Studo Guide Mis Essay Example for Free

Studo Guide Mis Essay Data gathering and reporting by manual process can affect the business as humans mistakes happen with the data entry. It is also time consuming as it keeps back the completion of the profit and loss statements, as some departments inquire to update data after submitting in which the analyst has to send the original copy and wait for completion before entering it into the final document. By collecting data of fifty headquarters at the same time and entering it into a spread sheet won’t tell which business branch is experiencing problems and if they are making a lost or a profit. It will impact the business as this spreadsheet software doesn’t specify in detail the business braches performance and will lead to make a lost in some branches. The business should implement software that will permit them to have a closer look of the business performance of each branch. If a business branch is always making mistakes in their reports the person in charge of that CASE STUDY Snyder’s of Hanover: New Systems for an Old Family Company Harry V. Warehime began tempting the taste buds of southern Pennsylvanians with his Hanover Olde Tyme Pretzels in 1909. Since then, Snyder’s of Hanover, as the company came to be known, has expanded its business beyond any scope that its founder might have dared to imagine. Snyder’s of Hanover remains a family-owned and family-run company, but it has become the world’s second largest pretzel maker, with 12.1 percent of the pretzel market. Snyder’s pretzel and chip varieties include Old Tyme Pretzels, Jalapeno Pieces, Butter Snaps, and EatSmart All Natural Veggie Crisps, as well as other popular snacks. In 2002, Snyder’s posted revenues of $164 million, trailing only Rold Gold, the reigning champion of the pretzel industry. In addition to manufacturing its complete line of snack foods, Snyder’s distributes its own products, as well as those of other snack food companies such as Tasty Baking Company’s Tastykakes. With 40 distribution facilities all over the United States and Europe, over 4,500 products, and over 150 product lines, the home office in Hanover, Pennsylvania, has a considerable amount of data to manage. If there was one last vestige of old-fashioned business left at Snyder’s, it was the company’s method of managing and analyzing data. Although Snyder’s sells more than 78 million bags of pretzels, chips, and organic snack items each year, some of its core systems were still heavily manual and paper-based. Snyder’s financial department was using electronic spreadsheets for much of its data-gathering and reporting. Lois Stambaugh, Hanover’s financial analyst, would spend the entire final week of each month collecting Excel spreadsheets from the heads of more than 50 departments worldwide. Then she would consolidate and reenter all the data into another Excel spreadsheet, which would serve as the company’s monthly profit-and-loss statement. The financial data were harvested and consolidated the same way at the end of each fiscal quarter and the end of each year. The overwhelming presence of the human factor made data-entry mistakes a concern. If a department needed to update its data with last-minute information after submitting its spreadsheet to the main office, the head analyst had to return the original spreadsheet, and then wait for the department to resubmit its data, before finally entering the updated data in the consolidated document. Perhaps most important, this system of gathering the company’s financial statistics at regular, but infrequent, intervals meant that important data simply were not available as often as they were needed. Snyder’s lacked the ability to react to sudden trends and unpredictable events because the data were supplied too late to adjust shipping schedules, pricing schedules, or delivery counts. CEO Michael Warehime and his management team could track the gross profits of business units but not the performance of each of Snyder’s 4,500-plus products and over 150 product lines. For example, the spreadsheet-based system lacked the detail to show whether a specific snack product such as Sourdough Hard Pretzels or Pumpernickel Onion Sticks was actually making or losing money. For a business focused on both production and distribution, this was a hindrance to growth. Additionally, the spreadsheets could not reveal which distribution routes were worthwhile and which were cutting into the company’s profit margin. Under these circumstances, Snyder’s could only use the sales data it collected to make rough predictions about how much of a product should be manufactured and how quickly a product run should be repeated on a particular distribution route. Snyder’s market share had been growing steadily until 2002, when it suddenly stalled; its annual sales growth, which had outpaced the industry’s for years, was then no better than average. It was time to leap forward to a more modern approach in which the company could react to data immediately. In late 2002, Snyder’s of Hanover solicited the help of Satori Group, a provider of business performance management solutions to the consumer packaged goods industry that is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Satori Group demonstrated how Snyder’s could implement its proCube software to gather better sales and marketing data and, therefore, make better business decisions. ProCube would automate Snyder’s budgeting processes, creating accurate forecasting facilities, improving financial reporting techniques, and refining Snyder’s product marketing analysis so that Snyder’s could evaluate the viability of each of its individual brands and