Saturday, December 21, 2019

Essay about Proposal Network Security - 1217 Words

The organization had just secured a government contract worth millions of dollars. The sensitive nature of the information requires the company evaluate and address security measures. With any network, there are many threats, both internal and external, that can result in loss of productivity, loss of data and even theft of information. I will address several of these threats and propose measures to ensure a protected environment and to mitigate these risks. Vulnerability Assessment Entry to the office area is controlled by physically keyed doors. Employees work in an open cubical environment and have the ability to physically secure paperwork and personal items but not computer equipment. All computer systems run a current†¦show more content†¦A number of building security solutions are on the market that make use of magnetic key cards and card readers that are controlled by a central management and logging system. This allows the organization to easily control access to the whole or parts of the facility while logging access attempts for security audits. Any visitors to the facility should be required to check in at reception, be escorted, by an employee, while on the premises and not be left unattended at any time. Another good practice is too physically secure all computers. Desktop computers usually come with locking mechanisms to insure unauthorized personnel do not steal hard drives or other key parts. Laptop compu ters should be fastened to desks with cable locks to insure they are not picked up and taken while left unattended. Another external security risk is via the Internet into the network. For this, we can place a firewall into service to protect against hackers, denial of service attacks, and other external threats. This will also protect data from being stolen virtually and can also aid in ensuring effective service. Sometimes hackers will get into an email system and use it as a proxy for spam email, this will result in getting added to a blacklist and having emails not get through to a lot of intended recipients.Show MoreRelatedNetwork Security Proposal1733 Words   |  7 PagesJoe Bailey ITS-2120 Network Security Proposal Introduction Fixem Orthopedic Therapy is a physical therapy facility that treats people who are recovering from various musculoskeletal surgeries. The company is based in Southern Maryland and consists of three separate offices: one in Brandywine, one in Indian Head, and an office that was recently built in Waldorf. These offices connect to each other through WAN links, and they are also capable of connecting to local doctors’ offices which allowsRead MoreEssay about Technical Security Policy Proposal for Small Company1064 Words   |  5 PagesTicTek Inc is a small company with about a hundred employees and one facility. The company sells home security electronics online. The devices are manufactured by a third party company and shipped to TicTek, whereupon they are warehoused until they are purchased through the company’s website. The warehouse staff prepares and ships customer orders in the same facility which houses the office staff and management. TicTek has a few major stockho lders, but the majority of the company’s stock is ownedRead MoreRemote Access And Using Extensible Authentication Protocol Essay1129 Words   |  5 Pagesdata outside the office which presents many security challenges. Not only is the end user accessing your network resources and potentially sensitive data, but they are many times doing so from a public network which the admin has no control over and is open to others who may have malicious intent. These connections clearly need to be properly secured in order provide end users secure network connections. 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These bills regularly imply to permit organizationsRead MoreEssay on Access Control FInal Project1199 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ITT Technical institute – isc program Project: Access Control Proposal IS3230 - Access Control Bernard Downing David Crenshaw /2014 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Title of the project Access Control Proposal Project for IDI 1.2 Project schedule summary The project will be a multi-year phased approach to have all sites (except JV and SA) on the same hardware and software platforms. 1.3 Project deliverables †¢ Solutions to the issues that specifies location of IDI is facing †¢ Plans to implement corporate-wideRead MoreModelling Of Scada Networks By Implementing The Dbsy Modelling Method, And Risk Assessment997 Words   |  4 PagesIMPLICATION OF DBSY ON SCADA NETWORKS RESEARCH ADVISORS: DR. PAVOL ZAVARSKY SHIREESHA KATAM {skatam@student.concordia.ab.ca}- ID: 130526 DECEMBER 03, 2014 1 Research Statement This research proposal is focused on modelling of SCADA networks by implementing the DBSy modelling method, and risk assessment. 