Animal Hunting And Its Effects On The Environment

This will also have a substantial effect on the environment and the Earth is already overpopulated as it is, this is clearly seen in different parts of the world. Cities go on for miles without any greenery and are overcrowded, roads look disgusting as there are so many cars on the road polluting the atmosphere and if the population increases even more, there will be more cars on roads which will cause even more air pollution in the atmosphere which means that plants and other species will die as the atmosphere will be so toxic or it could potentially introduce new diseases or cancers. Wild animals could also gradually die out and become extinct because of environmental destruction because the humans would be destroying their habitats and also due to over hunting animals. Animal hunting is a very popular activity to do and if there is a higher population, more people will be killing animals which is another factor that will cause the wild animals to gradually die out. Siberian tigers have been classed by the IUCN as being endangered. There are approximately 300 Siberian tigers left in the wilderness in the regions of China and North Korea and the factors that are influencing the lives of these tigers are due to humans capturing, hunting or the killing of the tigers and habitat loss due to humans constructing more buildings or cutting down trees to use for vital everyday things such as fences, buildings, shelves, desks and books. Overpopulation would start affecting manyShow MoreRelatedHorrific Affect of Pestcides in A Fable for Tomorrow from the Book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson918 Words   |  4 Pageshave severe harms and damages on the environment and other organisms. In the excerpt â€Å"A Fable for Tomorrow† from the book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson describes the disastrous and horrific effects of pesticides on the environment and animals of the town. In the essay â€Å"Our Animal Rites† by Anna Quindlen, she shows the inhumanity of anima l hunting by human. Furthermore, she argues how human migration is destroying the natural habitats that belong to the animals. In the excerpt â€Å"Reading the River† fromRead MoreHunting Is Not A Fair Thing1672 Words   |  7 Pages Hunting, meaning tracking or trapping of wild animals is one of the oldest activities known to mankind. Back in the days, hunting was a necessity of life for our ancestors to be able to obtain food for nourishment. People still hunt animals for food, but it’s more of a recreational activity now and laws govern which specific animals can be hunted. People who disagree about hunting say that it is detrimental to the beautiful nature, which results in numerous accidents every year and isRead MoreAnimal Endangerment And Extinction Of Habitat925 Words   |  4 PagesI. Animal Endangerment/Extinction II. Abused/Abandoned Animals III. Over Farming/Land Misuse IV. Environmental Pollution V. Deforestation I. Animal Endangerment/Extinction A. Destruction of Habitat B. Pollution C. Hunting and Fishing II. Abused/Abandoned Animals A. Confined, Major Culprit Climate Change B. Huge Amounts of Manure, Pollutes Soil C. Dead Animals, Pollutes the quality of life for individuals who live close. III. Over Farmed/Land Misuse A. Soil Erosion B. Land Degradation CRead MoreHunting Pros and Cons Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesDannielle Fory BIO-220 Environmental Science May 4, 2013 Steven Lenk Hunting Hunting has been a way of life for thousands of years. As long as humans have been on earth, they have been hunting to provide food for their families. For many decades now, hunting has started to cause conflict among people. One of the main issues that have cause conflict has been overharvesting. Overharvesting can also cause issues with habitat and may put a strain on the relationship between the predator andRead MoreWhat s Merica Without Meat1657 Words   |  7 Pagesages have shared the tradition of hunting.Before the time of modern weapons were used to kill animals, people hunted. Back in the cavemen days people used sticks and stones to kill their food for their families. People had no option to hunt, it was the only way their families got food. Hundreds of years ago a new invention was made that made hunting a lot easier. After many long years pass and many animals killed by bow and arrow, a new weapon was invented. The deer rifle is very efficient, powerfulRead MoreHu nting Is No Longer Necessary For Survival1703 Words   |  7 Pagesfield and hunt game for me.† Hunting started millions of years ago for the intentions of food, clothing, and shelter supplies. Back in the Stone Age, hunting was essential for surviving in those critical situations that derived from everyday living. Recently hunting has become more a recreational sport and less of a necessity for survival, it is true that most hunters now days still eat the meat from the animals that they kill for sport and pleasure. However, hunting is no longer necessary for survivalRead MoreHunting Is An Essential Component Of Conservation944 Words   |  4 Pageshistory of hunting reveals that hunters of today share many of the same motivations and methods as ancient hunters. While technology and accessories may be different that those used for hunting thousands of years ago, the ability to take down an animal is something to be celebrated. When you learn the history of hunting, youâ₠¬â„¢ll gain greater appreciation for this old tradition. Hunting is an essential