Sales and inventory documentation Essay Example for Free

Sales and inventory documentation Essay Why Inventory Control? Control of inventory, which typically represents 45% to 90% of all expenses for business, is needed to ensure that the business has the right goods on hand to avoid stock-outs, to prevent shrinkage (spoilage/theft), and to provide proper accounting. Many businesses have too much of their limited resource, capital, tied up in their major asset, inventory. Worse, they may have their capital tied up in the wrong kind of inventory. Inventory may be old, worn out, shopworn, obsolete, or the wrong sizes or colors, or there may be an imbalance among different product lines that reduces the customer appeal of the total operation. Inventory control systems range from eyeball systems to reserve stock systems to perpetual computer-run systems. Valuation of inventory is normally stated at original cost, market value, or current replacement costs, whichever is lowest. This practice is used because it minimizes the possibility of overstating assets. Inventory valuation and appropriate accounting practices are worth a book alone and so are not dealt with here in depth. The ideal inventory and proper merchandise turnover will vary from one market to another. Average industry figures serve as a guide for comparison. Too large an inventory may not be justified because the turnover does not warrant investment. On the other hand, because products are not available to meet demand, too small an inventory may minimize sales and profits as customers go somewhere else to buy what they want where it is immediately available. Minimum inventories based on reordering time need to become important aspects of buying activity. Carrying costs, material purchases, and storage costs are all expensive. However, stockouts are expensive also. All of those costs can be minimized by efficient inventory policies. Inventory Control Inventory control involves the procurement, care and disposition of materials. There are three kinds of inventory that are of concern to managers: †¢ †¢ Raw materials, In-process or semi-finished goods, †¢ Finished goods. If a manager effectively controls these three types of inventory, capital can be released that may be tied up in unnecessary inventory, production control can be improved and can protect against obsolescence, deterioration and/or theft, Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 1 of 8 The reasons for inventory control are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Helps balance the stock as to value, size, color, style, and price line in proportion to demand or sales trends. Help plan the winners as well as move slow sellers Helps secure the best rate of stock turnover for each item. Helps reduce expenses and markdowns. Helps maintain a business reputation for always having new, fresh merchandise in wanted sizes and colors. Three major approaches can be used for inventory control in any type and size of operation. The actual system selected will depend upon the type of operation, the amount of goods. The Eyeball System This is the standard inventory control system for the vast majority of small retail and many small manufacturing operations and is very simple in application. The key manager stands in the middle of the store or manufacturing area and looks around. If he or she happens to notice that some items are out of stock, they are reordered. In retailing, the difficulty with the eyeball system is that a particularly good item may be out of stock for sometime before anyone notices. Throughout the time it is out of stock, sales are being lost on it. Similarly, in a small manufacturing operation, low stocks of some particularly critical item may not be noticed until there are none left. Then production suffers until the supply of that part can be replenished. Such unsystematic but simple retailers and manufacturers to their inherent disadvantage. Reserve Stock (or Brown Bag) System This approach is much more systematic than the eyeball system. It involves keeping a reserve stock of items aside, often literally in a brown bag placed at the rear of the stock bin or storage area. When the last unit of open inventory is used, the brown bag of reserve stock is opened and the new supplies it contains are placed in the bin as open stock. At this time, a reorder is immediately placed. If the reserve stock quantity has been calculated properly, the new shipment should arrive just as the last of the reserve stock is being used. In order to calculate the proper reserve stock quantity, it is necessary to know the rate of product usage and the order cycle delivery time. Thus, if the rate of product units sold is 100 units per week and the order cycle delivery time is two weeks, the appropriate reserve stock would consist of 200 units (I00u x 2w). This is fine as long as the two-week cycle holds. If the order cycle is extended, the reserve stock quantities must be increased. When the new order arrives, the reserve stock amount is packaged again and placed at the rear of the storage area. This is a very simple system to operate and one that is highly effective for virtually any type of organization. The variations on the reserve stock system merely involve the management of the reserve stock itself. Larger  items may remain in inventory but be cordoned off in some way to indicate that it is the reserve stock and should trigger a reorder. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 2 of 8 Perpetual Inventory Systems Various types of perpetual inventory systems include manual, card-oriented, and computer- operated systems. In computer-operated systems, a programmed instruction referred to commonly as a trigger, automatically transmits an order to the appropriate vendor once supplies fall below a prescribed level. The purpose of each of the three types of perpetual inventory approaches is to tally either the unit use or the dollar use (or both) of different items and product lines. This information will serve to help avoid stock-outs and to maintain a constant evaluation of the sales of different product lines to see where the emphasis should be placed for both selling and buying. Stock Control A stock control system should keep you aware of the quantity of each kind of merchandise on hand. An effective system will provide you with a guide for what, when, and how much to buy of each style, color, size, price and brand. It will reduce the number of lost sales resulting from being out of stock of merchandise in popular demand. The system will also locate slow selling articles and help indicate changes in customer preferences. The size of your establishment and the number of people employed are determining factors in devising an effective stock control plan. Can you keep control by observation? Should you use on-hand/onorder/sold records? Detachable ticket stubs? Checklists? And/or physical inventory? If so, how often? With the observation method (the eyeball system), unless the people using it have an unusually sharp sense of quantity and sales patterns, it is difficult to keep a satisfactory check on merchandise depletion. It means that you record shortages of goods or reorders as the need for them occurs to you. Without a better checking system, orders may only be placed at the  time of the salesmans regular visit, regardless of when they are actually needed. Although it may be the simplest system, it also can often result in lost sales or production delays. Detachable stubs or tickets placed on merchandise provide a good means of control. The stubs, containing information identifying the articles, are removed at the time the items are sold. The accumulated stubs are then posted regularly to the perpetual inventory system by hand or through the use of an optical scanner. A checklist, often provided by wholesalers, is another counting tool. The checklist provides space to record the items carried, the selling price, cost price, and minimum quantities to be ordered of each. It also contains a column in which to note whether the stock on hand is sufficient and when to reorder. This is another very simple device that provides the level of information required to make knowledgeable decisions about effective inventory management. Most smaller operations today, except for the very smallest, are using some form of a perpetual online system to record the movement of inventories into and out of their facilities. In a retail operation, the clerk at the register merely scans the ticket with a reader, and the system shows the current price and removes the item from the inventory control system. A similar process occurs in a manufacturing operation, except that the sale is actually a transfer of the inventory from control to production. This is a