Home Alarm System: An analysis

Home Alarm System: An analysis Home burglaries and property trespassing is a common event; more than forty per one thousand households get robbed yearly. With the introduction of home alarm systems the rates of burglaries have dropped significantly for the past thirty years. Therefore, throughout the semester, we have been working on building a functional home alarm system using PIC microcontroller, a keypad, an LCD display and a magnetic sensor. Household burglary is defined as an illicit entry or attempted entry of a residence which usually involves theft. The illegal entry may be by force, such as breaking a window or slashing a screen, or may be without force by entering through an unlocked door or an open window. As long as the person entering has no legal right to be present in the structure a burglary has occurred. Furthermore, burglary is not only the entry of the house by itself; illegal entry of a garage or any other structure on the premises also represents household burglary. [12] Figure1.Home Burglary Statistics (2008-2011).Washington Post [Photograph].Retrieved from http://homesecurity.net/home-burglary-statistic/ The most common targets are residential houses. Those of them without security systems installed are about three times as likely to be broken into as homes with security systems installed. Moreover, the first place that the robber will search is usually the master bedroom because most people keep their valuables there. The preferred items to be stolen are cash, jewelry, electronic equipment, silver, guns and other items easy to put on the market. [8] Statistics showed that every 14.6 seconds, a burglary takes place in the United States and most of them occur between 10 am and 3 pm. Burglars spend an average of 8 to 12 minutes in your household. The residence owner can take the following safety measures such as: burglars search for homes that appear to be vacant; robbers want to waste no more than sixty seconds breaking into a home. [8] Points of Entry of Burglars: Figure2 .Burglary Facts and Statistics (2008). [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/burglary-facts-and-statistics-338161.html One survey in Pennsylvania showed that: 81 percent of residential intrusions occur through the first floor. 34 percent of burglars entered through the front door; 23 percent through a first-floor window; 22 percent through the back door; 9 percent through the garage; 4 percent entered through a basement; 4 percent through an unlocked entrance; 2 percent through a storage area; 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor. [2] Definition of a Home Alarm System: A home alarm system is used as a defensive device to monitor all unwelcome events such as intrusion, glass breaking and mainly to avoid theft. It is also used to alert a user of a possible danger. It focuses on all of the accessible entry points of the house, so that the alarm will sound as soon as the intruder enters. Advantages: The most important advantage of the home alarm system is the security it offers from theft of costly things such as the jewelry, the television set, your pc, cell phones, and etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ causing massive financial problems. In addition, a home alarm system is necessary not just for the material possessions in your home but also increases protection on the family. Furthermore, a burglar may want to break the door of your house while barging in. You also might have to cope with broken windows, smashed furniture and other general damage. Making up for this damage will be expensive not just time wise but also requires great deal of effort since burglars these days are interested in expensive items. They search for important identifications such as your bank statements, passports, and credit cards, essentially whatever they get their hands on. The misuse of these documents will disturb your economic balance. [13] Therefore, it is recommended to install a home alarm system at your pl ace. Disadvantages: One of the main disadvantages and is mainly caused by a malfunction is the generation of a false alarm where it can be triggered accidentally and thus cause unnecessary inconvenience. Moreover, having children might cause a lock of the system by improper insertion of the password. Also, if you failed to insert the password in time, the alarm may be triggered. Some burglars are highly experienced and have the knowledge to disable the alarm, the phone lines, and the electricity leaving you helpless in a critical situation. How Does a Home Alarm System Operate? Sensors are the most vital part of the system; they act like the eyes and ears of a home alarm system by monitoring break in points and interior areas. The typical sensors, which are usually two magnets, are generally installed on doors and windows such that one magnet is connected to the door or window and the other is connected to the door or window frame. When the door or window is opened, one magnet is removed from the surrounding area of the other and the sensor registers that the door has been opened. More advanced home alarm systems may also contain vibration sensors to detect when glass has been broken by measuring the vibrations caused by the breakage. Also, many systems use motion sensors that compute the proximity of a rooms walls by producing infrared beams and measuring the time required for them to bounce back; if a beam comes back sooner than expected, it likely bounced off of a person and the sensor registers motion. [4] When the alarm system is installed, each sensor is registered with the control panel