Comes to Bear

Comes to Bear Comes to Bear Comes to Bear By Maeve Maddox A question on an ESL forum alerted me to the expression â€Å"to come to bear.† What is the meaning of â€Å"comes to bear† in this context: Speaker One: I want to tell you about summer camp. It was a wonderful childhood experience. Speaker Two: We can get to it later. Speaker One: We can get to it now. You see, it all comes to bear. Various possibilities were offered by other members of the forum: It probably means â€Å"it has a bearing on (something).† â€Å"Bear† in this sense means â€Å"produce†. A tree can bear fruit, or a woman can bear children. â€Å"It all comes to bear† means â€Å"it all comes to fruition.† Searching the web, I found numerous examples of â€Å"come to bear,† mostly in headlines. but sometimes in connected text. Will FedEx pressure come to bear? Political pressure will come to bear on US margin rules The roles of first lady come to bear Polar policies come to bear On a site dedicated to the writing of business letters, I found this definition of the phrase: Come to Bear: If something comes to bear on you, you start to feel the pressure or effect of it. Although this definition does not explain the use of â€Å"it all comes to bear† in the quotation that started this inquiry, it does shed some light on the other uses. â€Å"Come to bear† seems to be derived from the idiom â€Å"bring to bear,† meaning â€Å"to apply (pressure) or exert (influence).† Pressure is brought to bear. Influence and arguments are brought to bear. Then, once such things are brought to bear, the objects of the pressure, influence or arguments feel the effects. They are affected. It seems to me that the expression â€Å"comes to bear† is a messy, obfuscating circumlocution for â€Å"affects† or some other verb. Like passive voice, the â€Å"comes to bear† expression conceals part of the message to be conveyed. Compare: Will FedEx pressure come to bear? Will FedEx pressure affect the golf playoffs? Political pressure will come to bear on US margin rules Political pressure will affect/alter existing US margin rules The roles of first lady come to bear The role of First Lady affects the woman in it â€Å"Comes to bear† is an expression that careful writers can do without. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word Forms30 Nautical Expressions

10 Facts About Corals

10 Facts About Corals If youve ever visited an aquarium or gone snorkeling when on holiday, youre probably familiar with a wide variety of corals. You may even know that corals play a fundamental role in defining the structure of marine reefs, the most complex and diverse ecosystems in our planets oceans. But what many dont realize is that these creatures, which resemble a cross between colorful rocks and various bits of seaweed, are in fact animals. And amazing animals at that. Weve explored ten things we should all know about coral, what makes them animals and what makes them so unique. Corals Belong to the Phylum Cnidaria Other animals that belong to the Phylum Cnidaria include jellyfish, hydrae, and sea anemones. Cnidaria are invertebrates (they do not have a backbone) and all have specialized cells called nematocysts that help them capture prey and defend themselves. Cnidaria exhibit radial symmetry. Corals Belong to the Class Anthozoa (a Subgroup of the Phylum Cnidaria) Members of this group of animals have flower-like structures called polyps. They have a simple body plan in which food passes in and out of a gastrovascular cavity (stomach-like sac) through a single opening. Corals Typically Form Colonies Consisting of Many Individuals Coral colonies grow from a single founder individual that divides repeatedly. A coral colony consists of a base that attaches coral to a reef, an upper surface that is exposed to light and hundreds of polyps. The Term Coral Refers to a Number of Different of Animals These include hard corals, sea fans, sea feathers, sea pens, sea pansies, organ pipe coral, black coral, soft corals, fan corals whip corals. Hard Corals Have a White Skeleton That Is Made of Limestone (Calcium Carbonate) Hard corals are reef builders and are responsible for the creation of the structure of a coral reef. Soft Corals Lack the Stiff Limestone Skeleton That Hard Corals Possess Instead, they have little limestone crystals (referred to as sclerites) embedded in their jelly-like tissues. Many Corals Have Zooxanthellae Within Their Tissues Zooxanthellae are algae that form a symbiotic relationship with the coral by producing organic compounds that the coral polyps use. This food source enables the corals to grow faster than they would without the zooxanthellae. Corals Inhabit a Wide Range of Habitats and Regions Some solitary hard coral species are found in temperate and even polar waters and occur as far as 6000 meters below the surface of the water. Corals Are Rare in the Fossil Record They first appeared in the Cambrian period, 570 million years ago. Reef-building corals appeared during the middle of the Triassic period between 251 and 220 million years ago. Sea Fan Corals Grow at Right Angles to the Current of the Water This enables them to efficiently filter plankton from the passing water.

The Changing Geography of International Business Essay - 1

The Changing Geography of International Business - Essay Example The word ‘Latin America’ is used to explain the collection of 21 countries in the continent of South America. The language that is spoken is Latin. It has been observed that Latin America enjoys components of historical experience, culture and language. Latin America is an ethnically diverse region and is also deemed as a mounting political and economic force. The main languages that are spoken in this continent are Spanish, Portuguese and French. Conventionally, the Hispanic family is a cohesive group and the most vital social unit. They generally believe in extended family. It has been observed that in Latin cultures, the familial group is quite crucial. In a few of the Latin American countries, peasants might leave their workplaces during holidays so that they can meet their relatives in other parts of the country. They also tend to attend the funeral, weddings of their friends, or distant relatives. A manager may be faced with greater difficulties related to non-atte ndance impacting the workplace to a major extent. According to a study conducted by Geert Hofstede for Latin American countries, it was noted that there is high power distance in Latin America. In Latin America, the people in higher level of authority expect to gain respect from others and are familiar to make decisions without taking into consideration the viewpoints of their subordinates. Latin America has low individualism rate. In Latin America gender roles become quite different in comparison to the United States, men hold the greater authority.

Creative ideas Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creative ideas - Assignment Example David Bornstein (2004) argues that the success of a business does not depend upon the how well it is runned or how well it is managed but depends on how well it serves the customers. Every business idea should serve to fulfill the needs of the immediate consumers. Many people have put up business for fashion clothes for the young generation. I will start up a page on facebook that will advertise the best shops to go shopping. Having as many likes as possible will lure the business to advertise their products on my facebook page and in return, I will enjoy profits. 90% of the young generation visit facebook on daily basis and therefore products advertised on this page will have many viewers and therefore many buyers in the end. Many students own laptops and use them to aid their study. However, there are few repairers of the machines in campuses. Students are forced to go into towns looking for people to repair their machines. Setting up a computer repair centre in school will solve this problem. I will employ computer repairers to do the repairs. Due to the high numbers of customers, the business will realize many profits. The centre will not only repair but also service the machines. For establishment of each company, the government requires that the members draft a constitution. Drafting a constitution for a company has hindered many companies from establishing themselves. I will establish a company that will offer the service of making a constitution for people who want to register their companies. This will help many people who are challenged by the task of writing a constitution. Many companies are willing to advertise their products or services to the students in campuses but lack the forum to do so. There has not been a person to link them to the students. I will establish a company that will help connect the advertisers and the students. A company

Epistemic Themes Explored Essay Example for Free

Epistemic Themes Explored Essay All men, the learned philosopher Aristotle insists, desire to know. Thus, when the first group of men from Ionia, then part of the infamous Grecian province of the ancients, began their thoughtful quest to know the most fundamental â€Å"stuff† constituting reality, it started a whole history of inquiry which later on was to be called â€Å"philosophy† (Marias, 1967, p. 11). But while their controlling concern was primarily cosmological – in that these philosophers â€Å"wrestled with the problem of explaining physical nature by asking what is the one basic material out of which the world is made† – their inquiry nevertheless engendered lasting impacts on the way humanity has since then understood the nature, scope and use of human knowledge (Lavine, 1982, p. 23). In view of the foregoing, this paper aims at successfully presenting a summative account of some of the major concerns or themes of Epistemology throughout the history of Philosophy; specifically, the theories which were propounded by key philosophers as they seek to understand certain epistemic issues. Along the same vein, I would also attempt, through this paper, to evaluate, if not compare such concerns within the present context as my way of appropriating what I have learned from this course into my own frame. Methodology and Scope This paper endeavors to firstly circumscribe three salient (among many others) themes of epistemic exploration, namely, (1) the quest to understand the nature of knowledge, (2) the compelling desire to establish certitude, and (3) the all-important need to appropriate human knowledge into a prolific use. As such, these three elements correspond to three different epochs in the history of Philosophy – the ancient, the post-Scholasticism and the modern periods respectively; and these epochs are further typified by key philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle (for the ancient epoch), Rene Descartes (for the modern epoch) and the empiricists in the likes of J. Stuart Mill and Francis Bacon. Secondly and as hinted above, this paper is an attempt to appropriate their concerns with my own present context. The method with which this paper employs shall be both expository and analytic. The Epistemic Concerns of Key Philosophers of Knowledge At the onset of Philosophy, the overarching epistemic concern was to discover the nature of human knowledge. In order to do this, the Ionian philosophers started to put into question the things that they took for granted. Socrates tried to propound, through the infamous Socratic method, that knowledge â€Å"cannot be equated with belief† or personal opinion (Bruder Moore, 2005, p. 35). Plato on the other hand maintained that true knowledge consists not in our perception of the visible things, but in acquisition of a type of knowledge that brings us into the World of Ideas (Lavine, 1982, p. 26). Refuting Plato, Aristotle meanwhile asserted that abstraction alone does not afford true knowledge. Instead, he believed that true knowledge must be scientific; i. e. , it circumscribes the proximate and remote causes of things and events. As one author puts it, â€Å"for Aristotle, to have scientific knowledge of a fact, it is not enough to know that it is true; you must also know why it is true† (Robinson, 1985, p. 11). If these ancient philosophers were chiefly engrossed with the proper definition of the nature and parameters of human knowledge, the thinkers of the modern era meanwhile sought for a kind of knowledge marked by certitude or truthfulness. Simply put, the concern shifted from the defining the contents of human knowledge into deciphering whether such contents were truthful or not. Far more critical, modern philosophers did also entertain in a fair amount of skepticism. The chief proponent to this cause was Rene Descartes; and he is usually credited for starting a new phase in the field of Epistemology. He is known for his skepticism – a â€Å"vow to suspend judgment about everything† so as to arrive at a knowledge which is certain, if not altogether doubt-proof (Broughton, 2002, p. 1). The crux of this â€Å"doubt† does not lay on the act of doubting itself; for at the very least, the act of doubting has to serve its reasoned purpose, which is to proceed from an induced skepticism into an irreducible certainty. And Descartes succinctly refers to this as the â€Å"first principle of philosophy† – a principle which serves as a formidable base from all kinds of human knowledge stand erect (cited in Marias, 1967, p. 214). Descartes and his contemporaries thus dedicated their efforts to establish what constitutes certainty in human knowledge. By contrast however, the philosophers after them began to focus on discovering how human knowledge can be used prolifically in life and work. Thus, from being merely speculative in approach, the philosophers after the modern era began to see the wisdom of framing human knowledge within the context of practicality. John Stuart Mill for instance asserted that the true measure of human intellect lays in the way we human persons can employ knowledge for the â€Å"progress† of humanity (Donner, 1991, p. 123) Still, another important facet of this utilitarian perspective would be palpable in the formulation of the Principle of Induction. Francis Bacon for instance rejected the deductive reasoning of the ancients in favor of the principle of inference: i. e. , â€Å"from a serious of individual facts†¦one obtains by abstraction†¦the general concepts of the things and the laws of nature (Marias, 1967, p. 250). This principle is now widely known as the scientific method; and this method has in turn led to the rise of technological advancements witnessed during the Industrial Revolution. The concerns addressed by the three epochs herein cited could be summed into these three fundamental questions: (a) what constitutes knowledge? , (b) how do we know the truth? (c) and how do we concretely apply what we know? In ways more than one, these three questions are the self-same concerns which continuously confound the present society. Now more than ever, humanity is a witness to the flood of competing information from all fronts; and it is indeed a tall challenge to decipher which information affords a knowledge that approximates the truth and/or engenders beneficial results. For instance, in drafting key policies, any given government needs to be fed with accurate information about societal conditions; as indeed, in contemplating medical procedures, doctors and nurses need to be given precise information to avoid errors. To be sure, a thousand and one other examples may be cited to this end. But the crux of the matter lies in the fact that, even at an age when we are able to verify the veracity of information with advanced technologies, humanity’s chief concern has always been about correctly obtaining knowledge, establishing the its truthfulness thereof, and putting them into practical use.

