Pepsi and Coke Competition

Porter’s five forces The degree of rivalry in the carbonated soft industry is highlighted by two major brands: Pepsi and Coke. These two companies account for 72% of market share while the rest of the market is covered by other organizations such as Dr. Pepper, Snapple Group and Cott Corporation.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Pepsi and Coke Competition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some private label products also contribute a small portion to the sales in this industry. Pepsi has eroded Coke’s market share in the past through low prices and aggressive promotion efforts. In the 60s and 70s, Pepsi marketed itself as being the preferred brand, which caused a substantial reduction in Coke’s market share. Coke on the other hand has altered its product contents and prompted Pepsi to do so as well. In terms of substitution as a Porter’s-five force, Coke and Pepsi have to deal with numerous substitutes for carbonated drinks. Some of them may include bottled water, juice, tap water, powdered drinks, milk, beer, spirits, sports drinks and coffee. In the past, these substitutes were not a threat because consumers stayed loyal to Pepsi and Coke. However, the substitutes are a strong factor in the industry because of health and environmental consumers. Pepsi and Coke have responded to the threat of substitutes by producing those products themselves. The firms have ventured into juice, bottled water and coffee over the past few years.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pepsi and Coke’s main buyers are bottlers, who purchase concentrate and package it in plastic or canned containers. The bottlers do not have as much power as the concentrate makers because they cannot negotiate concentrate prices. Coke has a contract that establishes maximum prices fo r its concentrate while Pepsi determines prices on the basis of the consumer price index. It often exceeds market rates and thus has the final say. Furthermore, because Coke and Pepsi give bottlers exclusive territorial rights, then bottlers cannot diversify their portfolio by selling products from competing brands. Their buyers are restricted to their either Coke or Pepsi. One of the most significant barriers to entry in the carbonated soft industry is trademark domination. Coke and Pepsi have invested substantial amounts in development of their trademarks through intense advertising, bottler support, and product development. New companies do not have the capital or ability to match such strategies. Negotiations made between the two major carbonated soft drink makers (Pepsi and Coke) and national retailers like Wal-Mart ensure that these firms dominate shelf space. New players may find it difficult to penetrate into such airtight deals. The main suppliers in the carbonated industry are high fructose corn syrup manufacturers, food coloring industrialists, citric acid producers, caffeine makers and flavor manufacturers. The citric acid or the food coloring industry has several small players who make it difficult for them to exert influence on large buyers like Coke and Pepsi. Therefore, supplier power is relatively weak in the soft drink industry.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Pepsi and Coke Competition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Responses How Coke and Pepsi compete The two companies initially competed as friendly rivals (between 1970 and the mid 1990s). Pepsi prompted Coke to avoid complacency and continually improve its business efforts. Likewise, Coke caused Pepsi to become more innovative and thus successful. This level of friendliness was permissible because both companies enjoyed increasing profits. However, that competiveness lost its agreeableness when both firms lost m arket share among the carbonated soft drink consumers. In the 1970s, Coke altered its marketing strategies in response to the efforts made by Pepsi. It changed concentrate pricing and advertising strategies when Pepsi claimed to offer a superior cola to theirs. Pepsi on the other raised the prices of its concentrate shortly after Coke did. Therefore, these companies compete through alteration of products, supply chain and distributional management and changes in marketing. Product differentiations In terms of carbonated drinks, Coke’s main product was its cola brand, but it has several other flavors such as Sprite, Fanta, Diet Coke and Tab. Similarly, Pepsi also started with the cola version then introduced other flavors such as Diet Pepsi, Teem, and Mountain Dew. Both companies also diversified into non-carbonated drinks such as Minute Maid, Belmont Water and Duncan Foods for Coke and Lipton and Gatorade for Pepsi. Both firms have also introduced a number of diet products su ch as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. In the past decade, Pepsi and Coke have entered into the bottled water market. Regardless of large investments in various soft drink and non carbonated industries, the most successful products are still the initial ones. Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola are still the most profitable products for both organizations.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The move into unconventional drinks was driven by changes in market trends as well as pressure from the US government. Channels used by Pepsi and Coke Both companies have a distribution channel that consists of bottlers and retail channels. However, the organization of these channels differs substantially in both companies. Pepsi has a preference for retail outlets while Coke has sold its products through fountain sales (dominates 69% of this market). Nonetheless, both firms have competed for fountain sales by acquiring restaurant franchises. Coke worked hand in hand with McDonalds and Burger King while Pepsi purchased KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Both organizations purchased fountain equipment for these restaurants, as well. Pepsi and Coke also utilize the vending channel for distribution and have both done relatively well here. Bottlers are also a crucial part of the distribution channel for both companies. At Pepsi, deals with bottlers are more flexible, especially in terms of p ricing. Coke tends to exert greater control over prices by charging flat prices for concentrate. These organizations have retained control over their bottling networks through consolidation. Coke started by created a bottling subsidiary in 1986 that would purchase ailing bottling franchises and revive them. Currently about three quarter of Coke’s bottling is handling by this subsidiary. Similarly, Pepsi also started bottling consolidation by purchasing most of its bottlers like MEI Bottling and General Cinema. Now, 56% of Pepsi’s bottling is done internally. Why the soft drink industry has been so profitable and whether it is changing Profitability stemmed from a number of factors. First, the distributional arrangements were made in a way that favored concentrate makers. They had control over concentrate pricing, location of bottlers as well as advertising and promotion. Pepsi and Coke were also successful because at the time, carbonated drinks were a favorite for most North Americans. Few of them had objections with the product content and there were minimal alternatives in the market. Profitability has reduced dramatically in the soft drink industry. This stems from health concerns. Numerous consumers feel that high fructose corn syrup is detrimental to their health. Government programs are designed to punish soft drink makers through excessive taxation. These charges stem from initiatives aimed at fighting obesity. Furthermore, traditional institutions, such as high schools, that sold most of Coke and Pepsi’s vending machines have banned them. Now the organizations have minimum distributional avenues for their products. Both firms have also ventured into non carbonated drinks such as bottled water and juices. These new ventures do not elicit as much brand loyalty as carbonated drinks. Therefore, the companies dedicated a substantial share of their resources to these new products, yet they did not enjoy anticipated returns. Non profitabi lity of products other than soft drinks affects the success of soft drinks because little capital is left to invest in them. Non profitability has also emerged from the poor management of international business. Some countries impose excessive foreign exchange controls, unfavorable trade regulations and advertizing restrictions. How Coke and Pepsi can stay profitable The major cause of concern among both organizations is the health campaign against soft drinks. Pepsi and Coke ought to identify the sources of high sugar content in its products and then work on developing alternatives. However, the companies should still maintain the taste that made those products so likeable initially. Pepsi is already doing this through its Pepsi Throwback brand and Mountain Dew Throwback brand. Now the company ought to go back to the public and inform them about the changes it has made to these products. Coke has also initiated its own changes through the use of a stevia-based additive. Aggressive marketing campaigns should be done to win back traditional clients such as school institutions. Both organizations have already realized that non-carbs have a lot of growth potential. This can be seen by their acquisition of energy drink companies as well as vitamin water firms. The two organizations now need to build their brands around these sectors by following the same strategies that they employed to make their carbonated drinks so popular. Consumers need to recognize the zero-carbs products in the same way that they recognized the other ones in the past. Although diversifying into other products is a plausible idea, these organizations should not focus on bottled water. There is minimal room for differentiation in the bottled-water industry as the product is quite basic. In fact, low differentiation