Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain

Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain Upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain Introduction The design teams project aim: To propose a program and new engine design to upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain The following report discusses weaknesses of the current LR Defender along with a subsequent review of advanced engine technologies. Finally the design targets for the new proposed engine are defined with all necessary parameters calculated and justified. The design team have also considered the cost, manufacturability and marketing affects of the new engine as well as the performance requirements. Benchmarking The current LR Defender engine will be critically analysed in-relation to the vehicles main competitors in the market place. This will allow the weaknesses of the current engine model to be determined and thus rectified for the new specification engine. The engine throughout the following section will be critically analysed in the following main areas; Acceleration speed performance Engine power effectiveness (MEP and power density) Emissions of harmful gases and particulates Fuel economy The potential customer perception of vehicles engine and other performance criterion (including value for money). The following competitor vehicles were researched and compared to the current LR Defender to establish baseline requirements for the new spec engine; Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (regarded as the main competitor) Mercedes-Benz G-Class G550 Nissan Patrol GR Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0 D For a table of the above vehicles full specifications, benchmarked with the existing LR Defender, refer to Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1. Analysis Discussion By reviewing the benchmarking table, Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1, it becomes apparent that the current LR Defender is slower than its competitors by taking 14.7 seconds to reach 0 62 mph compared with the Jeep Wranglers time of 11.7 seconds. Although the LR Defender is not expected to have a very fast acceleration time, as it is an off-utility vehicle, potential customers may be discouraged by the Defenders slow acceleration characteristics compared to the Jeep and its other competitors. The fastest acceleration time is achieved by the Mercedes-Benz G550 which can go 0 62 mph in an impressive 6.1 seconds with its supercharged 5L V8 petrol engine. The cost of the Mercedes-Benz G550 however is 50,250 (compared to 27,610 for the Defender) and has twice the engine capacity of the Defender, so is expected to be far more powerful with its petrol engine compared to the 2.4L turbocharged diesel Defender engine. The design teams proposal is that the current LR Defender engine should at least match or beat its rival the Jeep Wrangler in areas such as acceleration time from 0-62 mph as the Defender is more expensive than the Jeep and approximately 230kg lighter. Another issue is that the Defenders top speed is the lowest out of all its competitors. This low top speed has also attracted criticism from motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) who stated that the biggest drawback of the LR Defender is its weak engine and thus corresponding slow acceleration and top speed. The new LR Defender engine must eliminate these same criticisms to become more competitive in the market place and thus more appealing to potential customers. Vehicle Power per cylinder (kW/cylinder) Power Density Ratio (kW/L) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 22.50 37.48 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 32.50 46.81 Mercedes Benz G550 5.5L V8 petrol 47.75 70.23 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 29.50 39.96 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 30.75 41.25 Fig.1.0 compares the effectiveness of the engines that were benchmarked in detail. It shows that the Defenders current engine has the lowest power density in terms of engine capacity. This is a big weakness as it shows that the when not taking into account the Defenders relatively small engine capacity, its engine is vastly underpowered. The Mercedes Benz G550 as expected displays the best power density as it is a gasoline engine. The Defenders regarded closest rival in terms of target market and image, the Jeep Wrangler, also shows a much greater power density ratio. Or group propose to increase the engines the power density to be comparable with the Jeep Wrangler with at least a ratio of above 43kW/L. Vehicle Torque (Nm) MEP (Mpa) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 360 1.885 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 400 1.815 Mercedes Benz G-Class G550 5.5L V8 petrol 391 0.903 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 380 1.619 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 410 1.729 A weakness of the current Defender however is highlighted test drive of the vehicle by motor journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) for the Times Newspaper. He stated that the vehicle simply did not have enough torque to pull a horse trailer behind it at a reasonable speed. This can be backed up by the data seen in Fig.1.1 above which shows that the current Defender engine produces the least amount of torque out of all its competitors. This weakness is heavily compounded by the fact that the vehicle is marketed as an off-road vehicle and thus needs high torque requirements to be-able to navigate through steep and loose terrain effectively. As a consequence customers may be off put by the fact that the current Defender has less torque than its competitors and thus this issue will have to be addressed when upgrading the existing engine. The new engine must be made more environmentally friendly than the current engine as January 2013 will see the current Euro 5 emissions targets replaced by the Euro 6 legislation and thus stricter emissions targets. The Defender is third best out the five competitors the vehicle was benchmarked against in regards to CO2 emissions, which is an indicator for overall total emission performance. The current Defender comes second best to the Jeep Wrangler in regards to fuel economy, by achieving a combined fuel economy of 28.3 mpg. However the other diesel engine competitors, the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are less fuel efficient than the Defender. When purchasing an off-road vehicle such as the Defender, fuel economy may not be the most important factor but it has become more important to potential customers over the last decade. The same could be said for the greater importance of emissions performance that potential customers may look for. The new Defender engine is likely to be more powerful and thus a better fuel economy target (comparable to 32.8mpg of the Jeep Wrangler) may be out of reach. However through reviewing and selecting technologies, the fuel economy performance could be improved slightly or at least kept the same. From analysing the Defender, by using the data displayed in Fig.4.7 (Appendix.1), it can be seen that the vehicle is neither the best nor worst performing vehicle in regards to fuel economy, but averagely in relationship to competitors. The balance of the current Defenders inline four engine configuration, according to Nunney (2006), has perfect primary balance because when one pair of pistons are moving up, the other pair are moving down at the same time. Inline four engines however do not have perfect secondary dynamic balance. This is because piston acceleration varies depending on its vertical position within the cylinder head in relation to the crankshaft that it is connected to. This leads to one pair of pistons moving faster than the other, which creates a secondary imbalance and results in the engine vibrating vertically. Nunney (2006) also explains that at low power configurations the secondary imbalance (vibration) is not too severe but can get considerably worse with increasing size and powerful engines. This may explain why the current inline 4 Defender engine has a lower displacement than its competitors, to reduce secondary imbalance vibration in order to appeal to potential customers and save costs on designing a crankshaft to damp heavy engine vibration. The following strengths are also exhibited by the current engine; Highest MEP value out of the competitors benchmarked against Best strength to weight ratio (could be due to basic interior making vehicle lighter) Potential customers may overlook the apparent power and torque shortfalls as the highly regarded Land Rover brand may persuade people to buy the vehicle anyway. Summary of existing Defender engine (compared to competitors); Weaknesses Strengths Slowest acceleration from 0 62 Mph Best Mean Effective Pressure of 1.885Mpa, better than competitor vehicles Lowest top speed of only 82 mph Highest Power to weight ratio (kW/kg) More expensive than Jeep Wrangler by >4000 even with poorer speed performance. Fuel economy is not the worst Lowest Power per cylinder produced (kW/cyl) Emission of CO2 is not the worst Secondary imbalance of straight inline four engine configuration (rivals also have this weakness) Long history of Defender may appeal to potential customers, thus engine shortcomings may be overlooked Lowest torque produced out of competitors Not the best in either fuel consumption or emissions, even with smallest capacity engine Lowest Power Density Ratio (kW/L) Current Vehicle Performance Trends Fig 1.3 shows the performance trends for Jaguar engines up to 2010. While exact performance targets cannot be extrapolated from the graph, The design group can see that the new Defender engine needs to have an increase in specific engine power. However with the increase in power, increased emissions and fuel consumption will occur. This in conjunction with Fig 1.4 below from Richardson (2010) shows how CO2 emissions have decreased despite the trend of engine power also increasing. While the trends from Figs 1.3 and 1.4 show that performance trends increase and emissions trends decrease, the group is concluding that potential customers for a LR Defender will be less likely concerned about the vehicles emissions or fuel economy compared to non-SUV vehicles customers. Thus increasing the torque (and power) of the current engine to match its competitors is prioritised. It is conceded that any improvement in fuel economy and emissions departments will be limited, but in the interests of Land Rovers image, any improvement on these characteristics will be beneficial. Advanced Engine Technology Supercharging Turbo-charging Technology Superchargers (mechanical drive driven) This is a device comprising of an air compressor to force more air into the engine. Forcing a greater amount of air (under positive pressure) into the engine provides more oxygen for the combustion process than without a supercharger. As a result more fuel can be thus provided for stoichiometric combustion reaction to occur and allowing more work per a cycle to be done. This thus increases the power output of the engine. The advantage of supercharging according to Daniels (2001) is that it multiplies the engines BMEP and torque by the amount the air compressor increases the atmospheric pressure into the engine. Supercharged engines also experience better throttle response than naturally aspirated engines. The disadvantage of using a supercharger is that it is generally less thermally efficient than the more common used turbocharger (which uses energy from otherwise wasted exhaust gas). Another drawback highlighted by Harris (2002) is that supercharging (particularly mechanical-supercharging techniques) puts extra strain on the engine and its components as they are required to withstand extra strains provided by the supercharging boost. This requires the engine to be made stronger, thus thicker, heavier and more expensive. Daniels (2001) also explains how the noise generated by a superchargers mechanical drive components can contribute to extra passenger discomfort. Turbochargers These devices consist of a turbine and a compressor and are a type of supercharger. The difference is that instead of mechanically driving a compressor to force more air into the engine, turbochargers uses the engines own exhaust gases (which would have been otherwise wasted). It does this by converting the kinetic energy from exhaust gases into rotational energy to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to the compressor on the same shaft, thus this powers the compressor to draw in atmospheric air and pump it pressurised into the engine. The advantages of a turbocharger are same as for a supercharger as previously described of increasing engine