Case study on BMP DDB advertising company Essay

Case study on BMP DDB advertising company - Essay Example e consumers throughout the day, allows the researcher to identify why an individual's habits may vary according to unsystematic factors such as their mood, the time of day, and the weather. It critically shows the peculiarity in the customers’ behaviour that market researchers are desperately searching. For instance, a customer’s store purchase data may reveal that they buy foodstuffs, but cannot tell the combinations of the stuff the customer eats (Agbonifoh, 2002:97-116). The company’s first marketing research put ethnographic research into prospective. This approach was tested with a family group. The results obtained were then compared with more traditional approaches of profiling buyers. It was then established that the outcomes of the research revealed something about the buying behaviour of the family, using their lifestyle and buying patterns. The outstanding concern that the research needed to answer was whether this behaviour bore any authenticity (Bake r and Bass, 2003:90-210). The amount of data gathered by the researcher regarding the family’s behaviour, within the research period, depicted a lot about the family. However, the recorded information about the family, although exhaustive and often precise, did not completely capture the habits and information that comprise the personality of the family. The research identified that the family held high value of money than the average people. On the contrary, though the data on family properly suggested that they enjoy lavish goods like high-quality foods and foreign holidays, it could not reveal any presence of life factors that influenced their purchasing decisions. Moreover, the information about the family clearly showed that though the family liked quality foodstuffs, they diverse their purchases... This essay "Case study on BMP DDB advertising company" outlines the research of the consumers' behavior which was conducted by the BMP DDB advertising company. The amount of data gathered by the researcher regarding the family’s behaviour, within the research period, depicted a lot about the family. However, the recorded information about the family, although exhaustive and often precise, did not completely capture the habits and information that comprise the personality of the family. The research identified that the family held high value of money than the average people. On the contrary, though the data on family properly suggested that they enjoy lavish goods like high-quality foods and foreign holidays, it could not reveal any presence of life factors that influenced their purchasing decisions. Moreover, the information about the family clearly showed that though the family liked quality foodstuffs, they diverse their purchases between superstores and local discount shops (Baker and Bass, 2003:90-210). This suggested that the family also went shopping for products whose prices were discounted and cheaper. The family was able to show the researcher one of the products brought from the discount store. The family explained the reasons for such option, and the cost that could be incurred had they shopped from the supermarket. The family was able prided on their ability to hunt down bargains, and sometimes went shopping for luxurious goods when their financial muscle was adequate (Baker and Bass, 2003:90-210).

Internationalization Strategies: European Car Makers

Internationalization Strategies: European Car Makers The Automobile industry is one of the truly most global industries in the world today. The automobile has changed the lives, culture, and economy of the people and nations that manufacture and demand them. Ever since the late 1800s when the first modern car was invented by Benz and Daimler in Germany, the industry has grown into a billion dollar industry affecting so many aspects of our lives. It covers a global community catering needs which may be common among the entire community or specific to a particular community. Its challenging for the Managers and their companies to develop a strategy that outrun their competitors and serve their global customer base. Automotive Industry in Europe at a Glance The automotive industry is a major industry in the European economy involving a few vehicle manufacturing firms and about 2/3 of the production is outsourced to a substantial number of independent suppliers. The produce includes cars, light trucks and vans, buses and coaches, medium and heavy trucks, motorcycles and agricultural and forestry tractors. A lot of mergers and acquisitions have been the routine of the automotive industry. Currently DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen (VW), BMW, Ford Europe, General Motors (GM) Europe, Renault, PSA (Peugeot-Citroà «n), Fiat and Porsche comprise the main EU car industry. Beside them, there are a good number of small manufacturers apart from some Japanese manufacturers production facilities in the EU. The Internationalization strategies by European car makers The car industry as a whole is much internationalised as it is easy to do business in different parts of the world. To an extent, a lot of multinational corporations of the industry are heavily based in their domestic markets for several reasons, such as cheaper labour and creating jobs for the local inhabitants. When it comes to sales, the industry is perhaps more global, for example in the USA, one of the top three leading cars Toyota is a Japanese company that has much of its production facilities and technical development in Japan but according to Data monitor- industry profile. The internationalisation of the industry has a long history as the car industry itself is old and prolific. The American car industry is said to date back to 1908 when the first automobile was built. Internationalisation is slightly older and has been linked with the ending of world war two for the majority of developed countries; however it is a fairly newer concept in emerging markets. Institutional differences are apparent as many companies entered emerging markets, such as Ford, an American manufacturer, entered many emerging markets such as the Japanese and Chinese. There are still trade barriers in many parts of the world but not many affect the selling of cars. The speed