explains why consumer loyalty for Coke and Pepsi’s water declined sharply over the past few years. Consumers tend to buy the least expensive brand if a product is not highly differentiated. Pepsi and Coke should also deal with some of the environmental concerns that customers have about their products. They need to place their products in biodegradable packages. Product development experts should also anticipate consumer complaints through market research and respond to demand before the external environment forces them to do so. The two companies need to refine their international expansion strategies. These organizations need to rethink their bottling strategies in global markets. Most North American bottling is directly handled by the company’s bottling subsidiary, and this has given the company reasonable control over its product. The same model should be replicated in different international markets. This would mean that the company will not lose any of its profits to third parties who keep demanding for new things. The company should start with developed nations and then transfer consolidation to developing ones. This case study on Pepsi and Coke Competition was written and submitted by user Lesly Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Golden Age of Piracy Essays

Golden Age of Piracy Essays Golden Age of Piracy Paper Golden Age of Piracy Paper 2006), 604 [vii] Ibid, 606 [viii] Peter Leeson, The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009), 6 [ix] Ibid, 19 [x] Ibid, 23-24 [xi] Ibid, 19 [xii] Ibid, 30 [xiii] Ibid, 34-36 [xiv] Konstam, Piracy, 188 [xv] Konstam, Blackbeard, 534 [xvi] Ibid, 490 [xvii] Konstam, Piracy, 154-157 [xviii] Daniel Defoe, A General History of Pyrates (Mineola: Dover Publications 1724), 71 [xix] â€Å"Captures off Charlestown bar† Boston News-Letter, 24 October 1717 [xx] Defoe, General History of Pyrates, 71 [xxi] Ibid, 72 [xxii] Konstam, Piracy, 190 [xxiii] Defoe, General History of Pyrates, 74 [xxiv] Konstam, Blackbeard, 2,392-2,395 [xxv] Ibid, 2,400 xxvi] Rankin, Pirates of Coastal North Carolina, 51 [xxvii] Ibid [xxviii] Konstam, Blackbeard, 2,421 [xxix] Rankin, Pirates of North Carolina, 51 [xxx] Konstam, Blackbeard, 2,428 [xxxi] Rankin, Pirates of North Carolina, 52 [xxxii] Konstam, Bl ackbeard, 2,486-2,520 [xxxiii] Rankin, Pirates of North Carolina, 54 [xxxiv] Ibid, 53 [xxxv] Ibid [xxxvi] Defoe, General History of Pyrates, 80 [xxxvii] Rankin, Pirates of North Carolina, 54 [xxxviii] Defoe, General History of Pyrates, 81 [xxxix] Rankin, Pirates of North Carolina, 54 [xl] Defoe, General History of Pyrates, 82

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax Essay

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax - Essay Example The general population and normal business ventures were to remain unaffected (Vella, Fuest and Tim, 2011). The proposed tax was to be separate from normal bank charge that some regional administrations are in the process of levying on monetary institutions to help in shielding them from the fees of any potential bailouts. Research has revealed that the tax has the potential of gathering about 58 billion Euros per year. However, the member states of the European Union are still undecided on whether to agree to the proposal (Beck, 2011:73). Great Britain is one of the states that are vehemently opposing the discharge of the FTT. The England admin has highlighted numerous reasons sustaining their negative stand on the concern. This figure represented about 37% of the total overseas exchange appeal in the world. In London, the dollar trade is two times as big as in America. In addition, the Euro trade in the city is over twice the amount traded in the whole EU region (Benton 2003:54). T he United Kingdom’s fiscal services sector is the leading industry in England, having overtaken the production sector in the 1990s. Evidence of this presents itself in the fact that, in the 2009/2010 financial year, the British government raked in 53.4 billion pounds in tax proceeds from the industry. This amount amounted to 11% of the total collection in the country. This amount is significantly larger than the sum of the country’s annual military budget, and is nearly equivalent to the country’s education budget allocation (Stevis, 2012). The county’s monetary services sector represents about 28% of the country’s entire sum of service-related exports, with the banks leading the charge. Due to its status as the biggest financial force, in consideration with all other European Union members, the country stands to be the biggest loser from the introduction of the FTT tax law (Bijlisma, 2011:485). According to the United Kingdom administration, the i mposing of the FTT tax law will greatly affect the overall country’s interest, including destabilizing the economy, and influencing the growth of volatility rates in its markets. In addition, the tax will not bring in any substantial returns. The country has presented to the European Union filed reports detailing the