Business Law Module 1 Essay examples - 2062 Words

PART I 1. What are the different types of courts established under the State of California’s Constitution? What section of the State of California’s Constitution establishes the courts? What types of jurisdiction do each of these courts have? Thoroughly define each type of jurisdiction under each court and explain why each court has each type of jurisdiction. In Article 6 section 1 of the State of California’s constitution states there are three different types of courts that have judicial power of California that were established under the State of California’s Constitution. They are the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and superior courts which are all courts of record. The Supreme Court is made up of six associate justices and†¦show more content†¦(b) The Supreme Court may review the decision of a court of appeal in any cause. (c) The Judicial Council shall provide, by rules of court, for the time and procedure for transfer and for review, includin g, among other things, provisions for the time and procedure for transfer with instructions, for review of all or part of a decision, and for remand as improvidently granted. (d) This section shall not apply to an appeal involving a judgment of death† (www.leginfo.ca.gov). 2. Must attorneys be members of the State Bar of California? What section establishes the role of the State Bar of California? Present some advantages and disadvantages to requiring that attorneys are members of a state’s bar. Yes, every attorney in the State of California that is admitted and licensed to practice law in the State of California has to be a member of the State Bar of California except the attorneys that are holding a positions in office as a judge of a court of record. The State Bar of California acts as the organizational arm of the Supreme Court of California in regards to matters dealing with admission, discipline, and regulation of lawyers. In Article 6 in sections 8 and 21 states and establishes the roles of the State Bar of California. In article 6 section 8 states that two members of the State Bar of California who practiced law for 10 years in the state of California are appointed by the Governor to be on the Commission on JudicialShow MoreRelatedLegal Commentary on Negligence Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesLegal Commentary on Negligence The article: General Motors has recalled 224,000 1998/1999 Cadillac Deville Sedans. As a result of a defective side impact sensor module, the vehicles airbag may either unintentionally deploy or not deploy at all. To date, there have been 306 reports of the sensor malfunction. Of these, 61 of the incidents have resulted in minor injuries such as cuts and bruises. Deemed as the responsive thing to do, General Motors started notifying owners of theRead MoreThe Implementation Of The Management Functions In A Workplace1442 Words   |  6 Pagescompany goes into business one of the first considerations is management, it is one of the most important parts. This is what I call the control center or where all things stems from, this is where the goal is held and all controls started The bridge. On that bridge we have five different control modules or five functions of management they are: Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling and Coordinating. These functions have to be totally integrated i nto all aspects of the business. No matter theRead Moreprayer1249 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿European Union Law - Module Code: LL5188 Summative assessment - Coursework As indicated in your handbook, you will need to complete, as part of the summative assessments designed for this module, an INDIVIDUAL piece of coursework that will count for 40% of the marks available for the summative assessment component of the Module (the other 60% will come from the written examination in April/May 2014). This coursework should be submitted no later than 9 am. Monday 3rd February 2014. SubmissionRead MoreEnterprise Resource Planning ( Erp )1420 Words   |  6 Pages The introduction of ERP and SAP Guojun Xia (304463099) 1. ERP Overview Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software items are business application, bundled software. They are utilized to run vast to medium-sized business ventures. The ERP software suppliers assert that their product can oblige each business movement of each class of business undertaking. As a rule, an endeavor depends on various databases to keep up its operations: to encourage the relocation, the ERP software underpins numerousRead MoreSoftware Development Project Charter1383 Words   |  6 Pages |Globalware Solutions | |Jane Law |Operations |Globalware Solutions | |Carol Tan |Finance |Globalware Solutions | Table of Contents 1. Background 1 2. Business Need and Business Benefits 1 3. Project Objectives 2 4. Project Scope 3 4.1. In Scope 3 4.2Read MoreAn Information Security Program Mission1462 Words   |  6 PagesAn Information security programs mission should be developed in a way that â€Å"aligns with organizational strategies by evaluating business requirements, applicable laws, regulations, standards, and best practices† (Module 2). More importantly businesses, governments, and other types of organizations need to incorporate cyber security to conduct business transactions, share information, and interact with customers and suppliers. 