Abstract Essays (928 words) - Transducers, Electrical Phenomena

Abstract The experiment involved constructing a microphone from the materials given to us. Our group was supposed to make as sensitive microphone as possible. This laboratory was also intended to introduce the concept of ?sensor? materials which can be made to act as electric sense organs. Our group has lost the competition, but even so by the end of the lab we understood how the microphone works and was able to construct it and test it using the Lab VIEW program. Introduction A real microphone consists of a diaphragm that is connected to a magnet. Sound waves vibrate the diaphragm and move the magnet in and out. The magnet is inside a coil of wire. When the magnet moves inside a coil of wire it produces a voltage signal through the wire. Experimental Work In order to build piezoelectric microphone successfully our group began by thinking of our initial idea for the design. We drew it to the best of our knowledge to get the best results. After that our group got all the necessary parts and began the construction. After a lot of thinking and arguing it was decided to use a small paper cup, aluminum foil, rubber band, scotch tape and of course piezoelectric film. As the parts were put together we made sure that as the sound goes into the microphone it would pick up all the sounds and produce clear result. Then our group made sure that it doesn't fall apart and taped the piezoelectric film to the top of the aluminum foil and tied it together with a rubber band. And only then our group began testing. Our results were not so good, so we began to improve the design by changing the amount of layers of aluminum foil and by trying to cover the top of the paper cup with plastic. Each time our group tried to improve the microphone and tested it, the results were different. Data and Observations Our microphone was constructed using a small paper cup. It was thought by the members of our group that a small cup would help focus the sound in one place. Inside the cup our group has placed layers of aluminum foil, because we thought it would prevent the sound from leaving. At the bottom we made a hall for the piezoelectric film. When our group was observing the printouts from the LABVIEW we looked at both Time Domain and Frequency Domain. Our Time Domain wasn't as high as others, but piezoelectric microphone worked fine and we competed with everyone else. Our Frequency Domain wasn't high either and on the graph you can see two peaks instead of one. Our group also made some observations about the audio. It was difficult to tell the frequency and very difficult to analyze how the microphone responds to certain sounds. It allows people to hear the clarity of a sound produced by a microphone. As far as visual observations, it allows us to analyze the wave the microphone produces. It isn't useful in allowing people to determine how the microphone actually sounds. Conclusion In conclusion I'd like to say that this experiment has taught us not only how to build a piezoelectric microphone, but also about piezoelectric films that we knew nothing about before, and how we can use them in other places. Piezoelectric means composed of crystalline material that when mechanical stress is applied an electric charge is produced. The molecules of crystalline material compress and expand and this causes a voltage to appear at the opposite ends of the film. Some of the places where we might use piezoelectric microphone might be motion detectors, touch-sensitive pads or airbags deployment systems. I think it would be a great idea to use them in airbags deployment systems, because they would be able to tell how short or tall, large or small the person is and adjust the airbag accordingly. I believe this would prevent a lot of injuries. 1. Why can piezoelectric film be used as a sensor? Piezoelectric film can be used a sensor because it is sensitive and picks up sounds very easily. If it is located at the right place and surrounded by the right environment it can pick up noises that are hard to hear and vibrate. 2. What

Printable Chemistry Quiz - Lab Safety Quiz

Printable Chemistry Quiz - Lab Safety Quiz You can take this printable chemistry quiz online or print it out to try later. This multiple choice test covers basic lab safety concepts. You may wish to review lab safety before you get started. You should pipette by mouth:(a) Always. Its a fast and efficient method of measuring liquids.(b) Only when you cant find a pipette bulb or think it might be dirty.(c) Only when you are sure your instructor, lab assistant, or co-worker isnt looking.(d) Never. And if you thought about answering yes to any other the other choices, should be expelled.When you are finished using a Bunsen burner you should:(a) Leave it on for the next person to use. Its the only considerate choice.(b) Cover the burner with an inverted beaker to suffocate the flame. It works well for candles, too.(c) Pull off the hose connecting the burner to the gas. The burner wont have gas, so it wont be on fire.(d) Turn off the gas. Duh!If you feel dizzy or sick while working near the fume hood you should:(a) Head out to grab a cola or a snack. Maybe its low blood sugar. Dont tell anyone - why bother them.(b) Meh, no big deal. Do nothing. Fume hoods always protect you from harmful chemicals. The sooner you get finished the sooner you can leave.