Report dominos pizza free essay sample

Analysis of the current Dominos ecommerce and marketing strategy from an external standpoint identified missed opportunities and prospective areas for improvement relating to their ecommerce structure. Specifically it was identified that Dominos had the potential to leverage the established business structures of eBay and utilise them with speed and efficiency to create an innovative solution to fill a gap in the market place. Utilisation of an eBay store would grant Dominos first mover advantage in an extremely competitive industry with high buyer power that is heavily dominated by discounting offers. This innovation can target not only existing customers but also actively engage in the pursuit of a new customer base. In a marketplace dominated by traditional bricks and mortar business structures the online store allows Dominos to market to a wider consumer base and generate a point of difference. With comparatively low overall financial outlay, a successfully established online business that customers are directed towards and the ability to harness the proven business structures of eBay, the Dominos eBay Store is capable of meeting the market in rapid succession following approval. We will write a custom essay sample on Report dominos pizza or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Table of Contents Contents Introduction The purpose of this report is to present and critique the potential of Domino’s pizza establishing an eBay store in order to increase overall customer awareness of brand and generate income. An assumption is made that eBay would be conducive to a partnership of this nature and that non-monetary vouchers for foodstuffs does not breach the limitations of eBay listing guidelines. Without direct access to Dominos marketing strategy and brand research conducted by the Dominos group the report is limited to review of strategy and business operations from an external perspective. It is identified that the Pizza Industry specifically and the Fast Food Industry as a larger whole is highly competitive. Dominos currently enjoys large market share and positive representation of brand, however incremental evolution of the business is required in order to ensure stability in this volatile marketplace before growth can be considered. The process of analysing the potential of this innovation was multi-faceted and considered the existing marketing and ecommerce strategies of Dominos. Clearly establishing the gap in the Market in light of the Industry standard practice, competitor activity and customer expectations reveals that value perception of the Dominos brand can be positively impacted from both a customer and business perspective. Moving from the industry standard traditional bricks and mortar business structure to the dynamic online marketplace would grant Dominos first mover advantage in a marketplace that all direct competitors are yet to capture. Utilisation of the exiting information structures within the business limits business transformation requirements and significantly mitigates both financial outlay and time investment required to implement the innovation. Inclusion of a Rich Picture in the Appendices visually highlights the incorporation of the innovation into the Dominos ecommerce strategy. History Currently Dominos, via the letterbox and newspaper insertion of vouchers, invests heavily on residentially centralised marketing localised to the immediate vicinity of the franchise outlets. Although geographically targeted to those residence with the most convenient access to the stores there is little manner in which to track customer engagement and follow through. This method of distribution also limits customer exposure to the frequency the store engages in the circulation campaign. Existing Dominos electronic marketing populates the majority of its clientele database with data entered directly by the customer engaging with the online ordering interface (Image 1). Severely limited in scope it requires the customer to both be already committed to purchasing from Dominos and amicable to receiving electronic marketing. Further, this method of data collection requires Dominos to trust that the information being entered by the Customer is complete and accurate with limited ramifications on the Customer for inaccurate or incomplete information. Image 1 – Dominos Customer Interface Market Gap Analysis Overview Currently eBay has millions of daily users and unique domains within 8 countries in the Asia Pacific Region that Dominos already has a recognized presence in. See Appendix 1 (EBay 2014) and Appendix 2 (Dominos 2014). By partnering up with an established and successful ecommerce business and utilising a focused marketing strategy Dominos, with an already established presence in the majority of countries in this region, is presented with a portal for advertising and brand exposure in addition to the ability to sell voucher deals. Existing strategy is geared towards the evening dinner market and is utilised predominately by customers who ring up or go online to order when they are hungry. This innovation creates a limitless potential for exposure to new customers and an exponential sales increase via creating the option of purchasing a voucher at any time to utilise at their convenience. Marketplace Background Dominos online sales currently make up 15% of their profit margin with a growing trend and is forecast to become accountable for more than 50% of their profit margin. (Dominos 2013, p.8) Examination of the pizza industry with Porters Five Forces reveals High buyer power, threat of substitute products and rivalry, Medium threat of new entrants and Low supplier power (Appendix 3). This highly competitive and volatile marketplace makes it essential to create a point