Muffin Break Marketing plan and Financial considerations

Muffin Break Marketing plan and Financial considerations Muffin Break will begin its operations as on January 2010 under the corporation named Tea-stores Inc. This would be a start-up bakery and coffee retail establishment which would be located on MM Alam road. Muffin Break would be offering coffee from various countries and there would be array of pastry products available, these would attract a strong customer base and offer the residents of Lahore a variety in tastes. Muffin Break aim to be a strong player in the restaurant industry of Lahore, this would be due to the experience of the owners and due to the low competition in the market. Muffin Break would be offering its products at a competitive price to meet the demands of the middle-to-higher income residents of Lahore, especially students who seem to be a large target market for restaurants. The Company Tea Stores Incorporated has its headquarters in Karachi. Its equally owned and managed by four partners. Ms Saniya Malik has extensive in sales and marketing, Ms Hajra brings experience in finance, Ms Benish has been the HR manager in several well established multinationals and would be using her experience for the management of the company and Ms Saba has been a culinary expert and has all the know-how of how food items should be presented. Products and Services offered Muffin Break offers a broad range of snacks and drinks for its target market. There would be a wide array of coffee and espresso products, using coffee beans from various countries such as Brazil and Columbia. There would be fresh bakery and pastry products that would be made at all times of the day. Since were aiming for youngsters there would also be various salads available for the youngsters and diet conscious people to select. Some of the primary products would be hotdogs that will be regular, foot-long hot-dogs and barbeque sauce served on specialty home made buns. Muffin Break would also be offering side dishes and deserts such as coleslaw, French fries, Onion Rings, potato chips and cookies. MARKET ANALYSIS The cafà © and restaurant industry in Pakistan has been experiencing a rapid growth. The increased awareness amongst the urban population for a cuisine that has various cultures blended in it, it has made it compulsory for any cafà © to offer the best taste from various countries. Muffin Break wants to establish a large regular customer base, and will therefore concentrate its business and marketing on local residents which for now would be the Lahori population, which will be the dominant target market. This will establish a healthy, consistent revenue base to ensure stability of the business that has just started its operations. In addition, the student traffic is expected to comprise approximately 35% of the revenues. High visibility and competitive products that have a variety of tastes, ingredients, side orders etc and service are critical to capture this segment of the market. Marketing Plan Muffin Break would be using a variety of methods to advertise this includes direct mailings, flyers, mailer coupons, and door hanger menus. Initially, their planning to offer students a discount card this would increase the sales their generating from students. Muffin Break plans to use an innovative customer survey card/ visitor log this would help it in maintaining a database of its customers and this would eventually help in generating a mailing list. Keeping its student target market in mind, Muffin Break is also planning to sponsor events organized in universities such as Lums, LSE, BNU and UCL. This would also give the cafà © a medium to distribute its door hang menus so that there is increased awareness about the new cafà © thats opened in Lahore. V. Financial Considerations Muffin Break plans to open its business with a Rs. 5,000,000/- capital. A capital of Rs4,000,000/- would be raised by the partners, and the remaining Rs 1,000,000/- would be raised by borrowing a loan from the Bank of Punjab. All the four partners would be investing an equal sum of capital which in this case would be Rs1,000,000 per partner. The loan being taken from Bank of Punjab would be under its Karobar Barhaou loan products available, an interest rate of 10% annual would be charged on the loan that would be paid in 3 years. Payments for this loan are set by the bank at Rs110,000 that has to be paid quarterly [4 payments in 1 year]. This would provide Muffin Break with its initial start up capital, which is highly crucial. One of the partners uncles restaurants had just closed down in MM Alam and now Muffin Break would be using this premise for its cafà ©, although it does need immediate renovation which would be included in the start-up expenditure. Muffin Break anticipates in its first year an annual sales of Rs 4,910,000, followed by sales of Rs 5,670,000 and the third year sales would be Rs 6,550,000. As far as breakeven is concerned there are high chances that Muffin Break breaks even in the fourth month of its operations as its sales would be rising steadily. Profits would be approximately Rs 130,000 at the end of year 1, Rs 360,000 at the end of the year 2 and Rs 460,000 for the year ended 3. Assumption: The initial start up revenue expenditure has been accounted in the balance sheet under the heading of current assets. The long term asset that Muffin Break has to immediately purchase is a generator, so that its high quality customer service does not get hindered by any electicity shortages. This has been accounted for the 3 years since Muffin Breaks inception in its fixed assets. Sales Forecast Muffin Break is in its initial few years hoping to generate most of its sales from its different from the rest hotdogs that would have the student market craving for more. The next area it seeks to penetrate is the coffee segment, and the cafà © wants its own people to make the coffee which is why no coffee machine would be bought. Assumption: The prices herein have been set using market analysis the cafà © that have been used for this forecast are: CTC, Jammin Java, Hotspot, Espresso and Gloria Jeans. Cost of sales have been assumed 15.63% which is again as per the market analysis. HR Expenditure Since Muffin Break wants to stand out from the rest of the cafà ©s its ensuring that it has the best and educated servers, chefs that have great expertise and credibility would be hired, thus a great amount of investment would be made in hiring the right type of people for Muffin Break. Assumption: Here we have specifically used only the estimates of Gloria Jeans, that works a lot on its customer service. These are the annual HR expenditure. An interest rate of 10% has been charged by the Bank of Punjab. The tax rate prevailing on restaurants in Pakistan are 12%. It can be seen that over the years Muffin Breaks sales are steadily growing, although this is couples with the increase in Total operating Expenses. Muffin Break has received a loan of Rs 1,000,000 from the Bank of Punjab. The interest rate charged is 10% although a payment of Rs 110,000 has to be made in every quarterly payment, this includes both the principal repayment as well as the interest payment. This loan would be according to Muffin Breaks estimations be paid by 2.75 years even though the bank has offered a 3 years