...Strategic Initiative Paper student FIN/370 Finance for Business teacher May 1, 2012 Introduction Strategic planning is the compass an organization requires to stay on the path toward successfully reaching their goals and objectives. It is paramount that businesses assess all critical areas such as management, sales, marketing, and finances with long-term health in mind. Tactical plans can be devised with the strategic plan as the guiding force. The allocation of resources, or financial planning, is what helps an organization realize its goals and achieve success. Wal-Mart successfully has accomplished this task year over year. In just under 50 years, one store has grown into an economic force. “Wal-Mart was built on the foundation of saving people money so they can live better. This mission has allowed the company to grow to more than 8,400 stores in 15 countries around the world” (Wal-Mart, 2010, p. 2). Strategic Planning Initiative Strategic planning initiatives for Wal-Mart are numerous for an organization of its size. It has initiatives that include sustainability with a commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, community involvement as well as global expansion. The organization has a global reach that has spread cost-effective, clean technologies around the world. This allows Wal-Mart to share its best practices in environmental design across all its markets. Wal-Mart’s United States, International organizations...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper In this paper, the relationship will describe strategic planning and financial planning for Disney. The first section will cover Disney’s strategic planning initiative and identify a strategic initiative discussed in the organization’s annual report. This will be followed up with a description on how this initiative affects Disney’s financial planning. The next section will address how Disney’s initiative will affect the costs. The third section will discuss how Disney’s initiative will impact sales. The fourth section will describe the risks associated with the initiative and the financial impact that these risks have. This will be followed up with a conclusion. Strategic Planning Initiative for Disney Within many elements of strategic planning, the scope of a corporation such as Disney must be broken down into numerous factors, and the initiatives derived from those business components looked upon a step-by-step process to glean advantages from the wide array of contingencies. Team A has looked at an initiative from the Disney Annual Report for 2009, which is the strategy for handling foreign currency exchange risks. As with numerous large multi-national corporations both their future growth and expansion lie in the ability to do business in foreign markets. The management at Disney is astutely aware of this factor and has made inroads into these markets. The major drawback is financing these operations with local currencies and the foreign exchange...
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...Strategic Initiative Short-term liquidity and long-term profitability are essential objectives for a successful business. The modest beginnings and impressive 50-year growth of Walmart Stores, Inc. are an example of such practice. Walmart Stores, Inc. reflects decades of continued positive return for investors in its annual report and presents a five-tiered strategic plan. The Walmart Store, Inc. 2012 Annual Report lists these initiatives as ―1) Developing our people; 2) Driving the productivity loop; 3) Winning in Global ecommerce; 4) Reinvigorating our customer-focused culture; and 5) Leading on social and environmental issues (p. 3). This essay will focus on two initiatives driving the productivity loop and reinvigorating our customer-focused culture. These two initiatives are tied to short-term and long-term financial concerns, and expansion strategies. The following details the organization’s financial planning surrounding the initiatives, the risks involved in the ideas, and the effect on revenues and expenses. Driving the Productivity Loop With strategic planning the team determines where to spend money for expansion, cut costs to reduces expenses, and invest profit for sustainably. Supporting this framework is the short-term and long-term financial plans a successful business needs to operate. According to Titman, Keown, and Martin (2011), the primary objective of both short- and long-range financial planning is the estimation of the firm’s future financing needs (p...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper: Starbucks Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) is known as one of the selling leaders of roasted and specialty coffee in the retail industry. Starbucks has been focusing on creating a detailed strategic and financial plan that will aid the company in surpassing its competitors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Starbuck’s actions upon creation of strategic and financial plans, the strategic initiatives associated with this plans, and the impact initiatives have on cost and sales as well as associated risks. Strategic Planning Process and Strategic Initiative In 1971 the birth of Starbucks began, three partners Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker opened the first location in Pikes Place Market in Seattle with $1350 a piece and an additional $5,000 borrowed from a bank making their initial investment $9,050. In 1981 Howard Schultz joined the team during their first encounter Baldwin told Schultz, “We don’t manage to business to maximize anything other than the bean” the Part of Starbucks Strategic plan was once it turned public in 1992 was to grown the number of locations from 165 in 1992 to 1,381 by 1997. Part of Starbucks strategy was to place the first location a large city and then branch out from there until eventually now where there are Starbucks everywhere. The rapid growth Starbucks created a new position of zone vice presidents, the zone vice presidents became responsible for the overall operations of the area, it recruit...