Exhibition Essay

Introduction â€Å"A good exhibition programme will sell itself. The money spent on marketing would be better spent on the exhibition themselves† In the business environment, there is a lot of competition that every business faces in its day to day operations. This means that if a business cannot keep up with the competition or beat its competitors then there is a high likelihood of it collapsing, something that will highly cost the investors. Therefore, every business must ensure that it is able to meet its main objective which in many cases is to make and maximize profits through high sales. To achieve higher or increased sales, business investors can apply various strategies of winning customers and overcoming the stiff competition in the business environment. For a business to be able to accomplish higher or increase in sales and obtain more customers who will in turn result into higher profits for the business, the investors can apply marketing strategy as a form of making their products known to customers which is may be a bit costly t the business since it will have to incur various expenses. On the other hand, a business can opt for exhibition as a form of selling its products to its customers. Exhibition can simply be defined as a presentation and a display of various items that have been selected to attract customers and induce sales. Exhibition Programme as a Marketing tool An exhibition program is the strategy put in place by a business of presenting and displaying a selection of various products of a business for customers to purchase and to attract new customers. Having a good exhibition programme in a business will sell itself to customers and will help increase the sales of the business. This means that the money used by investors in areas such as marketing strategies can be spent on exhibition so that the business can achieve more sales and hence more profits for the business. Exhibitions also know as trade fairs, expos or even trade shows can help achieve various results for a business as will be discussed here. In many occasions, the exhibitions are in most cases organized by various interested parties so that various organizations in a certain specific industry or who have a specific interest can showcase and give a demonstration of the various latest products, study activities, and even services of competitors and also to have a look at the current trends in the business industry and the opportunities that may be available for the business to venture in. There are some exhibitions which are always open to the public while there are others which can only be attended by various company representatives who are members of that trade and also the members of the press for coverage of the exhibition (Siskind, 2005). Through the years exhibitions have been identified as one of the most effective and efficient tool that is powerful and effective for doing business. An exhibition involves the business investors being able to meet the customers face-to-face and hence create a great target opportunity for the business to achieve the various trade objectives that it has. Exhibitions are known to be one of the most cost effective for of reaching out to the customers since the business investor is able to reach the customers at one time and in one place that does not involve moving the location. Therefore, it is notable that exhibitions have various advantages for a business if a good exhibition programme is created and implemented by the business investor (TileagÄÆ', & Cosmescu, 2012). Advantages of Exhibition Exhibition as a means of trade for a business has various advantages to any form of business if created and implemented in a good way as compared to marketing strategies. Discussed below are the advantages that a business will derive from a good exhibition programme implemented by an investor: Customer contact In exhibitions, the business investors have the opportunity of meeting the customers face-to-face in one time and in one place. This means that the trade shows or exhibition provides a very excellent and conducive environment for the business investors to initiate contacts with customers who are new to the business. This helps the business investor to be able to develop new trade leads for the products of the business since the investor is able to answer any questions that the new customers may have concerning the products that the business is offering (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft, 2010). The business has the first hand opportunity of giving detailed information to the new customers about their products that are under exhibition and in turn this will help in creating a new customer base for the business. In addition to the new customers whom the business investor has the opportunity to win over for the business and creating new customer base, the business investor is also able to renew its old contacts with the valued clients of the company or business firm. There are times when businesses lose their old clients due to various reasons. Through a good exhibition programme, the business investor is bale to renew the lost contacts with its previous customers and also to inform the old customers of the new products that the company may be offering in addition to the improvements that the business has made on the previous products that it was offering (Frain, 1999). Opportunity to create an Image for the Business Through exhibitions, the business investor is able to meet new and old customers some of who may not e familiar with the business. The contact that the business investor has with the customers offers an opportunity for the investor to create and improve the image of the business towards the customers. Customers who had a bad perception about the business will be able to have firsthand experience of knowing more about the business and the products of the investors and get clear understanding of how the business operates and what products the company is offering to its clients (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). This means that, not only will the company be able to win ore customers but it will be able to give firsthand information to the customers which will help in improving the image of the business. A good image for the business means that customers will want to associate with the business; hence those customers who visit the exhibition will also inform other people about the business. This will act as a way of advertising the business through word of mouth from those customers who had the firsthand experience with the business at the exhibition. Therefore, it is quite notable that exhibitions not only bring new business contacts but also helps to strengthen and maybe restore the image of the business which is important for every business to succeed. Product and service launch platforms Many businesses always face the challenge of launching their products and services to the market. Launching of a new product or service by a company can be very challenging to any business and can also be costly in terms of advertisements as a form of marketing for the new products and services. Many platforms that business investors can use to launch their new products or services are always costly and at times may not be effective in reaching out to as many customers as possible. To overcome this challenge that is involved in the launching of new products or services to the market by business investors, exhibitions offer a much better platform for the business investor to launch their products or services. Exhibitions in many cases involve live presentations and various demonstrations of the products or services of the company to the customers. This means that the products or the services are able to â€Å"speak† for themselves and influence the customers to make purchases or even obtain the services even if they were not prepared to do so in the first place. When customers are able to see for themselves the use of a product or the importance of a product at first hand, they tend to have the urge to try out the product or service so that they can find out if whatever they saw during the live presentations and demonstrations are actually the results that they can obtain from using the particular product or service which has been launched into the market. This means that the process of selling the new products or services is accelerated (Frain, 1999). When the customers are influenced to purchase the new products or services that have been launched at the exhibition trough live presentations and demonstrations, the sales of the products or services are likely to increase, and this will mean that new sales will be generated for the company at a quicker rate than through marketing. Launching of a new product or service through live presentations or demonstrations at the exhibitions means that the company will not incur a lot of costs that are always involved in the launching of new products or services (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). Marketing communications In the exhibitions or trade fairs, there is always a lot of focus that is always put on the company and the products r services that the company is offering. Many exhibitions involve the media and hence the attention of the media is always on the company and the products or services of the company. This means that the business investor has an opportunity of focusing his/her public relations efforts on raising the profile of the company and that of the products or services of the company. This will also help in improving the image of the company. Since the focus of the media attention is on the company and the products or the services that the company s offering, there is an opportunity for the company to advertise itself without incurring any extra cost on advertisement of the company’s products or services.   The exhibition offers a platform for improvement of the company’s public relations since the company comes into closer contact with the public than it could do through areas such as advertisements. This will also help in improving the image of the company and the image of the products of the company by building trust and good relations with the customers who have visited the exhibition. Therefore, exhibitions will not only help in developing great public relations, building company’s image but also will help in opening new markets for the company (Frain, 1999). A high return/expense ratio Every business investor has one aim in business which they strive to accomplish through every operation that the business undertakes. The main objective for any business investor in a business environment is to make and maximize profits. For the business to obtain profits it must incur costs that are involved in the running of the business. Costs in business may be in form of advertisements, production and any other operational costs for the company. Higher profits and maximization of profits can only be achieved by a business if the business ensures that the costs that it incurs are less and do not exceed their sales. To achieve this, a company must ensure that it employs strategies that will help in minimizing costs involved in its operation while at the same time maximizing its sales for higher profits. The returns must always be higher while the expenses must always be lower in any successful business. This means that a business must always be able to obtain high returns from its sales when compared to the expense that the business has incurred in its operations. Exhibitions help businesses in achieving this objective of higher returns compared to the expenses incurred. The expenses that a business will incur in its operations when conducting exhibitions is less when compared to other forms of marketing such as advertisements. Exhibitions also create an opportunity for higher sales for the business since the company is able to attract more customers through close customer contact, live presentations and demonstrations. Since exhibitions are conducted in one time and in one place, any costs involved such as transportation costs are minimised, customers are able to find the products of the company in one place without having to move from one place to another (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). This means that exhibitions have a higher return/expense ratio, something which every business always strive to achieve. The higher return/expense ratio is as a result of the following reasons: Many customers or attendees who come to the exhibitions always arrive with a particular agenda or a need which they seek to accomplish at the exhibition. This means that the customers who arrive at the exhibition will not cause the business to incur more expenses in attracting the customers except for what has already been incurred to prepare for the exhibition. In the exhibitions, the business investors do not require to make any sales calls to close the deals with the customers since most of the people who attend have their agenda already set. This means that the business will not incur any extra cost involved n making sales calls since the live presentations and the demonstrations of the company’s products or service are enough to lead the customers to purchase the products or services of the company. Compared to product or services sales calls which are quite costly, the exhibition leads do not require a lot of expense to accomplish or close a deal. Field sales require sales calls to be made by the company but in the exhibitions on the demonstrations and live presentations are enough. This means that exhibitions are much cheaper in helping the business to achieve its main objective of maximizing profits and minimizing expense hence higher returns/expense ratio which is good for the business. Exhibition provides an avenue for the exchange of information between the exhibition attendees and the companies that are displaying their products or services at the exhibition. At the exhibition, the business investor has the opportunity to pass information to the customers about the products or services that the company is offering since the investor comes into face-to-face contact with the new and old customers. These customers will in turn act as a tool of advertising the products and services of the company to those other potential customers who never went to the exhibition. The customers help in advertising the company’s products and services through word of mouth. This helps the company to reach more potential customers without incurring extra costs of advertisement. Therefore, exhibitions help the company to achieve higher return/expense ratio which will in turn mean the company will be able to maximize profits (Frain, 1999). Business-to-Business trading Exhibitions also play an important role in a business if a good exhibition programme is created and implemented by a business. Through exhibition, a company is able to meet with other business investors. This will enable the business to exchange business ideas and information which might be helpful to the running of the business. Exhibitions help the investor to identify and establish new joint ventures and projects by other business investors which may result in partnership hence helping to expand the business. This is because, at the exhibitions, the business investor may meet other business investors who share the same business ideas and beliefs which then could translate into new ventures for the business (Ellis, 2010). New Recruitment There are some many people who attend exhibitions some of who