Botox Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Botox - Case Study Example Botox is derived from the botulin poison and used to paralyze the nerves and thus movement in certain parts of the face, particularly around the eyes, forehead, mouth, and nose, creating an appearance that is free of the age associated wrinkles. This treatment is considered a luxury purchase in Canada and worldwide, though is reasonably priced at around $2000 for a 3-6 month treatment on average. Because of this, the proposed marketing plan will address the ways to increase sales primarily in the luxury market, while also recognizing that Botox may become useful in the treatment of other diseases, such as migraines, chronic pain disorders, or nerve issues. Allergan states that Botox has â€Å"has virtually changed the face of medical aesthetics† and the widest application of this pharmaceutical is in cosmetic related procedures that are non-surgical and relatively quick for the patient to receive. (Allergen, 2011) Nevertheless, there may be competitors or legislative decisions that adversely affect the Botox market, such as taxation in the United States that would target Botox treatments and other types of cosmetic surgery with a type of luxury tax. As this is not expected to pass in Canada in the foreseeable future, the wider issue would be the assumption of medical coverage for Botox treatments popularly. There is increasing use of Botox in Canadian hospitals covered under national healthcare plans that include the use of Botox as a treatment for migraines, but there is little coverage under these plans for cosmetic procedures. Because of this, Allergan should pursue a sales and marketing plan for Botox in Canada that targets the medical uses of the drug to the hospital and private practitioner community while providing additional literature on the cosmetic use of Botox to all practicing cosmetic surgeons in the country. The next section will examine the existing corporate strategy of Allergan to see how it can be supplemented or improved for Canada. A llergan It is clear that Allergan CEO David Pyott’s plan for Botox has been widely successful, and the company is already pursuing a dual marketing plan of providing the background information on the medical uses of Botox to doctors in hospitals and private practice in Canada, while building log term relationships with cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists who specialize in the procedure. The advertising of Botox in the professional class is largely established through word of mouth and the becoming of â€Å"Botox† a publicly recognized term, like â€Å"aspirin†. This success in building the brand identity can be considered the highest accomplishment of Allergan’s existing marketing campaign, and this brand identity will fuel future organic growth in Canada. Strengths The strengths of the Botox product is its cosmetic use, though increasingly the medical significance of Botox in migraine and nerve pain instances points to a large and growing market share. Because there are few existent competitors for this product, and because it gives professionals an advantage in an appearance oriented career such as acting, modeling, publicity, etc., the procedure itself can often be justified as a business related cost or investment. This aspect is also related to the inevitable fact of old age and the need of society to worship the

Introduction to Operation Management Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Operation Management Essay If you would like to choose an organization that is NOT from the above list, please consult your professor. For SLP 1, identify the following by writing a paper (with paragraphs, including an introductory, body, and concluding section): 1) The organizations name and main line of business, 2) A specific type of operations process that takes place there (either service or product), 3) Describe the nature of the operations given your newfound understanding of operations management and productivity. 4) You may identify the strategy or global strategy of that organization. Feel free to consult background readings, browse our library to find more articles, and check the relevant websites to support your argument. Introduction An organization efficiency and effectiveness are necessary to surface in this new era of business where maintaining a competitive edge is the difference between succeeding and faltering. In this paper I will describe and analyze the operation management by describing and analyzing the different operations management perspectives and its productivity. Body The organization I have chosen to study and analyze is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., their line of business is retail. Since Wal-Mart is one of the top supermarket chains in the country exporting to 27 countries and sells a large number of products, the company runs on multiple levels and since some products have different regulations than other obviously the operation management has tuned to the specific needs of the product. Not only has the operation management pertained not only for goods but also for services. Since 2009, The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and Wal-Mart have worked together to create a system that measure and report the sustainability of products by developing tools to enhance the capacity to comprehend and state the environmental, social, and economic effects of products. This process of researching product sustainability is used to expand knowledge of top grossing products and find out how to improve the quality of the products. By improving the quality they can manufacture better products at a lower cost and sell it the same of higher price increasing profits. On the other hand, by testing product sustainability new eco-friendly products can be produce and lower the environmental impact while still satisfying consumer demand. The second step is researching the consumer, what they think about the product and how the product is used. This enables manufacturing companies to meet the consumer needs. After all the researcher is done, new found data is combined with new tools to produce better product quality and transparency creating a stronger trust between Wal-Mart and its customer. The nature of this operation is based on the idea of lowering costs while maintaining profits. By researching the products they learn the ins and outs of how it is made, the costs of production, and the sustainability of the product. This allows them to look into cheaper methods and materials while still maintain same safety, health and environmental standards. Furthermore when they research the consumer, they find out what the consumer really needs and provide more to fill that need. Whatever profits are saved they can invest into better tools, production equipment, or anything used to further advance the company. The global strategy (as well as general strategy) is to invest in lower prices. By expanding the types of products sold and bringing back assortments the customer base is expanded, since now the convenience of finding everything you need in one place is available. When this convenience is combined with lower prices, it makes Wal-Mart a retail juggernaut that will be nearly impossible to top. Conclusion In conclusion, operations management is a key tool in controlling all aspects of a business. By managing operations you can cut costs, accidents, or even increase profits. An example would be Wal-Mart’s product sustainability management. By investing in this process they have advanced their company in many aspects, giving them an advantage in their business. References Plenert, Gerhard J. (2002). International Operations Management. Retrieved January 17, 2013 at: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/tourou/search.action?p00=International +Operations+ManagementfromSearch=fromSearchsearch=Search Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) 2012 Annual Report. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://www.walmartstores.com/sites/annual-report/2012/CEOletter.aspx Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) Global Responsibility. Sustainability Index. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environment-sustainability/sustainability-index