2 Problem Statement SCADA and ICS are the Critical Infrastructures, Which Operates a number of significant resources including fuel, energy, water, airports, and biotech and run many day-day utilitiesRead MoreInformation Technology And The Health Systems1301 Words   |  6 PagesInformation Technology (IT) Initiative Proposal As the business analyst for the Health Systems, Inc., I had was afforded the opportunity to conduct an analysis on the current information technology systems. Upon recognizing and discovering several issues within the Health Systems, Inc. existing information technology systems, my team and I are preparing resolutions for each and every one of them. In addition to these resolutions, we will incorporate an Information Security and Assurance platform as wellRead MoreThe System Development Life Cycle1357 Words   |  6 Pageswith respect to the IIS and its data. In addition, the security policy should include appropriate procedures to ensure local site data and software are properly managed. The IIS applications such as general reader, general user, and site manager need to be created to support the objectives of the policies (Arzt, 2007). In addition, this proposal will apply the System development Life Cycle (SDLC) in developing information security policy. A. Process: This project will attempt to address privacyRead MoreMetric Multistandard Components Case 3 Corp.: Essay1177 Words   |  5 PagesWith 22,000 customers, 48,800 cataloged parts, and 150 employees working in five U.S. locations and an office in Germany, the last thing John Bellnier needs is an unreliable network. Yet that’s exactly what he contended with for years as IT manager at Metric Multistandard Components Corp. (MMCC). MMCC may still be classified as a small business by some standards, but this small-to-medium business (SMB) definitely has been a big-time success story in its industry. MMCC was founded in 1963

Friday, December 13, 2019

Preparing to Conduct Business Research Res/351 Free Essays

Preparing to Conduct Business RES/351 Preparing To Conduct Business In recent news, Bank of America publically announced its plan to make changes to debit card customer accounts in 2012 (Chang, 2011, NBC San Diego). To date, Bank of America has a â€Å"fee-free† policy on these types of accounts however; new regulations on debit card accounts are a hindrance to the Bank’s ability to maximize return on investments. As a result the bank is considering implementing a surcharge on checking accounts. We will write a custom essay sample on Preparing to Conduct Business Research Res/351 or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the bank must determine if this will affect the attitudes and behaviors of customers. To achieve this, Bank of America must conduct business research. The Research Question When managers use business research a systematic inquiry to aid in the decision-making process. Because Bank of America has discovered the defined the management dilemma, a refinement of the research question is necessary. The information or data collected through exploratory research helps formulate the research question. In essence, the â€Å"research question is the hypothesis that best states the objective of the researcher or the questions that focuses the researcher’s attention† (Cooper Schnidler, 2011, p 83, paragraph 1). Hypotheses and Variables â€Å"A hypothesis is a relational statement describing a relationship between two or more variables† (Cooper Schindler, 2011, p 83, paragraph 1). These variables are designed to show a correlation to each other. The hypotheses are: Bank of America is facing angry loyal customers with the new five dollar charge whenever they use a debit card. Customers may find a new financial institution if the fee is added to their account. Based on the defined hypotheses, variables, and research question, the bank can prepare a research design strategy. Research Design Strategy Before Bank of America finalizes its decision to streamline debit card transaction fees from merchants to customers; it should gauge the attitudes and behaviors of its account holders. Therefore, the research design must be attitudinal research. Attitudinal research uses multiple measurements of attitude across time and environments to improve predictions. The attitudes of consumers must consider as â€Å"hypothetical constructs because of their complexity and the fact that they are inferred from the measurement data, not actually observed† (Cooper Schindler, 2011, p 292, paragraph 6). These attitudes will be assessed on a ranking scale that captures indicators of different dimension of awareness, feelings, or behavioral intentions toward Bank of America. This ranking scale is ideal because it â€Å"constrains the study participant to making comparisons and determining order among two or more indicants or objects† (Cooper Schindler, 2011, p 295, paragraph 2). In the end, Bank managers will need to gauge whether existing customers have a positive attitude toward the bank; whether or not they will develop negative attitudes toward the bank if they implement fee changes, and if the creation of negative attitudes will change customer behavior. Instrument Development Bank of America can resolve management dilemmas by listening to customers. Therefore, customer feedback can be gathered through surveys. By taking surveys, Bank of America will be able to determine the next course of action. Any other type of research tool is not necessary in this particular situation as the survey will provide the information necessary to make a decision. Figure 1 is a sample of the customer survey data collection design. Bank of America Customer Survey| How satisfied are they with the existing debit card services at Bank of America| * Very Satisfied| * Satisfied| * Somewhat Satisfied| * Not Satisfied| How likely are they to become dissatisfied with Bank of America if imposed a $5 flat monthly debit card transaction fee| * Very dissatisfied| * Dissatisfied| * Somewhat dissatisfied| * Not dissatisfied| How