Book Review: Creating Effective Teams Essay

Creating Effective Teams: a Guide for Members and Leaders is a book by Wheelan (2013) designed to do as the title states; guiding members and leaders to create effective teams. Wheelan (2013) begins the book by highlighting the reasons that groups are important. Wheelan (2013) states that throughout history, â€Å"Groups have played a major role in both the survival of human beings and the development of human culture† (p. 1). The majority of the book is based on 4 stages that create a group of individuals into an effective team. The first stage is called dependency and inclusion. According to Wheelan (2013), the first stage of the group is characterized by group members becoming dependent upon the group leader. During this first stage, members must learn to trust each other. Wheelan (2013) highlights three goals that should come out of the first stage. The first goal is to have group members begin to develop a sense of belonging as well as recognize predictable patterns of interaction. The next goal is to develop loyalty to the group. The final goal is to create a safe environment for members in order for them to share and contribute ideas and suggestions. The second stage is called counterdependency and flight (Wheelan, 2013). This stage is the natural transition from reaching the goals of stage 1; members will begin to feel that they don’t need to be dependent upon the leader, which results in group members fighting amongst themselves. This is an inescapable part of the process and is actually healthy for the group if managed properly. With the proper management, Wheelan (2013) identifies one goal for stage 2: creating a cohesive set of goals, values and operational procedures. According to Wheelan (2013), the third stage is called trust and structure. If the group is able to work through the conflicts and is abiding by the goals set in stage 2, then group members begin to trust each other, become more committed to the group and cooperation greatly increases. There are two goals identified by Wheelan (2013). The first goal of stage three is to solidify positive relationships between members. The second goal is to engage in more mature negotiations about group roles and organizational procedures. Once the three are stages are worked through the n the fourth stage, Work (Wheelan, 2013), can be accomplished. Wheelan (2013) identifies the fourth stage as a time of intense team productivity and effectiveness. This is the stage that is the result of creating the effective team. Once the four stages have been identified and understood, Wheelan (2013) goes on to elaborate on how a group leader can keep the team effective. Wheelan (2013) speaks of 10 keys to productivity (goals, roles, interdependence, leadership, communication and feedback, [discussion, decision making and planning], implementation and evaluation, norms and individual differences, structure, cooperation and conflict management). Wheelan (2013) also shares the ways that group members become effective team members (don’t blame others, support the leader, promote effective problem-solving, etc†¦) as well as how a leader can be an effective team leader (be direct and confident, involve members in leadership, adjust your leadership style to the group, etc†¦). Finally, Wheelan (2013) highlights effective organizational support for teams, which includes an organization support checklist. Concrete Response There really wasn’t a video roll that played in my head, but I can apply this concept to my job. Currently, I am a supervisor for a wellness center that works with people living with a mental illness. I see the group that I work with as a team because we are working toward one goal. This goal is to help the members living with a mental illness learn to gain independence, work on social skills and work on personal goals that they would like to establish. I feel as if my job is to create and effective team, first with my co-workers and then next with the members of the wellness center. As I was reading the four stages of a group, I can definitely see how that works out. When I first started there, I was definitely in the first stage with my co-workers and the members. Eventually stage two did happen and conflicts began because as a new supervisor, I had changed some rules and regulations that were received poorly at first. Eventually we were all able to work through the new changes and developed trust, stage 3. Once trust was developed, then we were able to get to the task at hand, which was achieving the goals set by each member and are now in the working stage of the team. It was interesting to read the text and apply to my personal life. The one thing that I did notice is that I’ve been there for almost a year and I can confidently say that it took a few months of hard work to be where I am not with the members and my co-workers. Reflection I really enjoyed the book and I can definitely see how a team can become effective when each stage is performed properly. The questions that I had with reading the book were; what happens if I am not able to complete a stage? What happens if the group members are not cooperative? And how do you handle a group that is there voluntarily versus involuntarily? While the book offers great advice and ideas, there didn’t seem to be much room for error. Even when it came to the four checklists (team performance, effective member, effective leader and organization support) there were grades, but there was no explanation or tips on how to turn your poor grade into a positive grade. This book is a great conceptual book and a good book for advice but I feel as if Wheelan (2013) designed the book to be used as a resource that should be worked with other books and your own personal viewpoint. I don’t think that I am trying to outsmart Wheelan (2013); but for me as a reader, my assumptions of the book based on the title were not what I had expected. I was partially correct that this was a how-to book, but what I did not expect was that there wouldn’t really be anything about how to correct problems. This is almost like a user’s manual for group leaders; it tells you what to do, but not what to do when you make a mistake. I would use this book with another resource. Action So what am I going to do about it? How will I take this book and apply it to my life? What is a 3 step action plan that I can take? There are a lot of different steps that I can take with this book, but what hit me the most is the chapter on how I can be an effective team leader. So the first step that I would like to do is learn how to apply the leadership skills applied for each stage. According the Wheelan (2013), during the first stage I need to learn to me a directive and confident leader. During the second stage, I need to understand that when members begin to demand more participation in running the group, I must slowly begin to empower them to have it. During the third stage I need to be able to involve members in the leadership of he group. Finally, during stage four, I must be able to participate as an expert member of the team. Being able to master those skills will greatly help me when it comes to team leadership. The second action plan that I will do is to take those checklist and actually fill them out and see if I need to change in the areas of team performance, effective membership, effective leadership and organizational support. I feel as if what I will do what the checklists are to make copies of them or look for them online and pass it out to my team members and the wellness center members also. Finally, what I would like to do is to audit the productivity of the team based on the 10 factors highlighted by Wheelan (2013); (goals, roles, interdependence, leadership, communication and feedback, [discussion, decision making and planning], implementation and evaluation, norms and individual differences, structure, cooperation and conflict management). As stated in the section above, I will be using this book as an additional resource to really help improve my leadership abilities; especially at work, but also in other aspects of my life.

