Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO)

Presentation Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) is a well famous, brand name. At the point when the Chief Executive official is the â€Å"brand†, it tends to be hard to isolate their character from the personality of the organization they represent.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The estimations of the organization are greater than those of the organizer, this is clear from the proceeded with accomplishment in fortune, particularly after its author was blamed for business acts of neglect, for example, insider exchanging. This was conversely of what expert had anticipated. It is basic for any organization to consider elective systems in improving individual and hierarchical adequacy. Outside and inside components of correspondence should include broad exploration for better arranging and execution to recognize, with basic examples of authoritative conduct and pu rchaser mentalities (Polk Wardwell, 2008). It would impact the procedure of continuing its spotlight, making a serious promoting technique and reestablishing its picture. Work Groups At MSO, cooperation inside the work bunches is underlined to improve various choices; assorted encounters and aggregate judgment .For the group to exist people need to see themselves as a component of the gathering. In this manner, Martha Steward Living Omnimedia (MSO) in repositioning itself should exploit correspondence channels including online networking to acquire client criticism and expand on them to improve its administration and item conveyance. In addition, through information got about workers should help the association in recognize zones to enhance. Rebranding, of any organization will undoubtedly come up short if organization’s workers don't bolster it.Therefore, choices made should fuse proposals from the individuals who distinguish most with the items. The viability in employeesâ €™ execution upgrades discipline, how representatives relate with one another, their spirit and ingrain inspiration. Interchanges in a work bunch serve the need of educating, yet in addition it is a significant instrument for controlling and a component of inspiration. Along these lines, for common and shared obligations among workers in the association, compelling correspondence in choices made is basic for the executives at MSO to get positive input from their subordinates and different partners. Correspondence The administration ought to give a detailed correspondence procedure to fortify execution and cause workers to feel some portion of the association, become mindful of progressing patterns and invalidate their feelings of dread about the associations future objectives. An association is a general public supplied with assorted workers of various foundations and culture. Thus, correspondence procedures are basic in passing significant association information.Advertising Lo oking for exposition on business financial aspects? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Top administration at MSO needs to recognize fitting methodologies as far as the board style, which can increment; employee’s inspiration, makes fulfillment, and improves associations conduct and execution. In settling thwarted expectation, and exclusive requirements gave on them by general society, methodologies, for example, participatory administration is fundamental in building trust, enabling and propelling a worker in performing assignments (Passikoff, 2006). Correspondence is subsequently a key factor whether composed or conveyed orally. It is the main way; an organization’s partners can communicate their desires, recommendations, and any worries or complaints they may have. In making of a one of a kind profile, appropriate correspondence info ought to rise up out of the input acquired inside and remotely. Rebranding Mas on and Meyer (2006) show that rebranding as a procedure has direct effect on how the organization is seen by outside condition. Change, as a component in forming most associations sway on all gatherings in an association and significant modifications ought not out of the ordinary. The administration at MSO in overseeing associations emergency, obstruction, and figuring significant choices will assist with moving in the ideal development bearing. Rebranding a ground-breaking brand like Martha Steward would be increasingly damaging particularly to the spirit of numerous representatives than it would be useful and cautious considerations ought to be embraced to shield workers from feeling estranged. Martha Steward legacy as to be figured during the procedure of rebranding. This is just in light of the fact that it would appear to be a push to counter negative exposure more than its endeavors to reposition or globalize the brand (Passikoff, 2006). Albeit numerous different organizations like Pepsi or Google have been effective in rebranding themselves, the rebranding of Martha Steward would be a move from a more individualized to a coordinate vibe than numerous purchasers probably won't relate to. Rather, it should focus on finding some kind of harmony in building a personality from the individual and exploiting the engaging Martha’ open picture. End Marketing systems of an association can be relied on its marking and correspondence among other significant procedures. These variables are significant in improving the organizations’ customer observation and framing solid communitarian associations with comparative contenders. These methodologies are not just significant in improving association administrations, and items, yet additionally influence an association against its rivals and upgrade employee’s morale.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Mason, A. Meyer, M. (2006).Living With Martha Stewart Media: Chosen Domesticity in the Experience of Fan. Diary of correspondence, (51),pp. 801-823 Passikoff, R. (2006).Predicting Market Success: New Ways to Measure Customer Loyalty and Engage Consumers with Your Brand, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons Inc. Polk, R. Wardwell, L. (2008). A Comparative Study of Insider Trading Regulation Enforcement in the U.S. furthermore, China Journal of Business Securities Law, (9), pp. 56-63 This article on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) was composed and put together by client Collin Collier to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for exploration and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it likewise. You can give your paper here.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Outline and critically assess Max Webers concept of the iron cage in Essay

