Discovering Statistics Using SPSS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Discovering Statistics Using SPSS - Assignment Example The data for this report was collected using a standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire contained three sets of questions. The first set comprised 21 separate questions concerning five dimensions of service quality. Sub-questions 1 through 6 focused on tangible elements of the service. Sub Questions 20 and 21 measured the empathy dimension, whilst 16 through 19 measured the assurance dimension. Questions 7, 10,11,12 focused on reliability with 8, 9, 13,14,15 measuring responsiveness. These questions followed a similar format to previous research in this field, such that measurement validity was maintained; a 5 point scale was used to allow respondents to rate the service performance. The second set of questions attempted to get the respondents to weight the importance they attached to each of the five dimensions of service quality. The third set of questions were ‘key independent variables’ which measured respondent characteristics. These allowed us to ascertain the demographics of the sample and facilitate analysis of variance later. The questionnaire was pre†tested for face validity with potential users of the sports center. There were no problems with face validity and the questionnaire was deemed to be reliable. The sampling method took the form of a probability sample of students at the University in question. The sampling frame was composed of the email addresses of all students. Using simple random sampling a sample size of 200 was deemed appropriate † with the potential sampling error of 9%. The research used a structured questionnaire which is characterized by a diverse scales; the questionnaire was divided into three categories. The first questionnaire was determined to assess the service quality of the sports center; the results obtained on a five-point Linkert scale. The second part of the questionnaire attempted to evaluate the most important sports’ services and facilities according to the views of the students; the importance was measured on a scale of one-hundred percent.

Homework assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Homework - Assignment Example This kind of reaction causes a friction that helps in the transformation of the existing rocks to form the amorphous rock (Press, F., R. Siever, J. Grotzinger & T. H. Jordan, 2003). However, a series of researches have also reported that the amorphous rocks can result from other processes like magma, very hot sediment that may come as a result of earth movements like volcanic eruptions. After their sedimentation and subsequent cooling, the amorphous rock is formed. Actually, for this rock to be used in construction process, it must be specially prepared through a series of processes. First, an appropriate mining method is used before it is taken to the industry to be given a series of chemical treatment where it will be given color, shape, texture and be put in the right shape to be used in construction. For instance, being that it can be used in making the bathroom tiles means that it should be accorded a kind of finishinthat will make it be so smooth and shiny. The type of igneous rock used in the construction of houses is the granite. It is just because it posses the right qualities necessary for the building and construction of various parts of a building structure (Press, F., R. Siever, J. Grotzinger & T. H. Jordan, 2003). According to the geological researches, the igneous rock is formed through a process of cooling and solidification of lava or magma. The magma undergoes a crystallization process either intrusively or extrinsively. In this case, the intrinsic crystallization occurs when the process occurs underneath the surface of the earth. On the other hand, extrinsic crystallization occurs on the surface of the earth mainly from volcanic eruptions. In order to process the materials from this rock, an appropriate mining method is used before it is taken to the industry to be given a series of chemical treatment where it will be given color, shape, texture and be put in the right shape to be used in

Finance Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance Final - Essay Example Leasing makes sense when one will try to look at it from the point of view of saving. If it is substantial to generate saving with leasing, then it makes sense to go for leasing than owning. In real situation, it is hard to own an asset by which depreciation may add up only to a remarkable cost. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate the associated cost with depreciation, which can be incurred if the owner will decide to own the asset. The good thing about leasing in this case is the opportunity for the individual to at least get rid of the remarkable costs associated with owning that may be addressed by just leasing an asset. At the bottom line, the CFO tries to look at the great impact of his financial decision on the organization in general. In this case, it is always a substantial consideration to understand the probable risks of a project or a certain investment. It is important on the part of the CFO to considerably analyze and look at the potential risks in the future. After all, he is always looking forward to sustainability in the future in order to continue the business operation and ensure effective development of strategies. Investment is something that is necessary to make sense from the point of view of the CFO. Therefore, if a project has certain potential for sustainability with considerable risks involved then the CFO will most likely drink to that. The three dividend theories are dividend irrelevance theory, bird-in-the-hand theory, and tax-preference theory. The dividend irrelevance theory puts forward the main point that without taxes or bankruptcy costs the prevailing dividend policy can be irrelevant at some point. The bird-in-the-hand theory suggests that dividend is relevant, because the retained earnings will further give the firm a brighter investment in the future. The tax-preference theory on the other hand suggests that

