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Redes Sociales ¿Y tú estás enredado o conectado?

Diego Hernández Campos

Hace unos años formé parte de la comisión de música y animación de la Pastoral Juvenil Marista de México Central.  Estudiante de International Business en la Universidad Mondrágón México en colaboración con la universidad de Haaga-Helia en Finlandia con prácticas profesionales de Marketing en Porto Alegre, Brasil - Búsqueda de Mercados/Campaña de Redes sociales.

Las Redes Sociales

Las redes sociales son espacios comunes en los cuales la gente puede compartir intereses, valores y contenido que tienen en común. Hay que mencionar que las redes sociales son un lugar en el cual no existen jerarquías.  Se crean relaciones entre individuos, entre empresas y entre empresas e individuos. Hay que tener en cuanta también que las páginas de gobierno tienen este alcance. 

¿Qué representan las redes sociales para los jóvenes, hoy?

Hoy en día con la pandemia el estar en las redes sociales, para un joven es como salir a la calle estando dentro de tu casa. Es la manera más fácil de decirle a las personas qué es lo que te gusta, hacerle un comentario a tu amigo e incluso verlo “cara a cara” mediante una videollamada. 

Las redes sociales son un espacio libre e ilimitado de información para cualquier persona en el mundo; esto sin mencionar la velocidad en la cual puedes obtener los resultados que estás buscando. (ejemplo de Google). 

De acuerdo con las redes sociales más populares, es decir Facebook Instagram y Youtube y twitter la edad mínima para tener una cuenta es 13 años. Sin embargo todos conocemos a un niño niña que ya tiene cuenta y no cuenta con la edad. 

La responsabilidad ahí recae en cómo los padres maneja la información

DataReportal; February 2020; 13 years and older; based on ad audience of Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger.

¿Qué nos están ofreciendo las redes sociales en la actualidad?

Estar conectado con una comunidad mundial

Amigos alrededor del mundo en un segundo

Información con veracidad y rapidez

Distracciones

Glamour, moda, popularidad

Comunicación

Una distorsión de la realidad

Inseguridad, políticas de privacidad distorsionadas, espionaje por parte de comapñías grandes

¿Qué influencia están teniendo las redes sociales en los jóvenes?

Una dependencia en el número de seguidores o amigos, me gusta, compartidos, etc... crea un sentido de aprobación ante los demás. Esto genera una comparación entre ellos y las personas que los rodean. 

Interacciones sociales presenciales disminuyen. Muchos amigos en la red sin mucha profundidad en la relación. A veces es por eso que en twitter o diferentes redes sociales te encuentras con mucho vacío y soledad por parte de los adolescentes. Escasean las personas cercanas a ti con las cuales te sientes apoyado.

Camuflajear las inseguridades que posees, y por eso subes la foto en la que mejor te ves. 

Sin embargo todo esto también deja que los NNAJ tengan espacios sin jerarquía para informarse, compartir sus conocimientos, debatir e incluso hacerse notar en el ámbito que quieren. 

Un lugar para expresarse: En twitter eres poeta, en instagram fotógrafo, en TikTok eres bailarín. 

Estudio de consumo de medios y dispositivos entre internautas mexicanos, page 20 

¿Cuál es el conocimiento que tienen los jóvenes de lo que implica hacer uso de las redes sociales? ¿Cómo usan las redes?

Veo mucha creatividad y a muchas personas alcanzando sus sueños mediante las redes sociales.

Georgina Hernández, joven de 21 años que trabaja en el Senado de la República.

Roberto Martínez, un chavo que sigo que ama la fotografía y sube su contenido y ha crecido exponencialmente. 

Miguel Esparza que ha abierto su negocio de entrenamientos personales

¿Los jóvenes están usando las redes sociales como un medio de expresión consciente?

Definitivamente hay jóvenes muy conscientes del impacto que tienen las redes sociales y hay jóvenes que simplemente es un espacio para compartir. No por tener un micro y una cámara puedes hablar de lo que se quieras. Tienes que entender que hay temas fuera de tu área de expertise. 

Gary Vayneer menciona que la mejor manera de impectar en redes sociales es tener tu área de expertise bien diseñada y subir contenido sobre lo que sabes hacer y de lo que sabes hablar, Ahí en ese momento tu generas contenido de valor para las demás personas. 

Si yo quisiera hablar de medicina, nutrición, astronomía, no generaría ningún valor a mis seguidores y gradualmente terminaría siendo un tema muy aburrido sin contenido.

Stephanie Chevalier, January to December 2019

¿Qué no debemos perder de vista al momento de expresarnos en las redes sociales? (Lo que soy vs lo que publico) 

Es imposible tratar de mostrarte al 100% sin capas en redes sociales. Simplemente no se puede pues en la vida real tampoco es posible. Sin embargo puedes generar contenido orgánico, el cual es tratar de publicar contenido genuino, original e interesante sin ningún tipo de filtro. Mostrarte como eres. Aunado a eso también cabe recalcar que desde la perspectiva del MKT las redes sociales personales es una manera de venderte a ti como persona a los demás

1. ¿El día hoy queremos estar En Redados o Conectados? 

Enredados/Conectados

2. ¿Cómo potenciar una expresión positiva en las redes sociales? 

Contenido orgánico, original tomando en cuenta la opinión, valores e intereses de otras personas.

3. ¿Qué impacto queremos que tengan las redes sociales en la vida juvenil?

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Where are the common sourcing problems and how to identify them?

1. How does limited time affect or impact the sourcing process and decision making?

On top of this added complexity, there are business pressures to reduce costs in order to grow net earnings and shareholder value, take on more purchasing volume with less resources, respond quickly to new technology needs from business stakeholders, proactively reduce cycle time for order-to-floor in order to seize opportunities for business stakeholders, and meet global customer demands. 

1. Check Certifications

Many buyers have minimal requirements when it comes to supplier quality certifications. However, suppliers do not always make it easy to view and verify their certifications. Discover suppliers that are certified to your quality standards, including ISO, QS and more. 

2. Evaluate The Geo-Political Climate

While some overseas resources can provide rock bottom prices, tenuous labor relations or political upheaval can leave you without your required product. Take the time to thoroughly analyze the potential for unrest in the areas you will potentially rely on for the success of your supply chain.

3. Gauge Financial Stability

According to an informal Thomasnet survey, nearly half (50 percent) of all buyers have worked with a supplier that unexpectedly went out of business. Don't be caught off guard. 

4. Assess Weather-Related Risk

We have all seen hurricanes, tornados, snow, rain, and drought impact communities across the world. However, the news rarely covers the impact these events have on the supply chain. You do not have the luxury of overlooking this. As you select potential suppliers, identify the weather-related events that are typical to the region and evaluate how they could dictate your ability to maintain business as usual.

5. Align Manufacturing and Shipping Locations To Your Needs

Depending on your manufacturing requirements, you should determine your need for a multi-location supplier or a single warehouse. Obviously, shipping capabilities and associated costs will differ by the number of locations a supplier has to offer. You may be able to negotiate a better price from a smaller business with a single location or string multiple suppliers together to meet your needs.

 6. Carefully Review Product Information

Detailed product descriptions and related info will help you determine if they have the right products for your application. If a supplier has taken the time to provide easily accessible product specs, charts, graphs, and CAD Drawings it shows that they value your time and are willing to be as helpful as possible to win and maintain your business.

7. Ask For Accessible Inventory Information

Having visibility into your supplier's inventory can be advantageous. It is an indication of their commitment to you as a customer and their ability to provide what you need, when you need it. 

8. Know Their Scalability

Determine how flexible the supplier is when it comes to providing small quantity and high volume orders. If you are looking for smaller quantities or prototypes to start out, you will most likely find suppliers that focus on that volume. If you will grow to require extremely large shipments of the product over time, you could easily outgrow your original supplier selection. Knowing what the growth pattern is for the product you are sourcing before you select a supplier will allow you to partner with a supplier that can painlessly scale to meet your changing needs.

9. Check Their Commitment To Customer Service

Expect the best and plan for the worst. Evaluate the customer service provided by each potential supplier. If you are working in a 24-hour lights out manufacturing capacity that could require a call to supplier at any time of day or night, work this into your research. A deeper understanding of the contract language pertaining to their return policy should be uncovered as well. You do not want to be stuck holding the bag. 

10. Get Lead Time and Delivery Statistics

Delivery performance is key to industrial buyers. Ask for their lead time projections compared against on-time delivery rates. If these cannot be provided then it is a good sign that they are not being tracked or are not very good. Either reason is cause for concern.

11. Read Into The Payment Terms

Identify the suppliers that are willing to work with your payment requirements. As the long term need and delivery timelines can dictate PO or Net 30 billing options, don’t be afraid to ask for what you need to run your business appropriately.

12. Contact References

As always, a vote of approval from another business that the supplier is working with can speak volumes about their true abilities. While NDAs can cause some difficulties in this area, a supplier should always have a ready list of happy customers or testimonials — even better if they have those testimonials on their website.

