PMG Intelligence, a Strategic Marketing Agency Assignment

PMG Intelligence, a Strategic Marketing Agency - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the company is guided by a very clear mission that is; to provide above the board market intelligence and strategic endorsements that will help our clients grow their business, better understand their markets and deliver value to their customers. Lastly, this research on the company revealed that they have capitalized on ten Specialties. They include; Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Focus Groups, Syndicated Research, Omnibus, Market Research, Strategic Marketing, Communications, Branding, and Consulting. Market research is the channel that joins organizations to their market, consequently turning ideas into results. Hence market research defines how to plan and craft strategy. What makes our research proficiencies unique from our competitors is not in our methodologies alone, but it is in our insight as well. Besides, our approach invests profoundly in the forthright understanding of the challenge. This is then followed by the identification of all internal and external information provisions so as to ensure that the research and analysis design processes yield the highest level of potential returns. Market research is conducted in a very systematic and professional manner. This ensures that PMG intelligence wins its customers loyalty because they are satisfied with the end product. In addition, we have improvised on market segmentation because different businesses require different research approaches. lastly, market researches are conducted putting into consideration other related case studies and previous interviews so as to get solutions that are unique, but practical.

Distribution Networks For Consumer Goods In India Marketing Essay

Distribution Networks For Consumer Goods In India Marketing Essay ABSTRACT In this paper we look into the various distribution networks employed by leading companies in the consumer goods sector. We try to find the benefits of different distribution network designs to various companies. The reason why these leading companies have decided upon that particular distribution network design will be found out in this particular paper.in this paper we see into the role of distribution networks in the supply chain of consumer goods. The companies we look into are Hindustan Unilever Limited, PepsiCo Limited and Nestle India Limited. Distribution networks are channels that move various kinds of products and services from one place to another. They are also known as marketing channels, they are made of independent organisations such as distributor, retailer, sales agents, etc. which are involved in the making of products and services and ensuring them to reach its final consumers. The concept of distribution network is a very wide concept of which distribution channel is just one component, they are tangible systems of interconnected sources and destinations through which products and services move on their way to final customers. Every distribution network has two parts: Places where the products and services are stored such as factories, warehouses, retail outlets, etc. a set of paths that connect these places such as land, sea, air, satellite, cable, internet, etc. Distribution networks can be categorized into complex and simple. A simple distribution networks the one which consists of a single demand and to fulfil that only a single source of supply and a fixed path that connect the source with other parts of the networks. Managers decide upon a particular distribution network based on what and how much they have to ship, based on internal purchasing and inventory consideration. In short distribution refers to the efforts done to move the products and services from the manufacturing plants to the final customers through the various independent organisations in between such as retailers and wholesalers. The main aim is to ensure the products reach the final consumers into the simplest way and also the cheapest way. A good distribution network provides a great competitive advantage to the firm whereas a bad distribution network can lead to the failure of even a very superior product. Hence a distribution network should be well chosen and a lot of thought process should go into it. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR CONSUMER GOODS The distribution networks that the companies usually use for consumer goods are the ones which use both the distributors or the wholesalers and the retailer and thats because it allows them exposure to the wide networks that wholesalers have already established. Products that are of low quantity and of common use are usually distributed via intermediaries and those products that are expensive are usually sold by the producer itself. Products that are heavy and bulky or are perishable are subjected to shorter distances and are distributed directly. The main aim in all of it is to reduce the cost as much as possible. Products such as electronic appliances need after sales service also to provide the customers all the relevant information to use it. The firms that produce large variety of products in large number may develop their own retail outlets and distribute their products through distribution centres whereas firms producing products in small quantity may contract wholesalers as intermediaries and get the products delivered to retailers to be sold to the end customers. For products that are newly launched they need a wider distribution network so that they can reach as many consumers as possible. They need to reach all the retailers before the marketing efforts start hence many intermediaries may be required. While products which are on the last few stages of their lifecycle may need less intermediaries because the sales and the demand drops down by this stage. Firms that are small in size may depend on few number of intermediaries various large firms may appoint large number of intermediaries for a wider distribution network. The type of intermediaries also affects the choice of distribution networks like a consumer goods