data is summarized. This lack of continuity causes time-consuming internal audits and re-entry of data once received in the San Jose location. As San Jose is running a licensed ERP accounting and finance system, additional licenses need to be acquired for the Michigan and Georgia locations. This license purchase will eliminate the costly deciphering of data in San Jose and increase the value of the allotted budget allowance. Cost effectiveness is attained in a year three break-even point and cost savings from that point forward. Another area of continuity concern is the Riordan Human Resources (HR) function in two areas, job requirements and payroll. Numerous positions need a review in terms of job requirements to ensure qualified employees are in place to significantly reduce reporting errors. Additionally, performance appraisals (Riordan Employee Handbook, 2011) need to be moved to an employee’s anniversary date as opposed to the Riordan fiscal year, thereby staggering budget allocation along with increasing the pay period length to every two weeks to reduce time spent on payroll by 47%. Conclusion Riordan Manufacturing needs strategic plan implementation to strengthen competitive advantages which increase market and shareholder value. Implementation will reduce inventory cost by 30% in operational plants globally resulting in an addition 10% cost reduction in finance and accounting in the San Jose location. The long term goals of the strategy must be totally supported by Riordan’s executive management team and communicated strongly to the entire organization. It must be measured and controlled and adjustments must be made in light of any unforeseen occurrences. Installation and training in new systems and procedures must be timed to occur over two quarters with quarter three as a backup plan. Failure to implement a strategic as suggested places Riordan at risk for reduced profits, cost overruns, decreased market share, customer and employee dissatisfaction as well as that of shareholders. As a leader in the plastic injection molding industry, Riordan Manufacturing cannot afford anything less than full implementation of this strategic plan. References Wheelen, T. L. , Hunger, J. D. (2010). Concepts in strategic management and business policy (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Apollo Group, Inc. (2008). Virtual Organizations [Multimedia]. Retrieved from Apollo Group, Inc. , MGT498 website Morales, R. , Pulido, D. , Ticas, S. (2009,  April). The Brazilian Bioplastics Revolution. [emailprotected], (), 1-5. Apollo Group, Inc. (2008). Virtual Organizations [Multimedia]. Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/business/Riordan/HR/Riordan%20Manufacturing%20Employee%20Handbook. pdf