While this is not an exhaustive list of parameters you should review before onboarding a new supplier, it will help identify those you can rely on. Learn more how today's industrial buyers evaluate you BEFORE they contact you in our eBook resource, The ABC's of Making the Industrial Buyer's Shortlist. And if you're sourcing on behalf of a supplier, advertise your business on the Thomas Network for free to put your company ahead of the competition.

 From <https://blog.thomasnet.com/how-to-identify-a-quality-supplier> 

2.  What is SOW and how do companies develop it?

The SoW is the document that captures and defines all aspects of your project. You’ll note the activities, deliverables and the timetable for the project. It’s an extremely detailed document as it will lay the groundwork for the project plan.

It’s one of the first documents you’ll create to lay out the entire landscape of the project before you plan and execute. Because of the great amount of detail required, the prospect of writing one can be daunting. Therefore, let’s break it down into more digestible parts. 

3. How to avoid sourcing problems regarding the different departments involved?

Cultivate Empathy

Having a mutual understanding between departments can make collaboration smoother and more effective.

Encourage teams to “walk a day in the other’s shoes” and see the challenges of other departments from a different perspective.

Help employees understand the constraints and challenges faced by teams from different departments. Cultivate a sense of curiosity to help them learn about each other’s work and even come up with ideas of how one team can improve their process to help other teams become more effective.

From <https://www.workzone.com/blog/9-ways-to-improve-collaboration-between-departments/>

Avoiding being secretive not only in the purchasing department but in the whole workplace is a sure way to keep everything running smoothly. When it comes to e-sourcing mistakes and how to avoid them, it is recommended that you communicate and keep colleagues and different departments in the loop. This helps to ensure that everyone who is involved in the purchase is kept up to date, whether they are the project lead or an assistant.

 From <https://www.qeedle.com/5-e-sourcing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/>

4.  How should the sourcing manager follow up with the procurement process?

 Have a compelling reason to go global

The global sourcing manager should have a fully researched and dependable database of current costs. This is so that the projection of the cost savings that will be achieved through efficient global sourcing is defensible.

Understand the people you are dealing with

Language, culture and behavioral norms vary from region to region and even within countries. Doing business in a foreign language can cause misunderstandings and contractual errors.

Know your cost commitments upfront

A detailed projected cost model helps the forward-looking global sourcing manager to consider more than the base costs but also the add-on costs incurred through sourcing outside a country’s borders.

Be realistic about time frames from source to market

The proximity of suppliers to markets influences transportation times. The global sourcing manager must build in contingency time when confirming delivery dates as there are many world political and natural events that can disrupt deliveries.

Look out for the pitfalls and surprises

Physical hazards to the supply chain are a major cause of concern, according to a recent survey undertaken by FM Global, a worldwide mutual insurer of property risks.

So why take on the challenge of global sourcing?

Global sourcing clearly increases trading risks but with hands-on management and good preparation it can be financially rewarding.

Still have a back-up plan …

Even the best laid plans can fail so have a Plan B. Keys to success are to understand the suppliers’ environment and know the time and financial constraints involved in international trade

Sources:

Thomas. (n.d.-b). 12 Sourcing Tips To Identify New Quality Suppliers. Retrieved May 8, 2020, from https://blog.thomasnet.com/how-to-identify-a-quality-supplier

admin. (2020b, February 6). 5 E-Sourcing Mistakes And How To Avoid Them. Retrieved May 8, 2020, from https://www.qeedle.com/5-e-sourcing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/

11 Ways to Improve Collaboration Between Departments. (2020, February 24). Retrieved May 8, 2020, from https://www.workzone.com/blog/9-ways-to-improve-collaboration-between-departments/

The Global sourcing manager. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2020, from https://www.purchasing-procurement-center.com/global-sourcing-manager.html 

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PBL Mezcal Fuerza de Dios

¿Cómo hacer un Marketing Research estando afuera del país al que queremos exportar?

La primera cosa que hay que hacer es identificar cuáles son los puntos geográficos en donde ya se vende nuestro producto. A partir de ahí, el equipo de búsqueda tiene que indagar más para descubrir el tamaño del mercado potencial y cómo se ve la competencia dentro de ese mercado. 

Considerar cuáles son los riesgos potenciales y las oportunidades que el producto tiene. Los dos deben ser tomados en cuenta, pues pueden ser posibles. No solo mirar el lado bueno, sino también cuál sería el peor de los casos. 

Determinar, en este caso, cuales serían los 5 estados de EEUU en los cuales tendríamos más oportunidad de entrar. Hay que tener en consideración los impuestos que se van a pagar, los permisos, y los tratados de libre comercio y cómo estos funcionan de acuerdo al alcohol. Empaquetado y etiquetado de las piezas debe ser tomado en cuenta.

Después de esto, se debe hacer una búsqueda secundaria en donde se tomen en cuenta datos demográficos sobre el mercado, información sobre la industria. Estos datos pueden ser encontrados en páginas de gobierno o asociaciones de comercio.Cabe mencionar que esta información luego no está actualizada.. En este caso sería de muy buena utilidad Statista ya que tenemos la versión completa. 

Esta página del gobierno americano puede ayudarnos demasiado para saber las regulaciones para entrar al país.https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/exporting-mexico-market-overview?section-nav=4702 

Ahora, mientras la búsqueda secundaria se está haciendo, la primaria empieza haciendo encuestas y entrevistas a distribuidores que son prospecto o a personas que estén en ferias de comercio. Habrá que buscar también si hay algún tipo de reporte por el que se pueda pagar un bajo costo o, si vale la pena, que tengamos que pagar un precio más alto. 

Una vez que se tengan de 5 a 7 mercados dentro de EEUU se requiere un clavado mucho más grande para averiguar información primaria. 

Hay que tener un entendimiento de la competitividad que tiene la industria.. Precio del producto, cambio de moneda en el extranjero, riesgo de crédito. Debemos de enfocarnos también quiénes pueden ser nuestros aliados clave y nuestros distribuidores clave. Ya que no vamos a vender directamente, sino por comercializadora, esta es la mejor manera de poder comercializarlo.

Buscar herramientas de búsqueda de mercados para poder encontrar más información.  

¿Cómo ejecutar una estrategia de distribución eficiente? Tomando en cuenta volumen, peso y embalaje

El canal de distribución es un camino que el producto sigue para terminar estando con el consumidor. Un canal “directo” ayuda a los consumidores a comprar de un wholesaler o un retailer. 

Primero hay que identificar el propio canal

¿Se puede vender el producto directo al consumidor final o tiene que pasar a retailers y wholesalers? Mientras más largo sea el canal de distribución, menores serán las ganancias que obtendremos de ello. Pero teniendo en cuenta que la comercializadora será quien distribuya habrá que informarnos más al respecto.

Considerar la audiencia

Considerar los puntos sobre el mercado de investigación y toar en cuenta donde estas personas compran productos relacionados para así posicionarlos en esos lugares.

Evaluar y adaptar

Vigilar que tanto se está gastando en la logística y distribución del producto. En este caso, también debemos de evaluar qué tan buenos y efectivos son sus distribuidores para entregar su producto. A esto se le llama métrica del performance de logística. Para mantener una sana y buena relación con los compradores alrededor del marco de distribución se deben de correr encuestas de satisfacción periódicamente. Estos para poder medir la satisfacción de nuestros partners. 

Tomando en cuenta estas tres evaluaciones podemos tener una imagen más clara de la estrategia y cómo puede ser mejorada, 

Para el embalaje:

Primario: El que el cliente se lleva a su casa

Secundario: Lo usado para poner un grupo de items juntos como cajas. Es decir el empaque del empaque

Tercero: Embalaje utilizado para transportar y almacenar. Estos son los cartones o los pallets.

Manufactura

Escoge el material correcto de acuerdo al material del que está hecho tu producto. Minimizar el espacio en transporte y almacenaje pero maximizando el valor y gusto del producto.

Negocio

Encontrar un balance entre lo sustentable y lo comercial. ¿Si se reduce el embalaje para fines ecológicos, aumenta el riesgo del producto y su seguridad? Y esto es viceversa. También puede afectar la imagen de la marca. 

Cadena de Suministro

El correcto etiquetado y manejo de código de tu producto ayuda a un mejor movimiento del mismo desde la planta hasta el escaparate. Ayudan también para no generar stock y mejorar el tracking del producto. También debes de tomar en cuenta qué es lo que el retailer quiere que esté marcado en el etiquetado del producto. 

Marca y Marketing

Recordar que el empaque es lo primero que atrae a los compradores. Si dudas de esto, solo recuerda lo que ha pasado con los cigarros en diferentes partes del mundo como en Australia que ha bajado el consumo de cigarro a su mayor expresión en los últimos 20 años.

1 de cada 5 consumidores está satisfecho con el empaquetado del producto. Que sea conveniente, fácil de abrir, que sea respetuoso con el ambiente y que sea atractivo y funcional. 

¿Cómo comunicar en el mercado extranjero sin perder la esencia de la marca?