particularly critical system in a large operation such as a grocery store where they regularly maintain 12,000 plus items. Often a vendor will provide on-site or computerized assistance needed to help their smaller customers maintain a good understanding of their own inventory levels and so keep them in balance Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 3 of 8 Inventory Control Records Inventory control records are essential to making buy-and-sell decisions. Some companies control their stock by taking physical inventories at regular intervals, monthly or quarterly. Others use a dollar inventory record that  gives a rough idea of what the inventory may be from day to day in terms of dollars. If your stock is made up of thousands of items, as it is for a convenience type store, dollar control may be more practical than physical control. However, even with this method, an inventory count must be taken periodically to verify the levels of inventory by item. Perpetual inventory control records are most practical for big-ticket items. With such items it is quite suitable to hand count the starting inventory, maintain a card for each item or group of items, and reduce the item count each time a unit is sold or transferred out of inventory. Periodic physical counts are taken to verify the accuracy of the inventory card. Out-of-stock sheets, sometimes called want sheets, notify the buyer that it is time to reorder an item. Experience with the rate of turnover of an item will help indicate the level of inventory at which the unit should be reordered to make sure that the new merchandise arrives before the stock is totally exhausted. Open-to-buy records help to prevent ordering more than is needed to meet demand or to stay within a budget. These records adjust your order rate to the sales rate. They provide a running account of the dollar amount that may be bought without departing significantly from the pre- established inventory levels. An open-to-buy record is related to the inventory budget. It is the difference between what has been budgeted and what has been spent. Each time a sale is made, open-to-buy is increased (inventory is reduced). Each time merchandise is purchased; open-to-buy is reduced (inventory is increased). The net effect is to help maintain a balance among product lies within the business, and to keep the business from getting overloaded in one particular area. Purchase order files keep track of what has been ordered and the status or expected receipt date of materials. It is convenient to maintain these files by using a copy of each purchase order that is written. Notations can be added or merchandise needs updated directly on the copy of the purchase order with respect to changes in price or delivery dates. Supplier files are valuable references on suppliers and can be very helpful in negotiating  price, delivery and terms. Extra copies of purchase orders can be used to create these files, organized alphabetically by supplier, and can provide a fast way to determine how much business is done with each vendor. Purchase order copies also serve to document ordering habits and procedures and so may be used to help reveal and/or resolve future potential problems. Returned goods files provide a continuous record of merchandise that has been returned to suppliers. They should indicate amounts, dates and reasons for the returns. This information is useful in controlling debits, credits and quality Issues. Price books, maintained in alphabetical order according to supplier, provide a record of purchase prices, selling prices, markdowns, and markups. It is important to keep this record completely up to date in order to be able to access the latest price and profit information on materials purchased for resale. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 4 of 8 Controlling Inventory Controlling inventory does not have to be an onerous or complex proposition. It is a process and thoughtful inventory management. There are no hard and fast rules to abide by, but some extremely useful guidelines to help your thinking about the subject. A five step process has been designed that will help any business bring this potential problem under control to think systematically thorough the process and allow the business to make the most efficient use possible of the resources represented. The final decisions, of course, must be the result of good judgment, and not the product of a mechanical set of formulas. STEP 1: Inventory Planning Inventory control requires inventory planning. Inventory refers to more than the goods on hand in the retail operation, service business, or manufacturing facility. It also represents goods that must be in transit for  arrival after the goods in the store or plant are sold or used. An ideal inventory control system would arrange for the arrival of new goods at the same moment the last item has been sold or used. The economic order quantity, or base orders, depends upon the amount of cash (or credit) available to invest in inventories, the number of units that qualify for a quantity discount from the manufacturer, and the amount of time goods spend in shipment. STEP 2: Establish order cycles If demand can be predicted for the product or if demand can be measured on a regular basis, regular ordering quantities can be setup that take into consideration the most economic relationships among the costs of preparing an order, the aggregate shipping costs, and the economic order cost. When demand is regular, it is possible to program regular ordering levels so that stock-outs will be avoided and costs will be minimized. If it is known that every so many weeks or months a certain quantity of goods will be sold at a steady pace, then replacements should be scheduled to arrive with equal regularity. Time should be spent developing a system tailored to the needs of each business. It is useful to focus on items whose costs justify such control, recognizing that in some cases control efforts may cost more the items worth. At the same time, it is also necessary to include low return items that are critical to the overall sales effort. If the business experiences seasonal cycles, it is important to recognize the demands that will be placed on suppliers as well as other sellers.  A given firm must recognize that if it begins to run out of product in the middle of a busy season, other sellers are also beginning to run out and are looking for more goods. The problem is compounded in that the producer may have already switched over to next season’s production and so is not interested in (or probably even capable of) filling any further orders for the current selling season. Production resources are likely to already be allocated to filling orders for the next selling season. Changes in this momentum would be extremely costly for both the supplier and the customer. On the other hand, because suppliers have problems with inventory control, just as sellers do, they may be interested in making deals to induce customers to purchase inventories offseason, usually at substantial savings. They want to shift the carrying costs of purchase and storage from the seller to the buyer. Thus, there are seasonal implications to inventory control as Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 5 of 8 well, both positive and negative. The point is that these seasonable implications must be built into the planning process in order to support an effective inventory management system. STEP 3: Balance Inventory Levels Efficient or inefficient management of merchandise inventory by a firm is a major factor between healthy profits and operating at a loss. There are both market-related and budget-related issues that must be dealt with in terms of coming up with an ideal inventory balance: †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the inventory correct for the market being served? Does the inventory have the proper turnover? What is the ideal inventory for a typical retailer or wholesaler in this business? To answer the last question first, the ideal inventory is the inventory that does not lose profitable sales and can still justify the investment in each part of its whole. An inventory that is not compatible with the firm’s market will lose profitable sales. Customers who cannot find the items they desire in one store or from one supplier are forced to go to a competitor. Customer will be especially irritated if the item out of stock is one they would normally expect to find from such a supplier. Repeated experiences of this type will motivate customers to become regular customers of competitors. STEP 4: Review Stocks Items sitting on the shelf as obsolete inventory are simply dead capital. Keeping inventory up to date and devoid of obsolete merchandise is another