M.C. Escher :: essays research papers

The Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972) was a draftsman, book illustrator, tapestry designer, and muralist, but his primary work was as a printmaker. Born in Leeuwarden, Holland, the son of a civil engineer, Escher spent most of his childhood in Arnhem. Aspiring to be an architect, Escher enrolled in the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Harlem. While studying there from 1919 to 1922, his emphasis shifted from architecture to drawing and printmaking upon the encouragement of his teacher Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita. In 1924 Escher married Jetta Umiker, and the couple settled in Rome to raise a family. They resided in Italy until 1935, when growing political turmoil forced them to move first to Switzerland, then to Belgium. In 1941, with World War II under way and German troops occupying Brussels, Escher returned to Holland and settled in Baarn, where he lived and worked until shortly before his death. The main subjects of Escher's early art are Rome and the Italian countryside. While living in Italy from 1922 to 1935, he spent the spring and summer months traveling throughout the country to make drawings. Later, in his studio in Rome, Escher developed these into prints. Whether depicting the winding roads of the Italian countryside, the dense architecture of small hillside towns, or details of massive buildings in Rome, Escher often created enigmatic spatial effects by combining various -- often conflicting -- vantage points, for instance, looking up and down at the same time. He frequently made such effects more dramatic through his treatment of light, using vivid contrasts of black and white. After Escher left Italy in 1935, his interest shifted from landscape to something he described as "mental imagery," often based on theoretical premises. The lavish tile work adorning the Moorish architecture suggested new directions in the use of color and the flattened patterning of interlocking forms. Replacing the abstract patterns of Moorish tiles with recognizable figures, in the late 1930s Escher developed "the regular division of the plane." The artist also used this concept in creating his Metamorphosis prints. Starting in the 1920s, the idea of "metamorphosis" -- one shape or object turning into something completely different -- became one of Escher's favorite themes. After 1935, Escher also increasingly explored complex architectural mazes involving perspective games and the representation of impossible spaces.

