Hi-Value Supermarkets- Everyday Low Pricing Essay

Case Analysis I. Factual Summary Hi-Value Supermarkets became a division of Hall Consolidated, a privately owned wholesaler and retail food distributor in 1975. Hi-Value Supermarkets is considered to be the smallest of the three supermarkets chains owned by Hall Consolidated, with a small store distribution for its category. Hi-Value was the number one or two ranked supermarket chain in each of its trade markets (as measured by market share). Hi-Value is known as â€Å"most convenient†, having three stores in Centralia compared to its top competitors only having one each. Hi- Values three are major competitors are: Harrison’s, Grand American, and Missouri Mart. The three major competitors in Centralia contain stores all subsequently larger in size than those of Hi-Value. The four major supermarkets in Centralia make up 85% of all food sales, with the remaining 15% stemming from smaller, independent grocery stores and convenience stores. All 3 major competitors contain a feature attributes and a unique position in the market. With Hi-Value having three locations in Centralia, it puts them at an advantage for convenience that the competition cannot duplicate without having the funds or other resources to do so. Although Hi-Value Supermarkets offer the highest level of convenience, there prices are overall are the highest as well. Residents of Centralia prefer lower prices because according to the U.S. Census held in 2000, the median income was 36,000. It is understood that price is the most important store determinant for the residents, which poses a problem for Hi-Value. The major  question described in the case is whether or not Hi-Value should implement a low-pricing strategy. With the examination of Hi-Value’s current situation, it is evident that their future falls in between several courses of action that executives must examine and choose whether or not to integrate them. This process must be done in order to maintain a strong position in their served market and prosperous future. II. Case Problem/Opportunity Hi Values main problems are that they lack strong customer image and are highly priced. Each of the local supermarkets in the Centralia area has an image. Harrisons has an extremely favorable image. They are well managed, clean, orderly, and attractive, and the store is conveniently located along with excellent parking. Grand American is the most modern store in Centralia and has a highly regarded dairy department. Contrarily, they have a modest variety in meats, and produce and offer double coupons. Missouri Marts primary merchandising strength is in groceries and special purchase displays, but its store lacks quality and freshness. Hi-Value has multiple locations but has highly priced merchandise. A supermarket interview was conducted to give customers an opportunity to share their overall thoughts and experience they had when shopping at local supermarkets in Centralia. The questions were asked based upon the characteristics each store had to offer. The number one concern customer s had with Hi Value was â€Å"price†. At the time Hi-Values prices ran 10 percent above Harrison’s, and 7 percent above Missouri Mart and Grand American. Although Hi-Value is recognized for its store convenience it lacks a top ranking sales item that sets it aside from other supermarkets in the area. Since Hi- Values reputation is not where management expected, Hi-Value Supermarket is reviewing whether or not it would be a good business decision to incorporate an everyday low pricing strategy to stay competitive with the other supermarkets in the area marketing tactic. The most important opportunity for Hi-Value Supermarkets is the growing price consciousness Centralia shoppers are becoming. The increase on price elastic customers should be carefully taken into consideration when developing new strategies, or taking new courses of action. One of Hi-Value’s opportunities could be identified in the customer spending habits. Company records point out fresh meat, poultry, and seafood  to be among the items people in Centralia spend the most money on. This representative 14.32% average plus the fact that meat quality is the second most important determinant of store choice can be seen as an attractive opportunity for Hi-Value executives to improve the quality of their butcher in order to attract more customers. Another opportunity for Hi-Value is to modernize their store to make it more attractive and easier for customers to maneuver around to make their shopping experience better. It may not be a bad idea as well to offer a greater variety of bakery choices along with fresher produce. III. Alternative Solutions 1). Implement â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy to all Hi-Value Supermarket products: By choosing to implement â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy to all Hi- Value Supermarket products in Centralia, Missouri, Hi- Value would begin direct competition with Harrison’s via most reasonable prices. According to the Exhibit 6 found on page 506, data shows that, Harrison’s is a market leader with 36 percent of customers agreeing that Harrison’s has the most reasonable prices , while customers rated Hi- Value with only 7percent . Also in this data we can see that Hi Value scored lowest on best overall variety with 2 percent while Missouri Mart came in at 74 percent. With 13,500 households retaining an average income of a mere $36,000/ year, consumers of Centralia are money conscious and smart shoppers. Since Harrison’s is favored 29 percent higher, than Hi-Value’s pricing, they are undoubtedly the average consumer’s penny stretching, go-to supermarket. Because price is believed to be the most important store choice determinant for customers, this may be a strategy that Hi-Value should consider. By implementing the â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy, Hi- Value Supermarkets would promise customers a low price, without the need to wait for a sale price or other comparison. A strategy like this has proved to work well with a broader store positioning strategy and if it is well supported with advertising. Since Hi-Value has 3 stores compared to the other retailers who only have 1, it is positioned as the â€Å"most convenient† and uses a value approach when advertising. With the current positioning as Hi-Value= Superior Value, in convenience, service and bakery items, Hi- Value falls short in the pricing category and also typically spends .11% less on advertising annually than the average advertising sales (which is 1% of  annual revenue). Implementing this strategy may confuse Hi-Values image and positioning. However, if it is implemented, the â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy has the potential to reduce operating costs and increase profit (.9% of annual sales), which the company could then use to bolster a new advertising campaign featuring Hi-Values new â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy. 2) Implement â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy to Grocery and Seasonal/General merchandise only By choosing to implement an â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy on Grocery and Seasonal/ General merchandise only to Hi- Value Supermarket products Hi- Value would limit the pricing strategy to all grocery (including dairy) and general merchandise (including beauty care and health care items). Since these categories represents 57 percent of Hi-Values annual sales, this limited approach on the â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy should convey the image they want to project as well as enter Hi- Value Supermarkets into a different level of competition (reasonable pricing) where they were last in the category before. As a result, this would mean more direct competition with Grand American, Harrison’s and Missouri Mart. However, this change does alter Hi- Value’s positioning as â€Å"superior value and convenience† and may begin to confuse shoppers . Hi- Value Supermarket Shopper Interview Resulted in saying that 77.9 percent of all Hi- Value customers are dedicated patrons that have stayed and shopped with Hi- Value for 3 or more years. Of these customers, 51.7 percent purchase about half of their total food needs with Hi- Value Supermarket. Of that 51.7 percent, 36.9 percent purchased grocery items only and 23.4 percent purchased grocery, meat and produce. Of these customers interviewed, 27 percent of them stated that the things they liked best about other stores were the â€Å"prices†. This information allows a conclusion to be drawn that because of the strong base of loyal customers, who mostly purchase grocery items, preferred most stores with lower pricing and shopped most regularly for other groceries at Missouri Mart (whose ad’s feature â€Å"very low prices†), that the strategy of implementing â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† limited to Grocery and Seasonal/ General merchandise only, to Hi- Valu e Supermarket products would only make sense. 3) Do not implement the â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy by choosing not to implement the â€Å"Everyday low-pricing† strategy whatsoever to Hi- Value Supermarket products in Centralia, Missouri would allow Hi- Value Supermarkets to maintain their prided image and positioning  as the â€Å"greatest convenience for shoppers†. Their 3:1 ratio of stores located throughout Centralia gives them a competitive edge against the other leading supermarkets in the area. Hi-Values W. Prospect store, being the only Supermarket in that section of town is a definite advantage for the organization. By choosing to focus directly on their existing positioning they will be sure to not confuse customers, also with their large base of 77.9 percent customers who have been loyal customers over 3 years. Hi value has to be careful about simply lowering prices because if Hi-Value was to change their positioning, it may change the way they are overall perceived. Higher prices indicat e higher value and superior service. This is a trend seen worldwide. These categories of high value and service are what Hi- Value Supermarkets was built upon. The option of lowering price may or may not contradict these written values. In a well-defined market area, for â€Å"Everyday low pricing† to work, you do not have to be the lowest priced supermarket in the trade area. This allows the option to always be considered to only slightly lower prices. With Hi-Value’s pricing to be 7-10% higher than its competitors, if Hi-Value lowers prices by a mere 2-3% they can still be positioned as the most convenient and superior value supermarket, while satisfying their customers price concerns. IV. Selected Solutions Hi-Value Supermarkets best bet is to implement an everyday low pricing strategy in certain product categories with a price reduction anywhere from 5-7% below the original quote. With growing sensitivity to pricing in the area, this strategy will work to increase customer satisfaction and will lead to a positive company image. Implementing low prices will keep Hi -Value competitive with other markets in the area. Although Hi- value cannot out price Harrison’s, it still may be an option worth while looking into. Also Hi-Value needs to greatly improve their customer image. Usually first impression is the last impression, so it is important that Hi-Value staff consider training their staff on the importance of making sure that the customer has a better experience when coming to their stores. Perhaps they can have more staff working to ensure that the isles ate wide enough and that the shelves are neatly stocked and organized so that when the customer shops it will be a smoother tr ansition from the shelves to the cash  register. Along with that it may be a good idea as well if they focused more on offering a better variety of bakery items as well for customers to enjoy. V. Conclusion With all the information that has been provided, it can be concluded that if Hi-Value decided to operate in a way that is seen as being more reasonable and economical for customers, customers will be more inclined to shop there. If management decides to implement better sanitary solutions and decides to clean up the dairy department, it would more than likely lead to better customer satisfaction. If management works more closely with ensuring that customers do not experience out of stock items and fresher produce, customers will be more inclined to shop there and continue to recommend Hi-Value to their friends and family. These are simple options that management can takes that will be work out to be both effective and efficient. If management also decides to take this approach it can compensate for their higher prices. If your prices are higher than there needs to be a justifiable reason, so in this case Hi-Values justifiable reason would be again to work on customer image. Altering their advertising slogan, start advertising on television, and targeting shoppers outside of Centralia will increase sales and market share. As of now 89 percent of their sales are devoted to advertising. Having an increase in marketing expenses from the new strategy will be offset with increased sales and market share. Once these actions have been implemented, it would be a good idea for Hi-Value to allow customers to take a survey to comment on their recent improvements to store and allow them to give feedback so that management is always in the know and so that customers can always contribute. This will put Hi-Value at an advantage with its competitors.