producing firm may require intermediaries which could increase the sales of the products i.e. the middlemen that are well known and have a goodwill in the market and those who have large storage capacities for large volumes of products to be distributed. All the above discussed factors affect the decision on which distribution network to be chosen for consumer goods hence a manager should efficiently choose which middlemen to choose and what channel to follow for sending their products to maximum population of consumers in the minimum possible cost. LEADING CONSUMER GOODS FIRMS OPERATING IN INDIA Some of the leading consumer goods firms operating India may be: Hindustan Unilever Limited PepsiCo Limited Nestle India Limited HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED It is a subsidiary of UNILEVER which has market capitalization of $ 14 billion. It is an FMCG major which owns around 35 of Indias very powerful and trusted brands and is a market leader in many of the consumer goods categories such as dish wash, personal wash, fabric wash, skin care, hair wash, jams, packet teas, talcum powders, etc. and it is number second in the toothpaste, instant coffee and ketchup segment. HUL products are available at approximately seven million distinct outlets of the country, it is used in one of every twenty eight houses and fifty nine percent of these outlets are located in rural India. HUL also serves certain stores directly and that amounts to around one million and has a wide network of seven thousand stockists and distributors There are about 35 CFAs (Carry Forward Agents) appointed by HUL in the country who serve the stockists with the products. The trade mainly comprises of grocery stores, chemists, kiosks, wholesalers and general stores. It is known for providing tailor made services to all its distribution channel partners. They have about two thousand suppliers that supply to forty different manufacturing plants of HUL that are decentralized across two million sq meters of the territory. HULs approach to distribution is divided into 3 segments based on the accessibility of the area and the turnover per market: Direct coverage: under direct coverage HUL distributes its products from its manufacturing plants to the Carry Forward Agents. From there the products are transported to the stockist or the distributor and finally to the retailers. Indirect coverage: HUL has certain stockists for a group of villages located nearby, the products are first delivered to the stockists from the manufacturing plants and then they deliver the products to the villages around them. Streamline distribution: in areas of low accessibility but high turnover per market, the products are delivered to the distributor by the CFAs which delivers the products to sub-stockists in rural areas located in the villages itself, they are also known as the Star Sellers. In order to reach the rural population HUL started the PROJECT SHAKTI in 2000. Under this project HUL has partnered with Self Help Groups (SHG) of rural women who get trained by HUL and also get support from government agencies and NGOs and they first receive HUL products from the rural distributor and sell them to various villages. They are basically Shakti entrepreneurs commonly referred as Shakti Amma who have helped HUL extend its distribution network to around 80000 villages of India. PEPSICO LIMITED Pepsico entered India in 1989 and has since then grown to be one of the largest food and beverages company of the country. Pepsi owns many of the leading food and beverage brands of the country such as Pepsi, Mirinda, 7up, Aquafina, Gatorade, Tropicana, Slice, Leher, Dukes, Lays, Uncle chips, Kurkure, etc. For the distribution of their products they use the Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system which is the key method for distribution of products such as food and beverages, home and personal care products, etc. It is a type distribution process in which the companies ship their products directly from the manufacturing plant to the final consumers. Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system: Pepsico uses a system called GES which stands for geographical enterprise solution and it is the reshaping of the powerful direct store delivery system. In addition to great products and tremendous brands, the strength of Pepsicos DSD supply chain has been another driver of the companys success. DSD means that it brings their products directly to stores and then their employees put the products right on to the store shelves. This system has a multiple benefits: it ensures the company gets great penetration of all its products that the products are delivered safely and efficiently it also enables Pepsico to provide great service to its customers and gives them an opportunity to work directly with their customers to get the space they need to reach their consumers. DSD system is one of its greatest competitive advantages. The aim at GES was to use the latest technology and lean supply chain thinking to dramatically improve their DSD system and ensure that they could support another 30 plus years of growth. For their customers they have improved their service and accuracy and dramatically improved their ability to bring new items to the market. For their consumers they will be able to improve their products freshness by over one week and get unique products that they want at their store instead of just a general line up of products. As the product is made at their plants from where it is then sent to large distribution centres in the metro areas, also to the distribution centres in the rural markets. Now in this model store orders are either picked at the distribution centre or even at the back of the road truck. Once the orders are placed they are then sent to the stores on the familiar trucks that one sees on the road today. Their sales team members are limited by the number of line items that they can carry based on whats in a distribution centre or on the truck and that means their customers dont always have full access to their full line of products. Well GES changes all of that. With GES the orders are