Rubicam’s Business College Essay Example for Free

Rubicam’s Business College Essay LAURA: At home†¦ my prized possession was my glass menagerie. [she smiles faintly at the memory] My favourite was the unicorn. However†¦ it broke. I brought the horn here with me. The other part†¦ is with a man. BLANCHE: [she raises her hands in exasperation] Hah! Men! Terrible, hulking brutes most of them are. Especially those Polacks. What was it Wilde said? â€Å"Women are a decorative sex! † If I am to have any chance of happiness I must be innocent, attractive and, most of all, youthful! [Slight polka music can be heard in the distance. ] LAURA: Funny, that sounds like what my mother used to say†¦ Girls are a pretty trap! Screen Image – Amanda Wingfield BLANCHE: [she has a distant look in her eyes as she contemplates the various men that have become part of her past] Yes dear, they are. And don’t you forget it when you’ve still got time. This man who has the unicorn – is he your husband? Boyfriend? LAURA: [getting progressively quieter] In high school Jim was the only one that ever spoke to me. Then he turned up at the house and he†¦ he†¦ kissed me. Of course, he never really liked a cripple like me. He was engaged†¦ [fighting back tears. ] Screen legend – the day at the amusement park BLANCHE: Typical! I too have had my fair share of shocking dates. In New Orleans I met a gentleman named Mitch. [she begins to talk quickly, as if she were addressing herself] I accompanied him to the amusement park on Lake Pontchartrain, a rather dismal place more suited to easily-amused children. However, this was my first date with a gentleman since†¦ since†¦ forever! I could absolutely not afford to mess this one up. [giggly pause] I was as giddy as a schoolgirl courting behind the bicycle shack – not that I would have engaged in such activity, absolutely not – although I fear dear Mitch saw through my facade. I did try. I tried so very hard. I even pretended I was pleased with that ghastly plaster statuette of Mae West. The erogenous nature of her films draws up memories of a past I wish to forget! [the polka music increases in volume and tempo. ] LAURA: [not following] Oh, I see†¦ BLANCHE: Every time I look at a man all I can think of is my dear Allen! I ended up telling Mitch about my past, my marriage, when I was just a girl. It was as if Mitch crashed through the invisible barrier I strived for so long to erect. It just tumbled out! They were words I had desired to tell someone for so long. They had been entombed inside of me for so long it was as if they had gone stale, distasteful even! Even as he embraced me†¦ all I could envisage†¦ was Allan’s desperate touch! [she dramatically outstretches her arms towards an invisible point] Oh Allan, forgive me! [In her fervour BLANCHE knocks over the ketchup bottle, its crimson innards spilling onto her lap. She frantically dabs at it with a serviette, but to no avail. Her white dress has been permanently tarnished, the bloody hue of the condiment combining with the once wholesome dress. ] BLANCHE: [returning to reality with a jolt] Would you look at that mess! What will ever become of us? LAURA: [visibly shaken, but speaking with determination] We can’t let little things like this ruin our lives†¦ When I get discharged I’ll go back to Rubicam’s Business College. Yes, I will! BLANCHE: [she clutches LAURA by the shoulders] You can say that, you’re still young! What hope is there for an old maid like me? [The polka music and The Glass Menagerie combine austerely in the minds of the patients. An unholy union, two entities that never should have met. ] LAURA: [jumping up from her chair, repulsed at being touched] I-I think I’m done here! [in her haste to vacate the table she knocks her plate to the floor, where it duly shatters into countless pieces that dance across the floor. The light reflects off the porcelain pieces, framing LAURA in an impromptu spotlight. The breaking noise is audible over the tumultuous din of the room. Many diners turn to look at the spectacle. ] LAURA: [in a tone of utter despair, covering her face with her hands] No†¦ Stop staring†¦! I’m going to be sick! [Exit LAURA, who runs away from the scene. The cafeteria soon returns to its natural state, having forgotten that Laura Wingfield ever existed. ] BLANCHE: Shakespeare got it right! ‘Alas, I am a woman friendless, hopeless! ’ There is truly no hope for some people in this world! [the sound of the door slamming behind Laura as she flees is audible as the light gradually fades out. ]

Importance of Choice in the Strategy Formulation

Importance of Choice in the Strategy Formulation In recent years, international hospitality industry, like any other industry, has been affected by the effects of globalization, the information technology revolution, and the consumer demand. Hence, the targets in tourism have suffered considerable alterations and forced hospitality managers to re- examine their decision-making plans. Hospitality is difficult to manage and assess as long as it deals with a new awareness and addresses to new demands. Its level can be given through the customer feedback. For tourism to be considered an industry it must have a production process and a generic product mutually and inseparably related. The purpose of this chapter is to focus attention upon the theoretic aspects regarding the strategic choices in this field, the way they are elaborated, implemented, used, and put into practice. To be more precise, the chapter looks at the strategic choices used be Romania and Bulgaria on the sea side tourism. 2.2. STRATEGIC CHOICE 2.2.1. IMPORTANCE OF CHOICE IN THE STRATEGY FORMULATION PROCESS Ranking the elements in a strategy formulation process, strategic choice comes third. When there are no choices, there can be little value in considering strategy at all. To be better understood, a definition of strategy is necessary to mention. According to Michael Baker, Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.(See Baker, MICHAEL, The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit, 2008, ISBN,p.3 ). According to the above definition, any strategy must have a pre established plan which establishes goals, identifies alternatives, and makes use of intuition and experience. In other words, it includes basic activities on a long term, as well as objectives. In general, small companies are limited by their resources, whereas large ones find it difficult to change quickly. Even when managers seem free to make strategic choices, the results may depend in the same measure on chance and opportunity, as on the managers deliberate choices. It is proven fact that events, and especially unexpected events, can play a major part in determining results. Any process of choice could be divided into four steps: Identifying options Evaluating the options against preference criteria Selecting the best option Taking action In practice, it may be difficult to identify all possible actions at the same time. Sometimes, unexpected events create new opportunities, destroy the foreseen ones, or alter the balance of advantage between opportunities. For these reasons, good strategic choices have to be challenging enough and achievable. And here comes analysis, judgment and skills, elements which make the difference in defining strategies. 