Acrow Props - Using Them Safely in Construction

There may come a time when you want to undertake a structural alteration to your home, to perhaps make better use of your living space, or maybe to make a window larger for example. Before carrying out an alteration, you will need to ensure that any part of the structure you are taking away, does not require support. If it does, then using acrow props will be required.

Acrow props are strong steel tubular like instruments that consist of a 4 part system; A male section, female section, a winding collar and a small stout pin. The way acrow props essentially work is by the female section accepting the male, allowing the 2 sections to be fully adjustable to a suitable height. The sections have holes in them so that the stout pin can be inserted to keep them fixed at your chosen height. The props can then further be adjusted by turning the winding collar.

At each end of the male and female sections will be a steel plate which is usually about 150 mm x 150 mm. The plate is there to help the acrow props find a suitable bearing on both the ground and the force to be supported.

Acrow Props - Using Them Safely in Construction

Putting The Acrow Props To Use

There are a number of ways to use acrow props but probably the most common methods are by using them in conjunction with either timber needles or strongboys. Needles in construction are short stout timber beams, and an acrow prop would be placed towards each end, where the load being supported is in the middle. Strongboys are a more modern method where only 1 prop is needed to fix to the strongboy, which in turn would then be placed in position to support the load.

Needles

If you need to support a wall and you have chosen to use needles, then the method would be to knock a couple of bricks through the wall large enough to put the needles through, and then at each end an acrow prop would be placed and tightened up until it is tight between the brick and ground level. This is a two man job and can be very trick to get the needles to balance whist setting them correctly in place.

Strongboys

Using strongboys is a far easier method as it is usually only a case of hacking out a mortar joint where the load is to be supported, and then inserting the long, thin arm of the strongboy in. As with the needles method, the acrow props are them tightened up securely. The benefits of using strongboys with the acrow props however, is that the load only needs to be supported by putting the props at one side of the wall.

You will also need to check the ground that you are placing the props on to ensure it is strong enough to take the additional loads you will be placing on it. If the ground is a timber suspended floor for example, then you would need to spread the load by placing stout board/s at right angles to the floor joists. This is assuming that the floor joists are sound themselves. Where the ground level is concrete and sound, the props can be placed directly onto the concrete, however, I feel it is always good practice to use a stout board to place them on.

Supporting any load bearing structure should only be undertaken by competent persons and should never be done without the advice and guidance of a structural engineer, professional builder and the local building officer.

Acrow Props - Using Them Safely in Construction
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Please also visit http://www.5kc.co.uk for further reading and more about the Merseyside Builders.

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Garage Cost - Garage Building Cost Estimating

Now that you have your garage plans picked out and you know pretty much what you want, you're probably going to want to know if you can afford to build that new garage. That's a dilemma many people contemplating garage building have got. The question about what your garage cost will be isn't always an easy one to answer and can vary dramatically depending on your situation.

There are several variables you need to think about when building a garage:

how complicated are the garage plans you selected are you planning on doing any of the garage building work yourself the cost of living in your area how many bays your garage plans have are there living quarters in your garage plans

Garage Cost - Garage Building Cost Estimating

In addition to that, garage building material prices can fluctuate quite a bit depending on seasonal influences and other variables. There's quite a difference between building a basic one car garage with no living space and building a 3 car garage with a studio apartment. In the first case there aren't any fixtures or utility hookups required and in the latter case there are some expensive fixtures plus finishing materials needed, such as light fixtures, trim, carpeting, etc. Trying to create a one size fits all garage building cost estimator is not an easy thing to do to ensure an accurate value of garage cost for every situation.

Garage builders charge differently in nearly every area of the country. Our research did not turn up any reliable values in the U.S. Government statistics for the cost of building a garage, but there is good data on the cost of building a new home in various regions of the country. Comparing the home building cost data gives us some relative values that can be used for comparisons. This data is from the U.S. Census Bureau for home building cost through 2008. The average cost per square foot to build a new home in 2008:

South .64 Midwest .99 Northeast 7.91 West 1.72

Since the cost of building in the South is the least, that will be the baseline for this analysis. Compared to the cost of building in the South:

Midwest is 10% more expensive Northeast is 48% more expensive West is 40% more expensive

So right off the bat it is pretty obvious that the region you live in will have a dramatic effect on your garage cost. For example the cost to build a ,000 garage in the South would cost you ,800 in the Northeast. And this doesn't take into account the differences between building a garage in a rural area versus an urban area.In surveying the other articles we could find on garage cost, the consensus seems to be that a garage should cost somewhere between and per square foot to build, but those numbers are pretty old. Another interesting little bit of information from the U.S. Government Census data - in the 45 years from 1965-2009, home building price increases have outpaced the Consumer Price Index in 26 of those years. Over the last 10 years:

(HPI is the Housing Price Index, CPI is the Consumer Price Index)
In 2000 the HPI increased 4.40%, the CPI increased 3.4%, the HPI increased 29.4% more than the CPI
In 2001 the HPI increased 5.00%, the CPI increased 1.6%, the HPI increased 212.5% more than the CPI
In 2002 the HPI increased 2.50%, the CPI increased 2.4%, the HPI increased 4.2% more than the CPI
In 2003 the HPI increased 5.10%, the CPI increased 1.9%, the HPI increased 168.4% more than the CPI
In 2004 the HPI increased 8.40%, the CPI increased 3.3%, the HPI increased 154.5% more than the CPI
In 2005 the HPI increased 7.40%, the CPI increased 3.4%, the HPI increased 117.6% more than the CPI
In 2006 the HPI increased 6.00%, the CPI increased 2.5%, the HPI increased 140.0% more than the CPI
In 2007 the HPI increased 0.90%, the CPI increased 4.1%, the HPI decreased -78.0% versus the CPI
In 2008 the HPI decreased 3.50%, the CPI increased 0.1%, the HPI decreased -3600.0% versus the CPI
In 2009 the HPI decreased 5.00%, the CPI increased 2.7%, the HPI decreased -285.2% versus the CPI

In the construction industry it is either feast or famine. During the boom building years of the mid-2000's housing prices handily trounced the CPI, but when the housing market fell apart in 2007-2008 the Housing Price Index took a big hit.

The cost to build a detached garage is not going to be in perfect lock step with the Housing Price Index, and the cost per square foot to build a home isn't going to be in perfect alignment with the Housing Price Index, but together they give us an overall feel for the relative 'Garage Price Index' (we just made that up).