Managing Capability Nandos | Executive Summary

Managing Capability Nandos | Executive Summary This report aims to describe and evaluate capabilities it will use the resource based view to examine them in more detail and the importance of them. After this the report will then evaluate Nandos resources and capabilities and will discuss ways in which these may possibly lead to a competitive advantage. Subsequent to this it will go on to divulge using an assortment of analytical frameworks associated with Nandos to investigate in more detail the competitive advantage they have over their competition. After this it will ascertain how the management of Nandos is able to develop and manage these capabilities. Introduction This report will be based around Nandos the restaurant chain. Nandos whose food, along with wacky advertising campaigns has captured the hearts of thousands of beloved customers. The origins of Nandos can be traced back to South Africa where the first restaurant opened in 1987, with Portuguese style food an ingrained idea within the business; basing their menu around chicken has afforded them the chance to gain a substantial stake in their chosen market. It has had rapid expansion overseas seeing triumph in many of the 25 countries they operate, although it has not been successful everywhere they laid their eggs.(REFERENCE IN HERE) In order to comprehend the strategy as well capabilities the companies possess, it is essential to look at all the pieces of the Nandos puzzle, this report will do this by drawing on real life examples of how Nandos have utilised resources and capabilities, in addition will be using analytical frameworks to support findings and present further understandin g. Resource Based View The resource-based view of strategy conjoins both resources and capabilities together; Grant states that it is the principle foundations of strategy along with correct understanding and implementation of these are a firms key basis to profitability. (Grant 2007) Grant deems it important to distinguish between resources and the capabilities of a firm; resources are, The productive assets owned by the firm whereas capabilities are what the firm can do (Grant 2007). One of the foremost sources of profitability is the competitive advantage in their market. Establishing competitive advantage can be achieved through the development and deployment of resources and capabilities, and thus has become the primary goal for strategy.'(Grant Page 124). Furthermore, Grant affirms that if external environment alters drastically, this in turn could have an effect on the markets an organisation operates in; then the need for a secure basis of internal resources and capabilities becomes of utmost importance an formed within the firm (Grant Book). This strong assortment of resources and capabilities can utilised by the firm to exploit different markets in which these capabilities could complement, instead of allowing the market in which they operate along with customers to control how they should go about doing business, further supporting the significance of competitive advantage in a market, as well as the need to possess this. Resources and Capabilities as a source of Competitive Advantage Resources are defined as the productive assets of a business, these consist of; tangible, intangible and human (knowledge) (Grant, 2007). Resources and Capabilities as Sources of Competitive Advantage Resources are the productive assets, both tangible (such as cash and plant), intangible (technology, reputation culture) and human (skills, capacity for communication and collaboration motivation), in control by the organisation (Grant, 2007). Capabilities are defined as the things a firm can do (2007, p. 130-131), these capabilities are formed by a firms capacity to utilize and deploy their resources for a desired end result Helfat Lieberman (2002 p.135 quoted in Grant 2007). The RBV of competitive advantage is born out of having a capability or resource that has the two following conditions; scarcity relevance. This advantage however is only useful and an advantage if it is durable, hard to imitate and replicate by other firms (Grant, 2007). In Appendix 1 the tangible, intangible and human resources of JnJ have been identified, along with their capabilities, I shall now define what a core and dynamic capability is with some brief examples of JnJs taken from the resources in the table. I shall then go on to show linkages further and ultimately if and how they provide JnJ with a competitive advantage, part 3 will go onto use frameworks to evaluate further if these are in fact sustainable. The nature of competitive adavantage is formed through a cpabilitiy or resource which have two conditions; there relevancy and there scarcity The benefits from these resources and capabilities depend not just on their ability to establish a competitive advantage but also on how long that advantage can be sustained (BOOK 2009). Also it is dependent on how resilient the companys capabilities are; as well as if a rival company can replicate specific capabilities. Figure 1 shows Nandos tangible,intangible and human resources identified, as well as their current capabilities, this report will now analyse what a core and dynamic capability is, including certain relevant examples related to Nandos from Figure 1. After this, I will go onto discuss in depth the linkages and how they may be able to present Nandos with effective advantage over their competition, following on from this, I will then utitlise certain frameworks and analyse and determine whether these are sustainable or not. Grant believes that Capabilities can be defined as either core or distinctive, the differences between the two is; core are the main fundamental capabilities a company must possess to compete in the chosen market, whereas distinctive are the capabilities which spate the company from the competition, giving them a competitive advantage.