Strategic Audit Report of Apple

apex [pic] CHAPTER ONE Introduction Part 1. Background of report To expand the practical knowledge by implementing theoretical knowledge through the internship program that would make a student to become a competitive with the outside world. That program not only increases the knowledge but also give the idea about organizational activities before entering into an organization. STATE University OF BANGLADESH is one of the reputed private university in Bangladesh, has designed the curriculum of BBA course such way that international graduates will be produced.After competing 120 credits, one student need to go for further 4 credit internship programs in a commercial organization. From this internship program students get the opportunity to learn facing the real business world. My faculty supervisor Kazi Atif Anwar, approved the topic and authorized me to prepare this report as part of the fulfillment of internship requirement. The report thus was titled as â€Å"Analysis of Consumer satisfaction ofApex Adelchi Footwear Ltd† 1. 2. Rationale of the study The business world is getting dynamic and competitive day by day.It is hard for an organization to run & even survive in a fast paced, growing and uncertain world if it cannot keep tracks with the go of business dynamism. Business plays and links important roles in developing the economy of a country. So, as a business graduate, I think I need to be attached with any organization to get a handy & versatile experience about the business world before starting our career. Internship is the arrangement, which makes a bridge between our academic knowledge and practical world to have an acquaintance with the real business world as well as to gear me up to lead the future competitive business.I have worked in the Marketing division of Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited, head office, Gulshan-1, Dhaka. In this report, I will try to make an overall consumer analysis of AAFL. 1. 3 Objectives of the report: General Objectiv e: ? The primary objective of this report is to explore of consumer analysis of Apex Adelchi Footwear Ltd. Secondary Objective: ? To show an overview of the company(vision, mission, value, product offerings, associates companies) ? To present an overview of Department of Gallerie Apex. ? To present an overview of footwear industry, economic condition of Bangladesh & worldwide. 1. 4 Methodology:While conducting the report, sources were explored for primary information and data. But hardly any updated data could be found. In the absence of updated information or data dependence on secondary has been inevitable. However, wherever possibly primary data has been used. Data were also collected by interviewing the responsible officers and from some documents & statements printed by the Apex and the website of AAFL. There have been used some statistical tools (Microsoft Office Excel table) and graphical representation (Microsoft Office Excel chart) to find out different types of analytical results and interpretations. . 4. 1 Primary Data Collection: Primary data ? Practical desk work. ? Face to face conversation with the officers and clients. ? Face to face conversation with the consumer ? Data collection of own supervision. 1. 4. 2 Secondary Data Collection: Secondary Data ? Annual report of AAFL. ? Official files and folders. ? Working papers. ? Selected books. ? Published and unpublished documents. ? Website. 1. 5 Limitations of the Study: As I did my internship program in Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited & I worked in the Marketing Department so my report is fully based on the consumer satisfaction analysis of the company.But to prepare this report I faced little difficulties through I have also got some limitation which are: ? The first limitation is that I failed to sketch the complete picture of the Apex activities at the period of my internship programmed. So I tried my best to focus on what I have done and also tried to make it consistent with other part of the report. ? The second limitation is the lack of intellectual thought and analytical ability to make in a perfect one. I have to offset with quality due to time constraint, which apparently seems to be the most severe limitation. Sufficient records & publications as well as up to date information are not readily available. ? Another limitation of this report is that the company’s policy of not to disclose some data & information for obvious reason, which could be much more useful. 1. 6 Scope of the Study: The report commences with the analysis of the footwear industry, company in focus, presenting the mission & vision, the values & product, description of 8 associates companies, Market related issues are discussed in detail along with their results and possibilities.In this report consumer analysis has been discussed detailed as a result the management can take decisions regarding modifying their plans for give more facility for the consumer. [pic] CHAPTER TWO Company Analysis 2. 1. Historical Background Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited (AAFL) is a leading export-oriented leather footwear manufacturer in Bangladesh. It is the largest exporter of leather footwear from Bangladesh. Currently holding the second position, the company is also one of the fastest growing footwear companies in the local market.Despite the effects of global economic turmoil and scarcity of raw hide due to natural disasters, the company has performed well in the last couple of years. Bangladesh to major shoe retailers in Western Europe, North America and Japan. AAFL was incorporated on January 04, 1990. In the same year it went into commercial production with an installed capacity of 1000 pairs per day and 350 employees. Today the company is producing 15000 pairs of shoes per day, employing over 7,500 people in two factories. Apex Adelchi has quickly established itself as one of the most recognizable brands in the footwear market of Bangladesh.The exports by Apex Adelchi accounts for 4 5% of the total footwear exports from Bangladesh. With 6% of market share in local market, they are behind only to Bata Shoe, which holds 22% of market share. Because of their superior quality compared to that of Bata, Apex Adelchi’s products have given the local market a very good alternative to Bata. Although the company remains a predominantly export-oriented company, they have also taken the local market very seriously, which may prove to be decisive in the long run. AAFL Company has exported more than 3. million pairs of shoes to Europe, Japan and USA per annum. Their earning was more than 4,000 million euros from export. They have concentrated mainly on the export market. These export market comprises them more than 90% of their sales. They also have a growing local market for their products. Their local products were sold through a chain of retail shoe outlets in Bangladesh by the name of Gallerie Apex. Gallerie Apex has recently launched genuine Disney branded footwea r through its stores to cater to the kids segment.AAFL is committed to productivity and quality growth to attain its objective of being a leading footwear manufacturer of Asia through its mission of â€Å"Honest Growth†. 2. 2 Company Profile:  ¬ Name of the Company: Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited.  ¬ Date of Commencement of Business as Apex Footwear Limited: January 4 1990.  ¬ Name Change to Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited: December 27, 2006.  ¬ Type of Company: Public Limited Company BOARD OF DIRECTORS Syed Manzur Elahi :Chairman Syed Nasim Manzur :Managing Director Munize Manzur Khasru :DirectorSyed Gias Hussain :Director Niaz Ahmed Choudhury:Director Adelchi Sergio :Director Samson H. Chowdhury : Independent Director D. MANAGEMENT TEAM Syed Nasim Manzur :Managing Director Syed Gias Hussain :Deputy Managing Director & CFO Abdul Momen Bhuiyan: Executive Director A. A. Mosaddeque :Executive Director Dilip Kajuri :Financial Controller S. M. Shahjahan :Company Secretary Pr adip Kanti Saha :General Manager Atiqul Islam :General Manager (Leather) Syed Md. Mustaque :General Manager (Factory)Md. Mominul Ahsan :Head of Human Resources 2. 3Associates Companies: ? Apex Tannery Limited. ? Adelchi Footwear Bangladesh Limited. ? Apex Pharma Limited. ? Grey Advertising Bangladesh Limited. ? Quantum Marketing Research BD Limited. ? Mutual Trust Bank limited. ? Pioneer Insurance Company Limited. ? Gallerie Apex |[pic] | 2. 3. 1: Apex Tannery Limited A leading manufacturer and exporter of finished and crust leather from Bangladesh to major products manufacturers in China, Japan and Italy. (apexadelchi. om, 2010)The company has annual export revenues of USD 37 million in 2006-2007, comprising almost 15% of the total export earnings from leather of Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)ATL pioneered the export of value added crust and finished leather from Bangladesh and accessed capital markets for growth. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)ATL introduced the first convertible d ebenture in Bangladesh and has been publicly traded since 1986. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)ATL currently employs 955 persons, is professionally managed and is in full compliance Report under Section 2CC of the Securities & Exchange Commission Notification Order.ATL is also the first tannery in Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic] 2. 3. 1 Adelchi Footwear Bangladesh Limited. It is a leading manufacturer and exporter of leather footwear from Bangladesh to major shoe retailers in Western Europe, North America and Japan. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)The company has revenues of 444 crore taka in 2007. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)AAFL pioneered the export of value added finished products export in the leather sector of Bangladesh and is also involved in the local footwear retail business with the second largest shoe retail network in the country. apexadelchi. com, 2010)AAFL has equity, technical and marketing participation from La Nuova Adelchi one of the largest footwear manufacturers of Italy . (apexadelchi. com, 2010)Public listed and traded since 1993, AAFL is professionally managed, currently employs more than 6800 persons and is in full compliance with Corporate Governance Compliance Report under Section 2CC of the Securities Exchange Commission Notification Order. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic]2. 3. 3: Apex Pharma LimitedOne of the fastest growing, ISO 9001-2000 certified new generation pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies in Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)APL started its operation in 2002, currently employs 1300 persons and markets 126 dosage forms from its Saver plant. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)The company's growth in 2006 was 65% against industry growth of 6% according to IMS. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)The company is in the process of setting up a new state-of-art manufacturing plant which completed in 2009. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) pic]2. 3. 4: Grey Advertising Bangladesh Limited. The first joint venture international full service advertising agency to set up in Bangladesh, GABL is today the largest stand alone agency in Bangladesh with billings of USD 6 million in 2006. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)GABL is a market leader with a dynamic team of young and talented professionals and has won an unprecedented 4 years in a row (2003-2007) the Agency of the year Award, at the Srijan Samman Awards for all Bengali advertising work done in India and Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. om, 2010)In additional work done for its local as well as multinational corporate has won innumerable local and international Awards and accolades. GABL is a member of the Grey Group owned by WPP. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic] 2. 3. 5: Quantum Market Research BD Limited. Quantum Market Research Bangladesh Limited (QMRBL), a joint venture between Quantum Market Research Private Ltd of India and Apex Enterprises Ltd a Bangladeshi company, is the leading specialized qualitative market research agency in Bangladesh which provides research services to multinational and local manufacturers and service providers in and outside Bangladesh. apexadelchi. com, 2010)Its strong strategic link with its parent company Quantum Market Research Private Ltd, India (Operating in the South Asian and Asia-Pacific Region) has also facilitated effective and continuous knowledge transfer at a sub-continent, regional and global level. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)Besides market research, QMRBL also provides effective service in qualitative social & development research to a number of local organizations and development partners. (apexadelchi. om, 2010)Since its inception in June 2004, QMRBL has conducted 284 studies in the areas of consumer psyche, brand development, communication, human resources development, social and organizational development and production practices. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)QMRBL employs 14 expert researchers and 5 supporting staff as permanent employees along with 75 field staff who work on a contract-basis. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic] 2. 3. 6: Mutual Trust Bank Limited A Third Generation (License) Commercial Bank sponsored by Square, ACI and Apex which is the largest and most reputed businesses in Bangladesh. apexadelchi. com, 2010)MTBL today enjoys some of the highest credit ratings in the industry. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)Publicly listed, traded and professionally managed, MTBL is a market leader amongst financial institutions of Bangladesh and now this bank is very much renowned. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)This bank plays the most important role in the economy by collecting money from the individuals and lends them to others. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)Now bank’s offer the widest range of financial services and perform lot of financial functions.It has many branches all over the country. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic] 2. 3. 7: Pioneer Insurance Company Limited. PICL is a general insurance company offering a wide range of non-life insurance products to retail and corporate customers in Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)This company is sponsored by Square, ACI and Apex which is the largest and most reputed businesses in Bangladesh. (apexadelchi. com, 2010)PICL has established itself as one of the most respected players in the industry. apexadelchi. com, 2010)Publicly listed, traded and professionally managed, PICL enjoys 90th percentile rankings in a very crowded space of over 40 companies. (apexadelchi. com, 2010) [pic] 2. 3. 8 Gallerie Apex: Gallerie Apex is the local manufacturing and retail wing of Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited (AAFL). While AAFL has predominantly earned both critical and commercial fame through export of high quality leather footwear in the international arena, Gallerie Apex has sought to adeptly make use of that xpertise to provide high quality, fashionable footwear to the Bangladeshi consumers. With over 140 own retail outlets and 150 authorized resellers, Gallerie Apex ensures nationwide coverage of its diverse range of footwear for its consumers. Through its eight in -house brands, namely Venturini, Apex Men’s, Sprint, Lotto, Moochie, Nino Rossi, Sandra Rosa, Revive and Twinkler, Gallerie Apex carries a huge selection of shoes and sandals, ensuring that each of our valued customer finds the footwear that is just right for them. Product category MEN |WOMEN |CHILDREN |OTHERS | |Casual shoe |Boot |Shoe |Shocks | |Dress shoe |Long boot |Sandel |Shoe care product | |Sendel | |School shoe |Hand purse | |Converse | | |Beg | | | | |Belt | [pic] 2. 4 Mission & vision VISION â€Å"Honest Growth† MISSION To ensure sustainable growth To be a vendor of choice for our customers To create value for our shareholders To be proactively compliant with global best practices & standards To be a responsible corporate citizen 2. 5 Values: ( Respect for people – Demonstrate respect by developing our people and helping them to achieve high performance standards. – Treat all people with dignity. ( Integrity – Honesty – Walk the t alk. Sense of Urgency – Strive for speed and simplicity in everything we do. ( Empowerment – Encourage and reward self-confidence and initiative – Require accountability 2. 