not placed at the distribution centres but are hand held and are transmitted back at the manufacturing plant and the plants are now all fitted with the latest automated picking technology where these orders get assembled. Once they are assembled they can now take the large format orders to the stores like Big Bazaar or other super markets and they can go directly from plant to stores completely bypassing distribution centres altogether. This is the most efficient supply chain possible direct from plant to store. It also enables their customers to choose from their full line of product offerings as they no longer can be limited by what the distribution centre or the truck can carry. For small format customers like seven eleven our other stores things are slightly different. In this scenario they ship orders to small cross dock facilities called product exchange centres. Once the product gets there it is then transferred on 12 truck s and driven to stores by their own sales people. So since they no longer carry inventory on their trucks they are able to use much smaller vehicles and reduce drive mile and that helps them improve their environmental footprint. The other important benefit of GES is that their plant based pick centres are being configured to handle over a 1000 line items which is more enough to handle their growth in the next 10 to 20 years. The pick centres that enable them to pick orders at this scale are in the form of large pallets and are automatically depalletised. Once all the cases are picked, they find their way into the collection area where they are automatically released in exact store order to get to their delivery trucks and not only are they in store order but they are also ordered just like they are at the shelves in the stores. So it makes it very efficient to merchandise their product at the store. Pepsico also uses other methods of distribution such as Broker Warehouse Distribution (BWD) in which it delivers its products and services to the distributors and from there to the retailers. It also uses Vending and Food Service (VFS) which is method according to which Pepsico distributes its products to the restaurants. NESTLE INDIA LIMITED It is the worlds number one health and wellness company. It was established in 1866 in Switzerland. Since then it has delighted its customers worldwide. It is well known for its distribution all over the world and also in India. Its aim is to provide its customers with the tastiest and the most nutrient filled foods and beverages night and day. It has wide spread distribution network all over India covering all the major states and cities and also most of the villages. The company has divided its distributors into two categories i.e. trade distributors and the chocolate distributors. Trade distributors deal with products such as Maggi, Nestle Dahi, etc. whereas the chocolate distributors deal with products such as chocolates, sweets, etc. Every distributor has appointed a person who goes to various outlets every few days i.e. once or twice a week based on the type of area. They take the order from the outlets and either delivers it at the very moment or may be next day. It is assumed that any retailer has a limited amount of money to buy products for a particular day. Hence Nestle believes that sending more than one retailer would be more beneficial as the retailer shells out limited money for a single distributor and hence more distributors will get more number of orders. They have also started an operation STING under which their sales representatives go on bicycles and sell small amounts of products to outlets that are small and not much catered to like pan walas, etc. The stocks that are manufactured at the plants and then packaged finally for shipment are delivered to the mother godowns at various places. The stocks from the mother godowns are sent to the Carry and Store Agents (CS) where they are stored as a property of Nestle. The money for the stocks are given as guidelines given to the CS and the Cash Distributors (CD) via invoicing. Along with the main products they also store with them give aways and support materials such as stickers and free gifts, etc. Note: the wholesalers are not a part of the formal structure of Nestle Indias distribution network for NCR. They make bulk purchases from the distributors directly thereby leveraging on the margins. The products and services of Nestle India Limited are first manufactured in the factory and transferred using a Transfer Challan to the Mother Godown (one for a large geographical area). From the Mother Godown the stocks are transferred to the Carry and Stock Agents (CS) using a Transfer D.A. Till here the stocks are a company property. Then via invoicing the stocks are transferred to the Cash Distributors and finally to the Stockists. At these stages the ownership of the stock transfers from the company to the Cash Distributors and Stockists. Transport: in order to carry perishable food and beverage items such as milk, curd, etc. the company ensures a transport system having refrigeration facilities on board. The company also has cold storage facilities at its Mother Godowns at various locations so that the goods do not get spoilt during storage even for a few hours. Hence the company ensures that the health factor remains intact. They have dedicated Air Conditioned Vans for the transport of products like chocolates from the Mother Godown to the Cash Distributors. The following is the transport system being used by the company: Selection of distributors: The various distributors are selected based on certain criteria which are as follows: Capital investment: the distributors are selected based on the money they invest and also the money they can invest in the business in the future. It is not only based on the turnover that is necessary in the present but also in the future. This is also based on the amount of growth the company is expecting in that particular area. The amounts required may change from region to region. Relevant experience: according to the company norms it is vital that the distributor that they choose should be having some past experience