Narrative Essays (524 words) - Costa Rica, Republics, Americas

Narrative Narrative I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and moved to California when I was very young. Before I moved to California my dad traveled back and forth for 2 or 3 yrs from California and back to Costa Rica. He spent most of his time working in the Fresno area, in the cities of Tulare, and Visalia. He says he spent his time working in any available job including some farm labor jobs and went back to Costa Rica to spend time with us. After the second time he left Costa Rica to come and work he did not go back. At that time, amnesty was given to immigrants in California, and he moved up north to the Bay area to find a steady job. That is when he saved enough money for my mother, my two siblings, and I to join him in California. My first few years since I moved were adventurous. I had to become accustomed to a new environment, a new language, and a whole new diverse of people and cultures. I was in ESL programs until I entered junior high school. Learning the language, and trying to keep up with the class work was a challenge for me. Having friends who spoke my language, and the English language as well was an advantage I had. Having that extra help and support really made my school experience challenging, but exciting as well. Remembering the support I received from those friends creates a need in me to do the same for other people. I dont only believe that the support that I can give to migrant students as a Mini-Corps student will help them in succeeding in school, but I believe that an appreciation for school can be gained as well, and hopefully bring insight for continuing their studies beyond high school. As I improved in my English I also grew an interest in writing. I enjoyed my English classes, along with my math classes too. My interest grew and grew, and I joined summer girl programs. After participating two year, I became a mentor to those new peers coming into the program. I worked with teachers in Science, and in Math classes. I also participated in the volleyball activities, and group activities. This is when I realized I wanted to work with youth my whole life. My interest in English, and my interest in being a role model to youth made me decide to become an English teacher, especially worki ng with students whose first language is not English. Now, I am a college student. I first went to UC Santa Barbara, where I dealt with more hardship than I expected. My grades were poor, and I decided to come back home. I needed support from my family, and I was glad when I got it. Slowly I have raised my grades up, in this year, and I am ready to embark on a journey once again, and I would like to also be a positive influence on those students who are embarking on their journey now. By becoming a Mini-Corps student I can do that. Bibliography none Biographies

Essay about Financial Statement Analysis

Essay about Financial Statement Analysis Essay about Financial Statement Analysis Wells Fargo Co. and SunTrust Bank are two of the largest US banks, both in the top on SNL Financial’s list of 2012’s largest banks (Forbes, 2012). Although both companies are in the same business they each do business in different ways, with different focuses. Wells Fargo is a larger national bank, with branches and ATM’s in 39 states, SunTrust is a slightly smaller regional bank with branches located in only the south east in 9 states. Both banks use customer deposits to fund their primary income source of loans and mortgages, as well as offering financial advisors and investments. Over the recent recession both banks have found ways to remain profitable, Wells Fargo even used to opportunity to expand its market with the takeover of Wachovia Banks, expanding their branches into 15 more states and the District of Columbia beginning December 31, 2008 (WF, 2009). Along with new opportunities the recent financial crisis has brought more stringent regulation in the banking industry. Because of the importance of banks in the local, state, and federal economies the financial industry is heavily regulated at each level. After the weaknesses exposed by the recent financial crisis new regulations were put in place. Among these regulations was the Dodd-Frank Act, signed into law July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act mandates annual stress tests to ensure intended to ensure institutions have sufficient capital to absorb losses and support operations during adverse economic conditions so that they do not pose risks to their communities, other institutions, or the broad econo my† (FRB, 2013). The most recent of these stress tests just concluded at the beginning of March 20 13. Other areas of consideration for both financial institutions are the interest rates, both the discount rate the Federal Reserve charges banks to borrow money, as well as the rates both paid and charged by competing banks and credit unions. If a competing bank offers significantly higher interest on deposit accounts then clients may move money away, leaving the banks less capital available to lend, similarly if competing banks or credit unions offer loans with significantly lower interest rates the bank may also lose customers, or lose income as they try to match the lower interest rates. Additionally the economy as a whole greatly affects the banking industry; higher unemployment will mean fewer deposits are being held in the bank lowering the total amount the banks can lend out to their customers, higher unemployment also results in less borrowing as customers have less disposable income to buy new cars, make home improvements, or buy a new home. A sagging housing market results in lower home prices so the mortgages that are taken