component of conservation and can be used in everyday life; it has been a part of American historyRead MoreHunting Research Paper1051 Words   |  5 PagesLedy 11/27/11 Hunting Hunting is a common activity all around the world, and if performed properly, can have many benefits to us and the rest of the planet. The art of hunting has been around since the beginning of time. Living off of the land used to be a necessity across the world, until the mass production of food came along. In America, people do not usually need to hunt to survive. However, the population of animal species needs to be controlled. Too many of one type of animal can cause a drasticRead MoreSport Hunting Should Be Stricter Regulations1286 Words   |  6 PagesHunting was originally a resourceful activity and a necessity for survival. It was crucial to use the animal for food, clothes, and tools. With the exception of cultures who still depend on this method, there are many developed areas where this is not longer required. From the lack of needing to hunt animals for resources, sport hunting has emerged. This is the recreational act of killing animals to use as trophies. The problem wi th sport hunting is that it is an unnecessary and unreasonable activityRead MoreHunting : An Effective Tool For Wildlife Management And Preservation Of Wildlife1577 Words   |  7 Pages Hunting not only provides people with healthy organic meat, it is also instrumental in the management and preservation of wildlife not only through the hunting itself, but also by the money generated by hunters that is used for this purpose. Hunting has existed since the dawn of time and continues to play a key role in providing people with the food they need to survive. Hunting plays many important roles in our world and has been a very effective tool for wildlife management and hopefully

Managerial Accounting And The Certified Management

Managerial accounting is used by an organization to ensure informed decisions are made regarding current and future operations. Businessmen and women must have the ability to comprehend financial information provided to properly determine the correct course of action. In the global market of today, an organization’s inability to accurately determine the best course of action can lead to financial ruin for the company. Uninformed decisions by leadership can derail a business’ prospects for success in the future. Business leaders must understand the differences between managerial and financial accounting, additional information needed for internal purposes, the evolution of managerial accounting, and the Certified Management (CMA)†¦show more content†¦An example of this is preparing next year’s budget in the current year so leaders are informed of any constraints in the upcoming year. Documents created in financial accounting must adhere to regulation s such as GAAP and IFRS. Once completed, these documents are verified by a certified public accountant (CPA) annually. These reports are summaries of the organization’s performance as a unit and concentrate on sufficient disclosure of required information. Managerial accounting documents are not regulated by guiding principles. They are generally presented in a cost benefit analysis format. There is no audit of these documents as they are for internal use only. These reports are more detailed than the documents in financial accounting and often provide performance information on each department and shift of an organization over a relatively short time frame. The goal of this information is to provide any course corrections before issues or problems become out of control. These differences in the sectors of accounting lead to a difference in the need and use of information for internal purposes. Since managerial accounting is intended for different recipients than financial accounting, the type of information needed and used in managerial accounting is different. Managerial accounting involves cost management, activity management, and investment management. Cost accounting is a shared input between financial and management accounting. The informationShow MoreRelatedThe Different Roles Of The Accounting Profession1305 Words   |  6 PagesThe Different Roles of the Accounting Profession Module by: Link-Systems International, Inc.. E-mail the author Summary: Demo/Sample Learning Object in Accounting Note: You are viewing an old style version of this document. The new style version is available here. Links [hide links] Supplemental links Weakly related linkThe Salvation Army Weakly related linkAmazon.com Weakly related linkGoogle Weakly related linkTwitter Weakly related linkVerizonRead MoreAcc 11410 Words   |  6 Pagesperformed in an organization, among which accounting is one of them. Define the accounting function and discuss how it differs from double-entry bookkeeping. Accountants analyze and interpret financial information, prepare financial statements, conduct audits, design accounting systems, prepare special business and financial studies, prepare forecasts and budgets, and provide tax services. Double-entry bookkeeping records the economic activities of a business. Accounting includes bookkeeping but duties areRead MoreManagerial Accounting Hilton Quiz1 Answers1526 Words   |  7 Pagesfollowing statements is true? | | | A) | Managerial Accountants are number crunchers who provide critical information to decision makers but do not themselves contribute to the decision making process. | | | B) | The role of the managerial accountant has not changed in the last