of being a distributor in the FMCG sector. The main aim here is that the company will not have to give him any training in the same field. The company also aims at selecting dedicated distributors hence it ensures that the distributor it chooses does not work for a competitor so that it only focuses in distributing products of Nestle. For example if choosing a distributor for Nestle milk products it would select a distributor who already distributes Nestle products such as Maggi so that he is dedicated towards entire range of products and not only a particular SKU. Infrastructure: the distributor should be having the necessary infrastructure required for storing and distributing the various products such as cold storage, sales men, warehouses, transport vehicles, etc. However there are no fixed guidelines for selecting a particular distributor. The company has the discretion to select a particular distributor based on the region or the market it is serving or planning to serve. Incentives to the Distributors 2) scheme spread over 2-3 months: the distributors are given monetary benefits such as extra margin of 2-3 % if the sales targets set are achieved and the growth rate is high for example a 15 % growth rate means a distributor having Rs 1 lac sales will have more benefit than one having Rs 25000 sales. The benefits can also be in kind such as free gifts on achieving targets. It is always kept in mind that even with such rewards he gets monetary benefit for example by selling it. 3) Certificates: distributors achieving targets are also given certificates of acknowledgment which they may frame in their shops as a certificate from a company like Nestle is valued by everyone. Motivation of Channel Partners Proud to be Nestle The company keeps on coming up with schemes to give rewards to the distributors for achieving targets and also to build good and long term relations with its distributors. One such scheme that became successful was Proud to be Nestle Super awards for super achievers! launched on March 30, 2002. They are all open for the following: Area Sales Managers Sales Officers Cash Distributors Pallet Salesmen (these are the officials that work under the sales officers in order to enable him to handle a wider area of distribution.) Distributor Salesmen (these are sales men who work under the distributors are hence paid indirectly by the company) Merchandisers How does it work? Step 1: the following are the criteria that need to be fulfilled: The targets need to fulfilled to the 100% for the quarter III RDBN turnover growth should be at least 10% in the last year Quarter II. Duration should be: Invoicing: 01/04/2011 29/06/2011 RD: 02/03/2011 23/06/2011 Step 2: all the ASMs that fulfill the above criteria are then ranked on the basis of an index number. INDEX = % RD turnover growth * absolute value increase Step 3: now prizes are awarded to the top ASMs. The winning team comprises of: All Sales Officers in the ASM team 2 top ranked Cash Distributors in each Sales Officer Zone (Index = %RD growth * absolute turnover increase) Two distributor salesmen in each of the top two Cash Distributors The sales officers on the basis of the quality of merchandising achieved select a merchandiser to be awarded. The awards are mentioned in the table below: RDBM T/O growth achieved SO CD PS DS Merchandisers 20% + 5500 3500 2300 2000 1200 15-19.99% 4500 2500 1800 1500 1100 10-14.99% 3500 1800 1300 1000 1000 The ASM teams are ranked at the top win certificates and trophies. Evaluation When a distributor gets selected he is evaluated based on his sales targets but he does not lose business from the company until he under performs for a long period of time. Also the targets vary based on the region where he is located because each area may have a different sales projected. DISTRIBUTION IN PRACTICE (DIP) TRAINING For the distributor and the Carry Forward Agents there are training programs offered by the companies to the give them the in depth knowledge of the business aspects. Following are the training programs Quality System Good Warehousing Practices (GWP) Good Distribution Practices. Major aspects of the program include: Stacking as per norms: First In First Out (FIFO) method is used for Inventory management. The pallets are arranged in an orderly manner that too away from the walls so that they do not get spoilt or damaged. Also there is enough space between the pallets to move around freely. Good Warehousing Practices Security Fire Fighting: special precautions are taken to prevent damage by fire and also appropriate measures are taken to fight fire. Control of Pests Cleanliness/Tidiness Temperature record and maintenance at the Air Conditioned Godowns Proper ventilation All the taxes and licenses are given as per the government norms Transportation: availability of reliable sources of transportation to and from the godowns or warehouses. Proper Loading / unloading: proper loading and unloading of the pallets take place. It is either automated or the labour is given proper training and instructions to handle them with care. Remittance: the remittance is deposited on a timely basis. The warehouses have a record of all the Sales Tax given and the exemption certificates Accounting The record of Receipts and the data of dispatches are maintained in registers for refrence whenever required. In case of shortages they are handled seperately. The Carry Stock Agents are responsible for handling the Sales tax and the Octroi. A different registered is maintained for the freely distributed material. All the expenses that take place are handled by the Carry Stock Agents which are then paid back to them by the company. Handling of Bad Goods: The good and the bad or spoilt goods are separated from each other and are accordingly marked salable or not salable. Temperature control: there are special provisions for Air Conditioned warehouses for products like milk products and chocolates and also vehicles that have a facility for cold storage. CONCLUSION As seen above that the consumer goods in India usually use a distribution network that has few number of intermediaries in between as these are fast moving goods and need some middlemen to make it possible to reach far away locations in minimum time possible. For a company like HUL the products are not perishable and a delay by one or two days can be tolerated. But when it comes to a company like PepsiCo and Nestle they have certain perishable food and beverage items that need to be transported quickly and safely. Hence this means food and beverage firms have their warehouses located nearby so that transport doesnt take much time or they may even use faster modes of transport such as railway, etc. but for a company like HUL the warehouses may be a little far away with slower modes of transport. Hence according to the needs of the firm and the type of products or services a distribution network is well chosen to be competitive and better serve the customers. The main aim always is to deliver the products safely in the minimum cost possible.