numerous potential damages and adverse effects that the law, if made operational, would inflict on it (The Telegraph, 2012). The government is afraid that the law will discourage derivative trade, increase trading-center volatility, and drastically lessen its markets’ liquidity ratios. In addition, they argue that the tax will lead to higher rates of unemployment, increase the tendency to evade tax among citizens, and greatly deplete the current amount of available tax proceeds (House of Lords.). Research on the potential impacts of the proposed tax has shown that the tax will affect the long-term growth in the EU by 1.75 %. This percentage, when broken do wn, implies to a cost of about 25.55 billion pounds to the UK economy (Boyle, 2009:342). However, the figure is just an average, and analysts forecast that the total sum could be far much larger, considering the country’s uncommonly outsized fiscal sector. In addition, research on the matter reveals that the tax would influence a fall of derivative transactions amounting to about 90%. The country’

Valuation of Coporations from Private Equity and Governance Research Paper

Valuation of Coporations from Private Equity and Governance - Research Paper Example It also throws light on the influence of corporate governance that such a system brings along with it into an industry. Private equity is the process of raising equity capital by gathering investments from individuals and institution that are known to have high net worth and have supreme financial strength. The investing firms are called the Private equity firms. Most of the top companies follow the private equity concept. On the other hand it is seen that good corporate governance raises the overall value of the firm. The general assumption to this concept is that, firms with good internal practice will be able to meet their goals and objectives effectively, thereby raising a company’s value. The research aims to analyze the operating performance of acquired companies and the internal rate of returns that the funds generate through private equity. In addition a brief study about human factors impacting the value of the firm will also be covered (Acharya, et. al., 2013). The research work emphasizes on the in the in depth analysis of corporate valuation based on the criteria of private equity and corporate governance. The purpose here is to identify the importance of equity funding in the overall performance of a firm and the benefits of private equity funding in the long run. The work of Kaplan is mainly used for this literature review (Kaplan & Stromberg, 2008). According to his opinion it was observed that leveraged buyouts (LBO) in the UK were significantly high before the recession period that started since 2010. Buyouts are a way by which funds can be invested in a firm. Buyouts are a type of private equity investment. It has been a matter of debate between many experts to decide whether it is buyouts that create greater value for the firm or is it equity investment in general. However research has shown that private equity only leads to short term gains where as buyouts have been seen to provide companies with

Effect of Temperature and Cu2+ on Abscorbic Acid Stability

Effect of Temperature and Cu2+ on Abscorbic Acid Stability Effects of Temperature, pH and Cu2+ on Abscorbic Acid Stability NAME: Sophia Chai Lai Jin Objectives: To perform a selected redox titrimetric procedure. To measure the stability of ascorbic acid under various conditions. Introduction L-ascorbic acid as known as Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for humans. L-ascorbic acid is one of the most potent compounds acting as an antioxidant in biological systems by scavenging active oxygen species and free radicals. L-ascorbic acid is a well-known water-soluble antioxidant that has a whitening effect and serves as a cofactor of prolinehydroxylase to promote synthesis of collagen. Low intakes cause a nutrient deficiency disease known as scurvy. Scurvy causes general weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin hemorrhages. The effectiveness of ascorbic acid as a food additive depends on its oxidation to dehydroascorbic acid which effectively destroys ascorbic acid. Since it is so readily oxidized, it is frequently called the most unstable vitamin. Ascorbic acid may degrade via a number of different mechanisms. Anaerobic and aerobic pathways have been identified; but when oxygen is present, oxidative degradation predominates. Factors that may influence the rate of ascorbic acid degradation include temperature, salt and sugar concentration, pH, oxygen concentration, metal catalysts, and enzymes. Apparatus Test tubes, beakers (20 and 250 mL), burets, pipets (1,5 and 10 mL), Erlenmeyer flasks (50 mL), graduated cylinders (10 and 50 mL), hot plate, boiling beads, pH meter, water bath. Materials Ascorbic acid solution (0.5 and 10 mg/mL), oxalic acid solution (0.25 M), 2,6-dichloroindophenol (dye) solution, cupric sulphate, (CuSO4.5H2O) solution (10 g/100 mL), glycine buffer (0.1 M, pH 2), carbonate buffer (0.1 M, pH 8), HCl (1 M). Experimental Procedure Abscorbic Acid Standard Curve 9 mL of oxalic acid solution and 1 mL of 1.0 M HCl was transferred to each of four Erlenmeyer flask. 