twenty years. | | | C) | Managerial accountants play an integral leadership role on an organizations management team. | | | D) | The activities performed by the management accountant are administrative in natureRead MoreManagerial and Financial Accounting1235 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Part 1 Managerial and Financial Accounting: Key Differences Several differences exist between the above branches of accounting. To begin with, when it comes to financial accounting, the financial reports prepared are primarily utilized by external users including but not limited to regulators, creditors and stockholders (Weygandt, Kimmel and Kieso, 2009). On the other hand, managerial accounting reports are primarily meant for internal users i.e. managers and other officers of the firm. TheseRead MoreAccounting1024 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion 1:   * Proficient-level:   * There are several important functions performed in an organization, among which accounting is one of them. Define the accounting function and discuss how it differs from double-entry bookkeeping. Answer: According to the Dictionary of Accounting Terms, Accounting is defined as a one step process of recording, measuring, interpreting and communicating financial data by preparing financial statements in order to reflect financial condition and operatingRead MoreSignificance of Managerial Accounting776 Words   |  3 PagesManagerial accounting and its significance Introduction In the professional education of today, which is inclusive of management accounting education, the universities and colleges are finding problems. The learning institutions have limited resources and also have incapability in making sure students graduate with the necessary knowledge and skill. These two elements are fundamental for the graduates future career decisions. The title managerial accounting has much to do with nurturing accountantsRead MoreDifference between Financial and Managerial Accounting 637 Words   |  3 PagesThe primary difference between financial and managerial accounting is that financial accounting is used for external members of the company; they do not control or run the businesses’ operations. An example of external members would be customers and shareholders of the business. On the other hand, managerial accounting is used for internal members in the company such as managers and officers. The internal members use managerial accounting to increase efficiency and effectiveness within their companyRead MoreChapter 1 Revew Accounting Help1048 Words   |  5 Pagesof the following entities would not require accounting information pertaining to their economic activities?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨a.  Social clubs.†¨b.  Not-for-profit entities.†¨c.  State governments.†¨D.  All of these require accounting information.†¨e.  None of these requires accounting information.    †¨Difficulty: Easy†¨Ã‚   2.  Which of the following is not an objective of financial reporting described in FASB Concepts Statement No. 1?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨a.  To provide information about how management of an enterprise has discharged its stewardshipRead MoreAccounting Is The Study Of Recording, Analyzing And Preparing Financial Documents For Record The Financial Standings Of A1487 Words   |  6 PagesAccounting is the study of recording, analyzing and preparing financial documents to record the financial standings of a company or person. There are several different types of accounting such as financial, managerial, tax and much more. Most types of accounting require at least a bachelor s degree in business; higher positions require advanced education. Becoming an accountant is not easy, but following these steps is essential to achieving a goal. There are many tasks to expect as an accountantRead MoreWhy The Aicpa Is Becoming More Popular1408 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the United States, a degree in a ccounting is becoming more popular. Many students realize that being an accountant offers a high-paying salary and a very stable job market. Although this may sound appealing, the process in reaching this gratitude may be difficult for some. In most cases, one must become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). To becoming certified, you must pass the exams the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the

Enrolling and Authenticating Computing Devices

Question: Discuss about the Enrolling and Authenticating Computing Devices. Answer: Introduction: Nowadays, the manual process of summarizing, analyzing and reporting the financial data and information is become the old concept in the field of accounting (Biswas 2015). Today majority of companies of all sizes use the accounting software while recording the business transactions. Interestingly, the accounting software records and processes the financial transactions of the business within the application of the functional modules. Accounting software can be easily prepared the statements for financial details. This report will cover history, the accounting process of development and adoption, and the current market popularity competitive advantages among different accounting software. Background of the application of accounting software: In the digitalized business field, companies have often faced challenges in the bookkeeping system manually. To incorporate large number of accounting transactions, different size of businesses preferred to record their