Trade Associations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Trade Associations Paper - Essay Example Today, the association represents a total of 400 companies, 9,000 brands, and over one hundred billion dollars in advertising and marketing. In many ways, the ANA is the prime example of a working regional trade association. The association is headquartered in two distinct locations, where both locations perform two different functions. The first location, in New York City, regulates the practices of marketers and sets forth industry initiatives. The second location, in Washington D.C., manages industry affairs and the relationship between marketers and legislative rights, as well as a focus on public policy. Because ANA membership is open only to client-side marketing organizations, agencies and media companies are not eligible for membership. Joining the association brings client-side marketers several advantages, including marketing/media committees, workshops, national conferences, advocacy initiatives, dedicated research experts, and marketing insights in an online database. Thus, ANA membership is beneficial to all sorts of marketing companies. With 45 companies looking to advance the interests of advertisers and their clients, the Association of National Advertising Managers evolved nearly a century ago in 1910. In 1914, with prominent clients such as Macey Company, Burroughs Adding Machine Company, and Sherwin Williams Company, the trade association adopted the current title of the Association of National Advertisers. Since its creation, the goals of the organization have not changed. The organization set out to support positive relationships between advertisers and agencies and regional and national industries. The association’s purpose is to maintain advertising as a necessary and valuable economic factor, as well as to promote efficiency and responsibility in advertising, which includes advancing the interests of its individual members. At the time of its formation, the ANA was structured to handle industry relationships and the interests

New York Demographics and the Economy Term Paper

New York Demographics and the Economy - Term Paper Example In coming years, the population is set to increase at a rate of 1-1.5% that can be a source of worry for the government. It was further found that 51.5% of the total population of the state are female and the remaining 48.5% are male. 53% of the total population identify themselves as Caucasian, 18% as Hispanic, 8% as Asians, and remaining as native individuals. The health status of New York State operates a state-based marketplace that is known as the NY State of Health. It is designed to help and support people to shop and enroll for health insurance coverage along with comparing insurance coverage and costs. The marketplace also helps people to check their eligibility for healthcare programs such as Medicaid. The marketplace helps people to know about the financial assistance that plays an important role in availing relevant medical and healthcare services. 2The state seems to be expanding its medical and healthcare coverage for low-income adults in order to enhance their wellbeing. Fiscal capacity of a state can be defined as the ability of a governmental jurisdiction to transform economic activities within its geographical boundaries into the public spending. The idea is to raise revenue along with keeping a transparent approach in terms of presenting data and information to the public. 3 Thus, the economic capacity of states is based on taking into the account the income produced, income received from the residents, and total property wealth along with relevant expenses on the public needs and demands. Based on the State Health Facts, it was found that the state fiscal capacity for the year 2013 fell short by $2,000 million and that was around the total shortfall of 3.4%. This was mainly because of the expenses that affected the total earnings and thus the shortfall.  