Critque of Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critque of Paper - Essay Example is vital, to prevent the escalation of the disorders, which is likely to cause more harm to the individuals themselves through self injury, as well as damaging actions to the wide society. The paper employs empirical research method of research. This is so because it applies an observation of the activities/operations taking place in various residential treatment facilities, in a comparison manner with the institution in question. The aim is to establish where it falls in this category of institution, based on its performance in residential treatment. The unit of analysis applied in this paper is the residential treatment program. The paper compares the success of different treatment programs. It also seeks to establish the relationship between the staff to patient ratio, and its impact on the performance of these institutions. The paper also tried to seek the relationship between the state licensing/certification of the staff, and the program performance. The aim was to know whether the certification affects performance, which was found to be unlikely. The type of data collected is nominal (Richard). This refers to that data that use names in establishing relationships. The paper is developed based on a set of treatment programs, compared per their performance. Ordinal data are also used in this paper. The treatment programs are ranked based on their percentage performance in patient treatment. Ratio data are also collected and used in this paper. There has been a computation of the staff to patient ratio. This is then applied to seek whether there is a relationship between this ratio and the program performance. The paper has applied various data collection tools. The rating scale is one of them, where the programs are rated in success percentage (Richard). Document review is also applied as a tool, since information regarding to staff and patient numbers are obtained from the programs’ documents. Institutional schedule is yet another tool employed. The paper

Regulatory Agency Essay Example for Free

Regulatory Agency Essay The role and responsibility of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most importantly, is to uphold the laws dictated by the government concerning products that include drugs, medical products, food, and non-health related products and to protect and promote public health across the country. This essay focuses on several aspects of the FDA, from the role of the agency and its effect on health care in the United States, to the authority this agency carries in relation to health care. There will also be an explanation of how the FDA carries out these responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. The FDA has held a strong presence in the realm of public health since 1848 when it began as a consumer protection agency (FDA, 2013). The FDA, formed after the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act was put in place and inspired by the scientific work of Harvey Washington Wiley, who was the Chief Chemist at the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Wiley worked to eliminate the dangerous practices of marketing unregulated drugs and food products to consumers (FDA, 2013). Since that time, the FDA has become a powerful force, monitoring and working to protect public health in the United States. FDA Role The FDA is an agency that works within the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Commissioner takes the lead role with four other branches that manage other functions (FDA, 2013). The Office of the Commissioner takes â€Å"leadership of the agency’s scientific activities, communication, legislative liaison, policy and planning, women’s and minority health initiatives, agency operations, and toxicological research† (FDA, 2013). The four groups that work under the Office of the Commissioner are the Office of Foods, the Office of Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, and the Office of Operations. The function of these five entities of the FDA is to protect and promote public health in the U. S. and to uphold the laws dictated by the government regarding public health. This is accomplished through close monitoring and testing of regulated products used by U. S. consumers. These products consist of drugs, food, cosmetics, radiation-emitting products, vaccines and other biologics, veterinary drugs and products, and tobacco products (FDA, 2013). The FDA is also constantly looking for ways to advance public health by assisting other organizations to make medications safe and more effective (FDA, 2013). Not only does the FDA monitor the food supply coming into the U. S. to ensure its safety but also plays a role in counterterrorism efforts by developing products and medications to respond to a public health threat (FDA, 2013). Issuing and enforcing warning labels for drugs and other products is another function in the role of the FDA. The labels serve to educate the public and medical professionals on the use and hazards of using a specific medication or product. However, these labels do not always have the desired effect. Impact on Health Care The efforts of the FDA throughout its history, has created a much safer consumer environment as it relates to food products, cosmetics, and other non-medical items. Foods are carefully scrutinized before they are allowed on the market to ensure these products are safe for the public to consume. Strict guidelines are in place for all types of products that are available to consumers. However, there is some controversy concerning warning labels on prescription drugs. There have been recent reports that communications by the FDA regarding drug risks are not immediately effective (Hitt, 2012). It is the duty of the FDA to monitor and enforce warnings for prescription drugs involving the safety risks to public health. According to Emma Hitt, some of the warnings that recommended increased monitoring of a patient while taking a prescription drug or increase laboratory monitoring generally caused a decrease in the use of the drug and very low increases in monitoring (Hitt, 2012). These types of oversights in clinical practice likely cause adverse effects to patients by not heeding the proper warnings set forth by the FDA. This is just a minute area in which the FDA impacts health care. Just as the FDA is responsible for