of difference and establish and maximise perceived brand value. Immediate Benefits With society become increasingly mobile and demanding of ins tant gratification (Muther 2013) Dominos needs to be able to meet and embrace this emerging culture. Successfully harnessing the clicks and mortar (Baltzan et al.2010, pg. 123) structure of an EBay store would allow Dominos to leverage what could effectively be described as a Customer to Customer relationship in a Business to Customer (Baltzan et al. 2010, pg. 125) interface. The EBay store would feature all the benefits of a pureplay (Baltzan et al. 2010, pg. 125) business whilst deferring the majority of hosting and data management costs to EBay. With the online store able to host multiple auctions the customer is able to access an auction at their convenience and leisure irrespective of time of day or location. A customer currently residing outside the established distribution catchment of vouchers could conceivably purchase a voucher for a store in a town that they were visiting in a week at 11. 00pm at night. Dominos would also benefit from increased accuracy and completion of their clientele database as it is in the Customers best interest to ensure that shipping details, a mandatory requirement for any EBay account, and email addresses, required to create an EBay account, are up to date (Image 2). Image 2 – eBay registration requirements Value perception Customer Given that value perception is the perceived value that a customer rates a good or service, â€Å"it is therefore vitally important for a company to use a customer focused strategy to obtain a competitive advantage over its competitors by making the target market value your good or service higher than your competitors†( Rahikka et al. 2011, p. 359). By implementing eBay as a Business to Consumer portal it targets a much larger consumer base. It also empowers existing customers. This enables customers to bid on bargains at their leisure. With this new option of buying discounted pizza in advance it gives the consumers new options for buying pizza deals and using them at their convenience. This new business strategy will change the customer perception of Domino’s Pizza from a bricks and mortar fast food outlet that provides a quick service when you’re feeling hungry to an online fast food outlet that can be brought any time of the day in advance at discounted prices. Business Incorporating a business partner such as eBay grants Dominos instant access to millions of new customers, in the established eBay customers. It also gives them more access to their existing customers as their existing customer base are known to be regular eBay users (Domino’s 2013). The benefits of this are increased brand exposure using eBay as a portal to advertise their products and brand names. The new customer base generated from this will result in increased traffic to their website which promotes the brand name and creates growth for the business. With this proposed innovation the company will be the first to utilise an already successful business with a huge customer base. It also creates a larger awareness by people bidding on their deals at different times of the day not just when their hungry. The innovation also creates pre-sales, a significant advantage for Dominos as they can secure payments weeks in advance opening up potential investment funding opportunities which no other competitor in the industry have been able to secure. This grants Domino’s another first to market advantage in line with their digital advancement strategy (Domino’s 2013). A value chain analysis in light of the balanced scorecard (IntraFocusUK 2012) of the innovation reveals that the perception of an increased level of personal interaction as Dominos engages directly, rather than anonymously, with the customer would assist in a positively accumulated switching cost via both increased brand loyalty and customer perception. It will also give Domino’s pizza a competitive advantage over competing fast food companies for the short term until rival competitors replicate similar strategies. Information and Communication Technology Strategies As this collaboration with EBay is the first within a vast and already successful environment, having a clear strategy is imperative to ensure it is successful. This introduction does not change the existing business process rather it works as an additional tool to enhance customer engagement, loyalty and awareness. A key focus within the innovation will be on customer relationship management (CRM). Taylor (2010, p. 1) defines CRM as a process by which businesses seek to exploit information relating to

Reagan Essays - United States Presidential Inaugurations

Reagan Essays - United States Presidential Inaugurations Reagan I am going to talk of controversial things. I make no apology for this. It's time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self government. This idea? that government was beholden to the people, that it had no other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves. You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream-the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits. The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing. Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power. But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector. Yet any time you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being opposed to their humanitarian goals. It seems impossible to legitimately debate their solutions with the assumption that all of us share the desire to help the less fortunate. They tell us we're always against, never for anything. We are for a provision that destitution should not follow unemployment by reason of old age, and to that end we have accepted Social Security as a step toward meeting the problem. However, we are against those entrusted with this program when they practice deception regarding its fiscal shortcomings, when they charge that any criticism of the program means that we want to end payments.... We are for aiding our allies by sharing our material blessings with nations which share our fundamental beliefs, but we are against doling out money government to government, creating bureaucracy, if not socialism, all over the world. We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward I restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him.... But we can not have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure.... Have we the courage and the will to face up to the immorality and discrimination of the progressive tax, and demand a return to traditional proportionate taxation? . . . Today in our country the tax collector's share is 37 cents of -very dollar earned. Freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp. Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping

Investigation on Whether Nokia Should Quit the UK Essay

Investigation on Whether Nokia Should Quit the UK - Essay Example The main research objective is find out whether it would be viable to minimize expansion of the Nokia brand in the U.K market. Nokia as evident from the analysis has been experiencing a decline it its market share in the named market. Competition has stifled with other companies providing equal or better quality mobile handsets. Handsets are now a requirement for a majority of people. Statistics has shown a decline in number of handsets purchased and an ever increasing number of smartphones acquired. It is a technologically changing world that can be attributed to this trend. People want the best, and since it is affordable, they can get it. Nokia holds a high popularity of mobile phone manufacturing companies in the world. It had the biggest market share of mobile users, but this is changing. This research focuses on finding out changes in the performance of Nokia and if it is a viable idea for to withdraw itself from the U.K market. In trying to answer this, several factors have to be investigated on the reasons that have led to this aftermath in the Nokia Company. 1.2: Research objectives. The research problems highlight the areas of importance in this study. They seek to encompass the most crucial factors involved in this project. They revolve around the Nokia Mobile statistics. They are, to determine the factors behind the decline of Nokia smartphone market share, changing trends in the mobile market, to identify measures to be taken against this issue and know if it is wise to leave the U.K market or not. 1.3: Research questions What are the reasons for declining market share in U.K, how can it be controlled and what are the appropriate ways to control it. 1.4: Statement of problem Factors influencing Nokia mobile market share the U.K and factors influencing changes in the mobile market in U.K 2.0: LITERATURE REVIEW In recent times, with the advancement of technology, operating systems became one of the major determinants of a company’s performance in the market. With the need for faster and efficient mobile systems, there has been competition on who provides the best operating system customers prefer in the U.K. Apple has the most popular OS scooping a share of 42%, Blackberry with 36% and android with a share of 12%. It is surprising because Nokia, known for its popularity and with the changing trends and stiff competition, stands to make its way to the top or quit the smartphone market for better standing mobile companies. This research focuses on finding out what appropriate measure to take, whether quit or continue in the race of attracting customers to use their smartphones. In trying to investigate this, it has to identify the gap existing the company and the competitors. Strategies used in pricing, promotion, quality provision and the 4ps of marketing have a large part in determining the performance of a company’s products. For example, while price may not be a substantial factor to consider because of affordab ility in the current market of smartphones it is still pertinent to know that is the crucial factor customers consider for any product. They may want to operate in the market with the highest margins. This can only be realistic in a monopolistic market where they are the sole suppliers of a product. That is why the Nokia Company have to identify what strategy to use to maintain their share, increase it or exit the market. They should

Comparison of Southeast Asian and Northeast Asian Art Essay

Comparison of Southeast Asian and Northeast Asian Art - Essay Example The greatest difference in style and perception has been induced by religion, history and the philosophies. The Southeast Asian artworks are a genuine product of Hinduism and Buddhist doctrines drawing from Indian traditions, whereas China, Japan and Korea draw largely from Buddhist and Chinese influences. Again both bear testimony to art production and patronage entertained with social and cultural demands. Cultural interconnections between these two regions are vivid and yet their art signifies an extended cultural code that encloses all the underlying spiritual beliefs of the regions religion-philosophic mind that embed the interrelation of mythology, symbol and spiritual thoughts. The advent of Buddhism introduced sculpture, painting, and architecture of a more religious nature. In China, the figures of Buddha and bodhisattvas became the primary source of influence, although the major route was India, which bore the seat of influence till the 6 th century A.D. The distinction was markedly perfected during the T'ang Dynasty that became more dramatic and restrained by the 7th century that gave way to