Marketing Strategy of Cadbury

Marketing Strategy of Cadbury Cadbury India is a food product company dealing in Chocolate Confectionery, Beverages, Candy and Snacks. Cadbury is the market leader in Chocolate Industry with a market share of 70%. Some of their favorite products are Cadbury Dairy Milk, Perk, 5 Star, Celebrations, Eclairs, Gems and Temptations, Bournvita. John Cadbury, the founder of the Cadbury business was born on 12th August 1801. Cadbury was founded 200 years ago when John Cadbury has opened his shop in Birmingham selling chocolate and cocoa with other glossary. Cadbury started its operation in India in 1948 by importing chocolates and distributing in the Indian Market. This project shows some research on current marketing strategy used by Cadbury in Indian market. I have also try to find some of Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats of the Cadbury for Indian chocolate industry. Table of Contents 3 1. About Cadbury 4 2. Cadbury in India 4 3. Aim Objective of the Project 6 4. Comparative Analysis 7 5. Marketing Mix of Cadbury 9 10 6. Current Marketing Strategies used by Cadbury and Market Segments 14 7. SWOT Analysis of Cadbury 16 8.Conclusion 17 9. Reference List 18 About Cadbury Cadbury was founded 200 years ago. Cadbury is a food product company producing Chocolate products. They are the market leader of this industry holding 70% of the total market share. Some of the well-known products of Cadbury are Dairy Milk, Perk, 5 Star, Eclairs, Celebrations, Temptations, Bournvita and Gems. John Cadbury, the founder of the Cadbury business was born on 12th August 1801. In 1984, he opened his first grocery shop in Birmingham. He sold cocoa, chocolate products for drinking, which were prepared using pestle and mortar, as well as other products. In 1831, John decided to start manufacturing on large scale. He purchased a warehouse for it. Cadbury is one of the largest companies in the world. In 1840, they introduced chocolate for consumption with very decorative packaging. The most widely known and top grossing product, Dairy Milk, was launched in 1905 to compete with the leading brands of Swiss milk chocolates. By 1913, Dairy Milk had become the companys bestseller. After a few years it gained the recognition as a leading chocolate product. (Cadbury, n.d.) Cadbury in India Cadbury India is a fully owned subsidiary of Kraft Foods Inc. In 1948 Cadbury starts its operations in India by importing chocolates, but today it owns five manufacturing companies and 4 sales offices. Its corporate office is in Mumbai.   The core purpose of Cadbury was to make today delicious. In India, Cadbury operates in four categories i.e. milk food drink, chocolate confectionery, candy and gum. Cadbury is the market leader in chocolate business. The pure taste of Dairy Milk describes the taste of chocolate for Indian consumers. Bournvita is the leading product in milk food drinks and candy halls is the leading product of candies in the country. Since 1965, Cadbury has also started the farming of cocoa in India. (Cadbury India Ltd., n.d.) Aim Objective of the Project Aim: To examine the marketing strategies and SWOT analysis of Cadburys Dairy Milk. Objectives: By conducting research to evaluate marketing strategies and to know the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats of Cadbury by using proper theories. Comparative Analysis The Indian chocolate market is getting bigger and better. On one hand there are imported varieties and on the other companies like Cadbury launch their own products of international standards. In India in early 90s market share of Cadbury was 80% but after the Nestle enters to Indian Chocolate industry the Cadburys share reduce to 70%, 15% share is hold by Nestle, 15% by Amul and other companies. The higher competition is between Cadbury and Nestle as Nestle is trying to have tough fight with Cadbury. (Indian Mirror, 2011) Nestle India Ltd: Nestle was connected with India since 1912. They set up first manufacturing unit in 1961 in India and then they open total 7 manufacturing units in India up to 2006. They were manufacturing Milk Products and Nutrition, Beverages, Cooking Aids. They launched there Premium Milk Chocolate, Milky Bar, Crunch and Bar One in India against the competition of Cadbury Dairy Milk and 5 Star. (Nestle India Ltd., n.d.) Kit Kat was Launch in India in 1995 and it becomes the worlds most popular chocolate within a short time of its launch and it was according to the target of the Nestle. Against the competition of Kit Kat Cadbury launch its Perk, to safeguard its brand. Kit Kat and Perk was a new product segment in the form of wafer chocolates as anytime snacks. Kit Kat sells was more than the Perk in the outlets where both were available. There was a neck to neck competition between both the products. It was also said threat it was dangerous for the mother products of Cadbury Dairy Milk. Amul: Amul Milk Chocolate, Badam Bar, Crunch and Fruit N Nuts were launch by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in 1974. But due to lack of its focus on international market