critical aspect of good inventory control. This is particularly important with style merchandise, but it is important with any merchandise that is turning at a lower rate than the average stock turns for that particular business. One of the important principles newer sellers frequently find difficult is the need to mark down merchandise that is not moving well. Markups are usually highest when a new style first comes out. As the style fades, efficient sellers gradually begin to mark it down to avoid being stuck with large inventories, thus keeping inventory capital working. They will begin to mark down their inventory, take less gross margin, and return the funds to working capital rather than have their investment stand on the shelves as obsolete merchandise. Markdowns are an important part of the working capital cycle. Even though the margins on markdown sales are lower, turning these items into cash allows you to purchase other, more current goods, where you can make the margin you desire. Keeping an inventory fresh and up to date requires constant attention by any organization, large or small. Style merchandise should be disposed of before the style fades. Fad merchandise must have its inventory levels kept in line with the passing fancy. Obsolete merchandise usually must be sold at less than normal markup or even as loss leaders where it is priced more competitively. Loss leader pricing strategies can also serve to attract more consumer traffic for the business thus creating opportunities to sell other merchandise as well as well as the obsolete items. Technologically obsolete merchandise should normally be removed from inventory at any cost. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 6 of 8 Stock turnover is really the way businesses make money. It is not so much  the profit per unit of sale that makes money for the business, but sales on a regular basis over time that eventually results in profitability. The stock turnover rate is the rate at which the average inventory is replaced or turned over, throughout a pre-defined standard operating period, typically one year. It is generally seen as the multiple that sales represent of the average inventory for a given period of time. Turnover averages are available for virtually any industry or business maintaining inventories and having sales. These figures act as an efficient and effective benchmark with which to compare the business in question, in order to determine its effectiveness relative to its capital investment. Too frequent inventory turns can be as great a potential problem as too few. Too frequent inventory turns may indicate the business is trying to overwork a limited capital base, and may carry with it the attendant costs of stock-outs and unhappy and lost customers. Stock turns or turnover, is the number of times the average inventory of a given product is sold annually. It is an important concept because it helps to determine what the inventory level should be to achieve or support the sales levels predicted or desired. Inventory turnover is computed by dividing the volume of goods sold by the average inventory. Stock turns or inventory turnover can be calculated by the following equations: Stock Turn = Cost of Goods Sold Average Inventory at Cost Stock Turn = Sales Average Inventory at Sales Value If the inventory is recorded at cost, stock turn equals cost of goods sold divided by the average inventory. If the inventory is recorded at sales value, stock turn is equal to sales divided by average inventory. Stock turns four times a year on the average for many businesses. Jewelry stores are slow, with two turns a year, and grocery stores may go up to 45 turns a year. If the dollar value of a particular inventory compares favorably with  the industry average, but the turnover of the inventory is less than the industry average, a further analysis of that inventory is needed. Is it too heavy in some areas? Are there reasons that suggest more inventories are needed in certain categories? Are there conditions peculiar to that particular firm? The point is that all markets are not uniform and circumstances may be found that will justify a variation from average figures. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 7 of 8 In the accumulation of comparative data for any particular type of firm, a wide variation will be found for most significant statistical comparisons. Averages are just that, and often most firms in the group are somewhat different from that result. Nevertheless, they serve as very useful guides for the adequacy of industry turnover, and for other ratios as well. The important thing for each firm is to know how the firm compares with the averages and to deter- mine whether deviations from the averages are to its benefit or disadvantage. STEP 5: Follow-up and Control Periodic reviews of the inventory to detect slow-moving or obsolete stock and to identify fast sellers are essential for proper inventory management. Taking regular and periodic inventories must be more than just totaling the costs. Any clerk can do the work of recording an inventory. However, it is the responsibility of key management to study the figures and review the items themselves in order to make correct decisions about the disposal, replacement, or discontinuance of different segments of the inventory base. Just as an airline cannot make money with its airplanes on the ground, a firm cannot earn a profit in the absence of sales of goods. Keeping the inventory attractive to customers is a prime prerequisite for healthy sales. Again, the sellers inventory is usually his largest investment. It will earn profits in direct proportion to the effort and skill applied in its  management. Inventory quantities must be organized and measured carefully. Minimum stocks must be assured to prevent stock-outs or the lack of product. At the same time, they must be balanced against excessive inventory because of carrying costs. In larger retail organizations and in many manufacturing operations, purchasing has evolved as a distinct new and separate phase of management to achieve the dual objective of higher turnover and lower investment. If this type of strategy is to be utilized, however, extremely careful attention and constant review must be built into the management system in order to avoid getting caught short by unexpected changes in the larger business environment. Caution and periodic review of reorder points and quantities are a must. Individual market size of some products can change suddenly and corrections should be made. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Edited by SCORE 471 Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 8 of 8

Teen pregnancies research paper Essay Example for Free

Teen pregnancies research paper Essay The teean Pregnancy rate amongst sexually experienced teens in 2006 was 152. 8 pregancies per 1000 women, aged 15-19. This is a problem because we have to lower the pregnancy rate amongst teens becoming pregnant. A huge reason why we have to lower the rate is because this can cause the pregnant teen health issues. It can also ruin there lives. Teen Pregnancy is a growing problem in America and it needs to be addressed. Over time the rate of this issue has had its ups and downs. First, the rate of pregnancies increased in 2006. In 2006, teen pregnancy occurred to 7 percent of all women aged 15 to 19. Also, the rates have gotten even larger since 2006 and arent getting any better. The teenage birth rate in 2006 was 41. 