Workshop report 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Workshop report 3 - Essay Example ining information from the collected is the science and art of statistics, empirical research is statistical reasoning, for this reasons, researchers from different fields are trained in for the application, confidence intervals, significance probabilities, hypothesis tests, or posterior probability distributions. Some ethical considerations were also discussed while conducting surveys. Solution to the problem is of statistical methods in research. The present study is based on the scientific survey of sampling method and the sampling type is random sampling widely used for population sampling studies (2,8). In the present study methodology that was adopted for the experiment and the ethical considerations for surveying were discussed. The methodology comprises collecting the data, analysing the data, and obtaining results and conclusions from the data. In the surveys where random sampling method is adopted, a particular criteria is adopted for selection, under this criteria different groups are selected for the same parameter, and by lottery procedure, a member is selected from each group for testing. This is the probability sampling method where the controversy on the selection procedure is less, the balance between the sampling frame and the population will be good by this procedure (3), (4). (5) A good designed experiment gives an idea of how, one variable responds to the changes in other variable in the controlled conditions of the experiment. While investigating the possibility of cause and effect relationship, the variable that is responsible for the effect is termed as ‘Dependant variable’ because this variable depends upon the causes, variables that represent causes are ‘Independent variables’. Confounding variable is a variable that correlates with the independent and dependent variable, thus it is not possible to determine whether the changes in the independent variable causes changes in the dependent variable or confounding variable, if the

Mergers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mergers - Essay Example Specifically, an analysis of the market would be conducted. This entails understanding if the market is growing, or if the competitors are cannibalizing each others’ members. Additionally, reviewing ease of entry into the market is done. This is achieved through reviewing the growth of new competitors in the market. Assessment would be conducted to understand if the new competitors have taken significant market share or if the market is locked in among the current players. Reputation in the market: Conduct an assessment of the image, brand, and the member service reputation of the merging credit union. Reputation can be effectively assessed by using the Better Business Bureau, industry associations, and social media sites. Viability of membership groups: Viability of membership groups would be investigated. This is through review of the major SEG and garnering the stability of the industry. Review is also conducted on the membership opportunity and geography of the membership. Major contracts: Review all employment agreements, major supplier, equipment leases, and legal agreements. Determine what line of business or products have been outsourced. Due to the size of the merging credit union they may have third parties perform multiple activities including engaging directly with members. Review the contracts to determine termination timelines and that the contracts clearly define expectations and responsibilities of the third party to help ensure the contacts enforceability, limit the credit unions liability, and mitigate disputes about performance. Leased: If the branch is leased, then review the lease and any amendments. If the lease term is under 18 months, analyze the cost of a move. If the term is over 18 months; financial analysis would be done based on location, accessibility, easements, adequate space, and the cost of renovations. Assets: Cash, securities, and loans. Assess asset classes in real

Transitioning from a Linear to a Circular Economy

Transitioning from a Linear to a Circular Economy Prepare a critical review evaluating the challenges of transitioning from a linear to a circular economy. 2000 words (24th March) Introduction The linear model of consumption will need to adjust or be replaced in the near future due to rising population, decreasing resources (i.e. metals, materials), and water limits. The current linear economic system is unsustainable but the concept of circular economy may supply the means to allow for sustainability by improving efficient use of material and energy. From policies and frameworks driven on a macro scale by local governments to optimisation of process lines and waste reduction on a micro scale gives more social and sustainable aspects to our current way of resource use. We can use examples throughout the world of a shift in the utilisation of resources in an overall effect of achieving the ultimate goal of zero waste and impact to the environment. What is Linear Economy? Linear economies assume the worlds resources are unlimited. The linear models primary objective is to the economy, with no regard for ecological and social impacts. It takes waste from the production process and contaminates the environment and is based on the principle, take, make, consume, discard and everlasting availability of resources. (Drljaca, 2015) This was due to a historically cheap and plentiful amount of resources being available leading to companies focusing on supplying the customer. This has disregarded the environmental impact and lacked incentives to minimise waste from its production to its end of life. Currently there is more than 11 billion tons of global waste globally and only 25% is recycled. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Circular Economy Circular economy focuses on the sustainable exploitation of resources but also acts to increase the social responsibility. It aims to decouple prosperity from resource consumption by ensuring a closed loop process which depends on the extraction of virgin resources. