Benefits of Leading a Healthy Lifestyle for Children

Benefits of Leading a Healthy Lifestyle for Children Unit one – Healthy living Healthy Lifestyle Leading a healthy lifestyle has numerous benefits, a few being: disease and chronic illness prevention, injury prevention, increased energy, healthy weight, good mental health and a prolonged life. There are many chronic illnesses and diseases, but below are six of the most common associated with an unhealthy lifestyle and ways in which they can be prevented: Coronary heart disease (CHD): In order to avoid CHD a low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, to prevent high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, two main factors which could cause CHD. Cancer: ‘Through scientific research, we know that our risk actually depends on a combination of our genes, our environment and aspects of our lives, many of which we can control.’ Reference taken from: Cancer research UK website, ‘Can cancer be prevented’ page, updated April 2014. So although genetically we cannot guarantee whether we suffer from cancer or not, this reference suggests there are things we can do to minimise our chances. Not smoking, limited alcohol consumption, staying safe in the sun and leading a healthy lifestyle are just a few. Stroke: In order to reduce the risk of a stroke we should: avoid smoking and second-hand smoke, eat foods low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars, check blood pressure often and decrease stress levels, where possible. Diabetes: Eating healthily, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, in both type one and type two diabetes is crucial to ensure the condition is well controlled or for type two diabetes, prevented. High levels of glucose in the blood is the main cause, therefore a healthy lifestyle which is low in sugar, is strongly advised to minimise the condition. Should it not be controlled adequately then many further complications could be experienced. High blood pressure (HBP): There isn’t always an explanation for HBP, however not exercising regularly, being overweight, consuming too much salt in your diet, drinking too much alcohol and having family history of BPHBP are all factors. Suffering from HBP can lead to the risk of suffering from coronary heart disease and a stroke. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): The main cause of this progressive disease is smoking, and usually affects people over 35years of age, who are or have been heavy smokers. So leading a healthy lifestyle and refraining from smoking will significantly reduce the risk. Overall eating healthily, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and BMI, limiting alcohol consumption and not smoking will ensure the risks of chronic illnesses and diseases is minimised. Family history can sometimes be a major factor when suffering from any chronic illness or disease, it is believed that the above measures can be taken to minimise the symptoms. Eating Healthily Eating healthily is one of the main ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, along with exercise and good wellbeing. Eating healthily is very important, especially for children to ensure they are consuming essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, in order for their bodies to function and grow well. To make up a nutritionally balanced plate it is important to choose a varied amount of foods from the five food groups listed below: Carbohydrates Protein Fat Fruit and vegetables Sugars A nutritionally balanced plate should be proportioned as the pie chart shows. I have created this pie chart based on information I have read in my study guide and from http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx. Information obtained from NHS choices ‘The eatwell plate’ as of June 2014. Carbohydrates make up quite a large section on diagram above, this is because they contain essential nutrients, and in wholegrain varieties, are a good source of fibre, which in turn is essential for effective bowel function. Carbohydrates are foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods. Meat, fish, beans, eggs, milk, and other dairy products are protein rich foods. Alike carbohydrates, these foods are a great source of essential minerals and vitamins which are necessary for good growth of body cells. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, which helps keep bones and teeth strong, which is essential especially for children whilst they are still growing. Some fat is necessary in our diet, particularly unsaturated fat, as this is a ‘good’ source of fat, because it helps to lower cholesterol levels in our bodies. Unsaturated fat, such as omega 3 is found in: oily fish, nuts and seeds, sunflower and olive oil and avocados. Saturated fats are ‘bad’ as they can cause high cholesterol levels, which built up over time can cause heart disease. However these can still be enjoyed in moderation. Foods high in saturated fat include: fatty cuts of meat, butter, lard, cheese, cream, chocolate, biscuits and cakes. At least five portions of fruit and vegetables should be consumed per person daily, by doing so the risk of suffering from a stroke, heart disease and some types of cancer may be reduced. Also fruit and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, therefore helps the digestive tract to work efficiently. Sugar naturally occurs in foods such as fruit and milk, but it’s not these sugars that we need to cut down on – it’s food with added sugar that we need to consume less frequently. Such as sweets, fizzy drinks, cakes, chocolate and biscuits. These foods alike unsaturated fat should be consumed in moderation. Eating too many foods high in sugar can cause weight gain, which in turn can lead to conditions such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Activities for young children. There are many activities that can be carried out with young children, which contribute towards a healthy lifestyle. Below I have chosen three that I believe are particularly important and fun! They are favourite activities of the children whom I nanny for. Firstly cooking: the kitchen is the main ‘hub’ of the house, the children’s favourite place to be. Whether the children are old enough to be helping or sat in their highchair watching, I believe children are never too young to be in the kitchen and learning. Every day at least twice a day they will be there offering their help. They enjoy chopping vegetables (with child friendly knives of course), weighing and measuring ingredients, stirring and mixing and even washing up! All of which I believe are some great life skills, that will endeavour that they grow up independent and knowledgeable. Cooking obviously contributes towards a healthy lifestyle when cooking healthy meals and generally the children will eat more when they know what the ingredients are and have helped to prepare it. Secondly Role play: A very enjoyable time for all ages of young children, a chance for a child’s mind to run wild! Imaginative play is a favourite with my nanny family, we could be dressing up and acting out a scene from our favourite book or acting out a real life situation like ‘shops’. The definition of play: ‘When children follow their own ideas and interests, in their own way for their own reasons.’ Reference taken from: http://www.playengland.org.uk/about-us/why-is-play-important.aspx. All types of play have numerous benefits for children, which contribute towards their health and wellbeing. Some of these being: To play better with others and learn to share Enjoyment of childhood and To enhance social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. And thirdly: Physical activities. A trip to our local park is both beneficial for the children and myself. From leaving the house to walk to the park, the children are constantly learning and evaluating situations and there consequences. Firstly by being aware of the space around them (generally the children are on bikes/scooters), and the roads, of which we have to evaluate and discuss a safe crossing time/space. The children benefit from this enormously by learning about spatial awareness, riding/scooting independently on paths and the ‘stop, look and listen’ method when crossing the roads. Then physically they’re benefitting from the exercise to and from the park and the time spent at the park. Most days I aim to get the children to be as active as possible, by encouraging outdoor play, as well as partaking in extracurricular sports/activities that they already attend. I believe these three activities provide children with enough creative, imaginative and physical benefits to contribute towards a healthy lifestyle. Wellbeing for children and their families I believe wellbeing means different things to different people. For me the definition of wellbeing is split into three parts: social and emotional, mental and physical. A child’s wellbeing starts at home, from the very first day they’re born. Maintaining wellbeing in families is imperative for both children and adults. Socially and emotionally I believe it means to be content, happy and loved, not only by yourself but by the people around you. Meaning it is important for a child to feel safe and secure with their family and friends, providing a loving environment, ensuring consistency and keeping to a routine can provide this safety and security. It is important that a child should feel able to express their emotions and concerns with a family member, so I believe it is important to spend quality time with each child individually, to make them feel they have their own opportunity to discuss and show their emotions. Equally it is then important to build a special bond with your child so they feel like they have someone they trust to do this with, being supportive of each other along the way and developing their self-esteem and self-worth. And mental wellbeing, alike social and emotional, means to be happy and living in a way that is good for you and good for others around you. To have good relationships that bring joy, with the people around you. And to feel contentment, enjoyment, confidence and engagement with the world are all aspects of mental wellbeing. To achieve good metal wellbeing you need to connect with the people around you, e.g. your children. Spend time developing and working on these relationships. Teaching your child a new skill such as riding a bike, continue to let them learn and praise and encourage where necessary. Also taking notice and being aware of the present moment can help, taking time to think about the world around you and your feelings and thoughts. Encourage your child to do the same. And finally I believe being active has a huge impact on our metal health. For me personally it’s running, taking 30minutes out of a day to think of nothing but running, helps to clear my head and foc us on what’s important in life. I believe it’s also very beneficial to children as it is adults. And finally physical wellbeing: I believe it means to be healthy, safe, and physically fit. To maintain good physical wellbeing a parent’s role is imperative as a child can’t necessarily ensure they are leading a healthy lifestyle alone. To achieve good physical wellbeing parents should make sure healthy meals are made and that they are encouraging their child to take part in regular physical activity. To maintain a child’s health and safety they should be free from illness, injury and pain. To achieve this regular health checks should be made with the doctor, as well as when an illness/injury may occur. Also keeping a watchful eye to minimise injury is also very important. A child who is in a child care setting, will be evaluated regularly to identify any signs of emotional or social difficulties affecting their wellbeing. If any signs are noticed at home or parents want to be aware of addressing health and wellbeing issues or to discuss any current issues, they can request to attend a workshop which is available to parents, where possible.

Learning as a Process and as a Product Essay

When you ask people what do they think about learning? They only think in the final result. Isn’t to important to comprehend what that really means, and how big and important is the process. It is to simple to analyze what we have been learned before just making us the question If we really remember what we learned? But no everyone think in learning as a process. How do we learned that? If it was difficult? It’s the same learning as a process and as a product? Learning is the end product of some process. But when is learning a product? Learning as a product is when a person knows completely and totally that he/she dominates the knowledge, but also he/she have been qualify to do that â€Å"knowledge† what it means that he/she not just know the theory but also have the experience. The final product of the learning may show the capacity or level of each student and let the teacher know who needs more practice in a specific area. It depends on what they were working on, but it doesn’t mean that they are going to tell you or notice that the student really acquires the knowledge or the skill or if they need a more advanced or lower level to do the activities. Wich it means that learning as a product is the goal that the â€Å"learning process† must have. Learning as a process will be the behavior changes of certain experiences that people have had. Learning as a process goes further than learning as a product, because in one what it matters is the final result, and in another one what it matters is how was it? It’s not the same if I learned something just memorizing without practice. Besides If a learn something with theory and practice my final result it’s going to be better. It’s to important the process in which each person learned, because that will ensure you that you really understand and dominate what people taught you. That’s why everyone should recognize the difference between learning as a product and as a process.

Principal Quantum Number Definition

The principal quantum number is the  quantum number denoted by n and which indirectly describes the size of the electron orbital.  It is always assigned an integer value (e.g., n 1, 2, 3...), but its value may never be 0.  An orbital for which n 2 is larger, for example, than an orbital for which n 1. Energy must be absorbed in order for an electron to be excited from an orbital near the nucleus (n 1) to get to an orbital further from the nucleus (n 2). The principal quantum number is cited first in the set of four quantum numbers associated with an electron. The principal quantum number  has the greatest effect on the energy of the electron. It was first designed to distinguish between different energy levels in the Bohr model of the atom  but remains applicable to the modern atomic orbital theory. Source Andrew, A. V. (2006). 2. Schrà ¶dinger equation. Atomic spectroscopy. Introduction of theory to Hyperfine Structure. p. 274. ISBN 978-0-387-25573-6.