9 births per 1000 women. Also, between 1988 and 2000, teenage birth rates declined in every stae and between 2000 and 2005 they fell in every stae except North Dakota and in 2006 they rose. Another factorthat has gone up and down in the past is the average rate at which a teen can become pregnant. The average rate at which a teen could become pregnant used to be 18 but in the present day that has changed to that a girl can become pregnant at arount 12 to 13 years old. This means that If a girl can be getting pregnant at arount 13 years old she has a way more likely chance of becoming pregnant in her later teen years. But also, this shows that we should not be blaming a teen pregnancy on the children having sex, we should also blame it on science because if it could not be possible for a teen to have a baby and become pregnant than it wouldt happen. Although they can be becoming pregnant at that young of an age they should not evn be having sex. A teenage should not be having sex until they are at least 17 or 18. There are many reasons why teens become pregnant. Fist, they might become pregnant unintendedly. An unplanned pregnancy can cause the teen many health issues. An unplanned pregnancy immediately causes the teen physical, emotional, psychological, and practical consequences. Pregnacy also can cause health risks do to behaviors. Shokingly, 85 percent of all teen pregnancies are unplanned! Second, A teen Pregnancie can be planned. Some of teens who become pregnant are in fact, married. Although a pregnancie can be planned a pregnancie can also be unwanted by the parents of the children. If a pregnancie is unwanted by either or both of the parents, then that can also cause emotional issues. Although, most of planned pregnancies are wanted. There are many things that we can do to prevent the teen pregnancie. First, the parents can help prevent there child from becoming pregnant. If a teen has parents who push abstinence are 12 percent more likely to stay a virgin than a person who doesnt. Despite t. v. , peer pressure, despite hormones, the single biggest influence on whether a teen will have sex is there parents. To make children postpone sex will help not to talk about birth control. Also, letting your children know openly that you expect them not to have sex will help them chose to postpone it. And third, teaching teens abstinence will help prevent teen pregnancies. Finally, each of these methods for parents will double the likelyness that your child decides to stay a virgin. And a final good way to prevent the pregnancies is for parents to have good relationaships with there kids. There are also many, many consequences to becoming pregnant as a teen. The first consequence to becoming pregnant as a teen is STD infections. In 1996. 1. 5 million people including 350,000 children and youth died of aids. Also abstinence programs will not prevent the new hiv infections. Other than STDs there are also many other consequences to becoming pregnant as a teen. First, other than STDs teen pregnancy will cause education issues. For example, Teen mothers are way less likely to finish high school than a teenager who doesnt become pregnant until she is a grown up. This also means that since the teen is less likely to finish high school then they are also way less likely to regraduate and go to collage. Another thing that will cause the girls to quit school and not go to collage is that 60 percent of all teen mothers are living in poverty at the time of birth. This will show that they will probably not have enough money to raise the baby let alone pay to go to collage. Since 4 out of 20 girls become pregnant before the age of 20 then so many girls are going to be out of school and in even in debt because of 1 little mistake of having unprotected sex before they were ready. This is another huge reason why we need to work to help stop this issueand if we dont this will keep happening to hundreds of thousands of girls each year. This will ruin lives period. Also, Pregnancie can cause immediate physical, psychological, and emotional consequences for the pregnant teen and or the man. Another concequence that can take place as one said on Our health, Our future web page is â€Å"women who become pregnant during there teens are at an increased risk for complications, such as premature birth. †(anonymouse, Our Health Our Future teen pregnancie page). This is an important statement because it sais that becoming pregnant as a teen can not only be harmful for the pregnant teen but for the baby as well. Another problem facing teens that is a problem is the abortion rate. As the rate of pregnancies increases the rate of abortion increases as well. Also as an anonymouse person said â€Å"reducing teen pregnancy and birth is one of the most efffecitive ways of reducing child poverty†(Anonymouse, Our Health, Our Future teen pregnancy page). This shows that teen pregnancy is a major cause of child poverty and if we reduce the pregnany rate we will reduce the child poverty rate. Another important quote about the teen pregnancy in america is â€Å"it is hard to raise a child when you are still a child. † (anonymouse, Our Health Our Future teen pregnancy web page). This shows that the teen pregnancies that are occuring are not likely to raise a babysuccesfully. Also, this is another reason why we should be working to end teen pregnancy. And last but not least another huge consequence of having so many teeanage pregnancies in america is that it will cost the teen and the teens parents so much money. The teenage pregnancies in the U. S costs the nationat least 7 billion dollars anualy. If we lowered the teen pregnancie rate in america we could lower the american debt which would help economicaly as well as health wise and emotionaly which is another big reason we should be trying to stop this problem. Thus, teen pregnancy is a problem for society because it will have so many consequences and so many other problems. If we teach all of our kids abstinence, created by that there is hope for us to lower the pregnancy rate amongst teens. Individuals need to practice abstinence to prevent the problem because if the teens arent having sex they arent becoming pregnant. Teen pregnancy is increacing at a fast rate and we need to do all we can to stop it, or even just lower the abnormaly high rate.

Herta Company: Product Improvement Analysis and Plan

Herta Company: Product Improvement Analysis and Plan Report Title: A Study of a soy and wheat steak by the brand Herta in France    Summary The question of meat consumption is raised in almost every country in Europe. People are starting to reduce their meat consumption for various reasons such as its price, ethics, health or environment. Hence, the industry has to adapt and create an answer to that new demand. Some brands like Herta, a traditional cold meat brand company has created a new Vegetal range. The aim of this report is to study a soy and wheat steak from the brand Herta in France. First, the report will focus on an overall market situation of a product involving desk research of the current market situation and a focus group to evaluate the perceived quality of the product. The second part of the report will suggest a plan for product improvement, presenting variations that could be done to improve the product and its sales. In order to do that, a small survey was done to understand better the needs and the worries of the population who can potentially buy such a type of product. 2.1 What is Herta? The product of the Brand Herta is a soy and wheat steak. It belongs to a range of products called Le Bon Và ©gà ©tal, meaning The Good Vegetal. Herta is an industrial brand owned by Nestlà ©. It is famous for its pre-cooked Frankfurter, which is a seasoned smoked sausage made of beef and pork. Herta is currently the number one Frankfurter-brand throughout Europe, but not only that. Herta has an awareness rate of 96% and a penetration rate of 83% in France, and is the first brand of cold meats and has been the first brand overall in France for 3 years according to the Kantar World panel. Its position on the market has always been one of simplicity, and it has insisted a lot on this with its slogan The taste of simple things since 2012. Herta does the majority of its activity on the cold meat market with 60% of its sales in volume. It also sells fresh deli products. Recently, the brand announced an innovation which has broken with its usual business portfolio : the range Le Bon Và ©gà ©tal. According to Sophie Van Eeckhaute, brand manager at Herta, this new product is the latest strong undertaking of the company. Usually the market is only owned by specialists, but Herta wants to democratize the vegetal protein. While this product seems unusual for the brand, she highlights that Nestlà © is not new in this field since it owns Krupa, a product facility for production of such products. Le Bon Và ©gà ©tarien has more than 10 different recipes elaborated with vegetal proteins and each product is sold for around 2,75 â‚ ¬ with a weight of 150 to 200g. With this new product, Herta is aiming at flexitarians (30% of the population in France) who try to reduce their meat consumption, but also to vegetarians, who dont eat meat (2%) and vegans, who dont eat product from animals (0,5%). Herta wants to attract 30% of the vegetarian catering market of supermarkets. It is aiming at families who want to eat healthily and who want to reduce their consumption of animal proteins according to Catherine Petilon, marketing director at Herta. In Nestlà ©s opinion, the offer of fresh deli products doesnt fit with the needs of the French consumers. The consumers dont really know the brands which are positioned on the market of vegetal protein foods such as Sojasun, Cà ©rà ©al and Carrefour Veggie. The marketing director is convinced that Herta has a role to play on this market thanks to its notoriety. Indeed, the brand bets on its proximity to the meat market to erase the concern of a part of consumers to eat vegetal meat. (Prodimarques, 2016) 2.2 What