Diagram and fundamentally evaluate Max Webers idea of the iron pen corresponding to the justification of work in the cutting edge world - Essay Example evaluate it corresponding to the defense of work in the cutting edge world, the paper offers a steady assessment of Max Weber’s thought and instructing on levelheadedness, administration and free enterprise. Weber saw administration as the regular phase of verifiable advancement and as the most productive method of administering the cutting edge world’s society. Then again, contrasting it and â€Å"the iron cage† he underlined the disadvantages of bureaucratic machine and exceptionally judicious way to deal with life, and conceded that accordingly we live in a â€Å"polar night of frigid dimness. Bureaucratic methodology being perceived as the obsolete administration style, the cutting edge society attempts to receive new techniques for work. However, work keeps remaining profoundly think. Weber’s â€Å"social action.† To comprehend Weber’s idea completely, one should go to his technique, tossing light at the method of Weber’s thinking. Weber put together his approach with respect to the class of the perfect kind, which is the enthusiasm of the age, â€Å"a utopia,† communicated in a type of hypothetical development, a plan. This perfect sort assists with understanding the regular standards of the occasions, demonstrating reason for monetary, stylish and virtues of individuals. With the assistance of understanding, a humanist ought to inspect the activities of a person, who places some sense into the entirety of his activities. An individual’s activities become social activities molded by two elements: emotional inspiration and direction towards others. This direction towards others makes an activity a social activity. Social activity can be done uniquely by people. To comprehend the social procedures occurring in an express, a family, or some other social gathering, it is important to comprehend the thought processes of activities of the different people forming the inspected social gathering. However, understanding isn't adequate for a profound knowledge into social procedures. Discerning activities should serve the instrument of humanism. Weber offers a typology of social activities dependent on

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Student Group Spotlight UN Studies Working Group COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Student Group Spotlight UN Studies Working Group COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Life at SIPA is more than just a rigorous and exciting curriculum. The SIPA community is greatly enriched by the numerous student organizations on campus. We thought it would be useful to spotlight some of these organizations to give you a more holistic view of the SIPA experience. The UN Studies Program Working Group (UNSWG) is a student organization that works in close relation with the UN Studies Program at SIPA. It aims to connect students and the entire SIPA community to the United Nations, to its issues and agenda, and to the UN System as a whole. UNSWG members are dedicated to the UN’s main goals, including principles of worldwide cooperation for peace and prosperity. ?The UNSWG serves as a platform for delivery and exchange of knowledge, ideas, thoughts and reflection, debates and discussion on issues related to the United Nations and the UN system. ?The UNSWG works to foster a close relation between SIPA and the UN: to prepare conferences, seminars, discussion panels and groups; invite speakers and prepare presentations; organize student debates around relevant and current issues related to the UN. ?The UNSWG aims to maximize opportunities for SIPA students to be involved with the UN and the greater UN family through meetings with officials; visits to the UN Secretariat and UN agency headquarters; inviting speakers to SIPA; organizing internships, career panels, and support for individual initiatives related to the UN. Within the first month of the semester, the UNSWG has coordinated the following events: “How to get a job at the UN” panel with a representative from the UN’s Human Resources department UN Studies Retreat, “70 Years Later: The United Nations at a Crossroad in a Changing World”, which featured speakers from the UN Secretary-General, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Peace Institute, the UN Secretary-General in Africa, and the United Nations Foundation Participation in an upcoming talk given by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on challenges for the UN in the 21st Century Check out the UNSWG’s blog for a list of past events and its general page for more information.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Ancient Roman History Optimates

The optimates were, literally, the best men in Rome. They were the traditionalist Senatorial majority of Roman Republic. Optimates were the conservative faction and were in contrast with the populares. The optimates were not concerned with the good of the common man, but rather of the elite. They wished to extend the power of the Senate. In the conflict between Marius and Sulla, Sulla represented the old established aristocracy and the optimates, while the new man Marius represented the populares. Since Marius married into the house of Julius Caesar, Caesar had family reasons for supporting the populares. Pompey and Cato were among the optimates. Populares In contrast to the optimates in the Roman Republic was the populares. The populares were Roman political leaders who were on the side of the people as is indicated by their name. They were opposed to the optimates who were concerned with the best men -- the meaning of optimates. The populares were not always so much interested in the common man as their own careers. The populares used the assemblies of the people rather than the aristocratic senate to further their agendas. When motivated by noble principles they could help provisions that benefitted the common man, like extending citizenship. Julius Caesar was a famous leader aligned with the populares. Ancient Roman Social Structure In Ancient Roman culture, Romans could be either patrons or clients. At the time, this social stratification proved mutually beneficial. The number of clients and sometimes the status of clients conferred prestige on the patron. The client owed his vote to the patron. The patron protected the client and his family, gave legal advice, and helped the clients financially or in