The Causes And Effects Of The Credit Crunch Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1391 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Level High school Did you like this example? The words credit crunch have been all over the financial headlines in the UK, including the effects that has hit the financial markets both in the UK and in other parts of the world have been reflected in a number of ways, affecting both financial institutions(banks) and consumers. Several authors and regulators have showed their different views about the causes and effect of credit crunch. Many economists studying the credit crunch explain it as a cyclical fall in credit demand. What is credit crunch? Bernanke and Lown (1991) define a credit crunch as a decline in the supply of credit that is abnormally large for a given stage of the business cycle. Credit normally contracts during a recession, but an unusually large contraction could be seen as a credit crunch. From Investopedia; credit crunches are usually considered to be an extension of recessions, also making it impossible for companies to borrow because lenders are scared of bankruptcies or defaults, which results in higher rates. The consequence is a prolonged recession (or slower recovery), which occurs as a result of the shrinking credit supply. The credit crunch is also known as the credit crisis and is represented by a reduction in the general availability of loans which leads to sudden tightening of the conditions required to obtain a loan/credit from banks. Also, a broader definition of a credit crunch has been summarized by the Council of Economic Advisers (1992):A credit crunch occurs when the supply of cred it is restricted below the range usually identified with prevailing market interest rates and the profitability of investment projects. Amongst the things affected in the UK as a result of the credit crunch are: Liquidity: The atypical flow of money looking for a home went into the Wests economies. Trade surpluses were recycled in the early part of the decade. This stimulated the search for production of labor and, in turn, the uncertainty in price of risk as investors imagined the high returns they were offered were safer than they proved. E.g. In September 2007, during the financial crisis of 2007-2010, the Bank had borrowed from the Bank of England a sum of about  £13 billion, a liquidity support facility, this showed that the total amount was a loss of deposits. which followed problems in the credit markets caused by the US sub- prime mortgage financial crisis. And it was of great shock that could be avoided to the bringing down of Northern Rock was a risk. Howev er, the result of two unsuccessful offers to take over the bank, not being able to achieve the repayment of taxpayers money. This made the Government immediately take possession, away from its shareholders. Also reported cases showed some shareholders had their life savings in the shares, which were taken from them. Sub-prime lending: This covers different types of credit, including mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. Sub-prime loans allows the opportunity for borrowers with a less-than-ideal credit record (considered as people with bad credit history)to be home owner. Some of theses lenders may use the credit in purchasing homes,sometimes in financing other types of spendings e.g. paying for living expenses, remodelling a home, or even paying down on a high-interest credit card or purchasing a car. Sub-prime lending (mortgages to be precise)provides a method of credit repair. Also with the interest rates low and liquidity in plentiful supply, financial institutions an d businesses did not bother with adequate checks before, lending billions, who they realise could not afford repayments when some of this types of credits came with high interest rates, increased fees and costs which was a major cause for credit crunch. Sub- prime lending became popular in the U.S. in the mid-1990s, with outstanding debt increasing from $33 billion in 1993 to $332 billion in 2003. The cause for the crisis was an increase in sub- prime mortgage defaults, which was first noted in 2007. If general principle of lending : CAMPARI model, which could be used to determine whether a loan or overdraft proposal is a good idea or not and to satisfy it will require: Character: The willingness to pay versus the ability to pay, which sometimes can be from the length of time the customer(s) has been with the bank. Ability to repay: Adequate cash flow to meet repayment, which can be the age, the health and dependence of the borrower. Margin of finance: The lender b orrowers must introduce a certain level of commitment, since the lender will not grants total financing. Purpose: The borrowing purpose must be clearly defined and supported by relevant documents; speculative reasons are considered risky. Amount: The amount of commitment the bank is prepared to take a risk on the applicant .e.g. Before the era of credit crunch, banks would lend 3 times the gross income of the customer. Repayment terms: is considered as the most important, as this is the structure and terms of the repayment. Insurance / Security: this could be seen as a second line of defence incase the main source of repayments fail(s), there is a pay-out source. Securitisation Blackà ¢ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s Law Dictionary defines securitisation as a structured finance process in which assets, receivables or financial instruments are acquired, classified into pools and offered as collateral for third-party inv estment. Due to securitisation, investor long for mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and the tendency of rating agencies to give investment-grade ratings to MBS, loans with a high risk of default could be provided, packaged and the risk readily transferred to others. Although, the problems arises when the customers defaults. This is a cause of credit crunch as banks lent to poor customers (sub-prime customers) who could default. Increase in unemployment: In a country like the United Kingdom, the effect of credit crunch cuts deeply into all societies especially with migrants in the country and who also work in the UK. The security for jobs are very slim as credit crunch holds a tolls, where peoples services are not needed any more as some businesses affected by the crunch are less effective or productive. Immigrants are more likely than the native born to be affected by the economic crisis. Most times, they are more likely to be fired first and they tend to have higher unem ployment rates than their native counterparts. Experience selective layoffs and discrimination in the labor market occurs, a trend that is likely to occur during an economic downturns. Reduced standard of living / Lower income: This threaten funding and raise difficult options e.g. customers and businesses confidence are low due to the uncertainty of the economy by spending their money. Also, as the demand for council services increase, local authorities income drops, this is due to public deficit leading to constraints on all public spending; Loss of fees from planning receipts; Reduced income from section 106; Increased concessionary travel; Higher utilities costs; Pension increases; Reduction in prices for recyclable materials which leads to a sizeable reductions in income. E.g. Newcastle City Council expect reductions in capital receipt income of approximately  £20m over the next three years. Government bailout: This meant that the markets / businesses own stabilization mechanisms looks to be undermined by the implicit promise of government intervention if it were needed. Many businesses, in many cases, prefer to outsmart the regulatory authorities this is to secure bailouts or favourable terms instead of having losses. Recessions: A period of general economic fall, this could be said to be a fall in gross development product(GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters. This is usually either from the drop in stock market, and decline in housing market. Increased Taxation: People in their various jobs in the current credit crunch era are suffering from the constant increase of tax on their income(s) by the Government. Many UK businesses (53%), do not think the regulatory and taxation environment is business friendly, as they also face several barriers to business growth, and one key area highlighted by more than half is the UK regulatory and taxation environment as smaller businesses struggle the most with red tape.ÂÆš Regulatory burden Conclusion. A key uncertainty facing the UK economy at present is how far the effects of the recent credit crunch will spill over from banks and other financial institutions to the rest of the economy. The recessions come and go and the markets can and do recover if given enough time. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Causes And Effects Of The Credit Crunch Finance Essay" essay for you Create order

The Opening Scenes of Harry Potter and the Philosophers...

