A Generation Set Aside Essays - Demographics, Free Essays

A Generation Set Aside Essays - Demographics, Free Essays A Generation Set Aside Often we hear of the generation gap that huge expanse between parent and child. Perhaps it is an acquaintance gap. Young people and adults do not know each other. The inability to communicate often enters the picture. Sometimes it is because neither knows what the other is interested in. They live under the same roof, but they rarely see one another, especially after the teenage years come along. The father goes off to work before the children are awake. Mother may go back to bed after seeing the husband off to work; or off to her own job. Teenagers get themselves up and off to school without seeing either parent. Then after school there is ball practice, band practice, or something else that consumes their time; maybe a job that lasts until bedtime. Parents have things that tie them up in the evenings; so the days come and go, and there is precious little time spent together. A meal together is even a rare occasion. All of these activities may be wholesome and proper, but still the family suffers because there is so little time spent together. This causes many children to make too many decisions on their own, and so often they will leave important and crucial matters out of their thoughts and plans. This generation often gets labelled by the media and the older people in society as the "youngsters who are tearing this country apart." The fact of the matter is that we are a product of our parent's mistakes and remain to be misunderstood. In the past several years we have seen much media attention focused on the generation that followed the boomers, popularly known as Generation X. Born between the mid-1960s and early 1980s , this is the most complex of the generation, and by far the least understood in spite of its current celebrity. This generation can best be described as the "Misunderstood Generation." They are the generation that dealt with and are still dealing with broken homes, drug addiction, AIDS, and bleak futures. A great deal of the young people in this "Misunderstood Generation" think very little about the future or present issues. This generation has lost sight of long terms goals and the idea that hard work pays off in the end. Instead, the people in this generation concern themselves only with what will bring immediate satisfaction and gratification. This part of society cares only about money and themselves, never thinking about the consequences of their actions. The "Misunderstood Generation" feels overwhelmed with the idea of a country with a multi- trillion dollar deficit, a high rate of poverty, and relatively no jobs. The "Misunderstood Generation" wants less out of life. This generation has evolved from the children that came home from school to an empty house because mom had to go back to work after the divorce. This is the generation that got its morals from watching T.V. after school and was parented by an older brother or sister. This is the generation that has unconventional ways and does not always reason for them. They are uncertain and need answers. They poke and prod to find what is lying ahead. They have loud voices but are seldom heard. This is the generation which has high expectations and are often disappointed. I, as well as all of the others born in my generation, were unleashed into an ever changing world. The advances of today can easily be old news tomorrow. Along with this they, the people who have lived and controlled up until this day, have allowed the respect of the living to dwindle with the consistently increasing ease of everyday life. Transportation from one point to another can be the simplest of tasks. Communication with someone in any far off land can be reached with just the touch of a button. And access to almost all the information the world has to offer is free for all with the use of the Internet. No other group of people have grown up with these things as being such the standards and necessities of life and living that they are today. We have never had a war in our country. All of

Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine Essay Example

Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine Essay Example Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine Essay Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine Essay Introduction It is important to understand the cause of the current crisis on the matter, factors that lead to diseases and good health, in addition to the steps that need to be taken by an individual so as to maintain good health. Traditional medicine, also known as conventional medicine, relies on scientific principles, contemporary technologies as well as scientifically proved methodologies for purposes of preventing, diagnosing, and treating adverse medical conditions (Treweek Heller, 2006). Health care professionals within conventional medicine believe that diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria. In conventional medicine, health care professionals must undergo extensive training and meet the standards set by the American Medical Association. By contrast, alternative medicine in its medical approach takes in to account the body and mind, experience and knowledge for diagnosis and treatment. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the national Institutes of health did a survey in May of 2004 and found that 36 percent of adults in America use some form of alternative medicine(Arias, 2004). They argue that conventional methods of treatment focus on diagnostic testing as well as treating with medications, but not on the patient as a whole. So as to gain an understanding on the increasing medical shift towards alternative treatment, it is important to understand what alternative medicine and conventional medicine are. Alternative medicine vs. conventional medicine Alternative medicine employs natural treatment modalities in treatment of diseases. Various alternative treatment approaches including massage, water treatment and herbal remedies were used, and still are used today by the Chinese communities to manage a variety of diseases. Modern alternative treatment techniques are developed based on the ancient treatments (Paquette, 2000). Modern alternative treatment techniques include: acupuncture, homeopathy, spiritual devotions, chiropractic, aromatherapy, psychotherapy, osteopathy, naturopathic, nutrition medicine, in addition to a wide range of other natural remedies (Alters and Schiff, 2010). These therapies have proved to be of much benefit in supporting the normal healing course of the body. Even though there are many modern alternative remedies, with different beliefs, all of them operate under some common principles. One of these principles is that the body has the capacity to heal naturally and maintain stability (Paquette, 2000). The other one is that adverse health conditions can occur as a result of factors emanating from mind, emotions and the body. Alternative medicine, according to Goldberg, Trivieri and Anderson, (2002), focuses on determining the chief cause of a particular condition, and dealing with the whole person rather that concentrating on symptoms. If a person pays close attention to his/her health he/she can contribute to his/her wellbeing. Alternative medicine holds firmly to the principle that one treatment cannot be used for all people even though they may be suffering from the same condition. Each and every person as per alternative medicine has distinct bodily, mind and spiritual make up (Goldberg, Trivieri and Anderson, 2002). Health care professionals within conventional medicine believe that diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Medical care professionals in conventional medicine must meet the national set standards concerning education and certification. These professionals constantly update their knowledge through educational programs so as to maintain their professional licenses. Alters and Schiff (2010), asserts that, before any treatment procedure is put into use in conventional medicine, health care professionals in this field must verify that it does not subject human beings to adverse medical side-effects. Numerous studies are conducted using animal and human subjects to determine the effectiveness of a certain treatments. Conventional medicine is recommended when a patient is suffering from a life threatening condition. It focuses on the symptoms which a patient is presenting with. Generally, conventional medicine focuses on dysfunction. Those who prefer conventional medicine to alternative medicine, seek treatment only after they have fallen ill. This is due to the fact that conventional treatment puts very little emphasis on the prevention as compared to treatment (Treweek and Heller, 2006). The major difference between conventional and alternative medicine is that conventional medicine concerns itself with the management of symptoms through scientific modalities and modern technology rather than dealing with the whole person as well as the root cause of an illness. Alternative medicine emphasizes on the prevention of illnesses and aims at treating the whole person in order to strengthen his/her immune system as well as producing a sustainable healing. Conventional medicine uses drugs to treat various illnesses thereby suppressing the body’s natural immunity; alternative medicine employs strategies that assist the body to heal naturally (Goldberg, Trivieri and Anderson, 2002). Conclusion The issue relating to the differences between alternative and conventional medicine can be very highly controversial. Alternative medicine has been employed as treatment in the world for thousands of years. It involves the use of natural treatment techniques in management and prevention of diseases. Alternative treatment techniques including acupuncture, homeopathy, spiritual devotions, chiropractic, aromatherapy, psychotherapy, osteopathy, naturopathic and nutrition medicine among many others are developed based on the ancient treatment techniques. Conventional medicine involves the use of drugs, surgery, and other medical procedures in dealing with various medical conditions. Conventional medicine employs scientific principles, scientifically tested medical procedures as well as modern technologies to diagnose, manage and prevent diseases. Conventional medicine focuses on treatment of various symptoms; alternative medicine concentrates on prevention, determination of the root cause as well as treatment of the whole person. Reference: About 70 percent of older adults use alternative medicine. (2005, April 11). Ascribe Newswire, pp 1-3, 3p. Retrieved July 5, 2010, from Ascribe Newswire database. Alternative Medicine Angel, Alternative Medicine: A Comparison, retrieved on July 2, 2010 from http://altmedangel. com/am. html Alters, S. , Schiff W. , (edn 5), (2010), Essential Concepts for Healthy Living, ISBN 0763789755: Jones Bartlett Learning Arais, D. , (2004, August). Alternative medicines prompts concern. , The Nations Health, 34(6), 6-6. Retrived July 5, 2010, from ephost database. Field, T. , (2009), Traditional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine, retrieved on July 2, 2010 from asktheinternettherapist. com/archive_traditional_medicine. asp Goldberg, B. , Trivieri, L. , and Anderson, J. , (edn 2), (2002), Alternative medicine: the definitive guide, ISBN 1587611414: Celestial Arts Meines, M. , (1998), Should Alternative Treatment be Integrated into Mainstream Medicine? Nursing Forum, Vol 33 Paquette, M. , (2000), Does Your Assessment Include Alternative Therapies? Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, Vol 36 Treweek, G. , and Heller, T. , (2006), Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, ISBN 0415351618: Routledge.

Time to Retire Political Correctness

Time to Retire Political Correctness Time to Retire Political Correctness Time to Retire Political Correctness By Maeve Maddox The expressions â€Å"political correctness† and â€Å"politically correct† have gone through so many meanings that it’s no longer possible to know what a speaker means by them. The word correct was used as a verb by Chaucer in the fourteenth century in reference to correcting his writing. It’s from Latin corrigere, â€Å"to make straight, set right, reform, amend.† In the seventeenth century, Dryden used correct as an adjective with the meaning, â€Å"in accordance with an acknowledged or conventional standard.† The abstract noun correctness is also cited from the seventeenth century, with the meaning, â€Å"the quality or condition of being correct; conformity to an acknowledged rule or standard, to what is considered right, or to fact.† The early use of correctness was in reference to language, both written and spoken. In the 1950s, correctness came to mean â€Å"conformation to a dominant political or ideological orthodoxy.† It usually referred to the necessity in non-democratic countries to accept government policies without complaint or suffer punishment. The unstated qualifier for this use of correctness was ideological or political. By 1992, the use of correctness had expanded to refer to conformity to established beliefs in other matters. It was possible to speak of â€Å"environmental correctness† and â€Å"feminist correctness.† The early 1970s saw the rise of the phrase â€Å"political correctness† to mean, â€Å"conforming to a body of liberal or radical opinion, especially on social matters.† This kind of â€Å"political correctness† tended to focus on language, especially the rejection of words and phrases thought to be offensive or discriminatory. For example, words like blind, deaf, short, and fat were no longer considered acceptable descriptive adjectives for people who are blind, deaf, short or fat. Carried to its extreme, this type of linguistic political correctness became the target of ridicule, but it did have the positive effect of causing people to think about the social implications of language. In 2016, the phrases â€Å"political correctness,† â€Å"politically correct,† and â€Å"politically incorrect† are getting an intense workout. A Google search shows the following results for the three phrases: â€Å"politically correct† About 7,110,000 â€Å"political correctness† About 6,610,000 â€Å"politically incorrect† About 3,440,000 Although not all of these examples stem from campaign rhetoric or media coverage, a great many- perhaps most- do. For example: Trump has been running against â€Å"political correctness.† Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have blown up political correctness in New Hampshire Presidential candidate Ted Cruz has called gluten-free military meals a sign of  political  correctness. Whatever value the phrases may have had as meaningful expressions of thought has by now been lost. For example, depending on the topic, â€Å"political correctness† may refer to anything from word-choice to the rule of law. In a society that values freedom of speech, the term â€Å"political correctness† should be unnecessary. In a democracy, no opinion- no matter how hare-brained- is forbidden. Self-styled language police may urge people not to use words they don’t like, but no one is going to be thrown into prison for calling a woman a girl. In a society that purports to value education, shameless public displays of vulgarity and incivility are inappropriate- especially in the behavior of (presumably) educated public figures. The popular sentence-opener, â€Å"It may not be politically correct, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  often signals no more than the imminent expression of a vulgarity or an insult. â€Å"Political correctness,† â€Å"politically correct,† and â€Å"politically incorrect† belong on the linguistic trash heap with all the other mostly meaningless, hot-button words and expressions used to manipulate people. Related posts Brainstorms Turning to Showers Euphemism and Euphuism Mankind, Humankind, and Gender Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know30 Baseball IdiomsEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