other ways. A patron could have a patron of his own; therefore, a client, could have his own clients, but when two high-status Romans had a relationship of mutual benefit, they were likely to choose the label  amicus (friend) to describe the relationship since amicus did not imply stratification. When slaves were manumitted, the liberti (freedmen) automatically became clients of their former owners and were obligated to work for them in some capacity. There was also patronage in the arts where a patron provided the wherewithal to allow the artist to create in comfort. The work of art or book would be dedicated to the patron. Client King This title was typically used by non-Roman rulers who enjoyed Roman patronage but were not treated as equals. Romans called such rulers rex sociusque et amicus king, ally, and friend when the Senate formally recognized them. Braund emphasizes that there is little authority for the actual term client king. Client kings did not have to pay taxes, but they were expected to provide military manpower. The client kings expected Rome to help them defend their territories. Sometimes client kings bequeathed their territory to Rome.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Climate Change And Economic Policy Free Essays

string(208) " affected by the hypothesised changes to temperature for standards of living, but the changes may affect agricultural output and goods demanded by countries importing \(supporting\) clean production methods\." Climate change is defined as â€Å"Change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods†(Bruno and Mehmet 2010). Modern methods of production create greenhouse gasses as a negative externality via the market failure and government intervention is needed to rectify the situation. Climate change is an issue for the Australian government as it needs to intervene to correct the market failure caused by the free markets inability to provide property rights to mitigate damages caused by the negative externality. We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Change And Economic Policy or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Calhoun 2010) The greenhouse gas externality is a by-product of the production of goods and services via the over-production of emissions. Dr Peter John Wood argues that† climate change is an indisputable threat† and on that basis, as well as the world stage Australia has taken the reins in acting upon climate change. An externality is defined as† are the unintended consequence of one economic agent’s economic activity that affect another agent’s economic activity, but which are not adequately priced through the market (Sonia and Jeff 2011)†. This is also known as market failure and requires government intervention to be able to rectify the problem due to a lack of property rights and correct mitigation for parties involved with the transaction. In this case, one form of the market failure is because the cost of CO2 is not factored into the transaction price. The Gillard government continued a legacy that was started with the Howard government back in 2007 that saw a Carbon Emissions Trading scheme take part in the Australian government to tackle Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions (Chris 2011). The Carbon tax was implemented on June 1st 2012 and has been controversial amongst politicians and economists alike according to Clive’s article â€Å"Australia’s Carbon Tax: A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing†. The steps taken to implement a policy should be understood first before critiquing from different viewpoints. The four major points of policymaking are: 1. Specify the goals of policy 2. Identify the targets 3. Specify the policy instruments 4. Model the economy linking the instruments to the targets Using this framework, the goal’s of the policy are to mitigate damages caused by the production of greenhouse gasses on the (global) environment on a national scale and decrease the amount of pollution via increasing the price of polluting. The targets of the policy are the agents involved (Firms producing pollution, environment and households) with the transactions. Firms are the largest creators of the pollution and the households are directly affected by price increases, therefore their welfare post-tax needs to be considered in a socially acceptable policy. The policy instruments include subsidies to the households most affected by the increases in prices of amenities as well as the Pigovian Tax on polluting (Energy 2012). Lastly, the model that directly links the economy to the instruments proposed can be shown below. Tax brings the externality into equilibrium with the social cost. The amount of gain to the social benefit is the darker area and is also the taxation revenue collected on behalf of the government. This also decreases output by the difference in Original output-New output. This can also be shown on a Supply and Demand graph. The graph to the right illustrates the effectiveness of the tax on the existing market price and therefore reducing the quantity of pollution emitted. This tax is directly placed on the top 500 polluting firms in Australia which account for the majority of the pollution via production. The Department for Climate Change and Efficient Energy published their â€Å"Forth Assessment Report† outlining that â€Å"There is clear evidence that our climate is changing, largely due to human activities†. One can infer that the government is acting morally and taking partial responsibility for these human activities, hence action for change and mitigation. Market failure is defined as the inability of the market being able to deliver an efficient level of goods and or services (Calhoun 2010). This is an important aspect when determining what aspects of a policy are vital in addressing the issue at hand, because the situation of pollution is a non-Pareto optimal situation due to the negative externalities created in the transaction between agents. The government’s intervention due to the market failing is justified by its role in the G8, Kyoto Protocol and its response to the public on the matter (â€Å"Australia to have leading role in carbon mitigation† 2007). Another reason is that property rights are not defined clearly with the environment, therefore the government intervention to make the Marginal Social Cost equal the Marginal Social Cost via a Pigovian tax, decreasing the amount of negative externality produced (greenhouse gasses).