BMEP. This is appropriate for the LR Defender which will need the extra power if being used off-road or in mountainous steep roads, which is the market the vehicle is targeted to. Turbochargers are also more thermally efficient than superchargers due to use of the otherwise wasted exhaust gas. This thus decreases exhaust emissions and fumes expelled into the atmosphere. Daniels (2001) also explains that for mainly diesel engines variable geometry turbochargers can maintain an appropriate exhaust gas speed though the turbo turbine when the engine is at low load. Disadvantages include the need for a cooler to cool exhaust gas before it enters the turbine therefore adding weight and bulk to the engine. During operation turbochargers also experience a turbo lag when the throttle is applied. As previously explained the LR Defenders competitors (particularly its main rival the Jeep Wrangler) have more powerful engines than the current Defender 2.4litre 4 cylinder engine. If upgrading the engine by increasing its cylinder capacity, more air (particularly oxygen) will need to be supplied to the cylinders for combustion. Thus the use of twin-turbochargers may be required to force more air into the cylinders to make the combustion process stoichiometric. Also the advantage of using two smaller turbochargers (twin-turbo), instead of a larger single turbocharger, is that turbo-lag is reduced. Usually a small turbocharger provides boost at low engine speeds and the second kicks in and supplies boost at higher engine speeds. There are two widely known types of twin-turbochargers called Parallel and Sequential types. When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of mechanically-driven superchargers and turbochargers it was decided to use turbochargers as they are more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient to run. The current engine for the LR Defender uses a variable geometry turbocharger and it is likely the new spec engine will also be turbocharged by the same type of unit. Variable Valve Timing Systems Camless Valve Systems Autoweek Magazine (2005) states that camless valve systems were tested in 2005 by Valeo on two Peugeot 407s successfully under extreme weather conditions and intensive testing. The valves were controlled by individual actuators and powered through solenoids to open and close valves. The advantages of camless systems, explained by Daniels (2001), include the following; Valve timing can be altered to as desired In theory some cylinders could be shut off (at low load) to allow others to run more efficiently Valve timing and lift can be matched to the needs of the engine with an estimated saving of up to 20% on fuel saving. The mechanical design of the engine can be simplified as the usage of a camshaft and other associated valve gear become redundant. The advantages however are currently overshadowed by the power needs of the camless system and the associated complexity and reliability issues if the vehicle has electrical problems. Peter Brown who is vice president of powertrain engineering and design for Ricardo stated in Autoweek Magazine (2005) It comes down to complexity and cost which sums up why camless systems are still not (although many think they eventually will be) utilised in passenger vehicle engines. For The new LR Defender engine camless systems will not be used for the disadvantages described above. Variable Valve Timing Technology Mechadyne International (2006) states that that the use of variable valve train systems can substantially reduce both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The amount by which the variable valve train systems reduce fuel consumption and emissions is going to be approximated to 10%. This is because, as the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states, BMWs VALVETRONIC system reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by over 12%. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the following types of variable valve timing technology are available; Camshaft phase adjustment Camshaft-lobe control Fully variable valve timing with camshaft Fully variable valve timing without camshaft Camshaft Phase Adjustment This type of variable valve timing adjusts the phase that the cams are in contact with the levers that open and close the valves. To change the phase of the camshaft small adjustments are made, by electrically controlled actuators, to the camshaft as a function of engine speed. Typically the camshaft can only be controlled to move to two pre-calculated extreme positions. Advantages include greater power, torque and efficiency being experienced for a wider range of engine speeds. Disadvantages to other valve timing methods include the limited range in which the valves timings can actually be altered. Fully Variable Valve Timing with Camshaft These types of systems can vary both valve lift and timing. The lobes on the camshaft have a curved profile which in conjunction with the camshaft being able to move freely laterally, this enables the valve lift and timing to also be varied independent to each other, which is an obvious advantage to the previously limited valve control systems mentioned above. Fully Variable Valve Timing without Camshaft These types of systems are very different, to the previously mentioned, as it replaces the use of a camshaft with either the following types of control methods solenoid (electromagnetic) or electro-hydraulic actuators. The biggest advantage of these systems are that operate independently from the crankshaft and thus this allows the valves to be opened at any time period of the engines cycle. This, as stated by the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007), offers the greatest degree of freedom for valve timing and thus the greatest potential for reducing fuel consumption. Also deactivation of certain cylinders can be achieved thus allowing the active cylinders to work more efficiently at lower engine speeds. Disadvantages are however that superchargers cannot be installed (without very expensive and complicated design), and while space is saved from not using a camshaft, electrical components can be bulky and hazardous. Also the cost of fully variable valve timing systems means it is unlikely they will be incorporated into The new engine design. Camshaft-Lobe Control In these types of systems it becomes possible for a valves timing to be controlled by three separate camshaft lobes depending on the engine speed. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the one lobes profile is tailored so that valve timing and lift is optimised for the lower to mid engine speed range. Another lobes profile is optimised for higher engine speeds by maximising valve lift and opening times. Systems such as Hondas VTEC and Toyotas WTI use camshaft-lobe control method. Camshaft-lobe shifting types of variable valve timing also share similar advantages and disadvantages to the camshaft phase adjustment method. This type of variable timing (camshaft-lobe control) will be used for the new engine design. This is because it doesnt cost as much (or weigh as much) as the other variable valve timing systems while still being hugely advantageous in terms of performance, fuel economy and emissions control gain. Fuel Injection Systems Common Rail Fuel Injection These fuel systems consist of a common rail tubing system maintained at constant high pressure via a pump. Injectors for each cylinder in the engine are in turn connected to the common rail tubing. The injectors have solenoid valves which are electronically controlled via an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to open and close at the desired timings as explained in detail by DENSO (2005). An advantage of common rail fuel injection is that control of fuel injection (according to Daniels, 2001) is at the injector itself and not at the pump which is the case with other fuel injection systems. Higher pressures can also be achieved thus more fuel can be injected into the cylinder in a shorter amount of time with better fuel atomisation, as described by DENSO (2005), leading to high combustion efficiency and a reduction in emissions. This is important as new emissions targets will have to be met in 2014 with the Euro 6 legislation when the vehicle will be on the market. The main disadvantage of this type of injection technology according to Daniels (2001) is that the injectors are expensive to manufacture and inherently complicated in design. Piezoelectric Injectors (For Common Rail Systems) Instead of using solenoid valves which are more frequently used in common rail fuel injection system, piezoelectric injectors can be used in higher performance engines. These injectors work by using piezoelectric crystals that expand when supplied with an electrical charge and thus opening and closing fuel injection valves. The following attributes of piezoelectric type injectors are common; Greater compact dimensions than solenoid valve injectors. More accurate control over injection timing and fuel volume. Piezoelectric injectors can be used with Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) to minimise diesel engine vibration at low engine speeds. This is achieved by injecting a small quantity of fuel before the main injection quantity. Piezoelectric injectors can also operate faster with more frequency than solenoid valves (approximately five times faster), which allows greater control over fuel consumption and emissions. The Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states that the use of piezo-injectors for common rail fuel systems can reduce emissions by up to 20%. Emissions Reduction Technologies Stanton (2009) from roadtransport.com explains how the European Parliament (EP) and European Commission (EC) have agreed new targets for comply with Euro-6 emission legislation. The new Euro-6 targets will have to be met by vehicle manufacturers and thus the new spec LR Defender by 1st January 2013. This is before the new LR Defender model will reach Job 1 (mid to late 2013). It is therefore important that new and existing technologies are reviewed in Emissions control to meet these targets. In recent years the environmental performance of vehicles influences potential customers more than ever in their buying decision. It is therefore important we maintain Jaguars highly regarded brand image and compete with competitors by meeting the existing (Euro-5) and future Euro-6 emissions targets. Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) This is a device which is responsible for removing small particulate particles and soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. A DPF is not 100% but is normally found to be over 50% efficient most of the time. A good feature of a DPF is that its function according to torquecars.com (2008) is independent to a catalytic converter thus ensuring a fault in the DPF will not affect overall emissions critically. The advantages of particulate filters are much publicised including removing dangerous small particles from an engines emissions. The two types of DPF, active and passive, have their own advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantages of DPF, explained by torquecars.com (2008), are highlighted below; The filters can get very hot causing a possible fire safety hazard. To remove a DPF very technical changes have to be made to the affected ECUs to change the sensitivity of sensors in the vehicles engine and exhaust. A DPF can decrease engine performance by at most 10% Bhp. Other Technologies Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) Diesel engines are known to display harsh chugging and vibration at low engine speed, which can now be minimised through technology called Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC). An APC system, described by Delphi (2008) consists of an accelerometer (microphone) attached to the engine block which listens to the nature of the combustion which may have caused vibrations occur throughout the engine block. An engine management system then minimises the unwanted vibrations and noise by optimising the amount of fuel pilot injected for combustion, in a closed loop system, until acceptable noise and vibration levels are reached. ECU Remapping According to mobilechiptune.com (2007), when we remap an engine ECU we are fine tuning the program that deals with engine performance. Remapping or upgrading an ECU could therefore potentially increase the available engine power and torque. Mobilechiptune.com (2007) also states that remapping a diesel turbo engine ECU will produce 30 50% BHP on exact the specification, where diesel engines give the most impressive power and torque gains available. A remap of the ECU will definitely be required be a twin-turbo (or other technologies) are added to the new engine, however the ECU itself is only likely to achieve small gains in efficiency, fuel economy and emissions. Summary of Chosen Technologies Fig1.5 below shows the selected technologies the group is proposing for inclusion into the new Defenders engine. Fig1.5 also shows estimates of the expected improvement over engine performance, emissions and fuel economy. Also see Section.3 for justification to estimates below. Feature Selected Technology Twin-Turbo (reused exhaust gas Variable Valve train Diesel Particulate Filter Piezo Injectors* Improved ECU Mapping APC Performance, BHP + 20% + 10% 10% + 5% + 2.5% + 2.5% Emissions, CO2 g/km + 5% 10% ~ 0% 10% 2.5% 2.5% Fuel Economy, mpg 10% + 10% ~ 0% +10% + 2.5% + 2.5% *Piezo injectors as opposed to solenoid controlled injectors in a common rail fuel injection system. 