Morrow Enterprises Inc. manufactures bathroom fixtures. The stockholders’ equity accounts of Morrow Enterprises Inc., with balances on January 1, 20Y5, are as follows:

The following selected transactions occurred during the year:

ted corporate transactions

Instructions

Chart of Accounts

Amount Descriptions

T Accounts

Journal

Retained Earnings Statement

Stockholders’ Equity

X

Instructions

Morrow Enterprises Inc. manufactures bathroom fixtures. The stockholders’ equity accounts of Morrow Enterprises Inc., with balances on January 1, 20Y5, are as follows:

The following selected transactions occurred during the year:

X

Chart of Accounts

X

Amount Descriptions

Fukui Prefecture is situated on the northwest coast of Japan, over 400 kilometers west of
Tokyo. In 2014, over 95 percent of Japanese-produced eye-glass frames were made in Fukui
Prefecture, principally in the cities of Fukui and Sabae. In the early 20th century, the Fukui
economy was dominated by agriculture. Taking advantage of the seasonal lull in
employment during the winter months, Mr Masunaga Gozaemon and his brother Kohachi
started a business in the village of Shono to manufacture celluloid eye-glass frames.
Initially, the quality of Fukui-made eyeglasses was low. To raise standards, Mr
Gozaemon established a guild like system in which full-fledged craftsmen could set up their
own businesses. Production took off during World War I, and by 1937, the Fukui industry
comprised 70 factories employing 800 workers, and producing 1.5 million pairs of eyeglasses
a year.
In the 1980s, Fukui manufacturers perfected the production of titanium frames. These
are light and sturdy, and cause fewer allergies than conventional metals, but require
considerable skill to make. The strong tradition of craftsmanship in Fukui enabled the
production of titanium frames.
Mr Shoji Gozaemon, great grandson of the pioneer, Masunaga Gozaemon,
emphasized, “One of the characteristics of Japanese craftsmanship is a kind of redundancy of
detail. There is a tendency to pay careful attention to the minutest details. The spirit of
Japanese craftsmanship often involves spending more time and effort over producing
something than is strictly necessary” (Nippon.com 2012).
Besides manufacturers of eye-glass frames, the Fukui industry also includes
manufacturers and suppliers of lenses, sunglasses, reading glasses, parts, materials such as
titanium wire and preformin, and machines and tools.
With the entry of low-cost Chinese manufacturers into the market, the manufacturing
of eye-glasses in Fukui prefecture peaked in 1992. Within twenty years, by 2012, 40 percent
of Fukui eye-glass manufacturers had gone out of business, and employment and production
dropped by one-third. Another challenge is demographic. Japan is a rapidly ageing society.
In just eight years between 2011-17, the working population of Sabae fell by 11 percent to
30,000.
One possible response is automation. Fund manager, Howard Smith, asserts that
“with chronic depopulation challenges in rural areas, most companies must adapt or die. That
involves planning for succession and investing heavily in automation” (Financial Times,
2018).
(c) 2018. I.P.L. Png. This case is based in part on “Sabae, Fukui: A Town with an Eye for Design”,
Nippon.com, 24 April 2012, “Luxottica Group Invests in ‘made in Japan’”, Press Release, Luxottica
Group, 6 March 2018, and “Made in Japan: can handcrafted glasses survive an automated world?”
Financial Times, 4 April 2018.
2
Mr Ryozo Takeuchi is chairman of Takeuchi Optical, founded in 1932 and presently
employing 80 persons. Mr Takeuchi is also president of the Fukui Optical Association. He
describes automation as a buzz-word, and maintains that metal frames must be finished by
hand. In his factory, titanium frames pass through the hands of ten different workers and are
then polished for 72 hours in a bath of pulverized walnut shells.
Another response has been to shift away from the previous OEM (original equipment
manufacturing) model, in which Fukui produced eye-glasses and parts for international
brands such as Prada and Dior. In 1996, Fukui manufacturer Boston Club launched its own
brand, Japonism, and followed up in 2002, by opening a retail store in the fashionable
Minami-Aoyama district of Tokyo.
Chief designer of Boston Club, Kasashima Hironobu, remarked, “Traveling to
international fairs overseas … brought home to me that constantly emphasizing the technical
know-how we have built up over the years is not enough to make us internationally
competitive. ... We need to promote the worldview expressed by our brand and appeal to the
consumer by emphasizing the values that lie behind it” (Nippon.com 2012).
Boston Club’s previous strategy had been to design products that could only be made
with Japanese technology. Turning design convention on its head, Boston Club decided to
emphasize durability – to produce eyeglasses which could be used for life. It developed the
new Rudder Hinge which can be detached and replaced when necessary. With replaceable
parts, the frames can be used almost indefinitely.
In 2003, over 20 Sabae manufacturers joined to develop an industry brand, “291.” In
2008, they opened Glass Gallery 291, a retail outlet in the Aoyama district of Tokyo and then
another outlet in the Megane Museum at Sabae. In 2017, Masunaga Optical, the company
founded by pioneer Masunaga Gozaemon, employed 173 workers at its factory, and operated
retail stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Nara.
However, not all Fukui eye-glass manufacturers have been able to adapt. Some lack
the managerial expertise or capital. Looking out from his factory, Mr Takeuchi pointed to
three businesses that had recently gone bankrupt.
Some owners are selling. Founded in 1966, Fukui Megane presently employs 170
workers and specializes in making titanium and solid gold frames. It pioneered multi-colored
gold frames and is still the only the producer in the world. In March 2018, Fukui Megane
sold a 67 percent stake to multinational eyeware manufacturer, Luxottica, which owns brands
including Ray Ban and Oakley, and manufactures for brands such as Chanel, Prada, and
Giorgio Armani.
Luxottica Group Executive Chairman, Mr Leonardo Del Vecchio, explained that “The
acquisition of Fukui Megane represents a first step for the entry of our Group in the world of
Japanese production. We intend to continue investing to recreate a productive pole of
excellence in Sabae, in line with the Luxottica model. For the first time in the history of
3
eyewear, we will have under the same roof two great artisan schools such as the Italian and
the Japanese ones” (Luxoticca 2018).
The aging ownership of other Fukui eye-glass manufacturers without successorship
plans presents an opportunity for mergers and acquisitions. Specialists, Nihon M&A Center,
M&A Capital Partners, and Strike, can help find buyers and consolidate and automate the
industry.
In 2007, former investment banker, Mr Kenzo Matsumura, bought five companies
that were spun off from the merger of Japanese toy manufacturers Tomy and Takara. Among
them was a trading house that sold reading glasses through a television shopping channel. Mr
Matsumura expected that, in a fast ageing society, the demand for reading glasses would
boom. However, the reading glasses were bad and hardly profitable. The cost of production
was 3,300 Yen, the trading house charged a wholesale price of 3700 Yen, while the television
channel priced the glasses at 10,000 Yen.
The condition of the factory in Sabae was parlous. In Mr Matsumura’s words, “The
machinery was battered and looked 40 years old. There were women doing lens coatings by
hand. Everything was manual. The defect rate was 30 percent” (Financial Times, 2018).
Major lens manufacturers like Hoya and Nikon outsourced production to China and
Thailand. Mr Matsumura criticized their strategy, “If you fully automate a factory, you can
be in Japan running that factory more productively and at lower cost than in China”
(Financial Times, 2018).
He set up an automated factory in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, which produces
Hazuki reading glasses at a rate of 20,000 a day. Shrouded in secrecy, with further
automation, the factory is expected to triple the rate of production.
Hazuki has also repositioned the product as a sophisticated fashion item, while
maintaining the retail price at 10,000 Yen. In February 2018, during the Winter Olympics,
Hazuki spent US$5 million on television advertising, which led to a spectacular boost in sales.

