Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Thirteen

WADE TOLD ME EVERYTHING he knew. It was all useful, but I didn't know if it would be enough. First, I had to get to St. Louis . . . and that was going to be tricky. I braced myself for the phone calls I'd have to make, hoping I had enough Alchemist wiles to pull them off. Before I took on that task, I just wanted the normality and comfort of my own room. Eddie and I drove back to Amberwood, analyzing every detail of our meeting. He was chomping at the bit to make progress, and I promised I'd keep him in the loop. I had just reached my door when my phone rang. It was Ms. Terwilliger. I swear, sometimes I thought she had a sensor outside my room so that she'd know the instant I returned. â€Å"Miss Melbourne,† she said. â€Å"We need to meet.† My heart stopped. â€Å"There hasn't been another victim, has there? You said we have time.† â€Å"We do,† she replied. â€Å"Which is why we need to meet sooner rather than later. Reading up on spells is one thing, but you require some hands-on practice. I refuse to let Veronica get to you.† Her words triggered a mix of emotions. Naturally, I had my knee-jerk reaction against practicing magic. It was quickly squashed by the realization that Ms. Terwilliger cared about me and was so concerned about keeping me safe. My own personal desire to not be in a coma was also a strong motivator. â€Å"When do you want to meet, ma'am?† I asked. â€Å"Tomorrow morning.† I realized tomorrow was Saturday. Already? Where had the week gone? I was driving Adrian to pick up his car in the morning, which hopefully wouldn't take a long time. â€Å"Could we meet at noon? I've got an errand to run.† â€Å"I suppose so,† said Ms. Terwilliger, with some reluctance. â€Å"Meet me at my place, and then we'll go out to Lone Rock Park.† I was about to lie back on my bed and froze. â€Å"Why do we have to go out to the middle of the desert?† Lone Rock Park was remote and rarely saw many tourists. I hadn't forgotten how terrifying it was the last time she'd brought me out into the wilderness. At least this time we'd be in daylight. â€Å"Well, we can hardly practice on school grounds,† she pointed out â€Å"True. . . .† â€Å"Bring your book, and the components you've been working on.† We disconnected, and I jotted out a quick text to Adrian: Need to be fast tomorrow. Meeting Ms. T at 12. His response wasn't entirely unexpected: Why? Adrian naturally needed to know everything that was going on in my life. I texted back that Ms. Terwilliger wanted to work on magical protection. This time, he did surprise me: Can I watch? Wanna know how she's protecting you. Wow, Adrian actually asked? He had a history of simply inviting himself along on outings. I hesitated, still confused after our heated moment at the sorority. He'd never mentioned it again, though, and his concern now touched me. I texted back that he could come along and was rewarded with a smiley face. I didn't entirely know what to wear to â€Å"magical training,† so I opted for comfortable layers the next morning. Adrian gave me a once-over when he got into Latte. â€Å"Casual mode, huh? Haven't seen that since the Wolfe days.† â€Å"I don't know what she has in mind,† I explained, doing a U-turn on his street. â€Å"Figured this was best.† â€Å"You could have worn your AYE shirt.† â€Å"Wouldn't want to get it dirty,† I said, grinning. That was partially true. I still thought the fiery heart he'd painted was exquisite. But each time I looked at the shirt, too many memories seized me. What had I been thinking? That was a question I'd asked myself a hundred times, and every answer I came up with sounded fake. My preferred theory was that I'd simply been caught up in how serious Adrian had been about his art, how the emotion and passion had seized hold of him. Girls liked artists just as much as bad boys, right? Even now, something stirred in my chest when I thought about the enraptured look on his face. I loved that he possessed something so powerful in him. But, as I told myself constantly, that was no excuse for climbing all over him and letting him kiss me – on my neck. I'd bought and downloaded the â€Å"bad boy† book online, but it had been completely useless in advising me. I finally decided the best way – if not the healthiest one – was to act like the moment had never happened. That didn't mean I forgot it. In fact, as I sat beside him in the car, I had a difficult time not thinking about how it had felt to be pressed up against him. Or how his fingers had felt entangled in my hair. Or how his lips had – Sydney! Stop. Think of something else. Conjugate Latin verbs. Recite the periodic table. None of those did any good. To Adrian's credit, he continued to withhold any commentary about that night. Finally, I found distraction in telling him about my trip to San Bernardino. Rehashing the conspiracy, rebel groups, and break-ins pretty much killed any passionate feelings I still had. Adrian didn't like the idea of Alchemists working with Warriors or of the tattoo controlling me. But he also didn't like me walking into danger. I tried to downplay the near impossibility of breaking into the St. Louis facility, but he clearly didn't believe me. Ms. Terwilliger texted me twice not to be late to our meeting. I kept an eye on my watch, but the care of a Mustang was not something I took lightly, and I had to take my time at the mechanic's shop to make sure the Mustang was in pristine condition. Adrian had wanted to go with basic tires, but I'd urged him to upgrade, convincing him the extra cost would be worth it. And once I inspected them, I congratulated myself on the choice. Only after I was satisfied the car hadn't been unnecessarily scratched did I finally allow him to pay. We drove both cars back to Vista Azul, and I was pleased to see my timing was perfect. We weren't late, but Ms. Terwilliger was waiting on her porch for us. We designated Adrian as our carpool driver. â€Å"Jeez,† I said when she hurriedly got in the car. â€Å"Do you have somewhere to be after this?† The smile she gave me was strained, and I couldn't help but notice how pale she looked. â€Å"No, but we do have a schedule to follow. I cast a large spell this morning that won't last forever. The countdown is on.† She wouldn't say any more until we reached the park, and that silence unnerved me. It gave me the opportunity to imagine all sorts of frightening outcomes. And although I trusted her, I suddenly felt relieved that Adrian was along as a chaperone. Although it wasn't the busiest place, Lone Rock Park still had the occasional hiker. Ms. Terwilliger – who was actually in hiking boots – set off across the rocky terrain, searching for a suitably remote space to do whatever it was she had in mind. A few stratified rock formations dotted the landscape, but I couldn't really appreciate their beauty. Mostly I was aware that we were out here when the sun was at its fiercest. Even if it was almost winter, we'd still be feeling the heat. I glanced over at Adrian as we walked and found him already looking at me. From his jacket pocket, he produced a bottle of sunscreen. â€Å"I knew you'd ask. I'm nearly as prepared as you are.† â€Å"Nearly,† I said. He'd done it again, anticipating my thoughts. For half a heartbeat, I pretended it was just the two of us out on a pleasant afternoon hike. It seemed like most of the time we spent together was on some urgent mission. How nice would it be to just hang out without the weight of the world on us? Ms. Terwilliger soon brought us back to our grim reality. â€Å"This should do,† she said, surveying the land around her. She had managed to find one of the most desolate areas in the park. I wouldn't have been surprised to see vultures circling overhead. â€Å"Did you bring what I asked for?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† I knelt on the ground and rifled through my bag. In it was the spell book, along with some herbal and liquid compounds I'd mixed up at her request. â€Å"Take out the fireball kindling,† she instructed. Adrian's eyes went wide. â€Å"Did you just say ‘fireball'? That's badass.† â€Å"You see fire all the time,† I reminded him. â€Å"From Moroi who can wield it.† â€Å"Yeah, but I've never seen a human do anything like that. I've never seen you do anything like that.† I wished he didn't look so awestruck because it kind of drove home the severity of what we were about to attempt. I would've felt better if he'd treated it like it was no big deal. But this spell? Yeah, it was kind of a big deal. I'd once performed another spell that involved throwing a painstakingly made amulet and reciting words that made it burst into flames. That one had a huge physical component, however. This spell was another of those mental ones and essentially involved summoning fire out of thin air. The kindling Ms. Terwilliger had referred to was a small drawstring bag filled with ashes made from burnt yew bark. She took the bag from me and examined its contents, murmuring in approval. â€Å"Yes, yes. Very nice. Excellent consistency. You burned it for exactly the right amount of time.† She handed the bag back. â€Å"Now, eventually you won't need this. That's what makes this spell so powerful. It can be performed very quickly, with very little preparation. But you have to practice first before you can reach that point.† I nodded along and tried to stay in student mode. So far, what she was saying was similar to what the book had described. If I thought of all this as a classroom exercise, it was much less daunting. Not really scary at all. Ms. Terwilliger tilted her head and looked past me. â€Å"Adrian? You might want to keep your distance. A considerable distance.† Okay. Maybe a little scary. He obeyed and backed up. Ms. Terwilliger apparently had no such fear for herself because she stayed only a few feet away from me. â€Å"Now then,† she said. â€Å"Apply the ashes, and hold out your hand.† I reached into the bag, touching the ashes with my thumb and forefinger. Then I lightly rubbed all my fingers together until my whole palm had a fine gray coating on it. I set the bag down and then held out my hand in front of me, palm up. I knew what came next but waited for her instruction. â€Å"Summon your magic to call the flame back from the ashes. No incantation, just your will.† Magic surged within me. Calling an element from the world reminded me a little of what the Moroi did, which felt strange. My attempt started off as a red glimmer, hovering in the air above my palm. Slowly, it grew and grew until it was about the size of a tennis ball. The high of magic filled me. I held my breath, scarcely able to believe what I had just done. The red flames writhed and swirled, and although I could feel their heat, they didn't burn me. Ms. Terwilliger gave a grunt that seemed to be equal parts amusement and surprise. â€Å"Remarkable. I forget sometimes what a natural you really are. It's only red, but something tells me, it won't take long before you can produce blue ones without the ashes. Calling elements out of the air is easier than trying to transform one substance into another.† I stared at the fireball, entranced, but soon found myself getting tired. The flames flickered, shrank, and then faded away altogether. â€Å"The sooner you get rid of it, the better,† she told me. â€Å"You'll just use up your own energy trying to sustain it. Best to throw it at your adversary and quickly summon another. Try again, and this time, throw it.† I called the fire once more and felt a small bit of satisfaction at seeing it take on more of an orange hue. I'd learned in my very first childhood chemistry lessons that the lighter a flame was, the hotter it burned. Getting to blue anytime soon still seemed like a long shot. And speaking of long shots . . . I threw the fireball. Or, well, I tried. My control of it faltered when I attempted to send it off toward a bare patch of ground. The fireball splintered apart, the flames disappearing into smoke that was carried off by the wind. â€Å"It's hard,† I said, knowing how lame that sounded. â€Å"Trying to hold it and throw it is just like an ordinary physical thing. I have to do that while still controlling the magic.† â€Å"Exactly.† Ms. Terwilliger seemed very pleased. â€Å"And that's where the practice comes in.† Fortunately, it didn't take too many attempts before I figured out how to make it all work together. Adrian cheered me on when I successfully managed to throw my first fireball, resulting in a beautiful shot that perfectly hit the rock I'd been aiming for. I flashed Ms. Terwilliger a triumphant look and waited for the next spell we'd be moving on to. To my surprise, she didn't seem nearly as impressed as I expected her to be. â€Å"Do it again,† she said. â€Å"But I've got it down,† I protested. â€Å"We should try something else. I was reading the other part of the book – â€Å" â€Å"You have no business doing that yet,† she scolded. â€Å"You think this is exhausting? You'd pass out attempting one of the more advanced spells. Now.† She pointed at the hard desert floor. â€Å"Again.† I wanted to tell her that it was impossible for me not to read ahead in a book. It was just how I operated with all my classes. Something told me now was not the best time to bring that up. She made me practice the throw over and over. Once she was convinced I had it down, she had me work on increasing the fire's heat. I finally managed to get up to yellow but could go no farther. Then I had to work on casting the spell without the ashes. Once I reached that milestone, it was back to practicing the throws. She picked various targets for me, and I hit them all effortlessly. â€Å"Just like Skee-Ball,† I muttered. â€Å"Easy and boring.† â€Å"Yes,† Ms. Terwilliger agreed. â€Å"It's easy hitting inanimate objects. But moving targets? Living targets? Not quite so easy. So, let's move on to that, shall we?† The fireball I'd been holding above my hand vanished as shock shattered my control. â€Å"What do you mean?† If she expected me to start aiming at birds or rodents, she was in for a rude awakening. There was no way I was going to incinerate something alive. â€Å"What am I supposed to hit?† Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose and backed up several feet. â€Å"Me.† I waited for the punch line or at least some further explanation, but none came. I glanced behind me at Adrian, hoping perhaps he might shed some light on this, but he looked as astounded as I felt. I turned back to the singed ground where my earlier fireballs had struck. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger, you can't ask me to hit you.† Her lips twitched into a small half smile. â€Å"I assure you, I can. Go ahead, you can't hurt me.† I had to think a few moments for how to phrase my next response. â€Å"I'm a pretty good shot, ma'am. I can hit you.† This earned an outright laugh. â€Å"Hit, yes. Hurt, no. Go ahead and throw. Our time is running out.† I didn't know how much time had passed exactly, but the sun was definitely lower in the sky. I looked back at Adrian, silently asking for help in dealing with this insanity. His only response was a shrug. â€Å"You're a witness to this,† I told him. â€Å"You heard her tell me to do it.† He nodded. â€Å"You're totally blameless.