3. Selection of Engine Arrangements Modified engine parameters: Total engine capacity 3000 cc. Capacity per each cylinder 500 cc. Number of cylinders 6 Type of engine Diesel engine The target is to improve engine performance (mainly torque) by increasing the number of cylinders from 4 to 6. Although there is a reduction of capacity per cylinder, a net increase in total engine capacity of 600 cc will not only compensate it, but also increases total horsepower produced. Kayne (2009) states that 6 cylinder engines are more suited to towing, off-road, hilly and mountainous areas while experiencing greater throttle response. Bore size is thus reduced from 89.9 mm to 82 mm while retaining the same stroke length. Bore/stroke ratio is 1.15, which is within the range of 1-1.3 for diesel engine. The weight of the current engine is estimated as being 180kg taken from a BMW 2.5L inline 4 diesel engine (plus weight added for turbo) from data compiled by Williams (2006), which is a similar spec to the current Defenders 2.4L turbo inline 4. The new engine is estimated as being 25% larger thus heavier by the same margin, and an additional 50kg for the additional technologies a dded. The new engine weight is thus taken as approximately 300kg. 4. Determination of Design Targets This section of the report provides estimations for the new engines power, torque, fuel economy and emissions characteristics. Below Fig1.7 Shows modifications to the Defenders current engine will affect the new engines power performance. Performance Estimation Feature Estimated affect on engines Performance BHP (%) affect from current Defenders 121 BHP engine Increasing engine capacity by 600cc + 25 % + 30 BHP Upgrading current Turbocharger to a Twin-turbo charger + 20 % + 24 BHP Installing a Variable valve train system Camshaft Lobe Control + 10 % + 12 BHP Decreasing the bore from 89.9mm to 82mm 10 % 12 BHP Adding a Diesel Particulate Filter 10 % 12 BHP Piezo-electric injectors (instead of solenoid valves) in common-rail system + 5% + 6 BHP Miscellaneous; -Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) -Improved ECU Mapping -Improved intake air flow + 5 % + 6 BHP Total affect in BHP = + 50 % 60 BHP Increase Given the maximum power for previous engine is 121 bhp. Therefore, the new engines maximum power is: Power = (121 + 30 + 24 + 12 12 12 + 6 + 6)bhp = 181 bhp = 135kW Torque and Power at 3 operating conditions: T = 368.5 Nm @ max power (3500rpm) T = 400.0 Nm @ max torque (2000rpm) T = 120.0 Nm @ idle (1000rpm) The Torque at various engine speeds were calculated via using the following equation: Engine power: Pe=2*? *N* T Figure 1.8 shows the estimated power and torque curves for the vehicle. Justification of Targets Estimations While the decision has been taken to increase the engines capacity, increasing the engines power to increase the vehicles acceleration and torque characteristics, the fuel economy and emissions of the engine also has to improve. This is due to more stringent legislation and targets, as well as the expectations from potential customers who expect the engine to improve in every department. It may be said that that increasing the engines capacity from 2.4L to 3L means that the targets of decreasing the fuel consumption and emissions will be difficult. The group would argue however that the current Defenders engine is underpowered compared to its competitors and was consequently the recipient of bad reviews from motor journalists (such as Jeremy Clarkson, 2006). The Defenders potential customer market also may not require huge improvements in fuel consumption and emissions. This is because the Defender is going to be utilised for and marketed as an off-field vehicle with specialist applications such as towing and rough terrain excursions. These categories of vehicles are expected by customers to have poorer fuel economy and emissions than other smaller vehicle types. These customer expectations will therefore be beneficial when designing the engine as while emissions and fuel economy is targeted to at least stay the same, the issue of increasing the Defenders torque can be prioritised. The increase in engine capacity naturally means the emissions and fuel consumption will increase. To overcome this advanced engine technology will be utilised in order to decrease the emissions and fuel consumption. Estimations will be made regarding how much saving (in terms of percentage) the addit

Bitstream Human Resource Management Essay

This case study is related with the selection process- the process of selection is about choosing the right people for the right job. In this case we assume that we have already chosen interview as an appropriate instrument to measure candidate’s performance in selection criteria. Our task will be to prepare right questions for the candidates that let us predict the most adequate candidate for the job. Bitstream is a software company that has identified an opportunity to develop and market a new product. The company develops digitalized type fonts for display type font for display screens and technology. Their revenues come from retail sales and OEM sales. Jim Sole, the brand new president was hired in 1992 to substitute the former president, the founder of the company. Jim was a very successful professional and had much great experience in this area. Jim found the organization needing some changes, like a reorganization of the structure, a clear clarification of the short/term goals and a need to enhance the teamwork within the company. These problems would be solved with reorganization of the bonus plan they have, and to delegate decisions to the employees, to make them have the need to have responsibilities and decision making power. This company had grown at a rate of 25% and had a forecast of future growth at 15%. The regular growth, plus a 15% nominal turnover in the company shows that almost 40% of people from one year to another are new. They come up with the idea of developing a network print manager, related to the work they do in the printing environment. This new product would handle printing times, printing queues or even different specifications of the work to be printed. It requires already market-existing technology but also innovation made by the company. There is a new project in the hand of the company and is a great eager to the appearance of this product in this market, and is known that there is a market segment to this product easily identifiable. To complete this task correctly, Jim Sole started looking for the right person to fill the gap of the new project manager. He talked with his friend Peter Dromeshauser, an executive recruiter (â€Å"Head Hunter) and gave him some indications concerning the job. Peter then come up with 4 names that we are going to analyze in the following. CRITERIA FOR FILLING THE POSITION: There are some aspects of selection criteria like checking the individual’s personality cross match with the requirement so for this Jim Sole can do following things. Conduct a test for job with required specifications Job requirement can be objectively evaluated in matrix/tabulated formed and personalities of each individual could be assessed based on test interview and questionnaires. Primary task would then confine to select the test for candidate. This test should be planned with industrial psychologist and may contain test interview or test questionnaire. Requirement for job has been 1. Candidate should be able to imbibe the culture of organization and in BITSTREAM there was problem that due to talented employee it became a political place and sometime became difficult to align them to organization goals. 2. Since it is mentioned in case that for sales and marketing jobs it had been a hard task to verify their qualities to handle the organization with new plans and achieve set target for sales. 3. Before going to further selection procedure Jim can reject individuals by having evaluated some preliminary criteria. E.g. Salary expected after negotiation, would they like to work with emerging companies. 4. Jim can formulate a questionnaire specifically evaluating the requirement  of job; he wanted to be in employee. This includes better decision maker, better understanding of existing network, aggressive in strategies etc. 5. Content of questionnaire and test interview should be to evaluate how individual will react to particular situation, analytical questions related to human relationship management, related to target achievement in sales, new product launch. This would help to assess their individual qualification and experience with respect to their requirement much better. To ensure that the interview will be valid we first review job specification and develop â€Å"checklist† with relevant criteria for the job. According to the CVs we have received we can then register our assessment relative to each of the important job dimensions. Trough the reading of this case, we are given a series of indications that show the key criteria to fill the position. Therefore, we found pertinent main points to characterize the four candidates, and gave a scale in terms of importance to them, to have a general overview of their qualities and fitting to the job. * Relation with Novel *Entrepreneurial skill (flexibility, intellectual curiosity, risk taking) * Experience in new Launch * VAR Experience * Networking Experience *Salary *Team work * Relation with Novel Criteria: SALARY- Encompasses a simple yes or no answer. It is acknowledged that Bitstream offers up to $120,000 in wages. This includes $80,000 in salary, $40,000 for bonus potential plus stock options from the company. This is perceived as the highest bid to offer to candidates since it was seen adequate to the market reality. Additionally, a higher offer could disrupt the salary structure of the firm. ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL- Within this terminology we consolidated 3 major characteristics that the company looks for: Intellectual curiosity, flexibility and risk taking. This means that we look for a person who is open minded and willing to learn, who responds well to any given environmental change while regarding risk as a challenge. TEAMWORK- Is the ability to work with other people in order to achieve a common goal. This means that it is necessary to partially sacrifice personal ambition and goals. DECISION MAKING- Regarded to be one of the most important attributes in business management, especially in small organizations. It is the ability to â€Å"make the call† and it requires a lot of self confidence, knowledge and courage. EXPERIENCE IN NEW LAUNCH- This job will require someone who has experience in the distribution channel. The product needs to be in the right time at the right place. A good Communication channel is also necessary since we will be introducing a new product with a new set of characteristics where advertising and promotion play an important role, therefore making marketing knowledge a valuable tool. VAR AND NETWORK CHANNELS- VAR (value added retail) and Network channels are important since it is the working tool. VAR will be the active channel that the company is going to use, while network channel is the background of the companies activity Those grades presented in front of the topics are the top punctuation the candidates can have and give a rate of importance we have given to them. Mr. Mitchell was discarded by us because of the need of a higher salary, which could be a problematic issue with other employees and create a bad environment. Although he has a very impressive CV and many good managerial, social and entrepreneurial characteristics the salary issue is related with the well-being of the company, and therefore it is of our opinion he must be discarded. Adding, he might be the older of the four candidates (according to the year of finishing degree), and as he is working in a big company, he might not have the experience of small company relations and procedures, a point Jim referred would be important.