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Neutrality of Money - Essay Example The major influence on the monetary economics and its central role in most of the developed economies has been from the work of Milton Friedman who actually first accepted the ideas of Keynesian economics however then went on to argue against them outlining the greater role of the equilibrium money supply and demand as the key variable for achieving the objectives of monetary policy in any economy. A central issue or debate in monetary economics however, rests with the neutrality of money i.e the increase in money supply results into an equivalent increase in wages and price level. The basic assumption behind the neutrality of money is that central bank potentially has no role in the economy as money does not tend to affect the real variables in the economy. Different views on the neutrality of money however, suggested that the changes in the nominal stock of money supply in the economy tend to affect the economy at least in the short run however, in long run money tend to behave as neutral. This paper will therefore attempt to explain and explore the notion of neutrality of money, the relevant debates on the neutrality of money and what are the different positions adapted by different schools of thoughts in macroeconomics. Neutrality of Money Neutrality of money is based on the assumption that the changes in the aggregate money supply in an economy can only affect the nominal variables. This therefore can result into the simultaneously increase in the prices as well as wages however, it will not affect the real output i.e. real GDP, level of unemployment or real price level in the economy. (Shaw, Greenaway, & McCrostie,1997). Classical economics suggested that the changes in the aggregate money supply in the economy is not going to change the aggregate demand for goods, services and technology in the economy. The term neutrality of money was originally coined by F Hayek indicating a market clearing interest rate which actually could not create booms and bursts under the market equilibrium conditions.( Saving, 1973). The later explanations of this concept therefore clearly established that the central bank does not have any role in the economy because changes in the money supply are not going to affect the economy and some of the nominal variables. This view was deeply held by the classical economists and was subsequently endorsed by the Keynesian model however, with the slight variations. The neutrality of money however is based on some fundamental assumptions such as the inflexibility of the prices, inelastic expectations as well as the absence of money illusion or distribution effects. Under these circumstances, it was generally agreed that the changes in the money supply can only create the changes in the price level as well as the wage rates without affecting the economy in real. Classical views on neutrality of money In order to understand the classical views on the neutrality of money, it is important to explore the idea of classic al dichotomy. According to the classical dichotomy, there are two types of variables i.e. real and nominal. Real variables are being measured based on the relative prices whereas the nominal variables are measured in monetary terms. Thus according to the classical economics, the changes in the money supply can only affect the nominal variables and will not affect the real variables. The above graph shows that with the rise in the money supply, aggregate demand (AD) curve makes a parallel shift to AD’. However, since output is considered at the full employment level, a rise in the money supply will not change the output level and the output level will be restored back to the same level Y. One of the implications of this rise in the money

Indian Middle Class And Shopping Essay Example for Free

Indian Middle Class And Shopping Essay For the current generation of consumers, the meaning of shopping has changed. It is not just a mere necessity, as it was earlier, but much more than that. The factors that affect store choice and draw customers to the shopping centre include space, ambience, and convenience and moreover an array of choice under one roof. The growth of integrated shopping malls, retail chains and multi-brand outlets is evidence of consumer behaviour being favourable to the growing organized segment of the business. Space, ambience and convenience are beginning to play an important role in drawing customers. Malls, which are now anchored by large outlets such as Westside and Lifestyle and are resided by a lot of Indian and international brands, are also being seen as image benchmarks for communities. Today retailing in India is done through a vast number of unorganized retailers with over 12 million retails outlets spread across the country in various sizes and formats. India has the largest retail density with 9 stores available for every 1000 people. The Indian retail industry is providing 8% of the countries employment with its vast distribution of retail stores across the country. The retailing in India is undergoing a gradual change as market conditions and technological developments combined with affluent, highly mobile and time starved consumers are playing an important role in the changes happening in the retail sector in India. Marketplaces in urban demographic settings attract large number of buyers and sellers, which can be termed as market thickness. Co-existence of many shopping malls along with traditional markets in a marketplace causes market congestion. The co-existence of street markets and the rise of shopping malls have been major trends of retailing in developing countries for decades. However, the increasing emphasis on growing cities with contemporary marketplaces have induced shift of agglomeration format (AF) from a marketing perspective, including the consumer preferences on routes to market. There are some generic similarities and conceptual differences between street markets and shopping malls. The AF-specific characteristics perceived by consumers lead to the change in consumer behavior towards markets preferences for shopping. In centrally managed and enclosed shopping centers in the retailing sector, eight underlying factors of varying character that drive customer satisfaction are selection of market outlet, atmosphere, convenience, sales people, refreshments, location, promotional activities and merchandising policy. FACTORS THAT AFFECT / INFLUENCE CONSUMERS BEHAVIOUR TO BUY IN MALLS. A person is likely to be influenced in making his/ her purchase decisions if he/ she is accompanied by another individual while making a shopping trip. There are many factors that play a vital role in consumers â€Å"decision making†. Some of the prominent among the factors are the image of the store, risk associated with the consumers in purchasing the product and the price perception of consumers on the store or about the product category. Store image contain by many elements like the stores opening and closing time, the availability. The risk factor plays an important role in making the decisions for the product that are new or untried by the consumers so far. Perceived risk is the expected negative utility associated with the purchase of a particular brand.

Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategy Essay Discuss the type of product the company will offer and identify its primary characteristics The type of product the company will offer is a bracelet called Life Alert band. The characteristics of this device are size and the ease of use along with a lifetime guarantee. The Life Alert band is light and portable that no one will even know it’s on his or her wrist. It’s the size of a thick rubber band and comes in different wrist sizes. It has one easy to access button with an emergency icon that only needs to be pushed once to alert the Life Alert call center in the event of an emergency. The bracelet has several hidden sensors that monitor a person’s pulse and blood sugar and wirelessly sends this information to the Life Alert monitoring centers. If a change is detected in any of the monitors the bracelets sends a signal to the centers for immediate action. The Life Alert medical counselors immediately call the patient to see if they are ok. If no response is received they dispatch emergency responders right away. The bracelets uses flash memory to keep the device slim and flexible. It has a flexible band that can bend slightly. The material of the bracelet is a made of hard rubber that protects the electronics and its sensors. The bracelet requires a one-time setup much like a cell phone has to be programmed by Life Alert in order to ensure communication is occurring with their monitoring centers. The device has wifi built in for local communication. Users who have a wireless network can browse directly to the bracelet using a web browser. This gives them access to all the information the bracelet is recording. Discuss the product branding strategy Entrepreneur magazine states that a branding strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy (Enterpreneur, 2011). In this case a brand is name that consumers associate with a device or service. Life Alert has many devices, all which bare its name on it. For example wireless companies such ATT sell cell phones from different manufactures but all of them have the name ATT on them and their logo. This goes for any large company that sells multiple products even if the products are manufactured by another company. Another good example is Apple. Apple has mp3 players, desktops, laptops, and other computer peripherals, all have the Apple logo on them. Therefore, the branding approach for the Life Alert bracelet will be the umbrella branding approach. The umbrella approach will help Life Alert in promoting their popular name even further. In a survey taken by ACNielsen International Research, 87% of Life Alert members said that Life Alert’s protection is a main or important factor in their decision to keep living at home rather than going to a retirement institution (lifealert911, 2011). Life Alert members on an average spend 6 more years living alone because of their services. The bracelet will not only enhance their product line but attract more customers. The introduction of this bracelet will increase their customer base and maybe appeal to those who have a serious illness. The bracelet will become the main entity of the product line with Life Alert’s name and logo. Discuss how the product fits within a product line and the depth and breadth of the line. Life Alert’s bracelet is a unique product that has carved a niche in the medical devices industry. It fits into health care products that offer emergency services for monitoring and addressing health related issues. It addresses a void in the industry and aims to support independence in aged adults by providing state of the art monitoring and emergency services. The distinctive aspect of the Life Alert bracelet is that it is both broadens and intensifies in scope in terms of its breadth and depth. It fits well into the product line Life Alert offers. It’s an extension of the current product offerings. Some of the functionality the bracelet offers cross’s over to other product categories. For example the bracelet now becomes competitive with blood glucose meters. Regardless, the bracelet extends the depth and breadth of the company. Explain how the product and target market strategies fit with the organizational strategy. The organizational strategy is based around a few key factors. The company’s business domain is clearly defined and is focused towards Mature 50+ adults who wish to live an independent lifestyle. The factors that are considered are mainly geographical location, age, retirement lifestyle and medical needs. The strategy is effective as it concentrates on a few key product and ervices. Life alert employs niche marketing to devise a product strategy aimed at that targets mature 50+ adults residing mostly in Florida, which is a popular retirement destination, who are currently living a retired lifestyle and desire a degree of independence and who may or may not have specific medical needs. The Life Alert bracelet fits into the organizational strategy for Life Alert. Introducing the bracelet will solidify the stance in the market. The organizational strategy for Life Alert is to be most innovative company in assisting the elderly. Life Alert can take advantage of its existing organizational strategy to support and market the bracelet. The company can further expand its diversified portfolio of services by using its existing infrastructure and the multifaceted use of its core resources. By including and expanding on existing product offerings the company can reduce cost and maximize return on resources. Life alert bracelet can utilize the infrastructure for Life Alert Necklace, security, monitoring and emergency response services with minor additions. All of these services employ the same core organizational set up, which is the monitoring center, which maximizes service offering with minimal investment. The marketing strategy includes Ads in local newspapers or niche publications, Opt-in web sites that make use of keywords to connect with potential customers, direct mail campaigns, as well publicity through Television developed for mature audiences. The bracelet can be incorporated under these existing marketing tools since it’s directed towards the same target audience. The ease of competitors’ entry into Life Alert’s market segment is minimal as the company employs a profitable business model where users pay an initial set-up charge for the systems and the company generates revenues each month through subscription-based monitoring costs. The company also distributes medical alert system to more than 300 resellers and is one of the largest wholesale medical alarm distributors in the nation, with over 200,000 medical alert devices in service. The bracelet can be an adjunct to the existing portfolio and use the same monitoring system and distribution strategies in use. The business strategy also supports innovation and product development and at present only a couple companies offer a medical alarm with two-way voice. With an additional service such as the bracelet the company will be a step ahead of its competitors and can utilize its RD budget to support the new product. The company’s ability to customize services and marketing different price points for packages will allow customers to use the bracelet with other Life Alert products and services. The new product aligns well with the company’s organizational strategy and the same marketing strategy can be applied towards the Life Alert bracelet.