of internationalisation depends on the country where the car originates. In more economically developed countries it makes sense that the speed of internalisation is fast and furious, for example many countries aspire to live life in the American lifestyle, therefore the sale of American cars in emerging markets occurs at a faster rate than the other way round. Although recent events suggest this is no longer true, as now Japanese cars are outselling American cars in the USA industry. Japanese internationalisation occurred at a slower rate at first but then it took off as soon as other continents industries slowed and so Japan were able to capitalise. Volkswagen- volume and diversity model (Boyer and Freyssenet, 1999) Toyota- Profit Strategy (Keeping the total cost low, no matter in what market they are operating) Honda practiced Profit Strategy based on innovation and flexibility. Producing models with distinct features and launching them quickly before the competitors could copy them Companies such as GM and Fiat have reactivated a strategy based on volume and diversity by increasing the commonalisation of platforms; by re-engineering their equipment-making subsidiaries in such a way as to regain control over the value chain; and by developing employee polyvalence. PSA tried to implement a strategy based on the permanent reduction, irrespective of output, of costs, but the French group had to abandon this orientation when its employees took industrial action, and it has reverted to its previous emphasis on volume and diversity. Ford, which had pursued the same line, shifted towards a volume based strategy, and tried to design and sell world cars, each of which with its own platform. Chrysler was at first unclear about the direction to take, but then made the decision to modify its profit strategy so as to emphasise innovation and flexibility .For Renault and Rover, quality became the top priority and each firm has tried to upgrade its market presence, repositioning itself in its segments top half. Renault subsequently focused on innovation, but has progressively discovered that such an approach would require the complete re-organisation of its corporate structures. (Boyer and Freyssenet, 1999) Geographical characteristics of Internationalisation About 20 yrs back one can argue that the automobile industry was just concentrated in U.S, Europe and Japan. But Due Globalisation and aggressive Internationalisation strategies used the manufactures, the market is moving towards the developing the economies. Due to recession and saturated market in U.S and Japan the more sales are happening in the developing economies. Within the EU the top five Automobile producing countries are Germany, France, Italy, Spain and U.K and in the world the top five are Japan, U.S, China, Germany and France. The European market is the largest markets in terms of production (33%) followed by Japan (20%). Though ACEA 2010 reports states that China will soon overtake Japan and the U.S in terms of Production and sales of Automobiles. The stats also shows that big markets that once accounted for most of the production and sales are now saturated and diminishing. Manufactures has now moved into the emerging economies to reap the high growth rate and economic conditions prevailing in many of these economies. An e.g. for this is the growing number of production and assembly plants in countries like Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South- Korea, Poland. Entry strategies by European carmakers The European drive into central Europe has been spearheaded by Volkswagen and Fiat, both of whom see the region as a vital part of their global strategies, even if managerial resources are being strained in an effort to obtain a return on investment. Eastern Europes market can be split into two distinct areas: the Central European Free Trade Area (CEFTA) consisting of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia and the rest. Naturally, it is the former that is attracting Western attention, especially as sales in the CEFTA are running at around 600,000 per annum and are likely to rise at 10 per cent a year for several years to come, with VW and Fiat each commanding 25 per cent of the market. Fiats main interest lies in Fiat Auto Poland which it acquired in 1992 through its purchase of Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowich (FSM) and since then has exported 50 per cent of output to Western European markets. At the time of purchase FSM was riddled with the inefficiencies comm only found in state-owned automakers in Central and Eastern Europe, but Fiat pledged to invest $2 billion in Poland by the year 2000, and part of this at the time of writing is being used to finance production of its Palio models which it hopes to sell worldwide. Turning to Russia, Fiat in 1997 embarked on an $850 million project with ZAO Nizhegorod Motors, owned by GAZ of Nizhy Novgorod to produce 150,000 Palio units a year. Fiat and ZAO each have 40 per cent of the equity with the remaining 20 per cent funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (JustAuto.co. 2000; Automotive News, 1996b). Volkswagen holdings in the East are due to its acquisition of Skoda and the taking over of former Trabant plants in the former East Germany. VW has already diversified and modernised Skodas model range and will use these to drive into emerging markets in the area, including Russia, Poland and Belarus. Despite the workforce being well educated and skilled, VW did not always find it easy to persuade Eastern workers to adapt to Western production methods and this is best illustrated in its former Trabant plant at Zwickau. The plant was modernised to produce the Polo and Golf models, but workers experienced severe cultural difficulties in adjusting to modern production methods despite being given extensive training. Building a Trabant involved considerable physical effort just to get the body parts to fit together and this gave a sense of achievement for the workers. Though modern technology and lean production methods removed the physical effort, it also took away the sense of pride and it took VW a considerable time to persuade the workforce of the virtues of modern technology. Nevertheless, both Fiat and VW are firmly installed in Eastern Europe and are about to be joined by