The presumption is that the - per square foot garage cost is for a garage without any living quarters, just your basic garage plans. If the garage plans include living quarters then it is safe to say that the garage cost per square foot is going to approach the cost per square foot to build a home. The more your garage plans resemble a house, the closer the garage building cost per square foot will be to that of a house. Another presumption in these numbers is that a building contractor is building the garage for you. You will obviously save quite a bit on your garage cost if you do some or all of the labor yourself.

Conclusion - Using the Southern region of the U.S. as the baseline, the garage cost to have a builder construct a garage for you should be between /square foot for basic garage plans and /square foot for top of the line garage plans with living quarters and all of the amenities. On the other end of the scale is the Northeast, where it should cost you between /square foot and 8/square foot to build a garage. There is no substitute for getting real quotes from garage builders, but hopefully this information will give you some guidance. Always get a minimum of 3 quotes! In a future article we'll address the garage cost of just the materials.

Garage Cost - Garage Building Cost Estimating
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My Garage Plans by TRC - Garage Cost/Garage Building Cost Estimator - http://www.my-garage-plans.com/Garage-Build-Cost-Estimator

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Offshore Oil & Gas Safety Officer: The Roles & Responsibilities and Qualifications

Toolbox meeting is part of daily routine for Offshore Oil & Gas Workers. Main reason is to identify hazard and to ensure all safety pre-cautions are in place before and during execution of works. This toolbox meeting is monitored and supervised by Safety Officer. Safety officer is also another interesting jobs. For those who are interested to become one, below are the safety officer roles, responsibilities and qualifications.

There is a popular saying among Offshore Oil and Gas personnel about safety. It is "Come in One Piece & Back in One Piece"

Offshore Oil & Gas Safety Officer: The Roles & Responsibilities and Qualifications

Offshore Oil & Gas Safety Officer: The Roles & Responsibilities and Qualifications
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Visit Oil and Gas Industry Websites for complete web resources about the Industry.

Sulaiman Sabur is a Registered Engineer. Work as an Offshore Field Engineer mainly in Construction of Offshore Facilities for the Oil and Gas Industry.

Visit his personal blog about his career as an Offshore Construction Field Engineer. Oil & Gas Jobs Blog

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6G Welding: What Is It? It Is The Highest Paying Of All Welding Positions - Make $100K A Year!

What Kind of welding job pays that kind of money? About 5% of welders are certified 6G code welders. 6G is pipe welding - in fact it is the test for: "All-position pipe welding." The skill test is to weld two pieces of pipe together which are mounted in a fixed position, at 45 degrees. Because you are welding a round object set at 45 degrees, you are proving your ability in every conceivable position. The weld quality must be very high, because replacing poorly welded pipe joints in a power plant (for example) is very expensive.

How much CAN a 6G Pipe Welder make?

Wages have gone down during the slow down. Not that long ago a "rig welder" (a welder with a welding machine on a truck) in Alberta, Canada would average 0,000 a year, but times are hard, so it is roughly half that much now. Off-shore oil rigs employing 6G welders are paying about 0k a year right now.

6G Welding: What Is It? It Is The Highest Paying Of All Welding Positions - Make 0K A Year!

There are very few trades in life which are purely "skill based." In other words, the possessor of the skill is highly paid simply because they can perform the skill (think of a tight-rope walker in a circus). Most high paying trades or skills require specific schooling, plus proof that you can actually "do the skill", and rarely will the skill require hand-eye-brain coordination to the degree of a tight-rope walker. 6G pipe welding IS a skill like tight rope walking - it requires dedicated, correct practice. Like tight-rope walking, 6G pipe welding also does not require any specific education or graduation certificate in the USA. No one cares where you went to school, or IF you went to school, as long as you show up and you really can weld that pipe joint like walking a tight rope! If you are good at this ONE position, you'll be put to work. No one CARES where or how you learned the skill and no one cares if you don't know another thing in this world!

Can imagine this? Imagine a room of 100 of the most highly skilled structural welders (typically union iron workers, working on large building frames) and 100 CWI Welding Inspectors (the best of the welding inspectors, with vast welding book knowledge) and ONE uneducated, illiterate but certified and very capable 6G pipe welder... And there is an urgent need for someone to weld a high pressure pipe joint on a 6" schedule 40 carbon steel pipe - guess who would be the ONLY person in a room of 201 people who could do it? That's right, the pipe welder, even though the pipe welder can't READ!

Anything worth having requires focused work. What do you think a heart surgeon concentrated on learning while in school? That's right, heart surgery. Focus on the one thing that will make you money and burn it up like a laser beam! OTS! "Own The Skill!" Be careful NOT to waste time, money and effort on things which will not ever make you money, or which will make you very little money! DO what others are unwilling to put out the effort to master.

Is getting really good at 6G pipe welding as hard as walking a tight-rope in the circus? Most people who fail to learn 6G fail because they think they can do it with very little practice. Intense, concentrated and coordinated practice is the biggest secret, just like with learning to walk a tight-rope. There are a few other secrets.

Welding school may be fun, but here's what happens to 95% of welding school graduates: They learn all the basics in a year or two of school. They NEVER get to where "The Powers That Be" will allow them to learn to weld pipe. They run out of money and time. They end up running a MIG machine in a trailer factory for very little money, or at BEST, they end up as an iron worker on big-building construction. However, not many big building are being built these days, are they?

What IS happening? Shale gas and oil has been discovered and is being developed all over the USA. The first of 40 new Nuclear Power Plants is under construction. What will soon be in super high demand? 6G pipe welders, that's what! You can find schools for 6G Welding. You may be able to government help to get your training. Get started! Just Google "6G pipe welding schools."

What should you do next?

6G Welding: What Is It? It Is The Highest Paying Of All Welding Positions - Make 0K A Year!
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You can SKIP welding school and teach yourself to be a 6G pipe welder at home, in eight weeks or less! Discover the secrets revealed in: "The 0K Welder" - teach yourself to weld 6G pipe in eight weeks even if you have never welded in your life! "The 0K Welder" ebook and course will give you step by step instructions. Check out here: http://100KWelder.com.

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Florida Construction Contracts Need More Than Two Pages to Be Legal

I'm asked occasionally to recommend a simple 2-page construction contract for states like Florida.

Where can I get a contract like that?

If you see one of these two-page wonders, you can be sure it's junk - at least in the State of Florida. The legislators in Tallahassee have seen to that. Every valid Florida construction contract will include several pages of notices and disclosures required by Florida law.

Florida Construction Contracts Need More Than Two Pages to Be Legal

If you've been using a two-page contract for residential construction in Florida, here's a handy guide to what you're missing.