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) The concept allows waste to be put through the production process again and thereafter only a small amount of waste that is unable to be recycled is disposed into the environmental harmlessly. This will reduce our dependency for new resources, allow future generations to meet their needs, and promote sustainability. Due to Chinas resource supply and environmental problems they have utilised the circular economy model on a national level many years ago allocating three distinctive levels micro, meso, and macro: The micro level aims to reduce waste and optimise materials for cleaner production within an individual company. The meso level collaborates between industries to utilise the by-product of one another which is facilitated by Chinas governmental directives. The circular economy at a macro level is integrated with societal and stakeholder interests which is on a similar level to sustainable development. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) Figure 3.1: Overview of the circular economy concept. (Reh, 2013) The circular economy model aims to replace the linear economy model by extending the usefulness of the product via several methods: Building a product which has a higher quality and more durable targeting the consumers who are able to pay a premium. Refurbishing a product Trade back your product to the market for a price Upgrade the product to add new features Refilling a component in the product where the rest of the functions are still in quality. Repairing a broken product (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Having a society that promotes circular economy may increase competition worldwide. (Drljaca, 2015) Policies The transition from a linear to circular economy has been happening for many years and is seen from the laws, policies, and frameworks given below in numerous countries around the world. The methodology changes from country to country as an example according to Tukker (2015) China promotes a top-down national political objective while the EU, Japan and USA use bottom-up environmental and waste management policies. Country Circular economy strategy UK The House of Commons suggested in 2014 that the circular economy should be stimulated by taxation reforms. This would reward reuse and give more funding for companies promoting material recovery. They could prohibit companies using non-recyclable components where other alternatives exist. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Denmark The Denmark without waste strategy focuses on better exploiting the resource by reducing the environmental impact and improving recycling, e.g. household waste recycling. Funding is given for improvements in waste separation and treatment facilities. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Scotland The Safeguarding Scotlands Resources initiative is aims to reduce material use through replacing material with reused/ recyclable substitutes and making sure that virgin resources are efficiently and productively used. China Several regions using the Circular Economy Promotion Law of the Peoples Republic of China have set up funds aiming at the circular development and developments of science. The law also pushes for collaboration among several industries to re-use each others waste to benefit their own process.   (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Singapore The Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) joint initiative by the private sector, nongovernmental organisations, and government which dramatically reduces the packaging waste in Singapore. This has saved USD 35 million over a 5-year period. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) The Republic of Croatia The Act on Sustainable Waste Management manages waste at its source by putting the cost of waste to the producer. Disposal must not threaten future generations. (Drljaca, 2015) The drivers for the transition from a linear to a circular economy The transition towards a circular economy is dependent on politics, culture, society, the economy, and technology limitations. This transition can be implemented from the top-down or bottom-up. The top-down process as an example has international and national policies delegated to companies and their operations and supply chains. The bottom-up process starts at the product level hoping to simulate ideas at a more disaggregated level of analysis up to the higher level systems. The top-down process should be used to enhance bottom-up initiatives. The aim is to identify areas where we can reduce virgin resources usage, carbon emissions, and waste production by collaborating between supply chains and stakeholders e.g. Local Authorities. (Genovese et al., 2017) Economics By 2030 the linear growth model will be unable to supply the growing demand for resources. The most likely model by Lacy Rutqvist (2015) shows a USD 4.5 trillion loss by 2030 increasing to USD 25 trillion by 2050. If the circular economy replaces the current linear model it could potentially release USD 4.5 trillion in additional economic output by 2030 as shown in Figure 5.1.1. Figure 5.1.1: Potential savings from a circular opportunity. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) However, according to Drljaca (2015), the circular advantage hopes to give a competitive edge leading to improvement of resource utilisation which could decrease material exploitation by 17-24% until 2030 with savings of ~EUR 630 billion per year which totals USD 10.3 trillion from 2015-2030 (1 EUR = 1.0867 USD 2015 average, Pound Sterling (2016)). In either case the huge potential savings from using the circular advantage could persuade governments to drive the change. Fair competition between linear and circular economy Current regulations give linear economy an unfair advantage over circular economy by making it more financially attractive by increased profits through expanding resource use. A shift of taxation from labour to resources would see this shift in bias. Companies are encouraged to extract new resources instead of investing in people and processes to achieve a higher productivity of resources already in use. Currently the Europe labour tax totals 52% of all tax revenues while Other taxes could include landfill tax, energy recovery tax, and reducing the VAT on a more circular advantage product. An increase in cost of the product that incorporates the cost of environmental impact would help manufacturers to minimise the impact to keep pricing competitive. Product-service