illustrator essays

artist articles Eric Carle is an acclaimed maker of inventively delineated picture books for extremely small kids. His most popular work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has been converted into in excess of 30 dialects and sold more than eighteen million duplicates. Since the Caterpillar was distributed in 1969, Carle has shown and composed in excess of seventy books, a large number of which were smash hits. Carle was conceived in Syracuse, New York, in 1929 and later moved to Germany with his folks where he was taught and in the end moved on from the lofty workmanship school, the Akademie der bildenden Kunste. In any case, he had a fantasy to consistently come back to America, the place where there is his most joyful cherished recollections. In 1952 with an all around created portfolio, he came back to New York. There he got a new line of work as a visual architect in the advancement division of The New York Times. In the mid 1960s, Carle turned into the craftsmanship executive for a promoting organization. While there Bill Martin Jr. saw a promotion of a red lobster that Carle had intended for an ad and was intrigued enough to ask Carle to delineate Martins book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? . This experience brought back recollections of huge pieces of paper, bright paints, and fat brushes from his prior school years. He was opened to something extraordinary that would completely change him. This was the start of Eric Carles genuine profession. Carle before long found that representing alone was not so much fulfilling and needed to take a stab at composing also. He started to make unpleasant books of his thoughts and put away them in a little cardboard box. At the point when he delineated a verifiable cookbook, the editorial manager caught wind of his container of thoughts and requested to see them. He submitted 1,2,3 to the Zoo. He at that point indicated the manager an anecdote about a worm that ate openings through the pages. This was the way The Very Hungry Caterpillar was conceived. Nearly easily, Carle had become a writer and artist of books for kids. ... <!

Plains, Games, and Automobiles free essay sample

Fields, games, and vehicles; the notorious gathering of three that transformed me into a hooligan. It was a warm summer day, and I was a youngster. However the delightful climate gave a false representation of the exercises on King Edward’s Way, where unadulterated wickedness was occurring. The horrible men were devastating the field that I played in. My companion, Isaiah, and I viewed the demolition occur, letting the fury fill our prepubescent bodies. Consistently, we would approach the field past our road. Monster hills of earth extended miles into the sky. We cherished those mountains, and they adored us. We climbed them, running from ninjas one day, getting Pokemon the following. They offered to us a critical setting in shaping exemplary beloved recollections. What's more, the men were tearing them down. Truly, it was entirely thick of me to not understand that the heaps of earth were, indeed, dreadful slopes, and that they were simply physical proof of a change from a field to houses. We will compose a custom paper test on Fields, Games, and Automobiles or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Yet, to a kid, everything is a game, and that’s how it ought to be. Being the vigilantes that we were, Isaiah and I concluded that the time had come to give out equity. We considered these to be as beasts, whose labor of love was to pulverize our home. So we sent them a message. Isaiah approached my home on our D-Day. It was the ideal opportunity for this war to end. I shouted to my mom, disclosing to her that we were going to play Pokemon at the highest point of the slope. She got it. The ideal bad habit. Didn’t suspect a thing. We walked up to the battleground and investigated the fields. A grave breeze kicked up some soil, however else, it was all tranquil. Vehicles zoomed by on the opposite street. These observers would be our most concerning issue. In the stealthiest style conceivable, we crept down the slope. We went to a concrete chamber and bird inside. There was no turning around. We had no clue what to do now. Our guiltlessness was occurring to us; could two children truly cut down a whole crowd? In any case, the honesty was likewise our best resource; no one anticipates the youngsters. Towards the finish of the field, a huge truck was left with nobody inside. That would do. We ran our hands over the filthy outside of the tank. It was secured with the blood of our country, sloppy spots going about as fight scars. Our anger expanded, yet we resisted the urge to panic. On the off chance that we blew it now, that could prompt genuine difficulty. Our folks may even discover. After snapshots of looking, I found a chink in the covering. Two orange circles on the rear of the truck secured the lights that lit up for the brakes. Without those, we understood that the truck would in all likelihood be pulled over, which would be a triumph all things considered. Isaiah watched the traffic, searching for a break. I paused, rock close by, prepared to convey that deadly blow. He gave the sign. Out of nowhere, I froze. Was this actually my destiny? To stand out forever like Al Capone, giving up my life of potential to one of gangsterism and thuggishness? Be that as it may, oh dear, so as to safeguard my country, penances must be made. I willed myself to relinquish that immature notoriety and hammered the stone into the brake light spread. The stone struck the plastic and broke it right away. It tumbled to the ground, pouring odds and ends of triumph. I was prepared to stop there, however my brain was not my own. I struck once more, crushing the light. The brake light was out, however I needed more. I did likewise for the other light, crushing and crushing until Isaiah pulled me away from my casualty. I resembled a fighter, punching my rival, getting my gloves on him in any capacity conceivable until I was coercively evacuated. At that point I saw the risk. A vehicle maneuvered into our field. I dropped the stone, yet there was earth on my hands. It drove up close to us. A man moved down the window and asked what our identity was. I did the talking; I was the pioneer of this group. I revealed to him who we were, puffing out my chest, both for size and with an end goal to shroud the monstrous pounding of my apprehensive heart. He inquired as to why we were here. Being the amazing improviser that I am, I disclosed to him that we were gathering rocks. His distrustful face indicated how little he trusted me. Nonetheless, without really implicating proof, he let us go, sending us out the door. We ran back to my home, hearts going quicker than our little legs could take us. We had done it. The modern monster was done. Equity had won for the last time. Obviously, everything considered, our endeavors were vain. They assembled a lot of houses and condos, and we lost our field. We never were gotten by our folks or any other person, however the blame of my wrongdoing has stayed with me right up 'til the present time. To put it to be perfectly honest, I was inept. Be that as it may, I figured out how to divert my life around from my profession of wrongdoing, and now, here I am. Without the tale of the Harrisonburg fields, the games we played there, and the car that transformed me into a crook, I would not be the individual that I am today.

How Long Does Buprenorphine Stay in Your System

How Long Does Buprenorphine Stay in Your System Addiction Drug Use Opioids Print How Long Does Buprenorphine Stay in Your System? Buprenorphine in Your Blood, Urine, Hair, Saliva By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on December 13, 2015 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on December 06, 2019 Joe Raedle/Staff/ Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Opioids Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand Effects Duration Factors That Affect Detection Time Elimination Symptoms of Overdose Getting Help View All Back To Top Buprenorphine is in a class of medications called opioid partial agonist-antagonists.  It is used in transdermal patches and buccal films for people who need round-the-clock medication for pain but cant be treated with other pain-relieving medications.  It is also used to prevent withdrawal symptoms for people who stop taking opioid drugs by producing similar effects to these drugs.?? Buprenorphine is sold under the brand names Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone), Subutex, Belbuca, Buprenex, Butrans, Temgesic, and Bupe.   Buprenorphine and products containing buprenorphine are classified as Schedule III drugs, meaning they are considered to have a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Learning how buprenorphine acts in your system and what interactions there can be with other drugs can help understand precautions and how to prevent an overdose. How Long Does Buprenorphine Stay in Your System? Blood: Up to two daysUrine: Up to six daysSaliva: Up to three daysHair: Up to 90 days How Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Can Treat Opiate Addiction How Long Does It Take to Feel Effects? Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that works by activating opioid receptors in the brain. This effect is less pronounced than in the case of opioids such as methadone and heroin.?? Activating the brains opioid receptors results in a reduction in opiate withdrawal symptoms. Essentially, the drug satisfies the brains need for opiates while avoiding the euphoric effects of opiate drugs.   The amount of time it takes to begin feeling the effects of this medication varies depending on your bodys individual factors. Buprenorphine reaches peak blood concentration levels in about 40 minutes to three and a half hours.??   Once you have taken a dose of the medication, the effects can last for up to three days. The effects of buprenorphine are on the opioid pain receptors in the brain and spinal cord, but it also depresses the respiratory centers of the brain. It produces pinpoint pupils. It reduces the motility of the gut, which can lead to constipation. It also is a vasodilator and so it can produce flushed skin, sweating, and feeling faint when you get up after lying down or sitting. How Long Does Buprenorphine Last? Buprenorphine has a long half-life of 24 to 42  hours. It is broken down by the liver and excreted in the bile and kidneys into the urine and feces. For the combination product Suboxone, which includes both buprenorphine and naloxone, the naloxone has a shorter elimination period with an elimination half-life from two to 12 hours. Buprenorphine is a powerful, long-lasting drug and even if you take it according to your doctors instructions, you must be monitored for possible severe reactions, especially when first taking buprenorphine or when the dosage is changed. The FDA website contains Medication Guides for many of the brand names of buprenorphine-containing products. You should consult your doctor or these guides for specific precautions, restrictions, and further information for each product. Buprenorphine has a different metabolite (norbuprenorphine) than commonly misused opioids and it may not be tested for on a urine or saliva drug screen such as used for employment. However, testing for it has become more common. If you have been prescribed buprenorphine or the combination product Suboxone, you should disclose it to the testing laboratory so your results can be properly interpreted. Lab tests usually involve the use of gas chromatography or liquid chromatography methods. However, some drug screenings used by employers are not able to detect this substance. It may be detected in a targeted opioid urine screen or a specific buprenorphine urine screen. Urine testing is the most common method, but blood, saliva, and