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Certainly, as a data driving organization we must continue to invest in the auxiliary technology that assist us in maintaining the mutually supportive relationships with our customers, ourRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management1158 Words   |  5 PagesTUI University MGT511 – Advance Topics in Human Resource Management Module 1 Case Study Module 1 Case: â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management† Introduction Human resource management (HRM) has it own challenges, but management is more focus on what HR can offer their organization in the future. Looking back to the evolution of human resource field, it has followed the history of business in the United States and most western countries. HR has evolved from personal management to humanRead MorePersonal Development1278 Words   |  6 Pageshave my own business and be my own boss. After the financial meltdown starting from 2007, my interest was sparked by the financial world. I embarked on the journey of choosing the best degree course for my plans as well as the core subject area I wanted to explore. That s how I chose this degree course of Business Finance. As I realised I wanted to open my own Financial Consultancy business. Currently, I want to complete my first session and thus, first year of my degree course of Business Finance.Read MoreRalph Lauren Strategy Paper1682 Words   |  7 PagesModule 2: Mission, Goals, and Strateg ic Management Process Module 3: External Analysis Module 2: Mission, Goals, and Strategic Management Process Module 3: External Analysis Group: Diamonds Ralph Lauren Corporation Strategy Term Project MGT 695 – 01 Dr. Hochradel Module 2: Mission, Goals, and the Strategic Management Process The mission of Ralph Lauren is to provide quality product, bringing different worlds together and inviting people

Essay about From Man to Giant Vermin in Kafkas Novel, The...

Upon first glance, Kafka’s 1916 novel The Metamorphosis seems to be the tale of a man who wakes up one morning and finds himself transformed into a giant vermin. However, this novel actually reveals a metaphoric example of the overall structure of society through the economic theories of Marx and Engels. The protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, is in some ways a representation of the proletariat, or working class, and his unnamed manager signifies the bourgeoisie. After Gregor’s transformation, the conflict that arises between the two, because Gregor is unable to work, represents the dehumanizing structure of relations between social classes. There are three main segments to the metaphor in this story. First, Kafka skillfully weaves a†¦show more content†¦Gregor continues working for his parents’ sake, and it is only economic necessity that keeps him going to work. As both a monstrous vermin and a person, Gregor is constantly conflicted between a humanistic desire to pursue his own interests and aspirations and the economic demands that prevent him from achieving his fullest potential by forcing him to work for someone else. His manager is portrayed as a demanding and insensitive individual who believes he is superior to his workers due to his economic status. Since the manager has no labor of his own to perform, he chooses to travel all the way to Gregor’s house to scold him for being late for work. Kafka consistently influences readers to become emotionally attached to Gregor, the proletariat, and detached from the bourgeoisie, his manager. This attachment to the worker is a common attribute of the communist theories that were developed by Marx and Engels. Gregor’s metamorphosis serves as a metaphor for the type of impairment that leaves a worker unable to work. Because the specific characteristics of Gregor’s insect form are unimportant in relation to the concept of class struggle, Kafka’s description of the bug is quite vague. The story focuses on the way Gregor’s morals and values as a worker diminish when he is unable to work. When Gregor loses his skills as a laborer, he is left to die a solitary death. The first individual to leave Gregor’s side is his manager, the bourgeoisie. As soon as the managerShow MoreRelatedThe First Novel Nausea By Jean Paul Sartre1939 Words   |  8 PagesMetamorphosis In the year 1938, a French philosopher and writer, Jean Paul-Sartre, published his first novel Nausea. The main protagonist, Antoine Roquentin lives a lonely life of a classic ‘superfluous man’, term used in many Russian novels, and starts to write a diary to help him understand his sudden attacks of nausea. In the novel Nausea, Roquentin questions himself: â€Å"What if something were to happen? What if something suddenly started throbbing? Then they would notice it was there and theyRead MoreThe Symbolic Nature of Sacrifice and Transformation in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis1096 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Making of an Allegory,† by Edwin Honig and â€Å"Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’ as Death and Resurrection Fantasy,† by Peter Dow Webster illuminate how sacrifice and transformation are a vital part of the deeper meaning of The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa is an ordinary young man until he wakes up one day as a giant vermin; me tamorphosised into something horrendous and reviled by the world. Through Honig’s and Webster’s critical essays, this transformation, as well as many more, and sacrifice madeRead MoreRole of Humour in Franz Kafka ´s The Metamorphosis, The Trail, and Ameria2643 Words   |  11 PagesEssay Role of Humour in Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’, ‘ The Trial’ and ‘Amerika’ â€Å"Humour is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement.† The term Humour has been derived from the Greek language, which teaches that humour is the balance of fluids in the human body. Humour is savoured by different taste-buds like: Anecdotal, Blue, Dark/Gallows/Morbid, Epigrammatic, Hyperbolic, Ironic, Satirical, Satirical, Situational and Slapstick. Franz KafkaRead MoreThe Metamorphosis and the Life of Franz Kafka Essay1938 Words   |  8 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novel The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka describes his own life through the life of his protagonist Gregor Samsa.   Careful study of Franz Kafkas life shows that Kafkas family, workplace, and reaction to the adversity in his family and workplace are just like those of Gregor.   So we might ask why Gregor was transformed into a bug since Kafka obviously never turned into a bug.   The absurd image illustrates how Gregor lacks self-respect and feels like hes a bug in the eyes of hisRead MoreData Sheet Analysis for Kafkas Metamorphosis Essay4848 Words   |  20 PagesMajor Works 12/4/12 Major Works Data Sheet |Note: You may download from Edline or email me for a Word version of this sheet. | | |Details of the setting (include changes in setting): | |Author: Franz Kafka |The entirety of the novel takes place within the confines of the | | Read MoreThe Psychological And Sociological Aspects Of The Metamorphosis2301 Words   |  10 PagesDeciphering the Psychological and Sociological Aspects in the â€Å"Metamorphosis† As a person matures and develops over their lifespan, their sense of identity is constantly evolving. Regardless, if their outlook on life is optimistic or not, people yearn for those feelings of fulfillment and wanting to have served a purpose in the world. While some people believe that they have found their niche early in life, the rest are often still on the fence about where they belong and who their â€Å"true† selves

Analysis Of The Environmental Performance †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analysis Of The Environmental Performance. Answer: Introduction The main purpose of this research report is to conduct the empirical analysis of the disclosures of the environmental performance measures and carbon risk management for minimizing the negative impacts of the carbon gas emissions and climate change risks. This research report is aimed at providing an in-depth analysis of the climate change risk management and carbon disclosure report by using the legitimacy theory to maximize the firms efficiency for reducing the carbon emission hazards as well as managing the environmental performance and climate change associated risks. This report is based on addressing the adverse impacts of the higher emissions of the carbon gases and climate risks consequences by releasing and communicating the information in general through the firms website, annual environmental sustainability report, stand-alone sustainability reports, and CDP (carbon disclosure project data). This report will also analyze the important roles and responsibilities of the mana gement andaccounting team for following the risk management procedure and sustainable environmental performance mechanism or initiatives to manage the climate change issues, carbon emissions risks, green-house impact, and environmental pollution activities (Aerts and Cormier, 2009). Practical Motivation Nowadays, the multinational organizations are becoming more environmental friendly by adopting the environmental sustainability strategies and practical implications of the risk management and control process for reducing the climate change risks and green house impacts of the carbon emissions on the corporations. The practical aspects of the environmental changes could be applied to the empirical studies of this research project for managing the climate change issues and carbon risks to assist in protecting the interests of the stakeholders, well-being of the communities and better organizational performance. The climate change and carbon footprints create risks to the organizational financial, marketing, operational and environmental performance and shareholders investment value (Al-Tuwaijri, Christensen, and Hughes, 2004). The setting of the performance sheets, environmental changes initiatives, and incentives and reward of the organizational individuals may assist in achieving better performance outcomes in the form of the organizational financial and environmental performance, and maximize the shareholders returns. The regulators are given authority to regulate the unlikely climate changes, such as temperature change, rainfall, sea rise level, humidity and Carmon emissions through an effective control and regulation mechanism for the sustainable environmental performance. Along with this, the regulators and controllers are required to achieve the coordinated balance between the higher temperature, humidity, rainfall, and environmental performance (Beatty and Shimshack, 2010). Additionally, the management andaccounting team is required to take initiatives for maximizing the organizational financial performance, such as assets value, share prices, huge profits, large sales volumes and huge revenues by encouraging the high investment or more share by the shareholder and investors in the corporation. This