Observation and Analysis of the Business Essay Example for Free

Observation and Analysis of the Business Essay 1 Introduction The following Report is based on the Research, Observation and Analysis of the Business letters that are contained at the end of this report. The outcome of this report will help me with my communication and design skills; I will then be a much better position to prepare my own Business letter in the future. This Report was set by Terry Dickenson and Adrianne Oates to be completed by 11th November 2002. This Date has been met. I have studied the Business letters and discussed with a couple of colleagues the layout, design and content of the letters and this has influenced the points made in the report. I obtained the Business letters from Wickes, Sports Shoes Unlimited and . 2 Examination of Business letters Letter number 1: Wickes Layout The Layout is very important in a Business letter. Whether it looks professional and Business like is very important. It has to look like a Business letter. The Wickes Business letter has a nice letterhead. It has the logo and it does not come down further than 4 cm. It doesnt have an Address, however it does have the Head Office and the Registered Office address in the footer along with a contact number and the company registration number. The Business letter header has been printed in black and white. The logo is black and white logo. Printing/Paper The paper is just cheap printing paper; the letter has been printed out in Black and White. It is been made to look professional by having a letterhead but has been printed in black and white. This means the letter is in expensive to produce. The paper is standard printer paper; it has no embossing or watermark on it. Font/Writing style The font is a sans serif font, probably Arial. It is Black text on white paper. It is fairly small text, about 12 or 14 point. The company has used Bold text to make the important text stand out. Content/Accuracy The content of the Letter is accurate; it contains no errors and has been set out in an appropriate manner. The letter is very general. It has been created using mail merge, the letter has been sent to all the customers in the companys contacts database. The company has put the main points next to bullet points, this means the customer will remember the main points, this is what the company wants so it is well designed. Letter number 2: Sports Shoes Unlimited Layout The Sports Shoes Business letter has a nice letterhead. It has colour. It has, like the Wickes Letter got a logo and the letterhead does not come down further than 4 cm. The Address and contact numbers has been put in the footer instead of the header. The company registration number has not been put on the letter at all. The Business letter header has been printed in colour. It makes the letter look a better quality letter. The logo is in colour. Printing/Paper The paper is quite expensive. The letter has been printed out in colour, because of the letterhead. It has been made to look professional by having a letterhead. The company have spent time and money making the letter look good. It has been printed on glossy paper, which is expensive. The letter has then been printed in colour as well. This means the letter is more expensive to produce than the Wickes letter. The paper is glossy, but it has no embossing or watermark on it. Font/Writing style The font is a sans serif font, like the Wickes Letter. It is Black text on white paper. It is fairly small text, about the same size as the text on the Wickes letter, 12 point. The company has used no Bold text, but has used capitals to make the important text stand out. Content/Accuracy The content of the Letter is accurate; it contains no errors or miss spelt words. The letter has been set out in an appropriate manner. The letter has probably been created using mail merge, the letter has been sent to all the customers in the companys contacts database, just like the Wickes letter. This is common for companies who want to contact all their customers; it is a cheap and effective way to create the letter. The company has used paragraphs to break up the long text. This means the customer will remember more of the letter than if it was solid blocks of writing. It is also more likely the customer reads the whole document rather than giving up after the first couple of lines if the writing is broken into manageable chunks. Letter number 3:New College Letter Layout The New College letter has a letterhead. It is in black and white. It has, like the Wickes and the Sports Shoes Letter got a logo and the letterhead does not come down further than 4 cm. It does not contain an Address in the letter, however it does have a contact number. The Business letter header has been printed in black and white. It makes the letter look less appealing than a letterhead in colour, but it is cost effective. The logo is in colour. Printing/Paper The paper is not expensive at all, it is standard printing paper like the Wickes letter. The letter has been printed out in black and white. It has been made to look professional by having a letterhead. It has been printed on normal non-expensive printing paper. This means the letter is not expensive to produce at all. The paper has no embossing or watermark on it, the letter has just been printed straight out onto normal paper as you would a report or a word document. Font/Writing style The font is a sans serif font, like the Wickes and the Sports Shoes Letter. It is Black text on white paper. It is medium sized text, about one point bigger than the other two letters. The company has emphasised the title of the letter by putting it in bold type and underlining it, it has also been put in capitals. No emphasising has been used to make any of the body text stand out. Content/Accuracy The content of the Letter is accurate; it contains no errors or miss spelt words. The letter has been set out in an appropriate manner, using paragraphs. The letter has not been created using mail merge, however it doesnt need to have been because it has been addressed to a group of people rather than an individual. It is a cheap and effective way to create the letter; this can only be done if there is no confidential information in the letter. The company has used paragraphs to break up the long text. The company has used fairly large text to make it easy on the eyes. 3 Conclusions Having analysed the three Business letters I have came up with the following conclusions that will help be when making my own Business Letter: 1. Always have a colour letterhead. 2. Do not make the letterhead come down the page more than 4 cm. 3. Use bold text and capital letters to emphasise phases and words. 4. Always include some contact information. 5. Always sign and print your name at the end of the letter. 6. Use paragraphs to break up the long text. 7. Use the most cost effective method of printing your letter. 8. Use mail merge if necessary to save time. Doing this analysis has equipped me well to carry on and do my own Business letter.