2.2.2 STRUCTURE OF STRATEGIC CHOICE The Figure 1.1 shows how the three logical elements of strategy formulation process interact. The shaded background is a reminder of the importance of context in determining the aspects to be solved by strategic choice. Figure 1.2 expands the detail so that to illustrate the significance of the overlaps. The common ground between any two circles is of some interest, but it is only where all three circles overlap that viable options exist. Thus, the chosen strategy is a viable option because it is here where intent and assessment fully meet. Of interest are also the areas where any two circles overlap. So, the criteria for choice derive from intent and assessment. In practice, the process for choosing a strategy may be structured like in Figure 1.3. It starts by identifying available options. Any chosen strategy will have to answer the questions what , how , why , who , and when in order to provide answers to each of these questions. There are likely to be different kinds of options. Figure 1.3 shows three types: products/ services / markets, resources/ capabilities, and methods of progress. They are typical but not necessarily exhaustive. 2.2.3 OPTIONS FOR MARKETS AND PRODUCTS / SERVICES The tourism industry is a constellation of businesses, agencies, and non-profit organizations which work together to create products. Thus, the type of option relates to which products or services to offer in which markets. The diagram in Figure 1.4 structures a certain decision, as it was suggested for the first time by Igor Ansoff .The axes of the diagram represent the product, market needs, and market geography. The last is defined by four cells. The possible choices about products and markets can be represented as movements within or away from these cells. One set of choices is possible within the existing product / market set. Do nothing choice means continuing the present strategy. This strategy compares any proposed change with the do nothing option as a baseline. This option, however, is not often viable for the long term as competitors will be likely to gradually take the market by improving their product, processes, relationships. Withdraw choice is leaving the market by closing down or selling out .This may seem a negative option but necessary to focus available resources into areas of greater strength. It mainly occurs in declining markets. Consolidate choice refers to attempting to hold market share in existing markets. This is a defensive option which involves cutting costs and prices. It mostly occurs in mature markets or ones beginning to decline. Market Penetration choice means increasing market share within the same market. This is a more aggressive option and involves investing in product improvement, advertising, or channel development. Other possible options are Product Development that is developing and acquiring new products and Market Development, an option which addresses to new market needs. Diversification is another type of option having to do with new products. It may be of two kinds: related and unrelated. Related diversification, in its turn, divides into: backward, forward, and horizontal integration. Any management choice has to focus on the relative attractiveness of available options. Whether the present position is bad enough, even risky alternatives are preferable to doing nothing. 2.2.4 OPTIONS IN METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION Options are likely to occur in methods of implementation as well. There are four main methods to make companies grow their capabilities: internal development, acquisition, contractual arrangements, and strategic alliances. Internal development is the most obvious approach to growth. It involves developing the necessary skills among the existing staff and acquiring the necessary production capacity. This method has one disadvantage: it takes time for the competitors to move faster, otherwise opportunities may be lost. Acquisition is a very common implementation option, used by such countries as the UK and USA. Take overs and mergers are dominant for this method of implementation. The disadvantage for mergers is that they can cause operational and psychological disorder which distracts the people. Competitors can use this turmoil in their benefit as they are free to concentrate on customers rather than on internal changes. Many acquisitions may be beneficial at the right price, but may also destroy shareholder value at a too high price. Contract arrangements, regardless of their type, have in common the need for a written contract which binds two or more parties into a clear agreement as to who will do what and pay what. When disputes happen they can be handled in courts by agreed arbitration procedures, or by not renewing the present contract at the expiry. The contract arrangements come in different forms: Consortia are groups of companies that form a joint entity for a specific purpose. When this purpose is achieved, the consortium breaks up and the separate partners may find themselves competing in different consortia for a new project. Franchising is common in retailing. The franchisee pays the franchiser a fee for services and royalties. The franchisee is halfway between an employee and an independent entrepreneur. His risk is limited by the previous success of the brand name and the support and advice given by the franchiser. Licensing allows a small inventive company to license its product to be manufactured and marketed by others. This can determine quick growth by avoiding the need to build manufacturing or distribution capability. Agents imply doing business in foreign countries or specialized markets where the volume of business is too low to justify a permanent presence. The agent must be familiar with local requirements and calls for additional support from the principal when opportunities arise. There are conflicts among agents which include conflicts of interest. Strategic alliances and partnerships have come into fashion over the last decade .When there are contracts between the parties, there is a wider intention to cooperate at a strategic level in order to share information and to work together in a way that goes beyond a clear contractual arrangement. It is considered that for a rapidly changing world, strategic alliances are the only way to achieve speed of response and global spread. 2.2.5. GROUPING OPTIONS INTO STRATEGIC OPTIONS Possible options about product / markets, resources / capabilities, and the method of implementation must be combined into a smaller number of strategic options. This may be an up or down process. The bottom -up approach implies linking what might be done in detail into strategies. The top- down approach means testing general ideas of future direction against detailed options. 2.2.6. GENERAL TESTS OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS The tests, important otherwise, cannot be totally objective. Each strategic option has to pass two tests as shown in Figures 1.2 and 1.3 .These tests must be: Aligned in that it conforms to the strategic intent. This test answers the question: Does this option take us where we want to? Feasible in that the capabilities and resources needed to get success can be made available. The test answers the following question: Will it work? Acceptance is a third test, related to the two mentioned above, asking the question: Will this option be acceptable? Acceptable means to win the approval of two groups: those who will have to approve it and those who will have to implement it. Any strategic option has to pass all these three tests. In the case when more than one strategic option passes these tests, they have to be compared with each other to find the best solution, at that particular moment. It is also important to take into account such situations as risks. 