Opportunity to Repair (Florida Statures Chapter 558.005)

Every construction contract in Florida (except public transportation projects) must include the "notice of claim" statement. The contract is still valid if you omit this statement. But the fine for leaving it out is 0 under Florida Statutes - 775.08(3).

Buyer's Right to Cancel (Florida Statutes - 501.031)

Unless the deal was closed at a state fair, at your office or after an express invitation to visit your client at home, residential contracts have to give notice of the buyer's right to cancel.

If the deal was closed, for example, over lunch in a restaurant, on the phone, by email, on a golf course or at an architect's office, it's a home solicitation sale. I know that doesn't make much sense. But it's Florida law. The notice is required. Omission of the notice is a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a ,000 fine under Florida Statutes - 775.082 and - 775.083.

Florida Construction Lien Notice (Florida Statutes - 713.015)

This notice has to appear in all residential prime contracts valued at ,500 or more if work is either new construction or improvement of a building with four units or less. The notice has to be in 12-point bold caps and either on the front page of the contract or on a separate page. If the notice is on a separate page, this statement has to be signed by the owner and dated. Omitting this notice is a non-criminal violation punishable by a fine of up to 0 under Florida Statutes - 775.08(3) and may make it difficult for a prime contractor to enforce lien rights.

Construction Industry Recovery Fund Notice (Florida Statutes - 489.1425)

Omission of this notice is punishable by a fine of up to 0 for the first offense and up to ,000 for a second or subsequent offense.

The Home Improvement Sales and Finance Act. (Florida Statutes - 520.73)

If a home improvement contract includes a finance charge, Florida law requires a statement in 10-point bold type directly above the owner's signature. Omission of this notice requires a credit of all delinquency fees charged, plus attorney fees and costs.

If your Florida contracts fudge on these notices, you have an excuse. Some of these required notices are new. The right to repair notice became effective October 1, 2006. The lien notice law became effective in the present form on July 1, 2007.

This checklist covers only notices required by Florida law. Of course, all Florida contracts have to comply with Federal law - the 3-day right to cancel (12 C.F.R. 226.15 ), Federal Truth in Lending (15 U.S.C. 1601) and insulation disclosures (16 C.F.R. 460). If you do home improvement work in zips between 33010 and 34141, Miami-Dade Municipal Code - 10-33 requires additional disclosures.

Even if you're not concerned about the threat of fines and jail time, there are good reasons to keep your contracts legal under Florida law. Get into a dispute on any job and the attorney for the other side will hammer away at every little flaw and blemish in your contract. You could be left with no way to collect.

So while a two-page construction contract may be easy to get the owner to sign, it may not be completely legal under Florida law. It certainly offers little or no protection should something go wrong. Unfortunately, most forms available on the Internet today do not cover the provisions required by Florida contract law.

Florida Construction Contracts Need More Than Two Pages to Be Legal
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Gary Moselle is an attorney specializing in construction contracts. Mr. Moselle writes a blog at http://garywmoselle.blogspot.com and offers free construction contracts which meet the statues of state requirements at http://www.construction-contract.net Just pick the state, then pick the contract, download and customize in your word processor.

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A Guide to Workshop Dust Control - Secrets of Effective Dust Control - Wood Construction

Woodworking seems to be one of those hobbies that if you enjoy it then you spend hours at a time at it, other than if you work at it for a living. Almost everything we do whether it is work or recreational has some type of safety factors that apply to it and woodworking has several like any venue where you are working with any type of tools. Apart from the tools, there are the environmental hazards to be concerned with and here it would be the workshop dust. You may notice that many of the newer tools that you may have purchased are paying attention to dust control as well. Although you are not going to be dust free when working with wood there is much you can about it to keep it under control.

Although there are several reasons why you would want to control the dust in your shop one of the most important is the effect it can have on your health. Going back a few years many persons that worked with wood would not wear any type of protection. Many of them suffer health wise today because of this. Some complain of respiratory or breathing problems. Nowadays to prevent this sort of problem most woodworkers will wear a respirator. There are many potential health problems that can surface from not wearing one of these and it's just not worth the risk.

Dust meaning sawdust in your work area is also a fire concern. This is one area that many don't realize or even think about. It must be remembered that the sawdust is a residue of flammable material, which is wood. When it is ignited, it burns with strength and quickly. When the air becomes so thick with this dust it only takes the slightest spark from one of your tools to create an explosion. This not a common occurrence but can occur never the less. A greater risk is the sawdust laying around being ignited by a spark.

A Guide to Workshop Dust Control - Secrets of Effective Dust Control - Wood Construction

Sawdust has a tendency to make a concrete or wood floor very slippery. This is an accident waiting to happen.

Then there are other side effects of the dust like it ending up in your finishes or getting into your tools and shortening their functionality. You may not have had your tools for any great length of time yet they are virtually ruined by the sawdust.

Aside from being astute at cleaning up the sawdust because of your health and what it does to your projects and tools there may be actual regulations in place. This most often only applies to the commercial sector. The rules are strict though and the woodworking shop industry must abide by them. It's not only for the safety of the people working there but for the purposes of a fire as well.

It only makes sense that anyone working with wood would want to take the same precautions with their health in the other areas they are exposed to besides the risk of tool injury. One must be astute and alert for any type of potential danger that exists or could exist that could be controlled.

A Guide to Workshop Dust Control - Secrets of Effective Dust Control - Wood Construction
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I hope you've enjoyed this article and learnt something from it.

What to do next:

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Responsibilities of Nigerian Professionals in the Building Construction Industry

(1)The soil scientist:

The soil scientist work is to determine how suitable is the land for the purpose of which is going to be used for.They check the strength,ph content and gives report on the effects of building on such lands.They are important indeed to avoid settlement of land due to weight of building in the future. They use different ways to investigate soil conditions.For simple residential buildings on reasonable sites digging several holes about three spits deep, drilling holes up to 2 or 21/2m deep with a hand auger or driving a pointed steel bar about 1 1/2m into the ground are generally sufficient. With larger buildings or more difficult sites,the following methods are applicable.

(i)Excavating trial holes about 1 1/2m deep deep outside the perimeter of the building.

Responsibilities of Nigerian Professionals in the Building Construction Industry

(ii)Drilling boreholes by percussion or rotary methods.The percussion method uses a steel bit with a chisel point screwed to a steel rod.The rotary method employs a hollow rod with a rotating bit and a core of strata is forced back up the hollow rod.

(iii)Load testing often using a reinforced concrete slab about 1.20 to 1.50m2 and 300mm thick,to which loads are added at about 2 hour intervals and the amount of settlement is determined with a level .The safe bearing capacity of the soil is found by dividing half the load applied prior to appreciable settlement into the area of slab.

