Five Force Industry Analysis Essay

The Company distributes its products principally through third-party computer resellers. The Company is also continuing its expansion into new distribution channels, such as mass merchandise stores, consumer electronics outlets and computer superstores, in response to changing industry practices and customer preferences. The Company’s products are sold primarily to business and government customers through independent resellers, value-added resellers and systems integrators; to home customers through independent resellers and consumer channels; and to education customers through direct sales and independent resellers. In order to provide products and service to its independent resellers on a timely basis, the Company distributes its products through a number of Apple distribution and support centers. Business customers account for the largest portion of the Company’s revenues. Business customers are attracted to the Macintosh in particular for a variety of reasons, incl uding the availability of a wide variety of application software, the reduced amount of training resulting from the Macintosh’s intuitive ease of use, and the ability of the Macintosh to network and communicate with other computer systems and environments. Apple personal computers were first introduced to education customers in the late 1970’s. In the United States, the Company is one of the major suppliers of personal computers for both elementary and secondary school customers, as well as for college and university customers. The Company is also a substantial supplier to institutions of higher education outside of the United States. In the United States, the Company’s formal commitment to serve the federal government began in 1986 with the formation of the Apple Federal Systems Group. Although the Company has contracts with a number of U.S. government agencies, these contracts are not currently material to the Company’s overall financial condition or results of operations. Presently, the United States represents the Company’s largest geographic marketplace. The Apple USA organization, based in Campbell, California, focuses on the Company’s sales, marketing, and support efforts in the United States. Products sold in the United States are primarily manufactured in the Company’s facilities in California, Colorado, and Singapore, and distributed from facilities in California and Illinois. Approximately 45% to 46% of the Company’s revenues in recent years has come from its international  operations. The Company has two international sales and marketing divisions, consisting of the division and the Apple Pacific division. The Apple Europe division, based in Paris, France, focuses on opportunities in Europe as well as in parts of Africa and in the Middle East. Products sold by the Europe division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facility in Cork, Ireland. The Apple Pacific division, based in Cupertino, California, focuses on opportunities in Japan, Australia, Canada, the Far East, and Latin America. Products sold by the Pacific division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s manufacturing and assembly facilities in California, Colorado and Singapore. A summary of the Company’s Industry Segment and Geographic Information may be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Industry Segment and Geographic Information†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. Raw materials Although raw materials, processes, and components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain key components are currently obtained from single sources. For example, certain microprocessors used in many of the Company’s products are currently available only from Motorola, Inc. Any availability limitations, interruption in supplies, or price increases relative to these and other components could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial results. Key components and processes currently obtained from single sources include certain of the Company’s displays, microprocessors, mouse devices, keyboards, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, printers and printer components, ASICs and other custom chips, and certain processes relating to construction of the plastic housing for the Company’s computers. In addition, new products introduced by the Company often initially utilize custom components obtained from onl y one source, until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for an additional supplier. In situations where a component or product utilizes new technologies and processes, there may be initial capacity constraints until such time as the suppliers’ yields have matured. Materials and components are normally acquired through purchase orders, as  is common in the industry, typically covering the Company’s requirements for periods from 90 to 180 days. However, the Company continues to evaluate the need for a supply contract in each situation. If the supply of a key single-sourced material, process, or component to the Company were to be delayed or curtailed, its ability to ship the related product utilizing such material, process, or component in desired quantities and in a timely manner could be adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternate source. The Company believes that the suppliers whose loss to the Company could have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s business and financial position include, at this time , Canon, Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi, Ltd., IBM, Motorola, Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments, Inc., Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd., and/or their United States affiliates, and VLSI Technology, Inc. However, the Company helps mitigate these potential risks by working closely with these and other key suppliers on product introduction plans, strategic inventories, and coordinated product introductions. The Company believes that most of its single-source suppliers, including most of the foregoing companies, are reliable multinational corporations. Most of these suppliers manufacture the relevant materials, processes, or components in multiple plants. The Company further believes that its long-standing business relationships with these and other key suppliers are strong and mutually beneficial in nature. The Company has a supply agreement with Motorola, Inc. (see Exhibit 10.B.12 hereto). The agreement with Motorola continues for five years from January 31, 1992 unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing by the parties. The Company single-sources microprocessors from Motorola. The supply agreement does not obligate the Company to make minimum purchase commitments; however, the agreement does commit the vendor to supply the Company’s requirements of the particular items for the duration of the agreement. The Company has also from time to time experienced significant price incre ases and limited availability of certain components that are available from multiple sources, such as dynamic random-access memory devices. Any similar occurrences in the future could have an adverse effect on the Company’s operating results. Item 2. Properties The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. The Company has manufacturing facilities in Fountain, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Cork, Ireland, and Singapore. As of September 30, 1994, the Company leased approximately 5.2 million square feet of space, primarily in the United States, and to a lesser extent, in Europe and the Pacific. Leases are generally for terms of five to ten years, and usually provide renewal options for terms of up to five additional years. Certain of these leased facilities are subject to the Company’s restructuring actions initiated in the third quarter of both 1993 and 1991. The amount of space leased by the