Things You Wont Like About Best Research Essay Topics and Things You Will

Things You Won't Like About Best Research Essay Topics and Things You Will Creating a topic all on your own is quite mind-torturing. So, here are a few suggestions, collected and listed from the very best inventory. It is possible to pick topics from assorted lists of ready themes. You will be assigned a topic, or your professor will allow you to select your own. Top Choices of Best Research Essay Topics When writing an important composition, it's recommended to pick contradictive topics. To compose a strong argumentative essay, students should start by familiarizing themselves with a number of the common, and frequently conflicting, positions on the research topic so they can write an educated paper. To compose a fantastic argumentative essay the students first must investigate several sides of the argument, allowing them to make an educated stance. There are lots of aspects about a sport which can be argued in an essay. Ultimately, now that you're prepared to work on your paper, we wish to remind you of the value of appropriate essay structure. Argumentative writings is a particular sort of a paper. At the exact same time, it also needs to be simple to research, that way you'll discover evidence to support claims you make. You have to discover good evidence to strengthen your ideas together with examples to illustrate the evidence. Yearly driving tests ought to be mandatory for the initial five years after obtaining a license. Each nursing research paper includes a free bibliography and totally free research paper sources. The more research you can do in order to secure better at your upcoming profession, the better. With our company, your assignment will acquire high marks not based on the argumentative essay topics you select. When it has to do with writing an argumentative essay, the most essential point to do is to select a topic and an argument that you may really get behind. In case you have any questions, don't be afraid to get in touch with us and we'll contact you in a blink of an eye! A great topic will allow it to be simpler to pursue the purpose of an argumentative essay, which is, evidently, the whole investigation of the problem you speak about. The key to pick out a very good topic for an argumentative essay is to select a subject where there's a lot of debates on topics or stances. The Key to Successful Best Research Essay Topics The aim of such essays isn't to demonstrate your knowledge, yet to exhibit the important thinking and analytical skills. There is a variety of of essays, and every one of them is challenging in a different way. In this kind of situation, it's more convenient to discover ready-made essays and use them as an example. An argumentative essay is a certain sort of ac ademic writing. If you must write your whole essay in 1 day, do your very best to give yourself breaks so you don't burn out. Instead of just immediately writing about your argumentative essay topic, you should first think about what it is that you're likely to put back on your paper through a procedure of brainstorming and pre-writing. To ensure your paper stands out you are able to also, benefit from choosing an unusual subject. Understanding how to compose a strong argumentative paper will help you advance your very own argumentative thinking. In choosing your topic, it's frequently a good notion to start with a subject which you already have some familiarity with. It's not sufficient to pick a topic which everybody agrees on. When you are requested to choose a great topic for your argument, start with something you're familiarized with. Deciding on an emotional topic is also an excellent idea.

Is College Still A Good Investment - 958 Words

In Does College Still Pay, Lisa Barrow explores that even though the college tuition costs are increasing rapidly, is college still a good investment. Barrow states that college still worth wild and there is no evidence of a downward trend to students attending college due to increasing college tuition. Barrow also claims that by getting a bachelor s degree today, a college student can expect to regain all of their investments they have put towards their education within 10 years after graduation. Claims similar to these are found in Robert B. Archibald s The Anatomy of College Tuition. In this article, states that colleges have discount tuition for some students base on their parents income, thus putting a pressure on publishing tuition prices and causing them to increase. Barrow describes that in the 1980s, the value of a college education began to grow rapidly. She also states that with a bachelor s degree, the earnings began to increase compared to a worker with only a high school diploma. She says, that somewhere between the 1990s and 2000s, the college tuition rates has increased extremely rapidly while the wage gap has slowdown (1). She claims that due to the economy, universities has raised their tuition so dramatically to where the wage gap cannot keep up, thus, lower wages. This causes Barrow to wonder if attending college is even worth the cost of attending. To better understand, Barrow claims that due to the rapid increase in the cost of tuition has aShow MoreRelatedIs College Still A Good Investment?1023 Words   |  5 PagesIs going to college still a good investment? For most students, the answer is a resounding yes. Upon graduating high school, you are now entering adulthood and officially preparing for the future. Many individuals choose to pursue higher education by attending a two or four year college. College offers many benefits such as networking, studying abroad, and even finding the love of your life. However, the overall objective is to graduate. Finishing is important because you have more opportunitiesRead MoreCollege Education Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesIs College Still Worth it ? Since their childrens infancy parents have always encouraged their children to go to college and become a professional. But in this new age economic crisis, is college really worth it? Tuition costs are rising to a criminally high price has everyone arguing. Is college really a good investment? Well in a very short way, yes it is. An investment that makes you 500,000 to a million dollar lifetime payout is uncomparable. In the end, today an average college graduate willRead MoreIs College Worth It? Essay example598 Words   |  3 PagesIs a college education really worth the investment of time, money and energy? Is a college degree really worth going deep in student loan debts? Higher education is a considerable gamble. For many people it works out well, but many of the other college graduates have found themselves completely unable to get a great job in this economy with a huge amount of debt on their shoulders. The entire system encourages students to take out any kindand amount of loans they need without worrying how they willRead MoreWith Tuition Costs at an all Time High, Is College Really Worth It?872 Words   |  4 Pagesinfancy, parents are always encouraging their children to go to college and become a professional. But in this new age economic crisis, is college really worth it? Tuition costs are rising to a criminally high price have everyone arguing. Is college really a good investment? Well in a very short way, Yes it is. An investment that makes you 500,000 to a million dollar lifetime payout is uncomparable. In the end, today an average college graduate will make far more over the course of his or her lifeRead MoreIs An American College Education Still? Worth It?1465 Words   |  6 PagesIs An American College Education Still ‘Worth It’? One of the realities of the past several decades is that society has come to place an increasing level of emphasis upon the importance of education. Whereas it has been understood for decades that education is an integral component of the overall level of success that a person might hope to experience during their lifetime, the necessity of each and every individual striving for a college degree has been a more and more defining aspects of the driveRead MoreAnalysis Of The Documentary Ivory Tower By Andrew Rossi1641 Words   |  7 Pagesthey acquire a college education and degree, the world is their oyster. The documentary â€Å"Ivory Tower†, directed by Andrew Rossi, calls that whole notion into question. The biographical film opens at the University of Harvard, the nations oldest institution of higher learning, on move-in day. Hundreds of new students and their parents flood the campus grounds of one of America’s most prestigious universities. From there, in order to provide a complete overview of the complete college experience, severalRead MoreThe Treadmill Of Production And Consumption960 Words   |  4 Pagesmaterial goods. Because money is so important, most people would prefer to have more of it than less of it. The world considers the highest paying jobs, or good paying jobs, to be the most common way of acquiring money, and thus, more material possessions. Along with this, people have a tendency to invest their own resources with expectation of maximizing their return on that initial investment, or maximizing profits. Time and money are the most powerful resources we have for investment. People investRead MoreHow Investment Banking Is Like Doing Drugs1251 Words   |  6 PagesAustin Thoreson Marcy Toews English One 06 May 2015 â€Å"Doing investment banking is like doing drugs: on your good trips you dance in clouds of marshmallows, surrounded by beautiful women (or men) serving you fruit under canopies. On your bad trips you scratch your eyes out and jump off buildings.† These are the words of Brian DeChesare, The founder of Mergers Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street. As an investment banker you will work with companies, CEOs, CFOs to help grow their businessRead MoreHow Education Has Influenced Education992 Words   |  4 PagesAs a result in 2013, about 19.9 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities in 2013, compared to 13.5 million in 1970, and 2.7 million in 1949 (US Census Bureau). 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Essay on We Are Big Brothers Reality Television Star

Today, the American people are obsessed with reality television. Television shows such as, So You Think You Can Dance and The Bachelorette are just two examples of the fifteen reality or unscripted shows that placed on the Top 20 Highest Rated Television Programs in 2010 (Carter). What Americans fail to realize is they too are the stars of their own reality television show. Although their actions are not being broadcasted to the rest of the country, American citizens are still being monitored by the government through wire taps, GPS locators and cameras. These are just a few examples of ways the American government is beginning to introduce Michel Foucault’s idea of a utopia, called the Panopticon, into modern day American society.†¦show more content†¦They eventually are able to expose the corrupt bill which in turn is not passed by the legislature. The corrupt ways that the National Security Agency conducted their surveillance is a prime example of Foucault’s Panopticon. When the National Security Agency chose to place wire taps into Robert Dean’s home illegally, they exemplified Foucault’s panoptic model. The wire taps used by the National Security Agency are prime examples of Foucault’s â€Å"instrument of permanent, exhaustive, omnipresent surveillance† (386). Furthermore, by the National Security Agency exercising the use of these instruments they are â€Å"capable of making all visible, as long as it could itself remain invisible† (386-387). This illegal surveillance is just one way they exercise Foucault’s Panopticon. Moreover, when the National Security Agency continues to punish Dean by convicting him of the murder of Hammersley they are exercising Foucault’s Panopticon by ‘[undermining] the limits that are traced around the law† (394). Enemy of the State excels at showing how the government can manipulate the law to suit their needs. Enemy of the State accurately portrays how the government surveillance functions in modern American society. 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K Final Report Free Essays

