Drunk Driving Is More Precious Than Anything Else

Drunk Driving Denis Pichardo Miami Dade College Drunk Driving Life is more precious than anything else, and everybody would love to live to the fullest. In life, there are decisions that people make that can shorten their lives. Though it’s argued that life is under God’s control, there is no doubt that there exist self-inflicted injuries that shorten life on earth. The decisions people make therefore have dire consequences on their life. To drink and drive is an example of such courageous decisions with profound effects in people’s life. The ultimate price for drunk driving is an accident, and the legal consequence is jail. It’s illegal to drink and drive even though people still engage in the act (Carpenter, 2004). This, therefore, calls for more stringent and tougher rules to help curb the habit. There is the need to review the current laws and regulations to check on the rate of drunken driving failure to which more lives will be lost at an unexpected time. There are several reasons as to why drunk driving should not be encouraged. First and foremost, when one is under the influence of alcohol, their ability to make a sound judgment decreases. One becomes subconscious, and this limits the capacity to think and act when required. The ultimate consequence is that the driver is likely to lose control of the vehicle and when that happens, loss of lives, injuries, and loss of property will be inevitable. The alcohol makes drivers unpredictable with regards to decisionShow MoreRelatedTaking Care Of Your Body Physically1909 Words   |  8 Pages Taking care of your body physically. This is important because you ll have more energy to do things around the house or outside the house, at work, etc. It s also important to keep an eye on your weight and find ways to manage it. There are health conditions and diseases that you can combat. Taking care of your body physically improves your mood as well. When you exercise, you ll sleep a lot better. 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Burger King Holdings Inc. Free Essays

Burger King Holdings Inc. was formed in 23 July 2002 and incorporated in Delaware. The holding company restaurant system includes restaurants owned by the company and franchises. We will write a custom essay sample on Burger King Holdings Inc. or any similar topic only for you Order Now The company is the second largest fast food hamburger restaurant chain (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008). Controls set by the company The controls set by the company are to ensure that the financial statements provide reasonable assurance on the reliability of the financial statements and financial reporting. Internal controls ensure that the financial statements are prepared according to GAAPs. Internal controls ensure correct maintenance of records, transactions are recorded according to GAAPs and the prevention of unauthorized use or disposal of company’s assets. The effectiveness of the internal controls should be reviewed regularly to determine their adequacy although the controls put in place may not prevent and detect misstatements given its limitations due to changing conditions or degree of compliance Examples of controls are the security and business controls put in place to prevent access and use of personal information possessed by the company that if leaked, may expose the company to litigations (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008) Financial statements The total revenues for the company have been growing over the years. The total revenue in 2004 was $1. 7 billion rising to $2. 4 billion in 2008. The company’s revenues are generated by franchise and company owned restaurants. In year 2008, 88% of sales were from franchise restaurants. The operating income and net income over the same period grew from $73 million in 2004 to $ 354 million in 2008 for operating income while net income rose from $ 5 million in 2004 to $ 190 million in 2008 The diluted earnings per share i. e. earnings after adjusting for dilutive effects rose from $106. 1 in 2004 to $ 137. 6 in 2008 Total assets grew from $ 2. 5 billion to $ 2. 6 billion in 2008. Total stockholders equity also witnessed growth from $ 716 million in 2007 to $ 845 million in 2008 Net cash flows from operating activities grew from $67 million in 2006 to $ 243 million in 2008 Other aspects of the company’s performance is the opening of 202 new restaurants which brings the company’s total number of restaurants to 11,505 as of June, 30 2008 Techniques to analyze financial statements The financial statements are prepared and disclosed according to the GAAPs as well as presented according to the SEC regulations. The financial statements have been presented based on the reportable segments of the company i. e. USA and Canada EMEA/APAC and Latin America. As seen earlier, the company’s revenues are generated from company’s restaurants and franchise restaurants. The analysis has also been done according to the source of revenue Comparison of restaurant sales from the three reportable segments has been done in the financial statements (BurgerKingHoldingsInc, 2008) Impact The preparation of the financial statements according to reportable segments helps the company to formulate strategies for the various business segments in line with their performance. Comparison of sales growth in the segments over the years helps the company to evaluate the performance of each source of revenues thus formulate strategies that can improve growth References BurgerKingHoldingsInc. (2008, August 28th). Form 10-k. Retrieved April 10th, 2009, from Burger King Holdings Inc. : http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/87/87140/BKC_AR08/10-k. html How to cite Burger King Holdings Inc., Papers

Leadership traits of Barack Obama-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Identify the key attributes of leaders and Interpret various leadership Issues in different contexts such as work, school or Social Environment. Answer: Introduction Leadership is one of the rare qualities that is possessed by a person, leading a group towards the right direction. The quality of leadership could be in-born or developed with experience. In this assignment, Barack Obama, the 44th president of America has been chosen as an effective leader. The leadership traits that he possessed along with charisma with which he led the people of America has been highlighted in this assignment. The effectiveness of the chosen leader is also shed light upon in this assignment. Leadership traits The leadership traits possessed by Barack Obama made him create a history, of being the first African American president. The leadership style followed by him, could be termed as the transformational-charismatic leadership (Azari Vaughn, 2014). His personality and charm attracted millions of people all around the world and they voted for him in the presidential election. The diligence that he exhibited, along with the personal risks that he took, makes him a true leader (McAdams, 2014). Communication is one of the major traits of an effective leader. A leader has to be a good orator, such that the mass follows his ideals. Barack Obama is a good orator as well as a keen listener (Mio, Riggio Herndier, 2017). With his communication skills, he has been successful in convincing the whole world, and people all over the world supported him as a president. He also received the award of The marketer of the Year, in the year 2008. He truly deserves this award since using his communication s kills he reached every citizen in US (McGuire et al., 2016). Perseverance and conviction as also among the essential leadership traits. The confidence, with which he faced the world and his conviction, indeed makes him a true leader. Effectiveness of the chosen leader A leader is considered to be an effective leader, by the impact that he has on the people. The influence that Barack Obama had on the people is witnessed by the results of the presidential election, where is contested many others and served as the American president during the years 2009 to 2017. The various risks that he took for the people of his country make him popular all over the world (Azari Vaughn, 2014). He believed in leading from the front. Barack Obama is considered as an effective leader considering the leadership traits that he possessed and the popularity than he gained among the people all over the world. Conclusion This assignment highlights the leadership traits of Barack Obama. The leadership traits that he possessed include effective communication, diligence in work, perseverance and conviction. Along with these qualities, he has a charismatic charm that attracts thousands of people towards his leadership. Along with being an effective orator, Barack Obama is also a motivator, motivating the youth of the world to take up various challenges and serve the world. He has been successful in becoming a role model for various people all around the world, with huge number of followers. References Azari, J. R., Vaughn, J. S. (2014). Barack Obama and the Rhetoric of Electoral Logic.Social Science Quarterly,95(2), 523-540. McAdams, D. P. (2014). Leaders and their life stories: Obama, Bush, and narratives of redemption. InConceptions of Leadership(pp. 147-165). Palgrave Macmillan US McGuire, D., Garavan, T. N., Cunningham, J., Duffy, G. (2016). The use of imagery in the campaign speeches of Barack Hussein Obama and John McCain during the 2008 US Presidential Election.Leadership Organization Development Journal,37(4), 430-449. Mio, J. S., Riggio, R. E., Herndier, R. E. (2017). Metaphor Density in President Obamas and Governor Romneys Presidential Acceptance Speeches: Implications for Leadership and Conveyance of Vision.Acta Psychopathol,3, 3.

The poem Ithaca Essay Example

The poem Ithaca Paper One of the most important messages expressed in the poem is that the Journey is the important part, therefore it does not matter if the goal is achieved but it matters that something is learnt on the journey to achieve it. One of the joys mentioned in the poem is to visit many Egyptian cities, to gather stores of knowledge from the learned. In the ancient world, Egypt was a center of learning, especially its capital city, Alexandria, which was one of the largest cities in the world and contained the largest library. This is a form of imagery that is used to show that when new places are visited, or new experiences are completed a persons knowledge will always increase. Have Ithaca always in your mind. Your arrival there is what you are destined for. Any traveler of the journey of life, must always keep Ithaca in mind, because it is his or her final destination, their ultimate aim. Without it there would be a lack motivation, which would lead to a minimum amount of goals being completed which means when Ithaca is reached a person will look back at their journey and be regretful. We will write a custom essay sample on The poem Ithaca specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The poem Ithaca specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The poem Ithaca specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The journey to Ithaca should not be hurried, and it is better that it last many years, so that the traveler is old by the time he reaches the final destination and has gained many things from their journey. This is due to the fact that throughout that extra time an Individual can achieve more goals have more adventures and gain more knowledge. However an Individual should not be expecting Ithaca to give you wealth. Ithaca gave you a splendid journey. Without her you would not have set out. She hasnt anything else to give you. This is because throughout the journey to reach Ithaca an individual should have achieved everything that they wanted to so that by the time they reach the end of their journey, or life, there will be nothing left for them to regret and they will be perfectly contend with their lives and what they have achieved. And if you find her poor, Ithaca hasnt deceived you. , because Ithaca has already gifted you, by being your goal, with so many thing and experiences that there will be nothing that Ithaca can give you due to the fact you will already have all you wanted. The Author believes that for a person to have a truly accomplished life and have no regret they most have goals and aims, with their final aim being Ithaca. Individuals should aim to experience the most out of their lives, and should realize that small things compared to big things in life can be just important. Throughout the journey of life there will be challenges and problems that will get in the way of an individual achieving their goals, but they should not let them get in their way of their final aim but count them as another step to accomplish it. Even if all goals are not completed as planned it does not matter for the journey to Ithaca is the important part, due to the fact that once the individual reaches Ithaca they will have gained knowledge and experience They should also have no regret. This is the gift Ithaca gives you. So wise you have become, of such experience, that already youll have understood what these Ithacas mean

Vocabulary List Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

Vocabulary List Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers Vocabulary List Just be leery of who you trust. The universe is a cornucopia of a galaxy. Her retina detached and she had to be rushed to surgery. The pipe disgorged sewage into the river. I compressed my whole essay into a few sentences. My mom wants me to go to college, so I can have a better life, than she did. There is a big disparity of the rich and poor. And why couldn't he force these erotic thoughts from his mind? Everyone was astonished by her sudden death. I couldn't navigate through my emotions. I periodically will wash and wax my car. The lady exaggerated to the police about the car accident. There should be a thesis and topic sentence in every paper. The bright sun banished the thunder clouds. My requirements are very few. My sister and I share good proximity. It was an arduous trip. Suppress your fear and continue with your work. Tom affirmed he was innocent. There were several controversial topics during the debate. The extras will be monetary. The man proposed a policy that was destructive to the economy. I devote a lot of time to my studies. He despises the people he works for. When you go on a journey take adequate food and water. Carolyn was a shrewd lady. John is an accomplished and profound scholar. The text of the book is in a narrative style. See how beautifully the water reflects the sun. The animal's blood sustained them. We have a fundamental right of speech. I can conceive a number of reasons why that will not happen. He signed a treaty of surrender. Strange, all of her luxury and no cell phone. You can restore your family traditions. It is inevitable that interest rates will rise. I think its absurd that your boss expects her to work overtime for free. He obtained his job on merit only. His presence was significant at the premiere of the film. A piano was kept in the corner of the room. He never uttered a word the whole time. She could barely exist on such a low wage. I wore a severe suit of plain gray and a white blouse. He was a terror of the neighborhood. The kitchen we have is a practical modern kitchen. Patience is a virtue. An experiment is supported by theory. Her book is an exploration of American psyche. A bullet was embedded itself in the timbers of his feet. The elephant got amok and so it was shot and dead. He quaffed at the food hungrily. The wind dwindled down since this morning. His impassive temerity astounds me. He steered the cattle with a goad.