(Bruno and Mehmet 2010) Macro-economically speaking, this issue impacts both Australia’s macroeconomic goal of efficient resource allocation and sustainable economic growth. Due to high public opinion on green alternatives and clean production, changes in consumer preferences will mean that some goods and services provided using traditional fossil fuels or unsustainable methods may be boy-cotted or fall second preference to ‘green goods’(Kathleen 2012) The Efficient resource allocation goal of Australia addresses â€Å"†¦where resources are allocated in the most efficient manner†(Weng 2008). The environment is a common resource and traditionally has not been defined to any specific owner. Firms may utilise the environment (clean air, sunshine and or clean water) as a factor of production, examples may include Personal Trainers or tour guides. With a market failure existing, it renders the goal incomplete as there is an excess of pollution and undersupply of environment as it is a rival good. Either the polluters must reduce their output of pollution or they must mitigate the affected agents. This causes a problem in the regard, whom is affected by the pollution and by how much does the affected agents need to be mitigated for. Sustainable economic growth in the long term is impacted by climate change. Not only will Australia be affected by the hypothesised changes to temperature for standards of living, but the changes may affect agricultural output and goods demanded by countries importing (supporting) clean production methods. You read "Climate Change And Economic Policy" in category "Papers" Australia, by implementing policy change enables the economy to be in a better position to respond to act with funds allocated via the policy impact (â€Å"Australia: Australia Prepares for Carbon Tax† 2012). Comparing the current Carbon Tax (Clean Energy Bill) to alternatives that have been proposed such as Carbon Trading Schemes and Subsidies for Clean Investment have both advantages and disadvantages (Calhoun 2010). Australia’s Carbon Tax initially is a fixed price of $23 per Metric Tonne of Carbon Dioxide emitted from the top 500 polluting companies in Australia(Harris 2012). This in its simplicity is a Pigovian Tax, which is used to deter consumption/production of a good or service that causes the negative externality. Simultaneously the Indirect tax signals the taxed firms that they should spend investment capital on ways to lower their output of CO2 emissions (Carrie 2011). Pigovian taxes are designed to increase the price of the good that causes the negative externality by the amount that best reflects the cost to society in the production of the good which will internalise the effects of the externality (Carrie 2011). Examples of these in Australian society include the Alco-Pop tax and tobacco tax. In the case of the Carbon Tax, the good being taxed is pollution and the parties being mitigated are the Australian government on behalf of the environment in which it is representing, in effect the environment is gaining property rights in this explanation. The Pigovian tax, when applied will cause a reduction in the level of pollution due to the cost added. This will vary from firm to firm due to the elasticity of the cost to pollute. It is safe to assume that all firms are elastic with pollution expenses; therefore the economics of the tax are sound. Pigovian taxes have been praised for their simplistic approach to combating both losses of competitiveness due to inefficient methods of production and on goods themselves which are non-essential for consumption when viable substitutes are available according to Harris’s economic survey in 2012. Examples include using solar power on mine sites instead of Gas or Coal power. Pigovian Taxes however are not ideal in the case of Carbon Leakage, whereby firms choose to produce their goods offshore in countries that are not yet or not participating in Carbon Reduction. It reduces Australia’s carbon footprint, however the loss of production in Australia mean relative to before the tax, there is a reduction in output. (Dellaware 2011). By contrasting these to alternative methods to combat climate change such as an Emissions Trading Scheme (Cap and Trade) or the Carbon Offset system. All theoretically are able to reduce the level of the negative externality, however they all have different dynamics to each other and need to be applied using the framework aforementioned in the essay. The Cap and Trade system allows for the Coasian Bargaining of the right to emit greenhouse gasses as part of production of a firm. These permits would be of a set supply, and would limit firms to a ‘cap’ of pollution. These would be traded in the open market meaning that the market subject to demand and elasticity by a firm, determines the price of the permit. This would encourage firms to innovate and reduce the number of permits needed to produce, or be more efficient with the given quota of pollution per year.(Kathleen 2012) Advantages of the Cap and Trade system mean that the total level of greenhouse gases are controlled, IE a set amount per year meaning that it is easier to attain goals from the Kyoto Protocol. International trading markets are also proposed and feasible meaning that there is greater competition for permits which leads to more efficiency domestically. Firms that are unable to compete or innovate into cleaner greener methods are either absorbed by larger more efficient and environmentally viable companies or liquidate, meaning less pollution output. Another advantage is that there is little regulation and or further government attention required to maintain the Cap and Trade system. Because the market forces determine prices between firms, the need for a middle man is removed. Comparing this to a Carbon Tax, where constant auditing, monitoring and enforcement is both time consuming and expensive from a tax payers perspective. Comparing the two graphically below show the changes in price and quantity in the strict control of either supply of increase of price. The Carbon tax is indirect, it controls the price movements, which affect the quantity, and the Cap and Trade system controls the supply, which then determines the price. The biggest disadvantage to not controlling the price of pollution as oppose to the quantity is that it does not promote efficient investment on clean alternatives to production and instead causes prices to rise of the permits, allowing larger companies to purchase the right to continue polluting and drive out smaller less profitable companies, provided they can’t sustain operation by selling excess permits to excessive polluters. Graphically, they