Entrepreneurship and Small business ( MARKETING) Essay

Entrepreneurship and Small business ( MARKETING) - Essay Example This marketing environment can work to the advantage of the firm as well as become a real nuisance, more so when the economy is not that encouraging boosting trade ties between stakeholders, different organizations and so on and so forth. The corporate strategy plays a significant role at building a bridge between the company’s inner policies and the undertakings it has with the various stakeholders, who could be from the external marketing settings. (Korzeniowski, 2001) One should believe a small business is mostly at the mercy of the person who is responsible for running it. This small business is usually short of any expectations that the business fraternity might have of the same. The owner is the sole person who is responsible for funding the business regime and thus has a major stake within the running stakes. A small business is dependent on all the actions taken by the person in-charge and without his sound input this business would not see success touching its feet. The small business requires strict vigilance on a proactive basis. This vigilance must come from the owner himself since he is the one who will eventually face the brunt of the actions that he undertakes. (Bridge, O’Neill & Cromie, 2003) Also he must remain open to ideas from the people with whom he is conducting business as well as avoid litigation measures in order to exponentially increase on his returns and cutting down on his losses. Being vigilant would actually hel p him to shape up his troops in the times to come and he would have a better idea of running the business within the due course of time. Funds are essential for the sound running of any small business. If the owner does not have sound funding mechanisms in place, he will face a tough time when there is economic recession or when he has to pay the salaries to his employed staff. A small business cannot afford lapse

Data Warehousing: Benefits and Implications

Data Warehousing: Benefits and Implications WHAT IS DATA WAREHOUSING? The term data warehouse or data warehousing was first coined by Bill Innon in the year 1990 which was defined as a â€Å"warehouse which is subject-oriented, integrated, time variant and non-volatile collection of data in support of managements decision making process†. When referring to data warehousing as subject oriented, it simply means that the process is giving information about a particular subject rather than the details regarding the on-going operations of the company. Moreover, when data warehousing was referred to as integrated it means that the data or information which are gathered from a number of sources are then all gathered to synthesize a coherent whole. On the other hand, data warehousing being time variant simply means that the data available were identified on a particular period. Lastly, data warehousing as being non-volatile means that the data is stable and when a new data is added to the system, the old data are never removed, instead they just remain there and this enables the organization to be able to give the management consistency in their business (Inmon, 1995). In the existence of modern times with the advent of technological advancements inevitably affecting the businesses in major ways, there has also been a development and emergence of new measures, practices, and techniques which used technology to be able to provide an unwavering solution to the problems in the organization with regards to the level and kind of information that the organization needs to be able to survive and prosper amidst the increasing competition in the market. Undeniably, one of this techniques and practices refers to the emergence of data warehousing as a tool helping todays businesses to be able to manage competition and the turbulent economic condition. The birth f the concept of data warehousing can be contributed to various researches and studies which were conducted in the past to provide various organizations with the means of getting information in a manner which is efficient, effective, and flexible. The data warehousing which is known today among the cor porate practice is not what it was when it started almost two decades ago. The practice of data warehousing nowadays is a result of the experiences and technologies in the last twenty years. Bill Inmon and Ralph Kimball are two of the heavyweights when it comes to data warehousing. However, although their names are known in this field, these two scholars have two varying views with regards to data warehousing. The paradigm which was illustrated by Inmon holds that the data warehouse forms only a part of the general business intelligence system. On the other hand, the paradigm of Kimball assumes that the data warehouse is a conglomerate of all the data in the organization. Other researchers assume that there is no right or wrong theories among the two assumptions from the two heavy weighs in data warehousing. However, most of them support the notion of Kimballs paradigm. They believe that most data warehouses started only as efforts from various departments starting on what they call as data marts until they develop and evolve to become a data warehouse. Furthermore, according to Manning (1999), data warehousing ahs been heralded as one of the sustainable solutions to management information and dilemma and such also provide the organization