likely are the customers use another banking institution if Bank of America imposed a $5 flat monthly debit card transaction fee| * Very likely| * Likely| * Somewhat likely| * Unlikely| Figure One. Surveying Bank of America customers to discover a linkage between attitude and behavior. | Ethics and Sampling To ensure the results of the research are ethical and valid a proper sample design is necessary. A sample design consists of methods, sample frame, and sample size. The convenience sampling method will be most appropriate for Bank of America’s research as it will save time and money. The goal of the sample is to find what is most important to customers and if they would be willing to pay increased fees. Bank of America will have access to every one of their customers by way of banking or ATMs. Surveys can be assigned to ATMs, or handed out at Bank of America locations as customers arrive for their day-to-day banking needs. These samplings will be random. Probability sampling, based on random selection, ensures each population element is a known nonzero chance of selection. This provides estimations of precision and offers an opportunity for generalized findings to the population of interest from the sample population. Thus Bank of America can both conveniently and randomly survey customers. In addition to improving the validity of the sample, convenient randomized sampling promotes good ethical research practices. Finally, the convenience sample method eliminates the need to hire out the survey work or develop research teams. What sampling frame will be used Bank of America’s customer listing will act as the sample frame. This list shows the customers who have been banking with them both past and present. This will give the sampling method a larger pool to gather information to complete the research needed. What is the appropriate sampling size? The appropriate sampling size is achieved by many factors. These factors are the size of the study, population size, the purpose of the study, and the risk of selecting a wrong sample design. The size of the sample must be in a certain criteria such as precision level, confidence level, and the variability degree. In the case of sampling the attitudes of Bank of America customers and their decision to withdraw their accounts from the bank or not can be accomplished by sampling several states across the country. Determining the sample size is very important, it may vary from one to another. In work environment knowing about the sample size before start taking random samples help a lot. To determine the sample size these are the five steps that used in research. Data analysis approach After the data is gathered from the survey, the fourth stage of the research process is put together. The data analysis approach for Bank of America will use a Pareto diagram that is a chart whose percentages sum to 100%. â€Å"The data are derived from a multiple choice, single-response scale†¦the respondents answers are sorted in decreasing importance, with bar height in descending order from left to right† (Cooper Schindler, 2011, p 440, paragraph 2). Result Reporting The result reporting part of the research should be where all the information that everyone is reading in the reports that will better understand the issues and be able to fix all the wrong issues. Reports should be in certain format and shows every bit of research done on the bank. The information should be sent to the head person who takes care of all the paperwork to be analyzed. This report should contain an introduction, about the research, the hypothesis, surveys, and the kind of issues or improvements to improve the bank, and the conclusion on all the information that was gathered from the report. The report can be written in thousands ways. The report could be displayed through a PowerPoint presentation or a well presented paper, hand wrote on note cards. Many varied objects can make this easy for them to review the results to the report. Conclusion Even with the charge that Bank of America will be charging people to use their debit card there will be a large disagreement on whether or not customers will be happy with the business they will receiving from Bank of America. With surveys and interviews to see what the customers think will give the bank something to look at before going through with the entire process. To ensure that the bank will not lose money or customers, they must conduct extensive research to assess the consequences. References Chang, H. (2011, October 1). Bank of America to charge $5 monthly debit card fee. NBC San Diego Online Newspaper. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. nbcsandiego. com/news/local/Bank-of-America-Charge-Monthly-Debit-Card-Usage-Fee-130803293. html? source=Facebook Cooper, D. Schindler, P. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Huff post business. (2011, September 29). Bank of America plans to charge monthly $5 debit card fee. Huffington Post Online Newspaper. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/09/29/bank-of-america-debit-card-fee_n_987304. html? view=screen Richardson, C. (2011, September 30). Debit card fees: Why Bank of Ameri ca will charge $5 for debit card use? Christian Science Monitor. p. N. PAG. How to cite Preparing to Conduct Business Research Res/351, Essays

