Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate

Tesco: Management in Malaysia

Tesco: Management in Malaysia Tesco is the third largest grocery retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. It is headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen from a market stall in Londons East End in 1919. (Tesco PLC About us Our history) The name of Tesco came from the initials of T.E Stockwell, who as a partner in the firm of tea suppliers, and CO from Jacks surname in the year 1924. Under the leading of Jack, its business has grown over the years and now operates in 14 countries around the world, employ over 500,000 people and serve tens of millions of customers every week. Tesco operate in Malaysia by having alliance with local enterprise group, Sime Darby, who hold a 30% shares in the business. Since Tesco opened its first store in Malaysia in May 2002, Tesco has opened 46 stores across Peninsular Malaysia. Tesco has a strong track record of supporting local small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) and small traders. In 2007, Tesco Malaysia offers a special ClubCard which is the Green ClubCard Points for business customers to specially meet the needs of local operators. To help small retailers develop and compete, Tesco also support them by offering technical advice, training and support, as well as preferential access to the Tesco supply chain and reduced rates to Tesco malls. (Tesco PLC About us Our businesses) Planning is the function of management that involves setting objectives and determining a course of action for achieving those objectives. It is also often called the primary management function because it establishes the basis for all the other things managers do. Managers should be able to plan and be aware of the environmental conditions that the organization facing and forecast future conditions. Strategic planning This is the highest position in the company example board of directors. It involves SWOT analyses in determining how to position the organization to compete effectively in their environment. Tescos strategic planning is based on the organizations mission, which is its fundamental reason for existence. Managers of Tesco require information from both internal and external sources. Survey and interview carried out by the managers are crucial in order to understand well about the companys direction. Tescos strategy is to make their shopping trip as easy as possible for their customers. Besides that, the management of Tesco is constantly seeking for ways to reduce the price in attention to attract more customers. They utilize shopper insight to deliver ease of shop at anywhere around the world. Tactical planning It is the planning that is designed to develop relatively concrete and specific mean to implement the strategic plan. It is the middle level of managements. Tescos tactical planning includes qualitative and internal sources of information. Besides, routine information is also needed in the tactical planning. Managers in Tesco should have the ability to develop contingency plans to make sure category growth is within the expected parameters. Creation and execution of annual category plan to identify gaps and opportunities for retailer to exploit is also fundamental for Tescos management. Operational planning It support the operational managers by keeping track of elementary organization activities and transactions. Systems answer routine questions and track the flow of transactions through the organization such as: systems to record bank deposits or track the number of hours worked each day. Operational planning is the lowest level of management in an organization. Daily, frequent and regular information are needed in order to perform any task. Tescos operational managers usually use internal sources of information to carry out tasks. Besides, qualitative information is also essential in the operational planning. By going through the quantified analysis, managers in Tesco are able to create retailer specific promotional programs. Workforce planning It is the process of analyzing an organizations future needs for people in terms of numbers, skills and locations. Workforce planning in Tesco allows the organization to plan how those needs can be met through recruitment and training. As a Workforce Planning Manager, he or she should be able to provide accurate call forecasts, shrinkage patterns and productivity reports to maximize Contact Centre activity. Monitor ongoing service level performance, escalating quickly to identify and manage emerging service issues are part of the managers responsibilities. Tesco is growing, therefore it needs to recruit on regular basis for both the food and non-food based of the business. Hence, workforce planning is vital for the company in order to expand its business. Customer planning Customer planning manager in Tesco will have to drive category growth make use of this household brand and retailer brand portfolios through a combination of research, merchandising, planning and working with category development and buying contacts within accounts. Creation of branded and own brand solutions is needed to support the category growth within the retailer. Besides, Tescos manager is playing an important role in manage and support retailer category reviews. They have to drive category benefit in order to achieve the objectives of the company. Leading Leading in an organization is directing the work activities of others. Leadership in Tesco is about influencing, motivating and inspiring people. People at each levels in Tesco organization, from administrators and customer assistants to directors have their own responsibilities and timescales. Each people will face different types of decisions.This influences the most appropriate leadership styles for a specific work and for a given project. Tesco managers have responsibilities for front of house (customer-facing) staff as well as behind the scenes employees, such as office staff. Before making a decision, the manager will consider the task in hand, the people involved and those who will be affected (such as customers). Various internal and external factors may also affect the choice of leadership style used. Internal factors include the levels of skill that employees have. Large teams may have members with varying levels of skill. This may require the manager to adopt a more direct ive style, providing clear communication so that everyone knows what to do to achieve goals and tasks. On the other hand, team leaders may take a more consultative approach with other managers of equal standing in order to get their co-operation for a project. External factors may arise when dealing with customers. Qualities of leaders in Tesco According to Tesco Management a leader needs to exhibit certain qualities in order to effectively exercise their leadership functions. These are: Group Influence a leader must generate willingness to achieve desired goal or objective. Command a leader must decide upon a course of action as quickly as the situation demands and to carry through with a firmness and strength of purpose. Coolness a leader must remain composed under testing or trying conditions. Judgment to produce effective results, a leader must possess the ability to arrange available resources and information in a systematic and commonsense way. Responsibility a leader must demonstrate sustained effort combined with a degree of dependability in order to complete a task or achieve an objective (Kermally 2005). Management styles and leadership used in Tesco Tescos tend to use autocratic leadership style. Autocratic leadership style is characterized by decision making fully by the manager. This is because the company needs to and the tasks need to be done quickly or else they