6 Future: Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited has regained their focus on productivity and they have been forced to reassess their business model. (Apex annual report, 2009) They have made efficiency a byword, starting from wastage of materials to improving line wise productivity and this focus will remain. (Apex annual report, 2009) They have sought out and developed new and better sources of raw materials; they have identified new markets and segments where they have huge potential for growth. Apex annual report, 2009) They have also actively begun the process of reducing their financial expenses by exploring new innovative funding options. (Apex annual report, 2009) On the domestic front they are reinforcing their retail format with new formats in the wholesale space. (Apex annual report, 2009) They have launched several very large format stores which are generating good returns and also begun a phased renovation of older stores. (Apex annual report, 2009) They will continue to refresh and renew their product range to ensure that they deliver on their promise to maximize customer delight and choice. (Apex annual report, 2009) As the global markets emerge slowly, from recession they are ready to take full advantage of the new opportunities that emerge. Apex annual report, 2009) The power situation in Bangladesh has already reached crisis proportions and Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited averaged more than 7 hours of load shedding per day in March 2010. (Apex annual report, 2009) Adelchi Footwear Limited is equipped with sufficient diesel standby generators but they are not designed to run for such long hours at a stretch and the wear and tear and operating costs are very high. (Apex annual report, 2009) This is a serious threat to their ability to meet their production targets and operate their plant optimally and profitably. (Apex annual report, 2009) They must now actively explore immediate power solutions like switching to alternative energy sources such as HSFO based captive power generation. Apex annual report, 2009) The global shift towards green sourcing is a reality and it has already started in the footwear industry. (Apex annual report, 2009) Today their entire supply chain must be environmental sustainable and obviously the present tannery industry in Hazaribagh is unable to meet these standards. (Apex annual report, 2009) They must start to plan for an alternative production source of environmentally friendly finished leather from raw hides that can meet global standards. (Apex annual report, 2009) The global footwear market is forecasted to reach USD 272. 5 billion by 2013 and Europe is the single largest market accounting for 42. 3 percent of global value. Apex annual report, 2009) Bangladesh enjoys preferential access to this market, has a competitive and young labor force and is blessed with a domestic raw material advantage in terms of locally available hides and skins. (Apex annual report, 2009) Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited must now turn its focus on maximizing these strengths and ensuring that they are prepared to meet the new challenges of power supply, developing capability and offering shorter lead times to market. (Apex annual market as a forerunner in this industry in Bangladesh but they must now redouble their pace to maintain their leadership position and achieve their goal of global standards of excellence. (Apex annual report, 2009) 2. 7 Product:Since the beginning of the retailing business, in 1990, AAFL received a remarkable response from the local market which motivated the company to expand over the years. Today, the company offers the local consumers of Bangladesh a much wider range of products than before. Most of the products that are offered in the local market by AAFL are relatively different fr om the ones that are exported, especially in terms of design and material. The reason behind this is the different climate, culture and the demand of the consumers of local and foreign markets. For example, AAFL exports products like ladies boots which are not available in the local market because the boots do not complement with neither the clothes that most of the ladies wear nor the culture of the country.So, AAFL offers ladies open sandal to meet the demand of the local market which, on the other hand is not exported as it would not satisfy the taste of foreign consumers. Thus, the product development unit of AAFL is continuously working to develop products based on the needs and wants of the local consumers. In the local market AAFL is mainly known for men’s footwear and sandals but recently the company has extended the product range with ladies and kids products. The table above clearly shows that the emphasis is more on the of men’s products than the ladies and children products. However, recently AAFL launched genuine Disney branded footwear through the retail stores to furnish to the kids segment.Disney provided the license to AAFL to launch footwear for children designed with for instance the Disney characters like Pooh bear, Mickey Mouse, etc. According to men’s shoes, there are three products brand like Venturing, Apex and Sprint are common and ladies sandals; Sandra Rosa, Nino Rossi and Apex are common. Men’s shoes size starts from 39-44 and sandal size starts from 35-41. There have different row to display particular brand product like shoes, sandals, socks, kid’s sandals etc. Price of men’s shoes starts from 1250Tk-5500Tk, sandals 400Tk-1950Tk, ladies sandals 380Tk-2250Tk, comfort socks 150Tk-250Tk. Price of leather Goods is 600Tk. Components of Manufacturing Shoes: There are some components required for making a pair of shoes.These components assemble with each other step by step. The manufacturing proc edure depends on some components which need to make a pair of shoes. UPPER: Upper is the main part of shoes. This upper made by leather, synthetic, fabric, rubber. In upper side different components or parts of leather are combined by stitch this stitch is various types like lock stitch, chain stitch, jhik jhak stitch, heavy stitch and moccasin. LINIING: This is the inside part of upper, it can be also leather, synthetic, fabrics (depends on shoe design). SOCK: Sock is to comfort the inner part of shoes. It can be synthetic, foam. IN-SOLE: This in-sole placed at upper side of sole.It can be leather board, cellulose board, fiber board, Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA). SOLE: It stands the lower part of shoes to adjust upper body. It can be rubber, leather board and wood, PU (Poly Uri thane), Thermo Plastic Rubber (TPR) and Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC). HILL: Hill is to balance the body of shoes and it can be rubber, wood. ADHESIVE: This is a gum which can use with sole to fit the upper side of shoes. There are different types of adhesives like: 2. 8 SWOT Analysis of Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited: Strengths: AAFL has advanced machines and skilled manpower which make it possible to produce high quality footwear. As a SBU of Apex group, it also has good financial backup.As a partner company of Adelchi, Apex gets product designs from them which make it possible for them to follow Italian fashion trend. They have renowned brand image in the footwear market. Weakness: AAFL? s product price is comparatively high. On the other hand, their ladies and kids footwear brands are not that much strong. Furthermore, they have to depend on foreign suppliers for raw materials and design support. Opportunities: The quality of the leather available in Bangladesh is really very good. Furthermore, here labor cost is low which makes it possible to produce the products more cheaply. On the other hand, young generation is now more fashion oriented and brand conscious.Threats: Consumers are now m ore prices sensitive day by day. Furthermore, most of the raw materials are not locally available. Beside this, leather price is increasing day by day due to high demand. Production is also hampering due to electricity crisis CHAPTER THREE Departments of Gallerie Apex 3. 1 Operating functions of Gallerie Apex: Operating functions of Gallerie Apex (GAPX) is more effective according to the vision of this company. Whole process of GAPX operates a functional team on the demand of whole marketing process. These departments are shown as below: ? Human Resource Division. ? Product Development. ? Marketing Department. ? Sales Department. MIS Department. ? Merchandising Department. ? Supply Chain Department. ? Accounts Section. 3. 2Human Resource Division: This division always monitors the facilities of employees and to check problems. There are some activities that HR department also do for the employees of Gallerie Apex like: ( Human Resource Planning ( Recruitment and selection ( Compensa tion and Benefit ( Accommodation ( Health and safety ( Employee and worker relation ( Training and development ( Motivation ( Maintenance Every manager and employees of every company wants a healthy and safe work environment. This environment is one of the more challenging areas for HR department.This department of Gallerie Apex provides maximum safety and healthy environment under their activities. 3. 3 Product Development and Market Consultant: This product development team starts a new merchandising wing of Gallerie Apex. This section called Design Studio. This is the new innovation of product development, creates new design of shoes for new generation and analyzes the market in a short time. In design studio the swing machine is for the upper stretching of leather & scaling machine makes the leather thin. Leather quality is very good & it imports from Pakistan, Italy & Apex own tannery. (Through this studio the research can done very frequently & positive way.Behind this activit y design studio operates some other works for Gallerie Apex like: ( Design & Technical Support ( To standardize the component of product ( Try to decrease the price of product ( Market Trend Analysis ( Find out the competitors ( Short Time research ( To collect the best quality shoe component ( To check the quality of finished goods ( Delivering 3. 4 Sales Department: Always keeps monitoring the sale condition of all galleries. Assistant General Manager (AGM)-Sales and Manager-Sales always monitor the new suitable market place which can be profitable business for Gallerie Apex. Under this sales department there have strong monitoring team called ASE (Area Sales Executive).They are working at zonal basis like Dhaka North,Dhaka Central, Dhaka South, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna 3. 5 Management and Information: It is a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to support decision making A computer information system based on 6 com ponents such as, ( Hardware ( Software ( Data/ Information ( Procedure ( Communication ( People There have some role of MIS which is necessary for all business and this department of Gallerie Apex also works in this point; ( Improved communication system ( Data management and faster decision making ( Online data access ( Systematic management and information MIS department of Gallerie Apex is much established according to their job work.This department collects sale report on entire galleries and input the database which should be daily, weekly and monthly basis. This department input the data of daily sale information like, ( Actual sale amount ( Number of sold pair goods. ( Sold pair of shoes 3. 6Marketing Department: According to marketing concept, this department of Gallerie Apex holds the key to achieve its organizational goal consists of the company being more effective than other competitors in skill, delivering and communicating superior customer value to its chosen target m arket. Marketing department evaluate the present footwear market condition. ) Marketing team also research how Apex brand can be established through utilize 4Ps concept in the market. Gallerie Apex has a reputation in market place, so marketing department should take some initial steps for the modification or more development of this present image. There are some works that marketing department always do; 1. Training and Development- Training for store manager, for sales man, for Area Sales Executive (ASE). 2. Merchandise Analysis- Marketing department analyzes the merchandise procedure. Marketing department also checks the market demand of some selected articles, monitors the sale review, checks the best sale of product, which article should be more running. 3. Merchandise Action- Is there any problem come to mind about in store merchandising, then marketing department takes initiative of that step. 4.Market Research- Marketing Department also works about the research of footwear m arket. If there any scopes that can be applied for the development of product and market, this department also investigate that. Brand Development, a brand is an art of corner store of marketing It is a name, term, sign and symbol or combination of them intended to identify the goods or services of one seller and to differentiate them from those of competitors. Marketing department also works to enlarge this brand. Corporate Branding, This marketing department of Gallerie Apex also works about corporate branding policy. Here some activities that has plan of this department is like; ( Vehicle Branding ( Hording sign Social Events ( Corporate Branding umbrella ( Shoe related fashion show ( Advertising In order for publicity of any particular sales promotion or any new seasonal offer, marketing department of Gallerie Apex uses some advertising media. (Abrour) These are as follows, ( TVC ( RDC ( Press Ad 3. 7 Functions & Responsibilities of supply chain: Supply chain department distribu tes product in whole galleries all over the country. After issuing the purchase order & manufacturing of product, supply chain work begins. First product goes to Central Distribution Centre (CDC) with bills, delivery Chelan & VAT paper. Product comes from factory, source and import.At CDC they check the products quality, box, article no, with Quality Control report and after that official formalities they receive product. The invoice will be 2-copies at the time of receiving goods from Shafipur Shoe Limited (factory). ( 1copy will go on Supply Chain Department ( 1copy will go on Merchandising Department At the time of supply from CDC to galleries, they make 3 copies of invoice. ( 1 copy for Supply Chain Department ( 1 copy for Management Information System Department ( 1 copy for Gallerie At the period of outsource suppliers, they also provide 4 copies of supply invoice. This copy goes to four particular sections like; ( Merchandising department Supply chain department ( Accounts de partment and ( CDC record At the time of Bill submission, they attach supply invoice (Chelan). Supply Chain Department has some responsibilities also. They have to consider what kind of product will go which galleries. It depends on volume of sale, customer category & position of market & sales Sometimes they have to check the sale condition of galleries and also stock of shoes. According to distribution of goods they apply transport facilities or rent car or curia service. In fact CDC has own car but it can use only for Dhaka North zone, Dhaka central zone and Dhaka South Zone. 3. 8 Merchandising Procurement Procedure:According to this procedure, there are two basic sources of production can provide the finished products; ( Shafipur Shoe Limited (own factory) ( Supply sources The Shafipur Shoe Limited is the main factory of Gallerie Apex. It produces goods according to given requirement. The components like upper, insole and outsole has collected from Shiva Footwear Ltd. Design stu dio of Gallerie Apex produces only sandals with limited quantity. Gallerie Apex has some supply sources which make goods. These sources make goods according to given design or requirements of Gallerie Apex. Basically these supply sources make deed between Gallerie Apex and their factories that, sole & other component they will provide and they make complete shoes.In the term of payment bill, they adjust their cost with total amount. Some names of supply sources are given below: †¢ Hanif Shoes †¢ Century Shoes †¢ Popy Shoes †¢ Moochie Shoes †¢ Coaster Footwear †¢ Herald Shoes †¢ Classic Footwear †¢ Ryan Shoe †¢ Crown Leather †¢ Keya Sandal †¢ Home Land †¢ Nashanan Trade †¢ FN Enterprise †¢ Prestige Bengal †¢ King Ston †¢ Bright Shine †¢ Mayhem †¢ Comfort Socks 3. 9 In-Process Quality Control: The quality control process of Gallerie Apex is very much effective. To check the quality of finished go ods it has a specification sheet to know the total information about finished product. This sheet has the serial number, color, material of goods & price.At 5th level of Gallerie Apex, Quality Control room is worked by the Quality Control officer of Design studio. The system is to check the 20% of product in a lot. 3. 10 Producer & practice of product pricing: At the time of selecting price of product it should be careful that, gross margin must be minimum 40 %. )Buying price will always be fixed. In terms of adding VAT, amount will be 15%. To analyze the total cost sheet some necessary work has to be done. These are: Article no: Color Cost of materials Value Added Tax (VAT) Total cost (unit based) Retail price Profit margin (TK) †¢ Profit margin (%) †¢ Quantity order †¢ Total cost †¢ Total VAT (amount) †¢ Total cost value (amount) †¢ Total retail value Total margin (TK) After calculating VAT on retail price of product, total cost (unit based) can add. Profit margin is based on amount of retail price. Cost of material, information comes from own factory Shafipur Shoe Limited. There are two types of cost should be considered; own cost & supply cost. According to supply cost there can be made another cost sheet include all cost of supply source. In order to make a price of product all department head discuss about design, durability, looks of product, customer’s choice & finally they fixed the price of product. Executive director is the head of this team. 3. 