hair testing can also detect buprenorphine, but such methods tend to be used less frequently. Urine Buprenorphine is detectable in urine for up to six days after the last use. Because this medication is often used to prevent opioid withdrawal symptoms, it is important for labs to be able to distinguish between prescription buprenorphine use and non-prescription opioid use. Research suggests that doses taken as part of buprenorphine maintenance show up in urine at significantly lower levels than that of heroin, meaning that routine urine testing can be used to distinguish between this medication and illicit heroin use.?? Blood While blood tests tend to be used less frequently due to their invasiveness and higher costs, buprenorphine is detectable by blood analysis for up to two days after the last dose. Blood tests also have a much shorter detection window than urine tests and are often best used relatively quickly after a person has taken their last dose of the medication. Saliva Research suggests that saliva tests can be a fast and accurate tool for detecting the presence of buprenorphine.?? Saliva tests may be used more frequently because they are easy to administer and have a slightly longer detection window than blood tests. Buprenorphine can be detected in saliva for approximately three days after the last use of the medication. Hair Research has also found that buprenorphine can be detected in hair samples.?? As with other substances, the detection window for hair testing is much longer. Buprenorphine can be detected in head hair follicle samples for up to three months after the last use. False Positive Testing While a useful, simple, and inexpensive tool, immunoassays (one of the most common types of urine drug screen) can give false-positive results. There have been reports of the several medications triggering a false-positive result for buprenorphine, including: High-dose morphine??Tramadol??Codeine??Solian (amisulpride)??Dogmatil (sulpiride)?? As with most positive results, testing to identify specific drugs, rather than classes of drugs, is needed to confirm a positive urine drug screen. To ensure clinicians can accurately interpret your drug screen results, always disclose any prescription or over-the-counter medications you are taking. Factors That Affect Detection Time There are a number of different variables that can influence how long it takes for your body to metabolize and eliminate buprenorphine. Some of the factors that can play a role in how long this substance remains in your system include age, liver function, and overall health. Age It is advised that caution should be used when prescribing buprenorphine medications to older adults due to decreased cardiac, hepatic, and renal functioning.?? The presence of other diseases and the use of other medications may also impact how fast buprenorphine is cleared from the body. Older adults may need to take this medication in smaller doses in order to avoid toxicity. Liver Function Because buprenorphine is metabolized and excreted primarily by the liver, hepatic impairment can influence how long it takes for the medication to be processed and cleared from your system. Studies found that the half-life of buprenorphine is longer for individuals with moderate to severe liver impairment.?? Overall Health Your overall health has an influence on how well your body processes and excretes different substances, including buprenorphine. If you are in good condition and have a faster metabolism, you may clear the substance at a somewhat higher rate. People with slower metabolisms, on the other hand, may take longer to eliminate the medication from their systems. Trying to estimate exactly how long buprenorphine is detectable in the body depends on many variables, including which type of formulation of the drug is used, whether it is in combination with other drugs, and individual metabolism. How to Get Buprenorphine Out of Your System While buprenorphine is not detected by standard screenings, it is possible that an employer may conduct a specific test designed to detect the substance. In such cases, it is important to know that you are within your rights to use the drug as long as you have a prescription. If you want to get this substance out of your system, the first step is to stop taking the medication. If you stop using buprenorphine suddenly, however, you may have withdrawal symptoms. Always consult your doctor before discontinuing your medication. If you want to speed up how quickly the drug is metabolized and eliminated from your system, make sure that you get regular exercise, follow a healthy diet, and drink plenty of water, which may help improve your bodys metabolic rate. Symptoms of Overdose Symptoms of a buprenorphine overdose can include: Pinpoint pupilsExtreme drowsinessDizzinessBlurred visionSlowed breathing If you suspect someone has overdosed on buprenorphine, call the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Risk of Drug Interactions There are many drug interactions with buprenorphine that can lead to severe and possibly fatal reactions.  Do not drink alcohol or take any medications that include alcohol white taking buprenorphine. Do not take any street drugs. While you need to discuss all medications, supplements, vitamins, and over-the-counter drugs with your doctor, the following are generally of the biggest concern for harmful interaction with buprenorphine:  benzodiazepines (such as Xanax, Librium, Klonopin, Valium, Diastat, Ativan, Restoril, Halcion, and others), muscle relaxants, sedatives, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, pain medications, and medications for mental illness and nausea. Getting Help While it is possible to become dependent upon buprenorphine, it is less addictive than opioids such as morphine and heroin. Managed use of the substance allows people to slowly taper off their dose as they go through treatment. Buprenorphine withdrawal symptoms are similar to those of opiate drugs but usually milder. Common symptoms can include nausea, headaches, flu-like symptoms, body aches, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping. The worst of these symptoms usually pass in the first three to five days, but milder symptoms may continue for a few weeks. If you are concerned about your buprenorphine use, talk to your doctor about other treatment options for opioid use disorder. Options may involve switching to another type of medication-assisted treatment or using psychological strategies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or contingency management (CM) to support your long-term recovery. If you need help finding treatment resources, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-4357 or utilize their online treatment locator. Treatment Options for Opioid Addiction

Practicing a Presentation - Advanced Business English

Mike: Anne, can I run the new presentation by you?Anne: Certainly, Id love to hear some of the new concepts. Mike: OK, here goes ... On behalf of myself and Sport Outfitters, Id like to welcome you. My names Mike Andersen. This morning, Id like to outline our new campaign concepts that have been recently developed.Anne: Excuse me, who was invited to this conference? Mike: Our sales representatives from our branch offices were asked to come. I think a number of upper-management representatives were also invited.Anne: Thats good. Our marketing approach is going to be completely revamped. Mike: And thats why we need everyone to be informed. So, Ill continue. Youll be given the background and Ill talk you through the results of some of our recent market studies.Anne: How many surveys were completed? Mike: I think about 100,000 were returned to the company. Our marketing team was very pleased with the response.Anne: OK, continue... Mike: The presentation has been divided into three parts. First, our past approach. Secondly, present changes that will be made. Thirdly, future forecasts ...Anne: That sounds good. Mike: If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask. At the end of this presentation, a short advertisement will be shown to give you an idea of where we are going.Anne: Good job Mike. I hope your graphics are being put together by Bob. Mike: Of course they are, you know hes the best! Multiple Choice Comprehension Questions 1. Why does Mike want to speak to Anne? to practice his presentationto get her opinion on the new campaignto show her some pictures 2. Besides sales representatives, who will be attending the conference? marketing staffsome representatives from upper managementmachine workers 3. What is going to be completely changed? the surveysthe product linethe marketing approach 4. How many surveys were completed and returned to the company? 10,000100,0001,000,000 5. Who are the graphics going to be done by? MikeBobAnne Answer Key Answers are in  bold. 1. Why does Mike want to speak to Anne? to practice his presentationto get her opinion on the new campaignto show her some pictures 2. Besides sales representatives, who will be attending the conference? marketing staffsome representatives from upper managementmachine workers 3. What is going to be completely changed? the surveysthe product linethe marketing approach 4. How many surveys were completed and returned to the company? 10,000100,0001,000,000 5. Who are the graphics going to be done by? MikeBobAnne More Business Resources Business English for ESL LearnersSample Business MeetingHow to Write a Business Report for English  Learners

Justice in The Republic by Plato Essay - 480 Words

Justice in The Republic by Plato In Platos The Republic, justice is depicted as a major part in a perfect society. Justice is said to breed a good society, whereas injustice will breed a bad one. Plato defines justice in dialogue as keeping what is properly ones own and doing ones own job. (Pg. 146) Under the rules set for this perfect society, people are to practice the one profession at which they perform best. This profession also corresponds to a certain social class. Under no circumstances can one change this profession. Along with a set occupation, Plato has also determined that the perfect community would regulate what children (and the community) are taught, and to what the children will be exposed. In Platos†¦show more content†¦Suppose a person is exposed to certain injustices that others commit. Plato feels that this exposure will plant a sort of seed inside a persons head. Thus leading him or her to commit an injustice of the same kind, or simply increasing the chance that a person will commit a similar act. However, there is a huge hypocrisy (or disadvantage) within this theory. With Platos definition of justice, a person should keep what is his or her own. Some would say that persons history is also their own. People have a right to know their history, and the truths about their community. Plato wants to take away passages in stories, lines within songs, and make all characters in plays perfect. This, in itself, is an injustice to a community. The stories, folklores, and fables of a community are meant to teach. In American society, children learn not to tell lies from the Boy Who Cried Wolf. The character in the story was not perfect and committed a bad act; however, children learn from his mistake. In Platos perfect society, he takes away what the community rightfully owns. When adopting Platos suggested way of life, one must be prepared to sacrifice his or her past (neglecting his definition of justice). This crucial injustice is needed for the good of Platos suggested community. Similarly, in the book Ishmael, the author tells a story about post-war Germany. In this story is a scenario where the Nazis had won and wiped out all otherShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Justice? Plato s Republic1475 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is justice? In Plato’s Republic, this question is asked between Socrates and other conversationalists. In the beginning of this work, many different definitions of justice are debated. However, to provide clarity, Socrates proposes that, instead of discussing what justice is, they should apply the term holistically and try to imagine justice in an â€Å"ideal city.