string(70) " after very thorough inspection, the plant begins operation each day\." Report On Marketing Management KN’s (Marketing Mix) Submitted To: Madam Shumaila Dilawar Submitted By: Aneela Jabbar BB-08-15 Aqsa Mehmood BB-08-06 Arif Zafar BB-08-8 Rabeea Rafiq BB-08-33 Sahar Naveed BB-08-54 Sana Fatima Malik BB-08-64 Zobia Malik BB-08-19 Dedication We dedicate this work solely to our loving and supporting friends and teachers and those who have ever been praying for our success. Acknowledgements First and foremost, we would like to thank our Creator, Family and Friends for their undying love. We would never have come so far without them. We will write a custom essay sample on K Final Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now We would also like to take this opportunity to thank my teacher, Madam Shumaila Dilawar, for her insightful guidance. Last but not least, we would like to thank our friends at Institute of Management Sciences that have always been proved helpful. For everything that is right, credit goes to all of the above. For anything that is wrong, we are culpable. Preface Practical leaning is an essential part of my education and it is the specialty that distinct the department of IMS from others. To have deep understanding of the concepts, only theoretical knowledge does not provide the concrete base. In this report we have bridge that gap. The knowledge we acquired through this experience will be long lasting. Since we ourselves explored the field o work and analyzed different factors and variables. Introduction of KN’s KN’s, a founding pillar and beacon for Pakistan’s Poultry Industry started in 1964 with a single minded objective of providing better nutrition for health and happiness of the nation. Building on years of poultry expertise and commitment to food-safety, KN’s integrated all poultry production activities under one umbrella to bring you safe and healthy chicken by managing and controlling all stages of production. The year 1964; Pakistan a young independent nation forging ahead towards a dream: self sufficiency in food production. Malnutrition remained a major problem and one out of four children died before attaining the age of five. 80% of ailing children were affected with diseases caused by protein, vitamin and mineral deficiency. Poultry production, the quickest and least expensive way of filling the protein gap was planned to overcome malnutrition. Backyard poultry farming had to graduate to a more professional level. January 1964, a young man, Khalil Sattar, still a college student, had the vision to foresee a need to establish a poultry farm. His interest led him to start a small broiler farm of 1,000 chicks. Little had he known this flock was to become the foundation stone of KN’s? This was the simple, inspired and nationalistic beginning of KN’s with a single-minded objective of providing better nutrition for Health and Happiness of the Nation. Poultry Breeding KN’s maintains layer and broiler parent stock populations in different regions of Pakistan. Layer parent stock farms are located in the south and broiler parents are bred in the colder mountainous northern region. Both types of parents are housed at isolated breeder farms. To ensure strict bio-security, all breeder farms work on the important principle of all-in-all-out to avoid multiple ages at any breeder farm. Breeding stock is housed in environment-controlled houses equipped with most modern ventilation, cooling and heating equipment. Some of the world’s best performances have been achieved at KN’s. Strict bio-security measures are taken at all farms to reduce the risk of disease transmission through mechanically and physically transferred disease causative agents. Careful attention is paid to bird health, vaccination, weightage and selection to maintain healthy and uniform breeding flocks. Hatching-eggs are cooled down inside air conditioned, humidified egg-rooms, packed and dispatched in sanitized and environment-controlled vehicles to company owned hatcheries located throughout Pakistan. Hatching KN’s operates several strategically located hatcheries covering all day-old chick markets to ensure delivery of high quality layer and broiler day-old chicks to commercial farmers throughout Pakistan. All hatcheries are equipped with most modern cooling, heating and humidification systems to provide a uniform and consistent hatchery environment independent of varying outdoor weather conditions. Incubators from world-renowned manufacturers are installed at all hatcheries and their performance data is recorded and monitored by a computerized incubation monitoring system. Upon arrival from breeder farms, hatching-eggs are candled at all hatcheries to remove eggs, which may have cracked during transit. Sanitation and hygiene is enhanced by mechanically transferring eggs from one type of tray onto another until chicks are harvested from hatchers. Maximum care is exercised while handling, reconstituting and administering vaccines using proper techniques and modern equipment. To ensure chicks get off to the healthiest start and stay protected from viral diseases, they receive inject able and spray vaccinations at the hatchery. Day-old chicks are delivered to farmers in environment-controlled chick delivery vehicles to maintain quality during transit. After making deliveries, vehicles are washed and disinfected before entering the hatchery premises to avoid any risk of carrying disease causative agents back to the hatchery from the field. Feed Milling To ensure consistent performance with high standards, our chickens really live on a healthy and well balanced diet. It is based on: natural grain products such as corn, corn gluten, rice and wheat; oil seed meals such as soybean, canola and sunflower; fish; oyster shells supplemented with multi-vitamins and minerals. Feed is always tested by our quality assurance lab to ensure it is wholesome because KN’s does not compromise on quality. Feed is also supplied to our day-old chick customers and growers for realizing the profit potential of KN’s quality day-old chicks. Poultry Processing At our state-of-the-art poultry processing plant, only healthy chickens are used to produce high quality, safe and healthy chicken products. Chickens are Halal slaughtered by hand (Islamic Zabeeha) strictly according to The Shariah. After Halal slaughter, chickens are processed in the most hygienic and automated manner. During processing, the birds are washed inside out and our veterinarians constantly examine the birds to confirm they are wholesome. Cleaning is constant and each evening the entire operation is completely washed and sanitized. Only after very thorough inspection, the plant begins operation each day. You read "K Final Report" in category "Essay examples" All chickens pass through veterinary inspection to confirm they are wholesome. To keep a continuous check on quality, hygiene and food-safety, random samples are collected from the processing line for lab testing. Some chickens are prepared to ship whole; others are packed as bone-in cuts or boneless products. Products for quality and food-safety conscious institutions – such as hotels, restaurants, airlines, clubs and international restaurant chains – are cut according to their specific requirements and packed in bulk packaging. Products for retail are packed in KN’s branded packaging and individually weighed, adding another step to K quality control. Products are then blast frozen at a very low temperature of –30? C to ensure product freshness, taste and food-safety. Ready-to-Cook and Fully Cooked Products Some chickens are used for preparing our ready-to-cook and fully cooked chicken products using state-of-the-art meat preparation and production equipment. Choicest meat is carved and select ingredients are added to our premium chicken meat, for preparing flavorful high-quality products such as burger patties, nuggets and kababs. Our world-class value-added chicken products are individually quick frozen using Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) Technology. Distribution System and K Distribution stores Products are stored at -21? C to maintain freshness. Packed products are moved into K sanitized refrigerated trucks for distribution to ensure uncompromising quality control. K chicken products are available at K Chicken Stores and leading retailers and also delivered to quality and food-safety conscious institutions such as hotels, restaurants, airlines, clubs and international restaurant chains. Quality Assurance Lab K state-of-the-art Quality Assurance Lab monitors the entire integration process, from livestock to feed and on to preparation of ready-to-cook fully cooked products. The entire integration process is monitored and regulated to ensure K chicken products are wholesome, safe and healthy. K Poultry Diagnostic and Research Institute With the assistance of US Agency for International Development, K Poultry Diagnostic and Research Institute was established in collaboration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. It is a very well equipped and state-of-the-art disease diagnostic, feed and feed raw material testing laboratory which provides invaluable service to Pakistan’s poultry industry through research and extension service in close coordination with K Advisory Service. Certifications †¢K’s ensures food-safety by implementing the HACCP* (international food-safety) System to produce safe and healthy chicken chicken products. ( *HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) — pronounced ‘hassap’— is an international food-safety system for preventing microbiological, chemical and physical contamination along the food supply chain. †¢Quality Management System at KN’s is ISO 9001:2008 certified. Through this internationally recognized quality management system, KN’s is able to control and monitor quality specific factors, which ensure consistency in its products and services while assuring customer satisfaction. †¢Chicken s are HALAL slaughtered by hand (Islamic Zabeeha) strictly according to The Shariah. KN’s slaughtering procedure has been assessed by Darul-Ifta ofJamia Ashrafia and Jamia Naeemia, both authentic institutions for granting Halal certification. Corporate Social Responsibility KN’s Advisory Service, a division of KN’s, provides invaluable service to customers and the industry through the Nation’s widest network of sales, technical and extension service centers’. This division employs the nation’s largest team of veterinarians, nutritionist and highly experienced technical staff, and publishes technical bulletins, brochures, management guides and other advisory literature for customers, and also provides them with practical on-spot technical know-how. Seminars are organized in all major cities and rural poultry centers where local and foreign experts are invited to address poultry farmers on latest poultry developments. Free of charge vaccination and de-betaking service is extended to customers, and least-cost feed formulations are also provided to farmers. Technical training programmes for poultry farmers are regularly organized and training is also imparted for carrying out vaccination and de-betaking. Through the training process, KN’s has made a significant contribution to Pakistan’s rural development. Tens of thousands of skilled and semi-skilled workers have been trained to provide service to industry, and to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families. Marketing Mix These are actually the 4 P’s of marketing. Marketing decisions generally falls into the following four controllable categories. Product Product is the actually offering by the company to its targeted customers which also includes value added stuff. Product may be tangible (goods) or intangible (services). While formulating the marketing strategy, product decisions include: †¢What to offer? †¢Brand name Packaging †¢Quality †¢Appearance †¢Functionality †¢Accessories †¢Installation †¢After sale services †¢Warranty Price Price includes the pricing strategy of the company for its products. How much customer should pay for a product? Pricing strategy not only related to the profit margins but also helps in finding target customers. Pricing decision also influence the choice of marketing channels. Price decisions include: †¢Pricing Strategy (Penetration, Skim, etc) †¢List Price †¢payment period †¢Discounts †¢Financing †¢Credit terms Using price as a weapon for rivals is as old as mankind. But it’s risky too. Consumers are often sensitive for price, discounts and additional offers. Another aspect of pricing is that expensive products are considered of good quality. Place (Placement) It not only includes the place where the product is placed, all those activities performed by the company to ensure the availability of the product to the targeted customers. Availability of the product at the right place, at the right time and in the right quantity is crucial in placement decisions. Placement decisions include: †¢Placement †¢Distribution channels †¢Logistics Inventory †¢Order processing †¢Market coverage †¢selection of channel members Promotion Promotion includes all communication and selling activities to persuade future prospects to buy the product. Promotion decisions include: †¢Advertising †¢Media Types †¢Message †¢Budgets †¢Sales promotion †¢Personal selling †¢Public relations †¢Direct market ing As these costs are huge as compared to product price, so it’s good to perform a break-even analysis before allocating the budget. It helps in determining whether the new customers are worth of promotion cost or not. Product Features For customers psychological benefits represent certain benefits they perceive to receive when using the product though these may be difficult to measure and may vary by customer. These benefits address needs such as status within a group, risk reduction, sense of independence, and happiness. Such benefits are developed through promotional efforts that target customer’s internal makeup. Four basic objectives of absolute integrity, enthusiastic diligence, continuous improvement and high quality maintenance are at the core of all operations which provide an impelling urge for attaining perfection. Driven by its basic objectives in pursuit of perfection, KN’s is committed to have superior product and unmatched service through devoted people and consistent development K products K have different product lines, but we will discuss only a single product line which is Ready to Cook meal. This category includes: †¢Nuggets †¢Chappli kabab †¢Burger patties †¢Chicken tempura †¢Kofta †¢Combo wings †¢Croquettes †¢Haray