and it was not able to raise its market shares. (Gujarat Co-Operative Milk Marketing Federation, 2000-2001) Marketing Mix of Cadbury After segmenting the market and positioning itself to outdo their competitors, it needs to come up with different strategies. The 4 Ps used by Cadbury are: Product: The Company should design and manufacture its products so as to improve the customer experience. Product Success The meaning of Product is anything tangible or intangible that can be offered to the customers for the proposed market segments either in the domestic or international market. It includes packaging, guarantee, quality etc. Every company will compete for customers by satisfying their expectation constantly. But the best company will go beyond the expectations by delivering additional benefits, which they would have never imagined. Cadbury offers a wide variety of products which include: I. Chocolates: Fruit Nut, Dairy Milk, Perk, 5 Star, Eclairs, Gems, Temptation, Nutties, Milk Treat. II. Beverages: Drinking Chocolate, Bournvita and Cocoa. III. Snacks: Bytes IV. Candy: Halls V. Gums: Bubbaloo Place:  The place means to identify the physical distribution of the product where the product should be available for the customer at the right place, time and quantity. It also consists of roles of channel for distribution. For the success of any product in the Indian market, the product should be introduced to the retail shelves. Buyers play an important role for its success rather than brand and market shares. With the increase in technology and competitive pressure, it is difficult to retain a unique product for a long period. The brand that gets the greatest number of customers, sells the most products. Proper channels of distribution also play an important role. If the product reaches the market at the right time, only than will the consumer will have access to the products. Increases in distribution and channel cost go together. Marketing cost of Cadbury is 18% of its total cost which is higher as compared to Nestle and Parry. Price: Pricing is the most important part of a marketing mix as it is the only area by which revenue is generated for the company. Price includes the catalog prices, discounts available and different options available for financing etc. Before deciding the price strategy the feasible reactions of the competitors are also have to be taken into consideration. The pricing of the product must consider the appropriate demand-supply equation. The strategy used by Cadbury for satisfying the value that all the customers buy the product is using the expectation they have about how much the production is worth to them. Cadbury has introduced various products for different customer segments so that every customer segment has different expectations of price from the product. Therefore maximizing the returns includes maintaining right price level for each segment and then increasing moving through them. Promotion: Where and when can you get across your marketing message to your target market? Effective advertising attracts and generates supporting feelings for any business. To reach out to the consumers, communication plays an important. For the marketing of any product, advertisement and promotions are the best means of communication about the product to the end user. Cadbury does its promotions through Televisions, consumer contact activity, etc. Some of the most famous marketing campaigns of Cadbury are: Khane Walon Ko Khane Ka Bahana Chahiye for Cadbury Dairy Milk Thodi Si Pet Pooja Kabhi Bhi Kahin Bhi for Perk Cadbury gives special promotional offers during festivals like Diwali, Holi, etc. and special occasions like Valentines Day. It continuously introduces new products to maintain its brand and to expand its market share. Current Marketing Strategies used by Cadbury and Market Segments Current Marketing Strategy used by Cadbury: To encourage the consumers Cadbury uses many strategies. Some of them are as follows: On Every Hand Everywhere: The customers demand flawless services from the salesmen and they have to deliver that to the customers. Cadbury is the market leader in confectionery and chocolates. Their sales team plays an important role in the success. They regularly conduct surveys of consumers choice and requirements. They deliver the products not only in the super markets but also in the small shops, so that every segment of the customers can easily get their products. They also provide selling techniques. Growing with Emerging Markets: Revenue of the company grows with the emerging markets. They continuously modify the products to fulfill the requirement of all segments of consumers. This strategy leads them to a growth of above 20% annually for the past three years. A strong foundation: Since 1948, Cadbury is serving their products in India and they have created a very strong tradition and leadership position. They are the number one chocolate brand with a share of about 70%. Today only one third of the population buys the chocolate so Cadbury is challenged to introduce the pleasure of Cadbury to many