monitoring drugs, products, and foods, their communications to health care providers and consumers must also be taken seriously. As Hitt states, â€Å"as the goals of risk communication are to minimize potential harms, understanding the impact of an FDA communication’s intended (and unintended) consequences on patient health outcomes should be a priority† (Hitt, 2012). Duties of the FDA The FDA carries an enormous responsibility daily to monitor, investigate, and enforce the safety of the public in general. As discussed earlier, this includes products and medications used by consumers daily. There are times when the regulations and guidelines set forth by the FDA on specific products are not followed and thus the FDA must follow up with inspections, enforce compliance, and conduct criminal investigations (FDA, 2013). The Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) is the lead office in this function of the FDA. It is the duty of the ORA to carry out investigations if a breach in regulation is suspected. Once a questionable observation is made by an investigator of the ORA, a form entitled â€Å"Form 483† is filled out by the investigator (FDA, 2013). On this form, the investigator cites what the law or regulation is and proceeds to list the questionable conditions and what law or regulation is violated. These 483 forms are maintained and revisited periodically. Some of the areas investigated are biologics, drugs, human tissue for transplantation, foods, and radiological health, to name a few. This is a major function of the FDA to ensure compliance to laws and regulations. Regulatory Authority The FDA has regulatory authority provided in the â€Å"Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act† (FDC) passed by Congress in 1983. The creation of this legislation was driven by an incident where more than 100 patients died due to improperly prepared sulfanilamide medications. It replaced the earlier Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 (FDA, 2013). The agency has authority to mandate preventative actions for food facilities to ensure food safety. They also have the power to conduct compliance inspections on facilities the scope of which include access to records and testing by accredited laboratories. The FDA also has several responses it can take to enforce compliance and ensure safety of consumers. It can enforce a mandatory recall of a product, and it can suspend the registration of a facility if it is determined to pose a threat of serious health consequences or the threat of death to humans or animals (FDA, 2013). Accreditation, Certification, and Authorization The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research is the division of the agency charged with the evaluation and approval of any drug prior to its release on the market. There are three phases in this certification and approval process. The research phase is conducted during the manufacture of a drug, along with the testing, then sent to a review board for recommendation (Writing, 2013). Once the recommendation is given, the drug can move to the second phase, the pre-clinical trials. Here the drug is tested on small groups of humans while measuring interactions and its effectiveness. Once this phase is complete with no adverse issues, the third phase can take place. This is a Phase 2 clinical trial that allows researchers to see if the drug works on a specific illness on patients and allows scientists to determine any side effects that may occur (Writing, 2013). The clinical phases are monitored closely, while working directly with patients to ensure that the testing remain within the standards of medical ethics. Once all of the trials are complete and all recommendations have been given, all of the results are analyzed and only then can be submitted to the FDA for approval to be sold on the market (Writing, 2013). The accreditation and approval process for all products that must be in compliance with FDA guidelines is a rigorous process but necessary for the common good. Conclusion The FDA carries so many responsibilities to provide high quality medications, foods, cosmetics, and many other products. The laws and regulations are complex and detailed. So much, in fact, most people are not aware when a regulation or guideline is being violated. The resources available to research the FDA and their functions and laws are many and well worth the time to gain education on how this enormous entity works to protect and promote public health and safety.

Indian Automobile Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Indian Automobile Industry Analysis Essay Today the automobile sector in India contributes 5% to the nation’s GDP, making it a prominent player in the economy. It will contribute around 19% of the Tax collection for financial year 2009-10. Following have been the features of Auto industry in the past financial year. The following tables and charts consist of the performance of Auto industry in past few years. Industry Aggregate (Rs in million)| | AMJ 10 (E)| Net Sales| 363904. 38| Change (%)| 39%| EBITDA| 64665. 22| Change (%)| 94%| Depreciation| 7303. 60| Interest| 3348. 58| Other Income| 7118. 93| PBT| 61131. 97|. Tax| 16645. 21| Effective tax rate| 27%| Reported PAT| 44486. 77| Change % (Reported PAT)| 92%| Market Cap (Rs in bn)| 1647. 17| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Note: The aggregate consists of the following companies- Bajaj Auto, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, TVS Motors, Force Motors, Hero Honda, Escorts Ltd. , Eicher Motors, Maruti Udyog Limited, Punjab Tractors Limited, Mahindra Mahindra, and Hindustan motors Source: QPAC Indian Automobile industry Apr-Jun 2010 INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AND TRENDS Overview The auto industry in India is the ninth largest in the world. After Japan, South Korea and Thailand, in 2009, India emerged as the fourth largest exporter of automobiles. Several Indian automobile manufacturers have spread their operations globally. Indian auto industry, which is currently growing at the pace of around 18 % per annum, has become a hot destination for global auto players like Volvo, General Motors and Ford. The Indian automobile industry is going through a phase of rapid change and high growth. With