period. Pro-forma Cash Flow Statement The cash receipts are mainly generated from the sales of the restaurant. The cash flow expenditure is based on the cost of goods sold. The only fixed asset for which there has been an investing activity is the purchase of a generator. The cash flow principal payment on a loan is the summation of four quarterly principal payments. The cash figure has been calculated in the cash flow statement The owners capital would be the same throughout the years, unless theres an investment made. The retained earnings: these include the profits that have been invested by the Parent Company Tea-stores Incorporated The other current assets estimate has been assumed using the market analysis. NPV ANALYSIS The NPV analysis has been used to show the feasibility of this cafà ©, whether the bank or other prospective investors should invest in it. It shows the present vales of the future cash flows, for this NPV estimation has been done using the WACC. The Wacc has been found using the Capm Model. Since the NPV has turned out positive this project should be taken, as it promises high profitability. An IRR calculation also suggested the internal rate of return of this project was highly positive that makes it a highly lucrative investment.

Centura Health Overview

Centura Health is considered Colorado's largest healthcare organization, inclusive of a 12-hospital system. The company's mission includes celebrating the value inherent in each individuals life and working collaboratively to â€Å"lift the burdens of others† by offering comprehensive and loving care to all customers and patients served by Centura (Centura, 2005). The mission statement of the organization is to â€Å"extend the healing ministry of Christ my caring for those who are ill and nurturing the health of people in our communities† (Centura, 2005). The vision includes fulfilling the organizations covenant that guarantees excellence and integrity of service, creating partnerships with community members and patients for life (Centura, 2005). The organization has identified multiple core values which include: integrity, stewardship, spirituality, imagination, respect, excellence and compassion† (Centura, 2005). Current Centura operates as a non-profit agency and structures key decision making using what they refer to as a â€Å"Values Impact Analysis† (Centura, 2005). This tool helps organizational representatives weight the costs to benefits of selected decisions as applied to the organizations core values. The process adopted by the organization is considered â€Å"dynamic and rigorous† with the intent of enabling â€Å"conscientious decisions respectful of stakeholders needs† but also in line with the values and needs of patients (Centura, 2005). The organizational model includes a hierarchical system with the following: President/CEO, Executive Vice President and COO, Sr. Vice President, CFO, Chief Medical Officer and supporting management staff (Centura, 2005). Key to the governance model includes collaboration with other medical providers and health agencies throughout the state of Colorado. The decision making model adopted by Centura involves use of the Values Impact Analysis process that helps key management staff make decisions that are not only fiscally sound but also reflect the organizations core values and perspectives of patients that may be impacted by decisions. The organization makes use of an on site Mission and Ministry whose role includes providing â€Å"reflections, a prayer chain† and various other resources for employees and associates of the organization (Centura, 2005). In addition the organization utilizes a SHARE program that resembles a rewards and recognition program to highlight outstanding achievements among employees, customers and co-workers (Centura, 2005). Centura has also adopted a collaborative environment where communication is promoted through a â€Å"Mastery Development Plan† (Centura, 2005). This plan provides team members within the organization a method of facilitating personal and professional development and communication by providing training for technical and support staff and providing communications training to all staff to encourage greater collaboration and community connections among employees (Centura, 2005). Centura has also adopted quality improvement measures focusing on patient populations, physician and clinician teams to help promote â€Å"excellence in care† (Centura, 2005). The organization to this effect has created what they refer to as a â€Å"Quality, Safety and Outcomes Management department† whose sole role includes supporting a solid communications infrastructure and commitment to quality improvement (Centura, 2005). Centura's approach to quality involves defining ‘value directed' services and providing value directed management to customers both internal and external. This is a solid approach to instilling quality within the organization. Arogyaswamy & Simmons (1993) point to the important of using value-directed management approaches to ensure the best possible service to customers. Further the authors suggest that organizations must approach total quality and empowerment of staff through articulated measures to achieve â€Å"stronger market positions† by establishing â€Å"an unquenchable thirst for improvement† (Arogyaswamy & Simmons, 3). Ways to do this include through integration and shared vision (Lambert, Hylander & Sandoval, 2003). Barusch, Merkman & Maramaldi (2005) note that within the health care organization standardized measures are necessary to ensure control and power are properly delegated and that quality is ensured in all patient interactions and outcomes. Care benchmarks, satisfaction tools and quality assessors currently adopted by Centura fall in line with recent studies suggesting that routine attention to performance measurement via various standardized methods help improve organizational efficiency and continuous improvement (Holzer & Julnes, 2001). Further risk management is best assessed by gathering quality data from standardized reporting systems that provide detailed summaries of the industry, characteristics of service and help regulate distribution of services and procedures within the healthcare organization (Blankmeyer, Knox & Stutzman, 2001). Centura uses multiple benchmarks to currently reap information regarding quality and service protocols, including the Values Impact Analysis and the Master Development Plan. The values impact survey acts as a standardized reporting system providing mangers and staff with detailed cues regarding employee and organizational performance. The Master Development Plan serves as a tool that can enhance performance management and train various staff members including nursing staff members to achieve their highest potential within the organization. Key issues a nursing staff coordinator may address within this organizational context is whether incumbents are consistently reporting on their progress and achievements using the values impact analysis and master development program. These programs do offer detailed information regarding potential areas of weakness and improvement within the organization. At present the strongest elements of Centura's organizational structure include its commitment to shared knowledge and communication among staff members. Additionally the