† From this, the city of Kallipolis was created. Prior to Kallipolis being thought of, the idea of the first city, or the â€Å"City of Pigs†Read MoreJustice And Injustice Of Plato s The Republic1502 Words   |  7 PagesShort Essay: Justice and Injustice in Plato’s The Republic In Plato’s The Republic, Socrates expresses his belief that in order for a state and its people to be functioning at their best, every citizen ought to do what they have the most character for, or what they are most qualified to do. Whether it is craftsmanship, guarding the city, playing music, or healing the sick, Socrates thinks that everyone should make his or her living doing one thing that they are skilled at, and one thing only. InRead More Justice and Moderation of the Soul in The Republic, by Plato3036 Words   |  13 PagesIn his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in provin g that justice is beneficial to those who believeRead MoreAnalysis Of Plato s Republic : The Definition Of Justice Essay986 Words   |  4 Pages In Plato’s Republic, Socrates begins a debate on the definition of justice. It starts off as a simple discussion on what justice means to some people. Eventually the discussion moves on how justice comes about it in an ideal city. Socrates eventually comes to the idea that an ideal city must have four virtues. These virtues happen to be: courage, wisdom, moderation, and justice. However, the only two virtues that applies to the city as a whole is justice and moderation. Whereas, courage is associatedRead MoreJustice Is Justified By Plato s The Republic1689 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies, people have been asking the question, what is justice? Although justice is not sincerely defined in Plato’s The Republic, both Socrates and Thrasymachus enter into a deep discussion over what justice truly is. After Socrates disproves Ceph alus and Polemarchus explanations of justice, Thrasymachus declares that justice is â€Å"simply what is in the interest of the stronger party† (338c). Furthermore, he debunks justice altogether, arguing that justice is the strong exploiting the weak and that the unjustRead MoreJustice, Power, And Human Nature By Thucydides And The Republic By Plato1142 Words   |  5 Pagesworks, Antigone by Sophocles, On Justice, Power, and Human Nature by Thucydides, and The Republic by Plato, there have been different accounts of the definition and significance of justice. Each work is significant to western civilization because it is applicable to the same society after all these years. The importance of justice takes on different roles and can affect people in different ways. The â€Å"best† person in these works will be the one who portrays justice in the most valuable way to the currentRead MoreRepublic by Plato War in Relation to Justice, Injustice, and the Just City1036 Word s   |  5 PagesRepublic by Plato War in Relation to Justice, Injustice, and the Just City Beginning in Book I Socrates states clearly that injustice causes war and justice causes the opposite, but by Book V he seems to have a completely different perspective on whether war is just or not. His mind apparently begins to change in Book II when he introduces the second class of people, namely the guardians, with the purpose of defending the city. Throughout Books II, IV and V Socrates discusses the topic of warRead MoreSummary Of Just Souls And Just Actions The Value Of Justice Plato s Republic2075 Words   |  9 PagesDr. Eric Hutton June 11, 2015 Just Souls and Just Actions: The Value of Justice in Plato’s Republic In the Republic, Plato through the mouth of Socrates attempts to engage in a discussion with Plato’s two brother, Glaucon and Adeimantus, who challenge him to address the value of justice and, why it would always be more profitable to act justly rather than not. But before we have even made our way through half of the Republic, Glaucon seems to believe that they have successfully answered this questionRead MoreThe Ethical Egoist in Platos Republic Essay989 Words   |  4 Pagesself-interest. Understandably, this belief poses a threat to social cooperation and, therefore, clearly introduces a significant political problem. I believe that the best example of ethical egoism is displayed in Book I of Platos The Republic. 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Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets Free Essays

Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets by JAMES C. ANDERSON, JAMES A. NARUS, AND WOUTER VAN ROSSUM Under pressure to keep costs down, customers may only look at price and not listen to your sales pitch. We will write a custom essay sample on Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets or any similar topic only for you Order Now Help them understand – and believe in – the superior value of your offerings. â€Å"CUSTOMER VALUE PROPOSITION† has become one of the most widely used terms in business markets in recent years. Yet our management-practice research reveals that there is no agreement as to what constitutes a customer value proposition – or what makes one persuasive. Moreover, we ? d that most value propositions make claims of savings and bene? ts to the customer without backing them up. An offering may actually provide superior value – but if the supplier doesn’t demonstrate and document that claim, a customer manager will likely dismiss it as marketing puffery. Customer managers, increasingly held accountable for reducing costs, don’t have the luxury of simply believing suppliers’ assertions. PETER HOEY march 2006 91 C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s Take the case of a company that makes integrated circuits (ICs). It hoped to supply 5 million units to an electronic device manufacturer for its next-generation product. In the course of negotiations, the supplier’s salesperson learned that he was competing against a company whose price was 10 cents lower per unit. The customer asked each salesperson why his company’s offering was superior. This salesperson based his value proposition on the service that he, personally, would provide. Unbeknownst to the salesperson, the customer had built a customer value model, which found that the company’s offering, though 10 cents higher in price per IC, was actually worth 15. cents more. The electronics engineer who was leading the development project had recommended that the purchasing manager buy those ICs, even at the higher price. The service was, indeed, worth something in the model–but just 0. 2 cents! Unfortunately, the salesperson had overlooked the two elements of his company’s IC offering that were most valuable to the customer, evidently unaware how much they were worth to that customer and, objectively, how superior they made his company’s offering to that of the competitor. Not surprisingly, We conducted management-practice research over the past two years in Europe and the United States to understand what constitutes a customer value proposition and what makes one persuasive to customers. One striking discovery is that it is exceptionally dif? cult to ? nd examples of value propositions that resonate with customers. Here, drawing on the best practices of a handful of suppliers in business markets, we present a systematic approach for developing value propositions that are meaningful to target customers and that focus suppliers’ efforts on creating superior value. Three Kinds of Value Propositions We have classi? ed the ways that suppliers use the term â€Å"value proposition†into three types: all bene? ts, favorable points of difference, and resonating focus. (See the exhibit â€Å"Which Alternative Conveys Value to Customers? †) All bene? ts. Our research indicates that most managers, when asked to construct a customer value proposition, simply list all the bene? ts they believe that their Customer managers, increasingly held accountable for reducing costs, don’t have the luxury of simply believing suppliers’ assertions. hen push came to shove, perhaps suspecting that his service was not worth the difference in price, the salesperson offered a 10-cent price concession to win the business – consequently leaving at least a half million dollars on the table. Some managers view the customer value proposition as a form of spin their marketing departments develop for advertising and promotional copy. This shortsi ghted view neglects the very real contribution of value propositions to superior business performance. Properly constructed, they force companies to rigorously focus on what their offerings are really worth to their customers. Once companies become disciplined about understanding customers, they can make smarter choices about where to allocate scarce company resources in developing new offerings. offering might deliver to target customers. The more they can think of, the better. This approach requires the least knowledge about customers and competitors and, thus, the least amount of work to construct. However, its relative simplicity has a major potential drawback: bene? t assertion. Managers may claim advantages for features that actually provide no bene? to target customers. Such was the case with a company that sold highperformance gas chromatographs to RD laboratories in large companies, universities, and government agencies in the Benelux countries. One feature of a particular chromatograph allowed RD lab customers to maintain a high degree of sample integrity. Seeking growth, the company began to market the most basic model of this chromatograph to a new segment: commercial laboratories. In initial m eetings with prospective customers, the ? rm’s James C. Anderson is the William L. Ford Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Wholesale Distribution at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois; the Irwin Gross Distinguished ISBM Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Business Markets in University Park, Pennsylvania; and a visiting research professor at the School of Business, Public Administration, and Technology at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. James A. Narus is a professor of business marketing at the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wouter van Rossum is a professor of commercial and strategic management at the School of Business, Public Administration, and Technology at the University of Twente. 