Strategic analysis and proposal for IKEA

Strategic analysis and proposal for IKEA The name IKEA comes from the initials of Ingvar Kamprad, I and K, plus the first letters of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, which are the names of the farm and village where he grew up. Ingvar kamprad came with a unique idea to offer home furnishing products with good design and lower prices than other competitors. But he didnt want to compromise with the quality. So he used simple cut costing solutions. He tried to find every opportunity to reduce costs. Thats how IKEA concept began. IKEA is a home furnishing company with a fully integrated supply chain, including its own industrial groups Swedwood and Swedspan. The IKEA Group, directly or indirectly, also owns retail centres, always with an IKEA store as unique anchor tenant. The IKEA Group works in four basic areas: range strategy product development, production, supply and retail. The parent company of the IKEA Group of Companies, INGKA Holding B.V., is owned by Stichting INGKA Foundation in the Netherlands. The Stichting INGKA Foundation was established in 1982 by the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, to create an ownership structure and organization that stand for independence and taking a longterm approach. It has two purposes to reinvest in the IKEA Group and to fund charity through the Stichting IKEA Foundation. The business idea is focused on the concept of help create a better life everyday life for many people. IKEA is a renowned global home furniture and household products retailer which is privately owned. IKEA was started by Ingvar Kamarad by 1943. Now the company owns more than 300 stores in 35 countries with more than 130,000 workers around the world. The company selling now a day more than 10000 products and the 190 million copies of catalogues distributed around all over the world. We can see how IKEA expanded by having more stores each year. Figure 1: IKEA stores expanding. To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. That is the business idea of IKEA. This concept of the IKEA is the base of their business operations which includes product designing, manufacturing, transportation, retailing and assembling. When IKEA develop their products, their starting point is the idea that, even with a thin wallet, people can create a beautiful home with well designed, functional, safe and healthy products. To understand the different living situations and needs of people all over the world is the key to success of IKEA. IKEA website had 712 million visitors and 676 million store visitors in 2010. And 197 million copies of catalogue were printed in 29 languages. Total sales in last year 2010 were 23.1 billion Euros as stated in graph and IKEA food services turnover is 1.1 billion Euros. Figure 2: Annual sales in billion Euros. (FY2010) Every single company tries to use unique, distinctive and effective business strategy which will help them to stay in very competitive market and especially in the global market. We will use different tools to provide a strategic analysis of IKEA. The analysis will be use SWOT analysis, Porters five forces model. SWOT analysis: SWOT analysis is strategic planning tool which helps business to focus on key issues. This tool helps to identify and evaluate of the strengths and weakness of a firm internally, threats and opportunities of external environment. Strengths and weakness is such internal aspects of the company which can be controlled. Usually these refer to marketing, finance, and manufacturing. In same way threats and opportunities are external aspects which cant be controlled. These refer to environment, local issue, government policy and others. Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats Internal External Figure: SWOT analysis. Strengths: IKEA is one the leading strong global brand in household furnitures in its global operation which attracts consumer group and ensure the same quality and range with almost 10000 products in their all 300 worldwide stores. IKEAs interest in how peoples lives at home is the source of all their business. The key to the success of IKEAs business, understanding of peoples different living situation and needs of all people around the world. Their starting point of developing a product is how people can decorate their house with a thin wallet without compromising the quality. IKEA offers a wide range of functional household furniture in a low price that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA is completely committed to their vision to create a better everyday life for the many people. This commitment even extends to their suppliers. IWAY is the way of purchasing IKEA products. Buying bulk and large volume for long time keeps the price down from suppliers. And suppliers feel secured also. Most of IKEA products come from supplier direct to store. That means low cost and less carbon footprint. Increasing use of renewable and smarter use of raw materials helps them to keep the price low. Customers contribute in keeping low price by collecting, taking home and assemble product by themselves. Initialization of flat packing and easy assembling made it possible. Now a day people can design their kitchen wardrobe and others household furniture themselves by IKEA computerized tools. Opportunities: IKEA states: There is a true business potential for IKEA in providing solutions that enable customers to live a more sustainable life at home. IKEA is developing effective solutions for customers in order to support them recycling or reusing used products, aiming at no products ending up at landfill and the recycled materials used in producing new IKEA products. IKEA Increases use of renewable and smarter use of raw materials helps them to keep the price low. By initialize of flat packing and easy assembling help the customer to take their product home and assemble themselves. These all business policy of IKEA is juts to ensure a quality product in low price but if we look deeply we can see that IKEA using their strengths to take advantages of opportunities. Now a days all over the world everyone is concerning about carbon footprint, greener products, low cost products. IKEA is making best out of these opportunities. Now a day demand is growing for low priced products. Current financial situation made consumers trading down from expensive stores. All most everyone is concerning about carbon footprint. IKEA most of product comes to store direct from supplier by which they gradually phase out wooden pallets and use of the most spaces of transport. Using of less transport which is less carbon emission. They keep redesigning products so that they take less space. This way they save costs and contribute to environment also. Other business may be has to change their business policy because of these global concerning. But IKEA is taking advantages of these opportunities. Weakness: Each single company tries to find out their weakness and try to resolve them. IKEA is a global brand with 300 stores globally. So the size and its scale of global business can be a problem. It could be hard eventually to keep up with their standard and quality. IKEA suppliers are in such country where government doesnt implement the legalization to control working conditions. It can affect business supply chain. On the other hand IKEA need low cost raw materials but good quality for their products. But because of global warming and other financial and environmental issues it could be hard to get the supply. Threats: Emerging a new household company with low price and its own food in the market will be a strong threat for IKEA. Though emerging a new company with such range and scale is not so easy, but by keeping their standard IKEA can held their position. Porters five factors: Porters five factors is a strong analytical tool. It helps us to understand business strength of current competitive situation and the strength of the position we are moving into. The outcome of this framework is five important factors which determine the competitive intensity, as it may in use of when creating strategy, plans or making decisions regarding investment about a business. Figure: Porters Five Forces model. Powers of buyers: IKEA make sure to satisfy their customers in every aspect by providing quality service. IKEA is global brand for household furniture for reasonable prices. The management of IKEA tries to keep the standard globally so their customer is happy about the quality and the prices. Furniture and other household has small alternative and consumers has limited choices which makes IKEA unique in his competitive market. Low price strategy is other way to response buyers needs. Powers of Suppliers: We have to consider power of supplier for our competitive situation. To ensure the quality and low price business policy IKEA must have some supplier who can supply according to the demand. IKEA set some rules for their supplier. IWAY is one of it. All suppliers should follow these set of rules. IKEA get the contracts with supplier for a long time. In this way supplier and IKEA both feel more secured. If something happens with the supplier IKEA also got time for supplement. So in this case supplier got limited powers. Competitive rivalry: IKEAs furniture competitors offer different functionality and design. However, the IKEA still holds the first position in his competitive market through his quality and low price policy in Sweden and globally also. Flat packing policy saved a lot in price and easy for customer to carry out. New entrants: There is less chance to enter