organization is committed to empowering employees to excel in their job functions and dedicated to continuous training. The organization may benefit from an overhaul of the performance measurement protocols adopted for individual employees. Most organizations fall short of identifying to as great an extent possible the level of staff satisfaction with performance measurement protocols. Turnover within the organization at present is relatively low suggesting that employees are however receiving the feedback they need to excel on the job. At this point in time when problem areas are identified using the quality assessment tools in place management turns to focused committees to resolve issues. The organization would benefit by involving more primary care nurses and other direct staff involved in decision making processes that involve improving quality improvement. Because Centura is a hierarchical organization, most decisions are made from the top down. Recent studies suggest however that continuous quality improvement and risk management efforts are enhanced significantly when organizations adopt a flat approach to knowledge management and quality improvement. This means that employees at all levels of the organization must be empowered to help make decisions and share information regarding continuous improvement measures. One way to adopt this philosophy at Centura may be to establish various committees designed to help solve specific problems within their scope of expertise or knowledge. Overall Centura Health provides a superb foundation for providing quality care and direction for staff and the patients and community it serves. The organization is committed to quality improvements, knowledge sharing and partnerships within the community to reduce any risk associated with delivering care and to improve its knowledge sharing ability within the community. At present the organization has adopted various standardized instruments, which consistently provide accurate measurements of quality benchmarks within the organization. The top down management approach may be the sole factor limiting consistent knowledge sharing and hence risk management reduction or continuous improvement within the organization.

Northstowe Good or Bad

In this study, I will endeavour to discover if Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems and if anything has been learnt from development of earlier settlements, such as Bar Hill, Cambourne and Arbury. This means I am going to review the circumstances that were there when the settlements were built and see if the move made by the planners at the time was best for what happened in terms of the growth of the population and people wanting to live and work in the Cambridgeshire area, this has caused a lack of houses. This has meant huge price rises in houses making them unaffordable for first time buyers in the area. As people cannot move into Cambridge directly because of the lack of housing, they have to move into the surrounding villages and towns making them also full, this is producing a lot of traffic moving in and out of Cambridge everyday which is a huge problem as the roads cannot handle the amount of traffic as Cambridge is a medieval town and was meant for horse and carts. This has created a lot of problems such as congestion and pollution. I went to Cambridge, Arbury, Oakington, Cambourne and Bar Hill to compare the housing, layout of the settlement, the environment and the services and jobs available. I was looking for open spaces, good sized houses and houses in good condition and overall a nice environment to live in. I collected my data from what I observed and my thoughts of the visited location. Chapter 1 Just after the Second World War men were coming home and having spent years with the officers who were previously thought to be way above their class discovered that they weren't so different and so there was a huge demand for housing as men and their wives began to want houses of their own away for the family. Bar Hill began to be planned for in 1952 after the Development plan tried to contain growth, including the industrial growth inside the city of Cambridge and to limit the population to 100,000. Growth was instead to be encouraged in a ring of key villages around Cambridge. By 1964 these villages had grown so fast that the villagers were concerned that the character of the villages would be lost, so other villages further away were encouraged to grow. Also the idea of developing six new villages was put forward. Bar Hill was the only site to be developed. It met the three basic criteria, single ownership, marketable location, and well related to the existing development pattern. Bar Hill was designed to have 1,250 houses, shopping and social facilities and a light industrial estate. It used the â€Å"Radburn† design principle which is where vehicles and pedestrians are segregated by having a perimeter road which has residential cul-de-sacs inside, linked by pedestrian routes leading to the village centre. Bar Hill was divided into 12 parts residentially and it was up to private developers who would meet some of the cost of village infrastructure and services. Developers needed to sell houses at a competitive price and soaring caused several developers to sell out, and slowed development. The village centre didn't get built soon enough and so this discouraged people to buy houses more. The council had to eventually pay for a new fly over to encourage development, something that should have been paid for by the developers. A local plan was made that made the final population 5,000 and demanded higher quality housing as produced originally, before developers tried to cut costs. During the 70's houses building was slow but once the remaining land was sold off in parcels, construction speed up, although many low quality houses had already been built. More warehousing and office floorspace was put forward to decrease the commuting in and out of the village and create a more inwardly motivated community. The parish council promoted community facilities and in 1980 the village hall was finally built. A lot of progress was made when Tesco gained permission to build a superstore and petrol station, although Tesco bought the land and controlled what shops were allowed to operate. Tesco continued to grow, developing its floorspace and range of goods, it provides many jobs, although it reduced the number of smaller shops and services in Bar Hill. Industrially the land was taken up steadily, in 1985 there were 6 units vacant for a total of 56. Bar hill has attracted firms from abroad, other parts of the country and local companies wishing to expand in the area. In 1994 South Cambridgeshire District Council granted outline planning permission for the settlement of Cambourne, 9 miles west of Cambridge and south of the A428 in the parishes of Bourn and Caxton. It is planned on 1000 acres of land to be an almost self contained community. When completed it will be 3,300 houses planned around three villages with traditional village greens, a local shopping centre, a 50 acre business park, shops, community facilities, such as a health centre, library and community centre, two primary schools, a public open space including a country park and recreational facilities such as a golf course. In 1998 construction began on the infrastructure of the first housing areas as well as the site entrance and roundabouts. The first residents began living in Cambourne in august 1999, with 75 homes including low cost housing, occupied by the end of the year. More roads were built as more houses were built. Work began on the first phase of the business park, building two units. Landscaping started and the country park began. Construction began on the sewage system and balancing lakes. More houses and roads completed in Great Cambourne in 2000 and work started in on lower Cambourne, with 170 families living there by the end of June. Monkfield park primary school completed along with the first children's play area. The first phone box, post box and notice board were provided. Footpaths built in the Eco Park and country park. Structural landscaping continued on the outskirts of the site and Great Cambourne village green, and the five balancing lakes were finished. Morrison's supermarket opened in 2003. Planning permission for 1774 more houses was refused. By Easter 885 houses were occupied. 