Maintaining and improving operations

Abstract The supermarket industries are among the largest economic upholds in the U.S. The expansion of the customer base is a noticeable consistent growth of the supermarket industry that deals with diverse products. The global expansions plans require enhancement of more effective promotional strategies in order to overcome the economic challenges. Comprehensive financial predicaments affect the consumer behaviours and, therefore these end-users tend to change their purchasing styles due to a lack of trust and confidence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maintaining and improving operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Financial strains also causes the consumers to demand for lowering of prices and at times the situation causes shift of the consumption patterns, for instance the expenditure tends to incline more on the food products over the non-edibles. This is mainly attributable to the reduction of dispos able income, and eventually such kind of trend affects the industry’s financial performance. This report focuses on the performance of food industries with a special attention to Wal-Mart as a global retailer. Overview of Wal-Mart Recent financial recessions affected the economic routine of Wal-Mart, but the firm came through and managed to improve the economic global presentation. The reduction on the number of clients visiting the stores globally during the financial crisis of 2007 did not pull back the overall performance. According to Hoovers AD B Company (2010), Wal-Mart stores were still able to pull out a marginal sales growth of 0.7%. This resulted to only a minimal reduction in the firm’s financial performance. It equally came about due to the consumer trust, but one of the major concerns that various global stores must deal with connects to the safety, quality and value of the edible products. Different states’ administrations as well as the nongovernm ental organizations have had to heighten the food regulation policies within the industries. A good example is directive that governs refrigeration, which ensures that firms in the food retailing industries observe various environmental concerns. Extra tax policies are also set to ensure compliance with new guiding principles. Six Components of Wal-Mart’s Supply Chains Information The effectiveness of a supply chain depends highly on the accuracy and speedy flow of information from the consumer to the production line. The competitiveness in the food industry has seen Wal-Mart incorporate technology into its operations as a measure of enhancing operational efficiency. Innovation demands for a streamlined information flow through computer networks as a measure of enhancing proper movement of inventory as per the demands. Information also entails implementation of the accounting systems, inventory management systems, systems for planning resources and global communication networ ks. Wal-Mart growth also has a connection to its ability of soliciting and facilitating online transfer of goods and services. This enables the firm to provide the customers with the right products as per the demands at the right time.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Production To attain a competitive advantage, Wal-Mart differentiates some of the food products according to categories for instance, the stores ensures differentiation according to buyer’s age. One question the industry has to answer is what does the consumer want or demand? The key importance of addressing production falls upon the quantity and type of products. The firm has to know which and how many parts of production require outsourcing form competent suppliers. The firm must face up to needs of finding the exact or approximate quantity required for each of its stores without a compromise on quality and customer satisfaction. The resource planning team can be of great assistance in this case since there is need for proper schedule to meet demands, control of quality, and balance of the workload beside the overall maintenance of the production line. Supply The resource planning system of the industry is strongly required to ensure enhancement of supplies. To guarantee that supply strategy succeeds, Wal-Mart invests in market research. The strategy makes certain that there is continuous value addition to the firm’s products and that the supplies go as per market demands. Repetitive customer market research enables Wal-Mart to identify the varying consumer tastes and preferences particularly in connection with food products. Supply management also requires value analysis since changes on demands require products analysis and equivalent adjustments. The main challenge in this case is the ability to attain as well as maintain competitive edge by ensuring supplies integrates to demands especially on matters concerning tastes and preferences. Inventory Inventory management is ability to determine the amount of products required in the warehouses. The challenge that Wal-Mart must deal with in this case involved management of the right quantity of inventory. Too much inventory means more costs, while too little can sabotage firm’s growth due to lost consumer trust, therefore the firm must meet demands. Management of optimal stock levels at each supply chain store ensures satisfaction, thus enhancing trust and fluctuation of demands as required in retailing industries. A resource planning system at the order points can assist in monitoring of levels to control supplies. Inventory levels are critical since excess production or supplies can affect other business operations mechanically or financially. Location The global investment requires close monitoring of the demand trends and preferences. Wal-Mart has strategized its production and supply units t o support distribution and inventory management.