Wal-Mart Plans to Be Greener

Wal-Mart recently announced a plan to make their supply chain greener by 2015. They announced Thursday that they would be cutting "20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain...the equivalent of removing more than 3.8 million cars from the road for a year."

Wal-Mart plans on pushing their suppliers to examine the way "carbon lifecycle of their products, from the raw materials used in manufacturing all the way through to the recycling phase." They are also asking suppliers to "rethink how they source, manufacture, package and transport those goods." Wal-Mart plans to have executives working with suppliers on ways to accomplish this feat.

The article that I read talked about how this will not only benefit the environment, it will also benefit Wal-Mart, which in turn will benefit the customers. These benefits will come by Wal-Mart saving money through suppliers, which will help them maintain their low prices and could lead to even more savings for the consumer. For consumers this is always great news, because everyone wants to save money while still getting quality product.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/business/energy-environment/26walmart.html?ref=business

Toyota President to speak with congress

The president of Toyota Akio Toyoda is planning to testify before congress sometime next week about the recalls here in the United States. Toyoda said "he looks forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people." Toyoda was given an invitation from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which he accepted rather than facing a subpoena.

Is this a wise decision for the company? Will this bring answers to the problems Toyota's vehicles have had? Will he answer how the company is planning on fixing the problems they now face?

Over the last four months there has been a recall of approximately 8.5 million vehicles. They have been recalled because of gas pedal questions, accelerators being jammed into the floor mats, and issues with the brakes on several vehicles. Two of those vehicles, the Corolla and Matrix, have received 168 complaints with reports of 11 injuries and eight crashes.

Representatives from New York and California said that the testimony of Toyoda "will be helpful in understanding the actions Toyota is taking to ensure the safety of American drivers." It sounds like Mr. Toyoda wants to make sure that he can regain the trust of those customers loosing faith in Toyota. He is putting himself on a national stage and will surely come prepared with answers to the questions he will face.

I think that this will be very beneficial for his company. I feel like Toyota will work out the issues and will once again begin building quality vehicles for drivers throughout the world.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700010511/Toyota-pres-will-testify-to-Congress

Advertising Costs A Risk?

This past weekend the National Football League hosted the Superbowl in Miami, Florida. The game showcased the league's top two teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. Fans tune in to the game to watch some of the sports greatest athletes perform on a huge national stage, to witness a spectacular halftime show, and to view commercials. Over the years commercials have become as entertaining as the actual games.

For this year's game it was estimated that companies would be paying an average of 2.5 to 3 million dollars for a 30 second commercial. The question I am asking is, are these advertising costs worth the large sums of money?

As I watched Sunday's game I was curious to see what companies were going to take the risk of advertising during commercial breaks. What kind of benefits does Superbowl advertising bring to a company? Advertising increases value for consumers. When companies are able to "differentiate themselves and highlight their unique selling points, advertising stimulates competition in the marketplace." Advertising can also stimulate economic growth.

With only 30 seconds to catch the eye of consumers companies have to be clever in their approach to commercials. They want to have something that makes consumers want their product and be willing to pay money to get it. After watching some of the commercials I was impressed with some of the advertising. I like Doritos already but after seeing some of their commercials I will more than likely buy Doritos next time I go get groceries. It appears to me that advertising is very beneficial for companies. Advertising expenses are worth the costs.

Team Building Methods

At the company I am currently employed we have much need of team building. Each individual shift is unified with the team members, yet the interactions that we have between shifts is not so unified. I work on a production line Monday-Friday from 3p.m. to 11:30p.m. There are currently three separate shifts who operate throughout the day, a day shift, a swing shift, and a graveyard shift. We have been asked to try and improve the relationships that we have in order to better comply to our customer needs and to insure that our job is completed weekly in a timely manner.
The article that I read said that "regular team building activities can help create a cohesive, productive and happy office staff." Team building activities can happen on a day-to-day basis or once a month. The activities can help the team members develop better "teamwork, cooperation, creative thinking, skill building, strategy and support of other's strengths." One difficult thing with these activities is that it is often difficult for people to be positive with one another. Goals should be set and individuals should all work together to achieve those goals.
One suggestion given was an icebreaker activity, where team members have an opportunity to get to know one another better. I think that this could be a positive way for companies to create better interaction amongst employees. Another important thing is to make sure that all activities take place in a positive environment. This can lead to less conflict and greater participation.

http://www.life123.com/career-money/career-development/team-building/team-building-activities.shtml

Professional Blogs for Business

In today's world there are constant technological changes happening. These technologies can be used to benefit today's companies. People want results and they want results now. With these technologies companies are able to get their product out on the market in a vast, vast area. The internet is used all over the world. With a professional blog, companies can present their company logo and get their brand name out on the market. Their is lots of information that a company can provide on their blog. They could provide information about the company, their styles, and their employees. With blogs clients and potential clients can search through company materials quickly and easily. If these clients subscribe to the blog they are given updates quickly so they will be better informed on improvements and the happenings of the company. Blogs allow you to have a contact page, which "allows your readers to communicate with you. They can use it to express compliments, suggestions, complaints, etc."

As these advancements continue to surface, companies will have more opportunities to improve their abilities to keep clients informed, up-to-date, and satisfied.


http://www.goblogger.net/2009/08/10-elements-of-a-professional-blog/