...Vermont Teddy Bear Management information systems – MBA 615 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Current Situation 3 Business Situation 3 IT situation 3 Problem Statement 4 Proposed solutions and alternatives 4 Overview 4 ERP 6 Supply Chain Management Software 7 CRM 7 Data Warehouse 8 Localized upgrades 8 Comparative study 9 Ideal Infrastructure 10 Recommendations 11 References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 Executive Summary Vermont Teddy Bears is a private company that specializes in the manufacture of novelty items based on an e-commerce business model. Company management aims to generate new revenue streams through modifications to the retail system and the underlying IT infrastructure. The current IT infrastructure is robust enough and can handle peak times, but is constituted of an amalgamation of off-the-shelf software and home developed middleware with no comprehensive documentation available. The company CIO is studying four plans to upgrade the existing infrastructure, replacing legacy systems with an ERP, implementing a CRM system, implementing an SCM system, and creating a data warehouse for business analytics purposed. Also proposed is a mix and match alternative whereas only the necessary upgrades are done. An ideal model for the VTB IT infrastructure is built and compared against the proposed alternatives. A final recommendation combining 2 alternatives with the objective of upgrading...
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...(N01698367) (410 Arizona Ave, Fort Lauderdale FL, 33312) (Home and Work # 561 853-8294) Date of Submission: Sunday June 6, 2016 Title of Assignment: Vermont Teddy Bear case Study Analysis Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: Jack Pierre-Louis ****************************** Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Strategic challenges at Vermont Teddy Bear Founded in 1981 at the end of a severe economic recession that has affected the majority of the industrialized world, Vermont Teddy started out slow selling its products out of a cart. John Sorinto, the founder saw the potential and the enthusiasm of the public very quickly. Because of his early successes in that enterprise, he decided to make better qualities teddy bears according to Wheelen & Hunger, 2004. The company was so successful during its first fifteen years that management had to decide to change its approach and its business model not only to keep growing but also to stay in business. As researches show, companies...
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... * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Case Study September 24, 2012 John Rapa Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. case study Introduction Sports Products Inc. is a large producer of boating... Premium * Assessing The Goals Of Sports Products Inc Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Case Study Paper What should the management of Sports Products, Inc., pursue as its overriding goal? Why What... Premium * Case Analysis: Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Case Analysis: Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. Submitted by: Group 1 Acebedo, Gladys Bandiola, Penuel Bautista, Jherwienne Cruz... Premium * Assessing The Goals Of Sports Products, Inc. Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Establishing and monitoring goals of any organization can be a... Premium * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Maples University of Phoenix Finance for Decision Making FIN/419 Thomas Ster November 19, 2012 Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. Loren Seguara... Premium * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Product the firms stock price is falling. The management of Sports Products, Inc. should pursue its overriding goal by understanding the objectives needed for the firms... Premium * Assesing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc specific recommendations would you offer the firm? Ans: From the information available in the case study, we get a picture that this company has some...
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...Vermont Teddy Bear Report 1) How would you describe Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB)’s business model (the products and services it sells, target market/s to whom it sells them, the value proposition it offers, and its financial model)? Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB) has been found by John Sortino in 1981. This company has served as a gift delivery service with three main product lines: Bears (plush toys), PajamaGrams (apparel), and Calyx Flowers (gifts). All gift orders are made via four different channels (retail store, mail, phone, web order), each channel supported by different software. First, VTB’s customers design bears by selecting the colors and outfits from a menu of options. All bears are produced on the Shelburne campus; fabrics and raw materials are purchased from vendors worldwide. Second, VTB offers low-cost pajamas. Most pajamas are sold through department stores, mass merchandisers, and other outlets. Third, Calyx Flowers offers high-end floral arrangements for discerning customers who appreciated the long ‘vase life’. It purchases directly from growers and coordinates with shippers such as UPS to ensure that highly perishable fresh cut flowers would be refrigerated and given special care en route. The main target market of VTB is men between the ages of 20 to 64 buying for wives or girlfriends as a gift, many at the last moment. 2) How strong are VTB’s operational capabilities, given their chosen business...