and environment which entails various benefits if they are practiced in the right way and if the perspectives are directed towards the right goal. The process of data warehousing is said to have the intention of providing an architectural model which can best provide an illustration for the flow data from the systems regarding the operation to the decision support environments. However, according to the same author, one problems stems down from the data warehousing technique that is such a system is said to be too expensive to be affordable by some organizations or businesses. It is undeniable that data warehousing continues to attract interest, it is also undeniable that many projects are failing to deliver the expectations from what they are supposed to deliver and they still prove to be too hi gh of accost to be handled by some businesses. However, to be able to justify this relatively high cost, it has been said that organizations should look at the long term benefit of the warehouse rather than simply looking at the short term benefits that such can offer. Moreover, data warehousing is also said to be designed â€Å"to be able to support ad hoc data analysis, inquiry and reporting by end-users, without programmers, interactively and online† (Heise, n.d.). The author also mentioned some key factors which can make the data warehousing practice a success among different organizations. According to him one of the key ingredients to the success of the practice is to make the management, especially the higher management, aware and conscious of all the benefits which this tool entails and what can data warehousing do to improve the performance of the business. The author as a key to the success of data warehousing is choosing the right people to make it happen. By choosing the right people, the author does not disregard the fact that the contribution of individual minds should be recognized to form a synthesis and a greater whole. Training strategy, the right structure or architecture, a sustainable mission statement, showing early ben efits, ensuring scalability, understanding how important is the quality of data, and using only proven and effective methodology are some of the other key ingredients to make data warehousing a successful practice. THE BENEFITS OF DATA WAREHOUSING David Heise was able to identify some of the benefits of data warehousing. According to him some of the benefits that it offers include the fact that it has a relative orientation on the subject area, it has the ability to provide an integration of data which were retrieved from diverse and multiple sources, it allows data analysis from time to time, it adds ad hoc inquiry and reporting, it provides decision makers with the capabilities to analyze, it relieves the IT from information development, it ahs the ability to provide better performance for complex analytical queries, it relieves the burden of processing databases which are based on transactions, it allows a planning process that is perpetual and continuous, and lastly, it converts corporate data to make them strategic information which can help them in planning for a better performance of the organization. Another benefit of data warehousing is that it enables and it helps different organizations in the strategic decision making resulting into formulation of strategic decisions which are geared towards enabling a better business performance and yielding better results. It can be assumed that most data warehousing practices are not intended for strategic decision making because they are normally used for post monitoring of decisions regarding to how effective they are. Nonetheless, it should not be also disregarded that data warehousing, according to LGI Systems Incorporated, can also be sued for strategic decision making and can be used profitably. Another benefit of data warehousing is that it enables the user to have unlimited access to a relatively very large amount of enterprise information which can be used to potentially solve a large amount of enterprise problems which can even be used to increase the profitability of the company. A very well-designed data warehouse can yield a greater return-on-investment with unlimited benefits nad the ability to better assess the risks associated with the organization. SAPs DATA WAREHOUSING SOLUTION For most of the companies which are implementing SAP, the next logical step for them would be the consideration of data warehousing as a useful tool and technique in the conduct of their business performance. In some situations, there are companies which use data warehousing as being parallel with the SAP transaction system. SAP has usually been regarded among organizations as their most important reference for transaction data. With that, it can be regarded that data warehousing, when coupled with SAP, can provide a greater solution and better transaction records (Khan, 2005). It has been said that the main objective of data warehousing is the ability to be able to analyze data from a variety of sources which can support businesses when they a making decisions. BW or the Business Information Warehouse is regarded as being the SAPs data warehousing solution. BW refers to an end-to-end data warehousing solution which uses Sap technologies which are already in existence. It is composed of various layers and types of information which are essential in building the BW architecture and in executing data warehousing