bharay nuggets †¢Hot tenders †¢Fun nuggets K from the very beginning has focused on providing better nutrition for the health and happiness of the nation. Quality is very first priority that will make them build strong and profitable customer relationships. They are managing and controlling all stages of production in order to ensure 100% safe and healthy production of our product. Our product offers consumptions, attention to satisfy desire or need in the market. Level of Product †¢ Core Benefit: providing the good taste. †¢ Actual Product: our product includes all ingredients in packaging according to the core benefit. †¢ Augmented Product: our product provide some benefits which are related to product just as recipe. Branding Branding involves decisions that establish an identity for a product with the goal of distinguishing it from competitors’ offerings. In markets where competition is fierce and where customers may select from among many competitive products, creating an identity through branding is essential. It is particularly important in helping position the product (see discussion of product position) in the minds of the product’s target market Brand Names and Brand Marks At a very basic level branding is achieved through the use of unique brand names and brand marks. The brand name, which may be either the individual product name or a name applied to a group or family of products, is important for many reasons including suggesting what the product is or does (e. g. , Mop-and-Glow). The name is also what we utter when we discuss the product (i. e. , word-of-mouth marketing). The brand mark is a design element, such as a symbol (e. g. , Nike swoosh ), logo (e. g. , Yahoo! graphic), a character (e. g. , Keebler elves) or even a sound (e. g. , Intel inside sound), that provides visual or auditory recognition for the product. K brand Along with the developed brand identity and trust reposed by customers, K has established its name in international market as well. It is a well-developed and promoted brand. It is a strong brand which is leading to financial advantages through the concept of Brand Equity in which the brand itself becomes valuable. Packaging Nearly all tangible products (i. e. , goods) are sold to customers within a container or package that, as we will discuss, serves many purposes including protecting the product during shipment. In a few cases, such as with certain produce items, the final customer may purchase the product without a package but the produce marketer still faces packaging decisions when it comes to shipping to the store. Factors in Packaging Decisions Packaging decisions are important for several reasons including †¢Protection – Packaging is used to protect the product from damage during shipping and handling, and to lessen spoilage if the project is exposed to air or other elements. †¢Added Value – Packaging design and structure can add value to a product. For instance, benefits can be obtained from package structures that make the product easier to use while stylistic designs can make the product more attractive to display in the customer’s home †¢Visibility – Packaging design is used to capture customers’ attention as they are shopping or glancing through a catalog or website. †¢Distributor Acceptance – Packaging decisions must not only be accepted by the final customer, they may also have to be accepted by distributors who sell the product for the supplier. †¢Cost – Packaging can represent a significant portion of a product’s elling price. †¢Long Term Decision – When companies create a new package it is most often with the intention of having the design on the market for an extended period of time. In fact, changing a product’s packaging too frequently can have negative effects K packaging Each product is wrapped in butter paper, and then packed in sealed pl astic bags that are safe for health, and then finally packed in the box. Some chickens are prepared to ship whole; others are packed as bone-in cuts or boneless products. Products for retail are packed in K’s branded packaging and individually weighed, adding another step to KN’s quality control. Products are then blast frozen at a very low temperature of –30? C to ensure product freshness, taste and food-safety. Labeling Most packages, whether final customer packaging or distribution packaging, are imprinted with information intended to assist the customer. For consumer products, labeling decisions are extremely important for the following reasons. †¢Labels serve to capture the attention of shoppers. The use of catchy words may cause strolling customers to stop and evaluate the product. †¢The label is likely to be the first thing a new customer sees and thus offers their first impression of the product. †¢The label provides customers with product information to aid their purchase decision or help improve the customer’s experience when using the product (e. g. , recipes). †¢In some countries many products, including food and pharmaceuticals, are required by law to contain certain labels such as listing ingredients, providing nutritional information or including usage warning information. KN’s labeling ?KN’s label is to attract the attention of the customers. ?COLOUR is attractive sharp red which is eye catching. These are the things which are listed on the wrappers ?Ingredients ?Nutrition Facts ?Procedure Nuggets Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 5 pieces (110g) Amount per serving Calories 263 Calories from Fat 147 % Daily Value* Total Fat 16. 30g Total Carbohydrate 14. 2g Fibers 1. 98g Protein 14. 90g Salt 1. 6g25% 5% 8% 30% * % Daily Value based on 2000 Calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Procedure Appliances and utensils vary; adjust heating times accordingly. Do not defrost Karahi (Wok): Preheat oil to frying temperature (180 °C). Deep fry frozen Nuggets for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Oven: Preheat oven to 230 °C. Bake frozen Nuggets on a baking sheet (turning halfway through baking) for 5 minutes, or until golden brown PRICING STRATEGIES Pricing is the monetary value of the benefit that a customer is paying to get that particular benefit. So a company is very careful in setting its prices. As we know that there are two types of new product pricing strategies Market skimming pricing †¢Market penetration pricing For its product KNs have selected the market penetration pricing strategy. They apply this strategy to keep their product prices lower so that by doing this we attract a large numbers of buyers and also to gain large market shares. The reason for not using market skimming strategy is that as its product is an eatable product and there is no se nse of keeping high prices for an eatable product, because as KNs knows that skimming strategies are for luxury products. PRICE ADJUSTMENT STRATEGIES After penetrating into the market, KNs will adopt adjustment strategies in order to increase its sales and attract more customers. Basically these adjustment strategies are according to the taste, culture and the changing situation of the market. Following are the price adjustment strategies. Segmented pricing. Psychological pricing. Promotional pricing. Geographical pricing. International pricing. DISCOUNT AND ALLOWANCE PRICING KNs applies this strategy by giving quantity discount to its customers. Quantity Discount: KNs gives quantity discount by offering â€Å"buy one get one free† offers. Besides this KNs also gives discount to those customers who will buy in bulk or in large quantity. Segmented pricing: KNs launched its product in almost all the parts of the country with almost the same prices. They segmented their product price in the following ways. Time pricing strategy: In time pricing KNs lowers its prices according to different seasons. It reduces prices in Ramadan season, as its demand is more in that season. Promotional pricing: This strategy involves temporary lowering of the prices of the product below the cost to increase the short run sales. KNs applies this strategy when any one of its competitor lower its product price in order to grab market shares. To compete with them it also lowers its product price so that it can retain its market shares. Geographic pricing: In Geographic pricing KNs adopts freight absorption strategy. Freight absorption strategy: KNs do not add freight charges to its product price in order to keep its product price lower, as its focus is to capture more customers. International pricing: As KNs is not yet internationally recognized so KNs do not set international prices for its products. KNs is only serving nationwide so it sets prices of its product nationally. PRICE CHANGES: Some time companies have to initiate price change after developing pricing strategies Because of different reasons, Price change could be a price cut or price increase. Initiating a Price Cut: KNs already set a low price for its product but it cuts price of its product if its sales will not increase accordingly, in that situation KNs will cut the price in order to increase sales and to capture market shares. Initiating a Price increase: Once KNs product achieved a position in a market and it sets a good image in the consumers mind and has a large number of potential buyers then KNs might increase its product price. But its aim is to give good quality product in an affordable price. KNs can initiate its product price when its product demand increases and KNs cannot supply according to the demand but INSHALLAH this situation will never come because KN’s has its own poultry and breeding farms. Buyer’s Reaction to Price Changes: Changing in price has a great effect on the consumers mind. They think that there should be some problem with the product so the company is decreasing its product price or the customers may interpret it as the company is closing its business and they will not offer this product in future. On the other hand price increase also affects the buyers in a way that they think that this product is unobtainable unless they buy it soon. They also think that the company is greedy and they are charging more prices for their product. Competitor’s Reaction to Price Changes: KNs is aggressive while changing its product price and has to change its product price according to the competitor’s product price. So KNs keeps its competitors into consideration before lowering or increasing its product prices. Responding to Price Change: If any of the competitors of KNs changes the prices it affects its sales. So KNs analyzes the change and react to it accordingly. Like if they low their price it will decrease its sales so KNs then adopts strategies to increase its sale by lowering its prices, giving discounts or improving quality of its products. PLACE Place include company activities that make the product available to the target customers. For customers, product and service should be as conveniently available as possible. This includes the strategies, how the organization is going to distribute the product or service to the end users. Distributing the right product at right time is the rule of thumb. Efficient and effective distribution is important to meet all the desired marketing objectives of the firm. If the firm is not understanding or underestimating the demand of the customers and customers are not getting the product due this negligence then it is going to affect the overall profitability of the firm in the long run. PLACE MIX DECISIONS: Place mix decisions include designing the strategies for the better availability of the product at the right time to the target customers to achieve organizational objectives. It comprises decisions about: †¢Channels †¢Coverage †¢Assortments †¢Locations †¢Inventory †¢Transportation †¢Logistics CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION: Channel of Distribution involves the routes of getting the product from the manufacturer to the ultimate consumer. These channels of distribution are also called intermediaries. There are many types of intermediaries such as wholesalers, agents, retailers, the Internet, overseas distributors, direct marketing (from manufacturer to user without an intermediary), and many others. Types of channel of distribution: There are two types of channel of distribution of the products or services available. †¢Indirect distribution: it involves the distribution of the product by the use of an intermediary for example selling the product to the wholesaler and then on the way to the retailers. Direct distribution: it involves the direct distribution of the product from the manufacturing concern to the consumer, without involvement of any third party or middle men. There is an advantage of direct distribution over indirect distribution that the manufacturer gains complete control over the consumer. The following figures depict the two types of channel distribution. INDIRECT CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION DIRECT CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION Distribution strategies: Depending on the types of the product, there are three major types of channel of distribution strategies available. . Extensive distribution: It is commonly used to distribute low priced or impulse purchase products e. g. chocolates and sweets etc. 2. Selective distribution: Here a small number of retail outlets are chosen to distribute the product. Selective distribution is common with products such as computers, televisions household appliances, where consumers are willing to shop around and where manufacturers want a large geographical spread. 