(c) Report your symptoms to whoever is responsible for that fume hood. It might be nothing, but on the other hand, maybe the hood wasnt functioning properly and you were exposed to something. Look up the MSDS for whatever was in the hood, too. Leave the lab, after contacting the proper person. If you catch on fire you should:(a) Panic. Yelling FIRE at the top of your lungs to let others know about the danger is good. Be sure to run as quickly as possible to blow out the flame.(b) Water fixes everything. Head for the nearest safety shower and drown the flame.(c) Pull the fire alarm and look for help. Hope the fire doesnt burn you too badly before you can take some form of action.(d) Smother the flame. Those blankets in the lab are there for a reason. Some fire doesnt really care about water, but all flames need oxygen. Get help, too. You werent working alone in the lab though, right?Your glassware is clean enough to eat off of, which is why you poured yourself a refreshing glass of water into a beaker to quench your thirst. Too bad you didnt label it. You should:(a) Go on with your business. Are you saying there is some safety issue here? I scoff at you!(b) Just be really careful about keeping it separate from other beakers filled with clear liquid.Hydrochloric acid.. water .. there is a difference, but I can smell the acid before I drink it.(c) Label it before you forget which beaker it is. Youre sure there are no residual chemicals in the glassware and positive nothing could accidentally splash into your drink.(d) Look back to an earlier answer about how you should be slapped for stupidity. Food and drinks dont belong in the lab. Period. You really want to impress a certain person in your lab. You should:(a) Be sure to wear contacts, not glasses, and just be really careful about chemical fumes. Got long hair? Dont tie it back, flaunt it. Nice legs? Wear something short, with sandals to show off those toes. Also, impress him or her by doing something daring in the lab. Choose something involving fire.(b) Ditch the lab coat and goggles. Dress to impress. Theres no way the person can tell your fashion sense when you cover it with safety gear.(c) Hey.. lab coats are cool! Only ditch the goggles.(d) Impress him or her with how incredibly competent you are in the lab. That includes your ability to follow safe lab procedures.You are really curious about chemistry and chemical reactions. You wonder what would happen if you mixed chemicals in a different way or introduced something new into a procedure. You should:(a) Stomp that curiosity down. Chemists do what they are told. Nothing more, nothing less.(b) Run with it. Mix an d match chemicals to your hearts desire. Whats the worst that could happen? Explosion? You laugh. Toxic fumes? As if.(c) Get the Nobel prize for your brilliance. But first.. lets try things and see how they work. But as for the scientific method and making predictions? Thats for sissies.(d) Be applauded for your curiosity, imagination, and quest for innovation, but be very, very careful about altering procedures. If its a lab experiment for a grade, dont deviate from the procedure. Otherwise, make a prediction about what could happen based on your observations. Research possible reactions and consequences before playing mix-and-match in the lab. There is a container on the lab bench containing some unknown chemical. You should:(a) Dump it, wash the glassware. Some people are slobs.(b) Move it out of the way in case it is dangerous. Otherwise, not your problem.(c) Leave it. The rightful owner will claim it eventually.(d) Find your lab supervisor and ask what to do. If you are the lab supervisor, remove the container (noting its location), hunt down the offender, and try to get some idea what could be in the beaker so you know how to dispose of it.If you break a mercury thermometer, or otherwise spill mercury, you should:(a) Leave it for others to find. Accidents happen. Its pretty obvious it was mercury. No big deal.(b) Grab some paper towels, clean it up, and throw it away. Problem solved.(c) Clean it up, being sure to throw away the mercury-contaminated items where heavy metals go. Dont bother anyone about the spill though. What they dont know cant hurt them.(d) Leave it alone, but call your instructor or lab assistant over immediately to deal with the spill. Youre alone? Call whoever is responsible for lab accidents. Only clean up the spill if you have been trained to deal with mercury. Dont pretend like it didnt happen. You see someone in your lab engaged in an unsafe lab practice. You should:(a) Point and laugh. They will clue in and change their behavior from the humiliation.(b) Point and laugh and tell the person what an idiot he or she is being, and why the lab practice is unsafe.(c) Ignore them. Not your problem.(d) Nicely, politely point out the possible danger and how to avoid it. Youre non-confrontational? Find someone with more courage who can tactfully correct the problem. (Okay, maybe if its pipetting by mouth or thwacking the cap on an ether bottle with a screwdriver the second answer is worth considering.) Answers:1 d, 2 d, 3 c, 4 d, 5 d, 6 d, 7 d, 8 d, 9 d, 10 d This quiz is available in an online format that is scored automatically. Lab Safety Quiz Key Takeaways Know the location and proper operation of safety equipment.Follow proper procedures in the lab.If you see something, say something. Dont ignore safety issues.If an accident occurs, immediately report it.