Rose Water Recipe

Rose Water Recipe Rose water is one of several products your can buy or make that retains the fragrance of rose petals. It is used in perfumes and cosmetics, plus it has slightly astringent properties, so it makes an excellent facial toner. Because the commercial process used to make rose water is labor intensive and requires a lot of roses, its an expensive product to buy. However, if you have roses, you can make your own rose water quite easily. Its an easy example of distillation, an important chemical separation and purification process. Rose Water Materials rose petalswatersmall pancotton balls Experiment with different types of roses, since each rose has its own characteristic scent. Damask rose has the classic rose scent, but some roses smell like citrus fruit, spices, or licorice.The resulting rose water wont smell exactly the same as the original flowers because distillation only captures some of the volatile compounds present in the petals. There are other methods used to capture other essences, such as solvent extraction and more complex distillations. Directions Place the rose petals in a small pan.Add enough water to just barely cover the petals.Gently boil the water.Collect the steam that boils off using a cotton ball. You may wish to place the cotton ball on a fork or hold it with tongs, to avoid getting burned. Once the cotton ball is wet, remove it from the steam and squeeze it out over a small jar. This is the rose water.You can repeat the process to collect more steam.Store your rose water in a sealed container, away from direct sunlight or heat. You can refrigerate it to keep it fresh longer. Large Scale Rose Water Recipe Are you ready for a more advanced version of the project? If you have a few quarts of rose petals, you can collect much more rose water using a slightly more complex home steam distillation apparatus: 2-3 quarts rose petalswaterice cubespot with rounded lidbrickbowl that fits inside pot Place the brick in the center of the pot. There is nothing magical about the brick. Its purpose is simply to hold the collection bowl above the surface of the roses.Put the rose petals in the pot (around the brick) and add enough water to barely cover the petals.Set the bowl on top of the brick. The bowl will collect the rose water.Invert the lid of the pot (turn it upside down), so the rounded part of the lid dips into the pot.Heat the roses and water to a gentle boil. Place ice cubes on the top of the lid. The ice will cool the steam, condensing the rose water inside the pot and making it run down the lid and drip into the bowl.Continue gently boiling the roses and adding ice as needed until you have collected the rose water. Dont boil off all the water. Youll collect the most concentrated rose water in the first few minutes. After that, it will become more and more dilute. Turn off the heat when you notice the condensation isnt as rose-scented as you would like. You can collect be tween a pint and quart of rose water in 20-40 minutes using 2-3 quarts of rose petals. Other Floral Scents This process works with other floral essences, too. Other flower petals that work well include: honeysucklelilacvioletshyacinthirislavender You can experiment with mixing the scents to make custom fragrances. While rose water, violet water, and lavender water are edible and safe for use in cosmetics, some other types of flowers are only good as fragrances and shouldnt be applied directly to the skin or ingested. Safety Notes This is a fun project for kids, but adult supervision is required because boiling water and steam are involved. Kids can collect flowers and squeeze liquid from cooled cotton balls.If you are using the rose water (or violet or lavender water) for cooking or cosmetics, be sure to use flowers that are free of pesticides. Many gardeners spray flowers with chemicals or feed them with systemic pesticides. For a simple fragrance project, its fine to simply rinse off the flower petals to remove any residue, but avoid using chemically treated flowers for food projects or cosmetics. Learn More Design Your Own PerfumeSolid Perfume RecipeSafety Tips for Making Perfume

Byzantine Constantinople Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Byzantine Constantinople - Essay Example However, the structures are also indicative of the insecurities felt by the royal family members despite their feelings of need to show status (Mango 39) C. The Basilica cistern considerably reveals political power resting on religiously affiliated personalities, but, that the authority does not render the ruling party immune to the vulnerabilities of the century, in as much as subjugation was the trend. The cistern itself apparently allows unobserved entrance and exit of ruling parties to and from their palace which were eventually turned into huge family mausoleums (Alpaslan 192). D. The architecture is a mixture of a typical Roman design for the famous colonnades and extensive spaces that indicates reputation, and those of the Greeks which are the rolling tendrils of vines with leaves another symbol of power and status. In addition, Christian cross carved on columns can not be mistaken for the influence of religion on the design. A. The Byzantinian church, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkey is lavishly decorated with mosaic of murals of cherubs and holy people who have long gone but was considered as sacred. The edifice was believed to be constructed in AD 532. This was designed by architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidrous of Miletus. During the Ottoman Empire, the church was converted into an Islamic Mosque. The decorations were all carefully plastered. This was to hide the images as they were a taboo to Islam. But, the plasters were torn off in 1935 to reveal the original images which were grandiose (Jack 75). B. Hagia Sophia was named as Christian Church of Divine Wisdom apparently because of the internal ornaments depicting colorful images of angels and saints constructed under the Roman Emperor who ruled Turkey. But, it was actually a tomb apparently designed for the Emperor and his family's mausoleum. C. The lavishness of Hagia Sophia is a reflection of Roman power in Constantinople. Additionally, authority is coupled to Christian religious affinity. D. The general architecture depicts the complexity of the ideas of the architects in both the interior and exterior part of Hagia Sophia. The posh internal decoration which is a mixture of colors and images represents an abode only meant for royalties. The focal part of the edifice are the vaults right under the biggest dome held by arching pillars and decorated by images of seraphs, saints and flowers in a rainbow of colors. Much similar to what most people usually call as paradise on land. E. Hagia Sophia is a total reflection of a creative mind or minds of people living in the past. It is also an edifice reflective of human desire to dwell in a sanctuary where only beauty exists even after death. 3. The Topkapi palace, Istanbul Turkey A. The Topkapi palace was the imperial palace of the Ottomans in 1465 while the sultans ruled Turkey. As the structure was intended for residence, its size and decorations emits an aura of power. Construction of the huge edifice took place in the 15th century. According to literatures, the palace is actually constructed with varied materials influenced by old structures in Turkey which is mostly of stones. Decorative designs

The Educational Needs of Caregivers of Stroke Survivors Assignment

The Educational Needs of Caregivers of Stroke Survivors - Assignment Example In addition, the responsibility of health care professionals of informing patients and their family members meant the giving out of the right information to the right people at the right time. In essence, it is only through education that people can partake in the entire health care process, formulate clued-up decisions and eventually take on behavior and lifestyle changes. In short, patient-family education leads to improved health outcomes (American Academy of Family Practitioners 2000; Close 1988). Therefore, to cope with health problems and deal with health-related decision-making courses of action, people have to have knowledge coupled with pertinent objectives and therapeutic targets specific to Medication, Activity, Nutrition, Treatments, Risk factors and Aftercare or MANTRA (Pestonjee 2000). Family Education-Definition/Description Family education is a continuing and enduring progression of different processes and practices in instructing family members about the poor health or regarding the grave illness of a relative so as to enhance their abilities to handle the situation and their facility in assisting the affected family member (Fuller 2001). In the UK, the United States and likewise in other countries, countless individuals with unbearable physical illness, debilitating mental problems and extremely destructive behaviors reside with their relatives and immediate families and rely on them for monetary aid, housing, encouragement, and sincere collaboration. Because of this reality, it is imperative for families to obtain knowledge and skills so that they can assist their ill or emotionally distressed relative and evade deterioration, gain from the treatment and attain recovery.

What happens to the design object when it becomes a museum object Essay

What happens to the design object when it becomes a museum object - Essay Example The answer to these questions lies in the development of cognizant regarding the museum and how it impacts the value of the object Concept of Museum The Museum, as described above, is a place which is not only an artistically design building of different historical objects, but it may also have profound impacts on the people, who have interest in the history hidden behind the object2. The Museums are normally established with having social authority. The social authority refers to the perception that museum creates regarding the meaning and importance of the object. In depth and highly reliable research is required to place the object in the museum along with its exact history. The social authority also refers the social responsibility of the authority, who manages the museum objects along with its deep traces, so that the trust of the people must be maintained regarding the reliability of the history behind the object. The museum controls the ways of seeing3. 1 Controlling the ways may mean that the perception of the people regarding the object can be created or developed by the museum authorities through the way of presentation of the object along with the context of the history described with the object. The museum, as described above, creates its importance and validity. Museums are believed to be the places, where not only historical objects are gathered but their importance also increases. In other words, museum does not only gather the valuable objects but the value and the meaning of the object increase by gathering the objects under one roof. The museum’s artistic framework and design make it able to generate and spread the cultural knowledge that can change the value of the object. Moreover, the museum preserves the cultural heritage so the people from the new world can trace its history more interestingly and realistically4.. The value of the design object: Discoveries of different objects may always lead to the creation of new story of the pa st. Past has always left some signs to be remembered. The objects such as paintings, metals, clothes, skeletons, books, papers etc may be the representative of the past. The reason is that the people from the past are no more. Therefore, only their related stuff can help the researchers, as well as, those who take interest in the histories of the people who are no more. The importance of its history may be mixed with the histories of other objects. Therefore, the common eyes may not be able to catch its importance4. The increase or decrease in value of the objects by displaying the objects in the museum depends upon following different factors 2 1. Size of The Object The Size of the object matters a lot in terms of its importance in front of the common eyes. The reason is that the big pictures, objects can be easily captured by the eyes but the small objects along with thousands of different objects may be neglected because the eyes may not be able to catch the objects view. Therefo re, small objects if combined with other object in the museum may have low value in front of common eyes. On the contrary, the people who have high interest in the history of the particular times they may give high value to even the small objects as well. It can be explained with the help of the common example of museum of Australia 5. The histories behind the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ancestral provide different tales of the past6.3 2. Display Pattern Of the Object: The Museum’