would not be done. For example, a task that is set for a shelf filter to put the milk out but has not been told to put the milk out because the management is still deciding who is going to put what out, so the milk still will be in the storage and the customers cannot buy it. To run the Tesco sufficiently, the management uses autocratic leadership style. Besides that, Tesco also uses management by objective. They use this because the management states to each employee in their decision analysis what their objectives are for a certain period. Also each manager is set objectives by their line manager for their team. For example, the sales team objective that has been set is to increase the amount of customers rising Tesco by 25%. This is how Tesco is structured and managed. Organization Organizational is a deliberate arrangement of people brought together to accomplish some specific purpose. Management is the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, with and through other people (Stephen P.R,DavidA. DeCenzo, Mary. C, p. 26 -27). Managers are responsible for arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organizations goals. Tesco divides its employees into departments in order to achieve a better performance, effective and efficiency. The functional departments inside the Tesco are as below. Administration: It is to create an ordered way of working which enables the business to function smoothly. It provides the proper controls and methods of supporting the people within the organization. The admin managers would make an ideal administration system to have proper procedures for controlling and monitoring work. Hence, there would have to be a high level of supervision and well-motivated staff. Administration system is a very important department as well as they are the backbone of the organization, and without them the business  would not be organized enough to reach their objectives. Distribution: It helps Tesco to maintain the most competitive prices and improve customer service and always striving to make life better for customers, simpler for staff and cheaper for Tesco. The distribution managers are responsible to develop, promote and sell central distribution services to Tesco suppliers. They also work closely with Tesco Distribution Centers and suppliers in ensuring agreeable distribution service level and cost. This program offers a wealth of opportunity and provides customers with a chance to make big changes in how they operate. Finance: The management is responsible for the transactions of Tesco. This team provides management information to measure and monitor the business, either in the form of corporate steering wheel, five-year plans, operating budgets, forecasts or weekly/monthly financial results. The finance managers should be able to set budgets and forecasting resources needed and drive action plan to achieve the budget. They have to ensure financial reports are created, updated and distributed to the management team on timely basis. Human Resource: Nowadays, human resource developing is a key activity in today organization. (Beardwell, I., Holden, L. Clayton, T 2004:266) The organization is training and development of employees, communication and consultation, and rewards and benefits linked to achieving steering-wheel targets. This way is used to measure the performance management (Anonymous, 2003). The Human Resource Managers are responsible to make a complete and feasible human resource management plan by using different strategies to manage those employees. They also ensure to across the business have world-class skills and tools to meet the needs of people and ultimately Tescos customers. ICT: ICT works to improve communications between business areas to improve stock availability and streamline processes. Every aspect of their operation such as stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods are controlled by ICT. ICT managers have to ensure that customers experiences the checkout process which mean the system and processes at the tills need to be simple and smart. They also have to get new ideas like Self Scanning Checkout which the customers love. Therefore, ICT is truly a business partner which integral to all business operations. Marketing: It consists of a number of areas including local and stores marketing, price and promotions and brand marketing. It works closely with the Customer Research and Analysis team to understand the customers and their trends. The marketing managers are responsible for seeing that basket size regularly increased, that the journey for customers is simple and effective, as well as planning for the future. All in all, marketing acts as the voice of customers which means they not only communicate with customers through eye-catching advertising campaigns, but influence the rest of Tesco to meet customer needs. Customer Service: The aim is to try harder for Tesco customers than anyone else and to treat them as they would like to be treated. Thus, Tesco Customer Service Centres is set up as a place that serves up excellent customer service. Customer Service managers would be responsible to ensure the customer service options are managed effectively. They also manage a competent after sales service, extended warranty and credit service for customers. Now, they are making customers experience with them which is where Every little Helps comes from, as its something they strive to every day. Research and Development: It is focus on delivering major improvements to Tescos Store Ordering and Supply Chain systems to deliver better product availability, reduce stock holding and lower waste. This department covers four major areas of the business such as Sales Forecasting and Ordering, Depot Ordering, Optimization and Simplification and Business Insight. The project managers are able to lead multiple high-profile projects and deliver major improvements across the supply chain through redesigning systems and processes. In a nutshell, much of work relies on their ability to combine in depth analysis with practical recommendations and the perseverance to get ideas implemented. Controlling Control is the management function that involves monitoring activities to be secured that being accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviation. Control is important in any management this is the only way that managers know whether organizational goals are being met. If managers did not control, they have no way of knowing whether their goals and plans were being achieved and what future actions to take. Control is sales department Tesco management experiences the improvement of sales over sometimes. Tesco management make sure their employees understand all the sales products, this is to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the organization and the management increasing sales can be trough special offers to customers, in addition to make customers to buy more and increase their products. Control of quality of products Tesco management make sure all the products are very good quality and the management make sure all the products are used from their community trade. In addition the management provided a good quality of products and met the needs of customers. Control and monitor resources Taking appropriate care from variation resources are very vital for Tesco management, it will help to save them in financial issues. Tesco management make sure all the equipment regular check and replace them as soon they are damaged and update latest software this to make sure their employees feel happy and make ease in their job. There is critical need to service the customers around clock. Tesco as a global retail business that span many time zones, the management gave flexible working option to some employees this can improve morale