Nursing and Patient Led Intervention Case Study

Nursing and Patient Led Intervention Case Study Doris presented wound to left medial malleolus that has been caused by banging her left leg on fire 6 weeks ago. The wound measures 4 cm x 5 cm, filled 90% slough, 10 % granulation on wound bed and had copious odour to exudate. SMART OUTCOME / OBJECTIVE To reduce the size of Doris’ ulcer from the current 4 cm x 5 cm to 2 cm x 3 cm within 6 weeks. NURSING AND PATIENT LED INTERVENTIONS Introduce yourself to Doris and gain consent. Introducing yourself to patient is respectful, polite and important in providing compassionate care. Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) (2013) emphasises that patients should voluntarily give their valid consent before any intervention or procedure is undertaken. Furthermore, the NICE (2015) guideline states that part of patient-centred care is providing patients with sufficient information about their condition and encouraging them to participate in healthcare decision-making. Assess Doris’ pain prior to cleaning the wound. To reduce discomfort to patient and to structure the assessment for patient’s dressing-related pain and implement effective management strategies immediately (World Union of Wound Healing Societies, 2014; Hollinworth, 2005). Gou and DiPetro (2010) explain that wound healing involves programmed phases and once interrupted, could lead to impairment and delays in wound healing. However, most healthcare practitioners fail to assess levels of pain before cleaning the wound (Baranoski and Ayello, 2008). When pain is unmanaged, this could lead to complications and delayed wound healing (Hollinworth, 2005). Ask Doris if she has any allergies. It is significant on assessment to find out whether patient has any allergies. It assists in making decisions such as prescribing medications and prevent any further allergic reactions and other complications (NICE, 2015). Perform hand washing using the correct techniques pre and post procedure. Hands should be washed before and after patient contact. Adhering to standard precautions is essential in all aspect of patient care (NMC, 2015). According to Rowley and Clare (2011) proper hand washing before patient contact will prevent the risk of acquiring infections. Infection is the biggest risk that can delay wound healing. It also means your patient will be safe from risk of acquiring cross infections whilst carrying out care (World Health Organisation, 2009). Perform and maintain aseptic non-touch technique for all procedure to wound care. The use of aseptic non touch technique reduces risk of patients acquiring infections. The aseptic non-touch technique is suggested when dressing the wound (WHO, 2009). Rowley and Clare (2011) have stressed that aseptic non-touch technique could reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections. Hence, the use of this technique could help reduce the risk of infecting wound. As stated in the study of Guo and DiPietro (2010), infection could disrupt and delay the process of wound healing. Irrigate wound with saline at room temperature. Irrigation is to clean out the wound. Cleansing removes debris and pathogens. However, one major drawback of this approach is that irrigation may accidentally remove areas of newly granulating tissue, thus will delay healing process (Kerstein, 1994). However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2015) guideline states that necrotic material present in the margins of the wound could be sites for bacterial proliferation and should be removed through debridement. The SIGN (2010) guideline, nevertheless, could not find studies comparing debridement and no debridement in venous ulcer management. The guideline examined a number of debridement methods. Additionally, a prospective, double-blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT) (Weiss et al., 2013) suggests that tap water is as effective as normal saline for wound irrigation. There were no significant differences in the infection rates between wounds that were irrigated with tap water and those irrigated with saline solution. On the other hand, using tap water could be as effective and less costly for wound irrigation. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN, 2010) recommends that leg ulcers should be washed with tap water and dried carefully. Obtain wound swab as needed. Wound cultures is a tool to determine possible infection in the wound bed (NICE, 2012). However, reliability is concerned with consistency and the extent to which results are accurate. There would be a consensus over whether or not to clean the wound before swabbing. Donovan (1998) and Kiernan (1998) all advise irrigation with warmed normal saline to which remove excessive debris and exudate, thus removing surface contamination. Bowler et al (2001) suggest that the laboratory should be informed if the wound is not clean so as to exclude wound contaminants. It must also be noted that antiseptic cleansing solutions must be avoided as the results may be distorted (Cuzzell, 1993; Kiernan, 1998). Assess the wound and document findings on wound assessment chart. Proper wound assessment can significantly influence the intervention and prognosis (NHS, 2014a). In addition to assessment, the patient’s past medical history should also be taken. It allows healthcare practitioners determine the cause of the leg ulcer. The NHS (2014b) states that it is also important to treat the underlying cause of patient’s ulcer to prevent recurring of venous leg ulcer after treatment. Measure Doris wound and take photograph to sit as a baseline for wound care. Measuring wound diameter and taking a photograph would provide information to healthcare practitioners if wound contraction has begun and whether the wound is responding positively to interventions (NICE, 2015). Refer Doris to Tissue Viability Nurse. A specialist nurse such as the tissue viability nurse would help promote wound healing. Tissue viability nurses have extensive knowledge on how to manage acute, chronic or complex wounds (NHS, 2014a). They also provide advice and support for healthcare practitioners, patients and their families or cares (NHS, 2014a; SIGN, 2010). Since they are responsible in supporting wound care management in different healthcare settings, working closely with them would ensure that Doris receive quality care. A tissue viability nurse would also dispense advice on compression bandaging and other interventions to promote wound healing. Dress wound using hydrocolloid dressing. Dressings the wound will create a clean and optimum environment for wound healing (NICE, 2012). Based on the Cochrane Review moist environment promotes wounds to heal more quickly than a dry one (Palfreyman et al, 2006). Meanwhile, wounds left to dry form a scab or eschar which forces migrating epidermal cells to move deeper, prolonging the healing process (Kerstein, 1994). However, it could be argued another drawback of wound dressings that can be sometimes develop sensitivities to ingredients and can be toxic to the wound (Robinson, 2000). Therefore, choice of wound dressings will be dictated by the nature of the wound (Grey, et al, 2006). Wound dressing could be as simple as non-adherent dressing (NHS, 2014a). The NICE (2015) guideline states that there is insufficient evidence to support advanced dressings as more effective than conventional dressings in wound management. Another drawback is caution on removing of an adherent dressing which causes pain and may accidentally remove areas of newly granulating tissue, thus will delay healing process (Kerstein, 1994). Meanwhile, wound like Doris’ that is highly exuding and can be dress and cope with hydrogel dressings to avoid maceration (Jones et al 2006; Kerstein, 1994). Moreover, secondary dressings can be used as well to relieve pain such as hydrocolloid and to absorb more exudate like alginate (NICE, 2012). Educate Doris about the dressings, showering, bathing and how long dressings can be left in place and to contact District Nurse if dressing becomes loose or removed. Patient’s awareness of potential causes of poor/delayed wound healing (Kerstein, 1994). This would enable Doris to receive patient education about wound care and intervention and management. The NICE (2015) guideline states that part of patient-centred care is providing patients with sufficient information about their condition and encouraging them to participate in healthcare decision-making regarding their care. Discourage Doris of rubbing and scratching the wound. Scratching, rubbing and picking the wound can delay healing process and cause further injury to the tissue (Stander et al, 2003). Educate and encourage Doris to eat a balance diet and explain that protein is vital to wound healing and recovery. Optimal nutrition is essential to wounds healing. Informing the patient’s on the importance of good nutrition and improving the patient’s diet if needed is important for good prognosis of wound healing. Educate patient on essential diet for good wound healing e.g. protein (fish, meat, cheeses and eggs) and vitamin c (found in orange juice and vegetables) ( Bale, S and Jones, 2006). According to Dealey (2005) poor wound healing may indicate the patient’s nutritional status needs to be enhanced. If wound healing is poor accompanied by weight loss referral to dietician and prescribing practitioner for further advice and to consider supplemental nutrition for patient. Educate Doris to perform range of exercises whilst sitting. It activates venous pump by mobilising calf’s and feet whilst sitting and improve circulation and aid in wound healing (Callum, 1994). The NHS (2014b) states that it is also important to treat the underlying cause of patient’s ulcer to prevent recurring of venous leg ulcer after treatment. Performing a range of exercise during sitting could help improve wound healing (NHS, 2014b). Give contact number to Doris and instruct to call if there any other concern and arrange follow up visit. Arranging regular follow up to recognise risk factors and prevent further skin breakdown and reduce the risk of recurrence (NICE,2012). Refer Doris for Doppler assessment and for further compression therapy The aim is to identify potential arterial insufficiency that needs treatment and management (NICE, 2012). This will enable to provide information for long term intervention on maintaining integrity of the skin around the wound. Doppler assessment is necessary since this would assist healthcare practitioners in assessing leg ulcers. Although it is not diagnostic of venous ulceration, Doppler assessment could define a safe level for compression bandaging (NICE, 2015; SIGN, 2010). Doppler assessment is also helpful in determining when compression bandaging should not be used or is contraindicated (NICE, 2015). Hence, this assessment remains to be an important tool in reducing tissue damage due to bandage pressure. This type of assessment would provide information on the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI). If ABPI REFERENCES Bale, S and Jones, V. (2006) Wound Care Nursing: a patient-centred approach (2nd edn). London: Mosby Elsevier. Baranoski, S. Ayello, E. (2008) Wound care essential: Practice Principles. Bowler, PG.,Duerden, BI., Armstrong, DG. (2001) Wound microbiology and associated approaches to wound management. Clin microbial Rev 14:244-69. Callum, N.(1994) The Nursing Management of Leg Ulcers in the Community: A critical Review of Research. University of Liverpool, Department of Nursing, Liverpool. Cuzzell,JZ. (1993) The right way to culture a wound. Am J Nurs 93 (5):48-50. Dealey, C. (2005) The Care of Wounds: a guide for nurses (3rd edn). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Donovan, S. (1998) Wound infection and wound swabbing. Prof Nurse 13:757-9 Gou, S. DiPietro, L. (2010) ‘Factors affecting wound healing’, Journal of Dental Research, 89(3), pp. 219-229. Grey, J.E., Enoch, S. and Harding, K.G. (2006) ABC of wound healing: wound assessment. British Medical Journal 332(7536), 285-288. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360405/ [Accessed 26 April 2015]. Hollinworth, H. (2005). The management of patients’ pain in wound care. Nursing Standard 20(7), 65-8. Iglesias, C., Nelson, E., Cullum, N. Torgerson, D. (2004) ‘VenUS I: A randomised controlled trial of two types of bandage for treating venous leg ulcers’, Health Technology Assessment, 8(29), pp. 1-105. Jones, V., Grey, J.E. and Harding, K.G. (2006b) ABC of wound healing: wound dressings. British Medical Journal 332(7544), 777-780. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1420733/ [Accessed 26 April 2015]. Kerstein, M. (1994) Overview of wound healing in a moist environment. American Journal of Surgery, 167 (Supp 1a): 25-65 Kiernan,M. (1998) Role of swabbing in wound infection management. Community Nurse 4(6):45-6. Palfreyman, S.J., Nelson, E.A., Lochiel, R. and Michaels, J.A. (2006) Dressings for healing venous leg ulcers (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library. Issue 3. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. www.thecochranelibrary.com Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001103.pub2/full [Accessed 26 April 2015]. National Health Service (NHS) (2014a) Venous leg ulcer- Introduction Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Leg-ulcer-venous/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Accessed: 30 April 2015]. National Health Service (NHS) (2014b) Venous leg ulcer- treatment Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Leg-ulcer-venous/Pages/Treatment.aspx [Accessed 30 April 2015]. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2015) Wound Care Products. London: NICE. NICE (2012) Leg ulcer – venous. Available at: http://cks.nice.org.uk/leg-ulcer-venous [Access 23 April 2015]. NMC (2013) Consent. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Available at: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/Regulation-in-practice/Regulation-in-Practice-Topics/consent/ [Accessed 24 March 2015]. NMC (2015) The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. [pdf] London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Available at: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/NMC-Publications/revised-new-NMC-Code.pdf [Accessed 24 March 2015] O’Meara, S., Cullum, N. Nelson, E. (2009) ‘Compression for venous leg ulcers’, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1:CD000265. Doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD0000265.pub2. Robinson, B.J. (2000) The use of a hydrofibre dressing in wound management. Journal of Wound Care 9 (1) 32-34 Rowley, S. and Clare, S. (2011) ‘ANTT: A standard approach to aseptic technique’, Nursing Times, 107(36), pp. 12-14. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) (2010) Management of chronic venous leg ulcers: A national clinical guidelines. Edinburgh: SIGN. Stander S., Steinhoff M., Schmelz M., Weisshaar E., Metze D and Luger T. (2003) Neurophysiology of pruritus: cutaneous elicitation of itch. Arch Dermatol. 139(11):1463–1470. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14623706[Accessed 23 April 2015] Weiss, E., Oldham, G., Lin, M., Foster, T. and Quinn, J. (2013) ‘Water is a safe and effective alternative to sterile normal saline for wound irrigation prior to suturing: A prospective, double-blind, randomised, controlled clinical trial’, BMJ Open, 3(1). Pii: e001504. Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001504 Available at: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001504.long [Accessed 30 April 2015]. World Health Organisation (2009) WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241597906_eng.pdf [Accessed 30 April 2015]. World Union of Wound Healing Societies (2004) Principles of best practice: Minimising pain at wound dressing-related procedures. A consensus document. London: MEP Ltd. Available at: http://www.wuwhs.org. [Accessed 26 April 2015].

Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of C

Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of Christ Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice in Christianity, gave his own life for the benefit of others. His self-sacrifice continues to this day to be celebrated in the Catholic Mass. Through communion, or receiving the Eucharist, one is able to actively partake of the fruits of that sacrifice. But how does one follow Jesus’ example? One surely cannot strive for the same kind of physical death that Jesus experienced. Thus, practice of another form of self-sacrifice becomes necessary. To eat, to nourish one’s self is an act that is essential for human life. What could cause more pain in this life than to deny one’s self sustenance? The practice of fasting, as one form of self-denial, can serve to bring one closer to identifying with the sacrifice of Christ. This is especially evident when fasting is examined in relation to the Eucharist in the Catholic tradition. But before we continue, a distinction must be made between two different types of self-denial. To fast, and to not eat do not constitute the same act. My own personal experience while exploring the topic of fasting has deeply colored my view of the practice of fasting. Many personal interests led me to pursue the question of fasting as a form of self-sacrifice. One was my personal engagement with and interest in the Roman Catholic tradition. Another, much more personal influence is my personal relationship with food. To stop eating is one of the (unhealthy ways) in which I personally deal with stress or depression. In reading Caroline Bynum’s book on the relationship medieval women mystics had with food I was able to identify on many levels. These women, in some cases, lived for... ...5 At the request of my friend, her name has been changed, in case her mother really does have spies everywhere. 16 Nussbaum, Melissa. â€Å"Your paper on fasting.† Email to Lorena Dremel. 03/06/2003 17 Dugan, Kathleen M. â€Å"Fasting For Life: The Place of Fasting in the Christian Tradition.† Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Vol. 63 Issue 3 (Fall 1995): 547 18 Repohl, Roger F. â€Å"Hungry Together.† Commonweal. Vol. 124 Issue 3 (02/14/1997): 9-10 19 Several articles including: Orsy, Ladislas. â€Å"Holy Days of Obligation? Holidays of Celebration?† America. Vol. 166 Issue 2 (01/18/1992-01/25/1992): 28-29. Rogers, Carole Garibaldi. â€Å"Why Catholics Fast: Searching for the Tradition.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 6 (02/25/2002): 6-10. Sherry, Mary. â€Å"Fasting? But That’s So Mortifying.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 7 (03/04/2002): 21-22. Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of C Fasting and The Eucharist: Catholic Participation in the Sacrifice of Christ Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice in Christianity, gave his own life for the benefit of others. His self-sacrifice continues to this day to be celebrated in the Catholic Mass. Through communion, or receiving the Eucharist, one is able to actively partake of the fruits of that sacrifice. But how does one follow Jesus’ example? One surely cannot strive for the same kind of physical death that Jesus experienced. Thus, practice of another form of self-sacrifice becomes necessary. To eat, to nourish one’s self is an act that is essential for human life. What could cause more pain in this life than to deny one’s self sustenance? The practice of fasting, as one form of self-denial, can serve to bring one closer to identifying with the sacrifice of Christ. This is especially evident when fasting is examined in relation to the Eucharist in the Catholic tradition. But before we continue, a distinction must be made between two different types of self-denial. To fast, and to not eat do not constitute the same act. My own personal experience while exploring the topic of fasting has deeply colored my view of the practice of fasting. Many personal interests led me to pursue the question of fasting as a form of self-sacrifice. One was my personal engagement with and interest in the Roman Catholic tradition. Another, much more personal influence is my personal relationship with food. To stop eating is one of the (unhealthy ways) in which I personally deal with stress or depression. In reading Caroline Bynum’s book on the relationship medieval women mystics had with food I was able to identify on many levels. These women, in some cases, lived for... ...5 At the request of my friend, her name has been changed, in case her mother really does have spies everywhere. 16 Nussbaum, Melissa. â€Å"Your paper on fasting.† Email to Lorena Dremel. 03/06/2003 17 Dugan, Kathleen M. â€Å"Fasting For Life: The Place of Fasting in the Christian Tradition.† Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Vol. 63 Issue 3 (Fall 1995): 547 18 Repohl, Roger F. â€Å"Hungry Together.† Commonweal. Vol. 124 Issue 3 (02/14/1997): 9-10 19 Several articles including: Orsy, Ladislas. â€Å"Holy Days of Obligation? Holidays of Celebration?† America. Vol. 166 Issue 2 (01/18/1992-01/25/1992): 28-29. Rogers, Carole Garibaldi. â€Å"Why Catholics Fast: Searching for the Tradition.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 6 (02/25/2002): 6-10. Sherry, Mary. â€Å"Fasting? But That’s So Mortifying.† America. Vol. 186 Issue 7 (03/04/2002): 21-22.