Major sites of Buddhist art in cave temples include Donghuang, Lung-men, Yun-kang, Mai-chi-shan, and Ping-ling-ssu. Buddhist sculpture in the Ming dynasty became miniature in style made of jade, ivory, and glass, of exquisite craftsmanship but was devoid of any further experimentation and inspiration. The art of figure painting in the T'ang dynasty (618-906) and landscape painting in the Sung dynasty became very prominent. With the coming of the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368) both landscape painting and human painting concentrated more on brushstroke. Brushwork was also done on bamboo and surface painting with a variety of brushwork became an important aspect of still-life painting. Painting during this period became more sophisticated and a part of the leisure culture. Under the Ch'ing dynasty (1644-1912) the applied arts became very technical till the 19th cent., after which with the coming of the communists in the twentieth century art became a product of graphical propaganda. Shih-T'ao and Chu Ta were artists of great creativity. But little or no experimentation in painting marks this period. What is remarkable with Chinese painting is that it has maintained a single characteristic all through history-the extravagant detailing and obsession with the brushstroke. Paintings bore dry or wet-brush technique, with an incredible variety ranging from swirling patterns to staccato dots.1 And thus one inevitably arrives at the highest artwork that the Chinese generated through calligraphy and paintings on ceramics that reached a high perfection in the S 'ung Dynasty. Though calligraphy was part of painting, literature and inscriptions, calligraphy is indebted to Wang Hsi-chih (c.303-361) and his son, who made brushwork the biggest legacy in Chinese art. Chinese architecture also had major impact on Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. Unlike Western structure it stresses the visual impact of the width of the buildings rather than its height and depth though Pagodas are a rare exception to this rule. But asymmetry has been part of Chinese art which let the scrolls and also its gardens become a wandering maze of surprises and unique symbolisms. Incase of symbolism, the Chinese also have the greatest and enduring symbols of the

Starting middle school essay Essay Example for Free

Starting middle school essay Essay The night before middle school, I had mixed feelings. I was kind of nervous but excited at the same time about starting middle school. I had spent the day with my best friend, Mindy, swimming in her backyard. Afterwards, I came home and packed my school supplies in my backpack and ate dinner. I had a hard time sleeping that night because so many things were racing through my head. I worried if I would have any classes with my friends and if I would have nice teachers. I woke up early the next morning and I was still feeling a little nervous but also really excited! When I got to school, I met up with all my friends and compared our schedules. My classes were math, P. E. , reading, core, rotation/ communications, and science. My favorite teachers were Mrs. Latz, Ms. McHale, and Mr. Yu because they were really nice and they made their classes interesting and fun! My favorite classes were the ones taught by my favorite teachers. I found my classes just fine but I was always rushed to get to class on time. It was especially hard when I had to go from one end of campus to the other. Also, at brunch, I only had ten minutes and the bathroom lines were so long, that I didn’t get to eat my snack. At lunch, I only had thirty minutes to eat and I hardly had enough time to go to the bathroom because the lines were still long! I’m sure it will get easier after a couple of days. I had hoped that I would have some classes with my best friends. I also expected to see some kind of bullying on the first day. I definitely thought I would have some mean teachers. However, none of my best friends were in any of my classes. I never saw any bullying all day. I was relieved when I had no mean teachers. Middle school is completely different from elementary, but I think like it. Unlike elementary, middle school has seven different classes and teachers. There is a pool, a gymnasium, and there are definitely more kids. Thankfully, my first day of middle school went pretty well. I think it is going to be a great year! By: Rachel Gieseke PM Core, 9/2/11.

Main Features Of The Indian Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Main Features Of The Indian Hotel Industry Tourism Essay The major players in the Indian hotel industry can be broadly classified into private players and public players. The major private players include Indian Hotels Company limited, East India Hotels Limited (The Oberoi group), Asian Hotels and ITC Hotels. ITDC and Hotel Corporation of India are the major public sector players.   Sector Outlook Hotel industry depends largely upon the foreign tourist arrivals further classified into business travelers (around 65% of the total foreign tourists) and leisure travelers. The following figures show that business as well as the leisure travelers (both domestic and international) formed major clientele for hotels in 2004. Over the last two years, the hotel industry has seen higher growth rates due to greater number of tourist arrivals, higher occupancy rate (being around 75% in FY06) and significant increase in average room rate (ARR). The major factors contributing to this growth include stable economic and political conditions, booming service industry, FDI inflow, infrastructure development, emphasis on tourism by the central as well as state governments and tax rationalization initiatives to bring down the tax rates in line with the international levels. Some of the main features of the Indian hotel industry include the following:  · The industry is more dependent on metropolitan cities as they account for 75% to 80% of the revenues, with Delhi and Mumbai being on top.    · The average room rate (ARR) and occupancy rate (OC) are the two most critical factors that determine profitability. ARR depends on location, brand image, star rating, quality of facilities and services offered. The occupancy rate depends on other seasonal factors.    · India is an ideal destination for tourists. Approximately 4.4 million tourists visit India every year. Thus the growth prospects are very high.    · In the hotel sector, a number of multinationals have strengthened their presence. Players like Four Seasons are also likely to enter the Indian market in the near future. Moreover, Indian hotel chains are also expanding internationally. A combination of all these factors could result in a strong emergence of budget hotels, which could potentially lower the cost of travel and related costs. The industry can be classified into four segments:  · 5 Star and 5 Star Deluxe. These are mainly situated in the business districts of metro cities and cater to business travelers and foreign tourists. These are considered to be very expensive. These account for about 30% of the industry.    · Heritage Hotels. These are characterized by less capital expenditure and greater affordability and include running hotels in palaces, castles, forts, hunting lodges, etc.    · Budget Hotels:  Budget hotels cater mainly to domestic travelers who favor reasonably priced accommodations with limited luxury. These are characterized by special seasonal offers and good services.    · Unclassified:  These are low-priced motels spread throughout the country. A low-pricing policy is their only selling point. This segment accounts for about 19 % of the industry. Trends In Hospitality Sector Trends that will shape the future of hospitality sector are: 1. Low Cost Carriers 2. Budget Hotels 3. Service Apartments 4. Technology 5. Loyalty Travel 1. Low cost carriers:  Travelers in general are more price sensitive to airfare than they are to hotel room rates. Often a low airfare will stimulate demand for travel even if hotel prices are increasing. LCCs are a good option for business travelers, as they have advantages like low costs, more options and connectivity. 2. Budget hotels:  More than 50 per cent of occupancy of a majority of hotels comes from the business travel segment. The average room rate (ARR) realized from business travelers is normally higher than from leisure travelers. Heightened demand and the healthy occupancy rates have resulted in an increase in the number of budget hotels. Some of the new players entering into this category of hotels include Hometel, Kamfotel, Courtyard by Marriott, Country Inns Suites, Ibis and Fairfield Inn.   3. Service apartments:  The concept of service apartments, though a recent phenomenon in India, is an established global concept. Villas in Spain, flats in the UK and apartment complexes in the US have all created a viable market for those who want more than just a room in a hotel. Service apartments are the latest trend in accommodation, offering the comfort and convenience of a home without the hassles of having to maintain or look after it. Ideally suited for medium-to-long staying guests, service apartments are a natural choice for corporate employees or expatriates relocating to a particular city, non-resident Indians visiting the country for long spells and foreigners visiting the city for long durations.   4. Technology:  Travel and technology have become inseparable. Technology is making its own advances with high-tech video conferencing facilities, web cameras and virtual reality mode of conferencing. On-line bookings, e-ticketing, Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, easy access to information, etc. are just a few areas where technology has completely changed the the way we travel.   5. Loyalty travel:Today, airline-credit card company tie-ups have brought a whole range of benefits to the travelers. These include insurance cover, upgrades, free tickets, access to executive lounges, and a host of other goodies. ITC Hotels Limited ITC Hotels:  · ITC Hotel Maurya Sheraton Towers, New Delhi  · ITC Hotel Grand Maratha Sheraton Towers, Mumbai  · ITC Hotel Sonar Bangla Sheraton Towers,Kolkata  · WelcomHotel Mughal Sheraton, Agra  · WelcomHeritage ( These hotels are spread over all over india and are currently operating in Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu Kashmir, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Karnataka.) MARKET CAPITALIZATION   Month High Low Average July 2006 69470.81 61622.49 65132.68 August 2006 71935.59 63162.11 66907.27 September 2006 71616.29 68235.51 69865.82 October 2006 73136.79 69172.79 70595.60 November 2006 71870.11 66984.82 69353.40 December 2006 71557.75 63306.15 67001.52 Key Stats Ratios Quarterly Annual   (2006) Annual   (TTM) Net Profit Margin 21.70% Operating Margin 31.32% EBITD Margin 34.70% Return on Average Assets 18.35% Return on Average Equity 26.75% RECRUITMENT POLICY: The potential candidates who are looking forward to build their career in ITC Hotels should possess several qualities like integrity, intellectual rigor, a will do attitude, team skills, ability to think strategically, high energy, creativity and leadership. For  entry level, ITC relies on campus recruitments and visits various management and engineering institutes. Some of the institutes include IITs, IIMs, FMS, XLRI, etc. ITC also provides  summer internships.  