Tree Rosales Saga

The Different Customs and Moral Principles of the Filipino Nation Reading books has many benefits both mentally and morally. Firstly, your mind will be active and engaged into old age, and reading can help you forget the problems in your life, and get you captivated by the adventures of someone else or by the author itself. Reading is a fun and great way to leave the stresses of your life and Just unwind.Through reading it can also improve one's skill and strategy use, builds fluency, enlarges scapulars, and builds knowledge of the world. And so we are given a task to read Filipino fiction books. There is a range of choice of books that were given to us and I choose the book of F. Session Jose, entitled Tree. Francisco Session Jose or simply known as F. Session Jose, he is one of the most prominent authors of literary books in the Philippines; he created a lot of books that tackled the different issues such as domination, deliverance, compassion, social prejudice and so on.F. Session Jose has been called a Philippine national treasure too. He was born on December 3, 1924 in Resale, Philippines. He was introduced to literature in public school and later at the University of Santos Atoms. While working as a Journalist in Manila, he began his interest in writing short stories and eventually novels. One of the books that he created which is known as the Resale novels that earned several awards like the 1980 Ramona Massage's Award, 2001 National Artist Award for Literature and the 2004 Pablo Neared Centennial Award is the book entitled Tree.According to Session Jose, as stated at the back of his book, â€Å"Tree is a story of a boy growing up in a small Looking town, surrounded by friends below his social class, by relatives and doting servants who have served his family all their lives. It is also a story of oppression and compassion†see, F. S. , 1978). Tree is one of his few masterpieces' in which I have the chance to read and I assume that this book was wr itten based from the author's experience since it is written in the first person point of view.I decided to use the social and the moral-philosophical approach in discussing the story. Tree is a story that tackles about the different customs that are practiced by the Filipinos and it is also a narrative that teaches moral values. The story happened in a small town of Resale in the province of Panamanian, during the year sass's, the period of the American and Japanese colonization in the Philippines. The story revolves about a young boy who is growing up where in he is surrounded by his friends, family, servants who are all lower than his social status.The boy is growing up together with his father who is very prominent in their town because his father is working for a big person who is Don Vaccine, a well-known land owner in Resale. His father is known o be as an assistant of Don Vaccine and he also has the authority to possess lands and persuade people as he pleases. The young boy grew up in a kind of life that everybody dreamed of. There is no need for him to work to have something to eat, to live; everything is well provided for him by his father.Even the young boy grew up together with his father with a life that is very comfortable; his relationship with his father is distant and remote. He only sees his father very often and they even talk giving birth (pig. 9). And all that is left for him were the memories how people would scribe how beautiful her mother is and stories from people about how his father had loved her mother so much. And so the young boy still thirsts for her mother's presence and loving care. He even foolishly wishes to see her mother even she would be a pallid spirit.In some way, he feels proud whenever people would praise her mother however he still feels the sense of loss and futility (pig. 9). But even though he doesn't have a mother beside him, still he grew up with proper manners and a submissive child. He is a young boy who never Judges those people who are around IM despite the differences between social standing. He never chooses people to mingle. He makes friends to all and treasures them as a part of his life since he has this belief that those people he meet along the way teaches him different lessons in life that would make him a better person.Like his friend Angel, who strives to make a difference for himself by Joining what his heart truly desires to be a soldier because he believes that is where he would really belong, he does not want to be a servant for all his life and serve their family Just to pay the debts of his dead parent's. Angel imply wants freedom for himself and so he told his preparation to escape and Join those soldiers in the mountain to fight against what should be for them to the young boy. Hilled is another friend of the main character in the story (pig. 14).Hilled is a girl somewhat about his age who is a member of the circus team that performs walking in a tightrope up in the he ights. As his friend, Hilled taught him a lot of things in life, even at a young age Hilled work already Just to earn money and have something to eat. She uses her skills in entertaining. She almost disregarded her studies and Just soused on performing in the circus team to be able to help her parent's and those who are expecting from them. Cousin Marcelo, a relative of the main character in the story also made an impact in his life. Cousin Marcelo was a very educated man and a good role model for the main character.Despite the knowledge that he gained from studying, he never used it for immorality, to take advantage to his fellowmen. Since he is educated, he knows how to use his knowledge properly and at the right instances. Another character in the story is Old David and Seep. They are the loyal Emily servants who were devoted and willing to serve until the end for the main character's family. They already spent their whole life in serving the family because they owe a lot to the family for giving them a good life and a steady Job. Tree is also a literary work that exhibits different cultures and beliefs.Since the setting of the story happened during the period of sass's it expected that cultures and traditions during that time is still practiced. Like one in the chapters in the story that narrates about the happenings during their town fiesta that happened in the month of June. The month of June is a month that is full of festivities for Resale(pig. 14). Everybody is expecting for big undertakings during their town fiesta since there are many people who would come and celebrate with them and what's most exciting is that the circus would also arrive and be a highlight for the event.During their time, town festivities won't be a success without the fiesta of their patron San Antonio De Pads, the competition for the fiesta queen and the presentation from the circus team which is usually held in their plaza. Another tradition that is present in the story when t heir orientated passed away. They practiced this tradition of mourning that is still day of the burial of the dead and it is celebrated with dining and drinking depending on the finances of the bereaved family.The relatives of the deceased are also required to be dressed in black mourning clothes and black bands for a year until the period of mourning would end. But those relatives who are not directly related to the deceased may stop wearing the black clothing for mourning. In the story during the special occasions like the holidays particularly during Christmas, they prepare a big feast. It's their custom to celebrate Christmas with all the family, the servants, friends and relatives that even they are far from Resale they still give effort to attend the Christmas celebration held every year.In the story of Tree, it also narrated the different social injustices, compassion and oppression that take part in the story. One of which is a property-owner versus a peasant. If you are a p easant you don't have the power to persuade the landowner to stop from possessing your land. If you disobey and refuse to agree with what they want, certainly those peasants would be rut and they would make sure that those people who challenged them would be destroyed (pig. 1 1). There is no equality for the marginalia people during their time.Justice can only be served to those who are wealthy, to those who have strong influence and with the ability to manipulate things or even people through the use of money. Through their money and their high social status, everything for them is achievable. The book also showed portrayal about compassion. It is during the time that the father of the young boy presented him to her mother's grave and he was introduced to his mother grave. The theme of the story tells us that life is can be painted by those people who are around us.They can help us grow, mature and go out with our comfort zones and mold us into better persons through the way they i nfluence us in different ways. Since those people around you shared their learning through experiences in their existence. Those characters mentioned in this paper made an impact to the main character on how he should face the trials in life and how to be a good person. He learned that being a good listener, responsible, humility and being tough is essential in life. Another thing is that money is not the answer to everything, morals are more important to most people.How much values you have for yourself the more people would learn to value, respect and look up to you. The tree or the title of the book itself is the symbol in the story. The ablate tree in particular. The ablate tree as described in the book is meant to give shade from the sun and also from the rain (pig. 2). The tree seemed like ageless it's so huge and taller than the church (pig. 2). The tree is the witness to all happenings in the town. It seems to be unyielding. Even when an American soldier with an excavator ru ns into it, the ere survives and the excavator was destroyed.It is also important to note that underneath the ablate tree nothing grows. In Tree, the author uses this representation to suggest that, left to its own device; maybe the Philippines might have prospered but it is never achieved. After all, the tree was indigenous. Tree is a novel supplied with cultural experience that is mixed moral reference. It also showed the importance of having social standing in a society. It also portrayed the way of living during the early period in the Philippines and the struggles of those people who have low social status.

Art and discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art and discipline - Essay Example Business management, therefore, ensures business profit continuity. Many artists are into business through their works. Artists’ works attract many people and this brings in the relationship between business and the arts. Gabriel Orozco is one of the well-known artists in the world. Gabriel was born in Mexico in 1962 (Bonami & Zegher, 1996). He studied arts in both Mexico and Spain. He uses the natural objects and landscape to make viewers imagine on the themes of the nature. Gabriel’s art relates to business management in some ways. For example, business management ensures real coordination of the business stakeholders for business continuity. On the same hand, artists ensure that art business continues by ensuring that the work they are making attract large number of people. Every artist must ensure that business strategy is well defined in order to attract large population. This will generate more profit to the artist. This is exactly what Gabriel is doing in his wor k. Gabriel affects in the world in many ways through his arts. He is different from the other artists in the way he expresses most of his arts. He has a secret in his way of doing things. He mainly uses found objects in his arts. He also uses photos taken from the streets to display his arts. He could photograph the left objects which have been left ass litter. He could go ahead d and present these objects as art. He took the litter from one of the Mexican coastal areas and arranged them in a rectangular manner. These objects included bottles, tennis balls, glasses, light bulbs and hats from construction workers. All these dumped objects made most parts of his arts. Gabriel never used studios and this made him unique and a role model for many young artists mainly in his motherland, Mexico. He worked only included the objects he got from wandering around (Bonami & Zegher, 1996). Gabriel was one of the few people who would learn from things that can be liked and those that one can hate. For

Answer the questions one by one Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer the questions one by one - Case Study Example Terror organizations continuously take advantage of globalization to propagate their radical ideology and coordinate global attacks. However, there is room for the world to seek long-lasting political and social problems that come with a global civil society. I argue that (Kaldor 561) is not overestimating the power and effectiveness of society on a global scale. A group can change the world in a minute. The events of September 11 2001 clearly show that a misguided group can bring horror and grieve to the world in almost an instant. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, the whole world had one resolve not to let terror have a place in the world. Governments across the world increased spending on defense and there was increased intelligence sharing on terrorism between governments. Civil rights groups sparked the Arab Spring, which substantially changed the political landscape of many Arab nations. I argue that any society or group of people has the power and effectiveness to influence the whole world. The civil society is the non-state actors. Those groups, which influence the decisions of the government of the day behind the scenes, constitute the civil society. A terror organization like al-Qaeda is part of the civil society. In addition, the World Communist of the 20th Century, transnational corporations, and transnational financial elites are also part of the civil society. The decisions made by such groups shaped and continue shaping the world in its political and social setup. I argue that the influence on any political or social decision made by the government that is not from the state actors comes from the civil society. The right world is one with a new, stable financial system. The Western-based financial system in its current form is a bubble that can burst anytime. I advocate a financial system that guarantees equal growth and development of all nations of the world. The new financial system should not

Implementing Disability Sport in Physical Education Essay

Implementing Disability Sport in Physical Education - Essay Example The term disability sports has been actually defined as sports â€Å"designed for, or specifically practiced, by people with disabilities. People with disabilities are also referred to as athletes with disabilities† (International Platform on Sport & Development, 2009, p. 8). Accordingly, people with disabilities are those who are identified to possess â€Å"long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which, in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others† (International Platform on Sport & Development, 2009, p. 8). Game modification could include using specifically designed equipment; as well as tailoring the games and activities according to the skills sets of students, their academic levels, and enthusiasm for the particular sport or physical activity. The benefit of this option is that it provides opportunities for disabled students to participate, learn more, and en joy playing the sports through using especially designed equipment, and even rules which could simply be modified or adapted to their diverse needs. Through participating, the vast advantages noted from delving into sports and physical activities, such as socialization, sportsmanship, development of leadership and teamwork skills, as well as enabling the students to design strategies for winning are thereby realized. Integrating disability sports within the GPE curriculum would focus on the development of diverse skills. As such, educators would be incorporate designing or even modifying the curriculum to develop complementary skills; as well as address affective, psychomotor, and cognitive domains. This would necessiate a review of various... This paper approves that school administrators and policymakers who genuinely think of the diversity in academic requirements of students from benefitting from a physical education class would recognize that by incorporating disability sports, all students – whether disabled or not - would benefit in the process. As emphasized, â€Å"both parents and teachers have always conceded that individuals with disabilities who participate in sports activities are less depressed, perform better academically, are more stable in behavior as well as in their overall social interactions†. Likewise, on the part of the students without disabilities, by being provided with formal education on disability sports, they would be exposed on the crucial concerns and issues facing disabled; yet, sports inclined, students. This essay makes a conclusion that the current discourse has effectively achieved two-fold objectives, to wit: to explain the main developments within the realm of implementing integrating disability sports within the physical education curriculum; and supporting the arguments and contentions through studies and researches written by other authoritative authors on the subject. Overall, disability sports should be incorported in the GPE curriculum to realize significant benefits for all students alike: those without disabilities and those who are disabled. The instrumental advantages of encouraging students to develop genuine enthusiasm in sports and physical activites would contribute to their overall wellbeing and improved health condition throughout their lifetime.