Cognitive Aging Reflection Paper

Patrick Byrnes Dev. Psych 10/18/2012 Reflection on using it†¦or losing it In â€Å"what and When of Cognitive Aging† I immediately took issue with the fact that Salthouse used participants â€Å"recruited through newspaper advertisements, appeals to community groups†¦all with approximately 16 years of education†. I feel that this sampling would inherently create a sampling error. I feel that schooler was right in addressing the sub-groups of different types of work force variable plus time in work force.The participants in Salthouses study were anything but random, and never took into consideration the type of work (cognitive challenging or not) and amount of time in the workforce or whether still in the workforce. A group of doctors and professors might who worked well past legal retirement age might produce a much more varied result then say a group of business people, or factory workers. Although it should be noted that Schooler noted this in her paper and said that her finding were negative for impact of intellectual flexibility.I also take some issue with the coding for the â€Å"cigarette commercial† question posed by Schooler. While points were awarded for the person who could come up with both sides of an argument, and none for the person who could think of no reason, it does little to elaborate for the person who can only give one argument against the commercials seeing that would fit into today’s paradigm that cigarettes are a carcinogen and inherently bad for the user and nearby nonsmokers as well.Both papers it should be noted are based in cognitive psychology/theory. Relying heavily on scientific modeling and statistical evidence to use as evidence and draw conclusions from, in most all of the statistical models most of the data has been adjusted then sometime readjusted to accommodate multifactorial functions. Something one would not see with Freud, psychosocial studies, or classical conditioning, at least not to this degree and intricacy.Another idea that caught my attention was that the idea that some cognitive degradation will be camouflaged due to the fact that the aging adult modifies their behavior to overcome or avoid the growing deficiency. This would make it plausible for a type of â€Å"micro† black swan theory/event where surround family and friends did not see the ailing person’s disability until some calamitous event, only afterwards were all the signs actually seeable.