(2)lawyers:

Lawyers are needed right from when you want to purchase your land,they help in all legal dealings. From contracts to agreements between you and the "omo onile" landowners; you need them .It is the job of a lawyer to find out the true owner of the land because the person selling to you may actually not be the right person to do so, they will do a thorough scrutiny on the agreement papers and give their legal advice on your investment.The money you pay for this service may be worthwhile considering the possibility of losing your money if you refuse to contact them.

(3)Land Surveyors:

These people map out the the area or plot of your land.They see to it that your land is properly demarcated from your neighbour with their instruments and skill they will give you the accurate length of your plot .There drawing is what you take to the architect for design of your building. You also needs survey plan for validation of your land when you want to register it.

(4)Architects:

They liase with you i.e the clients on one on one to achieve the type of building you want .Architects give professional supports to the clients not only on the design of the building ,the execution ,but general support even the viability of the building .The work of an architect is extensive because they are generally closer to you clients than every other building professionals. He is in the best position to know what meets your dreams and how to help achieve it. He conceives or dream and put pen to paper and sketch out what you have in mind,gives you to criticise to suit what you want properly, and make the necessary adjustments .He is the bridge between you and the other professionals and artesans on site ,by his position he is the head of the building team.

(5)Quantity Surveyor:

This professional estimates and see to it that you won't embark on a project that is beyond your financial means .They cost and determine the amount of money you will require to build your house so that you don't end up abandoning your project midway. This people are very important unfortunately Nigerian of today do not see the need for them and that is why we have abandoned projects dotting our landscape. It is nice to have a beautiful and befitting house .It also helps to promote the architects that designed it for you when your house is very beautiful, though for small projects your architect can give you an idea of what your building will cost ,but you may not really get the perfect and non-sentimental estimate as to what a quantity surveyor will give you. The quantity surveyor has nothing to lose if the house is very ugly his job is to make sure you have a financial understanding of what you are about to embark on. On big projects ,they maintain and award money to artesans and labour based on the input each worker is putting.

(6)Civil or Structural Engineers:

The civil or structural engineer in building industry is to see to it that, the stability or structural disposition of your building is not compromised. I mean they give calculations and recommends based on the Architect's drawing, what kind of reinforcement or iron or any other structural elements that can make your house stable and will not collapse. And they come out with the drawings on this to help the builder on site to carry out is work effectively.

(7)Mechanical Engineer

These people see to the mechanical aspects of the building especially large projects they give out detailed drawings and specified on plumbing work in the building, the plumbers work with them and help carry out instructions for the good of the project.

(8)Electrical Engineer

As the word implies they see to it that there house is properly lightened. Dangerous electrical connections has led to the death of several people. I will advise you have the electrical engineer in your plans when embarking on a building project. They give instructions to the electrician on large project sites.

(9)The Builders

These are one of the most important professionals in the building industry, unfortunately, the Nigeria of today is a case of dog eats dog. A situation where you claim you can do the work of somebody else and no law to discourage you against such impersonation that is what we are seeing in the building industry at presence. "Collapse of buildings" The builder is trained to carry out or execute on site or transform or bring into reality on site the drawings and intentions of every other building professionals, may it be the Architects, the Civil Engineer, the Mechanical Engineer and the Electrical Engineer. His duty is to see to every artesans or workers on site carries out is job effectively. Unfortunately every jobless person with some money in Nigeria are now claiming to be building contractors and people out of ignorance do not even know the difference.

Even other professionals too are jostling for each others job. A situation where a town planner or a surveyor lays claim to the fact that he can design a house plan for you or when a quantity surveyor is doing the work of a builder will not give you the best you deserve. A building contractor yes, is important in a construction industry but their work is not to bypass any professional rather they are to work with the professionals or consult with them to carry out the project effectively except if the contractor is a professional himself. They are probably the one to finance the building project at times, but to get a very good job you must insist on knowing the professional they will be working with.

Responsibilities of Nigerian Professionals in the Building Construction Industry
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Omion Emmanuel is an architect that has great passion for online marketing, He uses the medium to teach young Nigerians on how to effectively build,manage and supervise their building projects. He is more at home with construction industry of his native country Nigeria. He specializes in Residentials and Bank building design and Construction. He is best called Nigerian online building management pro.

[http://www.buildingcontractorsecrets.com]

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Top 5 Construction Uses For Gravel and Stone

Gravel and stone are part of a category of construction materials known as aggregates. Aggregates can be made from several materials, including not only gravel, stone, sand, crushed stone, recycled concrete, and slag. These aggregate materials are one of the basic, foundational elements of any construction project, and gravel and stone are a chief component in those materials.

So how are these important elements used in construction? And where might you use it best in your own projects?

Paving roads. Gravel and stone are part of the aggregate mix that forms the basis of paved roads all over the country. They are poured onto the road bed, then mixed with some kind of binding agent, such as asphalt, to keep the loose gravel and stone from sliding or shifting too much. These aggregate materials are hard enough to bear the weight of constantly passing vehicles, but also flexible enough to level out the inconsistencies between the ground beneath and the seal coating or smooth surface above.

Top 5 Construction Uses For Gravel and Stone

Drainage. Because gravel and stones don't fit together perfectly, there is enough space between them to allow water to drain through them. This is why they're perfect for irrigation systems, drainage ditches, and roadside drainage to prevent standing water from become a hazard for travelers.

Residential driveways. The best way to construct a lasting gravel driveway or lane is to use two or three layers of aggregates. The lower layer, the one that lies on top of the dirt, is made up of larger stones. The middle layer is comprised of smaller stone and gravel, and the top layer uses gravel and dust to give a smooth feel and to seal in some of the gaps. With these three layers, the driveway has longevity, drainage, and comfort.

Railroad roadbeds. Since the beginning of rail travel, gravel and stone have been used to create railroad roadbeds, the gravel road that underlies the railroad tracks. These roadbeds are stable enough to support railroad ties and tracks, while permitting the drainage that keeps the rails from being submerged in water.

Water treatment plants. Gravel and stone are key elements in water treatment plants. Water is run over and through these materials again and again, each drain filtering out more and more of the hazardous materials.

Gravel and stone, some of nature's purest products, have many uses in the construction industry and in daily life. It's no wonder these natural resources are in such high demand.

Top 5 Construction Uses For Gravel and Stone
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Hospitality Industry - Hotels Business Current and Future Trends

Hospitality has long been synonymous with the hotel industry. Any changes in trends of hotel business have wide scale implications on an otherwise diverse industry. What might be an opportunity for a traveler can be a matter of survival for hotels? It will not be an oversimplification to suggest that the emerging concepts in hotel industry reveal an atmosphere of stiff competition. Here is a look at a few major issues:

Is Green better?