Company may decline in the future as the leases for facilities subject to restructuring actions are terminated pursuant to agreements with landlords or expire as scheduled. The Company owns its manufacturing facilities in Fountain, Colorado, Cork, Ireland, and Singapore, which total approximately 920,000 square feet. T he Company also owns a 450,000 square-foot facility in Sacramento, California, which is used as a manufacturing, service and support center. The Company also owns the research and development facility located in Cupertino, California, and a centralized domestic data center in Napa, California which approximate 856,000 and 158,000 square feet, respectively. Outside of the United States, the Company owns a facility in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, which is used primarily for distribution, totaling approximately 265,000 square feet, in addition to certain other international facilities, totaling approximately 553,000 square feet. The Company believes that its existing facilities and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition. The Company has invested in additional internal capacity and external partnerships, and therefore believes it has adequate manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet anticipated demand for its products. Information regarding critical business operations that are located near major earthquake faults is set forth in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Factors That May Affect Future Results†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. Information regarding the Company’s purchase of its remaining partnership interest in Cupertino Gateway Partners, formed for the purpose of constructing the campus-type office facility that is now wholly owned by  the Company, may be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K under the heading â€Å"Commitments and Contingencies†, which information is hereby incorporated by reference. â€Å"Other countries† consists of Canada and Australia. Prior year amounts have been restated to conform to the current year presentation. Net sales to unaffiliated customers is based on the location of the customers. Transfers between geographic areas are recorded at amounts generally above cost and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the respective governing tax authorities. Operating income (loss) by geographic area consists of total net sales less operating expenses, and does not include an allocation of general corporate expenses. The restructuring charge and adjustment recorded in 1993 and 1994, respectively, are included in the calculation of operating income (loss) for each geographic area. Identifiable assets of geographic areas are those assets used in the Company’s operations in each area. Corporate assets include cash and cash equivalents, joint venture investments, and short-term investments. 1995 Approximately 45% to 48% of the Company’s revenues in recent years has come from its international operations. The Company has two international sales and marketing divisions, consisting of the Apple Europe division and the Apple Pacific division. The Apple Europe division focuses on opportunities in Europe as well as in parts of Africa and in the Middle East. Products sold by the Europe division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facility in Cork, Ireland. The Apple Pacific division focuses on opportunities in Japan and Asia; Australia and New Zealand; and the Caribbean region. Products sold by the Pacific division are manufactured primarily in the Company’s facilities in California, Colorado and Singapore. The Company distributes its products through third-party computer resellers, and is also continuing its expansion into various consumer channels, such as mass merchandise stores, consumer electronics outlets and computer superstores, in response to changing industry practices and customer preferences. The Company’s products are sold primarily to business and government customers through independent resellers, value- added resellers and systems integrators; to home customers through independent resellers and consumer channels; and to education customers through direct sales and independent resellers. In order to provide products and service to its independent resellers on a timely basis, the Company distributes its products through a number of Apple distribution and support centers. Raw materials Although certain raw materials, processes, and components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, key components and processes currently obtained from single sources include certain of the Company’s displays, microprocessors, mouse devices, keyboards, disk drives, printers and printer components, application- specific integrated circuits (â€Å"ASICs†) and other custom chips, and certain processes relating to construction of the plastic housing for the Company’s computers. Any availability limitations, interruption in supplies, or price increases relative to these and other components could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial results. In addition, new products introduced by the Company often initially utilize custom components obtained from only one source, until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for an additional supplier. In situations where a component or product utilizes new technologies and processes, there may be initial capacity constraints until such time as the suppliers’ yields have matured. Materials and components are normally acquired through purchase orders, as is common in the industry, typically covering the Company’s requirements for periods from 90 to 180 days. However, the Company continues to evaluate the need for a supply contract in each situation. If the supply of a key single-sourced material, process, or component to the Company were to be delayed or curtailed, its ability to ship the related product utilizing such material, process, or component in desired quantities and in a timely manner could be  adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternate so urce. The Company believes that the suppliers whose loss to the Company could have a material adverse effect upon the   Company’s business and financial position include, at this time, Canon, Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi, Ltd., IBM, Motorola, Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments, Inc., and/or their United States affiliates, and VLSI Technology, Inc. However, the Company helps mitigate these potential risks by working closely with these and other key suppliers on product introduction plans, strategic inventories, and coordinated product introductions. The Company believes that most of its single-source suppliers, including most of the foregoing companies, are reliable multinational corporations. Most of these suppliers manufacture the relevant materials, processes, or components in multiple plants. The Company further believes that its long-standing business relationships with these and other key suppliers are strong and mutually beneficial in nature. The Company has also from time to time experienced significant price increases and limited availability of certain components that are available from multiple sources. Any similar occurrences in the future could have an adverse affect on the Company’s operating results. The Company has a supply agreement with Motorola, Inc. (see Exhibit 10.B.12 hereto). The agreement with Motorola continues for five years from January 31, 1992 unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing by the parties. The Company single-sources certain microprocessors from Motorola. The supply agreement does not obligate the Company to make minimum purchase commitments; however, the agreement does commit the vendor to supply the Company’s requirements of the particular items for the duration of the agreement.

