Executive Summary- Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Executive Summary- Wal-Mart - Essay Example Sam Walton’s key growth strategy for Wal-Mart was to open stores in isolated rural areas and small towns typically with populations of 5,000 to 25,000 that all the other major discount chains were ignoring and provide them with goods and services at competitive prices. This way Wal-Mart was able to tap into the market segment that previously had to drive up to four hours away to the cities to do their shopping. However, this preference for rural areas meant that Wal-Mart had to endure a more costly distribution channel than its competitors. To mitigate against this weakness, Sam Walton took the company public in 1972 to raise the capital required for Wal-Mart to build its own warehouses to serve its â€Å"boondocks† stores (Bradley & Ghemawat, 2002) and thus lower its cost of goods sold. In the 80s Wal-Mart finally came of age. It opened its now phenomenal Sam’s Club members-warehouse store in 1983, its first Supercenter in 1988, and by the end of that decade it had revenues in excess of US $26 billion from 1,402 Wal-Mart stores and 123 Sam’s Clubs. Company key facts Presently, Wal-Mart operates in three business segments: Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club in the United States, and Wal-Mart International in 14 countries and Puerto Rico. Its retail stores are organized under 53 different banners across the world. It has a workforce of 2.1 million associates worldwide who serve customers and members more than 200 million times per week. In the fiscal year 2010 the company achieved sales of US $405 billion. (â€Å"Walmartstores.com: About Us,† 2011). Products and services Wal-Mart U.S. is a one-stop shop. It has divided its business into six strategic merchandise units across its various store formats namely: grocery, entertainment, hardlines, apparel, health and wellness and home merchandise. Within these merchandise units there is an array of products and services to be found. In addition to that, Wal-Mart U.S. segment also offers financial services and products, markets lines of merchandise under its private-label store brands – such as Parent’s Choice, Great Value, No Boundaries, etc. – and also markets lines of merchandise under licensed brands such as Disney, Black & Decker, Just My Size etc. (â€Å"Wal Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) Company Profile | Reuters.com,† 2011). Sam’s Club also offers its membership a collection of products and services online at www.samsclub.com. Company’s vision statement and purpose Wal-Mart has continued to embody within its corporate culture the vision of its founder, Sam Walton, who came up with the organization’s purpose: â€Å"If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone†¦we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.†(Farfan, n.d.). This belief has been engrained into the organization through unique sets of best practices that are carried out daily within Wal-Mart. For example managers are encouraged to be open and accessible to all employe es through the open door policy, questions from anyone – supplier, customer or employee – need to be answered on the same day (the sundown rule), and associates must make eye contact, greet and offer help to customers who come within a ten feet radius (the 10 foot rule). The open door policy makes Wal-Mart’s associates to feel appreciated and thus increases their commitment to better customer service. The sundown rule ensures that there is a quick turnaround of solutions to solve any

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy - Essay Example The seal's flippers are composed of living cells that needs constant blood oxygen supply. The dilemma is that the circulation of blood to the flippers will bring back ice-cold venous blood to the interior of the seals body. This dilemma is solved with the counter-current exchange system that is existent in these animals' flippers. Venae comitantes are veins that surround the limb arteries of the seals to prevent the return of cold venous blood to the body of the seal(Koeslag, 1995). Before the oxygenated blood enters the arteries of the flippers, the heat which is present that blood releases its heat through the venae comitantes to the cold venous blood. The oxygenated blood that enters the flipper arteries is cold as it circulates the flippers but when in enters the veins through the venae comitantes it is warmed near the body temperature (35C) utilizing the heat that it released before its entry in the flipper artery. Thus, the counter-current exchange mechanism of the seals' flippers prevent the alteration of the normal internal body temp of the animal which is 37C even though blood is continuously circulating to the flippers(Koeslag, 1995). Human beings also have a counter-current mechanism that is similar to that of the seals. ... The limbs of human beings are equipped with a counter-current system that maintains the normal temperature of the blood flows from the limbs during cold weather(Koeslag, 1995). Closely at the deep center of the limbs, the arteries of humans are strategically located. These arteries are also surrounded by venae comitantes or deep veins which receives the blood that circulated the limb arteries for transportation to the center of the cardiovascular system. The normal temperature of human blood is 37C so the oxygenated blood before entering the limb arteries transfers the heat to the venae comitantes making the oxygenated blood cold to about 20C. Then before entering the veins of the limbs the deoxygenate blood is warm to 37C in the venae comitantes. The temperature of the blood that is returned to the heart therefore remained unaltered that is still 37C. The process of blood circulation in the limbs in cold weather is slow to facilitate the function of the counter-current system(Koeslag, 1995). During warm weather that counter-current system of the human limbs is switched off because the circulation of blood to the limbs is increased compromising this system. The venae comitantes is not utilized instead the blood from the limb arteries return to through the subcutaneous veins. The blood circulating during hot weather is cooled with the facilitative dilation of the superficial veins and constriction of the venae comitantes(Koeslag, 1995). Question number 2: Camel or Camelus spp. are dessert animals that posses this taxonomic characteristic: Kindon Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, Class Mammalia, Order