peoples. Growing with the market: To attract the broader range of consumers is the main target the Cadbury. They created a base range of their acceptable chocolate brands at more reasonable and affordable price. They also introduced the gift range products for the customers segments with high-income group. Functional advantage: Cadbury Bournvita was launched in India in 1948 and it always required providing nutrition that helps in the development and growth. Today the natural goodness of milk, chocolate and malt is prepared with vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, B12 and C, plus protein, iron, calcium, manganese, zinc, and folic acid. It is also known as a cup of confidence. Affordable luxury: Cadbury has increased their presence in the candy in the form of halls and Cadbury dairy milk Eclairs. Eclairs became more popular in the markets with a hotter climate. The consumers find the delicious taste of chocolate in the middle that easily melts in the mouth and not in the hot climate. It is also an affordable chocolate for everyone. The new Eclairs Crunch is with more crispy caramel shell for hot climatic conditions. Market Segments Market place includes different segments of customers having different needs and wants. It can be classified as: Geographic Segmentation: It is to divide the market on the basis of its location, regions, towns, city or country. Demographic Segmentation: It is most common basis of market segmentation. This factor is directly related to the demand of the product and it is easy to measure. It can be classified as age group of consumers, gender, Life style, income of family etc. Psycho graphic Segmentation: it divides the consumer of the basis of social class, lifestyle of consumers or personality. This helps the company to examine the quality that how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.   Behavioral Segmentation: It divides consumer on the basis of their attitudes, knowledge, response or uses to a product. Considering all the above factors, Cadbury has targeted different segments within the market as: Break segment some products are consumed during short breaks with coffee and tea, for example snack range and Perk. Desire segment under this segment products are purchase on desire, for example Cadburys Dairy Milk, temptation etc. Take home segment this segment express the products that are purchased from supermarkets and taken home for consumption, for example Bournvita. SWOT Analysis of Cadbury SWOT Analysis is the method to evaluate the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats involved in an organization. It includes identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable or unfavorable to achieve the objectives of the organization. Strength: 1. Largest global confectionery supplier. 2. Market leaders in three sectors: Chocolates, Confectionery and food drinks 3. Cost of Production is low due to economic of scale which leads to higher profit and better market penetration. 4. High financial strength. 5. Strong brand name and leader in innovations. Weakness: 1. Poor technology in India as compared to other nations 2. Limited key products as it is depended only on chocolates and beverage market compared to other competitors. Opportunities: 1. Growing middle class and growing urban population. 2. Increasing gifts cultures. 3. Substitute to Mithais with higher calories/cholesterol. 4. Increasing concept in departmental stores- desire @ at cash counters. 5. Opportunity increases with increase in market shares by acquisition. 6. Transfer production to low cost countries where labour cost and raw material will be cheap. 7. Introduction of new products with low fats. Threats: 1. Due to highest brand equity and low cost, it is successful in India. 2. Globalization will bring in better brands for upper end of the market. 3. High fats and calories in the products of Cadbury may reduce the demand of the consumers who are conscious of nutrition and healthier lifestyles. 4. Competitive pressure from other national and global suppliers. Conclusion Brand plays an important role for growth in todays competitive business environment. It helps to maintain profitability in long run by differentiation in the products and loyalty of customer. Cadbury Dairy Milk brand has developed its Megabrand Product range having its own identity, but now they all comes under the Dairy Milk brand. This proposal is planned to maximize the strength of the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand. The strategy involved a packaging and range refreshment strategy, which has resulted in a unified innovative Dairy Milk brand. Having exceeded initial sales targets by a considerable margin, the strategy can be considered a success! Branding is also one of the most important parts of any business whether it is small or large, B2B or retail. An effective brand strategy results into the major periphery in increasingly competitive markets. The foundation of the brand is your logo, website, packaging and promotional materials all of which should integrate your logocommunicate y our brand.