The Importance of Early Childhood Cognitive Development Essay -- Biolo

The Importance of Early Childhood Cognitive Development America has many programs for graduating students that are involved with education and children. While any college student can appreciate education, I suspect that few understand the importance of early childhood development. Having committed to apply for a position in Teach for America, I want to better understand why it is so important to "get 'em while they're young." In 2001, the US Department of Education, Academy of the Sciences, and the Foundation for Child Development conducted a study on early childhood development. Several interesting, scientific ideas and trends on childhood development emerged from the study. The questions surrounding this research were: how important is the early life of a child? What early years are most important? Why are later years not more important? In order to better plan education policy, discussing these questions is necessary. The portion of the study I find most convincing is that regarding neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences. (1) Simply put, every day we experience and learn new things. In order to incorporate this new information into our brains, the brain must reorganize the way it processes that information. Thus, as we learn things, the brain changes. Neuroplasticity is important because, while it continues throughout the life of every individual, it is closely linked to the rate of brain development/growth. During rapid periods of brain growth, synaptic pruning occurs. Synaptic pruning is the elimination of synapses in the brain that are weaker facilitating growth of a stronger, more efficient brain. (2)As the brain grow... ...ost beneficial not only for their education, but also for the physical development of their brains. This information is useful in many fields of study- the sciences, sociology, political science, law, etc. Neurosciences still have much to develop on early childhood cognitive development. However, presently, the information seems to facilitate the creation of a proper education for young children. References 1)Neuroscience Consultant, Prepared by Erin Hoiland http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/plast.html 2)Synaptic Pruning in Development, Online Version of a Text http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/cachedpage/116010/2 3)Eager To Learn , Study, Online Version of Text http://books.nap.edu/books/0309068363/html/37.html#pagetop 4)US Department of Education , President Bush's Initiatives http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/read/ereadingsbr03/edlite-slide9.html

Partnership working in services for children and young people Essay

1.1 Explain why working in partnership with others is important for children and young people. Agencies working with one another in partnership is important as it enables information and concerns to be shared, this helps with the overall development of the child. It can be used to keep a child safe from harm,(every child matters Victoria Climbie no agencies involved in her care shared information which resulted in her tragic death).It can identify if a child has any special needs the child can then get support and help. It promotes a good relationship with parents/carers and helps them to feel more confident with the setting and its staff. It also help colleagues share information and observations leading to a greater understanding of child and their development which helps the child receive consistent level of care. Overall working in partnership ofers positive, improved outcomes for children and their families. 1.2 Identify who relevant partners would be in own work setting. Parents ,social services, carers, senco, speech therapist, ofsted, gp ,health visitor, physiotherapist, nursery, colleagues, psychologist, paediatrician and police. 1.3Define the characteristics of effective partnership working. For a partnership between a number of organisations’ to be effective characteristics such as good communication, trust and respect and confidentiality maintained at all times .All partners should have a clear aim that is agreed to ensure the needs of the child are meet. Parents and children should be treated fairly and with respect so that trust can be maintained. 1.4 Identify barriers to partnership working. There are many potential barriers, these can be inconsistency between  professionals. An information barrier, language barrier, incorrect information given, incorrect knowledge, personnel barrier, misunderstanding, poor communication, cultural and or religious attitudes to disability .A parents own education, previous experience, individual practitioners lack of knowledge of other professions, poor staff morale and poor morale from partners. Poor understanding of the aims of partnership and a lack of attention to the development skills of individuals. The wrong or insufficient partners involved and continual shifting of organisational structures and not planning in advance when things go wrong. 