Renault which has signed an agreement joining forces with the Moscow City Authorities to build cars in an old Moskvich plant. Of the European producers, VW and Fiat are clearly the most dominant in Eastern Europe and, provided resources are not overstretched, will probably gather a considerable harvest in the future compared to their rivals. But the European arms of both Ford and GM are moving in the same direction, too. Besides being established in Belarus and Poland, Ford has formed a joint venture with Bankirski Dom, near St Petersburg and GM have entered into a similar arrangement with AvtoVAZ at Togliatti, 1,000 kilometres south east of Moscow (Automotive News, 1996b). Finally, stretching beyond the frontiers of Eastern Europe, European firms are currently attempting to establish themselves in China. It was Peugeot that made the initial running when, in the early 1980s, it formed a joint venture in Guangzhou to produce its 404 and 505 models. Neither vehicle was suited to the Chinese market. They were too large, unsuitable for the roads and considered old fashioned by the Chinese when compared to other Western models. In the end, no more than 20,000 units were produced in any one year, and in 1998 Peugeot were forced to withdraw from the market. As Peugeot withered in the market, its other arm, Citroen, prospered in a new joint venture at Wuhan where a stripped down version of the ZX is produced in approximately 15,000 to 20,000 units per annum, a figure that will rise sharply in the coming years (Donnelly and Morris, 1997). Volkswagen by contrast have been far more successful in its joint ventures with the Shanghai Automobile Industrial Corporatio n and the First Auto Works at Changchun in Jilinn Province in the north east of the country. Since the mid-1980s, VW has produced its Santana model in China with frequent updating and has recently introduced its more modern Jetta, Passat and Bora models. These ventures have proved successful in that VW have roughly 50 per cent of the taxi market in China, but have yet to obtain any return on their capital as they, like other multinationals in other countries, have discovered the Chinese market is no crock of gold (Donnelly and Morris, 1997, JustAuto.co., 2000c). While other European firms such as Mercedes and Renault have signed declarations of intent with the Chinese and are waiting to see how the market develops, both Ford and GM have moved further down the road and have begun production at Changan and Guangzhou respectively. Similarly, Chinese hostility to Japanese producers has waned and both Suzuki and Toyota have begun to compete in the market. Current opinion is that the Chin ese market will grow steadily in the coming century and that it is better to enter this market in its infancy than to hesitate. The ball is firmly in the European court and firms must either gamble now on the prospects of return in the future or they might be too late. An outline of the main foreign market entry modes and An overview of the enterprise structures and controls used by firms Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 on a merger between the British and German divisions of the Ford Motor company. Founded in Detroit, Mich., in 1903 by Henry Ford and a group of investors, the company introduced the hugely successful Model T in 1908 and by 1923 was producing more than half of all U.S. automotive vehicles. Through the Lincoln Motor Co. (acquired in 1922), Ford produced luxury Lincolns and Continentals. After years of declining sales, the Model T was succeeded by the Model A in 1927; other companies such as General Motors took the opportunity to make serious inroads into Fords dominance. The company was reincorporated in 1919, with Ford and his family acquiring full ownership. Later acquisitions included Aston Martin and the Land Rover brand of sport utility vehicles. Ford also owns a significant share of the Mazda Motor Corp. Because of financial struggles at the beginning of the 21st century, the company sold off Aston Martin in 2007 and both Jaguar and Land Rover i n 2008. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). As of 2008, Ford has become the second largest automaker in Europe (only behind Volkswagen), with sales that occasionally exceed those in the United States and large markets in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. ( PaddockTalk). Ford Motor Co bought into China as a quick and low-cost way of entering the market. In contrast to Chrysler and GMs JV approach in China, Ford chose to acquire 20% of Jiangling Motor, a relatively small local auto producer. This helped in establishing their presence much quicker than their competitors and removed most of the barriers their competitors were facing such as management control and conflict. The European drive into central Europe has been spearheaded by Volkswagen and Fiat, both of whom see the region as a vital part of their global strategies, even if managerial resources are being strained in an effort to obtain a return on investment. Eastern Europes market can be split into two distinct areas: the Central European Free Trade Area (CEFTA) consisting of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia and the rest. Naturally, it is the former that is attracting Western attention, especially as sales in the CEFTA are running at around 600,000 per annum and are likely to rise at 10 per cent a year for several years to come, with VW and Fiat each commanding 25 per cent of the market. Fiats main interest lies in Fiat Auto Poland which it acquired in 1992 through its purchase of Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowich (FSM) and since then has exported 50 per cent of output to Western European markets. At the time of purchase FSM was riddled with the inefficiencies comm only found in state-owned automakers in Central and Eastern Europe, but Fiat pledged to invest $2 billion in Poland by the year 2000, and part of this at the time of writing is being used to finance production of its Palio models which it hopes to sell worldwide. Turning to Russia, Fiat in 1997 embarked on an $850 million project with ZAO Nizhegorod Motors, owned by GAZ of Nizhy Novgorod to produce 150,000 Palio units a year. Fiat and ZAO each have 40 per cent of the equity with the remaining 20 per cent funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (JustAuto.co. 2000; Automotive News, 1996b). Volkswagen holdings in the East are due to its acquisition of Skoda and the taking over of former Trabant plants in the former East Germany. VW has already diversified and modernised Skodas model range and will use these to drive into emerging markets in the area, including Russia, Poland and Belarus. Despite the workforce being well educated and skilled, VW did not always find it easy to persuade Eastern workers to adapt to Western production methods and this is best illustrated in its former Trabant plant at Zwickau. The plant was modernised to produce the Polo and Golf models, but workers experienced severe cultural difficulties in adjusting to modern production methods despite being given extensive training. Building a Trabant involved considerable physical effort just to get the body parts to fit together and this gave a sense of achievement for the workers. Though modern technology and lean production methods removed the physical effort, it also took away the sense of pride and it took VW a considerable time to persuade the workforce of the virtues of modern technology. Nevertheless, both Fiat and VW are firmly installed in Eastern Europe and are about to be joined by Renault which has signed an agreement joining forces with the Moscow City Authorities to build cars in an old Moskvich plant. Of the European producers, VW and Fiat are clearly the most dominant in Eastern Europe and, provided resources are not overstretched, will probably gather a considerable harvest in the future compared to their rivals. But the European arms of both Ford and GM are moving in the same direction, too. Besides being established in Belarus and Poland, Ford has formed a joint venture with Bankirski Dom, near St Petersburg and GM have entered into a similar arrangement with AvtoVAZ at Togliatti, 1,000 kilometres south east of Moscow (Automotive News, 1996b). Finally, stretching beyond the frontiers of Eastern Europe, European firms are currently attempting to establish themselves in China. It was Peugeot that made the initial running when, in the early 1980s, it formed a joint venture in Guangzhou to produce its 404 and 505 models. Neither vehicle was suited to the Chinese market. They were too large, unsuitable for the roads and considered old fashioned by the Chinese when compared to other Western models. In the end, no more than 20,000 units were produced in any one year, and in 1998 Peugeot were forced to withdraw from the market. As Peugeot withered in the market, its other arm, Citroen, prospered in a new joint venture at Wuhan where a stripped down version of the ZX is produced in approximately 15,000 to 20,000 units per annum, a figure that will rise sharply in the coming years (Donnelly and Morris, 1997). Volkswagen by contrast have been far more successful in its joint ventures with the Shanghai Automobile Industrial Corporatio n and the First Auto Works at Changchun in Jilinn Province in the north east of the country. Since the mid-1980s, VW has produced its Santana model in China with frequent updating and has recently introduced its more modern Jetta, Passat and Bora models. These ventures have proved successful in that VW have roughly 50 per cent of the taxi market in China, but have yet to obtain any return on their capital as they, like other multinationals in other countries, have discovered the Chinese market is no crock of gold (Donnelly and Morris, 1997, JustAuto.co., 2000c). While other European firms such as Mercedes and Renault have signed declarations of intent with the Chinese and are waiting to see how the market develops, both Ford and GM have moved further down the road and have begun production at Changan and Guangzhou respectively. Similarly, Chinese hostility to Japanese producers has waned and both Suzuki and Toyota have begun to compete in the market. Current opinion is that the Chin ese market will grow steadily in the coming century and that it is better to enter this market in its infancy than to hesitate. The ball is firmly in the European court and firms must either gamble now on the prospects of return in the future or they might be too late.

The Truth Of Dreams :: essays research papers

Dreams, what are dreams? For many years I have wondered what dreams are made of. After much thought and deliberation I have stumbled upon three possible answers to this question. First of all, I think it could be a period of total escape from reality and all of the problems that reality brings with it. Second, I believe that dreams provide a time of contemplation of past mistakes and what would have been the outcome if a different choice would have been made. Third, I think dreams may contain the simple answers to difficult problems which the mind overlooked and disregarded as to basic of a solution for such a complex problem.The day is stressful, and through the day one does not always have a time to rest and relax. Dreams provide a way to relive this stress. It does this by allowing the mind to escape to anywhere it desires. Thus allowing eight hours to be anything one’s heart wants and needs. Dreams may be the only way for one to live out their â€Å"dreams.†We all know we make mistakes, we can not help but to make mistakes, it is human nature. Dreams provide us with an open opportunity to look back and analyze the mistake and choice. Looking close at a mistake and its eventual consequences along with the choices one did not make and consciences one did not receive provides us with a golden opportunity to not make the same mistake again.Answers, everyone needs answers to one’s problems to live. Problems from where one will find one’s next meal to what sort of life is in the outer most part of the solar system. All day long the brain thinks of very complex answers to these highly complex problems. Sometimes, and only sometimes the simple answer is better than the complex answer, but if one is looking for the complex answer how can one find the simple answer? Dreams, while asleep one’s brain can not function on the same level as when one is awake. Therefore, when one is asleep and is still looking for the answer one will not have any other except the simple answer to think about. This will show one the correct answer so one will have it when one wakes up the next morning.