Amid growing concern over environment friendly services, a majority of travelers now prefer Green and Eco lodgings. Recent surveys by trade associations such as Partnership Travel Industry Association and online retailers like Yahoo revealed that nearly seventy percent of the tourists are willing to pay extra when it comes to environmental friendly lodgings. These surveys further revealed that these guests will pay anywhere from nine to ten percent premium on the already advertised prices.

Hospitality Industry - Hotels Business Current and Future Trends

What can be stated as a welcome relief for the educated traveler might pose real challenges for the hotel business. To better understand the scenario, it should be noted that hotels are presently facing severe shortages in occupancy rates which are at their lowest since 1971. Such a crisis and lack of funds can definitely hamper any efforts to install appliances that comply with the LEEDS standards (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design). Some experts agree that a trade off may lead hotels into removing free amenities that include little bottles of shampoos, jams and free basket of fruits; all of which are the hallmark of these eco lodgings.

Where are the Workers gone?

The hotel industry gives employment at a very large proportion of part time workers, who after gaining substantial experience, leave for other lucrative jobs at restaurants and outdoors. Low wages in the hotel industry is one of the primary reasons for low retention rates.

Hotel industry Gurus are already thinking of ways to attract and retain qualified workers by increasing the pay scales and by reducing the long working hours. The top management is now devising constructive methods that will retain the existing workers by sponsoring education and creating attractive career paths.

Mega Hotels

The rising cost of construction and a struggling real estate has prompted hoteliers to deploy the pre-fabricated and cost effective solution in the construction of new hotels. In fact they are fighting back by producing highly efficient designs that utilize a greater proportion of space for revenue generating purpose. Future trends in the hotel construction will seek to maximize the use of building areas by constructing a multi purpose facility that will include Casinos, shopping outlets and Theatres. The stand alone hotel concept is likely to vanish as the new properties will be constructed as a mixed use development to provide guests with facilities such as Church, Hospitals and Theme Parks. Such a variety will ensure that guests remain at one spot which will help generate revenue for the entire hotel complex.

The evolution of savvy traveller

The evolution of internet has given rise to a phenomenon where travelers are becoming ever more demanding. Industry professionals suggest that an increase in a trend, to review properties online, will make travelers less forgiving as they are able to post their travel experiences. Such an overemphasis on web may even lead to stiff competition and price reduction strategies where only large players may be able to survive.

To ward of such threats, the small business owner is now turning towards opening a boutique establishment as an alternate to 70,s style motels. Such niche properties are popping up everywhere by advertising a more personalized "home away from home" kind of experience. The introduction of such boutique properties has also given rise to the popular and widely accepted theme of modern hostels. These hostels are keen to provide a clean and safe environment for budget conscious travelers. Their goal is to wipe out the myths associated with cheap motels and dingy guesthouses.

Whatever may be the case, one thing is for sure that constant remodeling of the hotel industry has made it more functional and practical not only for the guests but also for the hotel owners.

Hospitality Industry - Hotels Business Current and Future Trends
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Forces and Trends in Business

The corporate environment is characterized by a number of variables: competition, dynamism, turbulence, complexity and change. All organizations must develop ability to continuously and consciously transform themselves and their contexts. Such contexts include restructuring for optimum effectiveness, reengineering key processes and streamlining functions that are able to provide a source of competitive advantage. The aim is to adapt, regenerate and most important, survive. (McLean, 2006).

For a company to thrive today, strategists must find ways to increase the organization's ability to read and react to industry and market changes. They must know their goal to boost the company's strategic flexibility by recognizing disruptions earlier and responding faster.
Strategic flexibility or adaptability can be defined as the organization’s capacity to identify major changes in its external environments, quickly commit resources to new courses of action in response to such changes, and to recognize and act promptly when it is time to halt or reverse existing resource commitments. Being adaptable means leaders must not get stuck in a too-rigid way of looking at the world. The organization must view change as an inevitable and essential part of an organization's growth, in order to achieve this adaptability.

When there is uncertainty or unpredictability in the environment, managers tend to focus almost all their energy on successfully executing the current strategy. What they also should be doing is preparing for an unknown future. Flexibility stems from the ability to learn; managers tend to overlook the negative and emphasize the positive. They need to understand not only what led to the positive outcomes but also what led to the negative ones. This will optimize their learning experience. According to Ford (2004) four points to foster and maintain adaptability include challenging complacency, giving all employees a voice, encouraging participative work and driving fear out of your group.

Forces and Trends in Business

The companies chosen for this task vary by industry: a famous automobile manufacturer (Ford) a bank going through a merger (Compass) and a start-up software company (DawningStreams). Ford and Compass have been in business for a long time; it is likely they have changed their strategic plan based on changing forces and trends. DawningStreams is new (established in 2005 and incorporated in 2007). Even though they have not had their first sale and have no staff, the owners have devised several iterations of their strategy.

There is a diversity of stakeholders all that are interested in the activity of business organizations. Emphasis must be placed on their adaptability in strategic analysis and their adaptability in strategic management of business organizations. The organization must have a strategic management model.

Each company might scan the same areas, but for different reasons. Considering technological advances, Ford would prepare itself to lead the market by having various electronic equipment in their vehicles, as well as robotic equipment with which to build them and the supply chain technology to keep all in check. Compass Bank is going through a merge and expanding globally; therefore they will need to keep abreast of communication technology. DawningStreams is a software company; they will need to monitor those companies who would be their competition to ensure their product offers better functionality. All three companies would make sure potential customers would be able to get good information from internet websites and advertisement, which encompasses yet another area of technology the organizations may need/want to scan. In this instance, many members of the organization must be enrolled: upper management and finance, who will determine budgetary factors; the IT department, who will be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of some of the technology; the staff who must be trained to use the technology; a sales force who will sell the technology.

To the outside observer, it may seem unnecessary for any but Ford to scan the (actual) environment when it comes to issues such as emission control, fuel efficiency and hybrid cars. That is true however; Compass Bank and DawningStreams can plan a strategy to be friendlier to the environment (and their pocketbooks) by practicing paper reduction (through the aforementioned technology). Lastly, DawningStreams’ product may be useful as a file sharing service to environmental groups.