Effects of computers on society :: Computer Science

Effects of computers on society Internet The internet was a major break-through in computing. It enabled people to communicate and transfer information. The internet has been around for about 30 years and is always changing. It has many different uses. It can be used for video and teleconferencing, finding information, buying products, downloading programmes and music and much more. I think that the internet has helped society a great deal. On the other hand, it does have its disadvantages as anything can be found on the internet, whether it is good or bad. If the internet is in the wrong hands it can be a very bad thing as it could be held responsible for things like rape etc. I am saying this because it is very easy for an adult to go into a chat room and pretend that they are a teenager. They could then arrange to meet up with someone, and this person would be thinking that they are a teenager. This is the disadvantage of the internet, but I feel that the good points over-power the bad. CCTV Without CCTV, crime rates would be higher and many criminals would go uncaught. Thanks to CCTV, this has changed. CCTV allows several cameras to film several different areas at the same time. If someone commits a crime and it is caught on camera, it is then taken to court and used as evidence against them. I think that this is another huge benefit to today's society. Credit Card Use/Fraud Computers allow people to use credit cards to pay for products that they buy in shops. This makes it much easier for people to buy something instead of having to pay with cash or a cheque, which takes a while to clear; they can just pay instantly with a card. Fraud is one major problem faced with credit cards. If the card it stolen, it would be relatively easy for someone to pay for products that they buy with the card, especially over the internet where no signature is required to make the payment. This is another disadvantage of the internet, that anyone's credit card can be used without consent. I think that, although fraud is an issue with credit cards, credit cards still benefit society greatly. Availability of Information This topic links in with the internet, as well as using programmes like encyclopaedias on the computer to find information. The internet has such a broad range of information on it that it would be almost impossible to not find what you are looking for. Almost any word can be typed into a search engine (e.g.