yield the same result however; Clive argues that the amount of red tape needed to maintain the Cap and Trade System is not viable. Introducing the Carbon Offset scheme, means that carbon offsets are purchased which in turn mitigates the marginal private cost of the firm to equilibrium level. Firms can only pollute according to their offset amount and has been successful in Europe with 5.5 Billion dollars of offsets traded according to Bruno and Mehmet’s paper on Governance and the Carbon impact. Advantages exist in the offset scheme whereby it guarantee’s firms to take positive action/investment due to money spent on offsets directly in the form of buying credits from firms specific for reducing pollution and or investment on re-forestation and cleaner methods of production. Other arguments exist stating that having a Cap of pollution will force in-efficient firms to find the lowest cost method to reduce their pollution. Again, like any alternative to the Carbon Tax, much more bureaucratic procedures, monitoring costs and governing bodies are required to manage such a proposal (Oh 2007). 1. Similarities exist between the two policy options in that both require a base measured level of pollution to which caps and prices can be compared 1. Both systems will generate revenue via the increase of the Marginal Private cost which can be distributed via the governing body. 1. Both systems will require a governing body to standardise and monitor activities to be equitable (International-Emissions-Trading-Association 2011) Using this information, the policies will affect different groups of individuals differently. The Carbon Tax will have some impact on households, but greater on the top 500 firms. Understanding how it will affect each party will enable a better understanding of the Pareto Efficiency concept. Households under the Carbon Tax will be charged more for amenities and certain activities such as air travel. Using the graph below it is clear that electricity is the largest producer of greenhouse gases and will have the largest impact via the tax. increase of costs of using electricity, any household that earns less than 80,000 dollars a year will benefit from subsidies and household assistance packages from the Liberal Government (Energy 2012).Households will also gain in subsidies and other cleaner initiatives from the government via the revenue collected from the tax which will increase their standard of living, proposed by the new energy reforms(Energy 2012). Linking back to Figure 1, the gains in Social Benefit are the largest gains that the households have, which economically speaking should be a new Pareto optimum specific to householders. Firms on the other hand, if subjected to the tax will have an increase in costs relative to the $23 per metric tonne of CO2 emitted. There is also the added cost of administration fees and loss of investment due to higher costs. Other costs that may be included are changes in capital. Pigovian taxes are aimed to have a distortion effect, decreasing the amount of CO2 emitted, changing what firms use to produce and furthermore where future capital investment may be directed (Bruno and Mehmet 2010). Firms from the impact of a Cap and Trade system will be partaking in Coasian Bargaining. This system has been used in the European Union and has shown dramatic decreases in the levels of CO2 by firms (International-Emissions-Trading-Association 2011). Due to the nature of the market, firms will bid and enter a price war against each other that will drive firms to have the lowest operating cost to save on purchasing permits. Firms that do not use the entire permit’s quota are able to bid off their remaining excess to firms whom can afford to pollute, or can’t afford to innovate into cleaner methods of production. Production, if the firm is pollutant dependant will be affected due to a rise in fixed and variable costs and may decrease output (Gilbert 2007). If the firm is not heavily reliant on pollution, it will see increases in its profits due to the revenue gained from trading the permits. The Cap and Trade system promotes production efficiency according to Gilbert Metcalfe’s proposal for a US Cap Swap in those methods that reduce CO2 output cost less via the tariffs placed. The Cap and Trade system from a household’s perspective will be similar to that of the carbon tax, however a time lag may be present due to firms having a time period in which they can allocate their pollution as opposed to an indirect tax. Each policy suggestion from an economic perspective has its own merits and weaknesses and need to be considered when creating a policy that affects both households and firms. The policy must be fair, equitable and efficient to all parties involved. By comparing the implemented Carbon Tax with the feasible alternative, the Cap and Trade system, the different viewpoints of firms and households are understood. How to cite Climate Change And Economic Policy, Papers

Friday, May 1, 2020

Technology Changed Businesses Are Conductedâ€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Technology Changed Businesses Are Conducted? Answer: Introducation Organisations long in business will have to understand that globalisation and information technology has changed the ways businesses are conducted including the mode of maintaining the accounts as well. B Bakery as is understood has been into the business of bakery for almost half a century and seen various ups and down. Subsequently the recent years have been some of the most flourishing years due to the introduction of newer products which are healthy as well as tasty. Unfortunately, B Bakery had to face the loss of some of the main account holders as they failed to provide some of its most wanted products at rates which equivalent to the one was offered by its competition. B Bakery continued to follow the age old method of accounting for its costs of products which failed to tell the firm about the places where the cost incurred is most and where they can cut down costs. Also due to lack of proper expertise as well and the absence of adequate business processes and ERP packages in stalled, the firm was unable to supply the goods at competitive rates as they were unable to find out how much profits can be sacrificed or reduced because of absence of a handy financial data. The firm lacked availability of instant and analytical information which would help them to take instant decision so as to retain the client. The said essay defines what the business of bakery desires of and how the ERP should be