solutions which will be helpful in the companys business performance. SAPs data warehousing solution can also be helpful in other aspects such as quotation processing, order processing, delivery, analysis and comparison and administrative and management functions (Fu Fu, 2003). The Business Information Warehouse, being SAPs data warehousing solution, has been developed specifically for business to be able to potentially analyze and gather various types and kinds of relevant information which will provide statistical information about related transaction in the best ways possible. The BW is helping the knowledge workers to quickly mine and gathers the data of the business; it is also equipped with pre-configured information on reports and models. COMPANIES USING DATA WAREHOUSING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS An example of a known company which uses data warehousing is WalMart. Being the worlds largest retailer, many say that the company should be also the organization with the largest data warehouse which is going to serve as the database of its inventory and all transactions related to their business performance. The data warehousing also has a big implication on the business of WalMart. According to the management of the worlds largest retailer, more than any other purpose, their data warehouse is helping them to be able to make decision support systems between the company and its various suppliers. Aside from that, another implication of data warehousing on WalMart is that it enables the suppliers to be able to access a large amount of online information and data which will be helpful with their suppliers in terms of improving their operations. One example of companies using and reaping the benefits of adapt warehousing will be various pharmaceutical companies, or in a larger scale, the general healthcare industry. For most of the pharmaceutical businesses which are under operation, they were able to acknowledge the fact that they lack a sustainable focus on their promotional practices, resulting to diffused sales efforts. With that, they regard that data warehousing technique has a big implication in their business because they regard such as the best medicine and remedy for the aforementioned problem. They are even using data warehousing to be able to attain a sustainable competitive edge against other businesses in the industry. In the case of pharmaceutical companies, it has an implication also in the marketing department. Data warehousing helps the marketing department, through various information contained, to come up with promotional and marketing activities which can yield them maximum results. Moreover, data wareho using also has an implication on the human resources department of the organizations because they can also help in the effective allocation of people and resources (Desai, 1999). REFERENCES: Desai, Amit; For Pharmaceutical Companies, A Data Warehouse Can be Just What the Doctor Ordered Fu, Henry, Fu, Biao; SAP BW: A Steb by Step Guide; 2003 Heise, David; What is Data Warehousing; n.d. Inmon, W. H.; What is a Data Warehouse?; Prism; 1995 Khan, Arshad; SAP and BW Data Warehousing: How to Plan and Implement; 2005 LGI Systems Incorporated; The Data Warehousing Information Center; Accessed on April 9, 2010 from http://www.dwinfocenter.org/strategy.html Manning, Ian; Data Warehousing; Adopting an Architectural View and Maximizing Cost Benefits; 1999

Philosophical-Anthropological Approach to Historic-Cultural Research :: Philosophy Anthropology Essays

Philosophical-Anthropological Approach to Historic-Cultural Research ABSTRACT: This approach holds that the problem of humanity determines the history of culture. On the basis of theory developed by Max Scheler, I try to work out the main characteristics of cultural process, the typology of culture, and the periodization of culture. The humanities in Russia are in the midst of a methodological crisis now, and I hope that this approach will help us obtain a fuller understanding of culture. There's not a secret that Russian Humanities are in a methodological crisis now. Our scientists look for new Methods and Approaches using the Conceptions of Western Science. Among them American Anthropology is the most popular in the last years throughout the World. Philosophers are interested in "Ecological Anthropology" which learns the adaptation of people to environment especially (see: Sahlin M. Evolution: specific and general// Theory in Anthropology. Manners R., Paplan D. (eds). Chicago.1968; Hatch E. The growth of economics, subsistence and ecological studies in American Anthropology// Journal of Anthropological Reseach. Vol.29.1973). Many American scientists prefer the neoevolution Method with the analyses of Race, Nation and others ethnic or social groups (see, for example: Lazlo E. Evolution: The Grans Syntethesis. Boston.1987). Among new approaches we can see some connected with Psychology. (See: Bock Ph.K. Rethinking Psychological Anthropology. N.Y. 1988; Berry J., Poort inga Y., Legall M., Dasen P. Cross-Cultural Psychology: Research and Applications. Cambridge, 1992; Cole M. Cultural Psychology. Cambridge, 1996; Coult A.D. Psychodelic Anthropology. Philadelphia, 1997 and others). The authors write about identification of Person, "socialization" and "culturalization" of children, about "ethological" method, which helps us to understand the interaction between Person and Society. Psychological Anthropology