either through wires or wirelessly. The control panel also interfaces with keypads and other input devices used by the home owner to control the system. The control center keeps track of the status of the sensors and reports activity through LCD displays and other output devices. Moreover, when activity takes places, such as the opening of a window, the sensors report the activity to the control center and the center registers that a disturbance has occurred. In managed alarm systems, the control panel also checks the sensors to verify that they are still operational; if a sensor fails to reply, the center alerts the home owner of an out of order sensor. If the home owner activates the alarm system and the control center registers activity in the home, a signal is sent by the control to a buzzer, flashing lights or any other audiovisual alarm element. Types of Alarm Systems: Home burglar alarms normally include the following: Window and door sensors Motion detectors Main control panel Centrally located keypad Exterior security signs Hard-wired or wireless construction These systems are often centrally monitored by a security provider that alerts authorities of break-ins. Some of the more common systems that are included in many homes: Smoke alarm systems include smoke detectors, possibly strobe lights and hearing impaired features for seniors and hearing impaired home owners. Fire alarms include a series of smoke detectors, heat detectors and possibly an in-home sprinkler. One ignored aspect of your home security is your homes built in systems, such as heating and cooling and plumbing. Critical System Alarms include: Cooling and heating alarms have detection and monitoring devices that transmit information about your heating and cooling system often directly to a monitoring company. Flood and water alarm systems monitor your plumbing system where even small leaks can go unnoticed and result in thousands of dollars in repairs. [5] Types of Alarm Sensors: Alarm Sensors are essential elements of your home security system. A wide variety of security alarm sensors and detectors are available for use. It is obvious what most sensors do, so we will only describe the main ones used in a basic system. Contact Sensors: Most burglaries involve doors, either on entry or while leaving the house. So protecting all doors is a must. (Example: magnetic circuit breakers).Door contacts may be hardwired or wireless; hardwired contacts are usually buried in the doorframe, which is less obvious than wireless and are preferable. Window Contacts: Can be hardwired or wireless. Motion Sensors: Its the most essential and common form of protection. Passive infrared sensors: Detect motion by sensing a sudden change in heat. Dual-Tech motion detectors use two different technologies in the same unit: passive infrared and microwave. These devices are designed to avoid false alarms since both technologies must detect motion before setting off the alarm. Photoelectric Sensors: These sensors project a beam of light across a hall or doorway to detect motion and are triggered when a person passing through interrupts the beam. Glass Break Detectors: Usually mounted near windows to detect the specific high frequency sound of glass being shattered. They are usually installed on a wall opposite or adjacent to the protected glass and are effective within about 15 to 25. Smoke and Heat Detectors: Detect smoke and heat. [1] Chapter II: Our Home Alarm System Our Home Alarm System: Our projects main concern was to build a Home Alarm System using a PIC microcontroller. We started off our project by coding the Keypad, then LCD and the final touch was the sensor. We also added two types of buzzers: one to sound the alarm and the other as a key tone buzzer. The final result turned out to be the following: Figure3. Our Home Alarm System Materials Used: Cost: PIC16F877A 7$ 4X4 Keypad 2$ JHD 162A LCD 6$ 6V Alarm Buzzer 0.5$ Key tone Buzzer 0.5$ 4 MEGA Crystal Oscillator 5$ 3 Flashing LEDs 0.1$ 9 Resistors (10Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, 470 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, 1Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦) 0.1$ 18 Pico Capacitors 1$ Magnetic Sensor 2$ Input Voltage Wires 0.1$ Breadboard 3$ Total Cost: 27.3$ Process of Building: First of all the PIC: PIC is a family of Harvard architecture microcontrollers. The name PIC refers to Peripheral Interface Controller. They are popular with both professional developers and hobbyists alike due to their low cost, wide availability and large user base. The PIC has an overall of 40 pins. These pins include input/output ports such as PORTA, PORTB, PORTC, PORTD, PORTE and two Vdd ports for input voltage. The PIC architecture is characterized by its multiple attributes: Separate code and data spaces (Harvard architecture). A small number of fixed length instructions. Most instructions are single cycle execution, with one delay cycle on branches and skips. All RAM locations function as registers as both source and destination of math and other functions. A hardware stack for storing return addresses. Data space mapped CPU, port, and peripheral registers. The program counter is also mapped into the data space and writable. There is no distinction between memory space and register space because the RAM serves the job of both memory and registers, and it is usually just referred to as the register file. The keypad: This device is used to enter the password selected by the user and to arm or disarm the alarm by selecting the various profiles installed in the system. As you can see from our projects picture