Questions:

1. With reference to the Japanese eye-glass manufacturing industry, discuss why productivity differs within an industry.
2. What does a buyer get from acquiring a Fukui manufacturer of eye-glass frames?
Compare the benefits to Luxoticca vis-à-vis a private equity firm.
3. Do you agree with Mr Takeuchi that automation is a buzz-word?
4. If you were Mr Matsumura, where would you locate your factory? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of locating in a cluster.

Question - Write a Client class with a main method that tests the data structures as follows:

• For the ArrayStack, LinkedStack, ArrayQueue, LinkedQueue, and ArrayList:
  • Perform a timing test for each of these data structures.
  • Each timing test should measure in nanoseconds how long it takes to add and remove N Integers from the structure.
  • N should vary from 10 to 1,000,000,000 increasing N by a factor of 10 for each test.
  • Depending on your system you may run out of memory before you reach the maximum value of N.
    • If you run out of memory, and your program crashes just decrease the maximum value of N by a factor of 10 and try a new run.
    • You should see that your program throws an OutOfMemoryError
    • Generally, you should not try to catch an Error because your memory space might be corrupted and there is not guarantee that you can recover from the error.
  • Test results must be displayed in a nicely formatted ASCII table similar to the examples provided.
  • In the ASCII table:
    • Values in each cell are padded by 2 blank spaces
    • Each column is just wide enough to display the widest entry in that column including the cell padding. Your program must dynamically adjust the width of each column based on the values that it needs to print.
    • Numeric values must be printed using the comma thousand separator, i.e.
      • you must print a large number like 12,345
      • and not 12345
    • It is strongly suggested that you create a method that generates and prints the ASCII table. You could pass this method a 2-dimensional array of values that are to be printed.
    • Future assignments may require that you print out results in a similar ASCII table.
  • You should have two final runs in your Word document.
  • For the first run set the max value of N to 1,000,000 so that the times are fairly small.
  • For the second run set the max value of N to 1,000,000,000
  • If you run out of memory reduce the max value of N by a factor of 10 and try a new run.
  • For this assignment your ASCII tables do NOT need to have column labels.
  • Include both runs in your Word document.
• ArrayStack code:

• public class ArrayStack<E> implements Stack<E> {
  public static final int CAPACITY=1000; // default array capacity
  private E[ ] data; // generic array used for storage
  private int t = -1; // index of the top element in stack
  public ArrayStack( ) { this(CAPACITY); } // constructs stack with default capacity
  public ArrayStack(int capacity) { // constructs stack with given capacity
  data = (E[ ]) new Object[capacity]; // safe cast; compiler may give warning
  }
  public int size( ) { return (t + 1); }
  public boolean isEmpty() {return (t == -1); }
  public void push(E e) throws IllegalStateException {
  if (size( ) == data.length) throw new IllegalStateException("Stack is full");
  data[++t] = e; // increment t before storing new item
  }
  public E top( ) {
  if (isEmpty( )) return null;
  return data[t];
  }
  public E pop( ) {
  if (isEmpty( )) return null;
  E answer = data[t];
  data [t] = null; // dereference to help garbage collection
  t--;
  return answer;
  }
  }

• LinkedStack code:

• public class LinkedStack<E> implements Stack<E> {
  private SinglyLinkedList<E> list = new SinglyLinkedList<>( ); // an empty list
  public LinkedStack( ) { } // new stack relies on the initially empty list
  public int size( ) { return list.size( ); }
  public boolean isEmpty( ) { return list.isEmpty( ); }
  public void push(E element) { list.addFirst(element); }
  public E top( ) { return list.first( ); }
  public E pop( ) { return list.removeFirst( ); }
  }

• ArrayQueue code:

• public class ArrayQueue<E> implements Queue<E> {
  // instance variables
  private E[ ] data; // generic array used for storage
  private int f = 0; // index of the front element
  private int sz = 0;
  private static int CAPACITY = 1000;
  // current number of elements

  // constructors
  public ArrayQueue( ) {this(CAPACITY);} // constructs queue with default capacity
  public ArrayQueue(int capacity) { // constructs queue with given capacity
  data = (E[ ]) new Object[capacity]; // safe cast; compiler may give warning
  }

  // methods
  /** Returns the number of elements in the queue. */
  public int size( ) { return sz; }

  /** Tests whether the queue is empty. */
  public boolean isEmpty( ) { return (sz == 0); }

  /** Inserts an element at the rear of the queue. */
  public void enqueue(E e) throws IllegalStateException {
  if (sz == data.length) throw new IllegalStateException("Queue is full");
  int avail = (f + sz) % data.length; // use modular arithmetic
  data[avail] = e;
  sz++;
  }

  /** Returns, but does not remove, the first element of the queue (null if empty). */
  public E first( ) {
  if (isEmpty( )) return null;
  return data[f];
  }

  /** Removes and returns the first element of the queue (null if empty). */
  public E dequeue( ) {
  if (isEmpty( )) return null;
  E answer = data[f];
  data[f] = null; // dereference to help garbage collection
  f = (f + 1) % data.length;
  sz--;
  return answer;
  }
  }

• LinkedQueue code:

• public class LinkedQueue<E> implements Queue<E> {
  private SinglyLinkedList<E> list = new SinglyLinkedList<>( ); // an empty list
  public LinkedQueue( ) { } // new queue relies on the initially empty list
  public int size( ) { return list.size( ); }
  public boolean isEmpty( ) { return list.isEmpty( ); }
  public void enqueue(E element) { list.addLast(element); }
  public E first( ) { return list.first( ); }
  public E dequeue( ) { return list.removeFirst( ); }
  }

• ArrayList Code:

