Panera Bread Company Essay Example for Free

Panera Bread Company Essay Panera Bread Company is regarded as one of the largest company in the United States that has specialized in the production of breakfast and lunch food for its consumers. Panera Bread Company which was in the years back been referred to as An Bon Pain is reported to be producing products such as baked foods, sandwiches, soups among other food products and beverages. The company is reported to have been founded in the year 1987 by Ken Rosenthan with its headquarters situated in Richmond Missouri in the USA. The company operates in divisions namely; franchise segments; who are licensed to carry out business transactions in the name of the company and retailing operations; which covers over five hundred bakery cafes that are reported to be company owned and over six hundred cafes which are franchised operated in more than thirty five states. In the year 1999 it was expanded into a national restaurant. Panera Bread Company has struggled to survive the growing competition and to effectively utilize its opportunities by utilizing the concept of company analysis which is very critical in modern business world. The aim of Panera Bread Company has always been to become a market leader in production of foods and beverages globally by diversifying and reaching to many new markets. In the year 2005, the company was ranked top forty by the Business Week in the annual list of hot growth companies. By that year its earnings was projected at $ 38 Million with an increase of over 40% in profit. In the year 2007, Zagat rated the company to top the list of Overall Food Facilities and Popularity rankings. Panera Bread Company is further recognized for its involvement in community events such as silent auctions, runs and walks by making donations. SWOT Analysis Modern businesses are faced with changing business environments and Panera Bread Company is not exceptional from facing such changes within their business context. By carrying out SWOT analysis, environment analysis is very decisive to Panera Bread Company and it is usually analyzed in two extents; the external environment and internal environment examination within the business perspective. Research reveals that the analysis of external environment illustrates opportunities and threats that exist in the market for a firm that may be either present or impending. On the other hand, internal environment examination depicts the strengths and weaknesses that the business may face in the market place (Anthony, 1998). Strengths Strength in this context can be identified as that distinctive ability posed by a firm and if the company utilizes such an opportunity it can succeed and can gain competitive advantage, over its rivals in the industry. The most common strength associated with Panera Bread Company is that of being a market leader in the food industry and particularly marketing of bread. Research indicates that Panera Bread Company is better placed than its main rivals in the market in that it has significantly acquired larger market share which is attributed to its diversification to various countries in the world, for example it has opened many subsidiaries in Toronto, Canada. It is also reported that the company has a strong brand name of its products which have significantly aided the company in terms of achieving a larger market share. The other strength that the company has is that of the best marketing channels that have aided marketing of packaging solutions products to a wider range of customers (Kotler, 1996). Weakness Weakness in this context can be referred to as any dimension of a firm that possibly will deter the accomplishment of set objectives by the firm and usually considered to comprise the company’s resources, capabilities and assets that are not fully utilized. From the company’s profile it can be noted that Panera Bread Company has weak policies, procedures and regulations that may deter the attainment of target performance of the company in some target markets. It is also reported that recently, the employees are not motivated to work and there has been complains regarding low pay and poor working conditions among others although such reports have not been proved. The management of the company should therefore look for ways in solving such problems that may affect adversely the performance of the employees and thus the overall performance of the company. Also the culture of Panera Bread Company has been under scrutiny and there has been allegation that the company is producing loaves of bread which are of poor quality, an issue that the management should look at it seriously (Anthony, 1998). Opportunities For companies to achieve the set objectives, they have to identify and devise events or features in the business external environment that will give them an added advantage or chance of performing better than their competitors. Such an event or feature can be referred to as an opportunity because it will create more chances to the company by increasing the current proceeds through acquiring a significant market share. Panera Bread Company has opportunities that if utilized will be of great benefit to the firm because it will lead to exploring and reaching to more new markets. Research indicates that there is greater demand for bread products in Africa and the management of Panera Bread Company should open subsidiaries in some of those countries after carefully analyzing the situational analysis in those potential markets. Since Panera Bread Company is among the market leaders in bakery industry; it is perceived to be having a well developed financial foundation and thus does not face any liquidity or cash flow problems. It is for this reason that the company should explore new markets and can compete across the entire market without fearing that its competitors can outdo them financially. However, before competing Panera Bread Company should carry out cost benefit analysis in order to avoid unnecessary expenditure (Brandenburger and Nalebuff, 1995). Threat In business context, a threat is regarded as an event which if not taken care of it may possibly deter the accomplishment of company’s goals