Empezar en casa

Antes de salir a expandirte, empieza en casa Esto quiere decir que las compañías deben de reforzar el significado real de la compañía. Refuerza a las personas que trabajan contigo con unidad fortificada. Mientras se comparta la misma aspiración dentro de la compañía, no habrá dudas de que se pueda hacer afuera.

Construye una Red Local

Qué mejor que crear una red local de donde quieres que vaya tu producto. Qué mejor ahora con facebook ,instagram y linked-in. Empezar mostrando la marca en redes sociales y grupos de las localidades elegidas. Esto ayudará mucho a la expansión y comunicación de la empresa para crear una estrategia de marca. 

Local Laws

Verificar qué tipo de publicidad se puede hacer con nuestro producto en los EEUU dependiendo del estado en el que se quiera posicionar. Esto no solo ayudará a la marca en el extranjero y no solo será respetada allá, sino también en el país de origen. 

Localización

Se debe de crear un nuevo perfil del cliente, pues son distintas culturas a las ya establecidas en mercado nacional. Recordar que siempre se puede tropicalizar un poco y esto ayuda a la aceptación del cliente al comprar el producto. Adaptar el mensaje, visión y vista del producto siempre será la parte más importante, pues va más allá del idioma.

Diferencias Culturales

Las compañías creen que sus productos son vistos de la misma manera en todo el mundo, pero no siempre es así. Volvo en EEUU es percibido como un carro familiar y en China es percibido como un carro caro y atractivo. Adaptar cómo promocionar tu marca y qué mensaje deja en la nueva audiencia. 

¿Cómo ejecutar una estrategia de Marketing Digital enfocado en el mercado meta y el producto?

Data es clave para encontrar a la audiencia meta. Plataformas de Data Management pueden ayudar a trackear al consumidor con su comportamiento y cookies online. Algoritmos pueden decifrar demográficos, intereses y preferencias. Pero es preferible ya establecer un target demográfico ya escogido con anterioridad para poder compartir posts y hashtags. 

Hay que hacerse algunas preguntas

Are we reaching the audience we want?

If not, who are we reaching?

Is the intended audience responding the way we want?

Is there a similar audience the target can help us find?

Los psicográficos todavía son más importantes que los demográficos. Estos te ayudan a saber atributos de tus seguidores, para saber cómo crear contenido después que hable sobre el estilo de vida, prioridades y actitudes. 

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/04/15/audience-targeting

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PBL Strategic Sourcing

Hi, again! Long time no see

In this occasion, I will be discussing a PBL about Strategic Sourcing. I hope you enjoy it.

What is the decentralized organization of procurement as a department?

The decentralize procurement aims to no seeking approval from other people to gain time in the taken decisions. So each office, or division or project manager has purchasing power with no question.

All the purchases made are selected by the department and those can reach immediate or long-term needs. Usually, the ones in charge are the managers or the division chief. They are the ones who have the last word; not the corporative or the main leaders.

This type of purchasing method, there are no wait periods and decisions are taken straight forward.  If there is some mistake with a damaged shipment, decentralized purchasing can take the decision without going through the while process. 

Because the departments are divided, you miss the opportunity of negotiating and purchasing bulk shipments and that saves a lot of money. 

Normally, when indirect purchases are made, the ones who order are not purchasing experts and they do not have the skill to evaluate suppliers, order the consolidated materials or even negotiate better deals. 

Most of the times, the indirect purchase means disorder and lack of organization while managing data.  And compliance issues may arise because there are no protocols or rules to follow. Just buying if it is necessary.

The firm purchasing data is often lost because there is no standardization and departments deliver information as they want it. 

There are not many companies out there that have the challenge of having a decentralized purchase department. This requires a lot of effort and communication so the company can see the expenditures. 

What is an integrated purchasing organization as a department?

In this case, the integrated purchasing organization is collaborating with the logistics department and according to Material Handling logistics “ Purchasing and logistics can account for 70 percent of an organization's costs and influence 80 percent of its working capital through inventory and accounts payable" (Stank T. 2014). 

When logistics and purchasing are working together because of the efficiency of the department, the complexity is reduced as well as the operating expenses. 

Although purchasing and Logistics department are a crucial part of the Supply Chain Management they work separately and they are often disconnected from one another. Interaction between the two departments should be more formal during the transactions.

Ways of improving the integrated organization

An integrated department should use common metrics throughout the process, the people there should be rewarded for understanding and performing tasks that can englobe the logistics and purchasing activities. 

Decision frameworks should be established to the overall well being of the company so the network does not fail when communicating the working cases.  

Information should effectively flow throughout the supply chain, and there should be clear and flawless information. 

What is a hybrid purchasing organization as a department?

This happens when some purchases are centralized and some others are decentralized. For example, in a restaurant, the company looks for local-grown vegetables and fruits and they look for a bigger company to purchase sugar and flour. 

Or, some companies like Apple that buy and assemble electronics in China and they look for cases in a central source. 

There is no single answer. Companies need a comprehensive understanding of their supply chain economics and logistics, suppliers, and department needs before they can craft the optimal purchasing strategy designed to meet the specific needs of their business at every level.

Purchase Control. (2020, August 17). Centralized vs Decentralized Purchasing. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.purchasecontrol.com/blog/centralized-vs-decentralized-purchasing/

Material Handling and Logistics. (2014, May 27). Business Depends on Integrated Purchasing and Logistics. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.mhlnews.com/technology-automation/article/22050076/business-depends-on-integrated-purchasing-and-logistics

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Economic’s PBL - Exportation Project

Hi, again. Has been a while

This time I will talk about some economic aspects to take into consideration if you are planning to export something; like a project or a real life situation.

The first learning objective is:

1.- How could interest rate impact my export project?

Well, first, let’s understand what is the interest rate.  Interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of principal, by a lender to a borrower for the use of assets. Interest rates are typically noted on an annual basis, known as the annual percentage rate (APR) (Investopedia, 2018)

Interest rate is regulated by big banks , in our case is BANXICO. In the US is the Federal Reserve and in Europe is the European Bank. Each entity has its own bank who control these ratios. 

So these institutions are there to help the economic activity of their countries. The way they do this is by controlling the rates at which the banks can borrow money from another bigger banks.lend money to businesses and people, so they can have resources to invest in what they need to. 

The rates that journals normaly refers are the ones that the national bank impose to all banks so they can borrow money from the large banks. 

This impact businesses because it doesn’t just affect the interest rate, but the mortages, lines of credit and even bonds. 

But if we keep the interest rate low, the effect of this is a high wealthy people and that causes inflation. So, the value of cash falls. 

Banks, since 2008 crisis, have been increasing the interest rate of the countries so those levels of inflation can go down.

In businesses the interest rate could be a great thing or a big disaster. The fix-rate loans will not be affected by interest rate, but variable loans will. Higher interest rate make it more expensive for companies to operate.  So, the profit will decrease. 

 2.- Which would be the consequences if the Mexican Peso devaluates?

An unwanted effect of devaluation, this has been the increase in inflation, through the prices of imported goods and supplies, as well as the increase in the prices of goods produced in the country that replace those that are left to import (as consequence of its highest price).

This happens because the international industries trade with a common currency and that currency is, normaly, the USD or the Euro. So, imports would change, but exports would help better. So the GNP would increase its value. 

3.- What would happend if the GDP falls?

First, the GDP is an indicator between exports and imports without disctintion if the final products were produced inside or outside the country. If the growth rate falls, means that the imports are increasing against the exports, so that maybe our product can be affected because imports are cheaper than consuming within the country. 

4.- Which strategies based on economic factors can be implemented in the export project?

I think that a very good economic strategy that can be implemented is the measurement of the competitive advantge and absolute advantage of the product. If Mexico has a competitive advantage in a merchandise, the country must use that advantage to export that product to another country that doesn’t have that advantage. 

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Openness Index World Internatonal Trade

We have found that in the research that there’s an international tendency to increase the openness to the world, due to the fact that globalization has made a easier to increase international trade.

Most of the countries hava had shown an increase in their openness index. 

Is the world becoming more integrated or less?

According to our data and our research we conclude that the world, in the past 30 years, has grown rapidly in the export and import sector. But due to political and social conditions, we might be experiencing a decrease in these numbers, because countries are taking a protectionist and nationalist practices in the international economy policies. 

Thank you so much.

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NAFTA from a US perspective

Everyone hates NAFTA is the U.S., but it wasn’t always that way. The North America Free Trade Agreement was supoust to increase the exportations and create new jobs and a lot of people was excited about it.

Watching from America’s side. NAFTA changed how Americans eat. One simple example is the avocado consumption. In 1994 the avocado consuption was 1 pound per person. Now is about 7 POUNDS in 2014! And the US production has been flat, but the mexican production went to the roof. They just had avocados in California and Florida. And before the nafta avocados were banned in the US. And the avocados are just a simple part of a whole system. Americans consume a lot of Mexican beer, they eat Mexican mangos, papayas and  pepper cumbers from canada. 

The thing here is that the nation that is good doing something, export those things and interchange them for the things that the same nation lacks of. For example, the US is very good at growing corn and they export their corn to our country. 