† I took a deep breath and summoned my next fireball. I was so frazzled that it started off red, and I had to work to heat it up. Then I looked up at Ms. Terwilliger and braced myself for the shot. It was more difficult than I expected – and not just because I was worried about hurting her. Throwing something at the ground required almost no thought. The focus there was on aim and little else. But facing a person, seeing her eyes and the way her chest rose and fell while breathing . . . well, she was right. It was entirely different from hitting an inanimate object. I began to tremble, unsure if I could do it. â€Å"You're wasting time,† she warned. â€Å"You're sapping energy again. Throw.† The command in her voice jolted me to action. I threw. The fireball flew from my hand, straight at her – but it never made contact. I couldn't believe my eyes. About a foot in front of her, it hit some kind of invisible barrier, smashing apart into small flames, which quickly dissipated into smoke. My jaw dropped. â€Å"What is that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"A very, very powerful shielding spell,† she said, clearly enjoying my reaction. She lifted up a pendant that had been hanging under her shirt. It didn't look like anything special, just a piece of unpolished carnelian wrapped in silver wire. â€Å"It took incredible effort to make this . . . and requires more effort still in order to maintain it. The result is an invisible shield – as you can see – that's impervious to most physical and magical attacks.† Adrian was by my side in a flash. â€Å"Hang on. There's a spell that makes you invulnerable to everything, and you only now just thought to mention it? You've been going on this whole time about how Sydney's in danger! Why don't you just teach her this one? Then your sister can't touch her.† Although it didn't seem like Adrian was about to attack her as he had Marcus, he was almost just as upset. His face was flushed, his eyes hard. He had clenched his fists at his side, but I didn't even think he noticed. It was more of that primal instinct. Ms. Terwilliger remained strong in the face of his outrage. â€Å"If it were that simple, then believe me, I would. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems. One is that Sydney, prodigy that she is, is nowhere near strong enough to cast this. I'm hardly strong enough. The other problem is that it has an extremely short time frame, which is why I've been so adamant about a schedule. It only lasts six hours and requires so much effort that you can't just cast it and permanently keep it on you at all times. I'm already worn out and will be even more so once it fades. I won't be able to cast it – or hardly any other magic – for at least another day. That's why I need Sydney to be prepared at all times.† Neither Adrian nor I said anything right away. I'd taken note of her weary state when she got in the car but hadn't thought much more about it. As we'd continued to practice out here, I'd observed her sweating and looking more fatigued, but I'd written it off to the heat. Only now could I fully appreciate the extent of what she had done. â€Å"Why would you go to so much effort?† I asked. â€Å"To keep you alive,† she snapped. â€Å"Now, don't make this a waste. We've only got one more hour before it wears off, and you need to be able to aim at someone without thinking twice. You hesitate too much.† She was right. Even knowing that she was invulnerable, I still had a difficult time attacking her. Violence just wasn't something I embraced. I had to push down all my inner worries and treat it exactly like Skee-Ball. Aim, throw. Aim, throw. Don't think. Soon, I was able to fight past my anxieties and throw without hesitation. She even tried moving around a little, just to give me a better feel for what it'd be like with a real foe, but I didn't find it to be much of a challenge. She was simply too tired and unable to run around or dodge me. I actually started to feel bad for her. She looked like she was about ready to pass out, and I felt guilty sizing up my next shot and – â€Å"Ahh!† Fire arced from Ms. Terwilliger's fingertips just as I released my fireball. My shot went wide, the ball disintegrating before it got anywhere near her. The fire she'd released passed me, about a foot away. With a weary grin, she sank to her knees and exhaled. â€Å"Class dismissed,† she said. â€Å"What was that?† I asked. â€Å"I don't have a magic shield on me!† She didn't display my same concern. â€Å"It was nowhere near you. I made sure of that. It was simply to prove that no matter how ‘boring and easy' this seems, all bets are off when someone is actually attacking you. Now then. Adrian, would you be kind enough to bring me my bag? I have some dried dates in there that I think both Sydney and I would appreciate right about now.† She was right. I'd been so caught up in the lesson that I hadn't noticed how exhausted I had become. She was in worse shape, but the magic had definitely taken its toll on me. I'd never worked with amounts this big for so long, and my body felt weak and drained as the usual blood sugar drop occurred. I began to understand why she kept warning me away from the really difficult stuff. I practically inhaled the dried dates she'd brought for us, and although the sugar helped, I was desperate for more. Adrian gallantly helped us both walk back to the parking lot at the park's entrance, keeping one of us on each arm. â€Å"Too bad we're out in the middle of nowhere,† I grumbled, once we were all in Adrian's car. â€Å"I think you'd be amazed at how much I could eat right now. I'll probably faint before we're back to some civilization and restaurants.† â€Å"Actually,† said Adrian. â€Å"You might be in luck. I think I saw a place not far from here when we were driving in.† I hadn't noticed anything, but I'd been too preoccupied worrying about Ms. Terwilliger's upcoming lesson. Five minutes after we were back on the highway, I saw that Adrian was right about a restaurant. He exited onto a drab little road, pulling into the gravel parking lot of a small but freshly painted white building. I stared at the sign out front in disbelief. â€Å"Pies and Stuff?† â€Å"You wanted sugar,† Adrian reminded me. The Mustang kicked up dust and gravel, and I winced on behalf of the car. â€Å"And at least it's not Pies and Bait or anything like that.† â€Å"Yeah, but the ‘Stuff' part isn't exactly reassuring.† â€Å"I thought it was more the ‘Pie' part that had you upset.† Despite my misgivings, Pies and Stuff was actually a cute and clean little establishment. Polka-dot curtains hung in the windows, and the display case was filled with every pie imaginable as well as â€Å"stuff† like carrot cake and brownies. We were the only people under sixty in the whole place. We ordered our pie and sat down with it in a corner booth. I ordered peach, Adrian had French silk, and Ms. Terwilliger went with pecan. And of course, she and I had the waitress bring us coffee as soon as humanly possible since we'd had to abstain, painfully, for the magic. I took a sip and immediately felt better. Adrian ate his slice at a reasonable rate, like a normal person, but Ms. Terwilliger and I dug in as though we hadn't eaten in a month. Conversation was irrelevant. Only pie mattered. Adrian regarded us both with delight and didn't try to interrupt until we'd practically licked the plates clean. He nodded toward mine. â€Å"Another piece?† â€Å"I'll take more coffee.† I eyed the sparkling plate and couldn't help but notice that inner voice that used to nag me about calories was quiet these days. In fact, it didn't seem to be around anymore at all. I'd been so angry about Adrian's food â€Å"intervention,† but his words had ended up having a bigger impact than I'd expected. Not that it had anything to do with him personally, of course. Lightening up my dieting restrictions was just a reasonable idea. That was it. â€Å"I feel pretty good now.† â€Å"I'll get you another cup,† he told me. When he returned, he even had a mug for Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Figured you'd want one too.† She smiled in appreciation. â€Å"Thank you. You're very astute.† As she drank, I couldn't help but notice she still looked tired, despite the fact that we'd just replenished with sugar. She no longer seemed in danger of passing out, but it was obvious she hadn't recovered as quickly as I had. â€Å"Are you sure you're okay?† I asked her. â€Å"Don't worry, I'll be fine.† She sipped more coffee, her face lost in thought. â€Å"It's been years since I performed the shield spell. I forgot how much it takes out of me.† I was again struck by all the trouble she'd gone through for me. Ever since she'd identified me as a potential magic user, I'd done nothing but resist her and even be antagonistic. â€Å"Thanks,† I told her. â€Å"For everything . . . I wish there was a way I could make it up to you.† She set her cup down and stirred in more sugar. â€Å"I'm happy to do it. There's no need to reciprocate. Although . . . once this is all over, I'd like very much if you'd meet my coven. I'm not asking you to join,† she added quickly. â€Å"Just to talk. I think you'd find the Stelle very interesting.† â€Å"Stelle,† I repeated. She'd never called them by name before. â€Å"The stars.† Ms. Terwilliger nodded. â€Å"Yes. Our origins are Italian, though as you've seen already the magic we use comes from a number of cultures.† I was at a loss for words. She'd gone to so much trouble for me . . . surely it wasn't a big deal just to talk to the other witches, right? But if it was such a small thing, then why was I terrified? The answer came to me a few moments later. Talking to others, seeing the larger organization, would kick my involvement with magic up to the next level. It had taken me a long time to come around to the magic I already used. I'd overcome many of my fears, but some part of me treated it as just some sideline activity. Like a hobby. Meeting other witches would change everything. I would have to accept that I was part of something so much bigger than just the occasional dabbling. Meeting a coven seemed official. And I didn't know if I was ready to be considered a witch. â€Å"I'll think about it,† I said at last. I wished I could give her more, but my protective instincts had seized me â€Å"I'll take what I can get,† she said with a small smile. Her phone chimed, and she glanced down. â€Å"Speaking of the Stelle, I need to talk to one of my sisters. I'll meet you at the car.† She finished her coffee and headed outside. Adrian and I followed a few minutes later. I was still troubled about the coven and caught hold of his sleeve to keep him back. I spoke softly. â€Å"Adrian, when did I reach this point? Trying to crack open the Alchemists and practicing magic in the desert?† Last summer, when I'd been with Rose in Russia, I couldn't even tolerate the idea of sleeping in the same room with her. I'd had too many Alchemist mantras running through my mind, warning me of vampire evils. And now, here I was, in league with vampires and questioning the Alchemists. That girl in Russia had nothing in common with the one in Palm Springs. No, I'm still the same person at heart. I had to be . . . because if I wasn't, then who was I? Adrian smiled at me sympathetically. â€Å"I think it's been a culmination of things. Your curious nature. Your need to do the right thing. It's all led you to this point. I know the Alchemists have taught you to think a certain way, but what you're doing now – it's not wrong.† I raked my hand through my hair. â€Å"And yet, despite all of that, I can't bring myself to have one tiny conversation with Ms. Terwilliger's coven.† â€Å"You have boundaries.† He gently smoothed one of my wayward locks. â€Å"Nothing wrong with that.† â€Å"Marcus would say it's the tattoo holding me back.† Adrian dropped his hand. â€Å"Marcus says a lot of things.† â€Å"I don't think Marcus is trying to deceive me. He believes in his cause, and I'm still worried about mind control . . . but honestly, it's hard to believe I'm being held back when I'm out here doing stuff like this.† I gestured outside, to where Ms. Terwilliger was. â€Å"Alchemist dogma says this magic is unnatural and wrong.† Adrian's smile returned. â€Å"If it makes you feel better, you actually looked natural out there – back in the park.† â€Å"Doing . . . what? Throwing fireballs?† I shook my head. â€Å"There's nothing natural about that.† â€Å"You wouldn't think so, but . . . well. You were . . . amazing, throwing that fire like some kind of ancient warrior goddess.† Annoyed, I turned away. â€Å"Stop making fun of me.† He caught my arm and pulled me back toward him. â€Å"I am absolutely serious.† I swallowed, speechless for a moment. All I was aware of was how close we were, that he was holding me to him with only a few inches between us. Almost as close as at the sorority. â€Å"I'm not a warrior or a goddess,† I managed at last. Adrian leaned closer. â€Å"As far as I'm concerned, you're both.† I knew that look in his eyes. I knew because I'd seen it before. I expected him to kiss me, but instead, he ran his finger along the side of my neck. â€Å"There it is, huh? Badge of honor.† It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the hickey It had faded but wasn't entirely gone. I pulled away. â€Å"It is not! It was a mistake. You were out of line doing that to me.† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"Sage, I distinctly remember every part of that night. You didn't seem that unwilling. You were practically on top of me.† â€Å"I don't really remember the details,† I lied. He moved his hand from my neck and rested a fingertip on my lips. â€Å"But I'll stick to just kissing these if it makes you feel better. No mark.† He started to lean toward me, and I jerked away. â€Å"You will not! It's wrong.† â€Å"What, kissing you, or kissing you in Pies and Stuff?† I glanced around, suddenly aware that we were creating a dinner show for the senior citizens, even if they couldn't hear us. I backed up. â€Å"Both,† I said, feeling my cheeks burn. â€Å"If you're going to attempt something inappropriate – something you said you wouldn't do anymore – then you could at least pick a better place.† He laughed softly, and the look in his eyes confused me further. â€Å"Okay† he said. â€Å"The next time I kiss you, I promise it'll be in a more romantic place.† â€Å"I – what? No! You shouldn't try at all!† I began moving toward the door, and he fell in step with me. â€Å"What happened to loving me from a distance? What happened to not, um, bringing up any of this stuff?† For someone who was allegedly just going to watch from afar, he wasn't doing a very good job. And I was doing an even worse job of being indifferent. He moved in front of the door and blocked my way. â€Å"I said I wouldn't – if you don't want me to. But you're kind of giving me mixed signals, Sage.† â€Å"I am not,† I said, amazed that I could even say that with a straight face. Even I didn't believe it. â€Å"You're presumptuous and arrogant and a whole lot of other things if you think I've changed my mind.† â€Å"You see, that's just it.† There he was again, moving into my space. â€Å"I think you like the ‘other things.'† I shook off my daze and pulled away. â€Å"I like humans.† Another Alchemist lesson came to mind. They look like us, but don't be deceived. The Moroi don't display the malice of the Strigoi, but creatures who drink blood and manipulate nature have no place in our world. Work with them only as you must. We are not the same. Keep your distance as much as possible. It's for the good of your soul. Adrian didn't look like he believed this either, but he stepped away and headed outside. I followed a few moments later, thinking I'd played with fire more than once today.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Special Education for Disabilities