2 page paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 page paper - Essay Example Since commencement in 2009 over $1billion has been promised to fund over 50,000 creative projects (Trump). This is overwhelming prove that Kickstarter campaigns are and efficient way of funding creative projects. This essay discusses gives the pros and cons of Kickstarter campaigns are an effective way to finance creative projects. At the start, Kickstarter campaigns were simply viewed as a platform of helping start up theatre companies and artist to raise the amount of money that is sufficient to get their projects up and running. Surprisingly, over time these campaigns have proven to be an effective way of raising money for well- known artists and projects (Cebulski 78). For instance, in 2012, a video game guru, Tim Schafer had aimed at making $400,000 but eventually he made $3.36 million. Additionally, Amanda Palmer, a musician had set a goal to make $100, 000 on a music album but ended up making more than $1 million (Trump). In spite of the immense success enjoyed by the kick starter campaigns in funding creative projects, there have been cases of failure leading to increasing criticism from skeptics. It has been observed that in the long- run, Kickstarter funded programs fail to materialize and get unto trouble. However, this failure can be attributed to the Kickstarter model that takes into account the two examples discussed above (Cebulski 78). Palmer was criticized for asking for help from local musicians after her big break while Schafer stated that his project was headed to exceed its budget. This leads to the conclusion that those that contributed to the Kickstarter projects were fooled. On the other hand, it is important to bear in mind that those that support Kick starter campaigns are not looking to invest or get the greatest value for their money. The logic of the Kickstarter campaigns is understood once an individual understands that the concepts follows the concept of a gift not that

Digital investigation in the organisation Essay

Digital investigation in the organisation - Essay Example Different models of operation used depend on the complexity of the situation (Marshall, 2009). Digital investigations arise as a result of an occurrence suspected, attempted or actual in an organization. The occurrences can be triggered by internal and external factors and can cause considerable damage or loss to an organization directly or indirectly. For instance a. Abuse of the organizations resources such as internet b. Fraud and distortion c. Unauthorized access by employees d. Sexual harassment or display of indecent or pornographic material e. Breach of contracts f. Departmental misuse g. Security breach A contingency plan should be devised to mitigate such incidences. A framework formulated will prepare for both low frequency/high impact as well as high frequency/low impact events in the organization. This paper details investigation procedure at Salford university school of computing science and Engineering. Our case study will focus on server intrusion in the university sch ool department. An incident of server intrusion to the university system occurred, and a contingency plan formulated to authenticate the suspicion, respond and analyze the incident. Due to the delicate nature of digital evidence improper handling may lead to damaged or compromised data. The idea of having to start an investigation in this department can lead to a crisis. Proper procedures need to be laid down to manage the crisis. There are general questions, which the CFA will need to address in order to carry out the investigation successfully. a) Who should the initial suspicions or observations be reported? b) Access of quality evidence? c) Identification and acquisition of relevant digital evidence? d) How the university can operate effectively during the period of investigation without creating a crisis which might be worse than the one investigated? e) The legal obligations of the university needed during the investigation and association with external law enforcement agencie s f) The role of management in determining the direction of the investigation and the possible incidence of biasness. A digital investigation divided into different stages according to the model adopted. Researchers at the U. S. Air Force studied various models and came up with common characteristics that characterize these models. They then incorporated them in a single model known as Abstract Process Model. It contains different phases; this model has 17 phases classified into 5 major groups (Gilbert Peterson, 2009). a. Preparation b. Deployment c. Physical crime scene d. Digital crime scene e. Analysis The data flow diagram above show a simplified process of forensic investigation. The first stage involves a number of activities. First, the computer or the system to be investigated should be on. If the student uses password, then the CFA has to look for a way to open it. There is a universal password that opens locked computers without tempering with the files. The second stage i nvolves application of different forensic tools to retrieve data from the computer memory. The tools used should enable the CFA to retrieve deleted data from the recycle bin. During this process, the computer being investigated should be cordoned. The third stage involves application of different physical investigation models to the computer. These include taking the finger prints on the keyboard and mouse. Any other information that may help the CFA is taken. Before the information is analyzed, the forensic expert should check the accuracy, integrity and

PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE - Essay Example Granting of permission to the individuals to live with the individual of his/her choice without any discrimination of gender, age, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status etc projected immorality and debauchery in society. Only few thinkers belonging to the Devlin’s school of thought advocated the imposition and observing of moral laws; while a large majority of so-called enlightened theorists supported the idea of freedom to a horrible scale. The entire social establishment, because of the very possibility of the unwed mothers’ involvement in prostitution and other deviant behaviors on the one hand, and their children’s possible becoming the victim of torture, assaults, sexual abuse and starvation etc. The young girls also become victim of the abuse at the hands of stepfathers, uncles, teachers, neighbors and strangers. It is therefore, the law enforcing agencies must announce strict punishments and penalties on the individuals responsible for deflowering the girls. The moral values should also be introduced in the light of the sacred teachings manifestly elucidated in the Holy Scripture. Since the Scriptures belonging to all religions lay stress upon morality and ethical values, introducing of moral laws would be imperatively beneficial for the entire society. Berger, P., & Kellner, H. Marriage and the Construction of Reality: An Exercise in the Micro-sociology of Knowledge. In G. Handel, & G. G. Whitchurch (Eds), the Psychosocial Interior of the Family (4th ed., pp. 19-36). New York: Aldine De Gruyter. Web Web 26 May 2012 Cardock, C. & Gardner, J.R. Psychological intervention for parishes following accusations of child sexual abuse In S.J. Rossetti (Ed.). Slayer of the soul: Child sexual abuse and the Catholic Church Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications. 1990 Print Costello, E. Jane, Keeler, Gordon P., and Angold, Adrian Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, and Psychiatric Disorder: A Study of Rural Children American Journal of

Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry Marketing Essay

Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry Marketing Essay Fraser Neave Holding Bhd has 3 business portfolios which are soft drink, dairies product and property. The soft drink division has developed its own brands such as 100Plus and Seasons. Dairies product division is producing sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juice and ice cream. FN properties is to unlock the value of land acquired and held by the company. There are external environmental factors will affect the company to achieve their mission which catogorized under PEST section. An economic factor affected the company growth which subsidy of sugar is being removed by government. Porters 5 forces used to evaluate the industry competitive environment. There are threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and Rivalry among existing firm. 100Plus has developed strong brand and gain 88% of market share which posted entry barrier to new entrant. Soft drink and Dairies products are very less degree of differentiation with competitors. Therefore, buyers are allowed to compare product especially price is factor buyers considered the most. Those suppliers who still getting sugar subsidy have greater power because many companies are looking for lower sugar cost. In addition, there are few big players in beverage and dairy product in the industry, the intensity of competition is very strong. GE model was applied to evaluate attractiveness of different business portfolios. Economic was used as industry attractiveness factor and brand strength as business strength. FN properties doesnt have strong brand among the property industry. But the company has strong brand such as 100Plus, Season and also sweetened condensed milk in Malaysia. However, the economic factor wasnt always favourable to all division. Efficiency and Effectiveness in utilizing liabilities in funding related assets of business portfolio is evaluated by ratio analysis. The company portfolios have high current ratio because the liabilities have reduced. And 100Plus has gain over 88% of market share in the isotonic drink segment. Introduction Fraser Neave holding Bhd. (FN) was incorporated at year 1883 when founders John Fraser and David Chalmers Neave formed a company named Singapore Straits Aerated Water Company in Singapore. Few years later, FN was consolidated and enter the food beverage industry. FN has its own vision to become the leading total beverage company in Malaysia and the region and their mission is to be a world-class multinational enterprise providing superior returns to their shareholders, excellent value for their customers and a rewarding career for their employees. FN Company is one of the Malaysia well known beverage company which the famous product is the isotonic drinks 100plus launched at year 1984. FN produce wide range of beverage that can be classified as soft drinks, dairies, non-carbonated beverages as well as separate business property. They were launching the sweetened condensed filled milk in year 1973, and the acquisition of Nestlà ©s canned milk business in Thailand and Malaysia in year 2007. Other than that FN high quality canned milk was also gain excellent reputation in Malaysia. This product is largely use as beverage mixers in coffee, tea and chocolate drinks and now canned milk has successfully to export this product to more than 20 countries around the world. In addition, the halal certification offers strong reassurance to Muslim customers in the growing Halal markets in the Middle East and Africa. FN Company was awarded The Readers Digest Trusted Brand from year 2005 to 2008, Media Magazine Top 1000 Asian Brands 2007 and so on. It proves that their customer was confident when using their products since they are concern about their health and safety quality. FN Company was continuously improve their quality and brands to challenges the marketplace and to become the leader. FN Company is also well-known company that caring about the social environment and working environment. They implemented and executed various environmental stewardship and launched numerous recycling campaigns in schools to inculcate good environmental habits among young people and thus, create awareness on the importance of recycling. FN Company also set-up a RM1.2 million funds named Chairmans Award to encourage educational excellence and to identify high-achievers among children of FN Groups employees. FN Company has accomplished a safety record of zero accident (no loss time accident) accumulated from 1 February 2007 to 21 September 2009 with a total 962 days or 2.3 million working hours. Zero environmental compliance status has achieved. FN Company has three main businesses which are soft drinks, dairy products and property. (Fn.com.my, About us) Soft Drink FN Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd represent Malaysias largest soft drinks manufacturer and distributor. There are four manufacturing plants nationwide, including its state of the art facility at its headquarters in Shah Alam, Selangor. Their products are 100PLUS, FN Fun Flavours, FN Originals, SEASONS, Ice Mountain and Fruit Tree. The company operated in 1936 when FN Ltd obtained the franchise of Coca-Cola in Singapore and Malaysia. Later that FN Coca-Cola (M) Sdn Bhd (FNCC) was born and license agreement would end in September 2011, the company renamed as FNBM. In Malaysia, 100PLUS is a outstanding local success story, cover 90 percent share of the isotonic drinks market and also the No.1 ready to drink (RTD) brand in Malaysia. For non-carbonated portfolio, SEASONS is currently No.2 in Asian drinks category while Fruit Tree continue to grow within the juice segment. The soft drinks division perform well during the festive periods and continue to pursue world class excellence in distribution so that the products are readily available with focus on market execution. Over the years, FNBM has used few strategic measures that emphasize on its brand presence by invested in advertising and promotions, product availability and operational efficiency. In April 2010, FNBM