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...Name: Grade: _______________ Date: 09/29/2015 Case #: 3 Case Name: Vermont Teddy Bear 1) How would you describe VTB's business model (the products and services it sells, target market's to whom it sells them, the value proposition it offers, and its financial model)? VTB relies on gift sales across its three separately managed brands- Teddy Bears, PajamaGrams, and Calyx Flowers. A customer can purchase a stock teddy bear or custom design one by selecting the color and outfit from the menu of options. PajamaGrams competes in both the general gift category and global apparel industry. Calyx Flowers offers high-end flower arrangements for discerning customers who appreciates the long ‘vase life’ that was achieved because the company dealt directly with a small number of flower growers worldwide. Therefore, VTB’s business is highly seasonal. The company makes the most money during Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s day. Although VTB targets both adults and children, most of its revenue comes from adults buying gifts for other adults. Back in the 90’s, the company relied on radio advertisements and toll-free number orders but with the technological advancement, the company is facing challenges to reinvent itself. 2) How strong are VTB's operational capabilities, given their chosen business model? What challenges do they face during so-called "peak experiences"? 3) How strong are VTB's information systems, given their strategic...
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...Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory In the late 1990s, it was all about the dot-com. While venture capital poured into the high-tech sector and the stock prices of dot-com startups rose rapidly, the performance of traditional companies paled in comparison. This era seemed like a very bad time to start a chain of brick-and mortar mall stores selling stuffed animals. Indeed, when Maxine Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1996, many critics thought that she was making a very poor business decision. But as the company nears the end of its first decade, it has more cheerleaders than naysayers. In 2005, one retail consultancy named Build-A-Bear one of the five hottest retailers. The company hit number 25 on BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth list of fast-expanding small companies. And founder and CEO Maxine Clark won Fast Company’s Customer-Centered Leader Award. How does a small startup company achieve such accolades? THE PRODUCT On paper, it all looks simple. Maxine Clark opened the first company store in 1996. Since then, the company has opened more than 370 stores and has custom-made tens of millions of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Annual revenues reached $474 million for 2007 and are growing at a steady and predictable 15 percent annually. After going public November of 2004, the company stock price soared 56 percent in just two years. Annual sales per square foot are $600, roughly double the average for U.S. mall stores. In fact, Build-A-Bear Workshops typically earns back almost...
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...ompany Case Notes Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory Synopsis This case illustrates the success that Build-A-Bear Workshop has achieved since its founding in 1996. A detailed description is given of the Build-A-Bear retail experience and why it is that both parents and children are drawn to this concept. Personalization, and not just customization, is the driving force. The case also highlights how founder Maxine Clark stays in touch with the customer and the employees. For Clark, management-by-walking-around is more than just a way to supervise operations. It is a way of conducting her own market research. Clark has also embraced the networking capabilities of the Internet as a way of keeping in touch with the customer. Future prospects for Build-A-Bear’s continued success are also discussed. Teaching Objectives The teaching objectives for this case are to: Introduce students to the concept of customer value creation and its central role in marketing. Allow students to analyze Build-A-Bear’s product offering in depth. Introduce the concepts involved in customer relationship management. Introduce the concepts of customer lifetime value and customer equity. Allow students to develop specific recommendations for Build-A-Bear’s future. Discussion Questions Give examples of needs, wants, and demands that Build-A-Bear customers demonstrate, differentiating each of these three concepts. What are the implications of each on Build-A-Bear’s actions? ...
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...danderson@bentley.edu Office Phone: 781 891 2238 Class Times: Section 100: Monday, 7:30 - 9:50 pm Office Hours: For quick/easy questions, send me an email. For tough questions, career advice and other matters, face to face is better, and I’m happy to meet with you by appointment. Description: GS601 provides an enterprise-wide perspective on the management of information technologies (IT), software applications and the operational processes they support, and the data and knowledge that inform business processes and decisions. The course focuses on how IT professionals and non-technical managers work together to ensure that applications and data are aligned with organizational strategy and business processes. The cases and readings examine how companies in various industries use IT to serve customers well, manage operations efficiently, coordinate with business partners, and make better business decisions. A key theme -- IT as a double-edged sword -- reflects a central challenge: how to maximize the strategic benefits of investments in hardware and software, while minimizing accompanying technical and business risks. The course places equal weight on technical and managerial skills. Our primary objective is to help students prepare to be effective contributors to IT initiatives in partnership with IT professionals, including external service providers here and abroad. Course Learning Objectives: · Understand how information systems – comprised of...