Critical Management Theory(CMT) and its application as an analytical Coursework

Critical Management Theory(CMT) and its application as an analytical tool for resolving problems in a post-modern organisation - Coursework Example Today managements develop their common goal as per the present requirements of society, environment and community. The increasing concern for corporate social responsibility and community development is one of major evidences in this respect. The Critical Management Theory (CMT) is a reasonable and effective theoretical approach for managing the postmodern organisations. These theories include a wide range of views and ideas that criticize the traditional management theories. CMT attempts to explore, recognise and relate the similar attributes of management basics and critical theories. Critical managements studies deals with the different areas of management theories. More specifically, it is the academic field for critical management theories. Sudhanshu Katyal has explained that â€Å"Critical Management Studies (CMS) challenges and offers alternatives to received wisdom about ‘management’† and it â€Å"is differentiated from mainstream research by (i) its unor thodox treatment of established topics (e.g. motivation, strategy) and/or (ii) its attention to marginalised issues (e.g. post-colonialism, environmentalism)† (Katyal, 2009, p.7-8). This paper will attempt to present an explanation and discussion on CMT and its application in managing postmodern organisation. The discussions will try to focus on multiple perspectives of critical management theories. At first, the importance of critical management theories in postmodern organisations will be discussed. This section will clarify term ‘postmodern organisation’ by pointing out its major characteristics. The next section will present different approaches of CMT. This section will try to evaluate critical theories. The third section will aim to demonstrate the application of critical management theories in postmodern organisation. Finally, based on the overall analyses and discussions, the findings will be summarised in conclusion. Importance of Critical Management Theo ry in Postmodern Organisation CMT is an important area of organisation management. The society and human thought processes are not static and it tends to changes with time. Therefore, the organisational behaviour of mangers and organisation culture also vary as per time periods. Such changes lead to increase the requirement new theories and new management approaches. CMT is very useful in this respect. This paper is trying to focus in CMT and its application in postmodern organisation. However, before proceeding towards the main objective of this paper, it is necessary to understand the postmodern organisation and its various aspects. The postmodern organisation is an emerging concept which differs from the modern organisational ideas and views. The managerial behaviour of postmodern organisation is more flexible and more capable in countering the organisational affairs. However, the tasks in postmodern organisation have become more complex and difficult comparing to modern organisa tions. There are five major aspects in an organisation i.e. planning, organising, influencing, leading and controlling. These aspects in postmodern organisation are shelf-managed and self-controlled by the coordination of cross-functional

Historical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Historical - Essay Example The evidence of this is in the effect of the cultural integration into the original arts of these communities. Before the arrival of Babylonians and Assyrians, Sumerian art was mainly based on clay writings. Their original art, cuneiform writing, involved writing on clay, metal, or wood using a stylus shaped like a wedge. Sumerians used cuneiform to write or draw their most important cultural and religious figures mainly the gods and goddesses. The cuneiforms mainly represented objects and was not used for scholarly purposes in the original form. Diagram 1 below shows an example of a female head carved in limestone and wood. However, when the Babylonians arrived, they introduced their culture to the Sumerians. The effect of this was the Babylonian cultural influence on original Sumerian art. Sumerian art started featuring war themes, which was not common before the arrival of the Babylonians. The Babylonian culture influenced the original art of the Sumerians by introducing concepts of war. As illustrated in diagram 2 below, Inanna-Ishtar represents this cultural influence on original Sumerian art. The art sculpture combines the original elements of Sumerian art (goddess of fertility) and the Babylonian war culture (semitic goddess of

MARKETING PRACTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

MARKETING PRACTICE - Essay Example The rationale iÃ'• that the more a company underÃ'•tandÃ'• and meetÃ'• the real needÃ'• of itÃ'• conÃ'•umerÃ'•, the more likely it iÃ'• to have happy cuÃ'•tomerÃ'• who come back for more, and tell their friendÃ'•. ThiÃ'• proceÃ'•Ã'• can entail the foÃ'•tering of long term relationÃ'•hipÃ'• with cuÃ'•tomerÃ'•. In order to determine cuÃ'•tomer wantÃ'•, the company uÃ'•ually needÃ'• to conduct Ã'•ome form of marketing reÃ'•earch. Overall, the marketer expectÃ'• that becoming marketing oriented, if done correctly, will provide the company with a Ã'•uÃ'•tainable competitive advantage. The concept of marketing orientation waÃ'• developed in the late 1960Ã'• and early 1970Ã'• at Harvard UniverÃ'•ity and at a handful of forward thinking companieÃ'•. It replaced the previouÃ'• Ã'•aleÃ'• orientation that waÃ'• prevalent between the mid 1950Ã'• and the early 1970Ã'•, and the production orientation that predominated prior to the mid 1950Ã'•. Ð…ince the concept waÃ'• firÃ'•t introduced in the late 1960Ã'•, it haÃ'• been modified, repackaged, and renamed aÃ'• "cuÃ'•tomer focuÃ'•", "the marketing philoÃ'•ophy", "market driven", "cuÃ'•tomer intimacy", "conÃ'•umer focuÃ'•", "cuÃ'•tomer driven", and "the marketing concept". The market orientation that a firm adoptÃ'• varieÃ'• depending on the product life cycle, the level of competition within the market, and external factorÃ'• Ã'•uch aÃ'• the economic environment. CompanieÃ'• are likely to modify their market orientation over the life cycle of a particular product, and it iÃ'• common for a Ã'•ingle company to have different productÃ'• with different orientationÃ'•. There iÃ'• no one orientation that iÃ'• appropriate for all productÃ'•, and the changing environment and global market in which todayÃ'• companieÃ'• operate mean that orientationÃ'• are likely to undergo rapid change. DeÃ'•pite the importance that market orientation playÃ'• in a companyÃ'• Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'•, many companieÃ'• are unaware that their productÃ'• have a particular

