Read the case study below and answer the questions that follow. The Impact of Political Protests on Business Continuity Most companies know to prepare a supply chain for resilience in the face of severe weather events and natural disasters, however, an increasingly disruptive phenomenon to business continuity are medium- and large-scale political protests. Over the past months, waves of political protests have wracked Hong Kong. Ranging in size from millions of people surrounding the Legislative Council to tens of thousands of demonstrators marching through shopping areas and rail stations, these political protests disrupted business continuity within and through Hong Kong. The protests, centered around an extradition bill that would allow for some arrested to be extradited for trial in mainland China, has shutdown railway stations, clogged traffic throughout the city, and resulted in hundreds of shop and business closures. The Hong Kong protests were also marked by numerous incidents of vandalism and violence as demonstrators graffitied government buildings and clashed with police officials, who had to deploy tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. As the protests ebb and wane in Hong Kong, companies must consider the day-to-day situation on the ground when determining business activities within or through the city. Companies within Hong Kong are also concerned about the safety and convenience of their employees and must acclimate to any changes to the situation on the ground. Political protests, asides disrupting traffic and day-to-day commerce, can also create vulnerabilities for shippers and logistics firms. In Haiti, political protests are relatively commonplace since early February, typically focused in Port-au-Prince, but spanning cities countrywide. During flare-ups of these protests, demonstrators will typically blockade roads, creating opportunities for thieves to steal from transiting cargo trucks or worse, attack truck drivers. The issue has become so widespread that truck drivers from the Dominican Republic will refuse to travel into Haiti while protests are ongoing or without additional safety measures due to a heightened fear of hijackings. In Honduras, political protests over the past months have resulted in numerous strikes of public workers as well as mass demonstrations throughout the capital city of Tegucigalpa. During the June demonstrations in Honduras, cargo truckers went on strike, blocking roadways within the capital, and created a fuel shortage in parts of the city. Earlier in the month, 30 shipping containers belonging to an American-subsidiary fruit company were set ablaze and burned, causing the company to temporarily pause production. Even more recently, in late June, the protests in Honduras turned violent as the national military was deployed after an escalation that left two people dead. The unpredictability of these political protests requires a wide range of planning to effectively counteract any disruptions to business continuity. Effective business continuity planning spans not only severe weather and internal labour protests or strikes, it also incorporates other difficult-to-predict disruptions to business continuity such as road closures, suspensions of business activity, and the presence of police action, all of which can take place during a political protest. Companies must be mindful of the security and safety of the employees throughout a supply chain and be able to adapt and adjust to accommodate any threats to said safety and security as well as any possible delays to business activities.

QUESTION 2 Critically discuss various models that are being used by various businesses in the retail industry to service their customers and examine how these have been affected by Political Protests. (20 Marks)

Please discuss under :

Omni-Channel Network Design

- Customer Fulfilment models

Integrated Fulfilment

Dedicated Fulfilment

Pool Distribution

Direct Store Delivery (DSD)

Store Fulfilment

PLEASE I DO NOT WANT BELOW ANSWER PLEASE DISCUSS UNDER THE ABOVE GIVEN POINTS

Ans Business Models in Retail

Subscription model

A subscription business model can be applied to both traditional brick-and-mortar businesses and online businesses alike. Essentially, as we explained in reference to Netflix, the customer pays a recurring payment on a monthly basis (or another specified timeframe) for access to a service or product. A company may directly ship its product in the mail, or you may pay a fee to use an app.

Examples: In addition to Netflix, other businesses using the subscription model include HelloFresh, Beer Cartel, StitchFix, as well as other streaming services like Hulu, HBO Go, and Disney+.

2. Bundling model

Exactly like it sounds, the bundling business model involves companies selling two or more products together as a single unit, often for a lower price than they would charge selling the products separately.

This type of business model allows companies to generate a greater volume of sales and perhaps market products or services that are more difficult to sell. However, profit margins often shrink since businesses sell the products for less.

Examples: Businesses that use the bundling model include AT&T, Adobe Creative Suite and Burger King, as well as other fast-food companies that offer value meals or deals.

3. Freemium model

The freemium business model has gained popularity with the prevalence of online and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) businesses.

The basic framework goes like this: a software company hosts and provides a proprietary tool for their users to freely access, such as an app or tool suite. However, the company withholds or limits the use of certain key features that, over time, their users will likely want to use more regularly. To gain access to those key features, users must pay for a subscription.

You can see how Spotify follows this model it gives users free and open access to its entire database of music while sprinkling in ads between songs. At some point, many users opt to pay a recurring monthly fee for the premium service so they can stream music without interruption.

Examples: Spotify, LinkedIn, Skype and MailChimp are all businesses that use the freemium model.

4. Razor blades model

To understand the razor blades model, you can simply look to your local drugstore. Youll notice that replacement razor blades cost more than razors themselves.

Companies offer a cheaper razor with the understanding that youll continue to purchase more expensive accessories in this case, razor blades in the future. For this reason, this model is referred to as the "razor blades model."

In addition to the traditional razor blades model, you'll also see companies use the reverse razor blades model in which they offer customers a high-margin product and then promote the sales of lower-margin products that accompany that initial product.

A classic example of this model is Apple iPhones and Macs you purchase the high-margin item, the phone or computer, and then Apple pushes additional products, tools, and services that accompany that item.

Examples: On top of razor companies, examples of the general razor blades model include Keruig, Brita, Xbox, and printer and ink companies.

5. Product to service model

Imagine that you are the owner of a company that makes scooters. Lets say you need two pieces of metal welded together. You might ask another company to weld the pieces of metal together instead of purchasing a welding machine yourself. In essence, this example shows how the product to service business model works.

Companies that follow this type of business model allow customers to purchase a result rather than the equipment that delivers that result.

Examples: Companies that use the product to service model include Zipcar, Uber, Lyft and LIME.

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HomeArticlesThe Power of Protests

The Power of Protests

Posted On : March 6, 2019 Published By : BER staff

PARMITA DAS MARCH 6TH, 2019

Political protests are an exercise in democratic rights with which individuals or groups attempt to address perceived injustices within a political system. Since 2016, 1 in 5 Americans have attended a political protest or rally, according to a poll conducted by the Washington Post.

Protests serve an important role in the democratic process by facilitating discourse and deliberation; they drive political reform by signaling peoples disapproval of policies, legislation, and other government actions. For example, the Womens March champions equitable distribution of opportunities and the empowerment of women, both of which are vital to the continued growth of the economy. The protest rejects economic policies and legislation that do not adequately prioritize women and economic frameworks that discount their contributions. As a result of the political mobilization spurred by the protest movement, a record number of women have been elected to the 116th US Congress. We are living through the golden age of protest, said LA Kauffman, a grassroots organizer. The increase in the frequency and scale of protests is unique to the 21st Century, as it denotes a structural shift in how citizens confront authority and how society organizes in addressing its concerns.

Economic Analysis of Protests

The economic ramifications of this powerful tool were made apparent by Frances recent yellow vest movement, which was staged in dissent against French President Emmanuel Macrons economic reforms. The Finance Minister of France Bruno Le Maire acknowledged that the protest movement will have a severe impact on the French economy. Sales by large national retail chains fell significantly during the protests, translating to billions of Euros in losses. The protests also disrupted supply chains, causing shortages and contributing to a decline in consumer confidence. According to the Bank of Frances business sentiment report, growth of the French economy will be cut in half this quarter, in large part because of the impact of the protests on industrial production and services activity. Some of the most impacted sectors will not recover lost business.