ch 2 medical terminology- suffixes indicating diseases or abnormal conditions Example For Students

ch 2 medical terminology- suffixes indicating diseases or abnormal conditions Term Definition Categories of Suffixes diseases or abnormal conditions surgical procedure diagnostic procedure general suffixes medical specialties or personnel converts word roots into adjectives algia pain asthenia weakness cele hernia, protrusion dynia pain cytosis abnormal cell condition ( too many) ectasis dilated, stretched out edema swelling emesis vomiting emia condition of the blood ia state, condition iasis abnormal condition ism state of, condition -itis inflammation lith stone lysis destruction lytic destruction -malacia abnormal softening -megaly enlargement, large oma tumor, mass -osis abnormal condition -pathy disease penia too few -phobia fear plegia paralysis -ptosis drooping -rrhage bursting forth -rrhagia bursting forth -rrhea discharge, flow -rrhexis rupture -sclerosis hardened condition -spasm involuntary muscle contraction -stasis stopping -stenosis narrowing -toxic poison -uria condition of the urine

What is the difference between Roman law and Anglo law Essay

What is the difference between Roman law and Anglo law - Essay Example This paper involves a comparative analysis of Roman and Anglo Law. It identifies the differences and similarities between these two streams of law and how they work in the historical context. The study goes on to examine the contemporary effects of these two streams of law and how they operate in Britain and Spain. In examining the context of Roman and Anglo Law, there is the need to evaluate and analyse the historical context within which the two legal systems evolved. The history of Roman law cannot be separated from the spiritual age or the role of the Catholic Church in formulating rules and anointing leaders who were believed to have the divine right to rule (Coughlin, 2011). This is different from the Anglo legal code which is centrally built around the Norman Conquest and the changes that came with the political and feudal order through the creation of laws that were a collection of legal systems and processes that existed in different parts of Britain (Atiyah & Sommers, 1987). The scope of the Roman Law is based on the Canon of the Catholic Church which included core rules and fundamental principles that were laid down by the Church for its followers (Glenn, 2010). Roman Law and the Canon Law was shrouded in mysticism and hence, this formed the foundation for the actions and activities of the legal system and the legal processes that existed in these Catholic countries and such nations. Some of the top commentators and proponents of Roman Law rejected the concept of the validity of law, this is because the these thinkers believed that law should not be based on logic, but rather on divine direction (Coughlin, 2011). This is because there is a general trend and process in which they sought to protect the divinity of the papacy and the divinity of anointed kings and nobles who were viewed as persons with divine power and

Describe a picture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describe a picture - Essay Example Another technique employed in creating space is the application of size variance. This is ideally seen in the attributes seen in the sky. The size of the figures decrease as they recede further into the background. This gives the prominent airplane scene a dominant position in the picture as it is relatively bigger in comparison to the figures surrounding it. The use of size in creating space allows the picture develop a sense of atmospheric perspective particularly in an image that lacks much variables in colouring shades. The spaces in the figure overlap systematically creating a sense of unity in the picture. The foreground buildings are seen to overlap with the middle ground grass. They hide the grass surface immediately behind them. This creates the illusion that the buildings are prominently featured in the foreground. The middle ground overlaps with the background. Human figures placed in the middle ground are seen to overlap with the background horizon. Despite a minimal use of size variance and overlapping objects, there is still an element of depth, space and perspective created in the diagram. The picture shows aspects of realism in a highly fantastical composition. The varying application of perspective and proportions applied in the image challenges realism. However, the imagery created is borrowed from real objects created an intertwined relationship between realism and imagery. Aspects of realism in the plane involve the use of realistic figures in the composition. These aspects are recognizable at face value. In analysing the picture, an individual immediately notices human figures, buildings, a landscape and even a plane. These objects are highly realistic. However, the artist’s creation of the objects is highly fantastical. The human figures are executed in a 2 dimensional style. The lack of tonal variation on the figures give then a whimsical look common in cartoon figures. Moreover, the lack of ideal

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay Example for Free

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity is the difference by race, age, ethnicity and culture. Diversity is valued because the it is what makes everyone and everything unique. If we were all the same this would be a boring world we live in with no room for growth. With diversity everyone has something to offer society in their own unique way. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is judging another culture or way of living solely based off your own culture or way of living. This can be detrimental to society because it is border line racism. To judge someone because they do not believe what you believe or live the way you live is wrong. It is almost like not giving someone a job because they dont believe what you believe. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is when Mexicans leave Mexico to settle in American illegally and immigration when someone from another country leaves their country to become a permanent resident of America. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? Groups of people are identified by race, gender, age, religion, social status i.e. Rich, middle class and poor. Why do people label and group other people? People label and group other people out of habit and in order to give them a distant identity in society. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. Culture is your way of life. Your beliefs on how you think you should live and conduct yourself. Culture is not limited to race or ethnic background because several groups of people regardless of race can be from the same culture. Source for all answers: Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth Ed. Richard T. Schaefer. Merrill Prentice Hall. 2012.

The Defence of the Corporate Veil - Parent Companies Beware! :: Business Management Studies

The Defence of the Corporate Veil - Parent Companies Beware! Much interest has recently been shown in the potential consequences of the judgment given in Stocznia Gdanska SA -v- Latvian Shipping Co and others, which was substantially upheld by the Court of Appeal on 21 June 2002. Although the case related to Shipbuilding Contracts, the result has reinforced the traditional view that the Courts will not countenance any further erosion of the fundamental principle of English Company Law that a company is to be regarded as a legal entity with a separate legal personality, distinct from that of its members. However, the case has highlighted potential alternative sources of liability for parent companies establishing wholly owned single-purpose subsidiaries - in many industry sectors, including shipping, property and big-ticket asset finance. The basic principles The principle of separate corporate personality has been established for over a century. In the leading case of Salomon -v- Salomon & Co. (1897), the House of Lords held that, regardless of the extent of a particular shareholder's interest in the company, and notwithstanding that such shareholder had sole control of the company's affairs as its governing director, the company's acts were not his acts; nor were its liabilities his liabilities. Thus, the fact that one shareholder controls all, or virtually all, the shares in a company is not a sufficient reason for ignoring the legal personality of the company; on the contrary, the "veil of incorporation" will not be lifted so as to attribute the rights or liabilities of a company to its shareholders. The basic principle established in Salomon in relation to single companies was extended to groups of companies by a comparatively recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Adams -v- Cape Industries PLC (1990). In that case, the Court of Appeal held that, as a matter of law, it was not entitled to lift the corporate veil against a defendant company, which was a member of a corporate group, merely because the corporate structure had been used so as to ensure that the legal liability in respect of particular future activities of the group would fall on another member of the group rather than on the defendant company. In effect, the Court of Appeal rejected the argument that the corporate veil should be pierced just because a group of companies operated as a single economic entity. Related principles and considerations A corollary of the basic Salomon principle is that a company cannot be characterised as an agent of its shareholders unless there is clear evidence to show that the company was in fact acting as an agent in a particular transaction or series of transactions.