Marketing objectives and strategies for Special Shoes

Marketing objectives and strategies for Special Shoes EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Special Shoes is one of the most successful shoe shops in the country. Although it is quite popular, Special Shoes need an online based shopping site or a website to further enhance their position as one of the top shoe shops in the country. Currently, customers must travel to the actual shop to purchase their shoes. With the creation of the website, customer can easily browse through the selection of available shoes and products provided by the Special Shoes Company and even receive services and promotion in their member areas. As some people might not like an online store where shoes cannot be tried out before purchasing/ordering, Special Shoes will provide chiropody advice services to the customer to further enhance the customer satisfaction on the product and guide the customer to good foot health. To make both existing and potential customer aware of the new e-commerce site and in effort to encourage them to visit the website, comparative advertising will be used. With comparative advertising, it will be designed to highlight the advantages of the goods or services offered by Special Shoes Company compared to those of other shoe shops available in the country. For a successful comparative advertisement, the comparison between the goods or services must be shown by the objective and the message of the advertisement by describing their main characteristics. Marketing Strategy Part of Special Shoes marketing strategy will base solely on its products and services provided. Special Shoes will also use advertisement that will receive abundant attention by the existing and potential customer. The strategy of the marketing campaign is to increase the target customer awareness of Special Shoes. Mission Special Shoes mission is to provide a wide selection of shoes and outstanding customer service. It will exist to attract and maintain customers. Their services will exceed the expectation of the customers. Marketing Objectives The marketing objective of the new e-commerce site of Special Shoes is to build an effective pull campaign, bringing in new customer and keeping the loyalty of existing customers. Marketing Activities: Positioning Special Shoes will position itself as the premier outlet for online shoe shopping, providing the customer with the largest selection, rivaling some of the other shoe shops in the country. Special Shoes will leverage their competitive edge to achieve this desired positioning. To achieve a competitive edge, Special Shoes will provide as much selection of shoes as possible. Membership Membership can be introduced either to new or existing customer through online or offline means. With the registration of customers as members, they are entitled to special discount rates and privileges provided by the Special Shoes. The first 100 customers to register will get a one year membership for free with 12 monthly issues of Special Shoes magazine. Promotions and Discounts. Promotions and discounts of the products and services of the Special shoes can be made known to the customer through online or offline means. Through online means, customers can either be sent an email or text message to inform them of the ongoing promotion and discounts. Through offline means, advertisement can be used to attract new and existing customers. Media Advertisements To further attract new customers and to inform the existing customer of the new website, advertisements can be used to achieve this aim. Examples of media advertisements that can be used are television, radio and newspaper. Chiropody advice Special Shoes will also be able to provide chiropody advice services to the customer as Special Shoes recognize that their competitors did not offer this services. Addressing Existing Customer and New Customer Existing Customers To address the existing customer of the new Special Shoes website, encouragement and recommendation of online registration to the website can be made to get the transition of the existing customer from offline to online. New Customers Through advertisements, new customers can be made, therefore information of the website must be made clear and concise so that future customers can be attracted to become a member to the Special Shoes. Offline Marketing Requirements Offline marketing is also crucial in promoting the Special Shoes shop where examples of offline marketing techniques that can be use are outdoor signage such as billboards, press releases and including the website address on business cards or other printed marketable material. Target Market Special Shoes is targeting the population segments within a broad category of age, gender and needs. Since most of the customer will purchase shoes for the workplace as well as for leisure time. Special Shoes have targeted this broad selection of customer as they have the need for many different pairs of shoes for all of their different activities and needs. Strategies Special Shoes marketing strategy will seek to create customer awareness regarding the products that they offer, develop the customer base, and work toward building customer loyalty and referrals. The messages that Special Shoe will seek to communicate are that the offer the largest selection of shoes and provide chiropody advice services online. People no longer need to go to the actual shop to find what shoes are available. A method of communication is by advertisement in the local media which will be placed in newspapers, radio and televisions. Another method of communication will be through online advertisement such as emails, a system of communicating electronically where this will eliminate unneeded spending on postal fees to inform the customers of new products and services provided by Special Shoes. Another means of communication that can be used is the RSS feeds. What is the method to track visitors going to the website? Tracking visitors visiting the Special Shoes website may be beneficial where the data from the feedbacks of visitors can be extremely helpful in tweaking and fine-tuning your site. The more data that can be collected from the visitors, the more productive and effective the campaigns, contents, and services can be produced. There are many tools and application that is provided in the internet in order to track website visitors. Some examples of these tools are free website tracking software, analytic software and services that track and analyze data. In creating websites free website tracking software are available on the internet. In relation to this, website designer would probably have access to cpanel. Cpanel is an open-source GUI interface that administers to the websites and blogs. Cpanel also have the ability to view current and historical statistics regarding the domain. Most cpanel interface includes these two programs such as Webalizer and AwStats (Advanced Web Statistics). Webalizer is a tool that keeps track of specific types of data and shows it graphically on the web. Webalizer collects data such as the URL (shows the URL that was requested by the users browser), Hit (every single HTTP request that your visitors browser submits is counted as a hit), Visitor (each specific IP address or HTTP cookie), Visit (Each time a visitor accesses the website) and the User Agent (the web browser used by the visitor to access the website e.g. Firefox etc). 1172 words