takes the first place in working out the theme "Culture and Personality" now, but it resolves this theme in the direction of Man adaptation to the modern Society. There is, however, the Conception, in which the development of Culture seems to be depended on the solution of the Problem of Person-"new Philosophical Anthropology". My special interest is connected, first of all, with this Conception as a Theory of Culture. New Philosophic Anthropology is well developed in Western Science, but practically unknown in Russia. Our philosophers only begin to study the Conception of it's founder-Max Scheler (see: Max Scheler. Izbranniye proizvedeniya. M., 1994;). Max Scheler created the global Theory of the historical Process as a penetration of Man into his own substance, as a permanent search for "selfness", "independent being into itself". Philosophical-Anthropological Approach to Historic-Cultural Research :: Philosophy Anthropology Essays Philosophical-Anthropological Approach to Historic-Cultural Research ABSTRACT: This approach holds that the problem of humanity determines the history of culture. On the basis of theory developed by Max Scheler, I try to work out the main characteristics of cultural process, the typology of culture, and the periodization of culture. The humanities in Russia are in the midst of a methodological crisis now, and I hope that this approach will help us obtain a fuller understanding of culture. There's not a secret that Russian Humanities are in a methodological crisis now. Our scientists look for new Methods and Approaches using the Conceptions of Western Science. Among them American Anthropology is the most popular in the last years throughout the World. Philosophers are interested in "Ecological Anthropology" which learns the adaptation of people to environment especially (see: Sahlin M. Evolution: specific and general// Theory in Anthropology. Manners R., Paplan D. (eds). Chicago.1968; Hatch E. The growth of economics, subsistence and ecological studies in American Anthropology// Journal of Anthropological Reseach. Vol.29.1973). Many American scientists prefer the neoevolution Method with the analyses of Race, Nation and others ethnic or social groups (see, for example: Lazlo E. Evolution: The Grans Syntethesis. Boston.1987). Among new approaches we can see some connected with Psychology. (See: Bock Ph.K. Rethinking Psychological Anthropology. N.Y. 1988; Berry J., Poort inga Y., Legall M., Dasen P. Cross-Cultural Psychology: Research and Applications. Cambridge, 1992; Cole M. Cultural Psychology. Cambridge, 1996; Coult A.D. Psychodelic Anthropology. Philadelphia, 1997 and others). The authors write about identification of Person, "socialization" and "culturalization" of children, about "ethological" method, which helps us to understand the interaction between Person and Society. Psychological Anthropology takes the first place in working out the theme "Culture and Personality" now, but it resolves this theme in the direction of Man adaptation to the modern Society. There is, however, the Conception, in which the development of Culture seems to be depended on the solution of the Problem of Person-"new Philosophical Anthropology". My special interest is connected, first of all, with this Conception as a Theory of Culture. New Philosophic Anthropology is well developed in Western Science, but practically unknown in Russia. Our philosophers only begin to study the Conception of it's founder-Max Scheler (see: Max Scheler. Izbranniye proizvedeniya. M., 1994;). Max Scheler created the global Theory of the historical Process as a penetration of Man into his own substance, as a permanent search for "selfness", "independent being into itself".

History & Nature of the Game

HISTORY & NATURE OF THE GAME Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith; a Canadian teacher. It was ? rst played with a soccer-style ball and peach baskets as the goals. Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of ? ve players on the court (usually 2 guards, 2 forwards and 1 centre) each try to score points against one another by forcing a ball through a 10 feet (3m) high hoop. The ball can be advanced on the court by dribbling or passing it between teammates. Disruptive physical contact (fouls) is not permitted and there are restrictions on how the ball can be handled (violations). Basketball Game Rule Basketball Games are a test to player's agility and endurance, and require remarkable hand-eye coordination on the players' behalf. The simple  rule of basketball game  play on a rule- Get your team's basketball through the opposing team's basket as many times as possible while preventing your opposing team from doing the same (i. e. , taking a Shot in to your basket). The team having the ball plays in offence and the other team plays in defense (trying to stop the offence team from scoring a Shot). Official basketball games are played for a predetermined period of time and the team that scores maximum points within the stipulated time is declared as winner. Basketball Scores are determined depending on the type of shot made: *One point for every successful free throw (Foul Shot) *Two points for one Shot *Three points for a Long-range Shot (6. 