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...marketing works, but also how it relates to real decisions around the world. This book offers a truly global approach with cases and exhibits from all parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East, North and South America. It provides a complete and concentrated overview of the total international marketing planning process, along with many new, up-to-date exhibits and cases, which illustrate the theory by showing practical applications. • Extensive coverage of hot topics such as glocalization, born globals, value creation, value net, celebrity branding, brand piracy, and viral marketing, as well as a comprehensive new section on integrated marketing communication through social networking. • Brand new case studies focus on globally recognized brands and companies operating in a number of countries, including Build-A-Bear Workshop, Hello Kitty, Ralph Lauren and Sony Music Entertainment. • Global Marketing ‘Svend Hollensen writes with real authority and insight having been involved in global marketing both as a manager and academic. His book provides a framework within which managers can develop their own approach to overseas markets, and is illustrated with cases and insights that aid understanding.’ Fifth Edition Global Marketing A decision-oriented approach Svend Hollensen Video cases featuring firms such as Nivea, Reebok, Starbucks, Hasbro...
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...CHAPTER 23 Statement of Cash Flows ASSIGNMENT CLASSIFICATION TABLE (BY TOPIC) | | |Brief Exercises | | | Concepts for | |Topics |Questions | |Exercises |Problems |Analysis | |1. |Format, objectives purpose, and source |1, 2, 7, | | | |1, 2, 5, 6 | | |of statement. |8, 12 | | | | | |2. |Classifying investing, financing, and |3, 4, 5, 6, |1, 2, 3, |1, 2, 10, 16 | |1, 3, 4, 5 | | |operating activities. |16, 17, 19 |6, 7, | | | | | | | |8, 12 | | | | |3. |Direct vs. indirect methods of preparing|9, 20 |4, 5, 9, |3, 4 | |5 | | |operating activities. | |10, 11 | | | | |4. |Statement...
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...means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Other Press LLC, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. For information write to Other Press LLC, 307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1807, New York, NY 10001. Or visit our website: www.otherpress.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McGowan, Todd. Lacan and contemporary film / by Todd McGowan & Sheila Kunkle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59051-084-4 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Motion pictures-Psychological aspects. 2. Psychoanalysis and motion pictures. 3. Lacan, Jacques, 1901- I. Kunkle, Sheila. II. Title. PN1995 .M379 2004 791.43'01 '9-dc22 2003020952 Contributors Paul Eisenstein teaches literature and film in the English department at Otterbein College, Columbus, Ohio, and is the author of Traumatic Encounters: Holocaust Representation and the Hegelian Subject (SUNY Press, 2003). Anna Kornbluh is currently a student in the Ph.D. program in comparative literature at University of California, Irvine. Her work centers on libidinal economy. Sheila Kunkle teaches cultural theory at Vermont College. She is the author of numerous articles on Lacan, film, and cultural politics. Juliet Flower MacCannell is the author of Figuring Lacan (University of Nebraska Press, 1986), The...