But know what happens if there is something that both nations are good doing. The labor cost is cheaper in Mexico than in the United States. For example: SHOES.

Shoes in the United States had a tariff before the NAFTA of 17%. That made 17% more expensive buy those shoes from Mexico. But for 10 years the tariffs were 0%.  That make more profitable to make that good in Mexico and those jobs disappear from the US. 

And that’s the story that is lived right now. Cheaper Mexican labor means more jobs in Mexico and less in the US.  And that doesn’t affect just to the manufacturers in the states, but every business that sourranded the area: Coffee shops, retailers, fast food, and so on. An entire manufacturer town can be devasteded by NAFTA.

The US have a lot of little pros spread all around the country but for a relatively small group of people the hit was deep. 

The thing here is that Americans have cheaper products and maybe products that they can not found easily, and in the other side people have lost their jobs. Was it worth it? 

[diegocampos36]

Venezuela Crisis

Inflation is rapidly spiraling towards crisis levels and everyday economic activity continues to be severely encumbered by a nonsensical system of currency controls.

In 2018 Venezuela's GDP is expected to contract by double digits for the third straight consecutive year. Economic output in Venezuela fell by 16% in 2016, 14% in 2017, and is expected to drop by 15% this year. Meanwhile, after jumping from 112% in 2015 to 2,400% last year, inflation in Venezuela is expected to hit five-digit levels in 2018.

More than 600,000 Venezuelans have already fled their country and sought asylum in Colombia.

Major multinational companies such as General Motors, Pepsi, Delta, and IBM have all reported serious problems relating to their operations in Venezuela. McDonalds continues to operate in Venezuela, in spite of the fact that according to The Economist's Big Mac Index, Venezuela's currency has lost 99.9% of its dollar value over the past two years.

Flannery, N. P. (2018, March 22). Venezuela's Economic Crisis Keeps Getting Worse. From https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2018/03/22/venezuelas-economic-crisis-worsens-in-2018/#7332c4fb1f17 Retrieved August 22, 2018, f

Venezuela is the greatest oil reserver. Its gdp dropped 35% and the 80% of Venezuela population voted to get rid of Maduro. But Maduro did not let the power.

The MUD (Mesa de Unidad Democrática) fought for the majority of the national assembly. In 2015 the Venezuela Supreme Court guided by Maduro filled those positions with people that was close to Maduro.  And then the supreme court closed the national assembly in March 2016.

In 2017 Maduro created the National Constituent Assembly to substitute the National Assembly  to write a new constitution.

When Chavez was the prsident of Venezuela, he sustained a model based on the revenues of the oil. He changed the Venezuelan poverty rate from 60% to 27% of poors in the country. Food subsidies, Health care programs and improve education.

When in 2014 the pirices of the oil dropped, the medicines and food were not affordable any more by the Venezuelan population.

When Maduro made his political campaign, he established a exchange rate of 10 Bolivars per dollar in his government rate. But, now, this is about 12,163 Bolivars per dollar in the whole population. The thing that they do is that the government buys the dollars and then they sell it in the black market with a sale profit.

Because of this, political allies and militaries this is a great opportunity taken from the crisis.

Now the people voted for taking Maduro out of the power, but the president called a new assembly and won for a new constitution.

The international community condemned the election and the US imposed financial sanctions on the Venezuelan leader.

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PBL Finland - 3rd closing

1.-  How to organize an effective pitch?

Less is always more. An elevator pitch is vital. Verbose presentations and lengthy explanations will not impress investors, and most likely will turn them off. Present your business in a manner that's short, sweet and to the point.

Never hypothesize. Execute, execute, execute.

Inspire confidence with facts, not fiction. Most investors seek out low-risk businesses with proven managers that are as close to guarantees as possible

Leave the hockey sticks on the ice.

Excite investors about your big picture, but be reasonable and responsible. Avoid hockey stick projections. Respectable investors will not take you seriously if you present them with nonsensical financial graphs that claim your company's revenues will grow from $100,000 to $50 million in three years. 

Learn to love discount stores.

Being cheap is chic. In an age where spending is out of control, you'll need to prove that you are a fiscally responsible manager who knows how to get the most out of a buck. Give yourself wiggle room in your operations and marketing budgets, but avoid being excessive.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Your business won't be either.

Investors are wary of funding over-eager businesses that seem destined to bite off more than they can chew. Before asking for millions of dollars to fund 50 divisions and hundreds of product lines, prove how well you can create, manage and fulfill demand for a single product.

Choose not to be the smartest person in the room.

Know what you know, know what you don't know and find the people who know what you don't know. Build a team of credible experts. The smartest leaders in the world are those who surround themselves with smarter people.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201826

2.-  What characteristics do you need for an effective pitch?

Focus Your Delivery

Most founders think the contents of their sales pitch is the biggest determining factor of the investment. In other words, making investors believe in the mission and product will lead to funding.

Dial Down Your Enthusiasm

According to common wisdom, you should be energetic and passionate about your product. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, how will the buyer?

Trust Is Crucial

We’ve always stressed the importance of credibility, but it turns out winning your prospect’s trust might be even more significant than we knew.

Add some humor. Laughing makes entrepreneurs likelier to get funding. During your sales call, demo, or presentation, crack a joke or two. It will make you look more confident and help you build rapport with your audience.

Highlight mutual connections. Founders who mentioned friends they have in common with the VCs were more successful. If you don’t have any shared contacts, bring up mutual customers or the other companies in their space using you.

Avoid being overly emotional or expressive. When founders were too warm, expressive, or emotional, their chances of success went down. With this in mind, try to be assertive and relatively neutral.

https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/characteristics-of-successful-pitches-research

3.- How to blend with networkers?

1. Admit You Don’t Have All the Answers

The first thing you need to do is admit that you don’t know everything. So instead of reinventing the wheel or trying to solve something the hard way, tap into your network.

2. Make Sure to Give Rather Than Just Take

You will likely to meet with resistance from industry colleagues who are as busy as you or who don’t always recognize the benefits of networking. That’s why you build your network before you need something. Give help first so that it is easier to get help later on when you need it.

3. Help Even Your Competitors

Even if you are in organizations that compete, it is often in your organization’s best interest to work with others in the same industry rather than keeping your distance. You can help each other reduce costs, find service providers and suppliers, or solve issues in ways that are not at each other’s expense or proprietary to your business.

4. Leverage Your Association

Industry associations exist to advance the industry and help members advance their careers. When you need to find solutions or get advice about issues and problems you might be having, your industry association can be an excellent resource.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2016/09/11/the-4-habits-of-highly-effective-networkers/#40d58e13d6b7

Thank you for reading! Have a nice day and hyva yotaa!

Kiitos!

[diegocampos36]

3rd PBL - SCM

In this PBL we will see the subject called “Reverse logistics and customer service”. Hope you like it.

How to plan an organized reverse logistic system to give a good customer service?

1.- How does reverse logistic works?

Reverse logistics stands for all operations related to the reuse of products and materials. It is “the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal.

Reuse of products and materials is not a new phenomenon, waste paper recycling, deposit systems for soft drink bottles, and metal scrap brokers are all examples that have been around for a long time. However, reverse logistics as a research field is relatively new.

Many organizations and individuals have tried to define Reverse Logistics. We refer to the term "reverse logistics" as all activity associated with a product/service after the point of sale, the ultimate goal to optimize or make more efficient aftermarket activity, thus saving money and environmental resources.

http://www.reverselogisticstrends.com/reverse-logistics.php

http://cerasis.com/2014/02/19/what-is-reverse-logistics/

2.- How to keep an effective communication in the reverse logistic system?

The most critical factors in a successful reverse logistics program include customer service, understanding and expediting movement, warehousing, decision-making and assessment, and final disposition.

In Customer Service

Customer service is the most critical part of the reverse logistics process because of the constant interaction ensuring customer satisfaction.  Service areas are critical components, being a clearinghouse for information that can be used to identify new opportunities for continual process improvements across the enterprise.

Managing customer relationships through a mixture of distinct ways to offer convenience, reliability and support is a critical differentiator to develop new organic business growth. More importantly, customer service identifies the reason for the return while providing superior service, help managers at appropriate destinations prepare for the return to expedite handing.

Processes and Procedures

A company must transform the workforce, communicating the commitment to meet reverse logistics objectives identified in the decision making and assessment processes identified.

Developing rules, procedures, instructions, and communications that are applied consistently throughout the enterprise is critical to controlling and automating the returns process

In developing the decision tree to manage returns, it is critical to understand five basic questions that are the backbone of process development.  

https://reverselogisticstalk.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/importance-of-communicating-processes-in-reverse-logistics/

3.- What are the advantages of having a RL budget?

Allows a trader to receive products back from the consumer or send unsold merchandise back to the manufacturer to be taken apart, sorted, reassembled or recycled; minimising overall costs for an organisation.

Reverse logistics can be valuable in increasing product lifecycles, supply chain complexity, maintainable practices and consumer preferences; which have to be improved on to maintain productivity and growth.