systems (PSS) In a product-oriented business model companies focus on the increase in products sold to maximise profits however in a PSS model companies are paid by offering a service and the product and consumable is the cost factor. This leads to the companies being incentivised to prolong the life of the product which could be done by using more robust materials or re-using parts to the end of the products life. Renting, leasing, and sharing reduces the impact on the environmental per product manufactured however leased products will tend to be used without care leading to reduced longevity of the product and will be returned to the manufacturer more frequently compared to the traditional manner. Due to labour intensity, PSS increases the cost to manufacture the product and dependent on the speed of innovations for certain technological industries the re-use of components may be deemed uneconomic due to no demand. PSS can contribute to resource -efficiency and a circular economy but does not change the incentive to maximise the product sales. (Tukker, 2015) Circular Economy Challenges Entropy The circular economy assumes the planet is a closed system with the amount of resources being depleted equalling the amount of waste generated. This principle follows the Laws of Thermodynamics however in practice the circular flow of exchange starts with low entropy from the environment and ends with high entropy waste polluting the environment. (Genovese et al., 2017) Sauve, Bernard Sloan (2016) further emphasises this with an added social impact of, what is socially more desirable investing in a new infrastructure to recycle raw material to limit waste or exploit additional raw materials at cheaper cost to use today to build a school? At some point the cost to refine the material will exceed the benefit to the environment. Processes According to Sauve, Bernard Sloan (2016), in many cases certain processes in the value chains are non-existent leading to products that are in the queue for recycling often dis-regarded as companies who seek profit are not ready to use waste as the raw material for new manufacturing. Some experts see the implementation of the circular economy model for sustainable development on current linear economy model productions as an automatic failure. It is difficult to achieve a profit using circular economy as support is sometimes unavailable through policies, national eco-industrial parks (EIPs) initiatives, environmental legislative framework, and economic taxes and subsidies for development. (Ghisellini, Cialani Ulgiati, 2016) Economics Fair Competition The complexity and early understanding of circular economy will require experts from many sectors to achieve the economic incentives that would ensure the post-consumption products are re-integrated upstream within manufacturing. It is more expensive to manufacture a durable long lasting product than an equivalent quick and disposable version. This is based on the fact that the public pays for the cost of disposal to the environment. In order to make circular economy more feasible requires integration of the cost of disposal into the price paid by the customer. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) There needs to be internalisation of full environmental costs implemented using certain governmental legislation (e.g. taxes) to ensure reverse flow of the products post-economy. This is therefore dependent on governmental intervention which is dictated by political-economic issues which in turn will slow down circular economy opportunities. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) Geographic Feasibility It may be unfeasible to use recycling, reuse and/or recovery as an option within certain geologies as they may not be appropriate in some instances based on green chemistry and technologies available e.g. prevention maybe a better option. (Tukker, 2015) More examples can be seen in Table A1. Case studies TATA Steel Currently concrete, timber, and steel have huge differences in their life cycle flows within the demolishing industry of buildings as seen in Figure 7.1.1. According to Reh (2013), achieving complete re-use and recycling remains impossible with todays technology so maximum recovery of the most valuable resource remains the first priority. The integration of different materials combined with depreciation requires a more involved investigation of the recovery plan which becomes very complex. Figure 7.1.1: Life cycle of a demolished building (Reh, 2013) Blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) is the most common steel process however with shortage of metallurgy coke, high CO2 emissions, high by-product of slag, and dust from blast furnace gas cleaning is not considered environmental friendly. An alternative being the new electric arc furnace which is more energy efficient and reduces the CO2 emissions but high capital investments remain the limitation. (Reh, 2013) Toyota Motor Cooperation By optimising the sorting of dust in Toyotas automobile shredder pants Toyota were able to successfully treat 100% of the residue of 15,000 cars per month into valuable materials. High value electrical energy is transferred to several process steps to decrease the entropy of mixing during production. This improvement in technology has an exponential impact on the car industry with an estimated 1 billion cars in the world. (Reh, 2013) Conclusion The transition to a circular economy has many challenges and obstacles in the near future. As shown, many countries are placing high emphasis on the legislation and development of circular economy as they see a requirement to adjust on a macro sustainable level. If the transition is increased this could potentially unlock several trillions of dollars over the many years to come. In order for this to work a combination of strategies at every level is required to allow each stakeholder to be a benefit to the global transition. Appendix A Table A1: Further examples of challenges with circular economy (Ghisellini, Cialani, Ulgiati, 2016) References BRIEN, H. G. (2015a) Circular Economy. [Online] Available from https://kenniskaarten.hetgroenebrein.nl/en/kenniskaart/circular-economy/ [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] BRIEN, H. G. (2015b) The 10 Big Questions for the Circular Economy. [Online] Available from http://hetgroenebrein.