GEOL - Meteorology and Space Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GEOL - Meteorology and Space Science - Essay Example Scientists almost proved that more greenhouse gases appeared in the atmosphere after the industrial revolution and with the development of the technology. Heating effect is dangerous for human life, moreover global warming causes many other problems such as rising sea level, undesirable change of climate etc. The given paper will discuss the potential causes and consequences of global warming and try to find possible solutions. Actually, some scientists do not believe in global warming. Some people consider it to be a myth. In order to define if it is really a myth or a real phenomenon, it is important to implement scientific research. Moreover, according to some researchers, the global warming is a phenomenon that was not caused by industrial revolution as it was met before: â€Å"Global warming is not a 20th century phenomenon. It has, in fact, occurred in the past more than once, along with periods of extreme cold known as the ice ages. With so much written and reported about global warming, sometimes its difficult to detect which is fact and which is just part of scientific scare tactics† (Fiset). There are indicators, which are used by scientists to control the climate shift, the main of them are temperature and sea levels. Researches made certain conclusions about the changes in temperature during the last 1,000 years. The 20th century is characterized by frustration of temperature. Between the1960-1970s the earth underwent the period of cooling, but still in general the average temperature increased. The temperature is increasing by 0.1-0.2 oC every ten years. â€Å"Keeping planetary warming below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) would, it was thought, avoid such perils as catastrophic sea-level rise and searing droughts. Staying below two degrees C would require limiting the level of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 450 parts per million (ppm), up from todays 395 ppm and the