(Grant 2009) I will now look further into Nandos capabilities with reference to their capabilities in forms of core an distinctive. It is capability that is the essence of superior performance In order for Nandos or any company for that matter, to stay in a position that is both profitable and sustainable is a very hard thing to do. The understanding of their capabilities is imperative, as if they dont understand them then they could find themselves out of the market or even worse out of business. Capabilities are split up into to two different sectiosnScarce capabilities are widely available in their chosen market. If this is the case in Nandos chosen market then there is no real chance of gaining a larger segment of the market, they have to give the customer something new and different. Another factor is the relevance of these capabilities to the company and chosen market, as if they are not giving the target market what they want then they cant stay competitive, for example Nandos is established as a company who solely serve chicken, but whats to say people go and eat at KFC as they just serve chicken as well, its the taste and quality of the food which keeps customers coming back, as well as Nandos unique restaurant experience which is relevant to the market they are in. When we apply this to Nandos they have a specific part of the company that they focus everything around and thats chicken, they only serve chicken on their menu, which in some areas could be beneficial as no other large company is dedicated to that type of menu other than KFC but theres is Kentucky fried chicken and they are a fast food restaurant rather than Nandos established as a restaurant/takeaway so they arent in direct completion in their markets. Conclusion Acquisition of GBK over the last few months Tangible Intangible Human Financial (Cash, securtities, borrowing capacity) Physical (plant, equipment, land, mineral reserves) Technology (patents, copyrights,  trade secrets) Reputation (brands, relationships) Culture Skills/Know-how Capacity for communication and collaboration Motivation Organisational Capabilities Strategy Industry key factors success factors Competitive Advantage Nandos SWOT Analysis Strengths Advantages of proposition? Capabilities? Competitive advantages? USPs (unique selling points)? Resources, Assets, People? Experience, knowledge, data? Financial reserves, likely returns? Marketing reach, distribution, awareness? Innovative aspects? Location and geographical? Price, value, quality? Accreditations, qualifications, certifications? Processes, systems, IT, communications? Cultural, attitudinal, behavioural? Management cover, succession? Weaknesses Disadvantages of proposition? Gaps in capabilities? Lack of competitive strength? Reputation, presence and reach? Financials? Own known vulnerabilities? Timescales, deadlines and pressures? Cashflow, start-up cash-drain? Continuity, supply chain robustness? Effects on core activities, distraction? Reliability of data, plan predictability? Morale, commitment, leadership? Accreditations, etc? Processes and systems, etc? Management cover, succession? Opportunities Market developments? Competitors vulnerabilities? Industry or lifestyle trends? Technology development and innovation? Global influences? New markets, vertical, horizontal? Niche target markets? Geographical, export, import? New USPs? Tactics surprise, major contracts, etc? Business and product development? Information and research? Partnerships, agencies, distribution? Volumes, production, economies? Seasonal, weather, fashion influences? Threats Political effects? Legislative effects? Environmental effects? IT developments? Competitor intentions various? Market demand? New technologies, services, ideas? Vital contracts and partners? Sustaining internal capabilities? Obstacles faced? Insurmountable weaknesses? Loss of key staff? Sustainable financial backing? Economy home, abroad? Seasonality, weather effects?   Department Areas  Finance Return On Investment   Cash Flow   Return on Capital Employed   Financial Results (Quarterly/Yearly) Internal Business Processes  Number of activities per function   Duplicate activities across functions   Process alignment (is the right process in the right department?)   Process bottlenecks   Process automationLearning GrowthIs there the correct level of expertise for the job?   Employee turnover   Job satisfaction   Training/Learning opportunitiesCustomerDelivery performance to customer   Quality performance for customer   Customer satisfaction rate   Customer percentage of market   Customer retention rate   http://www.businessballs.com/balanced_scorecard.htm