2.2.7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR ASSISTING STRATEGIC CHOICE There have been several attempts to provide theoretical frameworks for making strategic choices .One highly influential, was the concept of Generic Strategies, devised in 1985 by Porter. He mentioned that the most important choices dealing with any business are the scope of the markets. It is about how to serve and how to compete in the chosen markets. The scope can be broad- tackling the whole market , or narrow tackling one particular part of the market. Companies achieve competitive advantage either by having the lowest product cost or by having products which are different in ways valued by customers. The axes of Figure 1.5 are the scope of the chosen market and chosen basis of competition. The four quadrants in the same figure suggest four possible strategies. When the scope is narrow, the distinction between cost and differentiation becomes unimportant so Porter mentions only three generic strategies : coast leadership, differentiation, focus. While differentiation implies a difference in the perception of the product by clients, focus implies a difference in target market. According to Porter, the weakest strategy is b being stuck in the middle . Managers were enthusiastic about generic strategies when first published. Gradually, the reality showed a distinction between differentiation and cost. Few companies afford to ignore cost however different their product may be. On the other side, there are very few companies to admit that their product is the same as all the others. Porters Generic Strategy Model has been extended into the Strategy Clock (Figure 1.6) The important addition is the hybrid strategy, an optional balance between price and the added value perceived by the customer. The offerings may often fall into three categories. There are cheap offerings for those customers to whom the price is the most important aspect. At the other end are the luxury offerings with high quality and appeal to those customers who want the best and most differentiated. In the middle, are the good valued offerings which compromise between the other two and offer a good trade off between price and value. 2.3 STRATEGIC CHOICES USED BY ROMANIA AND BULGARIA When discussing this issue, it is important to focus upon the targets in tourism, targets that have changed in accordance with the new demands. Among these targets, here are some: Increasing visitor satisfaction Increasing the amount visitor spend for services Delivering the best prices Reducing seasonality Involving the local authorities to create community In terms of hotel industry, Romania has inherited a great tourist accommodation capacity from the communist period. Since the 1960s Romania had developed many accommodation facilities, mainly on the sea- side coast of the Black Sea. The low ranked hotels from this area are convenient for a mass tourism demand. After the 1990s the main tourism indicators have pointed out two distinctive periods on the Romanian market. These are characterized by severe government instability and lack of policies and strategies regarding the tourism industry. During 1990 2000 there was a slow intensity of the privatization process, only 55, 3 % of the accommodation facilities were private owned. After 2001 , Romanian tourism industry has followed and increasing trend due to an accelerated privatization , 92 % of the accommodation facilities have been transformed from state owned to private owned .Lots of investments have occurred in modernizing the accommodation structures and increasing the volume of the green field investments. Elaborating and applying strategies in Romanian tourism companies is a complex process, alive, and in continuing expansion. Meanwhile, Bulgaria has come in with a dynamic and harsh competition .This has determined the need to change this industry by elaborating new strategies which focus on perspective , positioning , plan , and pattern. The differentiation strategy, suggested by Porter, is the strategy that the Romanian hotels are following. The Romanian hotel market considers that differentiation can be the result of a strong marketing campaign meant to strengthen the unique characteristics of the product / services within the mentality of the customers. The hotels in Romanian market are pursuing a focus differentiation strategy. They are producing products and services for the high price market segments. Another strategy used by Romania is the training strategy. Within the service sector, it is of great importance to exist an interaction client employee. The customers satisfaction is given by the behavior of the employees. The hybrid strategy is pursued by those hotels which envision a decrease f the distribution costs and those that renounce to the unprofitable clients. These hotels attempt to sustain their strategy by the use of the Internet and E- commerce. The tourism industry in Bulgaria plays an important part in the countrys economy. Accession to the UE has had a great impact on its market, as the seaside summer resorts on the Black Sea Coast are the main attraction. One of the strategies used by Bulgarian hoteliers is to base their prices on the products perceived value .Value based pricing means that the marketer cannot design a product and a marketing program and then fix the price. Price is a worth value to consider .The company uses the non- prices variables to build in the buyers minds a perceived value by setting prices to match the perceived value. ( Kotler , 2003 ).To simplify, hoteliers are aware that consumers must feel as if they get a good deal for their money. Perceived value is the key of any good pricing strategy. Bulgarians also use the differentiating strategy. Their purpose is to offer unique products and services so as to obtain a price premium. In other words, by implementing differentiated services or personalized services , a company can build its customer loyalty when substitute products or services are not available in the market. In this way, they charge their customers a higher price than their rivals based on the cost of the delivery system and service quality. The coast- leadership strategy has made the Bulgarian hospitality a name. Researchers in the fields of marketing and strategic management have suggested numerous approaches to help firms achieve cost leadership. Some of these are using mass production techniques, achieving economies of scale, adopting a new technology, achieving mass -distribution, reducing input costs , achieving resource, and improving access to raw materials. 2.4 SUMMARY Strategic choice is the third logical element of the strategy process, playing a central role. The process of choice is deciding between different options. There are likely to be possible options about a product and services and about market segments defined by both customer need and geography. Indicators between what is possible and what is required may follow from the results of a strategic assessment. The various options may inter-relate so it is necessary to identify a small number of strategic options made up of appropriately related options. Strategic options have to be aligned, acceptable, and feasible. If here is more than one strategic option, that meets these tests, they need to be compared both logically and politically in order to take a final decision.