11 Basic Ideas on Store Display of Gallerie Apex:Gallerie Apex always plays a different style to attract the potential customer. Visual Merchandising is very important part in store to attract the customer Store Display gives an idea about the product feature such as variety, quality and size, color, design and trends. This display reminds the customers about their need and they attract to buy this product. It is an act of putting things for view or on view. I visited som e galleries to take this display idea and I found some rules of display. This display can be dividing into 2 types. They are: ( Interior Display ( Exterior Display Before a customer enters the store, the store must send a message that, store must be well decorated, clean and full of lighting.The display products are being neat & clean. There is some display rules that I have noticed from galleries is that; ( Have to show the outside of shoes ( Angle at 0degree & 90 degrees (same style) ( Group shoes consistently with a space between groups ( Display shoes should keep in small size like 38/40. ( The display light should be top on display article According to Branding, there are generally 5 brands are common on Gallerie Apex. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] There are some rules about Brand Differentiation: ( Each Brand should be displayed separately ( Never should mix Venturini with Apex ( Never should mix Nino Rossi with Sandra Rosa Always keep the different Brand in a selected place A ccording to ladies footwear, always have to display the flats on the bottom shelf & high heels on the top shelf. It will be better not display the Sandra Rosa with Nino Rossi. According to new arrival, new article should display on the right side after entrance with new arrival tag. In that part ladies and men’s article can display separately. A. Brand for men footwear; some common brand of Gallerie Apex. ( Venturini- Exclusive dress shoes targeted for upper middle segment. ( Apex- Leather footwear is for middle/ upper middle segment. ( Sprint- Sporty casual targeted for middle/upper middle segment. B.Brand for women footwear; Gallerie Apex has also some ladies brand. ( Nino Rossi- Evening wears for middle/upper middle segment. ( Moochie- Designer collects for middle/upper segment. ( Sandra Rosa- Colorful for middle/ upper middle segment. C. Brand for kids; Gallerie Apex has also some kids Items, (Apex- Under this brand some kid’s article is common. ( Disney-This is th e ongoing brand. ( Twinkler – This brand is totally new for Gallerie Apex which is going. CHAPTER FOUR Industry Analysis 4. 1 Bangladesh Footwear Industry analysis: Export promotion bureau statistics show that footwear exports had 20 percent market rises during 2009July- 10 March fiscal year. (reportlinker. om, 2010) The country fetched 144. 69 million dollar from export of the item in nine months a sharp rise from 131. 52 million dollar in the July -March period. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Nowadays many countries like China and India are failing to produce high quality but low-cost leather items due to the WTO anti dumping rules. (reportlinker. com, 2010) So orders from Germany, Italy, France, Japan and Canada are shifting to the local manufactures. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Crushed leather is the main raw material for locally produced. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Earlier China, India and Vietnam are the largest shoe exporters in the world. (reportlinker. om, 2010) The demand f or fashionable and high end leather shoes has decline in international markets because of the recession. (reportlinker. com, 2010) But it has also given rise to an opportunity for the county to produce shoes that are ordinary but essential. (reportlinker. com, 2010) The county started exporting leather footwear in 1994 on small scale to neighboring countries including India and Nepal. (reportlinker. com, 2010) The footwear business grew in recent years. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Currently the total market size of Bangladesh made leather footwear stands at tk1700 corer of which about 45 percent is exported. (reportlinker. om, 2010) The country exports around six million pairs of leather footwear a year. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited is the country’s leading footwear exporter claiming more than half of the total exports. (reportlinker. com, August 2010)The company earned taka 450 core last year. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Bangladesh mainly exports menâ €™s footwear, lady’s sandals and sports shoes to European nations China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, India and Nepal. (reportlinker. com, 2010) Mr. Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Adelchi Footwear Ltd, said â€Å"the recession has taken a toll on the demand for luxury fashion accessories. Apex annual report, 2009) The additional fall out of the global financial crisis on AAFL has been the adverse impact on the Euro & as the majority of our revenues are in Euros, the continued slide of the Euro and the reflection in the Taka versus Euro conversion rate has severely affected our taka revenues as seen above. (Apex annual report, 2009) The Bangladesh Taka has remained unchanged against the US$ in 2009 where the currencies of our competitor nations such as the Indian Rupee & Pakistan Rupee have been devalued repeatedly in 2009 in order to boost their export competitiveness. (Apex annual report, 2009) Despite many pleas from exporters in Bangladesh, the go vernment of Bangladesh has not adjusted the Taka against the USD. Apex annual report, 2009 Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited started its business in December 27, 2006 in Bangladesh. AAFL has equity, technical and marketing participation from La Nuova Adelchi one of the largest footwear manufacturers of Italy. Since then there was demand for the products in the local markets. But the problem was the local market was too small to support their required profitability. On the other hand, they found a worldwide growth opportunity in the developed countries. It inspired them to set up their system in Western Europe, North America and Japan. Later on they also move towards the developing nations. They started focusing the country needs.Therefore, gradually they were becoming one of the second market leaders. They had total 280545 sq. ft factory area. The producing capacity of 15,000 pairs complete shoes per day. They came up with a wide range of products for different markets. They had large n umber of employees and 70% of their workers are female. Ultimately, the small market in the home country and the huge growth opportunity was the crucial force to move towards the international market. Hence, these are the IHRM variable for them which can be regarded as the structural factor. 4. 2 Production Facilities  ¦ Cutting Department Covered Area 25,000 sft. Cutting Machines 104 no. s Cutting Capacity 15,000 Prs/dayCutting Manpower 494+16 Persons  ¦ Sewing Department Covered Area 78,000 sft. Sewing Line 16 lines x 2 shift Sewing Capacity 15,000 Prs/day Sewing Manpower 2550 +60 Persons  ¦ Lasting Department Covered Area 46,000 sft. Lasting Line 8 lines x 2 shift Lasting Capacity 15,000 Prs/day Lasting Manpower 1100+25Persons [pic] Component Department Covered Area 27,760 sft. Outsole workstation 42 nos Production Capacity 12,000 Prs/day Outsole Manpower 250+3 Persons Insole Prod. Capacity 15,000 Prs/day Insole Manpower 93+3  ¦ Packing Department Covered Area 21,000 sft. Manpower 37+7 Persons 4. 3. Summary of factory area Factory Area | |SL |Section/Building |Area in SFT. | |01 |Cutting |25000 | |02 |Sewing |78000 | |03 |Lasting |46000 | |04 |Component |27000 | |05 |Packing |21000 | |06 |Store |32000 |07 |Leather Store |15000 | |Sub-Total |244000 | |08 |Office |14300 | |09 |Staff Centre |8000 | |10 |Worker Canteen |8500 | |11 |Engineering workshop & Sub-station |5745 | |Sub-Total |36545 | |Total |280545 | CHAPTER FIVE Job Description 5. 1 Nature of the job: That My internship commenced on the date of my joining which was on February 01, 2011. My posting was at their Register Office, House # 6, Road # 137, Dhaka-1212. I have worked in the Marketing division of Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited. During my internship period, I had been giving my work report to Yashna chowdhury (Brand Manager of Marketing) everyday I did. 5. 2 Specific responsibilities of the job: During my internship period, my responsibility was to record the daily survey data an other responsibility was to what the customer wants.I had to record it in the survey sheet 5. 3 Different aspects of job performance: During my internship period, my responsibility was to record the daily survey data another responsibility was to what the customer wants. I had to record it in the survey sheet. I worked this type of activities in marketing department because at the beginning in entry level position every officer does this type of activities. At first senior manager of marketing department checks the level/ability of every officer by giving this type of activities. When they perform well, they get another responsibility. 5. 4 Observations: At the period of my internship in Gallerie Apex, I visited some galleries.Gallerie Farmgate is one of them. It denotes the whole activities that have to be done in each store of the Gallerie Apex. These are about; ( Product Knowledge ( Sales Conduct ( POS (Point of Sale) ( Process of sales communication ( Procedure of Goods receivin g/Dispatch ( Cash Memo ( Sales Report (Daily) ( Sales Report (Weekly) ( Sales Report (monthly) ( Accounting ( Store Billing ( After Sales Service ( Visual Merchandising Farmgate Gulshan is „A? category shop of Gallerie Apex. Total space is 1800sft and 6 employees are working there. Customer response is very much positive. This gallerie has verities collection of shoes for men and ladies.According to Men’s shoes, there are three products brand like Venturini, Apex and Sprint are common and Ladies sandals; Sandra Rosa, Nino Rossi and Apex are common. Men’s shoes size starts from 39-44 and sandal size starts from 35-41. There have different row to display particular brand product like shoes, sandals, socks, kid’s sandals etc. Price of Men’s shoes starts from 1250Tk-5500Tk, sandals 400Tk-1950Tk, and Ladies sandals 380Tk-2250Tk, Comfort socks 150Tk-250Tk. Price of Leather Goods is 600Tk. Point of Sale (POS) is some information? s about selling goods that have to fill by manager at selling period. These are; 1. Article code 7. Quantity 2. Name 8. Balance 3. Color 9. Unit price 4.Size 10. Discount% 5. Pair 11. Total Discount amount 6. Price I observed the sales communication between customer and sales person. How a sales person help a customer for purchasing a pair of shoes. A sales person gives information very politely about selected products feature, leather quality, durability and components of manufacturing. CHAPTER SIX CONSUMER ANALYSIS 6. 1 Customer satisfaction The Customers are in the mainstream of sales oriented services. The success of such companies largely depends on the satisfaction of the customers . The buyers are happy if the product and/or the services meet their expectations.If their requirements do not meet the expectations the buyers become discontented, they are delighted when the performance fulfils their requirements Customers’ past buying experiences, the opinion of friends, associates, marketer, compe titor information and promises lead to the expectations. Marketer must be careful to set the right level of expectations. If they set expectations too low, they may satisfy those who buy but fail to attract enough buyers. In contrast, if they raise expectations too high, buyers are likely to be disappointed. Dissatisfaction can arise either from a decrease in product and service quality or from an increase in customer expectations. In either case, it presents an opportunity for companies that can deliver superior customer value and satisfaction To? ay most successful companies have taken the strategy of are raising expectations and delivering performance to match. Such companies track their customers’ expectations, perceived company performance, and customer satisfaction. Highly satisfied customers produce several benefits for the company. Satisfied customers are fewer prices sensitive remain customers for a longer period and talk favorably to others about the company and its products and services Although the customer centered firm seeks to deliver high customer satisfaction relative to its competitors, it does not attempt to maximize customer satisfaction. A company can always increase customer satisfaction by lowering its price and increasing its services, but it may result in lower profits.Thus, the purpose of marketing is to generate customer value profitably Now, we have a very good idea regarding the importance of customer satisfaction. So, it is also important for the company to know about the satisfaction level of the customers. When any problem is identified, it becomes easier to solve the problem. The next part of this paper         has focused on the â€Å"Customer Satisfaction Factors of. It is done through a research survey to find out the customer satisfaction level of Gallarie Apex Customer Satisfaction Factors of Gallarie Apex: Gallerie Apex is the local manufacturing and retail wing of Apex Adelchi Footwear Limited (AAFL).While AAFL has predominantly earned both critical and commercial fame through export of high quality leather footwear in the international arena, Gallerie Apex has sought to adeptly make use of that expertise to provide high quality, fashionable footwear to the Bangladeshi consumers. 6. 2 Survey Findings: In order to measure the satisfaction of the customers a series of questions were asked to the customers with the help of a questionnaire, the data from these questions are tabulated below. For clear understanding, the overall satisfaction has been divided into satisfaction with the product and satisfaction with the after sales service. As already mentioned, the survey was conducted among nine hundred consumers; it was conducted in three way direct appointment, over telephone and with the help of email.I asked total twenty three closed end question to nine hundred consumers;. In the basis of strongly agree to strongly disagree. From the total point and average point I divided in to three categories  consumers; of satisfied subscribers, and moderate subscribers and not satisfied subscribers. From the table we see that in some area from question 1 to 11 consumers are satisfied and in some area consumers are not satisfied also there are some areas where subscribers are moderate. In below I discuss all the questions finding elaborately 6. 2. 1 SECTION A Q. 1 Here the question about the gender |Male |Female | | 224 |96 | 70%male &30% female are response Q. 2. Here is a question about age. Under 18 |18-24 |25-34 |35-44 |45-54 |55-64 |Above 65 | |6% |25% |40% |22% |6% |1% |4% | [pic] I have found 40% customer age between 25-34. Q,3 Monthly Household Income Range |Less than |20000-35000 |35000-45000 |45000-60000 |60000-75000 |75000-100000 |Above | |20000 | | | | | |100000 | |9% |23% |21% |31% |8% |3% |5% | [pic] Here is 31% customer monthly income 45000-60000. Majority of them are service holder. 6. 2. 2 SECTION B Q1 Name 3 Footwear Companies | | | |Apex | | | |Bata | | | |Others | | | | | | | |34% | | | |63% | | | |15% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |It means that 34% respondent first choice is apex. t means customer are not properly satisfied | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Q2.Shoes purchased respondents in last three month | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |From Apex | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |others | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |52% | | | | | | | | |48% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |In this graph show that 52% customer purchased shoe from apex at last three month. o apex has better position | | | | | | | | |Than other. | | | | | | | | Q3 Price vs. Quality of APEX Fair |Expensive |Don’t know | |38% |58% |3% | [pic] In this table sho w that 58% customer say that price of galarie apex is expensive shoe they can look after their price Q 4. Price vs. quality of other store |Fair |Expensive |Low |Don’t know | |51% |39% |6% |4% | [pic] There are 51% consumer say ocher store price are fair than apex. Q5 Purchase shoes over the internet |Yes |No | 29% |71% | [pic] 71% Consumer are not interested to porches product from internet. they say that this types of product they like to by from shop. 6. 2. 3 SECTION C Q 1. Other items willing to purchase beside shoe |Shocks |Wallet |Hand purse |Beg |Belt |Shoe care |Other |Nothing else | |39% |3% |6% |11% |11% |9% |11% |16% | [pic] There are 39% consumer like purchase shocks beside shoe. some other like to buy shoe care, hand purse, belt & other, Q2. What apex does best Price |Fashion |Quality |Customer service |Range of shoe | |36% |13% |35%