Disabilities affect every race, culture, sex, and religion. It is non-discriminatory. Almost everyone can think of someone they have come into contact with or are related to that has a disability, and we can all think of some torment or discrimination that has affected their life. Asylum, prison, basement, attic Sorry, allowed to exist but only as outcasts. Became a part of society but were not encouraged or allowed to participate in an attempt to gain their independence. Bill of right for disabled people-laws at the federal level Qualified Handicapped individual- a person who with reasonable accommodations can perform the essential functions as required for employment or education. Architectural Transportation Barrier Compliance Board Established legal channels to handle this Lead to Americans with Disabilities Act Moved to include State and Local Govt. Ensure a free and appropriate education Ensure and access effectiveness of the program Defines who provides services needed Today we have laws and they are enforced by strict guidelines. Our society as a whole accepts and allows for inclusion although some individuals still look down on special individuals and poke fun at them. Through education and exposure it is hoped that all of society will view each other as equal and unite. The greatest injustice to any individual is treating everyone the same. Everyone is an individual and should be treated in a way that recognizes their individuality and should be provided all the supports needed for them to gain and maintain independence and equality without discrimination.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Outline the factors which could contribute to employee stress in the Essay

Outline the factors which could contribute to employee stress in the workplace. Discuss what possible measures could be taken to reduce stress in employees - Essay Example Yassi asserts that there are five basic factors that result in workplace stress, these include: factors that are inconsistent with the job, position in the institute, development of career, relationships that are interpersonal in nature and structure of the organization (MINER, 2002, p.344). The first factor is related to an employee’s ability to cope with number of operational working hours, desired rate of production, the environment of the organization that can be seen, and the quality of work expected by the mangers of the organization. For example: individuals who work late at night experience deterioration of health due to sleepless nights. The second factors are related to the hierarchical level of the organization in which an employee is operating. Individuals who are situated at the top level of an organization are expected to experience more stress as their responsibility is much greater than those working in the lower level of the management (BLONNA, 2010, p.53). Fo r example: Those in the top level of the management have to perform several tasks at the same time. The third factor is related to the how secure the job is for an individual and whether there are promotional benefits offered by the organization or not. For example: employees are unsure whether they will be able to keep their jobs if changes in technology are implemented by the organization. The fourth factor of stress is related to the relationship of the employee with other employees of the organization and the management level of the organization. An organization itself is a society where different elements have to interact with each other to ensure that the entire unit operates in a collective manner. If employees do not interact with each other and help each other, work pressure increases and results in stress. Organizational environment is a major