• public class ArrayList<E> implements List<E> {
  // instance variables
  public static final int CAPACITY=16; // default array capacity
  private E[ ] data; // generic array used for storage
  private int size = 0; // current number of elements
  // constructors
  public ArrayList( ) { this(CAPACITY); } // constructs list with default capacity
  public ArrayList(int capacity) { // constructs list with given capacity
  data = (E[ ]) new Object[capacity]; // safe cast; compiler may give warning
  }
  // public methods
  /** Returns the number of elements in the array list. */
  public int size( ) { return size; }
  /** Returns whether the array list is empty. */
  public boolean isEmpty( ) { return size == 0; }
  /** Returns (but does not remove) the element at index i. */
  public E get(int i) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException {
  checkIndex(i, size);
  return data[i];
  }
  /** Replaces the element at index i with e, and returns the replaced element. */
  public E set(int i, E e) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException {
  checkIndex(i, size);
  E temp = data[i];
  data[i] = e;
  return temp;
  }
  /** Inserts element e to be at index i, shifting all subsequent elements later. */
  public void add(int i, E e) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException,
  IllegalStateException {
  checkIndex(i, size + 1);
  if (size == data.length) // not enough capacity
  throw new IllegalStateException("Array is full");
  for (int k=size-1; k>= i; k--) // start by shifting rightmost
  data[k+1] = data[k];
  data[i] = e; // ready to place the new element
  size++;
  }
  /** Removes/returns the element at index i, shifting subsequent elements earlier. */
  public E remove(int i) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException {
  checkIndex(i, size);
  E temp = data[i];
  for (int k=i; k< size-1; k++) // shift elements to fill hole
  data[k] = data[k+1];
  data[size-1] = null; // help garbage collection
  size--;
  return temp;
  }
  // utility method
  /** Checks whether the given index is in the range [0, n−1]. */
  protected void checkIndex(int i, int n) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException {
  if (i < 0 || i >= n)
  throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException("Illegal index: " + i);
  }
  
  /** Resizes internal array to have given capacity >= size. */
  protected void resize(int capacity) {
  E[ ] temp = (E[ ]) new Object[capacity]; // safe cast; compiler may give warning
  for (int k=0; k < size; k++)
  temp[k] = data[k];
  data = temp; // start using the new array
  }
  /** Inserts element e to be at index i, shifting all subsequent elements later. */

  }

Based on article below, Which distribution channel structure was adopted by IKEA in Russia? Please provide evidence to support your answer.

(word limit: 250)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, lKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

QUESTION: Mr. Horwell is unsure that NOBU has the resources to support the entire IMC you suggested in Q3(advertising, personal selling, public relations, social media marketing, sales promotion). Please rank the promotional mix tools (1= highest priority to 4= lowest priority) and justify.

