Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Service Management - Assignment Example nsidered most effective in identifying the influences of customer satisfaction is any form of quantitative customer satisfaction survey that manifest the unconsciously and qualitatively experienced customers into tangible and meaningful measures that can be used for decision making. For example through the quantitative method, customers can rank the influencers that affect their purchasing behavior. Customers in business to customer markets often want to be treated with customized service even though their volumes of service are always high. This creates a gap that can only be addressed by the use of a focus strategic option which seeks to learn more about specific markets. For customers in business to business markets, their needs often focus on value, which means that to address this gap, the differentiation strategic option which seeks to value-based service is used. Customer survey forms collected and evaluated shows that marketers will continue to be faced with the responsibility of understanding their market through means such as research and development (R&D). This is because the needs of customers were noted to be very different and widespread, requiring only a detailed market research to discover these differences and building the right segments to provide services to customers. Supply networks and supplier relationships are focused on by the author in the sixth chapter. In this chapter, the author notes that supply chain management is very crucial in ensuring that the goal of the company in achieving efficiency and effectiveness can be realized. To do this, the need for all stakeholders to function in a manner that is in line with the organizational culture of the main service provider is recommended. Most service providers have underestimated the role and place of supply chain, thinking that supply chain management is useful only for those in retail and other product based industries. The supply chain constructed below however shows that the service

SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING CHANNEL Essay

SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING CHANNEL - Essay Example 53). It is also playing a key role in the overall community building. There are many types of social media that help people communicate with each other and develop business relationships. However, social media mainly refers to the social networking websites that play a dynamic role in the personal and professional lives of people. Some of the main business benefits of using social media include provision of an effective marketing platform, ability to reach large audiences, and improved customer service. In this paper, we will discuss the value of social networking websites for advertising, customer service, and as a community building tool. The paper will also include a discussion on the value of social media as an effective marketing tool. 2. Social Media as an Effective Marketing Channel Social networking websites are playing a valuable role as effective marketing channels for all types of companies whether large, small, or medium-sized (Kelly 2013). With the advent of the social m edia as an effective network for marketing and advertising, companies started using social networking websites for achieving better response, as well as to provide customer service through enhanced level of interaction with the customers of the company (Richardson, Gosnay and Carroll 2010, p. 58). â€Å"The main goal of social media marketing is to ensure high participation of target audience in campaigns and content shared by the company† (Rajarammohan 2012). It is imperative for a company y to know the needs and demands of the customers for the provision of best products and services. Managers use a range of tools to gather required information because without the information of customers’ requirements, it is not possible for a company to deliver customer value properly. Social media marketing helps managers and concerned employees in contacting the customers of the company directly to know their requirements and preferences. Today, many small and large companies for m manufacturing and retail industries are focusing of the use social media marketing to customize their products in accordance with the customers’ preferences, as well as to deliver their message in a more effective and conventional way to the target audience. Social media marketing refers to marketing using social networking websites and other forms of social media (Weinberg 2009, p. 4). Gone are the days when people used to visit products’ dealers and companies personally to know the functionalities and specifications of their required products. Today, most of the people use internet and related media to get all information about the products that they want to buy. For example, the number of people using online portals and websites for shopping is increasing with every passing day. The reason is that they do not need to waste their precious time going to markets and collecting information about different products. Today, internet has become the biggest and the most c onvenient marketplace where trading occurs in the same way as it occurs traditionally. The role of internet in this regard is evident from the fact that some popular social media websites, such as, Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook receive millions of clicks every day regarding product information (Rajarammohan 2012). The role of Youtube seems to be on the top in this regard as millions of people use this website to gather information about different products and services. For example, if a person aims to buy a new mobile phone of a particular company, he/she is most likely to open Youtube and see different videos related to that mobile phone. This is the reason why almost all major brands