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Economic - Essay Example Risk averse individuals are better off with purchase of insurance because they prefer certain losses to uncertain ones of the same scale. Given that the marginal utility of wealth is diminishing they are ready to give up certain and reasonable amount of money in the form of insurance premium to avoid chance of large and uncertain loss. Thus, it is in their interest to buy insurance because of certainty it provides. According to the expected utility model the individuals tend to undertake actions that increase the expected utility value (U), which can be expressed as the function of the income (Y). If the probability of the accident resulting in the loss of X is indicated as P and assuming that insurance company in the case of accident will pay the amount equal to X, the expected utility for an individual who does not buy insurance is equal to: If per unit tax on a good is imposed and the tax revenue is then used to offset the decrease in consumer surplus the consumers still would be worse of than before introduction of the tax. It happens because the consumer bears an excessive burden which is equal to the difference between the value of equivalent variation (compensation that allows the customer to achieve the same level of utility as before tax, graphically – vertical distance between pre- and post-tax indifference curves) and tax revenue that the government can use in order to offset the effect of tax (graphically - vertical distance between corresponding budget constraint lines). It may be beneficial for the companies offering service or good A to introduce a choice of price and service options in order to target the groups of customers with different levels of income and needs. The optimal bundle of the service A and all the other goods will vary depending on the budget constraint and marginal utility of A for a certain group. Introducing number of variations A1, A2,†¦., An (from low price – low service to higher priced

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The chartered institute of logistics and transport Essay

The chartered institute of logistics and transport - Essay Example The mission statement has always been "Your Career Partner" and it has over 30,000 members in 28 national sections of the CILT across the world. Through its national councils and sections around the globe, it offers information, guidance, forecasts, scientific knowledge, and educational courses with qualifying examinations, seminars, conventions, constructive partnerships, professional development and many kinds of assistance. It had classified the branches into groups and regions for good and easy governance. The network contact is in more than 50 countries. Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, the Institute's patron, takes great interest in CILT's activities. Organisation has Vice President for Supply Chain Innovation at the International Consultancy, Solving International, and Chairman and Chief Executive at the topmost level, who had been functioning mostly in an authoritarian style. The organisation has a very high international profile, even though it had not been easy for it to build it up. Its management had always been of the best quality and they hire people from very well known organisations like Price water Coopers, who already have tremendous experience of running international giants. In spite of it, it had been facing management crises for sometime now, with new areas to make unprecedented moves and decisions opening up all the time. It had been, no doubt the authoritarian style of management and the decisions were always taken by the topmost authorities, with the expectation that the lower ranks would fall in line with those decisions, and it had been happening so. But now with the changed circumstances, even organisations like Price Water Coopers are facing enormous problems due to culture clash and diverse organisational set-ups and conflicting working environments and mostly, they avoid these problems by taking local people as partners in the company and interfering in the company matters as less as possible. The main area where research should be done and conclusions to be drawn is communication that leaves much desired. "While the effect of communication apprehension on a multitude of psychological and performance variables has been studied in many other disciplines, it has not been extensively examined by sales researchers" http://www.apmforum.com/emerald/cross-cultural-management.htm The international organisations have noticed that employing local people had always been not the best of the alternatives. But under the circumstances, there is no other better alternative. People representing different cultures and countries, speaking languages other than English, being used to different working environments have posed a challenge to the working style and management ways of these organisations. It had not been very easy for the said organisation to get over the barriers and come into terms with the frustratingly diverse ways of local employees. This in spite of CILT being an international player for a long time, and that has not helped enormously. Values, beliefs, business dealings, conversation, language, ways of discussion and decisions, interactions, food habits, all are different and cultures

Friday, July 26, 2019

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income Essay

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income statement and balance sheet - Essay Example The accounts used in income statement representation or preparation are, revenue, expenses, losses and profit accounts while those that are used in the preparation of balance sheet are assets, liabilities and owners equity accounts. Good example of liabilities and equity accounts are taxes, notes, loans, payroll accounts and many more. It is easier to represent this two difference balance sheet and income statement accounts through a chart of accounts, this is a list of all the accounts that are used to record financial transactions (Berezin, 2005). Current assets this are the materials or goods that one have in an organization or business that are disposable for certain returns within a short period of time , majorly they are the stock of the business and they controls the inflow of cash into the business through a short time. While current liabilities are the debt that ones have to other people or the current debt of the business this is control by the creditors account. To relates the two there is a ratio that is used known as the current ratio this differentiate the two by dividing each other and an increase in current asset through a reduction in current liabilities shows that the business is doing fine, but an increase in current liabilities through a decrease in current asset proof that the business is under duress and something should be done to reduce that short. This is the dependency between the two, ones increase leads to the other decrease. To relate the two through balance creation or changes is an increase in cur rent asset leads to a reduction in current liabilities through payments; thus, reducing the debt or creditors balance while increasing the asset balance in the business (Fields, 2011). Considerations of current asset and liabilities are one of the fundamentals of a business; the relationship between the two is what keeps the business alive and kicking. The two are mainly related to payment terms and inventory policies. This is

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Facebook - Essay Example Business, marketing, advertising, politics etc are some segments in which facebook contributed heavily to the global public apart from providing instant communication opportunities. The recent political developments in Arab world are believed to be stimulated by facebook. In fact the current Arab revolution is referred as facebook revolution. â€Å"The dictator of Tunisia was overthrown in less than one month after being in power for 23 years. There is no question about how opponents of his regime were able to topple it. Two words describe it: Facebook, Twitter†. In Libya also facebook contributed heavily for the expulsion of Gadhafi. In short, the influence of facebook over human life is growing day by day. â€Å"Facebook was founded in 2004 by a former-Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg†. He has also pointed out that â€Å"facebook and its idea spread across the college campus within months from launching and at present it is the second largest social networking site, s econd only to my space as far as traffic is concerned†. The founding of facebook has raised some controversies about the ownership of the idea of facebook. Mark Zuckerberg was accused of stealing the idea of his college roommates and fellow computer science students. Anyway, it is a fact that in early 2003 itself, the idea of creating a social network was in the mind of Zuckerberg. In fact he has started another social network Buddy Zoo in 2003 itself with the help of some of his close friends. In January 2004, Zuckerberg started writing the source codes of facebook and on February 4, he launched Thefacebook. In 2005, the name Thefacebook has been changed to Facebook. Controversies regarding the founding of facebook Former Harvard classmates Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss claim that Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social networking site whilst he was employed by them to assist with the sites development, the site in question being connectu.com. They filed a lawsuit as early as 2004 but the case was dismissed in March 2007, although it was quickly re-filed in Boston, eventually Facebook settled the case for $65m (Ryankette, 2011). Still there are many stories spreading about the stealing of this idea by Zuckerberg. â€Å"After Facebook announced the settlement, but before the settlement was finalized, lawyers for the Winklevosses suggested that the hard drive from Mark Zuckerberg's computer at Harvard might contain evidence of Mark's fraud†(Carlson, 2010). Critics label him as a cheat. It should be noted that besides Zuckerberg, there three co-founders for facebook; Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes. In short, the disputes about the ownership of the idea of facebook created lot of negative publicity to facebook. What made Facebook a success today? According to Shih (2009), â€Å"right this moment at least 150000000 people are interacting with friends and talking about the brands on facebook†(Shih, 2009, p.i). The success of facebook primarily lies in its ability to attract business people towards it. Business has realised the potentials of facebook quickly in conducting its marketing campaigns successfully. Facebook users normally share their ideas and opinions about the new products they might have purchased recently and this type of publicity is even better than word of mouth publicity for business people. So they have shown increased interests in posting marketing ads in facebook which helped facebook to grow considerably. Marketers can make use of targeted ads to reach specific segments of customers using facebook and that also with a minimal spending for advertising. Facebook ads are more effective and cheaper than other

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Federal Budget Deficit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Federal Budget Deficit - Essay Example This paper intends to discuss the significance, causes and recommendations attributed to the federal budget deficit. The federal budget deficit is significant in a number of ways. This may be either short term or long term. For instance, in a slack economy, the major effect of an increase in the deficit is stimulation of demand and consequent raise of output (The Moment of Truth, 22). It is significant to note that, as the economy approaches full employment and tightening of the credit markets, the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rates. In the same regard, higher interest rates influence the cost of financing new investment in plant and equipment. More over, the federal deficit causes higher interest rates influence international capital flows and consequent effect on trade balance. In addition, the deficit causes increase in the exchange value of the dollar particularly the price of the imported products falls. The deficit also increase the size of the nat ional debt consequently increase of the size of the annual interest payments make on the debt. On the other and, it should be noted that not all times the deficits pose disadvantages to the populace. Running temporary deficits especially during a recession economy a federal government can enhance a weak economy and cushion the effects of the downturn on Americans. Some of the causes of the budget deficit include tax cuts. According to the experts, the tax cuts pay for themselves. This implies that, the economy expands rapidly because of the tax cuts, which produce almost the same level of revenue, as it would have in the absence of tax cuts. This study observes that if the costs of extending the management of the tax cuts are not compensated by expenditure reductions, extending the tax cuts would somewhat decrease long-run economic expansion (The Moment of Truth, 24). On the same regard, increased domestic spending in various sectors of economy such as education, Medicare, defense ( homeland security) and infrastructure is immensely attributed to the current budget deficit. For instance between 2001 and 2006, the federal budget on domestic spending account for almost 26%. It is imperative to note that, even if the overheads of extending the tax cuts are compensated by expenditure cuts, the tax cuts would at preeminent have only small positive consequences on the economy. More over, today’s deficit is observed to have been caused by the 2001 economic downturn. The budget deficits can be reduced by cutting down expenditure on domestic spending. For instance, reduced spending on domestic programs through 2011 saw a total of $75 billion saved. In addition, tax cuts should be regulated to a lower level and more significant, strategies on reduced tax cut administration costs should structured to ensure reduced expenditure during this exercise (The Moment of Truth, 22). This study finds out that the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rat es, which are settled by the deficits. It is imperative to note that, deficits of such kind can be reduced by reducing government borrowing intended for the recurrent expenditure. However, this might not serve as a permanent solution in a slowly recovering economy attributed with the country’s medium and long term fiscal challenges. It is significant to note that, this is a tight economic situation, which requires stringent