selected keeping in mind the purpose it is expected to serve for the firm. It also discusses about the fact that simply software selection is not the end, vendor selection is of utmost importance as well. What Is The Business Process Of A Bakery Well before the business process of a bakery is understood it is very crucial to understand as to what does a baker do. Basically a baker is a chef who specialises in baking pastries and breads of various kinds. He ensures to be the one who is involved in the procurement of raw materials, to baking the pastries and finally giving it a finishing touch by various kinds of icing which makes the cake look good. He also ensures to procure goods from the best of the places wherein the quality is not compromised and the price paid is the least as well. For every business to run well, it is undoubtedly required to check upon the business processes being undertaken by the company and so is applicable for the business of B Bakery too. It is a business process which helps in achieving the goals of any organization and if the same is not well defined then the business may have to suffer in the long run. In todays time of globalisation and increasing competition as well within a small business entity also, business process management (BPM) plays a crucial role as it helps to improvise various processes such as accounting, cost analysis etc (Rouse, 2016). There are various categories of a business process and each category has a separate role to play in the success of the organization. First and foremost is the operational process and B bakerys operational process is to make the best quality bakery products and to improvise upon the existing range of products being offered as per the changing tastes of its customers (Borysowich, 2008). Wi th regards the said process, B Bakery has successfully launched a range of product which is healthier and tastier as well, thus trying to deal with the operational process. The second one is the supporting processes which does not provide services or goods to the customers directly, but indirectly are a crucial part of the entity. They help to support, as the name says, to the main operations of the concern such as in the case of B Bakery, its main operational process is being backed up by accounting, workplace safety. The third one is the management process which help to determine, check upon and organize processes which are linked to the business procedures and systems, such as budgeting, strategic planning and adequate and proper communication within the organization (Veyrat, 2016). However in the case of B Bakery, though the support process was very much evident but the kind of support being provided was not as per the trend. The entity continued to follow the age old method of manual book keeping which gave results of the performance at the end of the year and there was no clue in the middle of the year as to where the costs could be controlled etc. Further to this, the management process also lacked because B bakery could not manage the activities as per the trend prevalent due to which the method of costing adopted was an old one which did not give him fruitful results. Lack of handy details was the main lack in the business process (Gratch, 2017). B Bakery although had updated its operational process but failed to understand that the support and the management processes are equally important and hence needs to be updated too. Hence it can be rightly said that all these business processes are interlinked. Thus if there is an issue with the supply production, then it will automatically have an adverse impact on the sales and in the same fashion, if the business loses some of its customers then also its sales will decline (Considine et.al. 2005). Business Requirements Of B Bakery All the business processes discussed above are crucial and integral. But the main processes can be summarised into four different categories i.e. supply chain management, human resources, production and accounts. Amongst these four, accounts is of utmost importance specially from a business mans viewpoint since it acts as a fuel for the success of the entire business process. B Bakery has been able to made tremendous profits and grow its business in the past few years but present scenario shows that it is facing some issues as it is losing its accounts. Even though the firm has appointed a specific accounting team who is accountable for the book keeping and the other reporting part of the accounts of the business, but the said accounting method fails to provide details about certain decision making actions. Because of the same the company failed to retain some of its key accounts as it could not provide them products at rates which were competitive with their competition. Finally it has realised that he company needs to improvise upon its present accounting method so as to be able to get certain data which would help them to take analytical decisions. Thus the data required for taking such a decision will come only via proper and in depth business process as well as market research. Basis these data, B Bakery will be able to take crucial and important decisions which would help it to regain back the lost customers and gain success again. The business desires to install an accounting information system within its business and hence they are looking for investing in some of the available accounting software for the accomplishment of the said purpose. The key requirements for B Bakery presently is to improvise their present accounting methods, integration of the business processes and the accounting systems so that more sound decisions can be taken, putting in money in some of the accounting software packages which are available and tailoring it as per the business process and execution of an ERP and AIS for their business. ERP will support in integration of the business process and will help to provide a stronger base for the AIS (Bragg, 2017). The bakery business demands for many major details from its various core business processes which would in turn help them to gain better performance of their business in the market. The business process cannot work well until and unless adequate information which would help in taking decisions are collected. Not only transactional data but also operational information is a must for processing and decision making. Hence the account process can provide adequate data only if it gathers and collects the same from the other business processes. Information related to payables, receivables, inventory, the margins that it is