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maintaining and improving operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Long-term plans of a retailing industry such as Wal-Mart requires practical strategic location of production and stocking facilities, for instance the light and non-technical products can be closer to the end-users. Heavier products demands for bigger production and supply units thus must be closer to the raw materials. The decisions concerning location also require a resource planning system for close analysis especially during global distribution. Transportation According to Levy and Weitz (2001), transport decisions have a close relation to inventory management and consumer demands. Various means of transportation differ in terms of cost, cargo quantity and speed. A good percentage of the production cost fall within the transportation schedules; therefore, use of the right channel is critical. The transportation mode must meet the inventory measures for effective supply as per the demands. This is often a strategic operational decision that ensures smooth supply of goods. Global Operation Processes of Wal-Mart Currently, there are high hopes over future performance of the industry considering that there are notable improvements of the global economy after the 2007 recession. Wal-Mart is a global retailer with global reach of potential clients and ability to monitor as well as react on time to overcome possible economic crisis. Global accomplishment also enables the firm to financially strategize and hence recover its other financial sectors. Wal-Mart’s Approach to Solving Operational Problems One of the main challenge the firm faces is ability to form a financial defence over its ability to attain global reach through expansion of retail stores to different countries. Financial commitment and strategies guarantees the attainability of global expansion. The firm must ensure that the chain stores acquisition strategy meets the quality policies. Wal-Mart formulates acquisition of stores through analysis of demands at the domestic markets. The global expansion increases financial recovery while picking a strategy that lowers the financial costs. Globally, Wal-Mart has had financial difficulties over remittances for operations due to the fluctuation of the foreign exchange rates. The drop on Wal-Mart’s financial growth in the recent years is therefore attributable to reduced financial performance. However, stability of the foreign exchange rate causes the global economic recovery of the industry (Wal-Mart annual report, 2010). A resource planning system can monitor the economic recession by finding possibilities of future reductions on consumers’ disposable income, thus reduced levels of consumption. The system can also assist to monitor consumption trend among the end users and consequently advice o n upgrading choices (Levy and Weitz, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Wal-Mart’s Performance Chart The financial performance of Wal-Mart has been on an upward trend for the past three financial years. There has been a steady increase in the revenue level, resulting in an increase of the firm’s earnings per share. The table and chart below indicated the performances. (In million $) Revenue Gross profit Operating income Total net income Earnings per share January 2009 405,607 99,449 23,082 13,400 3.39 January 2008 378,799 92,284 22,301 12,731 3.13 January 2007 348,650 84,498 20,777 11,284 2.71 Source: Financial reports: (Hoovers AD B Company, 2010) Wal-Mart’s global expansion strategy causes the net sales to rise. References Hoovers AD B Company. (2010). Wal-Mart Financial Records. Web. Levy, M. Weitz, B. (2001). Retailing Management. New York, NY: Irwin/McGraw-Hill Publishers. Wal-Mart annual report. (2010). Wal-Mart Performance. Retrieved from http://c46b2bcc0db5865f5a76-91c2ff8eba65983a1c33d367b8503d02.r78.cf2.ra ckcdn.com/6c/20/87b0b3df469ebee838a2630c2c1a/2010-annual-report-for-walmart-stores-inc_130221021765802161.pdf This essay on Maintaining and improving operations was written and submitted by user Ernesto Haley to help you with your own studies. 