Hospital Management System

KOFORIDUA POLYTECHNIC PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY AT POLYTECHNIC CLINIC, KOFORIDUA) FOR HND COMPUTER NETWORK MANAGEMENT STUDENT’S NAME: WESONO FELIX 04/2010/582D DITSA, JONAS CUDJOE 04/2010/561D DATE: 6TH MARCH, 2013 COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AWARD †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. TENTATIVE TITLE (OR FINAL TITLE): †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ APPROVED BY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE Signature Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. APPROVED BY DEAN, SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Signature Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Chapter 1 1. 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECTHospital administrators are often overwhelmed with information about a bulky number of patients and their stays to the hospital that need to be organized and kept up-to-date. The patient management system is a web based application that is designed and developed for hospital administrators and doctors to organize information on patient visits. The system intends to facilitate several steps in the process from the patient registration and to the patient evaluation. During this process, there will be many tasks that have to be handled by this system including maintaining complete information.The main objective of the system is to provide the administration staff and doctors with an easily maintainable information system for patient registration, visit scheduling and patient tracking with latest information. 1. 2. OBJECTIVES The main objectives for establishing this project is to solve the problem notified in the research. The objectives are outlined as follows: I. To improve patient’s registration II. To increase level of patient management III. To improve on patient records keeping IV. To assign doctors to patients V. Doctor Management VI. Bed/Room ManagementVII. Doctors can update the patient’s record with their observations 1. 3. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT In a given day, number of patients visits a hospital or a clinic. Many hospitals in Ghana still manage the patient data manually. Hospitals will be able to save money and time if they have a good software program for managing patient’s data. The idea is to develop web based patient management software that can be used to keep track of the patients registering in a hospital or clinic. Doctors and the rooms available in a hospital can be managed using this system.Also, this system should support accessing the previous visit histories of any patient, search for patients by name etc. A few points to be noted about the system we are developing here * A patient can be categorized as â€Å" In patient† or â€Å"Out Patient†. If patient type is â€Å"In Patient†, a bed will be assigned to the patient. * A doctor will be assigned to each patient before the patient meets the doctor. Only one doctor can be assigned to a patient at a given time. * A patient can visit the hospital any number of times The project has been planned to be having the view of distributed architecture, with centralized storage of the database.The application for the storage of the data has been planned. Using the constructs of MS-SQL Server and all the user interfaces have been designed using the ASP. Net technologies. The database connectivity is planned using the â€Å"SQL Connection† methodology. The st andards of security and data protective mechanism have been given a big choice for proper usage. The application takes care of different modules and their associated reports, which are produced as per the applicable strategies and standards that are put forwarded by the administrative staff.The entire project has been developed keeping in view of the distributed client server computing technology, in mind. The specification has been normalized up to 3NF to eliminate all the anomalies that may arise due to the database transaction that are executed by the general users and the organizational administration. The user interfaces are browser specific to give distributed accessibility for the overall system. The internal database has been selected as MS-SQL server 200. The basic constructs of table spaces, clusters and indexes have been exploited to provide higher consistency and reliability for the data storage.The MS-SQL server 200 was a choice as it provides the constructs of high-lev el reliability and security. The total front end was dominated using the ASP. Net technologies. At all proper levels high care was taken to check that the system manages the data consistency with proper business rules or validations. The database connectivity was planned using the latest â€Å"SQL Connection† technology provided by Microsoft Corporation. The authentication and authorization was crosschecked at all the relevant stages. The user level accessibility has been restricted into two zones namely. . 4. PROBLEM IN EXISTING SYSTEM * Cannot Upload and Download the latest updates. * No use of Web Services and Remoting. * Risk of mismanagement of data when the project is under development. * Less Security. * No proper coordination between different Applications and Users. * Fewer Users – Friendly. 1. 5. SOLUTION OF THESE PROBLEMS The development of the new system contains the following activities, which try to automate the entire process keeping in view of the datab ase integration approach. 1. User friendliness is provided in the application with various controls. 2.The system makes the overall project management much easier and flexible. 3. Readily upload the latest updates, allows user to download the alerts by clicking the URL. 4. There is no risk of data mismanagement at any level while the project development is under process. 5. It provides high level of security with different level of authentication. 1. 6. REVIEW OF LITERATURE This chapter is on the related literature of the study and tries to place the study into its theoretical framework. It explores fields of related theories of the study which will serve as the basis for monitoring patients and their records.There is a lot of similar software in the market, example hospital management system which also function the same but it is very complex to use (non-user friendly) and requires a degree of training and expertise before one can use it. With the PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM, everyth ing is flexible and more user friendly with a high level of security with different level of authentication. 1. 8. BUDGET The budget of the research study will be: ACTIVITY| DURATION| INPUTS/ITEMS REQUIRED| COSTGH| Research| One (1) week| A – 4 paper (3 Rims), laptop| 20. 0| Interviews| One (1)week| | 10. 00| Interface Designer| Five (5 )Days | A- 4 sheets| 10. 00| Data Analysis| One (1)week| | 15. 00| Coding| Two (2) weeks| | 10. 00| Printing & Photocopying| One (1) weeks| A- 4 sheets| 30. 00| Binding | Three (3)Days| | 15. 00| Preparation of final Study Report| Three (3) weeks| | 50. 00| | | SUB TOTAL| 160. 00| | | | | | | TOTAL| 170. 00| | | | | 1. 9. TIMELINE This project is going to be undertaken in two months two weeks to finish the project (PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM). Hospital Management System KOFORIDUA POLYTECHNIC PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY AT POLYTECHNIC CLINIC, KOFORIDUA) FOR HND COMPUTER NETWORK MANAGEMENT STUDENT’S NAME: WESONO FELIX 04/2010/582D DITSA, JONAS CUDJOE 04/2010/561D DATE: 6TH MARCH, 2013 COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AWARD †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. TENTATIVE TITLE (OR FINAL TITLE): †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ APPROVED BY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE Signature Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. APPROVED BY DEAN, SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Signature Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Chapter 1 1. 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECTHospital administrators are often overwhelmed with information about a bulky number of patients and their stays to the hospital that need to be organized and kept up-to-date. The patient management system is a web based application that is designed and developed for hospital administrators and doctors to organize information on patient visits. The system intends to facilitate several steps in the process from the patient registration and to the patient evaluation. During this process, there will be many tasks that have to be handled by this system including maintaining complete information.The main objective of the system is to provide the administration staff and doctors with an easily maintainable information system for patient registration, visit scheduling and patient tracking with latest information. 1. 2. OBJECTIVES The main objectives for establishing this project is to solve the problem notified in the research. The objectives are outlined as follows: I. To improve patient’s registration II. To increase level of patient management III. To improve on patient records keeping IV. To assign doctors to patients V. Doctor Management VI. Bed/Room ManagementVII. Doctors can update the patient’s record with their observations 1. 3. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT In a given day, number of patients visits a hospital or a clinic. Many hospitals in Ghana still manage the patient data manually. Hospitals will be able to save money and time if they have a good software program for managing patient’s data. The idea is to develop web based patient management software that can be used to keep track of the patients registering in a hospital or clinic. Doctors and the rooms available in a hospital can be managed using this system.Also, this system should support accessing the previous visit histories of any patient, search for patients by name etc. A few points to be noted about the system we are developing here * A patient can be categorized as â€Å" In patient† or â€Å"Out Patient†. If patient type is â€Å"In Patient†, a bed will be assigned to the patient. * A doctor will be assigned to each patient before the patient meets the doctor. Only one doctor can be assigned to a patient at a given time. * A patient can visit the hospital any number of times The project has been planned to be having the view of distributed architecture, with centralized storage of the database.The application for the storage of the data has been planned. Using the constructs of MS-SQL Server and all the user interfaces have been designed using the ASP. Net technologies. The database connectivity is planned using the â€Å"SQL Connection† methodology. The st andards of security and data protective mechanism have been given a big choice for proper usage. The application takes care of different modules and their associated reports, which are produced as per the applicable strategies and standards that are put forwarded by the administrative staff.The entire project has been developed keeping in view of the distributed client server computing technology, in mind. The specification has been normalized up to 3NF to eliminate all the anomalies that may arise due to the database transaction that are executed by the general users and the organizational administration. The user interfaces are browser specific to give distributed accessibility for the overall system. The internal database has been selected as MS-SQL server 200. The basic constructs of table spaces, clusters and indexes have been exploited to provide higher consistency and reliability for the data storage.The MS-SQL server 200 was a choice as it provides the constructs of high-lev el reliability and security. The total front end was dominated using the ASP. Net technologies. At all proper levels high care was taken to check that the system manages the data consistency with proper business rules or validations. The database connectivity was planned using the latest â€Å"SQL Connection† technology provided by Microsoft Corporation. The authentication and authorization was crosschecked at all the relevant stages. The user level accessibility has been restricted into two zones namely. . 4. PROBLEM IN EXISTING SYSTEM * Cannot Upload and Download the latest updates. * No use of Web Services and Remoting. * Risk of mismanagement of data when the project is under development. * Less Security. * No proper coordination between different Applications and Users. * Fewer Users – Friendly. 1. 5. SOLUTION OF THESE PROBLEMS The development of the new system contains the following activities, which try to automate the entire process keeping in view of the datab ase integration approach. 1. User friendliness is provided in the application with various controls. 2.The system makes the overall project management much easier and flexible. 3. Readily upload the latest updates, allows user to download the alerts by clicking the URL. 4. There is no risk of data mismanagement at any level while the project development is under process. 5. It provides high level of security with different level of authentication. 1. 6. REVIEW OF LITERATURE This chapter is on the related literature of the study and tries to place the study into its theoretical framework. It explores fields of related theories of the study which will serve as the basis for monitoring patients and their records.There is a lot of similar software in the market, example hospital management system which also function the same but it is very complex to use (non-user friendly) and requires a degree of training and expertise before one can use it. With the PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM, everyth ing is flexible and more user friendly with a high level of security with different level of authentication. 1. 8. BUDGET The budget of the research study will be: ACTIVITY| DURATION| INPUTS/ITEMS REQUIRED| COSTGH| Research| One (1) week| A – 4 paper (3 Rims), laptop| 20. 0| Interviews| One (1)week| | 10. 00| Interface Designer| Five (5 )Days | A- 4 sheets| 10. 00| Data Analysis| One (1)week| | 15. 00| Coding| Two (2) weeks| | 10. 00| Printing & Photocopying| One (1) weeks| A- 4 sheets| 30. 00| Binding | Three (3)Days| | 15. 00| Preparation of final Study Report| Three (3) weeks| | 50. 00| | | SUB TOTAL| 160. 00| | | | | | | TOTAL| 170. 00| | | | | 1. 9. TIMELINE This project is going to be undertaken in two months two weeks to finish the project (PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM).

Classification

Bryce Langdon Professor Joliffe English 1301 17 October 2010 Smokers Smoking tobacco has been around for many thousands of years and cigarettes specifically have been around for a few thousand as well. Smoking can be split up into several classifications with three of the primary ones being those people who smoke to reduce tension, people who socially smoke and habit smokers. Regardless of the type of smoker a person is, smoking is an addiction and harmful not only to the smoker but to family members, coworkers and any other person who comes into contact with the second-hand smoke.Social Smokers. Casual smokers are those who typically do not inhale the cigarette smoke. They are not addicted to the nicotine. Some may think they are safe from the harm of a cigarette by â€Å"pretending† to smoke, but do not let this kind of smoking fool you. A person is still getting some of the affects of the smoke on top of other environmental toxins and second-hand smoke. Many times the casua l smoker is only compensating for something being in their hands and often times will turn into a regular smoker. Casual smokers often times smoke a lot more than he or she will publicly admit.Many regular smokers envy the casual smoker because they believe that they have better control over their addiction and can stop on a dime but the fact of the matter is that most casual smokers end up smoking for false pleasures, trying to feel like they did when they were non-smokers (QuitSmokinGuide. com, 2009). Smokes to Reduce Tension. A person who smokes to reduce tension uses the cigarette to manage negative effects, stressful situations and feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety. These type of smokers are often considered â€Å"light smokers† because life is full of stressful situations , hence the tension.Light smokers typically smoke between half a pack to one pack a day. Casual smokers easily slip into this smokes to reduce tension classification and often have been smokers, qui t, and taken up smoking once again, several times. Many light smokers could still benefit from products aimed at reducing nicotine addiction, like nicotine gum or counseling, however changing priorities and lifestyle often help these type of smokers kick their habit (Painter, 2009). Habit Smokers. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1. 3 billion people are smokers worldwide and smokers die an average fifteen years sooner than nonsmokers (Hawkins).For most habit smokers, smoking is not even enjoyable any more. People often have developed a behavioral pattern that causes them to light up as a response to a cue, for example a cup of coffee or getting into the car. Habit smokers can fall into the category of heavy to chain smokers who consume anywhere from two to more than three packs a day. When the habit smoker takes the steps necessary to quit smoking the possible withdrawal symptoms can be ugly but one must remember these are results from the person smoking not because they decided to stop.Such symptoms could include tingling or numbness in the arms and legs, severe headaches, diarrhea or constipation, and a overall uncomfortable feeling. CONCLUSION With several classifications of smokers, they are have similar characteristics for example they are cause lung damage. However, depending on the degree of smoker that a person is depends on how difficult it is going to be for the person to quit once they actually put their mind to it. No matter the classification, any person who quits smoking will be making a difference right away.A person’s taste and smell will get better, along with breathe smelling better, decrease in nasty cough, and more importantly add years onto the end of their life.Works Cited â€Å"Casual Smokers. † QuitSmokingGuide. com. 2009. Web. 19 Oct 2010. . Painter, K. â€Å"Your Health: Light smokers could need help quitting, too. † USA Today 16 November 2009: n. pag. Web. 19 Oct 2010. . â€Å"Smoking Cla ssification. † Projects for Students by Students. Oracle ThinkQuest, n. d.. Web. 19 Oct 2010. . â€Å"Types of Smokers (by Cigarette Consumption). † Nursing Research (n. d. ): n. pag. Web. 19 Oct 2010. .

Roman Economy Essay Essays

Roman Economy Essay Essays Roman Economy Essay Essay Roman Economy Essay Essay Roman Economy Essay BY lbtondi123 he Economics of the Roman Empire Ancient Rome consisted of a vast area of land, with many natural and human-built resources. Because of this, Romes economy benefited greatly. In addition, production of a variety of items was crucial for a strong economic empire. The economy of the early Republic was largely based on paid labor. However, by the late Republic, the economy was largely dependent on slave labor. Also, Rome had a very well organized system of money. Lastly, Infrastructure was huge in the Romans ability to trade and move efficiently throughout the empire as well. The economics of any strong empire were based on three simple components: production, distribution, and consumption. The Romans were especially successful in building an economically sound empire. As one would think, production is the first step in the process of making a profit. The Romans had a large variety of items that they produced. Examples include iron, lead, leather, marble, olive oil, perfumes, purple dye, silk, silver, spices, timber, tin and wine. They were able to produce most of these items due to their large range of labor, from slave farmers to wealthy merchants. But also, some of their products ere influenced from other cultures inside the empire, such as olives and wine from the Greeks. Romans also had the advantage of obtaining products such as milk and cheese from their domesticated animals, such as cows and goats. The saying, all roads did lead to Rome, is correct in the sense that Rome is located centrally in terms of trade. Having all of these brilliant items in their arsenal was crucial to Roman trade; however, it would mean nothing if they could not get them to their destinations. An astonishing component of the Roman Empire was infrastructure and ultimately heir ability to distribute. The development of infrastructure set the empire apart from the others and proved to be useful in trade. The roads that the Romans built totaled approximately fifty thousand kilometers in length and expanded all over the Mediterranean region. These roads provided easy transport of people and items. Because of the well-built roads, people could get from Britain to Egypt in Just a couple of months, expediting the trading process. In addition to roads, aqueducts were also built to distribute water to the cities. Also, products could be transported y means of sea travel on ships to islands on the water. Lastly, bridges such as the Trajan Bridge in Britain, which spans 1,135 m(l), were built over rivers to even further improve transportation. Due to Roman developments, the Romans were able to expand their trading options substantially, and as a result, the economy was boosted as well. Now that the Romans were able to produce and distribute their items, all that was left was consumption. Because they could reach many different cultures within their system of roads, a wide variety of people lead to an increase of supply and demand. The Romans themselves were also consumers. Imports such as silks from China, cotton and spices from India, ivory and wild animals from Africa, large amounts of world were received by the Romans. In fact, There was no luxury that the ancient world had to offer that the Romans didnt accept themselves(Hardy). On the contrary, these luxuries were only financially available to the wealthy; so, those that were not as wealthy were not able to obtain these luxury imports. The action of obtaining such a large diversity of items from others proved to be helpful in the Roman Empire. Overall, the ancient Roman Empire had all of the key components of economic success. The Romans created a wide variety of items and goods, even creating their own currency system. The infrastructure they created gave them the advantage when it came to distributing product and transportation altogether. In addition, their central location in the large Mediterranean region allowed their range of distribution to be enormous thus, increasing consumption. With the three components of economics: production, distribution, and consumption, the Romans were able to create a superior empire that thrived economically.