products. Such analytical power was just what Snyder’s would need to compete with Rold Gold, which is backed by the corporate powerhouses of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. What Snyder’s found so appealing about proCube was the ease with which it could be integrated with the company’s existing in formation systems. ProCube enables Snyder’s department heads to continue using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to collect sales and returns data. These data are collected in a large data repository, where they are consolidated and organized before being used by proCube reporting software for analysis. The proCube software also uses manufacturing data from Snyder’s enterprise system. Snyder’s financial department now spends a couple of days preparing those same monthly, quarterly, and yearly statements that used to devour weeks’ worth of productivity. This is only the first step in what Snyder’s hopes is a chain of improvements that will result in new growth. The next step is to add new levels of detail to the profit and loss data that Snyder’s can collect and report so that the company can track and assess the profitability of individual products. Management could then use the proCube software to find out information such as how many bags of Honey BBQ Pretzel Piec es were sold in Michigan last week, or which stores and delivery routes are best servicing customers who like this product. The system will also enable managers to project sales for their unit for the next quarter or next year. Such a system requires additional work to implement. Dave Thomas, Snyder’s director of information technology, noted that to achieve the desired level of detail in its data analysis, the company must study all of its business processes. A comprehensive review will enable Snyder’s to determine what types of data result from their business processes and which data they actually want to use. These system enhancements will eventually provide information enabling Snyder’s to increase production and distribution frequency of its most popular products almost immediately, rather than having to wait for an end-of-the-month report. Likewise, production and shipping of less popular products can be curbed. In other words, Snyder’s will be able change its business model from one dependent on forecasts to one that’s more demand-driven. The first two phases of the proCube implementation carried a price tag of approximately a quarter-million dollars. The next phase introduced a corporate portal to provide Snyder’s department heads and executives with easier access to sales figures and distribution plans. The portal features a user-friendly Web interface through which managers can retrieve key data, as they require them. Upon completion, the cost of the entire venture should approach a half-million dollars. Snyder’s has also incorporated improved IT into other areas of its business. In 2003, Snyder’s chose Gelco Trade Management Group’s TMS Passport solution for its trade promotion funds management. Again, Snyder’s found an IT solution that could be implemented quickly without sacrificing power. Gelco’s TMS Passport promises a quick return on investment (ROI) for a competitively priced and scalable package. The package features fund management, deduction management, payments, and analysis and reporting capabilities. In turn, Snyder’s is confident that it can effectively plan and manage its trade promotion activities for years to come, even as the business continues to expand. The American consumer has continued to increase its intake of pretzels over the last decade, and the snack food industry as a whole continues to boom. Snyder’s faces stiff competition from rival Frito-Lay and other major players in the snack food industry such as Utz, Kellogg’s, and Kraft Foods. At the very least, Snyder’s has made a sincere attempt to transform its business practices with an eye toward rocketing to the top of the boom. The question remains whether a family-owned organization can continue to compete with major corporate players in an industry that has yet to hit its ceiling.

Microsoft Xbox Essay -- essays research papers

Usability Testing on Microsoft Xbox â„ ¢ Product usability testing has been around for quite a while now for the sole purpose of providing the consumers with the best product a company can. Some companies hire specific testing consultants who specialize in product testing and other companies just release beta versions of their product to a small market and collect feedback. Companies like Sony or Nintendo hire companies that test their products and make sure there are no problems with the product. Software companies, on the other hand, release test versions, also known as beta versions, of their products and improve their final product based on the feedback from the beta users.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many products that are released to the public that are not thoroughly tested. These products get tested like any other products, but they just don’t get tweaked and changed enough to be the best that they can be. This situation can be the result of the testing company not having enough knowledge of the product or poor diversity of the test groups or target audience. An example of a product not tested enough is the Microsoft Xbox. The Xbox, a game console released on November of 2001, marked Microsoft’s official entry in the gaming industry. Immediately after the release, users stated the Xbox was rushed into production and wasn’t properly tested. However, articles titled, â€Å"CES 2001: Microsoft Discusses the Announcement† and â€Å"Xbox Product Testing Initiated,† both...