Music 1306

MUSI 1306 Study Guide-Twentieth-Century & Non-Western Music The section on twentieth-century music will involve chapters 1-8, 15-17. Chapters 1-3 will be utilized for the discussion of Non-Western music. It will be necessary to study these chapters, as well as the listening examples contained within, to achieve full comprehension of these sections. Twentieth-Century Overview (Chapter 1) Within the music of the twentieth century can be seen influences of folk and popular music, Asian and African music, and European art music from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century.The principal parameters of music — tone color, harmony, tonality, rhythm, and melody — undergo vast changes in relation to the music of earlier periods. New musical innovations in this period include the prominence of the percussion section, new ways of playing conventional instruments, polychords, fourth chords, tone clusters, polytonality, bitonality, atonality, and polyrhythms. (Chapt. 2) Du ring the twentieth century, radio, television, and recordings had a direct impact on the listening habits of the public. Various institutions regularly commissioned new music.These include: ballet and opera companies, foundations, orchestras, performers, film studios, and wealthy music lovers. Also impacting the direction of Twentieth-Century music was the emigration of many famous composers to the United States because of World War II, the widespread dissemination of American jazz and popular music, and the role of universities in nourishing new music. (Chapters 3 & 4) Two artistic movements that were to have their musical counterparts in the work of Claude Debussy were impressionist painting and symbolist poetry. The painters Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro represent the impressionist movement in painting.Symbolist poetry is represented by Mallarme, Verlaine, and Rimbaud. Debussy was influenced by Wagner and Asian music, and he achieved many artistic successes and underwent person al tragedies during the course of his career and his life in general. (Chapt. 5) Neoclassicism is aptly described as an artistic movement that emphasizes emotional restraint, balance, and clarity. Neoclassical composers used musical forms and stylistic elements of earlier periods, particularly of the eighteenth century. Neoclassicism also reflects a reaction against romanticism and impressionism.Major contributions, outside of music, to the neoclassical style are the poems of T. S. Eliot and the paintings of Pablo Picasso. (Chapt. 6) Stravinsky’s career is typically traced from his early years in St. Petersburg, his studies under Rimsky-Korsakov, to his discovery by Sergei Diaghilev. The impact of the Ballet Russe on the entire cultural scene in Europe from 1909 to 1929, the success of Stravinsky’s three â€Å"Russian† ballets, including the famous 1913 riot, and his emergence as the twentieth century’s most celebrated composer are also principal topics o f discussion. Chapt. 7) Expressionism is defined as an artistic movement that â€Å"stressed intense, subjective emotion. † The movement is related to Freud’s work with hysteria and the unconscious, and can be seen as a German reaction to French impressionism (Chapt. 8) Arnold Schoenberg, in his early years, can be seen as a musical autodidact. His artistic progression from the late romantic style of his earliest music through the atonal works to the development of his twelve-tone system, are crucial to the understanding of future musical developments. Chapt. 15) Aaron Copland’s life spans from his early years in Brooklyn, his period of study in France, and his cultivation of the jazz idiom for a few years on his return to the United States. Copland’s works undergo distinct stylistic changes, including jazz and twelve-tone styles. Among his better-known works today are the ballet Appalachian Spring, and this chapter contains a Listening Outline for the se venth section, the theme and variations on Simple Gifts. (Chapt. 16) There have been distinct changes in musical styles since 1945.Among these are the increased use of the twelve-tone system, the growth of serialism and its applications to musical parameters other than pitch, chance music, minimalist music, musical quotation, the return to tonality, electronic music, the â€Å"liberation of sound,† mixed media, and new concepts of rhythm and form. (Chapt. 17) Some of the more modern innovations since 1945 can be seen in two of many important contemporary composers, and their representative compositions: Edgard Varese (Poeme electronique), John Adams (Short Ride in a Fast Machine). Twentieth Century Listening Claude Debussy Prelude to The Afternoon of a FaunIgor StravinskyThe Rite of Spring: Part I, Introduction Arnold Schoenberg A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46 Aaron CoplandAppalachian Spring: Theme and Variations on Simple Gifts Edgard VareseElectronic Poem: Opening Segment Jo hn AdamsShort Ride in a Fast Machine Twentieth Century Terms glissandopolychordfourth chord tone clusterpolytonalitybitonality atonalitypolyrhythmostinato impressionismpentatonic scalewhole-tone scale neoclassicismprimitivismexpressionism Sprechstimmetwelve-tone systemtone row; set; series serialismminimalist music chance music; aleatory music quotation musicmicrotonesNon-Western Music Overview (Chapt. 1) While nonwestern music reflects the diversity of the world’s social and economic systems, languages, religions, and geographical conditions, there are some features common to most musical traditions. A distinction can be drawn between the script tradition of European cultures and the oral tradition of nonwestern music. Also important are improvisational traditions and vocal techniques. In nonwestern music, melody, rhythm, and texture in contrast to harmony and polyphony, and the interaction between nonwestern and western music, are all important topics. Chapt. 2) The African continent can be divided into two large geographical areas, and this chapter focuses on the music of the countries below the Sahara Desert. Topics of discussion also include: the place of music in society, permeating virtually all aspects of African life, some of the more important instrument types and ensembles, including the mbira and â€Å"talking drums,† and African texture, vocal techniques, and performance practices. A representative work described in this chapter is Ompeh, a song from Ghana. (Chapt. 3)A brief survey of music and musicians in India typically focuses on the elements of Indian classical music. The melodic and rhythmic structures (ragas and talas), and the correct identification of the roles of typical Indian instruments, such as the sitar, tabla, and tambura, are also crucial topics in the understanding of music from this region. Ravi Shankar’s Maru-Bihag is representative of Indian classical music. Non-Western Listening Song from Ghana Ompeh Ravi Shankar Maru-Bihag Non-Western Terms membranophonechordophoneaerophone idiophoneheterphonycall and response tamburaragatala sitartabla