and help retain people within business and promote diversity as a key improving performance. Tesco management provided professional and skills training through programs technical skills development. Tesco has long-term established policy on promoting an equal opportunities and diversity across the global business. The most important things leading to the success of Tesco There are four most important things that leading to the success of Tesco. Firstly, Tesco is giving great value for their customers. They never ever compromise on their customer services. They are having a motive that customers are always first and right. Tesco train their employees in such a way that they give the best services to the customers. They also have good behavior with their customers. This is one of the important things that are leading to the success. Secondly, Tescos giving importance to their employees. They are giving good facilities and best services to their employees. The management make the strategies in such a way that employee feel like their job is secure and enjoy their work. The employees also have given the discount cards. Tesco gives friendly environment in the working place to their staff. They give good rate and respect compare to the other big organizations. Thirdly, the Tesco give main focus to control the cost and price of the products. To attract the customers and to be successful organization, they give the customers low prices of products and offer them high quality products. Although Tesco always negotiate their prices as compared to the general market, the main products of the Tesco are their own. So there are different cost centers in Tesco like labor cost, product cost, direct cost, indirect cost, maintenance cost and delivery cost. Lastly, Tesco have new technologies to manage their business. Every year they are changing the strategies and operations. The whole business is computerized with new and advanced technologies. They handle their stock, cash, inventory and staff wages and account of the company. They also introduced their CCTV cam recording for the customers and staff safety, this is to prevent stealing. Major challenges facing by Tesco over the next five years Tescos major challenge is to overturn failure to become a player in the US market. Tescos target is to break record in the US market by 2013. To achieve the goal, Tesco have to look for developing markets such as Asian country where there is a large proportion of the population is underserved by quality supermarkets. Apart from that, lack of consumers confidence towards the products is also one of the major challenges. To survive the plunge, Tesco should start diversifying operations and to invest more on Tesco bank, insurance and mobile communication portfolio. Moreover, Tesco is also facing another challenge in technological advancement. Software have to be kept updated all the time in order to make ease to their employees. Tesco should design an application or website to create convenience for the customers to look for sales and to check for points accumulate. In order to make their brand product as a strong brand is also part of the major challenges. The product made by Tesco must be in good quality and innovative. However, to maintain and improve the freshness of the product is also accounted in the challenges. Critical review Tesco sells daily necessary things such as food, nonfood, electronic, house equipment and others items. Tesco sells more than 23,000 items. Tesco have been critiqued good and bad review from customers, employees and managers. The practices that Tesco using for maintain their sells are PESTLE analysis. Political Factors Tesco operates around the globe. Tesco performance is highly influenced by political and conditions of these countries (ivory research ltd, 2005). Tesco provided mix of job opportunities from flexible, such as lower-paid and locally based jobs and highly-skilled, higher-paid (Balchin, 1994). For example, without the flexible system, their financial will be affected due to the difficulties in finding employees with highly-skilled but lower-paid. The flexible system can insure people factors work with them without compromised with their objectives. This will make the employees can improve their skilled and loyalty with their companies. Recommendations: provide more motivation and training Economic factors Economic is one of the concern to Tesco, they are likely influence demand, costs, prices, and profits (Ivory research ltd, 2005). With highly unemployment, which the decreases the effective demand required to produce such a good products. For example, if someone is to demand with his work this will affected his job performance. Due to working in large scale and few employees. This mean the management need to hire a unemployment, this can make the jobs more easy and the demand can be negotiate. Recommendation: offering a jobs and benefits to the employees, find a good suppliers with good production and loyalty, give opportunities to their employees to improve their performance. Social factors This has a significant influence in business managed the organization is made up of people. The fact that it determines the people environment of business. For example; without social with people Tesco will not know what the customers needed and wanted. Social communication need to build up among them and customers. Recommendation; need to change the communication skills to all employees, make them be professional in their tasks. Technology factors Nowadays, technology is helping us with everything. Tesco make sure all the electronics and software are up to date with technology update. This will provide good environment for both customers and Tesco employees. This will give better benefits service, and more personalized and shop with more convenient. For example; nowadays smartphone have taken our lifestyle, so everyone needs to be in hurry and fast. Now various type of application has been invented and software also has been updated. With the smartphone we can easily access to buy our items or groceries at the tip of fingers. Tesco has made application for that Clicks Bricks Recommendation; always make sure the equipment is on the maintained, always update the software, update with the customers. Conclusion It is not a coincidence for Tesco to last and even become one of the top grocery retailer until today, but it is needed to thank to the management system in Tesco. Although there is a geographically diversify due to decentralized basis, the management systems in different countries are still more or less the same. Tesco has a pretty complete organization by having different department to smoothen operation of daily routine, every single employee knows about their specific duty and could perform it well. While a comprehensive planning by the manager is essential to acquire the maximum output from the employees, manager also playing a vital role in leading the employees to approach the objective in a more effective and efficient way. The controlling of employee by managers also make sure that thing wont go wrong and even it does, rectify can be done spontaneously to prevent unwanted loss. Upon doing this assignment, we learned that management principle is not only related to business and commercial activities only, but, its also applicable in our daily life. For example, the autocratic leadership style that is being practicing by Tesco, although it seem that that is a lot of restriction under the autocratic system, yet, the applying of this system can ease us in doing our task that is being assigned. We can reduce the time on figuring new way and method to solve it but just simply follow the conventional procedure. This can help us to save time and at the same time ensure the quality of our work.