Directors file for the new production of An Inspector Calls :: Drama

Directors file for the new production of an Inspector Calls Cast List - all these people I have chosen for the following parts are because they identify with the characters as well as the reasons I have said. ====================================================================== Inspector Goole = Anthony Hopkins --------------------------------- I thought quite carefully about who would be most suitable for this part as I think it is very important that the actor playing this part can manage put out a certain impression of solidity and purposefulness have a strong and almost hypnotic power over the other characters and also the audience. The inspector is probably the hardest character to portray excellently and I think that Anthony Hopkins would suit the part perfectly as he can do the things that the inspector does, such as give a character a certain power and a mysterious feel. I imagine the inspector to be very similar to 'Hannibal Lector' from 'Silence of the Lambs, which Anthony Hopkins played. From previous parts that Anthony Hopkins has acted I know he can manage to have complete control over situations and people and brings a very unsettling feeling with him which is exactly how he would have to go about to give the presence the Inspector would. The main thing that Anthony Hopkins would have to try and do, would be to give the Inspector all these characteristics without making it look like he was even trying, and I think this is very important. The inspector always knows exactly what he's doing and uses no effort in trying to do it. Anthony Hopkins would have to speak with no emotion, almost in a monotone voice and have those cold eyes, which stare very deliberately and disconcertingly and give a very uncomfortable feeling, most of these I think Anthony.H would be able to do. He would have to speak with a posh English accent because the Inspector Arthur Birling = Jim Broadbent ------------------------------ For this part I chose Jim Broadbent partly because I have seem him act many different parts so I know he could carry off any part, but mainly because of his part in Moulin Rouge was very similar to Mr. Birling. I imagine Mr. Birling to have quite a large belly, a beard and to be very loud and jolly at the beginning but to then to change to an arrogant, proud and stubborn man. Even though Jim Broadbent matches the description he would have to work a lot harder on matching the character and personality. He would need to give Mr Birling a very loud booming voice and a very over the top exaggerated character. He would have to concentrate on making sure that Mr Birling came across

Huffman Trucking: Database Design and Development

Running head: HUFFMAN TRUCKING Huffman Trucking: Database Design and Development Huffman Trucking started out as a single owner, single truck and trailer, operating in the Cleveland Ohio area back in 1936 doing local contract hauls. Today, Huffman Trucking is a National carrier with 1,400 employees, 800 tractors, 2,100 trailers, and 260 roll-on/roll-off units, operating from 3 logistical hubs located in Los Angeles, California, St. Louis, Missouri, and Bayonne, New Jersey and its central maintenance facility located in Cleveland Ohio (Apollo Group Inc. , 2005).With the growth through the years, Huffman Trucking has maintained their competitiveness by being an industry leader in leveraging technology to the maximum to provide customer service and business efficiencies (Apollo Group Inc. , 2005). In the means to maintain this competitiveness, Huffman Trucking hired Smith Systems Consulting to develop a report of entities and attributes that will be needed for a Fleet Truck Maintenance Database. Upon receipt of Smith’s report detailing the entities and attributes needed, our IT Manager submitted a Service Request SR-ht-003 to design a Fleet Truck Maintenance Database.In the following paragraphs LTA will discuss the database architecture briefly and primary keys, which play a vital role in an Entity-Relational Database. The discussions of the different types of mistakes that are made in the design phase that led to a poor database design are also discussed. Mistakes include the lack of careful planning, proper normalization of data, poor naming conventions, lack of sufficient documentation and extensive testing. The ERD for the database will be revealed along with the choice of the program to manage the database and allow for versatility for various platforms, applications, and features.Huffman Trucking’s fleet truck maintenance records are fairly straight-forward, therefore, a basic database design architecture is recommended as a start in the entry of information, and importing of current database records into the new basic database. By starting simple, this database can be upgraded over time, as the company grows and the fleet grows. The important items to consider when designing a new database include: ease of use for the users, the production of query reporting, as well as financial records, parts orders, maintenance records, and purchase rders. â€Å"A good model and a proper database design form the foundation of an information system. Building the data layer is often the first critical step towards implementing a new system, and getting it right requires attention to detail and a whole lot of careful planning. A database, like any computer system, is a model of a small piece of the real world. And, like any model, it’s a narrow representation that disregards much of the complexity of the real thing† (Malone, 2007). A primary key, which is a record or an attribute, uniquely