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...sections, introducing the major concepts in language study – from how children learn language to why men and women speak differently, through all the key elements of language. This fourth edition has been revised and updated with twenty new sections, covering new accounts of language origins, the key properties of language, text messaging, kinship terms and more than twenty new word etymologies. To increase student engagement with the text, Yule has also included more than fifty new tasks, including thirty involving data analysis, enabling students to apply what they have learned. The online study guide offers students further resources when working on the tasks, while encouraging lively and proactive learning. This is the most fundamental and easy-to-use introduction to the study of language. George Yule has taught Linguistics at the Universities of Edinburgh, Hawai’i, Louisiana State and Minnesota. He is the author of a number of books, including Discourse Analysis (with Gillian Brown, 1983) and Pragmatics (1996). “A genuinely introductory linguistics text, well suited for undergraduates who have little prior experience thinking descriptively about language. Yule’s crisp and thought-provoking presentation of key issues works well for a wide range of students.” Elise Morse-Gagne, Tougaloo College “The Study of Language is one of the most accessible and entertaining introductions to linguistics available. Newly updated with a wealth of material for practice and discussion, it will...
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...How We Know What Isn't So The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life Thomas Gilovich THE FREE PRESS A Division of Macmillan, Inc. NEW YORK To Karen and liana Contents Acknowledgments 1. Introduction vn 1 PART ONE Cognitive Determinants of Questionable Beliefs 2. Something Out of Nothing: The Misperception and Misinterpretation of Random Data 3. Too Much from Too Little: The Misinterpretation of Incomplete and Unrepresentative Data 4. Seeing What We Expect to See: The Biased Evaluation of Ambiguous and Inconsistent Data 9 29 49 PART TWO Motivational and Social Determinants of Questionable Beliefs 5. Seeing What We Want to See: Motivational Determinants of Belief 6. Believing What We are Told: The Biasing Effects of Secondhand Information 7. The Imagined Agreement of Others: Exaggerated Impressions of Social Support 75 88 112 Contents PART THREE Examples of Questionable and Erroneous Beliefs 8. Belief in Ineffective "Alternative" Health Practices 9. Belief in the Effectiveness of Questionable Interpersonal Strategies 10. Belief in ESP 125 146 Acknowledgments 156 PART FOUR Where Do We Go from Here? 11. Challenging Dubious Beliefs: The Role of Social Science Notes Index 185 195 214 Four people made unusually significant contributions to this work and deserve special thanks. Lee Ross commented on drafts of many of the chapters and provided a number of his uniquely...
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...C h a p t e r 1 Prewriting GETTING STARTED (OR SOUP-CAN LABELS CAN BE FASCINATING) For many writers, getting started is the hardest part. You may have noticed that when it is time to begin a writing assignment, you suddenly develop an enormous desire to straighten your books, water your plants, or sharpen your pencils for the fifth time. If this situation sounds familiar, you may find it reassuring to know that many professionals undergo these same strange compulsions before they begin writing. Jean Kerr, author of Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, admits that she often finds herself in the kitchen reading soup-can labels—or anything—in order to prolong the moments before taking pen in hand. John C. Calhoun, vice president under Andrew Jackson, insisted he had to plow his fields before he could write, and Joseph Conrad, author of Lord Jim and other novels, is said to have cried on occasion from the sheer dread of sitting down to compose his stories. To spare you as much hand-wringing as possible, this chapter presents some practical suggestions on how to begin writing your short essay. Although all writers must find the methods that work best for them, you may find some of the following ideas helpful. But no matter how you actually begin putting words on paper, it is absolutely essential to maintain two basic ideas concerning your writing task. Before you write a single sentence, you should always remind yourself that 1. You have some valuable ideas to tell your reader,...
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...updated: April 26, 2016 Logical Reasoning Bradley H. Dowden Philosophy Department California State University Sacramento Sacramento, CA 95819 USA ii iii Preface Copyright © 2011-14 by Bradley H. Dowden This book Logical Reasoning by Bradley H. Dowden is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. That is, you are free to share, copy, distribute, store, and transmit all or any part of the work under the following conditions: (1) Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its author endorse you or your use of the work). (2) Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposes (for example, by inserting passages into a book that is sold to students). (3) No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. An earlier version of the book was published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California USA in 1993 with ISBN number 0-534-17688-7. When Wadsworth decided no longer to print the book, they returned their publishing rights to the original author, Bradley Dowden. The current version has been significantly revised. If you would like to suggest changes to the text, the author would appreciate your writing to him at dowden@csus.edu. iv Praise Comments on the earlier 1993 edition...
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