Chemiluminescence of Luminol Essay Example for Free

Chemiluminescence of Luminol Essay Introduction In this experiment, luminol was mixed with hydrogen peroxide (an oxidising agent) resulting in chemiluminescence. The experimentis designed to see how the duration of luminescence is affected by varying temperatures. It has been made to be deliberately inaccurate, so another objective would be to see whether subjective observations can be improved by repetition and averaging. Chemiluminescence is the production of light from a release of energy in a chemical reaction without the aid of heat. The light produced is due to electrons being given an excess of energy and this energy being released as the electrons revert to their ground state, a luminescent light being given off as a result. An important use of this reaction is in forensic science where luminol and hydrogen peroxide are used to highlight samples of blood at a crime scene. The two chemicals react readily due to the iron present in haemoglobin, giving off a luminescent glow as a result. Chemiluminescence occurs even in living organisms where it is termed bioluminescence. Using fireflies as an example, a reaction where luciferin combines with adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) and reacts with the enzyme luciferase. The action of the enzyme acting on luciferase simulates something similar to luminol and a peroxide being catalysed by a transition metal catalyst, providing electrons with enough energy to reach a higher energy level which then gives off light as they relax back to their ground state. Reaction pathway of luminol 2H2O22H2O + O2(g) Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide In this experiment we used luminol and hydrogen peroxide solution. When the two react, a dianion is from the peroxide reacting with the luminol. As hydrogen peroxide reacts, oxygen is evolved which then reacts with the dianion to produce an unstable peroxide; the instability of the peroxide causes it to break down immediately and lose nitrogen, producing 3-aminopthalate. (above) Experimental A set of five test tubes were prepared and labelled with a letter(A-E) and their temperatures; 220C (room temperature which varied between groups), 250C, 350C, 60C and 400C. 250C, 350C and 400C were conducted in water baths whereas 60C used an ice bath.