How Did Hindenburg Undermine German Democracy in 1925-33? Essay

Paul von Hindenburg was the second president of the Weimar Republic, who had led Germany through economic prosperity of the Golden Age under Stresemann (1924-9), but also the series of severe crisis ranging from nationwide political revolts (1919-23) to worldwide economic depression (1929), that have influenced the Reichstag as a whole. For the first five years after taking office, Hindenburg fulfilled his duties of office with considerable dignity and decorum. Nevertheless, many claim that with the election of President Hindenburg, German democracy was doomed. There is a certain degree of truth in such statement, for Hindenburg had played a considerable role in undermining the German democracy in his later presidential years, through appointing Adolf Hitler (1933) chancellor of Germany in spite of his awareness of Hitlers dictatorial qualities, and invoking Article 48 under which the government no longer functioned democratically. Hindenburgs biggest mistake was to make Adolf Hitler chancellor of Germany in 1933, for this meant that an era of German elections and parliamentary life had come to an end, and an era of dictatorship and terror was soon to emerge. As the following evidence proves, Hindenburg was clearly aware that giving power to Hitler would be a vital step in the downfall of the Weimar Germany. In 1932, although the number of seats for the Nazis in Reichstag fell from 230 to 197 , it still remained to be the largest Party. Von Papen therefore offered to bring Hitler into his new government by giving him the Vice-Chancellorship. However, Hitler was not tempted and reiterated his desire for the Chancellorship, and would accept nothing less as his aim was complete power, not the sharing of power. When Von Papen put these demands to Hindenburg, and offered a way for Hitler as Chancellor, Hindenburg refused, and Papen, unable to command a majority in the Reichstag had to resign. In consequence, Hitler told Hindenburg he would form a presidential Cabinet, one whose powers would derive, not from the will or votes of parliament, but from the Presidency. Hindenburg could not accept these extraordinary terms and brought his negotiations with Hitler to an end, instructing his State Secretary to write to Hitler:The President of the Reich thanks you for your willingness to become head of a presidential Cabinet. He considers, however, that he would not be doing his duty to the German people if he handed over his Presidential powers to the leader of a  Party which has repeatedly emphasized its exclusiveness, and which has taken up a predominantly negative attitude. In these circumstances, the Present of the Reich cannot help fearing that a presidential Cabinet conducted by you would inevitably lead to a Party dictatorship, bringing in its train of bitter aggravation of the conflicts within the German peopleHindenburg thus turned to a former army officer, General von Schleicher and asked him to take over the Chancellorship. Some may argue that the reason for Hindenburgs dislike of Hitler was rather due to Hitlers personal backgrounds (he was Austrian). However, through Hitlers overly ambitious speeches and rebellious actions against the government shown in the prior years, (e.g. the Munich Beer Hall Pusch 1923) it is certain that Hindenburg was aware giving complete power to Hitler was not a clever idea, as it may inevitably lead to a Party dictatorship and a chaos within the nation. Nonetheless, he ended up giving power to the aggressive leader of the biggest Party of the Reich, undermining the German democracy. If it wasnt Hindenburg who in 1933 became convinced that there was no longer an alternative to Hitler and appointed him the Chancellor due to his advisers who without exception favored a government of national concentration under Hitlers leadership and the rumors that Schleicher was planning a putsch against Hindenburg, the vast human and ecological destruction of the twentieth century could have been avoided. Through Hindenburgs decision of appointing Hitler chancellor, Hitler came to power legally and headed his countrys government. In correspondence to Hindenburgs prediction, Hitler almost immediately forced the German legislature to give up its authority and made himself absolute dictator of Germany, taking the title of Fuhrer in 1934. Due to Hindenburgs decision and his failing attempt to make Hitler his puppet, the Third Reich lasted only 12 years and yet in those few years the history of Germany and the world changed under the influence of one man. Prior to Hitlers gain of power, Hindenburgs usage of Article 48 during his presidential years was also a significant factor which undermined German democracy. In 1930 Hindenburg appointed Bruning chancellor and agreed to sign presidential emergency decrees under Article 48 if the government faced opposition in the Reichstag. Therefore under Hindenburgs governing and Brunings chancellorship the government no longer functioned democratically  as Bruning relied on the presidents emergency powers to push through the legislation he desired. Article 48 gave the president special rights to issue emergency legislation, but the Reichstag could disapprove the presidents measure later. The president, in