Egyptian revolution of 1952s Impact on Egyptian Films Content Essay

Egyptian revolution of 1952s Impact on Egyptian Films Content - Essay Example The Egyptian Cinema also underwent a significant change as a result. However, this change was not immediate. It was after turning to socialism in 1961 that the Nasser regime took hold of the film industry. Before the revolution, the Egyptians had been going through what is now generally regarded as the golden period of filmmaking. The overall mood and imagination of the audience was brilliantly depicted in the movies of the 1940s and the 1950s. There were many stereotypical characters, and a lot of actors gained prominence by playing such type of characters. Egypt was introduced to cinema at a very early stage as opposed to many other countries. It was because Egypt was under French and British influence and it was mostly introduced early to new innovations in any field. In the 1930s, it was the third largest film industry in the world (Boraie, 2008). It was the most productive film industry in the Arab world. It was probably because Egypt was having the most stable demographic at th at time. The lives of the natives were apparently not disturbed by the colonial powers. Especially after 1919, the Egyptian natives were greatly empowered and almost all the sectors began to be Egyptianized. A similar influence was observed on the movies. The impact of Western culture had been lessened to a great degree. The culture of the movies had become more Arabic and Egyptian. One of the major factors of Egyptian cinema’s pre-revolution eminence was the emergence of Umm Kuthum. Also known as Kawkab al-Sharq (Star of the East), she was a brilliant actress and probably the greatest singer that the Arabic world has ever produced. Her fame garnered a great number of audiences. Especially in the neighboring Arabic countries, the Egyptian culture and traditions had become widely familiar. The influence was so much that the colonial powers of the time saw the independent Egyptian cinema as a threat. According to Salmane et al (1976), â€Å"The French in the Maghreb... formed a "special department" on African problems that was "responsible for setting up a production centre in Morocco whose official mission was to oppose the influence of Egyptian cinema.† Egyptian cinema reached its Golden Age during the late 1930s. The content of the movies of this era mostly was the echo of contemporary events. A notable movie which can also be regarded as the pioneer of the golden era is The Will. This movie shows a group of university graduates who have to suffer economically despite their good education. Disgruntled with Egypt’s High Institute of Commerce, they protest against it (Kholeif, 2011). This movie depicted the unemployment problem of the time which was a harsh reality, and it was greatly appreciated by the audience. One of the hallmarks of the movies of the Golden age was that almost each movie had a happy ending. Sad endings were seldom well-received because they were incompatible with the overall psychology of the audience of Egypt. These mo vies mostly raised the contemporary issues and they were made to reach a solution hence leaving the audience satisfied. However, the pre-revolutionary cinema was still very much regulated. The content of the movies was somewhat confined. The British still had control over the political and economical structure of the country and the press was not free. There was still a struggle to break free from the Western influence. But the moviemakers preferred to play it safe, and make movies of the content that would both pass the censorship test and would be a commercial success (Schochat, 1990). A detestable practice also became active which was almost a form of plagiarism. Western movies or novels were adopted and made into Egyptian movies but the source was never acknowledged. A

Compare and contrast Research Approaches and Methods from text Assignment

Compare and contrast Research Approaches and Methods from text - Assignment Example By comparing and contrasting historical methods with other methodologies, a substantive theory can be developed to form a conceptual framework. Such a framework can create a significant bridge between records characteristically produced by historians and the statistical and experimental models typically brought forward by high theorists. Historical research method versus other approaches Historical research can mean collecting information from conditions that have already taken place and carrying out statistical analysis on this information. One major difference between a historical research and other methodologies is majorly on the manipulation of data. Given that historical method depends on data from the past, it cannot be manipulated in any way. For example, studying older students’ data and those of younger ones may give some insight into the dissimilarities between the varying research methods, but it is impossible to manipulate the work experience. Therefore, historical research may often result in current experiments that try to look at what happened in the past. Apart from the variations, historical research method shares some similarities with other methods, most specifically utilized in business research. Historical Research versus Qualitative Methods Although there are differences between these two approaches, there are similarities as well. Historical research focuses on the narration and interpretation of past events. On the other hand, qualitative studies are focused on ongoing or current events. In historical research method, data sources are similar to those utilized in a number of qualitative studies. They include records, oral histories, documentaries, and eyewitnesses. History links a profession with its legacy and offers a sense of identity, both professionally and personally. However, it does not generally center on identifying social values. For instance, although nursing’s relationship to the whole world is described by his tory, it accomplishes this in an overall sense instead of ascertaining the meaning of the world for an individual (Clarke & Harsh, 2009). The neo-positivistic or positivistic discipline of historical research attempts to trim down history to universal laws. Innovation, verification, and classification of data are used to analyze information as well as an attempt to show cause-effect relations. Researchers in this historical research discipline though they use similar forms of analyzing data like those of the qualitative researchers, come out with very different conclusions (Harris & Brown, 2010). Some statistical analyses and survey methods may also be utilized to improve presentation of objective proof and in this sense too, historical work deviates from pure qualitative methods. The idealist school entirely uses experience and intuition as elements for interpretation. From this point of view, historical researchers perceive it is essential to get the occurrence and reorganize the thought of the inventor relating to the time in context and conditions to make sufficient historical interpretations. In a comparative point of view, one can consider that historical research interprets events in the past while qualitative research examines current events, putting in mind the impacts of history on the context. The interpretations of history and its impacts by the participants such as focus groups, however, are essential to the

Wal-Mart retail marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Wal-Mart retail marketing - Research Paper Example The retailers should therefore purpose to blend traits that have the capability to work together and result to maximum customer satisfaction. Considering the importance of retail mix, it is therefore worth for a company to invest considerable time strategizing its retail mix. It is important to note that the more time and efforts a company puts on ensuring maximum customer satisfaction, the more customers it is likely to get. In addition, consumer satisfaction will be significant in ensuring a competitive advantage for the organization. For instance, once customers are satisfied there is a high probability that they will develop loyalty towards the organization and will not move on to the competitor organizations. Further, it will be possible to acquire more new customers. Nothing can feel good for any business person than making their business more profitable as compared to that of their competitors. A good retail mix will ensure this form of success. To develop a good retail mix, t he retailer has to consider a number of elements namely; pricing, store layout and design, merchandising, location, communication and customer service. The retail mix for Wal-Mart are analysed below; a) Merchandise range and assortment This is a retail mix element that focuses on the type of goods the organization sells. Each organization has its own target market and target customers (Pradhan, 2010). When deciding on which

Design and Build Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design and Build - Essay Example ostly cultural heritage issues and sustainability always come into conflict with the realities of economical survival for example cutting down of trees has prevailing pragmatic consideration. Saving trees can make a society to escape severe poverty which comes as a result of deforestation. When facing different parameters the solution would be to save trees but for the pedagogical process, deliberation and engagement with complex issues at work there were more important things than the specific outcome (Frances, 145). For decades architectural educators and practitioners have observed that there an increasing alarm in decreased significance of the architectural work. It is more acute on diminishing architecture’s power in cultural and social changes. Irreverence of our profession is at critical juncture and therefore schools of architecture must act quickly to the complex, divergent and varied social demands. The basic initiative believes that community dire economic predicament, traditional knowledge and community based practices offers a chance of chances of negotiating a better life. The process of undertaking design and build practices in a community based culturally and socially helps a student to understand how architecture operates and bring about change to the community (Frances, 210). In this students do real projects designing and in real communities which has the benefit of collaborative synthetic learning experiences from real building and working in poor community. Students participate in design and build as a piece of architecture and on completing they compelled to show their experience by evaluating their design in context of their real

Blog post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blog post - Essay Example In the past, women were not required to take part in any form of economic activity that could empower them than their men counterpart. In this case, they were given duties that would pay less than men. Advertisement have become one of the marketing tools of firm products. A large portion of the family unit merchandise has ruled the commercial business. For this reason, every firm considers doing an advert that would attract a lot of consumers and still remain relevant to the society. In order to achieve this mission, industrialists have used young women in their adverts. Women are portrayed in different forms as media in such a way that they will attract men’s emotions. They will thus be dressed in clothes that seem attractive to men. Most of these attires only hides the body parts that are very critical when exposed. The advert leaves men appreciating the lady in the advert and will dependably be sitting tight for the advert. Ashley Graham’s advert of the swimming cloth is one of the examples. She is portrayed wearing a swimming ‘bra and an under pant’ just on the side of a swimming pool. A man is wearing a full suit and a tie stand amazed behind her admiring her body (Suhr). The difference between the two can help to define the role of women in the social setup where the advert was done. Ladies role in this general public is to amuse men. The nakedness of a lady excites mens emotions. They are for this reason advised to dress in an indecent way so that they can look attractive by men. Men then again typically remunerate ladies who look alluring. For this reason, the society accepts such behaviors. As stated earlier, the theory of the social role enhances the activities that different members of the society need to practice. The social differentiation outlined by Ralph Dahrendorf explains that this is a must-expectations. Thus, the advert in the media concentrates on the desire of the buyers.