The internships are for a total of 8 weeks during April July every year. For middle level opportunities, advertisements are placed on the company website and the interested and eligible candidates are invited to apply on-line. The middle management level provides opportunities in Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics and many more. Indian Hotels Company The Indian Hotels Company (IHC) is the parent company of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. It was founded by Jamsetji N. Tata on December16, 1903. Currently the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 57 hotels at 40 locations across India. Additional 18 hotels are also being operated around the globe. During fiscal year 2006, the total number of hotels owned or managed by the Company was 75. The Taj hotels are categorized as luxury, leisure and business hotels. The Taj Luxury Hotels offer a wide range of luxurious suites with modern fitness centres, rejuvenating spas, and well-equipped banquet and meeting facilities. The Taj Leisure Hotels offer a complete holiday package that can be enjoyed with the whole family. It provides exciting activities ranging from sports, culture, environment, adventure, music, and entertainment. The Taj Business Hotels provide the finest standards of hospitality, which helps the business trips to be productive. They offer well-appointed rooms, telecommunication facilities, efficient service, specialty restaurants and lively bars, well-equipped business centres, and other conference facilities. Management: Chairman: Mr. Ratan N Tata Managing Director CEO: Mr. Raymond Bickson Chief Operating Officer, Leisure Hotels: Ms. Jyoti Narang Chief Operating Officer, Luxury Hotels: Mr. Abhijit Mukerji Chief Operating Officer, Business Hotels: Mr. Jamshed S. Daboo Vice President-Legal Company secretary: Dev Bajpai Chief Financial Officer: Mr. Anil P Goel   Financial Data   Key Stats Ratios Quarterly   (Mar 04) Annual   (2006) Annual   (TTM) Net Profit Margin 4.86% 11.93% 5.03% Operating Margin 8.24% 16.75% 7.77% EBITD Margin 29.11% 23.33% Return on Average Assets 5.32% Return on Average Equity 15.48% Market Capitalization in last 6 months (Rs.crores) Month High Low Average July 2006 6983.18 5883.71 6640.63 August 2006 7536.56 6745.18 7229.90 September 2006 8093.45 7482.83 7835.64 October 2006 8576.75 7911.81 8146.62 November 2006 9046.91 8080.31 8681.29 December 2006 9444.76 8400.55 9001.56 Four new hotels in Bangalore: Taj Group invests Rs.1,000 crore The Taj Group of Hotels will invest about Rs 1,000 crore for constructing four new hotels in Bangalore. It has submitted an Expression of Interest to Delhi Airport International Limited (DAIL). The company has also submitted an Expression of Interest for building a top-class hotel in the airport vicinity. Besides the company has been allocated a site at Greater Noida for building a hotel, while it is keen on entering into a management contract for a hotel in Gurgaon. The Group was also eyeing to enter hotel business overseas like Maldives, Mauritius, Colombo, Boston and Sydney. The Group is also planning to explore seven more locations in Mumbai and increase its total room capacity to 2,000 in the commercial capital in the next five years. This expansion of its budget hotels will generate numerous jobs in the industry. The group has also taken up the renovation and management of Rail Yatri Niwas, the well-known Delhi budget hotel owned by the railways, on a 15-year lease. As part of the deal with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which currently runs it, the Taj group will renovate the Yatri Niwas and add food courts within the complex. The makeover will be done on a redesign-operate-manage-transfer basis. The hotel will be run under the Taj groups budget hotel brand, Ginger, which has hotels in Mysore, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Haridwar and Bhubaneshwar. Taj group of hotels will upgrade all four Rail Yatri Niwas hotels located in Delhi, Howrah, Ranchi and Puri.   The Oberoi Group (EIH) The Oberoi Group was founded in 1934 by Late Rai Bahadur M S Oberoi. The group owns and/or manages 32 hotels with 3,193 rooms under names of Oberoi Hotels Resorts and Trident Hilton, a luxury backwater cruiser in Kerala and Oberoi Flight Services, a division of EIH that provides commercial in-flight catering and operates airport lounges and restaurants. It has branches in five countries, situated in two continents (Asia and Africa). The chain operates the following hotels and resorts in India: The Oberoi, New Delhi Oberoi, Mumbai, Maharashtra The Oberoi, Banglore, Karnataka The Oberoi Amarvilas, Uttar Pradesh The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, West Bengal The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, Rajasthan The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan Wildflower Hall, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh The Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda, Kerela. The other businesses of EIH include:  · Mercury Car Rentals  · Corporate Air Charters  · EIH Press  · Mercury Travels  · Flight Catering   MARKET CAPITALIZATION   Key Stats Ratios Annual   (2006) Net Profit Margin 22.32% Operating Margin 30.45% EBITD Margin 48.13% Return on Average Assets 8.81% Return on Average Equity 21.09% The market capitalization of EIH as on march 21, 2007 was Rs. 3,748.74 cr. Oberoi Group ventures into Middle East hospitality industry Oberoi Group will run two hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to tap the growing Middle East tourism market. Oberoi will manage a city hotel as well as one resort property in the UAE capital. The company has also signed an agreement for a hotel in Dubai, which is part of a 800- million-dirham property project being developed by Rani International. The companys development plans are focused on the Middle East and Asia. It has 32 hotels in five countries and is planning to open new properties in several locations, including Marrakesh, Muscat, Maldives, Cambodia and Thailand. It is also planning to launch its luxury cruiser on the Nile, The Oberoi Zahra, in October this year with an idea to redefine the paradigm of luxury on Nile. The Oberoi Zahra, Luxury Nile Cruiser comes with 25 luxury suites and two Grand suites. The Grand suites have their own private decks and outdoor Jacuzzis. With the Indian economy growing fast, Oberoi is also looking at a number of new sites in India cities, including Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai. It currently has 11 brand hotels in India. Oberoi was also ranked ninth among the top 10 leading chains, hotels, resorts and spas across the world, according to the 2007/2008 Worlds Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas survey report released by Zagat Surveys.   