90 houses were built in 1999 and 300 more are being built per year over a further 11 years. 900 of the approximate 3,300 houses are to be rented. The homes are meant to be for all ranging from one to six bed roomed apartments and houses, retirement homes and affordable housing. The 50 acre business park, 5 acre industrial estate and village shops and services will provide at least 3,000 jobs so many villagers can live and work in Cambourne. Two primary schools will eventually be provided at Cambourne. Secondary education will be provided at an expanded Comberton village college. Once the 1000th house has been occupied the community centre has to be built. It is fifteen years since the government recognised that developers receiving planning permission should be expected to make a contribution to the local community from the uplift in value which occurs when planning permission is granted. This policy was enshrined in section 106 of the Town and Country planning act 1990 which introduced a system of planning obligations enforced by contract between the local authority and the developer. At the same time the provision for affordable houses became a material consideration. This means that permission could be refused unless an appropriate contribution was agreed in areas where there was an identified need for additional affordable housing, which encompassed the vast majority of areas in England. Providing affordable housing in this way has the potential for meeting thereof the government's main affordable housing objectives. Ensuring land is made available for that housing and does not have to be bought by housing associations on the open market. Providing a financial contribution from developers to expand the supply of affordable housing that can be obtained given available government funding. Supporting the mixed communities agenda both by putting as much as possible of the supply on the same sites as market housing and mixing what is provided between social renting and intermediate tenures to ensure that a range of household groups are on the site. This relates to the Greenbelt because if anything is going to be built on the Greenbelt, it has to be sent to the government to be approved which if it is given shows a true cause and it will also be a good thing for the place where it is being built. Chapter 2 In this section I have included annotated photos of the sites that went to and graphs to show the results of the neighbourhood survey. I am going to discuss how well each site was designed to be a residential environment, whether it has a well designed environment and whether or not the facilities are adequate whether self-contained or not and whether there are any problems for example parking or traffic and whether it helps to solve Cambridge's problems. Accordia, Brooklands Avenue Catherine Square, Arbury Oakington Bar Hill Cambourne Brooklands Avenue, as you can see in photo 1 the site was clean, the traffic was light and the houses were in good condition but the houses were not very spacious, there was a lack of privacy as well as a lack of open space and a lack of parking. As the graph 1, 2 and 3 show Brooklands Avenue although the housing isn't spacious show that the environment around is nice and it's in Cambridge and so there is not far to go to get into the centre. This suggests that it could have been planned better as the houses are not very private and are quite small, this maybe because the flats where built on a brownfield site so the planners did the best they could also there is a lack of parking which is a problem because people will have 2 park on the street outside, creating the traffic problem worse. From my analysis you can see that the recent high density like Accordia near the centre of Cambridge are bad because they create more traffic problems and there isn't enough room to house the cars. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it takes the parked cars off of the roads in Cambridge making the traffic move more swiftly. Arbury, as you can see in photo 2 the site is clean, the traffic was light, the houses were in a good condition, there was open space, it was more private than in Brooklands Avenue and the houses were more spacious and there was off street parking. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment is well planned because there is open space, it is clean, and the housing is spacious and private. From my analysis you can see that recent low density developments like Catherine Square on the outskirts of Cambridge are good because it takes people out of Cambridge but bad because they have to commute into Cambridge to work. This both supports and doesn't support the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because although it would be getting people out of the centre of Cambridge they would want to commute back into Cambridge to work so the traffic problems would worsen. Oakington, as you can see in photo 3 the site is clean, the traffic was light, there is off street parking, there was a variety of housing styles and the landscape was nice. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment was well planned, the houses were in good condition, the houses appeared spacious, there appeared to be amenities and the privacy was good, unlike Brooklands Avenue. This suggests the environment is well planned because the houses were in good condition, there was no vandalism, the houses had privacy, the area was clean and the place was well landscaped. From my analysis you can see that old low density developments like Oakington outside of Cambridge are good because the housing is much better and the area is generally nicer, this supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it is out of the city so better housing can be built and the landscaping will be better, however the commuting traffic will still be a problem inside the centre of Cambridge. Bar Hill, as you can see in photo 4 the housing is small, and the style is unvaried and there is a lack of landscape, but the environment is clean and the houses are in good condition, but as graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the poor housing outweighs the good environment and the closeness to services and jobs. This suggests the environment was well planned but because it was built in the 50's the planners didn't think ahead and so the houses are too small and all the same style because they were built to budget. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Bar Hill outside Cambridge is good because it is possible to never leave Bar Hill because you can work, shop and eat there but people commute to other places to work because the work there is all the same, this is a problem because of the traffic going into Cambridge causing pollution and congestion. Cambourne, as you can see in photo 5 has open spaces, spacious houses, the houses have amenities, the houses are styled differently, there private and there all in good condition. As graph 1, 2 and 3 show this was probably the best place we visited as I had the highest average score, also the area was clean, it was quiet, well landscaped and the traffic was light. This suggests the environment is well planned because of the good roads, the off street parking, the open space and the pavement for pedestrians. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Cambourne outside Cambridge is good because it has made a place to live that u can live and work in without having to go elsewhere. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it keeps the villages which the greenbelt was founded to protect. Commuting people from villages who work in Cambridge have been severely affected by these developments because everyone is now trying to get into Cambridge the traffic is piling up and because Cambridge was not built to hold the vast amount of traffic that there is there are daily jams when people are trying to get in and out during peak times. Chapter 3 My analysis of the 2 Cambridge sits and the 3 out of Cambridge sites reveal that although the housing is better quality and the places are of better standard outside they are producing huge amounts of traffic going into Cambridge where there is nowhere for them all to go, whereas the Cambridge sites make Cambridge easy to walk to making the traffic problems less but at a reduced niceness of house. Advantages of Cambridge site Disadvantages of Cambridge site * Easy to get into town * Can do things in town without having to worry about getting transport back * Doesn't increase traffic problem * Not far from the centre of Cambridge * Not far from a train station * Not far from work * Not very much space * Can be loud * Can be impossible to get out of Cambridge because of the traffic * If there are road works you can still be late because of the traffic jams from the other cars * Houses small and expensive Advantages of non Cambridge site Disadvantages of non Cambridge site * Open spaces for parks and play areas * Cleaner environment * The area is well landscaped * Quiet environment * The traffic is light * There is off street parking * Pedestrians are well served for as well as cyclists * Good roads for motorists * Can be far away from Cambridge * Commuting causes huge traffic problems by large amounts of people all needing to get in at the same time * There might not be any public transport routes in where the new village is. The alternatives being suggested are new villages/towns, new business parks next to old settlements, re-use land inside Cambridge or to use land on the edge of Cambridge's greenbelt like Milton or King's Hedges. These are not likely to happen in the near future because Northstowe is currently being planned, also the new town idea is Northstowe, and it will be a new town when built. The best choice would be to use brownfield sites in Cambridge itself or to revitalise places by building business parks next to old settlements providing more work out of Cambridge. Chapter 4 6,000 new homes to be built at Northstowe by 2016, with an expansion to approximately 8,000 new homes by 2021 and beyond, there is going 2 be another boom in traffic in the centre of Cambridge and it won't be able to cope so the pollution level will increase and so will the vandalism and crime in Cambridge. The way to reduce impact on the city of Cambridge when Northstowe is built is by making Cambridge easily accessible by bus, guided bus or train, this would reduce the traffic in the centre of Cambridge. To make this settlement work, in my findings, there should be open spaces, spacious good quality housing, a variety of style of housing, the houses should have amenities and they should have privacy. Also the area should be quiet, well landscaped and should be suited for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. There should be nearby schools, leisure facilities, shopping facilities, and a business park and also it should be well served by public transport. Doing this would reduce Cambridge's problems by making jobs outside of the centre of Cambridge, reducing the commuting, likewise with the good public transport. The schools would mean that people wouldn't have to do a school run into Cambridge making the traffic even less. Having open spaces makes people stay in a village because they can go and relax there and also it means there can be clubs held which get the village together. Leisure facilities such as a swimming pool, cinema or a gym would give the people an alternative nearby instead of having 2 go into Cambridge for these. Also a village hall would be good for hosting parties or clubs such as a youth club that would keep youths out of Cambridge and keep them off the streets. Conclusion I agree that lessons have been learnt from Bar Hill and Cambourne but I doubt that these lessons will be used to full effect, because although Bar Hill's circular outer road has been abolished from Cambourne and from what they expect Northstowe to look like (see diagram 1) it was quite a clever idea. Also from Bar Hill we have learnt that just because there are jobs that are in the village/town you are in, it doesn't mean that the people will work there, they are more likely to commute to either Cambridge or London from a nearby train station. The lessons learned from both of these new developments are saying the same thing that Cambridge cannot cope with the traffic that is pouring in from all the new settlements and from all the older ones. Also they have learnt that schools must be built nearby or in the town to help cope with the children because they cannot fit into the existing schools and the commuting to school would also put huge amounts of traffic on the road and this is what we are trying to stop. I don't believe that Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems but other than flattening it and starting again from scratch, which is not do-able I believe it is the best way forward. Another thing that should be built is a church of some kind because people commuting into Cambridge or nearby villages to go to church could also be seen as a problem to some people especially is a town like Northstowe had to move into the surrounding villages it would spell disaster for these quiet country villages. Evaluation If I did this project again I would improve it by going at a better time of day where there are more people about to complete the survey, and by visiting there more than once, to go back on a variety of occasions to see what exactly happens there. I think I'd need more time to get better feel for the survey and I could use more information on Northstowe to truly discover what they will be building.