e. g. customers declining income and competition among other events deemed to causing danger to the operations of the business. Panera Bread Company is basically faced with intense rivalry in bread and beverages products since many firms have opted to join the market because it is considered profitable. In fact, in some market segments particularly in Canada there has been a significant drop in terms of the company’s market share because new firms has entered the industry. Globalization concept has brought about new inventions and Panera Bread Company is faced with the task of coping with such innovations, for example the task of training and development programs to educate the employees on new technologies might be costly and difficult to acquire; such as the use of on-line marketing techniques and networking facilities (Anthony, 1998). Competitive Strategy According to research, Panera Bread Company has embarked on identification of markets that bread products and beverages can do best and it is through this that the company has sold a lot in the target areas. This strategy is normally referred to as segmentation; where the company has avoided competing entirely across the entire food industry but instead targeting certain markets i. e. bread and some beverages markets. Market segmentation will be an ideal situation for Panera Bread Company since competing across the entire market is expensive and considered to entail a lot of risks that the firm cannot sustain for example unfair competition by its rivals in the market (Bagley and Savage, 2006). This will involve Panera Bread Company marketing staff subdividing the existing market into different subsets of clientele where each division may be chosen as an intended market to be explored with a different marketing mix strategy. In essence, target marketing strategy will involve market segmentation which Panera Bread Company will have to find it on the acknowledgment that any segment comprises of potential buyers of bread products and beverages with diverse needs and dissimilar buying behavior. After carefully developing and subdividing the entire market to segments or the target markets, Panera Bread Company should then position itself on how to carry out the marketing activities in order to meet the overall objective of the corporation. Under this; positioning will imply to the formation of limits for bread products and beverages in the minds of the intended market in relation to the rivalry faced. Positioning of any firm including Panera Bread Company is very essential since it forms the foundation of all the communication of the company that comprise the following; branding, publicity, advertising and packaging among other strategies. Therefore it will be prudent for Panera Bread Company to create a single unique position which will operate as a guide for marketing communications involved thus will aid in transmission of steady image (Cullen and Parboteeah, 2005). HR and its Importance Since the mission statement of Panera Bread Company is clear, that it aims at being the market leader of producing bread products and some beverages not only locally but globally it should implement its marketing strategies particularly in the identified target markets. Implementation is putting in to action whatever plan or strategy that the management had formulated and therefore human resource is the most crucial asset in this stage. Research indicates that any company must motivate and provide clear direction to its human resource in order to attain its objectives. Therefore, Panera Bread Company should clearly identify the needs of its employees and try to meet them in order to give them an ample opportunity to serve diligently and be dedicated to the company. By offering a competitive package and offering performance contracts to the employees; ensures that they perform to the fullest because they will be highly motivated to work. Good leadership and management skills will be essential to Panera Bread Company’s management staff in order to command respect from the employees (Hilltop and Sparrow, 1994). Recommendations Panera Bread Company should note that nowadays, it is possible to use e-business through the internet for distribution purposes especially when dealing with international businesses. Digital innovations coupled with rapid growth in new technologies are changing the way distribution channels for companies and Panera Bread Company is able to use such hi-tech communication channels to monitor progresses in the market places not only in USA but globally. The company should further utilize modern entry market modes which such as Foreign direct Investments and licensing in order to build long-term markets in its target markets. It will be possible to also adopt joint ventures which will make possible for Panera Bread Company to gather enough market information quickly and familiarize itself with the laws, regulations and needs of the customers in the target market (Grant, 2005). Conclusion Panera Bread Company is among the current market leaders in the food industry and therefore stands a better chance of attaining a significant market share as a result of the brand name of its bread products and beverages that are regarded to be of high quality. Every business including Panera Bread Company is faced with challenges and it has to fully adhere to market regulations in order to avoid unfair competition. The concept of globalization cannot be written off either since many firms including Panera Bread Company has diversified to various markets and there are threats and opportunities associated with such globalization. Therefore the company should formulate strategies that are considered global in nature in order to meet the current expectations of the customers in the target customers. Such strategies like build, harvest or divest should be considered by the Panera Bread Company when assessing the performance of its products in its target markets. Management functions of planning, directing, leading and controlling should be adhered to by the management of Panera Bread Company in order to significantly improve the operations of the company by achieving the required targets (Kotler, 1996)