Radisson Hotels Resorts Radisson Hotels Resorts: Radisson hotels are a worldwide chain of 435 hotels with a total of 102,000 guest rooms, in 61 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in 1909 and was purchased by Curt Carlson in 1962 and is still owned by his Carlson Companies. Radisson Hotels International is a fully owned subsidiary of the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, which is one of the major operating groups of Carlson Companies Inc.Carlson Hospitality brands include Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Country Inns and Suites by Carlson, Park Hospitality, Carlson Vacation Ownership, and Carlson Lifestyle Living. Carlson companies also include the Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Leisure Group, Carlson Marketing Group and a worldwide marketing services company. With more than 1520 hotel, resort, restaurant and cruise ship operations in 79 countries, Carlson Companies provide employment to 190,000 people in more than 140 countries.   Scope Of Hospitality Sector In 2003-04 the hospitality industry contributed only 2% of the GDP. However, it is projected to grow at a rate of 8.8% between 2007-16, which would place India as the second-fastest growing tourism market in the world. This year the number of tourists visiting India is estimated to have touched the figure of 4.4 million. With this huge figure, India is becoming the hottest tourist destination. The arrival of foreign tourists has shown a compounded annual growth of 6 per cent over the past 10 years. Besides, travel and tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner for India. Moreover, it is also estimated that the tourism sector will account for nearly 5.3 per cent of GDP and 5.4 per cent of total employment. GDP Employment Visitor Export Personal TT Capital Investment Govt. Expenditure Outlook for 2006 7.80% 1.40% 10.90% 6.90 % 8.30% 7.70% Outlook for 2007-2016 6.60% 1.00% 7.80% 6.70% 7.80% 6.60% Future of hospitality sector: To boost up the growth of tourism in India, the government has proposed to invest Rs. 520 crore in 2007-2008. Tourism in expected to grow further over the next few years due to the changes taking place on the demand and supply sides. The factors that will account for the further growth of tourism will include the following:  · Change in standards of living  · More disposable income  · Better education  · Long leisure time  · Aging population   Owing to growth of tourism sector, infrastructure will improve, competition will increase, new products will come into markets and better services will be provided. Due to the rapid growth in tourism, the hotel industry is also booming. Many international players like Le Meridien and Accor are heading towards Indian markets to expand their business. With governments full support in developing infrastructure, increase in demand, open sky policies and increased competition, the hospitality industry is getting consolidated and has many more opportunities to grow further. Challenges For Hospitality Industry 1.Shortage of skilled employees:One of the greatest challenges plaguing the hospitality industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. The hospitality industry has failed to retain good professionals. 2.Retaining quality workforce:Retention of the workforce through training and development in the hotel industry is a problem and attrition levels are too high. One of the reasons for this is unattractive wage packages. Though there is boom in the service sector, most of the hotel management graduates are joining other sectors like retail and aviation. 3. Shortage of rooms:  The hotel industry is facing heavy shortage of rooms. It is estimated that the current requirement is of 1,50,000 rooms. Though the new investment plan would add 53,000 rooms by 2011, the shortage will still persist.   4. Intense competition and image of India:  The industry is witnessing heightened competition with the arrival of new players, new products and new systems. The competition from neighboring countries and negative perceptions about Indian tourism product constrains the growth of tourism. The image of India as a country overrun by poverty, political instability, safety concerns and diseases also harms the tourism industry.   5. Customer expectations:  As India is emerging as a destination on the global travel map, expectations of customers are rising. The companies have to focus on customer loyalty and repeat purchases.   6. Manual back-end:  Though most reputed chains have IT enabled systems for property management, reservations, etc., almost all the data which actually make the company work are filled in manual log books or are simply not tracked.   7. Human resource development:  Some of the services required in the tourism and hotel industries are highly personalized, and no amount of automation can substitute for personal service providers. India is focusing more on white collar jobs than blue collar jobs. The shortage of blue collar employees will pose various threats to the industry.