are potential business agents, distributors or even employees for the business. Through the opportunity of face-to-face interaction between the business investor and the exhibition attendees, the business investor has the opportunity of identifying and recruiting new business agents, distributors and even staffs for the business. The business investor does not incur any extra cost in this activity since they are able to meet the potential agents, distributors and even staffs face-to-face without having to locate them. This also helps in saving time in terms of searching for new agents, distributors or even employees (Ellis, 2010). Easy Market Research and Information Gathering When a business investor involves in exhibitions, they have the opportunity of meeting the customers face-to-face. The business investor through live presentations and demonstrations of the products or services of the company is able to obtain an immediate feedback from the new customers or the old customers on the various products or services that the company offers. This can be done through free samples and the live presentations and demonstrations. Since there is face-to-face contact, the customers are able to provide an immediate feedback about the product or the service (Morley, & Lees, 2009). The company can use these feedbacks to improve on its products or services or simply to maintain the quality depending on the feedback they obtain. The company does not have to wait for too long to obtain customer feedback. The feedback obtained by the company at an exhibition can be used immediately by the company to help it achieve more results for its products or services. In addition, through the feedback the company is able to obtain at an exhibition, the company is able to understand the needs of the customers and in turn react immediately to those needs than the competitors in the same market (Huang, & Lund, 2009). Focusing on the needs of the customers is crucial to a business and also helps the business to overcome competition and hence immediate feedback through the interaction at the exhibition, helps the business to keep its focus on the actual needs of the customers. The exhibitions also helps in understanding the strengths and weakness of the competitors since the research results and feedback obtained during the exhibition, can help the business in knowing what areas of business it can improve on to fight off competition. Exhibition helps the business to understand how competitors react to the needs of customers and also to learn the various changes that are taking place within the industry of the business. Research and immediate customer feedback obtained by the company during the exhibition helps the company to stay ahead of the competitors through product or services advancement and the use of new technology. The graph below illustrates the effectiveness of various channels of marketing in the exchange and gathering of information in any business environment: From the Figure 1 above, it can be noted that exhibitions and Personal sales share the same percentage in terms of exchange and gathering of information for the business when engaging customers and other potential business partners. This is due to the reason that, under exhibitions and personal sales, there is close contact with the customer hence the higher chances of getting information in an easy and quicker way. Convenience Marketing requires large sums of money to conduct in a business. This means that the business will not be able to achieve higher profits. On the other hand, in an exhibition, the business needs only to hire a stand where it will display its products and services. This is quite a convenience for the company since the company will not have to spend a lot of money while at the same time the impact of the exhibition will be greater than that experienced with marketing such as advertisement. For those business investors who are not sure of the amount of return on investment they will achieve when first attending an exhibition, this is a very convenient way o introduce products or services to the public at a cheaper cost (Solberg, 2013). Flexibility Every business seeks a way of undertaking its operations while at the same time having the opportunity to change whenever necessary and still achieve its main objective of higher profits. Exhibitions offer an opportunity to be flexible since the business investor has the ability and freedom to customize his/her exhibits for each exhibition that they have to attend. This means that the business investor has the opportunity to experiment on matters such as size and also has the opportunity to configure their exhibits to see and find out what works best for the schedule of exhibitions that the company has to attend in its quest to make profits and expand its markets. Cost effectiveness Exhibitions are quite cost effective to any business especially through the hiring of the exhibition stand. It is also cost effective since exhibitions provide extra options whereby, the business investor is able to stretch the budget for the exhibition to include many other new options that the business investor may not have been able to afford. These may include issues such as dramatic lighting, brochure racks, furniture and even extra large formatted graphics among others which can be added to create a greater impact for the business exhibition at no extra cost hence making exhibitions a lot cheaper than marketing strategies such as advertisement (Raluca, & Cristina, 2008). The graph below helps to demonstrate the effectiveness of exhibition as a method of promoting the products or services of a company when compared to the other channels or strategies such as direct marketing, Print advertising, Public relations, and the internet: From the Figure 2 above, Series 1 represents the Benefits of Products and Services when the various strategies are applied by a business in selling of its products and services. The above Figure 2 demonstrates that a good exhibition programme is quite effective in helping the business to benefit from its products and services since it is able to realize more sales when compared to the other channels of product or service marketing. Series 2 in Figure 1 above represents the impact of the various channels on the building of public relationships with the customers and other potential customers or business partners. From the graph, it can be noted that exhibitions gives a higher percentage when it comes to issue of building public relationship with the customers and potential business partners. This is due to the reason that, under exhibition, the business investor is in close contact with the customers and the potential business partners hence a greater advantage in building public relationship that is stronger (Solberg, 2013). The internet is the poor performer in terms of benefits of the products and services of the company since some aspects such as customer contact is not available. Therefore, it can be said that exhibition, as a mode of product and services marketing has a greater impact in terms of achieving the main objective of every business of maximizing profits and also creating and maintaining great public relationship with customers and the potential investors. The other advantage that is derived from exhibitions is that the business investor has the opportunity to observe and evaluate the products of the competitors of the business. This will enable the business investor to know the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors in terms of the products that they are offering to the customers. Knowing the products or services that the competitors of the business are offering gives the business an added advantage since the investor is able to know what changes to make on their product or services so that they are superior to the products of the competitors (Mei-Chin, & Sui-Ming, 2013). Having superior products or services to those of the competitors will mean that the business is capable of overcoming the competition in the market. Problems Associated with Exhibitions Even though exhibitions may be the best form of business promotion for products and services, there are various challenges or problems that business investors will be faced with in the process of participating in exhibitions or trade shows. Some of those problems are such as increase in costs of construction and exhibits, personnel travelling, boarding and lodging fees which add to the cost of conducting the exhibitions (Honess, 1997). In addition, the choice of which exhibitions to participate in, how much to be spent on every exhibition, and ways of building exhibits that will be attractive to customers are some of the other challenges that are faced by business investors who engage in business exhibitions to sell and promote their products and services. Ways of overcoming challenges involved in Exhibitions There are some considerations and issues that a business investor will need to put in mind so that they can engage in a successful exhibition. In addition, to achieve the above advantages for the business through exhibitions, business investors need to plan and create an exhibition programme that is good and capable of achieving the above advantages and bring high returns for the business (White, 2013). The following are some of the considerations and objectives that a business investor will need to set when engaging in exhibition as a form of promoting the products or services of the company to achieve maximum results: Overall purpose of participation Every business encounter such as involvement and participation in exhibitions requires that a business investor must have an objective they want to achieve through the exhibition. There must be a goal to be accomplished at the end of the exhibition and without setting out the objective or purpose of participation, then success in an exhibition will not be achieved ( Thomas, 1995). Creating actual Sales Business investors who participate in exhibitions must ensure that there are actual sales made during the exhibition. This should be the main objective of participating in an exhibition since more sales translates into more profits for the business. There is no business that wants to incur costs and realize no sales. Therefore, the exhibition must help to realize actual sales for the business for it to be considered successful and beneficial. Identifying potential customers For a successful exhibition, a business investor must have an objective of identifying and obtaining potential new customers for the business and improving on the relations with the older customers. This ensures the business of an added market and creating a new market for the products and services of the company. In addition, the business investor must be able to obtain sales leads for the business. This will enable the business to make sales without making sales calls which are costly. Gathering Competitive Intelligence For a successful exhibition, the business investor must ensure that they are able to obtain competitive intelligence that will give them an added advantage over the competitors. Every business investor who attends an exhibition must be able to information that is relevant for the business and which can help the business to better its performance and achieve higher profits (Havaldar, 2005). Target audience to be reached There are different types of people who attend the exhibitions. For success of the business in an exhibition and to be able o achieve maximum results from the exhibition, the business investor must be able the audience that they want to reach out to with their products and services. Identifying the suitable and targeted audience makes it easy for the business investor to sell their products and services to the targeted market since the products and services will have been made to suit that particular targeted audience. Therefore, based on the various specific objectives that a business investor has laid down for the business, he/she is able to make a decision on which exhibitions to attend that will bring maximum results for the business and at a cheaper cost (Thomas, 1995). Conclusion There are many forms of business promotion that an investor or companies can apply to promote their products or service and achieve results. Businesses have a main aim and objective of maximizing profits at the lowest costs possible. Some of the methods of product or service promotion are costly and the results achieved may not be impressive. Therefore, compared to the other forms of business product or service promotion, exhibition comes out as one of the most effective tool of marketing products or services of a company. Exhibitions provide a cheaper avenue of promoting a business while at the same time availing so many opportunities to the business which are useful in helping the business to achieve maximum profits. Therefore, exhibition can be said to be one of the most effective form of product or services promotion for any business due to the various advantages that the business can achieve at lower costs. References Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft. (2010). Exhibition Market   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Latin America 2011/2012: Trade Shows in Latin America: New Opportunities for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Exhibitors. Stuttgart: local global GmbH. Ellis, N. (2010). Business-to-business marketing: Relationships, networks and strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Frain, J. (1999). Introduction to marketing. London: International Thomson Business. Havaldar, K. K. (2005). Industrial marketing: Text and cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Honess, S. (1997). Marketing for construction firms. London: Thomas Telford. Huang, B., & Lund, D. W. (2009). Influence of the Yiwu Fair on the development of business travel and the local economy. Global Business & Organizational Excellence, 28(6),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   53-63. Johnston, S., & Beaton, H. (1998). Foundations of international marketing. London:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Thomson Business. Mei-Chin, C., & Sui-Ming, C. (2013). Effective Marketing Strategies to Attract Business   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Visitors at Trade Shows. International Journal Of Business & Management, 8(24),   Ã‚   64-72. doi:10.5539/ijbm.v8n24p64 Morley, J., & Lees, S. (2009). The brighter marketing bible: For small businesses. England?:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lean Marketing Press. Raluca, C., & Cristina, D. (2008). Measuring The Efficiency Of The Prospecting Activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 17(4), 796-801. Siskind, B. (2005). Powerful exhibit marketing: The complete guide to successful trade   Ã‚   shows, conferences and consumer shows. Mississauga, Ont: J. Wiley & Sons Canada. Solberg, S. K. (2013). Exhibit marketing and trade show intelligence: Successful boothmanship and booth design. Berlin: Springer. Thomas, M. J. (1995). Gower handbook of marketing. Aldershot, Hampshire, England:    Gower. TileagÄÆ', C., & Cosmescu, I. (2012). Realities And Perspectives Of Business Tourism On A   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global Scale. Annals Of The University Of Oradea,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic Science Series, 21(1),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   432-438. White, D. (2013). Get set for your first exhibition. Fmcg, 19(2), 49.