Eating and Basic Training Essay Example for Free

Eating and Basic Training Essay Sweet Tooth Last year in basic training my battle buddy Brown and I always stole nutri-grain bars and oreos from chow (is what army defines as a time to eat) for uses of eating them and selling them to others. It all started when I was at a breaking point and I felt like needed something sweet in order to live or I wouldn’t make it to see the next day. So I decided to slide a few packs of oreos and nutri-grain bars in my pocket to save for later cravings Basic training was a very good learning experience and I’m glad I decided to put my life on the line and serve this beautiful country. In Basic training sweets was off limits. My training period lasted almost eight months. Can you imagine not eating anything sweet for eight months? I know I couldn’t have. Eating chow, whether it was in the dfac or field chow sweets were always in the mist somewhere. The chow hall served great food and I loved eating there because the food was always hot and it made my stomach feel like it was in heaven. In reality I really didn’t have a choice but to like chow hall food, because of course, I was in basic training. I was forced to like the food. In the chow hall (dfac) nutri-grain bars was served every single day unless they ran out and were forced to serve fig newtons. Field chow was another technique on how food was distributed to us in basic training. Eating field chow was my least favorite. I hated it. The food served is cold and just plain out disgusting. The best aspect of field chow was receiving oreos. On some days I would trade my whole meal just for a pack of four pack oreos. My battle buddy Brown and I wasn’t even friends until we both discovered we were both stealing the sweets from the dfac and field chow. Eventually we decided to work together as a team in order to get the sweets we wanted. We became do good at obtaining the sweets; we chose to keep stealing them. Later on, others started to see my battle and I activity and in order not to get caught we had to find a way to satisfy the needs of others so if we didn’t eat some of oreos and nutri-grain bars we decided to sell them. You can never go wrong by trying to make money. Have you heard of the saying â€Å"more money more problems? † In my situation dealing with the sweets, that is a very true statement. Once my battle Brown and I got to use to taking what we want and making a profit that’s when the problems started to arise. We felt the means of as we were getting watched. My battle and I decided to lay low. Just an average day at the gun range it was getting close to winding down time. Field chow was already served and after we leave the range, it was back to the barracks. Always at the end of the day at a gun range we all go through a process called shake down (which a drill sergeants pants you down and make sure no ammunition is in our pockets or on us). Let’s not forget I had nutri-grain bars and oreos in my pockets from previous chows. Drill Sergeant slowly approaches me. â€Å"Private ima need for you to empty out all your pockets. † Nervously standing there almost about to pee in my pants I didn’t know what to do. I quickly replied in a trembling voice, â€Å"Yes Drill Sergeant. † As I went about emptying my pockets all you see are oreos and nutri-grain bars flowing from my pocket onto the ground. I was so embarrassed. I knew I was in big trouble. Having those items on me was considered contraband. Having contraband in basic training is a serious offence and could cause you to get kicked out basic training. I told the drill sergeants everything and the reason why I had the contraband on me. It was my problem and whatever the consequences were I was ready to take forth the responsibility for my actions. â€Å"Private you already know what to do, FRONT LEANING REST POSITION MOVE! † the drill sergeant yelled with no hesitation. Being in the front leaning rest position is the worst possible position to be in. It is a position where you are in the process of about to begin pushups. In that same positions for long periods of time suck. And I had to embrace the suck because I chose to have contraband. Honestly sure does get you a long way. In my situation it got me very far. If I would have lied to my drill sergeants by saying I didn’t know where the contraband came from or didn’t have anything to do with it, I wouldn’t even be in the military today. While I was in basic I really didn’t care about anything and stretching the truth was my specialty. Once I got transformed from a citizen to a solider I looked at life more differently. I left the past in the past and focused on my future and living by the army values. Integrity is one of the military values and I live up to it every day of my life. In Basic training I learned how to improve myself not only physically but mentally also. I practice honestly every day. That stealing incident at basic training made me make changes in my life especially when it comes to being honest. I made a vow to myself that I will never lie nor steal what does not belong to me again. Until this day I am a changed person and I’m proud to say basic training helped me and if I had to do it all over again, I will. I love my country and I will continue to serve it and live up to my army values.