Lean management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Lean management - Essay Example Procurement establishes a set of rules, strategies and plans to be followed when acquiring products and services that are added to the supply chain. Order management keeps track of the whole process; it determines where some changes can be made. Logistics cover for the complex systems that incorporate large organizations expanding rapidly and need to grow simultaneously (Blanchard, 2010). The managing of returns accelerates the process of realizing the company’s progress, loss or profit. Finally, the process of planning and forecasting is trivial on the future of the enterprise. All of the discussed features are adapted using an efficient or responsive supply chain. An effective supply chain is characterized by; long production times, large batch sizes and high set up costs. An example is the process of implementing upgrades in the company, the process has to be thoroughly researched, and the best options selected (Blanchard, 2010). Responsive chain supply is characterized by; short production lead times, small batch sizes and low setup costs. An example is the introduction of a new product in the company due to its demand. A food processing company, for example, will shift to developing a newly discovered flavor for its customers when it is on high

Crital thinking analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Crital thinking analysis - Essay Example The purpose for me to write this report, is to evaluate this piece of writing analytically that will further illuminate the results of my critical thinking. Further this report is intended to serve the purpose of describing, evaluating and analyzing the arguments presented in the article. This report further should be able to inform the Editorial review board, based on a solid analysis that whether the article is worthy of being published in the journal of ‘Advanced Critical Thinking ‘for businesses and why. The major issue outlined in the article is that of the fact that, with the help of a proper restructuring plan, public limited companies can be turned into profitable firms by taking them into private ownerships and restructuring them. . Furthermore, the Example of Blackstone Company is being discussed herein. The Article also highlights the American approach towards such an issue. It also investigates how Foreign Companies listings on the American stock exchange helps gain valuation premium. The Article tends to put forth a question: If the readers think that that a public firm that is to be restructured would be better managed if it would be financed in a better manner. The article outlines the details of Blackstone Company, which is listed with the American Stock Exchange. The Global IPO‘s current position is described. The market in London then in comparison is stated to possess policies and rules that pose lesser personal risk to the directors of companies. How finance experts argue that the American approach is better off is also described briefly. How tighter regulations along with then bring Investor confidence has also been defined and explained. Private equity and the typical Buyout transaction entail hollowing out a public company which is undervalued and restructuring and after a few years selling the company for a profit. The article compares both the American stock exchange and London stock exchange working

Needs for a Domestic Vacuum Cleaner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Needs for a Domestic Vacuum Cleaner - Essay Example The Dyson DC08T is a hypoallergenic cylinder vacuum cleaner, and comes with a "lose no suction power" claims from the manufacturer. It Employs a Bagless Dust Collector, and is free-standing. In appearance, it’s cute, compact and small. The bright colorful exteriors are attractive, and the cleaner has easily maneuverable buttons. The hose pipe can be wrapped around the cleaner and hence facilitates easy storage. With a maximum volume of the dust collector of 2 Litres, it is capable of working for an extended period of time without the need to clean and restart. The cleaner however is not capable of working on a remote control mode, and also does not have the capacity to multi-function. It comes with a Telescopic wand and a turbo head for deep cleaning or using on pet hair. Before proceeding to report the actual exercise, it is appropriate to elaborate upon the layout of the cleaning area. The cleaning will be undertaken in my two-bedrooms, that have hard floors and furniture like, bed, dresser and an armchair. It will also include the living room, that too has hard floor, a Belgium carpet, and an assortment of rugs. The furniture in this room includes a fabric-furnished sofa set, a glass-topped center table, two wooden side tables, and an array of artifacts that include small sized statutes, terracotta vases, and several other similar displays. The hall houses dining table and chairs, and a couple of lounge chairs.

HR Planning 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Planning 3 - Research Paper Example ce of support into a confined niche market.’ This forms the basis of this paper which seeks to answer the question of why rapid growing industries should hire from the outside rather than develop internally. Acquisition of knowledge and experience that does not exist in your organization about specific areas is undoubtedly a major reason for hiring from outside. Getting someone who has the expertise in what you intend to do is crucial as it will help your team rapidly speed up on time to success. This is so because an expert from outside will bring along a vast experience which will help in identifying challenges and communicating the potential outcomes which are important for rapidly changing industries. According to a new survey of 400 employers conducted by the non-profit COLLEGE FOR AMERICA (2014), study revealed that most employers preferred strongly developing existing employees as opposed to hiring from outside. However, the research also showed that the major challenge for these surveyed employers show that there is a hurdle in the lack of promotable skills to enable develop internally. According to Kristine Clerkin, the Executive Director of College for America, â€Å"American employers are almost universally in agreement about the importance of building talent and leadership within the organization. That being said, nearly nine out of ten employers report a gap where their current employees are missing key promotable skills† (COLLEGE FOR AMERICA, 2014). This study shows that there is a big problem in talent development internally owing to the gap of the missing promotable skills among employees in organizations. This has seen many employers outsource to fill this gap among its employees to enable countering the pull of the market. On the same vein, hiring enables an organization to access knowledge that could have been developed over a long time. According to research conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research from December 6 – 16 2013, â€Å"76% of

Creating an Information Security Policy

Creating an Information Security Policy Being relegated as the Chief Security Officer for the University is a requesting position and I mean to speak to the University in an expert matter. My first task is setting up and keeping up a venture wide data security program to guarantee that all data and information resources are not traded off. I will examine my arrangement to execute these obligations long with this System Security Plan. Programmers have been assaulting the University arrange framework and my first activity is to do a hazard evaluation of the University framework to find how the programmers are get to the framework. I will likewise need to re-set up framework safety efforts to secure the University organize. The Universities firewalls, interruption identification frameworks (IDSes), servers, switches, and remote get to focuses must be re-secured from any assaults. These procedures will help in securing the University from programmers focusing on a lot of delicate private and profitable data including names, locations, SSNs and other touchy and private information. The most essential assault to dispose of is the money related issues the assaults cost the University. The procedure that I plan to execute is like different Universities inside the neighborhood, Institute of Technology and Georgia State University. The first is to build up an Information Security Policy in which staff and understudies will hold fast to. In Georgia State University security arrangement states, 2006, Condition of Security. The Statutes of Georgia State University accommodate the interior administration of the University. As noted in Article VI of the Statutes, the University Senate is the body that activities the authoritative capacities managing the general instructive approach. Moreover, the obligations of an Information Systems and Technology Committee (ISAT) are sketched out in the Senate Bylaws (Article VII, Section 18), incorporate the conference on the advancement of data innovation approaches. By and by, data security approaches are produced by the Information Systems and Technology office in participation with Information Technology Security and Support Subcommittee (ITSSS) and submitted to the ISAT for input. The mission of the ITSSS is to survey and suggest arrangements, rules, and principles to empower the proceeded with accessibility and trustworthiness of the registering and system foundation. Moreover, its enrollment comprises of data innovation experts from a bunch of schools and offices. Proposed Action Items 1) Update Information Security Web nearness to incorporate grounds advisories, InfoSec occasions, arrangements/methods, and security mindfulness materials. 2) Computer Security Incident Response Team will direct intermittent audits of Information Security Policies/Procedures for their proceeding with reasonableness, ampleness, and adequacy. Georgia Tech has Information Security police in the addendum 4.1 Copyright and Intellectual Property. The approach that will be set up would tie for any infractions led by staff or understudy. The approach will cover all parts of the system security of the University. The arrangement is primarily to ensure that it secures the University, staff part, and understudies to be stay in understanding to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (1984), Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (1998), and Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act (2003). Since an approach will be upheld the following thing is to discover an instrument that would help with securing the University arranges. The one organization that I trust that would have the instruments to appropriately ensure the system is Trustwave. Data about the organization is given in its pdf document, Trustwave is a main supplier of data security and consistence administration answers for expansive and independent ventures all through the world. Trustwave investigates, secures and approves an associations information administration framework-from the system to the application layer-to guarantee the assurance of data and consistence with industry benchmarks and directions, for example, the PCI DSS and ISO 27002, among others. Money related organizations, huge and little retailers, worldwide electronic trades, instructive foundations, business benefit firms and government offices depend on Trustwave. The organizations answers incorporate on-request consistence administration, ov ersaw security administrations, computerized declarations and 247 multilingual supports. The organization can furnish the University with an aggregate system security framework with its Campus Network Support that comprise of Network Penetration Testing, Application Penetration Testing, Network Access Control (NAC), and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). The organization will have the capacity to likewise give Data and Intellectual Property Protection Support by Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Encryption, Security Awareness Education (SAE), Extended Validation SSL, and Two-calculate Authentication. The cost for the item wont cost the University to a lot of a money related tie. The cost range is as taken after: TrustKeeper SSL Plus Pricing 3 Year Price 2 Year Price 1 Year Price $300.00/yr. ($900.00 total) $335.00/yr. ($670.00 total) $394.00/yr. Two Factor Authentications Digital Certificate Based Great for Remote VPN Access Free Technical Support No Tokens Free lifetime re-issuance and revocation Manage Web Site Access Low Cost Easy to administer Easy end user deployment 250 Users 3yrs $8,221/ 2yrs $9,699/ 1yrs $11,089 As I expressed before about guaranteeing that the arrangement holds fast to laws to ensure the University, staff, and understudies. Some different laws that the college should cling to in the condition of Georgia are in understanding to the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACCU), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Digital Millennium Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and CDC 42CFR Part 73. The University, staff and understudies can be charge by the state or government with infractions of any of these laws. A case of this is portrayed by Rasmussen, 2011, warning for a school or college would be any of the accompanying: a recognizable proof record that seems produced or adjusted, an ID where the data recorded contrasts from what was given on the budgetary guide or confirmation application, an application that seems to have been modified or a circumstance in which a man applying for credit declines to (or intentionally does not) give distinguishing reports. The controls require schools and colleges with secured records to devise an arrangement of rules to manage and avoid circumstances that are warnings. Under the Red Flag Rules, the FTC may force common punishments (up to $2,500 per infringement) for knowing infringement of decision that constitute an example or practice. On the off chance that the FTC observes infringement of the control to be uncalled for and beguiling, the FTC may likewise utilize its power to issue restraining orders and other requirement activities. In spite of the fact that there is no private right of activity for rebelliousness with the Red Flag Rule under the FCRA, casualties of data fraud might have the capacity to bring claims under different speculations of obligation, for example, private torts. The Red Flag case is only one case of how rebelliousness could mean inconvenience for advanced education foundations. Another case by Rasmussen, 2011, If procedures arent set up to stop-or in any event restrict-an IT security break, the money related misfortunes could gather rapidly. In December 2010, The Ohio State University (OSU) advised a great many understu dies and employees that their own data was traded off by programmers who broke into a grounds server. Names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and addresses were all at hazard. In spite of the colleges claims that there was no proof the information was really stolen, the break was still assessed to cost the college $4 million in costs identified with investigative counseling, rupture warning and charge card security. This does exclude any administrative activity that may have come about. In any case, the $4 million sticker price in the OSU break is likely quite recently the tip of the ice sheet. The 2010 Ponemon Institute U.S. Cost of a Data Breach report found that the normal information break cost organizations $214 per traded off record and arrived at the midpoint of $7.2 million for each information rupture occasion. These figures were gotten from associations that included instructive foundations, and could without a doubt apply to most colleges given their substantial client base and incomprehensible measure of direction. Moreover, the report found that it wasnt recently lost portable workstations or stolen streak drives that brought about information breaks. Ponemon found that malevolent assaults were the underlying driver of almost a third (31 percent) of the information ruptures considered. To give additional data with respect to indicting PC violations is secured under the United States Department of Justice Prosecuting Computer Crimes Computer Crime and In tellectual Property Section Criminal Division, Debilitating to Damage a Computer: 18 U.S.C.  § 1030(a)(7) Summary (Felony) 1. With aim to coerce cash or some other thing of significant worth 2. transmits in interstate or outside business a correspondence 3. containing a:threat to harm an ensured PC Or, then again risk acquiring or uncovering classified data without or in overabundance of approval or, then again. Request or demand for cash or incentive in connection to harm done regarding the coercion. The offense detail is, with purpose to blackmail from any individual any cash or other thing of significant worth, transmits in interstate or remote trade any correspondence containing any- danger to make harm a secured PC; (B) risk to acquire data from an ensured PC without approval or in abundance of approval or to impede the secrecy of data got from an ensured PC without approval or by surpassing approved get to; or (C) request or demand for cash or other thing of significant worth in connection to harm to an ensured PC, where such harm was brought on to encourage the blackmail; should be rebuffed as given in subsection (c) of this area. The punishments are: An infringement of segment 1030(a)(7) is deserving of a fine and up to five years in jail. 18 U.S.C.  § 1030(c) (3 )(A). In the event that the litigant has a past conviction under area 1030, the greatest sentence increments to 10 years detainment. 18 U.S.C.  § 1030(c)(3)(B). Certain colleges utilize diverse or similar projects for PC crime scene investigation innovation. As expressed by George State University, 2006s, Symantec LiveState Delivery venture administration programming will keep on being put into generation all through 2007. This tremendously intense apparatus can be utilized to mechanize the arrangement of patches, working frameworks, and applications. This is one framework they use to ensure and can likewise screen their framework. Another instrument is utilized by colleges, company, and governments, which is AccessData Forensic Toolkit, FTK (Forensic Toolkit). FTK is a court-acknowledged computerized examinations stage that is worked for speed, investigation and undertaking class adaptability. Known for its natural interface, email examination, adjustable information perspec tives and strength, FTK lays the structure for consistent development, so your PC legal sciences arrangement can develop with your associations needs. Also AccessData offers new development modules conveying an industry-first malware investigation capacity and cutting edge perception. These modules incorporate with FTK to make the most complete PC legal sciences stage available. The cost for the framework is FTK 4: $2,995; Cerberus Expansion Module: $2,400; Visualization Expansion Module: $999; MPE+: $3,000. The diverse working framework are Cerberus) and to analyze email and records in a completely new way (Visualizer). The Mobile Phone Examiner Plus (MPE+) adds cell phones to the collection. It yields a record that can be included specifically into a case, alongside pictures from PCs. This makes connection quick and clear. EnCase is the most generally perceived apparatuses by law-authorization and business clients. The business standard PC examination arrangement is for scientific experts who need to direct effective, forensically solid information accumulation and examinations utilizing a repeatable and faultless process. The cost is $3,000 for a corporate permit, in addition to support of the framework. EnCase has a few modules, for example, EnCase ® Smartphone Examiner which is intended for law requirement, security investigators, and e-disclosure pros who need to survey and forensically gather information from cell phone and tablet gadgets, for example, iPhone and iPad. Agents can prepare and investigate cell phone gadget information close by different sorts of advanced proof inside any Guidance Software EnCase ® item. EnCase ® Virtual File System (VFS) Module effectively mount and audit confirmation, (for example, a case, gadget, volume, or organizer) as a read-just from outside the EnCase ® Forensic condition. Valuable for confirmation audit by agents, resistance specialists, prosecutors, barrier guide, and other non-EnCaseà ƒâ€šÃ‚ ® Forensic clients. Bolsters various record frameworks and effortlessly mounts RAIDS, encoded, or compacted volumes. EnCase ® Physical Disk Emulator (PDE) Module mount a picture of a recreated hard drive or CD in read-just mode, permitting the utilization of outsider devices for extra examination. Additionally gives a stage to juries to see advanced proof in a recognizable configuration. PDE can mount drives from a few record frameworks, in spite of the fact that the substance may not be perceived by WindowsEnCase ® Decryption Suite apparatuses appropriate for decoding of circles, volumes, documents, and envelopes. Fit for decoding: Microsoft BitLocker, Microsoft BitLocker, GuardianEdge Encryption Plus/Encryption Anywhere/Hard Disk Encryption, Utimaco SafeGuard Easy, McAfee SafeBoot, WinMagic SecureDoc Full Disk Encryption, PGP Whole Disk Encryption, Microsoft Encrypting File System (EFS), CREDANT Mobile Guardian, PST (Microsoft Outlook), S/MIME encoded email in PST records, NSF (Lotus Notes), Protected capacity (ntuser.dat), Security Hive, Active Directory 2003 (ntds.dit), and others. FastBloc ® Software Edition (SE) a quick, dependable, and flexible answer for securely gain of each part of an objective hard drive even those regularly outside the working framework. You can likewise wipe or reestablish drives. Plug-n-play obtaining of IDE drives, USB thumb drives, USB and Firewire outside capacity FastBloc ® SE underpins a wide scope of famous IDE/SATA PCI controller cards, and select SCSI controllers. These are only a couple devices that colleges can utilize and the principle ones I recommend this University to use for PC legal sciences. I do trust that with the data I have given to the University that it will have incredible trust in me to deal with the position it has enlisted me for. I really do welcome this open door and work at this position. Reference Easttom, C. Taylor, J., 2011, Computer Crime, Investigation, and the Law, Cengage Learning, Mason, OH Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011, Computer Network Usage and Security Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Rev. 4.04 http://www.oit.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/CNUSP.pdf Georgia State University, 2006, Georgia State University SYSTEM SECURITY PLAN, Georgia State University http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/csd4889.pdf Rasmussen, R., 2011, The College Cyber Security Tightrope: Higher Education Institutions Face Greater Risks, SecurityWeek Internet and Enterprise Security News, Insight Analysis http://www.securityweek.com/college-cyber-security-tightrope-higher- education-institutions-face-greater-risks U.S. Department of Justice, Prosecuting Computer Crimes Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Criminal Division, Office of Legal Education Executive Office for United States Attorneys http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/docs/ccmanual.pdf Vacca, J.R. Rudolph, K., 2011, System Forensics, Investigation, and Response, Jones Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA

Do Sentences Have Identity? :: Equiformity Language Composition Papers

Do Sentences Have Identity? We study here equiformity, the standard identity criterion for sentences. This notion was put forward by Lesniewski, mentioned by Tarski and defined explicitly by Presburger. At the practical level this criterion seems workable but if the notion of sentence is taken as a fundamental basis for logic and mathematics, it seems that this principle cannot be maintained without vicious circle. It seems also that equiformity has some semantical features ; maybe this is not so clear for individual signs but sentences are often considered as meaningful combinations of signs. If meaning has to play a role, we are thus maybe in no better position than when dealing with identity criterion for propositions. In formal logic, one speaks rather about well-formed formulas, but closed formulas are called sentences because they are meaningful in the sense that they can be true or false. Formulas look better like mathematical objects than material inscriptions and equiformity does not seem to apply to t hem. Various congruencies can be considered as identities between formulas and in particular "to have the same logical form". One can say that the objects of study of logic are rather logical forms than sentences conceived as material inscriptions. 1. What is equiformity? Some logicians have rejected propositions in favour of sentences, arguing in particular that there is no satisfactory identity criterion for propositions (cf. Quine, 1970). But is there one for sentences? The idea that logic is about sentences rather than propositions and that sentences are nothing more that material inscriptions was already developed by Lesniewski, who also saw immediately the main difficulty of this conception and introduced the notion of equiformity to solve it. His attitude his well described in a footnote of one of Tarski’s famous early papers: As already explained, sentences are here regarded as material objects (inscriptions). (...) It is not always possible to form the implication of two sentences (they may occur in widely separated places). In order to simplify matters we have (...) committed an error; this consists in identifying equiform sentences (as S. Lesniewski calls them). This error can be removed by interpreting S as the set of all types of sentences (and not of sentences) and by modifying in an analogous manner the intuitive sense of other primitve concepts. In this connexion by the type of a sentence x we understand the set of all sentences which are equiform with x.