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Discuss lock-and-key theory of enzyme-substrate interaction giving Essay

Discuss lock-and-key theory of enzyme-substrate interaction giving specific example to illustrate theory. Include the effects of substrate concentration, pH cha - Essay Example Enzymes have active sites which interact with the substrate. The structure of the active site is unique for that respective substrate. Just as a uniquely shaped key will only fit in to and open a matching lock, so it is with enzymes and their substrates. The wrong key may fit in to the lock, but nothing can happen because the match of shapes is not correct. This fit is so specific that the change in a single hydrogen atom in a molecule makes it lose its specificity to a particular enzyme. This means that it may not bind to the specific site and even if it does, the enzyme will be unable to do anything chemically to it. The substrate always fits into the enzymes active site and the active site is always a fold or groove in the enzyme. Enzymes are always larger than the substrate and they are flexible so that they can move and fold around the substrate (Refer to Figure.1). This is facilitated by the weak bonds that hold the enzyme in its functional shape. The union between an enzyme an d its substrate is called the enzyme -substrate complex. When a substrate is bound to the active site, particular chemical bonds of the substrate are weakened and the substrate bends. This lowers the activation energy to the point where the heat in the environment is sufficient to supply the activation energy to initiate the reaction (Chapter 7, Metabolism and Biochemistry). If the amount of the enzyme is kept constant and the substrate concentration is then gradually increased, the reaction velocity will increase until it reaches a maximum. After this point, increases in substrate concentration will not increase the velocity. This means that when this maximum velocity had been reached, all of the available enzyme has been converted to the enzyme-substrate complex (Refer to Figure.3). Michaelis developed a set of mathematical expressions to

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

DQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

DQ - Essay Example The manager must then supervise them closely and let them know that they are under constant observation in order for them to be productive. The research undertaken shows this to be false. Managers spend much of their time not only directing their subordinates but interacting likewise with â€Å"peers, superiors, and people outside the organization.† It highlights the role of planner, which is often relegated by common notion to the background. Secondly, it is generally taken for granted that a manager’s work is easy and light considering they do not do the â€Å"hands-on† job their subordinates do. They stay in the office at their desks and just wait for results. However, as the study shows, a manager’s job is rarely an idle one. Managers are constantly bombarded with problems, requests, and contingencies to address, often and requiring quick decision-making. Sometimes the elevated position the manager has over a single unit tasked with a single function lends one to believe that he is an expert in his field and thus his tasks is specialized. The study proves the contrary, however, that the typical manage is a generalist, called to address issues and demands of varied and fragmented nature, requiring multifaceted skills – technical, financial, and human relations included. The manager is often seen as a â€Å"navigator† of sorts whose principal task is to plan the details of his unit. It is often thought that the more carefully the plans are prepared and forward-looking activities such as training are undertaken, the less time and effort he spends doing â€Å"repair† management. That just is not so, according to the research. Much of the manager’s activities are described by the study as â€Å"reactive rather than proactive in nature†, pertaining more to adjustments, adaptations, and damage control. This causes

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Lemon Tree Dilemma Essay Example for Free

The Lemon Tree Dilemma Essay The website EEOC.gov should be a bookmarked site for any individual who is working as or plans to work as a manager in a business with more than one (i.e., the owner) employee. This website contains the information that the federal government expects companies and businesses to use and follow with respect to hiring, firing, and disciplining its employees. It explains disabilities, how to handle them, and when to use them in making hiring decisions. It also provides information about protected classes, in which people must be a member before they can claim discrimination. You should plan to visit the EEOC website during this week to help work through this ethical dilemma faced by Paul and Mary, two managers in the company in The Lemon Tree. Read through the fictional dilemma, and then choose the subject of discrimination discussed therein, planning to debate the ramifications of that with your classmates and your instructor. Some of this seems obvious, but others aren’t as easy to determine as they seem. Your instructor will bring in new and different â€Å"twists and turns† as we go along. Read the dilemma, and then lets discuss. (The dilemma is found on the left tree, entitled The Lemon Tree Dilemma. ) 1. What is one aspect of Title VII that has been violated by the company? 2. Which actions by the two employees that call their credibility into question are you allowed, as an employer, to consider? Or, what types of actions are you not allowed to use and why? Are there any you wish you could use? Remember to support your answers to the questions above with a law or business reason. 1. Be sure to cover the different types of discrimination in this thread – all categories are possible areas for assessment on the Final Exam. 2. Next week, while the espionage case is under investigation, Paul opens hiring for Peter Puffs position and Mary opens hiring for Jackies position. Paul hires the first qualified white male who applies.