Gains can include; increasing speed of production, reducing costs (transportation, administrative, and aftermarket maintenance, repair and replacement), retaining customers by improving service goals and meeting sustainability goals.

More value can be extracted from used/returned goods instead of wasting manpower, time and costs of raw materials involved in the original supply chain.

Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty by paying more attention to faulty goods, and repairs of merchandise.  Reverse logistics can include gaining feedback to make improvements and to improve the understanding of real reasons for product returns

http://www.aalhysterforklifts.com.au/index.php/about/blog-post/advantages_of_reverse_logistics_5_reasons_it_should_be_implemented

4.- How to apply the 3 R’s in a reverse logistic process?

Reduce:

You’ll obviously save a tremendous amount of money if you could stop or reduce the amount of returns you are currently taking back. Some companies calculate that the cost of running their own reverse logistics operation is equal to 5% or 6% of sales – so they offer a 3% up front discount to their sales channel if they agree to a policy of no returns. This is highly effective but consequences may not outweigh the benefits: you are now allowing retailers to liquidate product without concern for your brand.

Reuse:

As I mentioned in my previous post you should identify which products have excellent potential to be sold as refurbished. A suitable product would have excellent market demand and you can safely invest dollars in repairs, cleaning and repackaging to gain a higher value recovery, net of refurbishing costs. Refurbishing takes longer to realize your recovery and requires more management oversight but should be considered if value is prioritized over expediency.

Recycle:

To glean the most money from the recyclers that buy your salvage you need to have a thorough understanding of all materials contained in each product. Be sure to compare the price per ton you’re getting from a whole unit versus doing a partial tear down so you can market plastic, steel, copper and electronics components separately. Keep in mind each solid material or gas may have a different value. You’ll need to decide if you want to handle the process in-house or are willing to give up a few dollars of value to let the recycler deal with breaking it down into different materials.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reverse-logistics-triage-process-starts-3-rs-paul-busch/

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SCM - PBL Trigger 2

In the next guide line you will have some information about the new ways of competing in new markets.

1.- How to compete in new markets?

According to forbes magazine there are 5 basic steps to follow in case you need to expand to the international market.

1.1 Educate yourself on the customs and business etiquette of the international market. Country’s history,  proper way to greet someone, times for lunch, etc...

1.2   Gather historical data on the country’s currency value fluctuation and import/export timelines. It is very important because you need to calculate the difference between your currency and other’s currency.

1.3  Become an expert on the country’s laws governing business. Have an expertise in the subject. Look for the new terminology, laws and contracts

1.4 .  Conduct focus groups to test the waters in the prospective international market.  Studying these countries, including their professional and personal customs, will ensure that you conduct yourself in a respectful way.

1.5  Find out what your competition has done in the same territory.  Has one of your competitors tried to enter this market before? What obstacles did they face? How did they approach the new market?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2011/09/22/a-5-step-primer-for-entering-an-international-market/#575e3b2b50a0

2.- How to adapt your logistics to outbound markets?

In the BR Williams website, an important logistics consultory, validate some aspects that we may found pretty interesting.

Order Entry, Adds, Changes, and Deletions

The first steps of an outbound system is to validate orders, check for errors or duplications, and handle exceptions immediately.

Making these logistics services available to customers is the number one reason why real-time reporting is crucial to the outbound process.

Replenishment and Product Picking

Pick pre-requisite requirements and scheduling logistics services and activities to be completed before the corresponding pick tasks.

Your picking process should be unique due to the nature of different businesses, industries, and clients. 

Order picking

Line picking

Cluster picking

Batch picking

Zone picking

Label-based picking

Paper-based picking

Packing, Staging, Checking, and Loading

Packing is arguably the most important logistics services involved in the outbound process.

If this step isn’t managed flawlessly, completed shipments and arrival times can be compromised and the reputation of the business will be at stake.

Once all shipments are loaded and ready to go, a warehouse coordinator should be automatically updated, and a warehouse associate should be directed to load your order onto a trailer.

Shipping and Document Generation

The last step to a successful outbound process is shipping the product to its final arrival place and creating a log of the process for your records.

This is another important reason to use trucking companies who utilize a WMS (Warehousing Management System). If every step has been recorded throughout the process, the final reporting is essentially already complete.

https://www.brwilliams.com/logistics-services-key-successful-inbound-outbound-process/

3.-  Is it important to have an International Out Sourcing Losgistics System?

The outbound logistics from your production sites or warehouses is of crucial importance as it impacts your customers’ satisfaction. GEODIS supports you with a full range of services, including high value-added operations, that enable you to react rapidly to changes in the market and to make your logistics more reliable all the way to the final delivery point. You will optimize not only the management of your stocks, but also the distribution of your products, while better controlling your logistics costs.

IOSLS can offer: Quality control of incoming goodsInventory management, cross-docking, consolidationOrder picking adapted to the sales channelCustomization of e-commerce orders :OverpackingCustoms operationsManagement of distribution networks :In-store deliveryWhite glove deliveryHome delivery with or without appointment :Drop shipmentOrder and payment services (in the Benelux)Returns management, quality control, optimizationCall centre services to support special operationsSpecial packaging, gift wrapping, removal of price labels, product wrapping in silk paper, repackaging…Parcel, express, single package, specialized distribution, drop-off points, pick-up locations with lockerTeams of two persons for special home delivery activities

https://www.geodis.com/outbound-logistics-@/en/view-6189-article.html/2103

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SCM - PBL 1st Trigger

At this PBL we are going to talk about the outsourcing companies that help with the logistics. We will discuss our results the 08/03/18

1.- How does outsourcing can modify an already established logistics strategy?

According to Forbes Magazine, outsourcing is also different from offshoring, which involves contracting work overseas. Any project that you opt against completing in-house falls into the realm of outsourcing. So – how can you strategically build outsourcing into your business plans? The guide below can help you decide how and when to outsource for best results.

Outsourcing ultimately requires trust. Handing over various aspects of supply chain operations to a partner can be difficult for organizations that do not typically view their suppliers as cooperative partners. Entering a relationship with a 3PL company is like handing over your wallet to a business associate.  Do you trust that your cash, credit cards, and family photos will be intact when you ask for it back?

Adoption of just-in-time principles in the 1970’s and 1980’s drove smaller order sizes with increased frequency, lower inventory levels, and a greater need for order assembly activities occupying the space made available by inventory reductions.

The outsourcing decision for any one of these logistics services must be examined frequently (as the business and logistics environment is changing perpetually) and carefully (since it is typically more difficult to re-insource an activity).

Proven 3PL providers support your industry or support businesses with similar operational attributes AND

Economies of scope and scale are available for a 3PL AND

3PLs potentially have a significant cost (-20%) and service advantage AND

Outsourcing will fill operational performance gaps AND

Outsourcing will not directly impact customer communications and relationships AND

The 3PLs have a better warehouse management system or can effectively operate using your existing WMS( Warehouse Management System)

http://www.crimsonandco.us/white-papers/logistics-outsourcing-is-it-right-for-your-business/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckcohn/2015/03/19/strategic-ways-to-outsource-and-when-to-do-it/#30d8083a2fcb

2.- How to plan outsourcing logistics in order to improve customer service?

  Many of our clients put their heart and soul into providing a great customer service, but too many obstacles keep preventing them from achieving this rewarding goal. Excelling at customer service requires a whole-of-company effort with everyone ‘reading off the same page’. 

Step 1: Identify customer types & where to investigate

Understand who your customers are and how you serve them

Identify internal customers and external customers

Step 2: Conduct internal & external customer satisfaction interviews

Really get to know your customers well, their likes, dislikes, irritations, wishes and preferences

Identify issues, risks and the significance of issues and risks from the customer’s perspective (both internal and external)

Step 3: Measure current state performance of each customer service process

Identify the current level of performance in comparison to your targets

Identify performance that is achieving targets

Step 4: Process map each customer service process requiring improvement

Fully understand each step in each customer service process from a people, activity and technology perspective

Step 5: Benchmark against similar ‘best practice’ companies or processes

Understand why other similar ‘best practice’ companies or processes are operating at ‘best practice’

Step 6: Identify improvement opportunities for each customer service process

Improve customer service processes that result in retaining existing customers and attracting new customers

Increase the capacity of the company to be able to serve more customers to increase revenue

Step 7: Develop an implementation plan

Plan how improvements will be implemented over a period of time in order of priority

Identify requirements for resources, timing, equipment, purchases, training and cost of implementation

Step 8: Establish a 6 month performance measurement & improvement plan

Improvement initiatives implemented in bite-size chunks helps to maintain momentum, morale and achieve quick wins

Establish incremental performance targets per month to maintain the momentum and focus on continuous improvement

Step 9: Conduct ongoing Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Identify whether internal customers and external customers are happier with the service

Identify their level of satisfaction, whether service has improved and how it has improved

Step 10: Embed a continuous improvement culture within the organisation

Meet your customer’s needs and wants in a timely manner in order of criticality and risk

Ensure improvements are made on a daily basis

http://www.supplychainmanager.com.au/10-simple-strategies-to-improve-customer-service/

How do we apply security protocols in Outsourcing Logistics?