presently earning and what it can sacrifice, cost of production, etc are a must for a sound business decision. These data are a must for setting the price of its products at competitive rates. For the acquisition of the said data from the business processes, it would need assimilation of all the business processes and the systems which are needed for the conduct of these processes. The better the assimilation, the better the business process and which would at the end yield better results financially. The AIS which is being installed over the ERP will help to give a structure to the entire firm and will in turn help it to gather, process, supervise, accumulate and recover financial data by the various analysts , managers, accountants, auditors and such others who need the information for the purpose of business decision making (Hall, 2016). Apart from the same, ERP will help to assimilate the jobs and procedures of the business of B Bakery. The assimilation of both of them i.e. AIS and ERP will ultimately ensure that the data being presented more useful from the normal business data. Simply putting, AIS will give business estimating data by investigating past data. Determine The System Requirements A huge number of resources are at the dispense of the small business houses who are trying to achieve growth in their operational processes. These resources comprises of the various tactics that the companies should undertake, which areas calls for improvisation, how can they control on those things which they already possess etc. B Bakery is a firm which is lacking only technological expertise and not expertise in the field of baking. It needs to make an investment in an appropriate accounting information software (AIS) so that it is being able to beat the competition successful. The firm has a brand name, goodwill, talent but lacks accounting of its talent due to which it is failing into becoming a cost efficient company. Thus while investing into IT, the bakery firm should take into account some of the software features which would help it achieve its goal of price competitiveness. It is not possible to gain grow and beat the competition, until and unless the age old methods are left behind. It has to ensure to chose an IT software which serves its various software purposes. B Bakery is aware that its biggest drawback lies in the field of accountancy, costing and analytical methodology thereby it needs execution of ERP as well as AIS within its business process. The accountant it has employed is a person with a conservative mindset. Thereby the software being selected should be such which would act as a ready reckoner for the owner to decide upon price cuts of certain products. Bakery firms business structures are generally very small to medium sized in nature and hence there software requirements would be one that offers a centralised system of recording transactions. The main thrust is on those features which are a must for the firm and without which the entire purpose of installing a software is a waste. Thus one of the main feature that the software should offer to a B Bakery is cost accounting. The ERP software will assimilate all the business procedures and hence there would exist a shared and centralised data center which would all the business procedures across the firm. This centralisation will ensure that adequate data is also available for the AIS process as well. This would ensure a more accurate processing. The AIS helps the business process in conducting three essential functions: It helps to process the information in a more effective and efficient manner. The same is possible as it collects information from the various transactions being undertaken by the company. For performing the said function, the AIS will have to gather all those transactions, their sources, documentations etc. Wherein these dealings will be written into the journals. A journal is a book keeping process which records all the transactions in a sequential order and from there these transactions are posted to various ledgers wherein further sorting is done basis various accounts. The AIS software gives support to the management in taking sound decisions by collecting and deriving data from these databases and analysing the same (Zheng, 2015). Thus apart from the financial statements, the managerial reports are also needed by the management which would help them to take various strategic decisions and not wait for the year to end to get hold of the financial status. The firms internal control will strengthen with the installation of an AIS since the software has the potential to produce very reliable and dependent data. This will ensure that the business processes are efficient and in line with the main objectives of the management (Koronapos.com., 2017). Software Selection B Bakery falls under the category of medium of large sized company because it has seventy employees and the revenue it generates surpassed $13.5 million in the previous year. Thus the kind of software it would require is one which would help in providing better detailed information which would help it to take quick decisions and ensure competition is kept away. Basis the present industrial condition, three kinds of accounting information system software for such kind of a business is best suited. They are as under: Entry level Solutions: This type of solution is best suited for a small firm where the number of members does not exceed five. The software for this category has the capability of delivering basic financial accounting functionalities, review and reporting as well. AIS such as Quickbooks, SAGE 50 US Edition, XERO, Freshbooks and Wave etc. which is best suited for such a kind of organizations. Small to Medium Scale Business Solutions: This class of AIS software is best fitted for the small and medium scale businesses wherein the users would not exceed hundred. The software which falls under this category cater to various other functions as well as compared to the previous one. The software which falls under this category basically supports a high demanding transactional data support which helps in the reporting purpose. The software is highly scalable and the connected record will be vigorous. Example of this category software are SAGE 100 ERP, Exact Max, Quickbook Enterprise, CYMA, SAP By Design etc. Enterprise accounting Software: This category of AIS is best suited for larger organizations where the number of users is more than hundred and also helps to cater to businesses which are spread across the globe. The features they possess are