Hotel and Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Hotel and Information Systems Essay It has been accepted for inclusion in Communications of the Association for Information Systems by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more information, please contact [emailprotected] org. 102 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS: A CASE STUDY Gabriele Piccoli School of Hotel Administration Cornell University [emailprotected] edu ABSTRACT This case describes the history, strategy, and current information systems infrastructure of a midsize, privately owned hospitality firm. The case is designed to provide the substantial background information needed to engage successfully in setting direction for IS resources and their use at Outrigger Hotels and Resorts headquartered in Hawaii. It enables students to analyze the firm’s strategy thoroughly and to assess its current use of information systems resources. With this assessment as a starting point, students can develop an appropriate IS vision, IS architecture, and a strategic IS plan for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. The case was originally designed to use the process of setting direction for IS resources as described by Martin and colleagues [2005], but is flexible enough to adapt to the structure of other approaches to planning for information systems use. Keywords: IS planning, IS assessment, IS visioning, infrastructure, hospitality. Editor’s Note: A teaching note is available from the author to faculty so requiring it that are listed in the MISRC-ISWorld Faculty Directory. I am involved with every decision that senior management takes. They look to me for an IS slant to it – whether an IT solution can capitalize on opportunities or eliminate threats. They also expect my team to independently develop an IS strategy that will further the business. Joe Durocher, Senior Vice President CIO Every manager must have an IT strategy. You can’t delegate to technologists and only worry about your allocated cost or what training your employees need. You must understand how to be master of your own destiny and make IT work best for you. Too many managers still don’t get that. Rob Solomon, Senior Vice President Sales Marketing Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 103 I. INTRODUCTION Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, a mid-size lodging firm focused on leisure travel to the Hawaiian Islands and the South Pacific, uses Information Technology (IT) in numerous aspects of its operations and therefore must carefully engage in the information systems planning process. After analyzing Outrigger’s strategy and assessing the firm’s current use of information systems resources, we can develop an appropriate IS vision, IS architecture, and a strategic IS plan for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. On Black Friday, September 13, 1929, Roy C. Kelley arrived in Hawaii with his wife Estelle. An architect by training, Mr. Kelley joined the firm of C. W. Dickey and was responsible for designing many of Honolulus landmark buildings, including the main building of the old Halekulani Hotel and the Waikiki Theater on Kalakaua Avenue. Nine years later Kelley set out on his own, building numerous homes, apartment buildings, and hotels on the island of Oahu. In 1963, Kelley took over the land occupied by the old Outrigger Canoe Club. Outrigger Hotels then became a reality with the mission of bringing the dream of a vacation in Paradise within the reach of the middle-class traveler. Included in the agreement were leases on three Waikiki lots that later became the Outrigger East, Outrigger West, and Coral Reef hotels. The Outrigger Waikiki Hotel was built on the site of the old canoe club, arguably the prime spot on Waikiki beach, in 1967. Throughout the next two decades, Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, as the company was named, continued its expansion in Waikiki. When in the 1970’s the zoning authority put a cap on new construction in Waikiki, Outrigger began to expand through acquisition rather than construction, ultimately becoming the largest chain in the State of Hawaii, with over 7,000 rooms and a total of 15 properties concentrated in Waikiki. Thanks to its clustered configuration, with all of its hotels located within one square mile, Outrigger was able to maintain a centralized management structure fitting Mr. Kelley’s ‘management by walking around’ style. In 1989, Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, now under the leadership of Roy Kelley’s son Dr. Richard Kelley, took over management of The Royal Waikoloan Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii. When hurricane Iniki, heading for Waikiki in 1992, barely missed Honolulu and ravaged the island of Kauai, it provided further impetus for Outrigger’s geographical diversification strategy to and beyond neighboring islands. The firm, expanding into management agreements with third party owners, added properties on Maui and Kauai and ultimately grew to a total of 26 locations in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1996 the firm made its first international foray, opening the Outrigger Marshall Island Resort on Majuro Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Through partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, and new developments the firm continued to grow internationally, adding properties in Guam, Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, and New Zealand. While growing geographically, in 1990 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii began to diversify its product portfolio by adding condominium resorts. Because of ts geographical and product diversification, in 1995 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii changed its name to Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, and in 1999 re-branded fifteen of its hotels in Waikiki to launch a new hotel brand called OHANA Hotels of Hawaii. We had an identity crisis because the market moved up, we upgraded the onbeach properties where we had higher demand and bought some nice properties in neighboring islands. But we had huge variation in the portfolio—if you stayed at a budget property vs. a beach front property, you’d be very confused as to what an Outrigger was. President and CEO, David Carey Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 104 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Figure 1: Outrigger Properties in Waikiki Figure 2: Outrigger Properties in the Hawaiian Islands Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 105 Figure 3. Properties Managed by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts (International) The on-beach properties became upscale full-service hotels under the Outrigger brand. The condos, also typically on-beach upscale locations, maintained the Outrigger brand. Conversely, the OHANA brand was positioned to cater to the budget traveler looking for value on off-beach properties. Condominiums represented an increasingly important share of the total portfolio of properties, even though the firm stumbled upon the opportunity that condominiums offered. Condominiums appealed to independent travelers who would do much research and planning on their own. Condominiums were also complex, non-standard products that travel agents and wholesalers found hard to sell. Because condos were rarely built as business ventures, but rather were designed as primary or vacation homes for the tenants, they offered little office or staging space for management companies to operate in. They also lacked many of the typical hotel services and departments such as food and beverage, room service, laundry, and daily maid service. These difficulties notwithstanding, Outrigger found the condo business appealing because it provided a means for expansion through management contracts without the need to acquire expensive properties. By 2005, Outrigger was a sizable firm, with about 3,600 employees (of whom about 230 were at corporate headquarters), a portfolio of properties exceeding US $1. 4 billion, and approximate revenues of US $45 million [Hotel On-Line, 2003]. But at the heart of its strategic positioning a commitment remained to providing a ‘sense of place,’ an experience attuned to the culture and the characteristics of the destination, and to avoiding a cookie cutter approach. Our business is really about being a â€Å"window† to an experience, not the experience itself. We are the enabler through which people can engage in the leisure experience they desire. We don’t try to export Hawaii when we go elsewhere, but we do honor the same values in the places we operate hotels and resorts. David Carey Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 106 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Outrigger’s senior management believed that its key competencies resided in providing hospitality to guests visiting their properties and marketing those properties successfully through leisure distribution channels. To complement these basic competencies, Outrigger’s management developed what it believed to be a superior capability to manage in a multicultural environment, including multicultural and multilingual employees and guests. Aided by a turnover rate in the single digits and an average of 25 years of employee tenure with the company, Outrigger managed to be a mostly non-union shop in the heavily unionized Hawaii labor market. We operate properties that have good locations, we have a strong travel distribution network, and our employees really provide hospitality from the heart. That creates a differentiated product making price less important. David Carey Outrigger was wedded to the success of its destination markets and to the well-being of airlines serving its destinations. If Hawaii does well, so do we. I spend a lot of time working with local tourism authorities to improve the appeal of the destinations we operate in. But airlines can be a bottleneck. We may not have available lift at times when we need it. If the airlines are full or they have decided in their yield model that they are going to only sell their top fares, there is nothing we can do. From purely the hotels’ perspective, the best thing for us is an airline price war to Hawaii. David Carey III. THE HOTELS AND RESORTS INDUSTRY As the 21st century dawned, the global lodging industry was estimated to exceed $295 billion in sales (about 11% of the world’s economic output) and employed more than 250 million workers [Encyclopedia of Global Industries, 2003]. The leisure travel segment accounted for about 45% of total volume [Horwath International, 2002]. THE HAWAIIAN HOTEL MARKET In the Hawaiian market, which was Outrigger’s traditional stronghold, 2004 data showed performance levels above the average of the global industry. Being quite isolated from any large population pool, Hawaii was a classic destination market with an exclusive fly-in customer base. The major feeders were U. S. westbound traffic and Japanese eastbound traffic. These markets were thought to yield very high return rates1—estimated by some to be around 50% westbound and over 65% eastbound. This trend made for a very location-savvy customer base. Peculiar to this market was also the trend of multi-island stays, with guests visiting more than one destination during the same trip. Table 1. Performance of Hawaii Hotel Market Occupancy Avg. Number of rooms Average Daily Rate2 Revenue* * Amounts per available room 72. 1% 706 $198. 41 $78,488 In the hotel business, return rate is used to refer to the percentage of visitors who come back again for more than one visit to the same location. 2 Average Daily Rate (ADR), is the average of all rates charged on a given date for all rooms sold that day. A yearly ADR can be computed by averaging ADRs for all days of the year. 1 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 107 PRICING Because the Hawaii and Pacific Rim markets were exclusive destination markets, the use of packages – including air and accommodations – was pervasive. Historically, packages were assembled and sold by wholesalers and tour operators who purchased both air and hotel rooms in bulk and re-marketed them to the traveling public. With the widespread adoption of the Internet, a new type of package was emerging under the leadership of large online travel agencies: dynamic packages. A dynamic package was one that enabled the guest to choose air, hotel, car rental, and even activities, ticket them independently, and then price them out as a bundle. Dynamic packages were appealing to suppliers because the price of each item was not disclosed, making price comparison difficult and alleviating commoditization fears. They were appealing to prospective travelers because they increased choice and fostered flexibility. Finally, they appealed to online travel agents because they built upon their value proposition—customer choice—and could potentially improve their margins. COMPETITORS As a mature destination, Hawaii had been entered by many of the larger branded hospitality and resort companies. The largest hospitality firms, such as Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and Starwood, developed a significant presence with eight, five, and eleven properties respectively. But the largest operators in Hawaii were geographically- and leisure-focused players such as Outrigger, ASTON Hotels ; Resorts Hawaii (with twenty-eight properties), and Marc Resorts Hawaii (with eleven properties). IV. OUTRIGGER CUSTOMERS AND THE COMPETITION THE OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS CUSTOMERS Outrigger’s original mission was to bring the opportunity for a vacation in Paradise within the reach of middle-class families. As the firm began to diversify its portfolio, the profile of its customers and the competition also changed. The typical guest staying with the premium brand – Outrigger – was often a multigenerational customer with a sense of loyalty to the brand (about 25% of guests were returning to Outrigger) and an annual income exceeding $75,000. Outrigger guests were almost exclusively leisure travelers. This customer base created seasonality, with winter and summer being the high seasons when properties like the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach reached an ADR of $260 and an overall occupancy around 90%. Our customers are independent-minded and look for an experience that is more regional and attuned to the destination, but still within their comfort zone. They may stay with big brands in their road warrior capacity, but that’s not what they are looking for in a tropical destination. Rob Solomon Table 2. Outriggers Portfolio and Sample Competitors Location Properties Rooms Lowest Rate * Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 2 1,383 $160 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 4 4,132 $150 Marriott International Waikiki 1 1,297 $209 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Waikiki 1 1,230 $210 Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Guam Fiji 2 895 $203 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Guam Fiji 3 995 $145 Hilton Hotels and Resorts Guam 1 587 $110 *Rates for comparable rooms as they appear on the company website, December 2004, for January 2005 stays Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 108 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Competing for these customers, Outrigger went head-to-head with major brands that enjoyed name recognition amongst the traveling public, a flow of customers redeeming points, available capital, and availability of programs for employees such as discounted travel beyond Hawaii and the Pacific region. In response, Outrigger leveraged its assets: some of the premier locations in the markets in which it competed, strong name recognition, long-term relationships with the travel distribution network, a strategic focus on vacation destinations, a deep local knowledge and community ties, and good employee relations. THE OHANA HOTELS CUSTOMERS The typical OHANA guest was a value-minded and Hawaii-savvy leisure traveler with income below $100k a year. Typically, OHANA guests had visited Hawaii multiple times, stayed longer than average, and visited more often. Business travel was mainly military personnel and employees of corporations who operated on multiple islands. Groups accounted for less that 10% of OHANA’s overall traffic. We have about 50% return guests. Your first trip you want a beach front hotel, the atmosphere, the ambiance—you want the full Hawaii experience. When you come more often, you still want the experience, but you look for more value and instead of spending $250-$300 a night for a beachfront you can stay longer offbeach for $70-$80 a night. Chuck Shishido, OHANA Hotels VP of Operations With seasonality similar to that of the full service Outrigger Hotels, OHANA Hotels typically achieved an ADR around $66 and approximate occupancy levels of 75% over the year. A number of small regional chains (such as Marc Resorts and Castle Resorts) and many off-beach independent hotels existed in the Waikiki market. Pricing for off-beach properties was much harder to manage because of the commodity nature of the hotels not enjoying a premium location. OHANA was the largest operator in Waikiki and the largest Hawaii-owned operator. Table 3. OHANA’s Portfolio and Sample Competitors Location Properties Rooms Lowest Rate * OHANA Waikiki 13 4564 $76 Marc Resorts Waikiki 4 314 $74 Castle Resorts Waikiki 6 N/A $75 * Rates for comparable rooms as they appear on the company website, December 2004, for January stays CONDOMINIUMS CUSTOMERS Two types of customers typically stayed at the condominiums. On the low end of the $90,000 to $160,000 income bracket were families visiting during school breaks, looking to control expenses, and control their vacation experience. They valued the full kitchen – a standard in every unit – and the two bedrooms and two baths. This assessment was substantiated by the fact that condos had four times as many reservations coming direct from the Internet and tended to recover faster after a soft economy. On the upper end were ‘newlyweds’ and ‘nearly dead’ couples who liked the privacy and space afforded by a condo. Because of the need to convince individual owners to join the pool of Outrigger managed units, the firm competed with small local management companies and individual owners’ beliefs that they could do a better job alone. This idiosyncrasy of condominium operations amounted to dealing with two customers—the unit owners and the guests. The guests were unaware of the workings of condo operations and looked for the same level of service they would receive at a resort. On average, a condominium with mostly two bedroom units would achieve an ADR around $175, while properties with mostly studio and one bedroom units would go for around $140. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 109 MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION Outrigger operated a Central Reservation Office (CRO) in Denver, Colorado with anywhere from 40 to 70 reservationists (FTEs), mainly depending on the volume of business. A corporate marketing staff of 12 people, allocated about 6% of revenue, was responsible for managing the brand and for going to market. An additional 2% of revenue was used to fund reservation and other distribution costs. Reservations were centralized for all properties in Hawaii; beyond Hawaii reservations were only taken at each property. Outrigger’s executives believed that distribution was a cornerstone of the company’s success, with about 50% of the business coming from wholesalers. Consumer direct (via voice or the Web), travel agents, government and military, and corporate clients made up the rest. For international properties, the source of business percentage from wholesalers was close to 80% and almost all reservations were faxed to the property. V. OUTRIGGER’S ORGANIZATION Outrigger Hotels and Resorts was a management company wholly owned by a holding corporation called Outrigger Enterprises. Reflecting its real estate development roots, Outrigger Enterprises also owned a real estate ownership company called Outrigger Properties. Figure 4 shows the Outrigger organization. Figure 4. Organization Chart Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 110 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Outrigger Properties wrote and managed real estate contracts with third party owners and supervised the owned assets (accounting for about a third of all properties in the Outrigger portfolio), as well as the development, acquisition, and sale of properties. Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, the operating arm of Outrigger Enterprises, was responsible for the writing of new management contracts, and for overseeing property renovations and operations of the managed hotels, resorts, and condos. Outrigger Properties generally negotiated a base rent and a 3 percentage of revenue with tenants; revenues from leased space were assigned to the hosting property’s own PL. Room revenue made up the bulk of each property’s revenue. Income from leased space ranged from as low as 5% in hotels with little retail space to as high as 20% in some of the most appealing locations. Other more marginal revenue was derived from parking, in-room entertainment, telecommunications, and kids’ clubs operations. Outrigger Hotels and Resorts historically maintained a highly centralized organizational structure. As the firm grew in size and geographical distribution a more distributed structure emerged, but, reflecting its roots, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts remained consolidated where possible. We have centralized services – accounting, IT, finance, engineering, purchasing, special projects – that support all the properties on Oahu, as well as indirectly the neighboring islands. There is also one executive housekeeper in charge of all properties. We run the OHANA Hotels like a 4,200 room distributed hotel. It is very efficient. Chuck Shishido As the firm expanded internationally it became more decentralized, with resorts in the Pacific Rim working much more like independent operations and organized like traditional resorts. Recognizing the significant advantages offered by its centralized structure, Outrigger was looking at the possibility of integrating its international resorts better. However, distance presented new challenges: We need a reservation solution for Australia, a real-time coordination with a central reservation service. They are operated as individual hotels; the central 800 number today is just switched to the correct hotel. A centralized system would offer tremendous value because we get drive-in business and substantial potential cross-property traffic. Executive VP and COO Perry Sorenseon, VI. OUTRIGGER IT INFRASTRUCTURE Joe Durocher, the CIO of Outrigger Enterprises, was hired by David Carey in 1986. Mr. Roy Kelly was a hands-on manager. He once told me he hated two things: computers and vice presidents. As the VP of IT, I had two strikes against me. Yet, in 1986 I was brought in to overhaul Outrigger’s IT infrastructure and we built Stellex—our integrated CRS/PMS. At the time all our properties were in Waikiki, within one square mile of each other. Joe Durocher In this type of agreement the landlord receives a fixed payment plus a percentage of the total sales made by the tenant business (e. g. , restaurant, shop). 4 The CRS, Central Reservation System, is the computer system used by a hotel chain to support call center operations and, generally, its web site. The CRS holds chain-wide inventory and allows reservationists to sell room inventory at all the hotels affiliated with the chain. The PMS, Property Management System, is the â€Å"brain† of hotel operations. It is the computer system that is used to manage the inventory of hotel rooms at an individual property. 3 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 111 Figure 5. Timeline of Major Infrastructure Developments at Outrigger OUTRIGGER’S SOFTWARE Stellex, to which Durocher refers, was introduced in 1987 as a COBOL application that guaranteed complete redundancy and 24 x 365 uptime. These two properties are particularly important in the hotel business, which depends on being able to make reservations at any time during the day and wants to make sure that its computer system is always operational. For the technically minded, the application ran on a Tandem NonStop platform and a proprietary Enscribe database management system. 5 In 1992, Outrigger introduced its first major update to Stellex, Stellex 2. 0, which ran on a Sun Microsystems UNIX platform and provided revenue management functionality and reservation center support. Because of its unique need for substantial wholesale interaction, Outrigger engaged Opus, a software company specializing on revenue management systems,6 to build their revenue management module for Stellex 2. 0. Outrigger retained control of Opus’ source code7 and over the years made substantial enhancements, mainly to manage wholesale relationships. Outrigger implemented JD Edwards ERP as the cornerstone of its back-office operations in 1990, years before the ERP craze swept the business world. JD Edwards ran on an IBM AS 400—widely considered to be a mature and stable platform. The firm felt that its centralized IT infrastructure was a source of competitive advantage. Durocher discussed the trade-offs associated with centralized IT: Decentralizing IT would decrease our capabilities while increasing overall costs. But centralized IT creates friction at times. When a hotel is sold for example, the IT allocation may increase for other properties. 8 Joe Durocher Stellex provided the anchor to which all other operational systems connected, including telephone switches, call accounting, and in-room entertainment. All of the properties in the Hawaiian Islands had access to Outrigger’s centralized IT systems, served from the Honolulu-based data center, through the firm’s proprietary Wide Area Network. Stellex, for example, was accessed using an ASP model by all the properties in the Hawaiian Islands, the firm’s Denver-based Central Reservation Office, and the Portland, Oregon-based Web servers, thereby greatly simplifying the achievement of single image inventory, disaster recovery, and overall IT management. This configuration enabled the properties to operate with PCs (as few as 12 in a 5 Tandem Computer Systems was bought up by Compaq in 1997. Compaq, in turn was purchased by HP. Enscribe is still in business in December 2004. 6 Opus was subsequently bought by Micros-Fidelio, the dominant hospitality-focused software company. 7 ‘Source code’ refers to the original, human readable computer program. By owning it, Outrigger could change it as they saw fit. Note that Microsoft, for example, guards its source code jealously so that others can’t change Microsoft’s programs. 8 In many companies, such as Outrigger, IT costs are allocated to users, such as hotels, on an annual basis. IT cost is relatively fixed and not affected much by the number of units it supports. If a property is sold, the fixed cost allocated to all other properties must therefore go up. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 112 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 Figure 6. Outriggers IT Infrastructure typical 500-room property) and networking equipment. The Point of Sales (POS) systems9 were not centralized, since Outrigger leased retail and restaurant space. This state of affairs generated some friction at times: The POS is the computer software used to support retail and restaurant operations. It enables operators to keep track of sales and accurately bill customers. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 113 We offer to interface their POSs to Stellex and pay for interfaces to automate room charges. But many of those POS ar e old and can’t interface, they must be upgraded first. Restaurants have to write a manual charge voucher and walk it to the front desk for input. It’s not a popular or efficient way to do it. VP of Property Technology, Allen White Due to the need for local support, the high telecommunication costs to and from Hawaii, and the unacceptable reliability of international networks, Outrigger did not extend this centralized model to its operations in Australia and the Pacific. The properties in Australia and New Zealand, all condominiums, used a highly specialized PMS particularly well suited for their condominium properties and their unique tax code requirements. None of the properties in Hawaii has a server on property. In the outer regions we have standalone PMS’s and on-property reservations. We don’t even try to keep Stellex in sync, they just open and close. If a date is getting full, they issue a stop-sell. Reservations that are taken centrally are automatically emailed. Joe Durocher APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT Beyond maintaining and upgrading Stellex, Outrigger’s IT professionals engaged in minimal application development—mainly writing customized reports, and configuring and interfacing offthe-shelf applications. The use of outsourcing was limited to the Web site, developed and hosted by a third party in Portland, Oregon. Yet, in order to maintain the integration of direct channels, Stellex served as the booking engine behind Outrigger’s Web site. A key initiative for Outrigger was the development of electronic interfaces with wholesalers. These interfaces were customdeveloped by the firm’s IT group using XML. 10 With many wholesalers we have real-time electronic interfaces—they can check availability and we get their reservations instantaneously. Without the interface, if they create a reservation six or three months out, we don’t see it until reporting time, ten days out, when we receive a fax and manually input it. It is virtually impossible to revenue manage like that. Many big brands have great revenue management systems, but don’t have real-time wholesaler data. Moreover, we can write wholesale contracts brand-wide. Joe Durocher Outrigger felt that its electronic interfaces afforded it a competitive advantage and preferential treatment from interface-enabled wholesalers, a relationship that proved particularly important during slow periods or a soft economy. Electronic interfaces generated substantial efficiencies, including automatic billing and invoicing without human handling, lowering estimated costs for these functions to $0. 75 from an estimated $10 for manually handled ones. But not all wholesalers were able or interested in automating reservation processing. This lack of interest was particularly true for small operations or those for whom Hawaii and the Pacific represented a small percentage of business. The industry is a mess from a connectivity standpoint. We are fortunate that we have the in-house expertise and the recognition from senior management of how important this is. Even the big companies often don’t understand the conditions for success. The dirty little secret of the travel industry is that the fax machine still rules. Rob Solomon 10 XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. It is a language used to create a protocol enabling computer applications of partnering firms to exchange information easily. Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli 114 Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 102-118 I spend 30-40 hours a week working with wholesalers on interfaces. There are many legacy systems out there; the fax is state of the art. We have made great progress with the more advance wholesalers or those that upgraded recently. Alan White Outrigger found the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) XML standards, specifying common message format and common content, of great help. But being able to pick the right partner, and avoid costly failures, remained the major challenge. While Outrigger felt it had been successful to date, with an estimated 33% of total reservations received electronically through the various channels, it still handled more than half a million faxes a year—about eight hundred a day from its largest wholesaler alone before that wholesaler migrated to the electronic interface. The firm felt that it had been able to capitalize on the use of technology to increase distribution efficiencies in the face of ever rising labor costs. Conversion rates at the Central Reservation Office improved from 20% to 45%-50% with widespread consumer adoption of the Internet. The firm estimated that as much as 60% of callers had already researched the Outrigger website and made a purchase decision but, as Solomon put it, â€Å"had one more question. † In an effort to provide support right on the website, the firm introduced live chat functionalities and offered email confirmation for significant savings in labor and postage costs. DATA MANAGEMENT In 2001, Outrigger acquired business intelligence software, a data mart, and analytical tools from 11 E. piphany running on a Windows 2000 platform. The data mart held detailed data for three years, enabling analysis down to the individual guest folio. Data were consolidated afterwards, enabling only aggregate analyses. While E. piphany was a recent purchase, Outrigger had been disciplined in collecting data for some time. We had 10 years of high quality data from Stellex; we are very rigid about data capture standardization like room category, naming conventions, request codes, [and] what goes where. For example, postal and country codes are mandatory fields. Our employees’ long tenure helps, and peer pressure is a great asset— nobody wants to be the one that ruins the value of these reports for all. Alan White The data collected by Stellex, including source of business, stay information, and consumption, were extracted every night by load programs that scrubbed (i. e. , cleaned) them, and transferred them to the JD Edwards ERP system for accounting and to the E. piphany system for analysis. Feeding historical data and forward looking availability and reservation activity, Outrigger learned to harness the analytical power of E. piphany to do forecasts and generate business intelligence both at the source of business and at guest levels. We want the marketing data. It is stupid to have a treasure trove like that and not use it. We mine it. We send thank you letters to recurring guests, we can give you history on who visited, how they got here, what in-flight magazine we should hit. We sold a resort once and they figured they would have to hire 3 people to achieve manually what our reports gave them automatically. They even set their rates based on E. piphany forecasts. Alan White The IT group served as custodian of the data, but any user with security clearance had access to E. piphany data though a web interface; the data was used for marketing and operational analysis (e. g. , analysis of call patterns to evaluate the appeal of Voice over IP solutions). Incorporating the information into daily operations was more challenging. Definitions of technical terms such as Business Intelligence, Data Mart, Data Mining, and many others used throughout this case study can be found free of charge at http://www. whatis. com. 11 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts: A Case Study by G. Piccoli Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005)102-118 115 Outrigger found it hard to justify a frequent guest program—with an average repurchase cycle for returning guests of three years, a once a year purchase was considered very high in Hawaii resort operations. Speaking about recognition programs, Individual properties have their own customer database and a strong informal recognition system. We haven’t been able to justify the investment technologically to do it brand wide. It would be a natural extension of the recognition we give our return guests, but it must be cost-effective. Perry Sorenson If a guest did not tell us he is returning when making the reservation, our current system does not have a database with guest history. Many times we recognize our frequent return guests only at the door, or during check in at the front desk. We have special programs (e. g. , for honeymooners, wedding anniversaries), but we need to know their history to appropriately acknowledge these returning guests. VP of Operations for Outrigger’s Waikiki Beachfront Hotels Kimberly Agas, a 20 year veteran with the company, IT STAFFING AND ORGANIZATION Outrigger’s IT staff consisted of 26 full time employees. Of these, 4 data entry operators and 3 developers were housed in a separate limited liability company to help Outrigger take advantage of tax incentives offered by the state of Hawaii.