In recent years, the trucking industry has been noticing an increase in criminal activity that has become a cause for concern. Trucking companies and freight forwarders have been faced with an increase in thefts and tampering, even armed robberies. Even the best carriers are now forced to confront these unpleasant issues in order to reduce risks for their clients and employees and avoid unwanted costs.

PHYSICAL SECURITY

Maintaining secure facilities is vital in reducing the risk of criminal activity. Alarm systems are needed to prevent break-ins and theft, and the sophistication of these systems should increase with the value of the goods inside. Elements like motion detectors and video surveillance are needed for high-target products.

CARGO SECURITY

In order to reduce threats to freight outside the warehouse, companies should pay particular attention to appearances. It is recommended that freight be packaged in an inconspicuous manner to maintain a low profile. This could involve simple boxes or minimal branding. For security purposes, cargo should be sealed and boxes should be banded to the shipping pallet. Vehicles should have GPS systems and various locks.

EMPLOYEES

Experts from Inbound Logistics note that product disappearance is a leading cause of loss in warehousing facilities, and around 80% of these incidents are employee-related. These statistics are unacceptable and cause additional costs and delays throughout the supply chain.

All new hires that might come into contact with merchandise should undergo screening and background checks, and all employees should be subject to periodic drug tests. The company should conduct training to educate new hires about security protocols. Periodic training should also be held for existing employees to ensure that everyone has a consistent understanding of security protocols.

PARTNERSHIPS

Establishing strong partnerships with other companies is essential when transporting shipments across an expansive nation. That said, maintaining these partnerships requires significant communication and trust. Companies should be cautious when selecting business partners in order to mitigate risk.

PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS

For companies with available resources, numerous companies provide supply chain security services, such as professional analysis and guidance, software and tools, and comprehensive training programs.

https://www.insticologistics.com/supply-chain-security/

[diegocampos36]

Entrepreneurship - PBL 2

In the next text, I will summarize 3 important questions of the PBL session that talks about “How does business impact in social issues?”

1.- How can we classify companies in their social issues impact?

Recognizing how important social responsibility is to their customers, many companies now focus on and practice a few broad categories of CSR:

1. Environmental efforts: One primary focus of corporate social responsibility is the environment. Businesses regardless of size have a large carbon footprint. Any steps they can take to reduce those footprints are considered both good for the company and society as a whole.

2. Philanthropy: Businesses can also practice social responsibility by donating money, products or services to social causes. Larger companies tend to have a lot of resources that can benefit charities and local community programs.

3. Ethical labor practices: By treating employees fairly and ethically, companies can also demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. This is especially true of businesses that operate in international locations with labor laws that differ from those in the United States.

4. Volunteering: Attending volunteer events says a lot about a company's sincerity. By doing good deeds without expecting anything in return, companies are able to express their concern for specific issues and support for certain organizations.

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4679-corporate-social-responsibility.html

By Nicole Fallon

2.- How can be aware of benefits with the share value?

The term “shared value” is the concept that a company can enhance its own competitiveness while simultaneously alleviating social problems in the communities where it operates. What differentiates shared value from other initiatives is that it is far more sustainable than simply writing a check, than more traditional philanthropy, according to Kathy Mulvany,  Cisco Corporate Affairs Senior Director. 

One of the most important elements of shared value is building strategic relationships. The world today faces some major social challenges that cannot be addressed by one stakeholder alone. Business, governments, and nonprofits need to work together to create organizations and communities where people can thrive.

https://blogs.cisco.com/csr/shared-value-benefits-society-and-business

“Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or sustainability, but a new way for companies to achieve economic success.” Michael E. Porter and Mark Kramer, “Creating Shared Value,” Harvard Business Review

Shared value is a management strategy in which companies find business opportunities in social problems. While philanthropy and CSR focus efforts focus on “giving back” or minimizing the harm business has on society, shared value focuses company leaders on maximizing the competitive value of solving social problems in new customers and markets, cost savings, talent retention, and more.

http://www.sharedvalue.org/about-shared-value

3.-How does shared value impact in social issues?

Are companies maximising shared value opportunities? Are they getting the best return on shared value investments? How do they know?

Easy answers to these questions don't currently exist. Companies need guidance on measuring shared value – a management approach that validates and quantifies shared value strategies and unlocks further value creation.

The purpose of shared value measurement is to measure joint business and social value creation in order to unlock new value creation. It is intended for management to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation. Of course some overlap exists between shared value and other social measurement approaches – some CSR/sustainability efforts create shared value (e.g. reducing energy use cuts costs and reducing CO2 emissions) and some corporate philanthropy efforts can strategically incubate or catalyse shared value – but the starting point for each type of measurement is fundamentally different.

The holy grail of shared value measurement is measuring and understanding how progress on a social issue links to greater business value creation and then using that data to make better management decisions . For example, Novo Nordisk's insulin market strategy in China applied measurement to unlock future value by understanding what physician training models drove greater rates of diabetes diagnosis, treatment, and care and, ultimately, a larger market for Novo Nordisk's products.

Evaluation and measurement can be daunting, expensive, and time consuming. And when a business strategy is on the line, you don't have time to wait for results of a randomised control trial to understand how to refine your activities. So, our counsel to companies is to approach shared value measurement with the same pragmatism with which you manage other elements of your business.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/shared-value-measuring-impact-social-problems

[diegocampos36]

Entrepreneurship PBL - 1

In the next information, you will see the 1st topic of the Entrepreneurship PBL. I will mention processes that will encourage you to start up a business.

1.- How to recognize a profitable business idea?

If you’re like most people,  throughout your life a few great opportunities will land on your doorstep. And again, if you’re like most people, you’ll  ignore these rare opportunities because you won’t recognize them as great chances for success.

Don’t feel bad;  even people in the opportunity recognition business – including prominent venture capitalists – miss out on great opportunities.

I will mention 4 steps to recognize a business idea:

1.1- It won’t be perfect

The ideas that will develop into great opportunities tend to be fully thought out when you hear them. But they aren’t perfect. Not at the beginning, in the middle or at the end. Your ability to see the imperfection shouldn’t blind you to the larger possibilities.

Does it sound like it could be a big idea?  If no, don’t bother looking any further.  But if the answer is yes, accept the reality that  there  will be obstacles between the current moment and  achievement of the imagined goal.

1.2- The future is built with today’s tools not tomorrow’s tools 

The great innovations of tomorrow are usually built with today’s technologies in new combinations.

For that matter, don’t focus your evaluation of an opportunity on what’s missing like the big technology step forward or novel process. Look at what is present today. Because the big breakthrough is rare, and  you must focus on what’s present.  

1.3- Appreciate the evolution of previous failures

Failed attempts at an idea are more a testament to the value of the idea rather than a repudiation. In fact, most great opportunities aren’t realized on the first attempt of an idea’s execution but rather as the perfected evolution of previous failures.

When Youtube.com got going in the summer of 2005, it had no less than 30 comparable competitors. Failures in the video sharing website genre go back to ZoomCulture.com in the fall of 1999. YouTube perfected their  formula by making videos easy to upload and discover; but more importantly, by allowing other websites to embed the videos, Youtube  broke through to widespread distribution.  And with wider distribution, Youtube became the winner.

In order to fairly assess an opportunity, you must examine the causes of preceding failures.

1.4- Timing can be everything

The single most powerful question you must ask yourself about an opportunity related to timing. Is right now the right time for this idea? There are a lot of great ideas that don’t become great opportunities until the time is right for them.

You will find analogous failures for every opportunity you ever consider deeply. If you can’t comprehend why they failed, you will be ill equipped to evaluate the modern day equivalent. But the truth is, thanks to accessibility of people and their stories, you usually can find something, somewhere wherein the founders detail those causes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/opportunity-doesnt-knock-it-whispers-2010-11

2.- What types of investments exists?

There are 2 types of different ways to invest in a small business. I will talk about a small businesses because the PBL talks about a small investment.

Investing in a small business has, is, and most likely will always be one of the most popular ways individuals and families begin their journey to financial independence; a way to create, nurture, and grow an asset that, when intelligently run under the right conditions, throws off surplus cash to provide not only a good standard of living but to fund other investments.

Whether you are considering investing in a small business by founding one from scratch or buying into an existing company, there are typically only two types of positions you can take: Equity or Debt.  Though there may be countless variations, all investments come back to those two foundations.

Equity Investments in Small Businesses

When you make an equity investment in a small business, you are buying an ownership stake - a "piece of the pie."  Equity investors provide capital, almost always in the form of cash, in exchange for a percentage of the profits and losses.

The business can use this cash for a variety of things, including funding capital expenditures to expand, running daily operations, reducing debt, buying out other owners, building liquidity, or hiring new employees.

For example, if you kick in $100,000 in cash and other investors kick in $900,000, totaling $1,000,000, you might expect 10% of any profits or losses because you provided 1/10th of the total money.