theories of international trade

No: 1 BPO – BANE OR BOON ? Answers: 1. Which of the theories of international trade can help Indian services providers gain competitive edge over their competitors? 1. Suggested Theory to gain dynamism and competitiveness   in Operation A. Developing executive leadership at three levels †¢ top team, †¢ the personal development of individual executives as leaders and †¢ the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B.Success Brand Development and Brand Strategy : An effective  brand strategy  will create a unique identity that will differentiate from the competition. That is why it's often deemed as the heart of a competitive strategy C. Strategies for Working : Work avoidance is one of the major paradoxes, Making a complete Plan to work, setting a quota for a week or month and making them to execute will increase the overall growth D.Achieve learning through knowledge management: Knowledge Management efforts typically focus on organizational  objectives  such as i mproved  performance,  competitive advantage,  innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, integration and  continuous improvement  of the  organization. Knowledge Management efforts overlap with  organizational learning, and may be distinguished from that by a greater focus on the management of knowledge as a strategic asset and a focus on encouraging the sharing of knowledge. E.Achieve supply chain excellence : â€Å" The basis of competition for winning companies in today’s economy is supply-chain superiority,† â€Å" These companies understand that value-chain performance translates to productivity and market-share leadership. They also understand that supply-chain leadership means more than just low costs and efficiency, it requires a superior ability to shape and respond to shifts in demand with innovative products and services. 2. Productivity for   Ã‚  INTERNATION   TRADE   Competitiveness:The rapid changes in the context of the process of economic reform, globalization and liberalization have created greater compulsions for India to be productive and competitive than ever before. With rapid advancement in technology as well as Management Theory and Practice, the concept & techniques of productivity have undergone a change over time, thereby creating a need for devising fresh approaches, coining new message and adopting a new idiom to spread the message to the stakeholders.There is an urgent need to redefine and re-structure the Productivity Movement in such a way that it becomes a self perpetuating process, more so, because the general environment earlier was not very congenial for the desired productivity growth as lots of non-productive barriers & protective walls surrounded our economic system for a very long time. All these protective walls have come crashing down and now competition is the name of the Game.Keeping in view the stage at which it stands on the road to economic progress, promotion of productivity, i ts awareness creation and benefitable implementation should be the corner stone of productivity movement. Productivity in its new manifestation, as a culture of accepting and bringing about continuous change through teamwork having continued focus on the customer-need is an inescapable imperative. These Concepts have come to acquire greater significance in the current context of changes economic environment. 3. BUILDING   Brand India's Need Perspectives   STRATEGY: Need to move up the value chain- better R&D †¢ Need to project greater ROI on investment – better profitability †¢ Need to remove revenue dependence on any single resource such as human capital †¢ Need to carve a niche – IPR and Licensing †¢ Need for technological prowess and market knowledge – focused domain expertise †¢ Need to brand products and services – better marketing Every organization has its own distinctive approach towards development. Connecting these i nitiatives, there should be a commitment to enlarge the scope of innovation and to create environment conducive to Productivity.Productivity may be the outcome of techno-managerial practices, but eventually is the result of a mindset. Basic to this approach is the conviction that there is no limit to improvement. Even the best can be improved. The crucial ingredient is the preparedness of the human mind to change. Therefore, workers, managers, policy makers and others should be ready to continuously and collectively work for productivity improvement, not only in every economic activity, but also in every human endeavor for the development of the society as well as the country.Needless to mention, as we graduate further into knowledge era, traditional methods and principles will become increasingly ineffective and we will have to innovatively augment productivity both at micro as well as macro level to realize a global competitive edge. 2. Pick up some Indian services providers. With the help of Michael Porter’s diamond, analyses their strengths and weaknesses as active players in BPO. The Diamond Model of Michael Porter for the competitive advantage of Nations offers a model that can help understand the comparative position of a nation in global competition.The model can also be used for major geographic regions. Traditional country advantages : Traditionally, economic theory mentions the following factors for comparative advantage for regions or countries: 1. Land 2. Location 3. Natural resources (minerals, energy) 4. Labor, and 5. Local population size. Because these 5 factors can hardly be influenced, this fits in a rather passive (inherited) view regarding national economic opportunity. Porter says that sustained industrial growth has hardly ever been built on above mentioned basic inherited factors.Abundance of such factors may actually undermine competitive advantage! He introduces a concept called â€Å"clusters† or groups of interconnecte d firms, suppliers, related industries, and institutions,that arise in certain locations. Porter Diamond Nations: According to Porter, as a rule competitive advantage of nations is the outcome of 4 interlinked advanced factors and activities in and between companies in these clusters. These can be influenced in a pro-active way by government.PORTER   Ã‚  argued   that   a   nation   can create new   advanced   factor endowments   such as   skilled   labor, a   strong technology   and  knowledge base, government   support, and culture. PORTER used   a   diamond   shaped   diagram   as a   basis   of   Ã‚  a   framework to illustrate   the   determinants   Ã‚  of   national   advantage. The   diamond represents   Ã‚  the   Ã‚  national playing   Ã‚  field   that   the countries   establish   for their  industries. The points of the diamond are described as follows FACTOR CONDITIONS: †¢ a country creates its own important factors such as skilled resources and technological base. these factors are upgraded / deployed over time to meet the demand. †¢ local disadvantges force innovations. new methods and hence comparative advantage. DEMAND CONDITIONS: †¢ a more demanding local market leads to national advantage. †¢ a strong trend setting local market helps local firms anticipate global trends. RELATED AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES: †¢ local competition creates innovations and cost effectiveness. †¢ this also puts pressure on local suppliers to lift their game. FIRM STRATEGY , STRUCTURE AND RIVALRY. local conditions affect firm strategy. †¢ local rivalry forces firm to move beyond basic advantages. THE DIAMOND AS A SYSTEM †¢ the effect of one point depends on the others. †¢ it is a self-reinforcing system. THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THIS MODEL †¢ to encourage †¢ to stimulate †¢ to help to create †¢ growth in industries. †¢ In Terms and Conditions Let us take the organization â€Å"TCS†' 1. BPO/ KPO Business BPO is established and is on development stage. KPO is on Threshold of Growth The Passive Analysis of The Active/Proactive Analysis ofFACTOR CONDITIONS: †¢ TCS has created its own important factors such as skilled resources and technological base for expanding BPOs / KPOs †¢ TCS is upgrading / deploying resources over time to meet the demand. †¢ New innovations. New methods has given the local industry the comparative advantage. DEMAND CONDITIONS: †¢ a more demanding local/ global market has given ‘TCS' the international / national advantage. †¢ a strong trend setting local market has helped local firms anticipate global trends.RELATED AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES: †¢ local competition has created innovations and cost effectiveness for the TCS . †¢ this has also put the pressure on local suppliers to lift their game. FIRM STRATEGY , STRUCTURE AND RIVALRY: à ¢â‚¬ ¢ local conditions have affected TCS various strategy. †¢ local rivalry have forced TCS to move beyond basic advantages. THE ROLE OF THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IN THIS MODEL: †¢ INDIAN GOVERNMENT is encouraging more TCS . †¢ INDIAN GOVERNMENT is stimulating with paperwork reforms. INDIAN GOVERNMENT is helping to create more skilled labors. †¢ INDIAN GOVERNMENT is providing infrastructures to attract more industries. 3. Compare this case with the case given at the beginning of this chapter. What similarities and dissimilarities do you notice? Your analysis should be based on the theories explained. †¢ If you’re not faster than your competitor, you’re in a tenuous position, and if you’re only half as fast, you’re terminal. †¢ The idea is to concentrate our strength against our competitor’s relative weakness. The opportunities and threats existing in any situation always exceed the resources needed to exploit the opportun ities or avoid the threats. Thus, strategy is essentially a problem of allocating resources. If strategy is to be successful, it must allocate superior resources against a decisive opportunity. †¢ It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. †¢ Organizations pursue strategies that will disrupt the normal course of industry events and forge new industry