Laws, Lawyers, and Punishment in the Victorian Period :: Victorian Era

Laws, Lawyers, and Punishment in the Victorian Period The Law †¢At the beginning of the 19th century there were 3 types of law in England: -Common Law: the â€Å"law of the land†(Pool 127), which was built up over many centuries *referred to in order to determine such cases as the validity of a contract or whether or not someone was guilty of murder †¢3 courts that heard cases: -King’s Bench- criminal cases -Eschequer- disputes about money -Common Pleas- disputes between citizens -Equity: seen over by the Chancery Court; designed to give relief from strict decisions made by the common law -Church Law: 4 courts -Court of Arches-Court of the archbishop -Court of Faculties-granted special permission to do things such as hold multiple livings -Consistory Court-handled divorce and wills -Prerogative Court- wills of bishops However, this system of laws changed much throughout the century. The Chancery became merely a joke for there you could not present evidence during trials and Parliament came to view it as necessary for matters of will and divorce to be referred to new civil courts instead of the church. In 1873 the 3 common law courts and the Chancery were combined to make the Supreme Court Lawyers †¢There were two types of lawyers: -those who argued in court- barristers, sarjeants, and advocates -those who prepared the cases for these lawyers- attorneys, solicitors, proctors †¢Courtroom lawyers held more prestige especially the barrister, who was often well born †¢To become a barrister one had to go to a certain number of dinners at the Inns of Court for 3 years. Then if you were approved of by the older lawyers you’d be â€Å"called to the bar† and then could become a barrister. There was no exam required. †¢Solicitors had to serve as an in-between between the barristers and their clients. So they were â€Å"in trade† which was less respectful to become solicitor one had to be an apprentice for 5 years to a practicing lawyer Punishment †¢In 1800 there were over 200 offences punishable by death including sheep stealing and doing damage to the Westminster Bridge -This harshness was probably due to the lack of real paid policemen at the time. So when someone was actually caught and convicted they were made an example.

The Wonders of Planet Earth

‘The perpetual cycle of change which has created the face of the Earth, with all its rugged and Fascinating variety usually happens too slowly to be noticed. But occasionally it is rapid and Violent. Volcanoes disgorge molten lava, earthquakes rip open the landscape, landslides, carry away Whole mountainsides. Then human beings become aware of the awesome forces that are shaping Their planet. These forces are fuelled by three powerful sources of energy – heat from within the Earth, heat from the Sun, and the force of gravity.Every landform in the world has been shaped by these ttu. ee energy sources. ‘the continents that drift across the surface of the globe, setting off volcanoes and earthquakes and Building mountains. are driven by heat from the Earth's interior which has a temperature of about 5000†³C (9000'F). Most of this heat is created by the breakdown of radioactive elements. Earth is unique among the planets of the Solar System in having liquid water on the surface and water has a major role in shaping the planet.The warmth of the Sun evaporates water from seas and lakes. The vapor rises and condenses to form clouds and then falls again as rain and snow. It is then that its landscaping powers begin, weathering rocks and washing away the loose material. or grinding down the landscape under the power of a glacier. The Sun's heat also produces the rain and the waves that scour the land. The third force – gravity – causes the tides, which nibble away at the edges of continents, and landslides. hich alter the shape of mountains. Under the influence of gravity. rain works its way downwards as streams and rivers, carving the terrain. On its journey, it carries fragments of rock and sand to be deposited on the ocean floor. And over thousands of years more rock which may then be buckled and lifted up by movement of the Earth's crust to form new mountains. {source: Readers Digest, Discovering the Wonders of our World A guide to natures Sciences marvels]