The Beach Essay Example for Free

The Beach Essay The beaches of Panama City is very nice, but overly crowded. The sand inhabited beach, relaxation in the sun, and fun times. Ah, you’ve arrived to one of your favorite places on Earth, the beach, the magnificent place that God created for relaxation and fun. The beautiful ocean right in front of you. The sand in between your toes, and the blissful sounds of the waves splashing against the shore line. You look around to see the yellow beam of sun shining down on you creating a sense of warmth and happiness throughout your body. You look around to see the different types of people, adults, children, teenagers. The adults are thrilled to be away from their overwhelming everyday lives and are finally able to relax. The children are all exceptionally thrilled about their time at the beach, with their beach toys and friends. The teenagers are thrilled to get to chill, and hang out at the beach, and to get away from their scheduled lives of school and sports etc. The sand surrounding the clear aqua ocean is being occupied by many beach towels, umbrellas and chairs. Children are sprinting in the sand and screaming at the top of their lungs as they splash in the water playfully, teens are creating conversation with new friends they’ve just met. You can hear the different types of people squealing at one another in the midst of playing and what not. You look around trying to figure out which fine dining establishment is sending the amazing smells of fresh seafood your way, hoping that maybe tonight you’ll be able to go chow down on your favorite foods. Beach shops prepare for their day of excited travelers bustling in and out of their small seafront shops. Opening their doors, they bring out all of the beach merchandise hoping to sell to the ongoing tourists. As the day comes to a fault there are still activities to be had, crabbing and night walks on the beaches. Some like to watch the sunsets that turns the sea a burnt shade of orange, and the skies a faint color of orange and a mixture of blue which sometimes can result in a pretty cotton candy color. If there are clouds in the sky, it gives a stunning grayish cast that can be quite interesting to look at. The beach is a wonderful place for relaxation, fun in the sun and an overall good time!