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/10-Big-Questions-for-the-Circular-Economy-INFOGRAPHIC.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] DRLJACA, M. (2015) The Transition from Linear to Circular Economy (Concept of Efficient Waste Management). In Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia. VrnjaÄ ka Banja, 2015. p. 35-44. Available from http://www.kvalitet.org.rs/images/phocadownload/the%20transition%20linear%20in%20circular%20economy%20miroslav%20drljaa.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2015) Our Mission is to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Economy. [Online] Available from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GENOVESE, A. et al. (2017) Sustainable supply chain management and the transition towards a circular economy: Evidence and some applications. Omega. [Online] 66. p. 344-357. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0305048315001322/1-s2.0-S0305048315001322-main.pdf?_tid=74c6de02-fa10-11e6-aa77-00000aacb35facdnat=1487886106_74b304b3dc5437e17e5fe519fa8c0812 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GEORGE, D. A. R., Lin, B. C. Chen, Y. (2015) A circular economy model of economic growth. Environmental Modelling Software. [Online] 73. p. 60-63. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1364815215300050/1-s2.0-S1364815215300050-main.pdf?_tid=0bc1df60-fa10-11e6-8c30-00000aab0f6cacdnat=1487885930_37488d1ce4f1739084fd69489fc8a1a7 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GHISELLINI, P., CIALANI, C. ULGIATI, S. (2016) A review on circular economy: the expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 114. p. 11-32. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652615012287/1-s2.0-S0959652615012287-main.pdf?_tid=1b6a27e6-fa11-11e6-b2c6-00000aab0f6bacdnat=1487886386_e13f933c344129238b699b40c81c696b [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] LACY, P. RUTQVIST, J. (2015) Waste to Wealth: the circular economy advantage. UK, Hampshire: Macmillan Publishers Limited. POUND STERLING (2016) Historical Rates for the EUR/USD currency conversion on 31 December 2015 (31/12/2015). Available from: https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/best-exchange-rates/euro-to-us-dollar-exchange-rate-on-2015-12-31. (Accessed: 19th March 2017) RAUPACH, M. R. et al. (2007) Global and regional drivers of accelerating CO2 emissions. PNAS. [Online] 104. (24). p. 10288 -10293. Available from https://uhi.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-621274-dt-content-rid-5673934_1/courses/UF811998/PNAS-2007-Raupach-10288-93.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] REH, L. (2013) Process engineering in circular economy. Particuology. [Online] 11. p. 119-133. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1674200113000023/1-s2.0-S1674200113000023-main.pdf?_tid=f6b7e250-fa0e-11e6-9938-00000aacb360acdnat=1487885465_0117d7df5a14a5ca6f24c03ae761e2d5 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SAUVE, S., BERNARD, S. SLOAN, P. (2016) Environmental sciences, sustainable development and circular economy: Alternative concepts for trans-disciplinary research. Environmental Development. [Online] 17. p. 48-56. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S2211464515300099/1-s2.0-S2211464515300099-main.pdf?_tid=c0687f78-fa10-11e6-bdc2-00000aacb35eacdnat=1487886233_c2050df04694fc30b490f4e8486dee8a [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SKEA, J. NISHIOKA, S. (2008) Policies and practices for a low-carbon society. Climate Policy. [Online] 8. p. S5-S16. Available from https://uhi.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-621272-dt-content-rid-5632275_1/courses/UF811998/Policies%20and%20practices%20for%20a%20low-carbon%20society-1.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SU, B. et al. (2013) A review of the circular economy in China: moving from rhetoric to implementation. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 42. p. 215-227. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652612006117/1-s2.0-S0959652612006117-main.pdf?_tid=5aa9aef6-fa0f-11e6-9009-00000aacb362acdnat=1487885633_e486ac7b90cff16cd44ec5b72b405a9a [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] TUKKER, A. (2015) Product services for a resource-efficient and circular economy a review. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 97. p. 76-91. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652613008135/1-s2.0-S0959652613008135-main.pdf?_tid=b1c99494-fa0f-11e6-bafc-00000aacb362acdnat=1487885779_1dbb3b632024a09a87307a26dc6caf65 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] YADUVANSHI, N. R., MYANA, R. KRISHNAMURTHY, S. (2016) Circular Economy for Sustainable Development in India. Indian Journal of Science and Technology. [Online] 9 (46/ December). p. 1-9. Available from http://www.indjst.org/index.php/indjst/article/view/107325/76142 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] ZINK, T. Geyer, R. (2017) Circular Economy Rebound. Journal of Industrial Ecology. [Online] 00 (0). p. 1-10. Available from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.eor.uhi.ac.uk/doi/10.1111/jiec.12545/epdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017]

Marketing Essay -- essays research papers

MULTI EXPRESS TOOTHBRUSH Introduction: A toothbrush that has multiple uses and saves space, that’s the vision behind the Multi Express Toothbrush. The product at hand is a toothbrush that pulls apart at the handle to provide consumers with dental floss and toothpaste. The rear part of the handle contains a button that when pushed down also allows forward movement; this action squeezes the toothpaste cartridge. When the button is pressed a hole at the end of the handle opens up allowing the toothpaste to exist, when the button is released the hole closes and seals off the toothpaste. The end with the brush contains a cartridge full of dental floss. The use of cartridges is important because when one becomes empty just pull it out and insert another quick, easy, and simple. When done brushing and flossing snap the two ends together and your ready for your next use. Target Market:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Multi Express Toothbrush can be used by anyone: children, teenagers, and adults. Parents when your children go to sleepovers don’t waste your time and space