Zara: It for Fast Fashion

Zara: IT for Fast Fashion Identification of issues: The case study, Zara: IT for Fast Fashion, focuses on the retail giant, Inditex, and how its largest retail chain, Zara, has been so successful with their business model of high fashion, product variation, low cost, speed, and flexibility. Several issues are identified in this case study. One glaring issue that is apparent relates to the fact that a long term Information Technology (IT) strategy does not exist. There is no formal system in place to plan and predict for their future needs, including operational and capital expenses.Another issue consists of the retailer not having a centralized distribution system in place, their stores do not share inventory counts, and the managers do not have a system in place to look up their inventory balances in their stores or other stores, (they accomplish this by canvassing the stores). Another significant current issue relates to the fact that their current IT system is unsustainable, as th e equipment is obsolete and unsupported by Microsoft. Their IT system is not wireless, their screens are small, they are using styluses, which can be cumbersome, and older technology such as floppy disks and modems.The last issue involves a lack of shared knowledge of the current system in place; one person is relied upon and depended for knowledge of the systems functionality. Being so dependant upon one person places the whole system at risk. Importance of the key issue: The key issue in this case study involves whether or not Inditex should upgrade the retailer’s information technology infrastructure and capabilities or whether they should continue using their current system. The problem that Zara faces now is that their current system, P-O-S (Point of Sales terminals), runs on DOS, which Microsoft does not support any longer.Any hardware change in the POS terminal would not be compatible with their current POS software. Without an upgrade, they risk that their current sup plier could no longer support them. Investing in IT infrastructure is inevitable as Microsoft DOS is obsolete technology and there is no guarantee that their POS vendor will continue supplying the same terminal without changes to their hardware. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) are currently used in all Zara stores, POS terminals are not connected with Zara’s headquarters or with other stores. here is no system in place to link employees’ daily sales, causing employees to copy this information onto a floppy disk. Zara’s success and main business strategy is dependent upon their ability to respond very quickly to the demands of their customers. By upgrading their current system, they could add functionality and capabilities that could resolve other issues they face, such as sharing inventory, and being proficient at matching supply and demand. They can comfortably meet their mission by keeping current with fashion.Without the infrastructure to support i t, it would be impossible to accomplish, as they would not have the security controls, and back up systems in place. This issue is more important than any other issue to resolve, as Zara’s mission, success and future depends on technology reliability and accuracy. If this issue is not resolved, it is impossible to address all of the other issues identified above. Key Stakeholders: There are numerous stakeholders who are affected by the key issue of whether or not they should upgrade their IT Zara’s customers system want the latest fashions in stock, in their size and color, in a timey fashion.By having an upgraded, efficient IT system, Zara’s customers could experience better inventory controls to meet their needs. This in turn develops customer loyalty which equates to a higher volume of sales. Another key stakeholder is Zara’s employees. Employees want job security. A well defined, upgraded, efficient IT system can assist in sales volume, which turns in to profit for the company. Employees also want to reduce their workload and redundancy. Their current system does not take advantage of functional automation and communication, which can increase their work load.Another stakeholder, Zara’s IT vendor, certainly wants to maintain their business relationship with them, but may find it difficult to continue conducting business with a company who uses such an obsolete, unsupported, vulnerable system. Zara’s managers are also important stakeholders in the decision to upgrade. Their managers want the current POS system to do more, such as look up inventory balances in stores. This basic functionality is lacking. They want to be in a position to negotiate pricing and keep up with their competitors.Zara’s shareholders are interested in maintaining the financial success that Zara has experienced. They want a system in place to assure that their current fashion demands are met, that a system is in place to account for and share merchandise. They want to be able to invest wisely and innovate themselves to stay fresh in the apparel industry. Another stakeholder, Zara’s suppliers wants a functional IT system to provide better lead time for orders and materials, and to be able to communicate in a timely, seamless manner. Causes of the issue:There are many causes that contribute to the situation that Zara faces at the moment. Having a mission and vision without having a strategic plan to get there is a contributing factor. Having a decentralized decision making system in place can also be a root cause. Having equipment that is obsolescence is a result of the above factors. Not having staff and systems in place to effectively plan for the future, leads to antiquated equipment and manual, cumbersome, inaccurate, processes. Other factors responsible for the lack of strategic IT planning at Zara include their current business model and leadership complacency.Alternative solutions: There are three alter native solutions. The first would be to purchase the current POS terminals from their vendors so they can support their needs in case the vendor changes their machine to new technology, and continue functioning the way they have been. The second solution involves hire a consulting