Mousetrap Car Essay

The purpose of this project is to determine the effect the size of an automobile’s wheel radius will have on that vehicle’s performance. To determine this, the distance a car travels when tested with the same propulsion force but different wheel diameter is measured. We expect that there will be an optimum size that should be utilized in order to achieve maximum efficiency. A larger or smaller wheel size should change the distance that the car will travel. The cars we will test will be made of common and inexpensive materials. The design of the cars will consist of simple wheel and axel setups and a lever; two simple machines that can be used to cause forward movement. The means of propulsion for our cars will be spring-loaded mousetrap with a length of string that connects to the axel supporting the wheels being tested. As the trap is set the lever will pull the line and thus rotate the axel causing movement. The size of the wheel should have a direct relationship with the distance that the car will travel. Small wheels will require more revolutions to move the same distance while large wheels will require more torque to make them begin to turn. The goal of the project is to find the most efficient use of the energy provided by the mousetrap for both speed and distance by adjusting the size of the wheel. A mousetrap car is a combination of two simple machines designed to operate much like a gas-powered car. However, a mousetrap is used instead of an internal combustion engine for the motor. The most common design involves positioning the mousetrap on the chassis of the cars and attaching an extended lever on the trap to one of the car’s axles by using a length of string. The end of the string on the mousetrap is tied to the arm of the trap while the opposite end is wound around the axle. When the mousetrap is â€Å"loaded,† potential energy is stored. The pulling force of the arm turns the potential energy into kinetic energy, causing the wheels to turn and boosting the vehicle. The mousetrap will provide a limited amount energy that the car can use as propulsion force that causes forward movement. The length of the string connecting the lever on the trap to the axel will remain constant through out the duration of the experiment. This will ensure that each of the wheel sizes will receive the same amount of energy. The wheels will also be made of the same material so that each will have the same traction, be about the same weight, and attach to the axel in a similar fashion. Since the radius is directly proportional to the circumference, larger diameter will obviously have larger circumferences. This is important because the circumference the part that actually touches the track. The larger the circumference of the wheel is as compared to the radius of the axel, the more mechanical advantage the wheel will have. Mechanical advantage is a phenomenon that increases the efficiency of a simple machine. Engineers try to design cars that make the most of this force when designing cars and other motor vehicles. A circumference of five inches will travel 25 inches in five revolutions while a circumference of three inches will travel only 15 inches with the same number of revolutions. The larger wheels seem to make more efficient use of the revolutions provided by the springing mousetrap. However the larger diameter also requires more energy to make them revolve. The energy required to turn an axel is known as torque. The more torque an engine (or a mousetrap) can provide, the faster the car will accelerate. Acceleration is also important to the efficiency of the mousetrap car. The faster a car can accelerate, the more momentum it can build up. Momentum is a force that keeps moving objects moving in the same general direction and force until some outside force acts upon the object. Momentum will conserve the energy from the mousetrap while providing thrust. If the wheels are too small, the axels will have to revolve more times to build up any significant momentum. If they are too large, they will require much more torque, which would reduce the amount of energy available to turn the axel once momentum is built up. Friction also plays a major role in the performance of mousetrap-powered cars. Friction between the car’s wheels and the surface it is traveling on is beneficial to the operation of the vehicle. This traction helps the wheels to propel the cars across further distances and at greater speeds. However, friction can also occur between the axles and the cars, which can be detrimental to performance. To combat this, lubricants are used on the axels where they are in contact with the chassis of the car. Also, more mass involved with the rotation of the axels will cause more friction. Therefore, heavier cars will be much less successful than vehicles using much lighter materials due to the amount of friction and inertia, which will not allow the car to travel as far or as fast under the same conditions. Methods The design used in the testing phases of the experiment consisted of thin pieces of plywood for the chassis and axel supports while 3/16-inch dowel rods were used for axels. The wheels were made of three sizes of circular pieces of foam board supported by a slice of a cardboard tube. A standard sized mousetrap was secured to the chassis and a 3-inch length of copper pipe was used to lengthen the lever to provide more mechanical advantage. A two-feet length of nylon string was secured to the copper pipe and the rear axel. The wheels were attached to the axels with rubber cement. The various larger sizes were designed to fit over the smallest ones that were attached to the axels. A single front wheel was used throughout the experiment Tests were ran to determine how far the car would travel and how fast they traveled a distance of five and feet. Each wheel size was tested three times and the results were then averaged: |Wheel size |Distance |Speed (5 feet/ 10 feet) | |2.25 inches |11 feet, four inches |1.45sec. / 2.4sec. | |4.75 inches |16 feet, 11 inches |2.1 sec. / 3.05 sec. | |7.00 inches |18 feet, two inches |3.6 sec. /4.42 sec. | Results Our results show two distinct characteristics. The larger wheels traveled a significant amount further than the smaller wheel sizes. However the smaller wheels were capable of quicker acceleration than the larger wheels. Since the wheels all had about the same amount of mass, the amount of friction did not increase of decrease enough to effect the results significantly. The wheel sizes could thus be adjusted depending upon the type of race the car was involved in; distance, in which the largest wheels would be used, or speed, in which the smallest wheels would be used. Experience in the design and function of the mousetrap cars would help us to design an even more efficient vehicle. Two layers of foam board would probably be used to cause the wheels to be more level and stable. Also, a longer lever would likely be attached to the existing lever on the mousetrap so that more advantage is achieved.