was selected to become distributor of Red Bull energy drinks in Malaysia and has improved FNBMs beverage portfolio. (Fn.com.my, Soft drink) Dairies Products FN Dairies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has produced variety of products such as sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juice and ice cream.In 1959, FNs dairy business had constructed Southeast Asias first sweetened condensed milk plant in Petaling Jaya while joint venture with Beautrice Foods of Chicago, USA. The Carnation Company from US joined the partnership in 1965 to form Premier Milk as the manufacturing arm. The Group continually pursues product innovation and invention, more products adding into portfolio and after that the Group had a successful journey into ice cream business. In 1989, the Group purchased the interests of Beatrice Foods and restructured its dairy operations under FN Dairies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. It was expanded further with the acquisition of Magnolia in 1995. In 1998, the Group started its pasteurised business. Today, FNs dairies division has a vision of being Malaysias leading dairy and food marketer with world class products, standards and capabilities forming part and parcel of its offerings. In 2011, FN Dairies (Malaysia) disposed off its entire ice cream business to FN Creameries (M) Sdn Bhd. (Fn.com.my, Dairies Product) Property FN Properties is one of business unit of Fraser Neave Holdings Berhad, the purpose is to further add in value of land acquired and held by the company by developing into real estate property. The very first property developed at Jalan Foss by FN is the former FN factory land that has been developed into for commercial use which called Fraser Business Park. The development is leaded by FNs underlying philosophy which is being socially responsible corporate citizen. The key value of the business unit lies within the emphasizing of creating innovative design with high class application towards the development, leaving its occupant a feel of the modern and future alike features. FN Properties is expected to launch more properties in the future as its properties units are being recognized to be fill with innovative design and product development that particularly focus on FN brand name feature. In the far future, the division will focus on redeveloping of existing Premier Milk plant into a landmark in Petaling Jaya.(Fn.com.my, Property) PEST Mission: To be a world-class multinational enterprise providing superior returns to our shareholders, excellent value for our customers and a rewarding career for our employees. Vision: To become the leading total beverage company in Malaysia and the region. Every company has their mission and vision statement served as overall purpose of business. The mission and vision statement above are set by FN. There are external environmental issues have or will affect FN to achieve their mission. These external environmental issues are being categorized according to PEST(EL) model. PEST(EL) model is to analyze the external environment issues of company. It categorized environment issues into political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal influences. Economic Improving growth prospect of Malaysia, Thailand and the region brings more income to FN as is signals economy are in good condition and peoples are willing to spend hence will increase sales in that particular region. The growth prospects include rising of Malaysia GDP in year 2010 that is approximately 10% compare to 4.5% in 2009 that rise from some major factor of manufacturing industry production with a double digit growth of 16.9% in year 2010. ASEAN countries are growing quick in their economy thus putting FN a favourable factor in growing of profits.(Annual Report 2009 pg 013) FN has built up positive consumer sentiment to their product. For example 100PLUS, isotonic drink that is specialized for sportsmen to retain the metabolism. It is a concept well-built that it is voted number 1 isotonic drinks in Malaysia since its introduction in 1983. That well-built positive sentiment brings others drinks of FN to be well marketable. It is the consumer sentiment to the products enhance d the profitability factor of FN towards other competitor thus is at an advantage in the market. (Annual Report 2010 pg 043 044) Political Government had put initiative to boost spending of consumer with new economic model (NEM), with this model being pursue, Malaysia economic boost as consumer purchasing power increases and are advised to spend. FN will get benefit by provide goods to be sold to the market hence boosting sales. FN products are all Halal hence are entitled for Halal Hub Tax Incentive. The incentive offered had decreased FN some percentage of tax liability to the government. It made FN more profitable compare to those companies which does not qualified for the incentive. (Annual Report 2011 pg 028) Government has removed subsidy of fuel and sugar has put an impact to FN as most of the FN core businesses needed large amount of sugar which is dairies and soft drink business. The withdrawal of sugar subsidy lower the overall profit of the FN although there is a large improve a sales but the profit doesnt show much improvement as the sugar cost increases. Withdrawals of fuel subsidy did also impact on FN as the cost of their internal and external distribution cost increases thus reduces profit. (Annual Report 2011 pg 037) Technological In the beginning of 2011, FN introduced new product, Ice Mountain and it has faster share gain among bottler waters player which established 5% market share in Malaysia. (Annual Report 2011 pg 035) FN launched new beverage Zesta across Malaysia in October 2011.Zesta has remarkably great tasting berry soda flavored soda. It contents the Guarana tropical berries that originate from Amazon, South America. In addition, Guarana tropical berries invigorate the body and mind. Zesta is an extension of our already large array of FN beverages, a beverage that was initiated to complement our existing range of FN brands, creating a transition vehicle for our growing band of consumers, said Dato Ng Jui Sia, CEO of Fraser Neave Holdings Bhd. FN believes that Zesta is the illustration of growing trends for beverage enhanced soda. (Zesta 2011) Environmental Sichuan Earthquake of May 2008 has caused the raw material cost increase and companys profit is affected. Natural disaster is beyond expectation and control of the company. Profit before interest and tax in 2008 grew only 5%. This environmental factor has affected company to achieve their mission. Natural disaster would serve as obstacle that FN provide superior returns to shareholders. (Annual Report 2008 pg 052) Porters 5 forces Today, Fraser Neave Holdings Bhd (FN) has extended business at more than 20 countries worldwide and established itself as a regional player. So that, FN need use Porters five forces model to