Tesco Logistic Operations Analysis

Tesco Logistic Operations Analysis The logistic operations Executive Summary The objective of this report is to critically analyse the logistic operations in the newly opened food outlets of TESCO, UKs largest multiple retailer in Central Europe, Thailand and the more recent Fresh and Easy store in United States of America as against the well established logistic operations in the UK. For the purpose of coming up with a critical analysis, we have first studied the operations of TESCO in United Kingdom starting with the initial supply chain operations and then a gradual evolution of an effective and efficient supply chain. Next we evaluated the operation strategies adopted to maintain and manage the international operations and the challenges faced by Tesco to maintain a consistent global brand image. It was found that in order to maintain a consistent service delivery system across the globe; Tesco has been making necessary changes in the service operations like international warehouse management, continuous replenishment policy, and international logistics. The changes made have been in accordance to the legal and cultural sensitivity of the overseas country. The maintenance of international logistics has been critical for Tesco and with the geographical expansion it is imperative for Tesco to adapt to intermodal intercontinental mode of transportation. It is suggested that Tesco develop expertise in sea freight transport by developing dock outs near to sea shore in overseas countries and then transporting goods from docks to the respective central warehouse units. This will help in achieving economical and efficient freight cost considering the scenario that Tesco sources both locally and globally. Highly advanced Information Technology and IT systems have given Tesco a competitive advantage over the competitors on an international platform and has helped Tesco in maximizing the overall supply chain profitability. With the expansion happening across the continents it is important for Tesco to maintain consistent service operations across the globe. This can be done by developing remote station controlling and tracking of movement of goods by latest RFID and satellite sensing technology. Tesco need to develop dual monitoring system both on national and international level. With the usage of upscale Warehouse management system, international fleet management systems and the ERP systems coupled with remote sensing technology, Tesco can monitor and control international operations. 1.0 Introduction TESCO was founded in the year 1924 by John Edward Cohen. The name TESCO comes from the initials of Cohens tea supplier T.E. Stockwell combined with the first 2 letters of Cohen. Cohen is considered to be the biggest retail revolutionary responsible for several small revolutions which has led to the current retail industry. Tesco:OurHistory TESCO is one of the biggest retailers in the world operating around 2491 stores and employing over 350,000 people worldwide with profits exceeding  £3billion. The UK is the companys largest market while it has recently expanded their operations in Central Europe, Thailand and recently in US under the name of Fresh Easy. In United Kingdom, TESCO operates under four banners of Extra, Superstore, Metro, Express, One Stop and Homeplus. TESCO is listed on London Stock Exchange under the symbol TSCO and has a secondary listing on Irish Stock Exchange with the name TESCO PLC. Tesco international operation was in line with the vision of Tesco to become a global retail house. It entered into joint ventures with local partners, like SAMSUNG group in Korea and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand; also it started its US operations under the name of Fresh and Easy. The US operations were intended to be a direct competition to the Walmart. Tesco now operated in Ireland, Czech Republic and Poland as Central Europe operations, Thailand, South Korea, China, and Japan as Asian Operations and recently entered into US. 2.0 TESCO Logistic Strategy Initially under Cohen, TESCO sailed on the principle of Pile it High, Sell it Cheap[ Corina, M (1971)]. The idea was inspired from the USA retail format where bulk procurement was done resulting in low cost and thus better profit realization. However, with the changes in macro environment and increasing competition from other retail stores, there was decrease in profit margins and the company was left with tarnished brand image. Hence under leadership of MacLaurin, who succeeded Cohen, TESCO decided to bring in fundamental, radical and dramatic changes in the business operations and a business re-engineering was done with a focus to build an effective and efficient supply chain aided with the innovative usage of technology.(Tescocorporate.com, History) Currently, Tesco operates both local and global sourcing. There has been continuous evolution in the distribution and operation strategy of Tesco which can be split majorly into four phases. First was the time when there was direct delivery from the suppliers to the stores, this transformed into centralized regional distribution system as the second move in the late 1970s. The third move was a composite distribution strategy in the late 1980s and in the 1990s it was the vertical collaboration in the supply chain as the fourth move. Under its vertical collaboration strategy, the focus has been to streamline the supply chain processes with the usage of technology and sharing of information across the supply chain to build an effective and efficient supply chain. Sharing of information with the suppliers started in 1997 with the establishment of commercially secure data exchange system based on the internet to facilitate the suppliers with the information on the current inventory holdings. This was followed with analysis on the primary distribution (manufacturer to distribution centre) to implement changes that added net value over the entire supply chain. Once the primary distribution was stabilised, there was business motivation to make the logistics and flow of material streamline to generate further cost-benefit competence. This led to negotiation of more competitive distribution rates. This process of continuous change and improvement has led to radical decrease in the lead time to stores and from suppliers. 2.1 Value chain Analysis 2.1.1 Inbound Logistics This is the first step in the value chain, thus posses the first value creating opportunity. Tesco calls this as the primary distribution and the activities include receipt of goods at the warehouse from the suppliers, internal handling and distribution to the stores and finally placing the goods on display at the shelves. Quality control measures are taken at every point to ensure that the customers get true value for money and the unnecessary costs are not transferred to the customers. 2.1.2 Operations Operations form a very important and critical area for the smooth functioning of Tesco. The tasks involve daily inventory management, shelf display and stock management to ensure competitive advantage. 2.1.3 Outbound Logistics This involves delivery to the customer. Tesco offers convenience to the customers by giving them home delivery. Also efforts are made to improve trolley space, parking facilities and other tangibles to maximise feel good for the customers. 2.1.4 Marketing and Sales Through the clubcard initiative, Tesco has successfully engaged loyal customer base and attract more customers by heavy advertising through radio, local newspapers and TV. Tesco has also started their green initiative as a corporate social responsibility and branding itself as a green and responsible company in the eyes of the customer. 2.2 Tesco Logistics: UK Tesco holds a commanding 13% share in UK retail market. The focus has been to grow share in food while increasing the space contribution in hypermarkets. Tesco, at this point of time reached the optimum level of supply chain efficiency and the logistic operations are now benchmarked by the competitors. Currently stock is checked every day on a real time basis and based on the inventory, orders are processed centrally. Production schedule plans are prepared and the same is then transported from deport to the store after approval of depot in charge. Jones and Clarke (2002) 2.3 Continuous Replenishment: UK CR introduced in 1999, replaced the batch data processing with a continuous flow system and then multiple orders are sent to the suppliers thus reducing stock holding and better inventory control. Through this, the risk of high inventory passed to the suppliers. The suppliers got the orders as per the requirements more than once a day through the central batch processing unit. The same were then processed by the suppliers and then assembled as per the batch orders at the Tesco depot. Multiple deliveries are then made to ensure efficient fleet utilization and faster replenishment. Image from book The movement of goods happens through mostly road and railways in the UK. In 1997, Tesco started using canal mode of transportation to ship goods between Manchester distribution facility and Liverpool. The movement happens between a central warehouse and the local depots based on the batch orders generated through the central processing unit on a daily basis. The inventory is maintained by sharing the inventory status data with the suppliers on a real time basis. The control of stock levels is ensured so that no one runs out of any goods. By sharing the information, chances of bullwhip effect are minimized and actual forecasting and schedule planning is done. [Gustafsson K, Jà ¶nson G, Smith DandSparks L (2006)] 2.4 Overseas Operations By 2003, Tesco has started functioning successfully in Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Thailand and South Korea. It is evident from the 2003 annual report of Tesco Plc that overseas operation now accounts for almost half the Tesco retail space and nearly 20% of sales (Tesco Plc Annual report, 2003). Managing international operations has been a challenge for Tesco. With the experience of managing an efficient supply chain in the UK, Tesco has been able to replicate the operation overseas in a similar manner. However there has been change in procurement strategy. Tesco has adapted to local and global sourcing strategy. Tesco has been able to utilize the local talent and resources and also managed to maintain a consistent global brand image. Local Operation and distribution is done through rail and road between a central distribution facility and the stores. It also uses sea transport to source products from global suppliers, thus maintaining a consistency. The prima ry distribution is kept similar as the UK operations and the use of information technology has enabled Tesco to optimize the supply chain activities and maximize the supply chain value internationally as well. Tesco unlike its UK operations has deviated from the just in time inventory management. To streamline the overseas operation they have identified local manufacturers to develop a cost effective competence over the competitors. The globally sourced products are ordered in bulk as per the fright management system and thus delivery of such products happens as per the stocks levels of the central processing units. Moreover, there have been legal bindings under the food and beverage laws of the various overseas countries and thus Tesco has to effectively manage as per the varying trade and labour laws. Due to global sourcing there has been change in the Continuous Replenishment policy as adopted by Tesco in the UK. The replenishments of globally sourced goods do not happen on a daily basis. The future demand of such goods is anticipated in advance and thus they are procured in bulk and transported through intermodal operations to maximize the overall supply chain profitability. With the onset of international operations, Tesco has realized the need of technology advancement and the high scale information systems to maintain and manage the global operations. The recent use of RFID technology has enabled Tesco to track and find the shipments and the local transportation in real time. Also, the ERP systems have been in place to maximize the supply chain value globally as well. However, to maintain the international standards and global brand image, there has been high cost occurrence on the transportation of goods procured from the international suppliers, thus leading to low margins in some cases. But with efficient supplier management program and real time sharing of information with the suppliers high transportation cost has been offset with the overall increase in supply chain profitability. Strategic Changes made to incorporate international operations Heavy investment is involved to expand geographically and there is need to provide cross cultural training to the employees. International sourcing from standard suppliers is shipped to the new locations through sea transport. RFID technology implemented to track and find the shipments. Utilization of local human and natural resources to achieve better margins. Hub and spoke model implemented to build central warehouses and docks near to sea and then transporting the same to the distant locations. Forecasting and demand estimation done centrally and the inventory details shared with the suppliers on a real time basis to ensure low inventory holding cost. Multiple deliveries from the suppliers ensured fast replenishment and zero stock out situations. 