vigorous and the functions are extended (Bolenta, 2011). Example of such a kind of software are SAP, Oracle etc. Basis the above descriptions, it is clear that B Bakery should consider installation of accounting solutions which fall under the second category i.e. small to medium business solutions (Diana, 2015). Vendor Selection The small and medium business solutions vendors, the most reputed ones are SAGE 100 ERP, Microsoft Dynamics and SAP by Design. Amongst these three, two accounting packages being chosen for comparing are SAGE 100 ERP and SAP By Design. Sage 100 Erp SAGE 100 ERP offers a number of deviations of the AIS software for these kind of enterprises. These are SAGE 100 Advanced ERP, SAGE 100 Standard ERP etc. This software has the capacity to support around half a century of users at the same time and that too for a varied range of accounting activities to be performed, economic activities, business intelligence, human resource, manufacturing, marketing and distribution and various CRM services. The solutions it provides can be tailored according to the requirements offered by these business procedures. The software is flexible enough to suit to the changing business needs as if the same is not then it becomes difficult for the medium enterprise to install new systems every now and then. Also the same is stable enough (Lobby, 2017). It demands for Microsoft Windows environment and Microsoft SQL as well which would help in managing the backend. The same can be implemented and installed basis the platform used by the client. For the usage of the said software, wizard base support is available which ensures flawless assimilation within the modules of the software. The said software is less complicated thereby makes it easy for a novice also to understand its usage module. The return on investment will be maximum in this kind of a software due to the vigorous features it has to offer and the reports derived from it is very easily comprehendible. The users can easily add and delete the various user defined fields, rules of the business which helps to perform some specific tasks (Accounting Software World 2015). SAP Business by Design It is a generalised accounting software package for business such as the size of B Bakery. Basically it helps to serve those small and medium enterprises which are searching for SaaS based cloud accounting solutions (Tur, 2013). It provides a huge array of professional services in conjunction with assimilated procedures for financing, CRM etc. this software has many advantages to offer such as the software is easily scalable i.e. new users can easily be added and the number of transactions can be increased to a great extent (Bearingpoint.com 2013). It supports those types of organizations as well who have their business spread across various places thereby also supports multi-currency transactions also (Sommer, 2017). The resources across the firm is better controlled. Further to this, since it uses cloud based software, therefore no specific hardware installation and development is needed (Kulkarni, 2015). Last but not the least is that such a kind of accounting software offers disa ster recovery system as well and better security of data (Rahaman, 2012). The SaaS is very effective as it entails to provide such services which are needed by bigger organizations as well hence very useful if the SMB wants to expand its business (McCabe, 2010). Recommendations B Bakery is required to put in its money for the installation of a good AIS system as due tot he lack of the same, the firm is unable to provide its products at competitive rates. The said software would ensure connection of the various processes of the firm which would enable analysis of the transactional information and the operational data as well thereby ensuring the firm to take decisions which would be best for B Bakery. It is suggested to install SAGE 100 ERP accounting software, as it has various benefits to offer to B Bakery. The benefits it offers to B Bakery are as under: A well connected, linked and assimilated network which would ensure all the business processes are put together via the software. Vendors, customers and the internal staff as well can easily unite to the one single system being installed via BYOD devices using mobiles and web interface managing CRM, HR, sales, purchases etc. This is a flawless method where the chances of a mistake is very less (Galani et.al. 2010). Till date B Bakery had only raw data at its disposal due to which it was unable to take sound decisions. But the said system would ensure conversion of the raw data into a more meaningful form which would add benefits to the now business process already in vogue. The business intelligence functions can be accessed with the help of specialised and tailor-made dashboards and in turn help to find out the potential customers, vendors and what the people want from them. Thus the said accounting software will ensure creation of a strategy which would beat the competition(Peden, 2017). SAGE 100 ERP offers an integrated CRM model which functions as a chaser with respect to sales, hence improvising upon the firmness, usability, preservation, incorporating, reporting etc. The users can easily interchange the facts base they possess with each other with the help of the said unit. Customer relationship is a must and without the same it becomes very difficult to retain them, hence the said module being a part of SAGE 100 ERP will be of great help to B Bakery (Sage Software Solutions., 2015). SAGE 100 ERP offers a mobile sales module which may be required by B Bakery as the growing trends demands the same. It helps in faster processing of orders and payments as well which can further be fed into the main system irrespective of the time (Grabski et.al. 2002). The company will easily be able to know what is its ROI since data is readily available in processed form. This would in turn ensure that B bakery takes quick decisions regarding its pricing without wasting much of its time(goism.com. 2016). Conclusion Thereby it is understood that for B Bakery to regain back its lost clientele, all it needs is to install an accounting software which would serve not only the present needs but also cover the future generation requirements as well. Investing in an accounting software calls for a huge capital expenditure hence the same should be done keeping in mind the future requirements as well. The overall business processes needs to be integrated, taken on board, simplified and scalable. 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