With regard to the legal environment, all three must be acutely aware of laws, which affect their respective industry among others. To Ford, legal applies, among other areas, to environmental protection laws and department of transportation safety laws. To Compass Bank, they would abide by the rules of the Federal Reserve (www.federalreserve.gov) and the Federal Insurance and Deposit Corporation (www.fdic.gov). DawningStreams must follow laws as they pertain to the transfer of files, which have intellectual property and also the export of products, which have algorithms. All three companies are global and will need to monitor those laws in other countries, which could effect the strategic planning.

At one company after another--from Sears to IBM to Hewlett-Packard to Searle, strategy is again a major focus in the quest for higher revenues and profits. With help from a new generation of business strategists, companies are pursuing novel ways to hatch new products, expand existing businesses, and create the markets of tomorrow. Some companies are even recreating full-fledged strategic-planning groups. United Parcel Service expects to spin out a new strategy group from its marketing department, where strategic plans are now hatched. Explains Chairman Kent C. Nelson: ``Because we're making bigger bets on investments in technology, we can't afford to spend a whole lot of money in one direction and then find out five years later it was the wrong direction.''

In such a world we need a planning model that allows us to anticipate the future and to use this anticipation in conjunction with an analysis of our organization--its culture, mission, strengths and weaknesses--to define strategic issues, to chart our direction by developing strategic vision and plans, to define how we will implement these plans and to specify how we will evaluate how well we are implementing these plans. The fact that the world is changing as we move forward in the future demands that the process be an iterative one.

Ford Motor Company – Socio-cultural

Ford Motor Company embraces the socio-cultural changes taking place to allow the company to move in the right direction with respect to attitudes in the society. Two areas that stand out in terms of socio-cultural attitudes would be that of fuel economy and smaller cars. The growing concern by the public for better fuel economy has influenced the company’s introduction of the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The organization is committed to the hybrid to improve fuel economy as a global strategy to meet customer demands. The increased demand in society for such environmentalism has assisted in the decision for Ford Motor Company to look forward to adding the hybrid feature to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan and continue in such a strategic planning direction.

The customers that use these vehicles get a substantial break on their insurance in many states and a tax credit as well while enjoying the increased mileage of a vehicle that runs on gasoline and capabilities for 100 percent electric power. The environmental scanning by Ford Motor Company has allowed the company to be knowledgeable of the fact that the people in the United States are buying more small cars today than any other type of vehicle segment. The lifestyles changes have been monitored and there is good data that shows that such a trend will continue in this direction and the expected growth in this segment will continue. The company has redesigned the inside and outside of the Ford Focus to set the car apart from the competitors in the small car segment while increasing upgrades and features to experience positive outcomes. The direction that the company is taking is based on a competitive advantage and being a leader in the industry. The vehicle line has both a sedan and a coupe to attract targeted markets including younger buyers at an entry level to build upon brand loyalty and customer retention. Ford Motor Company will continue to use the socio-cultural factors to drive the business and enjoy future success.

Ford Motor Company – Legal –

Ford Motor Company with regard to the Environmental Protection Agency adheres to the legal aspect of environmental scanning. Ford Motor Company accepted an award in March 2007 from the Environmental Protection Agency called the Energy Star 2007 Partner of the Year Award in Energy Management. The company is the first automaker to have ever been awarded the award two years in a row. The award has come to be presented due to the commitment made by the company to increase energy efficiency and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from all of the facilities in the company.

The organization is committed to the responsible use of resources and energy efficiency. The leadership realizes that the environmental protection laws are of great importance and use the environmental scanning to move in the right direction to obtain future success in the company. In 2006 alone the company has improved the energy efficiency in the United States operations by five percent and saving approximately million with enough energy saved to equal 220,000 homes. The effective energy management protects the environment and reduces the greenhouse emissions. Some of the actions taken by the company include replacing lighting fixtures that use 40 percent less energy and using different low-energy, long-lasting compact fluorescent lamps in the properties to include the plants, corporate offices, distribution centers, and research and development campuses. Due to the environmental scanning that takes place at Ford Motor Company the company will use the information that is collected and continue in this direction. New projects for the company include Fumes-to-Fuel that is a system that converts paint fumes into electricity that is being performed with Detroit Edison along with attempting to consolidate the application of primer, base and clearcoat paint applications into a single application to eliminate the need for separate applications and ovens. In addition to the paint booth emissions Ford Motor Company will continue to rely on alternative energy sources such as landfill gas and wind and solar technologies to power their manufacturing facilities.

Ford Motor Company – Technology –

Another environmental scanning tool that Ford Motor Company monitors and uses would be the technological portion. The company has invested billion in the latest technology for flexible manufacturing. The technology that is involved is in many forms to include wireless technology that is installed on the delivery trucks with supplies to the plant as a monitoring status and improved efficiency to reduce inventory. The flexibility of products in the same plant allows the organization to use the same machinery and process for all areas from body assembly, paint facility, and final assembly. The improved efficiency at the manufacturing facility allows for several vehicle platforms to be built on the same line to produce multiple models and quickly change the vehicle mix, the volume, and options based on customer demand.

The technological changes that are being embraced by Ford Motor Company through environmental scanning enables the company to experience huge cost savings through new product launches and 50 percent reductions in cycle changeovers along with waste reduction. Robots are among the technological changes that are being experienced within the organization to include the 400 from the project that are used to weld and assemble the metal body of the vehicle for stamping and assembly. Artificial intelligence in the form of advanced visions systems and laser tracking systems are used to ensure quality through accuracy and dimension abilities. A multi-million dollar training facility is used to ensure that the workforce has the knowledge, skills, and ability to reap the benefits from the new technology that is being used by the company. The training that is administered includes the new servo-electric weld gun system that identifies the perfect center for welding that has replaced the older and loud air-powered system that used a less sophisticated spring system. The environmental scanning of technology that is performed by Ford Motor Company has allowed the company to have positive outcomes in efficiency while remaining a competitive company in the industry through cost savings and continuous improvement.

Compass Bank- Political -

On February 16, 2007, Compass Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Compass Bank, announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE: BBV Madrid: BBVA) ("BBVA") will acquire Compass for a combination of cash and stock. Compass will become a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of BBVA and will continue to operate under the Compass name. The transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2007, pending customary closing conditions, including necessary bank regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Spain and the approval of the stockholders of both Compass and BBVA.

BBVA, which operates in 35 countries, is based in Spain and has substantial banking interests in the Americas. The transaction will facilitate BBVA’s continued growth in Texas and will create the largest regional bank across the Sunbelt. Upon completion of the transaction, Compass will rank among the top 25 banks in the United States with approximately billion in total assets, billion in total loans and billion in total deposits. In addition, the combined company will rank fourth in deposit market share in Texas with .6 billion in total deposits and 326 full-service banking offices.