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper A major part of a company’s success is planning. A business needs effective strategic planning to remain competitive and grow financially. For a company to reach its full financial potential, a planning process must exist. Strategic planning serves as the roadmap for a company’s financial efficiency. Wal-Mart developed the strategic planning initiative of Every Day Low Price (EDLP), which prices it products at low, affordable prices. Wal-Mart’s strategic planning has made the store one of the best known organizations and industry leaders in low prices. The strategic planning initiative effects costs and the sales within the organization that can also create risks; however, if managed effectively can make the discount giant even more profitable. Strategic Planning Initiative, Financial Planning Wal-Mart has grown from modest beginnings to become one of the most recognizable store chains in the world by operating almost 11,000 stores in 27 countries with more than two million employees (Wal-Mart, 2012). With such a large, well-known organization the company strives to remain competitive within a global market. To succeed, the company used strategic planning to identify an aggressive strategy within their 2012 annual report. Wal-Mart management entitled the strategy“Delivering Everyday Low Price (EDLP). According to Wal-Mart’s 2012 annual report, the EDLP strategy represents an essential component of its message of delivering the lowest prices...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper June 9, 2014 John Wetherington Strategic Initiative Paper Harley-Davidson’s strategic plan is to improve the quality, accurately forecast the associated costs of returns and allowances, and to maintain the firm’s reputation of satisfying customers. Their financial plan involves taking steps to make sure the company can grow and be profitable in the future. There are plenty initiatives that affect the organization’s financial planning and costs and revenue of the supply chain. It is important to stay ethical when trying to supplant other motorcycle companies as the world’s number-one motorcycle when taking these initiatives. Strategic Planning Initiative Harley-Davidson’s 2013 annual report discusses several strategic initiatives. Specifically, their quality control initiative will require financial planning to support successful implementation of the initiative and add value to the company. Harley’s alignment of strategic planning and financial planning will affect costs, sales, and Harley's ability to finance future capital projects. The 2013 Harley-Davidson Annual Report identifies their quality control initiative as an effort in early detection of quality issues, and improvement of manufacturing processes to avoid recalls, legal costs, and delays in introducing new products to the market. Furthermore, the company wishes to improve its methods of estimating potential costs associated with warranty claims, recalls, and class action suits...
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...Team Assignment: Strategic Initiative Paper Resource: Ethics and Compliance Paper Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you describe the relationship between strategic and financial planning. Describe: This has to be for Starbucks A strategic planning initiative for your organization and identify an initiative discussed in the organization’s annual report. How the initiative affects the organization’s financial planning. How will the initiative affect costs? How will the initiative affect sales? Describe risks associated with the initiative and financial effects they may have. Starbucks Strategic Initiative Your Name Here University Name FIN/370 Date Instructor Name Here Starbucks Strategic Initiative In this paper, Team C will describe the relationship between strategic planning and financial planning for Starbucks Corporation. The first topic covers Starbucks strategic planning initiative and identifies a strategic initiative discussed in the organization’s annual report; from this report Team C will describe how this initiative affects Starbucks financial planning. Team C will break down and address how Starbucks initiative directly affects costs and the sales of the company’s financial plan. The final section will describe the risks associated with the initiative and the financial...
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...Corporation, your group has been asked to prepare a neat and organized report for the Strategic Officers Steering Committee (SOS-C) of ToolsCorp Corporation. The purpose of this paper is to obtain permission from them to go forward with the next step (developing a full-blown business plan) for ToolsCorp's strategic initiative to break into the global marketplace. Your group's paper should discuss the following (at a minimum): • A complete strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis (including at least 5 factors from each category and full explanations of why each factor is important and why it was placed in the category) of the environment that exists within ToolsCorp and the environment that ToolsCorp is proposing • An outline of the business plan to be developed for ToolsCorp's strategic initiative • A full mission statement containing the nine components and presented in a well written paragraph • Key operating principles as you will apply them • A preliminary market analysis • The one-year, five-year, and ten-year strategic objectives of the strategic initiatives presented as one strategic proposal for each time frame (3 strategic proposals in all), complete with implementation plans, potential ramifications, and feedback mechanisms • The additional material that your group considers necessary to support the case for going forward with ToolsCorp's global strategic initiative (This is not optional, you must input additional material.) Background Information ...
