Feasibility Study Essay Example for Free

Feasibility Study Essay Technical Feasibility: It is technically possible to design a script remarking system because computers can be used to sort, search and update data input using a database management system such as Microsoft Access. The current hardware of the United Kingdom Awarding Body is sufficient, as all they will need to run the system is a computer (preferably with 64Mb RAM, 10Gb hard disk drive, 3.5/1.4Mb floppy disk drive and a 8Mb or higher graphics card), a standard keyboard and mouse, a printer and a visual display unit to run the system effectively and efficiently. Economic Feasibility: It is economically feasible to design and use this script remarking system because fewer people would need to be employed to do the work of remarking a script and producing the reports manually and more work can be done in a shorter time span, therefore also saving on overheads such as light and heating as well as employee wages, Legal Feasibility: It is legally feasible to use this script remarking system because all the data used will be used for the specific purpose of remarking the candidates script and nothing else. The data will not be kept longer than necessary and at the candidates request; the data may be destroyed after a certain period of time. The data is also secure as both administrators and clerical staff need to have their group name and passwords to log into the system successfully, but also the system database password, without both of these, the data cannot be accessed. Operational feasibility: Current work practices and procedures will benefit from the implementation of this new script remarking system as it allows more work to be done in a shorter time span, therefore providing a quicker and more efficient service to the candidates whose scripts are being remarked. The social factors will be greatly improved by the organisational change of using this remark system, both clerical and administration staff can get more work done in a smaller time period allowing more leisure time to the workers for the same amount of pay in wages. Schedule feasibility: The designing, testing and documentation of the script remarking system can be completed before the deadline, there are 6 weeks to complete this. Data Flow Diagram What are the user needs? The user needs an easy-to-learn and manageable interface to be able to monitor the UKABs (United Kingdom Awarding Body) post-examination remarks. In doing so, the user needs to be able to input data (candidate information, the original mark, the date the script was received, the remark mark and the date the script was marked) and get the desired outputs in queried reports. The user needs to know that all data entered will be secure and not tampered with or altered by hackers, so security measures have been taken. What Entities are to be considered? The entities to be considered for this system are: Script Request and Grade Criteria. The attributes to be considered for the Script Request entity are: * Candidate Number * Candidate Name (Forename Surname) * Centre Number * Subject Reference Code * Original Mark * Re-mark Mark (changed or unchanged) * Whether the centre requested the return of the script With the additional attributes of: * The date the script was received * The date the script was remarked Entity Relationship Diagram The attributes to be considered for the Grade Boundaries entity are: * Subject Reference Code * Grade Boundaries for grades A-E and U What procedures will be required to achieve the desired outputs? Clerical staff using the remark system will need to input the data required via forms using a keyboard and (or) a mouse. This will automatically update the queries in place, which will update the reports. The reports will then be outputted using a printer. Evaluation During this systems design, there were many problems encountered. When designing the entities, it was not known that many of the attribute lengths needed to be shortened to save memory, primary keys to ensure each record of data is unique or validation rules had to be set to decrease user errors. The attribute lengths, validation rules and primary keys were set during the design stage (See Validation). An entity had to be linked to another to allow data from one entity to appear several times in another entity and was used in querying. Reading into how linking entities was completed and the tables were linked successfully. Forms were designed to aid user input and stop clerks altering the design and (or) contents of each entity. At first, some buttons worked incorrectly, but were fixed once further reading into using and creating buttons was finished (See Design). Queries were designed to support the creation of reports. These queries search the entities for predefined criterion which is requested by the user. Some criterion needed much deliberation, such as the outstanding remarks query/report. Two extra attributes had to be considered and implemented, these were: script_received_date and script_remark_date. Then the query for remarks which took longer than 3 weeks could be completed, with the search criterion as follows: [Script_remark_date]-[Script_received_date]21 (See Design). Reports needed to be created, as they were the desired output to be sent off to the centres after scripts were remarked. Reports were created using the queries. A user interface was also designed to make the remarking system user friendly. At first, much like the forms, some buttons did not work correctly and there were other aesthetical issues also, such as a colour scheme for the interface. Buttons were fixed and a simple yet attractive colour scheme was chosen for the interface. Also there was difficulty in producing a suitable formula to calculate the original grades from the original marks and the re-mark mark and the re-mark grades. After consultation with a tutor, a solution was found and the following formula was devised: IIF(Expression), True, False. Afterwards, the grading formula was designed and is as follows: Grades:IIf([Original_Mark]=[A],A,IIf([Original_Mark]=[B],B,IIf([Original_Mark]=[C],C,IIf([Original_Mark]=[D],D,IIf([Original_Mark]=[E],E,U))))). A re-mark grading formula was also considered and implemented and is as follows: Remark_Grade: IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[A],A,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[B],B,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[C],C,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[D],D,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[E],E,U))))). Effectiveness: The system re-grades papers and produces reports on the papers that are re-graded when candidate information is inputted via the candidate information input form. Usability: The system is easy for the users to use the interface, it has buttons which open files and forms and have a simplistic design and are attractive to use. Maintainability: The system will be easy to maintain because of its simplicity and will be easy to manipulate to accommodate new requests for different types of information without changing how the system runs excessively. Maintenance Perfective maintenance: For the perfective maintenance, the admin staff can change the queries that create the reports to get the desired results. I.e. changing a query so that the Scripts requested by a selected centre report shows a different centre. Adaptive maintenance: For the adaptive maintenance, staff could use new hardware to help reduce clerical errors. Staff could use OCR and MCR scanners to read the scripts information instead of inputting them manually and therefore reducing human errors.