turn, could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections. Thus, Hindenburgs policies were collapsing the German democracy as he represented an abuse of the constitutions emergency powers, which were initially meant to protect the democratic functioning of the constitution, not to disrupt it. Moreover, Hindenburgs failing energy and senility (he was 85 when he got reelected in 1932) made him an easy prey to his rightist advisors as he was heavily influenced by those who surrounded him and was open to their suggestions. Thus the extremist parties were profiting simultaneously from Hindenburgs ineffectiveness and the economic crisis which made enormous gains for the Nazis. After the Reichstag Fire in February 27 1933, Hindenburgs inability to lead the Weimar to the road of peace was proved as he was later agreeing to Hitlers demand of allowing him to use part of Article 48 which stripped people of their civil rights and allowed the police to make arrests without warrant, declaring a state of emergency. Hindenburg, though not fully trusting Hitler, nevertheless signed a Decree for the Protection of the People and the State taking away freedom of speech and assembly. His signature eventually undermined the Constitution and destroyed basic liberties. Hitler was able to take advantage of Hindenburgs senility and under Hindenburg, he and the Nazi Party could rise to full power. The unintentional methods of how Hindenburg undermined German democracy may vary. Among the few, two noteworthy reasons include Hindenburgs constant use of article 48 and his ineffective decision making skills which promoted Hitler as the chancellor of the Weimar Republic. However, it is inappropriate to hold him the most responsible character for the collapse of Weimar, for the constitutions downfall was due to numerous interwoven factors such as the instable social, economic and political aspects during the period 1929-33. Indeed, the tragic fate of German democracy cannot be attributed to any one major factor, because to single out any one factor ignores the complexity of the situation. Nonetheless the second president of the Weimar Republic, Paul Von Hindenburg, in spite of all the achievements  he had made in his early years, still remains to be regarded as an unimpressive leader who had given power to the brutal dictator—Adolf Hitler. The German democracy was thus doom ed with his decision, for Hitler neither took nor gained power through elections, but was given power by Hindenburg, a man with growing senility and disinterest in politics. http://en.allexperts.com/e/p/pa/paul_von_hindenburg.htmA History of the Twentieth Century, Martin Gilbert, p. 818A History of the Twentieth Century, Martin Gilbert, p. 818A History of the Twentieth Century, Martin Gilbert, p. 818A History of the Twentieth Century, Martin Gilbert, p. 819Germany A New History, Hagen Schulze, p. 243Exploring World History, John R. O Connor, p.556http://www.colby.edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyD7.htmlhttp://www.colby.edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyD7.htmlhttp://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/paul_von_hindenburg.htmhttp://www.studyzones.com/questionzone/detail.cfm?objectid=3F9B3DE7-8988-11D7-B24D00B0D049C8DF

How Is The Brain Changing And Developing - 867 Words

i. How is the brain changing and developing? The adult brain is crowned by the cerebral cortex which is a wrinkled mass of tissue which is  ¼ centimeters thick. The cerebral cortex contains many systems one of which is the limbic system of the brain that drives a person’s appetite, moods and emotions. There is a well connected relationship between the â€Å"feeling† area of the brain and the â€Å"thinking† area of the brain. One area effects the other at all times. Amygdala is the first part to respond to emotions that triggers a series of split second reactions within the emotional cord. Waves of nerve impulses travel down the brain stem that sets of an instantaneous response throughout the body. Scientists have discovered that emotions like fear, happiness, grief and anger have a physical place in the brain. These emotions can be seen though brain scans or MRIs. The emotions have specific neural circuitry that has been developed thorough the lifespan of a human though experiences. The pre frontal corte x has already developed so adults tend to make rational decision unless affected by mental illness. ii. What influences the brain (positively and negatively)? A negative factor that affects the development of the adult brain is chronic stress. The depressed brain has a pre frontal that malfunctions and grows dull and silent. The pre frontal cortex is the one responsible for right interpretation of emotions and higher thinking. Stress can cause the pre frontal cortex to interpret theShow MoreRelatedALS Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pagesyour body except your brain and also impacts physical function. CTE attacks only your brain and not your body. Young athletes with a history of repeated head trauma have higher risks of getting these diseases. These diseases are more common in contact sports. Concussions and head traumas are two huge factors to ALS and CTE. Multiple hits to the head are what cause concussions and head trauma. Due to the risks of ALS and CTE’s, safety