...acquired in college is not enough to make them productive at the job setting. In the article titled “Higher Education Is Not Always a Smart Monetary Investment,” Owen and Sawhill write about the availability of well-paid jobs and how employers are having a hard time finding people with the right skills to fill those spots. They assert that vocational and technical training prepares individuals to fill the open spots .All the educational investments is not worth it because a college graduate won’t be able to fill the spot regardless of the knowledge acquired in college. On the other hand, college is a good investment if students know the degree they want to pursue before going to college as freshmen. Such students come out...
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...“FIAT Studios”. A number of important and at times sad developments led to this celebratory moment. Once a powerful player in the North American market, in early 2000s Chrysler Corporation was struggling with declining demand and decreasing market share. In 1998 the company “merged” with German Daimler Benz to form DaimlerChrysler AG. In fact, the German automotive giant took ownership of Chrysler, but after nine years the new owner acknowledged that the “marriage” was not successful and it could not improve Chrysler’s financial performance. In 2007 Daimler sold the Chrysler for $7.4 billion to the investment group Cerberus Capital Management. If the inflow of German technology and management could not improve the situation at Chrysler, a group of investment bankers had even less chances to rescue the company, especially when global 1...
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...companies lack the necessary transformational intelligence that is based on constant teaching and learning and the required power of empathy, which bring an increase level of sensitivity to signals changing. The main idea here is to identify change and its associated opportunities in order to become the competitive one and the only one. I am very much agreeing with change and how one can change the rules and not compete head-on. We have to take a look at case by case models of change and understand the quantifiable rate of production. Let’s take for example: the smart car or electric car. If we all agree, it makes sense for the environment to accept a smaller “smart car”, and we achieve 100% adoption as consumers, what happens to the tracking industry and the delivery of our consumptive goods? Are we now willing to transport goods because we have to transport them into smaller containers with less power? Can you imagine a smart car next to a diesel 18 wheeler? Are we willing to sacrifice the safety of our families for the cost of the maintenance of the environment? People are fundamentally selfish and will not voluntarily create a sea change unless they are forced to do so or unless there is no choice. Companies can identify the need to change with the associated opportunities to become the only competition but without government intervention to drive the change at a local global effort, the results are depressing. Blue Ocean is a fantastic way to look at familiar environments in...
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...Chapter 8: Use What You’ve Learned 1. Have you seen the new Smart car? If you have, you are probably part of the buzz that has been heard recently about this new concept car that has made it to the streets. The car seats two, is available in three different models, and costs between about $12,500 and $17,000. The most significant fact about the Smart car is that it gets about forty-five miles per gallon. That fact alone has become central to Smart car’s initial introduction to the driving public. Has “small” finally become better than “large, extralarge, and supersize”? The manufacturer of the Smart car is betting on it. Investigate the Smart car. Once this is done, construct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for the Smart car. Evaluate the car’s likelihood of success. Strengths: The Smart car has many • Economically priced, beginning at just $12,500 • Small enough to park anywhere • Up to 45 mpg- good for the environment and your wallet • Customizable • 2. Is there a Chick-fil-A in your neighborhood? If there is, you’ve probably eaten at one of the fastest-growing food franchises in the southern United States (seehttp://www.chickfila.com). Chick-fil-A has a unique approach to running their business. Using the company’s Web site and search engines, your task is to investigate the Chick-fil-A organization in order to conduct a situation analysis. During your investigation be sure to comment on the perceived competitive situation...