Bio Technology :: essays research papers

Tinkering With Mother Nature Imagine thirty or forty years form now. Biotechnology has really advanced. Scientist can now clone people and also change their DNA strands making them better or perfect all around. Do you think that it is safe to tinker with Mother Nature? Is it wise to try and control Mother Nature? Better yet can she ever be controlled? Whether or not she can be controlled is a big of deal. If we can control Mother Nature she will end up controlling us sooner or later. It is not a smart idea to tinker with such a great power that the world has depended on for many years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientist can study and try to do many things but one thing they can never do is control Mother Nature. I believe biotechnology is not really necessary in this day in age. What is the point in trying to clone a person and make them better? This technology can be very harmful to us as well as the earth. Biotechnology will change many things and can ruin the balance of nature. In the short story by Jeremy Rifkin, he states â€Å"Initial fears focused on the nightmare scenario of newly engineered microorganisms escaping from the lab and causing uncontrollable damage to the other organisms in the environment.†(The Ultimate Therapy: Commercial Eugenics on the Eve of the Biotech Century p.542-543) If the balance of nature is interrupted it can cause a lot of destruction. For example if a scientist were to take a species of any type from its original habitat and introduce it to a new environment it will cause the environment to change as well as its balance. The s pecies may eliminate other species causing the food chain to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biotechnology is a great danger to the human species. Imagine people walking around looking like twins but one is better in every way then the other. There is already enough racism in this world why do we need to set new standard of a persons well being in his or her society. If scientist were to clone people they could improve the clone, putting the natural human specie at a lower level of life. There would no longer be natural people all the clones would survive caused by Darwin’s theory â€Å"Survival of the fittest.† These new breeds of human could be programmed from birth to be any thing like ruthless soldier for wars.

GE’s Two Decade Transformation Jack Welch’s Leadership Change Management

Answer 1In April 1981, when Jack Welch became the CEO of GE, US was in recession. There were high interest rates. Strong dollar resulted in country’s highest unemployment rates. In this rapid changing and uncertain environment it was extremely difficult task for him to handle a conglomerate as big as GE and ensure that general confidence among the investors is not lost. His predecessor, Reg Jones, had set the bar extremely high at the company leaving a legacy for Welch to compete with as the new CEO.Also, acquiring new businesses and ensuring that each business unit under the GE umbrella was one of the best in its field was another challenge. Welch was extremely effective in taking over the GE reins. He challenged each to be †better than the best† and planned radical changes across the company. Under his guidance, the company expanded dramatically from 1981 to 2001.He instilled in everyone a culture of innovation and learning, and incorporated measures related to n ew product development, technological leadership, and rates of improvement.He set the standard for each of business to become #1 or #2 or get out of business.Welch categorized business in 3 circles as core, high technology and services and sold off 200 businesses which all together contributed for 25% of sales.Even budgeting process got radically changed and evaluation started against external competition rather internally.Managers that did not fit into or who failed to embrace his strategy were let go. Anything and anyone that didn’t bring value to GE was eliminated.  The most important change he brought in was by eliminating the sector level and reducing the hierarchical levels from 9 to 4.Through downsizing, de-staffing and delayering, Welch modestly increased revenues from $27. 2bn to $29. 2bn.Welch made a varsity team where he wanted managers who were ready to accept change, have a strong commitment towards values and willing to break with old culture and most of all r eady to take lead and bring changes.Answer 2Welch’s objectives:To modify the culture of the company to match the needs of the changing environment and to make sure that each employee embraces the new culture with ease. He created an environment of openness, speed, simplicity and self-confidence.To get the fundamentals right.To create a culture of a small company a place all felt engaged and everyone had voice. A forum where employees could not only speak their minds about how their business might run more effectively but also get immediate response to their ideas and proposals.To increase productivity beyond imagination. He made six sigma a part of the cultureHe focused on locating and developing leadership at all levels of the company. GE employees were being developed, evaluated and compensated based on a demanding evaluation process called â€Å"Session C†.To incentivize stronger work ethics, GE revamped its compensation package by offering more stock options tied d irectly to individual performance for program initiatives. Welch wanted employees to feel valued for their contributions, and highly-compensated for their efforts. Welch based his proposed and implemented changes on proven tactics used by other successful. For eg. Implementation of Six Sigma first stared by Motorola. He realized it was important to develop leaders and break from the conventional to achieve extremely high standards and be at the top, undefeated. So he revolutionized the way GE worked.Answer 3GE defied critics by implementing not just strategies to combat the challenges faced but by implementing a long term sustainable strategy that will be a masterpiece for years to come. Although GE had gone through a major reorganization that contributed to its successes, the changing business climate when Welch took over as CEO required more to be done. Welch realized that overcoming the magnitude of challenges would require unconventional leadership and bold strategies.In times o f uncertainties and recession, the normal course of action for many businesses is to engage in cost cutting strategies, but he believed investments in the right places during hard economic times enables a company to perform better during and after a recession.Right investments at right time: He offloaded all the unprofitable or not so profitable businesses and acquired companies during the slowdown. This was a clever decision since companies can be bought really cheap during recession.GE had acquired firms that enabled it to expand globally and developed global operations that resulted in the company almost doubling its international revenue to $42. 8billionAdapting various strategies which included â€Å"Fix, Sell or Close†. This strategy is an indication that Welch did not adapt cost cutting strategies like many of the companies during that time. Welch ’s goal of making GE lean and agile resulted in de-staffing and reduction of bureaucracy, eliminating layers of hier archical that were bottlenecks to growth.Critics saw the company’s strategy of developing leadership and employee capabilities enhancement as being risky especially in times of uncertainties. However, through the determination of Welch and his team, and the desire for change; the risk paid off contributing to the value of the company. Welch understood that strategy is not about doing things better, but it is about doing things differently through effective decision making and knowing where to compete and how to compete regardless of how radical and risky it may seem to critics.Through the stretch target initiatives, all employees were asked to prove how good they can be by setting and reaching higher goals that were once deemed to be impossible to achieve.Another important value added to the company was the service business, which contributed to 2/3rd of the company’s revenues. With Welch’s leadership GE ventured into new sectors, and did away with ineffective o nes, developed a massive global market that out performed its domestic markets, created a service industry and an E-business.Last but not the least, his introduction of the Six Sigma quality initiatives led to 62% in turnaround time, return of $750million over the investment exceeding expectations along with a forecast of additional returns of $1. 5 billion in 1999. Thus created a large complex diversified conglomerate that continues to defy the critics and grow in performance and profitability.Answer 4According to me Welch set the standard really high for the rest of the world. There was so much to learn from Welch’s leadership. He initiated a change in mindset and was successful in doing it, thanks to his commitment and rock solid attitude. Jack Welch’s mission was to restructure the company in order to become the #1or #2 in the industry. He embraced change, expected his team to do the same, and challenged his team be â€Å"better than the best†. Furthermore t eam members had to have the willingness to take charge, to think outside of the box, and most of all to be team players.Welch fostered open communication and created a culture characterized by â€Å"speed, simplicity, and self -confidence. † Welch never rested on his last success; he continued to innovate and to look for ways to grow the business both internally and externally. He understood that GE’s assets were in fact their people and in turn had to be managed as a company resource. Welch’s unwavering involvement in every facet of the business was essential to all of these directives. Everything Welch did reflected his belief in his people and as he once stated.â€Å"I own the people, you just rent them. † Without a doubt, Jack Welch’s leadership has left a lasting impact on GE and the business world. Welch’s has left a legacy for his successor. The successor will need to establish him/herself and make a name for themselves. This person w ill need to clearly communicate their vision and how they will go about accomplishing those goals. He/she will need to continue to foster open communication in an effort to continue to encourage teamwork. Innovation will be crucial if the company is to thrive under the new leadership.