Free Online Writing Courses

Whether you want to become a famous novelist or just make your way through college English, these free online writing courses and journalism courses can help. Learn the basics of English grammar, the poetic form, strategies for journalists, and how to make your business documents stand out from the crowd. StoryMind (Dramatica) With over a hundred short videos, this course takes fiction writers through the process of creating characters, framing action, focusing on a theme, developing their plot, and writing for a specific audience. English Writing and Composition (Arizona State University)   In this 8-week introductory English class, you’ll learn the basics of academic writing and set yourself up for a successful college career.   NewsU (Poynter) This highly-respected journalism organization offers quite a few free online courses in addition to their paid options. Free courses include: â€Å"Core Skills for the 21st Century Journalist,† â€Å"Covering Islam in America,† â€Å"Covering Poverty in the Suburbs,† â€Å"Document Mining,† and more. Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest ​ With assignments, video lectures, and interviews with well-known authors, aspiring children’s authors will love this course. Figure out your own writing identity, develop the structure of your work, learn editing basics, and consider your publishing options. You’ll finish the course with a handful of writing samples ready to become your portfolio. High Impact Business Writing   If you’re looking to up your game in the workplace, this no-nonsense business writing course can help. Learn how to create the most commonly used business documents, edit your work, and even effectively communicate through social media. Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop ​(California Institute of the Arts) Poets (and aspiring poets) will appreciate this free online course’s emphasis on craft. Learn how to follow the rules of poetry†¦then learn how to break them. Throughout this 7-part course, you’ll discover dozens of hands-on tools to make your own work better. Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade (Mt. Saint Jacinto College)   If you want to start from the beginning (or just need a refresher), this is the course for you. Learn the various parts of speech, the uses of subjects and verbs, and the ways that phrases and clauses can combine to create compelling sentences. This 5-unit course will help you understand how a solid grasp of English grammar can dramatically improve your writing.