The Digitial Millenium Copyright Act Essay -- Copyrights Copyrighting

The Digitial Millenium Copyright Act As current lawsuits unfold and the history of the Internet progresses, the debate over the future of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act thrives. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, signed into law by President Clinton on October 28, 1998, was written in an attempt to strike a balance between the rights of a work’s creator to receive adequate compensation and society’s fundamental right to freedom of information. The bottom line is that the objective of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is to prohibit all Internet users from accessing copyrighted materials on the Internet. The most renowned case where this is currently happening is A&M Records, Inc v. Napster Inc (Downing 2). The reason the DMCA creates such controversy is that many people believe that the Act puts all of the control into the creator’s hands, which, in truth, is not a balance at all. However, one cannot blame this lack of balance entirely on artists because the reality is that most artists do not own the right to their work, but the company with which they signed their contract owns the rights. The question remains as to how to word the DMCA in a way that will not only promote the rise of Internet business, but will protect people’s fundamental rights. The Act, as is, will not suffice, rather changes must be made before society allows their rights to be controlled by the big-money corporations that own most copyrights to influence the government with their money. If society remains ignorant about the provisions of this law, then not only are we allowing the very people who profit from the Internet to restrict who views it, but we are sitting idly by as the government strips us of our rights. "Eliminate it" or "Lea... ...It will also help the service meet the needs of its expanding user base in a manner that is consistent with Napster’s values and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (napster.com). There has to be a way that people can have access to copyrighted information on the Internet. There is an incredible wealth of information to be learned in this world, and it should not be denied as a result of a fear of losing a profit. We cannot develop stringent copyright laws on the Internet until such time that the entire world is ready to accept and follow these laws as well. It is useless to make law in one country when it could easily be broken in the next. Until the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is provide a solution that works for both the people and the creators, and is suitable for worldwide application, then it is useless to write a law just for the sake of having one.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Essay -- being blind, personificat

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, Americans have idealized the journey towards economic success. One thing people do not realize, however, is that journey is not the same for every individual. Media often leads its viewers toward a â€Å"one size fits all† version of success that may help themselves, but will rarely help the viewers. This is seen in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Miller includes multiple instances of symbolism and personification to reveal to the reader the situational irony in Willy’s life, underlining the theme of self-deception in regard to the American Dream. This American Dream, fueled by money, is the main source of anxiety in Willy’s life. The anxiety of income is reflected today in the issue of minimum wage. James Sherk, a writer of the Tribune News Service, plots thoughtful points against raising the minimum wage. However, his use of over-exaggeration and odd comparisons leave his argument less than convincing. Miller’s use of personification and symbolism in the book shows the situational irony that surrounds Willy. This highlights the overall message of blind faith towards the American Dream. The major case of irony in the book is Willy’s blind faith in the American Dream. This belief is that if one is well-liked, they will become successful. The truth is actually completely opposite. The real belief is that if one works hard, with no regard to how well liked they are, they will be successful. This relationship is shown between Willy and his neighbor Charley. While Willy believes likability is the only way to success, Charley works hard and does not care how people think of him. Through his hard work, Charley started his own business, and is now very successful. Willy, however, ends up getti... ...iving Wage Will Force Chains to Replace Humans with Robots." McClatchy - Tribune News Service (19 Sept. 2013): n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. "U.S. Department of Labor - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - Minimum Wage." U.S. Department of Labor. U.S. Department of Labor, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. U.S. Department of Labor. "Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2011." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. U.S. Department of Labor. "Table B-2. Average Weekly Hours and Overtime of All Employees on Private Nonfarm Payrolls by Industry Sector, Seasonally Adjusted." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. Yen, Hope. "More than Seven in 10 U.S. Teens Jobless This Summer." USATODAY. Associated Press, 12 June 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

American International Group

AIG holding company deals with insurance as well as other activities that are related to insurance in America with its operations through several subsidiaries. The primary activities of the company incorporate the general insurance as well as life insurances and the operation services dealing with retirement. The company also undertakes financial services as well as financial management. The operating segments of the company allows for the provision of insurance, the provision of services as well as products to business bodies and the individuals alike in over 130 countries together with their jurisdictions.The company was involved in a sale of about a half of its stakes in the city airport of London. The company also made a sale of the security portfolios that backs the residential mortgage to Maiden Lane (David & John 7). AIG happened to be on of the reputable insurance organizations in America just prior to the sudden collapse of the company around the ninth month of 2008. The act ual cause of the collapse was a heavy weight involving bad debts as a result of the insurance that the company made against securities backed by mortgages.Federal Reserve initially took the initiative of bailing the company with an infusion involving over eighty five billion US dollars. Despite of this initiative, the trend of the losses was on the increase leading to the announcement by the treasury of a fresh rescue package in November of the same year. This package was a result of the escalating cost to the extent of US $ 150 billion (The NY Times par. 1). On the third month of 2009, the federal states government made an agreement for the provision of an extra US $ 30 billion to the company with more soft terms.The extent of the loan was on the upward side and the extent of the loss of the company was in the tune of US $ 61. 7 billion (The NY Times par. 2). This was a mega loss on a quarterly basis that was recorded in history. In its history, the company received an intervention from the American government for four times for the purpose of the aversion of its bankrupsy. The interventions have resulted to the escalation of the government shares in the company to the extent of 80%. The interventions occurred in the form loans amounting to over US $ 60 billion, preferred shares acquisition amounting to US $ 40 billion.An additional US $ 50 billion was invested in the company with the objectives of soaking up of the toxic assets of the company (The NY Times par. 2). This company was faced by outrage of significant magnitude on the realization of the fact that bonuses amounting to over US$ 165 million had been paid in the recent past to the members involved in the unit of trade that was instrumental to the collapse of the company. This was an incident that took place in the 15th day of March. This prompted President Obama to direct the treasury to assess the possibility of the blockage of the payments as well as its recovery (The NY Times par.4). This was foll owed by a hearing composed of a highly emotional congress led by the chief executive Edward Liddy. The executive requested all of the employees whose annual income is above US $ 100 000 who had participated in the payout of the bonus to refund half of it. This had the reflection of the disgust the public as well as the political arena were exposed to due to the action of rewarding the individuals who took part in the collapse of the company and distressing the economy. Majority of them expressed their desire to refund the full amount of what they had been awarded (The NY Times par.6). Although this company has its roots in the United States, its origin is actually Asia. The founder of the company was a veteran of the First World War named Cornelius V. Stars. The focus of the company in 1960 was the increments of the share of the company of the business of life insurance as well as writing unusual coverage. These include examples of kidnapping insurance as well as protection suits by the officers and the directors of companies. The problems of this company have their accommodation in the financial units that are based in London.The group offering financial services ties the security and value of the homes of the vendor. The decline in the value of the homes as well as the value of the mortgages was the contributing factor of the problems of the company. The distress of the company was preceded by the unusual period associated with turmoil (The NY Times par. 12). The early part of 2005 was characterized by questions regarding the company’s financial transaction that brought about the improvement of the earnings of the company.The complex structure of the company as well as its aggressive approach is a reflection of the company’s determination for the creation of an empire of a global standard whose operations were to complement the business (The NY Times par. 12). Works Cited The NY Times. American International Group 26th March 2009 March 19 2009 David, Frost. John, Greenya. American International Group. NY: U. S. News and World Report, 1988.