The Electric Light Orchestra :: essays research papers

The Electric Light Orchestra   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The biggest compliment a band can get is to have another singer write a song about how much they like them, as Randy Newman did in 1979 about ELO with the release of â€Å"‘The Story of a Rock and Roll Band.† In the song he said, â€Å"I love their â€Å"Mr. Blue Sky† Almost my favorite is â€Å"Turn to Stone† And how ‘bout â€Å"Telephone Line†? I love that ELO’† (Wild 5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The band created in 1971 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan used cellos and violins to create a classical sound. Although Roy Wood left shortly after their first record was released. The idea came about when Jeff Lynne said to Roy Wood, â€Å"‘What if we had a band with strings- real strings?’† (Wild 9) They were in The Move at the time and decided to create a band on the side. They called this experimental band The Electric Light Orchestra. â€Å"Of the groups name Lynne remembers, ‘At the time people thought ‘ELO’ was pretty bad. It was like ‘The Electric Light what?’ The name was as wacky as the idea really.’† (Wild 9)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jeff Lynn was one of the most important members of the band. He was born on December 30, 1947 in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Lynne was interested in music while he was still in school. When he was fifteen years his father got him a guitar. Though it was made of plastic and had only one string he practiced it all the time. (Petersdorff 3) Jeff was a big Beatles fan. â€Å"Lynne is asked if he now admits to being a Beatles fan. ‘I confess,’ Lynne says with a laugh. ‘I’m dead guilty of being a Beatles fan.’† (Wild 10)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another founding member of the band was Bev Bevan. He was born Beverly Bevan in Birmingham, U.K. on November 25, 1945. He formed his first professional band, called Denny Lain and the Diplomats, in 1963.He retired from music to become a furniture salesman, but then joined Carl Wayne and the Vikings. He then later joined The Move and helped create ELO. (Petersdorff 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third important member of ELO was Richard Tandy. Tandy was born on March 26, 1948 in Birmingham, U.K. At Moseley Grammar School he had been taught to play bass and guitar. Tandy’s first gig was at Solihull Civic Hall when he was fifteen. He was in many different bands before joining ELO.