2.1 Describe why clear and effective communication between partners is required. Clear effective communication is not only required, it is necessary to achieve the best outcome for all those involved. The key principles of partnership are openness, honesty and agreed shared objectives. All documents should be clear and concise, well written and dated. Any face to face meetings should have minutes taken, an agenda and a plan of action agreed that is sanctioned by all those involved ,all telephone conversations should be recorded ie written in dairy, date, time and with whom and what was discussed. This should then be confirmed by email outlining the conversation. If a breakdown between all partners involved in the Childs care, there may be an emotional, physical or intellectual impact on the Childs development. Identify polices and procedures in the work setting for information sharing. All policies regarding information in the setting are based on the Uks government guidance, these are European convention on human rights. Human rights act. Common law duty of confidentiality. Data protection act 1988 Every child matters. Children’s act 2004. Working together to safeguard children 2006 Information sharing guidance Safe guarding vulnerable groups act 2006 The children’s plan 2007. Criminal records bureau guidance. I have included several polices all of which make sure that the staff know they have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safe guard children. The manger will disclose any information on a need to know bias only. All staff aim to ensure that parents and carers can share information with confidence and it will be used to enhance the welfare of their child. All development records are confidential and only staff and parents have access unless it deemed necessary to share with partners, personnel records and welfare requirements are also confidential. Each child has a key member of staff ie a named person who is the parents main contact with development and safe guarding issues. We also have clear polices about sharing information and confidentiality, which describe the principles and boundaries of confidentiality and when to share information . 2.3 Explain where there may be conflicts or dilemmas in relation to sharing information with partners and maintaining confidentiality. If you believe or have concerns that a child in your care may be suffering or may be at risk of significant harm, you may be unsure weather your concern constitutes a reasonable cause to believe that this is happening. In a situation like this your concern should not be ignored and you should approach your manger. You should not discuss the matter with anyone who does not need to know and protect the identity of the child and family involved. If you do have concerns it is not advisable to discuss the matter with the family until appropriate partners have been informed and agreed plain of action has been agreed. Sometimes a person may not specifically ask a member to keep information that they have given about themselves or another individual confidential and would of course assume that this is implied, the person may then share this information with others, who are not part of the setting partnership. Sadly there may be a child in your setting, who is believed to have a physical or learning disability. Sometimes a parent may find it hard to cope  and would rather with the not acknowledge the situation and refuse to co operate with the setting. .4 Describe why it is important to record information clearly accurately, legibly and concisely meeting legal requirements. All information must be clear ,accurate and legible. The data protection act states that you should take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personnel data you obtain. Ensure that the source of any personnel data is clear. Carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of information, and consider weather it is necessary to update the information. All information must be correct ,not used for any reason other than the reason it has been collected unless permission has been given. Not usually passed on without permission. Not to be kept for longer than necessary and to be secure. Under the data protection act parents can ask to see information that is held about their children and correct it if necessary and to know how the information is being used. 2.5 Identify how communication and records are recorded and securely stored meeting data protection requirements. We hold written records the purpose of which are to comply with legislative requirements. These demonstrate that statutory and policy have been meet .As tool to provide evidence of work that has been undertaken. That demonstrate accountability in decision making , and to give an account of the children’s history, significant issues and involvement in the setting. Help us analyse and make assessments to help see if goals and aims have been achieved. To provide a reference and a reminder to key worker communicate information to co workers and partners. Show how decisions have been made and in what order. Provide information for responding to complaints. We keep personal details such as name address contact numbers medical details including medical contact numbers. All files are kept in a locked cabinet in the management office, which if left unmanned by management is locked, and locked at all other times only management have access to the keys, so there is no way that anyone can have access unless they first ask management. Only when managements permission has been given, can a person have access to records however they must first sigh and date they have been allowed access and this will need to be counter sighed by a manger. No records are to leave  the building. Only safe guarding officers are able to do this and this applies when there is a need to share information with our partners. Any use regarding safeguarding issues is at the discretion of management. No one is allowed in to be alone in the building other than staff, and no one is allowed alone in the office alone other than management .No pictures of the children are stored on the computer, which are taken for the purpose of their file are printed placed in profile and locked in cabinet. The photos are then deleted from the computer and camera right away.