LICORICE :: essays research papers

LICORICE There are several varieties of the herb, Licorice. Its name is derived from the two Greek words meaning ‘sweet’ and ‘root’. It is one of the oldest and best-known remedies for coughs and chest complaints. The knowledge and use of it dates back to the time of the early days of Egyptian civilisation. The Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Chinese all knew about the values of Licorice. It is an enduring herb, which grows in most moderate countries. It varies from about two to five feet high, with long, smooth green leaves and yellowish white or purplish flowers. The root is light brown with a very sweet taste; fifty times the sweetness of cane sugar. It is an ointment, a cough mixture, and a laxative. Its roots penetrate deeply into the ground and contain an abundance of valuable properties. It is indigenous of Greece, Asia Minor, Spain, Southern Italy, Syria, Iraq, Caucasian and Transcaspian Russia, Northern China, Persia and North Africa. Tons of Licorice are used by all countries today for foods, medicines, beverages, and many confections, etc. The United States imports about fifty million pounds of Licorice root and about half that amount of liquid extract yearly. The root comes mainly from Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Italy, and British East Africa. The liquid extract is imported mostly from Spain. Some of the Licorice extract entering the United States is used by the drug industries and made into various medications because of its demulcent and expectorant properties. The root, which is made into a powder, is often used in the preparation of pills. The extract has almost the powder as a remedial agent. Much of the Licorice supply is used by the tobacco industry as a conditioning and flavouring agent. It is also used by the confectionery industry as a base for a wide variety of candies. The residual material after extraction is used as a stabiliser in the production of foam fire extinguishers and as a fertiliser for mushrooms. The Chinese herbalists regard Licorice as a healing agent either by itself or as an ingredient in various herbal formulas. It is also used to flavour beer or ale, ice creams, and as Licorice water, which is a blood purifier. Licorice water was a popular drink in Egypt during the ancient days. The youthful Pharaoh Tutankhamen was buried with a supply of Licorice root to help him on his last long journey. It was a very therapeutic sweet drink for all the natives of those times. LICORICE :: essays research papers LICORICE There are several varieties of the herb, Licorice. Its name is derived from the two Greek words meaning ‘sweet’ and ‘root’. It is one of the oldest and best-known remedies for coughs and chest complaints. The knowledge and use of it dates back to the time of the early days of Egyptian civilisation. The Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Chinese all knew about the values of Licorice. It is an enduring herb, which grows in most moderate countries. It varies from about two to five feet high, with long, smooth green leaves and yellowish white or purplish flowers. The root is light brown with a very sweet taste; fifty times the sweetness of cane sugar. It is an ointment, a cough mixture, and a laxative. Its roots penetrate deeply into the ground and contain an abundance of valuable properties. It is indigenous of Greece, Asia Minor, Spain, Southern Italy, Syria, Iraq, Caucasian and Transcaspian Russia, Northern China, Persia and North Africa. Tons of Licorice are used by all countries today for foods, medicines, beverages, and many confections, etc. The United States imports about fifty million pounds of Licorice root and about half that amount of liquid extract yearly. The root comes mainly from Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Italy, and British East Africa. The liquid extract is imported mostly from Spain. Some of the Licorice extract entering the United States is used by the drug industries and made into various medications because of its demulcent and expectorant properties. The root, which is made into a powder, is often used in the preparation of pills. The extract has almost the powder as a remedial agent. Much of the Licorice supply is used by the tobacco industry as a conditioning and flavouring agent. It is also used by the confectionery industry as a base for a wide variety of candies. The residual material after extraction is used as a stabiliser in the production of foam fire extinguishers and as a fertiliser for mushrooms. The Chinese herbalists regard Licorice as a healing agent either by itself or as an ingredient in various herbal formulas. It is also used to flavour beer or ale, ice creams, and as Licorice water, which is a blood purifier. Licorice water was a popular drink in Egypt during the ancient days. The youthful Pharaoh Tutankhamen was buried with a supply of Licorice root to help him on his last long journey. It was a very therapeutic sweet drink for all the natives of those times.

The Eight Themes that OHenry uses are: Essay example -- English Liter

The Eight Themes that O'Henry uses are: Beauty :Della is worried that Jim won't think she is beautiful with short hair, but Jim loves her for more than just her beautiful hair and how she looks. If you really love somebody, they are beautiful no matter how they look. Family :Jim and Della are husband and wife and they love each other. Jim's watch was given to him by his father and has been in his family for many years. Still, he sacrifices it out of love for Della. Giving :Della and Jim both feel that it is important to give nice gifts to each other to express their love. Identity :Della learns that Jim loves her for just for being herself, not because of her hair or the Christmas present she buys him. Wisdom :Della and Jim were wise because they were willing to make sacrifices to show their love for each other. Sacrifice :Both Della and Jim give up valuable possessions so they can buy Christmas gifts for each other Money :Della and Jim sell valuable things to get money to buy gifts for each other, because they are poor. Love :Because Jim and Della love each other, there is really no need to :prove their love by buying gifts for each other. Love is the greatest gift The Gift of the Magi :Special allowance for a period of translated fiction will probably have to be made in the history of the 20th century Russian literature, just as it had to be done for the Russian literature at the beginning of the 19th century, when work done for the Russian literature at the beginning of the 19th century, when work by a Russian author was a rarity. Perhaps this is not so much in the context of history of literature as in that of the history of the Russian reader and publisher, granted the possibility... ... relationships is stating that relationships are tough because even though Michael's wife told him she don't want him looking at other women he still does, but he knows that he have to sacrifice that to saved his marriage.They are similar because thier both about married couples, where one of the couples make a sacrifice to make the other happy such as Michael gives up looking at other women to make his wife happy in "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses". Della have hair cut to buy her husband a present in "The Gift of The Magi". Their different in the way their story lines are told and the way the problems are solved. I think in both stories it was good that couples made sacrifices because it shows what love is really about. O. Henry said "There are stories in everything. I've got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts, and newspaper stands."