new projects coming up on a regular basis, the industry is undergoing technological change. The major players are expanding their plants and focusing on mass customization, mass production. Yearly-Analysis Year on year as the Indian population grows the requirement for the transportation will also grow, so it is clear that the industry demand is directly proportional to the population. Presently in India there are 100 people per vehicle while the figure in china is 82. Indian automotive industry is strong and productive sector for the economy growth. It gives nearly 5% of the employment to the country’s population. Continue improving quality results in exports of automobile and ancillary industry is boosting out the demand in oversees business. The Indian auto-players are expanding their presence in oversees market. In the last 5 years the foreign investment in this sector nearly doubled. Production Trend: The Indian automotive industry face a tough time during FY08 and its production were almost stagnated. From the early FY09, the industry started showing marginal growth in terms of production and reached to 14. 04m units till FY10. Due to the huge insist in the domestic market company’s sale nearly 88% of their total production in the country and rest 12% vehicles they export. Domestic and Exports sales trend: In terms of domestic sales the industry is showing positive approach from the last 3-years. During FY10 the industry domestic sales reached to 12. 29m units. The Indian exports are increasing gradually form the past 5-years and reached to 1. 80m units in FY10. Earlier the industry depended on the foreign auto parts, but due to the increase of the global players in the country and establishing the plants ended painless move to the Indian auto-players. INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE (YEARLY) Indian Automobile Industry Performance (Apr-Mar)| | Production| Domestic Sales| Exports| | 2009| 2010| %| 2009| 2010| %| 2009| 2010| %| Passenger vehicles (PVs)|. Passenger Cars| 1516967| 1926484| 27| 1220475| 1526787| 25| 331535| 441710| 33| UVs| 219498| 272848| 24| 225621| 272733| 21| 3034| 2823| -7| MPVs| 102128| 151908| 49| 106607| 150256| 41| 1160| 1613| 39| Total PV| 1838593| 2351240| 28| 1552703| 1949776| 26| 335729| 446146| 33| Commercial vehicles (CVs)| MHCVs| | | | | | | Passenger Carriers| 40995| 46026| 12| 34892| 43081| 24| 7456| 6069| -19| Goods Carriers| 151288| 204145| 35| 148603| 201977| 36| 9363| 14354| 53| Total MHCVs| 192283| 250171| 30| 183495| 245058| 34| 16819| 20423| 21| LCVs| | | | | | |. Passenger Carriers| 28635| 34751| 21| 26952| 34421| 28| 5426| 2708| -50| Goods Carriers| 195952| 281686| 44| 173747| 251916| 45| 20380| 21876| 7| Total LCVs| 224587| 316437| 41| 200699| 286337| 43| 25806| 24584| -5| Total CVs| 416870| 566608| 36| 384194| 531395| 38| 42625| 45007| 6| 3-wheelers| Goods Carriers| 417434| 530203| 27| 268463| 349662| 30| 146914| 172505| 17| Total 3-Wheelers| 79586| 88890| 12| 81264| 90706| 12| 1152| 777| -33| Grand total| 497020| 619093| 25| 349727| 440368| 26| 148066| 173282| 17| 2-Wheelers|. Scooter| 1161276| 1494409| 29| 1148007| 1462507| 27| 25816| 30125| 17| Motorcycles| 6798118| 8444852| 24| 5831953| 7341139| 26| 971018| 1103104| 14| Mopeds| 436219| 571070| 31| 431214| 564584| 31| 7300| 6905| -5| Electric Two Wheel| 24179| 2558| -89| 26445| 3001| -89| 40| 50| -| Total 2-Wheelers| 8419792| 10512889| 25| 7437619| 9371231| 26| 1004174| 1140184| 14| Grand Total| 11172275| 14049830| 26| 9724243| 12292770| 26| 1530594| 1804619| 18| source: SIAM; Cygnus Research| Demand-supply mismatch: The new capacity addition till 2012, may anticipate a demand and supply mismatch in the short term. Demand is only expected to grow by 10-12% every year. In 2009-10 the domestic auto industry was utilizing 80-85% of its capacity, but this may drop to 65% by 2012. India may be in a similar position in 2012 as the global auto industry is in right now. The global capacity utilization in 2009-10 was around 65%, down from 80% in 2008-09. In the near future it is expected that the mismatch is going to see between Demand and Supply. Capacity addition: Accoding to Fitch Ratings, by 2012, the existing players in the market are expected to add 0. 9m units to the 2. 6m units’ capacity of the passenger vehicle segment and 0.6m units to the 0. 75m units’ capacity of the commercial vehicle segment. Meanwhile, global automakers who currently only assemble in India, are expected to set up production units, in order to be more competitive with local players. Quarterly-Analysis Production Trend During AMJ10, the segmental market size of 2-wheeler stood at 77%, followed by Passenger vehicles at 16% and then followed by 3-wheelers at 4%. In this quarter the total industry production increased by 33. 27 to 4. 09m units from 3. 06m units in the previous year same period. The commercial vehicle segment production has increased by 57. 11% to 0.16m units and recorded top among the segments. Sales and Exports Trend From the past two years the sale of the vehicles are increasing during this quarter due to the domestic demand made by the festive season and the exports are declining. In terms of sales commercial vehicles sales had increased by 55% during AMJ10 and stood in top against AMJ09. Passenger vehicle sales increased by 33% next to Commercial Vehicles and stood at 0. 55m units followed by 2 and 3-wheelers. The total Indian automobile exports during AMJ10 increased by 59. 30% to 0. 58m units against 0. 36m units. The 3-wheeler segment stood in top in- terms of exports by 150. 33% increase followed by C. V and P. V. SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY (QUARTERLY) Automobile Sales Performance in AMJ (in terms of Volume)| I PASSENGER VEHICLES| | AMJ09| AMJ10| % change| A. Passenger Cars| 324,985| 433,641| 33%| B. UVs| 60,969| 76,432| 25%| C. MPVs| 31,965| 44,493| 39%| TOTAL (A+B+C)| 417,919| 554,566| 33%| II. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (CVs)| MHCVs| | | | A. Passenger Carriers| 7,482| 11,574| 55%| B. Goods Carriers| 31,408| 59,642| 90%| TOTAL (A+B)| 38,890| 71,216| 83%| LCVs| | | | A. Passenger Carriers| 9,601| 11,566| 20%| B. Goods Carriers| 48,376| 67,095| 39%| TOTAL (A+B)| 57,977| 78,661| 36%|. TOTAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (CVs)| 96,867| 149,877| 55%| III. THREE WHEELERS| A. passenger carrier| 72,339| 84,298| 17%| B. goods carrier| 18,963| 20,855| 10%| TOTAL (A+B)| 91,302| 105,153| 15%| IV TWO WHEELERS| A. scooters| 317,400| 470,323| 48%| B. motor cycles| 1,689,716| 2,097,415| 24%| C. mopeds| 128,738| 157,588| 22%| TOTAL (A+B+C+D)| 2,135,854| 2,725,326| 28%| Total volume (units)| 2,741,942| 3,534,922| 29%| Source: SIAM; Cygnus Research| SEGMENTAL PERFORMANCE Two-wheelers Note: Demand is expected on the base of country population bases and the base year is taken as 2000 for projections. The Indian 2-wheeler industry has reported a 26% (Y-o-Y) growth in FY10 with sales at 9. 37m units as against 7. 43m units sold in FY09. On the exports front, the 2-wheeler industry with 1. 14m shipments in FY10 posted a growth of 14% (Y-o-Y). Hero Honda Motors Ltd. (HHML), the worlds largest two wheeler manufacturer continued to dominate the total 2-wheeler industry with a market share of 48. 10%. In the motorcycle segment, the domestic sales grew 26% (Y-o-Y) to 7. 34m units while the exports grew 14% (Y-o-Y) to 1. 10m shipments in FY10. Hero Honda dominated the motorcycle space with a market share of 44% followed by Bajaj Auto (21%) and TVS Motors (15%). Market Penetration The two-wheeler industry is growing at a good phase in the country and expected a presence of 92 per every 1000 people at the end of 2010. The segment expects huge demand in the next 5 years. The industry is expected to sell nearly 26. 56m units till 2015. The segment is expected to face a tough time in 2011, due to the heavy compilation by the low cast cars and the alternative electronic vehicles. From 2012 the segment is expected to grow at the CAGR of 19% till 2015. Segment Boosters. New launches, coupled with low base and festive (marriage) season, helped the 2- wheeler industry post an impressive volumes growth for the month of May 2010. While the low base helped Bajaj Auto Ltd. (BAL) posts a growth of 62% (Y-o-Y) in total sales over the same month of the last fiscal. Three Wheelers The 3-wheeler industry posted an impressive growth of 26% (Y-o-Y) to 0. 44m units in FY10 as against 0. 34m units sold in the last fiscal. On the exports front, the 3-wheeler industry reported 17% (Y-o-Y) growth with 0. 17m units shipments in FY10. The passenger carrier segment reported higher growth in the domestic market at 0. 34m units 30% (Y-o-Y), while the goods carrier segment posted a 12% (Y-o-Y) growth for FY10. On the exports front, the passenger carrier segment posted a 17% (Y-o-Y) growth with 0. 17m unit shipments, while the goods segment posted a 33% (Y-o-Y) decline with exports of 777 units in FY10. Market share and players performance: Piaggio Vehicles continued to dominate the 3-wheeler industry with a market share of 41% followed by Bajaj Auto (35%) and Mahindra Mahindra (11%). In this 3-wheeler segment 81% sub-segment is captured by Passenger carriers, which is primarily for the rural people moving long distances. The remaining 19% is covered by cargo or goods carriers; there are the versatile vehicles suitable for both intra and inter-city transport. Segment Boosters In suburban and rural areas 3-wheelers are primarily used as substitutes for buses. They thrive because of very poor public transport and on shorter trip distances. Some of the opportunities of this segment are; the inability of state government to provide the required number of buses, lack of political will to privatize public transport and free up fares. Increasing number of 3-wheelers on these routeswill bring download availability form 10-12% to 6-8%, people for 80% of the trips. PRINCIPLE APPLICATION OF 3-WHEELERS| Segments| Primary uses| Fuel used| Forecasted 3-yearsCAGR| In-city| Home-Office,Home-shopping,Schoolchildren, Home-Railways or Air port. | Petrol/LPG/CNG| 10%| Rural| Stage coach| Diesel| 11%| Cargo| Wholesaler to retailerRetailer to end user distribution| Diesel/CNG| -6%| Growth drivers and Indian in the world automobile industry (2010) Growth Drivers of Indian Auto Market| India in world production| ? Rising industrial and agricultural output? Rising per capita income? Favourable demographic distribution with rising working population and middle class? Urbanisation? Increasing disposable incomes in rural agri-sector? Availability of a variety of vehicle models meeting diverse needs and preferences? Greater affordability of vehicles? Easy finance schemes? Favourable government policies? Robust production| ? Well-developed, globally competitive auto ancillaryindustry? Established automobile testing and RD centers? Among one of the lowest cost producers of steel in the world? Worldssecondlargestmanufactureroftwo wheeler? Fifthlargestmanufacturerofcommercial vehicles? Largest manufacturers of tractors in the world? Fourth largest passenger car market in Asia? India is the second largest two-wheeler market in the world.? 11th largest passenger car market in the world? Expectedtobetheseventhlargestauto industry by 2016| Inter- firm Comparison: Two – Wheelers Operational Performance The sales figure of Hero Honda is estimated to increase by 33. 73% in revenue terms from Rs3824. 40m in AMJ09 to Rs51116. 77m in AMJ10. Hero Honda scooter segment, pleasure sales have been growing at an average of 16000 units per month, it also crossed its land mark of 4. 5m unit sales for FY10. Bajaj Auto is estimated to show a sharp increase in sales figure by 33% from Rs 233384. 70m in AMJ09 to Rs31230. 88m in AMJ10, this has been led by its two game changing brands, Pulsar and Discover, with clocked robust volumes. TVS Motors is estimated to show an increase of 34% in sales from Rs9886. 97m in AMJ09 to Rs13254. 32m in AMJ10. Its scooter and motorcycle segment sales grew by 24% and 15% respectively; exports were increased by 22% to 20067 units during May. The newly launched TVS Jive and the TVS Wego have supported better volume growth for the month of March. Two-Wheeler Rs (m)| | AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| Growth| Bajaj Auto| 23384. 70| 31230. 88| 33. 55| Hero Honda| 38224. 40| 51116. 77| 33. 73| TVS| 9886. 97| 13254. 32| 34. 06| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Financial Performance The overall sale of all the companies is expected to rise. In case of TVS Motors OPM will improve mainly due to reduction in other expenses and raw material cost. The operational performance of Hero Honda has also improved and is directly reflected in its OPM and NPM growth which has increased by 837bps and 486bps respectively. Bajaj Autos OPM and NPM have been increased by 94bps and 170 bps points respectively. Overall in terms Hero Honda stood in top position in terms of operational and financial performance. | Bajaj Auto| Hero Honda| TVS| | AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| Net sales| 23384. 70| 31230. 88| 38224. 40| 51116. 77| 9886. 97| 13254. 32| NPM (%)| 12. 55| 14. 25| 13. 08| 17. 95| 1. 84| 2. 85| OPM (%)| 18. 45| 19. 38| 17. 01| 25. 38| 6. 33| 6. 01| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Cost Structure Analysis Cost Structure (as % of Net sales) AMJ09 Vs AMJ10| Company| Hero Honda| Bajaj Auto| TVS Motors| Industry| Year| 09| 10| 09| 10| 09| 10| 09| 10| (Increase)/Decrease in Stock| 0. 33| -2. 33| 2. 04| 1. 34| 3. 15| 4. 49| -0. 74| 0. 68| Consumption of raw materials| 67. 42| 62. 86| 60. 60| 64. 04| 67. 61| 60. 50| 65. 91| 62. 41| Purchase in stock in trade| 0. 00| 0. 00| 3. 51| 3. 67| 1. 62| 1. 88| 4. 44| 5. 55| Staff cost| 3. 62| 2. 76| 4. 83| 2. 98| 5. 29| 4. 87| 5. 34| 3. 86| Other expenditure| 11. 62| 11. 32| 10. 57| 8. 59| 15. 99| 22. 26| 12. 33| 9. 73| Depreciation| 1. 19| 0. 86| 1. 41| 0. 12| 2. 57| 1. 89| 2. 63| 2. 01| Interest Financial Charges| -0. 14| -0. 10| 0. 26| 0. 00| 1. 73| 0. 91| 1. 25| 0. 92| Tax| 3. 99| 7. 69| 5. 22| 6. 11| 0. 19| 0. 76| 2. 62| 4. 57| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research|. Raw material cost forms the major chunk of cost for two-wheeler companies followed by other expenditure, staff cost. In terms of raw material, staff cost and other expenses the performance of Bajaj is better compared to its peers. Overall, Bajaj auto is efficient from operational point of view. It has declined its overall cost structure by 159 bps to 86. 84% from 88. 44% as the percentage of sales during AMJ09. Porter Five Forces model Here is the analysis of Auto Industry with help of the porter’s five forced model. This is common for auto industry in India. Supply | Some amount of excess capacity.while India would be capable of producing 5. 4 m cars a year by 2014, domestic demand is likely to edge up to between 3. 5 and 4. 8 m units. | Demand | Largely cyclical in nature and dependent upon economic growth and per capita income. Seasonality is also a vital factor. | Barriers to entry | High capital costs, technology, distribution network, and availability of auto components. | Bargaining power of suppliers | Low, due to stiff competition. | Bargaining power of customers | Very high, due to availability of options. | Competition | High. Expected to increase even further. | Now if we make the five-force model for two wheelers:

Information Management Systems That Support Organizations

Information Management Systems That Support Organizations ABSTRACT â€Å"An information system can be defined as a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making, coordination, and control in an organisation. In addition to supporting decision making, coordination and control, information systems may also help managers and workers analyse problems visualise complex subjects, and create new products† (Laudon Laudon, 2001) 1. Introduction In order for an organisation to fully appreciate the information systems available to them they must appreciate the value of information available. Information Technology and Information Management have experienced tremendous growth. Information is available everywhere and anytime. The Internet has certainly devalued information, before its creation many organisations benefited from gathering, sorting and selling information to stakeholders in need information to grow their business. When printed information is turned into digital information the price drops. Take for example newspapers. It is the norm that Newspapers today publishes part of its information on the Newspapers website for free, if you want to view the rest of the articles you must pay for it at a premium. Meta information providers such as Google pick up this digital information and provide it free over the internet. The value of the information to the providers is obviously monetary but to the consumer of these online products it is ease of access and less time consuming to purchase online information. Although much of information provided is considered to be free, we do pay the internet provider, and the internet provider charges a third party for access to the information. The internet today has turned into the largest library in the world. In the past students when looking for information for assignments, research projects and exams gathered information from books, newspapers and research journals. The internet has made attaining information uncomplicated. 1.1 The Value of Information to the Organisation It does not matter what type of business you are running whether it be a manufacturing business or providing a service the vital ingredient for any organisation is information. It is an organisation most vital asset. Information enables us to determine the need to create new products and services. â€Å"Information tells us to move into new markets or to withdraw from other markets. Without information, the goods do not get made, the orders are not placed, the materials are not procured, the shipments are not delivered, the customers are not billed, and the business cannot survive.† www.referenceforbusiness.com [2] 2. Information Management Systems An Information System (IS) is more than hardware or software. The most important components of the system are the people who design it, maintain it, and use it. While the overall system must meet various needs in terms of power and performance, it must also be functional for the organisations employees. Regardless which Information System an organisation chooses it is a major investment for any firm in todays business environment. A poorly chosen or designed Information System can become an impediment to an organisation in attaining its goals. If the Information system if not capable of collecting, storing and transferring vital information for the business then the outcome can be catastrophic. Customers of the business may be discontented or worse lost. Valuable revenue may be lost due to increased overheads and the business may lose desired business direction due to an ineffective Information System. 