25 meters from the basket) In every basketball match there will also be one referee and one or two umpires in order to control the game. Basketball Rules Take a look at few  basketball rules  that every player is required to adhere to while playing an official basketball match: -The offensive team cannot permit the basketball to go behind the midcourt line and touch it before the opposing team touches it. This is called a backcourt violation and the ball will be awarded to the opposing team. -Every player is required to bounce the ball while moving around the court. This is called dribbling. A player can take utmost two steps after he stops dribbling in order to avoid committing a double-dribble violation, in which case the opposing team gains possession of the ball. Basketball Foul occurs when one player tries to take unfair advantage over another player (or attempts in anyway to disadvantage the game of the opponent player). If a player commits more than five fouls in a game (six fouls for NBA and few other professional leagues) then the player will be ‘fouled out' and will be removed from the game. If no substitute player is present to take his place then the entire team will have to forfeit the match. Take a look at common Fouls committed by  basketball game players  : *Personal Foul – Denotes all normal fouls. In the event of a personal foul the players who are fouled will receive a free throw or will receive the ball to pass inbounds again *Technical Foul – Occurs when a player or coach displays poor sportsmanship by arguing / fighting with another player or the referee. The player (or coach) committing the foul will be disqualified from the match. *Unsportsmanlike Foul – These are blatant fouls often involving excessive contact and call for harsh penalties. The Fundamental Skills of Basketball To get better skills in basketball players need to first understand and master the basics of the game. In basketball, there are 6 different fundamental skill areas that players should concentrate on in training. Dribbling Dribbling the basketball is done to move the ball around only when a passing isn't a better option and a lane isn't available. Both new and experienced players make the mistake of dribbling the ball when it isn't needed. Ask any collage or professional basketball coach – they will all tell you the same thing. Dribbling should be done when the player (you) have some purpose to forfill. Dribbling while looking for an offensive option is a good way to lose the ball. When you are looking for that option, take the ball in a firm grip and put your body between you and the defender. Regardless of how good you are at dribbling, the defense will always have a greater chance for a steal if you are dribbling the ball instead of gripping it in both hands. Passing Passing is the number 1 option for moving the ball around the court on offense. Passing is quicker than dribbling and so it is a deadly offensive tool for reaching that open man so they can have the shot. Good passes are the hallmark of good teams because most offensive plays are set up by good passes. Shooting Shooting is probably the most practiced skill for new and experienced players. Yet so many people still practice it wrong. In practice all drills should be done at game speed and done as you would under pressure. Players are usually too lazy to do this and instead of practicing the sweet jump shot that they are constantly doing in the game they lazy-it-down to a hop-shot. Instead of jumping to give power they use their arms for the power and the legs give the rest. Practicing the wrong way to shoot is something that players do all the time yet they do not understand why they miss all their jump shots during the game†¦ Rebounding Rebounding can come in two forms – offensive and defensive. Lots of newer player look at rebounding and immediately think that it is a big mans area. Yet this is not so. Rebounding is more than just being big. It even surpasses just jumping ability. To be good at rebounding you need skill and dedication. Skill is mainly the ability to position yourself and read the shots – something that comes quickly with practice. Dedication is probably the most important factor in rebounding. The person who gets the ball is the one with the most hunger for the ball and who is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Offense Offense is a fundamental which encompasses all aspects of the offensive court. Shooting has already been covered (and is covered more in the basketball website listed below). Yet moving off the ball to give offensive options to the player with the ball is another thing that is essential for good offense. Supporting your team mates with screens and being able to locate the best offensive option and get the ball to them are also essential things on offense. These skills are often overlooked. Defense The best defensive teams in the NBA are often the ones that make it into the playoffs. This is seen year after year so a simple conclusion can be made here – defense is key to victory. Defense is not only about getting the steal or block but also about intimidation of the opponents. Drills and Practice Activities to learn basketball Why use games instead of drills? The skill building games are meant to make sure the kids enjoy practice, but there are many benefits to using   game based drills. The players will not only have more fun but they will play at higher intensity and at game   pace. The games should allow them to have fun and appreciate the sport while learning and practicing the   skills they need to master their sport. Practice Game Guidelines: * Have  every player touching the ball as  much as