Law in Ancient Egypt Essay -- Ancient Egyptian Law

Rarely is there enough information about ancient cultures to satisfy contemporary interest. This is especially true of ancient Egypt and particularly of ancient Egyptian law. The civilization that left so many grand edifices dedicated to its gods and kings left little evidence of the laws those gods and king laid down. This dearth of evidence paired with the absence of a written code of law makes some scholars skeptical of speaking of Egyptian law as law in a proper sense (Thà ©odoridà ¨s 291). But if one reviews what we do know about this aspect of ancient Egyptian society, the missing code fades away as a problem even if it does not evaporate completely. Most of what we do know comes from fragmentary legal documents and stories from tomb inscriptions. We have contracts for the exchange of goods and property as well as partial records of court hearings. We also have stories, some perhaps apocryphal, about the treatment of ordinary subjects of the king and the actions of the king himself. What we lack, unfortunately, is a written legal code for the ancient Egyptians of the Pharaonic Period. The Ptolemaic Dynasty, an Hellenic dynasty that ruled over Egypt in the last few centuries of the first millennium B.C., did have a written law of sorts, but Eyre describes this as more of handbook for judges (92). Before them, it is reported that the Persians under Darius commissioned the laws of Egypt to be written down (Thà ©odoridà ¨s 319). Diodorus, a Greek historian writing in the first century B.C., says that there was a codex written before the Persian occupation of Egypt. Yet we have not found a single copy of the codex he alleges existed. Supposing that this codex did exist at some point in Pharaonic Egypt, there is som... ... periods of history. The king often acted as a protector of his subjects, enacting reforms when abuses came to light. For all the skepticism of scholars regarding treatment of ancient Egyptian as law proper, a layperson of the twenty-first century A.D. would find the Egyptian justice system during its best period very familiar. Works Cited Erman, Adolf. Life in Ancient Egypt. Trans. H.M. Tirard. New York: Dover, 1971. Eyre, C.J. "Crime and Adultery in Ancient Egypt." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. Vol. 70. (1984): 92-105. Shupak, Nili. "A New Source for the Study of the Judiciary and Law of Ancient Egypt: "The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant"." Journal of Near Eastern Studies. Vol. 51.No. 1 (1992): 1-18. Thà ©odoridà ¨s, Aristide. "The Concept of Law in Ancient Egypt." The Legacy of Ancient Egypt. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University, 1971. 291-322.

Mark Messersmith :: essays research papers

Mark Messersmith The paintings of Mark Messersmith are the most chaotic and confusing works of art I have ever laid eyes on. It is very hard to grasp the effects and themes the artist was trying to convey when painting these scenes. The scenes are very busy and tend to move your attention from one point to another which makes interpretation even harder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One particular painting, Wakulla, was especially odd. In this painting you are looking at the scene from the height of the surrounding trees, almost as if you are sitting on a tree branch. The center focal point seems to be a possum sitting on a limb with a snake in his mouth. Although this seems to be the center of the scene, your attention very quickly is drawn to the fish flying through the air. The reasoning for this seems very vague. Maybe, the fish are making themselves more readily available to the birds above. This thought quickly fades from your mind because the birds seem to be totally uninterested in the actions of the fish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Interpreting the meaning of such a painting is based very much on an individual’s thought processes. This work is very unique and seems to take on a different personality or theme each time you examine it. Although you find new things with every viewing, one thing remains constant. The idea of nature vs. nature tends to stick out in your mind as you picture the actions of the various animals shown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although very hard to understand, the use of color and layering effects produce a very vivid and life like scene. The fish at the top of the picture and the animals underneath the painting seem to make the painting too busy. In fact, it adds to the already confusing and distracting scene the picture itself depicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I view a work of art I try to feel what the artist was feeling as he painted it; come to terms with his thoughts and what he is trying to convey in his work. With the work of Messersmith you can never be sure whether he is saying that nature is working against itself and man is working against nature or if he just has a messed up outlook on the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Art is meant to be appreciated and enjoyed. The artwork of Mark Messersmith is almost totally unable to be understood , much less appreciated.