The Opening Scenes of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring In recent years the fantasy genre has undergone a huge revival. Whereas it was once reserved for childrens books of fairy tales, fantasy in both literature and film alike is increasingly becoming a more mainstream genre, enjoyed by people of all kinds. ==================================================================== Fantasy films are probably the most frequently stereotyped genre of all. They tend to involve things such as Dark Lords, magicians, quests and otherworldly creatures. But only when all these are believably portrayed are they interesting films. Fantasy films that†¦show more content†¦Fantasy films have the element of surprise- the viewer can never predict exactly what is going to happen next. Although The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring uses this traditional stereotype (and dont forget, it was the tale that set the stereotypes!) Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone begins in a nice row of thoroughly modern little terraced houses with neat little lawns and cars in every driveway. The scene is set during the night and everything is very quiet. The street lights provide a misty feel to the place- until an old man (whom we have just watched walking down the road) rather dramatically puts most of them out using a small device not entirely unlike an ornately car ved lighter, thus providing an ethereal glow for the ensuing conversation. The most immediate questions that spring to mind are What is that Put-Outer? Why on earth would the man want to put the street lamps out? and What exactly is this eccentric-looking old man doing in a nice, normal place like this Privet Drive anyway? This last question was definitely intended by the producers of the film, as throughout the opening scene the film makes comparisons between the typical objects and behaviour expected, and those shown in this scene. The opening to The Fellowship of the Ring does not, strictly speaking, actually have a setting. It is comprised mostly of

National Home Builders Quality Award Free Essays

It is recognized as an established source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues, while it continues to promote innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of omes and home building products. Through its various testing and certification programs, the Research Center seal is recognized internationally as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance (nahbrc. com). We will write a custom essay sample on National Home Builders Quality Award or any similar topic only for you Order Now In an effort to cultivate quality within the home building industry and promote the industrys best practices the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) was established in 1992. This award represents the housing industrys highest recognition for achievements in the area of quality management and operational excellence in the residential construction industry (nahbrc. com). The NHQ Award is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which was established in 1987, by Congress to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U. S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems (Baldrige. com). The Award promotes awareness of performance excellence as an increasingly important element in competitiveness and information sharing of successful performance strategies and the benefits derived from using these strategies (Wikipedia). Recipients are selected based on achievement and improvement in seven areas, known as the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, which the NHQA has Performance Excellence which has eight categories upon which entrants are Judged. The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) is open to all US homebuilders, remodelers and trade contractors and is administered by the NAHBRC in conjunction with Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder Magazine. NHQ Award applications are reviewed by a panel of Judges who are experts in both the housing industry and quality management, many of them being past NHQ awards winners. These Judges then evaluate the importance of quality in the companys construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade elationships, customer satisfaction, human resources and business results, which are the NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence (nahbrc . com). The NHQ Award is presented annually at the Professional Builders Benchmark Conference. Award winners go on to be featured in Professional Builder Magazine articles that highlight the quality management practices as models for the housing industry. The award title is held for one year. AWARD CRITERIA Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Award was designed to recognize residential construction companies for excellence in quality chievement and promote awareness of customer focused quality as an increasingly vital element of competitiveness and productivity for building professionals. The NHQA has two divisions with one open to all US companies that build or remodel residential homes using light construction methods. The other is open to all independent trade contractors that provide construction services to builders or remodeling companies. The NHQA consists of a set of eight criteria as outlined in their Criteria for Performance Excellence: Category I Description I Points I Leadership I How does the company’s senior leaders, guide the organization towards common purposed based on shared values and priorities? | 10 | Strategic Quality Planning I How does the organization create and implement a strategic plan to achieve a vision for the future, enhance their competitive position and improve overall performance? | 10 | Performance Management I How are the companys business processes developed, managed, measured and improved to achieve performance excellence? 10 | Customer Satisfaction I How does the company manage the design and delivery of products and services that promise a high level of customer satisfaction? | 10 | Human Resources I How does the organizations mployee selection and development practices, as well as staff performance management, well being, motivation, satisfaction and compensation contribute to the growth of the organization? | 10 | Construction Quality I What methods does the company use to drive quality in the home construction process and ensure high performing, trouble free products and services? 10 | Supplier Partnerships Examines how the organization designs, manages and improves processes for implementation to deliver customer value and reach organizational success | 10 Business Results I What are the tangible measurements of the business benefits esulting from the organizations high performance practices in the financial, operational, customer satisfaction and product and service quality areas? | 30 | Despite the fact that the NHQA award is modeled after the MBNQA award there are focuses on quality assurance approaches that ensure high performing, trouble free products and services. In addition the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award is awarded to a sole winner whereas the National Housing Quality Award has several award categories. The NHQA has three recognition levels: honorable mention, silver and gold. Gold is awarded to those that have attained a national benchmark level within ach area of evaluation; they have mature, fully integrated quality management principles and consistently demonstrate high level sustained results. Silver is awarded to those that are industry leaders in most evaluation areas; they have many refined business practices, key measures for continual improvement and good business results. Honorable mention is awarded in special circumstances for those that demonstrate an understanding of quality principles and show a sound, fact based improvement process. Key measures are in place and good business results are achieved in most areas (Denis 2009). To be considered for the NHQ Award applicants must complete a rigorous application process which includes a 15 page application which is considered an important step in every applicant’s road to quality. This is so as participants benefit from the insightful process of preparing the application, which is a long and grueling process, which takes hundreds of man- hours to complete. Judges evaluate each applicant to determine to what extent the entrant embraced a customer focus and systematically embraced it within their business practices. Those that passed the initial selection were scheduled for a site isit. On the site visit, each finalist spent