we used a 4 x 4 keypad, as instructed by Dr. Ayoubi we started off our project by working on the keypad and testing it on Proteus and on the PIC itself. The design of a 4 x 4 keypad can be approached by either adopting the serial or the parallel concept. The serial concept is tedious in terms of software effort, complex in circuitry and slow in response. However, it requires few interface lines. Meanwhile, the parallel concept on the other hand is less complex in circuitry, less software intensive and faster in response. Its concept also requires more interface lines, that is, 8 plus an interrupt line for a 4 by 4 keypad. [10] Our design for a functional keypad was the usage of an alternation of ports between inputs and outputs which is done by using the TRIS function. We started off by setting the first four ports of PORTB as the inputs and the latter four ports as the outputs. This is done by moving the binary literal 11110000 to the working registers and having the latter four ports pulled down by 10kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistors. The first four ports are connected to the columns meanwhile the last four are connected to the rows. Moreover, as a justification for this reasoning is the fact that it is required to scan the columns for the pressed key and then scan the rows and the results will be decoded in a decoder telling us which button of the keypad was pressed. The main functionality of the keypad as mentioned earlier is to set the code. The alarm can be armed and disarmed with a standard four digit user code in our case. The master code is a step above a regular user code. It is used to unlock the system, as well as programming or erasing a regular user code. Theoretically it can also be used to bypass some sensors. The default password set during the design, which is also the installation code, is 1234. Most alarm companies use the same installer code for all of their installations, and the vast majority will never give their installer code to a customer, for obvious reasons. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display): An LCD is a thin, flat electronic visual display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals (LCs). They are used in a wide range of applications, including computer monitors, television, instrument panels, etc. They are common in consumer devices such as clocks, watches, calculators, and telephones. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) offer several advantages over traditional cathode ray tube displays that make them ideal for several applications. Of course, LCDs are flat, and they use only a fraction of the power required by CRTs. They are easier to read and more pleasant to work with for long periods of time than most ordinary video monitors. It also has few disadvantages, such as limited view angle, brightness, and contrast, not to mention high manufacturing cost. As research continues, these limitations are slowly becoming less significant. [6] [11] [14] In our design, we used a 1k resistor to set the contrast at the LCD display. Sensor Used: The sensor used is the typical magnetic switch circuit breaker as shown in the figure below: Figure4. How Burglar Alarms Work. Retrieved from http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/burglar-alarm1.html A magnetic sensor is used to detect any changes as well as disturbances in a certain magnetic fields. In addition, when the magnets are separated it means we have an open circuit and when it is closed it acts like a short circuit. When the door is closed, the magnet pulls the metal switch close so the circuit is complete. Then, the current powers the relays electromagnet, so the buzzer circuit stays open. When you move the magnet by opening the door, the spring snaps the switch back into the open position. This cuts off the current and closes the relay, sounding the alarm. [7] Functionality of our system As soon as we connect the 5V power source the alarm greets us with a welcome message displayed on the LCD then asks us to provide the password. Once entered correctly the green LED flashes accepting the code. If the password entered was incorrect the red LED flashes and the system gives you two further chances to enter the correct password. If both remaining attempts failed the system will lock. The only way to unlock the system is by clicking the star key (*) for more than five seconds. This feature should be kept a secret between the user and the company otherwise anyone who knows it can unlock the system and keep trying to hack into it. The keypad should be installed next to the entry door because it is programmed with a time lag, to permit you to exit when leaving, and enter on arriving home, without activating the alarm. We have set a profile that gives you 20 seconds before leaving the house and the alarm starting. By clicking the (A) button on the keypad the counter starts giving you the amount of time to leave the house. If the magnets of the magnetic switch get separated, by the opening of a door or a window (depending on where it is installed), the internal invisible counter gives the user 15 seconds or 3 trials to set the password correctly or the alarm will go off. The alarm will remain firing until the password is set correctly. Furthermore, the option of changing the password is also available. In order to do so insert an incorrect password and the red LED flashes. While it is blinking click on the star button and wait until the yellow LED blinks and the LCD displays INSERT ADMIN PASS. In our system the administrator password is 5678. After inserting the correct administrator password the system will ask you to insert the new password then once again for confirmation. The administrator password however cannot be changed unless we change it in the code and download it again on the chip. Chapter III: Algorithm Design Block Diagrams: Figure5. Block Diagram showing how the system functions Figure6. Block Diagram showing how the keypad functions Proteus: Figure7. Our Design on Proteus Chapter IV: Conclusion References Conclusion: As we have seen in the graph Burglary rates figure7, the alarm system is becoming a must in modern day life in order to protect our valuables and the ones we care about. As we can see from the graph below, the rate of burglary is declining in 1981 that is when technology started evolving greatly and as we can see with time crime kept on decreasing. Figure7.Key Facts at a Glance (2011).Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/burg.cfm Figure8.Certified Security Systems (2010). Retrieved from http://certifiedsecuritysystems.com/crime-statistics.aspx In flow chart figure8, alarms are moderately effective (57%), 40% very effective, and 3% not effective as owners say. Alarm owners are very satisfied with price and value of security systems such that 74% excellent and good, 22% just okay, and 4% Poor and Terrible. In conclusion, comparing our cost to the prices on the market we can see that systems cost from 30$ to 200$ depending on the number of sensors, the ground it covers and its specifications. Therefore, we recommend each house owner to buy an alarm system because it is not very expensive and might save you the trouble and the inconvenience and the financial losses caused by a robbery. REFERENCE LIST [1] Alarm SensorsAre Essential and Primary Elements of Your Home Security System (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://www.home-security-action.co.uk/alarm-sensors.html [2] Burglary Facts and Statistics (2008).Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/burglary-facts-and-statistics-338161.html [3] Certified Security Systems (2010). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://certifiedsecuritysystems.com/crime-statistics.aspx [4]Evans, K. (n.d.). How Does a Home Alarm System Operate? Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4568395_home-alarm-system-operate.html [5] From Burglar Alarms to Fire Alarms (2008-2011). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://homesecurity.net/security-alarms/ [6] Gowan, M. (2000). How it Works: LCD Monitors. Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/15112/how_it_works_lcd_monitors.html [7] Harris, T. (n.d.). How Burglar Alarms Work. Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/burglar-alarm1.html [8] Home Burglary Statistics (2008-2011).Washington Post. Retrieved January, 19, 2011, http://homesecurity.net/home-burglary-statistic/ [9] How Hard Wired Home Alarm Systems Its Add On Components Work! (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.top-home-security-info.com/home-alarm-systems.html [10] Interrupt Driven 44 Keypad (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://priorartdatabase.com/IPCOM/000005778 [11] Introduction to Liquid Crystal Displays (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://plc.cwru.edu/tutorial/enhanced/files/lcd/intro.htm [12] Key Facts at a Glance (2011).Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/burg.cfm [13] Krejcik, R. (2010). Advantages of a Home Alarm System. Retrieved January20, 2011 from http://www.realestateproarticles.com/Art/30563/271/Advantages-of-a-home- alarm-system.html [14] LCD (2011). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LCD.html

Fruit and Calcium Phosphate Ca Essay

Washed, crushed livesnail or kuhol (eggs can also be used)place in a plastic container. Pestle orcrush materials Don’t use hands. Add thesame amount of molasses or Muscovadosugar. Mix sugar in ? container with fishingredients then remaining molasses. Prepare at night to prevent flies frombreeding. Apply directly to thesoil or to the ground, not to the leaves. Keep concoction from direct sunlight. Store in dry coolplace. Cover and keep in a cool place or shadedarea. Drain to extract liquid after 10 to 15days. Transfer liquid into a clean plasticbottles Wait till tiny bubbles disappearbefore sealing the cover before storing. Always leave about ? of bottle empty soIMO can breath. Calcium Phosphate Ca? P(animal bone) Induced flowering, prevent overgrowth. For older plants, it Increase calcium factor on roots and leaves. Calcium Phosphate (Ca? P) is the product which according to the plants’ lifecycle and can be fast? effective. Ca? P is applied when the plants are about to flower. Feed to animals during pregnancy or breeding timeat 200 times dilution. Spray when first flowers comes out. ex: tomato plant , cucumber, eggplant etc. Boil or broil 2 kilos ofanimal bones to separatemeat and fat untilremaining meat to thebone is charcoal blackscrape charred meat andlet it cool. Do not burnthe bone. Ratio 1:10 1 Place bone in a plasticcontainer and pour 5gallons of purecoconut or sugarcanevinegar. Cover for 30days. Filter and used. Keep air tightcontainer. 2 Calcium (eggshell and shells) Strengthen Flowers. Contributes to better utilization of carbohydrates and protein. It is also a major element in forming a cell membrane and enables smooth cell division make fruit hard and sweet. Spray CA on the leaves after the fruits has become large. They prevent overgrowth and get a sweet hard ruit. Add seawater, calcium phosphate or OHN for better taste and aroma of the fruits. It is applied when nitrogen is big. It is the most important ingredients for flowering. Wash and crushedeggshell and take theinside filament or film. Pan fry 2 kilos eggshelluntil brown, set aside andcool. Vinegar first thenpour slowly the eggshells. 1 Wait till the tiny bubbles disappear and stop. Use exact container. Cover and ferment for 20 days. Filter and use keep in airtight container..