Hcl marketing stratergies

Later there was limited choice for mostly products and companies didn't have to put much efforts to sale their product. But today's scenario is totally different. Consumers have choice because of availability of varieties and options. We can say today's consumer is the king of market. So it is important to know his buying behavior and try to fulfill his demand. Company's aim should be customer delight not costumer satisfaction. The purpose of this dissertation project is to know the marketing strategies which HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Sees to become the market leader in the field of Personal Computers and Different marketing strategies adopted by HOC to compete with others. HOC Manifestoes how much is fulfilling the customer needs and try to sale the maximum of personal computer This dissertation report making was really good learning period for me. I got opportunity to know the theoretical knowledge related to marketing strategies. This dissertation report is part of course of PAGE progr am, which is set by CACTI, and it is necessary for every student to under go for dissertation project.This project report is also made for submission to Institute of Management Education, Sahib's. Sustains including in this report are research methodology, analysis of activities, conclusion and bearing from this project Bibliography is also given in last to know from where information has been taken to complete this project. I hope this project will serve the purpose. IT HARDWARE INDUSTRY: AN INTRODUCTION The Indian IT industry is, undoubtedly, a shining Jewel in the country crown. The achievements of our IT companies have earned us the respect of the most developed nations of the world.The skills, ingenuity, dedication and drive of our young IT professionals is acknowledged worldwide. Today, there will hardly be a company of any stature anywhere in the globe where Indian IT professionals are not making a stellar contribution. However, most of the growth in IT has been in the softwa re services and support segment. I do believe that if we are going to continue our thrust and growth in the IT industry, it is imperative that we develop a robust hardware industry and emerge as an important destination for high end product development.While software development has been the more visible face of our IT industry, we cannot deny the fact that ultimately it is ‘hardware' that runs the ‘software'. While ‘hardware' is of no use without software, the converse is also equally true. The development of a vibrant ‘hardware' industry in India has been lagging behind on account of various factors. The underlying fact is simple. Unless companies are able to manufacture products that can compete with the world's best in quality and unless they manufacture in volumes that make them cost efficient and globally competitive, they will not survive.A major bottleneck in the development of the ‘hardware' industry has been the lack of a strong local componen t industry. It is my humble suggestion that the government, both at national and state levels do everything in their power to promote such industries so that by the end of this decade, we can have a strong and world-class component industry. Sure, we have a long way to go to catch up with Taiwan or China or even Malaysia, but I believe with the right encouragement we can develop a strong ‘hardware' industry. I must make a point here about the viability of ‘hardware' as an industry in India.It is a myth that the ‘hardware' business is not profitable. This point of view has been largely perpetrated on account of the large number of players who made half hearted or weak attempts to enter this business. To be a success in the hardware business requires both vision and grit. I often give the example of my own company D-Link (India) which, starting out as a small manufacturer of modems has grown to become a RSI. Billion company with a product range that extends from mode ms to routers. But success has not come easy.We have made massive investments in both plant and people and have spared no effort in getting the best of equipment and talent. More importantly, we have set up a strong R&D backbone to support our manufacturing. Which brings me to the next point: the importance of R&D? Technology in the IT space changes very rapidly. Technological obsolescence is not just a ‘click'- it has thrown strong companies out of business. In this scenario, the importance of R&D can hardly be overemphasized. It is vital that those who venture onto ‘hardware' industry are seized of this fact.Only through strong R&D can manufacturers ensure continuous product improvements and keep their offerings truly ‘state-of-the-art'. Over a period of time, with a strong R&D base, Indian companies can look forward to developing innovative products and own Intellectual Property Rights (par's) on such products. I dream of the day, and I believe it's not too far away, when technology for products developed by Indian companies would be licensed to global manufacturers as well as innovative products manufactured by Indian companies would be available worldwide.The state of our hardware industry and R&D infrastructure is quite the same as that of the software industry a couple of decades ago. Visionaries like Unmannerly and Skim Preemie have shown that we have the potential to achieve global stature in a business. Extending our sights a little further, we have seen how a Armband or Dry. Redder have got recognition for Indian R&D in the Pharmacy industry. There is no reason, therefore, why we can't develop a strong R base in the IT industry as well.The development of a strong hardware industry base would also go a long way in increasing the IT penetration in our country, which is still very low. I do believe that we have all the elements to become a significant player in both IT hardware as well as R. As IT penetration increases, as organizatio ns across the country network, as we build more robust IT backbones in various spheres of our activity, we will need more and more hardware. Rather than be totally dependent on imports, we need to have a thriving component and hardware industry backed by strong R.Along with our strength in software services, it will provide another cornerstone towards India truly becoming a global IT superpower. India a Global IT Super Power The Indian computer hardware industry has growing at a rate of over 30 per cent annually for the past few years and this pace is expected to be maintained until 2005. As the first table above shows, domestic manufacture has been increasing, but so also have imports. The locally manufactured computers cater to low-end applications while the imported computers continue to facilitate CAD, CAM, CASE, multi-media, and other high-end applications.Indian computer hardware and peripherals industry segments are dominated by U. S. Joint ventures and suppliers. IBM in coll aboration with Tats, Hewlett Packard in association with HOC Limited, Digital Equipment Corporation with Hindsight Group, Silicon Graphics with Tats, Oust to mention four major Joint ventures) manufacture computer hardware for the domestic and export markets. Compact, Silicon Graphics, and Dell have opened offices to sell their computers in India. Sun Microsystems and Apple distribute their products through Wiper Information Technology Limited.Most business firms in India have not computerized. Many of those who have, still use outdated products such as dot-matrix printers instead of laser and ink-Jet printers. As more and more international companies set up office in India, the demand for hardware will increase. The growing awareness of the case to shed fat in the public sector will call for more automated operations; this too will generate demand for computers. The prospects for both exports to, and investment in, this sector are excellent.IT hardware manufacturing in India is a c lassic case of the chicken and egg syndrome. Should we wait for the market to grow to high volumes that Justify creating a manufacturing base in India, or should we Just kick-start manufacturing so that prices then come down and thereby create volumes? The debate has raged on long enough and no consensus seems to be emerging. Rather, things took a turn for the worse with recent years witnessing a perceptible decline in manufacturing activity.Therefore, when a recent MATT study, conducted Jointly with Big Five firm Ernst & Young, concluded that the Indian hardware industry had the potential to reach a size of $62 billion by 2010, it not only raised many an eyebrow, but derisive laughter from skeptics. Sample some salient conclusions of the study which paint a rosy future for India Hardware Inc: By 2010, the Indian hardware industry has the potential to grow to twelve times its existing market size, with the domestic market counting for $37 billion and exports accounting for another $ 37 billion.The study has identified major export opportunities in the areas of innovative new devices, contract manufacturing and design services. The study says that component exports offers an opportunity worth $5 billion, while that of design and related services in embedded systems and wireless telecommunication services can bring in another $7 billion by 2010. Further, ambitious projections have been made in the area of contract manufacturing, which represents a $11 billion opportunity if India succeeds in capturing a share of only 2. Percent of the global pie by 2010. Though the rosy projections look good on paper, is this growth really possible?Skeptics deride the study as an attempt by the hardware industry to copy its software counterpart, which has been tom-timing Mascot and Muckiness's projection of $87 billion in software revenues by 2008. MATT officials are however quite upbeat. Says Avian Deckhands, president of MATT, â€Å"There are four key steps which we need to ta ke to make India a manufacturing-friendly country. Firstly, market India as a hardware destination and build a brand akin to software. Making India manufacturing-friendly through improvements in infrastructure and logistics should follow this.We should also emphasis on design and innovation through the development of Indian solutions for Indian needs. All these initiatives need to be backed up by the government with adequate funds. † The bright side For a country whose economy is so heavily dependent on agriculture, a vibrant hardware industry has the potential to generate three million Jobs, especially for Indians who come from economically underprivileged sections, who aren't very highly educated. So, in the words of Deckhands, the hardware industry can be some sort of a panacea for Indian's unemployment problem.Also, with the size of the contract manufacturing industry expected to be over $500 billion by the year 2010, Indian firms could grab a significant chunk of the pie in a manner pretty similar to Indian's emergence as a key player in the global BOP stakes. And, with a potentially huge market in embedded systems emerging, Indian firms with the right mix of hardware and software can be big players here. For the record, of all the high-end processors produced in the world, only 6 percent are used in PC's and the remaining 94 percent are used in entertainment electronics, non-PC devices, communication products and embedded electronics.The hardware revolution is also essential for the continued high growth of the software industry. As Vine Meta, director of MATT, puts it: â€Å"India can lose out on the software advantage it has already built up, and the future potential, if it does not concentrate on the hardware front. For example, the estimated domestic hardware requirement by 2008 to meet the software target of $87 billion is $160 million. † And now the problems But before India Inc. Can go into ballistic mode on the hardware front, there are lots of serious issues that need to be addressed.Issues like lack of local availability of input raw material, ever changing government policies, inconsistent sales tax structures in different states, high interest rates, customs duties on capital goods, poor infrastructure, inordinately long and variable transit times all add to uncertainty, delays and increased costs. Something that hardware manufacturers dread. Explains Mango Church, country manager-manufacturing, IBM India, â€Å"Everyone in India cribs about duty, but even China has a similar duty structure.The main reason why companies prefer to locate their manufacturing operations in China is because customs processing in China is much faster. Here, even after a manufacturer's raw material arrives at a port it might take another month or so before the goods reach his factory. In the fast changing world of technology, that's virtually suicidal for companies into hardware manufacturing. Besides, labor laws in China are al so very flexible. In India, laments Raja Sara, chairman and managing director of Zenith Computers, there are a lot of restrictions for the hardware industry. The software industry has grown in leaps and bounds simply because there have been no restrictions. On the other hand, even if I do manufacture in an SEE in India, I Anton sell my products in the domestic market. The government says everything should be exported. But it should realism