possible. * Use games that keep all kids playing until the end. Don't have the weak players  get knocked out  and   watch the  stronger players get more touches. * Avoid  rewarding â€Å"winners† and punishing â€Å"losers† (push ups, laps, etc). The games must replicate true game skills to be effective. * Shorten or ideally eliminate lines. * Keep it simple. The games should be easy to explain and to set up. * Don't have too many different games. Find a few games that the kids love and just expand the  game   as they need  more challenges. Let them play without worrying about proper execution of the skill. After a couple of times thro ugh the game   ask them what they need to do well to win the game. When you hear answers like â€Å"dribble in control† or   â€Å"make good passes† you can then make suggestions for how to achieve that. With a little creativity you can   probably turn many of the drills you are currently using into games. Have fun. If you have a game to share,   please send it to us to add to the site. Basketball Games Young basketball players can improve their skills by simply increasing their touches on the ball. Spend as   much time as possible having them dribble, pass, catch and shoot. It’s great to teach a screen, or a pick and   role, or the give and go, but if they can’t make the bounce pass or dribble under control, then they will not be   able to execute these plays. Basketball is fundamentals. As the players improve on their individual   fundamental skills, both offensive and defensive, begin to add some team fundamentals like blocking out for   rebounds, off ball screens, and the give and go play. Red Light, Green Light or Stop and Go Dribble  (dribbling) Skills taught:  This develops dribbling skills. How the game works:  Have all the players line up on the base line with a ball. Coach yells â€Å"green light† and   players move forward as quickly as possible while dribbling the ball. When the coach yells â€Å"red light†, the   players must stop and maintain their dribble. Send back to the start any player not dribbling in control. Tip:  In the ‘red light’ position have the players assume a position with the left foot forward, left hand out   protecting the ball, right foot back with right hand dribbling the ball waist high just in front of the right foot. (For   an easy description, tell your players to â€Å"jump on their skateboards. †) Knees bent, with eyes on the coach. Change from using right hand only to left hand only. Mix it up to add right hand on red light, left hand on   green. Add more variations like through the legs to change from green to red as players skills advance. Have fun with this game. Passing Line Relay  (Passing, Pivot) Skills taught:  This game teaches passing, catching and how to use your pivot foot. How the game works:  Ã‚  Divide your players into 2 equal teams. Line them up about 5-7 feet apart. The first   player passes the ball to the second player in line. The second player must turn 180 degrees using a correct   pivot and pass to the next player. Continue to the end and then work the ball back to the front. Rotate players   in line so that everyone practices the passing off the pivot. Tip:  Use this drill to do chest passes, bounce passes and 2-hand overhead passes. Have the players vary   which foot they pivot on. Shuffle/Pass Relay  (passing and catching on the move, footwork, conditioning) Skills taught:  For players who have achieved some confidence in passing, the next step is to learn to pass   and catch on the move. Use this game to teach the players to shuffle (not cross their feet), to keep a target   for the passer and to stay low with knees bent. How this drill works:  Divide the players into two equal teams. Each team will then divide into 2 lines and set   up facing each other. The first pair in each line starts down the court throwing bounce (or chest) passes   while shuffling down the court as fast as possible. Have the players both touch the end line and then return,   passing the ball to the next pair in line. Tip:  Younger players will often travel with the ball before they can make the exchange from catching to   throwing, but work towards improving this skill with older players. If you have a team that needs to â€Å"talk† more   on the court, make them call out â€Å"ball† when they are ready to receive the pass. Shuffle/Pass Relay #2  (passing and catching on the move, footwork, conditioning) Skills taught:  Similar to the game above this teaches passing quickly on the move, footwork and fitness. How the drill works:  Divide your team into 2 or 3 groups depending on the number of players. Select one   player from each team to go first. The other players on each team line up roughly 5-7 feet apart (vary the   distance by age). This is similar to the game above, but this time only the one player who was selected to go   first will shuffle down the court passing to each player in line as they go. Have the player go down and back 2- 5 times racing the other team’s player. Change the shuffle passer and go again. Tip:  Break into at least 3 lines when you have 12 or more players to decrease standing time. Circle Block Out  (blocking out) Skills taught:  An essential part of rebounding is blocking out the opposing team. How the game works:  Pair your players up by size. Depending on the number of pairs, separate the group   into halves or thirds. Place a ball on the ground. Have the first group of pairs create a circle around