precautions should be increased without changing the rules of the gameRead MoreAdolescence Is The Most Important Stages Of Human Development1282 Words   |  6 Pagesadoles cence is broken up into biological, cognitive, and emotional stages. These aspects of adolescence are individually important because, it defines one’s personality and character as an individual and, it affects their future. Most people do not realize how big of an impact adolescence has; however, this essay will present data in support that adolescence is one of the most important stages of human development. The biological stage of adolescence is crucial because it physically forms the child intoRead MoreEssay on Weeding Out Amendment 64642 Words   |  3 PagesColorado voters do not realize how easy they have made it for children to obtain marijuana. When Amendment 64 was passed, an already troublesome condition escalated to a more dangerous level for our youth. School officials are â€Å"reporting an increase in marijuana-related incidents in middle and high schools† (Nancy Lofholm). Sadly, parents smoke openly, in front of their children. Now that they can legally obtain one ounce of marijuana, they do not see the need to keep the drugs out of sight. OnceRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress From Socioeconomic Status And Postsecondary Educational Attainment1083 Words   |  5 PagesChildren are the once affected the most in this in this category. They are faced with negative caregivers, malnutrition, toxic environment and stress causing their brain structure to change. Such endeavo r during early childhood can affect once emotional and cognitive functions. Early intervention can reverse such effect due to the child brain plasticity. This hardship can extend into their young adulthood affecting their ability to enter postsecondary education. SocioeconomicRead MoreEssay On Atjus1506 Words   |  7 Pageswill slowly eat away at all of the muscles in your body, will leave your mind intact, leaving you as a ghost in a shell. CTE affects the functionality of your brain itself unlike ALS. There are no found cures yet to these diseases, but researchers are finding more and more ways that said diseases may be prevented. A concussion is when your brain itself is shaken hard enough it will smash against the inner walls of your skull. New measures to ensure the safety and future health of athletes like new andRead MoreAthletes Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagesthat are coming from all the brain injuries involved that are leading to most of their deaths due to all their muscles weakening. A disease associated with athletes is Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, it is a disorder in the nervous system that causes the death of nerve cells and destroys Motor neurons. Another disease associated with many athletes is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which is an irreversible brain disease caused by multiple hitsRead MoreChild s Mind And Brain Process New Information1566 Words   |  7 Pagesa child’s development on how they process the information, uses of the mental resources and skills, learning different languages and other characteristic that a child will develop comparing to an adult’s brain. For decades, different psychologist such as Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, and Lev Vygotsky have researched and created different kind of theories that helps the adults to understand how a child’s mind and brain process new information especially in their developing ages. Educational curriculumRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Minsdsight By Daniel J. Allport850 Words   |  4 Pagesbountiful abilities of the brain, such as neuroplasticity, â€Å"the term used to describe the capacity for creating new neural connections and growing new neurons in response to experience† (5). These new neural connections make way for change, by not only strengthening the areas that one may be weak in, but by also learning how to make better and more conscious choices when faced with turbulence. In Part II, Siegel explores the real-world accounts of this turbulence and how patients are able to utilizeRead MoreALS Essay1407 Words   |  6 PagesHow CTE and ALS Can Attack Many people around the world may be familiar with the horrible diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which both are commonly caused from brain trauma. However, what people may not know is that these brain injuries are frequently reoccuring among athletes from collision sports. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease found from multiple head injuries. On the other hand, ALS can also be from a brain collision or hereditary. ALS causesRead MoreBiomechatronics: Analyzing Human Motion Essay553 Words   |  3 Pagesdefects. Scientist are edging closer to developing biomechatronic; merging man with machine. Bimechatronic scientists attempt to make electronic devices that interact with the body’s muscles and nervous system with the aim to enhance human movement. Dr. Hugh Herr, a leading scientist and his team are working on developing biomechartonics using computer models and camera analyses to study the movement of balance. (How Stuff Wor ks Inc, 2005) They are also researching how electronic devices can be interfaced