Letter of Recommendation Essay

Very rarely people in teaching profession like me come across a student like gulshan Ramesh. This has been penned down by me to make it very concrete that Mr. Gulshan Ramesh is a very unique and exceptional character in the student community. My relationship with this particular student started when I handled a course on machine drawing for his batch of students. Moreover, Mr. Gulshan was under my guidance for a year fro improving his overall personality. All of this has given me enough opportunity to observe him very closely. My observations have been listed below for your reference. Attitude: Mr. Gulshan is blessed with the positive attitude due to which he has always excelled in academic activity and otherwise Character: This student is highly disciplined, sincere and has pleasing manners. Academic: Constantly Mr. Gulshan has maintained a high grades in academic. I’ll rate him in the top 5% amongst approximately 70 students in the class. Intellectual independence: Mr. Gulshan has the capability to complete assigned tasks with minimum guidance that makes him intellectually independent. Communication: This student is good both in oral and written communication. He has the capability to put across ideas very clearly both orally and in written form. Leadership: In team tasks, this student has always emerged as a team leader because of his sincerity and overall multifaceted personality. Computer literacy: Mr. Gulshan is well versed with the following auto cad, pro e Others: Creativity, individuality and hard work have been the style of this student that has always made him to shine. Mr. Gulshan will be an apt student to undergo a graduate program. I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Gulshan for the graduate program he has applied for in your university with full financial aid.

Instructional Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Instructional Presentation - Assignment Example Therefore emphasis should be laid on the need for good presentation and organization of the work. One tool that helps in the organizing a piece of information is known as 'graphic organizer'. This tool contains many different forms and they are an illustrative way of constructing knowledge and organizing information. For the users, they help to convert and condense a lot of disparate data into an organized and easy to understand format. Apart from this, the students can identify, organize and assimilate key concepts and related details with the help of these graphic organizers. They can be used for various purposes for example to breakdown work structure, brainstorm an idea, help make decisions, dividing the work into a sequence etc. (Jeananda, 1996) Graphic organizers are highly effective tools especially for students who want the instructions to be easily comprehended and answered in context. In a conventional teaching technique, a teacher would give an assignment to the students to research on the hypothesis that in the last 10 years the level of obesity in the US has doubled. Furthermore the students will be required to identify the reasons for this increase. Without the use of graphical organizers the students would go online or ask a few people on the topic, write it and most probably retain only a bit of information - thus the purpose of the assignment is lost. Using a graphic organizer such as a KWL chart, this assignment can be made much simpler and more fun for the students at the same time. KWL stands for 'what do you KNOW, 'what do you WANT to know' and 'what did you LEARN'. The objective of using this graphic organizer is to encourage learning in an effective manner that is both fun for the students as well as being simpler for them making it easier for the students to break down information sequentially, present it in an organized manner and thus retain more information. (Teacher Vision, 2008) For this assignment involving research work, the use of graphic organizer will be made mandatory. First the teacher will show the form of the KWL chart (attached) on the board. Then the three parts of the KWL will be explained as to what purpose each part serves and what will be included in each section. After giving this introduction to the graphic organizer, the assignment will be given and students will collect information from wherever they can think of. For the convenience of the students, the teacher would include the following questions in each part in respect to this particular assignment. 1. What Do We Know In the first part the students would have to state what they already know about obesity. This can include the general perceptions, reasons for obesity and the problems caused by it. 2. What Do We Want To Know The second part will help the students find out what is actually required. This will include the statistics on obesity, general trends in men and women, and obesity as a disease. Furthermore this tool will help the students explore the topic based on their previous knowledge which will mean that the students are genuinely interested as they are researching more than is required by the assignment. 3. What We Learned The last part is the reflection on the assignment to know what was learned from this exercise. This reflection will act as a refresher of the