analysis and understanding the nature of the competitive environment. FN has a lot of benefits from using Porters five forces model. They can ensure that management considers a wide range of potential impacts when devising strategy. They allow the division of the work in environmental analysis and make decision in time. In addition, Porters five forces also help to develop effective strategies to raise FN profitability, power, and competitive position in an industry. Porters five forces is divided into threat of entry, intensity of competitive rivalry, threat of substitute product, bargaining power of buyer and bargaining power of suppliers. Threat of entry Threat of entry is new entrants into market will bring extra capacity and intensify competition. The strength of the threat from new entrants will depend upon the strength of the barriers to entry and the likely response of existing competition to a new entrant. FN produce two new soft drink FN Clearly Citrus and Zesta were launched in soft drink market at year 2011. Zesta and FN Clearly Citrus was getting customer support and the new produces also have a higher demand from the buyer. Zesta sales would attract other competitors enter into tsoda market, it will be posted a threat on FN market sales. (Zesta 2011) Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of suppliers definition with the stronger power of suppliers in an industry the more difficult it is for firms within that sector to make a profit. It is because suppliers can determine the terms and conditions on which business is conducted. Most of the products are contented sugar, sugar is essential for production. Malaysian Government has removed sugar subsidies on selective basis and subsidy for Dairies Malaysia was removed. Increased of sugar cost and global commodity cost forced price of Sweetened Condensed Milk increased by 25%. However, sugar subsidy was removed on selective basis which means FN can look for suppliers whose sugar subsidies werent removed. In addition, competitors will also search for new suppliers and it may not easy to reduce cost as low as before. Apart from that, FN may have to concern about any switching cost for current suppliers. Bargaining power of buyer Bargaining power of buyer sense of the powerful buyer can force price cuts and quality improvement. The government removed sugar subsidy, FN material cost increased and affected the product selling price increased. In 2011, Sweetened Condensed Milk has increased 25% of the price which cause the demand reduced. Revenue and profit was decline during the year. Buyers also have full information about the soft drink and dairy product market. They should know which company product cheaper, more health and best quality. FN need to retain the customer by improving product quality and introduce new product. Buyers always have different choice for their beverage and dairy product. Apart from that, same type of competitors product will be display nearby companys products. For example, Jusco will be placing same type of products together which allowed buyers to search easily. There is low switching cost for buyers. Beside, degree of product differentiation is low which customer may feel all bran ds are similar. This threat is more difficult to control, because FN management need to concentrate on changing buyers preference and also maximize the shareholders wealth. Threat of substitute product Porters 5 forces have indicated that the threat of substitute product is the other firms within the industry has offers similar product with similar benefits for the customer. This threat may affects the competitive environment of the company and influence our ability to achieve profitability. On FN Magnolia have offers Pasteurised Milk and Sterilised Milk. The range of the customers is children and adults. The Pasteurised Fresh Milk can be enjoyed chilled or warm, plain or mixed with other foods or beverages and they innovate into Lo-Fat Hi-Cal Milk provide less fat and more healthier of the Fresh Milk for our body. However, Marigold has offers HL Milk is low-fat milk No.1 in Malaysia. HL Milk has perfect balance of nutrients for everyone in the family and it consists high in calcium and protein, low in fat and lactose and fortified with 9 essential vitamins to supplement healthier lifestyle. Marigold HL Milk is first choice for the customers who are caring health conscious. FN should innovation their milk product provide more healthy to attract or retain consumer choices. Another competitor is Dutch Lady has provided a Dutch Lady Milk powder for satisfy customer needs who want mix it with other coffee or tea favour and it has a rich and creamy taste and allowed to dilute in hot or cold water easily. Furthermore, Dutch Lady also has provided different formulations to cater to children of different ages to promote their brain development and healthy growth. Therefore, most of the mother would choose Dutch Lady Milk products of their children rather than choose FN milk products. FN SEASONS offers soft drink products are leaders in countrys most comprehensive range of consumer, catering to every occasion. The Soya range provides protein nourishment while the Chrysanthemum and Grass Jelly provides healthier refreshment with less sugar let FN SEASONS become best quality and healthy drinks. However, they are having lesser favors for the customer choose. YEOS have more favors, such as Lychee drink, Sugarcane drink, Bandung Rose drink, coconut juice, soursop drink and guava drink for the customer to choice. Hence, consumers who are Sugarcane drink lover may change its option to YEOS products. Although there are many competitors for isotonic drink, 100Plus still able to gain over 88% of the market share. Company has done a lot promotion for 100Plus which the reason 100Plus is successfully gain more than half of the market share. (Annual Report 2010 pg 036) Intensity of competitive rivalry Intensity of competitive rivalry among competitors in the industry strives to companies to gain competitive advantage over the rivals and drives the profit of the rivals firm to zero. The company can gains the competitive advantage by several ways, such as pricing policy, improving the products differentiation with other and exploiting relationships with suppliers. If can gain more competitive advantage over competitors can increase the profitability of the company. FN only provided soft drink products and dairy products, appears less competitive advantage compare with others. Nowadays, people more have health conscious when they buying products may choice to buy the products which consists more nutrition. In food and beverage industry also have many company has provide more diet product to satisfied the requirements of the different customers. Dutch Lady Low Fat Yoghurt is a healthy snack and it will enhance the absorption of nutrients, ensuring digestive system stays healthy. It contains Vitamin A, C and E, calcium