Functional Requirements

1.Functional Requirements Functional requirements define the fundamental actions that system must perform.The functional requirements for the system are divided into three main categories, Reservation/Booking, Food, and Management. For further details, refer to the use cases. EXAMPLE 1.1. Reservation/Booking 1.1. The system shall record reservations. 1.2. The system shall record the customer's first name. 1.3. The system shall record the customer's last name. 1.4. The system shall record the number of occupants. 1.5. The system shall record the room number. 1.6. The system shall display the default room rate. 1.6.1. The system shall allow the default room rate to be changed. 1.6.2. The system shall require a comment to be entered, describing the reason for changing the default room rate. 1.7. The system shall record the customer's phone number. 1.8. The system shall display whether or not the room is guaranteed. 1.9. The system shall generate a unique confirmation number for each reservation. 1.10. The system shall automatically cancel non-guaranteed reservations if the customer has not provided their credit card number by 6:00 pm on the check-in date. EXAMPLE 22.Food 2.1. The system shall track all meals purchased in the hotel (restaurant and room service). 2.2. The system shall record payment and payment type for meals. 2.3. The system shall bill the current room if payment is not made at time of service.The system shall accept reservations for the restaurant and room service. EXAMPLE 33. Management 3.1. The system shall display the hotel occupancy for a specified period of time (days; including past, present, and future dates). 3.2. The system shall display projected occupancy for a period of time (days). 3.3. The system shall display room revenue for a specified period of time (days). 3.4. The system shall display food revenue for a specified period of time (days). 3.5. The system shall display an exception report, showing where default room and food prices have been overridden. 3.6. The system shall allow for the addition of information, regarding rooms, rates, menu items, prices, and user profiles. 3.7. The system shall allow for the deletion of information, regarding rooms, rates, menu items, prices, and user profiles. 3.8. The system shall allow for the modification of information, regarding rooms, rates, menu items, prices, and user profiles. 3.9. The system shall allow managers to assign user passwords. 2 Nonfunctional Requirements Functional requirements define the needs in terms of performance, logical database requirements, design constraints, standards compliance, reliability, availability, security, maintainability, and portability. EXAMPLE 1Performance Requirements Performance requirements define acceptable response times for system functionality.The load time for user interface screens shall take no longer than two seconds.The log in information shall be verified within five seconds.Queries shall return results within five seconds.Example Logical Database Requirements The logical database requirements include the retention of the following data elements. This list is not a complete list and is designed as a starting point for developmentBooking/Reservation SystemCustomer first nameCustomer last nameCustomer addressCustomer phone numberNumber of occupantsAssigned roomDefault room rateRate descriptionGuaranteed room (yes/no)Credit card numberConfirmation numberAutomatic cancellation dateExpected check-in dateExpected check-in timeActual check-in dateActual check-in timeExpected check-out dateExpected check-out timeActual check-out dateActual check-out timeCustomer feedbackPayment received (yes/no)Payment typeTotal BillFood ServicesMealMeal typeMeal itemMeal orderMeal payment (Bill to room/Credit/Check/Cash)EXAMPLE 3Design Constraints The Hotel Management System shall be a stand-alone system running in a Windows environment. The system shall be developed using Java and an Access or Oracle database3. Illustrate a timeframe needed to complete each task based on the requirements from question 2.(5 Marks)Answer Estimating time framesTo manage your time well, you should know not only what tasks you need to accomplish, but also when those tasks must be completed and how long they'll take. Making accurate estimates about how long a task will take is one of the keys to effective time management. Many management problems are the result of unrealistic estimates of how long it will take to complete specific tasks.If you estimate time frames accurately, you'll be able to schedule work efficiently and meet deadlines:†¢ schedule work efficiently – Accurate estimates about how long tasks will take to complete make scheduling a lot easier. They ensure that you won't have to keep changing your schedule. If you have a task that you accurately estimate will take six hours, for example, you can allot that time in your schedule and be reasonably confident you won't have to change the schedule. But what if you didn't accurately estimate the time for that task and allotted it only three hours? It would throw your schedule off, and you'd need to rework it.†¢ meet deadlines – If you're accurate in estimating the time it will take to complete tasks, you'll be better able to meet your deadlines. If you're estimates aren't accurate, you may need to ask to change deadlines or disappoint others who are relying on you to complete certain tasks. With accurate time estimates, you'll also be more confident about setting deadlines because you know that the time you assign for completing each of your tasks is realistic.Time estimate equationIt's important to estimate the time frames for your tasks accurately so that you can schedule all your work effectively and meet deadlines. To go about doing this, you first need to know the requirements of each task and your experience with activities – both when they run smoothly and when they don't – to produce three time estimates:†¢ The likely time is the time that the task normally takes you to complete. It helps to consider the time it takes to complete the task without interruption. You should also think about a time frame you would be comfortable with based on your workload, the task, and any external factors that may delay or speed up the completion of the task.†¢ The shortest time is the least amount of time that you have taken to complete the task in the past. It may also refer to the shortest time in which you think you can complete the task if there are no interruptions or distractions.†¢ You can estimate the longest time by considering what may go wrong when performing the task and then adding this extra time to the task's likely duration. This estimate should be based on your experience of this type of activity in the past, as well as on any foreseeable difficulties.You use the three time estimates to calculate the shortest possible time to complete a task based on an average of the likely, shortest, and longest times. Because in most cases a task will take the likely time to complete, this time is given more weight. You need to multiply it by 4, add the shortest time, and then add the longest time. You divide the total by 6 to get the shortest possible time.One important thing to remember is that you must use the same measurements for each type of time. For example, if your likely time is a number of days, the shortest and longest times must also be in days. If your estimates are in different measurements, start by changing them so they are all the same. The time frames equation often produces a shortest possible time that is longer than the shortest time you put into the equation. This is because the equation helps ensure that you're realistic about how long things will take.To manage your time effectively, you have to estimate the time it will take to complete each of your tasks. Doing this ensures you can schedule your work appropriately and meet all your deadlines. To estimate the time frames for your tasks, you can use a simple time frames equation, which uses estimates for the likely, shortest, and longest times to calculate the realistic, shortest possible time that it will take to complete a task.https://library.skillport.com/courseware/Content/cca/pd_11_a02_bs_enus/output/html/sb/sbpd_11_a02_bs_enus002005.html4. Identify and explain five (5) threats to your business that you need to consider for the success of this system.Answer: After assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your business for your business plan, look for external forces, like opportunities and threats, that may have an effect on its destiny. These changes includeThe appearance of new or stronger competitorsThe emergence of unique technologiesShifts in the size or demographic composition of your market areaChanges in the economy that affect customer buying habitsChanges in customer preferences that affect buying habitsChanges that alter the way customers access your businessChanges in politics, policies, and regulationsFads and fashion crazesList the threats and opportunities facing your business, and follow these guidelines:When listing opportunities, consider emerging technologies, availability of new materials, new customer categories, changing customer tastes, market growth, new uses for old products (think about how mobile phones and even eyeglasses now double as cameras and computers), new distribution or location opportunities, positive changes in your competitive environment, and other forces that can affect your success.When listing threats, consider the impact of shrinking markets, altered consumer tastes and pu rchase tendencies, raw material shortages, economic downturns, new regulations, changes that affect access to your business, and competitive threats, including new competing businesses and competitive mergers and alliances. Also think about the impact of expiring patents, labor issues, global issues, and new products that may make your offering outdated or unnecessary.If you're having a tough time getting specific, look back at the strengths and weaknesses, but this time, use it to list strengths and weaknesses of a competitor. You won't know as much about your competitor's capabilities as you know about your own, but you probably know enough to flag areas of strength and weakness. Your competitor's strengths are potential threats to your business, and its weaknesses present potential opportunities.http://www.dummies.com/business/start-a-business/business-plans/how-to-identify-opportunities-and-threats-in-business-planning/5. Write down three (3) elements of risk and two (2) example each that relate to the project.(9 Marks)Answer. All risk management standards agree that the goal of risk management is to enhance the chances of success of the relevant endeavor. However, each of them provides a different definition of risk: ISO31000:2009 calls it â€Å"effect of uncertainty on objectives,† the PMI â€Å"PMBOK Guide† has â€Å"an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on the project's objectives,† and the preferred Risk Doctor definition is â€Å"uncertainty that matters.†Each description is true, but only partly so. This matters because, until we know what we are dealing with, we cannot manage it in the best way possible:If we use the ISO definition, then our first thought will be to focus on the effect;If we follow PMI, then we will start from the potential occurrence;With the Risk Doctor definition, we start from uncertainty.Each of these — the effect, the event and the uncertainty — is a component of risk, but on its own is not a risk.Even taken in pairs they do not provide the full picture:an effect plus an event is an issue;an event plus an uncertainty is a prediction;†¢ an uncertainty plus and effect is a concern.It is only when you put all three together that you can see what a risk is made of, and use this information to decide on what, if anything, to do about it. Of course, this then requires a longer definition, but the goal enhancing the chances of success is worth the effort.But what is â€Å"success†? It is more than simply â€Å"meeting objectives;† it must also include the condition of â€Å"complying with project constraints† in order for the final result to remain within scope. Given this clarification, a more complete definition is: â€Å"Risk consists of three parts: an uncertain situation, the likelihood of occurrence of the situation, and the effect (positive or negative)that the occurrence would have on project success.†The three-part definition helps with three important stages of the risk management process: In 1.risk identification, it supports the structured description of a risk (â€Å"risk metalanguage†) in the form: â€Å"Because of , may occur, leading to In 2.risk evaluation, knowledge of potential causes allows you to evaluate the likelihood; identification of effects provides a basis for quantifying the impact.In 3 risk response planning, the different parts of the definition suggest different response approaches:for threat avoidance, understanding the situation may allow you to stop it happening or protect against its results;understanding the situation can also be used to help us exploit opportunities;in risk transfer or sharing, we seek a partner better equipped to address the effect;for threat reduction or opportunity enhancement, we focus on the effect and/or the likelihood;in risk acceptance, any contingency plan has to address the effect.Including these three components when you describe risks (the uncertainty, the event and the effect) will help everyone involved in risk management to take account of these three important aspects of risk, and act on them to enhance the chances of success.EXAMPLETwo examples of Managing risk in hote