Marketing Mix Analysis of iPad Essay

Executive Summary Managing and developing marketing mix appropriately is extremely important to firm’s marketing and success. In order to marketing product successfully, the right product must be exhibited to right people at the right place, right price and right time. If a firm can manage the marketing mix successfully, as a result, it can be a source of competitive advantage for firms. Each element of the marketing mix should be analyzed and if necessary, adapted to ensure that the right balance is achieved to give the product or service the very best chance of success in the market place. Apple is a successful company and its previous product iPod has a high market share in the global market due to its brand perception and image as s high quality innovative brand. In 2010, Apple launched an innovative product – â€Å"iPad† in US, which is a tablet computer with touch screen. Even in the first launching date iPad had been sold 0.3 million units. The product no doubt is getting support of Apple’s brand image and it has changed the way to consumer lifestyle. That is why iPad is thought as a revolutionary who will arouse a wave to electronic industry. Apple’s iPad delivered the value to the customer via marketing mix tools called the 4Ps: * Product looks good and works well. * Right price. * Right place at the right time. * Successful promotion helps to a larger output. Apple followed this by innovation and introducing new products in the market to satisfy consumer’s needs and wants. The current author here will use the theories, concepts of marketing mix to analysis the iPad. The remainder of this essay is structured into five parts. It begins by defining marketing mix and its evolution. Second, it analyse the company, iPad, its competitor and consumer. Third, it illuminates the marketing mix by analysing iPad. Finally it ends with the overall assessment and conclusion. Contents 1.Introduction and Definition3 1.1Definition of Marketing3 1.2Definition of Customer Value and Value Proposition3 1.3Definition of Marketing Mix4 2.Description of Apple & iPad4 2.1Brief Introduction of Apple4 2.2Introduction of iPad5 2.3Brief Consumer Profile6 2.4Brief Competitor Profile7 3.Marketing Mix Analysis of iPad7 3.1Product7 3.2Price10 3.3Place12 3.4Promotion14 4.Assessment of Overall Value Delivered16 5.Conclusion16 6.References18 1. Introduction and Definition 2.1 Definition of Marketing â€Å"Marketing is the process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others and forging relationships with customers.† (Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, 2009). This definition recognizes the importance of creating a long term relationship with customers and identifies the importance of satisfying customer wants. 2.2 Definition of Customer Value and Value Proposition Customer value is the difference between the values that the customer gains from owning and using a product and the costs of obtaining the product. Put it simply, customer value is created when the perceptions of benefits received from a transaction exceed the costs of ownership. The same idea can be expressed as a ratio (Chiristopher, 1996): Customer value = Perceptions of benefits The definition of customer value proposition is a well defined and persuasive marketing statement related to a specific product or service that details the reasons why a consumer would benefit from purchasing it. A value proposition is the definition of a firm’s promise to create and deliver customer value (Chapelet and Tovstiga, 1998). Fig 1.2.1 A model of value creation and the marketing process source: Adapted from Kotler Brown Burton Deans Armstrong, (2010), â€Å"Marketing† 8th Edition Figure 1.2.1 shows a typical model of value creation and the marketing process. Put it simple, marketing is a process cycle which consists of 5 simple steps as below: i. Customer buys or potential customer is contacted to understand the marketplace. ii. Finding out how the customer liked the product or what is needed. iii. Analysing these data and creating a plan that includes goals, strategy and its marketing mix. iv. Implement the plan that delivers value to customer which results in the customer’s buying the product and creating customer delight. v. Repeating the cycle starting with step (i) to step (iv) to make a better product sold with a better plan and continuously keeping this cycle going. Hence, create profits and customer equity. 2.3 Definition of Marketing Mix The concept of the Marketing Mix was first created by Neil H. Borden in his article called â€Å"The concept of the Marketing Mix† in 1964. In his article he explained the importance of a market to try to â€Å"mix ingredients† in their process in the market in order to be successful. E. Jerome McCarthy later grouped these ingredients into the four categories that are known as the 4P’s of marketing (Product, Price, Place and Promotion). Product — What does the customer want from the product/service? Price — What is the value of the product or service to the buyer? Place — Where do buyers look for the product or service? Promotion — Where and when can get across the marketing messages to target market? 2. Description of Apple & iPad 3.4 Brief Introduction of Apple Apple Inc., founded in 1976, is an American multinational corporation which is best-known for its hardware and software products. The hardware products are: Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad. One example of the famous software of Apple is iTunes, a proprietary media player application that works with iTunes store and allows customers to download music and offers other features of consumer electronics. Fortune magazine named Apple as the most admired company in the US in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. 3.5 Introduction of iPad On January 27, 2010, Apple introduced the much-anticipated media tablet, the iPad (As shown in Fig2.2.1). Fig 2.2.1 Introduction of iPad (source: www.apple.com) The iPad measure 9.7 inch wide screen display with multi touch screen with 1024 x 768 resolutions which is lighter and thinner than any other notebooks or laptops. Its internal 25 watt-hour battery can run up to 10 hours of video, 140 hours of audio playback and one month on standby as Apple claims. Steve Jobs stated that, with the introduction of the iPad, Apple had opened a market for a new class of mobile devices. (As shown in Fig 2.2.2) Fig2.2.2 Apple iPad First Hands-on (source: http://www.ipadforums.net) 3.6 Brief Consumer Profile Consumer market can be defined as â€Å"all the individuals and households who buy or acquire goods and services for personal consumption† and consumer buying behavior can be defined as â€Å"the buying behavior of final consumers, individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption† (Kotler, 2009). Table 2.3.1 shows the analysis of market segmentation for iPad. SEGMENTATION BASE| SELECTEDSEGMENTATION VARIABLES| Geographic Segmentation| Region| West Malaysia, east Malaysia| City size| Major metropolitan areas, cities| Density of area| Urban| Climate| Hot, humid, rainy| Demographic Segmentation| Age| 18-34, 35-49, 50-64| Sex| Male, female| Married status| Single, married, divorced, living together| Income| RM40,000 and over| Education| College, college graduate, postgraduate| Occupation| Professional, white-collar| Psychological| Needs| Sense of self-worth, fashionable| Personality| Extroverts, novelty-seeker, aggressives| Perception| Low-risk| Learning-involvement| High-involvement| Attitudes| Possitive attitude| Psychographic| Lifestyle| Couch-potatoes, outdoor enthusiasts, status-seekers| Cultures| Malay, Chinese, Indian, and other foreigners| Religion| Muslim, buddhism, hinduism, christian, catholic, and others| Social| Middle, upper| Family| Bachelors, young married, full nesters, empty nesters| Use-Rated Segmentation| Usage rate| Heavy users, medium users| Awareness status| Aware, interested, enthusiastic| Brand loyalty| Strong| Use-Situation Segmentation| Time| Leisure, work, morning, night| Objective| Personal, fun, achievement| Location| Home, work, mega mall, restaurant| Person| Self, family members, friends, peers| Benefit Segmentation| Convenience, social acceptance, easy e-book reading, value-for-the-money, service| Table 2.3.1 Market segmentation for iPad From analysis above can see that most of Apple’s users are high-end clients who have the strong purchasing power, easily accept new technology and they are very loyal to Apple. 