does the product consist of? All the products from the range Le bon Và ©gà ©tal come with the European Label V with the mention vegetarian or vegan. However, it doesnt say anything about the presence or absence of GMO soy despite the fact that Herta assures that they only use non GMO soy. Focusing on the Soy and wheat steak: Figure 1 Picture of Hertas product Here is the list of ingredients: Soy proteins and rehydrated wheat proteins, water, vegetal oils, onions, corn starch, stabilizers E461, E407; salt, maltodextrin, yeast extract, aroma, onion powders, garlic powders, malt extract, caramel, spices, acidifier: E330. May contains eggs, sesame, celery and mustard. Table 1 Nutrition value of the soy and wheat steak by Herta Typical value For 100g Per portion (75g) % of recommended daily allowances Energy 158 kcal 119 kcal 6% Proteins 16g 12g 24% Fat (total) Saturated fatS 6g 0,7 4,5g 0,5g 6% 3% Carbohydrates 8g 6g 2% FibreS 4g 3g Salt 1,5 1,1g 19% (Source: OpenFoodFacts, 2016) 2.3 What is the situation of the market? The brand wants to establish itself in the niche of Vegetal meats which has a penetration rate, of 8,4% with only 4 purchases per year. But the sales are increasing by 10% each. Herta estimates that the sales are going to be multiplied by two within 2 years. In Germany, this market already represents 140 million of euros, while it is still only 28 million in France. The fresh deli products belonging to the vegetarian category like soya steaks have seen their sales increased by 11.9 % in mass retail in 2015 to reach 15.42 billion euros, according to IRI. Soy based products account for 2/3 of the sales. Over the same period, the overall fresh deli product market has also seen an augmentation of 5,6 % of its sale revenue. However, the average price of a vegetarian product decreased by 0.5% to 14,13 euros per kilo, while the average price of fresh products increased by 1,8% to 10,49 euros. 2.4 What is the situation of the product on the market? At the moment, there is no study available about the sales of the product and the sales of competitors. The market is still relatively new in France, and the company is not ready to reveal its sales figures. 2.5 Overall situation of the society Over the last years, significant changes have occurred in French food consumption habits. French people tend to eat more at home and in less time (according to euromonitor). But french people also spend less time cooking and want to eat more healthily at the same time. However, these differences of consumption also depend on criteria such as age. Hence, young adults (18-34) consume more processed foods than older people. They also use more delivery services and eat out more often. Besides, the generation born between 1977 and 1986 spends 8 times more money on processed food than the generation from 1920-1930 at the same age. This food consumption is the result of new aspirations which can be ethical, ecological, etc. This generation has to deal with the contradictions of the recommendations of nutrition from professionals and the pressure of the marketing of the government and of the food-business (Study from Agrimer: national French establishment of agricultural products, 2012). Therefore, 56% of the French say that they eat less meat compared to previous years. For 46% of interviewed people, this is because meat is too expensive. 35% say that industrial breeding doesnt respect animal welfare and 31% that meat is not good for health. Then, 26% quote the food scandals and 19% the respect of the environment. Among this panel, 61% eat meat at least once a day and 9% eat meat less than once a week. Now, 30% of French people are qualified as flexitarian. According to Terra eco (a specialized magazine), 26% of French people would be ready to become vegetarian. 1/2 French people occasionally consume vegetarian products and 1/5 vegan products. 1/5 declares themselves to be neo vegetarian. Nevertheless, 2/5 never have a meal without meat or fish. The profile of the typical vegan consumer is female, young and from a higher Socio-Professional Category. Above all, they look for healthy balanced and natural foods, which also respect the animal welfare, and also mistrust the food-industry. However, neo vegetarians prefer organic shops and brands. They also buy more in small local shops, sometimes up to twice as much as in supermarkets. (according to a report from arcane research). 2.6 Who are the main competitors? What are the main differences? To better understand the market, it is important to understand who the other competitors are. There are two different types of competitors: the ones from specialized shops, whose products have created the market, and the others which are sold in the same conditions as Hertas products and are more direct competitors. La Vie Claire: La Vie Claire is a chain of organic food stores. Products from La Vie Claire are only sold within their shops. They sell a very wide range of products which can substitute meat. Figure 2 Picture of La Vie Claires product Table 2 Nutrition value of the soy steak by La Vie Claire Characteristics Benefits Disadvantages Medium price: 3.50 â‚ ¬ for 180g Large range of product Only available in La Vie Claires shops Positioning: Specialized Food From real soy grains Too much fat: 22g against 6g in Hertas product From Organic Agriculture Not enough proteins: 11,6g against 16g in Hertas product The product can be seen Only 270 shops minimalistic Packaging (Source: La Vie Claire, 2016) La Vie Claire is not a direct competitor since their productS cant be found next to Hertas. However, indirectly it will challenge X Hertas brand and attract a part of the vegetarian and vegan consumers. The product benefits from the very good image of the brand which is seen as more trustworthy in this field, and whICH is specialized in this type of product. That is the reason why the product can be a little more expensive (2.91â‚ ¬ per 150g). Nevertheless, the visibility of the product is far smaller than Hertas and the product seems to have some nutritional issues since it cant really be a substitute for meat since there are not enough proteins in it, and that it contains also far too much fat. Grill vegetal by Cà ©rà ©al: Figure 3 Picture of Cereals product Table 3 Nutrition value of the soy and wheat steak by Grill Vegetal Characteristics Benefits Disadvantages Medium price: 3.07 â‚ ¬ for 180g Large range of product: 7 Rehydrated soy and wheat Positioning: Specialized Food A little more fat and mostly unsaturated: 8,5g against 6g in Hertas product Unknown by most consumers 6,1g of Fibers Only sold in specialized shops The product can be seen minimalistic Packaging Looks more like meat by the aspect and the packaging Made in France Specifies the absence of additives such as food colourings and preservatives. Good amount of proteins : 17g against 16g in Hertas product (Source: Grill Vegetal, 2016) Just like La Vie Claire, Grill Vegetal by Cà ©rà ©al is only sold in specialized shops. However, it is overall a good product with a lots of advantages such as its nutritional aspect, its place of production, and the price is even lower than Hertas (2,56 â‚ ¬ per 150g). The product seems to respond well to the consumers demand on all highlighted points by consumers. It also looks like meat and has a decent amount of proteins even if it is still less important than meat. Nevertheless, the rather poor visibility of the product may hold back its consumption. Sojasun: Figure 4 Picture of Sojasuns product Table 4 Nutrition value of the soy steak by Sojasun Characteristics Benefits Disadvantages Medium price: 3.50 â‚ ¬ for 200g Large range of products: 11 (7 steaks) Rehydrated soy Positioning: Supermarkets A little more fat and mostly unsaturated: 8,5g against 6g in Hertas product The real product cant be seen at all 5.0g of Fibers As many proteins as Hertas (16g) Soy cultivated in France No GMO (Source: Sojasun, 2016) Sojasuns products are more direct competitors to Herta since they are also sold in supermarkets. The nutrition value of the steak is very similar to Hertas regarding the protein, fat or fibre amount. However, they have an important range of products and even have 7 different soy steaks. The strong points of the product are the absence of GMO and the origin of the soy. The price is even less expensive than Hertas with only 2,63 â‚ ¬ per 150g. Despite all its strength, the product may suffer from its brand not being as famous as Herta. Veggie by Carrefour: Figure 5 Picture of Carrefours product Table 5 Nutrition value of the soy steak by Veggie (Carrefour): Characteristics Benefits Disadvantages Medium price: 2.20 â‚ ¬ for 200g Large range of product: 16 Rehydrated soy Positioning: Carrefour Supermarkets A little more fat and mostly unsaturated: 8,8g against 6g in Hertas product The real product cant be seen at all 6,6g of Fibers The product can only be bought at Carrefour A little less protein than Hertas (14g). Does not communicate on the origin of the raw products (Source: Veggie, 2016) Veggie was created by Carrefour in 2015 to become a competitor to Sojasun. They chose to have a very low price in comparison to other similar products. As a consequence, the quality seems to be a little lower. However, the range of products is very large and Carrefour is of great renown in THE food business and distribution. Therefore, Veggie may become an important competitor to Herta despite being only sold in Carrefours supermarkets. 