packing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss the Multi Express Toothbrush contains all three. Teenagers can’t brush your teeth after lunch because you can’t fit toothbrush and toothpaste in your already crammed full book bags use the Multi Express Toothbrush whether you’re in high school or college and keep those smiles bright and white. Adults I know what your thinking, I barely have enough time to sit down and eat my lunch let alone brush my teeth afterwards. With the Multi Express Toothbrush it’s as simple as one, two, and three; pull, squeeze, and brush now that’s fast. Business men and women who have to travel the Multi Express Toothbrush is for you, because you’re on the go and you need that extra space in your luggage. Product:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Multi Express Toothbrush design is unique; its handle is large and slims down toward the end of the brush. The handle when separated has two cartridges. These two cartridges contain dental floss and toothpaste. These cartridges can be reloaded when they run out. The dimensions of the Multi Express Toothbrush are nine inches in length and one and a half inches in width. The width of the handle is what makes it possible for the Multi Express Toothbrush to contain these items. The button at the back part of the handl... ... your personal supplies. No more, nasty, dried up toothpaste containers our patented squeezing system eliminates the mess. The Multi Express Toothbrush is for everyone whether you’re going on sleepovers, brushing your teeth after lunch, camping in the woods, or traveling for business or for pleasure. Replacement cartridges are quick and easy to switch. The price of the Multi Express Toothbrush will be affordable, because we are charging the lowest price possible that allows our company to obtain a profit. Discount by coupons and other promotional offers will be used. Advertising on television will allow us the opportunity to draw in new customers and keep the ones we have already. Packages should be durable cutting down on the amount of damaged products. Our package should be attractive and draw customers’ attention. The use of intensive distribution will allow us full coverage of the market, making the product available to all consumers at a variety of locations. I n conclusion our goal is to keep customers satisfied buy offering them a quality product at a reasonable price. We like to think were making the world brighter one smile at a time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

How Cooking Frees Men †Article Essay

This article explains how the discovery in cooking foods has dramatically changed the way we live, and the amount of time freed up by spending less time chewing. Raw food takes much longer to eat than soft cooked foods. The discovery of cooking changed our social division of labor between men and women. The Hadza tribes are foragers; hunters and gathers, and now that cooking food is possible, the men hunt for meat, while the women forage the land for anything edible. When the men come back to the village, the women hope they have meat or honey to provide, but if they come empty handed, the women have the food they have gathered already prepared for the hungry men. The men and women share their food with one another, their children, and extended family. Even though my family and I are not foragers, this sounds very similar to the same way I was brought up. My father would make the money that paid for the food, while my mother would stay home to raise us children and cook. She always had dinner ready for my father whether he was coming home from work or home after looking for a job. Either way, we always had food on our table. There were even summers that we had to pick fruit with my mother on farmers land so we can have canned fruit stock our pantry. We would forage in the fall walnuts that have fallen off a walnut tree on the side of some road, so she can make banana nut bread. As a child I was put to work on several occasions to help my mother, and that was not the same way my brothers were raised, they would be allowed to go hunting or fishing with my father. Even though my family and I are not foragers we have a lot of similarities with the Hadza tribe and how they divide their labor based upon gender and age. Foragers follow the method of hunter and gatherer, to collect their food. They form small communities of mainly family; immediate and extended family. The men hunt for food while the women and children forage for edible plants. The tribes join occasionally to celebrate things; and they share their food. The Hadza believed if a single man provided the meat for the day, he would divide the food with his family first, and then divide it amongst the rest of the tribesmen. Foraging may have been the way to gather food in the beginning of man (several small tribes still live as foragers, like the Hadza tribe). Today, America and many other countries use intensive agriculture; we use machinery to irrigate and fertilize to increase our surplus. This is necessary because of our population; we are not only a few like the foragers. We are primarily controlled through a government, as apposed to moving about with a village. My first impression of this article was not too great; I felt the writer discussed the difference of chew time within too much detail. I understand the concept of â€Å"less time chewing = more time†. What I found most interesting, and gained insight from, was the knowledge that cooking food to make it soft, freed up the time of man. Without that simple action of cooking our food, man would be very different today. Not just time wise, but that was the start of division of labor within a family. This is still practiced within many American families and tribes that still live off the land. I think a big difference between us and them (which there are a few tribal foragers still today), they live creating little impact on their environment, while we seem to not care so much about the harm we do to ours. I feel because of more time, we not only have the means to relax and socialize, but we also abuse it. We are not as active, and to some people their social part of life is their most important. So because of more time, people are becoming obese, lazy, and gossipy. That pretty much sums up over half of the American population.