3.7 Brief Competitor Profile Apple iPad bring threats and impact to PC industry in some way. On one hand, the hot-sell of iPad attracts many PC manufacturers set foot in this field. So the other tablet computers will be the biggest competitor, such as Blackberry’s playbook, this is a tablet computer which located in business person, and it will also attract public’s eyes because of its vast multimedia function. On the other hand, the price advantage of netbook is also a challenge to iPad. After all compared with traditional computer, iPad may not a necessity. To some business and professional people, they will choose the traditional notebook rather than iPad. 3. Marketing Mix Analysis of iPad According to the information that searches from magazines and internet, the author knows many information of iPad. The author here will use the theories, concepts of marketing mix to analysis the iPad. 4.8 Product â€Å"Product means the goods-and-services combination the company offers to the target market. â€Å" (Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, 2009). The iPad bridges the gap between smart phone and laptop, it offers equivalent range of features and functions that a computer does. It has internet capabilities running on both Wi-Fi and 3G. Some of the features are discussed previously. Fig 3.1.1 shows its tech specs. Access to Apple Apps Store which has over 300,000 applications and to iTunes are attractive features of iPad. Fig 3.1.1 Tech Specs for Apple iPad (source: http://www.apple.com) Value delivered to customer: 1) Convenient to Carry and Easy to Use Compared to functionalities and performance, it is surprised that iPad weighs only 1.5 pounds. It is very thin and sleek measuring only 0.5 inches. This lightweight iPad is very useful for business trip, making it easy to transport as compared to a laptop. Not only it is easier to carry it around, but also be able to use it to check e-mails, show videos and photos to people instantly whenever required with its long battery life, which at 10 hours is 2-5 times longer than a notebook (As shown in Fig 3.1.2). Fig 3.1.2 E-mail and photo function for iPad (source: http://www.cnbeta.com) 2) Easy for E-Book Reading One benefit that can’t miss is the iBooks Application. Customer can download the favorite e-books to iPad and read while traveling (As shown in Fig 3.1.3). Fig 3.1.3 E-books on Apple iPad (source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Retrieving books to read on ibooks application on iPad is simply easy. Browse through the e-bookshelf on the iPad, choose one title wish to read and click, the book opens in front. Customer can view the book in portrait or landscape, and the way the pages flip is awesome – flip it with finger and looks just like a real book. 3) Excellent Service for Customer What’s more, the service of iPad is very nice. Apple has its own key service – iTunes. Customer can get this value to enjoy the all kinds of internet resources such as music, video and applications (As shown in Fig 3.1.4). Fig 3.1.4 iTunes on Apple iPad (source: http://www.ipadforums.net guardian.co.uk guardia guardia) The iTunes online store makes it incredibly easy to purchase songs and load them onto the devices. When customer wants to watch or listen, they neither need to search from the CDs nor television channels. What they need to do is just opening the iTunes, all they want is in iTunes, it let the media browse much faster, it is easier to sort. 4.9 Price â€Å"Price is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product. â€Å" (Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, 2009). The iPad is priced starting from $499 for 16 GB storage to $829 for 64GB storage and 3G connectivity. In detail, tab 3.2.1 shows the price of iPad selling in Malaysia. iPad| 16G| 32G| 64G| Wi-Fi| RM 1, 549.00| RM 1, 849.00| RM 2, 149.00| Wi-Fi + 3G| RM 1, 999.00| RM 2, 299.00| RM 2, 599.00| Tab 3.2.1 Selling price of iPad (source: http://www.apple.com guardian.co.uk guardia guardia) Value delivered to customer: 1) Eco-friendly Device for Environment Protection The iPad is made of recyclable glass and Aluminum and the packaging material is recyclable & the packing is efficiently done. It is not using Arsenic, PVC, bromine fire, Mercury as the company has restricted the use of harmful chemicals. With such price, customers are not buying the fashionable device only, more importantly, they are making contribution to environment protection. Fig 3.2.1 shows how green is the iPad. Fig3.2.1 How green is the iPad (source: http://sortable.com) 2) Flexible Price as Actual Needs The iPad price varies according to its storage capacity and the internet access capacity, which leads to reducing the initial cost on the first ever tablets based on customer’s actually needs and application (As shown in Fig3.2.2). Fig3.2.2 Price and configuration of the iPad (source: http://www.apple.com) 3) Cost Saving with Maxis Bundled Package It is available on Maxis bundled packages with a 24-month contract based on different types of iPad internet plan (As shown in Fig 3.2.3). By doing so, the price of iPad has been dropped down from RM450 to RM950. The plan is much more attractive not only for those who can’t afford to pay for the high price, but also for some of the SME to extend their business. Fig 3.2.3 Maxis iPad Bundled Packages (source: http://www.maxis.com.my) 4.10 Place â€Å"Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers. â€Å" (Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, 2009). Apple started selling the iPad not only from its official websites, but also retail outlets and Apple Store. Value delivered to customer 1) Easy Walk-in Location for Purchase The iPad can be purchased from Apple Store, Apple Premium Reseller and Apple Authorized Reseller located in Malaysia. All shops are conveniently located and beautifully designed, identified by the large backlit Apple logo, such as in most famous shopping mall like Sunway Primary, One Utama, KLCC and Mid Valley in Selangor, even in Melaka, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. The value is so easy for customer to come and have a journey on iPad (As shown in Fig 3.3.1). Fig 3.3.1 Apple shops in Malaysia In each shop, customer will be able to find dedicated Apple-trained and Apple-certified Mac experts who can come up with the right solution for you. 2) Time-Saving Online Order Apple iPad are also available on internet for the customers on Apple’s website. Online purchase is the easiest and time saving way for most of them (As shown in Fig 3.3.2). Fig3.3.2 Online Apple store for iPad (source: http://www.apple.com) On the website, the Apple explains the number of features and benefits of iPad. This adds the value to the consumers as convenience is a value that people appreciate and for which they will pay more than the actual price. 