The Road to Abolishing HUAC Essay -- ACLU American Civil Liberties Uni

The Road to Abolishing HUAC: A Comparison of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee The history of the United States in the twentieth century was significantly influenced by the actions of civil liberties organizations. However, during the reign of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s, civil liberties organizations compromised their principles and did not protest HUAC’s repression of civil liberties. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) purged its Communist members and sympathizers, condoned congressional investigating committees, and failed to defend individuals whose civil liberties had been abridged. Although the ACLU sought to censure McCarthy and called for the abolition of HUAC, its policies had shifted to the right and it rarely took direct action against HUAC. As a result, several former members of the ACLU created the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (ECLC) in 1951 to pick up the initiative dropped by the ACLU. Corliss Lamont, a fervent defender of civil liberties who left the ACLU for the ECLC, cla ims that he â€Å"remained on the Board [of the ALCU] and fought for fundamental civil liberties principles as long as [he] was able to†¦[but] was fighting a losing battle† (Freedom 278). By 1957, the ECLC dedicated its resources to abolishing HUAC but could not engage the ACLU in its campaign. One questions why the ECLC was active in the condemnation of HUAC in the 1950s, but the ACLU was not. Historians have cited anti-Communism within the Union, a desire to preserve its reputation, and the Union’s lack of resources as reasons why it was not involved in an abolition campaign. Research best supports the claim that the ACLU did not joi... ...LU. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1999. Samuel Walker is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He earned a Ph.D. in American History and is the author of books on civil liberties, policing, and criminal justice. He is also a member of the ACLU and this book is recommended in Ellen Shrecker’s Age of McCarthyism. He claims the ACLU was inactive during the Cold War because of weak leadership, poor judgement, an effort to keep the ACLU free of communism, and the belief that cooperation with the government was the best way to defend civil liberties. That he is a member of the ACLU lends questions to the objectivity of his analysis; William Donohue notes that the book â€Å"demonstrates as much independence of thought as would a tract written by a senior member of the Pentagon on the history of the Department of Defense†.

Nagel’s Negative Good vs Negative Evil

?Chapter 9 short writing assignmentShannon Prendergast Nagel explains negative good. as the absence of something bad and he describes a negative evil as the absence of something good. He is comparing these as they apply to death in this chapter. Assuming that death without anything is either good or bad to the person who dies. . He describes death as being either a negative evil or negative good. It can be described as a negative good because it can lack something bad. If someone is dying from a painful disease there death will result in the lack of the bad pain they were feeling. It can also be described as a negative evil because they will miss out on the great experiences of life (sun shining, flowers blooming, laughing. ) But for these to be true we must think we don’t exist after death. If we believe otherwise it could be these things don’t change for us. If you were a bad person you may continue to suffer, or maybe the sun and flowers are more beautiful after death if you were a good person. An example of a negative good in my life is the death of my brother-in-law. He suffered from depression (unknown to family) He was in a dark place and felt much turmoil and pain within. He committed suicide and this could be considered a negative good for him because his pain was ended. It can also be considered to be a negative evil because he will never see his children’s smile, hear there laughter or watch them grow. He was young and there was much life to live. I hope that there is existence after death and that people are at peace with there pain after death and can watch over there loved ones. Another example in life of a negative good is I had to leave a job I loved, but it happened to open the door for me to go back and finish my degree. The losing of the job was in turn not a bad thing because it produced something that otherwise would not have happened. There is also a negative evil in this situation and that is that I was unable to sign up for the class I wanted to take. It was not necessarily bad; it just lacked a something good. In wrapping up the difference between negative good and negative evil, I would like to believe that every negative has a positive and when a bad happens to us it is because a good is on its way. As far as death goes I believe we go on to a wonderful, place. whether it be as ourselves or not. After all did we ever not exist, or do we live forever just changing forms. Maybe are cells evolve into different thing and everyone lives forever somehow.