Compass is a billion Southwestern financial holding company that operates 415 full-service banking centers in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. Compass provides a broad array of products and services through three primary lines of business – Corporate Banking, Retail Banking and Wealth Management. Compass is among the top 30 U.S. bank holding companies by asset size and ranks among the top earners of its size based on return on equity.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, which has been approved by the board of directors of Compass and the relevant bodies of BBVA, Compass will become a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA. After closing, BBVA intends to merge its U.S. based banking affiliates – including the former operations of Texas Regional Bancshares, State National Bancshares and Laredo National Bancshares – with Compass.

The aggregate consideration is composed of a fixed number of approximately 196 million shares of BBVA common stock and approximately .6 billion in cash. The merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including necessary bank regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Spain and the approval of the stockholders of both Compass and BBVA. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2007.

The merger between both companies will be determined by the political factors ranging from implications of laws and regulations to the state of world politics including the consideration of wars which may be going on in different parts of the world. New laws, regulations, tax programs and public policy create forces and trends, which may provide challenges and barriers or opportunities for any company or organization.

Compass Bank – Technology –

Ford is in the process of implementing a laser marking system on its production line to ensure the highest standard on each transmission assembled. The system will be checking for quality on different points on the assembly line. Ford is teaming up with a company called MECCO to implement this process and a trial run of the new system will last for 3 months. MECCO is a leader in its industry when it comes to laser technology. The decision to implement this new laser marking system came because it is more cost- effective and safer than previous ways of marking checkpoints for quality.

Although this process at Ford has not officially been implemented yet, Compass Bank can learn a few different things. It may be a good idea for Compass Bank to do a short trial of online cell phone banking to see how popular it becomes and if it worth all the time and effort, being spent to get it launched. Compass Bank should also consider investing into a company who is the best at what they do, is in the same time zone, and can meet their demands in a timely manner, not simply because they may be cheaper. Finally, Compass Bank can learn that they need to consider what will be most cost-effective and in the best interest of the company over time. Organizing a time line and a list of costs and potential risks would also be beneficial to Compass Bank so they know what to expect and when with the implementation of online cell phone banking.

When completing the global scan one looks for emerging new technologies which may impact any business in any industry. At one time the emergence of the Internet was a technology that was becoming an emerging trend across all industries. Today very new technologies are used to develop information systems at a fraction of the cost and time of processes that were used five years ago. Wireless is a telecommunications technology that may have moved from a trend to a force in revolutionizing the way information is stored, accessed and used across all industries around the world. Some, if leveraged by a company within an industry before competitors use it, may even provide a competitive advantage.

Compass Bank – Competition –

Although mergers may be costly and rather difficult, the value it creates in the end is the desired outcome companies seek. The eagerness to merge is based on several beliefs, those beliefs are, that the performance gains are greater, expenses are reduced, market power is increased, and shareholder’s wealth is also greater than before. The value of a merger is enhanced when the overall benefit is more valuable than the aggregate of two separate pre-merger companies.
In the end, both John and Bernard should consider this before finalizing a decision. When Zion’s purchased Stockmans, there overall value increased by 43 branches. These branches will help performance and brings much more power to the financial market. In the Journal of Money article, Pilloff states “Companies are more willing to acquire others to avoid being acquired themselves.” Keeping this in mind, companies must figure out a cross border strategy.

As part of the broad environmental scan, it is important to identify the internal capabilities of the organization. There are various models for defining capabilities. Most focus on the broad set of intangible assets such as brand, human capital, organizational capital and even relationship capital. Others include the more concrete assets such as available capital, the organization structure, current technologies and information technology infrastructure. In addition to doing a broad environmental trend, Compass Bank needs to do a more detailed capability assessment using any of the models available.

DawningStreams - Competitors –

Business activities are becoming more and more complex to manage, because of distance, time zones, number of parties involved in projects, number of tasks to achieve, multiple prioritizations, lack of general synchronization, insufficient secure and confidential communication channels and growing complexity of IT infrastructures. The use of task list managers has become very common. It is becoming more difficult to keep teams synchronized, to follow and to implement new business processes and to exchange sensitive information confidentially. The DawningStreams software application is aiming at increasing the practicality of daily executive activities. The types of business, which will most probably be interested in our product, are construction (size of network), consulting (need for synchronization), pharmaceutical research (secure exchange of information) and the software industry (complexity of manufacturing).

Many companies have already developed software applications that enable secured communications and file sharing. However, most, if not all, are relying on Microsoft technologies, which prevent them from expanding to Mac or Unix users. DawningStreams is developed in Java, which can be used on any platform, including Mac and Unix. Microsoft has acquired the Groove Company and has released a new version of the product, which can perform many of the functionalities of DawningStreams, but not generic activities (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/groove/default.aspx). This is our closest competitor by far. More recently, we found, merely by accident, a company called Shinkuro (www.shinkuro.com), which offers the file sharing aspects of DawningStreams but lacks other capacities.

Although DawningStreams will face competition from many existing players, the fact that it will combine a super-set of functionalities in one application, for a very reasonable price, will give it some leading edge over other competitors. If the US patent is granted, the position of DawningStreams will become a niche. Even if the patent were not granted, it would take a profound architectural redesign of Groove (or other competitors) to include generic activities and match the offer of DawningStreams. As a strategy we will monitor the activities of those companies’ websites and understand what they offer in terms of similar functionality and try to ensure we match or best those functionalities to the best of our ability and resources

DawningStreams – Political -

Maintaining the secrecy of information is the fundamental function of encryption items. Persons abroad may use such items to harm US law enforcement efforts, as well as US foreign policy and national security interests. The US Government has a critical interest in ensuring that persons opposed to the United States are not able to conceal hostile or criminal activities, and that the legitimate needs for protecting important and sensitive information of the public and private sectors are met. Since 2000, US encryption export policy has been directed by three fundamental practices: technical review of encryption products prior to sale, streamlined post-export reporting, and license reviews of proposed transactions involving strong encryption to certain foreign government end-users and countries of concern. US encryption policy also seeks to ensure that American companies are not disadvantaged by the European Union’s “license-free zone.” (Bureau of Industry and Security, 2007).

DawningStreams will contain cryptographic functions. Any reliable and efficient cryptographic system requires a central authority to avoid identity theft. Cryptography is a key functionality of DawningStreams. All specialists insist on designing systems using well-studied algorithms and fully tested protocols; novelty is considered a source of risk. The cryptographic layer of DawningStreams will rely on a dual public-private key system. The private key encryption system will implement Rijndael, the Advanced Encryption Standard (http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/aes/rijndael/), the public key system will implement RSA (www.rsa.com) and the hashing function will implement the 256 bits version of the Secure Hash Algorithm (http://secure-hash-algorithm-md5-sha-1.co.uk/ ).