Innovation And Managing Innovation

Innovation And Managing Innovation There are different types of innovation. Joseph Tidd and John Bessant describe in their books four broad categories of innovation. (Tidd Bessant, 2009) Following these categories are referred as the 4Ps of innovation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ product innovation changes in the things (products/services) which an organization offers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ process innovation changes in the ways in which they are created and delivered à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ position innovation changes in the context in which the products/services are introduced à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ paradigm innovation changes in the underlying mental models which frame what the organization does For example, the new version of a car, a new bank account offer and a new home personnel computer are all examples of a product innovation. In comparison to a product innovation a change in the production process and machines used to manufacture the car or the home computer these examples are process innovations. Similar the example of the new bank account offer if this came up by changing procedures and sequencing in the bank office. Characteristic for services is the merge of a process and product innovation. For example a new weekend trip package could be combination of both types of innovations. The third type is the position innovation. In this context an innovation changes the perception of the customer through repositioning of the established product or process. For example, to use shower gel also to wash and clean clothes is a good example of a position innovation. Sometimes innovation opportunities emerge when people start to think outside the box. A very good example of a paradigm innovation is Henry Ford. He fundamentally changed the way of transportation people. He archived this neither by inventing the motor car (Invention of the motor car was 1999) nor because he changed the way of manufacture and produce an automobile (also the inventor of the conveyer production). His idea was to change the underlying model for the automobile production in this time. He changed the perspective of producing automobiles from handmade specialist product to a few wealthy customers to a mass product with a price a normal household could afford. The ensuing shift from craft to mass production was nothing short of a revolution in the way cars (and later countless other products and services) were created and delivered. This example shows that a paradigm innovation also requires intensive product and process innovation for example, in component design, in mach inery building, in the layout of the factory and in the social system around which work was organized. (Edelhoff, 2009) Not only Henry Ford changed an industry. In the last decades the shift to low-cost airlines and the increasing numbers of goods sold in the internet are recent examples of paradigm innovation changes in mental models. From Incremental to Radical Innovation Every Innovation is new, but the question is how new. So we can divide innovations between incremental and radical. (doing the same, better à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) For example, a new version of a car model is incremental while coming up with a completely new electric driven concept car which is made out of new light weight carbon fibre is radical. Similarly, further development of the accuracy and speed of a saw mill is not the same as replacing it with a computer-controlled laser cutting process. This example shows there are degrees of new innovation, running from minor, incremental improvements to radical changes which changes the way things are done and we use them. These changes are often present to a particular industry, but sometimes they are so radical and extensive that they are able to change the core of society. The major steps in todays communication and information technology have affected almost every person on this planet and will continue to gain importance. Figure : Dimension of innovation from incremental to radical from component- to system level Mapping Innovation Space In the figure below each of the 4Ps of innovation can take place along an axis. Hence the blue circle indicates the potential innovation space within a business can operate, the innovation is able to run from incremental to radical change. Whether the innovation utilizes all the space is a question of the innovation strategy. The way day-to-day change is approached within an organization differs from the approach how to handle a radical step change in products or processes. Here it is essential to keep in mind that the perceived stage of novelty is the important part and that this novelty is in the perspective of the observer. For example, in a giant, technologically advanced organization like Volkswagen or Siemens the tracking of goods from suppliers by RFID and GPS is used and implemented in day to day business while such an expensive process might be totally new and innovative for a small car dealership or food processor. (Kern, 2006) Figure : Innovation space Sustaining or Disruptive Quite a lot of innovations involve a discontinuous shift but very few bring something completely new which changes a market conditions dramatically. Most of them usually are incremental. In recent time lean thinking came up in the production and service sector, which underlines the huge possibilities of continue improvements within a firm. (Kohlstedde, 2007) However this continues improvement idea is hampered through the new approach of the platform concept or robust design. This idea bases on the development of a future general design which will dominate the market as well as used by the competitor. A good example for such a robust design is the Walkman originally developed by Sony. This first design of a portable cassette and radio player system dominated the market for the whole product lifetime of cassettes. Also car makers tend to change their development process from each single model to a platform strategy. (Wallentowitz, Freialdenhove, Olschewski, 2009) The Volkswagen AG int roduced platforms which are used for different brands of the company group. This not only saves costs but also helps them to dominate the market with faster model updates and exchanges. The platform and robust design strategy of firms is a powerful way of recover the high initial investments such as Research and Development as well as market analysis. The Challenge of Discontinues improvement The common innovation process happens in a set frame, following certain rules and ways of thinking. This game played by competitors is to innovate by doing what has been done before like product- or process innovations or even position- and paradigm innovations, but doing it better. In this competition of playing the same game some firms manage to do better than others and can gain a competitive advantage through these innovations, but the set of the game is accepted and do not change. Very rare something happens that breaks up this framework and changes how the game is played. This will not happen every day but when this arises the rules and boundaries of a market change rapidly. This will result in upcoming new opportunities and challenge the existing players in their way of working, thinking and doing business. A discontinues improvement occurs out of a technological and conditions stable market, where is a long period of continuous improvements and variations around a basic product or service. The strategy, before the discontinues improvement was, doing what we do, but better. When such an innovation happens one or more of the basic conditions like technology, markets, social, regulatory etc. change rapidly. Now the time of doing different begins and the rules of the game change so the opportunity space for new innovations appears. Such a rapid technology change is happening right now with the development of LEDs in the light market. From the invention of the originally light bulb in the late nineteenth century by Edison and Swan the light market gets more and more restricted by the government. Furthermore the development of the LED light was a major step for the whole market and will influence our daily life in the future. With this upcoming technology new enterprises emerge in the market as well as the inventor Shuji Nakamura with the company Nichia Corporation. This discontinues improvement faces the market dominating companies very hard. Either they adapt to the new light technology or they will lose market share very rapidly. In the process the underlying rules of the game change and a new opportunity space for innovation opens up. Do different conditions of this kind occur, for example, when radical change takes place along the technological frontier or when completely new markets emerge. An emerging example of this could be the replacement of the incandescent light bulb originally developed in the late nineteenth century by Edison and Swan (amongst others). This may be replaced by the solid state white light emitting diode technology patented by Nichia Chemical. This technology is 85% more energy efficient, has 16 times the life of a conventional bulb, is brighter, is more flexible in application and is likely to be subject to the scale economies associated with electronic component production. In their pioneering work on this theme Abernathy and Utterback developed a model describing the pattern in terms of three distinct phases. Initially, under discontinuous conditions, there is what they term a fluid phase during which there is high uncertainty along two dimensions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The target what will the new configuration be and who will want it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The technical how will we harness new technological knowledge to create and deliver this? No one knows what the right