The President National Security essays

The President National Security essays The Presidents role in National Security has been a topic of enduring debate in U.S. politics from the Constitutional Convention to our present day situation in Kosovo. Nearly every American President has had to struggle with this issue and deal with the Constitutions separation of power between Congress and the Executive. The President and Congress share the war-making powers, treaty-making and foreign policy powers, and among many others, the power to place desired officials into certain offices. These powers, though disliked by many, are shared so as to protect the people of this nation with our grass roots system of checks and balances. Most critics of shared powers focus on the areas of war-making and foreign policy. This conflict can be traced all the way back to the struggle between Hamilton and Madison. After what was said to be a series of failed Presidencies (Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter), one group of modern Hamiltonians wanted to increase the power of the President explicitly. They hope to reach their goals legitimately through legislation and constitutional amendments. Another group of Hamiltonians emerged informally after the Presidency of Ronald Reagan and the Irangate controversy. Group members asserted that, The President and the President alone, should exercise exclusive authority in at least four vital areas: the power to go to war; the power to both initiate and carry out foreign policy; the power to appoint officials to the highest posts in the country with only the pro forma advice and consent of the Senate. (#6, p.57) They also wanted the Congress to only be able to make minor modificat ions to the Presidents domestic budget policy. Other advocates of these positions are seeking a more unitary state similar to those of modern parliamentary democracies like Great Britain. Many are envious of the British Prime Ministers abil...

Free Essays on A Seperate Piece

Through the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main characters named Gene Forester is seemingly always in a conflict. These conflicts both internal and external plague Gene until the very end. It is these conflicts that lead to the creation of an enemy that Gene is at war with throughout A Separate Peace. This enemy is Gene himself. The first time the enemy within Gene gets the best of him, it causes him to hurt his best friend. When Gene and Finny create the â€Å"Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session† they decide to make the initiation jumping out of a tree by the Devon River. It is this event that sparks the outrageous suspicion that maybe Finny is trying to ruin Gene’s academics by keeping him busy with the club. This envy of Finny builds in Gene over time and at each meeting they start by both of them jumping from the tree. Finally at one meeting when they were both on the limb, Gene’s feelings caused him to jounce the limb in a blind impulse resulting in Finny falling and breaking his leg. Although Gene did not think anyone saw what happened, one person did. Leper Lepellier witnessed Gene’s blind rage from the ground and ironically would see it again. Leper was the first of Gene and Finny’s class to enlist. He enlisted in the ski troops after seeing a recruiting video. No one expected to hear from Leper until during the Winter Carnival, Gene received a letter telling him that Leper had escaped and wanted Gene to meet him. Gene, being intrigued by the letter, left to meet Leper at his home in Vermont. When Leper starts describing his hallucinations of the war to Gene, it causes him to respond in anger. Gene reacts by yelling and at one point even kicks the chair out from under Leper. His problem is not as much with Leper as it is a conflict with himself over the war. In anger he leaves Leper and returns back to Devon. The last stand of the enemy within Gene is held when he, Finny, ... Free Essays on A Seperate Piece Free Essays on A Seperate Piece Through the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main characters named Gene Forester is seemingly always in a conflict. These conflicts both internal and external plague Gene until the very end. It is these conflicts that lead to the creation of an enemy that Gene is at war with throughout A Separate Peace. This enemy is Gene himself. The first time the enemy within Gene gets the best of him, it causes him to hurt his best friend. When Gene and Finny create the â€Å"Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session† they decide to make the initiation jumping out of a tree by the Devon River. It is this event that sparks the outrageous suspicion that maybe Finny is trying to ruin Gene’s academics by keeping him busy with the club. This envy of Finny builds in Gene over time and at each meeting they start by both of them jumping from the tree. Finally at one meeting when they were both on the limb, Gene’s feelings caused him to jounce the limb in a blind impulse resulting in Finny falling and breaking his leg. Although Gene did not think anyone saw what happened, one person did. Leper Lepellier witnessed Gene’s blind rage from the ground and ironically would see it again. Leper was the first of Gene and Finny’s class to enlist. He enlisted in the ski troops after seeing a recruiting video. No one expected to hear from Leper until during the Winter Carnival, Gene received a letter telling him that Leper had escaped and wanted Gene to meet him. Gene, being intrigued by the letter, left to meet Leper at his home in Vermont. When Leper starts describing his hallucinations of the war to Gene, it causes him to respond in anger. Gene reacts by yelling and at one point even kicks the chair out from under Leper. His problem is not as much with Leper as it is a conflict with himself over the war. In anger he leaves Leper and returns back to Devon. The last stand of the enemy within Gene is held when he, Finny, ...