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...fin 370 week 3 team Strategic Initiative Paper Veronica Johnson Melissa Herrera Nick Engelke Carlos Martinez Gary Gilberthorp FIN/370 April 21,2014 Junius Jaubert Strategic Initiative Paper Starbucks Strategic Initiative expanding globally and reaching new customers is the goal of Starbucks Corporation. To produce more revenue as well as excel above the competing international coffee organizations. Starbucks Corporation must not only meet but also continually exceed this goal. Starbucks is known for continuously creating new innovations in the marketplace. The Corporation is also well-known For using various media channels to perpetuate their reputation as the top coffee organization in the world. This strategic initiative will increase these channels of communication to include Facebook, Twitter, television advertisements, and magazine ads. The resultant efforts of this strategic initiative will determine Starbucks future revenue and future direction of the organization. Starbucks has several current strategic initiatives in place to improve the organization’s sales and drive long-term shareholder value. This strategic initiative will further expand current strategic initiatives by including a multi-channel advertising and marketing campaign to increase successfully the transparency of the Corporation. This initiative will enable Starbucks to expand globally and reach new customers to enable one-on-one dialogue while increasing sales both internationally and domestically...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper FIN/370 Strategic Initiative Paper Starbucks Strategic Planning Initiative Strategic initiatives are a special set of strategies that an organization sets up to help that organization reach certain goals and achievements that are set up in that strategic plan. The platform in the strategic planning initiative of the Starbucks organization is to make certain they use only high quality goods, and they treat their customers and employees with respect. Starbucks is “committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world” (Starbucks Corporation, 2012). Starbucks’ mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks Corporation, 2012). Starbucks Corporation uses this statement as a fulfillment to their success: Under ethical sourcing the company outlines the goal that by 2015 the organization will use coffee that is only produced and obtained through the use of ethical trading and responsible growing (Starbucks Company Profile, 2011). The initiative discussed in Starbucks Annual Report says “Blair Taylor, Starbucks Chief Community Office, announced the launch of a new nonprofit corporation with a $1 million seed grant to introduce job skills, leadership and apprenticeship programs to young people across the company’s multi-billion-dollar supply chain, and further expansion of the company’s support for U.S. manufacturing through an order...
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...Amazon.com: Global Strategic Initiatives Team C FIN 370 August 15, 2011 Jim Gausling CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY: I certify that the attached paper is my original work and has not previously been submitted by me or anyone else for any class. I further declare I have cited all sources from which I used language, ideas, and information, whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased, and that any assistance of any kind, which I received while producing this paper, has been acknowledged in the References section. I have obtained written permission from the copyright holder for any trademarked material, logos, or images from the Internet or other sources. I further agree that my name typed on the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Robert Bosaaen, Joe Lindsay, Priyal Patel Amazon.com: Global Strategic Initiatives Strategic planning initiatives play an integral role in the success of an organization. Strategic planning drives the goal of expansion and globalization in particular for most organizations. Whereas growth is important, it is also to maintain proper initiatives which are commensurate with the organization’s capacity and ability to grow accordingly. Amazon.com, one of the most successful online companies in the Internet’s relatively young history, is a beacon of strength and solid strategic planning in global industry. Through careful planning...