at a minimum a day with a team of Judges. At the end of the visit, the Judges had a clear understanding of the company culture, management practices and the quality results. The final award is given to the organization that is deemed befitting on the overall Judge’s findings. BENEFITS OF THE AWARD The NHQ Award is more than recognition of quality achievement. It sets a benchmark to strive for and a model for improvement. By preparing an NHQA application organizations get an opportunity to assess their business from a Total Quality perspective. This rigorous process allows organizations to really take a look at their processes and make significant improvements in order to be competitive. The organizations that submit an NHQA application receive detailed feedback on strengths and opportunities for improvement from the expert Judging panel. According to Tom Gillespie, President Kennedy Community Development, a multi-year applicant and 1997 NHQ Award winner, â€Å"no other programs has provided our company with more rewards, both financial and operational, than the NHQ application process provides† (Toolbase. org). This shows the depth of the application rocess and the benefits that can be yielded from its undertaking. Tom Gillespie is not the only one that praises the benefit of the NHQ way. David Simon, president of operations at Veridian Homes, a 2005 Silver award winner, says that, â€Å"the in-depth review of our application and the detailed site visits provide valuable feedback not only for our strategic planning but also for driving quality improvement throughout the organizations† (Builderonline, 2005). The benefits of the NHQ award are far reaching, applicants benefit Just by undertaking the award application process and y implementing changes based on the feedback that they are provided by the gross profit margins which can be significant. Mercedes Homes, a 1996 NHQ Award winner used the NHQ criteria as a model to â€Å"tune-up† their management practices. As a result of this improvement process they had higher profits in 1996 than the previous five years combined! Scott Buescher, V. P Operations, COO, attributes reports that using the NHQ model was a major factor in their success (Toobase. org, NHQ Agenda). The bottom line is that there are really no losers with the NHQ award as the enefits far outweigh the time and effort that are invested into the application process. According to Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder, as a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners, â€Å"significantly improve the performance of their companies, making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction† (National Building News, 2007). PAST WINNERS Since the inception of the NHQA in 1993 through 2009, 67 builders have received recognition, of which eight builders have earned multiple awards. These organizations range in size from small family owned to large national builders, building a variety of homes in a wide price range. In addition six remodelers and five trade partners have been awarded recognition (Leonard, 2009). NHQ Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry. In 1993 Town and Country Homes was named the first National Housing Quality Award winner. This win was attributed to customer satisfaction and sales as the leading Chicago area home builder (Hauser, 1993). Since then many other organizations have gone on to win what is considered the hardest award to win in home building. In 2009, Tempe, Arizona based builder, T. W Lewis become the sole recipient of the 2009 NHQ Gold Award, having won in 1998 the NHQ Silver Award. â€Å"This award is a significant accomplishment in the homebuilding industry and one that our company and associates are very honored to received,† said T. W Lewis president and COO Kevin Egan. â€Å"The NHQ Award reaffirms the path we have chosen as a company-a path that is focused on productive quality, customer satisfaction and operational excellence† (East Valley Living, 2009). In 2002 only one U. S builder was recognized as a Gold Award winner and that was History Maker Homes of Forth Worth, Texas. History maker attributed their success to the relationships that they have been able to foster. Nelson Mitchell, president of history maker a family owned company said, â€Å"we strive for valued relationships with our customers and with each of our team members, as well. Our company works diligently to maintain the family culture we have enjoyed for many decades† (History Maker Homes, 2002). 002 was a historic year for the NHQ Awards as it was the first year since its inception in 1993 that Silver Awards were gained by two trade contractors as the award was expanded to include ot only builders, but remodelers and trade contractors as well. The inaugural winners in the contractor category were All-tech, Inc. of Monroe, N. J and Tappe Construction of Eagan, Minn. When the NHQ Awards were introduced almost two decades ago, many builders had a hard time figu ring out how quality management could help their companies. The longevity of the Awards and the achievements of the winning builders have set this award as the most prestigious award in the industry. Housing Quality Award examines the builder’s business and quality management practices. We are concerned with the builder’s ability to deliver a quality product onsistently, have satisfied home buyers, and achieve high productivity,† says Liza Bowles, President of the NAHB Research Center, (Professional Builder, 1997). Following is a list of other past winners of The NHQ Awards. For the home building industry the epitome of quality is seen in the National Housing Quality Award, an award modeled after the infamous Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represents the highest recognition to be gained in the housing industry. The NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence has been an important tool for hundreds of home builders and trade contractors to assess and improve performance on critical business success factors which has enabled them to grow as n organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GigE_Vision http://www.builderonline.com/design/awards/the-winning-homes-from-the-2016-gold-nugget-awards_o Home iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://www.nbnnews.com.au/embed/#?secret=J2tcjRoPQg" data-secret="J2tcjRoPQg" width="500" height="282" title="#8220;Home#8221; #8212; NBN News" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"/iframe http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.html http://www.historymaker.com/dfw/aubrey/arrowbrooke-50s/ http://www.nbnnews.com.au/tag/t4/ https://www.nahb.org/en/research/safety/~/media/EC307DD0CB534384A60E0E089E7C5831.ashx https://uxplanet.org/best-practices-for-microinteractions-9456211aeed0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:HighBeam https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAHBGreen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Baldrige_National_Quality_Award How to cite National Home Builders Quality Award, Papers

Services It Offers More Thousand Clients †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Services It Offers More Thanseven Thousand Clients? Answer: Introduction Globalization and technological advancement has seen businesses look for the beststrategies to ensure that they are competitive within the market. In every entity,organizational changes become at some point pertinent and necessaryfor the continuity andgrowth of the organization; developing the best strategies and organizational behaviorpractices is critical for ensuring that there is sustainability and growth within the entity. Global competition, technology changes, consumer behavior and needs, political climates, emerging markets, economic factors and much more are all elements of importance that leadto develop and apply new strategies and are determinant in the adaptation of the organization. Different business analysis tools are available and can be used to asses an organizationsuch as PESTLE, SWOT, Porters five force, balanced scorecard, The McKinsey 7-S Framework andmany more.Some of these tools emphasize on the internal environment of the organization, some other on theexternal environment and some cover both environments. In my assessment I will be conducting all SWOT, PESTLE, Porter 5 and 7-S analysis to analyze the company and market and the different aspects that are critical in ensuring that XYZ is sustainable in the market,I will also accordingly establish a balanced scorecard to outline the main elements and make a proper assessment and model of change. Company Background and Information XYZ is a Lebanese local company that