Quality management systems

Quality management systems INTRODUCTION This chapter reviews and peruses various quality management systems (QMS) and other literature work in the area of research. It will try to inquire into the view points and thoughts of scholars and academicians in relation to the field of study. It will also give an overview of Information Systems (IS). Quality and QMS Defined Quality is defined by ISO 9000 series as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements. In other words, quality can be regarded as fitness for purpose or conformance to users expectations since the user determines whether a product is of the desired quality. (Ghana Standards Board, International Trade Centre, P 109) The quality of goods and services results from many interrelated activities. These activities need to be coordinated through a Quality Management System. As indicated by John Ruskin, â€Å"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort. In order to survive in todays competitive marketplace, an organization has to consistently satisfy its customers needs and anticipate their future needs. This can be achieved by providing customers with the products they want, â€Å"getting it right first time†, without the need for rework. To satisfy customers, one must go higher along the production chain, right up to the suppliers not forgetting employee morale and commitment. Suppliers provide the raw materials or products for further processing by employees; if suppliers and employees do what is expected of them, â€Å"getting it right first time,† customers will be satisfied. As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society. (ISO 8402:1994) A quality management system in the enterprise, based on prevention rather than cure, minimizes waste and rework by ensuring that products are made right first time and every time. In adopting a preventive approach by investing in plants and equipment, training staff and purchasing the appropriate raw materials/inputs, an organization can reduce inspection cost and more specifically, the costs of failure and/or delays. These costs arise from rework or discarding non-conforming in-process material and finished products. Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Management (QM) Models The publication of the ISO 9000 series of standards in 1987 heightened awareness of the benefits of QA requirements among SMEs, many of which implemented ISO 9000 QA models to improve their competitive position as well as to join the ranks of suppliers to large companies. While both the 1987 and 1994 versions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 were based on a QA model, the revised standard (ISO 9001) published in 2000 is based on QM principles (Ghana Standards Board, Export quality management, 2009) The broad relationships between inspection, quality control, quality assurance and quality management are summarized in the table below. System Objective Activities Applicability Nature Inspection Product conformance by screening out conforming products from nonconforming products Visual checks/ measuring; then testing and reporting the results. Generally, Production-related activities, such as checking incoming goods, in-process or final product, pre-dispatch, etc Detection after the event. Quality control Product Conformance by Eliminating causes of nonconforming products Inspection followed by appraisal of results and feedback to the process being controlled As above Detection and-or off-line correction. Quality assurance Generating confidence in product conformance Comprises all QC activities, plus documented quality systems and quality audits All functions of the company from design to after-sales service. Prevention. Quality Management Continual improvement of product conformance Continual improvement of processes in addition to all QA activities As above Prevention and improvement. What are the ISO 9000 series of Standards The ISO 9000 series consist of four primary standards supported by several other documents. The four primary standards are ISO 9000, Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary; ISO 9001, Quality management systems Requirements; ISO 9004, Quality management systems Guidelines for performance improvements ISO 19011, Guidelines on quality and/or environmental management auditing. ISO 9000 is a starting point for understanding the standard, as it defines the fundamental terms used in the ISO 9000 family or set of standards for quality management. ISO 9001 specifies the requirements for quality management systems which enable you to demonstrate your ability to provide products that fulfil customer and applicable regulatory requirements; it also aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9004 provides you with guidance on the continual improvement of your quality management system so that the needs and expectations of all interested parties are met. These interested parties include customers and end-users, directors and staff in the organisation, owners and investors, suppliers and partners, and society at large. ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 are consistent pair of standards that relate modern quality management to processes and activities of an organization, and emphasize the promotion of continual improvement and the achievement of customer satisfaction. ISO 9001, which focuses on the effectiveness of the quality management system in meeting customer requirements, is used for certification or for contractual agreements between suppliers and buyers. By contrast, ISO 9004 cannot be used for certification as it does not prescribe requirements but provides guidance for the continual improvement of an organisations performance. ISO 9001 focuses on effectiveness, i.e. doing the right thing in the right way. The ISO 9000 quality management system is generic in nature: it is applicable to both the manufacturing and services sectors, and to enterprises of all sizes, including the single entrepreneur. ISO 9001 specifies what an enterprise is required to do, but it does not indicate how this is to be done thus giving the enterprise much flexibility in running its business. (Crosby, 1992) Worldwide use of ISO 9000 The ISO 9000 standards are widely used around the world. A survey conducted by ISO indicated that at least 4008,631 ISO certificates were awarded in 158 countries in 2000, up by 64, 988 certificates over the figure for end of December 1999, when the total stood at 343,643 for 150 countries. The figures were also significantly higher than the 27,816 certificates issued in 48 countries by 31st January 1993, when the survey was first conducted. The number of certificates issued in Europe in 2000 was 220,127 or 53% of the total. The Far East had 20.05%, North America 11.82%, New Zealand and Australia 6.68%, Africa and West Asia 4.94%, and Central and South America 2.64%. Information on the sector covered by the certificates at the end of 2000 was obtained for 317,126 certificates. The highest number recorded was for basic metal products (40,713 certificates or 12.84% of the total), and the smallest number for nuclear fuel (115, 0.03%) The figures for various other sectors are as follows: electrical and optical equipment, 38,148 (12.0%); food products, beverages and tobacco, 11,440 (3.6%); information technology, 11,067 (3.5%); textiles and textile products, 5, 178 (1.6%); and hotels and restaurants, 1,187 (0.4%) Is quality management an issue only for management? A glance at the definition of quality Management-â€Å"coordinated activities to direct and control an organisation with regard to quality† gives an impression that it is an issue for management only. This impression is reinforced by the fact that the eight quality management principles that form the basis of the ISO 9000 series are all used by senior management as a framework for guiding the organisation towards improved performance. The eight management principles are: Principle 1 Customer focus Principle 2 Leadership, Principle 3 Involvement of people Principle 4 Process approach Principle 5 System approach Principle 6 Continual improvement, Principle 7 Factual approach to decision-making, and Principle 8 Mutually beneficial supplier relationships Herbert Simon argued years ago that the core of managing lies in decision making, which is best thought of as process comprising three phases: Finding occasions for making decisions, Finding possible courses of action, and Choosing among courses of action Looking at the quality management principles again, but from Simons point of view, one finds that some of them provide workers with ample scope for making decisions that influence quality. It would appear that the principles related to customer focus, leadership, system approach to management, and development of mutually beneficial supplier relationships are issues for management only. The other principles apply to employees at all levels in the organisation. Employees accept ownership of problems and their responsibility for solving them. The process approach is applicable to everyone, each person having a triple role (i.e. everyone in an organisation is seen as a customer, processor and a supplier). Continual improvement is within the reach of employees at all levels as they can be trained in the methods of continual improvement and the tools involve. Everyone can base his or her decision on accurate and reliable data, this being made available wherever decisions have to be taken. If everyone looks at quality management as managing of quality, then quality management is within the decision-making scope of both managers and workers. There is a Japanese rule that attributes quality problems to poor product design (40%), errors made during the manufacturing process (30%), and nonconforming materials purchased from suppliers (30%). Generally design and purchasing problems can be solved only through managerial intervention. One can say that quality problems in manufacturing are caused in equal proportion by managers (e.g. inadequate training of workers) and workers (e.g. inadequate attention to machine setting). One can conclude that 85% of the problems come under management control and 15% are under worker control. This ratio of 85:15 has been substantially documented in the literature of quality management. Only 15% of defective products can be attributed to production operators while the other 85% are caused by management. System problems like inadequate maintenance of equipment and faulty raw materials/components can be resolved only by top management. Quality management is regarded in ISO 9000 as comprising four elements: Quality planning, Quality control, Quality assurance and Quality improvement While all four elements are within the purview of management, workers are directly responsible for quality control conducted at the operational level. It should be noted that workers could also contribute to quality improvement if they have been trained in simple problem-solving techniques. FOOD SAFETY QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Food safety is related to the presence of food-borne hazards in food at the point of consumption, (intake by the consumer). As the introduction of food safety hazards can occur at any stage of the food chain, adequate control throughout the food chain is essential. Thus food safety is ensured through the combined efforts of all the parties participating in the food chain. The following are generally recognised key elements to ensure food safety along the food chain, up to the point of final consumption: Interactive communication; System Management; Prerequisite programmes; HACCP principles Communication along the food chain is essential to ensure that all relevant food safety hazards are identified and adequately controlled at each step within the food chain. This implies communication between organizations both upstream and downstream in the food chain. Communication with customers and suppliers about identified hazards and control measures will assist in clarifying customer and supplier requirements (e.g. with regard to the feasibility and need for these requirements and their impact on the end product). Recognition of the organisations role and position within the food chain is essential to ensure effective interactive communication throughout the chain in order to deliver safe food products to the final consumer. The most effective food safety systems are established, operated and updated within the framework of a structured system and incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. This provides maximum benefit for the organisation and interested parties. ISO 22000:2005 has been aligned ISO 9001 in order to enhance the compatibility of the two standards. ISO 22000 integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. By means of auditable requirements, it combines the HACCP plan with prerequisite programmes (PRPs). Hazard analysis is the key to an effective food safety management, since conducting a hazard analysis assists in organising the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control assist in organising the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control measures. ISO 22000 requires that all hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in the food chain, including hazards that may be associated with the type of process and facilities used, are identified and assessed. Thus it provides the means to determine and document why certain identified hazards need to be controlled by a particular organisation and why others need not. BUSINESS PROCESSES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS In order to operate, businesses must deal with many different pieces of information about suppliers, customers, employees, invoices and payments, and of course product and services. They must organise work activities that use this information systems to operate efficiently and enhance the overall performance of the firm. Information systems make it possible for firms to manage all their information, make better decisions and improve the execution of their business processes. (Laudon and laudon 2006). BUSINESS PROCESSES Information systems are all about improving business processes which lie at the very heart of a business. So it is important to understand what is meant by â€Å"business processes† Business processes, refer to the manner in which work is organised, coordinated, and focused to produce a valuable product or service. Business processes are workflows of materials, information, and