Time Series Analysis for Business Forecasting

Forecasting is a method or a technique for estimating future aspects of a business or the operation. It is a method for translating past data or experience into estimates of the future. It is a tool, which helps management in its attempts to cope with the uncertainty of the future. Forecasts are important for short-term and long-term decisions. Businesses may use forecast in several areas: technological forecast, economic forecast, demand forecast. There two broad categories of forecasting techniques: quantitative methods (objective approach) and qualitative methods (subjective approach). Quantitative forecasting methods are based on analysis of historical data and assume that past patterns in data can be used to forecast future data points. Qualitative forecasting techniques employ the judgment of experts in specified field to generate forecasts. They are based on educated guesses or opinions of experts in that area. There are two types of quantitative methods: Times-series method and explanatory Continue reading

Strategic Lenses

Organisations strategic issues are commonly analysed from different strategy lenses. Strategic lenses are a concept of strategic management. The lenses are different ways of viewing strategy development. It examines the flow of tasks and information, or how you get things done. Each lens reveals many different traits and qualities. Using the strategic lens, one looks to optimize workflow to meet the goals and objectives of the company. This article  a  will cover four angles from which strategy can be viewed and implemented on a corporate level; they are strategy as design, strategy as experience, strategy as ideas and strategy as discourse. 1. Strategy as a Design This takes the view that strategy development  can be a local process in which the forces and constraints on the organisation are weighted carefully through analytic and evaluative techniques to establish clear strategy direction. This creates conditions in which carefully planned strategy implementation should Continue reading

Freestanding Retail Locations

This type of retail store stands alone, physically separate from other retail  stores. It does not enjoy the same benefits that shopping  centers  offer from the  stand point that customer of a free standing retail store must have made a special trip to  get there. Shoppers are not “just next door” and decide to walk in as they could in  a mall or strip center. Freestanding locations constituted about 22 percent of all  retail space, and a recent survey of retailers shows that this category leads all  others for future importance. Drive in locations are special cases of freestanding sites that are selected for the  purpose of satisfying the needs of customers who shop in their automobile. In  some situations, the drive-in aspect of the retail business is only to supplement  existing in – store sales, but the same requirements of all drive in location  apply. These sites are usually Continue reading

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) – Definition, Types and Roles

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. NGOs are therefore typically independent of governments. Although the definition can technically include for-profit corporations, the term is generally restricted to social, cultural, legal, and environmental advocacy groups having goals that are noncommercial, primarily. NGOs are usually non-profit organizations that gain at least a portion of their funding from private sources. Current usage of the term is generally associated with the United Nations and authentic NGOs are those that are so designated by the UN. Because the label “NGO” is considered too broad by some, as it might cover anything that is non-governmental, many NGOs now prefer the term private voluntary organization (PVO). NGOs are defined by the World Bank as “private organizations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic Continue reading

Role of Banking System in Economic Development

A safe and sound financial sector is a prerequisite for sustained growth of any economy. Globalization, deregulation and advances in information technology in recent years have brought about significant changes in the operating environment for banks and other financial institutions. These institutions are faced with increased competitive pressures and changing customer demands. These, in turn, have engendered a rapid increase in product innovations and changes in business strategies. While these developments have enabled improvement in the efficiency of financial institutions, they have also posed some serious risks. Banks play a very useful and dynamic role in the economic life of every modern state. A study of the economic history of western country shows that without the evolution of commercial banks in the 18th and 19th centuries, the industrial revolution would not have taken place in Europe. The economic importance of commercial banks to developing countries may be viewed thus: Promoting Continue reading

The Role of Human Resource Management in Organizations

Nowadays, Human Resource Management (HRM) has become one of the major partners of an organization. Human resource management deals with managing people in an organization that means recruiting efficient and skilled employees in the right jobs at the right time at the right cost. Human resource management plays a major role in achieving organizational aims and objectives. To achieve these aims and objectives, human resource management has to apply some strategies to the organization and organizational management and follow the strategic processes to face and overcome the completion of the outside world. Strategic human resource management is one of the parts of human resource management which links with the implementation of strategic goals and organizational objectives that improves business performance and development of the organization. Strategic human resource management focuses on the key areas of HR, where long-term strategies can be implemented for the improvement of productivity. It also solves Continue reading