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Effectiveness of The Use of The Light Gauge Steel - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theEffectiveness of The Use of The Light Gauge Steel. Answer: Literature Review Introduction Cost, duration, safety, environmental friendliness, versatility and sustainability are some of the most essential factors that are considered when choosing construction materials. For many years, concrete and wood have been the widely used construction materials across the world but the above mentioned factors have necessitated development and use of alternative materials. LGS is one of the alternative materials that have become preferred by many stakeholders in the construction industry over the past few years(Keerthan Mahendran, 2013), in addition to hot rolled steel(Celikag Naimi, 2011). LGS is a building material made from cold-formed steel steel that is produced at room temperature, which also increases its yield strength(Lee, et al., 2014). The steel used for this purpose is protected against corrosion by galvanizing or coating it with zinc or a combination of aluminium and zinc. The coating thickness varies depending on the environmental conditions where the structure is be ing built. The popularity of LGS in construction industry is continuing to increase as the world becomes more aware of climate change impacts. However, use of LGS is still low in this industry hence the need to investigate the effectiveness of this alternative building material. This will help relevant stakeholders in the construction industry to understand the actual stability and reliability of this material and identify its potential limitations so as to develop appropriate strategies of resolving them. Background of Usage of LGS Use of LGS in the construction industry was introduced after the Second World War when countries such as the UK, Germany, France and Japan were suffering from a severe shortage of housing(Sutree, (n.d.)). During that time, LGS was used as a cladding system of prefabricated houses. However, these prefabricated houses were poorly designed and later demolished to build brick and mortar houses. Use of LGS was also minimal in those days mainly for two reasons: lack of standard design methodology for LGS and LGS had not been included in the relevant building codes and standards. It was until 1946 when the first specification for design of LGS structural members(American Iron and Steel Institute, 2010). Three years later, i.e. in 1949, a design manual for use by design engineers was made available. Since that time, a lot of improvements have been done on LGS and today this material is used not just as a cladding system but for creating a complete building. This has been enabled by modern te chnology, which has improved mechanical, physical and chemical properties of LGS making it suitable for use in creating structural and non-structural, and load bearing and non-load bearing components of commercial, industrial and residential buildings. Properties and Advantages of LGS High strength-to-weight ratio LGS has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all building materials, making it a strong material to support heavy loads and withstand a variety of external factors, including natural disasters(Ritchie, et al., 2017). This does not only make the building strong and stable but also saves the amount of reinforcement used in constructing the foundation. It is estimated that the performance of 6 tonnes of LGS is equivalent to that of 120 tonnes of concrete(Steel Construction Institute, 2007). This makes it suitable and cost effective for different construction projects, such as buildings, transmission towers and poles, bridges, drainage facilities, highway facilities, etc. The higher strength also allows larger spacing between LGS components, which translates into reduced costs and faster construction times. Non combustibility and fire resistance LGS is generally less resistant to fire(Ariyanayagam Mahendran, 2017). However, many experimental studies have shown that if the LGS is properly insulated, its fire resistance capability increases significantly (Baleshan Mahendran, 2016). Uniform high quality Consistent high quality is another very essential attribute of LGS. LGS components are usually prefabricated in the factory, making it easy to control their quality. The strength, stiffness and quality of the LGS components can be controlled by manipulating the raw materials, production conditions and techniques(Cortes-Puentes, et al., 2016). For instance, strength can be raised by increasing the thickness of LGS component. The fact that LGS components are produced under regulated conditions in the factory makes it possible to produce uniform high quality components. There are also several techniques and models, such as stress-strain models, that have been developed to have a better understanding of the behaviour of LGS components when subjected to different loadings(Quach Huang, 2011). These techniques and models are used to determine the best combination of raw materials and manufacturing conditions to achieve specific quality of LGS components. Lightweight LGS is very light in comparison with other building materials(Tian, et al., 2007). This makes it easier and less costly to transport and erect LGS components. The components can be easily lifted by hand and they require simple tools and equipment during erection. Less manpower LGS components are lightweight and come with provisions for receiving other elements depending on the design of the structure. This makes it very easy and fast to assemble, erect and install LGS