Global Procurement and Supply

GlaxoSmithKline:Sourcing Complex Professional Services Erin Edwards Global Procurement & Supply April 22, 2018IntroductionGlaxoSmithKline also known as GSK is currently losing millions of the dollars annually in legal process. Normally, GSK always billed the law firms on hourly basis but this was not practical for the company. The team not had to research and innovate new ways to cut the spending through a new procurement process. GSK, GlaxoSmithKline uses an innovative approach to procure outside counsel by trading relationship based selection of law firms to an online reverse auction. However, the quality of the work, and selecting the right the law firm was a challenging hurdle to jump. GSK was willing to take up the challenge to come up with a better process of handling their spend.GSK is hit with a devastating suit and only has a certain number of days to hire a firm in time to respond. Their managing attorney Sophia Keating grapples with GSK approach to selecting suppliers. GSK employees ensured Sophia that this approach drives down cost and improves the quality of work submitted by the lawyers. Still skeptical about the process, she still runs process by comparing the competing firms and their bids. Furthermore, it was the decision by Harlow to outsource the services. GSK made strides to come up with the suitable options, and options to meet the criteria of less cost, and quality work. However, there were other concerns that could be discussed more broadly to avoid the pitfalls during the process. This case also describes the process in which this process was made and adopted beyond the implications for law firms and other service providers. Many processes seemed to only be adopted by selecting vendors for a variety of supplies and products but can be used for services also. This procurement process can be incredibly beneficial, especially streamline purchasing and tracking spend. This process can ensure a company pays the best price for goods or services, save time by choosing the most reputable vendors, and minimize order delays and mistakes. After getting early endorsement from the general counsel, Marty Harlow worked with GSK's global external legal relations team (GELRT) in legal to develop a matter-specific, mini-RFP tool that enables in-house counsel to assess firms' specific qualifications for a particular representation. The other main component of the OCSI is the electronic reverse auction which encourages fee competition among qualified law firms instead of hourly rates. GSK's preferred firm roster work with procurement to draw up a shortlist of firms to invite to an OCSI event. GSK lawyers use a form-driven process to state as much detail about the matter as possible and these are passed to Harlow's team for submission to firms. This case is very useful in talking about institutional change and how the procurement process can be adopted to many fields and services.Main IssuesUncontrollable SpendingThe company was spending millions of dollars annually on the spending on the legal matters. It was identified that there was also extra unnecessary cost incurred that could have been avoided through a better process that was more centralized. â€Å"More than a quarter of companies in the U.S. and UK spent over $5 million annually on litigation costs in 2012, and among healthcare companies that proportion was estimated to be 30%– 40%. Because legal fees had become a prominent line item in company overheads, top management in many companies pressured their general counsel (GC), the chief lawyer of a legal department, to rein in legal spending† (Gardner and Silverstein 2)There were some moments when the company even did not know about the spending on the legal matters, and legal department exceeded the budget sometimes. This was an issue many companies were being affected by, not just GSK. However, GSK noticed the high costs and need to be able to have a better centralized process. Therefore, it was challenging for the company to manage the spending on the legal matters and find another solid process that could not only cost less, but also provide quality services since quality is very important in the legal work. Relationship Vs. QualityGSK is engaged with the same law firms that they have had long relationships with. â€Å"One involved consolidating the number of firms with which their company regularly worked—sometimes ending long-standing relationships.† (Gardner and Silverstein 3) Relationship management is very key is long lasting business relationships, which has allowed GSK to be very successful with prior legal matters. However, through this process, the company would incur extra cost on the legal matters, because there is no cap on spend since it was tracked hourly. Since there was no centralized system to track the work and spend, GSK had no idea about the urgent matters and problems of the company. It is very important the firms that are selecting ensure that quality work is being completed without overspending. Cost does not always mean quality. GSK should have to risk quality during their cost for the best legal pursuits. Even though supplier relationship management is great, but it becomes challenges when spend is starting to become uncontrollable and unmanageable. Building closer relations with your strategic partners will minimize supply chain risks. Having strategic partners whose goals are aligned with business objectives are highly valuable and important to long term success.KPIsThere was not performance management in place to determine how the firm is performing. GSK did not have a quantifiable measure that is used to track and assess the status of the firm process. Every area of business especially complex professional services should have specific metrics that should be monitored. Having metrics will focus more on big picture financial metrics, which was an issue for GSK without the procurement process. The case does not mention how performance of the firms will be tracked. â€Å"GELRT leveraged technology to obtain?the information it needed to optimize financial performance and strengthen strategic planning. Matter management, electronic billing, and reporting systems were already in place within the legal department.