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Resume or CV Professional Writing Tips - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Resume or CV Professional Writing Tips Resume or CV? Professional Writing Tips Applying for a job can involve a lot of paperwork, not least preparing a resume or CV. But what exactly is the difference between these documents? And which one do you need for your application? What Is a Resume? A resume is a short summary of your work achievements, usually no more than two pages long. The idea is to give employers a quick way to see how suitable you are for the job. You therefore need to make sure it grabs their attention! A typical resume should include: Your full name and basic contact information An objective or personal statement (i.e., a brief statement of your career objectives or a paragraph summarizing your skills and achievements) Educational achievements (including any scholarships or awards) Work experience (including job titles, where you worked, and a description of your responsibilities, starting with your current/most recent role) A list of skills (ideally including evidence of when you’ve used them, such as using leadership skills to start a community group or using programming skills to create your own website) There is no standard format for a resume, so you should tailor yours to fit the role. For example, if your degree is more relevant to the job than your work experience, the â€Å"Education† section should come before the â€Å"Work Experience† section. In all cases, though, it should be clear and concise. What Is a CV? â€Å"CV† is short for â€Å"curriculum vitae.† This Latin term can be roughly translated as â€Å"the course of life,† which sounds quite dramatic! The good news is that you don’t need to include your entire life in a CV. But a CV is a more in-depth document than a resume, so it can stretch to several pages. Typically, you will only need a CV if you’re applying for an academic, research, medical, or teaching role. Consequently, a standard CV should include: Your full name and contact information A chronological list of all professional positions held Details of your educational achievements Honors and awards Publications and presentations Research interests References You don’t have to include all of these if they are not relevant (e.g., if you are a recent graduate without any publications). In addition, the best format may depend on the position you’re applying for, so check how other CVs in your subject area are written before composing your own. Resumes and CVs Around the World Things get more complicated if you’re applying for work overseas. Outside of the US and Canada, the terms CV and resume are often used interchangeably. â€Å"CV† is certainly more common in the UK, but it refers to the kind of short work summary we would call a â€Å"resume.† The key here, then, is to do your research before applying! Make sure: You know whether your employer wants a full work history or a summary To check for the standard local format for a resume or CV To use the local version of English (e.g., British or Australian English) By tailoring your CV or resume accordingly, you stand a much better chance of getting the job!

ASSESSMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ASSESSMENT - Essay Example Non-conventional types of dividend payments, particularly share repurchases are in most cases used currently, and therefore, the dividend decision is much more multifaceted and complex than it was in the past. In addition, there are more significant types of shareholders who should be satisfied today-particularly institutional investors-while managers once merely have to satisfy individual stockholders. Therefore, n increase in the dividend payout is taken to be good news. The company is showing that it not only has positive cash flows, however these cash flows are rising sufficiently to validate an elevated payout to shareholders. The company â€Å"proves† its cash flow by paying out some of that cash to its shareholders. This means that higher dividends might indicate lasting greater earnings for the company. How this argument has been contradicted that the dividend policy is irrelevant. It is for this reason that this paper will examine on the fact that company's dividend p olicy is irrelevant to its market value. ... i-Miller (M&M) theorem, (Irrelevancy Theory) (1961) forwarded by Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller, influences the base for modern view on capital structure, although it is usually perceived as merely scholarly because it presumes away numerous significant elements in the capital structure decision. The theorem argues that, in a perfect market, the value of a firm is irrelevant to how that firm is funded. This outcome offers a basis used to study real global reasons why capital structure is appropriate. These other reasons comprise agency costs, bankruptcy costs, information asymmetry, taxes among others. The theorem has been used to show that dividend is irrelevant to firm’s market share. Merton Miller and Franco Modigliani (MM) under their theory argued that in perfect financial markets (no transactions costs certainty, no taxes, or other market imperfections), the value of a company is impacted by the allotment of dividends. They claim that company’s value is mainl y driven the prospective income and risk of its investments, therefore, maintaining income or paying them to the shareholders in dividends does not affects its value (Grullon et al 2002). MM through its theory indicated that provided the company is attaining the returns anticipated by the market, it does not matter whether the returns is directed to the stockholder as individuals currently, or reinvested. They would perceive it in terms of dividend or price appreciation. Therefore, in this case the shareholder can develop their individual dividend through selling the stock when they need cash (Lie 2000). They qualified their argument through this calculation: V t = 1/1+rt[Dt+Vt+1-m t+1P t+1] Where rt = Discount rate Dt = Total Dividends Paid V t+1 = Firm Value @ t+1 = ntP t+1 M t+1P t+1 = Amount