Financial Management in Non Profit Organizations

ITO-YOKADO COMPANY, LTD. M. Edgar Barrett and Christopher D. Buehler Overview The Ito-Yokado Company consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations (lto-Yokado superstores, Daikum discount stores, York Mart, York Benimaru, Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods); Restaurant Operations (Denny's and Famil Restaurants); and Convenience Store Operations (7-Eleven Japan). Ito- Yokado had just acquired struggling Southland Corporation and transitional long-term strategies for Southland would have to be developed.Although diversified, Southland's largest business segment was its Stores Group responsible for operating and franchising of over 7,500 7-Eleven convenience stores. Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado was considering the possibility that long-term strategies that had been successful in Japan also could be successful in the United States was vastly different than that of Japan; nevertheless, he was confident that through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. Learning Objectives . To acquaint students with the development of a Japanese company and its move into U. S. markets essay writer service review. 2. To acquaint students with elements of â€Å"Japanese management† through Ito-Yokado's â€Å"operation reform project† and to induce them to question the transferability of marketing across national boundaries. 3. To familiarize students with the nature of retailing in Japan buying essay papers online. 4. To show how Southland Corporation became subject to acquisition by Ito-Yokado Company, Ltd. 5. To present the nature of the convenience store industry in the United States.In mid-March 1991, Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado Company, was preparing to depart for Dallas, Texas. Once there, he would be leading a team of Japanese and American managers responsible for establishing transitional and l ong-term strategies for the Southland Corporation. After nearly an entire year of intense bargaining and negotiation with Southland and its creditors, Ito-Yokado acquired Southland on March 5, 1991. Takahashi began working with Ito-Yokado in 1972 as an assistant manager of one of the company's superstores. He had advanced to the position of regional manager by 1979.In early 1981, Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project was conceived and Takahashi was asked to be a member of the team leading the project. During the first few months on the team, Takahashi quickly understood certain crucial aspects of the new project, most notably the use of point-of-sale (POS) systems. Implementation of the project advanced most rapidly in Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan subsidiary, so he also had become familiar with the operating environment of convenience stores in Japan. As Takahashi left his Tokyo office, he could not help but feel both excitement and apprehension regarding his new position.He h ad gained confidence while involved with the successful Operation Reform Project at Ito-Yokado's superstores and 7-Eleven Japan convenience stores, but this experience might or might not prove to be useful in respect to Southland. COMPANY BACKGROUND Ito-Yokado's founder, Masatoshi Ito, was born in 1924 and graduated from a commercial high school in Yokohama. He worked briefly at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries before joining Japan's war effort in 1944. After World War II, he worked with his mother and elder brother at the family's 66-square-foot clothing store in Tokyo. 1 The store was incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Yokado in 1958.By 1960, Ito was in sole control of the family business. During that same year he made his first visit to the United States. In 1960, Ito visited National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton, Ohio. While in the United States, Ito was introduced to terms such as â€Å"supermarkets† and â€Å"chain stores† by NCR, which was interested in selling cash r egisters to Japanese retailers. In Japan, retailing was dominated by mom-and-pop stores and a handful of venerable department stores, with few types of retail outlets in between. At this time, Ito began to see the possible role of mass merchandisers in a society becoming â€Å"mass-oriented. Ito soon opened a small chain of superstores in the Tokyo area. These stores carried a large selection of household goods, food, and clothing of generally lesser quality and lower price than either the mom-and-pop or department stores. ‘ By 1965, Ito had opened eight superstores. In the same year, the name of the chain was changed to Ito- Yokado. The Growth of Ito- Yokado as a Superstore Ito's concept for the superstores was centered on having the rough equivalent of several types of retail stores contained within one multistory superstore.The initial stores were located near population centers and railroad stations in the Tokyo areas. ‘ Often, several stores were located in close p roximity in order to achieve â€Å"regional dominance. † The results were high name recognition, reduced distribution costs, and the effective squeezing out of competition. Ito soon realized that social changes in Japan could create new opportunities for his retailing ideas. Younger and more mobile Japanese appeared to be less willing to spend a great deal of time shopping at numerous mom-and-pop stores. Also, the Japanese society was experiencing increased suburbanization.Ito decided to locate stores in suburban prefectures. There were 47 prefectures (provinces) in Japan. One reason for locating stores in suburban areas was the lower cost of real estate. This allowed Ito-Yokado to open larger stores with more parking spaces than competitors located in congested urban areas. Ito continued to use a strategy of â€Å"regional dominance† with these new openings, most of which were concentrated in the greater Kanto district, which consists of the Tokyo metropolitan area an d surrounding cities. By the early 1970s, Ito-Yokado stores were opening at the rate of four or five per year.By the late 1970s, nine or 10 new stores ‘were opened annually. † In early 1987, 101 of 127 Ito- Yokado superstores were located in the greater Kanto district. Ito also adopted a strategy of leasing some properties for new stores. As of the mid-1980s, more than 87 percent of Ito-Yokado's aggregate sales floor space, 10 of the company's 11 distribution centers, and the company headquarters in Tokyo were all leased? Often, property prices were astronomical, or the owners of well-located sites would not part with their property for any price. Constraints on GrowthThe initial success of Ito-Yokado and the other superstores soon resulted in retaliatory action by a powerful competitor: the mom-and-pop store owners. These small retailers were said to â€Å"pull the strings of Liberal Democratic Party politicians at the local level. †8 The action initiated by the small retailers resulted in the 1974 Large Store Restriction Act, which was subsequently strengthened in 1979. The original act restricted the opening of stores with sales areas of more than 1,500 square meters (16,500 square feet). In addition, the act restricted the hours of operation of new and existing large stores.A series of changes in 1979 added restrictions on stores with sales areas greater than 500 square meters (5,500 square feet). A Commerce Coordination Committee was established in each area in order to set policy regarding large-store openings and hours of operation. The committees were effectively controlled by the small retailers. By the early 1980s, Ito-Yokado was opening only four or five new stores annually. † Factors other than the Large Store Restriction Act adversely affected Ito-Yokado. Japanese consumers' real disposable income decreased by a little more than 1 percent during 1980-1981. 0 Japan experienced a general economic downturn in the early 1980s, as did the rest of the world, again serving to limit consumer purchasing power. Net income for Ito- Yokado-which had grown almost 30 percent per year between 1976 and 1981-grew by 9. 7 percent in 1982 and by 0. 9 percent in 1983. 11 The legal restrictions imposed on large stores, when combined with the economic downturn, led to both lower current earnings and a projection of reduced rates of growth in future earnings. Ito-Yokado as a Parent Company During the early 1970s, Ito began pursuing new retailing interests.In 1972, he approached Dallas-based Southland Corporation in an attempt to secure a license to operate 7-Eleven stores in Japan. He was rebuffed. He made a similar attempt in 1973 with the aid of a Japanese trading company, C. Ito and Company, and was successful in obtaining the license. Concurrently, Ito was pursuing another U. S. firm, Denny's Restaurants, in an attempt to obtain rights for opening Denny's Restaurants in Japan. Both subsidiaries, Denny's Japan and 7-Ele ven Japan (originally called York Seven but renamed 7-Eleven Japan in 1978), were established in 1973.The first 7-Eleven and the initial Denny's in Japan were both opened in 1974. Stock for each of the two majority- owned subsidiaries was traded independently on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Both subsidiaries became profitable around 1977. ITO-YOKADO IN THE 1980s The Ito-Yokado group consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations, Restaurant Operations, and Convenience Store Operations. The Convenience Store Operations segment was made up of 7-Eleven Japan. The Restaurant Operations segment consisted of Denny's and Famil Restaurants.Ito-Yokado super- stores, Daikuma discount stores, two supermarket chains (York Mart and York-Benimaru), Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods Store made up the Super-stores and other Retail Operations segment. Ito-Yokado's financial statements are shown in Exhibits 1 through 3 in separate attachments. SUPER STORES AND OTHER RETAIL OPERATIONS York Mart and York-Benimaru York Mart was a wholly owned subsidiary established in 1975. In 1990, it operated 40 supermarkets located primarily in the Tokyo area.These stores sold mainly fresh foods and packaged goods, and competition was high in this geographic and retail area. Ito- Yokado's Operation Reform Program was implemented by York Mart in 1986 as a means to boost efficiency and profits. By 1990 sales were increasing at 6 percent per year. See Exhibit 3. Is York-Benimaru was a 29-percent-owned affiliate of to-Yokado, and was an independently managed regional supermarket chain. York-Benimaru operated 51 stores as of 1988. The stores were located in the Fukushima prefecture of Koriyama-city in northern Japan. Like York Mart, York-Benimaru operated with a higher profit margin than the supermarket industry as a whole. York-Benimaru's earnings growth rate of 13 percent per year was expected to last into the 1990s, and Ito-Yokado's share of this profit was the major contribution to the â€Å"equity in earnings of affiliates† portion of Ito- Yokado's income statement (see Exhibit 2). Daikuma Daikuma discount stores were consolidated into the Ito-Yokado group in 1986, when Ito-Yokado's ownership of Daikuma increased from 47. 6 percent to 79. 5 percent. † In 1990, Daikuma was one of the largest discount store chains in Japan with 14 stores.Although Daikuma was popular among young Japanese consumers, the discount stores attracted the critical attention of competing small retailers. Because the discount stores were regulated by the Large Store Regulation Act, intensive effort was required to open new stores. Despite these circumstances, and increasing competition, Daikuma opened two discount stores in 1989. Robinson's Department Stores In 1984, the Robinson's Japan Company was established to open Robinson's Department Stores in Japan. The Robinson's name was used under the terms of a license granted by the U.S. sto re of the same name. The Japanese company was wholly owned by Ito-Yokado, and the first Robinson's Department Store in Japan was opened in November 1985 in Kasukabe City of Saitama Prefecture. This was a residential com- munity north of Tokyo and was a rapidly growing area. Although an Ito- Yokado super- store was located nearby, Ito-Yokado's management believed that a niche existed for a slightly more upscale retail store. Ito-Yokado had â€Å"shattered traditional wisdom by opening up a department store in the suburbs, not in the center of Tokyo. 21 The location was expected to serve a population area of more than 600,000 residents and to offer a broad selection of consumer goods at prices higher than superstores yet lower than the downtown Tokyo department stores. ~ Many of the strategies employed by Ito-Yokado in opening its Robinson's Department Store followed similar strategies employed in its superstores. The land was leased (in a suburb). Instead of purchasing goods on a co nsignment basis as most other department stores did, Robinson's managers were made responsible for the outright purchase of goods from suppliers.This allowed Robinson's to purchase goods at a significantly reduced price. Robinson's reported its first profit in fiscal 1989, approximately four years after opening. † In contrast, most Japanese department stores operate approximately 10 years before reporting a profit. The single Robinson's location grossed about ? 28 billion (US$220 million) in fiscal 1989. 24 The second Robinson's Department Store opened in late 1990 in Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tokyo. Oshman's Sporting GoodsIto-Yokado licensed the Oshman's Sporting Goods name from the Houston, Texas, parent company in 1985. That year, two stores were opened. One of the stores was located inside the original Robinson's Department Store. RESTAURANT OPERATIONS The Famil Restaurant chain was started in 1979 as an in-store restaurant to serve customers at Ito-Yokado superstores. It had; however, expanded to 251 locations by 1988. 25 The Famil chain did not record its first positive earnings until 1986. In Famil's attempts to expand operations, the company had emphasized its catering business. By 1990, the in-store operations (those located in Ito- Yokado superstores) accounted for 45 percent of Famil's sales, the catering business accounted for 32 percent of sales, and freestanding stores accounted for 23 percent of sales. † Denny's Japan Ito-Yokado opened the initial Denny's (Japan) Restaurant in 1974 with a license from Denny's of La Mirada, California. Ito-Yokado tailored the U. S. family restaurant to the Japanese market, and Denny's Japan became profitable around 1977. By 1981, 100 Denny's Japan restaurants had been established. † and in 1990 there were 320 such restaurants operated by Ito-Yokado. In 1990, Ito-Yokado controlled 51 percent of Denny's Japan stock. In the early 1980s. Ito-Yokado decided that Denny's Jap an should purchase all rights to the Denny's name in Japan. The purchase was made in 1984, and royalty payments to the U. S. parent were thereby discontinued. In fiscal year 1990 (March 1989 to February 1990), Denny's Japan reported a net annual sales increase of 10. 9 percent, as compared with the 4. 9 percent Japanese restaurant industry sales increase for the same period= Exhibits 4 and 5 contain financial statements for Denny's Japan.In 1988, Denny's Japan began using an electronic order-entry system, which allowed managers of individual restaurants to quickly order food sup- plies based on trends in their own restaurants. It also allowed for the periodic updating of menus to reflect new food items. See exhibits 4 and 5. CONVENIENCE STORE OPERATIONS 7-Eleven Japan Since the opening of the first 7-Eleven store in 1974, the chain had grown to more than 4,300 stores located in virtually all parts of Japan by February 1990. 32 At that time, about 300 new stores were being opened ann ually.Ito-Yokado owned approximately 50. 3 percent of 7-Eleven Japan in 1990. Originally, young urban workers represented the primary customer base. As 7-Eleven penetrated the Japanese market, however, almost everyone became a potential customer. In Tokyo, for example, utility bills could be paid at the chain's stores. The 7-Eleven stores were small enough, with an average of only 1,000 square feet, to effectively avoid regulation under the Large Store Regulation Act. This allowed 7- Eleven to compete with the mom-and-pop retailers on the basis of longer hours of operation and lower prices.Faced with this competition, many of the small retailers joined the ranks of 7-Eleven. By converting small retailers to 7-Eleven stores, Ito-Yokado was able to expand rapidly and blanket the country† 7-Eleven Japan pursued a strategy of franchising stores instead of owning them. The franchise commission for 7-Eleven stores was approximately 45 percent of the gross profit of the store (the co mmission was 43 percent for 24-hour stores). Ito-Yokado provided most of the ancillary functions for each store (e. g. , administration, accounting, advertising, and 80 percent of utility costs).In 1987, 92 percent of all 7-Eleven stores in Japan were franchised. † and by 1990, only 2 percent of the 7-Elevens were corporate owned. † Within the Ito-Yokado group, 7-Eleven contributed 6. 