92 harvard business review C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s Which Alternative Conveys Value to Customers? Suppliers use the term â€Å"value proposition† three different ways. Most managers simply list all the bene? ts they believe that their offering might deliver to target customers. The more they can think of, the better. Some managers do recognize that the customer has an alternative, but they often make the mistake of assuming that favorable points of difference must be valuable for the customer. Best-practice suppliers base their value proposition on the few elements that matter most to target customers, demonstrate the value of this superior performance, and communicate it in a way that conveys a sophisticated understanding of the customer’s business priorities. VALUE PROPOSITION: ALL BENEFITS FAVORABLE POINTS OF DIFFERENCE All favorable points of difference a market offering has relative to the next best alternative RESONATING FOCUS Consists of: All bene? ts customers receive from a market offering The one or two points of difference (and, perhaps, a point of parity) whose improvement will deliver the greatest value to the customer for the foreseeable future Answers the customer question: â€Å"Why should our ? rm purchase your offering? † â€Å"Why should our ? rm purchase your offering instead of your competitor’s? † â€Å"What is most worthwhile for our ? rm to keep in mind about your offering? † Requires: Knowledge of own market offering Knowledge of own market offering and next best alternative Knowledge of how own market offering delivers superior value to customers, compared with next best alternative Has the potential pitfall: Bene? t assertion Value presumption Requires customer value research salespeople touted the bene? ts of maintaining sample integrity. Their prospects scoffed at this bene? t assertion, stating that they routinely tested soil and water samples, for which maintaining sample integrity was not a concern. The supplier was taken aback and forced to rethink its value proposition. Another pitfall of the all bene? ts value proposition is that many, even most, of the bene? s may be points of parity with those of the next best alternative, diluting the effect of the few genuine points of difference. Managers need to clearly identify in their customer value propositions which elements are points of parity and which are points of difference. (See the exhibit â€Å"The Building Blocks of a Successful Customer Value Proposition. †) For example, an internat ional engineering consultancy was march 2006 bidding for a light-rail project. The last chart of the company’s presentation listed ten reasons why the municipality should award the roject to the ? rm. But the chart had little persuasive power because the other two ? nalists could make most of the same claims. Put yourself, for a moment, in the place of the prospective client. Suppose each ? rm, at the end of its presentation, gives ten reasons why you ought to award it the project, and the lists from all the ? rms are almost the same. If each ? rm is saying essentially the same thing, how do you make a choice? You ask each of the ? rms to give a ? nal, best price, and then you award the project to the ? rm that gives the largest price concession. Any distinctions that do exist have been overshadowed by the ? rms’ greater sameness. 93 C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s Favorable points of difference. The second type of value proposition explicitly recognizes that the customer has an alternative. The recent experience of a leading industrial gas supplier illustrates this perspective. A customer sent the company a request for proposal stating that the two or three suppliers that could demonstrate the most persuasive value propositions would be invited to visit the customer to discuss and re? e their proposals. After this meeting, the customer would select a sole supplier for this business. As this example shows, â€Å"Why should our ? rm purchase your offering instead of your competitor’s? † is a more pertinent question than â€Å"Why should our ? rm purchase your offering? † The ? rst question focuses suppliers on differentiating their offerings from the next best alternative, a process that requires detailed knowledge of that alternative, whether it be buying a competitor’s offering or solving the customer’s problem in a different way. Knowing that an element of an offering is a point of difference relative to the next best alternative does not, however, convey the value of this difference to target customers. Furthermore, a product or service may have several points of difference, complicating the supplier’s understanding of which ones deliver the greatest value. Without a detailed understanding of the customer’s requirements and preferences, and what it is worth to ful? ll them, suppliers may stress points of difference that deliver relatively little value to the target customer. Each of these can lead to the pitfall of value presumption: assuming that favorable points f difference must be valuable for the customer. Our opening anecdote about the IC supplier that unnecessarily discounted its price exempli? es this pitfall. Resonating focus. Although the favorable points of difference value proposition is preferable to an all bene? ts proposition for companies crafting a consumer value proposition, t he resonating focus value proposition should be the gold standard. This approach acknowledges that the managers who make purchase decisions have major, ever-increasing levels of responsibility and often are pressed for time. They want to do business with suppliers that fully grasp critical issues in their business and deliver a customer value proposition that’s simple yet powerfully captivating. Suppliers can provide such a customer value proposition by making their offerings superior on the few elements that matter most to target customers, demonstrating and documenting the value of this superior performance, and communicating it in a way that conveys a sophisticated understanding of the customer’s business priorities. This type of proposition differs from favorable points of difference in two signi? cant respects. First, more is not better. Although a supplier’s offering may possess several favorable points of difference, the resonating focus proposition steadfastly concentrates on the one or two points 94 of difference that deliver, and whose improvement will continue to deliver, the greatest value to target customers. To better leverage limited resources, a supplier might even cede to the next best alternative the favorable points of difference that customers value least, so that the supplier can concentrate its resources on improving the one or two points of difference customers value most. Second, the resonating focus proposition may contain a point of parity. This occurs either when the point of parity is required for target customers even to consider the supplier’s offering or when a supplier wants to counter customers’ mistaken perceptions that a particular value element is a point of difference in favor of a competitor’s offering. This latter case arises when customers believe that the competitor’s offering is superior but the supplier believes its offerings are comparable–customer value research provides empirical support for the supplier’s assertion. To give practical meaning to resonating focus, consider the following example. Sonoco, a global packaging supplier headquartered in Hartsville, South Carolina, approached a large European customer, a maker of consumer packaged goods, about redesigning the packaging The Building Blocks of a Successful Customer Value Proposition A supplier’s offering may have many technical, economic, service, or social bene? ts that deliver value to customers – but in all probability, so do competitors’ offerings. Thus, the essential question is, â€Å"How do these value elements compare with those of the next best alternative? We’ve found that it’s useful to sort value elements into three types. Points of parity are elements with essentially the same performance or functionality as those of the next best alternative. Points of difference are elements that make the supplier’s offering either superior or inferior to the next best alternative. Points of content ion are elements about which the supplier and its customers disagree regarding how their performance or functionality compares with those of the next best alternative. Either the supplier regards a value element as a point of difference in its favor, while the customer regards that element as a point of parity with the next best alternative, or the supplier regards a value element as a point of parity, while the customer regards it as a point of difference in favor of the next best alternative. harvard business review C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s for one of its product lines. Sonoco believed that the customer would pro? from updated packaging, and, by proposing the initiative itself, Sonoco reinforced its reputation as an innovator. Although the redesigned packaging provided six favorable points of difference relative to the next best alternative, Sonoco chose to emphasize one point of parity and two points of difference in what it called its distinctive value proposition (DVP). The value proposition was that the redesigned packaging would deliver signi? cantly greater manufacturing ef? ciency in the customer’s ? l lines, through higher-speed closing, and provide a distinctive look that consumers would ? nd more appealing – all for the same price as the present packaging. Sonoco chose to include a point of parity in its value proposition because, in this case, the customer would not even consider a packaging redesign if the price went up. The ? rst point of difference in the value proposition (increased ef? ciency) delivered cost savings to the customer, allowing it to move from a seven-day, three-shift production schedule during peak times to a ? e-day, two-shift operation. The second point of difference delivered an advantage at the consumer level, helping the customer to grow its revenues and pro? ts incrementally. In persuading the customer to change to the redesigned packaging, Sonoco did not neglect to mention the other favorable points of difference. Rather, it chose to place much greater emphasis on the two points of difference and the one point of pari ty that mattered most to the customer, thereby delivering a value proposition with resonating focus. Stressing as a point of parity what customers may mistakenly presume to be a point of difference favoring a competitor’s offering can be one of the most important parts of constructing an effective value proposition. Take the case of Intergraph, an Alabama-based provider of engineering software to engineering, procurement, and construction ? rms. One software product that Intergraph offers, SmartPlant PID, enables customers to de? ne ? ow processes for valves, pumps, and piping within plants they are designing and generate piping and instrumentation diagrams (PID). Some prospective customers wrongly presume that SmartPlant’s drafting performance would not be as good as that of the next best alternative, because the alternative is built on computer-aided design (CAD), a better-known drafting tool than the relational database platform on which SmartPlant is built. So Intergraph tackled the perception head on, gathering data from reference customers to substantiate that this point of contention was actually a point of parity. march 2006 Here’s how the company played it. Intergraph’s resonating focus value proposition for this software consisted of one point of parity (which the customer initially thought was a point of contention), followed by three points of difference: Point of parity: Using this software, customers can create PID graphics (either drawings or reports) as fast, if not faster, as they can using CAD, the next best alternative. Point of difference: This software checks all of the customer’s upstream and downstream data related to plant assets and procedures, using universally accepted engineering practices, company-speci? c rules, and project- or process-speci? rules at each stage of the design process, so that the customer avoids costly mistakes such as missing design change interdependencies or, worse, ordering the wrong equipment. Point of difference: This software is integrated with upstream and downstream tasks, such as process simulation and instrumentation design, thus requiring no reentry of data (and reducing th e margin for error). Point of difference: With this software, the customer is able to link remote of? ces to execute the project and then merge the pieces into a single deliverable database to hand to its customer, the facility owner. Resonating focus value propositions are very effective, but they’re not easy to craft: Suppliers must undertake 95 C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s customer value research to gain the insights to construct them. Despite all of the talk about customer value, few suppliers have actually done customer value research, which requires time, effort, persistence, and some creativity. But as the best practices we studied