structures. As a result, less manpower is required in comparison with building structures using traditional construction materials. Construction speed It takes less time to construct a building using LGS than concrete blocks or bricks. This is because LGS eliminates the time for curing the structure (like it is the case for concrete structures), it is easy to transport and lift, does not require formwork, and mostly importantly is that LGS components can be manufactured in the factory and delivered to the site for erection. Additionally, LGS structures can be erected and installed in any weather. All these reduce construction project delivery time. Flexibility LGS can be shaped into any form, shape or size(Magnucka-Blandzi, 2011) thus giving greater design flexibility(Restrepo Bersofsky, 2011). It can also be insulated and cladded using a wide range of materials. Additionally, it can be modified, remodeled or changed easily at any point during the lifecycle of the building. Resistance to deterioration LGS is resistant to several deteriorations, including rotting, decomposing, warping, shrinking, creeping, termite attack or chemical attack. This improves the strength, stability, safety and durability of LGS components. Safety LGS is non-combustible and fire resistant (if cladded with appropriate fire resisting materials). The material performs better than traditional building materials in areas prone to natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes(Bitarafan, et al., 2013). Because of its light weight, LGS buildings can be designed for high wind and seismic loads. Environmental friendly All components made of steel are recyclable and therefore LGS is recyclable, making it environmental friendly. LGS is environmental friendly from the production stage, where the LGS components are produced through cold-forming process, which does not require heat or energy. During construction stage, LGS components can be fixed using pneumatic pins or screws. At the end of its service life, LGS scraps do not end up in landfills but in recycling plants. The components can also be disassembled for reuse thus reducing waste. This is very crucial in conserving the environment. Cost Many people assume that it costs more to build a house using LGS than concrete or wood. However, the opposite is actually true. Even though the purchasing cost of LGS is higher than that of concrete or wood, the total cost of building a house using LGS is lower than that of concrete or wood. Other trades associated with LGS building lowers the total construction cost. This includes: less labour requirements, less tools and equipment required, lower transportation costs, less waste because of prefabrication, reduced construction time, etc. Disadvantages/limitations Poor sound insulation LGS components allow easy passage of sound hence they should be properly insulated with sound-resisting materials. Fire protection Even though LGS components are non-combustible, they lose significant amount of strength in case of a fire event(Gunalan Mahendran, 2010). When LGS components are exposed to temperature above 400C, their strength starts decreasing(Chen Young, 2007). For this reason, LGS components must be adequately protected against fire by using fire rated drywall or sheeting cladding systems. Areas of applications LGS is used in different areas of construction, including: buildings (used to make a wide range of building components such as roof truss, structural and non-structural members, door frames, window frames, wall panels, flooring systems, etc.), railway (used for making railway coaches), highway facilities (such as flyovers), transmission poles and towers, bridge construction and drainage facilities, among others. Methods of Manufacturing LGS Components There are three main methods used for manufacturing LGS components(Yu LaBoube, 2010). These methods are as follows: Cold roll forming This is a continuous method that is used for creating smooth spiral or level sheets of LGS. In this method, even sheets of LGS are transformed into desired sections or shapes of LGS for the intended construction use. A typical cold roll forming comprises of several rollers moving in reverse direction as the even sheets of LGS are passed through them. The number of rollers used depend on the complexity of the shape of the LGS component being created. Simple sections require few roller while complex sections require many rollers. When the even sheets are passing through them, each of these rollers precisely forms modifications in sheet dimensions and shape until the desired shape and size of the LGS component is achieved. This method is used in production and fabrication of different building components, including individual structural components (such as columns and beams), wall panels, floor panels, roof panels, corrugated sheets, gutters, window and door frames, partitions, pipes, d ownspouts, etc. Press braking This method is suitable for production of comprehensive and extensive small sized products of LGS. The method does not require costly tools and equipment. Equipment used comprises of an immovable bottom bed and a movable top beam. In this method, the applicable die or mould is mounted on the equipment then LGS sheet, bar, plate or strip is placed on it. The equipment is then used to press the LGS roll or sheet until the desired section is achieved. This method can be used to produce Z-sections, channels and angles of LGS components. Bending brake operation