identifies a table.Primary keys ma ke mapping relational data simple, in order to uniquely identify each entry in the database. The concept of some sort of unique value is common in database designing — using account numbers to identify part numbers, vendor numbers, and maintenance work orders. These are also known as natural keys, common entities that are used to uniquely identify objects. Generally, if the data that is being modeled has a decent natural key, or identifier, that information should not be used as a primary key.Natural keys should not be used as primary keys, as the purpose of the primary key is to uniquely identify a value in a database record. Several primary key characteristics are the primary key must be able to identify each row in a table. The primary key should not describe the characteristics of the entity. A part number ID of â€Å"2566† is usually preferred over â€Å"Air Filter. † The value of a primary key should never change. Changing a primary key value means changin g the identity of an entity. Changing the identity is not advised. Non-intelligent keys are preferred because they are less likely to change.For example, the part number 2566 for an Air Filter for one model of truck, and the part number of 2560 would be an Air Filter for another model of truck. To have just a part number of â€Å"Air Filter† would be too ambiguous, and could result in lost time trying to locate the correct air filter for a specific model of truck. Those part numbers, in general would most likely never change over time, therefore, are best to use as primary keys in a database of part numbers. Primary keys should have the smallest number of attributes possible.It is easier to manage unique keys that are numeric. Items to Consider During Design Phase Several things that are easy to overlook during the database design process include design and planning of the database, normalization of data, insufficient naming conventions, documentation, and testing. A brief ru n-down of these common errors during the design phase of a database is listed below. By listing them now, it can be used as an effective guideline to follow when designing the database for Huffman Trucking’s Fleet Maintenance. Design and Planning of the DatabaseGood databases are designed with careful thought, and with the proper care and attention given to the needs of the data that will be part of it. Since a carefully constructed database is at the heart of every business project, insufficient planning and detailing of the needs of the project could cause the whole project to lose its direction and purpose. Additionally, by not taking the time at the beginning, any changes in the database structures that may be needed to be made in the future could cause devastating consequences on the whole project, and greatly increase the likelihood of the project timeline slipping.If the planning phase is rushed, problems will inevitably arise, and because of the lack of proper plannin g and design, there is usually no time to go back and fix any issues properly. â€Å"That is when the ‘hacking’ starts, with the veiled promise to return and fix things later, something that happens very rarely indeed† (Davidson, 2007). Normalization of Data Normalization defines a set of standards to break down tables into their basic parts until each table represents only one thing, and its columns fully describe the only thing that the table represents.Normalizing the Huffman Trucking’s data is important to ensure proper performance and ease of future development projects. Insufficient Naming Conventions Naming conventions are most the important line of documentation for any application. What is important to consider is the importance of consistency. Names should be kept simple while at the same time, identifying their purpose to the data being entered. Documentation Not only will a well-designed database conform to certainly quality tandards, it will a lso contain definitions and examples about its tables, so that its purpose is clear to everyone on how the tables, columns and relationships are intended to be used. The goal of proper documentation should be to provide enough information for a support programmer to find any bugs and fix them easily. Testing As many Information Technology professionals know, the first thing to be blamed when a business system starts running slow is because the database can get bogged down with fragmented information, or too much information.Deep knowledge of the system is the best way to dispel this notion Unfortunately, testing is the usually one of the things to go in a project when time starts to run out. What is important to consider in this whole process is that deep system testing is done to make sure that the design is implemented correctly. The first real test is for any database is when it goes into production, and users attempt to do real work. And if the system does not work fast enough, or contains bugs when it goes live, then more work will have to done on a live system, which could inherently cause the loss of revenue of any company.By insisting on strict testing as an important aspect of database development, then perhaps the day will come when the database will not be the first thing to be pointed out when the system slows down. In order to accomplish the goal of establishing a functional database that Huffman can use now and in the future to effectively manage their data, it is recommended that Huffman Trucking decide to use MySQL. There are many great things about MySQL, including the fact that MySQL is very popular among web applications and acts as a database for a multitude of platforms.Some of