and Active Live Cultures. In Addition, the Marigold have offer the Yogurt and cultured milk Vitagen which have consists nutrition products for the body. The Vitagen has billions of live probiotic cultures to helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Probiotic cultures in VITAGEN can withstand bile and acidic stomach juices and reach the intestines alive to fight harmful bacteria in the intestines. Furthermore, the Yoghurt contains live and active cultures help digestion and promote a healthy digestive system and calcium for the development of strong bones and teeth. Marigold also has offers Jelly is a great-tasting double-layered jelly that is filled with fresh fruits. Its cool and refreshing taste makes it great for everyone in the family and contains no preservatives and is a healthy alternative to fruits after a hearty meal. This makes Marigold become Malaysias first and only pasteurised Jelly. Beside, sugar subsidy was removed on selective basis which posted unfair competitive environment to FN. And it also created very intense pricing war for soft drink and dairy product. In order to protect the revenue while still retain consumer loyalty, the price of sweetened condensed milk increase 25%. This all is key reasons that the consumer may change favors to this type of products. To gain competitive advantage, FN should provide more nutrition products for the customers have more choose. Porters national competitive advantage diamond Porters diamond model suggests that there are inherent reasons why some nations and industries within nations are more competitive than others on a global scale. The argument is that the national home base of an organisation provides organisations with specific factors which will potentially create competitive advantages on a global scale. (Michael Porter 1990) Porters diamond model consist of four conditions of national advantage which are factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. Factor conditions Factor condition is about important elements that exist in a company which lead to national competitive advantage. It can be country specific or industry specific. FN Dairies had constructed plant in Pulau Indah costs RM350 million and will be completed within the second half of 2011. The new plant promotes cutting edge green technology which would have huge gains in water, energy and environmental conservation. With existence of this plant, FN Dairies could be on the top list of worlds largest producers of canned milk. (Annual Report 2011 pg 41) An increase in production line is an advantage of the company. FN had launched a new RM45 million polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monoblock production line which is the first in Asia Pacific. This able to done all the things in only one production line, for example blow bottles, fill and pack all carbonate soft drinks products. (Annual Report 2010 pg 32) FN has the latest innovation and technology that bring advantages to them. With this latest technology, FN can enhance its operations by continuing improve production lines. FN can produce more products in effective and efficient way. In addition, the new machineries increase as the production lines increases. The warehouse management system has implemented to make operation work run smoothly. Besides, the introduction of new sales forecasting tools helps in manufacturing, if sales forecast is low, the manufacturer will produce less stock. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) Supply chain act as an important role in a business. Without supply, production would not be carried out. Improvement in supply chain lead to high efficiency of production and logistic by upgrade the systems. FN introduce higher level of operational automation and inventory management to ensure the manufacturing process has no error. Besides, the product quality management has to make sure that the products are in acceptable quality and safety measures are enhanced in order the product would not harm people. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) Demand conditions Secondly, the demand conditions state that if the local market for a product is larger and more demanding at home than in foreign markets, local firms potentially put more emphasis on improvements than foreign companies. This will potentially increase the global competitiveness of local exporting companies. FN non-carbonated portfolio has slightly increased from 25.4 per cent to 28 per cent in soft drinks business. This represent there is a growing demand for drinks. During the year, FN included fruit teas and juices to its range of soft drinks, and launch new drink called Zesta recently catering consumers of this segment. The ability to innovate, differentiate and manufacture new product lines will bring advantages such as gain more market share. (Zesta 2011) FN Fruit Tree released five new flavours in bottle form which are orange, apple, lychee, blackcurrant and mango. As the demand increases, Fruit Tree has becoming one of the fastest growing categories in Malaysia. The new flavours are the extension to the Fruit Tree cans range and the research shows that consumer preference toward these flavours compared to other brand in the market. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) FN Holding Berhad has built a new warehouse in Kuching which triple larger than previous warehouse capacity to improve the quality of service and make sure delivery to customers is on time. Furthermore, it utilised advanced warehousing technology such as high selective racking, super flat flooring and Very Narrow Aisleway (VNA) trucks. (Annual Report 2009 pg 38) Related and supporting industries Thirdly, the related and supporting industries mean that when local supporting industries and suppliers are competitive, home country companies will potentially get more cost efficient and receive more innovative products. In February 2010, 100PLUS signed a partnership agreement with AirAsia Berhad, officially sell 100PLUS on AirAsia flights which depart from Malaysia. AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysia top airlines company, being a partner of AirAsia Berhad has a real competitive advantage for FN. This agreement is a big step for division to extend business offshore. Passenger dehydration happened frequently in air travel, with 100PLUS the passenger can get over the dehydration. Support from AirAsia is like an advertisement effect, whenever there is a flight, there is an appearance of 100PLUS. (Annual Report 2010 pg 038) Firm strategy, structure and rivalry Structure and management system can affect competitiveness. FN is running beverage and dairies business in addition to food business too. FN buy 23.08 per cent share in Cocoaland Holdings Berhad. Cocoaland is a major snack food manufacturer in Malaysia. FN is diversifying the business risk to various subsidiaries. FN develop the food business to supplement beverage and