Citizens National Bank Searches For System Solution

Citizens National Bank Searches For System Solution In the information system world, before a problem can be solved, it first must be properly defined. Members of the organization must agree that a problem actually exists and that it is serious. The problem must be investigated so that it can be better understood. Next comes a period of devising alternative solutions, then one of evaluating each alternative and selecting the best solution. The final stage is one of implementing the solution, in which a detailed design for the solution is specified, translated into a physical system, tested, introduced to the organization, and further refined as it is used over time. Unfortunately, the same mistakes happen again and again when organizations decide to embrace a new information system either as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing, or a management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively. These mistakes occur repeatedly due to the lack of a thorough system analysis which includes a feasibility study to determine whether each proposed solution is feasible, or achievable, from a financial, technical, and organizational standpoint. The importance of system analysis, information requirements, and feasibility study come of their advantages in determining whether each alternative solution is a good investment, whether the technology needed for the system is available and can be handled by the firms information systems staff, and whether the organization is capable of accommodating the changes introduced by the system. Customer relationship management systems are very popular information systems nowadays and have been hailed as a way for companies to find, influence, and retain customers, even though industry experts cite failure rates for CRM rollouts of up to 70 percent. Thats a disastrously high figure for initiatives that typically cost hundreds of thousandsor even millionsof dollars. Most often the complexity of CRM systems can turn deployments into expensive, time-consuming mistakes when companies embrace a complete CRM package from well known vendors like SAP, or Seibel while they need only low-cost, easy-to-implement CRM software with some common CRM features like lead generation and management, deal tracking, and customer support management. Citizens National Bank searches for a system solution will be my main discussion in this case study which I think depicts a simple example of organizations that underestimate the importance of a thorough assessment to business processes and a deep analysis to the projected information system to define the requirements of the new system, available alternatives, and comparing multiple selection criteria in order to choose the best available solution which capable of performing the required tasks, satisfy users needs, and compatible with the organizations legacy systems. Singleton Needs a CRM Package The initial problem that Mark Singleton was trying to resolve is the implementation of a CRM system to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Also Singleton wanted a CRM system that places a great value on the person-to-person interactions between his relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminishes the relationship bankers rapport with customers. (Lauden, 2010) In the problem-solving process which is especially valuable when we need to build new systems as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing. The problem in this case came from the management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively, but they didnt apply the four steps of problem solving. In the problem-solving process to system building, we would need to take the following four steps: (Lauden, 2010) (1) Define and understand the problem. (2) Develop alternative solutions. (3) Choose the best solution. (4) Implement the solution. Citizens National Bank CEO Mark Singleton achieved the first step with an outstanding performance in defining and understanding the problem for which they need to build a new system but he failed dramatically in applying the rest of the steps required by the problem-solving process to build a new system. Mr. Singleton did not devise, develop or try several alternative solutions before opting for a new CRM system to solve the problem of paper and manual work and replace it with a new information system to automate some of the bankers tasks. Because he did not develop alternative solutions, he couldnt choose the best solution which led to a failed implementation at the first time. Figure : Problem Solving Process Source: Lauden, Management Information Systems New System Implementation! Its Tangible and Intangible Benefits Organizationally, Citizens National Bank of Texas is a private, full-service bank with headquarters in Waxahachie, Texas, and 200 employees that has operated independently since 1868. Citizens National Bank relies on personal, retail, and commercial customers and serves businesses and consumers in Ellis County and other nearby counties, primarily in communities with populations of 25,000 or less. (Lauden, 2010) Citizen National bank operates heavily manual and count on paper system in which sometimes a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. The paper system also created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. So that the old paper system cannot support the large number of new customers and the annual grow at a rate of 12 percent. (Lauden, 2010) A major part of Citizen Nationals strategy for continuing growth was to implement customer relationship management (CRM) software. The CRM strategy targeted the banks two main contact points with customers: the banks call center and its sales force. The objectives of a solution for Citizens National Bank would be to reduce the amount of time, effort, and errors in the tracking of activities made by relationship bankers and to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. (Lauden, 2010) Tangible Benefits Increased productivity: Using a CRM system will enable relationship bankers to improve their tracking activities with customers, which in turn increase their productivity and give them ability to serve more customers. Lower operational costs: using electronic records will substantially reduce papers used and results in cost saving. Reduced workforce: this is will be the result of increasing bankers productivity to serve more customers, which in turn will considerably reduce the workforce required to handle the projected increase in sales. Reduced rate of growth in expenses Reduced facility costs: due to paper reduction, and workforce reduction. Intangible Benefits Improved organizational planning and flexibility: because the paper system created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. The CRM system will give them efficient information to make effective decisions. Improved decision making: having accurate information under executives and managers control will dramatically enhance the decision making. Improved operations: The CRM system will enable the bank to approve credit and loan applications more quickly. Improved asset utilization and improved resource control. More information available in a timely manner. Enhanced employee goodwill: because under the old paper system, a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. Increased job satisfaction among employees. Higher client satisfaction: nothing will satisfy the customers more than getting a quick approvals and smooth transactions. Better corporate image: this is will result automatically from an increase in job satisfaction among employees and a higher client satisfaction. Why didnt the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution work out I believe that the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution didnt work out for Citizens National because it was not the best solution that applies or fits into the defined problem; it didnt work out because it was not a result of a thorough selection process that went through precise evaluation for multiple alternatives or solutions. The implementation failed for many factors, I will classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues Organization: the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic. The Siebel software was simply too rich in features. (Lauden, 2010) From the start, Citizens National had trouble getting the software to fit its rather straightforward, basic customer-lead tracking and reporting needs.With Siebel, we were spending way too much time turning off capabilities that we didnt need, Singleton explains. An example of functionality that didnt fit Citizens Nationals business model was Siebels capability for setting up customer support cases. While some large corporations may want to set up a support case with detailed complaint-tracking and resolution functions, the small bank had no use for it. Service complaints that come in to Citizens National are handled on the spot by its call center. For service inquiries that require a follow-up, such as a customer asking about the reordering of checks, the call-center representative schedules an activity by sending an e-mail to the employee who handles check orders. (Bartholomew, 2007) People: Employees found the software to be too complicated. They were surprised to learn, for example, that the system did not automatically generate potential business opportunities for customers on their records. Furthermore, bankers were not able to view multiple relationships between a customer and the bank on the same screen. The extra navigation was confusing and inefficient. (Lauden, 2010) The relationship bankers were the key employees; the system was intended to be of value to them, and, in turn, provide value to the bank. However, they found no incentive in the Siebel environment because their compensation was based on sales, and sales had become harder to make. Citizens Nationals bankers found the system difficult to navigate. For instance, the banking representatives couldnt understand why an opportunity to make a loan to a particular customer wasnt listed under the customers record. You have to assign that opportunity to that person, explains Doug Furney, president and CEO of The Small Business Solution. If you dont make those relationships when entering the data, the opportunity wont appear under that customers record. Not everyone easily grasped this concept. (Bartholomew, 2007) Furney says the way the screens were laid out in Siebel, Citizens bankers had to flip back and forth between the various screens to identify different relationships that customers had with the bank. Understanding these relationships in the system was very confusing to their bankers, he says. As a result, the banks top sales representatives, who werent eager to change the way they did their work to fit the needs of the software, found Siebels learning curve too steep to negotiate. Citizens Nationals 16 relationship bankers never got over the ease-of-use problems that Siebel presented, Furney says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Technology: Citizens National experienced compatibility issues between the database formats in Siebel and those used by the banks core banking application, developed by Kirchman. As a result, the two systems had difficulty exchanging information properly. The bank was forced to spend a significant amount of time fixing such compatibility issues, which negatively impacted its ability to serve customers. (Lauden, 2010) Citizens National also had to deal with a raft of customization issues, often stemming from the differences between databases. Furney worked to integrate Siebel with Citizens Nationals core banking application. The bank uses banking software from Kirchman, whose vertical systems are used by numerous small and medium-size banks to process and track customers deposits, loans and trust accounts. Trying to get these two systems to talk was a challenge, he says. (Bartholomew, 2007) One basic difference was the way the core banking application set up its customer data fields. The Kirchman system did not have individual fields for both the customers first and last names, choosing instead to include the full name in a single field. By contrast, in Siebel, the customers first and last name each had a data field. Thats the kind of thing we ran into when we tried to marry data from these two different systems, Furney says. This kind of integration takes time, and customers dont realize how much time is required. (Bartholomew, 2007) Was QuickBase a better solution for Citizens National In my perspective, QuickBase was the best alternative solution that meets the requirements of Citizens National Bank for a new IT system that is an easy to use, capable of doing some tracking activities, and store the interactions between relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminish the relationship bankers rapport with customers. QuickBase was designed for organizing, tracking, and sharing information among team members in the workplace while encouraging progress by notifying workers via automated e-mails of updated files, new task assignments, and approaching deadlines. Because QuickBase was not programmed as a specific business application, businesses could modify its database structure to meet specific business functions. (Lauden, 2010) One reason some small and medium-size companies, as well as groups within larger ones, are adopting QuickBase is its flexibility. Intended not just for customer management, QuickBase-which is actually more of an easily modified database than a full-fledged business application-can be harnessed for other business tasks. For example, Procter Gamble uses the system to track technology projects. Because its easy to use, runs online via any browser and doesnt require an I.T. professional to set up, the hosted application is finding its way into all kinds of businesses. (Bartholomew, 2007) There are many factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product, some of these factors are: The Citizens National staffs were able to make changes to QuickBase themselves, so the costs of ownership and maintenance fees were much lower. QuickBase offered Citizens National flexibility that it did not have previously. Because the system was Web-based, the relationship bankers were able to use it anywhere that they had access to a browser. Relationship bankers and management received daily updated access to all interactions and transactions, enabling them to track business in a way that was never possible previously. For the first time, Citizens National was able to completely track sales opportunities and, as Singleton said, where we lost business, so we know where we need to make those extra 10 or 15 sales calls. Also central to the success of QuickBase at Citizens National was Furneys ability to integrate the system with the Kirchman core banking application. Furney configured QuickBase to upload new account information to the core system every night via an XML interface. For example, a banking representative can click on a commercial customers file and immediate see all the contacts that have been made with that customer by bank staff, any actions that were taken on the customers behalf, and the end result. Citizens National bank representatives use it to check on customers to see if there has been a follow-up call to a contact, whether a voice-mail message was left with the customer, who the salesperson was and the status of the contact. Its been an invaluable tool for us to keep track of our customers, Singleton adds. (Bartholomew, 2007) A Complete CRM package is Not for Everyone Industry experts cite failure rates for CRM rollouts of up to 70 percent. Thats a disastrously high figure for initiatives that typically cost hundreds of thousandsor even millionsof dollars. For smaller businesses or for departments within large companies, even successful implementation at that cost is out of the question. Anecdotally theres a fairly high failure rate attributed to CRM implementations, says Jocelyn Young, program manager for CRM services for IDC. (Desmond, 2010) Customer relationship management systems have been hailed as a way for companies to find, influence, and retain customers. Packages from companies like Onyx, Pivotal, and Siebel go far beyond simple