has been involved in the development and implementing of ERP systems solutions in the last 30years. The company implements integrated management solutions of core business processes and mediated software and technology for clients in a dynamic growing market. The companys major line of ERP business solutions cover financials, logistics, retail, manufacturing, construction, project management, procurement, job costing, media booking and creative production solution. These are the main services that the company offers and have been selected among a large pool of its ERP services. The company has its headquarters located in Lebanon, but it has also set up two satellite offices in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The offices support its vast network of clients and services across the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar,Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia Morocco, KSA and Lebanon clients. The company has more than 7000 customers spread across the Middle East and North Africa with huge potential of the markets only opening up for more opportunities and customers in the region. XYZ looks to establish itself as a major brand and increase its market share in the region. XYZ is a medium size, family owned, companythat operates within the Middle-East and North African markets. XYZ has more than 80 dedicated consultants that are all specialized in systems design and solution integration that are important in developing the company. (Organizational Chart Appendix a) The huge potential in the region has however, started attracting medium size competitors from the West as well as the East, along with the existing major big players (SAP/Oracle/Microsoft Dynamics).This is increasingly leading to stiff competition in the markets; It is therefore, critical to ensure that the company develops the best strategic actions and methods to position itself in the market and develop better sustainable methods of change. As the company looks to develop and grow, it is imperative to ensure that the proper systems have been developed. An analysis of internal and external factors determining growth and development of the company is therefore critical. XYZ looks to establish itself as a major brand and increase its market share in the region. The SWOT analysis is a tool used for planning services, that helps build the strategy of the organization and allows to analyse its actual strengths and weaknesses and define the threats and opportunities that it may faces whether internally or externally. Strengths Full fledge ERP solutions adaptable to many lines of industries. Cost effective and competitive line of prices. Flexibility and customization of the services provided. Competent and cohesive workforce that understands the underlying goals and objectives of the company. The entity has seventy members within its workforce that are highly productive. The company also has a strong market share in the region and prides itself in having more than 7000 clients in the region. The company can be considered as a major player in the Lebanese market. High profit in the Lebanese market Weaknesses Low brand awareness in the regional market. XYZ ERP solutions are Client Server basedonly whereas competition has alsoWeb based and orCloud basedERP solution, which means less flexibility and additional IT costs for customers. Less competitive product if considering the new trend in technology. Lack of diversification of the different services that are offered under the ERP system. Weakness of the Dubai and KSA branch in terms of sustainability and profit. Lack of strong presence in all the countries where the company has clients across the Middle East. The company does not have offices or people spread through the different countries in the larger region. Lack of motivation and /or orientation of a big number of staff. Autocratic leadership system where most, if not all, decisions lies in the hands of the CEO. Family business following a one-man leadership point of view. No unity in command and direction. Employees are receiving orders at the same time from the CEO and the head of departments. Overloaded operational capacity leading to lower efficiency. Lack of financial resources that is slowing the recruitment process for acquiring new talents and development of new technologies. Opportunities The huge potential in the region with growing businesses and entities needing the ERP services offered by XYZ. Widening the number of ERP services offered in the market thereby increasing the companys portfolio. Add web or cloud based technology which will allow growing business with the actual clients and pitching for new ones. Target more dynamically and cover more countries in the MENA region. XYZ ERP solutions are complant and tested with the VAT tax that will be implemented in the GCC countries as of January 2018. Threats Increase in the level of competition in the region. Dynamic changes in technology in the market. The clients employeesand managers are resistant to development and change in their ERPsystems therefore representing barriers for XYZ new business and sales. Critical economic situation in the MENA region due to the drop of oil and gas prices. Critical political situations in all MENA countries; namely Qatar and GCC being in conflict, Syria and IRAK Analysis of SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis reveals that XYZ offers a strong and competitive service that is flexible and can be customized upon customers needs. The company is in a great position within the Lebanese market especially due to its market share and brand. Branding and market share are important facets in every market since these aspects ensure that the company can be competitive against any other brand names from abroad. The positioning of the company in the Gulf regionhowever is weak. The company needs to take advantage of the opportunities available in the market especially through increasing its services portfolio and reaching out to more potential clients throughout the MENA region. The numbers of services that are offered by the company also lack the proper level of diversification in the market and new technologies are to be considered. Motivation of employees and engaging the members of the team is a critical aspect that the company needs to address sincethe company is mainly driven by these employees who offer the services that are critical to the entity. Increasing the number of qualified and committed employees within the different regions is as well critical. Also the leadership style needs to be addressed and reviewed. The threat of changes in technology in ERP systems has also been identified as a major threat to the company. Therefore, developing proper and dynamic technologies while updating the individual systems is fundamental for gaining market advantage PESTLE Analysis The PESTEL model is used to analyse and identify the external macro environment thatmight affect the organization. The PESTEL model includes various factors in the externalenvironment: The Political, Ecological, Socio-Cultural, Technological, marketing and Legal fields. It studies every element and defines the potential impact of each of them on the organization. Being aware of these factors and elements allows the company to face any changes, stay on top of the competition and be ready to react quickly. It can also serve as ? checklist to verify that the SWOT analysishas not forgotten any important factor Political XYZ has already navigated through most of the political hurdles that are present in the Middle-East and North African countries. The company is a Middle East based entity meaning that it is a homegrown entity within the region and cannot be curtailed by most of the bureaucratic government and political models that are present in the region. The political atmosphere in theregion is somewhat stabilized in some of the countries like Lebanon, KSA, Egypt, and UAE but still unstable in IRAQ, Syria and QATAR. However, as opposed to companies from other regions and new entrants in the market, XYZ may deem the political atmosphere and indicators as positively impacting the market and industry to its advantage. While concentrating for the time being on the stable markets, the other MENA countries will represent huge emerging markets when the political situation stabilize and reconstruction time comes. Economic The economy of the Middle East is one of the first growing economies in the world with the UAE reporting increased growth since the turn of the 21st century. The region is rich in oil making it one of the most productive regions and bar the political conditions that curtail growth