the ball   and about 4 feet away. Have the first player in each pair set inside the circle turn and face his partner so that   his back is to the basketball. When you blow the whistle the inside player must turn and block out the   outside player who is trying to get by him and touch the ball on the circle. The inside player’s goal is to keep   the outside player off the ball for 10-30 seconds depending on age of players. Tip:  Teach your players to keep their arms out and bent up at the elbow and knees bent for balance. Have   them make contact with the outside players and use their bodies to keep the player's off the ball. This is a   great first drill to learn blocking out without having to also concentrate on making the rebound. War  (overall playing skills) Skills taught:  Ã‚  This drill helps with aggressive play to the ball and one-on-one skills. How the game works:  Divide your team into 2 groups. Use only one end of the court and have the two teams   line up on opposing side lines. Spread them out evenly to start. Have the players number off so each side   has a player 1, a player 2, etc. Place the ball at half court. The coach calls out a number â€Å"3! † and player 3   from each side sprints out to get the ball. The player that picks it up first is the offensive player and the other   player assumes the defensive role. The offensive player then tries to score and can use his teammates on   the sidelines for passing only. The sideline teammates cannot move once they have received the ball but   can move up and down the sideline without the ball to help with receiving a pass. If the defensive player   steals the ball or gets a rebound, he must ‘check’ the ball by passing it out to one of his teammates before   he can attempt to score. Game is over after a score or each players has had an offensive attempt. Tip:  Ã‚  Mix this game up by calling out multiple numbers so players play 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 etc. With younger   players, shrink the playing area by moving lines in several steps from the sidelines. Vital information which will lead to a better understanding basketball game Basketball is a recreation that is famous worldwide. There isn't any one around the world who doesn't know about basketball or even heard in regards to the game. And these days, there are totally different leagues and governing bodies for the sport; NBA being essentially the most famous league and FIBA as the very best governing body. With its popularity, basketball is now being played in most parts of the worlds. The game is even included in the Olympics. Although almost everyone knows the sport, not all knows in regards to the history of basketball. Maybe only a portion of basketball fans know how basketball really begun and where. To higher perceive basketball and its historical past, listed below are the few vital information about it; . James Naismith – he's the inventor of basketball. He's a Canadian educator as well as a sports recreationalist. . 1981 – this was the yr when James Naismith invented basketball. Springfield, Massachusetts – the place the sport was invented Did You Know? . That it took James Naismith and his crew about 14 days to kind the rules of basketball. . That basketball was initially performed using peach baskets as hoops. . That it was then played with 9 gamers on the court docket per team. .That the first ball use in basketball was really a soccer ball. Out of thos e developments, basketball evolved into the game that we all know today. This evolution will be attributed to the committees and governing our bodies of basketball. The Delivery of NBA The historical past of basketball will never be complete with out mentioning the introduction and improvement of the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation or NBA. It was mainly formed in 1946. Within the early days of the NBA, although there have been numerous great players, it does not benefit from the sophistication and popularity that it has today. This changed in the late 50s and early 60s when Bill Russell entered the league. With Russell and the Boston Celtics, NBA obtained a new shine in the limelight as the group collected eight successive championships. And within the 70s the Larry Chook-Magic Johnson matchup gave NBA a new height. Their crew's battle for an NBA reign fueled many peoples interest in the direction of the game. Nevertheless, the fame and glory that NBA has today is much attributed to Michael Jordan in the 1980s up to the 1990s. Basketball, Refined All through the years, basketball has been polished; the foundations had been modified that solely 5 gamers per team are now playing on the court. The peach baskets were additionally changed by iron rims with nylon nets beneath. The purpose system was also refined. The soccer ball was replaced with an official basketball. Long range shooting or the three-point shot have been also included within the game. This was not included in NBA games till 1979 and in NCAA till 1980. The American Basketball Association or ABA league was the first one to make use of this kind of shot. There are nonetheless lots of issues that you need to know relating to the history of basketball. What's written here is just primary information. Should you want an in-depth study of basketball's history, you possibly can all the time get a textbook discussing every part about basketball; from history to probably the most advance techniques.