knowledge-set of activities. Business processes also refers to the unique ways in which organisations coordinate work, information and knowledge, and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Every business can be seen as a collection of business processes. Some of these processes are part of larger encompassing processes. For example, almost every business has a way to hire employees. The process of hiring employees is a business process in the sense that it is a set of activities that a firm uses to hire new employees. To a large extent the performance of a business firm depends on how well its business processes are designed and coordinated. A companys business processes can be a source of competitive strength if they enable the company to innovate or to execute better than its rivals. Business processes can also be liabilities if they are based on outdated ways of working that impede organisational responsiveness and efficiency. Information systems enhance business processes primarily in two ways: Increasing the efficiency of existing processes and Enabling entirely new processes that are capable of transforming the business TYPES OF BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS There are different systems depending on the different business processes but all the systems could be viewed from two different perspectives: a functional perspective identifying systems by their major business function, and a constituency perspective that identifies systems in terms of the major organisational groups that they serve. Systems from a functional perspective From a historical perspective, functional systems were the first kinds of systems developed by business firms. These systems were located in specific departments, such as accounting, marketing and sales, production, and human resources. There are four main types of information systems that serve different functional systems: Sales and marketing information systems help the firm with marketing business processes (identifying customers for the firms products or services, developing products and services to meet their needs, promoting products and services) and sales processes (selling the products and services, taking orders, contacting customers, and providing customer support). Manufacturing and production information systems deal with the planning, development, and production of products and services, and controlling the flow of production. Finance and accounting information systems keep track of the firms financial assets and fund flows. The typical finance and accounting information systems found in large organizations. Senior management uses finance and accounting systems to establish long-term investment goals for the firms and to provide long-range forecasts of the firms financial performance. Middle management uses systems to oversee and control the firms financial resources. Operational management uses finance and accounting systems to track the flow of funds in the firm through transactions, such as paychecks, payments to vendors, securities reports, and receipts. Human resources information systems maintain employee records, track employee skills, job performance and training, and support planning for employee compensation and career development. The system can produce a variety of reports, such as list of newly hired employees, employees who are terminated or on leaves of absence, employees classified by job type or educational level, or employee job performance evaluations. Systems from a Constituency Perspective This is a perspective that examines systems in terms of the various levels of management and types of decision that they support. Each of these levels has different information needs given their different responsibilities, and each can be seen as major information constituents. Senior managers need summary information that can quickly inform them about the overall performance of the firm. Middle managers need more specific information on the results of specific functional areas and departments of the firm. Operational managers need transactional-level information, such as number of parts in inventory each day. Knowledge workers may need access to external scientific databases or internal databases with organisational knowledge. Production or service workers may need access to information from production machines, and service workers may need access to customer records in order to take orders and answer questions from customers. There are four main categories of systems from a constituency perspective. Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Management information systems (MIS) serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Decision Support Systems (DSS), or business intelligence systems, help managers with non-routine decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance. DSS are more analytical than MIS, using a variety of models to analyze internal and external data or condense large amounts of data for analysis. Executive support systems (ESS) provide a generalized computing and communications environment that help senior managers address strategic issues and identify long-term trends in the firm and its environment. ESS addresses non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight because there is no agreed-on procedure for arriving at a solution. ESS present graphs and data from many internal and external sources through an interface that is easy for senior managers to use. Often the information is delivered to senior executives through a portal, which uses a Web interface to present integrated personalized business content. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TQM The importance of information technologies and the information systems function is no longer of debate among business people. The question, rather, is how an organization can take best advantage of IT in order to support its operations, add value to its products and services, and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. To be able to perform up to such high expectations, the IS function must develop an intimate understanding of the expectations of its varied clientele. As organizations embark on their journey to be more responsive to their customers and to continuously improve the quality of their products and services, IS must do the same. Unfortunately, it seems that despite the importance of IT to the success of most organizations, the function is not proactive when it comes to actively pursuing and implementing quality principles. Surveys of IS managers found that a minority of IS managers (41%) understood the basic principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), and thought the y will beuseful to the IS function. Even in the cases where TQM principles were understood, they often were not implemented in the IS function. Total IS quality is a multidimensional concept. (Antonis C. Stylianou and Ram L. Kumar, September 2000) Dimensions Of Information Systems Quality Infrastructure Quality: The quality of the infrastructure (hardware and enabling software) that is fielded and maintained by IS—includes, for example, the quality of the networks, and systems software. Software Quality: The quality of the applications software built, or maintained, or supported by IS. Data Quality: The quality of the data entering the various information systems. Information Quality: The quality of the output resulting from the information systems. In many cases, the output of one system becomes the input of another. In that respect, information quality is related to data quality. Administrative Quality: The quality of the management of the IS function—Includes the quality of budgeting, planning, and scheduling. Service Quality: The quality of the service component ofthe IS function—includes the quality of customer support processes such as those related to a help desk. These dimensions overlap considerably, and what impacts one dimension will in many cases impact other dimensions as well. For example, a decline in infrastructure quality (for example, persistent network service interruptions) is likely to cause real or perceived problems with data and service quality. And even though in the eyes of some IS customers the distinction may be insignificant, it is nevertheless important in being able to respond appropriately. An appropriate response may include actions to address infrastructure quality (such as replacing a defective network component), data quality (such as more frequent backups), and service quality (such as improved communication on cause and resolution of the problem). So far, research on IS quality has addressed individual components of quality and not the big picture. Pearson et al.s framework for introducing TQM into the IS function, although broad, does not provide an integrated and detailed enough perspective for managing quality in key processes and products. Also, Pitt et al. present a model of IS success that is broad but incomplete. That model does not capture the variety of stakeholders affected, the interaction between IS and business processes, the administrative component of IS quality, and environmental influences on quality. An extensive literature exists on data and information quality, and software quality. Administrative IS quality, although it has not received as much attention on its own, is very similar to the quality of other management processes examined in the general concept. INFLUENCES ON INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY While IS quality is a general concept, there may be significant differences between organizations in terms of how quality is defined. Different organizations may emphasize different dimensions of IS quality. Environmental factors, such as industry type and the nature of competition, affect the importance of IS in the organization. Managing IS quality is more complicated in IT-intensive industries such as banking because of the large number of IS-supported processes and the high degree of integration between IS and business processes. The impact of organizational investments in IT on IS quality may vary depending on organizational factors such as culture, politics, and senior management support. Stakeholder perceptions of what constitutes acceptable quality may also vary depending on those factors. Departmental factors such as differences in leadership style, employee skills, and IT intensity also impact IS quality perceptions and management. These environmental, organizational, and d epartmental factors impact the relative importance of different stakeholder groups, the weights assigned by each stakeholder group to different quality attributes, and the metrics used to measure them. As a result, deciding how to configure and manage the IS quality program requires sensitivity to these factors. (Antonis C. Stylianou and Ram L. Kumar, September 2000) HOW INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPROVE QUALITY Reduce Cycle Time and Simplify the production Process Studies have shown that probably the best single way to reduce quality problems is to reduce cycle time, which refers to the total elapsed time from the beginning of a process to its end. Shorter cycle times mean that problems are caught earlier in the process, often before the production of a defective product is completed, saving some of the hidden cost of producing it. Finding ways to reduce cycle time often means finding ways to simplify production steps. The fewer the steps in a process the less time and opportunity for an error to occur. Information systems help eliminate steps in a process and critical time delays. A company selling flowers by telephone or over the Web, used to be much smaller company that had difficulty retaining its customers. It had poor service, inconsistent quality, and a cumbersome manual order-taking process. Telephone representatives had to write each order, obtain credit card approval, determine which participating florist was closest to the delivery location, select a floral arrangement, and forward the order to the florist. Each step in the manual process increased the chance of human error, and the whole process took at least a half hour. A new information system that downloads orders taken in telecenters or over the Web to a central computer and electronically transmits them to local florists was installed. Orders are more accurate and arrive at the florist within two minutes Benchmark Companies achieve quality by using benchmarking to set strict standards for products, services, and other activities, and then measuring performance against those standards. Companies may use external industry standards, standards set by other companies; internally developed high standards; or some combination of the three. An outdoor clothing company used benchmarking to achieve an order-shipping accuracy of 99.9 percent. Its old batch order fulfillment system could not handle the surging volume and variety of items to be shipped. After studying Germans and Scandinavian companies with leading edge order fulfillment, the company redesigned its order fulfillment process and information systems so that orders could be processed as soon as they were received and shipped within 24 hours. Use Customer Demands to improve Products and Services Improving customer service, making customer service the number one priority, will improve the quality of the product itself. Improve Design Quality and Precision Computer aided design (CAD) software has made a major contribution to quality improvements in many companies, from producers of automobile to producers of razor blades. A computer-aided design (CAD) system automates the creation and revision of designs, using computers and sophisticated graphics software. Improve Production Precision and Tighten Production Tolerances For many products, quality can be enhanced by making the production process more precise, thereby decreasing the amount of variation from one part to another. CAD software often produces design specifications for tooling and manufacturing processes, saving additional time and money while producing a manufacturing process with far fewer problems. The user of this software is able to design a more precise production system, a system with tighter tolerances, than could ever be done manually. IMPLEMENTING AND MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY In instituting an Information System quality program, lessons could and should be drawn from both successes and failures in quality programs implem