Traveling in Nobu Style: Converting Restaurant Patrons to Hotel Guests The name “Nobu” is synonymous with an exceptional Japanese dining experience, perfected by chef Nobu Matsuhisa over a more than 30-year career. Matsuhisa, together with actor Robert De Niro and restaurateur Drew Nieporent, opened the first Nobu restaurant in 1994 and to date, there are now 38 Nobu restaurants worldwide. But if you talk to Trevor Horwell, the CEO of Nobu Hospitality, Nobu represents much more than just a restaurant experience. It’s a true lifestyle brand that also encompasses a relatively small, but growing portfolio of luxury hotels, too — eight of which are open now, and eight more are in the pipeline. Horwell’s primary focus as CEO is to continue to grow the Nobu Hotels brand and as he opens up diners’ eyes to the fact that cannot only eat at a Nobu but stay at one, too, he hasn’t forgotten the brand’s origins in the process. “We don’t normally do a hotel unless we think that a Nobu Restaurant can do well in that location,” said Horwell. “That’s very important because what we want to do first and foremost is to make sure there is a draw for locals, and that really comes down to the Nobu Restaurant.” Horwell said the majority of his Nobu hotel restaurant diners — 80 percent on average — are local residents, not hotel guests. “It’s not like a tourist restaurant. We like to attract the locals. We want that built-in customer.” “We are defined by the restaurant, in a way,” he said. “We play to our strengths. If you look at the hotel business today, the majority of hotels are suffering because they don’t lead with food and beverage. don’t have strong food-and-beverage concepts, and a lot of hotels are losing money. Today, we play to our strengths because that is one area that we do very, very well, and we bring in locals.” The idea to launch Nobu Hotels, he said, came from the fact that when Nobu Restaurants were located inside of a hotel, they “were the draw for the hotel and we were bringing in customers.” “If I only convert 5 percent of my customers in Nobu Restaurant to stay in our hotels, then at the end of the day, we’re filling out hotels. It’s not a tall order to do that, and you can do that very well and very quickly if you offer the right product.” Nobu Hotels has the advantage of having built its brand over a 24-year period with its restaurants first, followed by the first Nobu hotel that opened within Caesars Palace Las Vegas in 2013. “The first focus for us, really, is to expose the brand to our restaurant customers,” Horwell said. “We touch all types of Nobu customers. And we also provide instant identity. If you put ‘Nobu Hotel’ on a hotel, the word ‘Nobu’ says something and it attracts a certain type of customer.” Horwell said that, for example, when the first Nobu opened, the hotel had “more than one billion media impressions.” So, what’s next for the brand, and how does Horwell plan to grow Nobu Hotels? He explained, “We’re not driven by reservations systems because we’re small. It isn’t as if we need a huge reservations system to fill a 400-room hotel. That’s why a lot of these corporations do well, because they have the reservations platform to fill the big hotels.” Nobu Hotels, by comparison, average anywhere from 100 to 150 rooms generally. “The reason why those young lifestyle brands have emerged is because they’re like us. They are entrepreneurial, they’re unique because it’s a concept that’s come from the heart, from whoever is the original founder. But when it’s absorbed by a corporation, the whole thing changes. At the end of the day, the specialness is lost because then the corporation’s running it, and then, I think you lose what your original concept was all about. I think that’s the biggest issue.” Horwell also doesn’t necessarily think of Nobu Hotels as occupying a place in luxury hospitality, instead referring to the brand as “special.” “I look at our hotels not as luxury,” he said. “I look at them as special. I like us to be special, in each location we’re in. ‘Luxury’ is a word that’s used too much in terms of ‘everything is luxury today.’ For us, we’re ‘special.'” “That’s why I’m saying, from a company perspective, we’re very entrepreneurial. Today’s evolving luxury traveler is seeking “youthfulness” no matter what age they are, and they are “very curious and very adventurous. Because of that, it’s important for hospitality brands, Nobu included, to not just say they’re unique but to really offer unique experiences. He pointed to Nobu Ryokan Malibu in California as an example. The 16-room retreat overlooks the beach and is right by the ocean, and right next door to the Nobu Restaurant in Malibu. It becomes a destination, and that’s something Nobu wants to offer. It’s also a different concept from what the other Nobu Hotels have. While Nobu Hotels are places where there’s an emphasis on bringing in the locals, the Ryokans are meant to be more private. “The Ryokan is actually a place where people don’t want to necessarily be seen,” Horwell explained. “It’s a hideaway, a retreat. You can only book through a general manager and it’s a special place.” He added, “We will do more Ryokans, definitely, in locations that we think is right.” A major focus for Nobu Hotels is to grow the company and the brand with the right talent and partners, as well as make sure that the Nobu Hotels brand is reaching the right consumers. “The most important thing, from our perspective, is to build a relationship with our existing customers,” he said. “It’s about, first and foremost, on digital, working our databases. We like to do that through email, through a lot of channels. We just brought on a new head of digital. Capturing data is very, very important now, and that’s something that is a main focus and her team.” “I think the main thing for us is the customer relationship management (CRM) because you can do so much with it,” he said. “You can know your customer. It’s one part of the business that we are heavily focused in in and we can extract a lot of information from that.” In addition to beefing up its customer relationship management system, Nobu is also testing out a loyalty partnership, of sorts. The Nobu London Shoreditch joined Design Hotels last year, giving the property access to distribution on Design Hotels’ site, as well as a connection to the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program. Three Nobu hotels are also members of Leading Hotels of the World. “A lot of our customers aren’t driven by points,” he said. “When I travel, I don’t go for points. I want to stay in a hotel where I enjoy the staff, the food and beverage, the products — all of that — and I will pay a premium for it.” Appendix A Additional Information about NOBU Nobu Hotels "A Place to go and be seen" By “wrapping” the concept of a luxurious boutique hotel around energized public spaces, Nobu Hotels creates powerful stages for shared experiences of excitement and escapism. Featuring the best of everything with imaginative new restaurants, high- energy bars, relaxing rejuvenation, distinctive service, remarkable retail and an air of celebrity, Nobu Hotels will afford guests and privileged owners the most exclusive entry into unparalleled experiences that lay at the crossroads of innovation and imagination. Source: Excerpted from ‘Nobu Hotels CEO on a Restaurant-First Approach to Hospitality’ by D. Ting. Skift – March 22, 2018. +Experts and image from Nobu restaurant and hotel website

Based on article below, What internal and external factors impacted the pricing decisions of IKEA in the Russian market?

(word limit: 250)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, lKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

Based on Article below,Discuss the promotion mix for IKEA in Russia and its effectiveness. How would you improve it?

(word limit: 300)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, IKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

This is a javascript assignment/study guide for an exam. There are 25 steps that are outlined by // comments...