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...CASE STUDY 3 CASE 10-2 The Smart Car by B. Renea Kosino 1. What is Smart’s competitive advantage? Its brand image? The Smart Car, made by DaimlerChrysler, offers a cost focus and focused differentiation. It brand image is very narrowly focused. Smart appeals to single people (or families with no children), who primarily do city driving and want a no frills automobile that is economical and eco-friendly. Some advantages that Smart brings to the table are as follows. First, the vehicle has an exceptional look that appeal to those who want to be unique. Next, this very small, but roomy vehicle makes city driving and tight parking easier. Subsequently, crash testing and safety experts consider Smart as an extremely safe vehicle. Moreover, its models are very fuel efficient at 35 mpg on average. In addition, this automobile’s low exhaust emissions earned an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) classification. These condition were essential in Smart being one of five automakers to receive Greenopia USA’s highest environmental rating (see attach1). Finally, the vehicle is very economical with the most basic vehicle starting at $12,000. 2. Assess the U.S. market potential for the Smart. Do you think the car will be a success? Why or why not? Smart Car is economical, unique, and eco-friendly. Generation Y (Gen Y) is a target market, which should be pursued because Gen Y’s, those born from 1977 to 1994 (1980-1995, depending on who you ask), is demographically...
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...overall. Explain your rationale. · From the e-Activity, asses the barriers to entry you foresee as the Smart for two EV expands into foreign markets to determine which will be the most difficult to overcome. Support your answer with examples or evidence. The cultural and social differences are factors that should be taken into consideration when deaing with issues of trade. Social and cultural differences brings the aspect of trade on a more personal level. Cultures are constantly changing and evolveing but few things stay the same such as lanuage, religion, and values. For a company to stay economically ahead of the curb they need to make sure that thier employees are familiar with international cultures. Empolyees will not only need to understand the culture but they will also need to be able to communicate in order to do business buiness internationally. The rules are duffult and there to protect, and it is the businesses responsiblity to have the proper people in place to understand how these rules affect thier business and the cultures they will be conductiong business. Barriers to entry for theSmart for two EV as it expands into different markets is the economic baarrier the product will face. The product has a lot of great features and well dsigned, however the price of an electric car versus a vechile that runs on gas is much more expensive. The frist model of the smart car did not result in high market sales. For example the US economy today is very unstable and with...
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...Haris A. Raja Industry Analysis BA 01 Smart Grid Industry Introduction Current electrical grid was conceived more than a hundred years ago. With rising and ever changing energy demands of the 21st century, existing grids are under pressure to deliver efficient, reliable and sustainable supply of electricity. 21st century demand for electricity is driving the evolution of smart grid technologies. The smart grid is a “developing network of new technologies, equipment, and controls working together” to deliver electricity efficiently and reliably. (www.smartgird.gov) Its been called “electricity with a brain,” or “the energy Internet.” (www.nist.gov) Some key benefits associated with smart grids are as follows: • Efficient power transmission • Faster recovery from power disruptions or failures • Better integration with other power generation systems (e:g. renewable energy) Driving Forces and Trends Capacity- growing demand According to International Energy Agency, $6 trillion investments will be needed to satisfy the global demand between now and 20301. Boston Consulting Group predicts that by 2020 there will be 40 million electric cars in the US. This mean that a robust infrastructure is needed to charge potentially millions of batteries. This will clearly put higher demand on the electrical systems. (www.abb.com) Reliability- Reliable operation According to the US Department of Energy power outages and interruptions in the US electrical supply cost $150 billion...
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...“Smart grid” generally refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation. (Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, n.d.) A key feature of the smart grid is automation technology that lets the utility adjust and control each individual device or millions of devices from a central location. In December 2007, Congress passed, and the President approved, Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). EISA provided the legislative support for DOE’s smart grid activities and reinforced its role in leading and coordinating national grid modernization efforts. President Obama has announced the largest single grid modernization investment in U.S. history, funding a broad range of technologies to spur the nation's transition to a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system. This will promote energy-saving choices for consumers, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to create new jobs and save existing ones, stimulate economic activity, and invest in long-term growth. The $3.4 billion in investments, as part of the Recovery Act, will be matched by industry funding for a total public-private investment worth over $8 billion. (Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability...