How Businesses in Puerto Rico Are Using Social Networks Essay

Social Media Gives Industrial Companies Competitive Advantage, Says Thomas Industrial Network Report March 29, 2012 New York, NY Industrial companies that hesitate to embrace social media, believing that competitors are not using these platforms, are in danger of losing business opportunities, according to recent research from Thomas Industrial Network. In fact, seven out of 10 small and midsize suppliers (68 percent) are already engaging with prospects through these channels, gaining a competitive advantage over those who have yet to start. More than 3,000 respondents to Thomas surveys say that they routinely use social media to market their products and services, generate leads, answer questions, conduct research, and gain new business. Thomas studied the behaviors of suppliers (i.e., manufacturers and distributors) through its Industrial Marketer survey, and buyers through its Industrial Purchasing Barometer (IPB). The research focused on their use of platforms such as LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, industry forums, and blogs. The responses paint a picture of an industrial sector that has made social networking a mainstream business practice. Buyers regularly rely on social media to conduct research on companies, and to seek others opinions on particular suppliers. Indeed, 56 percent of buyers now recommend that all suppliers establish a social media presence if they want to do business with them. In response, suppliers are jumping onto the social media bandwagon to provide information on their offerings (41 percent), find new prospects (27 percent), and learn what customers have to say about their companies (20 percent). The industrial sector is awakening to the fact that social media isn t just a passing consumer fancy, but an essential part of any branding and marketing program, said Susan Orr, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, Thomas Industrial Network. Savvy suppliers also understand that the most effective social media programs need constant care and feeding. To influence prospective buyers, suppliers need to continually update their social media content, and to be actively engaging in and initiating conversations. But for many industrial suppliers, dedicating the resources and having the in-house expertise to manage social media is a challenge. In response, Thomas Industrial Network recently launched a new, cost effective program to help them take advantage of this important new channel. The Social Media Program helps suppliers reach prospects who are seeking information and advice for their businesses through channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Facebook and Google+. Thomas takes the work off their hands, handling everything from strategy sessions and goal setting, to writing and posting unique content for each company. We re thrilled to offer a turn-key and affordable program that leverages Thomas 115 years of experience bringing buyers and suppliers of industrial products and services together, said Phil Paranicas, Director of Digital Media, Thomas Industrial Network. We have made it easy for any supplier to participate in social networking, and to begin reaching and influencing those prospects who regularly use these platforms. For more information on Thomas Social Media Program, please contact Mr. Paranicas at 212- 629-2134 or pparanicas@thomasnet.com. Thomas has also just published a new, free white paper, Why industrial businesses need to have a social media presence and how to get started, which includes additional results of its surveys, and provides social media best practices. To download a complimentary copy, please visit: http://promoteyourbusiness.thomasnet.com/white-papers/. About Thomas Industrial Network ® Thomas Industrial Network is an innovative information and technology company that helps industrial businesses to connect, collaborate and grow. We help companies to develop a complete web strategy, enabling them to share product data through all of their sales channels. As a result, we help industrial companies to increase sales, improve customer relationships and expand into new markets. One of our key offerings is ThomasNet.com, the premier website for product sourcing and supplier discovery and selection. We also provide strategic website development, tools and technology for industrial businesses to manage and share product and service data internally and externally. They include WebCAD publishing, and syndication of detailed product data to channel partners. Custom SPEC was designed for the unique needs of custom manufacturers. Additionally, we offer social media programs and search engine optimization services to help these businesses build brand awareness and generate leads. Our Navigator Platform is the hub through which we help our customers to manage their information. Our focus on the industrial sector for more than a century gives Thomas Industrial Network a unique perspective to anticipate and deliver new solutions that help industrial businesses grow. Visit us today to learn more. Home Supplier Search Product Search Product News CAD Drawings About Us SiteMaps Categories Featured Companies Featured Categories Featured Products Community Log In to MyThomas Sign Up for MyThomas Contact ThomasNet Provide Feedback Forums Careers Additional Resources Guides | White Papers Resources Press Room Testimonials FAQs Tools & Gadgets Job Board Deal of the Day Promote Your Business Free Listing Advertising Services Log In to Client Center  © 2013 Thomas Publishing Company. All rights reserved. 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Edocs, Inc. †Case questions

3. The most important terms for edocs founder Kevin Laracey to further discuss in future negotiations will be the following: †¢ The valuation proposed by the Venture Capital investors, a number that could easily be inflated by shopping the deal around as the venture capital market is booming. †¢ The Board of Directors provision, as Mr. Laracey wants to make sure that in the first years of the Company he will remain CEO, and that the co-founders of edocs will be part of it as well. †¢ The share vesting schedule, which Mr. Laracey feels represents a lack of faith by the Venture Capital Investors in them. †¢ The Anti-dilution and Right of First Refusal which in essence binds edocs to future and larger equity participations from CRV. †¢ The warrants issue subject to the availability of other VC investors. This clause is troublemsome for the CEO of edocs because it will cause further dilution of his his colleagues stakes in the Company. 4. As for Charles River Ven tures, Mr. Guerster has essentially two main things in mind regarding the term sheet: †¢ The board composition, because he feels that Mr. Canekeratne is not suitable to be a board member as he will bring no added value to the company, and a large board of directors is not feasible. †¢ The warrants issue that Mr. Guerster feels is an appropriate penalty for edocs if they cannot find other investors to do the deal with. 5. edocs is searching for venture capital financing in 1998, a vibrant year for the market. Furthermore, the term sheet that was presented to them was quite investor friendly, with some strict provisions that unnecessarily burden the entrepreneurs. In short, edocs can and should negotiate some of the terms presented to them by CRV. First of all edocs is aware that if it shopped the deal around it could get a higher valuation and the provision to include the employee share option pool in the valuation seems too onerous. An acceptable compromise between committing to CRV and to dilute their stake so much in the beginning would be to exclude the option pool from the valuation. This would change the VC’s stake from 38% to 33%. May not seem like a respectable sum at first, but it may be relevant to encourage future financiers. The lower the A round investor’s stake, the better. Another provision that should be altered is the board composition. As it was mentioned before, this is bound to be one of the most contentious issues between the entrepreneur and the VC. The founders argue that all 3 of them should be on the steering wheel after the investment, while CRV insists on having a small board of directors with as many board representatives as the founders (2 and 2). It is likely that the founders will have to cave in on this issue because it’s not likely that they would get better terms elsewhere. Even if it is unreasonable to put the 3 founders of the company on the board, as the VC will not want it to have a founder majority, at least Mr. Laracey should be granted a place as a CEO for a fixed amount of time. In a very early stage it is important for the Company to have the guidance of someone who founded and knows the business by heart. Perhaps more importantly we have the warrants provision. There is a rational economic reasoning behind this provision. If CRV cannot find another party to invest in the Company thi s will mean two things: investors are not willing to bet on the success of edocs which sends a negative signal to CRV, and it will result in an undiversification of its portfolio and consquently more risk. CRV will consequently want a compensation for this extra risk and the warrants are apparently the answer. We have to take edocs’ position into account though. As we will see later they have negogiating leverage and as such are in a position to change the provision. On the other hand, the clause at the least creates some perverse incentives for CRV. If CRV is or turns out to be confident about the future success of edocs it will not try to look for additional investors and will just cash in the cheap warrants. As such, and to make the term sheet a little more Company favorable we believe that the side letter should not be included in it. In conclusion in a time where a large inflow of capital to VC funds is pushing valuations up, edocs has an opportunity to use that leverage to, while not explicitly shopping around the deal, eliminate the provisions that dilute their shareholdings excessively and to have some control of the Company during its first years. From the preceding discussion we can conclude that the term sheet is more investor friendly –i. e. CRV friendly- than company friendly –i. e. favorable for edocs. Therefore, in the negotiation process the venture capitalists have more to lose when the terms of the deals after negotiation, giving edocs more power in turn. Also, from Exhibit 18-8 we can tell that the commitments of venture capitalists have been increasing exponentially over the past years. From this we can conclude that there are many potential VCs out there who might very well be willing to finance edocs at more favorable terms, giving the latter again more bargaining power in the negotiation process. Laracey, Moran, and Canekeratne have done an extensive study on the competitive landscape in the electronic payment and bill presentment services market. They identified several (potential) competitors such as IBM, MSFDC, Checkfree, International Billing Services, and document services. Compared to edocs these firms are more established and are active in the market for a longer period of time, nonetheless they are all largely competing for the same clientele. In order to outperform these parties edocs builds on many different key elements. First of all it offers advantages to the billing entity in the sense that it allows them to differentiate from their competitors’ â€Å"print only† offerings. From a cost perspective, edocs allows for significant savings in terms of document delivery, processing, remittance, and printing costs. Also, the service will be beneficial for the customer who receives the bills. They can push the documents to the preferred e-mail package, and bill payment will be easier and not as time-consuming. Especially, the technological and strategic partnership with CyberCash will allow for â€Å"one-click† bill payment. The main point at which edocs differs from its competitors is that edocs is offered as a software product, whereas the competitors mainly offer Internet document production and delivery as a service. The founders figured that competitors had a hard time gaining acceptance for these service-only offerings, since customers are concerned about third parties standing in between the biller and the customer. Also, the fact that Laracey, Moran, and Canekeratne had access to cheap software development personnel in Sri Lanka allowed them to differentiate themselves from their competitors, because edocs software was now developed both more quickly and cheaper than competitors could develop the software. Edocs can also be compared to similar firms from a financial point of view. Exhibit 18-6 gives an overview of financial data of comparable firms. However, it must be noted that it is questionable to what extent these firms are all really comparable to edocs. More specifically, IBM and Xerox are much more established, mature firms. Documentum and Document Sciences are, like edocs, both young firms, because they only reveal sales data as of 1995. Checkfree is the only start-up in this context that is not making profit so when wanting to do a relative valuation, using multiples that include net income does not make much sense. Hence, in order to come up with an implied valuation for edocs, we propose to do a multiple valuation, including the average market value-to-sales multiple of comparable start-up firms as a relevant measure to compute the value of edocs. Appendix A gives an overview as to how we came up with this number. As said before, we disregarded the data from IBM and Xerox because these firms are in a much more mature phase than edocs. Subsequently, we computed the average MV-to-sales multiple for Documentum, Document Sciences and Checkfree over the period of 1994 to 1997. Next, this number was multiplied with each of the sales forecasts under the â€Å"target performance scenario†(retrieved from Exhibit 18-4). Averaging the value of the period between 1998 and 2002 leaves us then with an implied value of $268. 3 million.