highlight, thinking through a resonating focus value proposition disciplines a company to research its customers’ businesses enough to help solve their problems. As the experience of a leading resins supplier amply illustrates, doing customer value research pays off. (See the sidebar â€Å"Case in Point: Transforming a Weak Value Proposition. †) savings from reduced power usage that a customer would gain by using a Rockwell Automation motor solution instead of a competitor’s comparable offering: Power Reduction = [kW spent number of operating hours per Cost Savings year $ per kW hour number of years system solution in operation] Competitor Solution ? [kW spent number of operating hours per year $ per kW hour number of years system solution in operation] Rockwell Automation Solution Substantiate Customer Value Propositions In a series of business roundtable discussions we conducted in Europe and the United States, customer managers reported that â€Å"We can save you money! † has become almost a generic value proposition from prospective suppliers. But, as one participant in Rotterdam wryly observed, most of the suppliers were telling â€Å"fairy tales. † After he heard a pitch from a prospective supplier, he would follow up with a series of questions to determine whether the supplier had the people, processes, tools, and experience to actually save his ? m money. As often as not, they could not really back up the claims. Simply put, to make customer value propositions persuasive, suppliers must be able to demonstrate and document them. Value word equations enable a supplier to show points of difference and points of contention relative to the next best alternative, so that customer managers can easily grasp them and ? nd them persuasive. A value w ord This value word equation uses industry-speci? c terminology that suppliers and customers in business markets rely on to communicate precisely and ef? iently about functionality and performance. Demonstrate Customer Value in Advance Prospective customers must see convincingly the cost savings or added value they can expect from using the supplier’s offering instead of the next best alternative. Best-practice suppliers, such as Rockwell Automation and precision-engineering and manufacturing ? rm Nijdra Groep in the Netherlands, use value case histories to demonstrate this. Value case histories document the cost savings or added value that reference customers have actually received from their use of the supplier’s market offering. Another way that best-practice ? rms, such as Pennsylvania-based GE Infrastructure Water Process Technologies (GEIWPT) and SKF USA, show the value of their offerings to prospective customers in advance is Some best-practice suppliers are even willing to guarantee a certain amount of savings before a customer signs on. equation expresses in words and simple mathematical operators (for example, + and ? ) how to assess the differences in functionality or performance between a supplier’s offering and the next best alternative and how to convert those differences into dollars. Best-practice ? rms like Intergraph and, in Milwaukee, Rockwell Automation use value word equations to make it clear to customers how their offerings will lower costs or add value relative to the next best alternatives. The data needed to provide the value estimates are most often collected from the customer’s business operations by supplier and customer managers working together, but, at times, data may come from outside sources, such as industry association studies. Consider a value word equation that Rockwell Automation used to calculate the cost 96 through value calculators. These customer value assessment tools typically are spreadsheet software applications that salespeople or value specialists use on laptops as part of a consultative selling approach to demonstrate the value that customers likely would receive from the suppliers’ offerings. When necessary, best-practice suppliers go to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate the value of their offerings relative to the next best alternatives. The polymer chemicals unit of Akzo Nobel in Chicago recently conducted an on-site two-week pilot on a production reactor at a prospective customer’s facility to gather data ? rsthand on the performance of its high-purity metal organics offering relative to the next best alternative in producing compound semiconductor wafers. Akzo Nobel paid this harvard business review C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s prospective customer for these two weeks, in which each day was a trial because of daily considerations such as output and maintenance. Akzo Nobel now has data from an actual production machine to substantiate assertions about its product and anticipated cost savings, and evidence that the compound semiconductor wafers produced are as good as or better than those the customer currently grows using the next best alternative. To let its prospective clients’ customers verify this for themselves, Akzo Nobel brought them sample wafers it had produced for testing. Akzo Nobel combines this point of parity with two points of difference: signi? cantly lower energy costs for conversion and signi? antly lower maintenance costs. Document Customer Value Demonstrating superior value is necessary, but this is no longer enough for a ? rm to be considered a best-practice company. Suppliers also must document the cost savings and incremental pro? ts (from additional revenue gener- ated) their offerings deliver to the companies that have purchased them. Thus, suppliers work with their customers to de? ne how cost savings or incr emental pro? ts will be tracked and then, after a suitable period of time, work with customer managers to document the results. They use value documenters to further re? ne their customer value models, create value case histories, enable customer managers to get credit for the cost savings and incremental pro? ts produced, and (because customer managers know that the supplier is willing to return later to document the value received) enhance the credibility of the offering’s value. A pioneer in substantiating value propositions over the past decade, GEIWPT documents the results provided to customers through its value generation planning (VGP) process and tools, which enable its ? ld personnel to understand customers’ businesses and to plan, execute, and document projects that have the highest value impact for its customers. An online tracking tool allows GEIWPT and customer managers to easily monitor the Case in Point: Transforming a Weak Value Proposition A leading supplier of specialty resins used in architectural coatings – such as paint for buildings – recognized that its custo mers were coming under pressure to comply with increasingly strict environmental regulations. At the same time, the supplier reasoned, no coating manufacturer would want to sacri? e performance. So the resins supplier developed a new type of highperformance resins that would enable its customers to comply with stricter environmental standards – albeit at a higher price but with no reduction in performance. In its initial discussions with customers who were using the product on a trial basis, the resins supplier was surprised by the tepid reaction it received, particularly from commercial managers. They were not enthusiastic about the sales prospects for higher-priced coatings with commercial painting contractors, the primary target market. They would not, they said, move to the new resin until regulation mandated it. Taken aback, the resins supplier decided to conduct customer value research to better understand the requirements and preferences of its customers’ customers and how the performance of the new resin would affect their total cost of doing business. The resins supplier went so far as to study the requirements and preferences of the commercial painting contractors’ customers – building owners. The supplier conducted a series of focus groups and ? eld tests with painting contractors to gather data. The performance on primary customer requirements – such as coverage, dry time, and durability – was studied, and customers were asked to make performance trade-offs and indicate their willingness to pay for coatings that delivered enhanced performance. The resins supplier also joined a commercial painting contractor industry association, enrolled managers in courses on how contractors are taught to estimate jobs, and trained the staff to work with the job-estimation software used by painting contractors. Several insights emerged from this customer value research. Most notable was the realization that only 15% of a painting contractor’s costs are the coatings; labor is by far the largest cost component. If a coating could provide greater productivity – for example, a faster drying time that allowed two coats to be applied during a single eight-hour shift – contractors would likely accept a higher price. The resins supplier retooled its value proposition from a single dimension, environmental regulation compliance, to a resonating focus value proposition where environmental compliance played a signi? cant but minor part. The new value proposition was â€Å"The new resin enables coatings producers to make architectural coatings with higher ? lm build and gives the painting contractors the ability to put on two coats within a single shift, thus increasing painter productivity while also being environmentally compliant. † Coatings customers enthusiastically accepted this value proposition, and the resins supplier was able to get a 40% price premium for its new offering over the traditional resin product. march 2006 97 C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s xecution and documented results of each project the company undertakes. Since it began using VGP in 1992, GEIWPT has documented more than 1,000 case histories, accounting for $1. 3 billion in customer cost savings, 24 billion gallons of water conserved, 5. 5 million tons of waste eliminated, and 4. 8 million tons of air emissions removed. As suppliers gain experience documenting the value provided to cu stomers, they become knowledgeable about how their offerings deliver superior value to customers and even how the value delivered varies across ation can submit NPI requests whenever they have an inventive idea for a customer solution that they believe would have a large value impact but that GEIWPT presently does not offer. Industry marketing managers, who have extensive industry expertise, then perform scoping studies to understand the potential of the proposed products to deliver signi? cant value to segment customers. They create business cases for the proposed product, which are â€Å"racked and stacked† for review. The senior management team of GEIWPT sort through a Best-practice suppliers make sure their people know how to identify what the next value propositions ought to be. kinds of customers. Because of this extensive and detailed knowledge, they become con? dent in predicting the cost savings and added value that prospective customers likely will receive. Some best-practice suppliers are even willing to guarantee a certain amount of savings before a customer signs on. A global automotive engine manufacturer turned to Quaker Chemical, a Pennsylvania-based specialty chemical and management services ? m, for help in signi? cantly reducing its operating costs. Quaker’s team of chemical, mechanical, and environmental engineers, which has been meticulously documenting cost savings to customers for years, identi? ed potential savings for this customer through process and productivity improvements. Then Quaker implemented its proposed solution – with a guarantee that savings would be ? ve times more than what the engine manufacturer spent annually just to purchase coolant. In real numbers, that meant savings of $1. 