these platforms include FreeBSD, BSDi, AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Novell NetWare, OS/2 Warp, Solaris, i5/OS, Windows 95, Solaris, Windows 98, SunOS, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. MySQL is popular among open source code and bug tracking tools such as Bugzilla as well. MySQL is written in C and C++. Libraries that are used to access MySQL databases can be found in many of today’s programming languages by using language specific API’s. There is also an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) that allows additional programming languages to communicate with MySQL, including ColdFusion or ASP.MySQL features options that are not in many other RDBMSs. One feature that is not included in many RDBMSs is multiple storage engines. This feature allows for a user to select the most effective storage engine for each table in the application. Another great feature that MySQL offers is native storage engines. These are storage engines that are developed by MySQL and are optimized for specific application storage domain. They offer data warehousing, data archiving, high availability clustering, and many more features. MySQL recently developed a new advanced transactional storage engine called Falcon.Falcon was designed for modern day corporations and web applications which makes it perfect for Huffman Trucking. One feature not to be overlooked is the availability of Partner-developed storage engines. Search engines that are partner developed are developed buy outside companies, but they are then highly tested by MySQL in order to ensure workability and compatibility with MySQL. MySQL also has open source programmers that are independent and develop storage engines. These are used as well, but only after they pass MySQL rigorous inspection and testing.Customers are even developing and designing community storage systems. Commit grouping is a MySQL feature that allows for the gathering of multiple transactions. This is done from a multitude of connections in order to increase the number of commits per second. Conclusion In conclusion the Fleet Truck Maintenance Database will be easy to use, provide effective tracking of finances, maintenance, and queries. The primary key(s) used in the database will have the follo wing characteristics: be a single attribute, uniquely identify an entity, be non-intelligent, not change over time and be numeric.This will ensure the ease of normalizing the database during the design phase to prevent update anomalies when database is implemented. LTA discussed several mistakes that occur during the design phase in order to avoid the same mistakes. These mistakes include poor design/planning, ignoring normalization, poor naming standards, lack of documentation and testing. The DBMS of choice for Huffman Trucking is MySQL. MySQL will effectively manage our data while allowing many different platforms to interact with the database.MySQL is written in C and C++. However, MySQL offers much versatility in programming languages by using language specific API’s or ODBC to allow additional programming languages such as ASP or Coldfusion. MySQL has many options that other RDBMSs do no possess such as multiple storage engines, open source programmers, commit grouping and more. Bottom line is that MySQL offers versatility for our database to allow for continued growth, updates and changes in our company’s needs. References Apollo Group Inc. (2005). Huffman Trucking.Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Huffman Trucking Intranet: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Huffman/HuffmanHome002. htm Davidson  L. ,  (2007). Ten Common Database Design Mistakes. Simple-Talk. com. Retrieved  September  29,  2008,  from  http://www. simple-talk. com/sql/database-administration/ten-common-database-design-mistakes/ Malone  M,  (2007). I'm Mike. Database Design: Choosing A Primary Key. Retrieved  October  1,  2008,  from  http://immike. net/blog/2007/08/14/database-design-choosing-a-primary-key/

Middle Range Theory Essay

Bank of America is the largest US bank founded in 1904, it has expanded through several acquisitions. By the end of 2009, Bank of America was the market leader serving 82% of the US population and over 53 million customers. They are positioned as number one in online and mobile banking. Their mobile banking services were launched in 2007 and have gained 4 million customers in less than three years. Acquisitions made by Bank of America prior to the financial crisis caused a very strong drop in their stock price. Customers: In 2009, 10 million customers used mobile banking and this is expected to grow to 37 million by 2014. Customers that use mobile banking are not the same as online customers. Customers that use mobile banking represent a different segment of the market that other banking customers. Security issues, a perceived low value and expense, were the primary reasons that customers did not switch to mobile banking. Potential customers were reluctant to try a new banking service that are represented an extra cost and they were also afraid of losing control of their finances. Debit cardholders were the most active users. It was convenient for them because they could check their account at any time. Customers that used this service changed their usual banking channels and as a result -the bank had a higher retention for these users of online services. Competition/Competitors: Bank of America’s main competitors were: Bank of New York Mellon, JP Morgan Chase ; Co. , Wells Fargo ; Co. , Citigroup, and PNC Financial Services. These competitors also used mobile banking to ensure good service for their customers. They used SMS, customized web browsers and apps, depending on the bank and the customers they served. Citibank and Wells Fargo had different applications customized for their target groups. General Context Considering that the banking industry is fragmented, with thousands of banks offering retail and wholesale banking services; ten of the largest banks hold 46. 