Product and Brand Management

?AFFECT OF BRANDING ON CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISION IN FMCG GOODS AND DURABLE GOODS? INTRODUCTION What is a BRAND? Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the use of the product or service and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it. A brand often includes a logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, and sound, which may be developed to represent implicit values, ideas, and even personality. Concepts Marketers engaged in branding seek to develop or align the expectations behind the brand experience, creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique. A brand image may be developed by attributing a â€Å"personality† to or associating an â€Å"image† with a product or service, whereby the personality or image is â€Å"branded† into the consciousness of consumers. A brand is therefore one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme. The art of creating and maintaining a brand is called brand management. A brand which is widely known in the marketplace acquires brand recognition. When brand recognition builds up to a point where a brand enjoys a critical mass of positive sentiment in the marketplace, it is said to have achieved brand franchise. One goal in brand recognition is the identification of a brand without the name of the company present. For example, Disney has been successful at branding with their particular script font (originally created for Walt Disney's â€Å"signature† logo) which it used in the logo for go. om. â€Å"DNA† refers to the unique attributes, essence, purpose, or profile of a brand and, therefore, a company. The term is borrowed from the biological DNA, the molecular â€Å"blueprint† or genetic profile of an organism which determines its unique characteristics. Brand equity measures the total value of the brand to the brand owner, and reflects the extent of brand franchise. The term brand name is often used interchangeably with â€Å"brand†, although it is more correctly used to specifically denote written or spoken linguistic elements of a brand. In this context a â€Å"brand name† constitutes a type of trademark, if the brand name exclusively identifies the brand owner as the commercial source of products or services. A brand owner may seek to protect proprietary rights in relation to a brand name through trademark registration. Brand energy is a concept that links together the ideas that the brand is experiential; that it is not just about the experiences of customers/potential customers but all stakeholders; and that businesses are essentially more about creating value through creating meaningful experiences than generating profit. Economic value comes from businesses ¶ transactions between people whether they be customers, employees, suppliers or other stakeholders. For such value to be created people first have to have positive associations with the business and/or its products and services and be energised to behave positively towards them  ± hence brand energy. It has been defined as â€Å"The energy that flows throughout the system that links businesses and all their stakeholders and which is manifested in the way these stakeholders think, feel and behave towards the business and its products or services. Attitude branding is the choice to represent a feeling, which is not necessarily connected with the product or consumption of the product at all. Marketing labeled as attitude branding includes that of Nike, Starbucks, The Body Shop, Safeway, and Apple Inc. â€Å"A great brand raises the bar — it adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience, whether it's the challenge to do your best in sports and fitness, or the affirmation that the cup of coffee you're drinking really matters. † – Howard Schultz (CEO, Starbucks Corp. ) The act of associating a product or service with a brand has become part of pop culture. Most products have some kind of brand identity, from common table salt to designer clothes. In non-commercial contexts, the marketing of entities which supply ideas or promises rather than product and services (e. g. political parties or religious organizations) may also be known as â€Å"branding†. OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT WORK Main Objective:The main objective of research is to analysis how the brand effects the customer purchasing decision in FMCG goods and durable goods Sub Objective:The sub objective of research is to understand the choice of the customer is branded or nonbranded goods. JUSTIFICATION FOR CHOOSING A PARTICULAR RESEARCH PROPOSAL Branding can be viewed as a tool to position a product or a service with a consistent image of quality and value for money to ensure the development of a recurring preference by the customer. It is common knowledge that the consumer ¶s choice is influenced by many surrogat es of which the simplest one is a brand name. Although there may be equally satisfying products, the consumer when satisfied with some brand does not want to spend additional effort to evaluate the other alternative choices. Once he or she has liked a part icular brand, he or she tends to stay with it, unless there is a steep rise in the price or a discernible better quality product comes to his/her knowledge, which prompts the consumer to switch the brand. Companies spend a lot of money and time on the branding and thus it needs a careful evaluation on the effect of branding on consumer buying behavior. QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Are you a brand loyal customer? ` Yes ` No 2. Which attributes did attract you to purchase branded products? Rank these attributes in order of their importance to you. ` ` Brand Name Price Easy Availability ` ` Transparent Cleanliness ` Others 3. What was the reason for the delay between the purchase decision and the actual purchase? ` ` ` Financial constraints Waiting for more innovative product Waiting for market response 4. What influenced you to buy the above stated brand(s) ? ` ` ` ` Advertising Word of mouth Attractive packaging Dealer ` Shop Display ` Family/Friend/Relatives ` Any Other 5. Influence of Brand name on purchasing decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 6. Influence of Quality on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 7. Influence of Price on Purchase Decision ` Agree ` Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 8. Influence of Product features on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 9. Influence of Family members on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 10. Influence of Peer group on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 11. Influence of Advertisement on Purchase Decision ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 12. Will you like to switch your brand preference if you get some promotional scheme with another brand? ` Yes ` No 13. Do you think branded products are better than unbranded products? ` Yes ` No NAME OF THE RESPONDENT: ADDRESS: EDUCATIONAL QUALITICATION: OCCUPATION: AGE: MONTHLY INCOME: 1. 100% Financial Inclusion: A Challenging Task Ahead 2. Afforestation of ARID Was telands Through Energy Plantations: A Case Study from India 3. Agribusiness Sector in Rural India and Increasing Opportunities of E -Commerce 4. Asset prices and inflation is there a predictive link 5. Back Water Tourism in Kerala: Challenges and Opportunities 6. Banking Channel Perceptions An Indian Youth perspective 7. Banking on Themselves 8. Behavioral Skills Trainings in Travel Agencies 9. Brand awareness and preference in rural markets 10. Branding for 21st Century Teenagers 11. Branding India for Health and Spiritual Tourism 12. Branding India: Strategic Challenges and Possible Approaches 2. subliminal messages in advertising and how they affect consumers.