transactions to utilize accounting software. However, companies needs time to get familiar with a particular accounting software practices. Historically, Intuit was founded in 1983 and played a remarkable role in modernizing accounting for the digital field. There ranges of software is huge, where QuickBooks being the most popularly used worldwide. Though the accounting has evolved over the years, the accounting fundamentals have remained the same. Prior 2000, a lot of small size businesses used paper based accounting systems. After the introduction of the GST, several Australian companies have switching their preferences to use accounting software (Zuo et al 2017). By using different accounting software, companies finds easy in handling ranges of accounting activitie s such as improved invoice capabilities, facilities of automated data entry system, bank fees, level of security, user satisfaction, advance mobile activities, comprehensiveness, interfaces and level of maintenance and many other facilities. Concept of Accounting Software/Packages: There are different types of the accounting software/packages available for accomplishing all kind of business requirements. For instance, personal accounting software mainly fulfills the requirement of the home users or small businesses (Janvrin and Watson 2017). Limited accounting functionalities are applied by this kind of accounting software. By nature, the accounting software for small businesses is segregated by single entry products and simple and inexpensive with simple functioning such as management of budgets. On the other hand, the highly customized business requirements often use several integrated accounting software system for accomplishing the critical business needs. An integrated approach in accounting helps to monitor and record expenses, income and stock. However every business has different accounting requirements and thus, knowledge about the different accounting packages needs to be collected. Nevertheless, choosing the right software depends on three main facto rs including price, flexibility and features. Current Market Size: 60 percent of the software market of cloud accounting has been captured by MYOB and QuickBooks in Australia (Wilson 2016). However, there are many software accounting providers available which provides bookkeeping online and offline facilities including preparation for statement of business activity such as SAP, XERO, Recon and many others. Different Accounting Packages/Software (Prominent leaders): QuickBooks is ideal accounting packages for small, medium and growing businesses in almost every industry of Australia. This is the most popular online book-keeping plans for small business. The simple start procedure by investing $13.50 per month is enough for installing QuickBooks into the system. By using QuickBooks, companies manage BAS and GST obligations. This accounting software is perfect for working on PC, tablet, Mac and mobile. Using this accounting software, the company can management automated payroll system freely up to ten employees. This is one of the competitive advantages of this accounting software. MYOB is another popular business accounting software for small businesses in Australia. The owner needs to invest $35 per month for installing MYOB essentials and $85 a month for MYOB Accounting Right Plus. This accounting software gives perfect exposure to reports on PAYG, BAS and GST. MYOB helps in quick invoice processing, establishing link with bank account, easy payroll system and many others. Historically, MYOB has been used for long with their conventional offline desktop software. However, this accounting system has developed their online version to adopt cloud computing system into the company databases (Domeika 2015). This online accounting exposure helps to access from most of the devices anywhere. Xero was designed on the revelation that desktop accounting software was very difficult to use. Xero retains in the highest spot in accounting software ratings. This accounting software gives the highest customer satisfaction against the investment of $25 a month. By providing 247 support, users can reconcile 20 bank transactions simultaneously with the use of Xero accounting software. By registering with Xero, the registered users have the full access to the account. Reckon is popular accounting software used in Australia. Installing this software by investing $5, the users can manage unlimited bank reconciliation, budgeting, GST and BS reports. Furthermore, multi layered data security has been provided by this software. Providing free 247 support and utilized as free mobile app for Android, this accounting software manages finance perfectly on behalf of enterprises. Sage is another well-known business accounting software in Australia for all size businesses. This accounting software helps in pay bills, instant invoicing, manage inventory and many others. Bringing best in class standards of accounting by Sage 50, users gets beneficial for securing desktop installation, unlimitedly access to support along with new subscription plans for offering the best value for the business. This potentiality has been expanded with cloud and online apps that connect with this software. Competitive advantages to use accounting software packages: Today, there are many more accounting software providers in the market of Australia. Majority of the small and medium size organizations in the country are now preferred to use packaged accounting software. On the other hand, the introduction