Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

In the critical path method of scheduling projects, the duration of each activity is usually defined with a reasonable degree of certainty.   For some projects, it may be difficult to estimate a reasonable single duration for one more of the activities in the project schedule. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique or PERT method of project scheduling, uses three durations for each activity and the fundamental statistics to determine the probability of a project finishing earlier or later than expected.   Although the PERT method is not used extensively in engineering and construction projects, it provides valuable information for assessing the risks of a schedule slippage in a project. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)  was first developed in 1958 by the U.S. Navy Special Projects Office on the Polaris missile system. Existing integrated planning on such a large scale was deemed inadequate, so the Navy pulled in the Continue reading

Installment Purchase System – Meaning and Concept

An installment purchase system is just like a credit purchase and hire purchase system of selling and buying goods. Like hire purchase, in installment purchase system an agreement is made between buyer and seller to purchase and sell of goods. The buyer makes certain down payment at the time of signing agreement and the balance is paying in installment over a period of time. An installment purchase system is a credit sale in which payments are made in installments over a period of time. In this system, the buyer gets the possession as well as ownership of the goods right at the time of signing the agreement. During the course of paying the installment, if the buyer makes default in paying the installment, the vendor cannot responses the goods. In that case, the vendor can sue the buyer for recovery of dues. Like in hire purchase even the paid installments Continue reading

Using Information Technology to Achieve Competitive Advantage

The world has grown more than enough in the context of information technology in such way that organization work more efficiency to enhance and maximize their daily productivity. Storage devices, data protection, cloud application and faster communication are the main advantages that information technology can provide to businesses. IT/IS has big impact in computer application on which nearly every work environment is dependent, therefore, since those applications are computerized and widely used, it is advantageous to incorporate IT into business. Information technology is categorized into major three group known as operation, financial and strategic system. If the operation and financial system are well integrated may result strategic system for other enterprises, however, it depends on the core business objective of the enterprise. For instance, cloud application and cloud storage are advance technology where most of the organizations are not aware of it, organization don’t consider much about technology even though Continue reading

Case Study: Tesco’s US Grocery Market Entry

Tesco is currently the UK’s most successful supermarket with a UK market share in excess of 30% and annual profits of some £2bn. It is the world’s fourth largest retailer. The company has developed internationally over the past 10 years particularly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Far East. International expansion is a key element of Tesco’s strategic development particularly as opportunities for further expansion in the UK become increasingly limited. In February 2006 Tesco announced that it was planning to enter the US retail grocery market. Tesco planned to invest around $400m ( £220m) per annum, over a five year period, in its US venture. This was estimated to be sufficient to pay for between 100 and 150 stores in the first year of operation. Tesco undertook detailed market research including visiting shoppers at home to see what they bought and asking people to keep a food diary Continue reading

Lean Manufacturing – Definition, History, Objectives, and Examples

Lean manufacturing is the production of goods using less of everything compared to mass production. It focuses on less human effort, less manufacturing space, less investment in tools, and less engineering time to develop a new product. Lean manufacturing is a generic process management philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS). Lean manufacturing is a technique that allows companies to be more responsive to quickly changing markets and more sophisticated & demanding customers. History of Lean Manufacturing Toyota is often considered one of the most efficient manufacturing companies in the world and the company that sets the standard for best practices in Lean Manufacturing. Lean Manufacturing has increasingly been applied by leading manufacturing companies throughout the world, lead by the major automobile manufactures and their equipment suppliers. Lean Manufacturing is becoming an increasingly important topic for manufacturing companies in developed countries as they try to find ways to Continue reading

Theories of Profit in Economics

In economics, profit is called pure profit, which may be defined as a residual left after all contractual costs have been met, including the transfer costs of management insurable risks, depreciation and payment to shareholders, sufficient to maintain investment at its current level. Theories of Profit in Managerial Economics There are various theories of profit in economics, given by several economists, which are as follows: 1. Walker’s Theory of Profit as Rent of Ability This theory is pounded by F.A. Walker. According to Walker, “Profit is the rent of exceptional abilities that an entrepreneur may possess over others”. Rent is the difference between the yields of the least and the most efficient entrepreneurs. In formulating this theory, Walker assumed a state of perfect completion in which all firms are presumed to possess equal managerial ability each firm receives only the wages which in Walker view forms no part of pure Continue reading