Application of Critical Thinking to Business Analysis Essay

Critical thinking is the basis of business analysis. It involves a force of habit, which determines the quality decision that the business analyst makes. Critical thinking is what enables businesspersons to think through challenges and situations. Because of this, critical thinking is vital element that should be refined, nurtured and actively implemented in every business analysis and decision making process. For the analysts to make decisions with the greatest outcome they should apply critical thinking since it involves rational reasoning and reflective thinking. It enables them to put every aspects of the decision into consideration in terms of the pros and cons of every option to be taken. Critical thinking initiates opportunities through exhaustive analysis thus leading to making well-informed decisions. It helps manager avoid the inconvenience of learning through experience. It assists in planning effectively while putting everything into consideration. It helps the administra tors save on costs by mitigating on mistakes that could cost the company to incur extra costs. Critical thinking is important in business analysis because it involves assessing, reflecting, planning and making right decisions while paying attention to details (Nosich, 2012). Critical Thinking in the Context of Business Analysis In order for the efficient implementation of business, it is important to understand the meaning of business analysis. Business analysis therefore refers to a set of techniques and tasks implemented by the various stakeholders. The main purpose of the implementation is to understand the operations, policies and structure of a particular business entity. It also involves the recommendation of various solutions in order for the organization to achieve various goals that it has set forth to achieve. Business analysis therefore entails the understanding of the ways in which various organizations carry out their operations. Production of products defines the capabilities of the organization. These products entail specific goods and services offered in the present market within which the organization is conducting its operations. External stakeholders also play a major role in the product distribution chain of a particular product. For a successful business to prosper, various key steps ne ed to be implemented for a. These strategies require a critical analysis, which will involve the applications of virus concepts of critical thinking (Smith, 2003). In any organization, it becomes very important to define the goals of the organization. The organizational goals relate to the specific objectives set forth. These goals help in the achievement of the goals designed. It also becomes necessary for the team in charge of making various policies and decisions to focus on the various actions that the organization is going to adopt so that it can achieve its set targets and objectives. Finally, it is important also to define how various external entities to the business will interact with each other. For instance, in this particular case, stakeholders and organizational units outside and within the organization will require definition and the mode of interaction defined. Business analysis aids in the understanding of an organization’s current state. It also provides a platform to identify future prospects of business needs that may arise. However, in most cases, the principle aim of conducting business analysis is to validate and pr ovide business solutions that conform to the objectives, goals and needs of a particular entity. The synthesis and analysis of information provided by numerous number of stakeholders tops the priority list. The various business analysts then analyze it. These particular stakeholders include customers, executives, IT professionals and staff. Critical thinking is therefore involved in various process of business analysis. A business analyst has the responsibility of obtaining actual needs from the various stakeholders. The particular process involves an actual distinction with the various desires expressed by particular stakeholders. The business analyst also facilitates the communication and interaction between various units in the business. It therefore means that through critical thinking, a business analyst is able to foster communication and interaction between various business units. It becomes possible through the alignment of various business unit needs. In the business process, the process lightens by the integration of information technology. It serves as an interpreter and a translator between the groups (Smith, 2003). The competitive nature of any business entity originates from the various policies that exist in order to counter competition from various companies. Competition arises due to various factors. Some of these factors include a company offering complementary and supplementary goods, similar to their rivals. In this particular scenario, there is always competition for the market share. Elimination of one firm in this competition may occur if there is no application of critical thinking to devise survival ways to counter such a move. Price becomes a determinant factor when it comes to competition between two rival industries competing for the same market share. Another reason as to why competition arises is the difference in pricing of similar commodities. A rational consumer is always attracted to a firm, which is selling cheaper than others are. Price is a significant determinant of product choice. Majority of the rational consumers exercise the power of choice when products occur in a wide range (Smith, 2003). Majority of the business operations operate based on the types of decisions made across all the levels of production. Critical thinking forms the baseline upon which various policies formed and implemented. The success of a business entity becomes relative to a number of factors that help it be at a competitive level with other businesses in the same industry of operation and service. Several elements exist that become fundamental when implementing critical thinking to help the organization. Critical thinking involves the analysis of the current business operations, procedures and policies. The mastery of this particular process makes it possible for the business analyst to be familiar with the operations that are taking place. It also involves the identification of errors that may have occurred which led to the company not achieving its dreams. Moreover, apart from analyzing the internal factors of the firm that affect its operation, business analysis also focuses on the external en vironment that may affect the operations of a certain business entity. Inward communication strategies, pricing policies, production processes, marketing and branding are internal factors that affect the business entity (Smith, 2003). An analysis of the external environment that includes the political environment, competitors, the economy of a particular country concerning inflation and budget allocation also play a very important role. These may influence the pricing strategy pf a particular company. The political environment also determines the way in which the company interacts with various other companies overseas in terms of the taxes charged on imports and exports. It therefore narrows down to the fact that critical thinking contributes towards the existence of majority of the industries and companies in the world. The study of the market structures to determine the appropriate time for trade is what distinguishes a successful company from a failing company. The ability to fore see a coming calamity and danger and be able to efficiently plan is what critical thinking entails. In the end, it saves the company many resources since evasion of eminent dangers occurs through future prediction. Critical thinking i s an attribute of various business analysts. The presence of these personnel in an organization is important. They constitute the think tank of any industry (Smith, 2003). The application of critical thinking in a business environment happens through all the levels of management. At the strategic level, critical thinking may focus on issues that affect the company in general. At the operational level, critical thinking entails the unique creativity that may exist if a company decides to adopt product differentiation or diversification to have a range of commodities in the market. By giving a rational consumer a wide pool to select from, the company is able to face out different companies, which are providing supplementary products. It is able to wholesome reap from the market all the customers who have great trust in the product that they offer. Critical thinking is always neglected because majority of the companies only react when faced with certain risks. For instance, if the profit margins of a company begin to decline considerably, the management of the company becomes alarmed. At this time, they invest in quick decisions that aim at the company re generating various incomes. It is always a very poor form of responding and managing o frisks. In an ideal situation, the company is supposed to preview their previous strategies and look for elements that contributed to the decline in the revenue gained. After the identification of the various stated problems, an in depth analysis is to be conducted to determine the facts. Critical thinking plays a major part when it comes to the redefinition of the various goals and objectives. These elements are important to ensure a competitive state of the organization (Nosich, 2012). The success of a company is, therefore, dependent on the various decisions made from all the levels of production to management. The careful analysis of various problems that a company faces undergoes analysis and various solutions proposed in an efficient way as opposed to a quick manner. Using this channel, a company is able to get maximum returns from the various activities that it conducts. There are increased chances of lack of fear when it comes to the anticipation of problems. Critical thinking is the center of an organization’s success. The ideas of inventions and product creation derived from a panel composed of individuals explain the importance of critical thinking. Those who think critically through particular scenarios provide a solution that earns the organization maximum massive profits. The strategies in all the organizational units implemented are a success because of the decisions made by the members of a particular panel. Marketing, sales and even production departments all require various skills in critical thinking to produce products that are highly profitable to the organizational entity as a whole. This document therefore recognizes the importance of critical thinking when it comes to the analysis of different business operations to achieve various goals and objectives (Smith, 2003). Application Business analysts use critical thinking to make effective and efficient long term and short term plans for the business organizations. In order for the business managers to make decisions and plans for the business they have to think critically in terms of their objectives and goals in relation to the resources a business firm has. Managers have to think critically so that they can predict the possible threats that the business might face and be able to formulate their respective solution in time. The managers have to ensure that the challenges find the firm adequately prepared. For this to happen there has to be a lot of thinking in the planning process. The administrators have to consider every aspect of their plans in order to come up with short term and long term plans. Critical thinking is what ensures that required measures have been put in place to make a firm prepared for the challenges. Critical thinking helps the administrators to come up with the time frames for the long t erm and short term plans. Critical thinking makes the plans achievable and it helps in the identification of plans and investments that are not viable (Smith, 2003). Business analysts in conforming valid requirements also apply critical thinking. It enables the business analysts and managers to pay attention to details and not the face value or what they hear. Critical thinking enables the administrators to weigh up the evidence produced by stakeholders with relation to the challenges and consequences before making decisions or recommendations. It enables the manager to be future oriented since they have to consider the impact of the decisions or options they take. They have to consider the deadline, available resources and the possible outcome of the requirement. Through critical thinking, administrators go for what the business entity really needs and not what they want. This aids in prevention of unnecessary costs that would have been caused by purchasing excess requirements. It also helps businesses in avoiding wastes (Nosich, 2012). Critical thinking is applied in risk prediction, prevention and mitigation. In planning for the likely risks and hazards that a firm might face the analysts and administrators have to think carefully. They have to think critically to identify possible risks and formulate respective measures and solutions, which can be used to prevent them. Critical thinking in such situation is aided by acquisition of information from other similar firms that have existed in the market for longer periods. Critical thinking enables administrators to implement safety measures in the firms such as emergency doors, exists, fire extinguishers, gloves and aprons. It also enables business firms to determine the right time to enroll in the markets and the right time to withdraw. It enables companies to avoid financial risks, as managers are able to plan and make the right decision (Smith, 2003). It is also applied by the busyness analysts in the seeking solutions of business challenges. Businesses face challenges from time to time. The challenges range from financial, human resource conflicts with other firms and so on. To overcome these tough times the business managers have to think critically and formulate long lasting solutions that will save the companies fate. Conflicts are normal in the Business administration but they require rational thinking and decisions so that they can be overcome. Even the internal conflicts in the firms require the administrator to think critically about the situation and make fair decision or advice to the conflicting parties. The administrators have to listen and think first before passing judgment. This will enable him to avoid prejudice or bias in the decision made (Nosich, 2012). The leaders at the same time have to think and come up with policies that may hinder external and internal conflicts in the firm. Critical thinking is applied in the shortening life cycles of businesses projects. Through it managers are able to determine the required time frame and ensure that the projects move as per the stipulated time. Managers are also able to avoid unnecessary events and occurrences, which have the possibility of delaying the business projects. Critical thinking ensures advance planning and as a result, there is order in the running of the firms. The advance planning ensures everything moves as per the scheduled time and this helps in saving time and shortening the life cycle of the projects as only, the necessary cycles are implemented (Smith, 2003). Critical thinking is also applied in beating competition from similar firms. In order for firms to have competitive advantages the administrators and analysts have to go an extra mile of being creative and innovative. They have to do the same things extra ordinarily right or they have to come up with new ideas and products that will give them an advantage over their competitors. To do this successful they need to brainstorm and think critically. Managers have to do research and be able to predict the future of the company. This will enable them come up with various ideas and policies that will boost their performance. They have to come up with new marketing strategies and new modes of operations. They have to target more customers and become inventors. To implement this, management has to use critical thinking. They have to consider the weaknesses of their competitors and take advantage of them (Smith, 2003). Profit maximization and loss minimization can also be enhanced by application of critical thinking. For profit maximization, the business administrators have to be inventors and innovators. They should come up with new ideas and policies that will make their products and services unique from their counterparts. This requires high level of thinking and that is when critical thinking comes in handy (Nosich, 2012). Critical thinking helps in making the right financial decisions hence the company is able to maintain its profits. Critical thinking enables managers to come up with plans that minimize losses and wastage. They help in shortening duration of projects and in the long run increase productivity. An increase in productivity in turn increases the profits. Business administrators also apply critical thinking in making decisions to do with employment. The management has to determine the required number of employees to be hired and define their specific roles and duties. Critical thinking helps in determining the required number of employees that will provide the most outcomes. Critical thinking assists the manager in employing the employees with the required skills for specific positions. The manager should also know when to scale down and when to add the number of employees. The manager has to think critically of the kind of skill required in the organization before employing a person. Critical thinking helps manager to form the right workforce required for optimum production (Smith, 2003). The business analysts apply critical thinking in the making of right investment policies and decisions. Before making the right decisions on where to invest, analysts have to think through the possible options and take the option that is most viable and profitable. Critical thinking in this case will help the administrators consider the pros and cons of every investment option. This enables them to make the most informed decision by taking the best option. Critical thinking also helps administrators in assessing and evaluating the progress and position of the firm. It is applied to help managers determine if they are on the right track. Managers are able to determine if they are operating on a loss or profit through critical thinking. They have to think through and determine if the projects are moving as per the stipulated plans and goals. Do determine right progress the managers have to carry out various research and consultation in comparison with data at hand (Nosich, 2012). Discussion and Conclusion Various scenarios in the business process have required an individual to apply critical thinking in various business processes. The result of the decisions made in the various panels has resulted into massive goals and targets achieved by the said industries. Companies have been able to rise from various falls while some have succumbed to defeat. New entrants have entered into the marked and dominated the events will the already established monopolistic firms faced out because of this. It is therefore important that a company recognizes the importance of such a key process and invests I it. The using of appropriate skilled experts also goes a long well in helping the industry achieve its goals and objectives. The existence and sustainability of a given organization in the market is highly influenced by the various policies they adopt. Companies have marred up to produce complementary and supplementary products while some faced out. It therefore becomes important that the company look into the various strategies with an in-depth eye with an aim to creating various opportunities and channels for growth and profitability (Nosich, 2012). Business analysis through critical thinking becomes an effective way of determining the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. The implementation of SWOT analysis in a business environment will be effective upon incorporation with critical thinking. The identification of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Time factors require a vision that is not velar by the other firms competing in the same market. In conclusion, this paper finds critical thinking a very important element in the existence of a company in the ever dynamic and competitive business environment. It also views the basis of competition resulting from the difference in the decisions that various companies tackle one particular problem effectively. When companies operate from this basis, they are able to achieve more revenue and expand on their sales. Critical thinking has a direct relationship with the performance of a business. Several aspects in business analysis require the massive application of critica l thinking to provide solutions (Nosich, 2012). References Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum, Boston, MA: Pearson Education. ISBN: 978-0-13-268359-3. Smith, G. F. (2003). Beyond critical thinking and decision making: Teaching business students how to think.  Journal of Management Education,  27(1), 24-51. Source document