configuration of technological means and market needs will be and so there is extensive experimentation (accompanied by many failures) and fast learning by a range of players including many new entrepreneurial businesses. Gradually these experiments begin to converge around what they call a dominant design something which begins to set up the rules of the game. This represents a convergence around the most popular (importantly not necessarily the most technologically sophisticated or elegant) solution to the emerging configuration. At this point a bandwagon begins to roll and innovation options become increasingly channeled around a core set of possibilities what Dosi calls a technological trajectory.38 It becomes increasingly difficult to explore outside this space because entrepreneurial interest and the resources which that brings increasingly focus on possibilities within the dominant design corridor. This can apply to products or processes; in both cases the key characteristics become stabilized and experimentation moves to getting the bugs out and refining the dominant design. For example, the nineteenth-century chemical industry moved from making soda ash (an essential ingredient in making soap, glass and a host of other products) from the earliest days where it was produced by burning vegetable matter through to a sophisticated chemical reaction which was carried out on a batch process (the Leblanc process) which was one of the drivers of the Industrial Revolution. This process dominated for nearly a century but was in turn replaced by a new generation of continuous processes which used electrolytic techniques and which originated in Belgium where they were developed by the Solvay brothers. Moving to the Leblanc process or the Solvay process did not happen overnight; it took decades of work to refine and improve each process, and to fully understand the chemistry and engineering required to get consistent high quality and output. The same pattern can be seen in products. For example, the original design for a camera is something which goes back to the early nineteenth century and as a visit to any science museum will show involved all sorts of ingenious solutions. The dominant design gradually emerged with an architecture which we would recognize shutter and lens arrangement, focusing principles, back plate for film or plates, etc. But this design was then modified still further for example, with different lenses, motorized drives, flash technology and, in the case of George Eastmans work, to creating a simple and relatively idiot-proof model camera (the Box Brownie) which opened up photography to a mass market. More recent development has seen a similar fluid phase around digital imaging devices. The period in which the dominant design emerges and emphasis shifts to imitation and development around it is termed the transitional phase in the Abernathy and Utterback model. Activities move from radical concept development to more focused efforts geared around product differentiation and to delivering it reliably, cheaply, with higher quality, extended functionality, etc. As the concept matures still further so incremental innovation becomes more significant and emphasis shifts to factors like cost which means efforts within the industries which grow up around these product areas tend to focus increasingly on rationalization, on scale economies and on process innovation to drive out cost and improve productivity. Product innovation is increasingly about differentiation through customization to meet the particular needs of specific users. Abernathy and Utterback term this the specific phase.* Finally the stage is set for change the scope for innovation becomes smaller and smaller whilst outside for example, in the laboratories and imaginations of research scientists new possibilities are emerging. Eventually a new technology emerges which has the potential to challenge all the by now well-established rules and the game is disrupted. In the camera case, for example, this is happening with the advent of digital photography which is having an impact on cameras and the overall service package around how we get, keep and share our photographs. In our chemical case this is happening with biotechnology and the emergence of the possibility of no longer needing giant chemical plants but instead moving to small-scale operations using live organisms genetically engineered to produce what we need. Table 1.2 sets out the main elements of this model. Although originally developed for manufactured products the model also works for services for example the early days of Internet banking were characterized by a typically fluid phase with many options and models being offered. This gradually moved to a transitional phase, build- ing a dominant design consensus on the package of services offered, the levels and nature of security and privacy support, the interactivity of website, etc. The field has now become mature with much of the competition shifting to marginal issues like relative interest rates. The pattern can be seen in many studies and its implications for innovation management are important. In particular it helps us understand why established organizations often find it hard to deal with discontinuous change. Organizations build capabilities around a particular trajectory and those who may be strong in the later (specific) phase of an established trajectory often find it hard to move into the new one. (The example of the firms which successfully exploited the transistor in the early 1950s is a good case in point many were new ventures, sometimes started by enthusiasts in their garage, yet they rose to challenge major players in the electronics industry like Raytheon.39) This is partly a consequence of sunk costs and commitments to existing technologies and markets and partly because of psychological and institutional barriers. 40 They may respond but in slow fashion and they may make the mistake of giving responsibility for the new development to those whose current activities would be threatened by a shift.41 Importantly, the fluid or ferment phase is characterized by co-existence of old and new technologies and by rapid improvements of both.41,42 (It is here that the so-called TABLE sailing ship effect can often be observed, in which a mature technology accelerates in its rate of improvement as a response to a competing new alternative as was the case with the development of sailing ships in competition with newly emerging steamship technology.43,44 Whilst some research suggests existing incumbents do badly, we need to be careful here. Not all existing players do badly many of them are able to build on the new trajectory and deploy/leverage their accumulated knowledge, networks, skills and financial assets to enhance their competence through building on the new opportunity. 42à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Equally whilst it is true that new entrants often small entrepreneurial firms play a strong role in this early phase we should not forget that we see only the successful players. We need to remember that there is a strong ecological pressure on new entrants which means only the fittest or luckiest survive. It is more helpful to suggest that there is something about the ways in which innovation is managed under these conditions which poses problems. Good practice of the steady-state kind described above is helpful in the mature phase but can actively militate against the entry and success in the fluid phase of a new technology.46 How do enterprises pick up signals about changes if they take place in areas where they dont normally do research? How do they understand the needs of a market which doesnt exist yet but which will shape the eventual package which becomes the dominant design? If they talk to their existing customers the likelihood is that those customers will tend to ask for more of the same, so which new users should they talk to and how do they find them? The challenge seems to be to develop ways of managing innovation not only under steady-state but also under the highly uncertain, rapidly evolving and changing conditions which result from a dislocation or discontinuity. The kinds of organizational behaviour needed here will include things like agility, flexibility, the ability to learn fast, the lack of preconceptions about the ways in which things might evolve, etc. and these are often associated with new small firms. There are ways in which large and established players can also exhibit this kind of behaviour but it does often conflict with their normal ways of thinking and working. Extensive studies have shown the power of shifting technological boundaries in creating and transforming industry structures for example, in the case of the typewriter, the computer and the automobile. Such transformations happen relatively often no industry is immune (see Box 1.3 for an example). Worryingly the source of the technology which destabilizes an industry often comes from outside that industry. So even those large incumbent firms which take time and resources to carry out research to try and stay abreast of developments in their field may find that they are wrong-footed by the entry of something which has been developed in a different field. The massive changes in insurance and financial services which have characterized the shift to online and telephone provision were largely developed by IT professionals often working outside the original industry.6 In extreme cases we find what is often termed the not invented here NIH effect, where a firm finds out about a technology but decides against following it up because it does not fit with their perception of the industry or the likely rate and direction of its technological development. Famous examples of this include Kodaks rejection of the Polaroid process or Western Unions dismissal of Bells telephone invention. In a famous memo dated 1876 the board commented, this telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.