8 percent of revenues in 1990. With this relatively small portion of overall corporate revenues, however, 7- Eleven Japan contributed more than 35 percent of the group's profit. Under its licensing agreement, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of 0. 6 percent of gross sales to the Southland Corporation. In 1989 and 1990, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of about $4. 1 million and $4. million, respectively. The financial statements for 7-Eleven Japan for the years 1986 to 1990 are shown in Exhibits 6 and 7. OPERATION REFORM PROJECT Ito-Yokado implemented the Operation Reform Project in late 1981 in a retail industry environment punctuated by reduced consumer spending and decreasing margins. The goals of the project were to increase efficiency and boost profitability by increasing the inventory turn while avoiding empty store shelves. The plan was originally implemented in the Ito- Yokado Superstores and the 7- Eleven Japan convenience stores.The implementation of the project involved a coordinated effort of catering to rapidly changing consumer preferences while, simultaneously, monitoring merchandise flow more closely. This coordination was accomplished by making individual store managers more responsible for such decisions as what merchandise was to be stocked on store shelves, thus allowing managers to tailor merchandise selection in their individual stores to local preferences. Top Ito-Yokado regional managers held weekly meetings with store managers to monitor the implementation of the project.As late as 1988, these meetings were still held on a weekly basis. † In o rder to avoid depletion of store stocks, Ito-Yokado established an on-line ordering system with vendors. In 1982, the ordering system reached only 400 vendors. By 1988, however, the system linked Ito- Yokado with 1,860 vendors. Point-of-Sale System As implementation of the Operation Reform Project began, Ito-Yokado paid increased attention to the importance of obtaining information regarding the flow of merchandise through individual stores. The tool chosen to accomplish this task was the point-of-sale system.POS system usage was increasing in the United States in the early 1980s, but the systems were used primarily to increase productivity at the cash register. In contrast, Ito- Yokado used similar systems as a part of the project by monitoring specific merchandise flow. As of the late 1980s, many retailers in the United States had begun utilizing POS in similar capacities, and some had begun to use POS to track the purchases of individual consumers. The first use of POS systems in Japan came in 1982, when 7-Eleven Japan began installing them in its stores. By 1986, every 7-Eleven store in Japan was equipped with such a system. The systems available were sophisticated enough to monitor the entire stock of merchandise in a typical convenience store having about 3,000 items. ‘ The systems could monitor the flow of every item of merchandise through the purchase, inventory, sale, and restocking stages. In late 1984, Ito-Yokado decided to install POS systems in the superstores. The sophistication of those systems installed in convenience stores, however, was not adequate to handle the merchandise flow of a superstore, which could stock up to 500,000 items. † New POS systems were developed n a coordinated effort by Ito-Yokado, Nippon Electric, and Nomura Computer Services. The installation of POS systems in the existing superstores was completed in November 1985, with more than 8,000 POS registers installed in 121 stores. † With 138 stores in 1990 , Ito-Yokado had an estimated 9,000 POS registers in the superstores alone. In 1986, after the systems had been installed in all superstores and 7-Elevens, Ito- Yokado accounted for about 70 percent of the POS systems in use in Japan as of 1988; 7-Eleven Japan was the only major convenience store chain in Japan to have installed POS systems. By August 31, 1989, Japan had 119,137 POS scanner-equipped registers in 42,880 stores, making it the country with the most POS systems in use. † The POS systems used by 7-Eleven Japan and Ito-Yokado superstores were upgraded in 1986 to add a new dimension to Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project. The upgraded systems allowed for bidirectional communication with the company headquarters. This feature essentially allowed information to flow not only from individual stores to a central location, but also from the central location back to individual stores.By linking the central system to other computer systems, more information than just sale s of retail items could be transmitted. This capability allowed Ito-Yokado to increase the efficiency of deliveries by centralizing some orders. By increasing the total size of orders, Ito-Yokado increased its bargaining position with distributors. One result of this bargaining strength was more frequent deliveries of smaller volume. From 1987 to 1988, deliveries increased from one to three per week for stores in many regions of Japan, notably the Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Kyushu areas.Using the POS systems, 7-Eleven began to offer customers door-to-door parcel delivery in conjunction with Nippon Express. In addition, some POS terminals were being used to issue prepaid telephone credit cards+' Since October 1987, Tokyo-area customers had been able to pay their electric bills at 7-Eleven; since March 1988, they had also been able to pay their gas bills Women traditionally manage household finances in Japan, so these services were designed to attract more women customers to the convenience stores. Results For the Ito-Yokado superstores alone, average days of inventory decreased from 25. in 1982 to 17. 3 in 1987. By 1990, it was estimated to be 13 days. The effect on operating margins and net income for the entire Ito-Yokado Corporation was equally dramatic. In 1982, the company's operating margin stood at 5. 1 percent. It had increased to 8. 1 per- cent by 1987. By 1990, the operating margin had climbed to 10. 5 percent. Net income for the corporation increased from ? 14,662 million in 1982 to ? 34,649 million in 1987, and ? 58,465 million in 1990. 7-Eleven Japan recorded similar increases in operating margins and net income during the same period.In 1982, 7-Eleven Japan's operating margin was 20. 7 percent. It had increased to 34. 6 percent by 1987. Net income from the 7-Eleven operations increased from ? 7,837 million in 1982 to ? 33,000 million in 1987. As of 1990, the Ito-Yokado Corporation was the second largest retailer in Japan, with ? 1,664,390 million of ann ual gross sales. The leading retailer was Daiei, with ? 2,114,909 million of revenues. Ito- Yokado was, however, the most profitable retailer in Japan, with net income of ? 58,465 million. In comparison, Daiei recorded net income of only ? 9,457 million for 1990.Financial statements for Daiei are shown as Exhibits 8 and 9. THE SOUTHLAND CORPORATION The Southland Corporation began in Dallas, Texas, in 1927 when Claude S. Dawley consolidated several small Texas ice companies into the Southland Ice Company. This new company was under the direction of 26-year-old Joe C. Thompson, Sr. Under Thompson's guidance, Southland began to use its retail outlets (curb service docks) to sell products in addition to ice, such as watermelon, milk, bread, eggs, and cigarettes. With the addition of these products, the concept of the convenience store was born.During the Great Depression and the 1940s, Southland's convenience store business added several more products, including gasoline, frozen foods, beauty products, fresh fruit and vegetables, and picnic supplies. Because the store opened at 7 AM and remained open till 11 PM, the store name 7-Eleven was adopted during this time. The 1950s were a period of substantial growth in terms of the number of stores and of 7-Eleven's geographical coverage. The first stores located outside of Texas were opened in Florida in 1954. During the same year, 7-Eleven's operating profit surpassed the $1 million mark for the first time.By 1959, the entire 7-Eleven empire constituted 425 stores in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and several other East Coast states. John Thompson became president of Southland when his father, Jodie Thompson, died in 1961. During the 1960s, a population migration toward the suburbs and changing lifestyles presented Southland with new growth opportunities. John Thompson lead Southland on the path of expansion, and more than 3,000 stores were opened in the decade. The product line of 7-Eleven also grew during this time to i nclude prepared foods, rental items, and some self-service gasoline pumps.The 1970s were also a period of achievement for Southland. In 1971, the $1 billion sales mark was surpassed. Southland- stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972, and the 5,OOOth store was opened in 1974. It was at this time that Masatoshi Ito approached Southland with the prospect of franchising 7-Eleven stores in Japan. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Southland's activities became more diversified. In 1986, the company had four operating groups: the Stores Group, the Dairies Group, the Special Operations Group, and the Gasoline Supply Division.The Stores Group represented the largest of the operating groups in terms of sales through the 1980s. The Stores Group was responsible for the operating and franchising of convenience stores. At the end of 1985, there were 7,519 7-Eleven stores in most of the United States and five provinces of Canada. This group was also responsible for 84 Gristede' s and Charles & Company food stores. 38 Super-7 outlets, and 7-Eleven stores operated under area licensees in the United States, Canada, and several Pacific Rim countries, including Japan.The Dairies Group was one of the nation's largest dairy processors in 1986 and served primarily the Stores Group, although aggressive marketing in the 1980s targeted service to institutional dairy needs. This group operated in all of the United States and parts of Canada. The Special Operations Group consisted of Chief Auto Parts (acquired in 1979); Pate Foods (a snack food company): Reddy Ice (the world's largest ice company); and Tidel Systems (a manufacturer of cash dispensing units and other retailer equipment).The Gasoline Supply Division was formed in 1981 to serve the gasoline requirements of the more than 2,800 7-Eleven stores handling gasoline. This division's history was punctuated by the 1983 acquisition of Cities Service Refining, Marketing, and Transportation businesses (CITGO) from Oc cidental Petroleum. Southland's Recent Activities Southland's dramatic growth and diversification during the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in 7-Eleven having a dominant position in the convenience store industry.Despite this position, circumstances since the mid-1980s had greatly eroded 7-Eleven and Southland's strengths. The oil price collapse of early 1986 was the sharpest drop of crude oil prices in history. The instability of crude oil and wholesale refined products, coupled with CITGO's inventory methods and various write-downs, resulted in only modest income for a previously very profitable company. The volatility of CITGO's financial position greatly affected Southland's earnings. Southland's equity interest in CITGO contributed to a $52 million loss for the entire corporation in 1986.In order to reduce the impact of an unstable crude oil market and the accompanying volatility of CITGO's earnings, South- land entered into a joint venture with Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) i n late 1986. The joint venture with PDVSA had several components. Southland sold a half- interest in CITGO to a subsidiary of PDVSA for $290 million. In addition, PDVSA agreed to both supply CITGO with a minimum of 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day and pro- vide its share of CITGO's working capital requirements. A takeover attempt of Southland occurred in April 1987.Canadian financier Samuel Belzberg approached the Southland board of directors with an offer of $65 per share of common stock. Unwilling to relinquish control of Southland, the Thompson family tendered $77 per share for two-thirds of the outstanding shares in July 1987. The other third of the shares would be purchased at $61 per share (plus $16 per share of new preferred shares) by the would-be private Southland Corporation. Financing for this acquisition came from $2 billion in loans from a group of banks and a $600 million bridge loan from Goldman, Sachs and Salomon Brothers. An additional $1. billion was generated by the issue of subordinated debentures Gunk bonds) in November 1987. This occurred after the stock and junk bond markets crashed in October 1987. Southland's investment bankers had to sell the bonds at a blended rate of almost 17 percent, instead of the anticipated rate of 14. 67 percent. The Thompson family emerged from the buyout owning 71 percent of Southland at a total cost of $4. 9 billion. Paying the High Costs of a Leveraged Buyout After Southland had been taken private through the leveraged buyout (LBO), significant changes occurred in both Southland and 7-Eleven operations.Southland was restructured, with the elimination of two levels of middle managers. During this time, Southland began selling more 7-Eleven stores than it opened in the United States and Canada. Due to the increased number of licensees opening stores overseas, however, the total number of stores worldwide continued to increase. 7-Eleven Japan was primarily responsible for this increase, with the opening o f 340 stores in 1988 and 349 stores in 1989. Southland also divested itself of many large assets in the 1988 to 1990 period (see Exhibit 10).Significant in this group of divestments were the entire Dairy Group, more than 100 7-Eleven stores in the continental United States, Southland's remaining interest in CITGO (sold to PDVSA), and 7-Eleven Hawaii, (purchased by 7-Eleven Japan). In November 1989, 7-Eleven Japan purchased 58 stores and additional properties from Southland. These properties and stores, which were located in Hawaii, were exchanged for $75 million in cash. The 58 convenience stores were organized as 7- Eleven Hawaii, which was established as a subsidiary of 7-Eleven Japan.As of December 31,1990, Southland operated 6,455 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States and Canada, 187 High's Dairy Stores, and 63 Quick Mart and Super-7 Stores. Southland owned 1,802 properties on which 7-Eleven stores were located. Another 4,643 7-Eleven stores in the United States and C anada were leased. In addition the company possessed 234 store properties held for sale, of which 109 were unimproved. 77 were closed stores! and 48 were excess properties adjoining store locations. Three of Southland's four food-processing facilities were owned (the other was leased).The company owned six properties in the United States on which distribution centers were located. Five of the six distribution centers were company owned. Until December 1990 the company had also owned its corporate headquarters (called City- place) located near downtown Dallas. 59 Financial statements for Southland Corporation are shown in Exhibits 11 and 12. THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF SOUTHLAND BY ITO-YOKADO The divestments of 1988, 1989, and 1990 constituted attempts by Southland to generate sufficient cash to service the massive debt incurred from the LBO of 1987.By early 1990, however, it was apparent that the cash generated from these divestments and Southland's operations was not sufficient to cov er its interest expense. Some experts estimated that Southland's cash shortfalls would reach $89 million in 1990 and more than $270 million in 1991. 60 Southland's long-term debt still totaled about $3. 