This is the method where a metal working machine called bending brake is used to bend LGS sheet or roll into desired shape and size. The equipment comprises of a flat surface where the LGS sheet is placed. It also has a clamping bar that comes down to hold the sheet firmly in place as it is being bent. The clamping action can be automatic, manual or operated by a foot pedal. It is also worth noting that the method used to produce LGS components affects their mechanical properties. Methods of Assembling LGS Building Components There are three main methods of assembling LGS building components. These methods are as discussed below: Stick building method This method is similar to traditional construction method. In this method, LGS building components are delivered to the site in stock lengths or desired cut lengths then screwed together to form the building. Finish and sheathing materials can also be fixed using pneumatic pins or screws(Shi Yu, 2009). This method is labor-intensive and requires many years of training. Panelization This method entails prefabricating various LGS components of the building in the factory (such as floors, walls and roof) into sections or panels then transporting them to the site and fixing them into pre-developed jigs. The jigs are usually fixed with cut-to-length steel joists and studs ready to receive the panels, which are fastened by welding or screws. Exterior finish or sheathing can be applied on the panels before they are erected. This method enhances high quality and speedy construction irrespective of weather conditions. Pre-engineering method In this method, LGS load carrying components are installed at pre-determined intervals then secondary horizontal LGS members are used for distributing wind loads to columns. In other words, this is the method where LGS is used to make framing systems of the building. Once the framing system has been installed, other materials can be used to fill the remaining spaces. Research Gaps LGS is a structural material that has numerous benefits during design stage, manufacturing stage, fabrication stage, construction or erection stage and operating stage(Muftah, et al., 2015). LGS is easy to transport, fabricate, install and remodel, it is lightweight, strong, durable, energy efficient, moisture-, corrosion-, wear- and fire-resistant, and cost effective in the long run. In general, LGS has numerous benefits over traditional construction materials, such as concrete and wood. However, several studies have found that use of LGS in the construction industry has been slow despite this material having been discovered about seven decades ago. Some of the major factors contributing to slow adoption of LGS in construction industry include: lack of knowledge (many stakeholders in the construction industry are still unfamiliar with the properties and benefits/advantages of LGS), lack of training, inadequate fabrication facilities (this has led to high cost of LGS) and attitude (i t is still difficult to shift peoples mind from the traditional construction materials and believe in alternative materials). Lack of knowledge is the major factor that has the potential to resolve all other factors. One of the areas where knowledge is lacking is the effectiveness of LGS. So far, no studies have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of LGS in relation to its application in the construction industry. Therefore it is worthwhile to conduct a study that will establish the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of LGS in relation to strength, structural integrity, safety, lightweight, flexibility, manpower, construction speed, cost effectiveness, quality, non combustibility and fire resistance, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness in construction industry. This information will be very useful in demonstrating the benefits of LGS over traditional building materials, hence convincing stakeholders in the construction industry to embrace this alternative material and increase its use in the industry. Lack of information on the effectiveness of LGS is one of the factors that are contributing to the slow adoption of LGS yet this alternative material is potentially poised to transform and improve the global construction industry. References American Iron and Steel Institute, 2010. Cold-Formed Steel in Building Construction, Washington, DC: American Iron and steel Institute. Ariyanayagam, A. Mahendran, M., 2017. Energy-based time equivalent approach to determine the fire resistance ratings of light gauge steel fram walls exposed to realistic design fire curves. Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, 8(1), pp. 46-72. Baleshan, B. Mahendran, M., 2016. Experimental study of light gauge steel framing floor systems under fire conditions. Advances in Structural Engineering, 20(3), pp. 426-445. Bitarafan, M., Hossainzadeh, Y. Yaghmayi, S., 2013. Evaluating the connecting membersof cold-formed steel structures in reconstruction of earthquake-prone areas in Iran using the AHP methods. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 52(4), pp. 711-716. Celikag, M. Naimi, S., 2011. Building Construction in North Cyprus: Problems and Alternatives Solutions. Procedia Engineering, Volume 14, pp. 2269-2275. Chen, J. Young, B., 2007. Cold-formed steel lipped channel columns ar elevated temperatures. Engineering Structures, Volume 29, pp. 2445-2456. Cortes-Puentes, W., Palermo, D., Abdulridha, A. Majeed, M., 2016. Compressive strength capacity of light gauge steel composite columns. Case Studies in Construction Materials, Volume 5, pp. 64-78. Gunalan, S. Mahendran, M., 2010. Structural and Fire Behaviour of a New Light Gauge Steel Wall System. East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University. Keerthan, P. Mahendran, M., 2013. Shear buckling characteristics of cold-formedsteel channel beams. International Journal of Steel Structures, 13(3), pp. 385-399. Lee, Y. et al., 2014. Review on Cold-Formed Steel Connections. The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2014, pp. 1-11. Magnucka-Blandzi, E., 2011. Effective shaping of cold-formed thin-walled channel beams with double-box flanges in pure bending. Thin-Walled Structures, 49(1), pp. 121-128. Muftah, F. M., Osman, A. Mohammad, S., 2015. Mechanical Behaviour of the Cold-formed Steel Channel Stub Column Under Post Elevated Temperature. Procedia Engineering , Volume 125, pp. 1015-1022. Quach, W. Huang, J., 2011. Stress-Strain Models for Light Gauge Steels. Procedia Engineering, Volume 14, pp. 288-296. Restrepo, J. Bersofsky, A., 2011. Performance characteristics of light gage steel stud partition walls. Thin-Walled Structures, 49(2), pp. 317-324. Ritchie, C. et al., 2017. Dynamic material performance of cold-formed steel hollow sections: a state-of-the-art review. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering, 11(2), pp. 209-227. Shi, S. Yu, J., 2009. Development of Chinese Light Steel Construction Residential Buildings. Journal of Sustainable Development, 2(3), pp. 134-138. Steel Construction Institute, 2007. Handbook of Structural Steelwork. 4th ed. London: British Constructional Steelwork Association Ltd. Sutree, (n.d.). History and development of light gauge steel within the construction industry. [Online] Available at: https://sutree.com/history-and-development-of-light-gauge-steel-within-the-construction-industry/ [Accessed 7 October 2017]. Tian, Y., Wang, J. Lu, T., 2007. Axial load capacity of cold-formed steel wall stud with sheathing. Thin-Walled Structure, 45(5), pp. 537-551. Yu, W. LaBoube, R., 2010. Cold-Formed Steel Design. 4th ed. New Jersey, U.S.: John Wiley Sons.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Strategic Financial Valuation of Carlsberg free essay sample

Strategic and financial valuation has been a large part of what the author has focused on during his studies and therefore the author finds it very interesting to combine many of the theories studied during his studies in practice. The reason why Carlsberg has been chosen as a case is that the author finds the industry that Carlsberg operates in, i. e. the brewing industry, very interesting. The brewing industry has undergone a major consolidation phase during the last 10 years where the five largest breweries have increased their market share from 26. % to 47. 6% in 20101. Carlsberg was not a part of the top five breweries in 2000 but was the fourth largest brewery in the world in 2010, with a market share of 5. 5%2. This they have achieved by a series of acquisitions, most notably by acquiring parts of Scottish Newcastle and the acquisition of Baltic Beverage Holdings in 2008. Carlsberg is a very dynamic company that operates in over 150 countries3. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Financial Valuation of Carlsberg or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is registered on the OMX Nordic, Copenhagen Stock Exchange, and is one of the largest companies in the OMX C20 index4. As a public company Carlsberg is obliged to publish all information that might influence their share price which makes it an ideal candidate for a thorough valuation. And therefore the author would like to dig deeper into the knowledge and theory behind a strategic and financial valuation. 1. 1. Problem formulation Carlsberg? s share price has undergone serious fluctuations in the last 3 years. From peaking in late 2007 at around 621. 559 to dropping to a low of 151 in March 2009 to steadily rise again to 575 in March 20115. 1 2 Euromonitor (2011, p. 12) Euromonitor (2011, p. 11) 3 Annual Report (2009, p. 1) 4 Bloomberg Professional, 2011 5 Bloomberg Professional, 2011 5 Strategic and Financial Valuation of Carlsberg A/S This is a decline of more than 75% followed by an increase of more than 380%. Not only has Carlsberg outdone the OMXC20 index, where it weighs around 7. 58%6 of the total index, but it has also outdone the MSCI index7 by more than 200% since 2009. Analysts strongly disagree as to why Carlsberg has managed to outdo the Indexes so much in the last 5 years. One can assume that the sharp decline in 2008/9 was mostly caused by the global recession where commodity prices rose heavily and investors were afraid that the debt caused by the acquisition of Scottish Newcastle and Baltic Beverages Holding would weigh them down. However, as 2009 and 2010 passed commodity prices rose heavily8, which hit Carlsberg on the bottom line, Carlsberg managed to outdo the Indexes to such great extent. 6 7 www. nasdaqomxnordic. com The MSCI World Index is a stock market index of over 6,000 stocks in developed markets. 8 Graph in section 3. . 2. 