An equity investment in a small business can result in the biggest gains, but it comes hand-in-hand with the most risk.  If expenses run higher than sales, the losses get assigned to you.  A bad quarter, or year, and you might see the company fail or even go bankrupt.  However, if things go well, your returns can be enormous.

Debt Investments in Small Businesses

When you make a debt investment in a small business, you loan it money in exchange for the promise of interest income and eventual repayment of the principal.  Debt capital is most often provided either in the form of direct loans with regular amortization or the purchase of bonds issued by the business, which provide semi-annual interest payments mailed to the bondholder.  

The biggest advantage of debt is that it has a privileged place in the capitalization structure.  That means if the company goes bust, the debt has priority over the stockholders (the equity investors).  Generally speaking, the highest level of debt is a first mortgage secured bond that has a lien on a specific piece of valuable property or an asset, such as a brand name.

Which Is Better: An Equity Investment or a Debt Investment?

As with many things in life and business, there is no simple answer to this question.  If you had been an early investor in McDonald's and bought equity, you'd be rich.  If you had bought bonds, making a debt investment, you would have earned a decent, but by no means spectacular, return on your money.  On the other hand, if you buy into a business that fails, your best chance to escape unscathed is to own the debt, not the equity.  

https://www.thebalance.com/types-of-investments-in-small-business-357246

3.- What kind of knowledge do you need to do a smart investment?

Forbes says that millenials are not investing, let´s see why, and what we have to do.

Millennials are not investing... and it’s a problem. According to a survey conducted by Bankrate, only 26% of young people under 30-years-old are investing in stocks. That’s compared to 58% of Baby Boomers. With stocks tripling since 2009, why wouldn’t Millennials want to invest?

No MONEY, NO MONEY SMARTS AND LACK OF TRUST.

Despite the bullish market over the last couple of years, they have stayed away. Just take one Millennials’s stance, Kendall Waldman, documentary photographer and location scout: “I don’t really feel informed enough to invest and the safest bet seems to be paying off my student loans as quickly as possible.  I’m sure I could put away a little each month, but I’d want to learn what to do with my money instead of feeling like I’m putting it under my mattress.”

How can we help encourage Millennials to start investing? Here are some tips that will hopefully inspire our next generation to put some money into the market.

Tip #1: Start Investing – The Time To Invest Is Now

Millennials, here is the best advice you can get: “Buy low and sell high.”  Okay, I’m being facetious, but we are in the middle of the biggest sell off in years, and it is a perfect time to put a toe-in-the-water and start investing. The sky is not falling. This is a correction, mostly due to China’s economic slowdown and fears over climbing interest rates. The truth is that our economy is really recovering and the U.S. remains strong and sound.  

Tip #2: The Miracle Money Can’t Buy – Time

“During the 20th century the stock market returned an average of 10.4% a year.  Just $1,000 invested in 1900 would be worth over $19.8 million by the end of 1999.  At a 15% average return per year, it only takes 30 years to turn $15,000 to $1 million.” I’m not saying that we will average 10% returns, but we may.  Millennials, suppose you wanted to start to save now for that new home.  The US averagesales price for a new home on July 31, 2015 was $361,600.  That means that the 20% down payment you would probably need is $72,320.  If you invested $160 a week for 7 years and that compounded annually at 7%, according to Bankrate’s calculator, before taxes, you would earn $74,542. The real miracle comes in if you increased the return to 8% and did the same $160 a week, but for 30 years, that’s where you approach the $1,000,000 mark.

Tip #3: Buy What You Know

You know what clothes and shoes you wear, you know what electronics you use, you know what you eat, and you know what media you watch and follow.  Those should be your picks for investing.  This is not a new philosophy.  Peter Lynch professed this and it helped to guide Fidelity’s Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990, during which time the Funds’ assets grew from $20 million to $14 billion. More recently, investment great, Chuck Carnevale basically professes the same philosophy.  I suggest that parents, when they first introduce their young children to the world of investing, take their kids on a walk through the grocery store and start to talk about the products they buy and why.

Millennials, just take a stroll through the grocery store of your life and you can figure out your own portfolio. The key is to buy and hold your stock regardless of what news you hear in the media and what “great advice” your roommate gives you about a “hot tip.”  Stay your course, make weekly investing a habit and you should do fine.

Tip #4: Make It Simple

The Goldman Sachs survey further revealed that, “About 43 percent of the survey participants said they wouldn’t spend more than an hour getting guidance on an investment, while 13 percent of them said they wouldn’t seek out advice at all.” According to Capital One Investing, in the CNNMoney report, “… young investors are more likely to go it alone when it comes to investing. Eighty-seven percent of millennials say they trust themselves to make investing decisions on their own compared with 68% of seniors.”

You are the mobile generation and there are online and mobile investing platforms that are easy to use and low cost. I work with a company called DriveWealth. They are a broker-dealer who gives low cost access and education to Millennials, who want to get started investing in the stock market. You get to make your own investment decisions.

Tip #5: Stop The Excuses and Start Investing Now

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nealegodfrey/2015/09/20/millennials-get-off-your-assets-and-start-investing-now-5-tips-to-help-you/#7c4413ab6c4a

[diegocampos36]

PBL - Trigger 7:

The next article is written with the purpose of help you how to manage a small business knowing the necesary accounting stuff and some advices. Hope you like it.

1.- What methods are effective to keep a good accounting?

There are two types of accounting methods, which dictate how the company’s transactions are recorded in the company’s financial books: cash-basis accounting and accrual accounting. The key difference between the two types is how the company records cash coming into and going out of the business.

CASH-BASIS ACCOUNTING

In cash-basis accounting, companies record expenses in financial accounts when the cash is actually presented, and they book revenue when they actually hold the cash in their hot little hands or, more likely, in a bank account. For example, if a painter completed a project on December 30, 2003, but doesn’t get paid for it until the owner inspects it on January 10, 2004, the painter reports those cash earnings on her 2004 tax report. In cash-basis accounting, cash earnings include checks, credit-card receipts, or any other form of revenue from customers.

Smaller companies that haven’t formally incorporated and most sole proprietors use cash-basis accounting because the system is easier for them to use on their own, meaning they don’t have to hire a large accounting staff.

ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING

If a company uses accrual accounting, it records revenue when the actual transaction is completed (such as the completion of work specified in a contract agreement between the company and its customer), not when it receives the cash. That is, the company records revenue when it earns it, even if the customer hasn’t paid yet. For example, a carpentry contractor who uses accrual accounting records the revenue earned when he completes the job, even if the customer hasn’t paid the final bill yet.

Expenses are handled in the same way. The company records any expenses when they’re incurred, even if it hasn’t paid for the supplies yet. For example, when a carpenter buys lumber for a job, he may very likely do so on account and not actually lay out the cash for the lumber until a month or so later when he gets the bill.

http://www.dummies.com/business/accounting/understanding-accounting-methods/

2.- How to keep on track the profit of our product?

What many small businesses may never calculate, however, is their business’ profit margin, an essential figure for anyone trying to find ways to increase the bottom line. A company’s profit margin is the easiest and quickest way to tell how efficiently a company uses its resources, and it’s a great tool to measure a company’s profitability.

There are two types of profit margin that small businesses might find useful:

Gross Profit Margin: The gross profit margin equation is typically used to determine the profit margin of a singular product or service, not of an organization as a whole. To determine the gross profit margin, a business looks at the retail price of its product and subtracts the cost of materials and labor used to produce it. It then divides that by the retail price. For example, if you sell a product for $25, and it costs $20 to make, the gross profit margin is 20% ($5 divided by $25).

Net Profit Margin: This is often the equation used to determine an entire organization’s profit margin. Net profit margin is calculated by taking the company’s total sales for a given time period, subtracting total expenses and then dividing that figure by total revenue. For example, let’s say your company generates $10 million in sales and has operating expenses of $5 million. The net profit margin would be 50% ($10 million – $5 million = $5 million; $5 million divided by $10 million equals 50%).

When Is Net Profit Margin Used?

Net profit margin is used by businesses that are looking for ways to boost their revenue, want to evaluate a product or service or simply want to take an inventory of what they’re spending versus what they’re making.

A good profit margin is a great indicator that your company is doing well. For more indicators, see our article on the seven signs that show your company has good financial health.

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/pricing-strategy/how-to-calculate-the-ideal-profit-margin-for-your-small-business/

3.- What does an accounting book contain?.

Recording Transactions

Bookkeeping (and accounting) involves the recording of a company's financial transactions. The transactions will have to be identified, approved, sorted and stored in a manner so they can be retrieved and presented in the company's financial statements and other reports.

Here are a few examples of some of a company's financial transactions:

The purchase of supplies with cash.

The purchase of merchandise on credit.

The sale of merchandise on credit.

Rent for the business office.

Salaries and wages earned by employees.

Buying equipment for the office.

Borrowing money from a bank.

The transactions will be sorted into perhaps hundreds of accounts including Cash, Accounts Receivable, Loans Payable, Accounts Payable, Sales, Rent Expense, Salaries Expense, Wages Expense Dept 1, Wages Expense Dept 2, etc. The amounts in each of the accounts will be reported on the company's financial statements in detail or in summary form.