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Personal Statement - Essay Example During this time, her assistance in the home, taking care of the house and her younger sister, has been indispensable as I was a full-time student, studying Economics at San Diego State University, while juggling a full-time job for The Hilton Resort. While her support drew the deep respect and admiration of my contemporaries, it was Alinah’s consistency and excellence that got me through college, and through the many obstacles of life we’ve always faced together. She has also gone beyond the boundaries of the home to try to help others as well. As a youth, she was actively involved in The Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. Alinah was easily one of the most affable children at the club, with great communication and personal interaction skills. Notably, she had a fantastic ability to make friends and develop long lasting relationships. She always treated her peers and the staff with dignity and always showed respect for authority. In addition, she brought a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to the center, showing her natural leadership ability and infectious personality. Not only did these personality traits draw respect and admiration from her peers, it also won her the position of Class President of her 6th grade class in 2006 and she has worked in the capacity of a safety patrol officer for her school. Also in 2006, she entered herself in a local beauty pageant and brought home the crown. Unfortunately, 2006 wasn’t the brilliant year it started out. In April, toward the end of her school year, she was diagnosed with severe Polyarcticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. In the beginning of her illness, she lost more than 25 pounds and could not walk with ease; she spent most of her afternoons and evenings in bed and could not eat without pain due to the inflammation in her jaw. All of her joints were affected and her condition worsened during the following six months. Also during this

Organizational Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Organizational Behavior - Research Paper Example Other than waiting for the workers to seek out clarifications, information, the management will approach them in a direct manner for purposes of asking about their informational needs. For instance, most meetings within the organization end with meeting leaders asking for questions and requests. I encourage that management and supervisors move such questions to the start of all meetings. The switch tells workers that their concerns and questions are important as compared to impending meeting agenda. It is critical to developing opportunities in which more informal time is presented to employees while interacting with the management. Employees often hesitate from interrupting the busy bosses for asking small things including the information needs. Managers providing opportunities within Casual work conversations help employees feel comfortable and needed with the elements of sharing the information needs. Lastly, the approach improves the quality of the meetings. The general suggestions from running better meetings are acquired. Staff relations are involved in the planning of meetings and advancing maximum efficiency (Grandey, Diefendorff & Rupp, 2013, page 121). The organizer meeting will be sending out agendas as well as supporting materials prior the meeting. Assigning time limits in the discussion items on the agenda will avoid lengthy deviations within meeting purposes. It is relevant to ensure that there is certainty in establishing rules for managing meetings within the o rganization without side conversations. Fair performance evaluation of employees involves a range of considerations. To achieve honest and fair assessments of employees, it is important to keep them up to par with the organizational expectations. Judging employees with respect to unclear or outdated criteria is unfair. Further, job priorities and descriptions are subject to change across time. Employees should do outstanding jobs on

Management of Production and Operations Term Paper

Management of Production and Operations - Term Paper Example The paper explores the main quality assurance practices and their relevance in contemporary manufacturing facilities. Controversies over using popular quality assurance systems are discussed. Keywords: production, manufacturing, operations, quality assurance, ISO. Management of Production and Operations Quality assurance remains one of the most popular topics in production and operations management research. Sophisticated standards of quality and increased complexity of manufacturing operations render scientific approach to quality assurance valid and justified. Much has been written and said about the best and most desired practices in quality assurance. Yet, despite recent advancements in quality assurance systems, their benefits are at best controversial. It is widely acknowledged that the use of ISO systems by manufacturing enterprises adds weight to their corporate image and reputation. Such production organizations are believed to provide better quality of products and services , than their industry competitors. Unfortunately, the use of ISO quality assurance systems in production and operations does not ensure their functionality in particular organizational environments; as a result, firms must pay particular attention to how broadly accepted quality assurance practices affect their production operations and whether they meet customer expectations in terms of the quality of the ultimate product. Quality Assurance: Why, When, and How? How to define quality assurance is a complex question. However, it would be fair to assume that quality assurance in production and operations will be mostly the same as in other fields of management. According to the EU guidelines, quality assurance is â€Å"a wide-ranging concept which covers all matters which individually or collectively influence the quality of a product† (McCormick, 2002, p.27). Simply put, quality assurance is essentially about ensuring that the product meets the basic standards of quality. Qual ity assurance in production and operations is an efficient management tool that enhances the quality of organizational decisions (McCormick, 2002). In contractual situations, quality assurance systems give customers â€Å"a feeling of confidence in the quality of the ultimate product† (McCormick, 2002). Quality assurance is impossible without the availability of the entire complex system of quality assurance operations, which describe all steps to be taken to achieve the desired quality standards (McCormick, 2002). More often than not, manufacturing organizations run their own departments of quality assurance and control. However, even then, quality assurance is the process that involves all organizational members and not the only unit of QA professionals. All members of the manufacturing organization can affect the quality of the ultimate product; as a result, the organization in its entirety is responsible for the quality of its operations, leading to the development of a s uperior quality product (McCormick, 2002). It should be noted, that the history of quality assurance dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, rapid industrialization and expansion of industrial enterprises required the development of new, more sophisticated quality procedures. At that time, quality of products was defined as their fitness for purpose (Chitale & Gupta, 2007). Most quality assurance procedures were limited to quality control at the beginning and the end of the manufactur

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Research Paper

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Research Paper Example There are unique behaviors associated with ADHD. Some of these include difficulties in maintaining focus, becoming easily distracted, a child being easily bored, difficulties in becoming organized and completing a specific task, daydreaming etc. Research indicates that ferritin is one of the major contributors to these behavioral problems that are reported by both the teachers and parents. Iron contributes largely towards brain development. As a result, ADHD has been potentially linked with ID for different reasons. First, it is a disorder that appears during early childhood periods. Second, studies have linked ADHD to dopaminergic dysfunction. Nevertheless, iron supplements were found to have been attenuating ADHD symptoms in children with ID. There have been different opinions of if oral contraceptives affect bone density in reproductive-aged women. Research was conducted and a conclusion was reached that oral contraceptives have no change on the bone density therefore erasing fears that these drugs might have been causing ADHD in children In conclusion, iron is an important component in brain development of a child. In addition, it contributes heavily to the formation of body neurons. As a result, expectant mothers are expected to take a balanced diet in order to supply the fetus with enough iron.