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...How should Singapore and other smart cities deal with the increasing risk of cyber threats? Fifty years after its establishment, Singapore is a smart city-state success story at the forefront of a third industrial revolution. Today, the Internet of Things (IoT) increasingly interconnects Singapore’s cyber and physical systems, sensors and smart technology into the digital fabric that links society and critical infrastructures such as transportation, health, finance and defense. Infrastructure investment is expected to grow by 50% to about $30 billion by the end of the decade. But as Singapore and other smart cities become increasingly connected to cyberspace, so too does their risk of cyber threats. For the next 50 years to be as prosperous as the last, Singapore and other smart cities and nations need to develop a cyber-smart workforce, technology, policies and new risk management solutions. Cyber Smart City: Opportunity and Challenge The Cyber Smart City Opportunity of new IoT-inspired products, services and markets could boost the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s 20 largest economies by $14.2 trillion in 2030, according to a recent study by Accenture. This trend can be seen in Singapore’s smart buildings, where converged information and operational technologies infrastructures, control systems and sensors integrate multiple electronic systems to support building management and business functions. Smart building technology is increasing energy efficiency...
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...Case Study 1 1. What are UPS "Smart Labels?" What role do they play in UPS operations? Smart labels are computerized, bar-coded label that is used to provide shipping information. They play a huge role in UPS operations because they provide customer information for shipping which makes for faster and more reliable shipping. The label is scanned at each part of shipment and delivery so the customer can track their packages and it’s accounted for from start to finish. 2. Write out the steps a package takes from pick-up by a UPS driver to delivery including the role of DIAD, the UPS Data Center, and the UPS Package Center. The driver picks up the package from the customer and creates a smart label that contains all shipping information and a tracking number, this information is sent to the warehouse. The driver will always carry a DIAD which is a basically a hand held computer that will show the driver which routes to take and his stops for the day. The driver will scan the package information into the DIAD so that the information is available to the Data Center and to the customer. All packages will be process through a UPS package center. 3. What role does wireless communication play in the UPS systems? Wireless communication allows the UPS drivers to have complete flexibility in the field and up to date information about changes to their routes or new pick-ups. This makes more efficient deliveries and pick-ups for the customers and I would imagine it makes for better...
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...What’s the Buzz on Smart Grids? The smart grid is a new infrastructure proposal to substitute the current outdated and inefficient electric infrastructure that supplies electricity to companies and consumers in the U.S. The new grid is expected to offer great advantages nationwide. The smart grid offers new ways to handle power by using alternative energy sources whish enable us to go green. Smart grid uses digital technology to deliver electricity saving energy, reducing cost, and increasing reliability and transparency. The new infrastructure allows information to flow back and forward from energy plants to consumer’s households and companies enabling them to make more rational decision of consumption and production. In addition this offer consumer the possibility to regulate their electronic appliances such as heating and air conditioner system for a responsible consumption while meeting the maximum need of usage lowering cost and pollution. All this advantages are not just advantages but also a clear difference that sets the economy to propel at lees in this single sector. Furthermore the smart grid is capable of detecting power outages more precisely and quickly at the individual household levels. Smart grids are expected to reduce the energy consumption from a 5 to 15 percent nationwide if implemented across the nation. Not only will this new infrastructure enable consumers to visualize through a home display devise the consumption and cost of the energy used to...
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...1- Briefly explain Electronic Cash A system that allows a person to pay for goods or services by transmitting a number from one computer to another. Like the serial numbers on real dollar bills, the digital cash numbers are unique. Each one is issued by a bank and represents a specified sum of real money. One of the key features of digital cash is that, like real cash, it is anonymous and reusable. That is, when a digital cash amount is sent from a buyer to a vendor, there is no way to obtain information about the buyer. This is one of the key differences between digital cash and credit card systems. Another key difference is that a digital cash certificate can be reused. 2- Briefly explain ActiveX Control ActiveX control is a control using Microsoft ActiveX technologies. An ActiveX control can be automatically downloaded and executed by a Web browser. ActiveX is not a programming language, but rather a set of rules for how applications should share information. Programmers can develop ActiveX controls in a variety of languages, including C, C++, Visual Basic, and Java. An ActiveX control is similar to a Java applet. Unlike Java applets, however, ActiveX controls have full access to the Windows operating system. This gives them much more power than Java applets, but with this power comes a certain risk that the applet may damage software or data on your machine. To control this risk, Microsoft developed a registration system so that browsers can identify...