contact and sales managementthey link sales, marketing, and customer support operations into a single, cohesive chain. But the complexity of CRM systems can turn deployments into expensive, time-consuming mistakes. Many companies need low-cost, easy-to-implement CRM software. Fortunately, affordable packages have finally matured. (Desmond, 2010) Figure CRM Systems All for one, one for all: CRM deployments can be expensive because they touch nearly every part of a business. By driving everything from marketing campaigns to call center operations to inventory management through a single knowledge base, companies are able to fine-tune customer interactions at every point of contact. Source: http://pcworld.about.com Jerry Norman, president of Market Answers, a CRM consultancy in Austin, Texas, says the broad definition of CRM is part of the problem. If you ask 100 people on the street what CRM is, you are going to get 100 answers. The executives know that they need CRM, but they dont know what they are getting. (Desmond, 2010) One way to sidestep the issue, says Norman, is to narrow the focus of the CRM effort. Lower-cost CRM products such as Microsoft BCentral Customer Manager, SalesForce.com, and SalesLogix provide common CRM features like lead generation and management, deal tracking, and customer support management. These packages can be installed on a companys servers or hosted by an application service provider. But while a Siebel deployment can cost several hundred thousand dollars, a package like SalesLogix can be had for less than $50,000 for 20 usersa relative pittance by CRM standards. (Desmond, 2010) So I believe that, organizations that would benefit from using Siebel CRM package are the large corporations which use it to connect multiple departments inside the firm like sales, marketing, and customer support operations which will link them into a single, cohesive chain. Example for such organizations is Verizon Wireless, we will examine in the next section of this case study how Siebel CRM helped Verizon to achieve its business objectives and gets a competitive advantage. This case study is taken from www.Oracle.com Verizon Business Delivers New Sales and Support Tools and Improves System Performance by 35% Verizon Business Basking Ridge, NJ www.verizonbusiness.com Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications, is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. With one of the worlds most connected internet protocol networks, Verizon Business delivers communications, IT, security, and network solutions to many of the largest businesses and governments. Industry: Annual Revenue: Communications US$93.5 billion Employees: 32,000 Our work with Accenture to upgrade our Oracle systems has improved system performance significantly. In a recent survey, 84% of users said performance was faster or much faster. Plus, our sales and support staff have new tools to improve productivity and customer service, which ultimately drives customer retention and revenue. Rob Moore, Director Verizon Business Challenges Empower sales and support staff with new tools to provide end users with a better experience, supporting customer retention, which is vital in todays competitive communications industry React to market demands and growing competition from new and traditional players in the market with more flexible pricing Improve system performance and lower maintenance costs Strengthen reporting and enable what if scenario testing Solution Worked with Accenture to upgrade to Oracles Siebel CRM 8.0 and Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, taking advantage of evolving technology to support a range of customer-facing communications industry business processes Gained new sales and support tools-for tasks ranging from quoting to contact management-to help 15,000 users better serve 250,000 large and midsize business customers Improved pricing flexibility with new, dynamic pricing features that allow the company to introduce new pricing or customer retention offers on demand, instead of requiring code changes and a separate release, which previously took several months Provided sales and support staff with a new, easy-to-use interface that supports best practices and improves productivity Expanded reporting functionality to drive greater visibility Upgraded hardware and middleware and enabled a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to extend integration across the enterprise and further consolidate systems Lowered support costs and positioned the company for long-term cost savings by reducing customizations Improved system performance by 35% and accelerated processes by up to 12 hours-vital for a system that processes about 120 quotes, 104 contracts, and 340 opportunities daily Improved user satisfaction, with 84% noting faster performance Completed the upgrade within a short, eight-month timeline Could Citizens National have made a better choice? I think everyone would agree with me that Citizens National Bank could have made a better choice from the beginning if its management followed the required rules and procedures of building a new information system. Citizens National Bank could have made a better choice if its CEO Singleton analyzed the size and scope of the needed system and tried to find answers for the following questions: What system will provide us with a genuine business benefits? How can the firm adjust to the changes introduced by the new system solution? What alternative approaches are available for the needed system solution? In the information system world, building a new information system in order to alleviate an existing problem in the business operations requires a deep system analysis. Before a problem can be solved, it first must be properly defined. Members of the organization must agree that a problem actually exists and that it is serious. The problem must be investigated so that it can be better understood. Next comes a period of devising alternative solutions, then one of evaluating each alternative and selecting the best solution. The final stage is one of implementing the solution, in which a detailed design for the solution is specified, translated into a physical system, tested, introduced to the organization, and further refined as it is used over time. (Lauden, 2010) Conclusion Transforming business processes into an automated information system and taking advantage of new opportunities available through the rapid development of information systems and technologies is never an easy task and should not be taken for granted. In order to achieve high results and gain the expected returns from the investment in new information system, organizations should follow the recommended procedures in building a new system from defining the system requirements, determining its scope, to choosing the best available solution that is capable of performing the required tasks without going through a series of complicated screens that lead to the frustration of end-users. The systems analysis lays out the most likely paths to follow given the nature of the problem. Some possible solutions do not require an information system solution but instead call for an adjustment in management, additional training, or refinement of existing organizational procedures. Some, however, do require modifications to the firms existing information systems or an entirely new information system. Sometimes the lack of a thorough system analysis and feasibility study make you get lost in the forest of a complete business application that fits only large corporations and that is exactly what happened to Citizen National Bank in its search for CRM system. While the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic, they chose Siebel CRM system that was simply too rich in features which employees found it to be too complicated. Citizen National Bank could have prevented the demise of five hundred thousand dollars in a learning lesson if they conducted a thorough system evaluation and selection process from the outset in which they would find that the required system was an easy to use system that doesnt exceed a thousand dollar in its implementation cost.