<html>
<head>
<style type="text/css">
body {font-family:Comic Sans MS;}
</style>
<script language="javascript">
<!--
function fred()
{
//
// There are 25 questions related to the HTML objects shown on the page
// They are all in the form named "twocities".
//
// Each part of the assignment below instructs you to manipulate or examine
// the value of the HTML elements and place an answer in one
// of twenty-five span blocks that appear on this page.
//
// e.g., for span block named "ans1" you will say:
//
// ans1.innerHTML = "some string";
//
//
// the questions 1 through 15 below use the string value from the textarea named "begins"
// stored in a variable named "beg" like this:

beg=document.twocities.begins.value;
len_beg=beg.length;
//
// *** First remove all the periods, commas and hyphens from the "beg" string before you answer questions 1 through 15
//

//
// ***(1) how many words are the string named "beg"? (words not characters)
// *** show the answer in the span block with id = "ans1"
//

//
// ***(2) store words in the string "beg" in an array.
// *** show the first and last elements of the array in the span block with id="ans2"
//

//
// ***(3) show each word in the array produced in (2) above on one line separated by commas
// *** in the span block with id="ans3"
//

//
// ***(4) create a new string using the value of "beg" where all the characters are capitalized
// *** show the new string in the span block with id="ans4"
//

//
// ***(5) count the number of times the letters "a", "e", "i", "o", "u" appear in the string "beg"
// *** show these 5 counts on one line separated by commas in the span block with id="ans5"
//

//
// ***(6) show the location of each occurence of the character "e" in the string "beg"
// *** on one line separated by commas in the span block with id="ans6"
//

//
// ***(7) show the location where each word begins in the string named "beg"
// *** show the answers on one line separated by commas in the span block with id="ans7"
//

//
// ***(8) place the words in the string "beg" in a table with a one pixel border,
// *** with a gray backgound. Use only ten cells per row. Empty cells should contain
// *** the word "null". Show the table in the span block with id="ans8"
//

//
// ***(9) replace each occurence of the blank character in "beg" with the character "*"
// *** show the result in the span block with id="ans9"
//

//
// ***(10) sort the words in array created in (2) into alphabetical order
// *** show the results in the span block with id="ans10" on a single line
//

//
// ***(11) show the ASCII character number of each character in the string "beg"
// *** separate each value with a comma and place the result on a single line in the span block
// *** with id="ans11"
//

//
// ***(12) count the number of words in the string "beg" that have 2,3,4,5 or 6 characters
// *** show these five counts on a single line separated by commas in the span block with id="ans12"
//

//
// ***(13) create a new string that contains the words in the string "beg" in reverse order
// *** show this new string on a single line in the span block with id="ans13"
//

//
// ***(14) create a new string that contains the characters in the string "beg" in all capital letters
// *** show this new string on a single line in the span block with id="ans14"
//

//
// ***(15) store the number of times the letter "a" appears in the string "beg" in 1st location;
// *** store the number of times the letter "b" appears in the string "beg" in 2nd location;
// *** store the number of times the letter "c" appears in the string "beg" in 3rd location;
// *** store the number of times the letter "d" appears in the string "beg" in 4th location;
// *** etc.
// *** show the 26 counts on one line separated by commas in the span block with id="ans15"
//

//
// ***(16) Examine the radio buttons and produce a list of the three "values" of the radios buttons separated by commas on a single line
// in the span block with id="ans16"

//
// ***(17) Show the value of the radio button which is checked and its elements number separated by a comma on a line by itself
// *** in the span block with id="ans17"
//

//
// *** (18) Show the elements number and value of the six checkboxes in a six-row, two-column table with a 2 pixel border
// *** in the span block with id="ans18"
//

//
// ***(19) Examine the checkboxes and produce a list of the "values" of the checkboxes that are checked. Separated the values by commas on a single line
//

//
// ***(20) Show the values of all the options in the select (drop down menu) named "book3chapters" in an fifteen-column one row table with a 2 pixel border border
// *** in the span block with id="ans20"
//

//
// ***(21) Show the value of the select (drop down menu) named "book3chapters" which is selected and its selectedIndex value separated by a comma on a line by itself
// *** in the span block with id="ans21"
//

//
// *** Retrieve the value of the textarea named "beg" again and store it in a variable named "beg2", DO NOT REMOVE ANY CHARACTERS
// *** You will use this string for questions 22 and 23

//
// *** (22) Show the text phrases that are separated by commas in the string "beg2" . Each phrase should be on a line by itself.
// *** Place the result in the span block with id="ans22"
//