Ethical Self-Assessment

Healthcare professionals are faced with making multi-faceted decisions on a daily basis. These decisions are not just limited to clinical matters, but they include the total patient care experience. Because of emerging healthcare trends and complex health law and ethics, it is imperative that healthcare administrators have a professional organization that they can belong to. â€Å"The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) is an international professional society of more than 35,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations.ACHE is known for its prestigious FACHE ® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management, and its educational programs including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership† (American College of Healthcare Executives, n. d. ). The Ethics Self–Assessment Tool and Individual Decision Making The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) provides an ethics self -assessment which is made up of thought-provoking questions to serve as a moral compass using the ACHE Code of Ethics as its basis.No matter what your role in the healthcare system, the self-assessment provides a standard for various healthcare relationships including, â€Å"Community, Board, Colleagues, Staff, Clinicians, Buyers, Payors and Suppliers. † (American College of Healthcare Executives, n. d. ). Any questions that were not answered with â€Å"always,† identified an area of weakness in which ethics were being compromised. The first lesson learned is that there are numerous situations where healthcare professionals may believe they are being ethical, but the assessment provides examples that some decisions being made are unethical.This gap away from being completely ethical occurs because professional decisions are often influenced by individual ethics. Identifying these gaps allow healthcare administrators to make necessary steps to improve the method in whic h they make decisions. Another lesson learned is the importance of having a tool to compare your organization’s level of ethics to the code of ethics. Paying special attention to minimize outside influences, will allow you to make complex ethical decisions at all times which will promote consistency throughout all team members and the organization.The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), has a strong impact on ethical decision making because they focus on the â€Å"entire being† of the healthcare professional. For example, in ACHE’s preamble of The Code of Ethics it states, â€Å"In fulfilling their commitments and obligations to patients or others served, healthcare executives function as moral advocates and models. † Imagine, when a healthcare administrator recites these few words, he cannot help but acknowledge the depth of his commitment and the high level of morality that is expected from him.Because of the vast number of complex ethical dilemmas that arise, ACHE further promotes the value and importance of strong ethical decision making in ACHE’s Ethics Toolkit. â€Å"When the ethical guidelines are not enough, when there is uncertainty about the proper ethical approach, and when there is a need to develop additional ethical guidelines. ACHE’s Ethics Toolkit provides tools for developing both parts of an ethical culture. † (American College of Healthcare Executives, n. d. ).Influence of Individual Ethics on Decision Making. When it comes to the modern decisions in today’s healthcare system, it is important to be able to identify problems and opportunities and choose the best course of action for the greater good. A strong ethical background helps individuals make the right decision although it may be unpopular. â€Å"Aristotle (Summers, 2009) also teaches about morality when explains how to apply ethics to daily living. Through the idea of practical wisdom and eudemonia, he makes us aw are of the need to apply ethics and behave in a moral way.We develop our moral character so that we use our knowledge of ethics to address challenging new situations. Ethical principles become the center of our lives and we apply them as virtue-centered administrators. † Strategies to Improve Decision Making in the Future The opportunities that being a member of The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) has afforded healthcare professionals, is one that is here to stay. Healthcare administration is a profession that continually evolves with time. Because of the advances in medicine, people are living longer and have a better quality of life.The current self-assessment tools are quickly improving and making it easier for healthcare professionals to obtain the data needed to make prompt ethical decisions. It is important to remember that as a healthcare professional, one must present all of the facts to a patient and preserve his right of autonomy. It is within the co de of ethics that healthcare professionals are not to impose their will on someone else. Remember, to carry out â€Å"the four ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. †