4% of total deposits, Bank of America being the largest one. The mortgage crisis of 2009 led to a deep recession and spilled over into a financial crisis that affected the retail banking business. Banks started waving fees and offering additional benefits in order to capture and retain customers. Mobile banking was introduced in the US in 2007 which added costs to each transaction. However, these costs were lower than call centers and interactive voice response costs. Bank of America had three options: mobile messaging (mobile stream modification without any software installation), mobile Internet (wireless application protocol), and mobile applications. Mobile applications in particular were more sophisticated and costly. Smartphone use was estimated to grow to 46% by 2014. Development Dilemma: Bank of America has two options to handle the future of mobile banking: 1) Build new and various applications to target different customers a) Pros: i) Customers want customization in the products; this will increase retention and satisfaction. ii) Marketing strategies can be segmented into different types of clients. This increases efficiency and reduces costs. iii) Superior brand and innovation perception. a) Cons i) Cost of application creation will increase due to the different areas and type of customers at Bank of America ii) Any changes in the bank services will have to be applied to all apps. Some customers will have to download and use various apps at the same time 2) Refuse to add complexity to the current application a) Pros: i) No extra costs on building a new application ii) Customers that don? t like technology or doubt about security issues won’t be affected b) Cons: i) Other banks offer better mobile apps and this will increase their competitive advantage ii) Customer satisfaction will suffer if the app is not updated and does not fulfill their needs. iii) Transactions will still be done through ATMs, Call centers and IVR, which are 4 to 11 times more costly. Opportunities: Since Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in United States that has millions of customers; online banking is an important feature that offers to ease transactions and provides access to billing statements. However, because of the multitude of services banks offer it is overly-complicated to provide all items in one bundle. Because of this complexity (to add all the banking features in one app for mobile banking) Bank of America should target tablet-users to provide all the banking features with different applications. For example Bank of America can provide tools like market reports for savvy investors or savings programs for households (where it is easier to keep track of expenses. ) Tablets are relatively easier to use than mobile phones. Targeting such a market at an early stage can broaden the spectrum in which Bank of America operates its mobile banking. This opportunity which targets future markets as computers are being replaced by tablets should not be forgone. Ease of access and use for customers with multiple Bank of America services, easier tracking of frauds or errors. ) Bank of America customers will be able to access a large array of services online. c) For some high-end apps a nominal fee may be charged to cover some of the technology budget. 2) Cons a) Customer information may be at risk as it is insecure to access sensitive information online for which Bank of America will have to maintain high privacy, increasing cost. b) Some of the features may still be complex and require customer support hotline. c) Customers may act on unintended transactions involving significant funds. Recommendations: Bank of America needs to improve the complexity to the current application. After analyzing the options and the opportunity, we think that Bank of America has to differentiate themselves from their competitors while offering a great service to their clients, we would recommend to increase the functionality of the mobile app. This change will bring extra benefits to the different type of clients in a single download. The company will also cut costs in the type of transactions made by the clients. The continuous growth of the mobile market especially the Smartphone use is another aspect of the recommendation. Having a mobile has become a commodity for the population. The new generation will get so accustomed to this technology that they will be able to deal with any app complexity without any problem. Bank of America has to think of its future customers, not only the current mobile technology adaptors. 1) Pros: a) Having a better application will differentiate the bank compared to their competitors b) Customers will have overall services in a single application. Mobile payment services would be added to the app and will attract and benefit many customers. d) Transaction costs will become lower as the % of Smartphone users grows (46% for year 2014). 2) Cons: a) Added complexity will discourage some customers to use the application b) Speed of the application may suffer if the customer has a bad connection or has too many applications downloaded in their mobile. c) The cost of developing a more complex application is larger and may require more expertise and training for employees and customers as well.