that the industry will always flock to an area where there are least restrictions. † The government can also take a cue from the fact that if the industry is allowed to grow to three times the size it currently is today, it can earn more tax from its revenues.The manufacturing industry in India also suffers from a lack of proper environmental standards. With environmental concerns mainly ignored or casually overlooked by Indian corporate, Macs desist from setting p manufacturing bases here since there is no compliance with ISO 14000 standard s, which deal with environmental issues. On the design front too, there are lots of opportunities left to be explored. Design exports are a $7 billion opportunity in areas like embedded systems and wireless telecommunications.While Indian firms do some work on hardware design exports, many unfortunately show this as software exports to avoid tax. Fact is, some experts say a robust design sector could play a huge role in bringing down PC prices too a significant reason why PC penetration remains low in India. For example, on a CPU that costs $150, the material cost is not even $4. Adds Deckhands, â€Å"If we can get a design, like say a PI, made either by ourselves or if we can get the government to buy out a design and start manufacturing here, this would bring costs down substantially in PC's. The silver lining The Indian hardware industry could learn a thing or two from the Taiwanese hardware industry, where companies started off as component assemblers some years ago. Today, the same firms are world leaders, and in fact outsource their manufacturing designs to other countries. A majority of Taiwanese firms are now original manufacturers of chippies. Another instance that could inspire companies to set up local manufacturing bases is the example of D-Link. D-Link is one of the very few hardware companies in India that does local manufacturing.Recently, the company tied up with Taiwan-based Gigabyte Technology to manufacture and market motherboards locally. D-Link will manufacture approximately 30,000 motherboards per month. Besides giving D-link a key advantage in terms of technology, it also means utilization of D-Links manufacturing facilities. The cost savings per motherboard when manufactured here works out to be approximately $5. Hence, if illume are huge, it does makes sense to outsource contract manufacturing to India.And for skeptics who doubt the quality of Indian products, Ram Augural, managing director, Wiper peripherals has a ready answer, †Å"Doubting Thomas who keep on questioning the quality of Indian products should know that Legend computers, the largest maker of PC's in China, buys network interface cards from India. † Going forward, if the government and the hardware industry proactively decide to work together and solve issues rather than have one hand clamoring for duty concessions, and the other avoiding issues, the Indian hardware industry could finitely go the software way-as MATT and Ernst & Young have said.The only question to ask is whether the government and the industry are up to it. Around the world, enterprise IT spend has been on the decline. The economic downturn coupled with inconsiderate or unplanned spending on IT in the last decade, has contributed to all this. So what is the scenario in India? As per last year's survey (IS 2002-?June issue of Network Magazine), Close had committed to spend an average of RSI 554 Lack on IT-related investments. This spending was more or less equal to what t hey had spent in the previous year (2001-2002). So, did Indian enterprises spend that amount?As per this year's survey, the average amount spent on IT was only RSI 468 Lack. This implies there has indeed been a decline in IT spending. Close did not fully utilize the amount they had budgeted for IT related projects. The largest spenders in 2002-03 were BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. /US. The average amounts spent were RSI 1109 Lakes, RSI. 954 Lack, and RSI 649 Lack respectively. All other industry verticals show modest spends. Technology is a key component for BIFFS and Telecoms/let/lets verticals. This explains why spending on IT is high in these sectors.Also, nationalized banks have been spending substantial amounts on computerizing. Us have traditionally been big spenders, given the need to link distant locations. And with various state governments and quasi-government institutions pushing initiatives like e-governance, technology has been of high-priority here too. So, which were the technology verticals that received a maximum chunk of the shrunken IT budget? 68 percent Close said they invested in Bandwidth/connectivity last year. 64 percent in Enterprise hardware procurement, and 48 percent in Enterprise packaged software.Security comes fourth with 47 percent having invested in this area. More or less ? We were keen to find out the number of Close who had spent more than the amount budgeted. Nearly 60 percent said they had spent the exact amount budgeted for IT in 2002-03. 20 percent said they had spent less, while only 1 5 percent claimed to have spent more than the amount budgeted. A majority of those who had spent less than the amount budgeted are from large-sized companies (turnover exceeding RSI. 500 scores). Nearly 22 percent large-sized companies spend less on IT.The reason Enid this is obvious: Most of the large-sized companies already have sizable investments in IT when it comes to automating back-end and front-end processes. In this particu lar case, the reasoning was to build a buffer within the IT budget, to provision for any last minute or unforeseen procurement/maintenance costs that may arise. Even in the case of leading IT spenders like BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, Gobo. / Us, more than one-fifth of companies have spent less than the amount budgeted, indicating a slowdown in IT spending.On the rise again The IT spend in 2003-04 is on the rise again, albeit slowly. This year companies plan to spend on an average RSI 493 Lack, indicating a 5 percent increase in IT spending. The major spenders are again the BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. / US verticals. The BIFFS vertical is registering significant spends; their average budget has climbed from RSI 1109 Lack in 2003-04, to RSI 1310 Lack in 2004-05. In Telecoms/let/lets and Gobo. / US, both major spenders last year, the allotted budget is same when compared with last year.In almost all other verticals, companies are registering a small increase in the budget allotte d for IT. In terms of turnover, IT spending in medium-sized impasse is expected to grow by 20 percent, while in large organizations the IT budget may actually shrink by 11 percent. What technology? This brings us to our next question: Which technologies are companies investing in? The top areas of IT spend, in terms of technologies, are: Bandwidth/connectivity (57 percent plan to invest), Enterprise hardware (55 percent), Storage (46 percent), and Security (46 percent).Both Storage and Security are clearly gaining prominence in the BIFFS sector where information security and availability is critical. The Indian IT and Electronics market in 2003-04 was worth SIS$ 20. 3 billion of which SIS$ 12. 7 billion consisted of software. Electronics and IT hardware production stood at SIS$ 7. 93 billion. Some 3,500 units are engaged in electronics production manufacturing goods as diverse as TV tubes, test and measuring instruments, medical electronics equipment, analytical and special applicat ion instruments, process control equipment, power electronics equipment, office equipment, components etc.Market researcher DC estimates that the market-value estimate over next 3 years for hardware products is RSI. 75,OHO scores. The Indian electronics and hardware industry as been lagging behind the impressive performance of the software sector. Most of the hardware requirements of the burgeoning software and telecoms sectors are met by imports which are about 25%. The Ministry of Information Technology, Gobo. Of India has estimated that the total requirement of hardware and components by 2008 would be in range of SIS$ 160 billion and the investment required in the manufacturing facilities would be US$ 16 billion.MASCOT, the leading IT industry body estimates that to achieve a software export target of SIS$ 87 billion in 2008, the hardware requirement would be US$ 50 billion. By far the most comprehensive study was carried out by Ernst & Young in association with MATT, the hardwar e industry body in 2002. It estimates that given the right incentives, Indian's electronic hardware industry has the potential to reach SIS$ 62 billion by 2010, twelve times its existing size with the domestic market accounting for SIS$ 37 billion and exports of SIS$ 25 billion.The major export opportunities would be in the area of innovative new products, contract manufacturing and design services. This shows that there are large opportunities for Indian companies to increase their strength and grave these opportunities for future growth. HOC Manifestoes Ltd is one of those companies which are working to increase their network and making innovative new products. HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Is currently engaged in selling manufactured hardware (like PC's, servers, monitors and peripherals) and traded hardware (like notebooks, peripherals) to institutional clients as well as retail channel partners.Besides, it offers hardware support services to existing clients through annual maintenance c ontracts, net work consulting and facilities management. In 2003-04, He's total hardware turnover was RSI. 12. 97 billion, higher by around 24% veer the corresponding fugue for 2002-03. Of this, manufactured hardware constituted 60%, traded hardware 32% and hardware support services 9%. The company's reported operating margins in 2003-04 (including six months of OH, telecommunication and software businesses) increased to 6. 7% from 5. 9% in 2001-02, primarily because of better margins in hardware.While average material costs declined in 2003-04, the company was able to retain a part of the margins in its product realizations. Better margins in hardware resulted in the return on capital employed (RACE) from hardware increasing from 1 1. 9% in 2002-03 to 25. % in 2003-04. In the domestic home PC organized sector, HOC Manifestoes is the market leader. Other players include Zenith Computers, MM, Sun Microsystems, Wiper, Hewlett Packard. Assembled personal computers have a large presence in the domestic home PC market, accounting for a chunk of the total sales.The overall market for desktop personal computers registered a 28. 2 percent growth during calendar year 2004 as compared to the previous year. What is significant is that branded PC's continue to make impressive gains against the gray market. According to DC, the share of branded PC's grew from 36. Percent in 2004 to 49. 2 percent in 2005, registering an impressive growth rate of 74. 3 percent. Interestingly, the gray market remained flat, registering a growth of 2. 2 percent, while the total desktop PC market registered a growth of 28. 2 percent.According to DC, the recent re-surfacing of finance-based purchase options had an accelerating effect on the consumer desktop market, which is already witnessing a consistent drop in end-user prices for both the branded and unbranded PC segments. Among the vendors, HOC Manifestoes emerged as the market leader with a share of 13. 7 percent. The company registered a 9 1. Percent growth during 2004 as compared to the previous year. HP followed HOC with a market share of 1 1. 9 percent. HP too grew at a blistering pace registering a growth rate of 73. 03 percent.IBM is in the third place with a market share of 6. 2 percent. DC is not the only research firm confirming the signs of robust growth. Gardner, in a recent report, states that the Indian desktop market grew by 31. 5 percent in 2005. Says Viand Nair, Analyst, Computing Systems, Gardner India, â€Å"Peaking business confidence based on strong economic growth catcalled PC purchases in both consumer and corporate segments throughout 2005. † While every research firm has given different figures, one thing is common-the PC market is booming at double-digit growth rates.MATT (Manufacturers Association of Information Technology) estimates that the desktop PC market grossed 17. 1 lakes units in the first half of fiscal 2004-05, registering a growth of 37 percent over the same period of the pr evious fiscal. With the Indian economy booming, MATT estimates that PC sales will touch the 40 lakes mark in fiscal 2004-05. The buoyancy in PC sales can be attributed to increased consumption by traditional industry verticals such as telecoms, banking, financial services and insurance, BOP, manufacturing and government.Consumption also increased in non-traditional sectors such as education, retail outlets and self-employed professionals. In future, He's hardware sales to the institutional segment are likely to remain stable, with sustained hardware spending by all the verticals, especially the banking and financial services sector. Besides, in retail hardware sales, a continued reduction of price points, facilitated in part by the recent reduction in excise duties on PC's,