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mL of ascorbic acid solution (0.5 mg/mL) was added to each respectively. Each flask rapidly with dye solution was titrate until a light but distinct rose pink colour persists for at least 5 s. A volume o fdye versus miligrams of ascorbic acid was plotted. Effects of Temperature, pH and Cu2+ on Ascorbic Acid Stability 10 mL (duplicate) was prepared of each of the following solution Ascorbic acid in glycine buffer Ascorbic acid in carbonate buffer Ascorbic acid in glycine buffer + CuSO4 Ascorbic acid in carbonate buffer + CuSO4 1 mL of ascorbic acid (10 mg/mL), 0.5 mL of CuSO4 and sufficient buffer was added to bring the total volume to 10 mL and well mixed. The pH was recorded for each solution. They was cover and capped loosely and transfer to a boiling water bath. It was boiled for 15 minutes and cooled. Titration was done. Results: Table 1 : Volume of dye vs miligrams of ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid (0.5 mg/mL) Ascorbic acid in mg Volume of dichloroindophenol used (mL) 0.5 0.25 30.4 1.0 0.5 57.1 1.5 0.75 82.7 2.0 1.0 114.1 Table 2: pH value of each solution Solution pH value 1st set 2nd set Ascorbic acid + glycine 2.06 2.09 Ascorbic acid + carbonate 7.24 7.27 Ascorbic acid + glycine + CuSO4 1.98 2.00 Ascorbic acid + carbonate + CuSO4 6.17 6.22 Table 3: Volume of dye vs different solutions Solution Volume of dichloroindophenol used (mL) Ascorbic acid + glycine 5.8 Ascorbic acid + carbonate 3.3 Ascorbic acid + glycine + CuSO4 2.6 Ascorbic acid + carbonate + CuSO4 1.6 Calculation Average amount of ascorbic acid to titrate with dichloroindophenol in 1 mL Y = 113.21x 1 = 113.21x X = 0.0088 mg 1 mL of dichloroindophenol is required to titrate with 0.0088 mg of ascorbic acid Total volume of ascorbic acid solution = 10 mL Ascorbic acid + glycine solution required 5.8 mL of dichloroindophenol: 0.0088 mg X 5.8 = 0.05104 mg Concentration of ascorbic acid = 0.005104 mg/mL Ascorbic acid + carbonate required 3.3 mL of dichloroindophenol: 0.0088 mg X 3.3 = 0.02904 mg Concentration of ascorbic acid= 0.0029 mg/mL Ascorbic acid + glycine + CuSO4 required 2.6 mL of dichloroindophenol: 0.0088 mg X 2.6= 0.02288 mg Concentration of ascorbic acid = 0.002288 mg/mL Ascorbic acid + carbonate + CuSO4 required 1.6 mL of dichloroindophenol: 0.0088 mg X 1.6= 0.01408 mg/mL Concentration of ascorbic acid = 0.001408 mg/mL Discussion In this experiment, redox iodometric titration assay was used to determine the amount of concentration of ascorbic acid in each buffer solution. CuSO4 act as the oxidizing reagent in the reaction. Firstly, the dichloroindophenol act as the blue dye will oxidized the ascorbic acid when titration begin. The ascorbic acid will be oxidized into another form which is called dehydroascorbic acid. The following figure shows the equation of redox reaction of ascorbic acid and converted to dehydroascorbic acid in the titration. In acid condition, the blue dye will turn the solution into pinkish colour, if the ascorbic acid is present, it will reduce the solution back into colourless compound. The higher the concentration of ascorbic acid, the more dichloroindophenol is needed to oxidize it. Until the titration end point is reached, a persist pink colour solution will be obtained. This indicates that the availability of ascorbic acid has used up for reduction and being oxidized quantitavely by dichloroindophenol. Therefore, from the result in part A standard curve calibration, a straight linear line was achieved. The 2.0 mL of ascorbic acid solution (0.5 mg/mL) required a huge amount of dichloroindophenol to neutralize it. From the result obtained, the ascorbic acid-glycine solution tend to have higher concentration of ascorbic acid. Meanwhile in ascorbic acid-carbonate solution has a lower concentration of ascorbic acid. This might due to in alkaline condition it will be more easily to oxidized into dehydroascorbic acid. In alkaline condition, the O2 will act as the oxidant to breakdown the ascorbic acid and destabilize it. Therefore, a slightly acidic pH, the antioxidant properties of ascorbic acid can be maintained. Moreover, in the presence of CuSO4 will degrade the ascorbic acid easily as CuSO4 is a strong oxidizing agent. Cu2+ will catalaze the oxidation and heating also will increase the rate of oxidation. However, at a slight acidic pH such as in citrus juice, the vitamin is more stable. Besides, thermal treatment to the ascorbic acid can degrade and destruct the antioxidant properties of the structure. In boiling water bath, most of the ascorbic acid are believed to be degraded. Therefore, the amount of the concentration of ascorbic acid are found to be lower than the beginning of the experiment. Conclusion The