of the computerized accounting software provides several competitive advantages relative to paper-based accounting software and helps in real-time data processing as per the companys financial position (Asnis et al 2015). There are several advantages of typical computerized accounting packages which include: On-screen input display corresponding the printout of the sales invoices Automatic customer accounts update in the sales ledger Record keeping of supplier invoices Automatic update of transactions to the general ledger Adjustment of stock records (automatic) Integration within different accounting modules and business databases with the program of accounting Automatic suppliers account update in the purchase ledger recording of bank receipts Establish a perfect automated payroll system along with other entries of accounting After highlighting above mentioned features of accounting software, it can be said that accounting software packages helps business in several ways: The fast bookkeeping system can be established and a lot of record keeping time can be reduced. Secondly, fast and accurate invoices, purchase, order, credit notes, payroll documents and printing statements can be processed in an automated manner. Thirdly, the level of accuracy in recording the accounting entry can be improved relative to the use of manual process (Contractor et al 2015). Fourthly, the accounting software packages have the capability to run reports for determining accounting payable and receivables within a particular period of time. Limitations of accounting software packages Though there are many accounting software is available in the market of Australia, but the user needs to get time to accustom in practicing particular software effortlessly. In other words, advantages can be achieved after giving manual instructions perfectly. However, technological advances can change the way the operational path of businesses including the way accounting is managed (Wang and Huynh 2013). Evidence suggests that businesses are quite sensitive towards security of the accounting information in a computerized program because the quality of the program are limited or rather restricted itself and the security system of the company. On the other hand, automatic posting of accounting transactions can be done with the help of accounting software packages. However, the accounting packages may find challenges if business entered incorrect information into their databases. Lastly, software program still needs knowledgeable members to use the accounting software effectively. Thu s the training exposure needs s to be provided by the management authority of businesses. However, it may be found less affordable for small or medium size businesses. Moreover, use error is a potential difficulty that could create incorrect accounting data for the company. Recommendation Businesses in Australia need to follow the recommended steps to get more advantages by the use of different accounting software packages/software into their databases: The sustainability accounting framework needs to be followed for sharing correct accounting information so that users can record right transactions at the reporting time. Holding special training sessions for the accounting staff of the organization could be helpful for adapting changes in accounting program or the update to a new version. This step will be beneficial for staff of the company which makes aware about the new features of the accounting software. While switching to a completely different accounting system, users needs to be careful while transferring data from the previous system. This step is mandatory for maintaining records perfectly till the end of the accounting period. Conclusion: The above literature clearly indicates that several accounting software used in the Australian market. The conventional book keeping system is become less favorable compare to computerized accounting software packages. MYOB , Xero and QuickBooks are few of the most popular accounting software in the market of Australia. Choosing the right accounting software packages, however, still an important decision in the business filed which depends on the financial requirements of enterprises. References: Asnis, J., Peterson, M.J. and Kelly, M., Openpeak Inc., 2015. Method and system for enrolling and authenticating computing devices for data usage accounting. U.S. Patent 9,100,390. Biswas, S., 2015. Application of Accounting Information System: A Study on Listed Banking Companies of Bangladesh. ASA University Review, 9(1). Contractor, S., Alexander, L.V., Donat, M.G. and Herold, N., 2015. How well do gridded datasets of observed daily precipitation compare over Australia?. Advances in Meteorology, 2015. Domeika, P., 2015. Creation of the Information System of Enterprise Fixed Asset Accounting. Engineering Economics, 60(5). Janvrin, D.J. and Watson, M.W., 2017. Big Data: A new twist to accounting. Journal of Accounting Education. Wang, D.H.M. and Huynh, Q.L., 2013. Effects of environmental uncertainty on computerized accounting system adoption and firm performance. International Journal of Humanities and Applied Sciences, 2(1), pp.13-21. Wilson, R.M. ed., 2016. Researching Accounting Education: Australian Contributions. Routledge. Zuo, J., Pullen, S., Rameezdeen, R., Bennetts, H., Wang, Y., Mao, G., Zhou, Z., Du, H. and Duan, H., 2017. Green building evaluation from a life-cycle perspective in Australia: A critical review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 70, pp.358-368.