Qualitative Research

Introduction/Background In this section of the study, the researcher should explain the rationale for undertaking the work reported on, including what he/she has chosen to do, the reasons for doing it and the background to the study. It should be written in an explanatory style. Thus, the researcher should state what the report is about, the relevant themes and issues, a brief outline of the method of enquiry and also the limits of the research and reasons for them. For instance, in the article titled â€Å"Making Corporate Social Responsibility Work: Do Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) in Ghana Care at All?† by Dr. Henry Kofi Mensah, Dr. Ahmed Agyapong and Dr. Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie, the background information was perfectly done. The researchers made their intentions clear and known and by this, their concentration was on Rural and Community Banks in Ghana. Also, what other researchers have debated on concerning this topic was made clear by the researchers.Literature ReviewThis part of the research report should focus on a survey of publications (e.g. books, journals, authoritative websites, conference papers, etc.), reporting work that has already been done on the topic of the report. It should only include studies that have direct relevance to the research. A literature review should be written like an essay in a discursive style, with an introduction, main discussion grouped in themes and a conclusion. Then, the researcher should conclude with how the review has informed his/her research, thus things the researcher will be building on and also the gaps he/ she will be filling. For instance, in the article titled â€Å"Making Corporate Social Responsibility Work: Do Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) in Ghana Care at All?† by Dr. Henry Kofi Mensah, Dr. Ahmed Agyapong and Dr. Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie, the literature review was perfectly done. The researchers of this article grouped their literature review in thematic areas, which include; CSR and Business Operations, The CSR Agenda and the Operations of RCBs and also concluded with the aim to provide justification or otherwise for the investment in CSR and contribute to the growing discourse of CSR and its strategic value for SMEs in emerging economies. Qualitative research Qualitative research refers to â€Å"investigating the features of a market through in-depth research that explores the background and context for decision making†[1].   In another words, this type of research prefers other methods rather than the statistical analysis of data to obtain certain conclusion about the market and aims to research on the behaviour of the customers. There are two types of qualitative research methods.   The first one is depth interviewing.   Depth interviewing refers to one – on – one interviewing as the main tool of finding the customer’s preferences and opinions about a product, a service or a marketing campaign, for example. The second method is group discussions, in which the focus moves from the individual consumer to the group of potential customers[2].   The customers are brought together and discuss a certain product or service, analyzing the strength and weaknesses of that product and proposing ways by which its sales can be increased. In general, qualitative research is used â€Å"when more in depth or perceptual data is required†[3].   This means that, as a marketing tool, qualitative research will be used when attempting to obtain very focused information on consumer behavior an consumer reaction to a certain product or service. The first important advantage of such a marketing tool is the fact that it is very applied and that it is most likely to provide very accurate information in the area it is used.   If you conduct an individual, one-on-one interview with a potential or active client, you will be posing questions so that you will obtain feedback as to the customer’s preference in terms of that product’s characteristics. In this way, the product that will be launched on the market will be more fit for the potential clients, it will bear many of characteristics they need or require.   If the product has already been launched, then this will most likely be corrected following the new evaluations.   Because it will reflect more of the requirements the clients want, the product’s sales are likely to grow as well. Among the disadvantages, we can mention, first of all, the fact that the market is formed of an almost incalculable number of clients and customers, while these methodologies target only a very small number of them.   We may assume that the targeted individuals are not necessarily representative for the entire population and that they will be only be referring to their own preferences rather than those of the entire potential group of consumers. Additionally, we can point towards the very large costs qualitative research implies.   Indeed, being able to perform individual interviews is definitely a task that will mean additional costs for each of the interviews.   The group interview methodology is also costly, as all the participants will need to be paid, while this type of session is likely to take up some time. Quantitative research refers to â€Å"measuring a market and quantifying that measurement with data†[4].   