Barilla Spa (A) Case Study Essay

Executive Summary Sales representatives at the Barilla SpA, world’s largest pasta producer, are seeing customers changing due to long re-order lead-time and frequent stock-outs. Even with a high inventory levels, Barilla is still not able to cope with the fluctuating demand. The fluctuation in demand is seen as the bullwhip effect that is caused by sales strategies that have been put into place that is very product focused. This causes excessive demand from week to week depending on the product that the promotion or incentive is been aimed towards. There is also a lack of data sharing and poor communication throughout the whole supply chain which does not bring visibility for production forecast. With the Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD) that was brought in from the logistics manager, neither internally nor externally is supporting the new system. With the lack of understanding of the new system and the positive results it will bring, it will be hard to convince buy-ins from different angles. The initiative should be tested first from Barilla’s own facilities and prove out the methods and be able to visualize the improvements to the rest of its supply chain. During the implementation and test phase, there should be dedicated teams which monitor the data and metrics coming from the new system. Daily meetings should be held to discuss issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. As inventory levels drop, issues with the distribution system will arise which provides a priority of issues to resolve. Once the system has been proven, the results will be the biggest selling points to have the implementation through the whole supply chain and for everyone to understand its benefits. Issues Identification Barilla is experiencing issues to meet their fluctuating demand from the distribution centers even when carrying additional inventory throughout the supply chain. Brando Vitali has came with a proposal of a Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) but neither the sales team in Barilla or the buyers at the distribution centers are agreeing with the approach. At the same time, these teams are already noticing that our customers are leaving due to the lack of servicing we are able to provide. Distribution centers were asked to carry more inventories to prevent occurrences of stock outs but the suggestion was not accepted. In return, they issued a complaint regarding the number of SKUs Barilla has which makes it impossible to manage and the long manufacturing lead-time due to the tight heat and humidity specifications. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Fluctuating Demand: The fluctuation in demand is caused by a combination of reasons. The trade promotions and volume discounts that Barilla uses as sales strategies are one of the biggest influences. There were also no limits to the quantities that the distributors are allowed to order per each â€Å"canvass† period. The incentive program for Barilla’s sales representatives is also causing inconsistency to the demand; they would be pushing for the SKU’s that would bring them a higher incentive. Barilla is also experience a growth in their export market; it was expected to reach 20-25% per year. With this increasing growth, Barilla does not have any sophisticated forecasting technique that would prepare them to meet the demand. There is a minimal visibility for Barilla to see where the volatility is in the demand is coming from. This is creating the Bullwhip Effect throughout their whole supply chain. The poor communication and cooperation between retailers, distribution centers and manufacturer is the reason that they all are maintaining higher inventory than required. Resistance to Changes: There were many resistances to this new initiative when it was being brought up internally and externally. When there is a lack of understanding of the results that a new initiative will bring, there will always be resistance to change. Sales team fears that that they would see a reduction of responsibilities and distribution centers were defensive when they misinterpret the approach as saying they don’t know what they are doing. Alternative and/or Options Alternative #1 – Continue to promote the Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) initiative To be able to eliminate the Bullwhip Effect, there must be an increase in visibility through the whole supply chain. With better communication and an understanding and trust between vendors, it will eliminate the volatility in demand. This will improve the service levels from distributors to retailers and at the same time reduce the inventory carrying cost. With the visibility, it will better Barilla to forecast their demand and improve their production planning process. While achieving this, it will reduce their manufacturing cost and their inventory cycle. Alternative #2 – Eliminate product focus sales strategies Instead of promoting particular products in each canvass period that will cause excessive demand, Barilla should maintain a constant competitive pricing through the year. Barilla should also eliminate their product-focus incentive policy for their sales representative and create incentive programs that will not allow them to focus on a particular SKU. Recommendations and Implementation Barilla should continue to promote the Just-in-Time Distribution initiative. As this is a new concept for the distributors and retailers, Barilla should prove out this initiative at their own facility. With the results, they can then have bigger bargaining power to promote this idea to its whole supply chain. As for anything else to be successful in a company, it is important for top management to be actively involved. Employees need to be aware of the importance of this project in order for it to be successful and for them to understand positive results it will bring to the company. During the implementation, there would be decrease in inventory levels. Before, the inventory levels were used as a buffer to hide the problems that prevents us from working with a lower inventory level. As we decrease the inventory levels, the problems will arise and it will identify for us what issues we need to resolve as a priority. If the problem requires a longer time to resolve, then the inventory levels can be raise to prevent affecting customers from stock-outs. Then the focus would be to resolve the issue and the inventory levels can be lowered again. With this approach, it will help prioritize the issues that need to be address and which ones will help lower our inventory levels. Monitor and Control To monitor the affects of this initiative, there are a few key performance indicators that need to be set-up. Stock Out Rate – This will immediately show the trend with the current system and be able to visualize that JITD will increase service levels. Inventory Levels – Visualize inventory levels at all firms to demonstrate the win-win scenario that this initiative will bring. Re-order Lead-time – To show with the increase communication, it helps for manufacturers to respond faster There should be daily meetings held with the key departments to ensure that the information is communicated in an effective manner. The meeting should be held at the same time in the same form to create a drum-beat system that will create a habit for the stakeholders to inform of any issues that they have encounter and to gather as a group to resolve.