A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government

Executive Summary This paper analyses the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how such changes are comparable to the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Important parameters of the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council are discussed, such as category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency. These dimensions are compared to the principles and objectives listed in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. In addition, the paper provides recommendations to improve procurement practices available at Leeds City Council. Eventually, a tender specification sheet is provided to invite bids from private players to run the woodhouse car park in front of the University. Key performance indicators to evaluate tenders are included. Introduction Leeds City Council has made certain changes to its procurement strategy recently. The council emphasised specific elements indicating the importance placed on ensuring high quality procurement services. Such elements refer to category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). These dimensions are similar to the principles and objectives set in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how they compare to Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Leeds City Council’s Procurement Strategy Compared to the Procurement Strategy of Staffordshire County Council Leeds City Council demonstrates a primary objective to improve outcomes and value for money obtained from a wide range of goods and services it purchases. Therefore, the council’s procurement strategy is based on essential principles to include whole lifecycle approach, accountability to the public, openness and transparency (Hawkins et al. 2011). The strategy indicates the council’s concerns to rely on expertise in the field as well as utilise relevant examples of adequate practices maintained at local and national levels. The common expectation presented with the enforcement of the council’s new strategy is to realise its full potential within two years. The council extensively supports not only its ambitions but also the ambitions of its partners in the process of delivering quality outcomes for service users (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). A relevant part of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy is the adoption of a category managem ent approach, where procurement professionals tend to group together related purchasing. Such approach is entirely focused on exploring variances in buying needs and provider offerings (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). In this way, the council is concerned with maintaining high quality of services along with savings. Similarly, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council presents diverse orientation in terms of proper identification of the goods and services purchased by activity and function. Staffordshire County Council also states the importance of achieving value for money. Another recent change to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is associated with the adoption of a whole lifecycle approach. It is essential to point out that such approach starts from ongoing evaluation of buying needs as well as analysing different options. In fact, the mentioned approach receives optimal application through careful preparation and procurement (Niezen and Weller 2006). Mobilising the council’s resources is a significant priority to the professionals responsible for the implementation of the procurement strategy. Such principle corresponds to Staffordshire County Council’s strategy of relying on the voice of all people of Staffordshire on specific issues that matter to them (Staffordshire County Council 2014). This shows a strong sense of collaboration with residents and communities in order to identify proper solutions to any emerging problems. Staffordshire County Council places importance on leading and influencing as well as sharing knowl edge with representatives from the public sector in Staffordshire (Kennekae 2012). Early engagement is crucial in maintaining savings and improvements that further reflect in transformational changes in the council’s procurement strategy. The whole lifecycle approach adopted by Leeds City Council regarding its procurement strategy assumes that service delivery should not be compromised. Other significant dimensions of this approach relate to contact management and exit which contribute to achieving extensive value for many. In addition, the recent changes observed in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and that of Staffordshire County Council reflect the importance of the skills and capacity of procurement professionals. They are mostly responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a relevant procurement process based on supporting the council’s business continuity needs (Niezen and Weller 2006). The latter is extensively manifested in the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Procurement professionals structure arrangements with key providers in an attempt to manage the risks pertaining to the process of supplying goods and services. Thus, professionals in the respective field are expected to set high quality processes through cross-functional strategic activities that are evident in both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council (Loppacher et al. 2006). Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy considers the significance of employing common principles a nd rules which are properly designed to correspond to the needs of all included categories. Emphasis is on reflecting the needs of the specific service areas along with stakeholder needs. This recent change in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is in line with ensuring quality outcomes (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Such procurement strategy is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council due to the process of aligning delivery of goods and services with the corporate needs identified by Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). The respective council utilises the expertise of procurement professionals to ensure social values outcomes as well as sufficient savings achieved through a balanced scorecard used for procurement. The focus on the skills and capacity of procurement professionals is among the improved areas of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy. Having skilled and experienced staff is important in delivering high quality outcomes to local communities. Moreover, Leeds City Council manifests its responsibility to support the development and training of procurement professionals in order to maintain high standards across the profession (Loppacher et al. 2006). There is a solid sense of accountability evident in the practice of each procurement professional working at Leeds City Council. In comparison, Staffordshire County Council emphasises the capacity of its procurement staff in terms of providing legal training packages. This indicates an ongoing process of developing the knowledge and expertise of all professionals involved in the procurement practice (Arora et al. 2007). In this way, procurement professionals can work together with other experts in the field to implement the spe cific objectives listed in the procurement strategy of both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council. One of the observable recent changes in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is that the central procurement function is projected to serve as a flexible source of excellence and thus is accountable for providing a substantial source of expertise. Procurement professionals working in Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council are extensively trained to demonstrate ownership and accountability to the public in their respective communities (Kennekae 2012). Elements of structured governance and assurance make Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy rather effective. However, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council is oriented towards indicating a ‘customer of choice’ model of delivering services. This implies that procurement professionals working in Staffordshire County Council are responsible for the creation of greater visibility of the council’s requirements for goods, services and provider performance (Staffordshire C ounty Council 2014). Therefore, professionals are determined to ensure proper communications and organising skills that help them in the establishment and implementation of linkage. Similarly, procurement professionals in Leeds City Council are devoted to research good practice documents and toolkits while trying to reinforce their skills and capacity. Furthermore, the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council in the aspect of openness and transparency. Both councils indicate an ambition of being open and transparent which reflects in providing visible contracts as well as constantly updated management information (Kim and Netessine 2012). Leeds City Council places importance on presenting clear and accessible tender processes and documentation. Openness and transparency ensure the formation of a positive relationship between the council and its procurement partners. Likewise, such aspects are closely linked with instilling confidence in the public regarding the adopted procurement approach (McLean 2008). In comparison, the procurement strategy implemented by Staffordshire County Council indicates its staff’s commitment to ensure compliance and probity which may be associated with the principles of openness and transparency manifested by Leeds City Council. Recommendations The recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council indicate that the respective council’s approach is comparable to the strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Yet certain recommendations are listed below to achieve further improvements in Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy: Procurement professionals should work on creating an inclusive procurement strategy in which smaller providers are presented with an opportunity to participate (McLean 2008); The council should constantly research and update its available procurement tools to guarantee competitively established standards in the field; The council should consider the removal of unnecessary restrictions which would allow the institution to evaluate suppliers in an objective manner rather than focus on limiting business criteria such as revenue (Loppacher et al. 2006); Professionals need to demonstrate sensitivity to financing issues to include established payment policies; It is fundamental to indicate potential hidden costs in terms of providing clear information on the actual insurance, liability as well as regulatory requirements; this practice would allow innovative suppliers to compete (Hawkins et al. 2011) Conclusion The paper indicated an analysis of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy with special focus on its recent changes and how they are comparable to the procurement strategy outlined by Staffordshire County Council (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Thus, significant aspects of both procurement strategies have been discussed in order to identify the focus of procurement professionals working in the two councils. Certain aspects of the two procurement strategies were found similar especially with regards to category management and lifecycle approach. Moreover, the efforts of procurement professionals are equally important to the work of either Leeds City Council or Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). In this way, the paper ensured adequate arguments about the effectiveness of the procurement strategies adopted by these institutions. Tender Specification Sheet Leeds City Council is seeking tenders from various private providers for the maintenance and operation of the woodhouse car park in front of the University. The intention is that the car park will operate as a proper public amenity. There are certain standards of services that will be followed. The respective parking services are set at prices identified at proper market levels. Prices are competitive in order to encourage visitor parking regarding close distance to local businesses. Discouraging the practice of day-long parking is essential for the maintenance of the woodhouse car park. The park will be open 24 hours a day, seven days/ week. Personal security will be ensured to customers and visitors. They need to feel secure in the identified car park area. The integration of area security is a priority to the Council. All tenderers are invited to submit their applications by providing the following documentation: -Financial Proposal for a period of 3 years; -Details on the percentage of the turnover expected to be paid annually to the Council; -Evidence indicating previous experience in the area of car park projects; -Providing details of the resources available to complete the project; In order to evaluate the bids from the private players, it is important to provide a set of key performance indicators that will be consistently used (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). The first performance indicator is that the selected tender should provide the best value for money at reasonable cost. This may result from balancing cost and quality. Another key performance indicator that will be used to assess the bids is that of prequalification. Such indicator is implemented to make sure that only those who meet specific criteria will be considered for inclusion to bid (Loppacher et al. 2006). In addition, prequalification is associated with responses to a set of questions provided by the Council. Major questions should include elements of quality, capacity to supply and financial competence. The indicator of open and flexible communication is fundamental as no private player should be given preference. Even though meetings with tenderers who have placed their bids may be necessary at a cer tain point, they should take place solely for clarifying specific aspects regarding the tender (Hawkins et al. 2011). It is important to use recognised channels of communication in order to avoid confusion of private players or any misunderstanding of presented information. References Arora, P., Garg, A. K. and Vaidya, S. C. (2007), ‘Efficacy of Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility and Procurement Strategy’, South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 14(1) pp105-119 Hawkins, T., Gravier, M. and Powley, E. (2011), ‘Public versus Private Sector Procurement Ethics and Strategy: What Each Sector Can Learn from the Other’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 103(4) pp567-586 Iyer, G. and Pazgal, A. (2008), ‘Procurement Bidding with Restrictions’, Quantitative Marketing & Economics, Vol. 6(2) pp177-204 Kennekae, L. (2012), ‘Procurement Strategies to Serve the Public Good,’ International Trade Forum, 2 pp11-111 Kim, S. H. and Netessine, S. (2011), ‘Collaborative Cost Reduction and Component Procurement under Information Asymmetry’, INSEAD Working Papers Collections, 33 pp1-40 Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy (2013), Leeds City Council [Online]. Available at: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Procurement%20Strategy%20V1.0%20PUBLISH%2030.09.2013.pdf [Accessed: 29 April 2014]. Loppacher, J. S., Luchi, R., Cagliano, R. and Spina, G. (2006), ‘Global Sourcing and Procurement Strategy: A Model of Interrelated Decisions’, Supply Chain Forum: International Journal, Vol. 7(1) pp34-46 McLean, S. (2008), ‘Choice in Government Software Procurement: A Winning Strategy’, Journal of Public Procurement, Vol.8(1) pp70-97 Niezen, C. and Weller, W. (2006), ‘Procurement as Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84(9) pp22-24 Staffordshire County Council (2014), Staffordshire Procurement [Online]. Available at: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement/homepage.aspx [Accessed: 29 April 2014].