Premium Bath Fittings in India

Marketing Assignment (Term 3): Group 2: Bath Fittings Akhil P, Ameya K, Bhaskar D, Pratyush G, Shashank P Branding Building Brand Equity ? Brand Elements o Superior build quality (elegant designs, corrosion resistance, longer functional life, and superior finishing) of imported bath fittings as compared to domestic bath fittings. Assured after-sales service for imported bath fittings, via their distributors and partners in India (ex: Italian premium brand Novellini markets its products through Cera Sanityware Ltd). Domestic makers of bath fittings are mostly unorganized in after-sales services.Water conservation (Imported bath fittings use 20% lesser water than domestic bath fittings). Imported bath fittings have the option of being customized to customer’s requirements. Endorsement from best-in-business real estate builders, architects, high-end hotels & luxury services and interior designers Associated with competitions and social causes (ex: Participants of the prestigious Solar Decathlons, usually held in Washington, preferably use bath fittings by Duravit in their constructions) Managing Brand Equity ? Brand Reinforcement Concept Bathrooms: Imported bath fittings are prominently displayed in stores as a complete-bath-solution (i. e. a complete bathroom is setup inside the store using imported bath fittings). This style of display enhances the product attractiveness to customers and the customers are inclined to buy the whole solution rather than just the individual product Advanced technology in bath fittings (ex: Sensor technology to control water temperature; Battery-operated towel warmers) Creating limited edition of products to maintain exclusivity (ex: Sterlingham frequently makes a limited set of hand-crafted bath fittings) o o ? o o o Leveraging secondary associations Branding Strategy ? o ? ? Aimed at medium to high income customers Portrayed as a style statement Corporate name is printed on each product Integrated Market Communication Marke t ? ? ? ? Bath fittings that are imported are focusing in the urban segments. Focused in the niche market. Establish tie-ups with architects, builders & interior designers. Establish relationship with the major hospitals for selling their products. Money ? ? ? ? Focuses more on the B2B. Share of business of 70% in B2B and 30% to B2C. Few competitors in the niche market of Bath fittings.Major focus in the product substitutability to have stylish and prestigious products. Message The Imported Bath fittings advertise as the product that is dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. They offer a variety of sinks, bathroom faucets and bathroom showering. Bathroom fixtures combine style and perfectly matching the decorating style. Imported bath fittings are dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. Media The Import bath fittings do marketing through the following mediums ? Television Networks. ? Radio stations. Fashi on Magazine. ? Bill boards in the Airports. ? Trade Shows in Metropolitan Cities. Pricing Customer Value and Sensitivity to Price The imported bath fittings are primarily aimed at medium to high-income customers who have loads of disposable cash. In this unconventional form of art, customer has perceived a value that satisfies his/her need as an ego satisfier and/ or as an investment. Hence higher the price, the better an ego satisfier is the product and so is the willingness to pay. Buyer Characteristics and Pricing Method Buyers are looking for quality, after-sales support and uniqueness.To tap into these customers, foreign makers of bath fittings make limited editions of specific products. They also maintain a superior build quality while giving leeway for customizing the products as per customer requirements. Price-Quality Relationship The traditional price-quality relationship holds good here, where higher price signifies better quality. Price Discounts and Allowances Discounts are usually given by the dealer or partner with which the foreign brand has a tie-up with. These local dealers/partners usually give volume discounting.Sustaining Value Customer Evolution ? ? ? ? ? ? Growth in real-estate sector; Growth in hospitality industry Customers have become knowledgeable about both domestic and imported markets Defining the requirements differently o More focus on quality and after-sales service rather than just low-cost products ? Company o Foreign brands sometimes setup a local subsidiary to cater to the demand ? Context o Imported brands understood the need for after-sales service needed by the customers. Hence, they focused on this need through their dealer and partner networksShifting locus of purchasing authority & Changing ability to pay o Increased disposable income of domestic customers Competition o Domestic vs. Imported brands Collaborators o Sustaining Value Creation ? ? Proprietary Process o Use of new and/or patented technology in bath fitting s New Product Introduction o o Imported brands market through local dealers and partner networks. Domestic brands market through local dealers, partners and company