7 billion, and interest expense alone in the first three quarters of 1989 was almost $430 million. † In March of 1990, Southland announced that it was seeking â€Å"rescue† by Ito-Yokado. Proposed Acquisition of Southland by Ito- YokadoSouthland had â€Å"looked at possibilities of receiving assistance from other U. S. companies, but decided that†¦ Ito-Yokado was the best potential partner. â€Å"63 The original proposal would have resulted in Ito-Yokado receiving 75 percent ownership of Southland for $400 million. This proportion of Southland would be split between Ito- Yokado and 7- Eleven Japan, with 7- Eleven Japan obtaining two-thirds of the 75 percent share. The deal was contingent on Southland's ability to swap its outstanding publicly traded debt for stock and zero-coupon (non-interest-bearing) bonds.The publicly traded debt amounted to approximately $1. 8 billion. There were five classes of public debt, ranging in type and interest paid. The interest rate of the bonds varied from 13. 5 percent to 18 percent. Ito-Yokado's offer was also contingent on 95 percent of all bond- holders of each public debt issue accepting the swap. Under this original proposal, the Thompson family would retain a 15 percent stake in Southland, and the remaining 10 percent of the company would be held by bondholders.The original proposal had a deadline of June 14, 1990, at which time either Ito- Yokado or Southland could cancel the agreement. Neither party indicated that such action would be taken, even though Southland's bondholders balked at the swap proposal. A bigger problem was facing the two companies: a rapidly approaching interest payment due on June 15, 1990. Southland's failure to pay the $69 million payment would result in Southland having a 30-d ay grace period in which to compensate bond- holders. At the end of the 30-day period, unpaid bondholders could try to force South- land into bankruptcy court. Revisions to the Proposed Buyout Southland did not make its scheduled interest payment that was due on June 15, 1990. Bondholders, meanwhile, had shown little regard for the original deal struck between Ito-Yokado and Southland. Three more revisions of the proposed debt restructuring and terms for the buyout were submitted between mid-June and mid-July 1990. In each revision, either Ito- Yokado's or the Thompson family's stake in Southland was reduced and the share of Southland stock offered to bondholders increased.With each revision came increased bondholder support, yet this support was far short of either the two-thirds majority (as required in Chapter 11 restructuring cases) or the 95 percent acceptance rate dictated by Ito-Yokado, As revisions were submitted, the expiration dates of the debt restructuring and stock purc hase by Ito- Yokado were extended. On July 16, a bondholder filed suit against Southland for failure to pay interest on June 15, because on July 15 Southland's grace period had expired. By September 12, a majority of bondholders had tendered their notes. This majority was still far short, however, of the 95 percent swap requirement dictated by Ito-Yokado. The deadlines were extended to September 25 for both the debt swap offer by Southland and the stock purchase offer by Ito-Yokado. As Southland was apparently headed for involuntary bankruptcy filing under Chapter 11, the proposal again seemed in jeopardy. Acceptance of the Proposed Buyout The deadline for Southland's debt swap offer was again extended. Bondholder approval was finally obtained in late October.Ito-Yokado's offer to buyout Southland was extended to March 15, 1991, pending court approval of the prepackaged bankruptcy dea1. The bankruptcy-court petition for approval of the prepackaged debt restructuring was filed on Oct ober 24,1990. Although Southland did not have sufficient bondholder approval as dictated by Ito-Yokado, the bankruptcy court proceedings were swift. The last few bondholders who held out were placated in January when the Thompsons relinquished warrants for half of their 5 percent stake of Southland's stock. † On February 21, 1991, the U. S. ankruptcy court in Dallas approved the reorganization of Southland.?! At that time, at least 93 per- cent of the holders of each class of debt issued by Southland had approved the reorganization. On March 5, 1991, Ito-Yokado purchased 71 percent of Southland's stock for $430 million. Two-thirds of this stock was purchased by 7-Eleven Japan, and the other third purchased directly by Ito-Yokado. The terms of the accepted debt-restructuring agreement between Southland and its bondholders are shown in Exhibit 13. THE CONVENIENCE STORE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATESThe convenience store industry in the United States changed dramatically during th e decade of the 1980s. The number of convenience stores in the United States, the gross sales of these stores, and the gross margins all increased during this time period. The net income of convenience stores, however, decreased significantly. This outcome was largely the result of the rapid expansion of several chains of convenience stores and the increased number of convenience stores opened by oil companies. Aggregate Measures of the Industry The number of convenience stores grew from about 39,000 in 1982 to more than 70,000 in 1989.From 1985 to 1989, industry sales increased from $51. 4 billion to $67. 7 billion, an increase of 6. 3 percent per year. Gross margins increased from 22. 8 percent in 1985 to 26. 2 percent by 1988. Despite such growth, convenience store operations experienced a decrease in net profit in the late 1980s. The total industry pretax profit peaked in 1986 at $1. 4 billion, fell to $1. 16 billion in 1988, and plummeted to $271 million in 1989. Some trends ar e shown in Exhibit 14. The expansion of convenience stores in the 1980s was led by large convenience store chains and oil companies.In addition to the growth experienced by the Southland Corporation's 7-Eleven, Circle-K, a Phoenix-based convenience store chain, expanded from 1,200 stores in 1980 to 4,700 stores in 1990. The Role of the Oil Companies The impact of oil companies on the convenience store industry had been significant. Virtually all of the major U. S. oil companies began combining convenience store operations with gasoline stations in order to boost profits. In 1984, Exxon opened its first combination convenience store and gas station. By 1989, it had 500.Texaco operated 950Food Marts in the same year. From 1984 to 1989, the number of convenience stores operated by oil companies increased from 16,000 to 30,000. Gasoline sold at a lower margin (about 6 percent in 1984) than nongasoline convenience store products (32 percent in the same year), so the sale of convenience s tore items presented an opportunity for those gas stations with good locations (i. e. , street comers) to increase profits. In order to capitalize on the potential for higher profits in retailing, the major oil companies boosted their marketing expenditures.In 1979, the petroleum industry spent about $2. 2 billion for their marketing efforts. By 1988, these expenditures were almost $5 billion. The convenience stores operated by oil companies were growing in both number and size. In 1986, only about 20 percent of the oil company convenience stores were 1,800 or more square feet in size (the size of about 90 percent of traditional convenience stores). By 1990, however, more than 50 percent of the oil company convenience stores were between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet in size. â€Å"? Merchandise Trends for Convenience StoresBecause of the intensified retailing efforts of oil companies and large convenience store chains, some trends (other than those mentioned previously) evolved. In 1985, gasoline accounted for 35. 4 percent of convenience store sales. By 1989, gasoline accounted for 40 percent of sales. † The gross profit margin for gasoline sales had increased from 7. 3 per- cent to 11. 7 percent more than the same period. â€Å"? Of the 61,000 convenience stores in the United States in 1985,55 percent sold gasoline, and in 1989, 65 percent of 70,200 convenience stores sold gasoline.In 1989, 75 percent of the new convenience stores built were equipped to sell gasoline. † Although gasoline sales and margins became an increasingly significant contributor to convenience store revenues, contributions of revenue from other merchandise stagnated. In 1985, merchandise (other than gasoline) sales for the convenience store industry amounted to $33. 2 billion. In 1,989, sales reached $40. 6 billion. † This increase in merchandise sales, however, was offset by the large number of store openings. In 1985, the average yearly merchandise sales per store was $544,000.This number increased to only $578,000 in 1989. THE SETTING While flying from Japan to the United States, Takahashi reflected on the success that both Ito-Yokado and 7-Eleven Japan had enjoyed over the course of many years. These achievements were the result of long-term strategies that were carefully tailored to the Japanese market. Could these same, or similar, strategies be the foundation for making Southland financially successful again? He realized that the convenience store industry in the United States was vastly different from that of Japan.Nevertheless, he was confident that, through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. -11 pts if late (after 6pm of due date) and additional -5pts for each day thereafter for max late points of -26 pts. Lists the Strengths / Weaknesses/ Opportunities / Threats for the Ito-Yokado Company (total 10 pts) SWOT analysis. Strengths (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for tota l of 3 pts. SWOT, defined as the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is an organizational tool used to analyze core competencies of a business.And like most businesses the Ito-Yokado Group consisting of three business segment (superstores and retail operations, restaurants operations, and convenience store operations) is no different. The strategies used to expand its operations Point of sale register, diversified portfolio, name(branding) and strategic location Weaknesses (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts Opportunities (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts The need for new ideas, real estates, the most vulnerable (younger generation) Threats (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for total of 3 pts.The threats faced by the Ito-Yokado Group are: competition from mom and pops store, decrease in disposable income and Large Store Restriction Acts. As discussed in the article, the Large Store Restriction Acts influen ce by rival competitors makes it challenging for the organization to cater to its consumer needs. The result is not only deprived customer, but decrease in revenue, as the laws restrict the size of the store, making it impossible to grow different variety in store products.Another threat is consumer income, the limited consumer income, means consumer has limited amount for discretionary spending. And last but not least is the competition from mom and pops stores. These types of small businesses despite their sizes can pose a real threat for large companies such as 7-Eleven, reason being, is the fact that they are better known and rooted within the community. Essay questions to be answered in detail. (18 pts for each question for total of 90 pts) 1.What were some of the primary reasons for Ito-Yokado's remarkable degree of success during the past several decades? Globalization in my opinion was one of the biggest factors in the company success. Today’s market makes fierce comp etition therefore businesses no longer can afford to operate locally. In order for them to be successful, they must join the rest of the world in forming partnership through Joint Ventures, Franchising, Licensing, and Foreign Subsidiaries. While the advantages of globalization exist, it is not without its disadvantages.The transformation of a company from a local organization into a transnational organization is not an easy task mainly because of the various laws, time, efforts, and monetary investment that one must be able to shoulder before taking on such venture. The factors listed include, but are not limited to political stability, relationship between the two countries, licenses fees, market responsiveness, and the cost can determine the successfulness of a business. In addition, the careful planning and leadership ability can also determine whether or not a business can make the transformation successfully.As a leader one of the primary goals is to have a vision that can be c ommunicated down the chain. And as demonstrated by Ito-Yokado, he clearly demonstrated his vision for the company by strategically expanding the company’s operations into three different segment ranging from retail stores, restaurants chain and convenient stores. The result was a diversified portfolio with increase revenue. Another reason of success can be measured by the risk decision made by the company’s leaders. With any operation whether personal or professional, one must be willing to take isk, a risk in which the benefits outweigh the cost. Although the transformation from the Japanese market to the American was uncertain, because of factors such as consumer responsiveness, income, laws and applicable regulations, the decisions to invest into the various markets was worthwhile all because of proper planning and market response. The result was a successful Ito-Yokado group. 2. How did Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan differ from Southland's 7-Eleven operations during the 1980s? While the two shares the same name the difference in their operations where obvious.The 7-Eleven in Japan compared to that of Southland differ in their operation that is, the door-to-door parcel delivery by Nippon, the convenience of bill pay for its customers, faster growth opportunities through franchising. Because of the Large Store Restriction Act, the company was limited in growth to expand its physical location; as a result, they resort to a smaller size stores strategically located in suburban areas. This venture was a deliberate marketing strategy used to penetrate the most vulnerable areas (suburbs) and fight off competitions brought on by the moms and pops stores.While the 7-Japan thrive in its operations of smaller stores with over 3000 items with point of sales register, their counterpart was not far behind. Under the leadership of John Thompson, the 7-Eleven in Southland were able to operate convenience stores with expanded products and services includ ing; low cost gasoline, and prepared food. Despite troubles with the oil industry, the 7-Eleven of Southland was able to form a partner with Oil Company such as CITGO and largest ice producer Reddy Ice. The result was a perfect union that brought about increase revenues.The union however, was short lived, as the company profit plummeted and had to file for bankruptcy. 3. What are Ito-Yokado and Z-Eleven Japan getting for their $430 million? 4. What is your prognosis for Southland under Ito-Yokado ownership? Will Ito-Yokado be successful? Based on the article, it is apparent the management and leadership of Ito-Yokado Group are making the right decisions and stirring the company in the right direction. This is evident through it increase franchising of stores and increase revenue. While the Group might be successful in Japan, areful consideration must be given to the market in the United States. As noted in the reading, the Southland Group under the leadership of John Thompson has ha d its share of misfortune mainly because of the oil industry. The fall in oil prices and volatility of the market resulted in loss of profit and buyout. While the venture of acquiring Southland Group, Ito-Yokado, must ensure it does it homework, with proper study of the US market. They must also, realize that the US market is one of capitalism with fierce competition.Unlike Japan, there are no such rules as the Large Store Restriction Act, as long as the proper conditions are met with the right paperwork, a business can expand as necessary. Another determining factor is the need for the product. yes the idea to expand is great! However, is it cost effective or will the company be better off 5. Is 1to-Yokado a global company? Explain your answer. The answer whether Ito-Yokado was a global company would be yes based on the fact that the company operate in more than one country with various subsidiaries.Ito-Yokado, will be consider Multinational Corporation simply because the operation and production of its products and services were done both in the United States and Japan. In addition the trading of its stocks was offered on both the NYSE, and the Japanese trading markets, thereby influencing the economy of both nations. Another important factor is the fact that nowadays, globalization makes it almost impossible for businesses to operate locally. For this reason they must be willing and able to compete on a global stage with numerous