3) Golden Service for Apple Loyalty When customer are on the go, the Apple Store app is the best way to research, personalize and buy products from Apple and get the most out of customer’s visits to the Apple Retail Store for Apple loyal fans. Fig 3.3.3 shows what can do with the Apple Store app on the iPhone or iPod touch from search to pay. Fig3.3.3 Apple store apps for iPhone and iPod Touch (source: http://www.apple.com) 4.11 Promotion â€Å"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it. â€Å" (Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong, 2009) Apple Company had been promoting the iPad with the help of social media campaigns and multi-channel media strategy. Value delivered to customer: 1) Multiple Channel for Better Understanding of iPad The online promotion by Apple on Facebook, YouTube and other related websites approaches to the consumers added more value to the decision of consumers of buying iPad. Same like in stores all the information is available online for customers. Customers can download brochure from its website for their convenience. When Apple announced the idea of iPad, most fans write blogs and share through internet. Customer will see them and many videos about iPad, some of them are made by Apple and some are made by other people. These blogs and videos are shared by many other people through many ways (As shown in Fig 3.4.1). Fig3.4.1 Video sharing about iPad (source: http://www.9to5iPad.com/) 2) Custom Engraving of iPad Apple had offered free iPad engraving from its online store, allowing customers to add a personal touch to the tablet in time for the holiday seasons (As shown in Fig 3.4.2). Customers are given the option to engrave up to 2 lines of free text on the back of an iPad after selecting an iPad model and any desired accessories from the online store. Fig 3.4.2 Website about iPad engraving (Source: http://store.apple.com/) 3) Free Delivery for On-line Purchase When purchasing the iPad online from Apple’s official website, customer will get the value of free delivery. Just wait for 3-4 business days, the product will be arrived on hand safely. 4. Assessment of Overall Value Delivered Apple has always placed a major emphasis on the marketing and the brand awareness of its products. The iPad’s advantage is that they offer several different features in one product. Converging all the new technology into one product is the route apple is seeking. It’s making life easier for their consumers by being able to conduct many applications in the one product. Apple’s iPad followed all the 4P’s of marketing mix to deliver the high level of value to the customers. The company has manufactured an iPad using strong in-built applications. The gadget permits people to work and entertain anytime anywhere, as a value of experiencing its easy and convenient use. It provides value to customers through a huge number of features which helps in saving time and energy. Adding more to customer value the price of iPad is competitive and flexible in the market as discussed above. It advertised on T.V., newspapers, magazine, radios and also on internet, which makes people have clearer understanding in various channel. It provides value by available at all the apple stores and website. From the iPad’s 4P’s analysis, we can easily see the difference of it, and can answer the question â€Å"why people buy it which seems unnecessary product.† Apple iPad satisfy their needs and this delivers the value as a product and service in terms of features, style performance, durability, quality, reliability and design to the customer. 5. Conclusion Apple iPad is a new product which has made a dent in the history of tablet business domain and the first successful product. This has also ignited the demand for new and improved tablets from Apple and other competitors. Apple has used the 4P’s of marketing in a very efficient and proper manner, so that added the value to the customer’s decisions of purchasing iPad. When Apple introduced iPad, they intended to come across the consumer’s wants and demands which would satisfy to their lifestyles. Apple in future which demands more innovative products and the company still need to adapt to expected changes in iPad which they have already started in their new iPad 2. With their experience, they are able to continue strengthen its position in the industry. 6. References 1. Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong. (2009). Principles of Marketing. (7th Edition). Australia. Pearson. 2. Kotler Brown Burton Deans Armstrong. (2010). Marketing (8th Edition). Australia. Pearson. 3. Borden, N. H. (1964). â€Å"The concept of the Marketing Mix†. Journal of Advertising Research. Vol II 4. APDGT YAMAMOTO. â€Å"Understanding Customer Value Concept: Key To Success†. pp. 547-552. 5. Chapelet, B. and Tovstiga, G. (1998), â€Å"Development of a research methodology for accessing a firm’s business process-related technologies†, International Journal of Technology Management, Vol. 15 Nos  ½, pp. 10-30. 6. Apple Annual Reports, 2010 7. www.apple.com 8. www.maxis.com.my

Minh Hieu Mobile

Group Assignment 2 Analysis the Information system support for Sale process of Minh Hieu Mobile company. March – 2013 Table of Contents I. Executive summary3 II. Background of the organization4 III. Description of the business process4 IV. Description of the existing IT/IS to support the process6 V. Analysis of strengths and weakness of the process6 VI. Recommendation6 VII. Implementation Plan8 VIII. Conclusion:9 IX. List of reference:9 I. Executive summaryPurpose of assignment: Analyze the business process of a company, examine the IS use and issues of this company and develop a plan recommending more effective use of information and communication technologies. Selected company: Minh Hieu Mobile company The analyzed business process : Sale process What we have done: Collect the information about the company; discuss with Sale manager of the company to understand the organization and management system of the company essay writer magic; apply the knowledge of information system management to analyze the business and recommendation for improvement of the information system of the company.Group members: * Nguyen Thanh Ngoc * Tran Hong Nhung * Do Van Linh * Mai Hoang Oanh * Tong Thi Ngoc Quynh * Bui Khanh Son * Nguyen Thi Bich Hang II. Background of the organization Name of the company: Minh Hieu mobile Ltd. (Minh Hieu Mobile) Minh Hieu Mobile Limited is a small mobile trading company established in 2010 and located in Ha Noi city. At present, the company has more than 20 employees and has 3 mobile showrooms in Dong Da district, Hai Ba Trung district and Thanh Xuan district of Hanoi. The scope of services for Minh Hieu Mobile includes: Selling mobile and accessories, mobile repair services.Due to the small of scale, the management and the organization of the company is very simple with two departments is