firm to review their situation and conduct a strategic financial analysis of their options. The third solution to the key issue identified is to proceed in upgrading their current IT system and add functional capabilities to meet the needs of their organization.Recommendations: I recommend the third solution, that Zara purchase and implementing a new POS networking system. This recommendation would create a robust system that is more responsive to Inditex’s supply chain network. It also removes the risk of the system becoming obsolete and non- compatible with the vendor’s machine upgrade. It decreases their exposure for system failures, helps to maintain and improve efficiency of decentraliza tion because information flow can be improved between stores, distribution chains and vendors.The most important aspect of Zara’s approach to information technology includes the ability to meet the needs of their customers, whether that involves accuracy, timeliness, marketing, demand, or communication. Their original business model involved linking demand to manufacturing, and linking manufacturing to distribution, this involves a reliable, compatible IT system. Upgrading the POS applications to include additional functionality, such as networking capability, and the ability to share inventory with other stores, only makes their corporation more productive and efficient.The use of larger screens, and keyboards, vs. smaller screens and styluses would also be beneficial to the employees and customers. There are however pitfalls to this recommendation. Above and beyond the obvious capital expense of the equipment and software, implementing the recommended solution in the short term may require restructuring the IT department to include a Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CIO would also be responsible to conduct a comprehensive review of current industry technologies and determine which IT capabilities and functionalities will best support the company’s strategic mission.This person would also be responsible to initiate a formal IT budgeting process that is part of the broader capital budget, and create a formal process for selecting and prioritizing IT projects that includes both financial and non-financial metrics (Porter, M, 2001). In the medium term, Zara may consider an outside team to initiate this IT change. It is questionable if Zara currently has the time and internal talent to effect the change. An outsourced professional team may accomplish this task, while allowing personnel to focus on their day to day operations.Zara can cross train a few IT personnel to work closely with the implementation team, to assure a seamless transition. A à ¢â‚¬Å"train the trainer† may be beneficial. This may mean that they may have to hire replacement personnel on a temporary basis. In the long term Zara should develop a â€Å"long-term IT renewal plan† as recommended by Feld and Stoddard, 2004, to develop a plan to maintain and sustain their new system; this requires time, money and talent. Incorporating the three principles in executing IT effectively: A long termIT renewal plan linked to corporate strategy, a simplified unifying corporate technology platform and a highly functional, performance-oriented IT organization would benefit Zara (Feld and Stoddard, 2004). Keeping up with technology allows Zara to focus on future fashion trends, with effective IT they will be able to stay ahead of the curve and keep their leadership. They will sustain their business model based on short deadlines, decrease quantities, and updated styles and fashion.If Zara anticipates opening up new stores in the future, they would need to upgr ade their system anyway. If they opened up new stores with new technology, their current technology would not be compatible and the stores could not communicate effectively with one another and share information. The second solution mentioned above, which involves hiring a consulting firm to review their situation and conduct a strategic financial analysis of their options is not in the best interest of the corporation.Hiring consultants takes time and energy and are expensive. They are not familiar with the organizations structure, strengths, weaknesses or capabilities. Financial resources would be better spent on the purchase of new upgraded equipment vs. putting off the inevitable. The first solution described above, purchasing the current POS terminals from their vendors so they can support their needs in case the vendor changes their machine to new technology and continuing to function they way they have been is not an option, if they want to remain viable.Change is unavoidable , as this profitable, highly reputable company cannot continue to function with obsolete equipment. Obsolete equipment sets them up for failure in the event the equipment fails or needs repair. It does not allow them to implement a systematic plan to move the organization forward, instead it stagnates their capabilities. The likely outcomes of my recommendation would be an efficient, accurate, timely IT infrastructure that communicates well with all stores, accurately accounts for all inventory, allowing manual processes to dissolve.This creates greater efficiencies on the part of the staff. Changing and upgrading their IT system would compensate for their internal communication weaknesses. Upgrading the POS terminals to modern inventory management software, would allow orders to be made on a daily basis instead of twice a week. This would allow the demand and supply to be matched more accurately, making the production process leaner. Inventory management software would lso allow de signers to follow the sales of garments more closely, instead of relying on manual orders from store managers. Store managers could send new fashion or fabric ideas over the internet to headquarters. This constant monitoring and updating can give designers an advantage over the competition in developing new styles and keeping up with the latest fashions. Updating their communication and IT system sooner, rather than later would overall sustain viability of the corporation and enhance their business success. Zara: It for Fast Fashion