Obviously, compared to qualitative research, this is a much larger perspective, a perspective where the entire market needs to be analyzed.   Additionally, quantitative research will aim to discover and statistically analyze information and data on the market size, market growth rates etc. On the other hand, quantitative research can also be used to evaluate customer preference and decide on customer attitudes and awareness for certain products. The quantitative analysis is based on two essential vectors: data collection and data analysis.   In terms of data collection, this activity will be aimed at gathering data that will help the marketing – related decisions of the company.   Data can be collected in any circumstances, on the street in interviews, through the Internet, on the phone or over the mail etc. On the other hand, this data needs to be interpreted and analyzed so as to provide the necessary reaction from the decision makers.   By interpretation, we will mean that the data will be statistically analyzed, trends and current tendencies will be estimated, all this with the use of different statistical measure and calculations. Obviously, the main advantage of quantitative research is that it give such an ample perspective over the whole market rather than isolated opinions of certain individuals.   On the other hand, the problem is that it often does not incorporate personal opinions, things like customer preference and specific customer behaviour, which would be covered by the qualitative research. In general, it is often recommended that the two different types of analyses are combined so as to reflect best both the market in general and the individual preferences. This way we can ensure that the marketing decision is entirely sustained and supported by relevant data. Bibliography 1. Market research – qualitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_qualitative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006. 2. Qualitative Market Research. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006 3. Market research – quantitative research. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006.       [1] Market research – qualitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_qualitative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006. [2] Ibid. [3] Qualitative Market Research. On the Internet at http://www.apmforum.com/emerald/qualitative-market-research.htm. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006 [4] Market research – quantitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_quantiative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006. Qualitative research Qualitative research refers to â€Å"investigating the features of a market through in-depth research that explores the background and context for decision making†[1].   In another words, this type of research prefers other methods rather than the statistical analysis of data to obtain certain conclusion about the market and aims to research on the behaviour of the customers. There are two types of qualitative research methods.   The first one is depth interviewing.   Depth interviewing refers to one – on – one interviewing as the main tool of finding the customer’s preferences and opinions about a product, a service or a marketing campaign, for example. The second method is group discussions, in which the focus moves from the individual consumer to the group of potential customers[2].   The customers are brought together and discuss a certain product or service, analyzing the strength and weaknesses of that product and proposing ways by which its sales can be increased. In general, qualitative research is used â€Å"when more in depth or perceptual data is required†[3].   This means that, as a marketing tool, qualitative research will be used when attempting to obtain very focused information on consumer behavior an consumer reaction to a certain product or service. The first important advantage of such a marketing tool is the fact that it is very applied and that it is most likely to provide very accurate information in the area it is used.   If you conduct an individual, one-on-one interview with a potential or active client, you will be posing questions so that you will obtain feedback as to the customer’s preference in terms of that product’s characteristics. In this way, the product that will be launched on the market will be more fit for the potential clients, it will bear many of characteristics they need or require.   If the product has already been launched, then this will most likely be corrected following the new evaluations.   Because it will reflect more of the requirements the clients want, the product’s sales are likely to grow as well. Among the disadvantages, we can mention, first of all, the fact that the market is formed of an almost incalculable number of clients and customers, while these methodologies target only a very small number of them.   We may assume that the targeted individuals are not necessarily representative for the entire population and that they will be only be referring to their own preferences rather than those of the entire potential group of consumers. Additionally, we can point towards the very large costs qualitative research implies.   Indeed, being able to perform individual interviews is definitely a task that will mean additional costs for each of the interviews.   The group interview methodology is also costly, as all the participants will need to be paid, while this type of session is likely to take up some time. Quantitative research refers to â€Å"measuring a market and quantifying that measurement with data†[4].   