Modern History - Nazi ideology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern History - Nazi ideology - Assignment Example Six weeks after Hitler was appointed Chancellor on March 18, 1933 the Nazi Minister of propaganda spoke to the German women. His speech set out the expected image of women and proper duties that were to be carried out by them. It is apparent that Goebbels made a strong statement when he said that women are not significant in terms of history and the things they do have no effect on society. He was of the view that the only thing that women do in history is to raise men who create it. This view was the same for the Nazi Party about women and their roles in society. Goebbels explained the idea of defining women only as a mother was because of the respect, and that is why Nazis kept them out of the political sphere (Ascheld, 2010). The women supported the party and the leaders even with the strong idea about women. It is evident as many women became party members. Also, through various avenues of propaganda, Nazi officials were able to convince women that their place in society lay in the private sphere. The act of placing enough of a priority for women as mothers to the nation, Nazism gained strength and grew across Germany. Teaching Nazism to the youth was one of the main Nazi ideologies hence it was essential to gain support of mothers and young women in the country. Pamphlets and propaganda posters were distributed to preach the values of Nazism for women and their need to raise strong â€Å"Aryan† children (Ascheld, 2010). The difference between the private and the public sphere during the Third Reich is a key concept when talking about the image of the German woman. In the public sphere of the Nazis party, women were not expected to have a role in the Reichstag or hold any other political office. It was also evident that women would not work as doctors or lawyers. Nazi officials emphasized that women were to take care of their husbands and children. Hitler in his speech of 1934 Party Day he said that the man’s worlds were the sate while the woman was

Culturally competent care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culturally competent care - Essay Example This means that the department of veteran affairs is forced to meet with the needs of many soldiers over a prolonged time period- something which has forced it to expand in order to cater for the needs of various ex-soldiers from different ethnic backgrounds. There is a reason why army veterans require specialized care. Military service members do not face the same challenges as other members of the society. Their very job requires them to put their lives in danger constantly whenever the country is engaged in a conflict with a different nation. Many times, the challenges that soldiers face are life-threatening and require immediate specialized care. Some of these injuries include gunshot wounds, lost limbs, wounds caused by shrapnel and head injuries that affect a soldier’s daily functions or even speech and thought patterns. Military service members may also be exposed to environmental pollutants like harmful chemicals used by the opposing army, contaminated water and biolog ical weapons. There are also the mental stresses of being in a war. Being separated from one’s family and friends for an extended period of time is a difficult thing for any ordinary human being. It becomes harder for both the soldier and his or her family when both parties are aware that the soldier might never return home. Many times, the families of soldiers have sought counseling services to help them to cope with such possibilities. Another cause of mental anguish is the act of war. Killing and maiming other human beings is a difficult undertaking for even the most hard-hearted individual. Soldiers are required to do it repeatedly and automatically when ordered to do so by their commanding officers. They are also expected to ignore their fears and constantly put themselves in the way of danger. This causes mental problems such as post traumatic stress disorder and depression- which are conditions that the soldiers carry home with them even after the war is over (Jakupcak , Luterek, Hunt, Conbeare and McFall, 2008). According to (Erbes, Westermeyer, Engdahl and Johnsen (2007), more than ten war veterans commit suicide every day due to their inability to handle mental states of depressions and post traumatic stress disorder. There have also recently been reports of war veterans who took their own lives after eliminating their whole families. When they return from war situations, soldiers require healthcare benefits that will enable them to live with some measure of peace and comfort. They also usually require a lot of mental support so that they can process through the horrifying things that they may have witnessed during the war. The department of Veteran Affairs has successfully established a 24-hour suicide hot-line that helps soldiers to deal with issues they may be experiencing but feel unable to tell even family members. Standards of cultural competence that appear to be met and any that are not met The Department of Veteran Affairs defines mino rity veterans as ex-soldiers who are of Asian American, African Americans, Pacific Islander, Native American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native origin. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), roughly 20% of the country’s 23.5 million veterans are from these ethnic backgrounds (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2013). Similar to other racial minority populations

Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment Essay An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind, Mahatma Gandhi. When the murders of today are murdered by the government, is that not hypocrisy? Capital punishment is legal in 32 U.S. states. Capital punishment was a penalty for many felonies under English common law, and it was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence. Since 1976 lethal injection has been the primary method, although electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and by firing squad are still legal and practiced in some states. The death penalty is barbaric and unethical. Innocent lives are being taken away. U.S. tax payers money is thrown out the window. Capital punishment laws should be abolished in the entire United States. Studies have consistently failed to demonstrate that executions deter people from committing crimes. (Death Penalty Information Center) As we sit in a jury box playing God, deciding who must live and who must die, we hand out the death penalty to teach society a lesson. We step into the shoes of a God and pass an irreversible judgment to mask our pain or disdain. Why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong? This is hypocrisy. In our judicial system, we do not rape rapists, make drunk drivers stand in front of a speeding car, or chop off the thieving hands of someone who steals. In Muslim practicing countries, the harsh punishment used to deter humans from stealing is to have the thieves hand cut off. This practice does not deter thievery and is considered barbaric and irrational in todays American society. For some reasons unknown, we resort to a revenge mentality society when man kills man. A family who has lost a loved one due to a murder, will not find closure from th e killers death. They will find closure with acceptance and forgiveness in themselves. We cannot take away the life of another who may or may not be guilty of a crime. Consequently, innocent people have been convicted and executed. The wrongful execution of an innocent person is an injustice that can never be rectified. Any error rate is completely unacceptable, when we are talking about life  and death. Since 1973 the U.S. has released 144 prisoners from death row because they were found to be innocent of their crimes. (Amnesty) Wrongful conviction causes range from eyewitness error, to government miscount, false confessions, informants, mishandled evidence, improper forensic evidence, and bad lawyering. Capital punishment is also discriminatory towards minorities, poor, and the mentally ill. Africans make up about half of all homicide victims. Glenn Ford, a black man, was released last month after 30 years on death row in Louisianas notorious Angola Prison for a crime he did not commit. As a result of his poverty, Ford was assigned two lawyers to represent him at his capital trial -the lead attorney was an oil and gas lawyer who had never tried a case criminal or civil to a jury. The second attorney had been out of law school for only two years and worked at an insurance defense firm. As often happens in capital cases, the prosecutors used their peremptory strikes to keep blacks off the jury. Despite a very weak case against him, Ford, defenseless before an all-white jury, was sentenced to death. (ACLU) Ford is just one of many people who were found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in capital and non-capital cases, but were actually not guilty at all. Once an inmate is executed, nothing can be done to make amends if a mistake has been made. Additionally, the death penalty is a huge cost to taxpayers. Sending someone to death row in the United States costs roughly $5 million, because the government takes the burden of paying for both sides. With appeals, and execution costs, death row is around $4 million more than an adult serving life in prison. The Constitution requires and long and complex judicial process for capital cases. The process is supposed to ensure that innocent men and woman arent wrongful executed, yet even with that the risk of executing an innocent person isnt completely eliminated. Death penalty cases consume much additional prosecution and law enforcement staff time because much additional work must be done. Prosecutors must investigate and prepare aggravating evidence for presentation in the sentencing phase of the trial, respond to evidence, file many more motions, and spend significantly more time in court than they would in a non-death penalty case. In addition to these staff costs, prosecutors, l ike defense attorneys, hire experts and consultants, including consultants to assist with jury selection and witness  preparation. Sheriffs departments must transport defendants and must provide additional courtroom security for lengthy death penalty trials, extra expenses that add up quickly. Indeed, a study of the federal system found that prosecution costs were 67 percent higher than defense costs in death penalty cases. The same study found that defense costs in death penalty cases were four times higher than in non-death penalty cases. (ACLU) Richard C. Dieter, MS, JD, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said the following on June 7, 2010, in his testimony before the Pennsylvania Senate Government Management and Cost Study Commission, The death penalty is the most expensive part of the system on a per-offender basis. Millions are spent to achieve a single death sentence that, even if imposed, is unlikely to be carried out. Thus money that the police desperately need for more effective law enforcement may be wasted on the death penalty. Every stage of a capital case is more time-consuming and expensive than in a typical criminal case†¦ There is no reason the death penalty should be immune from reconsideration, along with other wasteful, exp ensive programs that no longer make sense. (Death Penalty Info) Thus the alternatives are more ethical, just, and less costly than capital punishment. By substituting a sentence of life without parole, we meet societys needs of punishment and protection without running the risk of an irrevocable punishment. Over two-thirds of the countries in the world 141 have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice. (Amnesty) It is time for the United States of America to catch up with the rest of the world and abolish capital punishment forever. Death Penalty Facts. (n.d.): n. pag. Amnesty Usa. Amnesty International, May 2012. Web. 8 Sept. 2014. . No Government Should Experiment with Human Life. American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU, 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2014. . Testimony of Richard C. Dieter, Esq. Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center to the Illinois House of Representatives Addressing Innocence and. _DPIC_. Death Penalty Information Center, 2014. Web. 08 Sept. 2014. .