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...Strategic Initiative Paper "Disney" Marquita Lacy-Polk, Diana Dorsey, Kim Jenkins, Joshua Snooks FIN/370 January 29, 2014 Strategic Initiative Paper "Disney" Disney has grown exponentially to become a household name and a global leader in the industry of family entertainment. Shortly after as a small cartoon company, Ellas Disney, founder of Walt Disney grew the Disney Corporation into something that no one could have imagined. Ellas Disney was always known for his innovation and abilities and still reminiscent today as it was in the 1920s. The company attributes are a majority of and to the success that they have built. In order for organizations to be successful and to survive requires planning for the future, with creative ideas and motivated personnel with an open mind and a strong drive. Two essential business functions are financial and strategic planning, with the great success that Walt Disney has accomplished, then till now there are still financial impacts and risks that still should be considered when making certain decisions when it comes to the company. In this paper our team will be discussing in more detail the current strategic initiatives and the possible new initiatives that Disney has in play, along with the financial impacts and the risk of putting those decisions into effect. The Walt Disney’s annual reports are very important when it comes to strategic and financial planning because it provides a variety of financial information which is helpful...
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...Sample Starbucks Strategic Initiative In this paper, Team C will describe the relationship between strategic planning and financial planning for Starbucks Corporation. The first topic covers Starbucks strategic planning initiative and identifies a strategic initiative discussed in the organization’s annual report; from this report Team C will describe how this initiative affects Starbucks financial planning. Team C will break down and address how Starbucks initiative directly affects costs and the sales of the company’s financial plan. The final section will describe the risks associated with the initiative and the financial impact that these risks have on Starbucks. Strategic Planning Initiative Strategic initiatives are strategies outlined by an organization to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the strategic plan. The Starbucks Corporation is one organization striving to improve the commitment of upholding and achieving organizational missions and goals. Starbucks is “committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world” (Starbucks Corporation, 2012, para.1). Starbucks’ mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, on cup, and one neighborhood at a time” ) Starbucks Corporation, 2012, para. 1). Guiding principles within the strategic plan of Starbucks ensure high quality products, ethical treatment of partners and customers, and inviting and positive neighborhood and store environment that will...
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...Starbucks Strategic Initiative FIN/370 May 7, 2012 Terry Dowdy, Ph. D. Starbucks Strategic Initiative In this paper, Team C will describe the relationship between strategic planning and financial planning for Starbucks Corporation. The first topic covers Starbucks strategic planning initiative and identifies a strategic initiative discussed in the organization’s annual report; from this report Team C will describe how this initiative affects Starbucks financial planning. Team C will break down and address how Starbucks initiative directly affects costs and the sales of the company’s financial plan. The final section will describe the risks associated with the initiative and the financial impact that these risks have on Starbucks. Strategic Planning Initiative Strategic initiatives are strategies outlined by an organization to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the strategic plan. The Starbucks Corporation is one organization striving to improve the commitment of upholding and achieving organizational missions and goals. Starbucks is “committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world” (Starbucks Corporation, 2012, para.1). Starbucks’ mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, on cup, and one neighborhood at a time” ) Starbucks Corporation, 2012, para. 1). Guiding principles within the strategic plan of Starbucks ensure high quality products, ethical treatment of partners...
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...International Paper: Combining Industry and Social Responsibility Marketing 406 Roosevelt University December 6, 2014 Natalie Mierzynska, Sujatha Lekshmivaragan, Dmitry Rozental, Ebuka Nkwonta Table of Contents Background 2 Objectives 4 Procedures 4 Summary of Findings 4 Detailed Findings 6 Defying Common Criticisms 6 Integrating Sustainability Principles 8 “Greening” and Beyond 11 Enlightened Marketing 14 Social Responsibility & Financial Success 15 Conclusion 16 Works Cited 18 Background International Paper (IP) is the global leader in the production and distribution of paper and packaging products (Internationalpaper.com). It was founded more than 110 years ago, and produces products that we use every day including various types of paper, consumer packaging, pulp, recycling, and industrial packaging. The company’s stock symbol is IP, and a share of IP stock currently sells at around $53/share. IP is currently headquartered in Memphis Tennessee, and employs over 62,000 people (Kotler & Armstrong, 607). Last year, the company sold over $26 billion worth of product, placing it 111th on the Fortune 500. From a consumer perspective, when a multi-billion dollar producer of paper and packaging products comes to mind, we automatically assume that the company produces a large amount of pollution and destroys forests all over the world. However, International Paper prides itself on being on top of Fortune Magazine’s “Most...
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