2.1 Information Management Challenges It may be essential to design different systems aimed at different levels of the organisation, firms are likely to find rewards in integrating systems, although integrating systems for different levels to freely exchange information can be complicated and expensive. Organisations need to decide what level of systems integration is required and how much it is going to cost. Sustaining a competitive advantage does not necessarily last long. Competitors can reproduce a competitors strategic information management system. Changing market conditions, changes in what the consumer wants today and changes in the business environment all add to the loss of competitive advantage within an organisation if previous standards are not maintained. Updated technology from rival companies can lead to your organisation losing its competitive advantage. Operational Level Systems Knowledge Level Systems Management Level Systems Strategic Level Systems 3. Operational Level Systems 3.1 The Transaction Support System TSS supports managers in the day to day running of the business. It keeps track of basic transactions such as sales figures, lodgements to bank, payments to creditors, payroll etc. The main purpose of the system is to answer questions which arise on a daily basis. Information must be easily obtained and precise. These are fundamental systems that serve the operational level of the organisation. Transaction Support System is a computerised system that executes the daily routine transactions necessary to carry out the day to day tasks of running a business. At the operational level duties, resources and goals are predefined and form the foundation of daily business. Example of which is a bank lending money to customers, the predetermined questions are on the computer if the customer has the capacity to fund the repayments of the loan the transaction support system will give the answer as to whether the loan can be grant or not as the case may be. Typical TPS have five major functional categories, sales marketing, manufacturing production, finance accounting and Human Resource. 3. 2 Knowledge Level Systems Knowledge Work Systems (KWS) supports the organisation employees involved in data processing. The knowledge based system helps integrate new information into the organisation and controls the flow of paper. Knowledge Level Systems are found in workstations throughout the organisation. Normally knowledge workers are people who hold formal university degrees and are often members of professional bodies such as doctors, engineers, lawyers and scientists. Their main role is to primarily create new information and knowledge. KWS, such as scientific or engineering design work stations, promote the creation new knowledge and ensure that new knowledge and technical expertise are properly integrated into the business. 4. Management Level Systems Management Information Systems (MIS) are used to monitor and control decision making and administrative activities. Management level reports provide regular intelligence rather than information on operations. Some management systems centre on less structured decisions from which the information received may not always be clear. These systems often answer the question â€Å"what if† an example of which would be â€Å"what will happen if our sales figures double in the next two months†. Answers to questions often need new data from outside the organisation as well as the readily available data found from the existing operational level system. MIS primarily serve the function of controlling, planning and decision making at management level, depending on transaction processing system for their data. The MIS condense and report on the companys basic operations. This system usually provides managers with weekly, monthly and yearly results. It will provide specified answers to routine questions that have been prepared in advance and have a predefined formula for answering them. For instance, MIS reports might list the amount of coffee used last quarter in a chain of coffee shops, or it can make comparisons between one quarter and another. Management information systems are usually not flexible and they have little diagnostic capabilities, they use simple routine reports such as summaries and comparisons. 4.1 Decision Support Systems DSS also supports management level in the organisation. DSS assist managers make decisions that are exclusive, briskly adjusting, not easy to specify beforehand. They address problems where the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully predefined. Even though DSS use internal information from TPS and MIS, they frequently bring in information from external sources, such as product price of competitors or current stock price. By design the Decision Support System have more analytical power that the other systems. Built for the sole purpose with a variety of models to analyse data, or compress large amounts of data into a form where they can then be studied by the decision makers. â€Å"DSS are designed so that users can work with them directly; these systems explicitly include user-friendly software. DSS are interactive; the user can change assumptions, ask new questions, and include new data† (Laudon Laudon. 