it has a vibrant economy (Minefield, 2012). However, the drop in oil and gas prices and some critical political issues in the region have slowed down the growth index. XYZ needs to take advantage of the general economic growth to tap into more markets and expand its service portfolio (Minefield, 2012). The region is placed perfectly towards being a strong economic hub. The company needs to capitalize on the changing political atmosphere and expand to other countries within the region. The opening up of the markets will give, on the longer run, impetus to the company to engage in other entities all over the world and look to expand globally and not only regionally. The social factors are also favorable for XYZ Company with the employees mostly coming from the region. However, to ensure that there is diversity and tap into the growing market of other markets from abroad, the company needs to integrate and engage in diversity models especially in the workforce (Robbins et al, 2010). Technological The technological aspects of XYZ are the most important attributes of the entity. ERP systems are run through developing and running the most efficient models that are meant to widen the business and create a stronger and more potent system (Ludwig and Frazier, 2012). Since the company engages in different technological processes, it is therefore fundamental to integrate the proper technology in its systems and services. The dynamism of technology combined with the high level of competition across the industries, offers a major challenge to XYZ Company and is a major precept towards creating a better and more structured model (Ludwig and Frazier, 2012). The business is within the legal structures that have been set across the region. However, the company needs to keep up to date with the legal models and issues that may arise from different systems and approach that are critical for change within the company. Porters Five Forces The Porters Five Forces are important in decision making and working out a proper model towards changing and developing the best organizational methods. The Company is facing a threat of new entry from companies looking to enter the market especially from the West. Technological companies are looking to enter the market and start selling similar and newer ERP services to the clients or the region as a whole (Ludwig and Frazier, 2012). It is one of the major threats that the company can be facing and the entity needs to be ready to face this threat. The buyers have considerable bargaining power that is gained from the fact that the services offered by the entity are tailored for individual entities. The entities have the sole power to engage the company and elicit their services through the market with their clients not needing their sole service in the market (Ludwig and The supplier power does not represent a challenge to the company. The high level of competition among the suppliers means that the entity has the freedom to engage the services of different companies/individuals and as a result the supplier bargaining power is not a major challenge to the entity.s The threat of substitutes represents a challenge to the growth and sustainability of the entity. ERP systems can be substituted to other companies and the competition is increasing within the region which means that the company could be facing major problems. Competitive Rivalry The level of competition within the market is a major problem to the company with increasing brands entering the market. Although the brand of XYZ as well as the market share of the company is in its favor, the company still faces major challenges from new brands entering the market. The level of competition has increased exponentially as newer brands and models have been introduced in the market. It is important for the company to ensure that it reinvents itself and develops a dynamic model towards growth within the region. The sevens model is a very useful framework that was developed to assess and analyze changes in the internal models that are used within the organization. The McKinseys 7s framework incorporates skills, strategy, style, staff, systems, structure and the shared values (later becoming superordinate goals) implemented within the entity. These are the fundamental attributes that the management needs to assess and monitor in every organization. In an entity, it is critical to improve performance as well as align the department goals to the larger organization. It is also helpful in taking strategic action to proactively deal with different market conditions that are present in the market. The assessment of McKinseys 7s reveals the below regarding XYZ: Strategy: Lackofa clear definedstrategy spread amongst the company. Inexistence of long term goals. Immediate Profit and market growth are the main targets without the existence of a clear path to achieve them. Growth and expansion plans are not defined. Structure: Headquarters are based in Beirut.A major division is established in Dubai and a business unit /representative office is set in KSA. Many resources are shared between the different offices. Centralized authority and no autonomy for the different offices. Lack of delegation and responsibility at head of departments level and no decision making power. Nonexistence of Marketing and strategic planning departments. No sales force; the project managers being the direct contact with the clients. Systems: Lack of accountability and measurement throughout the different levels of the organization. No proper reporting systems. Existence of Productivity measuring tool. Good financial control system. Lack of synergy and coordination between departments. Overlap and Duplication of functions in some departments. Style Centralized control where most of the decisions are taken mostly by the CEO. Autocratic leadership style. Execution role only for the heads of departments. Individually competitive environment whereas team efforts are needed. Staff Overloaded and unmotivated staff working sometimes under incoherent orders. Qualified employees who fulfill the requirements of their job descriptions. The company is however understaffed especially in terms of program developers which can develop the web based ERP services. Family style business environment which is enjoyable but not translated into concrete motivational factors and benefits. Skills Qualified staffwith the required skills. Lack of training mainly for the developers of ERP services for the web. Shared values Inexistence of company purpose. Profit-driven company with no higher objective. Family business; no identification of internal staff needs and the human factor. SWOT analysis As per the SWOT analysis that has been conducted, it can be critically analyzed that as the company is already in a good position due to the higher authorities can make the market share as well as the brand image of the company. However, certain changes can be implemented by them wherein positioning of the company can be changed and can open new outlets in the areas where they can attract customers and gain competitive advantage as well. The other change is proper diversification of products and services in the competitive market as to create proper customer base and can be a competition to the other markets in the competitive industry. Another critical aspect is providing proper motivation to the employees in the organization, as they are the ones who help in achieving goals and success for the entire organization by providing them both monetary as well as non-monetary benefits as this will increase the morale of the employees in the organization. The advancement in technologies has to be adopted by the respective company as it helps in analyzing the advancement in the competitive market and it will help them in gaining competitive market. PESTLE analysis According to the PESTLE analysis, on the political front there will be no such change required in the company as they are politically strong in nature and have good competitive advantage as well upon other companies. The economic factors has to be revised by the company as this will help in reaching the larger areas of the entire market and attract customers with proper advancement in technology and expand globally as well (Gupta and Mishra 2016). The social factors are desirable in nature for the company, however in order to improve the diversity of the company it is essential for the company to improve the market rate with proper usage of technology and resources and it will be helpful in generating success in the organization as well. Proper structured models has to be created by them as this will help in gaining advantage