dairies business. As the Malaysia grow into high income economy country, the consumption of middle income will increase and food business will be benefited. (Annual Report 2010 pg 9) GE model 3 portfolio business Property Dairy product Soft drink GE business matrix Industry Attractiveness- Economic Factor Business Strength- Brand Strength High Medium Low High Investment/ Growth Soft drinkSelective Growth Selectivity Medium Dairy productSelective Growth Selectivity Harvest/Divest Low Selectivity Property businessHarvest/Divest Harvest/Divest FNs business has divided into 3 portfolio and that are Soft Drinks, Dairy Products and Properties. First of all, we will use the environmental factor and brand strength as the industry attractiveness factors and business factors benchmark. Soft Drinks FNs core soft drinks business portfolio will be classified at the classes of selective growth. The company soft drinks 100plus and Zesta are popular in Malaysia and have helped the company in bringing certain level of stable income.100plus as the companys core product have promoting an active lifestyle and healthy living to consumer. Many events have been run to promote 100plus as it is isotonic drink of choice at major sporting events. 100plus is present at top sports events such as Piala Malaysia Final 2011 100plus Tunku Abdul Razak Cup, KL Marathon 2011 and so on to continue building prestigious images of 100plus to consumers. Profit of division has been growing from year 2007 to 2011. However, sugar subsidy withdrawn by Malaysian Government has major impact on price of sugar. The division has lesser growth rate for year 2011. In addition, global commodity cost has increased which is unfavorable economic factor. Soft Drink division has very high brand strength but economic factors are not really favourable to the division. Dairy Products FNs dairy products will be classified at the classes of selectivity. Companys dairy products have included sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juices and ice cream. Dairy Products also suffered from withdrawal of sugar subsidy and global commodity price increased in 2011. FNs dairy products business has classified at selectivity, with medium level of attractiveness and medium business strength on the dairy products. Although the product Milo is popular in Malaysia, Milo is not owned by FN, it was franchised. This product reduces business strength as it is not the only major player in the market. The dairy products will seem less attractive to the investors to consider investing because the deliberate of the milk market is very costly. In addition, the cost for hire workers and the cost to obtain technology for producing the dairy products are costly for subsequent production of dairy products. Moreover, the dairy products license also difficult to be approved by the government. New entrant will find difficult to entry, because the market has been controlled and played by a few major competitors. New entrant will find difficulty to enter to the market as these factors created entry barriers. Properties FNs property business is unlocking the value of land holding by the company. The economic factor of the company placed at medium level because volatile commodity and financial market. The company is more concentrated in the soft drink products and has no initiative to promote companys property to the public, not many people knows that FN has already entered into properties. FNs property business is non-comparable with beverage business that seems to be so successful and FNs property business strength is low in this industry. The property business that has high profitability in the industry will attract more investors to invest. The government encourage removing of old building and build more new business park in order to bring in more prosperity to our country. Moreover, our property business is at growth stage because it is newly introduced into the industry, hence it does not have strong business strength on the property business. Ratio analysis and Key performance Indicators Revenue of continuing operation continues to grow from 2009 to 2010 by 11.2% and 2010 to 2011 7.6%. In 2010, the revenue is able to grow better than 2011 due to improved economic conditions. Malaysia Government has

Essay --

Satire is a balanced combination of sarcasm, irony, humor, and rhetorical devices that all focus on mocking or ridiculing certain works. In â€Å"The War Prayer† by Mark Twain and â€Å"The Battle of the Ants† by Henry David Thoreau, both short works satire the glorification of war. In comparison, â€Å"The War Prayer† revolves around jingoism by displaying traces of shock, hyperbole and a juxtaposing tone; whereas â€Å"The Battle of the Ants† exhibits a historical background through sarcasm, verisimilitude, and a mock-heroic tone. â€Å"The War Prayer† by Mark Twain satirizes through jingoism, one satiric device is shown through shock: ‘I come from the Throne-bearing a message from Almighty God!’ (Twain 5. 53); as citizens listen in on a church service in a country that is going to war the soldiers are being granted triumph and safety by God’s messenger however a stranger interrupts and claims he is God’s messenger, Twain used outrageous details to startle and grab the reader’s attention showing a stranger demanding he is the messenger when instead someone else is, thus plotting a twist in the passage. Another satiric device that was used in Twain’s passage is hyperbole: â€Å"†¦in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Twain 5. 2); the exaggeration was given its purpose to give the readers the image of the â€Å"†¦time of great and exalting excitement† (Twain. 5. 1) that was happening in the unnamed town that was in the beginning of bloodshed. One more satirical device that was used in the â€Å"The War Prayer† is its juxtaposing tone; Twain contrasts the praising and celebratory tone to the bitter tone at the end of the passage. At the beginning of the passage the tone is described as giddy and enthralling: â€Å"The country was up in arms, the war was on, in ... ...nts] battle-cry was ‘Conquer or die.’†(Thoreau 3. 22). Thoreau uses level and elevated diction to persuade the reader that this crusade is not meaningless but glorifies the actual fierceness of warriors in combat, resembling actual wars. In conclusion, the satirical pieces discussed share common satirical techniques and differ in them as well. â€Å"The War Prayer† juggled around jingoism by using shock, hyperbole, and juxtaposing tone to give the passage multiple turnouts, resulting in a bathetic ending. â€Å"The Battle of the Ants† displayed its work through historical context using the satirical elements of sarcasm, verisimilitude, and a mock-heroic tone, thus resulting Thoreau’s pompous writing to mocking historians who glorify war with detailed notes. Both accomplish the glorification of war by portraying hyper-patriotism and elevated diction in unique ways as well.