Comparing Death Of A Salesman and Hamlet :: comparison compare contrast essays

Death Of A Salesman Vs. Hamlet Willy Loman and Hamlet, two characters so alike, though different. Both are perfect examples of tragedy in literature, though for separate reasons and by distinct methods. The definition of a tragedy, in a nutshell, states that for a character to be considered tragic, he/she must be of high moral estate, fall to a level of catastrophe, induce sympathy and horror in the audience, and usually die, and in doing so, re-establish order in the society. Hamlet follows this to a "T". Death of a Salesman does not fall within these set guidelines but is still considered tragic for reasons, though different, somewhat parallel those of Hamlet's. Hamlet, a rich young price of high moral estate suddenly has his joyous life ripped away from him when his father, Hamlet Sr., suddenly passes away. Though originally thought to be of natural causes, it is later revealed to him through his father's ghost, that dear old dad was murdered by his Step-Father, and also his Uncle, Claudius. Vowing revenge upon his Uncle/Dad, Hamlet begins to mentally falter and eventually, is in such a wild rage that he accidentally kills Polonious believing him to be his father. Hilarity ensues. Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest, commits suicide/dies (that's up for debate elsewhere) after going slightly mad from the impact of her father's death, then Laertes, Polonius' son, arrives on the scene enraged and ready to kill Hamlet for what he's done, and just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, unbeknownst to Hamlet, Claudius has been plotting to kill him. Talk about your bad days. A duel takes place between Hamlet and Laertes where Laertes, using a poison-tipped sword, cuts Hamlet, thus giving way for his impending death. Hamlet eventually gets hold of the sword and kills Laertes, then kills King Claudius. Just as the play ends, Hamlet takes his last breath of air, appoints Fortinbras Jr. as the new King of Denmark, and dies. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, a salesman who believed himself to be a powerful man, has his life unravel before him as he loses his job, his sanity and the respect of those around him. Many years before, Willy had an affair. This "dirtied" his appearance to his son Biff, though his wife never found out. Biff later went on to become a drifter of sorts, dabbling in one low-paying profession after another until finally settling on a farm. After Willy was fired, for being too old, too inept or both, supposedly, Willy pretends he's still working and doesn't let his wife in

e. e. cummings Poem of Simplicity in Life Essay examples -- Poetry Po

e. e. cummings' Poem of Simplicity in Life This poem by e. e. cummings describes the link between age and happiness by relating the two with simplicity. With this simplicity, however, there is a break from reality, and there are consequences. We can only do what is natural for us. you shall above all things be glad and young by e. e. cummings you shall above all things be glad and young. For if you're young, whatever life you wear it will become you;and if you are glad whatever's living will yourself become Girlboys may nothing more than boygirls need: i can entirely her only love whose any mystery makes every man's flesh put space on;and his mind take off time that you should ever think,may god forbid and(in his mercy)your true lover spare: for that way knowledge lies,the foetal grave called progress,and negation's dead undoom. I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance In reading the first line, it sounds as though the focus of life is being glad and young. This is because of how the first part of the sentence is worded. The word "shall" is more of a command than a suggestion. It says something will be done, not that something may happen. Furthermore, it's saying that you will do something. To say that someone else will do something lessens the meaning of the action. However, since you, the reader, are creating this action, you are obviously involved in the action more than if someone else was creating this action. So what is the author saying you will do? You will be "glad and young" before anything else. By saying that you will be "glad and young" before anything else puts an importance on these two actions because there is nothing, accordin... ...on's dead undoom" is a part that "his mind takes off time." Therefore, his mind forgets that refusal no longer has no punishment. This may not make a great deal of sense, but remember that the theme to this point has been finding happiness and simplicity. Perhaps, then, if refusal is saying no to the oblivion happiness brings, then he is again associated with the consequences of reality. This connects to the idea that god is mentioned as a reminder of reality and its consequences. What is the conclusion? What is the significance of learning versus teaching? You can only learn of happiness through experience, in other words, living. However, you cannot teach one how to seek happiness; it is innate, meaning it is a natural part of you. It is natural for "stars to dance" and "birds to sing," so how can you teach them otherwise? Seek happiness and you shall find it.

Homeless Bedford Reader

Joseph Papalexandrou The essay I am analyzing is homeless written by Anna Quindlen. The essay can be found in The Bedford Reader 10th edition. My curiosity it what brought me to this essay. The topic I am writing about is homeless citizens. What interests me about homeless people is that it never seems to bother them where there living. What also gave me interest is how do homeless people feed themselves with no money?I always wonder why homeless people don’t look for money on the streets and save what they find buys a pair of clothes and go for a job interview at McDonalds. The overall message in this essay is that people make what they have home. If it’s living in a box or on the street they will always call that place home. It doesn’t matter what you have but how you feel about what you have. If you’re ok with where you call home then that fine. The real message in this essay is that not all people depend on items or things they have to make them happy. The overall tone in this essay is subjective and personal. Anna is trying to do a story on homeless people, and she found women called Ann on the back of a bus. Quindlen tries to get some information out of the women at the back of the bus and she is having a hard time doing so. In the story Quindlen goes back and forth with how she doesn’t see the big picture in things. But she does bring up some personal information. There are no images in this essay although there the Quindlen likes to make a lot of understatements.She says that it’s not where you live or how big it is but that it’s the place you call home. So basically living in a box you can call home and it doesn’t matter because it’s your home. That is a very big understatement. A lot of people like stability to be able to feed themselves everyday and be clean. The details and evidence that I found to support the main message in this story was when quindlen wrote â€Å"They are not the home less.They are people with no home. (Quindlen 200) That pretty much gives me the feeling that she is saying that there is no right to look down on someone because they have no home and that it gives us no right to call someone homeless. In this essay there are logos & pathos. In the essay Quindlen started to do to a report on homeless people and she even mentioned that she never seen the big picture up until she met Ann on the back of the bus. Quindlen started to no longer call homeless people homeless she instead refers them to people without a home.