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...Security in the Smart Grid introduction Present and future battlefronts of electronic terrorism includes the state of readiness and resilience of the computer equipment protecting America's energy distribution networks and industrial control systems. According to a Pike research report [1] published March 1st of this year, it is projected that investments in smart grid cyber security will total $14 billion through 2018. First, what is a power grid? A power grid consists of several networks that carry electricity from the power plants where it is generated to consumers, and includes wires, substations, transformers, switches, software, and other hardware. The grid in the past used a centralized one-way communication distribution concept that consisted of limited automation, limited situational awareness, and did not provide the capability for consumers to manage their energy use. “Smart Grid” generally refers to a class of technology designed to upgrade the current utility grid infrastructure to improve the efficiency on the power network and in energy users’ homes and businesses. Much of the legacy power plant infrastructure is now over 30 years old with electrical transmission and distribution system components (i.e. power transformers) averaging over 40 years old and 70% of transmission lines being 25 years or older [2]. In December 2007, Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 became an official...
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...facilitate ecommerce through the use of business to business and business to customer technology. INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS What's the Buzz on Smart Grids? Case study 1. How smart grids differ from the current electricity infrastructure in the United States The current electricity infrastructure within the U.S. provides power to shoppers with the smart grid providing info of how shoppers use energy. This makes it exhausting to be able to develop varied methods and approaches to finding ways of optimally distributing power. This infrastructure conjointly doesn't effectively handle power that's generated from energy sources. On the opposite hand smart girds digitally deliver electricity from suppliers to shoppers in a vary means that enables back and forth communication between suppliers and shoppers thereby enhancing selections created on energy production and consumption. This helps in saving energy, reducing prices and pollution and increasing transparency and re-liableness since the smart grid system is able to apportion involuntary changes to the energy stations. This permitting induces the energy they have, enhancing higher energy distribution whereas preserving it at identical time (What's the Buzz on Smart Grids, 2010). 2. Management, organization and technology issues to be considered when developing a smart grid Such managerial controls need...
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...[1] SMART GRID: A Caminho da Rede Inteligente <http://www.cpqd.com.br/highlights/4368-smart-grid-a-caminho-da-rede-inteligente.html> acessado em 23.7.2011 às 11h23 [2] Réflexe, a Smart Grid project led by Veolia Environnement, is selected for France's future investments program' <http://www.veolia.com/en/medias/press-releases/reflexe.htm> acessado em 23.7.2011 às 11h31 [3] National Smart Grid Policy: Moving Toward a National Modernized Electrical Grid through Current Pilot and Demonstration Programs <http://pip.collegethink.com/media/files/papers/Scott_09_r.pdf> acessado em 23.7.2011 às 11h46 "O que foi projetado para atender a uma realidade do século XX, seguramente não conseguirá acompanhar satisfatoriamente as tendências de demanda do século XXI, onde o consumo de energia elétrica insiste em crescer a taxas sempre mais elevadas que o próprio PIB dos países."[1] "The Department of Energy (of USA) has identified three major problems of the electric grid: unreliability, inefficiency and enormous greenhouse gas emissions during electricity generation." [3] "As Americans use more and more electricity via electric vehicles, computers or iPods, the demand is surely out weighing the supply. This causes strain and congestion on the electric grid." [3] "the grid lacks efficiency. Most of the energy that is lost within the electrical grid is in the form of heat. However, if a five percent increase in the efficiency occurred...
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