The electronic speed of computers and accounting software gives the appearance that many of the bookkeeping and accounting tasks have been eliminated or are occurring simultaneously. For example, the preparation of a sales invoice will automatically update the relevant general ledger accounts (Sales, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Cost of Goods Sold), update the customer's detailed information, and store the information for the financial statements as well as other reports.

https://www.accountingcoach.com/bookkeeping/explanation

[diegocampos36]

PBL - Trigger 6:

This PBL is about to set up a new business and the next guide is will show you some theory and tips to make it real.

1.- What types of companies exist?:

A.- On the basis of incorporation:

On the basis of incorporation, companies can be classified as:

i) Chartered companies:The crown in exercise of the royal prerogative has power to create a corporation by the grant of a charter to persons assenting to be incorporated. Such companies or corporations are known as chartered companies. Examples of this type of companies are Bank of England (1694), East India Company (1600).

(ii) Statutory companies:

A company may be incorporated by means of a special Act of the Parliament or any state legislature. Such companies are called statutory companies, Instances of statutory companies in India are Reserve Bank of India, the Life Insurance Corporation of India, the Food Corporation of India etc.

(iii) Registered companies:

Companies registered under the Companies Act 1956, or earlier Companies Acts are called registered companies.

B.- On the basis of liability:

(i) Companies limited by shares:

When the liability of the members of a company is limited to the amount if any unpaid on the shares, such a company is known as a company limited by shares.

(ii) Companies limited by guarantee:

It is a registered company in which the liability of members is limited to such amounts as they may respectively undertake by the memorandum to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up.

C.- On the basis of number of members:

(i) Private company:

A private company means a company which by its articles of association:

(i) Restricts the right to transfer its shares

(ii) Limits the number of its members to fifty (excluding members who are or were in the employment of the company) and

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(iii) Prohibits any invitation to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the company.

(iv) Where two or more persons hold one or more shares in a company jointly, they are treated as a single member.

(ii) Public company:

A public company means a company which is not a private company. There must be at least seven persons to form a public company. It is of the essence of a public company that its articles do not contain provisions restricting the number of its members or excluding generally the transfer of its shares to the public or prohibiting any invitation to the public to subscribe for its shares or debentures.

E.- Miscellaneous Category:

(i) Government Company:

It means any company in which not less than 51 percent of the paid up share capital is held by the Central Govt, and/or by any State Government or Governments or partly by the Central Government and partly by one or more State Governments.

(ii) Holding and subsidiary companies:

A company is known as the holding company of another company if it has control over another company. A company is known as subsidiary of another company when control is exercised by the latter over the former called a subsidiary company.

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/company/companies-types-5-types-of-companies-discussed/46810/

2.- How to createa financial plan in short term?

Step 1: Discover Where Your Money Goes Now The first and most important step to creating a financial plan is to develop a budget detailing where your money goes now.

Step 2: Set Financial Goals Now ask yourself a simple question: "Where do I want to be 20 years down the road?" But avoid generic answers.

Step 3: Prepare For The Unexpected With Insurance Do you have a family? If not, purchase yourself some disability insurance to protect your earning power. If you do have a family, you'll want some disability coverage and lots of life insurance to protect your loved ones.

Step 4: Keep an Eye on Your Credit You can't get anywhere these days without good credit.  Once a year, check on your score with each of the three big credit agencies, TransUnion (www.transunion.com(link is external)), Experian (www.experian.com(link is external)), and Equifax (www.equifax.com(link is external)).

Step 5: Start Saving Here's where guilty pleasures come back into the picture. The key to any savings plan is not income but outgo. In plain English, this means worrying about your expenditures, not just your paycheck.

Step 6: Begin to Build a Portfolio After saving enough for an emergency fund, you should begin to look toward investing extra cash. For new and seasoned investors alike, the easiest way to start building a portfolio is with mutual funds. For one thing, you can find mutual funds to match your particular risk tolerance.

Step 7: Keep Track of Your Plan Manage your financial plan, in part with an annual checkup to ensure that it remains congruent with your personal situation.

Step 8: Plan Your Exit Strategies Plan an exit strategy to match every financial goal in your plan. If, for example, you want to buy that 10,000 square foot house in ten years, you will probably need to free up some of your portfolio at that point to get the job done.

http://www.investinganswers.com/personal-finance/retirement-planning/8-steps-creating-smart-financial-plan-1022

3.- How to document business transactions?

Even if not strictly a ‘business’ all organisations will have business transactions. Typically these will include:Purchasing goods and materials.

 Purchases can be for cash or credit. Cash purchases are paid for immediately and are fairly rare in most businesses. Credit purchases are paid for after some time, typically a month or soPurchasing services, for example, repair s to equipment, advertising, printing costs.Sales. Cash sales, for example in shops, are paid for immediately. Credit sales are paid for after some time.Paying wages and salaries.Purchase of non-current assets.Raising finance and paying rewards to the suppliers of finance. For example, owners putting in capital or loans being raised from banks. Owners of the business expect rewards based on a share of the profit; banks usually expect interest to be paid.Accounting for and paying tax.Movements of cash and money in the bank account. These movements usually arise from the transactions above.

http://opentuition.com/fia/fa1/types-of-business-transactions/

[diegocampos36]

PBL Trigger 5: Supply & Demand File

The next documents talks about “How does the supply and demand work in the International Market”. Hope you enjoy it.

1.1 What are the ineslastic and elastic products?

Elasticity varies from product to product because some products may be more essential to the consumer than others. Demand for products that are considered necessities is less sensitive to price changes because consumers will still continue buying these products despite price increases. On the other hand, an increase in price of a good or service that is far less of a necessity will deter consumers because the opportunity cost of buying the product will become too high.

A good or service is considered highly elastic if even a slight change in price leads to a sharp change in the quantity demanded or supplied. Usually these kinds of products are readily available in the market and a person may not necessarily need them in his or her daily life, or if there are good substitutes. For example, if the price of Coke rises, people may readily switch over to Pepsi. On the other hand, an inelastic good or service is one in which large changes in price produce only modest changes in the quantity demanded or supplied, if any at all. These goods tend to be things that are more of a necessity to the consumer in his or her daily life, such as gasoline.

Elasticity = (% change in quantity / % change in price)

http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp

1.2 What is the impact in the market with the elastic and inelastic products?

Budget Impact

The affect a change in price has on the customer's budget also affects elasticity. A price change that would more severely affect a buyer's budget will lead to greater demand elasticity. A customer is more likely to stretch from $1 to $1.50 to get a snack or drink he prefers than he is to stretch from $200 a month to $300 a month on a car payment. Thus, lower-end products and services, especially those viewed as essential, typically allow more room for pricing adjustments.

Brand Value

From a company's perspective, effective advertising can also impact the elasticity of demand. Advertising is used over time to build up the customer's perception of worth of a given brand. If successful, a company can stretch its price more than other brand's in the same industry without as much of a reputation. High-end designer fashion brands are usually more inelastic, for instance, because buyers have strong preferences and are often willing to pay whatever is asked to get what they want.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/factors-impact-elasticity-demand-products-65867.html

2.-  How the prices of the oil impact the global economy?

From 2010 until mid-2014, world oil prices had been fairly stable, at around $110 a barrel. But since June prices have more than halved. Brent crude oil has now dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009 and US crude is down to below $48 a barrel.

The reasons for this change are twofold - weak demand in many countries due to insipid economic growth, coupled with surging US production.

Added to this is the fact that the oil cartel Opec is determined not to cut production as a way to prop up prices.

So who are some of the winners and losers?

There is still a lot of confusion on this one, so let’s be clear: when oil prices fall because oil supply goes up, this is good for the global economy. And that is what happened this time around. It is a transfer of resources from oil exporting countries to oil importers. And oil importers tend to spend more of it, whereas oil exporters tend to save more—so there is a positive impact on global growth. Oil importers – countries like India – get cheaper energy. Their consumers have more money to spend, and governments more resources to invest. Also, oil importers tend to have more diversified economies with broader manufacturing sectors and more innovation—so this shift of resources goes to finance higher quality growth.

http://www.newsweek.com/quora-question-how-oil-prices-impact-economy-445362

3.- Which organization policies regulate the oil markets?

These are the most three importants organizations 

1.- Organization of the Petrolium Exporting Countries ( OPEC ):  Opec history starts in latin america around 1936 in Venezuela. One of its founders is Juan Pablo Alfonso Pérez he started the agreement in order to correct the oil waste in the market. 

2.-  International Energy Agency (IEA): In the 70′s the industrialized countries needed to adapt a more active participation in the direct negotiation with the oil producers, supplies, prices and another agents from the oil industry.

3.- San José Agreement (PCE): It grows from the necesity of supply hydrocarbons to the importers nations from Central America and the Caribean with base in the instability of the international market.

http://catarina.udlap.mx/u_dl_a/tales/documentos/lri/castillo_v_cs/capitulo2.pdf

http://veracidadchannel.com/_site/donde-proviene-petroleo/

Thank you for reading!