3. Exclusive distribution: It involves limiting distribution to a single outlet. The product is usually highly priced, and requires the intermediary to place much detail in its sell. An example of would be the sale of vehicles through exclusive dealers. If the manufacturer decides to choose selective or exclusive distribution, then it must select an experienced, creditable and renowned intermediary. COVERAGE: Number of active retail and/or wholesale outlets (relative to a saturation level) that sell a specific firm’s brands in a given market. Required market coverage is achieved by following concentrated marketing, differentiated marketing, or undifferentiated marketing strategy. Concentrated marketing: Concentrated marketing or niche marketing is market-coverage strategy in which a firm goes after a large share of one or a few segments niches. It appeals to the marketers when company resources are limited. Through niche marketing, the firm achieves a strong market position because of its greater knowledge of consumer needs in the niches it serves and a special reputation it acquires. It can market more effectively by fine tuning its products prices and programs to the needs of carefully defined segment. It can also market efficiently, targeting its products or services, channels and communications programs toward only consumers that it can serve best and most profitably. It is highly profitable but at same time provides with greater than normal risks as companies solely depend on fewer segments for their business and large competitors can enter the same segment with greater resources. Differentiated marketing: Differentiated or segmented marketing is market -coverage strategy in which a firm decides to target several market segments and designs separate offers for each. By offering product and marketing variations, companies hope to get higher sales and strong position in each market segment. But there is a drawback that differentiated marketing for each segment bears a lot of cost to satisfy each target segment’s customers. Developing separate marketing plans for the separate segments requires extra marketing research, forecasting, sales analysis, promotion planning, and channel management. Mass marketing: The marketing strategy that provides an opportunity to the organizations to appeal to a wide variety of potential customer is mass marketing or undifferentiated marketing. Here a firm ignores the market differences and go after the whole market with another. The idea is to broadcast the message to the largest number of people possible. Mass marketing creates the largest potential market that yields to lower cost as it focuses on high sales and low prices. Typically, things which are perceived to necessary or essential to the consumer are subject to mass marketing. On the contrary, mass marketing fails to satisfy all consumer needs and face trouble to compete other firms following better marketing approaches. ASSORTMENTS: Assortment means the group or collection of products and services offered in the market for sale. It refers to the variety of the offering being available in the market according to the customer’s demand. Role of channel members: Channel members play a vital role in assorting the quantity and variety of the products according to the market and consumer’s needs. Producers use these intermediaries because they create greater efficiency in making goods available to the target markets. Through their contacts, market insight and scale of operation, they transform the assortments of the products made by the producers into assortments wanted by consumers. Producers make narrow assortments of the products in large quantities, but consumers want broad assortments of the products in small quantities. Marketing channel members buy larger quantities of the products from the producers and break them into smaller quantities and broader assortments wanted by consumers. So, intermediaries play an important role in matching the supply and demand in the market. LOCATIONS: The location for the sale of the product is analogous to distribution center. A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be re-distributed to retailers, to wholesalers or directly to consumers†¦ A distribution center can also be called a warehouse, a DC, a fulfillment center, a cross-dock facility, a bulk break center, and a package handling center. The name by which the distribution center is known is commonly based on the purpose of the operation. Distribution centers are the foundation of a â€Å"supply network† as they allow a single location to stock a vast number of products. Some organizations operate both retail distribution and direct-to-consumer out of a single facility, sharing space, equipment, labor resources and inventory as applicable. How a distribution center operates? The way a typical retail distribution network operates is to have centers set up throughout a commercial market. Suppliers will ship truckloads of products to the distribution center. The distribution center will then store the product until needed by the retail location and ship the proper quantity. Many retailers own and run their own distribution networks, while smaller retailers may outsource this function to dedicated logistics firms that coordinate the distribution of products for a number of companies. A distribution center can be co-located at a logistics center. Storage at distribution center: Another important secondary role of distribution center is storage. Many retailers have prioritized having as many items in stock at one time as possible. To conserve space, minimize inventory costs, and maximize the variety they offer the retail might only stock one or a few items of a particular product. This requires the ability to ship a replacement quickly once an item is sold. By keeping product on hand in the distribution center, the retailer can ship a replacement almost immediately after a product is sold. Storage location and storage containers: Goods (products) arrive and are stored in a distribution center in varying types of storage locations and containers suited to the product characteristics and the amount of product to be transported or stored. These types of locations and containers have specific industry accepted names. There are specialized and various types of containers. The following is a list of some of the names and characteristics of common storage containers: †¢Intermodal containers (shipping containers) – are used for the efficient transportation of goods. There are standards that specify the volume and dimensions of containers to facilitate efficient handling. †¢Pallets- are one of the most commonly used means to store and move product in a distribution center. Pallets are stored on the floor, may be stacked, and may be stored in pallet rack. †¢Gaylord’s- are large single boxes usually connected or attached to a pallet. Cases and Cartons- are boxes usually containing many items. In distribution centers there is a generally accepted distinction made between the terms carton and case although both are boxes. Goods are received and stored in cartons. Goods are shipped in cases. A stored carton is called a case once it has been picked or pulled for shipment. †¢Totes- are reusable containers used to hold and transp ort goods. INVENTORY: Inventory or stock means a list compiled for some formal purpose, a list of goods and materials to the goods and materials themselves, especially those held available in stock by a business. Manufacturers’, distributors’, and wholesalers’ inventory tends to cluster in warehouses. Retailers’ inventory may exist in a warehouse or in a shop or store accessible to customers. Reasons for keeping stock: There are three basic reasons for keeping an inventory: 1. Time – The time lags present in the supply chain, from supplier to user at every stage, requires that you maintain certain amounts of inventory to use in this â€Å"lead time. † 2. Uncertainty – Inventories are maintained as buffers to meet uncertainties in demand, supply and movements of goods. 3. Economies of scale – Ideal condition of â€Å"one unit at a time at a place where a user needs it, when he needs it† principle tends to incur lots of costs in terms of logistics. So bulk buying, movement and storing brings in economies of scale, thus inventory. While the reasons for holding stock were covered earlier, most manufacturing organizations usually divide their â€Å"goods for sale† inventory into: †¢Raw materials- materials and components scheduled for use in making a product. †¢Work in process, WIP- materials and components that have begun their transformation to finished goods. Finished goods- goods ready for sale to customers. †¢Goods for resale – returned goods that are salable. Inventory management: Inventory management involves a retailer seeking to acquire and maintain a proper merchandise assortment while ordering, shipping, handling, and related costs are kept in check. Systems and processes that identify inventory requir ements, set targets, provide replenishment techniques and report actual and projected inventory status. The improvement of inventory management has two parts: the capability of the organization to manage inventory, and the way in which it chooses to do so. For example, a company may wish to install a complex inventory system, but unless there is a good understanding of the role of inventory and its parameters, and an effective business process to support that, the system cannot bring the necessary benefits to the organization in isolation. Management of the inventories, with the primary objective of determining/controlling stock levels within the physical distribution function to balance the need for product availability against the need for minimizing stock holding and handling costs. TRANSPORTATION: Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations. Transportation infrastructure: Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed installations necessary for transport, and may be roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines, and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations), and seaports. Terminals may be used both for interchange of passengers and cargo and for maintenance. Vehicles traveling on these networks may include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, people, helicopters, and aircraft. Operations deal with the way the vehicles are operated, and the procedures set for this purpose including financing, legalities and policies. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode. LOGISTICS: Logistics can be classified as an enterprise planning framework for material management, information, service and capital flows. In the words, logistics can be defined as having the right type of product or service at the right place, at the right time, for a right price and in the right condition. The primary goal of the logistics is to effectively manage the product life cycles and resultant efficiency. Logistics does not mean a single work activity but refers to a group of activities performed to attain the goal of a business enterprise that is maximizing the Profits. This may involve steps like purchasing, planning, coordination, transportation, warehousing, distribution and customer service. Logistics management: Logistics management is that part of the supply chain which plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customer and legal requirements. A professional working in the field of logistics management is called a logistician. Logistics management is known by many names, the most common are as follows: †¢Materials Management †¢Channel Management †¢Distribution (or Physical Distribution) †¢Business or Logistics Management or †¢Supply Chain Management PLACE MIX_K: K chicken products are available at K Chicken Stores and leading retailers and also delivered to quality and food-safety conscious institutions such as hotels, restaurants, airlines, clubs and international restaurant chains. It has a strong supply chain through its distribution channels. In Pakistan K is operating in more than 35 cities. There is very diversity in its distribution. We take the example of Islamabad city . In Islamabad there are many stores as well as retailers in every sector, and only in I-8 there is one K store and 17 retailer’s shops. DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCT: After the development of product, product should be distributed into the market for the satisfaction and attraction of our consumers. The products play a vital role in the availability of their services to attract the customers. How to Distribute Product to Retailers: K follows the following ways to distribute product to retailers: †¢Sell Directly to Retailers Sell through distributors, which sell a broad range of products to many retailers †¢Sell through captive distributors, which sell a broad range of products to one chain of retailers. †¢Sell through distributors, which sell to targeted customers. Distribution Channel of Product: The distribution channel of our product is indirect marketing channel because this channe l contains one or more intermediary levels. Cities in which products are available: In Pakistan, K chicken is available in the following cities. Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Chiniot, Daska, D. G. han, Dharki, Dina, Faisalabad, Farooqabad, Gujar Khan, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jaranwala, Jhelum, Kabirwala, Kamra, Karachi, Khanewal, Kharian, Lahore, Lalamusa, Larkana, Machi ghot , Mangla, Mansehra, Mardan, MirpurAJK, Mirpur Methelo, Mirpurkhas, Multan, Murree, Noshehroferoz, Nawabshah, Noshehra, Okara, Panu Aqil, Peshawar, Pitaro, Quetta, Raiwind, Rawalpindi, Rahimyarkhan, Risalpur, Sadiqabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Shorkot, Sialkot, Sukkar, Tandoadam and Wah cant. Promotion Strategies: Promotion is the activity in which the company has a chance to interact with its customers. To Promote K uses different promotional tools. These tools include advertisements, sale promotions, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing. Advertisements: It uses informative advertising because it is mostly used when introducing a new product. The objective of it is to build primary demand. It will use the persuasive advertising when it has a competition in the market. Sales Promotions: In sales promotions it uses different discount strategies, giving short term incentives in order to increase its sales. It also introduces sponsorships, memberships and discount coupons. Memberships: K also offers memberships to its customers. The K’s Way Club membership is free. One can enroll by just filling the form, click submit and simply print the Temporary Card. Temporary card: Having enrolled as a new club member, you can use your Temporary card to earn points with immediate effect. Please remember to always present this Temporary Card while shopping at KN’s Chicken Store for point’s credit into your club account. Club card and pin: Along with your club Member card, you will also receive a 5-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number). You will need this PIN (along with your club card number) to enquire about your account balance; update your individual club profile online, and for all other club online services. As a new member, it is important to know you cannot use our online services, nor redeem your points, until you have received your PIN. One can also enroll oneself by filling out the Enrolment Form available at all KN’s Chicken Stores and send it to the company. One has to detach The K’s Way Club Temporary Card and retain it. After becoming the member, KN’s offers different discounts, exclusive privileges and other benefits to its members when they collect points. The more they collect, the more they benefit. As a member every time you shop at any KN’s Chicken Store in Pakistan, you earn valuable points which can be redeemed for free KN’s products. Number of points: Number of points earned is directly related to purchase amount, K product category and your status within The K’s Way Club. You earn 2. 50 status and award points for every Rs. 0/- spent on Whole Chicken, Designer Cuts and By-Parts. For Boneless products you earn 3. 50 points, while for Ready-to-Cook, Fully Cooked and Deli Line Products you earn 5 points for the same amount spent. Your club status determines whether you will be able to enjoy additional benefits and privileges associated with Silver, Gold or Circle status within The KN’s W ay Club Program. Award points: Award points are earned every time you shop at a KN’s Chicken Store. As the name suggests, award points can be exchanged for awards, such as free KN’s products and special discounts. Award points can also be earned against special K’s product offers and promotions from time to time. Award points do not count towards determining club status. Status points: Status points are earned simultaneously with award points every time you shop at a KN’s Chicken Store. As the name suggests, status points determine club status and enable you to move towards and/or retain the higher Silver, Gold or Circle status. Certain limited time promotions or special offers may be excluded from status points’ accrual. Executive bonus: A higher status of Silver, Gold or Circle within the Club also entitles you to an Executive Bonus on award points earned, even for the same purchase amount. If you have Silver status, you earn 25%. Gold status entitles you to 50%, while Circle status gives you 100% Executive Bonus. Executive Bonus is not applicable on Status Points. Member: Once you have reached 50 status points KN’s welcomes you as a permanent Member of The KN’s Way Club where a world of privileges, attractive awards and benefits are offered to the customers on their future shopping. Silver: Attaining Silver status is easy and within reach. To start with, a customer has to earn 25% Executive Bonus award points on every purchase he makes, and enjoy a host of other privileges designed for the Silver members. Gold: A customer has to earn required number of status points and he gets the Gold status The K’s Way Gold members get as much as 50% Executive Bonus award points on purchases, 6 discount eVouchers in a calendar year for attaining or extending the status each time, and other privileges designed only for the Gold members. Circle: The KN’s Way Circle status recognizes the loyalty of the exceptional customers. It offers these privileges as an expression of their utmost appreciation for the loyalty of their exclusive ‘circle’ of such customers. For instance, if a customer treats himself to 100% Executive Bonus award points on his purchases, 12 discount eVouchers in a calendar year for attaining or maintaining the status each time and other privileges designed exclusively for their Circle members. Personal Selling It also promotes its product through personal selling. Personal selling is more effective than any other promotion strategy. Through personal communication, it is easy to persuade someone to buy your product, because in personal selling there is a direct contact with the buyers. Public Relations: To increase its sales it also ties good public relations. KN’s develops its public relation by doing the work of social responsibility, like wishing happy Eid or wishing any other special event to the customers. Through Public relations it also creates a good word of mouth for the product which is the most efficient way of promoting a product. Direct Marketing: In direct marketing KN’s targets its customers through internet, telephone, print media and electronic media (television and radio). Print Media: It promotes its product through print media by advertising its product in newspapers and in different magazines. KN’s adopts this type of advertising when it wants to introduce some new discount packages or sales offers. Other then advertising in newspapers and in magazines it also advertises its product on bill boards and banners. Electronic Media: To promote its product through electronic media KN’s advertises its product on different television channels and on radio stations. To make its product information more convenient and easy it provides its website and 24 hours toll free numbers, through which the customers can contact and also give feedback about the product. The website of KN’s is http://www. kandns. com Promotion for kids: To make its products favorite among kids, KN’s introduced a product called â€Å"Fun Nuggets†. It has designed special advertisements for children. As kids are more attracted by cartoons, KN’s has used cartoon characters like dinosaurs, dolphins and ducks and have given them special names like Din Din, Dolf and Ducky to make their products familiar with kids. KN’s Cooking show: To promote its product, KN’s has now brought a dedicated cooking show for quick recipes with answers to all viewers’ ‘how do you do that’ questions, and helpful tips – all at Smart Cooking with K’s! Chef Mehboob Khan is the name consumers trust and count on for reliable and tasteful recipes. People can now watch him use a wide range of KN’s chicken products for easy-to-prepare recipes like Lahori Karahi, Chicken Ala Kiev, or Fajita Wraps. Smart Cooking with KN’s is aired on every Saturday 6:30pm, Sunday 4:00pm and Wednesday 2:00pm, on ARY Zauq. In this winter, to promote its products, K has now offered discounts on its products like Croquettes and chapli kabab. Similarly, in Ramazan, K offered its members to get 50% bonus award points on all of its products. In the same way, it had offered its members price discounts on Haray Bharay Nuggets and Tender Pops in Ramazan. Other then the print and electronic media the cheapest way to promote the product is through Short messaging service: They have a contract with different cellular companies where they will send K promotional messages to their special numbers. K face book page: K has also created face book page. Now-a-days, many companies, designers and artists are making their fan pages on face book for the advertisements of their products. People go on these pages, learn about the products, give their comments, resolve their queries and recommend these pages to their friends. In the same way, K has made its face book page to advertise its products. Its face book link is: http://www. facebook. com/pages/KNs-Chicken/120891524596651 Promotion Budget: To allocate budget for the promotion strategies K uses objective and task method. According to this method first it defines its promotion objectives, that why are they promoting their product? After that they determine different tasks to accomplish those objectives and at the end they estimate the cost utilized in performing these tasks. PRODUCT POSITIONING It is the evaluation of a company’s product’s position that what place it occupies in the market and how customers differentiate it from other products. Choosing positioning strategy To position the product different companies use different positioning strategies. Major competitors: Major competitors of K and N are †¢Kitchen confidence. †¢Mano Salva, †¢ seasons canola`s menu †¢Locally available chicken Kitchen Confidence basically produces frozen products like Chicken Nuggets. Burger Patties, Meat balls, Samosa,Rolls etc. Recently co. has started non frozen item i. e. Bread Crumbs. Salwa Foods offers an assortment of deep frozen food products for both retailers and food service. The assortment ranges from basic standard products to highly refined ready-made products. Salwa foods have launched its ready to cook items under the name of Mano Salwa. Season’s canola has launched its range of ready to cook food items with the name of menu. But the largest of the competitors that was a challenge to K and N was the locally available chicken in the market. It had the stereotypic advantage of being truly Halal and cheap than any kind of chicken available in packets in frozen form. Competitive Advantages Following are the competitive advantages that make it different K N from rest of its competitors. Product Differentiation: We offer a pack of four. Each separately wrapped in butter paper, combined packed in sealed plastic bags that are safe for health, and then finally packed in the box. Service Differentiation: Our product will be accessible and will be available at every outlet of K. Channel differentiation: In Pakistan K is operating in more than 35 cities. There is very diversity in its distribution. We take the example of Islamabad city . In Islamabad there are many stores as well as retailers in every sector, and only in I-8 there is one K store and 17retailer’s shops. People differentiation: Technology is highly involved in the production so we will hire trained staff, those who knows how to operate the machines. We also hire qualified staff in order to guarantee healthy relationship between customers and retailers. Image differentiation: Since our product comes under K brand name hence a good image will be casted over the consumers. Also K is a symbol of quality; hence will automatically be recognized as a quality product. Product Chain K are enjoying their own product chain. They have their own breading and poultry forms, from where they get there raw material for their product. Choosing the right competitive advantage †¢Important: We deliver highly valued benefits to our target customers in our products. †¢Distinctive: we have no strong competitor and enjoy distinctiveness in the market. †¢Superior: we are providing pure hygienic food in at comparable prices. †¢Communicable: the consumers can feel the difference in our quality, taste, hygiene and prices that are communicable. Preemptive: competitor needs a lot and lot of hard work to match our standard else it is not possible. †¢Affordable: Buyer can afford to pay for the difference. †¢Profitable: the difference is profitable both for the company and the customers. Selecting an overall positioning strategy Our overall positioning strategy will be focused on More for Less winning value proposition i. e. will offer more qu ality at less price range and we will focus on the needs and wants of target customers in order to give high customer value and satisfaction POSITIONING STATEMENT To target the teenagers, working women, hostilities and bachelors, we offer, a ready to eat hot and spicy paratha, with high quality, affordability and accessibility. Conclusion We have come to a conclusion that K is the most superior and famous quality delivering company. Its Promotion through advertising is highly frequent on different TV channels. It has differentiated itself from its competitors by having highly trained sales person with different discount allowances and coupons. It has developed strong bonds with its customers. It How to cite K Final Report, Essay examples