Roman Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Roman Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Roman Fashion" discovers the fashion history in Rome. Due to lifestyle developments, individuals and societies have learned to use their clothing, with the aid of other decorations, as a form of nonverbal expression of their personality, occupation, status, and affiliation. Fashion refers to the way of carrying and styling these clothing with accessories, hairstyle, adornment and body art. Fashion does not merely converse individual identity in such a way that it instantly let other people see and understand a person, as it may speak of plain sophistication or even a personal rage, moreover, it demonstrate a social perception. This is greatly evident in the way fat women were once considered beautiful whereas current fashion trend have somehow made a vast promotion of diet, exercise and even surgery with its picture of beauty as being slim. A person can be identified to a certain tribe, organization or field of work by merely looking at his/her wardrobe. Attires may explai n a person’s role, may she be a housewife or a company manager. It can be a mode of displaying once wealth as well as poverty. As Thorstein Veblen, an economist of the book The Theory of the Leisure Class, has wrote â€Å"†¦our apparel is always in evidence and affords an indication of our pecuniary standing to all observers at first glance... â€Å". With its vast influence, stating all its implications would be a tedious job, if not impossible. Fashion has become so powerful that it can imply almost anything related to human. Costume and fashion, collectively, refers to manner and style of clothing. It is considered an art that decodes personality or culture at any particular time. With pictorial arts, costumes and fashion have revealed much of the history. It had managed to explain social transformation from the very remote past to the most current civilization. CHAPTER 1 ROMAN CLASSIC "From the Hellenistic Era to present day, fashion fads and statements evolved from similar backgrounds to make styles that seem new, but are really just "doctored-up" versions that can be traced back to the times of ancient Rome" (R.W.) Roman people have applied their creativity in every aspect of their lives including manner of clothing. Their garments were simple as it were basically made of wool with minimal use of stitch. Variations have eventually existed due to social status. Safety pins and knots give various shapes to their garments and undergarments; hence they have to designate a different name for each particular design. Toga was once the basic Roman garment for both men and women (Figure 1). Eventually women's clothing has to be made distinct. Similar to Greek himation, though much larger and more complicated in its draping. Toga's size and shape indicates social position. It is usually made of white wool and undecorated but had later been elaborated with gold embroidery during the late Empire. Tunica serves as their under garments for both men and women (Fig. 2). It resembles that of the reeks which were sleeveless. It is made of two wide cloths having sewn almost to the top leaving enough space for the armholes and neckline. It is fastened with pins or buttons and then held with a belt. Women's tunica are usual fuller and longer. As a symbol of decency and honor, married women wear stola (Fig. 2). Apart from its rectangular shape, it is a sleeveless tunic that resembles a toga which is a long wide cloth. It is a long garment that drapes around the body covering

Lessons Learned From War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lessons Learned From War - Essay Example This paper will explore some of the lessons that can be learned from wars and the manner in which these lessons can be helpful. It is also going to discuss whether leaders learn the right reasons or not from war. Conceivably one of the most major lessons that can be learned from wars is that only the dead experience the end of the war. When the war starts between two or more nations, it takes time before the two states can take diplomatic actions and negotiations to end the war (Worrell 27). Meanwhile, it is the soldiers at war and innocent civilians who die or suffer casualties while the leaders keep on giving orders on where to attack next and what actions should be taken to protect their territories. On the war front, it is only the dead who do not experience the war since they are already dead. The rest of the people whether soldiers or civilians are put in a position where they worry about their life. They are at war and every move that their enemy makes becomes a threat to their lives. Stoessinger asserts that, despite the large sum of people that perished in the Vietnam War, it was just a passage of history and it was in vain for the combatants and civilians to suffer or land becoming devastated (132). The lesson derived here is that even as the war keeps on consuming the lives of the innocent it will still continue until the political leaders settle their differences. To this end â€Å"unless communist belligerency was deterred promptly and effectively, a third was between Communist and the non-Communist states were inevitable† (Stoessinger 68). This shows that it is until when leaders come to the agreement that wars do end. Unfortunately, during all this time it is the innocent civilians and the soldiers at war that suffer. Over the years, wars have shown that the impact is hugely felt by the civilians but only fewer leaders pay the price for their mistakes. Millions of civilians and hundred thousand soldiers died during World Wars with many others getting wounded. Regrettably, very few leaders suffered as a result of the war.  