4 million a year. What customer wouldn’t ? nd such a guarantee persuasive? large number of potential initiatives competing for limited resources. The team approved Panichella’s initiative, which led to the development of a new offering that provided re? nery customers with documented cost savings amounting to ? ve to ten times the price they paid for the offering, thus realizing a compelling value proposition. Sonoco, at the corporate level, has made customer value propositions fundamental to its business strategy. Since 2003, its CEO, Harris DeLoach, Jr. and the executive committee have set an ambitious growth goal for the ? rm: sustainable, double-digit, pro? table growth every year. They believe that distinctive value propositions are crucial to support the growth initiative. At Sonoco, each value proposition must be: †¢ Distinctive. It must be superior to those of Sonoco’s competition. †¢ Measurable. All value propositions should be based on tangible points of differ ence that can be quanti? ed in monetary terms. †¢ Sustainable. Sonoco must be able to execute this value proposition for a signi? ant period of time. Unit managers know how critical DVPs are to business unit performance because they are one of the ten key metrics on the managers’ performance scorecard. In senior management reviews, each unit manager presents proposed value propositions for each target market segment or key customer, or both. The managers then receive summary feedback on the value proposition metric (as well as on each of the nine other performance metrics) in terms of whether their proposals can lead to pro? table growth. In addition, Sonoco senior management tracks the relationship between business unit value propositions and business unit performance – and, year after year, has concluded that the emphasis on DVPs has made a signi? cant contribution toward sustainable, double-digit, profitable growth. harvard business review Superior Business Performance We contend that customer value propositions, properly constructed and delivered, make a signi? cant contribution to business strategy and performance. GE Infrastructure Water Process Technologies’ recent development of a new service offering to re? ery customers illustrates how general manager John Panichella allocates limited resources to initiatives that will generate the greatest incremental value for his company and its customers. For example, a few years ago, a ? eld rep had a creative idea for a new product, based on his comprehensive understanding of re? nery processes and how re? neries make money. The ? eld rep submitted a new product introduction (NPI) request to the hydrocarbon industry marketing manager for further study. Field reps or anyone else in the organi98 C u s t o m e r Va l u e P ro p o s i t i o n s i n B u s i n e s s M a r ke t s Best-practice suppliers recognize that constructing and substantiating resonating focus value propositions is not a onetime undertaking, so they make sure their people know how to identify what the next value propositions ought to be. Quaker Chemical, for example, conducts a value-proposition training program each year for its chemical program managers, who work on-site with customers and have responsibility for formulating and executing customer value propositions. These managers ? rst review case studies from a variety of industries Quaker serves, where their peers have executed savings projects and quanti? d the monetary savings produced. Competing in teams, the managers then participate in a simulation where they interview â€Å"customer managers† to gather information needed to devise a proposal for a customer value proposition. The team that is judged to have the best proposal earns â€Å"bragging rights,† which are highly valued in Quaker’s competitive cul ture. The training program, Quaker believes, helps sharpen the skills of chemical program managers to identify savings projects when they return to the customers they are serving. As the ? al part of the training program, Quaker stages an annual real-world contest where the chemical program managers have 90 days to submit a proposal for a savings project that they plan to present to their customers. The director of chemical management judges these proposals and provides feedback. If he deems a proposed project to be viable, he awards the manager with a gift certi? cate. Implementing these projects goes toward ful? lling Quaker’s guaranteed annual savings commitments of, on average, $5 million to $6 million a year per customer. Each of these businesses has made customer value propositions a fundamental part of its business strategy. Drawing on best practices, we have presented an approach to customer value propositions that businesses can implement to communicate, with resonating focus, the superior value their offerings provide to target market segments and customers. Customer value propositions can be a guiding beacon as well as the cornerstone for superior business performance. Thus, it is the responsibility of senior management and general management, not just marketing management, to ensure that their customer value propositions are just that. Reprint R0603F; HBR OnPoint 3544 To order, see page 151. P VEY . C. â€Å"What we need are some fresh new ideas. You know, like we had last year. † march 2006 99 Harvard Business Review Notice of Use Restrictions, May 2009 Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing Newsletter content on EBSCOhost is licensed for the private individual use of authorized EBSCOhost users. It is not intended for use as assigned course material in academic institutions nor as corporate learning or training materials in businesses. Academic licensees may not use this content in electronic reserves, electronic course packs, persistent linking from syllabi or by any other means of incorporating the content into course resources. Business licensees may not host this content on learning management systems or use persistent linking or other means to incorporate the content into learning management systems. Harvard Business Publishing will be pleased to grant permission to make this content available through such means. For rates and permission, contact permissions@harvardbusiness. org. How to cite Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets, Papers

The Presocratic and Sophist Philosophers

Question: Define the question for the Presocratics or Sophists, then explain how you view these questions in your own life? Answer: It is the fact that new way of enquiring world and places having human beings in it had introduced by the presocratic philosophers. Here the discovery of humanity gets started. They pondered some questions one of them is, what is the role of myth in prehistoric culture? The presocratic philosophers consider myth as philosophy cradle (Runia, 2008). It is my opinion that, the world prehistoric people living in it could not be understand by themselves or another case is they may be confusing about the things they are observing or had mysterious ideas about it and hence myth has been used by them as a way of explaining natural phenomena. Hence it is my conclusion that Important role has been played by myth in order to explain unknown things like world creation, how season passes and constellation shape. Sophists ideas about ethics? And it is another question pondered at the time of discovering humanities by philosopher. Sophists explain their ideas about ethics which was disliked by other philosophers. But according to my point of view I do not mind their ethical ideas because every human being has their own right to live as they want and if it would not hurting me or any other then they should follow their own ethics. Reference: Sayre, Henry M. (2011) Discovering the Humanities, 2nd Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions

Strategic Information System (SIS)

Introduction As Barlow (1990) provides, SIS exercise should align with SIS objectives for the realisation of business strategic goals. IS has enabled coordination and management and lack of experience and resources required to ensure implementation pose challenges to a company planning to operate globally. Additionally, overall success of an integrated business objective is stated by Pant and Hsu (1995) to â€Å"depend upon the organisation structure, the level of IT experience within the company and the availability of information resources† (p.17).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Information System (SIS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This therefore implies that IS is indeed a management function and requires the integration of both impact and aligned views of innovative and competitive intelligence of an organisation. It has also increased the realisation of IS application to a firm’s strategic activities enabling efficiency while improving business performances. When applied correctly, information technology can serve as a competitive intelligence in business operations. Technology-enabled business solutions have facilitated globalisation of business operations through retail and wholesale transactions such as global banking. Web-based electronic banking solutions on the other hand have eliminated time and distance barriers by attracting worldwide markets. As a control and coordinative function, IT has facilitated financial and human resources services increasing the global nature of interdependent to information system which in turn enhances business strategy. Strategic importance of information in organisations Strategic information system (SIS) is increasingly becoming important integration unit in many business application services. This approach to strategy formation has influenced the forces will see today in global markets. It is especially true that SIS has influenced strategic planning and is constantly improving company operations in significant ways. Its contribution and impacts to organizations has sufficiently supported the new role of information system and technology which captures and challenges while improving performance and realising gains of its investment. SIS is a practice that ted to regard application regimes such as planning, connecting structurally to different access points with multiple applications and directly to the information system to arrive at consistent economic evaluation of information system investment (Rockart 1979). Pant and Hsu (1995) define SIS as â€Å"the analysis of a corporation’s information and processes using businesses information models together with the evaluation of risk, current needs and requirements† (p.1). In this regard, SIS should be generally understood as a critical requirement to corporate data processing and development of computer-based system that response to company’s needs.