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays What is the great Gatsby really about? This is a question that has many solutions, depending in the view of the reader. This novel contains various characters that differ in their life style and perspective. Due to this reason, many points of views are conveyed by this novel that one might accept as the themes. One of the themes that can occur in the readers mind is vision. The authors imagination is primarily visual; he shows interest in the looking going on through out the novel. Another theme projected in this novel is time. the novel displays a search for happiness by looking into the past. Finally, the last theme that will be discussed is the dreams. All of these themes hold a certain level of authority throughout the novel. the dreams take priority over both, vision and time. The vision discussed throughout the novel is not by any means what this novel is really about. It is rather a natural gesture expressed by several characters by using the gift of sight. Many times in the novel vision lead to misconception, one example is when Mytrle saw Jordan in the passenger seat next to Tom and had mistaken her for his wife. Incidents similar to this one occur throughout the play which contribute to the setting but do not describe the meaning of the novel. Actually the great Gatsby is a reflection of many dreams. Gatsby for example does not admire reality; as a result he changed his original identity. He also shapes the world in a way to satisfy his own desire, throws big parties to gain the sense of liveliness and chases an ideal happiness. In other words he chases a dream. Gatsby himself admits that he had paid the price of chasing a single dream for too long. However, the cause of his fall is not having the wrong dream; he falls because his dream is too n arrowly focused. Furthermore, Nick himself happens to be the character in the novel most obsessed with dreamin...

Battle of Moscow - World War II - Operation Barbarossa

Battle of Moscow - World War II - Operation Barbarossa The Battle of Moscow was fought Oct. 2, 1941, to Jan. 7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). After months of attacks and counterattacks as German forces attempted to overrun Moscow, Soviet reinforcements and a severe Russian winter took a toll on German forces, helping to thwart Germanys plans and leaving its forces exhausted and demoralized. Fast Facts: Battle of Moscow Dates: Oct. 2, 1941, to Jan. 7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945)ï » ¿Soviet Union Armies and Commanders:Marshal Georgy ZhukovMarshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky1.25 million menGerman Armies and Commanders:Field Marshal Fedor von BockCol Gen. Heinz GuderianField Marshal Albert Kesselring1 million men Background On June 22, 1941, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. The Germans had hoped to commence the operation in May but were delayed by the campaign in the Balkans and Greece. Opening the Eastern Front, they quickly overwhelmed Soviet forces and made large gains. Driving east, Field Marshal Fedor von Bocks Army Group Center won the Battle of BiaÅ‚ystok-Minsk in June, shattering the Soviet Western Front and killing or capturing over 340,000 Soviet troops. Crossing the Dnieper River, the Germans began a protracted battle for Smolensk. Despite encircling the defenders and crushing three Soviet armies, Bock was delayed into September before he could resume his advance. Though the road to Moscow was largely open, Bock was forced to order forces south to aid in the capture of Kiev. This was due to Adolf Hitlers unwillingness to continue fighting large battles of encirclement which, though successful, had failed to break the Soviet resistance. Instead, he sought to destroy the Soviet Unions economic base by capturing Leningrad and the Caucasus oil fields. Among those directed against Kiev was Col. Gen. Heinz Guderians Panzergruppe 2. Believing that Moscow was more important, Guderian protested the decision but was overruled. By supporting Army Group Souths Kiev operations, Bocks timetable was further delayed. It wasnt until Oct. 2, with the fall rains setting in, that Army Group Center was able to launch Operation Typhoon, the code name for Bocks Moscow offensive. The goal was to capture the Soviet capital before the harsh Russian winter began. Bocks Plan To accomplish this goal, Bock intended to employ the 2nd, 4th, and 9th armies, supported by Panzer Groups 2, 3, and 4. Air cover would be provided by the Luftwaffes Luftflotte 2. The combined force numbered just short of 2 million men, 1,700 tanks, and 14,000 artillery pieces. Plans for Operation Typhoon called for a double-pincer movement against the Soviet Western and Reserve fronts near Vyazma while a second force moved to capture Bryansk to the south. If these maneuvers were successful, German forces would encircle Moscow and compel Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to make peace. Though reasonably sound on paper, plans for Operation Typhoon failed to account for the fact that German forces were battered after several months of campaigning and their supply lines were having difficulty getting goods to the front. Guderian later noted that his forces were short on fuel from the outset of the campaign. Soviet Preparations Aware of the threat to Moscow, the Soviets began constructing a series of defensive lines in front of the city. The first of these stretched between Rzhev, Vyazma, and Bryansk, while a second, double-line was built between Kalinin and Kaluga dubbed the Mozhaisk defense line. To protect Moscow proper, the capitals citizens were drafted to construct three lines of fortifications around the city. While Soviet manpower was initially stretched thin, reinforcements were being brought west from the Far East as intelligence suggested that Japan didnt pose an immediate threat. The two nations had signed a neutrality back in April 1941. Early German Successes Storming forward, two German panzer groups (3rd and 4th) quickly made gains near Vyazma and encircled the 19th, 20th, 24th, and 32nd Soviet armies on Oct. 10. Rather than surrender, the four Soviet armies tenaciously continued the fight, slowing the German advance and forcing Bock to divert troops to aid in reducing the pocket. Ultimately the German commander had to commit 28 divisions to this fight, allowing the remnants of the Soviet Western and Reserve fronts to fall back to the Mozhaisk defense line and reinforcements to rush forward, largely to support the Soviet 5th, 16th, 43rd, and 49th armies. To the south, Guderians panzers (tanks) rapidly encircled the entire Bryansk Front. Linking with the German 2nd Army, they captured Orel and Bryansk by Oct. 6. The encircled Soviet forces, 3rd and 13th armies, continued the fight, eventually escaping east. The initial German operations, however, captured over 500,000 Soviet soldiers. On Oct. 7, the first snow of the season fell and soon melted, turning the roads to mud and severely hampering German operations. Grinding forward, Bocks troops turned back numerous Soviet counterattacks and reached the Mozhaisk defenses on Oct. 10. That same day, Stalin recalled Marshal Georgy Zhukov from the Siege of Leningrad and directed him to oversee the defense of Moscow. Assuming command, he focused Soviet manpower in the Mozhaisk line. Wearing Down the Germans Outnumbered, Zhukov deployed his men at key points in the line at Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk, Maloyaroslavets, and Kaluga. Resuming his advance on Oct. 13, Bock sought to avoid the bulk of the Soviet defenses by moving against Kalinin in the north and Kaluga and Tula in the south. While the first two fell quickly, the Soviets succeeded in holding Tula. After frontal attacks captured Mozhaisk and Maloyaroslavets on Oct. 18 and subsequent German advances, Zhukov was forced to fall back behind the Nara River. Though the Germans made gains, their forces were badly worn down and plagued by logistical issues. While German troops lacked appropriate winter clothing, they also took losses to the new T-34 tank, which was superior to their Panzer IVs. By Nov. 15, the ground had frozen and mud ceased to be an issue. Seeking to end the campaign, Bock directed the 3rd and 4th panzer armies to encircle Moscow from the north, while Guderian moved around the city from the south. The two forces were to link up at Noginsk, 20 miles east of Moscow. German forces were slowed by Soviet defenses but succeeded in taking Klin on Nov. 24 and four days later crossed the Moscow-Volga Canal before being pushed back. In the south, Guderian bypassed Tula and took Stalinogorsk on Nov. 22. His offensive was checked by the Soviets near Kashira a few days later. With both prongs of his pincer movement bogged down, Bock launched a frontal assault at Naro-Fominsk on Dec. 1. After four days of heavy fighting, it was defeated. On Dec. 2, a German reconnaissance unit reached Khimki, only five miles from Moscow. This marked the farthest German advance. With temperatures reaching -50 F and still lacking winter equipment, the Germans had to halt their offensives. Soviets Strike Back By Dec. 5, Zhukov had been heavily reinforced by divisions from Siberia and the Far East. Possessing a reserve of 58 divisions, he unleashed a counteroffensive to push the Germans back from Moscow. The beginning of the attack coincided with Hitler ordering German forces to assume a defensive stance. Unable to organize a solid defense in their advance positions, the Germans were forced from Kalinin on Dec. 7, and the Soviets moved to envelop the 3rd Panzer Army at Klin. This failed and the Soviets advanced on Rzhev. In the south, Soviet forces relieved pressure on Tula on Dec. 16. Two days later, Bock was sacked in favor of Field Marshal Gà ¼nther von Kluge, due largely to Hitlers anger over German troops conducting a strategic retreat against his wishes. The Russians were aided by extreme cold and poor weather that minimized the Luftwaffes operations. As the weather improved in late December and early January, the Luftwaffe began intensive bombing in support of German ground forces This slowed the enemy advances and by Jan. 7, the Soviet counteroffensive came to an end. Zhukov had pushed the Germans 60 to 160 miles from Moscow. Aftermath The failure of German forces at Moscow doomed Germany to fighting a prolonged struggle on the Eastern Front. This part of the war would consume the vast majority of Germanys manpower and resources for the remainder of the conflict. Casualties for the Battle of Moscow are debated, but estimates suggest German losses of 248,000 to 400,000 and Soviet losses of 650,000 to 1,280,000. Slowly building strength, the Soviets would turn the tide of the war at the Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942 and early 1943.