2.7 Perceived quality of the product: A focus group of 6 people have been conducted on the subject of Hertas new range, and more particularly the soy and wheat steak. The participants were all between 20 and 24 years old and were postgraduate students. This panel was selected because it was composed of 3 men and 3 women, and because more educated people tend to be the major consumers of this type of product according the studies. Among the panel, only 2 people had tried vegetal meat. They are not common users but said that they rather enjoyed the product. All of them said that they would buy the Hertas product. Half of them said spontaneously that they liked the packaging. They also agreed on the fact that green was a simple but good choice of colour since it seems more natural. However, none of them knew that Herta had made a new vegetal brand, and it was a bit hard for them to associate Herta with vegetal product. Still, what concerned them the most about the product was the vegan tag. They found it very restrictive in a way that in may repel them. When the benefits of the products were asked, half of them talked about gas emission. Also, the group was very divided concerning the question of animal and vegetal proteins. Some of them fought proteins from animal were better while other said the exact opposite, and some did not intervene. Regarding the drawbacks of the product, they highlighted that the soy production was done in Brazil and that is was not as good as pretended for the environment. Moreover, they associated the soy from Brazil with GMO soy. They also argue about the transformation process and the factory work carried out to get the product and said it was not good for the environment neither, and that the people working in this factories were probably not paid enough. Before the nutrition value topic could have been addressed, they asked for the tag to get a clear idea of what was inside the product. To do a comparison, they also asked for the tag of a real steak. They concluded that there were more proteins in mea t and less fat in vegan steak. Moreover, they pointed out the higher concentration in salt and carbohydrates in the Herta product. Concerning the price, the opinions were very mixed. Some would pay between 3 and 3.5 euros while others would only pay around 2 euros. Those who were ready to invest less money told that they would start by comparing the price with other competitors. To conclude on the session, one of the major issue with the product was the vegan writing which was considered as too extreme by the panel. It seems that people may not be ready to go from meat diet to vegan diet even if this not on regular basis. The psychological impact of the word on people could repel them from the product. Also, the image of the brand is really associated with meat in the mind of the consumers, it will be something to work on for Herta. Moreover, whereas everyone knew Herta very well, none of them knew the vegetal range of product. Hence, it seems that the communication around Le bon và ©gà ©tal could be improved. Nevertheless, the product looked appealing for everyone, even if they had restraints about the conception of the product. 2.8 Conclusion of part 1: Herta is clearly trying to anticipate the future trends. The brand understood that an important part of the future of fresh deli food relies on meat substitutes, and chose to be part of this new market rather than opposing itself to the new ways of consuming. Being one on of the first on the market could also help Herta which is now an old French brand and need to show innovation to keep a dynamic image in the eye of the consumer. The major issue for them is to succeed to support the maximum of consumers to this changing without losing them on the path. However, other brands such as Veggie may be fierce competitors for the future, not to mention the other brands already positioned in the market. 3.1 A lack in terms of nutrition value The first thing that could be a problem for the future of the product is the quantity. indeed, the pack contains 2 steaks weighing only 75g each which means a total amount of soy and wheat of 150g. for hertas product, for 100g, there are exactly 150 kcal, corresponding to only 112,5 kcal for 75g. a beef steak in france has an average of 20g of proteins and between 5 to 15g of fat according to the steak (per 100g). often a steak weighs 125g meaning that is has even more proteins and fat in it. for a steak of only 100g and 10g of fat, there are 170 kcal. The difference in calories is very important and could cause a difference in the perception of satiety especially given that animal proteins give a more important feeling of satiety (Douglas Paddon-Jones., 2008). If the consumer after consuming the product is still hungry, it will affect its experience and he will be less likely to buy it again. moreover, all competitors use a quantity which varies between 180 and 200g while some of them focus more on the product of high quality aspect (grill vegetal, la vie claire) and are seen as less accessible products. If a comparison was to be made, it would probably weaken the position of herta who wants to be closer to the average person. The price is indeed higher than other competitors price if the calculation is proportional to the quantity. the results are even more disconcerting when comparing carrefour (1.10 â‚ ¬ per 100g) and herta (1.83 â‚ ¬ per 100g). keeping the price in the average of the competitors is very important for the brand. if people have the choice between sojasuns product and hertas product and consider them to be at the same price if considering the quantity, in would surely harm herta. the significant price difference of veggie by carrefour and herta is too important. the product from le bon và ©gà ©tal could be negatively affected by this competition. indeed, the main reason why people tend to consume less meat is the cost. 46% percent of the people who eat less meat are motivated by the price (according to a study lead by Mediaprism). 3.2 Consider adding information to the packaging Concerning GMO, if the brand actually uses non GMO soy, it will probably be better to write it on the packaging, even if it is not highlighted. Indeed, as the focus group showed, people are concerned about the origin of the product and particularly soy. This is an important question considering there are not much French soy production. Moreover, the product has a rather high proportion of proteins compared to competitors and also a low level of fat. The brand should therefore consider writing a slogan such as the benefits of meat without its disadvantages. Then, on the other side of the packaging, the brand should explain how the product is better for health thanks to its nutritional value, but also how it is good for the environment. However, while doing that, the brand should always consider its positioning and should not be too harsh with the meat industry since it is Hertas main revenue sources. However, if the brand judges it too dangerous, another possibility would be to just compare the nutritional value to the products of the competitors and praise Hertas product. 3.3 A survey for more accuracy To get a more accurate idea, a survey was made. This survey was addressed to people who are living in France. These people are mostly between 18-25 years old and are of a rather high education level. The first part of the survey is about questioning the connotation of the terms Vegetarian and Vegan to understand what people associate with these words and if they sound rather positive or negative. Hence, to the question What does the word vegetarian actually bespeak?, people tend to give a definition of the word for the vast majority of them. To the question What is the connotation associated to the word vegetarian for you?, more than 55% have a rather good to good opinion of the idea. Half of the rest is neutral while the other half has a negative idea of the word. However, to the question What does the word vegan actually bespeak? the majority tends to give a definition, while a significant number of people (around 25%) associate it with the notion of extremism, and that by themselves, only responding to an open question. What is even more astonishing, is the connotation of the term vegan, especially in comparison of the results of the same question with Vegetarianism. Therefore, around 65% of people have a rather negative to negative opinion of the word, while almost all the others have a neutral opinion of it. The significant difference between the two terms in peoples min d is confirmed by the question would you buy vegetarian/vegan products?. 