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, realisation of the need to make information system importance to organisation has become practical bringing with it an intertwined relationship between information system function and corporate strategy (Pavri and Ang 1995; Beath and Orlikowski 1994; Porter and Miller 1985). Thought to be particularly important to today’s competitive markets, SIS applications have been widely used as backroom operation in first line support services to deal with day to day mundane tasks leaving office operations to concentrate on strategic planning (Lederer1992). SIS planning begins with identification of needs followed by strategic implementation that begins with what Pant and Hsu (1995) states as â€Å"objectives, priorities, and authorisation of information system projects need to be formalised† (p.1). In other words, beginning with simple tasks then slowly progressing to complex information and support system levels requires as stated in Pant and Hsu (1995) article as â€Å"identification of system development plan that identifies specific projects slated for the future are required, priorities for each project and for resources, general procedures and constraints for each application area† (p.2). In other words, SIS plans to integrate into the corporate system should be specific and adequate to allow understanding of each application, and to understand its procedural order of development. This simply means that organisations should provide a new checklist to ensure most critical priorities are met first. King (1995) article on SIS argued that â€Å"a strategic capability architecture- a flexible and continuous improving infrastructure of organisation capabilities- is the primary basis for a company’s sustainable competitive advantage† (p.67). He stresses on th e need for continuous updating and improving of information system application to align with firm’s strategic objectives against its capabilities. Also defined by Pant and Hsu (1995) as â€Å"a networked, integrated system, available and supportive to users, relate to business strategy, and enable the business-business driven† (p.4), it is indeed true that SIS is a prerequisite of management functions and its application is critical to company’s future success. Corporate functions align with information use and needs with the strategic direction of a company increase strategic importance of information technologies (Battaglia 1991; Hsu and Rattner 1993). As strategically used in office applications, information technology has the capacity to drive development of corporate information system ensuring economic evaluations of information system investment reduces time and space barriers. Deliverance mechanisms of information technology projects specifically rely on aspects such as computer integrated manufacturing such as electronic data interchange and mails as well as providing links to suppliers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Information System (SIS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In factory application, information technology has been critical in providing future strategic sustainment for existing businesses. This application is evident in employee data base and maintenance of scheduling. It has also had the strongest influence on support system of an organisation by helping improve management and performance in areas such as recording and payroll. Applied as a strategic and competitive integrative tool, it has been without doubt that information technology has enabled businesses link to each other while pursuing their opportunities and goals. As an agent-based programming, SIS has been progressively used to support breakthrough ideas in business process es. One business week article presented in The Technology Payoff (1993) argued that information system provides business strategies for management and users while providing coalition systems applicable for entrepreneurial use in innovation and bottom-up development. Deeply imbedded in business processes, SIS has been evidenced to bring about agility, quality and productivity. Applied strategically to cater for the ever rising organisation demands that strive to serve business goals and gain competitive advantage. The Technology Payoff (1993) article provide that information system has indeed helped many businesses in meeting their data processing needs when it indicated that â€Å"throughout the 1980s US businesses invested a staggering $1 trillion in the information tech logy†(p.57). This statement clarifies the importance of IS in adding vale to an organisation. Merely as a tool for integrating business strategies, SIS is indeed a management function that helps identify wea kest areas in organisation and providing the best management systems. Understanding IS practice is important in helping an organisation maximise the return on its information technology investment while meeting its data processing needs. On turning on the question of literacy, integration of information technology in management functions has automated routine tasks without changing business processes, resulting to high productivity. It is also plausible to argue that application of IS has hugely reduced organisation operation expenses by flattening an organisation and adding value to the existing processes. Other studies by The Technology Payoff (1993) claim â€Å"the return on investment in information system averaged to 54% for manufacturing and 68% for all businesses surveyed† (p.58). The article further adds â€Å"technology impacts on re-defining, re-engineering businesses and is likely to continue and it’s expected that IT will play increasingly important roles in future† (p.58).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pant et al (1994) on the other hand points out that â€Å"the emerging vision of virtual corporations will become a reality only if it is rooted in new visionary information technology† (p.1). This article emphasises the future strategic importance of SIS when it further stated â€Å"it is information technology alone which will carve multiple ‘virtual corporations’ simultaneously out of the same physical resources and adopt them without having to change the actual organisation† (p.1). This shows that IT has over the years achieved coherence and integration offering unprecedented possibilities, which have turned into strategic planning. Keen (1993) realistically posits that â€Å"organisations not planning for strategic information system may fail to spot the business implications of competitors use of information technology until it is too late for them to react† (p.1). It is to this we conclude that information technology changes the basics of com petition in an industry, and without it, many businesses will be distinct. While SIS is generally recognised as a key to economic resource, companies are increasingly considering it as one of the firm’s most valuable source of knowledge and important assets comparable to capital and human resources. Since, information is very critical to post-industrial age. The changing world of work is changing to correspond with the ever-changing nature of science and technology- which means that the mainstreams of organisations are driven by technical and strategic functions. IT plays a crucial role in enabling critical operations such as banking and retailing transactions and overall performances come to operation. A perfect example of this is Wal-Mart Stores as quoted by Sheth (1994) to provide â€Å"a computerised inventory control system that electronically orders merchandise from supplies and maintain order in the warehouse† (p.3). This device uses the Wal-Mart Satellite Netwo rk (WSN) that enables two way satellite communications between networks. He further provides Apple and Hewlett-Packard computers as other examples of electronics that are integrated with information system. The second dimension of strategic importance of information in management functions is that of centralising strategic operations. Involved with leading the way in the organisation operates, IT has immensely gained recognition in top management functions. General Motors provides another example on the use of computers as communicative strategic resource enabling it acquire EDS and Hughes. Gaining top management attention, I S has enabled integrated data processing and telecommunication functions to a centralised location. This function explains how information system can mobilise organisation support operations to a centralised strategic functions spreading power away from local administrative support functions to the centre of strategic integrated operation. Information technolog y is increasingly becoming important strategic resource resulting to intense competition in the markets forcing companies to become more efficient and effective. (McFarlan 1984, p.98) Globalisation of business operations have also come to effect since the adoption of IS applications. Sheth (1994) argues that IT has facilitated the post-industrial age where companies acquire global operations and products immensely reducing time and space barriers in market operations. Dating back to its ability to influence organisational changes, Sheth (1994) argues that information technology has enabled flexibility allowing easy collaborations between companies leading to increased mergers and acquisitions evidenced today. With regards to technological revolution, information technology has enabled availability of affordable and useful software applicable to organisation enabling them operate on reduced costs (Rouse and Howard 1993). Telephone companies are good examples of how office automation through computerised billing and operation services can be essential in enabling a company gain competitive advantage over others. These companies also reported reduced operation costs that resulted to significant cost savings and easy account management with the application of information technology. Hotel and tourism industry on the other hand have also reported significant reduction in what Sheth (1994) states as â€Å"operation costs through computerised travel reservations, guest reservations, billing and physical facilities† (p.5). Information technology provides systematic monitoring and evaluation of product and service ensuring less error per unit of activity is achieved. This strategy is evident in the scanner technology and The Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode with chart labels used throughout the US in supermarkets to identify products being purchased. This system has also been used in to speed up checkout processes in airline baggage applications and inventor y control in merchandise management in retail stores (Sheth 1994, p.5). Telecom companies and Fedex Express are increasing relying on value-added services to customise needs of users by creating immediate value and differentiation. Both of these companies have extensively integrated information technologies into their system as a way of enhancing their reliability and ensuring timely deliveries are made -which serves a competitive advantage. When used correctly, information technology faced with information can serve as a competitive intelligence in business operations. For example the Sabre system as applied by American airlines ensures constant updates of airline schedules and fares are adjusted serving it a competitive advantage over other companies. Technology-enabled business solutions have facilitated globalisation of business operations through retail and wholesale transactions such as global banking. Web-based electronic banking solutions have eliminates time and distance ba rriers ensuring suppliers and customers are provided with adequate and efficient services. As a control and coordinative function, IT has facilitated financial and human resources services increasing the global nature of interdependent to information system which in turn enhances business strategy. Sheth (1994) provides perfect example of such operations to include Investment banking and stock exchange companies as a global business operations specialising in borrowing and investing capital across global financial markets on web portals. Sheth (1994) article also emphasises that without information system, the high degrees of stock market volatility and market crash experienced a decade ago would not have occurred. He further adds that computerisation of information technologies have enabled investors adequate information on daily trading cycles. Airline industries on the other hand have been great beneficiaries of information system through the application of inventory control and order entry system since most of its retailing merchandise services such booking tickets are done on internet portals. Finally, embracing information technology through mergers and acquisitions has enabled rationalisation of manufacturing capacity on international levels necessitating what Sheth (1994) states as â€Å"the development and deployment of global networks to coordinate all the activities of manufacturing, assembly and fabrication across global networks† (p.8). Sheth (1994) concludes by adding that â€Å"areas of global