Analyse and evaluate contemporary marketing practice Assignment

Analyse and evaluate contemporary marketing practice - Assignment Example As such, the study of the factors which has created the competitive advantages for the company over the years of its operations seems to be a relevant and challenging topic in the arena of contemporary marketing. This report aims at studying the contemporary marketing practices of Zara that has been used by the company for creating a strong position for the company in its industry of operation. For this purpose, the sources of competitive advantage for the company has been identified and studied in depth. The business model followed by Zara is considered to be highly innovative and unique in nature/ the business model of the high street fashion retailer is built up on the vertical; integrations between the different levels and departments of the business including manufacturing, procurement, delivery and sale of the products. The business model is characterized by a unique flexible structure which helps the business to modify it according to the suitability and needs of the external environment and the business requirements at a particular point of time. The business model of Zara is identified to be one of the key drivers of the competitive advantage of the company. The vertical integrations within the business and with the external partners of the business like the suppliers and distributors and the use of advanced information and communication technology are the two main strengths of the business model of Zara. Additionally, the time factor and the use of the stores of the company as important sources of information make the business and with the external partners of the business like the structure of the company much unique and advanced as compared to the other fashion retailers. The ability of the fashion retailing company to design the products and deliver new lines of products in frequent intervals also acts as a major strategy of the company which enhances the competiveness of the company

Product market cyclicality exerts a powerful influence on a car Essay

Product market cyclicality exerts a powerful influence on a car assemblers sales, value added, cash flow and profit performance - Essay Example Not only this it also contains automobile machinery and vehicle-care products, accessories, environment friendly and safety tools, garage and repair equipment, sample and colorant, grease & lubricants, machines deal with gasoline, wheels, and much more. Travelling and transportation of goods farther and faster than before are made possible only by automobile. It has unbolted wide scope and market for commerce and trade. The automobile industry directly influences the economies and wealth of many countries around the world. The manufacture of automobile uses great quantities of iron, steel, aluminum, and natural rubber. Moreover several other industries such as energy, security, assurance, roadway design and civil productions support the automobile industry. All these industries are cyclical businesses. The business environment is improving nowadays. As requirement increases, revenues go up and similarly with this, the companies come across it worth their time and money to practice capacity building plans. The Product market is one in which products are sold to companies instead of to customers. The product market comprises of items like raw materials, machines, and tools and is concerned with acquisition by company for their own use which may consecutively be used to produce items for the customer market. Cyclical is something that happens periodically, i.e. on a regular basis. Cyclicality is a very common frequent subject matter in the field of investment. Cyclicality is something that many small business owners may face. Stocks cyclicality generally means that stocks follow the common macroeconomic circumstances. A cyclical stock is one that characteristically implements fine when the economy is excellent and performs badly when the economy is fragile. Cyclicality is defined in a dictionary as â€Å"of or denoting a business or stock whose income, value, or earnings fluctuate widely according to variations in the economy or the cycle of the seasons† So far small business holders can only take action in order to reduce cyclicality and strengthen their income streams. A business can be moved into black by becoming creative, flexible, and open to new challenges. A business holder can take charge and make sure her firm's success by presenting new services, promoting skillfully, o r practicing new personal speculations. The automobile industry is a powerfully cyclical industry. For the macro-economy, its performance is frequently a lead indicator. It is very perceptive to causes, for instance product raw material input pricing (metals, plastic, glass etc), interest rates (most sales are economized, and the automobile businesses has high operational resources requirements), energy pricing, etc. As the industry goes down, the value-chain also goes downward with it. The automotive market is extremely cyclical. It depends on customer expenditures mainly and to a certain extent on purchaser sales inducements. The consumer demand for automobiles and automotive production is unfavorably affected by economic factors, for instance rising fuel costs. This could also adversely influence our overall sales and overall revenues. If automotive sales and production is declined; it would cause a possible decline in sales to vehicle manufacturers, and the result of this situat ion is a decline in results of operations and economic condition and hence in business. In the past, due to modification in common financial conditions and customer inclination, the automotive industry has been illustrated by periodic