† (Gardner and Silverstein 6) There is a lot of information about how GELRT uses technology to acquire information. The system is able to track spending, but there is no system in place to track KPIs.AnalysisThe process of sourcing involves the company to select suppliers for a product or service. The complete an evaluation of the supplier and finally contract with the supplier to deliver the required products or services. While procurement refers to the activity of getting the deliveries from the supplier identified and ensuring that the payments to the supplier are made. GSK adopting procurement process has helped make changes within their spend. â€Å"By 2006–2007, procurement had become heavily involved in the sourcing of many ancillary services. Harlow's tough stance in negotiations saved GSK an estimated $23 million: $19 million from Legal Staffing/eDiscovery, $1 million from Court Reporting, and $3 million from Medical Records.† (Gardner and Silverstein 4) By taking the right initiatives in sourcing and procurement, GSK is able to see the benefits. Having a process in place will save the company time; ensure that one is getting the right solution to meet business needs. A procurement process will ensure you pay the right price and avoid overlooking vital steps that may come back to haunt the firm later. Procurement policies and procedures allow a business to arrange its buying strategy to its long-term goals and objectives. Procurement helps with a better chance to meet business goals. â€Å"This system reminds me of buying office supplies or landscaping services. Can it really be applied to a complex legal case like this one†¦.?† (Gardner and Silberstein 1) This is what Sophia Keating thought to herself when the idea of a reverse auction process was presented to her. The vendor selection process initially starts as part of a company's strategy. A procurement process can measure the direct costs and the team timesaving achieved through better management. For example, GSK was very focus on their legal spend, which in turns means you need to select firms that would be able to handle the request in the right budget. The nice thing they had a selection of firms who meet their cost, quality and service requirements needs, but also add some firms who were new. After they shortlisted their firms, GSK was able to use OCSI for their quotes, terms and minimum service levels. Finally, review their proposals from the reverse auctions and reward the firm with the lowest number. Procurement increases an organization's productivity by providing visibility into transactions.Benchmarking is the process of paralleling what companies are doing with what the best performing company in your industry is doing. In textbook, Purchasing & Supply Chain Management describes bench making as, â€Å"Benchmarking is the continuous measuring of products, services, processes, activities, and practices against a firm's best competitors or those companies recognized as industry or functional leaders.† (770) In Exhibit 3 of the case, you able to see how GSK compares with the other Law Firms Self-Assessment. Unfortunately, GSK managing attorney assessment does under perform in a couple areas like understanding business objectives, involvement of diverse team members, and reactiveness and creativeness. One of three types of benchmarking, process benchmarking compares operational processes. Performance benchmarking compares product or services, marketing and sales to determine how to increase profits. Short term benchmarking goals, produce quick results. But it is the long-term goals that help with the direction and strategies of the company that will make it more competitive in the market. Performance management is a performance controlling style that has grown increasingly popular with a variety of companies. Performance management is the process in which it challenges the company's overall performance and abilities. It challenges them to bring their best foot and work forward. Performance manage usually involve setting goals, then evaluating their progress or work with a reward or penalty depending on how the firm or vendor performs. RecommendationsRun Reverse AuctionsA reverse auction is best used to obtain the best rate by embracing competition among firms bidding on price. GSK using this method will allow the law firms to compete with their best idea to win the business and also be within budget. The idea of reverse because during the auction makes sure the price drops. Price was definitely an issue for GSK previously because there was no way to track the spending. Using the method of reverse auction has a number of advantages. Some of the benefits of reverse auction is the amount of time it takes to make a decision. Before something that could takes months, can now be shortened into weeks or even days. Also, the bidders are able to see who their competition and how they compare to them. There is a lot more transparency when it comes reverse auctions. Law firms would calculate their preliminary prices and confirm the very lowest price they would go to secure the business. II. Conduct Routine Performance ReviewsPerformance management is a mutual agreement about how companies or individuals contribute to an organization's goals. This is what OCSI can do for GSK. OCSI can act as a process of performance management and appraisals focusing on aligning GSK's workforce, building capabilities, improving employee performance and development, and influencing better business results. GSK should complete annual performance reviews to evaluate the firms' performance. This entails gathering feedback from co-workers and clients into consideration and observations by management. These assessments can be very detailed and elongated to include a review of the previous years' evaluation and an assessment of services. Many firms may have the company complete an evaluation of their own performance that is then discussed during the evaluation and compared to the official evaluation. Monitoring gives the company an opportunity to make a course correction or adjust a timeline if it is needed so that the vendor will produce the desired outcome of successfully achieving goals. If GSK concludes the vendor has