Product Life Cycle Essay Example

Product Life Cycle Paper 1. Introduction It has been well established that Product Life Cycle (PLC) concept has a significant impact upon business strategy and corporate performance. Since the term was first used by Levitt (1965 ) in an Harvard Business Review article â€Å"Exploit the Product Life Cycle† the concept has been widely accepted and applied by marketing practitioners all over the world. The product life cycle concept is one of the most quoted and most frequently taught elements of marketing theory. According to Mercer (1993: 269) the influence of the product life cycle can be seen in other theories, from new product development, positioning differentiation and portfolio analysis. Since its adoption by marketing, the product life cycle (PLC) has achieved universal acceptance because of its appeal and wide application. According to Weber (1976: 12) the product life cycle concept provides an intuitively appealing and readily understandable framework of analysis for considering future growth opportunities and pitfalls. As time passes sales increase slowly at first (introduction phase), then more quickly (growth phase), then once again more slowly (maturity and saturation phases), and finally decrease (decline phase). This assignment discusses the importance of repositioning and differentiating for an organization’s products or services using the concept of Product Life Cycle (PLC). It also critically analyses the actual practice an organization undertakes to repositioning or differentiating it products. Based on the critical analysis a set of recommendations are provided for the selected organization to improve its overall positioning differentiating efforts during the various stages of PLC. Within this context, the organization that is selected is Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD) which is one of the leading corporate training providers in Bahrain. 2. Discussion 2. 1 Description of the selected organization- BIRD Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD) is a sister concern of Bahrain Duty Free. It is a joint venture between Bahrain Duty Free Air Rainta International, set up since 2001. We will write a custom essay sample on Product Life Cycle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Product Life Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Product Life Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is one of the leading corporate training providers and broadly caters to Management Development, Retail, Customer Service/Sales, Purchasing Supply Management Business English training areas or categories. Within each of these training areas or categories it provides a range of courses that are tailor made training programme to assist the participants in their professional development right from entry to higher levels. In addition to customized training programmes, it also designs delivers a range of open programmes workshops on relevant topics/ areas on a regular basis. BIRD in the last seven years approximately has successfully conducted a range of such effective training programmes for leading organizations in Bahrain such as Bahrain Duty Free, Batelco, Bin Hindi, Y K Almoayyed Sons, Al Hawaj, Jashanmals, National Motors, Al Rashid Group, Garmco and many such leading reputed organizations in Bahrain. 2. 2 Key issues facing BIRD BIRD has positioned itself as a quality training provider with emphasis of satisfying the client training needs through innovative training programmes that have quality in every aspect right from design to delivery. However though it is able to meet its client needs satisfactorily it be profitable it faces key competition from other training providers. Further BIRD operates in a price sensitive training market. The entire training market is fragmented with many competitors trying to capture each other market share purely on price. However what needs to be established that whether the training market is mature or BIRD’s products are mature. There are few companies which are actually quality conscious but they are not enough to justify the revenue generated by BIRD. Majority of the clients or companies want new training at reasonable prices. In addition they are looking for value addition, such that the training is not a cost, but an investment in human resources for their staff. This value addition can be through quality accredited globally recognized training programmes, training needs analysis at no cost or any other consultancy services required by the client. Further the clients or companies are not able to differentiate BIRD’s training solutions or products from others specifically on the basis of quality. In other words, ‘BIRD’ needs to reexamine and reassess the following issues related to its training programmes 1. It needs to critically analyze its current positioning differentiating strategies for each of its broad training programmes or categories specifically which if they are in maturity stage. This should also to be done for the company as whole that is what brand image BIRD has and how do clients perceive it. 2 based on the analysis it needs to explore various repositioning differentiation strategies for its range of training programmes to make it more effective in the long run. . It needs to establish whether the training market is mature or BIRD’s products are mature. 