state of the union :: essays research papers

Stupid White Men by Michael Moore was supposed to be published in October, but the copies printed in September were going to be shredded, since the publisher thought that humorous attacks on President Bush and his partners would not be welcome after 9-11. There was a quiet campaign to get it to readers, and HarperCollins eventually did the right thing: it has released the book unchanged and uncensored, and Moore has said he admires the courage it showed in doing so. You don't have to be a fan of Moore's famous anti-corporate, anti-racist, and anti-conservative views to appreciate that this is a real victory. You would be right to assume that "President" Bush will not be pleased by the book. Some of the chapters now have sort of a ring, like "A Very American Coup," which explains what really happened to give Florida to Bush in the last election. Bush's brother and his aids were able to fix the polls of black voters, who would have turned out for Gore. It took the BBC to uncover this story. There is plenty more sleaze to this story, which Moore obviously enjoys telling. It may no longer be unpatriotic to make fun at Bush, but Moore does not restrict himself to Bush bashing, being equally tough on Clinton and Gore. There are wonderful shots fired here, and a good laugh on almost every page. Bush's inaugural parade came up against protesters armed with eggs and tomatoes and "Hail to the Thief" signs at the point in the parade when the brand new President usually gets out and walks. "Then, suddenly, the President's car bolted and tore down the street. The decision had been made - hit the gas and get past this rabble as quickly as possible. The Secret Service agents running beside the limo were left behind, the car's tires splashing dirty rain from the street onto the men who were there to protect its passenger. It might have been the finest thing I have ever witnessed in Washington, D.C. - a pretender to the American throne forced to turn tail and run from thousands of American citizens armed only with the Truth and the ingredients of a decent omelet." A hilarious letter to President Arafat advises him to initiate mass nonviolent civil disobedience, rather than to keep drawing blood; if this advice had been taken, could the Palestinians be in any worse shape now?