//
// *** (23) Capitalize the first letter of each phrase from #22 bove (phrases are separated by commas) in the original string "beg2".
// *** Place each phrase should be on a line by itself.
// *** Place the result in the span block with id="ans23"
//
//
// *** (24) Make the third radio button ("The Track of The Storm") checked.
// *** Make ALL six of the checkboxes be checked.
// *** Make the select named "book3chapters" (the drop down menu) show "Fifty-Two" as the selection
// *** Place the string "DONE!" in the span block with id="ans24"

//
// *** (25) Place the famous last line of the book (without quotes) in the span block with id="ans25"
//

}
-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<CENTER>
<TABLE border="2" width="100%">
<TR><TD width="120" valign="middle" align="center" bgColor="#bbbbbb"><center><IMG align="top" alt="capt webb" border=2 src="captsm.gif"><BR><span STYLE="font-size:8px">Capt. Horatio T.P. Webb</span></center></TD>
<TD valign="middle" bgColor="#bbbbbb" colSpan="2" align="center"><center><B>ASSIGNMENT #1 Javascript<br>MIS 3371 Transaction Processing I<BR>Parks -- Spring 2016</B><BR><span STYLE="font-size:10px">Version 1 -- Last Updated 9:00 AM 1/12/2016</span></center></TD></TR></table></center>
The text used in this assignment is from Charles Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities" written in 1859<br>Read it at the free online book site:<br>Project Gutenberg: <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/98/pg98.txt">http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/98/pg98.txt</a>
<form name="twocities">
<p>All the HTML elements below are in a form named "twocities". View "Source" to see the 25 questions.
<p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tr><td valign="top">1. The textarea below is named <b>begins</b><br>It contains the opening text of the book (form elements number 0)
<br><textarea style="margin:6px;" name="begins" rows="10" cols="80">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way --
in short, the period was so far like the present period,
that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,
for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.</textarea></td>
<td valign="top">2. The novel "A Tale of Two Cities" is divided into 3 books named below.<br>
There are 3 radio buttons below are named: <b>books</b><br>(form elements 1 &rarr; 3).
<br>Their values are: "1", "2" and "3"
<p><input type="radio" name="books" value="1" checked> Recalled To Life&nbsp;
<br><input type="radio" name="books" value="2"> The Golden Thread&nbsp;
<br><input type="radio" name="books" value="3"> The Track of The Storm&nbsp;
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td valign="top">3. The titles of the six chapters of the first book are shown below.
<br>The 6 checkboxes below are named: <b>c1</b> &rarr; <b>c6</b> (form elements 4 &rarr; 9). <br>
Their values are the same as the text that appear to the right of each checkbox.
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c1" value="The Period">The Period
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c2" value="The Mail" checked>The Mail
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c3" value="The Night Shadows">The Night Shadows
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c4" value="The Prepartion" checked>The Preparation
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c5" value="The Wine Shop">The Wine-shop
<br>&nbsp;<input type="checkbox" name="c6" value="The Shoemaker" checked>The Shoemaker</b>
</td><td valign="top">4. The select (drop down menu) below is named <b>book3chapters</b>
<br>(form elements number 10).
<br>The fifteen options are the titles of the fifteen chapters in Book 3.
<br>The values of the 15 options are the same as the option text shown on the select below:
<p>
<select name="book3chapters">
<option value="In Secret">In Secret
<option value="The Grindstone">The Grindstone
<option value="The Shadow">The Shadow
<option value="Calm in Storm">Calm in Storm
<option value="The Wood-sawyer">The Wood-sawyer
<option value="Triumph">Triumph
<option value="A Knock at the Door">A Knock at the Door
<option value="A Hand at Cards">A Hand at Cards
<option value="The Game Made">The Game Made
<option value="The Substance of the Shadow">The Substance of the Shadow
<option value="Dusk">Dusk
<option value="Darkness">Darkness
<option value="Fifty-two">Fifty-two
<option value="The Knitting Done">The Knitting Done
<option value="The Footsteps Die Out For Ever">The Footsteps Die Out For Ever
</select></b></td></tr></table>
</form>
<p>
<ol>
<li><span id="ans1">Contents of the span block with id="LuL"</span>
<li><span id="ans2">Contents of the span block with id="ans2"</span>
<li><span id="ans3">Contents of the span block with id="ans3"</span>
<li><span id="ans4">Contents of the span block with id="ans4"</span>
<li><span id="ans5">Contents of the span block with id="ans5"</span>
<li><span id="ans6">Contents of the span block with id="ans6"</span>
<li><span id="ans7">Contents of the span block with id="ans7"</span>
<li><span id="ans8">Contents of the span block with id="ans8"</span>
<li><span id="ans9">Contents of the span block with id="ans9"</span>
<li><span id="ans10">Contents of the span block with id="ans10"</span>
<li><span id="ans11">Contents of the span block with id="ans11"</span>
<li><span id="ans12">Contents of the span block with id="ans12"</span>
<li><span id="ans13">Contents of the span block with id="ans13"</span>
<li><span id="ans14">Contents of the span block with id="ans14"</span>
<li><span id="ans15">Contents of the span block with id="ans15"</span>
<li><span id="ans16">Contents of the span block with id="ans16"</span>
<li><span id="ans17">Contents of the span block with id="ans17"</span>
<li><span id="ans18">Contents of the span block with id="ans18"</span>
<li><span id="ans19">Contents of the span block with id="ans19"</span>
<li><span id="ans20">Contents of the span block with id="ans20"</span>
<li><span id="ans21">Contents of the span block with id="ans21"</span>
<li><span id="ans22">Contents of the span block with id="ans22"</span>
<li><span id="ans23">Contents of the span block with id="ans23"</span>
<li><span id="ans24">Contents of the span block with id="ans24"</span>
<li><span id="ans25">Contents of the span block with id="ans25"</span>
</ol>
<br><input type="button" value="this button executes the function fred()" onClick="fred()">
</body>
</HTML>