in the industry and create better models in the market as well. Lastly, there are presently some issues related to the legal structure of the company. Recommendations Therefore, it can be recommended that proper strategies need to be implemented by the company, as it will help in understanding the threats that are faced by the respective company from the new entrants in the market. The services related to ERP have to be analyzed in such a way that it will help in understanding the needs of the company and solve such issues accordingly. There are threats from substitutes that are challenging in nature for the company, as this will have impact on the brand image of the company. Lastly, the rivalry among the competitors is a challenge for the company as this will have huge impact on the growth of the company and affect the reputation of the company as well. Due to increase in the brands in the market, proper dynamic model has to be implemented by the company, as this will help in gaining advantage in the company. As per the system is concerned of the company, proper reporting system is essential, as this helps in measuring the productivity of the organization and it will lead to generate coordination among the employees and the customers in the competitive market. This will help in correcting and reducing the overlapping and duplication of the functions in the different departments in the organization. The skills that are required in the management team, proper training is essential as it will help in gaining success and it will help in developing ERP services that are essential to be successful in the competitive market as well. Lastly, the shared values are essential to be properly maintained by the company, as this will help in achieving objectives of the company and proper identification of the internal staffs are essential as this will help in providing benefit to the clients and the employees in the competitive market. Balanced Scorecard Model It is a quantifiable measure that is derived from the unique strategy of organization. The measures that are selected for the scorecard helps in representing tool that are used in communication with the employees as well as the outside stakeholders that will help in achieving strategic aims and objectives. Generally, a strategic as well as management tool helps the entire organization to work according to the mandates and helps in improving the external and internal process of communication. It helps in monitoring the performance against the goals related to the strategies. The model of Balanced Scorecard helps in understanding the four perspectives: Learning as well as growth wherein it helps the staff and the other employees in the organization about the mission and strategic goals of the company. XYZ Company is investing in service to the customers and development of goods and services. The particular perspective helps in retaining the staff and it will benefit the organization as well. The recommendations are providing proper development along with connecting the growth as well as development with the appraisal of annual performance. Business Process is through which the managers in the organization can get a close look at the processes of the organization that can provide safety to the stakeholders and satisfy their wants as well. Customers satisfaction is essential in nature as it helps in understanding the conflicts of the customers faced by them and this will help them in enhancing the issues by evaluating their needs and providing proper feedback as well. Financial data is essential in the business, as this will help in managing the data that is required in order to provide sustainability in the organization. Organizational structure (Before) Figure 1: Organizational structure (Source: Created by author) From the above diagram of the organizational structure, it can be analyzed that the enterprise structure of ERP in the company is working smoothly and this helps in understanding the client base as well as location of the storage of the organization (Frankenberger, Weiblen and Gassmann 2014). Proper focus has to be given to the sales department of the organization wherein legal entity along with accounting unit is not functioning properly and proper infrastructure is required as to generate proper profit in the company. The distribution of goods and services is not properly done by the company and is reducing the sales of the company. The sales have to be properly generated by the company as to negotiate the conditions of sale in the market as well (Baden-Fuller and Mangematin 2013). The distribution channels have to be properly set up by the company, as this will help in gaining competitive advantage. The distribution channels need to reach the different customers and the materials are delivered on time with implementation of ERP strategies. The company needs to distribute the goods and services to the customers in such a way that it helps the customer in understanding the ERP related strategies and can trade without any issue faced by them as well. However, there is little lack in the strategies that are to be applied by the company and it has to be rectified properly as well. The sales division of the company needs to represent product line properly as this will help in emphasizing on the services that has to be provided by them as to generate sales in the company. The current organization structure of the company is organized in nature but there are changes that are required in order to make the ERP systems more flexible in nature (Pedersen, Gwozdz and Hvass 2016). There are few requirements needed that will help in making the system easier and it will remove the complexity from the organization structure as well. The functions of sales department along with other issues that are faced by the company presently. There are certain changes required in the sales division along with the factory that will help in making the tasks easier in the departments and it will boost the morale of the employees as well (E. Dobbs 2014). Organizational structure (After) Figure 2: New organizational structure (Source: Created by author) Suggested changes and specifications Proper rectifications are required in the sales and the factory division wherein the tasks has to be delegated thoroughly as this will help in improving the tasks performed by the employees in the organization and it will help in gaining competitive advantage as well (Rothaermel 2015). The sales area of SAP is designed in such a manner that it will help in combining the sales along with the distribution channels of the organization and it will help in purpose of reporting of the ideas related to the design of the sales division in the company (Ho 2014). Proper business development segment has to be added in the organization as to analyze the sales and marketing of the companies. The company needs to implement strategies related to marketing as it will help in proper procurement of the actions that has to be taken as well. Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded that proper analysis is required in the organization as to analyze the micro and macro environment analysis and it will help in controlling the activities of the departments as well. The integration links has to be properly analyzed, as this will help in gaining competitive advantage and understanding the loopholes of the company as well. Lastly, proper strategies and system has to be maintained as this will help in understanding the requirements that can help in designing proper structure of the organization with implementation of various designs and strategies as well. References Baden-Fuller, C. and Mangematin, V., 2013. Business models: A challenging agenda.Strategic Organization,11(4), pp.418-427. Dobbs, M., 2014. Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates.Competitiveness Review,24(1), pp.32-45. Frankenberger, K., Weiblen, T. and Gassmann, O., 2014. The antecedents of open business models: an exploratory study of incumbent firms.RD Management,44(2), pp.management. Gupta, G. and Mishra, R.P., 2016. A SWOT analysis of reliability centered maintenance framework.Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering,22(2), pp.130-145. Ho, J.K.K., 2014. Formulation of a systemic PEST analysis for strategic analysis.European academic research,2(5), pp.6478-6492. Pedersen, E.R.G., Gwozdz, W. and Hvass, K.K., 2016. Exploring the relationship between business model innovation, corporate sustainability, and organisational values within the fashion industry.Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-18. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education