3.0 Transportation Policy Tesco sources both locally and globally. With the geographical expansion of Tesco to Central Europe, Asia and recently in US, it has been a challenge to manage the transportation and distribution of goods at the new locations keeping the quality consistent to that of the global image of Tesco. [Anderson, D. L., Britt. F. E., and Favre. D. J. (1997)] Risks associated with international logistics and transportation (Zhihui Song, Apr 2005) * Easy to lose control of operation and movements * Increase in paper work and documentation binding to the different legal and taxation in overseas countries. * Risk of delays in receiving and arrival of goods internationally. * Difficult to trade and trace as the point of action is remote. * There can be conflict in the customs and culture of the overseas country, * Lack of infrastructure capabilities in the hose country which may hamper the easy movement of goods 3.1 Rail Freight With the extensive rail reach in some of the overseas countries rail freight proves to be an economical on bulk ordering and low value goods. This mode of transport is low on speed and thus need to be used in slow moving goods and in instances where demand forecasting is accurate for a longer period of time. However there is a limitation in this mode because of the slow speed and inflexible service. But rail cannot be solely be relied as a transportation mode as the last mile has to be road. 3.2 Sea Freight With the geographical expansions, sea freight offers a cost effective mode of operation. The service however is slow but there is easy and quick availability of service due to the regular routes and service offered. There is a delay caused in this mode of transportation as it involved additional investment in developing port infrastructure for loading and uploading of goods. 3.3 Road Freight Road freight has to be put in place as a result of the strategic decision to ensure a balance between speed and responsiveness of the inventory management. Road Transport offers a fast and regular service but this can be a relatively expensive mode of transportation. This can be used in combination with roll on and roll off ferry services to cover intercontinental journeys. 3.4 Transportation Model for International and National Operations For the national distribution of goods, Tesco has been following intermodal transportation policy using rail, road and canal as means of transportation. It follows a hub and scope model where in central warehouses are maintained and through them the goods are sent to the local stores. Inventory at both the warehouse and local stores is tracked by a central processing unit. Inventory reports are generated on a real time basis in the local stores and in case of inventory falling under safety limits, warehouse is informed and the stock is dispatched. Freight management system is put in place which makes sure that the least cost incurring transportation is selected. [Bearnon, B.M (1998)] For the international operations, Tesco should look for standardizing their suppliers on an international level. A similar hub and spoke model can be implemented. The warehouses can be suitably located near the sea shore as dock units to ensure that the international supplies can be maintained on a relatively cheaper mode of sea transport. The choice of the dock units need to be made depending on the commercial and labour laws to ensure maximum profitability of the entire supply chain. Central warehouses can be maintained depending upon the location of the final local stores. An extended hub and spoke model can be realized with the goods being transferred from the dock units to the central warehouse and then finally to the end stores. 4.0 Information Technology: Critical Factor Information Technology now finds itself as an indispensable activity for any world class organization operating in any field, technology or sector. IT is now used as a means of competence over the competitors. IT has been used by organizations to restructure and re-engineer the distribution set up to achieve higher service standard, accurate production planning and demand forecasting thereby achieving low supply chain cost and high supply chain profitability. The recent advancements in the Information Technology enable the organizations to have a real time track and management of stock inventory at each level of the supply chain thereby elimination of any chance of information mismanagement and bullwhip effect. IT infrastructure now provides competitive position to a company through reduction of cycle time, implementation and free flow of cross functional information. [Smith, W B (2000)] Companies have now gone into maximum vertical and horizontal integration of supply chain stages by engaging into strategic tie ups with the suppliers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers. This inter organizational development of supply chain has been enabled by strong IT infrastructure, thus providing three distinct advantages of [Mishra R K (2004)] Cost Reduction Higher Productivity New product/ Market Strategies Typical supply chain as in case of Tesco can be split into 2 subchains. The first can be called as movement supply chain. This involves movement of raw material from suppliers to the company shop floor, cross functional movement of work in progress goods and the final movement of finished goods from warehouse to the retail stores. The other part of the supply chain is forward and backward information flow. The later subchain of information flow is rather more complex than the forward movement of the product from assembly line to the final retailing stage because of the integration of the multiple parties involved in the entire supply chain. Critical issue is of providing the right information at the right time at each stage of the supply chain, failure of which leads to passage of erroneous information across the supply chain which gets cascaded at each level. [King, J. (2000)] Also the use of strong IT infrastructure and advanced software services have helped Tesco in identifying the usage patterns of the end customers and has aided in developing a strong loyal customer base. This has helped in accurate demand forecasting, low inventory levels and an efficient production scheduling. Some of the advanced technological developments happening across different industries can be listed below Electronic Commerce: With the increase in internet savvy customers and continuous focus on providing convenience to the customers, organizations have resorted to conduction of business in a paperless environment. This involves emails, electronic money transfer and buying and selling of goods and services electronically on internet. This also involves quick and paperless cross functional movement of documents. Bar coding and Scanner: This is one of the most common technological advancement in the retail industry and can be seen at the checkout counter of the retail outlets. The bar codes carry full information of the products, details of suppliers and the entire product life cycle details. Data Warehouse: Data Warehouse refer to the consolidated database management of the companys entire production system database. This is used in making analytical and strategic decisions like demand estimation, production planning and forecasting by the top management of the companies. Enterprise Resource Planning tools: The SAP, Oracle ERP system forms backbone of the IT infrastructure of almost all the fortune 500 companies. These systems provide complete end to end highly optimised supply chain process flows that reduce the manual activities and help in achieving automated flow of information across the entire chain. With well equipped IT infrastructure, Tesco has developed a competitive advantage against the competitors. Sharing of information with the suppliers at Tesco started in 1997 with the establishment of commercially secure data exchange system based on the internet to facilitate the suppliers with the information on the current inventory holdings. This aided the suppliers to have a real time tracking of the required inventory at the production facility and the warehouse of Tesco, thus low inventory holding cost for Tesco and better demand estimation for both Tesco and the suppliers. With the use of IT, Tesco has become a market leader in United Kingdom, but with the globalization and geographic expansion, Tesco faces a challenge to monitor and manage the supply chain activities in the overseas location as well. For efficient monitoring and effective control it is imperative for Tesco to develop remote monitoring systems that can be used to track and locate the movement of goods locally and internationally. These remote monitoring applications have to be in consistent with the existing policies and the supply chain activities of Tesco, UK. The real time monitoring can be done by using satellite monitoring and tracking of movement of goods by implementing RFID technology, ERP systems to monitor the procurement, order processing and overseas supplier management, warehouse management and fleet management systems. International Warehouse Management System will help in providing buffer between supply and demand considering the fact that Tesco sources products and goods both internationally and globally. It can develop international stock holding facilities through which the goods can be transported efficiently and economically to the remotely located retail outlets. This will also help Tesco to maintain good dispatch facilities and warehouse operational activities. Developing an international Fleet Management System is needed for long term reliability of vehicles. It will help in maintaining scheduling, vehicle maintenance and tracking. This will help in international movement of goods across borders efficiently and economically, Electronic data systems need to be deployed to capture essential data of customers like customer details, usage patterns, order sizes and order details like product and quantity. This can be done by using a database system to select customers delivery, past shopping details across the different countries where the customer has shopped and thus producing a digital report of the special requirements if any of the customer. 5.0 Conclusion The report thus highlights on the critical evaluation on the changes in the supply chain operations especially international logistics and Information Technology up gradations in order to maintain consistent service delivery. Tesco need to adapt as per the legal and culture of the overseas countries, hence need to maintain global monitoring and controlling mechanisms to track the cross continent movement of goods and thus achieving maximum supply chain profitability. With the adaptation to international logistics and high scale information technology systems, Tesco can replicate the success in the UK on a global platform as well. 6.0 References Clarke, P (2002) Distribution in Tesco. Presentation for Tesco UK Operations Day 2002 [online] available from www.tesco.com/corporateinfo/ (12 Jan 2010) Corina, M (1971) Pile It High, Sell It Cheap, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson Jones, D T and Clarke, P (2002) Creating a customer-driven supply chain, ECR Journal, 2 (2), pp 28-37 Tesco PLC (2009), Preliminary Results 2008/09 Additional Information [online] available from http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/pres_results/analyst_packs/ap2009/prelim09/prelim09.pdf [14 Jan 2010] Fernie J and Sparks L (2004) Logistics and Retail Management: Insights into Current Practice and Trends from Leading Experts, Second Edition, London: Kogan Page Gustafsson K, Jà ¶nson G, Smith DandSparks L (2006) Retailing Logistics Fresh Food Packaging: Managing Change in the Supply Chain, London: Kogan Page Smith, W B (2000) Outsourcing supply chain information technology, Logistics Spectrum Jan-Mar pp. 14-22. Mishra R K (2004) Role of Information Technology in Supply Chain Management, Sambhalpur University [online] available from http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC461/fc461.html [16 Jan 2010] Anderson, D. L., Britt. F. E., and Favre. D. J. (1997), The seven principle of Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management. [online] available from http://www.manufacturing.net/magazine/logistic/archives/1997/scmr/11princ.htm [14 Jan 2010]. Bearnon, B.M (1998), Supply Chain design analysis: Models Methods, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 55 pp. 281-294. King, J. (2000), B2B exchanges Tighten Buyer seller Data Links, Computer world, Vol. 34 (10), pp. 42 March 2000. Zhihui S, (2005) Shijiahunag Railway Institute Risk and Uncertainty Analysis, International Logistics, April 2005, Volume 4, No 4 Rowley J and Williamson J, (2009) Logistics Operations, Coventry University