Essay --

Throughout poetry, drama, and fiction, there exist themes and symbols that give readers a dose of reality and human experience. People read literature and end up learning new facts about themselves that they never knew before. This usually happens when the reader is reading literature that they can relate to. An example of this is coming of age stories. When adolescents read these stories, they realize that they share the feelings of the characters and have even had similar experiences. In these stories, the main character is trying to figure out who they are in the eyes of other people. But what they do not know is that they must discover their own identity before other people decide who they are. Two stories that make use of this theme are Araby by James Joyce and A & P by John Updike. Both of these stories feature characters that are coming to terms with their fantasies and realities, and this relates to readers because it deals with the idea of people wanting what they cannot have. In A & P, the narrator, Sammy, observes three young girls, dressed only in bathing suits, who enter the supermarket in which he works. Sammy notices these girls immediately and takes note of every detail of their being. He especially pays attention to the leader of the girls, whom he calls â€Å"Queenie† (Updike 33). Queenie and her friends enter the supermarket believing they are â€Å"decent† (Updike 35). Every customer in the store watches them, and they enjoy the attention they are receiving. The act of entering the store in only bathing suits shows that the girls are both confident and innocent. They do not know that they are dressed inappropriately, and they are clearly comfortable enough with themselves to walk in wearing bikinis. ... ... Queenie was innocent of the fact that she was dressed inappropriately. She entered the store in a bikini because she was confident of herself, not because she was rebelling against the rules of the store. Sammy’s thoughts of Queenie were merely an illusion. The narrator from Araby is different. He does not have a specific vision for his life, but rather a desire for change. His life in Dublin lacks in excitement, and compensates for this by obsessing over Mangan’s sister. He desires fulfillment and satisfaction from change even though he is uncertain of what change will bring. He thinks change will bring adventure and exhilaration, but he learns at the bazaar that it is nothing more than accents and vases. Both of these stories can relate to readers because they both deal with the idea of wanting what we cannot have. Fantasy is very different from reality.

Manipulative essay

A manipulative and exploration aid in math is a great way to show children math concepts. Manipulative have proven to be valuable when used in math class and are even more valuable to the children when they are young. From reading in the textbook and reading articles about manipulative in a classroom in my opinion it seems like a very useful tool to help the children learn new math concepts. Having these concepts shows children how to learn and progress in the classroom.Using manipulative in a classroom is beneficial to both the student and the teacher because the teacher is able to explain the concepts to the students in a much easier manner using hands-on technique. The students are able to physically visualize the math concepts and gain knowledge because they understand what they are learning. Plus during this type of learning you are having fun with the activity. When you make these concepts fun for the students you can keep their attention and focus.When the children have the co ncepts down their self esteem goes up and they eel encouraged to keep on using the manipulative and visual aids. Children will be more proud of themselves when they understand the learning. Besides building your self esteem it will help the children to develop self-confidence as well as the teachers. Using hands-on technique will keep the children and the teachers happy and want to continue the learning. As a child I don't really remember using manipulative objects In my math class. Math was always very hard and confusing to me.Maybe If I was taught with these manipulative I might have enjoyed math. Today I see my niece In preschool and how they use the manipulative and visual aids. She Is learning so much. From this I can see how Important and valuable It Is In the learning for the children. In conclusion, from my essay I think manipulative and exploration visual aids In mathematical applications are a very usual tool In the classroom. It really helps the children understand math c oncept. From doing the research you can tell hands-on technique and manipulative Is an awesome concept for teaching young children.