Tescos Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis

Tescos Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis With contemporary society of fluctuating customer preferences, dynamic market, shifting competition, reforming government, advanced technologies, change in economies, and transforming demography, it is not questionable why companies need to establish new policies, workforce environment, and particularly business strategies. However, it is questionable on how, where, and in what way they are able to improve their strategy paradoxes in order to create a unique selling point or competitive advantages to be outstanding in today and future national and international business markets. Thus for any firm, setting up new strategies is a must and given. Thats why companies need to persistently be aligned with their surrounding environments, either by responding to outside situations, or by proactively forming the commerce that they are operating. Hence, the right and outstanding strategies will be made for the right time and situations. This essay will then discuss about strategies used by Tesco in participating more actively in the national and international market. However before going to Tescos strategies, lets take a look at what is strategy? and strategy characteristics. What is strategy? A strategy is the systematic plan of action and scopes of a business which is designed to achieve benefits for the business through its available configuration of resources within a competitive atmosphere, to meet the needs of consumers preferences and markets and as well as to satisfy shareholder expectations. Strategy Characteristics Strategy has three characteristics according to Wit, B, D Meyer, R (2005) process, content, and context. They are the most important distinction that can be recognised in daily-life strategic obstacle situation. Strategy Process: The process is to get involved with the strategy of who, how, and when how should or is, strategy be created, analyzed, invented, formulated, applied, shifted, and managed; who get involved; and when do the essential actions take place? Strategy Content: The result of the above process is the strategy content. In terms of a query, the strategy content is related to the strategy of what what should be or is the strategy for the corporation and its every single constituent unit? Strategy Context: The result of strategy content and strategy context is referred to strategy context. Talked in terms of a question, the context evolves with the strategy of where where are the strategies process and content embedded in a firm? II/. Tesco Summary Tesco is a public limited company and is the largest retailer in the U.K, while it is the third largest in the world. Tesco has roughly 4,000 stores in 14 countries. It was found by Jack Cohen in 1919. The company headquarter is in Delamere Road, Cheshunt, and Hertford shire, Britain. David Reid is Tesco chairman along with Sir Terry Leahy as a chief executive. The key goods of Tesco are customer products, Groceries, telecom, and financial services. The firm revenue is  £56.910bn in 2010 and its operating profit is  £3.457bn. History: The Coming to Life of Britains Largest Supermarket Tesco came to life in 1919 when Jack Cohen started selling surplus groceries from a stand and made his profit of  £1 from sales of  £4 on his first day. Five years later, 1924, Cohen established first brand of Tesco when he purchased a shipment of tea from a Mr T. E Stockwell and in 1929 Cohen opened Tesco stores flagship. In 1930 a headquarter and warehouse were built as the brand went on its rise, and two years later Tesco turned into a private limited firm. Tescos stock exchange with a share price of 25p was floated in 1947. The expansion of Tesco became stronger as it bought 70 Williams stores in the 1950s along with 200 Harrow stores and in the 1960s, 97 Charles Philips stores and Victor Value chain were purchased by Tesco. The Guinness Book of Records recorded a Tesco store in Leicester as the biggest store in Europe in 1961. The next 13 years, the first petrol stations of Tesco were launched and became the biggest independent petrol retailer in the U.K. By 1979 the Tescos sales reached  £1 billion and twice the amount to  £2 billion in three years. A Tescos slogan was launched in 1992 as every little helps, and followed Tesco Clubcard in 1995, which provided a competitive edge to overcome the UKs biggest food retailer, Sainsbury. And still in the 1990s, 24-hour service was introduced and long with the overseas expansion. A Tesco website, www.tesco.com, was launched in 2000 while it expanded its products rang like clothes, electrical and personal finance goods. In the next 4years, Tesco stepped into broadband market. And two years later, the company announced to run its business in the U.S under the name of Fresh and Easy. Moreover, on 23 February, 2008 the sales rose to  £51.8bn and pre-tax income increased to  £2.8bn. In the same year, Tesco became the only supermarket that was every single postcode area in the U.K when it purchased rival Somerfield stores on remote islands in Scotland. In 2009, www.tesco.com/clothes was introduced and Clubcard was re-launched to double up customers vouchers. Finally in 2010, the firm ran the worlds first zero-carbon supermarket in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, and also the first Lifespace mall in China. Strategy According to Data Monitor, food retailing analysts stated that: The strategy of Sainsbury is far behind Tesco. Tesco has become a strong core and rapidly grew international stores in the U.K. Meanwhile, it developed good non-food sales, increased retailing services and took advantages of e-commerce effectively. The achievements of Tesco in the recent years have mainly come from the change to higher margin non-food merchandise, expanding overseas branches, and forming a strong UK key business. Low prices, cultivating consumer loyalty, providing a wide range of distinct store concepts and improving retailing services, like insurance and banking, were the companys main successes in competing with the rivals locally and internationally. Furthermore, the firm concentrates on non-food products, which has led to wondering whether it is fair to compare between other grocery shops and Tesco at all as it appears to have grown to be a consumer goods firm. On 22 October, 2002 Tesco chairman David Reid made the declaration in a conference held at the annual institute of Grocery Distribution that: You cannot save your way to prosperity. Growth is vital to shareholder, employees and suppliers. Growing investment is the heart of Tescos strategy. This asset does not simply come from investing back profit. In January 2004, Tescos new shares of 315m were placed to raise funds of  £773m. By doing do, the company was able to pay off the debenture. At the same year on March the company declared to make a joint venture with Topland, a property group, to release the money of  £650m from its UK property portfolio. However, Tescos credit was rated very low due to its borrowing money for expanding the company. Core UK Business From a Tescos preliminary statement of account in 2004, Tesco considers the below points: For a further investment is to improve price position. The total of  £140m in January 2006 is the most recent cost campaigns to improve the company position as Britains best value retailer. For instance, during a general price deflation in 2000, the deflation was between 2-3%, while Tesco was able to deflate the price nearly between 4-7%. During 2003 and 2004, 21 extra stores were opened, of which 13 were the expansions and the rest were new which gives a total of 83. Evidences show that customers love the Express stores, and the firm has increased share of convenience market to 5.9%. Tesco Express stores are the key to further and continued success as executives look to employ the street corner strategy by building more Express stores. The sparkling growth of the business has stemmed from the expense of competitors, particularly Safeway and Sainsbury. Their battle is to detain customers. And the other UK retailers just have no ability to challenge on both store structures and price. Suppliers, researchers, and farmers have mentioned a Tesco strategy that the company does not widely broadcast exploiting the companys monopoly (or to use a more precise terminology, oligopsony) position to decrease the price paid to suppliers. Thus, Tesco does not obtain profit from costumers, but also from suppliers. The Tesco Approach This is the final plank in the firms strategy To create value for our customers, to earn their lifetime loyalty. The two values of the company are: We treat people the way we like to be treated, and No one tries harder than we do for customers. Nevertheless, these two values are selectively applied to shareholder and consumers rather than smaller rivals and farmers. Major changes in lifestyle patterns are fundamental achievement of Tescos ongoing success. Tesco has taken advantage and responded to changes in lifestyle since the inception of the company over the 80 years. Those changes are: more women go into workplace, bigger disposable profit, the arrival of the weekly shop, fewer meal of family cook, and cheap food policy adopted after the Second World War by Britain. Tescos Strategy vs Porter Diamond Model Porter diamond model is an approach designed to get insightful of competitive position of a business in global markets. a/. Demand Conditions The demand factor with respect to production scale is one major issue in this theory. Generally, the productions scale relies on the needs and wants of consumers for the products or brands. In London, 70% of Tescos own brand is highly proffered and ordered by people due to the cheap price strategy of Tesco besides having finest quality in food items such as cake, bread and so on, and non-food products such as 14.95 euro of Tesco Ireland CD compared with over 20 euro of competitors HMV Ireland or Golden Discs selling the same goods. b/. Related and Supporting Industries The second competitive advantage of Tesco is that the firm has related industries that are competitive globally like Wal Mart, throughout advanced aspects like communication infrastructure, modern and skilled labour, and research facilities, and technological know-how. c/. Factor Endowments Tesco has fundamentally gained competitive edge through sophisticated labour and etc as mentioned in Related and Supporting Industries. Finance, insurance, digital services, entertainment services, broadband, phone, clothes, health and beauty, and media products are example of those competitive advantages. Moreover, a wide range of Tesco brand non-food products including Finest ranges and non-food Value are sold perfectly. Meanwhile the selling of these non-food goods is quite high in Ireland. CDs are the best instances which are the results of Tescos technological know-how, communication infrastructure, and research facilities. d/. Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry Tesco has gained this fourth attribute to create unique selling point. Initially, Tescos superior technology of checkouts and stock control system has led the company to the success and expansion over the rivalries. Strategy: The growth of the company over the last two decades has been related to the strategic and image transformation. Its prior achievement is because of an approach, Pile it high, sell it cheap from Jack Cohen. The method was overtaken by the company during 1995. There are main reasons for the success like an inclusive offer and customer focus. In addition the company has another four-pronged method: non-food business, international, core UK business, and retailing services. Structure: The stores in the U.K have been separated into 6 formats based on their structure, which is differentiated by the stores size and range of goods sold. Tesco Extra: is chain of mostly out-of-town hypermarkets. Tesco Hypermarket: is a superstore with a combination of a department store and a supermarket, which gives a very big retail facility with a broad range of goods in one roof. Tesco Metro: is a store that has size between Tesco Express and Tesco stores. The store generally is located on high streets of small town and city centre with typical size of 12,000 square feet. Tesco Express: is a store that is neighbourhood convenience store. It has chiefly food with higher-margin goods owing to the lack of economic scale. Tesco One Shop: is a Tesco only format in Britain which has no the name of Tesco in its name and consists of some of the smallest stores. Tesco Homeplus: is a non-food store. Rivalry: Tesco has Asda, Safeway, and Sainsbury as its domestic competitor. However, these rivals allow Tesco to be a better international challenger since the firm runs the business internationally. Case Study: Tesco in Pakistan Before entering its market in Pakistan, Tesco has used an environmental scanning technique to examine Pakistan information for strategic purposes. First of all, a Tesco study has shown that Pakistan has a high per-capita income which they are able to afford products from Tesco, and so it assists to rise in the employment rate. Meanwhile, the national GDP rate is 5.8%. Thus, people would prefer to purchase various products under one roof in affordable price when they get monthly salaries. Plus, Pakistan is an Islamic country which permits the retailer to sell excluding only alcoholic products that are banned legally. The country political environment is favourable since the rise of Tesco will help the government to raise tax revenue and the intervention of the government will assist the company to process effectively. For Pakistani culture, it offers Tesco a good demand condition as Pakistani people are influenced to get work done as soon as possible, so the Tesco takes the advantage to offer a wide range of products such as grocery, clothing and etc under one roof. The most benefit thing for Tesco is that there is only competitor in Pakistan, Metro which has small market share. Therefore, Tesco has an opportunity to obtain more shares because Tesco will aim all income levels of consumers. Finally, Tesco has chosen a strategy called Greenfield strategy (a strategy that is to enter new market without the help from local business) since the company doesnt need help from local firms as it has only one competitor with small share in the hand. More importantly, the adoption of Greenfield is because the Tesco needs to begin from scratch in Pakistan. For marketing, Tesco would adapt pull strategy, a strategy that spends highly on advertising and customer promotion to build demand and loyalty of customers on a product. Lastly, Tesco chooses two type of financing: 70% from equity financing and 30% from debt financing. Tescos strategy vs Global Strategy The growth and strength of Tesco do not depend only on real within the United Kingdom, but also internationally. When local opportunities have turned less, the company started its expansion over global like the other giant retailers. The rapid gains over Central Europe and Asia and a considerable market share have come from its effective strategy. The main solution to success of Tesco is to lie in its global strategy, in which the company mixes global management in many areas and domestic responsiveness. Tescos tactic generally is to purchase an existing retail chain, or an important share of one, and transform it to subsidiary of Tesco. After that, the company can start the usual strategies by aggressively competing price, undercutting local businesses, selling petrol, creating Clubcard to build customer loyalty, opening 24 hours service and so forth. For its international stores, Tesco prefers large hypermarkets since it is easier to obtain planning permission for these stores in most countries than in the UK. These hypermarkets concentrate on non-food products. According to David Hughes, professor of agribusiness and food marketing, claims that: Retailers from rich countries look for five characteristics in countries high population growth, big population, consumers levels of GDP edging per capita, high growth of income, and poor supermarket presence. With these five characteristics, giant retailers would step their businesses into those countries. Thats why Tesco focuses its expansion to Ex-Soviet nations and South East Asia rather than going to West Europe countires. Case Study: Tesco in Thailand In 1998 Tesco stepped into Thailand by purchasing a great amount of stoke in the Thai-owned Lotus chain of convenience locations. And Thailand was the first south-east Asian country that Tesco ran its business in a large scale, and 31% of Thai market had been captured by Tesco by the end of 2002. Moreover, Tesco Express stores are attached to Exxon Mobil petrol stations. During 2004, the retailer plans to capture the remaining stake in Tesco Lotus. Tesco wanted to point out that it would be sourcing produce domestically, generally gaining the domestic economy, and providing local people jobs. The company also plans to help Thailand local suppliers to access local and global markets, and sell to multinational companies by offering them to develop and improve their service and quality standard. As usual technique, Tesco is very proud of its price cutting technique in South East Asia. There is slogan from Tesco: Like in the UK and Europe, we perform price campaigns to distribute to invincible value for our customers. This seems like declaring a war of opening hour and prices and the local retailers cannot possibly challenge with Tesco strategies. However, Tescos main competitors are not local retailers, but international retailers such as Carrefour and Wal-Mart, and domestic ones that suffer as a result of simply collateral damage. III/. Recommendations The strategies implemented by Tesco both local and international strategies work effectively in competing the local and global markets. For local business, Tesco seems to have a very higher strategy compared to Asda, Safeway, Sainsbury, and other biggest retailers in the UK. Its main four strategies are: non-food approach, retailing services, international strategy, and a strong UK core business. However, its international markets still seem to have troubles as a Tescos bitter experience in France (business collapse). Moreover, the company have too many corporate crime and global activities on the countries it is operating. For example, in Thailand, Tesco was taken to court as it exploited suppliers. It was found guilty on charging slotting fees to carry producers goods, charging suppliers fee of entry, advertising costs and goods show costs, and displaying own-brand items close to similar branded items. If we go to Ireland, we will see that Tesco has been fined by the country govern ment over below cost price selling products which the company tried to undercut other traders. In addition, it has been fined for selling certain goods at a lower in the UK than in Ireland. Plus, Tesco workers in Ireland, in 2001, went on strike due to under payment. Tescos workers received $4.85 per hour, while the union stated 20p to 25p lower than salaries paid by Tesco rivals. Hence, in order to compete with the world largest retailer, Wal-Mart, and to participate more actively in international markets, Tesco needs to improve the poor areas such as the dependence on the UK grocery market, high fossil fuel cost needed to use in transportation network and etc. Suggestion: To improve those poor areas, Tesco should improve market development strategy and product development. Strategic Alliances and Join Developments (Market Development Strategy): By expanding its international markets, Tesco should choose options of global alliances with local markets. This can be considered as a strategy of improvement and can be formed to take advantage current competence and resources. When forming partnerships or joint ventures, Tesco is able to gain and extend its local knowledge and operating expertise of the partner, meanwhile it can include its own supply chain, goods improvement and stores performing skills to distribute a better shopping experience to consumers. By doing so, it can obtain a bigger economic scale and bigger presence of market. Diversification (Product Development): According to schools and Johnson (2003), business environmental changes may create demand for new products and services, while the matrix of Ansoff recommends that a product development strategy needs to be carefully thought by management of a firm, if they want to develop new products for the existing markets. Thus, Tescos expansion and diversification of products mix, the company has to implement internal improvement when new products are built. Moreover, Tesco needs to consider the relation between portfolio diversity and the rationale of the corporate strategy. Thus, Tesco is able to introduce new product lines followed by changes of needs and wants of customers. But this may need more concentration on RD, guiding to additional expense. Supermarket industry understands overcapacity and innovative goods and services that are being the main competitive edge. Thus, a Tescos key driver for product development is innovation. Tesco, for instance, has many formats of stores in the UK and each format is to provide different convenience to shoppers. Therefore, Tesco can create portfolio of different formats for international markets like Far Eastern and Eastern Europe whose stores are hypermarket. By doing so, Tesco can develop the uniqueness of value added which lead to command a premium price. Plus, Technological management of innovations is related to decision-making, so Tesco must exploit the internal powers and reduce internal weaknesses to accomplish sustained unique selling point. IV/. Conclusion Strategies implemented by Tesco are very successful in terms of both national and international strategies. With its effective business strategies such as the Tesco approach, pile it high, sell it cheap, global strategy and etc, they have turned Tesco into the biggest retailer in the UK by overtaking Asda, Sainsbury and other giant retailers, and also made Tesco to become the worlds third largest retailer after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. For the local challenge, Tesco has competitive advantage over all retailers in the UK. Its four outstanding strategies are: non-food approach, retailing services, international strategy, and a strong UK core business. However, to challenge the world number one and number two retailers, Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and to attend more actively in international markets are troubles to challenge. Thus, Tesco needs to reform and improve its poor business strategies and areas. In order to improve those weaknesses, two solutions are suggested: Strategic Alliances and Join Developments (Market Development Strategy) and Diversification (Production Development). Book References: Mintzberg, H, Lampel, J, Quinn, J, B Ghoshal, S (2003) The Strategy Process. 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Sadler, P (2003) Strategic Management. 2nd ed. Great Britain The United States: Kogan Page Limited. Wit, B, D Meyer ,R (2005) Strategy Synthesis. 2nd ed. London: Thomson Learning. Web References: Recruitment and Selection. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 04 February, 20100] A History of Tesco: The Rise of Britains Biggest Supermarket. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 04 February, 2011] Shoaib, R Final Project of Business Policy. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 04 February, 2011] Our History. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 05 February, 2011] (2005) Tesco Case. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 05 February, 2011] (2004) Tesco. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 05 February, 2011] Strategic Planning: Tesco. [Internet] Available from [Accessed 05 February, 2011]