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The History Of Dell Laptops

The History Of Dell Laptops Laptop or we can say notebook, It is a Enhanced type of a computer system. It is based Mobile computer technology; Laptops are usually light in weight. The weight may vary according to the material and machines used in the Laptops. Laptops run as mobile system. Means we can charge notebook it contains battery system, from the view of working and processing, notebooks (laptops) work as same as desktop computers, but they are less powerful at the same price of desktop, Laptops are expensive than desktops. Because desktops use materials which are bigger in size and consumes more power, so laptops use smaller and optimized components and power consumption is also less than desktops. Laptops have LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and most of laptops use memory modules of different types for the place of Random Access Memory. Laptop has a inbuilt keyboard and device like mouse which is known as Touchpad which is used for moving cursor on the screen. Laptop companies:- Which was the first laptop company Answer of this question is still confusing because no one can answer the correct name. But now a day many laptops companies in Laptops markets. Following are the name of some popular laptop companies:- Apple Panasonic Dell HP Lenovo IBM Sony Samsung Toshiba Acer From the All above laptop companies Dell is known as top laptop company in U.K Laptop market. It is the highest laptop market shares and high share value.(evidenced ) Dell provides wide range of Apple is known for its Mac books and run only its Operating system. It is virus free and energy saver. The project titled NEW technology and the strategy of the U.K laptop market by comparing of the Dell and Compaq (Hewlett Packard) will help in understanding the UKs Laptop market and will analyse that which elements of both laptop companies marketing mix make contribution to the success of their products in market and help in Identifying that what type of strategy will be used to maintain and grow their share in the laptop market. Since this project will explore many things about the technology and ideas of laptop companies planning in growing sales. But mainly it will explore that how the appropriateness of strategies achieves their goals and will identify the successful and unsuccessful approaches in the marketing sales, and also will give idea about the customers mentality while purchasing the laptops, and this research will also give the idea about Laptop vendors and End-users, and by comparative study, this research will describe that how customers reacts to the changes in marke t?, and how the laptop technology has been changed in last few years? Earlier when I took this topic, I didnt know too much, but now when I completed, I am feeling comfortable because I chose very interesting topic. It gave me the idea about the thoughts of customers while they purchase laptop. 2. History of Laptop companies This project report will reveal information about two famous laptop companies, which are Dell and HP (Compaq). This section will provide information about history background of both laptop companies. Since these both companies have good market values and more latest technologies. 2.1 Dell Dell Laptop Company is not much older than other popular laptop companies, but it became popular and earned more market value in few years. Dell Company was formed by a person named Michael Dell. It is USAs computer hardware company and the headquarter of this company is in Texas. Currently this company manufactures, supports, and sells Desktop companies, data storage devices, PDAs, servers, laptops, network switches and Mobile phones and many more products related to technology. In 1996 Dell started selling computers via its website. In 1999 Dell overtook HP and became the Biggest Seller of Desktop computers. But it was known as PCs limited. So in 2003, in the yearly meeting of the company, all the stockholders approved the companys new name to Dell Inc In 2006, Dell was ranked as 25th largest company in the Fortune 500 list by Fortune magazine. Dell consistently improving its performance in market for last 15 years and providing better service than others. Firstly it was named PCs limited and its starting capital was 1000 American Dollar. Firstly it started selling IBM supported computers made from stock components. Then after one year, Dell invented its first computer which was called Turbo PC. Michael Dell believed that if we sell our product directly to the customers then our company could understand customers need bitterly so we can provide better and more effective solution of computers to meet customers need 2.1.1 History of Dell Laptops:- First series of Dell Laptop was released in 1989 and it was named 316LT. it had black and white screen and in 1991 , Dell introduced its first color screen laptops and its cost was nearly $4500- $5000. Since then, Dell is continuously improving its laptop performance and reliability as per customers demands and making it customer affordable. In 2006 Dell also started manufacturing AMD processor based laptops and computers. And in this company also purchased Alienware and released a series of laptops with the join name Dell Alienware. The Dell-XPS also, Dell released its many series of laptops. The other popular laptops series of Dell are:- Del-Inspiron Dell-Latitude Dell- Vostro Dell-Studio 2.1 Compaq/HP(Hewlett-Packard ) The Compaq/ HP is the one of the best Desktop and Laptop computer company, it is American company this company came in market in 1982 and later it was merged with HP and now became a brand name. Jim Harris, Bill Murto and Rod Canion formed this company and from starting, Compaq is producing IBM PC supported computers. 2.1.1 about HP Whenever we hear about Compaq, HP also comes in our mind and we think that these both are the same. But the reality is different, actually Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard was the students who formed HP. They were the students of Stanford University. In 2002 they merged with Compaq. Firstly they developed sound oscillators, and then they came in computer market. These days, HP is a common name in laptop and Desktop computer market. And the surveys show that HP tablet PC as well as Laptops are winning the trust and heart of the UK customers. 2.1.2 History of (Hp/Compaq) laptops The first laptop of Compaq Company was launched in 1983, it was a portable computer based on IBM PCs. All the software which was supported by IBM PC was also supported by Compaqs portable computers. In 1985, Compaq earned a turnover of half a billion dollars In 1986, Compaq launched its 16 bit computer which was based on Intel processors and had the frequency of 8 MHz and it pushed IBM back on the basis of performance and it became fast computer at that time. Till few years ago, Compaq was manufacturing products only related to the corporate world. But as the time passed, it came in retailer market and made a boom in computer and laptop market. In 2002, HP made an agreement and merged with Compaq for introducing themselves as the single-biggest entity in the computer industry. After this merge, HP pushed back Lenovo/IBM computer, Dell and other top companies. Compaq also invented Tablet PC notepad which has a pointing device just like pen, After the merging of HP and Compaq, some of the products got new name for example, Compaqs iPAQ PDAs were renamed by HP iPAQ , and logo of company became HPQ earlier which was CPQ of Compaq and HWP for HP. HP/Compaq laptops divided its laptops in some categories and manufactures and fixes cost according to their category. Like Versatile performance, mobility, Entertainment powerhouse, Special editions. HP is known as its Pavilion Series and other side Compaq was known as its Presario series of desktop and laptops. These all are categories has the customization option according to the users need and customers can customize them and get the best product according to their choice. The Technical changes in UK laptop market Changes in laptop technology in last 20 years. Change is the nature of world, every things changes with time, and after every change, it become better and more effective, just like the Laptops technologies are changing continuously as per the changes in time. As we all know that every technology no longer remains same, the change will be happen when people will want to move to the next and latest technologies with some better improvements then others. Continuously access to the new information and knowledge is provided by currently available technology and new growing technologies. Technology is changing for example, in first expensive and bulky PCs were developed, after that desktop computers came in market and then portable computers came in use, but throughout last 20 years, the laptop technology has been changed very rapidly, the changes in the laptop companies can be divided into four categories. These categories are as follows : Cost of the Laptops Storage capacity Processing speed Size and designs 3.1 Cost of the Laptops: In earlier time the cost of a laptop was nearly $2500, which was very expensive and an ordinary person cant afford this price of laptop but with the changes in time, laptops becoming cost effective and in current time, a student can also afford money for laptops and can do his usual school or college work via laptop. 3.2 Storage capacity: The storage capacity is also a point to be remembered while purchasing a laptop, because when a work is done on the laptop, then it require work to be saved somewhere on the laptop, and it requires storage place, in earlier time when the first portable computer was made , the it had only 32 MB Hard disk, but slowly-slowly storage capacity increased and 64 MB, 512 MB, 4 GB, 16 GB, 80 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB hard disk came in laptops and currently laptop with 500 GB Hard disk is much popular and widely used. 3.3 Processing Speed: When the first portable was launched, then it had a processor of only 8 MHz and at that time, IBM had processor with only 6 MHz, but with the time processor are also changed and speed and processing is increased, Intel Pentium III, Pentium IV, Dual core, Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, core i7 these all processor are introduced within last 20 years. Currently i7 is latest processor with the speed of 2.9 GHz. 3.4 Size and Design : With all above features of laptop, laptop is also improved at the view of size and Design, first portable computer was just like as typing machine and had only a little screen, but with the time, laptop improved and now become more attractive in design and more light in weight and small in size, and currently mini laptops are also used, which are called Net books Current laptops technologies in Dell In Todays time, many magazines appreciated the Dells laptop series and notbooks in U.K., in world, the first portable computer was made in 1981, and after few years, Dell launched its first laptop. 1989 In 1984, Dell started manufacturing his own laptop, and after 5 years in 1989, Dell launched its first laptop. It was named the 316LT. this notebook had a black white display 1991 In 1991, Dell launched its first laptop with a color screen and it was released at the Spring Comdex computer tradeshow in Las Vegas. And the price for this laptop was $4,500 1994 Dell launched its notebook first time with the lithium ion battery in this year. And this year, Dell broke every industry record for long battery life, and made the battery longer so with charging once, laptop can work easily for long time. 2000 In this Dell introduced Wi-Fi inbuilt in Laptops. And again Dell made a Boom in Laptop industry, Wi-Fi is a the name for products who allow access to a wireless local area network or wireless Internet connection. 2006 Dell added Blu-ray Disc technology to the laptop of its series, Dell latitude D series was announced. In this series. D-420, D-520, D-620, D-820 were came in market, Dell started selling its Inspiron Series globally 2006 to till Now In July 10, 2007, Dell launched its Vostro series , this was sold under the Home and small business lines, When Dell introduced vostro series, it retired its Dimension line. with vostro, Dell provided short er technical support time, if a customer want to get 24/7 technical support, then he has a option to purchase full support. Dell customers also got Express card expansion slot in vostro. After that, Dell introduced its best laptops models and series in market, Dell Studio, Dell Lattitude, Dell XPS, these latest models and technologies came with fastest processor options, HDMI ports, LED blacklit screens. eSATA ports, backlit Keyboard, variation in screen size of laptops, maximum products are available on Dell website for sale, many customizable colors, designs and features are available, dell also included a Face recognition and a finger print scanner system in some countries in the end 2009, Dell released Studio laptops with the a mobile Core i7 processor, but Dual core and core 2 duo options were also available, but they were categorized as lower level options, in 2010 Dell also introduced net books with extra improved features. How do Dell and Compaq sustain their position in market? Every company in the market have a position and always want to sustain its position in the market. For this, Every company uses some strategies and some process for making their sales better and remain top on the market. Dell and HPQ(Compaq) also follows some strategies and some process for growing their sales. Dell works on following strategies to sustain its position in market Direct Sales Partnership with Suppliers Research Development Customer Services Direct Sales : Direct sales means direct to customer. This is the best and most successful strategy of the Dell, this was followed for providing best product on effective cost. It was also called Eliminate the Middleman Strategy, Everyone knows that if a product is Sold directly to the end user, then it will reduce the cost of the product. Just like that Dell also sells its products direct to its customers. So that middleman will be eliminated and customer will get good quality product on company cost. Dell removed all the middleman retailers and started selling laptop directly to customers via Websites and other sources. Partnership with Suppliers : Dell planned to make combination with other suppliers, who sell Dell laptops. The Dell made partnership agreement with suppliers for the profit of both parties. Dell convinced them to Sell Dell laptops more and more with extreme priority. For that, Dell will provide them Dell laptops on low cost for Selling with Good Margin. When a supplier will get good margin on a laptop, then obviously he will focus on selling that particular product more and more. Dells this Strategy worked very effectively and got better results. Research and Development: The Dell always believed in selling laptops directly. Its Direct to Customer Strategy helped in getting much improvement and new Ideas of Development in technology. One of the reasons of Dell for being popular is the continuous and better development in Laptop Technology and product quality. Dell is consistently improving products and quality. The most important thing is that Dell always comes with a Product better than last one. So from last few years, Dell is winning heart of the customers specially students and professional persons. Dells research development department is very progressive and this strategy help a lot for being popular in Laptop industry. Customer Services: Dells customer services are Excellent and impressive. Dell provides 247 customer support. This Strategy helps Dell in making trust on customer about Service after sales. Because selling a product is not much harder but after selling, maintenance and providing support is very hard and important. Dell provides many types of customer services for improving company value. Dell provides technical support, Replacement of Defected product, online technical support, information about problems related to laptop. In early years Dell was moving backward because of its customer services. So after that companys chairman Michael Dell ordered to improve customers services and it helped in receiving Feedback from customers and it was a big help for Dell in improving product quality. HP(Compaq) works on following strategies to sustain its position in market Telling Stories approach Using Digital Media Opening doors a little Store to store strategy Telling Stories approach: Telling stories approach means transferring and giving message in a narrative or detailed way. This strategy generally follows the rule that Tell a story, what a customer want to hear means on what thing a customer believe, or what product and technology a customer want to buy, HPQs this approach help in making good relation with customers and made believe and develop relationship between customer and the Brand. This is most old and effective approach to make a laptop or companys brand efficient, effective and in touch. Using Digital Media: Using Digital Media approach has four different parts. Which are shown below:- First part is Partnering with MySpace, MySpace is a social networking site and HP made a partnership with this site to make a trust in customers about the brand and this strategy became successful in many aspects. The second part in this approach is contests on youtube.com for creating videos and by this HPQ got good results. Many people took part in this contest and got prizes and came to know about the products of HP(Compaq). The third part is HP idea labs. In this HP made and strategy which helped in getting better ideas from customers about the improvement in brands and getting good results. Opening doors a Little : A laptop company uses its Developer teams mind and its thinking in developing laptops. The employees who work in the company always thinks and try to develop something better than current. But what will happen if a company gets ideas from the customers and use it for improving its product quality. HP started this approach for getting new ideas from the customers and it helped in using customers talent in designing new products and technologies. For example recently HP started a competition on MTV to Design new notebooks and give these designs to HP and get money and many more prizes. After starting of this show, many customers participated in the contest and did their best in designing notebook with new technology. By this competition, HP got many new ideas for manufacturing and improving its laptops. Store to store strategy : Store to store strategy is an approach for improving sales of laptops. Basically it is a mini island type store within a large retail outlet. This island store is independent, exclusive to its own products and laptops, atmosphere and associates. The main aim of this strategy is to provide customers with an experience and that experience will exceed the expectations of the customers. Since every company follow different type of strategies to sustain its position in the laptop market . Dell has its strategies related to customers needs and HP has company need related strategies. Dell considers that the laptop market in other area of world is same as US and UK. But HP thinks that every region in the world carries variability in laptop market. So it changes its target according to the location and region. HP follows the principle of Polycentrism. Whereas Dell follows the principle of ethnocentrism. How the customer responds to the changes in market? Whenever there happens a change in market, customer quickly responds to the market, it may be Positive respond or may be negative respond and the companies also get affected by these changes, because whenever a change happens, a customer thinks that there should be new thing or new technology in the market. And according to that change, customers responds to the market. Due to changes in Market Customer Require more efficient technology with effective cost. Customer will require product delivery in short time, Customer will move toward new technology, so that old product technology will be ignored. New offers and schemes will be available in market. Competition will be more and more. When there will be a change in market and new technology will be introduced, then customer will think that he should get best laptop on reasonable price. Then it will be more difficult for a laptop company to manage good quality product on low cost.