Examples Of Educational Programs - 1109 Words

GOOD IDEAS: ï‚ ¾ Educational programming: †¢ Nutrition †¢ Personal finance †¢ Dermatology: Skin cancer and the effects of the sun and tanning †¢ Car maintenance: Information about tires and oil changes, driving tips for snowy conditions, etc. †¢ Safety tips: Self-defense, how to stay safe during spring break, etc. †¢ Police: Alcohol, drugs, fake IDs, rights, etc. †¢ Insurance: Life, home, and auto insurance †¢ Financial planning: 401(k)s, mutual funds, investing money, etc. †¢ Environmental awareness †¢ Stress management †¢ Safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases †¢ Gender identity †¢ Risk prevention and liability †¢ Etiquette †¢ Dance: Ballroom, line dancing, etc. †¢ Body and soul: Aromatherapy, aerobics, yoga, etc. ï‚ ¾ Greek program nights: Plan with†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Human timeline: Give each person an important event in Kappa’s history and have everyone get in order by event date. †¢ Kappa feud: Learn the Founders, famous Kappas, and Kappa facts by playing a game of Family Feud. ï‚ ¾ Founders Day: †¢ Have a party for the Founders. †¢ Do an AE-style interview of the six Founders. †¢ Write fun facts on placemats or plates. †¢ Lay out old composites. †¢ Organize speakers from each decade to talk about their Kappa experiences. †¢ Dress from a previous decade for a â€Å"come-as-you-were† theme. ï‚ ¾ Senior activity and recognition: †¢ Senior speaks: Allow each senior to give a short, three-to-five-minute talk about a topic of her choice, (e.g., words of wisdom, things she wishes she knew earlier, a poem, organizations she’s been involved in, etc.). †¢ Senior of the week/senior spotlight: Each senior chooses her favorite dinner and music and she is highlighted during a chapter meeting. †¢ Senior cookbook: Write to the parents of each senior to ask for their daughter’s favorite recipe. 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