Encryption products can be used to conceal the communications of terrorists, drug smugglers, and others intent on harming U.S. interests. Cryptographic products and software also have military and intelligence applications that, in the hands of hostile nations, could pose a threat to U.S. national security. The national security, foreign policy, and law enforcement interests of the United States are protected by encryption export controls. These controls are consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 13026, which was issued on November 15, 1996, and the Presidential Memorandum of the same date. (Bureau of Industry and Security, 2007).

DawningStreams also plans to be an international company, as offices now exist in the Netherlands and the US. As part of the strategy, we will ensure we remain compliant by registering our product with any necessary agency and allowing those agencies access to the processes if they feel there is a threat. We will be responsible to monitor (as best as we can) our client base and to put the proper verbiage in our contracts that illegal activities will not be tolerated. We will continue to monitor the BIS site mentioned in previous paragraphs and also sites in the European Union such as the Crypto Law website of legal expert Bert-Jaap Koops (http://rechten.uvt.nl/koops/)

DawningStreams - Technology/Intellectual Property –

The management of organizational strategy requires a comprehensive assessment of the macro environment of the business. Intellectual Property (IP) refers to the original ideas and innovations evolved by an organization in order to haul up its systems and processes. Creation of ideas requires large investments. This necessitates the protection of IP. Benchmarking is the continuous process of measuring products, processes, and systems of an organization against those that are rated best in the industry. It helps in uncovering weaknesses and flaws in the organizational systems, processes, and products. (Watson, 2003)

The study of the global research conducted by McAfee Inc. and MessageLabs Ltd. on security threat in small businesses in the U.S. reveals that 80 percent of small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMB) believe that an information technology (IT) security failure would be damaging in attaining their business priorities. Yet, only few are courageously making steps to fight against infringements due to resource limitations from other business related priorities. The research implies that company size plays an essential part in the way senior management views security. Among the challenges that SMBs face include keeping up-to-date with security solutions and keeping costs low. Small-to-medium businesses’ behavior towards security is very tactical and meets only immediate requirements. (unknown, 2007)

DawningStreams’ relevance to these forces is two-fold. We are a software company—there is an opportunity for us to lose the intellectual property by those who would download and attempt to modify the code. We have competitors who offer functionality similar to ours, however we offer an additional functionality the others do not. It is this ‘specialty functionality’ for which we applied for a patent the United States Patent and Trademark Office. If the patent is granted, there is less likelihood of software piracy or the loss of our IP. Environmental scans should show us if there are other companies trying to do this.

The functionality, which most resembles our competitors’, is the ability to share files. That brings in a different concern with intellectual property- the possibility someone else’s IP could be sent from one of our users to another, as this could seriously damage our reputation, as what happened with Napster. (www.napster.com).

Conclusion

At one company after another--from Sears to IBM to Hewlett-Packard to Searle, strategy is again a major focus in the quest for higher revenues and profits. With help from a new generation of business strategists, companies are pursuing novel ways to hatch new products, expand existing businesses, and create the markets of tomorrow. Some companies are even recreating full-fledged strategic-planning groups. United Parcel Service expects to spin out a new strategy group from its marketing department, where strategic plans are now hatched. Explains Chairman Kent C. Nelson: ``Because we're making bigger bets on investments in technology, we can't afford to spend a whole lot of money in one direction and then find out five years later it was the wrong direction.''

In such a world we need a planning model that allows us to anticipate the future and to use this anticipation in conjunction with an analysis of our organization--its culture, mission, strengths and weaknesses--to define strategic issues, to chart our direction by developing strategic vision and plans, to define how we will implement these plans and to specify how we will evaluate how well we are implementing these plans. The fact that the world is changing as we move forward in the future demands that the process be an iterative one.

References

Bilek, E. (n.d.) Compass Bankshares to be Acquired by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.,

Investor Relations. Retrieved from the Internet on March 31, 2007 at

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/77/77589/bbvarelease.pdf

Cole, Jim. Zions makes small deal, cites growing Arizona market. American Banker, 171(175), 1-1. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from Proquest Database.
Ford Motor Company (2006). Ford Motor Company. Retrieved March 2007,

from the World Wide Web, Web Site: [https://ford.com]
Ford, S. (2004) Adapted from 13 Skills Managers Need to Succeed, Harvard Business School

Press. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

Hockenberry, Todd. (2006). Ford implements advanced laser marking. Industrial Laser Solutions, 21(4), 6-7. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from EBSCOhost database
Jacobs, P. (2005) Five Steps to Thriving in times of Uncertainty. Negotiation (p.3) Retrieved

April 1, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

McLean, J. (2006) We’re going through changes! British Journal of Administrative Management

54. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

Pearce, J. & Robinson, R, (2004). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved March 2007, from the University of Phoenix, Resource, MBA 580-Strategies for Competitive Advantage Course Web Site: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp
Author Unknown, Strategic Planning, After a decade of gritty downsizing, Big Thinkers are back in corporate vogue. (2006) Retrieved from the Internet at http://www.businessweek.com/1996/35/b34901.htm

Unknown (2007) 80% of Small-to-Medium Sized Firms Fear a Security Threat. Computer Security Update 8 (4). Retrieved March 30, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.
Unknown (2006) Strategic Planning, After a decade of gritty downsizing, Big Thinkers are back
in corporate vogue. Retrieved from the Internet at
http://www.businessweek.com/1996/35/b34901.htm
US Department of Commerce (2007), Encryption (ch.10, section 742.15). Retrieved March 27, 2007 from the Bureau of Industry and Security Website at http://www.bis.doc.gov/news/2007/foreignpolicyreport/fprchap10_encryption.html
Watson, G. (2003) Business Environmental Scans for Intellectual Property Strategy (PowerPoint Presentation). Retrieved March 28, 2007 from the Oklahoma State University website at http://www.okstate.edu/ceat/msetm/courses/etm5111/CourseMaterials/ETM5111Session3Part2.ppt#260,1,Business Environmental Scans for Intellectual Property Strategy

Forces and Trends in Business
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
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Steven Brown, MBA is a loving husband and father of two boys. He enjoys his time with his family by providing a strong family foundation of Christian Faith. After completing his Bachelors degree, Steven wanted to further his ability to teach and share to others his mindset that they can do anything if they would believe in themselves.

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