2001) 4.2 Strategic Level Systems Executive Support System (ESS) assists senior managers attempt to address strategic issues and long term goals within the internal and external environments. The main concern is matching changes in the external environment to organisational capabilities. Information systems also supply major business functions as in sales, marketing, manufacturing and finance, accounting and human resource. A classic system will have each of the information systems designed to give the information required from each of the various departments. The sales function has a sales system on the operational level to record daily sales figures and to process customers orders. A management level system can track monthly sales, can send reports and calculate if there is an increase or decrease in sales. The system can complete sales forecasts for specific periods of time depending on the strategic structure the organisation requires. The ESS serves to address non routine decisions requiring evaluation, judgement and insight as there is no agreed procedure to find a solution. The system creates a sweeping computing and communications environment rather than supplying any fixed application or specific capabilities. The design is such; that the system incorporates data about external events like new tax laws or competitors, but they also illustrate information from the MIS and DIS. The system filters, compresses and track significant data, highlighting the reduction of time and effort in finding information of value to the executives. Within the Executive Support System there is the most advanced graphics software with the ability to deliver graphs and data from many sources without delay. 5. Integration of Information Systems The Transaction Processing Systems plays a key role in turning raw data into information it also provides data to the other systems. The ESS system relies on data from the lower level systems. Data is exchanged between the different functional areas. To aid the exchange of information many organisations are now building enterprise systems, also known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Enterprise software models mechanise many of the business processes, such as filling an order, or planning a shipment, with the objective of integrating information across the organisation and getting rid of complex, highly priced connections between computer systems in various areas of the business. The flawless stream of information which was previously uneven throughout the organisation can now be sent throughout the various departments seamlessly. The system will collect data from a range of sources within the business process and accumulate them in a single comprehensive data repository where it can be retrieved by other departments of the business. For the managers it means that information is attained in a precise and timely manner. Enterprise systems can improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency, help the managers in the decision making process the difficulties are that the system is extremely complex and difficult to construct. Organisations will need to restructure their business practices to improve how information flows throughout the organisation. In reviewing their practices employees need to be trained to use the system and take on new responsibilities. Enterprise systems require intricate pieces of software and large investments of time, money, and expertise. 5.1 Industrial Networks Some companies are extending their enterprise systems beyond their internal enviroment to share information and synchronise their business practices and proccesses with other other businesses withing their industry. Industrial Networks can also be known as Extended Enterprises, connect together the enterprise systems of businesses within an entire industry. â€Å"For instance, Proctor and Gamble (PG), the worlds largest consumer goods company, have been developing and integrated industry -wide system that coordinatesthe grocery store point-of-sale systems with grocery store warehouses, shippers, its own manufacturing facilities, and its suppliers of raw materials. The single industry-spanning system effectively allows PG to moniter the movement of all its products from raw materials to customer purchase† (Laudon Laudon. 2001)[4] 6. Discussion Depending on the type of business the organisation may have several different types of Information Systems. For Example: An Accounts firm whose main activity is the collation of figures, with a large volume of clients would have various different departments working off a mainframe. Each department within the organisation will have various different levels of access to the centralised computer system. The Human Resource department will have access to the files of the employees working for the company but would not have access to the clients business records. The accountants working for the firm have access to the clients files but do not have access to the files of the employees. Because there are different interests in a firm no single system can give all the information an organisation requires. Information Systems can be made to provide different organisational interests. The use of these systems can provide an organisation with a strategic competitive advantage although unless a business can keep up with technological advances competitors may in fact remove the advantage an organisation has worked hard to retain. 7. Conclusion This report is titled â€Å"Information Management Systems that support organisations† But in order to appreciate what an Information system and integration can do for an organisation it was worthwhile to investigate the value of information. The advantages to organisations are clear raw data processed through Transaction Report Systems and reports are generated to the specifications required for managers. Knowledge Work Systems which is specialised system creating new information operated by professional employees. Organisations and information influence each other. Information systems must be aligned to provide information that is important to each department in the organisation. In order for the organisation to work efficiently and effectively it must be open to the influence of the Information Systems. Keeping abreast of new technologies will essential for organisations in order to sustain competitive advantage. Interaction between information technologies is complex and is influenced by interceding issues, including the structure of the organisation, operating procedures, culture, politics, internal and external environment, and managers decision making. Unless it is understood that Information system changes life in the organisation, they are unable to successfully design new systems or understand active systems within the organisation. Within the organisation managers will decide what systems will be built, what they will do, and how the implantation of the systems will occur. However the cost involved in building Information Management Systems has to take into consideration but can any organisation afford to be without one.