Danny and the Ring Essay

Even though the spring sun was out in force, the wind still made Danny’s nose so cold that it wouldn’t stop running. The weatherman said that it was going to rain later, but so far the sunshine made him squint his eyes as he walked. Every day, Danny had to be at work by 7:30 in the morning, and he had never been late. He walked up the concrete steps to the door of the funeral home slowly, taking care not to trip on the middle step, which had a large crack in it. When he got to the door, he wiped his nose with his sleeve, and then fumbled for his special key. There wasn’t anything else in his pocket, but Danny still fumbled anyway. A minute later, he took the key which was on a long shoelace string and opened the heavy wooden door, wincing at the squeak that cut through the silence of the cold April morning. Danny took his job very seriously, and was pretty good at it. The pay was enough to help pay for his room at the â€Å"Special House† where he lived, and he liked his good friend Dr. Jacob that worked with him in the basement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jacob arrived at the funeral home every day about a half an hour after Danny got there. He thought Danny was a good kid, and he liked the fact that even though he had Downs Syndrome, Danny took to the job well. One thing he couldn’t understand is how he made it every morning at the same exact time like clockwork. Jacob worked on the bodies downstairs, getting them processed and ready for viewing. Danny would come in and sweep, mop, and generally clean up the workshop. The first day that Danny came in to work, he saw Jacob hooking up hoses to a body. Danny was amazed, yet very calm and understanding, wanting to figure out exactly what Jacob was up to. After Jacob tried to give Danny an overview of what he was doing and why, Danny just told him that he didn’t get it, but that he was a heck of a doctor. After that, Jacob had become Dr. Jacob.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Danny was already started when Dr. Jacob had arrived that morning. The bucket was drawn with fresh hot soapy water, and most of the floors had already been swept. Danny was getting the mop ready when Dr. Jacob got off the elevator. Danny greeted him with his famous smile, and went to shake his hand like he did every morning. â€Å"Hands are all full today Danny, let me get over to the counter and drop off my stuff.† The sterile smell of cleaner mixed in with the lingering formaldehyde wafted it’s way around Dr. Jacob’s nose and told his brain that it was time to get to work. He dropped off his coat and lunch and then turned to Danny, who was waiting patiently for his morning handshake. â€Å"Here ya go Danny, and a good morning to you too.† They shook hands and Danny was back to work again. The silence was unbearable down there in the dungeon, as it was sometimes called. Dr. Jacob went to start up the Mr. Coffee, and then turn on the radio.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You know you can turn this on when you get here Danny boy to give you some tunes to work to, right?† Dr. Jacob said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Not till your here Dr. Jacob. No radio till your here. Your coffee is almost ready. Got to get back to work now.† Danny smiled with his whole face, eyes and all. He turned and grabbed the mop and began to dip it and ring it out, getting ready to mop the dressing room. That was the room that Dr. Jacob couldn’t stand. He could work on the dead, processing body fluids and what not, without hesitation. But there was something weird about getting them dressed for the last time, complete with hair dos’ and all that he just couldn’t stomach. That job was left to the night guy, Joe. He was gone before six every day, and got there at about ten at night. Joe did pretty good work, even made up the ladies with lipstick and all, but Dr. Jacob tried to avoid the whole area if he could. He put some creamer in his coffee, and turned up the radio a bit, and sat down at his desk to review the files that came with each body. He was working on his second cup when he heard Danny yell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Jacob jumped up, spilling his coffee on his white lab coat, and ran over to the dressing room. He had never heard Danny holler like that, and he thought something was very wrong. He walked though the double doors and found Danny sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth. â€Å"Danny, what happened? What’s wrong? Come on up Danny boy, tell me what’s going on?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The lady said she needed her ring back. She said give it back to her. She was a mad lady.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Danny, there’s no one else down here but you and me. The elevator hasn’t moved all day. There can’t be any lady in this basement. Did you get scared by one of the bodies down here? Do you want to go home?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"No, I will get back to work. Your right, Larissa is gone now. I’m sorry Dr. Jacob.† Danny dusted himself off and picked up the mop, and started right up again where he had left off. Dr. Jacob took a long look around the room, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Danny had calmed down, almost as if nothing had happened. Dr. Jacob shook it off and went back to his desk, and decided to call Joe and ask him if anything had been going on the night before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The phone rang three times, then a groggy voice was on the other end. â€Å"Hello? This better be important, I’m sleeping.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Hey Joe, this is Jacob down at the home. Anything weird happen last night? No break ins or anybody snooping around in the basement dressing room?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What? No man. Just business as usual. Had two chicks to do up last night. Hell, it was kinda slow. Something going on or what?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"No, Danny got freaked out. Said something about some lady named Larissa that wanted her ring back. I looked around and there ain’t nobody else in here but us. The doors upstairs dosen’t open until ten in the morning, I just thought you might of known something. Go back to bed Joe, if anything comes up I give you a shout.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I’ll come in early tonight, check the place out. See ya Doc.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Jacob hung the phone back into place and got up to start working on the first customer of the day. At lunchtime, Danny went home, and Dr. Jacob went upstairs to check in with the manager. He mentioned what happened with Danny, and asked if he knew anything about a girl named Larissa. The manager had no idea, but asked if it was such a good idea having Danny working there, especially with his own key. Dr. Jacob went outside with the manager to the parking lot, where the huge old Swann’s sign stood. The sun had hidden itself behind a thick wall of clouds, and the wind had whipped up another notch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"There is nothing wrong with Danny working here, he does a hell of a job. I took him on so ya, he’s my responsibility. If something happens, it’s on me.† Dr. Jacob stood his ground as small drops began falling on the pavement of the parking lot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"So far, there hasn’t been any problems, but like I warned you from the start. The first time he screws up, he’s gone.† the manager huffed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I got you, there won’t be any problems. Joe’s coming in early just to check everything out, so I might stick around a little till he gets here. If you don’t mind,†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The manager rolled his eyes, adjusted his suit, and walked back into the home. Dr. Jacob thought about having a smoke, but the rain really started kicking in, and it was getting colder. He decided to head back in to work. When he got off the elevator and headed for the work table, he thought he heard someone sniffle. He called out to see who was there. Danny came out from around the corner, with a strange look on his face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Danny, I thought you went home. What are you doing here?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I came back to help Larissa. She’s sad. I don’t like to see a lady cry. Can we give her back the ring now?† Dr. Jacob explained that there was nobody there named Larissa, and he knew nothing about a ring. Danny asked if he could stay for awhile and look for Larissa’s ring, and even though everything in Dr. Jacob’s mind told him not to, he told Danny that he could. A couple hours later, the phone rang. Dr. Jacob answered it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Hey Doc, I was thinking about what you asked me earlier, and one of those chicks I did last night had a toe ring on it. I took it off when I put her shoes on, and I don’t think I put it back on. Do you think a family member came looking for it or something? Mabey that’s what freaked Danny boy out. Look on the top of the clothes rack. I’m gonna get another hour of shut eye in before I come down.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Jacob told Danny where to look, and they found the ring. Danny went over to one of the bodies and placed the ring on the pinky finger. Danny looked up at Dr. Jacob and gave him one of his famous smiles. â€Å"I think she’s happy now. Thank you Dr. Jacob.† Danny got on the elevator and headed up. Dr. Jacob checked the name on the body, Laurie Essa. Larissa.