Obviously, compared to qualitative research, this is a much larger perspective, a perspective where the entire market needs to be analyzed.   Additionally, quantitative research will aim to discover and statistically analyze information and data on the market size, market growth rates etc. On the other hand, quantitative research can also be used to evaluate customer preference and decide on customer attitudes and awareness for certain products. The quantitative analysis is based on two essential vectors: data collection and data analysis.   In terms of data collection, this activity will be aimed at gathering data that will help the marketing – related decisions of the company.   Data can be collected in any circumstances, on the street in interviews, through the Internet, on the phone or over the mail etc. On the other hand, this data needs to be interpreted and analyzed so as to provide the necessary reaction from the decision makers.   By interpretation, we will mean that the data will be statistically analyzed, trends and current tendencies will be estimated, all this with the use of different statistical measure and calculations. Obviously, the main advantage of quantitative research is that it give such an ample perspective over the whole market rather than isolated opinions of certain individuals.   On the other hand, the problem is that it often does not incorporate personal opinions, things like customer preference and specific customer behaviour, which would be covered by the qualitative research. In general, it is often recommended that the two different types of analyses are combined so as to reflect best both the market in general and the individual preferences. This way we can ensure that the marketing decision is entirely sustained and supported by relevant data. Bibliography 1. Market research – qualitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_qualitative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006. 2. Qualitative Market Research. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006 3. Market research – quantitative research. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006.       [1] Market research – qualitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_qualitative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006. [2] Ibid. [3] Qualitative Market Research. On the Internet at http://www.apmforum.com/emerald/qualitative-market-research.htm. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006 [4] Market research – quantitative research. On the Internet at http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/research_quantiative.asp. Last retrieved on November 15, 2006.

Thomas A Kochan, et al, Healing Togetherthe Labor-Management Partnership at Kaiser Permanente Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Thus, management should be less resistant to partnership and embrace it (Jody 3). The partnership has expanded relations of the labor-management department through the ways I have mentioned above. The workers, as well as committee members of the organization, are happy with the outcome of the partnership as economic losses have reduced with improved efficiency. Lessons learned in the Kaiser Permanente partnership has helped to improve health care delivery. This has been done at a time when the country has a shortfall of nurses and health care providers (Thomas A. K. 3). Should unions be wary of partnership? Unions should not be wary of partnerships as we have seen in the labor-management partnership at KP. Kaiser partnership had covered more than 90,000 employees by 2007 (Thomas K., Robert, Paul 5). This is evidence that the partnership is not just theoretical, but offers real help to the workers that need it. State of the art negotiations was used in three path-breaking agreements to address sensitive issues that are not normally discussed in unions (Amy 7). Different policies continued to be set, which includes work – family relationships. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas A Kochan, et al, Healing Together:the Labor-Management Partnership at Kaiser Permanente or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The employees were given more time to be with their families i. e. balance between work and home. Introduction to IT equipment in the industry was also addressed and employees given lessons on how to use them and how to incorporate medical records electronically (Jody 3). Why do not governments more actively promote partnership? In the health care industry, power is usually decentralized and doctors have more power in decision making and usually tailor practices in medical care to suit their needs. However, the Kaiser partnership has accomplished many things despite the fact that doctors have more power in making decisions (Amy 7). These changes were however not easy to come across as the doctors, nurses and other health care providers had to feel the need for change for it to occur. Most of the workers had to be highly convinced that a partnership was the best way forward in dealing with their issues. Coming to an agreement on the principles of the partnership was also not easy because everyone had a different opinion on different issues (Amy 7). The government feels that the labor-management unions require strong and progressive leaders who will ensure consistency in the partnership. This is not easily achieved and most unions fail because of it. Another issue is that the union members’ density is declining and this is a big challenge for the leaders and also the government.