higher the concentration of ascorbic acid in a solution, the more amount of dichloroindophenol are required to neutralized it. In a very acidic condition, it will degrade the ascorbic acid faster. However in a neutral or alkaline condition in the presence of air, the ascorbic acid will oxidized fast due to the O2 which is an oxidant. High temperature can degrade the antioxidant properties of the vitamin C. References http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000355.htm http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/vitctitration_4.htm http://www.sussexvt.k12.de.us/science/Textbook/LIM_LowRes_Unsecured/NCInv13D.pdf Questions Explain the difference in the results between the ascorbic acid-glycine and the ascorbic acid-carbonate buffers, and the effect of pH on ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid-glycine solution tend to have higher concentration of ascorbic acid. Meanwhile in ascorbic acid-carbonate solution has a lower concentration of ascorbic acid. This might due to in alkaline condition it will be more easily to oxidized into dehydroascorbic acid. In alkaline condition, the O2 will act as the oxidant to breakdown the ascorbic acid and destabilize it. Therefore, a slightly acidic pH, the antioxidant properties of ascorbic acid can be maintained. Explain the difference in the results between ascorbic acid-glycine buffer and the ascorbic acid-glycine buffer with CuSO4; between ascorbic acid-carbonate buffer and the ascorbic acid-carbonate buffer with CuSO4 model systems. The presence of metal ions such as copper and iron increase the rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid. CuSO4 is strong oxidizing agent. Ascorbic acid form complex with metal ions and reduce metal ion into metal. Therefore, the addition of CuSO4 has lowered the amount of dichloroindophenol which required to titrate with the ascorbic acid solution.

Personal development planning Essay

I am 24 years old and married to my husband Paul we live in Maybole in a two bedroom cottage. I left school at 16 with standard grade level English, maths, history, French and music. My first job was in a nursing home it was then I realised how much I enjoyed working in care and caring for people. I worked in the nursing home for 2 years then left to be an activity’s co-ordinator in a day care centre in Prestwick where I would plan daily activity’s and outings for clients who came for respite day-care the centre sadly closed down after 3 years. I found a part time job in a local pub but I didn’t enjoy it as much as caring I worked in the pub for 2 years until I found a job working for a homecare company I enjoyed but found the hours unsociable it was then I decided to apply for college. I applied for N.C social care and was placed on the reserved list due to the course being full then a week after the course started I got a phone call to start. I attended college from September to june working threw my course studying and passed all my exams. I also attended a work placement at Hansel village respite cabin which I enjoys working with the clients as id never worked with adults with learning difficulties. I was offered a permanent job with Hansel after I left but sadly couldn’t take the job offer up as I had applied to do HNC and Hansel could only offer me 30 hours per week. Whilst doing my NC I enjoyed the subject mental health and decided then that I would like to become a mental health nurse. My hopes are that I graduate with my HNC and can apply to university and get a degree. Step 2: Broad objective – where am I going next? Whilst completing this unit in Personal Development Planning, I have opted to focus on the following area of development my ability to write reports and essays having done an N.C in social care last year I had to do a few reports and essays and realised that I don’t structure them properly this is something I need to practice and develop my skills and abilities in doing this. I would like to progress and graduate from college with my HNC in social care and apply to university of the west of Scotland and do a degree in mental health nursing and work in a psychiatric hospital. Further development of core/key skills Step 3: Self appraisal Personal skills, qualities and contexts Core skill Evaluation Evidence to support evaluation Communication Good When doing an NC in social care one of the tasks I had to do was a presentation in front of the class I became really nervous and didn’t make a lot of eye contact. This is something I would like to work at and concentrate on in the future when delivering presentations. Numeracy Poor Numeracy was apart of my NC course last year and I failed two attempts at an exam working out percentages and doing box plots but I find with extra studying and breaking it down I can complete some numeracy tasks. IT Average I received a standard grade for admin at school this gave me some knowledge on IT skills. On my college course last year I done IT at a higher level where I was shown