4 6 Strategic and Financial Valuation of Carlsberg A/S Why is that? This is one of the reasons why the author finds it interesting to do a strategic and financial valuation of the firm. What are the main value drivers that cause the company’s share price to constantly rise? According to Efficient Market Theory9 (EMT) all information is embedded into current prices and changes in prices are random, and will the refore not follow any patterns or trends. If this theory holds then there must be some significant value drivers driving the company? s share price up. Or could it be that the behavioral economists are right when they argue that markets are not perfectly efficient as EMT suggests? Human errors and inabilities in interpreting market information devalue the EMT as studies have shown that regardless of the available information markets are not completely effective because investors many times do not behave rationally to given information. This tells us that prices fluctuate more due to these human biases than if the market was completely efficient. Given this information, the author wants to do his best in estimating Carlsberg? fair market value by analyzing all major factors that affect the company without any cognitive or any informative bias being included. If my own valuation differs a lot from the market price then some bias has occurred. There will unfortunately always be some subjective assumptions when doing a fundamental analysis so if my own valuation differs a lot from the market price one might question whether the valuatio n has contributed to a more effective market or has been a victim of the behavioral economics.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Door to Door essays

Door to Door essays Door to Door is a very inspiring movie that has much relevance to the business world. In the movie the main character is handicapped. He has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects him in obvious ways. It causes him to have a slurred speech and it makes it hard for him to get around but the man is determined to be a salesperson. Not only does he make it in the sales world, he becomes a top salesman for his company. Many people who had doubted him, now gave him the respect he deserved. The salesman is successful for many reasons. First and probably most important is the way he treats his customers. He is a really friendly guy and gets to know his customers. He is honest and dependable. His customers can and did come to his when they had other problems too. Also he is a successful salesman because he is just a good salesman. He is persuasive and a quick thinker. He knows what to sell and who to sell it to. Also he knows his products in depth and he can answer questions concerning those products. Another reason for his success is his dedication. He put his mind to becoming a good salesman. He faced many set backs also. First was the obvious cerebral palsy. It caused slurred speech and so many customers didnt take him seriously. Also it limited his ability to get around. He could not drive. Also it was hard for him to carry heavy things. Second was the fact that the mangager didnt think he could do it. The manager about took away the salesmans job. T hird was the fact that his mom died. His mom was very important to him and she helped him dress, made him food, and picked him up after he was done selling. This was a really inspiring story because of the amount of success the salesman had with all the factors that he faced. This movie really showed that if you put your mind to something you can accomplish it. You have to realize that your success lies mostly in your hands. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Causes of income inequality in the UK and evaluate the measures that Essay

Causes of income inequality in the UK and evaluate the measures that could be used by the UK government to achieve a more equal distribution of wealth - Essay Example and Scott, G., 2012). The same cannot be said for high manual labor demanding jobs characterized by unpredictable shortages of skilled manpower. These have higher individual income rates than high growth rate jobs. The service sector in the UK which demands for low-skill and has limited trade union cover is the worst in terms of worker remunerations. The sector is often characterized by employment insecurity and unclear job descriptions which vary depending on the market demand, employers’ unique needs as well as personal pressures/ stress/ problems. The effect of globalization has seen an influx of high-skill jobs especially in high growth industries. Persons with unique skills are increasingly getting well paid than witnessed in previous years. Academic exposure has also defined the industrial/ job variations with professionals being scaled depending on their levels of education (Mooney, G. and Scott, G., 2012). This is the main factor determining labor as skilled, un-skille d, manual, automated, permanent, contractual and casual, among other classifications within the United Kingdom. State benefits including unemployment income and benefits from the state welfare are critical in the United Kingdom individual income disparities. This is because the state benefits are directly connected to the prevailing retail prices within the economy and not in any way indexed to the earnings of individuals (Eibel, D., Rockika, E., and Leaman, J., 2013). This explains why relative incomes of people who are state benefit oriented decreases over time. This factor has defined the inflation effect on large families surviving on minimum wage as well as households’ dependant on pension. The third factor in unequal income distribution is unemployment. This affects income distribution in both the short-run and long-run. In the long-run it affects education, quality of labour as well