Does Down Syndrome Increase the Chances of Developing...

Down syndrome is a genetic disease that occurs in people that have 47 chromosomes instead of 46. Does the Down syndrome increase the chances of developing leukemia? What health risks are involved in trying to keep children from getting leukemia? I have personally seen the effects of Down syndrome. There have been clinical trials that have shown the results of leukemia on kids with Down syndrome. The life expectancy has gone up dramatically because of medicine. Down syndrome has affected the lives of many and psychologists are still looking for answers to solve the disease. Children with Down syndrome or what they call trisomy 21 have a markedly increased risk of leukemia in childhood but as later on in adulthood its has less of a chance†¦show more content†¦Other cases that are risks to get AML are following treatments with chemotherapy and radiation therapy from other cancers.( Howlader 2010) Some sign and symptoms that you may be developing AML are a low platelet count whi ch can cause patients to bleed. Any brain or bleeding from the lungs can also be very damaging. The rarest symptom that can cause AML is Myeloid Sarcoma which is a collection of AML cells that form outside that marrow. The way to get rid of this is autologus stem cell transplant along with chemotherapy. (Howlader 2010) Children that get leukemia about 15 to 20 percent are cases of AML. These kids are treated with induction therapy which is similar to what adults go through. After that is all done they follow a rigorous treatment that results in about 80% remission rate and nearly 50%, 5 year relapse free. The ones that are relapsed free are usually cured. (Koreth 2010). Children that are the age of two years of less have a lower rate of remission and less chance of being fully cured. AML is giving doctors and psychologists a very tough time trying to fight off this cancer. They say it’s the most challenging childhood cancer to treat. The outcomes from children with AML ar e going to be slightly different then from adults because of the abnormalities. Chemotherapy has had the best effect at fighting off the cancer which has led to increasing cure ratesShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Myelodysplasia Syndrome1160 Words   |  5 PagesMyelodysplasia syndrome (MDS), is a type of disease that is associated with abnormal cells in the blood and bone marrow. 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