unacceptable performance, monitoring performance enables them to identify the problem early and get an opportunity to rectify before being evaluated incorrectly.III. Implementing a Performance-Based IncentiveThese systems are designed to retain top-performing vendors, motivate the desired performance, and control costs. If a company wants to pay for performance, it must define performance in very specific, objective, quantifiable terms, measure it and track it. Introducing a performance based incentive program with help firm collective help GSK reach their business goals and legal objectives. This r eally entices firms to align their work with the business goals. Having a reward for exceptional performance and penalties for poor performance really ensure that money is not being wasted but invested properly. IV. Routinely Fresh Preferred SuppliersIt is healthy to refresh suppliers and firms from time to time. If you consolidate your supplier base, it will allow better visibility over the billing process. It will be easier to track payments leaving the business and going to the suppliers, so any errors will be identified more rapidly. When you deal with less suppliers and vendors, there is less administration and paperwork to handle. This allows more time to focus on other areas of the business. When it comes to decreasing the number of suppliers GSK uses, it is best to control what's best for the business. Above all, GSK needs to find the best overall fit so that there's a steadiness between the time it takes to achieve their supplier base and the profitability of the business.Conclusion Procurement is should be viewed strategic function working to improve the organization's cost-effectiveness. Procurement helps streamline processes, reduce service prices and costs, and identifying better firms to do services. It is essential to any business that purchases anything such as products or services. Since GSK buys services like other companies, then the better its procurement function works, the more money it can make. Typically, businesses buy products or services from multiple vendors. Procurement handles the details of procuring these purchases at optimal prices. Combining your strengths with stakeholder' helps find new progressive solutions to remain successful in business and stay ahead of the competition. To maintain sustainable supply chain, procurement management has a profitable impact on a company's processes. It helps avoid supply chain risks by better collaborating with vital partners and providing added value to diverse business practices. The bottom line: Performance management is an ongoing practice, not a yearly task. The success of an organization, if aligned to your organizational goals, will drive business results.ReferencesCapko, Judy. â€Å"Five Steps to a Performance Evaluation System.† Family Practice Management, 1 Mar. 2003, www.aafp.org/fpm/2003/0300/p43.html.Gardner, Heidi K, and Silvia Hodges Silverstein.â€Å"GlaxoSmithKline: Sourcing Complex Professional Services.†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 16, hbr.org/product/glaxosmithkline-sourcing-complex-professional-services/414003-PDF-ENG.Accessed 18 Apr. 2018.Markgraf, Bert. â€Å"How to Evaluate a Company's Performance.†Ã‚  Small Business – Chron.com, Chron.com, 5 Feb. 2018, www.smallbusiness.chron.com/evaluate-companys-performance-67095.html.Monczka, Robert M., et al.  Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. South-Western, 2011.Wincel, Jeffrey P.  Lean Supply Chain Management: a Handbook for Strategic Procurement. Productivity Press, 2008.

Abortion Is a Social Failure

Leanna Sullivan English 111 Christina Forsyth April 4, 2009 â€Å"Abortion Is a Social Failure† Abortion is said to be â€Å"a woman’s choice. † Women do have the choice, the choice should be to do what is best for their child whether the pregnancy is planned or not. The resources should be made available for the mother to do that. There should be more funding for public services and health care for extremely low income families. Abortion is wrong and it harms the society that we live in. In 1973, the U. S. Supreme Court made abortion on demand the law of the land. With Roe v. Wade, the Court forced America to revoke the commitment to â€Å"life, liberty and justice for all. † Abortion advocates guaranteed us that making abortion easy would mean â€Å"’every child a wanted child’,†(Mealey) which would reduce child abuse and it would reduce crime. Those unwanted children who often develop into criminals would never be born. This would decrease murder rates and criminal activity; thus for, those unwanted children would never have the opportunity to act out and disrupt society. â€Å"It would protect vulnerable women from being butchered by untrained abortionists cashing in on their desperation. Widespread abortion could only lead to stronger women, stronger families and a stronger society, they promised. † (Mealey) With almost 46 million â€Å"unwanted† children murdered because of abortion since 1973 ruling, there should have been a decrease in child abuse. That did not happen. In 2003, nearly 1 million children were victims of abuse and neglected, experts calculated approximately that â€Å"three times that number was actually abused. Almost 1,500 children died of their injuries that year, according to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, which reports that all types of child abuse have increased since 1980. The plan to reduce crime by getting rid of the possible perpetrators’ just did not work out the way they wanted it to. Children were murdered to decrease murder rates and criminal activity. Also, according to Yale University law professor John Lott and Australian economist John Whitley, states that legalized abortion noticed higher h omicide rates almost every year between 1976 and 1998. They found that legalizing abortion increased state murder rates up to 7 percent. The plan to reduce crime by getting rid of possible perpetrators did not work either. Abortion can be a public health issue. In countries where abortion is not legal, approximately, 20 million women have unsafe abortion each year. (Fisanick) If legal abortion is not available, women will danger their health to end an unplanned pregnancy. Abortion is legal because the rights of the mother surpass the rights of the fetus and the fetus shows no sign of brain activity until well into the second trimester. The United States has tried to defend the rights of the fetus, but no one can determine the boundaries. Every year 45 million pregnancies end in abortion. Almost half of those abortions are medically unsafe, and end in the deaths of nearly 70,000 women. (Fisanick) When death does not occur from unsafe abortion, women can have long-term disabilities, such as uterine perforation, chronic pelvic pain or pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, making abortion legal and available are public health issues. â€Å"Criminalizing abortion does not save babies; it kills mothers. † () However, now it is safe with medical and surgical methods. Many countries have legalized abortion. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Where abortion is safe and legal, rates of abortion tend to be low. In contrast to the claim that thousands of women died because of illegal abortion before the ruling of Roe v. Wade, the actually figure for the deaths reported was only 263 in 1950. In 1970 that total even dropped to 119 deaths of women due to abortion. Legalizing abortion was supposed to eliminate the chance that a woman would be injured or killed during an abortion. Even though abortion is legal, it is still the fifth leading cause of pregnant women in the United States. (Mealey) In the Miami Herald, there was a story ran about a local abortion clinic. A woman died because of the conditions of the clinic. Another woman was mutilated. Abortion advocates knew about the clinic's conditions but did not say anything because of political reasons. Now, how in anyone’s right mind could they allow such horrendous acts to take place is beyond me. Just to keep the peace no one said anything. Abortions are legal to benefit the mother, so if the mother is dead or mutilated how did she receive any help. Needless to say, the most frequent gynecologic emergencies are problems preceding an abortion performed in a self-supporting clinic. (Mealey) Banning abortion as the consequence of denying women right to use a procedure that may be needed for their enjoyment of their right to health, according to the human rights act. Only women can experience the physical and emotional aspects of unwanted pregnancy. Some women suffer maternity-related injuries, such as hemorrhage or obstructed labor. Denying women access to medical services that enable th em to regulate their fertility or terminate a dangerous pregnancy amounts to a refusal to provide health care that only women need. Women are consequently exposed to health risks not experienced by men. Laws that deny the availability to abortion, have the purpose of denying a women's capacity to make responsible decisions about their bodies and their lives. Indeed, governments may find the potential consequences of allowing women to make such decisions threatening in some circumstances. Recognizing women's sexual and reproductive autonomy contradicts long-standing social norms that render women lower to men in their families and communities. It is not surprising that unwillingness to allow women to make their own decisions. Many Americans see abortion as â€Å"necessary† to avert â€Å"the back alley. In this sense, the notion of legal abortion as a â€Å"necessary evil† is based on a series of myths widely disseminated since the 1960s. These myths captured the public mind and have yet to be rebutted. One to two million illegal abortions occurred annually before legalization. In fact, the annual total in the few years before abortion on demand was no more than tens o f thousands and most likely fewer. Thousands of women died annually from abortions before legalization. As a leader in the legalization movement, Abortion law targeted women rather than abortionists before legalization. In fact, the nearly uniform policy of the states for nearly a century before 1973 was to treat the woman as the second victim of abortion. Legalized abortion has been good for women. In fact, women still die from legal abortion, and the general impact on health has had many negative consequences, including the physical and psychological toll that many women bear, the epidemic of sexually transmitted disease, the general coarsening of male-female relationships over the past 30 years, the threefold increase in the repeat-abortion rate, and the increase in hospitalizations from ectopic pregnancies. A generation of Americans educated by these myths sees little alternative to legalized abortion. It is commonly believed that prohibitions on abortion would not reduce abortion and only push thousands of women into â€Å"the back alley† where many would be killed or injured. Prohibitions would mean no fewer abortions and more women injured or killed. The better approach would be to make abortion less necessary. The first thing that needs to be done is to reduce the occurrence of unplanned pregnancy. Half of all pregnancies are unplanned and out of that half, half of them get abortions. If we showed dedication for getting out the information about abstinence and contraception; and public funding for family planning services, I know more women would be willing to keep their babies. Women who are able to avoid unplanned pregnancy do not have to make the decision of whether to have an abortion. Unfortunately, there will always be some unplanned pregnancies. Therefore, once a woman finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy, another way to reduce abortion is to guarantee that she has the resources to have and raise a child. One of the two most common reasons women choose abortion is because they cannot manage to pay for another child. Providing low-income women with education, career opportunities, Works Cited Brown, Diana. â€Å"Abortion Should Not Be Restricted. † At Issue: Should Abortion Rights Be Restricted?. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Ivy Tech – Terre Haute. 14 Feb. 2009 . Mealey, Misty. â€Å"Abortion Is a Social Failure. † Current Controversies: The Abortion Controversy. Ed. Emma Bernay. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Ivy Tech – Terre Haute. 11 Feb. 2009