65% of people would buy vegetarian product while only 50% would buy a vegan product. The second part of the survey focused on the product and the perception people have of it. To the question, would you buy this product?, showing only the picture of Hertas product, only 28% of people would buy it. This percentage is very weak and lower than what could have been expected. The following question asked to justify the choice helps to get a better idea of what people really think. The people who would not consume the product justify their choice with multiple reasons. One of them is the brand itself. Surprisingly, while it has a very good image among French people, some of the people interrogated said that they dont trust Herta to make a Vegetal product. Moreover, several people are reluctant to consuming soy. Other people dont have any interest for the product and a significant number actually doesnt like the shape of the product. They say that if they want a steak, they would buy a steak with meat, and not a substitute. Finally, this part deals with the price people would be ready to pay for the product. The results are rather homogeneous since every person who responded to this question would invest between 2 to 3 euros for the product. This result is very close to the actual price of the product. To get more precision, the last question was exactly the same but showing two other products from direct competitors: SojaSun and Veggie by Carrefour while also communicating their prices (respectively 3.50 euros and 2.20 euros). This question was askeed to put the people in a more real context where they can have access to other products. Hence when considering only people who would be ready to buy the product, the large majority of them would pay 2.50 euros for it while very few of them would be ready to invest more or invest less money in the product. 3.4 Analysis of the results The results that emerge from this survey confirm that the actual price is close to what people would be ready to pay for and that maybe the product could benefit from a slight decrease of its price. Indeed, Herta is a brand for everyone, it cannot be as expensive as another brand of higher range products such as SojaSun or some other specialized competitors. Nevertheless, the price of Carrefour Veggie seems very low and most of the people were ready to invest a little more money in Hertas product than in Veggie after having seen the price of the product by Carrefour. Also, the Vegan tag question raised after the analysis of focus group was more thorough explored with the survey. It is clear that the concerns shared by the focus group were also shared by the surveyed people. The connotation of the term vegan and the associations made around it give it a less appealing look than vegetarian. I would therefore advise to change vegan for vegetarian. In addition, some people seem a bit reluctant when it comes to soy. Keeping a good range of products where not all vegetal products come from soy seems a good idea. Despite the consistency of the results, the panel was only of 20 people. This means that the results are not completely reliable and should be treated with the utmost care. Carrying out another study by the group Herta on a more important population should en

The Recluse Essay -- Literary Analysis

Wordsworth suffers solitude, even as he celebrates it. Alone, the poet can explore his own consciousness; it exists at both poles of the notion of ‘emotion recollected in tranquillity’, and is the dominant developmental mode of Wordsworth’s childhood as depicted in The Prelude (1805). Independence is what is exalted in his introduction to that poem: he greets the ‘gentle breeze’ as a ‘captive†¦ set free’ from the ‘vast city’ which has been as a ‘prison’ to his spirit. The oppression of city living is alleviated in this opening reacquisition of isolation; the relief is evident: ‘I breathe again’, ‘that burthen of my own unnatural self [is shaken off], /The heavy weight of many a weary day/ Not mine, and such as were not made for me’. In this, the commencing statement of his autobiography, the independence of solitude is represented as the essential quality of his poetic felicity. T he ‘egoistical sublime’ observed by Keats is manifest in this poetry in a separation from other men, rather than in that of a Byron, whose narrators’ egotisms are evinced by their social interactions. Wordsworth’s company is nature; his sister, his wife, his children exist as assimilations rather than relationships. The sister of Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, is conjured into independence in the final paragraph, so as to exist as a previous self: ‘For thou are with me’, he suddenly reveals, ‘and in thy voice I catch/ The language of my former heart’. She is externalised when poetically useful; and it is by this externalisation that Wordsworth is able to avert and diminish his poem’s undercurrent doubts. ‘This prayer I make/ Knowing that Nature never did betray/ The heart that loved her’, has a contrary traction as a plea intimating des... ...this as his essential condition, but it is worth observing that ‘recluse’ does not imply total isolation. Wordsworth’s solitude, as he left childhood, was never again to be absolute; for as consciousness developed, so did his capacity to apprehend himself, in language, so even alone he could not be alone without self-intercourse, mediated by language. His solitude was necessary for his vocation, but his vocation trespassed on that solitude; for to be a poet is to cast experience away from the self: even in egotism, isolation is disrupted by the projection of an audience. Works Cited Gil, Stephen ed. William Wordsworth: The Major Works (OUP 1984) Hartman, Geoffrey Wordsworth’s Poetry 1787-1814 (Yale University Press 1971) Morgan, Monique R. ‘Narrative Means to Lyric Ends in Wordsworth’s Prelude’ (Narrative, Volume 16, Number 3, October 2008, pp. 298-330)

Plessy vs. Ferguson :: essays research papers

Plessy went to court and argued that the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. The judge, a Massachusetts lawyer, was John Howard Ferguson. He had previously declared the Separate Car Act "unconstitutional on trains that traveled through several states." However, in regards to the Plessy trial, he stated that Louisiana could regulate railroad companies that only operated within its state. Ferguson found Plessy guilty of refusing to leave the white car. Plessy decided to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Louisiana, but that court upheld Ferguson's opinion. Plessy then decided to take his case to the United States Supreme Court. In 1896, The Supreme Court of the United States found Homer Plessy guilty once again. Justice Henry Brown, the speaker for the eight-person majority, wrote: "That [the Separate Car Act] does not conflict with the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery...is too clear for argument...A statute which implies merely a legal distinction between the white and colored races -- a distinction which is founded in the color of the two races and which must always exist so long as white men are distinguished from the other race by color -- has no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races...The object of the [Fourteenth Amendment] was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinc tions based upon color, or to enforce social, as distinguished from political equality, or a commingling of the two races upon terms unsatisfactory to either." The one lone dissenter, who argued in favor of Plessy's case, and seemed to be the only one with a real understanding of equality, was Justice John Harlan. He wrote his own speech regarding the case and its decision. "Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law...In my opinion, the judgment this day rendered will, in time, prove to be quite as pernicious as the decision made by this tribunal in the Dred Scott case...The present decision, it may well be apprehended, will not only stimulate aggressions, more or less brutal and irritating, upon the admitted rights of colored citizens, but will encourage the belief that it is possible, by means of state enactments, to adopted the recent amendments of the Constitution.

Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Essay -- Hemingway Hills White

Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyday people make decisions that affect their future lives. Do people make the right decisions? What makes a decision a right one? What may be right to some, may be wrong to others. There are no right or wrong decisions but those that people choose and believe to be right varying from each individual. In Hemingway's realistic story, Hills Like White Elephants, Jig attempts to make a crucial change in her life by making the right decision, but is unable to because of her weak characteristic flaws. Jig is indecisive about her decision. Even though she realizes the possibilities, she has difficulties letting go of old habits, has a low self-esteem that leads to her being submissive, and puts up a frail fight by hiding her feelings behind her sarcastic comments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jig faces an immense decision that will change her future. She must choose between the old and the new lifestyle. It is hard for her to let go of old habits that consists of taking no responsibility and the sole intention of seeking pleasure. She must go from a young worriedless rebel to a stable adult taking responsibility. It's a hard process since there are three steps to changing: realization, doing the deed, and committing to the change. She definitely realizes she needs to change, but only goes that far. She does walk to the end of the station and looks upon the fertile side of the valley and comments "and we could have all this," but she ...

Disaster Management Essay

Disaster management is a way to help when disasters happen but it is also to help prevent them or to inform everyone about what may happen. The main function is to helping the citizens to understand what is happening. The state will determine how severe the disaster is and then the ones who are responsible for reporting to the appropriate government or agency will then make the recommendation to getting help for funding, support, and any emergency supplies to those who are affected by the disaster. The disasters that happen can be unpredictable like earthquakes, while other natural disasters could happen with some type of warning like flooding. B. The state of California has manuals that they use that goes into details about statewide policies, procedures, regulations, and any other important information that was developed and authorized by the state offices, department of finance, department of general services, and the government offices (Disaster Management – California Technology Agency – State of California, 2013). III. Examine local, state federal legal and regulatory requirements A. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)- Has jurisdiction over all public and private sector places of employment in the state with exception of Federal employees, the USPS, private sector employers on Native American lands, maritime activities on navigate waterways of the US, private contractors on designated land under Federal jurisdiction, and employers that requires Federal security clearance. B. Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) C. The California State Plan is operated under an agreement with OSHA. It is an occupational safety and health program in accordance with Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. D. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)- Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, Coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, Regional Emergency Coordinators, Emergency Care Coordination Center IV. Is there a Certificate of Need program for your state? A. Certificate of Need (C. O. N. ) programs are aimed at restraining health care facility costs. The Health Planning Resources Development Act of 1974 was put into effect across the nation. Over the past 30 years, there have been numerous changes and about 36 states retain some type of CON program. This program was used to approve the construction and expansion of health care facilities and services based on determination and community need. B. California does not currently have a C. O. N. in effect. Back in 1969, the state had implemented a C. O. N, ending in 1987. California’s C. O. N. program suffered from inadequate staffing and lack of data. V. What are the issues to consider when meeting the International Building Code for a facility? A. New codes vs. Old codes B. Updates to â€Å"I-Codes† done by diverse group of officials i. Corridor width ii. 8 feet of clear, unobstructed width iii. Defend-in-place practices iv. Visual and audible fire alarms. v. Elevator Lobbies vi. Floor openings vii. Smoke control viii. Ceiling and smoke partitions ix. Fully Sprinkler hospitals x. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers xi. Decorations on Wall. C. What Measurements may need to be done in advance of the new plan or renovation? i. Acoustical measurements to plan work zones accordingly to minimize decibels ii. Security measurements to ensure clear sightlines where needed, specialized door access and/or any visual monitoring via camera. iii. Measuring of equipment to ensure adequate planning of rooms iv. Safety measures D. List the stakeholders that may play a role in your development (Scott) Facility management i. Providers that are financially vested in the company ii. Depending on size of facility, CEO, CFO, VP, etc. iii. Input from floor staff to maximize area usage for patients iv. Patients-their input from potential comment cards or direct questioning in how to improve their care from a facility perspective. E. Conclusion i. Strong conclusion that provides details to what the State of California is working towards accomplishing safety awareness. ii. Existing disaster plans in the State of California. iii. State of California has financial instability affecting citizens as well as service. References Disaster Management – California Technology Agency – State of California. (2013). Retrieved from http://http://www. cio. a. gov/OIS/Government/disaster. asp HHS. gov. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. hhs. gov/asl/testify/2010/01/t20100125a. html US Department Of Labor. (2013). California State Plan. Retrieved from http://www. osha. gov/dcsp/osp/stateprogs/california. html What is disaster management? (2012). Retrieved from http://www. disastermanagement. in/2012/02/what-is-disaster-management. html Certificate of Need: State Health Laws and Programs . (2011). Retrieved from http://www. ncsl. org/issues-research/health/con-certificate-of-need-state-laws. aspx