2. 3 Understanding Positioning Differentiation Positioning is the aspect of the product or brand actively communicated to the target audience, specifically, its competitive advantage, values and imagery. It is strongly related to the perception and image of the product. When devising a positioning strategy for a product, marketers must establish a unique and distinctive image of that product in the mind of the consumer. This will differentiate a company’s product from its competitors. Kotler, 1998) Similarly Kotler and Keller(2006) define positioning as the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the target market whereas repositioning can be defined as the changing/modifying the existing positioning to occupy a distinctive place in the target market. Differentiating is the deliberate marketing decision by organizations to differentiate their products on the basis of various dimensions such as product features, benefits, performance, conformance, durability etc. or even its service dimensions such as ordering ease, durability, installation, maintenance repair etc. Kotler,1998) Whatever dimensions a company selects to differentiate its product it then decides to effectively position it in consumer’s m ind. 2. 4 What is Product Life Cycle Concept (PLC)? PLC includes the different stages an organization’s product goes through right from the day it introduced in the market to the day it is withdrawn or declines from its market. It includes four stages- Introduction, Growth, Maturity Decline. (Kotler, 1998) This PLC Concept is usually for a product category (training), a product form (retail training) or product/brand (City Guilds retail training qualifications). Typically the product life cycle is a bell shaped curve as seen in figure 1 ,but their can be variations such as growth slump maturity pattern, cycle – recycle pattern and scalloped pattern (Swan Pinl 1982; Tellis Crawford, 1981) Figure 1 – Typical bell shaped curve of PLC During each of the stages the product sales, profits, level of competition and number of customers vary and go through different changes, thus pose different marketing challenges, opportunities, and problems to the organization (Kotler Keller, 2006) The pattern of sales, profits, number of customers level of competition are summarized below 1. Market introduction stage o high costs osales volume low olow or no profits due to high developmental costs ono/little competition competitive manufacturers watch for acceptance/segment growth losses odemand has to be created ocustomers have to be prompted to try the product 2. Growth stage ocosts reduced due to economies of scale osales volume increases significantly oprofitability opublic awareness competition begins to increase with a few new players in establishing market oprices to maximize market share 3. Maturity stage ocosts are high to maintain market share sales volume peaks oincrease in competitive offerings oprices tend to drop due to the proliferation of competing products obrand differentiation, feature diversification, as each player seeks to differentiate from competition with how much product is offered osales are high but profits are low 4. Decline or Stability stage o costs become counter-optimal osales volume decline or stabilize oprices, profitability diminish profit becomes more a challenge of production/distribution efficiency than increased sales. (Kotler,1998;Kotler Keller,2006) 2. 5 Positioning PLC The maturity stage tends to be longer than the previous stages and poses big challenges to marketers. This is the stage the marketers need to mange the most otherwise the product will move into decline stage which is not desirable. According to Kotler Keller (2006) the organization has various options- 1) Market modification by working out two factors that make up sales volume Volume= number of product/brand users x usage rate per hour This can be done by expanding the number of brand/product users by connecting nonusers or by entering new market segments and winning competition’s customers. Volume can also be increased by convincing current users to increase their product or brand usage. 2) Product modification: Sales are also stimulated by modifying the products characteristics through quality, feature or style improvement. This may also involve repositioning the existing product with improved/ modified changes and then to be communicating this repositioning successfully to the target market ) Other marketing mix modification This includes changing the other marketing mix such as prices, distribution, advertising, sales promotion etc Thus maturity stage is the most challenging stage that needs to be managed effectively so that the product does not loose it market share or enter decline stage. According to Kotler and Keller (2006) the company’s overall positioning and differentiating strategy must c hange over the various stages of PLC. When products reach maturity they are well known. However, as competing products enter the market; mature products can begin to look old and tired. Action must then be taken to refresh the product’s image or repositioning. This repositioning can create new appeal for existing consumers or attract new consumers. Business 200 Case Study (http://www. business2000. ie/cases/cases_9th/case7. htm) 2. 