Sale – Purchase and Accounting. The Sale department is responsible for managing 3 showrooms. Figure 1: Organization structure of Minh Hieu Mobile com pany Director Sale – Purchase Accounting Showroom 1 Showroom 2 Showroom 3 III. Description of the business process According to the information provided by Sale managers, we understand the Sale process of the company as below: Showrooms are equipped computer and internet to support for business, each showroom is operating almost independently.There is some limitation of communication and exchange of information between showrooms of Minh Hieu mobile. Normally, at the end of the day, the head of showroom makes a sale report and sends to Sale Manager and Accounting department via email. After that, based on the report, Sale and Accounting update into the Accounting system and Warehouse for monitoring the inventory and finance. The Figure 2 illustrates the process for purchasing a mobile from a Minh Hieu’s store If a customer request to buy a mobile, the sale staff firstly checks if the mobile is in the how-case. In case the mobile is not in the show-case, the sale staff w ill check to warehouse of the showroom. If the product is available, the sale staff will deliver the mobile to the customer, then bill and print the invoice. The mobile will be received by the customer and he/she will bring it to technical staff for setup then it is all set. If the mobile is not available on the shelves, the sale staff will check the warehouse. If the warehouse has this mobile, the sale staff will give a delivery order to the warehouse to get the mobile and deliver to customer.If the mobile is out of stock, the sale staff will ask if the customer wants to order this item. If customer agrees, the sale staff prepares the order, sets up an appointment to customer and requests the Sale department to import the mobile. Take request Search shelves Avaiable? Delivery and billing by the clerk Deliver to the cashier on the end-day Propose warehouse Get from warehouse Search in wearhose Able to order? Go to another store Notify customer Return to store Place order Customer Cl erk Customer Purchase and setup the phoneTake phone home Figure 2 The process for purchasing a mobile from a Minh Hieu’s store From this figure, we can see this process has many steps with manual activities and the customer have to spend more time for manual process. IV. Description of the existing IT/IS to support the process To support for the business process, the current IT/IS includes: At the company level: * A system of computers network, which is operating under the clients/server model. * A accounting software (Fast Accounting) for accounting department. At the showroom level:Each showroom has 3 computers which can access internet. One computer is installed Fast accounting software for recording Sale and accounting transaction of the showroom but this computer is operating stand – alone not link to the server in the head office. V. Analysis of strengths and weakness of the process Weakness: In side each showroom: * Most of the sale process is done manually and the sale man cannot know the quantity in stock until they check the warehouse because they have no warehouse control system to provide real time information. The customer is not supported and severed properly. * Sale information is not updated real-time to head office. Between showrooms –showroom – head office * The information exchange capacity is very weak, the stock information, sale information is not update in time. * Each showroom is operating separately and rarely supports other showrooms. VI. Recommendation 5. 1 Objective: A comprehensive software and system for Sale – Warehouse management which can: * One system operates on clients/server model allowing computers of 3 showroom to access and work. One system integrates functions for Sale – Warehouse – Accounting. * Support and automatic sale process (invoicing, billing , †¦) * The sale staff can get information of the available product real-time to serve customer. * Can access and mana ge the system anywhere through internet. * Easy to use * High security. * Reasonable investment cost. Basing on the above the expected features of the new system, we redesign the purchasing process a mobile as below: Take request Search on system Avaiable Delivery, billing and change the phone’s status on systemSearch on other store Get from other store Purchase and setup the phone Take phone home Customer Clerk Customer Go to other store Figure 3 : Redesigned purchasing process a mobile from Minh Hieu’s store. 5. 2 Figure 4 : New system Brief description of the new IT-IS system: The new system operates as the client/server model in which, the server is located in the head office and stores the database. The clients are the computers at 3 showrooms and head office. These computers will be installed the software to access to sever and work at the same time.Moreover, the system also runs the Web function that allow access system from Web to get the information at anywher e internet available. Main function: * Ware house management Module * Module Purchasing management * Module Sale management * Module Payable and receivable management * Module Store and branch management. * Module Customer relationship The estimated cost for investment the new system is about 8000 USD VII. Implementation Plan Step| Detail work| Who| Time | Expected result| Analysis and select the IT provider. The company assigns a team to research and selects the best appropriate IT company. | The team includes Sale manager, Accounting manager, Director. | 1 week| A good IT company is selected and contracted. | System analysis| The consultant analyzes the current system to identify the problem| IT consultant and the team. | 1 week| All problems of current system are identified and discussed in a report | System design| The IT consultant will design a new system to solve the problem| IT consultant and the team| 2 weeks| Proposal for new system. Programming and testing| After proposal is accepted, the IT company will program and write the software, then test the features of the software| IT consultant| 1 months| The software and system meet the requirement and pass the test| Conversion and training | Convert data from current system to new system, training for staffs| IT consultant and the team| 1 week| Data is successful converted to new system, all staffs can use the new system | Inspection and handover| Final check and finish the contract| It consultant and team| 1 days| | Production and Maintenance| Maintain the system, back up data.. support| The team, It consultant, staffs| | The system operates smoothly and meets the requirement. | VIII. Conclusion: Improving competitiveness is very important requirement of the enterprise. With appropriate investment for information technology and effective using of technology systems will help to significantly improve the competitiveness of enterprises.It is widely known that the information technology helps to improve e fficiency, quality of work, reduce costs and better customer service. With the investment in the new system, Minh Hieu expects to increase 30% of sales in 2013. In addition to the above benefits, Minh Hieu expects to improve the standard workflow when applying this new information technology system. IX. List of reference: * http://www. minhhieumobile. com. vn/ * Mr. Toan – Sale Manager . Tel : 043. 5637237 .