Personal Trainer, Inc. owns and operates fitness centers in a dozen Midwestern cities. The centers have done well, and the company is planning an international expansion by opening a new “supercenter” in the Toronto area.

Background

Cassia Umi, president, heads Personal Trainer’s management team. Three managers report to her at the firm’s Chicago headquarters: Janet McDonald, manager, finance; Tai Tranh, manager, sales and marketing; and Reed Curry, manager, operations. The managers who run the 12 existing centers all report to Reed. Cassia wants the new supercenter to emphasize a wide variety of personal services and special programs for members. If the supercenter approach is successful, it will become the model for Personal Trainer’s future growth. Cassia personally selected Gray Lewis, a manager with three years of fitness center experience, to run the new facility.

The new supercenter will feature a large exercise area with state-of-the-art equipment, a swimming pool, a sporting goods shop, a health food store, and a snack bar. In addition, the center will offer child care with special programs for various ages, a teen center, and a computer café. Cassia also wants members to have online access to customized training programs and progress reports.

Personal Trainer currently uses BumbleBee, a popular accounting package, to manage its receivables, payables, and general ledger. Membership lists and word processing are handled with Microsoft Office products.

Cassia believes the new supercenter will require additional data management capability, and she decided to hire Patterson and Wilder, an IT consulting firm, to help Personal Trainer develop an information system for the new operation. The firm assigned Susan Park, an experienced consultant, to work with the Personal Trainer team. Susan’s first task was to learn more about business operations at the new center, so she requested a meeting with Gray. After some small talk, the discussion went like this:

Susan: Tell me about your plans for the new operation. I’m especially interested in what kind of information management you’ll need.

Gray: Cassia thinks that we’ll need more information support because of the size and complexity of

the new operation. To tell the truth, I’m not so sure. We’ve had no problem with BumbleBee at

the other centers, and I don’t really want to reinvent the wheel.

Susan: Maybe we should start by looking at the similarities — and the differences — between the new

center and the existing ones.

Gray: Okay, let’s do that. First of all, we offer the same basic services everywhere. That includes the exercise equipment, a pool, and, in most centers, a snack bar. Some centers also sell sporting goods, and one offers child care but not child-fitness programs. It is true that we’ve never put all this together under one roof. And, I admit, we’ve never offered online access. To be honest, I’m not absolutely sure what Cassia has in mind when she talks about 24/7 Web-based access. One more feature — we plan to set up two levels of membership — let’s call them silver and gold for now. Silver members can use all the basic services, but will pay additional fees for some special programs, such as child fitness. Gold members will have unlimited use of all services.

Susan: So, with all this going on, wouldn’t an overall system make your job easier?

Gray: Yes, but I don’t know where to start.

Susan: Gray, that’s why I’m here. I’ll work with you and the rest of the team to come up with a solution that supports your business.

Gray: Sounds good to me. When can we start?

Susan: Let’s get together first thing tomorrow. Bring along an organization chart and think about how you plan to run the new facility. We’ll try to build a model of the new operation so we can identify the business functions. When we know what the functions are, we’ll know what kind of information is needed or generated by each function. That will be our starting point.

Tasks

1. Each new supercenter service represents a business function, which is composed of one or more business processes. Using the background information and the conversation Susan and Gray, list the business functions and processes within each function.