Different Methods of Chromatography Analysis

Different Methods of Chromatography Analysis General Introduction Health is of prime importance to a human beings and wants to get cured in the least possible time whenever they falls ill. This desire and necessity has resulted in the use of a large number of synthetic organic compounds as medicines despite the fact that usually side effects are associated with the use of these drugs. In recent times, practice of giving a number of drugs together has very much increased. Due to drug interaction, the levels of the active drugs together has very much increased. Due to drugs interaction, the levels of the active drug may be too high for a longer time to cause side effects. Further, the reduction/ oxidation products of these medicines, which are produced during the metabolism may also be responsible for their side effects. It is therefore necessary to develop sensitive trace analytical methods for the analysis of the drugs by using UV Spectrophotometer, most sophisticated and advanced chromatographic techniques like UPLC, GC, HPLC etc. Use of pharmaceutical preparations to make their determination, a matter of for most importance. Due to the great variability of the materials, which are to be analyzed; skillful sampling, preliminary clean-up procedure and selection of a appropriate method in the assay is necessary. With the introduction of new and more potent drugs every year, the pharmaceutical analyst is called upon to devise new analytical methods like chromatographic techniques; with ever increasing sensitivity, specificity and simplicity for new drugs . HISTORY OF CHROMATOGRAPHY1 The study of chromatography happening in eighteenth century when with a immense significance the nature of inorganic compounds was considered on filter paper by Runge. In 1898 Day in USA forced crude petroleum throughout a column of limestone and fuller’s earth. The chromatographic theory was discovered first by a Russian botanist , MichaelTswett (1906) who make use of a glass column of calcium carbonate for separation of chlorophyll pigments from plant by using petroleum ether. The major development occurred around 1930 when Lederer and co-workers in 1931 separated xanthine and lutein on a column of calcium carbonate powder. In 1935 ,Adams and Holmes observed some synthetic ion exchange resins capable of exchanging ions  and thus ion exchange chromatography came in to existence. In 1944, Martin, Consden ,Gorden replaced silica gel columns by strips of filter paper and developed Paper chromatography. Thin layer chromatography though discovered first by Lzmailer and Shraiber , was further developed By Stahl and co-workers using silica gel on glass plates. Amongest the newest and most effective chromatographic technique for analyzing complex mixtures is Gas chromatography. It was introduced by Martin and James in 1952. INTRODUCTION OF CHROMATOGRAPHY1 A variety of methods are available for the separation of components from the mixture. They are mainly divided in to two types. Chemical methods Physical methods. The physical methods include fractional distillation, extraction, counter-current distribution; crystallization etc.These methods are effective in separation, purication and identification of many compounds .how ever difficulty arises in case of compounds where individual components have similar physical and chemical properties i.e mixture of liquids having very close boiling points etc. Chromatographic methods corresponds to the most handy and potent technique for these problems. These chromatographic methods are used for the partition of components of a composite mixture. Because of the quickness and efficiency of this methods, it can be used in all fields particulalarly in chemistry, biology, medicine, dyes, forensic departments and clinical studies. The term Chromatography derived from Greek words Kromatos means colour and Graphos –means written. Tswett defined chromatography as the technique in which the components of a combination are separated on an adsorbent column in a flowing system. As per IUPAC Chromatography is defined as a method used mainly for the division of the components of a sample ,in which the components are disseminated between two phases, one of which is stationary whereas the other moves. The stationary phase might be a solid or a liquid support on a solid or a gel, and might be packed in a column ,spread as a layer or disseminated as a film. The mobile phase possibly will be gaseous or liquid. First and foremost for the partition of the components of a sample , in which the components are disseminated . TYPES OF CHROMATOGRAPHY: Chromatographic methods can be classified on the basis of stationary and mobile phases used, depending on the stationary and the mobile phase used, separation occurs because of a combination of two or more factors such as extent of adsorption, rate of migration and capillary action etc†¦ Different types of chromatographic techniques as follows a. Adsorption chromatography b. Partition chromatography c. Paper chromatography d. Thin layer chromatography e. Gas-liquid chromatography f. Gas-solid chromatography g. Ion exchange chromatography A Adsorption Chromatography: The principle underlying the separation of the compounds is adsorption at the solid –liquid interface, for successful separation , the compounds of a mixture must show different degrees of affinity for the solid support and the interaction between adsorbent and component must be reversible, as the adsorbent is washed with fresh solvent the various components will therefore move down the column until, ultimately, they are arranged in order of their affinity for the adsorbent ,those with least affinity move Paper chromatography: Paper partition chromatography was developed by consden et al, In this paper partition chromatography paper is used as the support or adsorbent but partition probably plays a greater part than adsorption in the separation of components of the mixtures In this chromatography substances are distributed between two liquids ie one is the stationary liquid (generally water )which is detained in the fibers of the paper and is called as stationary phase, the other is the touching liquid or rising solvent and is called moving phase, The components of the mixture to be separated at different rates and appear as spots at different points on the paper The moment of components on the paper depends on the amount and nature of the stationary phase compared with the amount of mobile phase in the same part of the paper and also on the partition coefficient The rate of movement of mobile phase at the solvent front tends to be faster than at the position of the component on the paper ,it is better to defined as Rf RF= DISTANCE traveled by centre of component /Distance travelled by solvent front Types of paper chromatography 1 Descending chromatography Is defined as while the development of the paper is made by permiting the solvent to travel down the paper Advantage: 1. The development can be continued indefinitely even though the solvents run off at the other end of the paper 2. Ascending chromatography once the improvement of the paper is done by permitted the solvent to move up the paper it is recognized as ascending technique 3. Ascending – Descending chromatography In this procedure the upper fraction of the ascending chromatography can be folded over a glass rod permit the ascending expansion to change over into the descending after crossing the glass rod 4. Radial Paper chromatography This is also known as circular paper chromatography, this constructs utilize of radial development 5. Two dimensional chromatography In this a square or rectangular paper is utilized the sample is applied to one of the spot of the paper. The second development is performed at right angle to the direction of the first run This type of chromatography can be conceded out with identical solvent systems in the both the directions or by two solvent systems Importance of paper chromatography It is used for analyzing the polar compounds like amino acids, sugars and natural products, It also has been applied for the separation of many organic and biochemical products Thin layer chromatography: Thin layer chromatography is similar to paper chromatography except that a thin (025 mm) layer of some inert material such as AI2O3, MgO or Si o2 is used as the substrate instead of paper The process of thin layer chromatography was first established by izmailor and shraiber in 1938 Thin layer chromatography offers a faster and more efficient separation than paper chromatography and majority of paper chromatographic separations have now been superseded by thin layer chromatography procedures Thin layer chromatography has many advantages when compared to the other techniques like paper and column chromatography They are It requires very little time for separation Spraying with corrosive agents for credentials is also tolerable which is not achievable in paper chromatography as cellulose gets destroyed The method is used for partition , adsorption ,ion exchange chromatography as there is huge range of adsorbents obtainable This technique can be apply to preparative separation with the aid of thicker layer of adsorbents Thin layer chromatography has been included under both adsorption and partition chromatography ,in this the separation is carried on a glass or plastic plate which is coated with a thin uniform layer of finely divided inert adsorbent such as silica gel or alumina The plates are activated, the solution of the sample in a volatile solvent is applied by using a capillary tube or a micropipette to a spot keeping 1-2 cm from the bottom of TLC Plate ,the position of the sample spot is indicated by making a origin line on the plate with the lead pencil When the blemish has dried, the plate is positioned vertically in a suitable tank with it’s lower edge immersed in selected mobile phase The solvent rises by capillary action, resolving the sample mixture into separate spots at the end of the run the solvent is tolerable to vanish from the plate and the separated spots are situated and recognized by various physical and chemical methods Preparation of chromate plates With the help of pouring, dipping, spraying and spreading methods the chromatoplates are prepared, with help of qualitative and quantitative methods the TLC plate evaluated Ion exchange chromatography Separation of ionic substances may be carried out in glass columns similar to those described for adsorption and partition chromatography the chromatography medium – stationary phase is an ion exchange resin which is a polymer containing fixed charged groups and replaceable counter ions of the opposite charge, when a sample containing organic or inorganic ions is passed down the column the ions of the same charge as the counter ions displace the counter ions into the mobile phase and are retained on the column cationic and anionic exchange resins have positively and negatively charged counter ions respectively ,and retard the migration of the sample cations and anions respectively , Ion exchange chromatography: Separation of Ionic substances may be carried out in glass columns similar to those describes. Ion exchange resins: Modern resins are based on cross linked polystyrene prepared in bead form by the copolymerization of styrene divinyl benzene (DVB) Most commonly useful resins are prepared with approximately 8% DVB. Strong action exchange resins are prepared by sulphonating the free benzene rings. Strong anion exchange resins includes quaternary ammonium residues are prepared by chloromethylation of the free benzene rings followed by treatment with a tertiary amine salt ex: Trimethylamine amino hydrochloride. The strength and exchange capacities of ion exchange resins depend on the acidic or basic strength of the fine charged group. Thus the strongly acidic suphonic acid and strongly basic quaternary ammoinium groups give strong ion exchange resins with a high exchange capacity. Weaker exchange resins containing the weakly acidic carboxylic acid (COOH) or weakly basic derivatives of ammonia (ex: NHR2+Cl) generally have a lower exchange capacity. Applications: Used for the separation of similar ions Used for softening the hard water Purification of organic compounds Anion exchange chromatography include the assay of total halogenic salts using a resin in the OH form. Anion exchange is also used to separate heamine, and neomycin C from neomycin B t o test for neomycin C in Framycetin sulphate and neomycin sulphate. Gas Chromatography: The division of the components of a combination in the gaseous state could be achieved by partition column chromatography using a gaseous mobile phase was first made by martin and synge in 1941. In gas liquid chromatography: The immobile phase is a thin layer of a non-volatile liquid bound to a solid support and the mobile phase is a gas . A partition process occurs In gas-solid chromatography: Utilizes a solid adsorbent as the stationary phase and an adsorption process takes place Technique of gas chromatography: In this technique the sample is introduces in to the moving carrier gas stream and is carried by it through the column. The column contains either the active solid or a liquid of low vapour pressure held upon an inert solid. The active solid or non volatile liquid act as stationary phase whereas the carrier gas acts as mobile phase. The components of mixture sample distribute between two phases. The solubility or adsorption possessions might vary from component to component and therefore the components are carried along the column at different varies and finally emerge at the outlet of the column in distinct zones separates by the carrier gas. On rising the vapours of the constituent are detected by suitable detector accompanied by an automatic recording. Gas chromatographic appearances consists of Carrier Gas: Ex: Hydrogen, Helium Flow regulators and flow meters Ex: Rota-meter, soap bubble meter Injection devices: Columns Depending on its use:- Analytical Column Preparative Column Depending on its nature Packed column (Placed column are described as analytical column) Open tubular column Support coated open tubular column Temperature control devices Detectors ex: Katharometer Flame ionization factor Argon ionization factor Electron capture factor Recording and integrators Applications of GC: For qualitative analysis Quantitative analysis It is used for finishing of impurities present in the samples It is used for the separation and identification of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, flavours, preservatives, colorants in food as well as vitamins steroids It is used for converting the non-volatile compounds in to volatile compounds by derivatization method. It is used for the determination of solvent residues or solvent if crystallization HPLC: The course of action of high performance liquid chromatography was developed in the late 1960s. The attitude of high performance liquid chromatography is so called because of its improved performance when compared to classified column chromatography. It is also described as high pressure liquid chromatography. Advantages of HPLC: There is ease of sample introduction and sample preparation There is speed of analysis Te analysis by HPLC is specific accurate and precise. It is used for the analysis of many polar, ionic substances, metabolic products and thermo-labile as well as non-volatile substances. Principles of HPLC: The technique is based on the same modes of separation as classified column chromatography i.e. partition, ion-exchange, adsorption and gel permeation, but it vary from column chromatography in that the mobile phase is pumped through the packed column under high pressure. Apparatus: the mode of operation of this system is isocratic i.e. one partition solvent or mixture is pumped throughout the analysis. For some determinations the solvent composition may be altered gradually to give gradient elution. Pumps: pumps are mandatory to distribute a stable flow of mobile phase at pressures varying from 1 to 550 bar. They are two types of pumps: Mechanical pumps: if the reciprocating piston type give a pulsating supply of mobile phase Dual piston reciprocating pump produce the two pistons are carefully phased so that simultaneously is filling the other is pumping. Injection systems: Injection ports are of two fundamental types Those in which the sample is injected directly in to the column Those in which the sample is deposed prior to the column bay and then swept by a valving action in to the column by mobile phase.