Zara: IT for Fast Fashion Identification of issues: The case study, Zara: IT for Fast Fashion, focuses on the retail giant, Inditex, and how its largest retail chain, Zara, has been so successful with their business model of high fashion, product variation, low cost, speed, and flexibility. Several issues are identified in this case study. One glaring issue that is apparent relates to the fact that a long term Information Technology (IT) strategy does not exist. There is no formal system in place to plan and predict for their future needs, including operational and capital expenses.Another issue consists of the retailer not having a centralized distribution system in place, their stores do not share inventory counts, and the managers do not have a system in place to look up their inventory balances in their stores or other stores, (they accomplish this by canvassing the stores). Another significant current issue relates to the fact that their current IT system is unsustainable, as th e equipment is obsolete and unsupported by Microsoft. Their IT system is not wireless, their screens are small, they are using styluses, which can be cumbersome, and older technology such as floppy disks and modems.The last issue involves a lack of shared knowledge of the current system in place; one person is relied upon and depended for knowledge of the systems functionality. Being so dependant upon one person places the whole system at risk. Importance of the key issue: The key issue in this case study involves whether or not Inditex should upgrade the retailer’s information technology infrastructure and capabilities or whether they should continue using their current system. The problem that Zara faces now is that their current system, P-O-S (Point of Sales terminals), runs on DOS, which Microsoft does not support any longer.Any hardware change in the POS terminal would not be compatible with their current POS software. Without an upgrade, they risk that their current sup plier could no longer support them. Investing in IT infrastructure is inevitable as Microsoft DOS is obsolete technology and there is no guarantee that their POS vendor will continue supplying the same terminal without changes to their hardware. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) are currently used in all Zara stores, POS terminals are not connected with Zara’s headquarters or with other stores. here is no system in place to link employees’ daily sales, causing employees to copy this information onto a floppy disk. Zara’s success and main business strategy is dependent upon their ability to respond very quickly to the demands of their customers. By upgrading their current system, they could add functionality and capabilities that could resolve other issues they face, such as sharing inventory, and being proficient at matching supply and demand. They can comfortably meet their mission by keeping current with fashion.Without the infrastructure to support i t, it would be impossible to accomplish, as they would not have the security controls, and back up systems in place. This issue is more important than any other issue to resolve, as Zara’s mission, success and future depends on technology reliability and accuracy. If this issue is not resolved, it is impossible to address all of the other issues identified above. Key Stakeholders: There are numerous stakeholders who are affected by the key issue of whether or not they should upgrade their IT Zara’s customers system want the latest fashions in stock, in their size and color, in a timey fashion.By having an upgraded, efficient IT system, Zara’s customers could experience better inventory controls to meet their needs. This in turn develops customer loyalty which equates to a higher volume of sales. Another key stakeholder is Zara’s employees. Employees want job security. A well defined, upgraded, efficient IT system can assist in sales volume, which turns in to profit for the company. Employees also want to reduce their workload and redundancy. Their current system does not take advantage of functional automation and communication, which can increase their work load.Another stakeholder, Zara’s IT vendor, certainly wants to maintain their business relationship with them, but may find it difficult to continue conducting business with a company who uses such an obsolete, unsupported, vulnerable system. Zara’s managers are also important stakeholders in the decision to upgrade. Their managers want the current POS system to do more, such as look up inventory balances in stores. This basic functionality is lacking. They want to be in a position to negotiate pricing and keep up with their competitors.Zara’s shareholders are interested in maintaining the financial success that Zara has experienced. They want a system in place to assure that their current fashion demands are met, that a system is in place to account for and share merchandise. They want to be able to invest wisely and innovate themselves to stay fresh in the apparel industry. Another stakeholder, Zara’s suppliers wants a functional IT system to provide better lead time for orders and materials, and to be able to communicate in a timely, seamless manner. Causes of the issue:There are many causes that contribute to the situation that Zara faces at the moment. Having a mission and vision without having a strategic plan to get there is a contributing factor. Having a decentralized decision making system in place can also be a root cause. Having equipment that is obsolescence is a result of the above factors. Not having staff and systems in place to effectively plan for the future, leads to antiquated equipment and manual, cumbersome, inaccurate, processes. Other factors responsible for the lack of strategic IT planning at Zara include their current business model and leadership complacency.Alternative solutions: There are three alter native solutions. The first would be to purchase the current POS terminals from their vendors so they can support their needs in case the vendor changes their machine to new technology, and continue functioning the way they have been. The second solution involves hire a consulting firm to review their