business operations such as global procurement, marketing, resources and economy are creating a need for information technology to eliminate time and distance barriers† (p.8). One more reason for increasing the importance of information technologies is the reorganisation of departments and corporations. It has been evidenced that office automation functions have realised reduced operational costs and facilitated efficiency through flattening an organisation and consolidating the support functions such as clerical and secretarial to enable faster data processing as evident in many telecommunication companies. Also, the increased domestic mergers and acquisitions were facilitated by integration and consolidation of information systems which enabled companies realised their capital investment through reduced operation costs. Realisation of corporate strategic resource requires re-organisation and rationalisation of respective information technologies. In crisis management for instance, Sheth (1994) urges the need to recognised adequate information technologies when he stated â€Å" is it possible to prevent, abate, contain or at least quickly respond to corporate crises such as earthquakes, major fire, random shootings, or stealing proprietary information† (p.9). Conclusively, as companies grow and competition intensifies, the need to align company’s strategic goals to become market driven is required. Sheth (1994) succinctly adds â€Å"when an organisation shifts from product divisions to market divisions, the value chain and flow of operations change significantly â€Å"(p.9). This is to mean that if a manufacturing firm for example is driven by materials and customers demand, application of information system to bridge the gap and re-organise its functional activities and support systems to satisfy its customers is required. Sheth (1994) concludes by adding that â€Å"many functions cannot be carried out efficiently without customer order entry systems, database management and, in general, on-line integrated information systems† (p.9). As mentioned earlier, understanding of current practice relating to the application of information system in areas such as crisis management, competition, mergers and acquisitions and consolidation are of paramount importance. This article has realistically pointed out increased value in IS application by providing examples on its efficiencies in the mainframe computing. Facsimile machined have transformed to calculators and telephone terminals. Finally, fibre optics, personal computers and the advent of digital services are among just a few information system solutions mentioned by Sheth (1994). Data Protection Legislation Data Protection Legislation is a law designed to protect personal data against illegitimate processing or unauthorised deletion or loss. Personal information is subjected to a complex array of data protection laws limiting data use without the consent of the party being obtained from. Below is an overview of some of the UK laws that business need to consider to avoid what Wessing (2010) states as â€Å"issues of legal liability, restriction on the handling of data or damage of brand and reputation† (p.1). The Data Protect Act 1998 provides Rules and practices that must be adhered to when processing information and grants rights to individuals whose information are being availed. This does not h owever prevent data processing but limits extend to which this information is being availed. This is done by creating independent supervisory body to ensure UK businesses are consistence with legislative requirements. Enforcing rules, rights and practices to ensure safe and healthy working environment aims at harmonising data protection legislation across UK. Aimed at regulating processing of data as applied to computer-based records, UK Data Protection Act directive strives to harmonise legislative rules on data protection to ensure its citizens are well informed and protected. Principles of data protection are applied particularly as stated by Wessing (2010) as â€Å"what personal data being processed, obtained and subsequently used, ‘fairly and lawfully’† (p.3). These are mentioned as; Ensuring data processed meets pre-set conditions of legislative rules, Requesting for permission from individual before collecting data from them. This implies that informatio n regarding the processing of personal data has to be consented and explained of its legitimate interests. In this regard, data subjects are required to be provided with extensive information explaining how data will be gathered and processed as well as full identity of data controller and purposes of data being collected. Data subjects on the other hand are required to be provided what Wessing (2010) states as â€Å"rights that include right to object to direct marketing and right to prevent processing likely to cause substantial distress to† (p.3). The Privacy and Electronic Communication The Privacy and Electronic Communication regulation applies to marketing communications activities via electronic media such as fax, email and telephone. This directive to privacy is aimed at governing data in the events of information exchange. This electronic communication regulation act requires the sender to provide his identification and notify the recipient whenever their information is being obtained. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) This legislation is concerned with monitoring of communication on public and private networks. Lawful interception obtains communication network data for monitoring purposes and requires companies to inform users of the subsequent use of their information as provided by Lawful Business Practice Regulations 2000. RIPA sets out what Wessing (2010) states as â€Å"requirements for monitoring or keeping records of communication in self regulatory practices and demonstration that standards by persons using the system and detect authorised use of employer information† (p.8). Freedom of information Act 2000 (FOI) Freedom of information Act 2000 (FOI) gives individual rights to access or deny the existence of the recorded information held by public authorities or competitors (Wessing 2010, p.8). Incorporating key aspects of the data protection legislation Apple Company started as a computer company in the 1970s an d has continued to expand its products over the decades to more specialised products. It admits to using cookies on its website as a strategy of keeping statistics on what parts of the websites that are most hit and how much time clients spend on the website for purposes of product improvement- mentioned as number one online advertisement strategy (Apple 2010). Some data may also require special kind of service level features such as Voip or video conferencing. In this regard, lawful interception of information networked data for monitoring purposes will require Apple to adequately inform its users of its subsequent use. Information System Planning Framework While multihoming is generally used to eliminate network failures, Apple Company applies it to save data transfer costs as the site can use several Internet Service Providers (ISP) and route data traffic to a certain ISP (Hinden 2010). On the contrary though, Information system managers in Apple Company when attempting to connec t employees in various department fails to implement data protection rules when spying on employees who engage in leisure browsing activities while at work. These problems have always been attributed to adequate education on employee privacy due to lack of resources, insufficient planning process and output related problems. Failure to hire technical expertise commitment to carrying out the final plan increases fault intolerance and redundancy because when a lot of office hours are spend on leisure browsing resulting to low outputs. In this regard, resources are required to carry out strategic information system planning, finding team leader with adequate knowledge in computer support and offering education on data protection legislation. In this regard, top management executives should ensure company objectives are not detailed, lengthy and complex, otherwise information system application may be of no value. Where the objective of an organisation aligns with IS strategy, Barlow (1 990) argues that â€Å"the large number of methodologies that have been developed can often add confusion rather than clarify to the (IS) planning process (p.6). Conclusion SIS plans to integrate into the corporate system should be specific and simple to allow understanding of its procedural order of development. The need for continuous updating and improving of information system application to align with firm’s strategic objectives against its capabilities is required. Since information technology provides systematic monitoring and evaluation of products and services, companies that apply IS should be able to record increased turn over ratios due to reduced error per unit levels. It is indeed true that SIS is a prerequisite of management functions and its application is critical to company’s future success. In this regard, all corporate functions should align their company strategic direction with information system applications as a strategy to increase the importa nce of information technologies. In cases of data protection legislation, subjects are required to be provided with extensive information explaining how data will be gathered and processed as well as full identity of data controller and purposes of data being collected. List of References Apple. 2011. Apple Customer Privacy Policy. Available at;  https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/ Barlow, J.F., 1990. Putting Information Systems Planning Methodologies Into perspective. Journal of Systems Management, 1, pp. 6-9. Battaglia, G., 1991. Strategic Information Planning: A Corporate Necessity. Journal  of Systems Management, 1, pp. 23-26. Beath, C.M., and Orlikowski, W.,1994. The Contradictory Structure of Systems Development Methodologies: Deconstructing the IS-User Relationship in Information Engineering. Information Systems Research, 5, pp.350-377 Hinden, R., 2010. RFC 3513: Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)  Addressing Architecture. Available at:  https://www.ietf.org/ Hsu, C., Rattner, L.,1993. Information Modeling. Journal of Productions and  Operations Management. 1(3), pp.1 Keen, P., 1993. Information Technology and the Measurement Difference: A Fusion Map. IBM Systems Journal, 32, pp. 1 King, R., 1995. Creating A Strategic Capabilities Architecture. Information Systems  Management, 12, p. 67-9. Lederer, L., 1992. Strategic Information Systems Planning – The Method/1 approach. Information Systems Management, 1, pp.1 McFarlan, F., 1984. Information Technology Changes the Way You Compete.  Harvard Business Review, 1, pp. 98-105 Parvi, F., and Ang, J., 1995. A Study of the Strategic Planning Practices in Singapore. Information Management, 28, pp 33-47 Pant, S., Hsu, C., 1995. Strategic Information System Planning: A Review.  Information Resources Management Association International Conference. 1, 1-23 Pant, S., Rattner, L., Hsu, C., 1994. Manufacturing Information Integration Using a Reference Model. International Journal of Operat ions and Production Management, 14, pp.11 Porter, M., Millar, V., 1985. How Information Gives You Competitive Advantage.  Harvard Business Review, 1, pp.1 Rockart, J.F., 1979. Chief Executives Define Their Own Information Needs. Harvard  Business Review, March, pp.1 Rouse, W., Howard, C., 1993. Software tools for supporting planning. Industrial  Engineering, 1, pp. 51-53. Sheth, J., 1994. Strategic Importance of Information Technology. Advance in  Telecommunications Management, 4, pp.1-14 The Technology Payoff., 1993. Feature Article. Business Week, 1, pp. 57-68. Wessing, T., 2010. An overview of UK data protection law. 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