Contributions to Digital Computing of Alan Turring Essay

Contributions to Digital Computing of Alan Turring Alan Turing was a dedicated mathematician who devoted his lives works to developing computer knowledge, as we know it today. Alan was born in London, England on June 23, 1912. Alan soon began to attend a local school and his interest in the science fields arose. His teachers an others would try and make him concentrate on other fields such as History an English but his craving for knowledge of mathematics drove him the opposite way. Turing’s prosperous career in math started at Kings College, Cambridge University in 1931. After graduation Alan moved on to Princeton University and that is where he explored his idea of a multi propose computer that used one’s and zero’s to describe†¦show more content†¦The Colossus may have been just a hunk of metal to a person of our time but it was truly one of the first steps towards digital computers. After World War II had ended Alan began to work for the National Physical Laboratory, where he continued his rese arch under digital computers. It is here that he published a paper he had written called the Intelligent Machinery. This was one of the first times the concept of AI was established, or artificial intelligence. In his mind there was nothing the human mind could do that a well-designed computer could not. In 1950 Turing wrote a paper describing what is now known as â€Å"Turing Test.† The Turing Test consisted of a person asking questions to another person via keyboard, much like we do every night that we go on our home computers an open American Online. He believed that if after a reasonable amount of time went by and the person could not tell the computer apart from the person the machine was somewhat intelligent. This test has become the backbone behind AI. The 1987 edition of the Oxford Companion to the Mind describes the Turing test as the best test we have for confirming the presence of intelligence in a machine. After Alan Turing’s studies at the Nationa l Physical Laboratory he moved on to the University of Manchester. It is here that Turing worked on the Manchester Automatic Digital Machine (MADAM). Turing dedicated the rest of his later life to developing

The Current Economic Situation Of The Euro Area - 1161 Words

The Current Economic Situation in the Euro Area The euro area, which will hereafter be referred to as the Eurozone, remains in a state of post-recession recovery. Following the financial crisis that began in late-2008 in the United States and the ensuing global fallout, the Eurozone had an economic crisis of its own that is known as the sovereign debt crisis. Precipitated by the vast debt a number of Eurozone constituent countries had accumulated with respect to their GDP, the sovereign debt crisis involved risk of default in several countries and a series of bailouts to some. Economies shrank as GDPs declined, unemployment rose, and deflation occurred. To combat this crisis, in addition to the aforementioned bailouts, the European Central Bank, which will henceforth be called the ECB, drastically lowered interest rates and engaged in the unconventional practice of buying securities as one way to accomplish this. Through its program known as Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT), the ECB offered to purchase government debt (from private banks) of member states that request assistance. Due to the associated conditionality, however, it was never implemented across the entire Eurozone. Also created by the ECB was long-term refinancing operations (LTROs) program in which long-term, low-interest loans were made to Eurozone banks and used government bonds and other securities as collateral. However, the Eurozone is a region of great contrast, whichShow MoreRelatedChadwick983 Words   |  4 PagesEuro Challenge 2012 The Current Economic Situation The Euro Area Economic Situation – March 2012 The euro area economy as a whole contracted (i.e., growth was negative) at the end of 2011. In 2012, the euro area will likely undergo a mild recession (a period of negative growth) but is expected to stage a gradual recovery in the second half of this year. Already, there are signs of stabilization, and recent measures taken by the ECB and European leaders are helping to overcome the euroRead MoreGroupe Ariel Sa Case Essay1170 Words   |  5 Pagesmind the exchange rates between Mexican Pesos and Euros in order to maximize their return. They also need to keep in mind the inflation rates over time and the risks involved with this type of investment. Analysis Number 1. Groupe Ariel is recycling old equipment in Mexico. They will need to use pesos to calculate their cash flows to see how this part of their project will impact their finances. They also need to convert this peso amount into Euros. We began the analysis by computing the Net PresentRead MoreFactors Affecting The Foreign Exchange Market1008 Words   |  5 Pagesan impact on currencies. The effect of these factors is reflected in the nation’s current account balance, so it’s worth watching and analyzing. When we speak about forecasting the future values of currencies, it’s necessary to watch the central banks’ policy in the first place. Central banks make decisions which set trends at the foreign exchange markets. These institutions have far more information about the economic state and developments. So, following central banks pretty much comprises informationRead MoreThe Should A Solitary Currency For Europe Has Come From The Following Six Major Factors1569 Words   |  7 Pagesplatform for carrying out internal trades within the Euro zone itself. This would also result in greater transparency in currency transactions across the individual country borders, as the underlying currency would now be the same. Fourthly, it was also needed to give the citizens of the European Union, stability in terms of prices, more choices and range in products. For any economical shock that would be experienced by the external world economies, the Euro zone would be more immune, and have enhancedRead MoreGreek Government s Debt Has Been Around Since 20101346 Words   |  6 Pagesentered the Eurozone. There are several events that led to Greece being bankrupt, but for a better understating let’s start in the year 2001. This year they entered the Eurozone, which is one of the biggest economic regions that consists on all the European Union countries and its currency is the euro. Two years later people found out that Greece â€Å"cooked their books† in order to enter the Eurozone, meaning that Greek altered its numbers and debt. Entering the Eurozone might have been their biggest mistakeRead MoreIs a Common Currency in Europe Sustainable? Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pagesnations and even the United States. Originally designed to ensure financial stability, the common currency area appears to restrain policymakers both fiscally and monetarily in these times of economic depression when they might benefit most from expansionary policies. A key problem exists with the European Central Bank dictating a unified monetary policy for states experiencing different economic scena rios. How could the European Central Bank effectively meet the needs of Greece and Italy by providingRead MoreFederal Reserve Bank Of New York Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pages(credits) and liabilities (debits) should balance; however, in the reality, this is rarely the case. The BOP is divided into 3 main categories: the current account, the capital account, and the financial account (Reem Heakle, 2015). 1. The Current Account The current account refers to the export and import of goods and services into a country. 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That the use of a single currency increases price transparency, eliminates currency exchange costs, oils the wheels of the European economy, facilitates international trade, and gives the European Union a more powerful voice in the world. That the size and strength Eurozone would better protect it from external economic shocks, and provide the EU’s citizensRead MoreThe European Union: Economics, Policy and History’ by Susan Senior Nello1737 Words   |  7 Pagesessay is called ‘Th e European Union: Economics, Policy and History’ by Susan Senior Nello. This book takes into account the different disciplines of economics, policy-making and therefore including a great deal of politics, and the history of the institution of the European Union as we know it today. The broad multi-disciplinary perspective makes this a comprehensive book that combines different aspects together making this particularly useful in the current debate about the future of the European

Two Kinds vs. Yellow Wallpaper - 1599 Words

Two Kinds vs. The Yellow Wallpaper Literature 210 After reading two very different pieces of literature one could come to the conclusion that there are many similarities and many differences between them. By comparing and contrasting the two short stories Two Kinds by Amy Tan, and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilmans we can better see how they are similar and different. Both authors of these short stories seemed to have created their stories a bit from their own lives, and through that made some very interesting characters. The authors also seemed to have thought very well about their characters personas. The first story is Amy Tan’s Two Kinds starts out with a girl explaining her mother, and what†¦show more content†¦I also see the wife and little girl trying as hard as they can to impress the other two characters but eventually giving up and not caring about pleasing them as much. Both authors did a great job with settings as I could always perfectly picture where everything was taking place and how all of the rooms that they were in looked. Aside from the stories being completely different in plot, theme, and settings another main difference between the two is the perspective from which they are written. Two Kinds is written from a girl who is looking back on her life and remembering things that happened when she was a little girl. On the other hand The Yellow Wallpaper was written more like journal that had been written every once and a while by Johns wife. They are also different because Gilmans seemed to make use of the imagery literary device a lot more then Tan did. As I read The Yellow Wallpaper I was constantly thinking about the scenery and picturing it in my head. Amy Tan also used imagery, but it seemed like she used emotions between the mother and daughter more. The author of The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilmans, was born in Connecticut in 1860. Charlotte’s father left her shortly after she was born. She married an artist in 1884, and gave birth to her first and only child the following year. Gilman suffered from deep depression, which eventuallyShow MoreRelatedComparing the Plots of The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour875 Words   |  4 PagesWhen we compare contrast the two stories The Yellow Wallpaper vs. The Story of an Hour†. If we first look at the similarities that they have, they are both about women who are controlled by their husbands, and who desired freedom. But both women had different reasons for their freedom. It sounds as though both husbands had control over their lives and both women had an illness. But I don’t believe the husbands knew their wives were so miserable. So as we look at the lives of women back in theRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper1798 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"The yel low wallpaper† was published in 1892 as part of Charlotte Perkins Gilman work. Its prominence is great because of its theme which sought to liberate women who at the time were dominated by their male counterparts. In the 1800’s women never enjoyed the privileges they do in the contemporary world but were greatly dominated by the patriarch society. By late 1800’s women had slowly and determinedly started to fight for their position, this was through literature and seeking positions that wereRead MoreStifled Women in Yellow Wallpaper, Rappaccinis Daughter, and Beloved2739 Words   |  11 PagesStifled Women in The Yellow