6 Critical analysis of BIRD’s product in terms of PLC stage positioning strategies 2. 6. 1Applying the PLC concept majority of all BIRD’s training programmes are in mature stage, other than the Purchasing Supply training programmes. These Purchasing Supply training programmes which are offered in association with Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply (CIPS) were introduced this year (2008) and are thus are in introductory stage but if considered from overall training market, these training progranmmes are already existing in the market, being offered by many competitors. Thus the market for these programmes is mature highly competitive. 2. 6. 2 The retail training programmes which are the main revenue generator are two fold –globally accredited City Guilds training programmes and company specific customized training programmes. Both the kinds of programmes are in maturity stage and they drastically need to be re assessed in terms of being repositioned to consolidate its position in the market. The overall market for these is also some what late growth stage transiting into mature stage. 2. 6. 3Other training programmes such as Management development Customer service / sales are more or less in similar stages as retail training but probably more competitive. 2. 6. 4 Business English training programmes is in maturity stage and the overall market for these products is also in maturity stage. 2. 6. The overall image or positioning of The BIRD as a quality training provider is well accepted in the market palace but it can be enhanced further and communicated and understood clearly by its clients. 2. 7 Recommendations Based on the above critical analysis following recommendations have been provided for BIRD- 2. 7. 1 Product modification As regards its Purchasing Supply training programmes, since it is in intro duction stage it needs to create more awareness about its programmes and position them on the basis of quality such as qualified trainers, suitable class timings, quality infrastructure- class room, pantry etc. nd other issues related to training. Every thing related to training programmes specifically all the elements of marketing mix should spell out quality so that the positioning is clearly communicated and understood by its target market. Regarding its retail training programmes specifically for City Guilds it should continue to position it as quality programmes with clear emphasis on its accreditation from City Guilds. Regarding the customized training programmes it should emphasize on BIRD’s experience expertise in delivering these programmes. For its management development, customer service / sales Business English courses it needs to reposition and make them value added without compromising on quality. This value addition can be providing detailed pre course and post course evaluation, training needs analysis( TNA ) if cist allows and any other elements of training that the client value. This repositioning with changes in the product need to be communicated effectively to the target market is able to understand and appreciate this repositioning. . 7. 2 Market expansion modification As regards the overall positioning of BIRD as one stop training solution provider for its client which means they should consider BIRD for all their training requirements in all areas. This will increase the market share of BIRD and also the raise the bar of BIRD as quality training provider in all areas. This will also provide market expansion and modification increasing the number of clients and their volume of business as well. 3. Summary This assignment established that an organization products go through different stages and each stage needs to handled differently as regards its positioning | differentiating strategies. Maturity stage is the most crucial stage and thus is the most challenging for an organization. The critical analysis of BIRD’s products established that most of its products are in mature stages operating in more or less mature markets. As a result a set of recommendations were provided to effectively improve the overall positioning as well as individual positioning of broad categories of training programmes References †¢Levitt, T. (1965) Exploit the Product life cycle: Harvard Business Review: Vol. 43: Nov- Dec:pp 81 -94 †¢Kotler, P. , (1998), Marketing Management analysis planning implementation and control, (9th ed. ), Prentice Hall, Australia †¢Kotler, P. Keller, K . L. (2006) Marketing Management: 12th eds:Pearson Education Limited: Upper Saddle river: New Jersey †¢Business 2000 case study: Extending the product life cycle through repositioning (http://www. business2000. ie/cases/cases_9th/case7. tm) †¢Weber, J. A. (1976) Planning Corporate Growth with inverted product lifecycle: Long range planning: Oct: 12 -29 †¢Mercer, D. 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