How to Withdraw From College the Right Way

Once youve made the difficult decision to withdraw from college, the first thing on your mind is likely to get away from campus as soon as possible. Unfortunately, moving too quickly may cause you to forget a few important tasks, which can prove both costly and detrimental. So, just what do you need to do to make sure youve covered all of your bases? Approaching this decision the right way will save you difficulties in the future. Talk to Your Academic Adviser   Your first stop should be to meet with your academic adviser—in person. Even though it might seem easier to send an email, this kind of decision warrants an in-person conversation. Will it be awkward? Maybe. But spending 20 minutes having a face-to-face conversation can save you hours of mistakes later. Talk to your adviser about your decision and ask the correct way to let your institution know youd like to withdraw. Talk to the Financial Aid Office The official date of your withdrawal will likely have a major impact on your finances. If, for example, you withdraw early in the semester, you might need to pay back all or part of any student loans you received to cover school expenses. Additionally, any scholarship funds, grants, or other monies you received might need to be repaid. If you withdraw late in the semester, your financial obligations might be different. Therefore, meeting with someone in the financial aid office about your choice to withdraw can be a smart, money-saving decision. Let the financial aid officer know your intended withdrawal date and ask how this will affect the money you have paid or loans youve received so far. Your financial aid officer can also let you know when you will need to begin repaying loans you received in prior semesters. Talk to the Registrar In addition to the conversations you have with school administrators, you will likely need to submit something in writing about your reasons for withdrawing and your official date of withdrawal. The registrars office might also need you to complete paperwork to make your withdrawal official. Since the registrars office also usually handles transcripts, you will want to make sure your records are clear so youll have no difficulty obtaining copies of your transcripts and official documents in the future. After all, if youre thinking of going back to school or applying for a job, you dont want your transcripts to indicate that you failed your courses because you didnt get your official withdrawal paperwork completed correctly. Talk to the Housing Office If youre living on campus, youll also have to let the housing office know about your decision to withdraw. Youll want to get a final determination of fees for the semester as well as costs for cleaning and preparing the room for another student. The housing office will also be able to give you the official deadline for removing all of your belongings. Lastly, ask for the name of the person to whom you should return your keys. Be sure to get a receipt to document the date and time that you turn over your room and keys. You dont want to be charged for a locksmith simply because you returned your keys to the wrong individual. Talk to the Alumni Office You dont have to graduate from an institution to be considered an alumnus. If youve attended, youre eligible for services through the alumni office. Its a good idea to stop by the alumni office and introduce yourself before you leave campus. When you visit the alumni office, leave a forwarding address and get information on alumni benefits which may include everything from job placement services to discounted health insurance rates. Even if youre leaving school without a degree, youre still part of the community and youll want to stay informed about how your institution can support your future endeavors.