Wallpaper, Rappaccinis Daughter, and Beloved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A connection can be drawn among the stories listed above regarding women who live as prisoners. Beatrice, of Rappaccinis Daughter, is confined to a garden because of her fathers love of science, and she becomes the pawn to several mens egos. The woman of The Yellow Wallpaper is trapped by her own familys idea of how she should conduct herself, because her mood and habit of writing are not normal to them.Read MoreAs English Short Stories Summary2723 Words   |  11 PagesAND NOVEMBER 2010, 2011 AND 2012 CONTENTS Introduction: How to use these notes 1. The Fall of the House of Usher Edgar Allen Poe 2. The Open Boat Stephen Crane 3. The Door in the Wall HG Wells 4. The People Before Maurice Shadbolt 5. A Horse and Two Goats RK Narayan 6. Journey Patricia Grace 7. To Da-Duh, In Memoriam Paule Marshall 8. Of White Hairs and Cricket Rohinton Mistry 9. Sandpiper Ahdaf Soueif 10. Tyres Adam Thorpe These notes are intended to give some background information on eachRead MoreLidl Retail Scan8477 Words   |  34 Pages 5. 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Processes Project Management Methodologies-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Processes Project Management Methodologies? Answer: Introducation Project methodology is the collection of practices, processes, methods and others in the logical manner for accumulating the best output from the successful implementation of the plan. It is the scientific and systematic approach for the execution and completion of project. Project management methodologies: PMBOK guide: It is the methodology which is based on planning, execution, controlling, and termination of the project (Rosa, 2014). It is the collection of the process groups and knowledge areas for retrieving better results. PRINCE2: Projects in controlled environment is used for representing the process driven methods in the private sector. Critical path method: This method is used for defining the activity sequence for longer duration of the project. The work and tasks should be completed within the prescribed scope of the project. The duration of the activities can be estimated by deploying the critical path method. Traditional method or waterfall method: The phases involved in the waterfall methodology are specification of the requirement, designing, construction, integration, debugging and testing, installation, and maintenance. Agile methodology: This method is used delivering the product at the rapid rate to the customers. The outcome is measured for the success of the project. SDLC: The SDLC is the methodology which is derived from the amalgamation of different methodologies together. Each phase of the cycle are associated with the priority. The two chosen methodologies are Agile and PMBOK. The two methodologies are similar to each other with respect to requirement specification, risks identification, quality management, customer participation, communication management, and interrelationship between different modules, and others. The set of rules is followed for managing the project. The changes can be accelerated according to the requirement of the project (Obrutsky, 2016). The difference between the two methodologies is described in the tabular format: Peculiarities Agile method PMBOK method Essentials It is value driven, change driven, and shared value concept It is plan driven and change driven concept Project nature It follows the iterative nature It follows the sequential nature Changes Attitude Changes can be embraced Changes can be controlled Customers involvement Customers should actively participate for setting the requirement specification plan The customers are authorised and authenticated for the approval of the requirement Project requirement plan The detailed structure of the requirement is given in the initial stage of the project The detailed structure of the requirement is given before starting the project Document The documents are not well designed in the agile methodology for future reference (Sliger, 2015) The documents are well-designed in the PMBOK which acts as a guide for future reference Project success The project success can be calculated in terms of final product delivered to the customers The project success can be calculated in terms of matching the final product delivered to the customers and the plan. Advantages The rapid changes can be occurred in the project according to the customer demand The processes are used for identifying the quality of the project. Disadvantages The plan and product delivered can be different It is a costly method Project life cycle and PMBOK The implementation of PMBOK methodology in the completion of project life cycle helps in determining the implementation of scrupulous planning, controlling the project rigorously, clear definition of the roles and responsibilities, communication process is emphasised, and validated products are delivered to the customers. It is the collection of the process groups and knowledge areas for retrieving better results (Fitsilis, 2014). Conclusion: The PMBOK is preferred over other methodologies because it offers a detailed structure and clear formulation of processes involved in achieving the objective of the project. It is the best practice for the administration of the project. References: Sliger, M. (2015).Agile project management and PMBoK guide. Retrieved from https://www.educause.edu/visuals/shared/pd/Agile_project_management.pdf Fitsilis, P. (2014).Comparing PMBOK and agile project management software development process. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/2953419/Comparing_PMBOK_and_Agile_Project_Management_software_development_processes Rosa, T. (2014).Agile and traditional methodologies: An investigation in the light of experience. Retrieved from https://www.ijirset.com/upload/2014/december/5_Agile.pdf Obrutsky, S. (2016).Comparison and contrast of project management methodologies. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305969672_Comparison_and_contrast_of_project_management_methodologies_PMBOK_and_SCRU