Analysis of the Paint Industry

Analysis of the Paint Industry Color has captivated everyone throughout the history, be it myriad cultures, age-groups, occasions, etc. Color has become a significant part of every family. Every age and every region has produced dyes and pigments based on the availability of the resources. The history proves the existence of colors from past thousands of years, discovered in the caves of Southern Europe. Paint is defined as the group of emulsions, consisting of pigments suspended in a liquid medium, for use as decorative or protective coatings. Today, contemporary paints and coating consist of countless of hundreds of thousands to fulfill the varied requirements of hundreds of thousands of applications.†Paint† ranges from the broad group of environmentally sound latex paints that many consumers use to decorate and protect their homes and the translucent coating that line the interior of food homes and the translucent coating that line the interior of food containers, to the chemically complex, multi-component finishes that automobile manufacturers apply on the assembly line. Paint made its earliest appearance about 30,000 years ago .Cave dwellers used crude paints to leave behind the graphic representations of their lives that even today decorate the walls of their ancient rock dwellings. The utility of paints has evolved from a decorative use to a surface protection use. Also, know as surface coatings, paints can be classified on the basis of end use, solvent system and solid content. Paint is comprised of three separate things working together. A pigment is used for the color. A binder is used to hold the pigment to the wall. And lastly, a carrier is used to apply the pigment and binder to whatever. There are many types of paint but they all have these components. For white latex paint, the carrier is de-ionized water, the pigment is very finely ground Titanium dioxide, and the binder is a synthetic polymer that resembles liquid rubber. The pigment and binder are put together with force (grinding) and then the two are slowly dispersed into the water. Titanium dioxide is the single largest input used in the manufacture of paints. It is a pigment (non-petro-based) that accounts for about 30% of material costs. Phthalic anhydride (PAN) and pentaerythritol (Penta) are the other two important petro-based inputs used in the manufacture of resins. Organic pigments, solvents, oils and a range of chemical additives are also used in the manufacture of paints. INDIAN PAINT INDUSTRY The Indian paint industry has come a long way from the days when paints were considered a luxury item. Today the awareness level on preventing corrosion through paints is relatively high, a development that should be a huge boost to the paint industry. The Indian paints industry offers lucrative scope for stable revenue streams to manufacturers of both decorative and industrial paints. The Indian Paints sector is valued at Rs 66 bn in value terms and is very fragmented. The current demand is estimated to be around 650,000 tonnes per annum and is seasonal in nature. The per capita consumption of paints in India stands at 0.5-kg p.a. as compared to 1.6 kg in China and 22 kg in the developed economies. Indias share in the world paint market is just 0.6%. The typical characteristics of the Indian paints industry include raw material intensiveness, working capital intensiveness, seasonality of demand, price elasticity of demand and low entry barriers with respect to technology and funds. Crucial parameters that make India a favorable proposition include the low per capita consumption of paints (1.0 kilogram), growth in construction sector (it is being offered industry status) and growth in the auto/white goods market respectively spurring demand for decorative and industrial paints. The industry has also witnessed increased activity in the industrial variety of paints with the entry of MNCs in auto, consumer durables etc, which has been gaining steadily over decorative paints in the last one decade. Indian paint industry is century old and the can be retraced by the history of Shalimar paints which was set up in the year1902 in Kolkata. Till the 2nd World war, industry consisted of small paint producers and 2 foreign companies. Post World War 2, imports were restricted which led to the birth of many domestic manufacturing facilities producing paint. Nevertheless, foreign companied ruled the market. Initially, British paints such as Goodlass Walls (currently famous as Kansai Nerolac), ICI, British Paints (now known as Berger Paints), Jenson Nicholson and Blundell Eomite dominated the market. The Indian paint industry has evolved a lot in recent times, both in terms of industry structure and product portfolio. Not long ago, paints were largely considered to be a luxury item. Such a mind†set has changed significantly of late due to the growing awareness on preventing corrosion through paints, by providing a massive fillip to the paint industry. Indian paints industry is Rs.15, 000 crore market Growth drivers for Indian paint industry Per capita consumption at 1.5kg is currently very low as compared to the developed countries (20kg/annum). Usage of lime extracts (chuna) in rural and semi†urban markets as well as lesser awareness of the protective attributes of paints can be one of the reasons for lower consumption levels. With growing income levels, both in urban as well as rural India on the back of various government initiatives like NREGS, Farm loan waivers, pay commission led salary hikes etc, the per capita consumption will improve in the medium as well as long term. Rising income levels: According to McKinsey, proportion of low income groups was expected to decline from 24% in FY05 to 10% in FY10e, and it has. This has acted as a significant catalyst for demand growth in decorative paints. Increasing media exposure: With better awareness levels, a gradual shift from unbranded to branded segment as well as improvement in product mix for various players like Kansai Nerolac, Asian Paints as demand for emulsions continues to outpace enamels and distempers. Rising urbanisation: This has led to creation of new homes, in†turn, fuelling incremental demand. Currently, only 28% of Indian population is urban. Urban Share of total population Increase in nuclear families: This is a consequence of younger demographics (60% of Indias population is below 30 years of age), with proportion of working population expected to increase from 40% in FY05 to 48% in FY15e. % of population in 15†64 age group Healthy growth in consumption levels expected for both, urban and rural India Growth in Auto Sector With production of passenger cars expected to grow, demand for automotive paints will continue to remain healthy as sales are expected to grow in double†digits. And with realty majors launching new projects, construction activity is expected to gain momentum and generate demand for decorative paints. Globally, the industrial paints segment accounts for a major share, indicating that this segment offers many opportunities for paint manufacturers. Growth in Auto Segments (FY06†10) The emerging trends in the decorative industry are: Consumers are increasingly involved in making purchase decisions. Consumers expect better and more relevant functional benefits from paints. Emulsion paints are outgrowing the industry growth rate. Trend of dark shades complementing light shades continues. Tinting systems at store level are the order of the day. Companies are getting more consumer†centric and a lot of value†added services are being offered, like application support, colour consultancy etc. Strong growth in the Indian powder coatings segment, as new applications and their advantages are discovered Greater interest in water-based coatings technology while awareness of VOCs and legislation increases. 3. INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION The paint industry can be segmented as follows: End Usage classification: Paints are grouped in either decorative or industrial paints Decorative paints are used for household and construction purposes while latter can be used for industrial products. Decorative Paints consists of myriad types like enamels, acrylic emulsions, distempers and exterior paints. Industrial ones include the marine, anti corrosive metal coatings, etc. Solvent Based classification: Paints which use petro products or water as main solvents. These days water based paints are becoming popular on environment friendliness. Solid Content: Classified based on type i.e. liquid or solid. Powder coatings find application mainly in white goods industry. The Indian paint industry has surprisingly only private manufacturing units. This can be reasoned by the fact that in the past, government perceived paints as luxury product and hence taxed heavily, thus regulating the industry to a non-core business. Sector wise Division Classification of paint industry can be done either product-wise or sector-wise. Sector-wise implies organised and unorganized sectors. The pie chart indicates the same. Organized Sector is dominated by 6 large players and the unorganized sectors owned by about 2500 units manufacturing various categories of paints. Though the organized sector controls 65% of paint market, unorganized sector with 35% of market share is still a force to reckon with. Organized sector can itself be divided into 2 distinct segments (Product wise): Industrial segment which is growing at 15% approximately and decorative segment which is growing at 8% approximately. As shown in the graph, most of sales are accounted for primarily by decorative segment. Decorative segment enjoys almost 77% and industrial segment owns 23% of the market. Organised Market Segment Division Decorative Segment It caters to the housing sector. The following falls under decorative segment. Acrylic Emulsions: Premium decorative paints are acrylic emulsions used mostly in the metros. Enamels: The medium range consists of enamels, popular in smaller cities and towns. Used on substrates like steel, wood, concrete, etc. Cement paints: Used for exterior purposes Distempers are economy products demanded in the suburban and rural markets. Nearly 20 per cent of all decorative paints sold in India are distempers. Industrial Segment Industrial Paints include powder coatings, high performance coatings and automotive and marine paints Two-thirds of the industrial paints produced in the country are automotive paints. Structure of Paint Industry 4. MARKET PROFILE The leaders in the organized paint industry are Asian Paints (India) Ltd. (APIL), Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd. (GNPL), Berger Paints, Jenson Nicholson Ltd. (JN) and ICI (India) Ltd. â€Å"Asian paints† is the industry leader with an overall market share of 33 per cent in the organized paint market. It has the largest distribution network among the players and its aggressive marketing has earned it strong brand equity. The Berger Group and ICI share the second slot in the industry with market shares of 17 per cent each. GNPL has a market share of 15 percent in the organized sector. APIL dominates the decorative segment with a 38 per cent market share. The company has more than 15,000 retail outlets and its brandsTractor,Apcolite,Utsav,ApexandAceare entrenched in the market. GNPL, the number-two in the decorative segment, with a 14 per cent market share too, has now increased its distribution network to 11,000 outlets to compete with APIL effectively. Berger and ICI have 9 per cent and 8 per cent shares respectively in this segment followed by JN and Shalimar with 1 and 6 per cent shares. GNPL dominates the industrial paints segment with 41 per cent market share. It has a lions share of 70 per cent in the OEM passenger car segment, 40 per cent share of two wheeler OEM market and 20 per cent of commercial vehicle OEM market. The company is also venturing into new areas like painting of plastic, coil coatings and cans. APIL, the leader in decorative paints, ranks a poor second after Goodlass Nerolac in the industrial segment with a 15 per cent market share. Berger and ICI are the other players in the sector with 10 per cent and 9 per cent shares respectively. Shalimar too, has an 8 per cent share. Asian Paints enjoys leadership position in the Indian Paints industry, with nearly 55% share of the organized segment. Major Market Player 5. COMPANY PROFILE Incorporated in 1920, Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited (KNPL) is the second-largest coating company in India. It is a subsidiary of Kansai Paints, a Japanese company, which holds approximately 69.3% stake. KNPL operates in the decorative as well as the industrial paints segments, and is the market leader in automotive and powder coating segments. It manufactures decorative paints, automotive coatings, general industrial coatings, high performance coatings, powder coatings and speciality coatings. Its manufacturing plants are located at Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Kanpur Dehat (Uttar Pradesh), Perungudi and Hosur (Tamil Nadu) and Bawal (Haryana). Its employee strength is approximately 2,000. The company has a strong distribution network of ~12,000 distributors, 5,000 colour tinting machines and 69 sales locations, as of FY10. The installed capacity for various products as of FY10 is: Paints, varnishes, enamels and powder coatings 2.08 million tonnes (MT), Synthetic resins 79,380 tonnes and pre-treatment chemicals 2,400 tonnes. Exports contributed less than 1% of FY10 revenues. The proximity of the companys plants to the customers plant locations offers KNPL a strong logistical advantage. Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd.is a cognized leader in chosen fields. The company has won many prestigious awards such as National Energy Conservation Award from the Ministry of Power, Government of India for its Jainpur plant, the Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance in 2005, the Business Innovator of the year award in 2006 from the CTO Forum Magazine and Best Managed Company award from Business Today in 2004. History It is the second largest coating company in India and market leader in Industrial Coatings. Its Industrial Coatings has a wide range of products in the Automotive, Powder, General Industrial and High performance Coatings space. Nerolac paints, as it is popularly known, are an established brand in decorative paints. Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd is a subsidiary of Japan based Kansai Paint Company Limited, which is one of the top ten coating companies in the world. The technological edge of Kansai helps us constantly innovate and come up with products that meet consumer need gaps. Kansai Nerolac has always believed that the key to its business is: Technology Research Development Innovations Quality Year 1920, a paint company was born as Gahagan Paints and Varnish Co. Ltd. in Mumbai. The journey is marked by moving from strength to strength in every sphere of business be it product introductions through innovation, value engineering and superior technology. 1920: A company named as Gahagan Paints and Varnish Co. Ltd at Lower Parel in Mumbai, was born. 1957: Goodlass Wall Pvt. Ltd grew popular as Goodlass Nerolac Paints (Pvt) Ltd. Also, it went public in the same year and established itself as Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd. 1976: Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd. became a part of the Tata Forbes Group on acquisition of a part of the foreign shareholdings by Forbes Gokak. 1983: Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd. Strengthened itself by entering in technical collaboration agreements with Kansai Paint Co. Ltd, Japan and Nihon Tokushu Tokyo Co. Ltd, Japan. 1999: Kansai Paint Co. Ltd, Japan took over the entire stake of Tata Forbes group and thus GNP became wholly owned subsidiary of Kansai Paint Company Ltd. 2006: On the 11th of July, Goodlass Paints Ltd. name was changed to Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Capacity expansion n plans KNPLs most recent capacity addition was a new plant at Hosur, which commenced operations in the last quarter of FY10 with a capacity of ~15,000 tonnes. The company plans to spend another ~Rs 2.5 billion (bn) to expand manufacturing capacity at Hosur to 0.28 million (mn) tonnes per annum. A further Rs 1.5 bn will be spent on increasing production capacity in other plants, taking total cost to Rs 4 bn Strategic Alliances Nerolac has developed strong relationships with automakers, such as Maruti, which facilitates it in maintaining its market leadership position in the industrial paint segment. Nerolacs parent company Kansai is a global supplier of paints to Suzuki Marutis parent company which further strengthens the relationship. Nerolac has also taken initiatives to strengthen its existing relationship with automakers, which include placing technical teams at automakers paint shops to provide them with services. Such initiatives have proved to be fruitful, and Nerolac has 9 out of 11 automakers as its customers. The other major a well-established client base from the automotive industry includes Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra Mahindra, etc Targeting Rural Market Nerolac has stepped up its efforts to increase its presence in the rural market. The company has introduced some products, such as Beauty Emulsions in the range of 80-100 rupees per litre, which cater to the price-sensitive market. It has also formed an alliance with ITC on its E-Chaupal initiative to improve its presence in the rural market. The company is also making efforts to strengthen its dealer network to improve sales. 6. KANSAI NEROLAC MARKETING PROFILE Marketing Strategies Marketing defines the fact that â€Å"Customer is King† and always every management strives to identify, anticipate and satisfy their Kings Kansai Nerolac is the organization which works on this aspect and its been one of the pillars behind building a successful organization. Nerolac believes that the key strength lies in understanding the consumers and communicating with them in a language they understand and relate to the best. Over the years, Nerolac has undertaken many initiatives, which have met with unprecedented success and really made people sit up and take notice of the same. 6.1. Brand -Nerolac Nerolac commercials have been well -loved over the years and its jingle Jab ghar ki raunaq badhaani ho is now a familiar tune in every Indian household. Many set the same jingle as their caller-tunes. Beginning with the introduction of the new Brush stroke logo, this stands for the ‘process of painting, depicts motion, dynamism and progress through change. The signal red color, which is the color of Nerolac, is a symbol of eternal joy and hope. It has now become an integral part of Nerolacs brand identity and now appears as a sign-off on any kind of communication. The Slogan of Brand Nerolac: â€Å"Kuch Change Kare Chalo Paint Kare† Brand Ambassadors: Presently, Shah Rukh Khan, internationally famed Bollywood hero endorses Kansai Nerolac and has proved to give the brand a touch of glamour and the hope that a famous face will provide added appeal and name recognition in a crowded market. The famous Bollywood celebrity being the co-owner of IPL -Kolkata Knight Riders team is indeed a popular ambassador to the recall value of the brand. Previously Mr. Amitabh Bachhan and Mr. Mohanlal were the brand Ambassadors. Amitabh had embodied Nerolac and had showed â€Å"how it touches the lives and dreams of peopleno matter whom they are and where they come from†. The essence of this thought was captured in the new baseline ‘Yeh Rang hain jo har kisi ko chhoota hain. 6.2. Product Range (Decorative segment) Paints Interior Range Exterior Range Enamels Primer (Impressions) Marble Finish Ever last Impressions High Performance Metallic Finish Excel Total Disney Excel AntiPeel 24 Carat Impressions Eco-clean : Ultra luxury Emulsion(odorless) Low VOC Popular Beauty Emulsion Flexi Suraksha Advanced, and Plus Satin Enamel Premium Silver Synthetic Enamel Smooth finish Beauty Distemper Acrylic Superior Protection Pearl Luster Finish Oil Bound Premium Acrylic Wood coatings include: Wonder wood 2k PU, Wonder wood melamine crystal Clear, Wonder wood melamine and Wonder wood 1 KPU. 6.3.Segmentation Market segmentation represents an effort to increase a companys targeting precision. All businesses operate in â€Å"markets† .A market is the set of all actual and potential buyers of a product or service. This definition suggests that a market is the total value and/or volume of products that satisfy the same customer need. In defining a market, it is important not to focus only on products/services that currently meet the customer need. Thinking about customer needs first and then identifying the products that meet those needs is the best way to define a market. However, it is also important not to define a market too broadly. For example, it is not particularly helpful for a marketing manager to define his or her market as the â€Å"food market† or the â€Å"transport market†. The purpose of market definition is to provide a meaningful framework for analysis and decision-making. Bases of segmentation It is widely thought in marketing that than segmentation is an art, not a science. The key task is to find the variable, or variables that split the market into actionable segments. There are two types of segmentation variables: Needs Profilers The basic criteria for segmenting a market are customer needs. To find the needs of customers in a market, it is necessary to undertake market research. Profilers are the descriptive, measurable customer characteristics (such as location, age, nationality, gender, income) that can be used to inform a segmentation exercise. The most common profilers used in customer segmentation include the following: Geographic Region of the country Urban or rural Demographic Age, sex, family size Income, occupation, education Religion, race, nationality Psychographic Social class: Premium,Middle Upper Class and also Lower Class Lifestyle type Personality type Behavioural Product usage e.g. light, medium ,heavy users Brand loyalty: none, medium, high Type of user (e.g. with meals, special occasions) Demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation consists of dividing the market into groups based on variables such as age, gender family size, income, occupation, education, religion, race and nationality. Customer wants are closely linked to variables such as income and age. Company Kansai Nerolac Paints has manufactured paints as per customers requirements and the products are described above. The main demographic segmentation variables used in this are summarized below: Income Kansai Nerolac has targeted affluent customers with luxury products like the impressions. Various convenience services as previously mentioned are introduced for the ease of customers. Economy range products are being developed by the company and would be introduced soon in the market. Premium class impression products for children based of their interests on sports, cartoons are produced and company extends in paintings services with its well equipped painters. Social class Many Marketers believe that a consumers perceived social class influences their preferences for cars, clothes, home furnishings, leisure activities and other products services. There is a clear link here with income-based segmentation. Age Lifestyle The cultural dominance in India is targeted and paints based on Vastu are carried on to pull in prosperities with paints.Kansai Nerolac provides this with established vastu veterans and help the customers. It also works on splendid work as per the ambience with various methods like 30-60-90. Marketers are increasingly interested in the effect of consumer lifestyles on demand. There are many different lifestyle categorisation systems, many of them designed by advertising and marketing agencies as a way of winning new marketing clients and campaigns! Behavioral segmentation Behavioural segmentation divides customers into groups based on the way they respond to, use or know of a product. Behavioural segments can group consumers in terms of: Occasions When a product is consumed or purchased. Neroalc Paints launches new products near the festive seasons and promotions during those times relate to the festivals giving a slice of life touch.Plus offer varied schemes based on different occasions namely Valentine day offers,F1 fever,IPL dhamaka,etc. Usage Some markets can be segmented into light, medium and heavy user groups. Loyalty Loyal consumers those who buy one brand all or most of the time are valuable customers. Many companies try to segment their markets into those where loyal customers can be found and retained compared with segments where customers rarely display any product loyalty. Importance of Segmentation: There are several important reasons why businesses should attempt to segment their markets carefully. These are summarised below Better matching of customer needs Customer needs differ. Creating separate offers for each segment makes sense and provides customers with a better solution Enhanced profits for business Customers have different disposable income. They are, therefore, different in how sensitive they are to price. By segmenting markets, businesses can raise average prices and subsequently enhance profits. Product segmentation of Nerolac Paints has enabled each segment of the society to relate to a product within the income range. Better opportunities for growth Market segmentation can build sales. For example, customers can be encouraged to trade-up after being introduced to a particular product with an introductory, lower-priced product. Retain more customers Customer circumstances change, for example they grow older, form families, change jobs or get promoted, change their buying patterns. By marketing products that appeal to customers at different stages of their life (life-cycle), a business can retain customers who might otherwise switch to competing products and brands. Target marketing communications Businesses need to deliver their marketing message to a relevant customer audience. If the target market is too broad, there is a strong risk that (1) the key customers are missed and (2) the cost of communicating to customers becomes too high / unprofitable. By segmenting markets, the target customer can be reached more often and at lower cost. Advertisements relating to different paints of Nerolac Paints are on air each signifying a different target market, a different aspect of life. Gain share of the market segment Nerolac Paints is the market leader in the industrial market and gains due to economies of scale. Through careful segmentation and targeting, businesses can often achieve competitive production and marketing costs and become the preferred choice of customers and distributors. 6.4 Promotional Activities. a) Advertising: Kansai Nerolac made a beeline to cricket fever by advertising and booking ad spots on Set Max, the sub continental broadcaster for the IPL matches this summer, for IPL 4. The company has launched ‘Healthy Home Range of Paints that are safer lead free, odour free, low VOC (VolatileOrganic Compound) and eco-friendly. The brand ambassador endorses a wide range of advancedeco-friendlyproducts in the TV, print and outdoor commercials. The same ads have been telecasted in Chennai (Sun Network) in the regional language Tamil in order to remind and recall the brand value of Kansai Nerolac. Television campaign with Irfan Khan and Konkana Sen for Nerolac Impressions was done on popular channels of West Bengal. The campaign was redone to help build the brand saliency during this period. There were various other campaigns endorsed by Amitabh Bachhan which proved to be runaway success to name one -â€Å"Har Din Diwali â€Å"a promotional campaign aimed at the customer. b) Public Relations Kansai Nerolac has always been in the fore front for Public Relations, be it marketing or corporate relations. Kansai Nerolac was the first to initiate the dealers meet and painters meet. It comes up with new product launch activity also. Corporate relations include the famous Mumbai Marathon (17th Jan 2010) which carried an anti smoking message, with a logo on their T-shirts. As part of corporate social responsibility, Nerolac has been conducting health camps for needy people every year. c) Sales Promotions This includes the dealers meet and painters meet which help regularly to build up a good rapport with the dealers and painters. Promotional offers and schemes with gifts acts as the major sales promotional methods followed by Kansai Nerolac. Incentives to painters include the token exchanges. Foreign trips are also provided for the dealers who qualify in the promotional scheme parameters. Distribution of T-shirts and caps to the paints are also done. d) Other Services â€Å"Nerolac Assured Paint Service†: Designed to bring the Nerolac experience right to the consumers doorstep, is the service launched by Nerolac. Currently available in Mumbai, consumers can now relax while the Nerolac team takes over the entire paint job right from sourcing to execution. On consumer friendliness platter, the shade cards have been redesigned. The new look shade cards are not only eye catching and consistent in appearance but also try to make the process of shade selection for the consumer lot more interesting and convenient. Nerolac Home Stylers provides profession