situation and conduct a strategic financial analysis of their options. The third solution to the key issue identified is to proceed in upgrading their current IT system and add functional capabilities to meet the needs of their organization.Recommendations: I recommend the third solution, that Zara purchase and implementing a new POS networking system. This recommendation would create a robust system that is more responsive to Inditex’s supply chain network. It also removes the risk of the system becoming obsolete and non- compatible with the vendor’s machine upgrade. It decreases their exposure for system failures, helps to maintain and improve efficiency of decentraliza tion because information flow can be improved between stores, distribution chains and vendors.The most important aspect of Zara’s approach to information technology includes the ability to meet the needs of their customers, whether that involves accuracy, timeliness, marketing, demand, or communication. Their original business model involved linking demand to manufacturing, and linking manufacturing to distribution, this involves a reliable, compatible IT system. Upgrading the POS applications to include additional functionality, such as networking capability, and the ability to share inventory with other stores, only makes their corporation more productive and efficient.The use of larger screens, and keyboards, vs. smaller screens and styluses would also be beneficial to the employees and customers. There are however pitfalls to this recommendation. Above and beyond the obvious capital expense of the equipment and software, implementing the recommended solution in the short term may require restructuring the IT department to include a Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CIO would also be responsible to conduct a comprehensive review of current industry technologies and determine which IT capabilities and functionalities will best support the company’s strategic mission.This person would also be responsible to initiate a formal IT budgeting process that is part of the broader capital budget, and create a formal process for selecting and prioritizing IT projects that includes both financial and non-financial metrics (Porter, M, 2001). In the medium term, Zara may consider an outside team to initiate this IT change. It is questionable if Zara currently has the time and internal talent to effect the change. An outsourced professional team may accomplish this task, while allowing personnel to focus on their day to day operations.Zara can cross train a few IT personnel to work closely with the implementation team, to assure a seamless transition. A à ¢â‚¬Å"train the trainer† may be beneficial. This may mean that they may have to hire replacement personnel on a temporary basis. In the long term Zara should develop a â€Å"long-term IT renewal plan† as recommended by Feld and Stoddard, 2004, to develop a plan to maintain and sustain their new system; this requires time, money and talent. Incorporating the three principles in executing IT effectively: A long termIT renewal plan linked to corporate strategy, a simplified unifying corporate technology platform and a highly functional, performance-oriented IT organization would benefit Zara (Feld and Stoddard, 2004). Keeping up with technology allows Zara to focus on future fashion trends, with effective IT they will be able to stay ahead of the curve and keep their leadership. They will sustain their business model based on short deadlines, decrease quantities, and updated styles and fashion.If Zara anticipates opening up new stores in the future, they would need to upgr ade their system anyway. If they opened up new stores with new technology, their current technology would not be compatible and the stores could not communicate effectively with one another and share information. The second solution mentioned above, which involves hiring a consulting firm to review their situation and conduct a strategic financial analysis of their options is not in the best interest of the corporation.Hiring consultants takes time and energy and are expensive. They are not familiar with the organizations structure, strengths, weaknesses or capabilities. Financial resources would be better spent on the purchase of new upgraded equipment vs. putting off the inevitable. The first solution described above, purchasing the current POS terminals from their vendors so they can support their needs in case the vendor changes their machine to new technology and continuing to function they way they have been is not an option, if they want to remain viable.Change is unavoidable , as this profitable, highly reputable company cannot continue to function with obsolete equipment. Obsolete equipment sets them up for failure in the event the equipment fails or needs repair. It does not allow them to implement a systematic plan to move the organization forward, instead it stagnates their capabilities. The likely outcomes of my recommendation would be an efficient, accurate, timely IT infrastructure that communicates well with all stores, accurately accounts for all inventory, allowing manual processes to dissolve.This creates greater efficiencies on the part of the staff. Changing and upgrading their IT system would compensate for their internal communication weaknesses. Upgrading the POS terminals to modern inventory management software, would allow orders to be made on a daily basis instead of twice a week. This would allow the demand and supply to be matched more accurately, making the production process leaner. Inventory management software would lso allow de signers to follow the sales of garments more closely, instead of relying on manual orders from store managers. Store managers could send new fashion or fabric ideas over the internet to headquarters. This constant monitoring and updating can give designers an advantage over the competition in developing new styles and keeping up with the latest fashions. Updating their communication and IT system sooner, rather than later would overall sustain viability of the corporation and enhance their business success.

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