how to use different search engines and how to type up reports essays and save my work. Problem solving Poor When faced with situations I tend to panic rather than look for solutions to  resolve problems. I feel this is something I can develop in. Working with others Good Threw my recent jobs as a carer, bar maid, activity’s coordinator I have had to work as part of a team to deliver my work and do the best in my job. I also work with others at college to do research on my subjects this is something I enjoy doing. Personal qualities I am a hard working reliable individual. With an NC in social care this has given me a wide knowledge of sociology, psychology and helped me realise my own personal values and principles. I have developed my caring practical skills threw working in in many different care aspects and work placements. I am an honest and trustworthy person who enjoys working as part of team and also on my own initiative. Knowledge and understanding I have a wide knowledge of care and an understanding of my own personal values and principles that I try and introduce when caring for individuals with different needs. I also have a basic knowledge of sociology and try to have an understanding in which way society works. And my basic knowledge of psychology helps me understand peoples behaviours. Technical skills I feel my technical skills can be worked on and developed threw out this course. Threw work and work placements I have a basic knowledge on moving and handling. I also have basic computing skills. Contexts, other factors to consider Step 4: Setting personal objectives Personal objectives — prior to interview with tutor Short-term (this year) I hope to pass my course and gain my HNC in social care. I also hope to gain knowledge and develop new skills threw out the year in all aspects of social care and on college work placement. Medium-term (next year) I hope to be able to apply to university and have enough qualifications and skills and to be able to stay focused on my work and my short and long term goals to be achievable. Long-term I hope to have gained a degree in mental health nursing and be in a job I enjoy doing that helps me stay motivated.

The process of developing and designing products

The process of developing and designing products has taken a sharp change in the last couple of years. Companies are being pushed by demanding global customers and are being challenged by rapid change of technology. Manufacturers have had to increase the speed of design cycles while at the same time cut the cost of development and manufacture. They must ensure the product takes full advantage of the latest and best technology. Leading companies have found that obstacles in the market today are far too rigorous to overcome on their own. This process of design and development of products has never been so competitive and daunting. However, it is more critical for future success. The Success of modern day companies is due to help from a resource that has been present since the early days of the company. The answer is suppliers. In some industries suppliers are taking on responsibility for designing parts, components, materials, assemblies, and even complete systems for automobiles, computers and other products. Leading manufacturers are using their supply bases as a key element of their product design strategies, and it’s paying off in a big way. In other words the old saw â€Å"Slow and sure wins the race† no longer holds. Speed is competitive edge today s business needs to succeed. Including suppliers in the manufacturing process adds to the clock-speed of a company. The Honda Motor Company is one such company that has recognized this need for speed and has thus adjusted its production to accommodate. The Honda Motor Company is one of the world s most well known producers of motor vehicles. The Company itself is based in Japan, but it had branches all over the world. From a simple start, Honda has grown to one of the world s most successful motoring companies, selling products in almost 200 countries. Honda has set new standards in vehicle production and design. From the Civic to ongoing participation in automotive racing, Honda s spirit of challenge and commitment forms the basis for every Honda project. Honda’s new â€Å"world platform† strategy will produce four variants of the new mid-size Accord platform. Honda s Research and development team found that the easiest way of producing their most popular make of car, the Accord, was to produce a world platform. This platform is an Accord chassis around which different accord bodies are built. For example; The Accord built for America will be larger than the one built in Japan because there is a market for larger cars. The one built in Europe will narrower so that it may compete with other cars on the European market. Essentially the Accord platform is universal. The car s appearance changes due to its location around the world. Accords will be produced in 11 and sold in 100 countries.