stores Bath Solutions based on: Size (small to large bathroom) or Theme (Family/Guest/Child-friendly/Elder-friendly bathrooms) Go to MarketThe Go-to Market strategy of bath fittings in India focuses on 3 main components: It encompasses the following 3 dimensions: ? Portfolio of offers ? New sales model ? Customer Base/Customer partnerships The bath fitting industry players in India maintain a dedicated innovation function to align the product offers with the demand. Companies, such as Afrikano, Moen etc. , provide a unique and affordable package to suit the budget needs of the customers. In order to crack the new geographical markets, these companies engage in ‘Partner management’ to extend the geographical coverage and complement the offer portfolio.The offer portfolio may include – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Taps Bathroom Furniture Spa Shower and steam room Diverter and jets Kitchen Faucets Kitchen furniture After sales service The target portfolio is basically built around another 3 axes and is thus supported by an intelligible structure, which can be depicted as shown: The Go-to market strategy for the high end bath fittings is faced with 2 main challenges: ? The market is restricted ONLY to urban areas. Customers in the rural areas do not possess such purchasing power and the pioneering cost in rural areas is very high. The demand for replacing bathroom fittings is low and the bathroom size is relatively small when compared with bathroom sizes of other developed/developing nations. Hence, continuous business from the same customer is not ensured. The main players in the market provide complete bathroom solutions with water conservation technology. Another strategy employed by such organization is to forge alliances with builders in the real-estate sector so that installations can be done during the construction phase itself. They also target architects working on high end projects for luxury market, hotels etc.The bath fitting market in India is highly competitive with many organized and unorganized players in the market. Foreign players either have distribution partnerships with Indian major players or have ventured in establishing wholly owned subsidiaries through Mergers & Acquisitions and Green- Field Ventures. Moreover, companies are opening dedicated showrooms with concept bathrooms to showcase better product demonstrations. The market channel that is being used buy this industry can be summarized as follows: Companies employ direct selling and retailing strategies to penetrate the market. Premium Bath Fittings in India Marketing Assignment (Term 3): Group 2: Bath Fittings Akhil P, Ameya K, Bhaskar D, Pratyush G, Shashank P Branding Building Brand Equity ? Brand Elements o Superior build quality (elegant designs, corrosion resistance, longer functional life, and superior finishing) of imported bath fittings as compared to domestic bath fittings. Assured after-sales service for imported bath fittings, via their distributors and partners in India (ex: Italian premium brand Novellini markets its products through Cera Sanityware Ltd). Domestic makers of bath fittings are mostly unorganized in after-sales services.Water conservation (Imported bath fittings use 20% lesser water than domestic bath fittings). Imported bath fittings have the option of being customized to customer’s requirements. Endorsement from best-in-business real estate builders, architects, high-end hotels & luxury services and interior designers Associated with competitions and social causes (ex: Participants of the prestigious Solar Decathlons, usually held in Washington, preferably use bath fittings by Duravit in their constructions) Managing Brand Equity ? Brand Reinforcement Concept Bathrooms: Imported bath fittings are prominently displayed in stores as a complete-bath-solution (i. e. a complete bathroom is setup inside the store using imported bath fittings). This style of display enhances the product attractiveness to customers and the customers are inclined to buy the whole solution rather than just the individual product Advanced technology in bath fittings (ex: Sensor technology to control water temperature; Battery-operated towel warmers) Creating limited edition of products to maintain exclusivity (ex: Sterlingham frequently makes a limited set of hand-crafted bath fittings) o o ? o o o Leveraging secondary associations Branding Strategy ? o ? ? Aimed at medium to high income customers Portrayed as a style statement Corporate name is printed on each product Integrated Market Communication Marke t ? ? ? ? Bath fittings that are imported are focusing in the urban segments. Focused in the niche market. Establish tie-ups with architects, builders & interior designers. Establish relationship with the major hospitals for selling their products. Money ? ? ? ? Focuses more on the B2B. Share of business of 70% in B2B and 30% to B2C. Few competitors in the niche market of Bath fittings.Major focus in the product substitutability to have stylish and prestigious products. Message The Imported Bath fittings advertise as the product that is dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. They offer a variety of sinks, bathroom faucets and bathroom showering. Bathroom fixtures combine style and perfectly matching the decorating style. Imported bath fittings are dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. Media The Import bath fittings do marketing through the following mediums ? Television Networks. ? Radio stations. Fashi on Magazine. ? Bill boards in the Airports. ? Trade Shows in Metropolitan Cities. Pricing Customer Value and Sensitivity to Price The imported bath fittings are primarily aimed at medium to high-income customers who have loads of disposable cash. In this unconventional form of art, customer has perceived a value that satisfies his/her need as an ego satisfier and/ or as an investment. Hence higher the price, the better an ego satisfier is the product and so is the willingness to pay. Buyer Characteristics and Pricing Method Buyers are looking for quality, after-sales support and uniqueness.To tap into these customers, foreign makers of bath fittings make limited editions of specific products. They also maintain a superior build quality while giving leeway for customizing the products as per customer requirements. Price-Quality Relationship The traditional price-quality relationship holds good here, where higher price signifies better quality. Price Discounts and Allowances Discounts are usually given by the dealer or partner with which the foreign brand has a tie-up with. These local dealers/partners usually give volume discounting.Sustaining Value Customer Evolution ? ? ? ? ? ? Growth in real-estate sector; Growth in hospitality industry Customers have become knowledgeable about both domestic and imported markets Defining the requirements differently o More focus on quality and after-sales service rather than just low-cost products ? Company o Foreign brands sometimes setup a local subsidiary to cater to the demand ? Context o Imported brands understood the need for after-sales service needed by the customers. Hence, they focused on this need through their dealer and partner networksShifting locus of purchasing authority & Changing ability to pay o Increased disposable income of domestic customers Competition o Domestic vs. Imported brands Collaborators o Sustaining Value Creation ? ? Proprietary Process o Use of new and/or patented technology in bath fitting s New Product Introduction o o Imported brands market through local dealers and partner networks. Domestic brands market through local dealers, partners and company stores Bath Solutions based on: Size (small to large bathroom) or Theme (Family/Guest/Child-friendly/Elder-friendly bathrooms) Go to MarketThe Go-to Market strategy of bath fittings in India focuses on 3 main components: It encompasses the following 3 dimensions: ? Portfolio of offers ? New sales model ? Customer Base/Customer partnerships The bath fitting industry players in India maintain a dedicated innovation function to align the product offers with the demand. Companies, such as Afrikano, Moen etc. , provide a unique and affordable package to suit the budget needs of the customers. In order to crack the new geographical markets, these companies engage in ‘Partner management’ to extend the geographical coverage and complement the offer portfolio.The offer portfolio may include – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Taps Bathroom Furniture Spa Shower and steam room Diverter and jets Kitchen Faucets Kitchen furniture After sales service The target portfolio is basically built around another 3 axes and is thus supported by an intelligible structure, which can be depicted as shown: The Go-to market strategy for the high end bath fittings is faced with 2 main challenges: ? The market is restricted ONLY to urban areas. Customers in the rural areas do not possess such purchasing power and the pioneering cost in rural areas is very high. The demand for replacing bathroom fittings is low and the bathroom size is relatively small when compared with bathroom sizes of other developed/developing nations. Hence, continuous business from the same customer is not ensured. The main players in the market provide complete bathroom solutions with water conservation technology. Another strategy employed by such organization is to forge alliances with builders in the real-estate sector so that installations can be done during the construction phase itself. They also target architects working on high end projects for luxury market, hotels etc.The bath fitting market in India is highly competitive with many organized and unorganized players in the market. Foreign players either have distribution partnerships with Indian major players or have ventured in establishing wholly owned subsidiaries through Mergers & Acquisitions and Green- Field Ventures. Moreover, companies are opening dedicated showrooms with concept bathrooms to showcase better product demonstrations. The market channel that is being used buy this industry can be summarized as follows: Companies employ direct selling and retailing strategies to penetrate the market.