Little Miss Sunshine Family Assessment Essay

first appearanceFamily throne be a inauguration of subscribe, comfort, optimism, love and happiness, unless family can similarly be a cause of depression, betrayal, accidental injury and pain. Family is non al miens determined by the having the same DNA running finished angiotensin converting enzymes veins but it is the nonplus that people can grow with one an other(a). Family can consist of friends, co-workers, classmates, a fellowship or a group of other people. Some family members can be the lather enemies because they have the most ammunition of secrets to get hold of a relative vote break by means of. Being commensurate to trust a individual, depend on them, and be c atomic number 18free is a person that can be valued as being a part of a family. In the painting Little female child sunshine, their dysfunctional family is loving, supportive, upb ingest as healthful as motivating.The movie is filled with fatal humor nigh a novel middle-class family tha t is ab out(a) to encounter fiscal catastrophe but in the middle of their struggles they still take a chance the truelove in life.In the opening of the movie Richard, the tiro is braggart(a) a motivational lyric about winning, he states There are two types of people in this world, winners and losers. Richard is a protagonist motivational speaker that is preoccupy with winning. He is so consumed with achieving that he ridicules his family for non being perfect throughout the need. Sheryl is the overprotect who is an optimist, she is always giving words of cost increase even when Richard is trying to bring his family down and she is in all about honest. stamp is the chum salmon of Sheryl whom at the beginning attempts to commit felo-de-se collectible to a at sea shopping centre and losing his stand as Americas pre-eminent Proust Scholar. Dwayne is the son of Richard and Sheryl and is attached to being in the air force. He is so committed that he takes a vow of re lieve until he gets into the air force, but therefore(prenominal) finds out he is colored subterfuge and breaks his silence. chromatic is another protagonist quality in the germinate, she is the daughter of Frank and Sheryl and has dreams of fitting a cup of tea queen. Grandpa is chromatics spectator queen show coach and is a late in life convert to heroine and porn, he finally dies from a drug overdose. Main motions indoors the film are irony, issues of struggling to be perfect with the trials and set backs as a middle class family as entirelysome as exposing kayo ostentations for little girls in America.Irony is a main theme in the movie because the roles each(prenominal) sheath act ass contradicts who they are trying to be. Richard is all about motivating others to win and pushing his 9 steps to Success however ironically he is un victoryful in his motivational speeches. In the opening scenes Richard is giving his 9 Steps to Success lecture to a class of no mor e than 4 or 5 students and his steps to victor are denied because no one knows who he is. chromatics character as well as shows irony because she is an overweight, unfashion adequate 7 twelvemonth old that is competing in glamour beauty ostentations. Grandpa is in late matureness but is acting as though he is in the introduces of early matureness by doing drugs instead of watching out for his health to prolong his life. Dwayne is showed to be on the barter(p) out and lifting at the beginning of the movie like as if he is a pro-athlete but is very slender and pale. end-to-end the film the irony within each character and the masks they wore changed for the better.Issues of struggling in the film for this middle class family shows how they are on the verge of a financial catastrophe. Richard was so invested in his contract for his steps to success and depended on that source of income only to find out his contract was cancelled. The Hoovers van breaks down multiple sequences and has m all issues, such as the motor horn constantly honking. The family also did not have the money to go to California but made the trip anyway to furrow Olives dream that would whitethorn come true. Even afterward the parade financial burdens await them with the transportation of granddads corpse and the costs for a funeral. With all the struggles this family endures the characters ways of thinking changed into optimistic views of life.Little Miss Sunshine was the beauty pageant that Olive was competing in and when the family arrived they realised that the Olive did not contain theglamor and elegance of the other contestants. This film displayed the do in which the little girls had to go through to fulfil the realise of a beauty pageant queen. In the middle of the film Olive orders ice cream for breakfast and Richard lectures her about her way of eating and that beauty pageant winners do not eat ice cream so that way they can look thin and win. During the pageant Olive shows her talent of dancing and the judge are offended, the crowd is disgusted and the soldiery of the pageant attempts to get her off stage all because she does not fulfill the image of what society says a beauty pageant contestant should look like. But after Olives performance Richard then compliments her for doing such a corking job and that her grandpa would have been dashing of her. Richard realizes that his daughter is who she is and is proud to know that she tries her best in all she does and enjoys herself.Assessing the family one can determine that they have yet to light upon homeostasis. The family system as a whole shows that they are unable to maintain a stable constant state of eternal rest financially however they are able to achieve this with their family grammatical construction. An example of the strong structure in this family system is having dinner with everyone contribute at the table, even Dwayne though he holds his vow of silence. Boundaries within the family system are set by Richard and most of the time it is him against everyone else. Subsystems include the brother Frank, the children Olive and Dwayne and grandpa. separately member has a role to play where Sheryls role is the most measurable because she is matriarch of the family, she is what holds the family together with her optimism and encouragement.There is a strong relationship between Olive and Dwayne, when Dwayne breaks down after finding out he is color blind Olive is there to comfort him same with Dwayne being there for Olive when she is getting ridiculed onstage at the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. The parents however seem to be on the brink of a divorce due to the constant arguments, if financial burdens get any tougher it may break their marriage. The family is experience veto entropy, each member is growing and developing. Frank who was at first suicidal is giving Dwayne advice about life. Richard is realizing that life is not all about winning but eyesight t he beauty in loving his family for who they are and what they do.When irresolutioning the family, concerns would be whether or not Frank is still at adventure of suicide? Has Frank place the immediate problem that is causing excessive emphasis? He is suffering from a broken heart and due to that he is losing everything else slightly him because the man before is overshadowing his family, his goals, and his future. Has Frank identified any strengths that he still has? This question is asked because he is depressed about losing his job and as well as his standing as Americas pre-eminent exalted Scholar. Frank does show some signs of depression, he has a made a former attempt, and he has no spouse. According to the good-for-nothing PERSONS scale Frank as a client may be considered for hospitalization though he has an amazing support system with his family.(344).