research proposal will implement the research purpose by engaging the management team to design and implement the performance management strategies and initiatives for improving the performances and productivity of the organizational individuals by providing them safe working conditions, flexible environment, performance-based rewards and incentives. Theoretical Motivation The theoretical motivation part is significant to understand and analyze the issues causing for the climate change risks and carbon emissions or green-house effect to disturb the natural environment, communities and societies as well as corporations environmental sustainability performance. This part will understand and analyze the effects of the changes in the strategies, targets, and initiatives and risk management procedure for reducing the negatives effects of the climate change, carbon emissions/footprints, and industrial pollution. This research project will support the empirical studies by integrating the practical research with the theoretical research for analyzing the impacts of the carbon risks or green-house impact on the firm performance as well as on the interests of the stakeholders and general public (Botosan, Plumlee, and Wen, 2011). The environment sustainability performance will be linked to the carbon disclosure report, risks management process and control mechani sm for reducing the growing impacts of the carbon emissions/green-house impact and climate change risks. This research will also address the building slacks by the managers of the corporation for the setting of the environmental performance targets, information asymmetry, and management strategies for the sustainable environment performance by reducing the carbon emissions and unlikely climate change risks. This research study will also enable the researcher to make effective judgment and decision for introducing the risk management process and carbon disclosure report for the effective management of the carbon risks and climate change issues (Cho and Roberts, 2010). Literature Review From the reviews of the empirical research studies by Clarkson, Overell, and Chapple (2011), it is analyzed that the climate change and green-house effect have become the concerning issue for the organizations operating in the Australian environment as well as in the global context that influence the organizational corporate financial performance, sustainable environmental performance, and stakeholders intention. The empirical studies also state that the impact of the climate change risks and green-house has been gradually increased during the past two decades due to the excessive carbon emissions, industrial wastes, pollution, and global warming. But, the control mechanism, set performance targets, risk management procedure, strategic initiatives, and carbon disclosure reports have contributed to increase the environmental, financial, and operational performances as well as protecting the stakeholders intention and interests to the great extent by reducing the excessive carbon emiss ions, industrial wastes and pollution, and climate change risks during the last five years (Clarkson, Overell, and Chapple, 2011). The legitimacy theory of the CDP report has contributed to follow the environmental protection laws, performance measures, and environment change policies for improving the environmental performance. The research studies by Degomir (2010) depict that the organizational industrial wastes and excessive carbon emissions create the global warming, ozone layer depletion, and climate change risks (shortage of rainfall, high temperature, and droughts) that cause for the decline in the organizational environmental, financial, and operational performances. But, the environmental-based carbon disclosures and risk management and control procedures have contributed to the minimization of the risks and maximization of the opportunities. The CDP report emphasizes the firms ability to estimate the expected carbon intensify and identify the potential carbon emissions and climate change risks and associated opportunities and adoption of the strategic plans or actions in the term of control mechanism and risk management procedure for the management of the climate change risks, carbon emissions, and environmental performance issues (Degomir, 2010). From the empirical analysis by Dawkins and Fraas (2011), it is reviewed that the carbon disclosure is a set of the qualitative and quantitative information that relates to the firms past and forecast environmental performance in the term of the carbon emissions levels, exposure to the financial implications of the climate change and carbon risks and opportunities, and the future actions to manage the climate change issues and carbon risks. The research also investigates that the factors, such as company size, leverage, revenues and profitability, regulatory threats, stakeholder resolutions, economic consequences, stakeholders interests and intention, shareholder or investors investment value, corporations environmental and operational management performance are associated with the carbon disclosure project (Dawkins and Fraas, 2011). According to Fisher-Vanden and Thorburn (2011), the CDP report shows that the organizations have the greatest potential with the increased responsibility of the management and accounting team to set performance targets and take action plans and performance strategy initiatives for encouraging and preparing the organizational individuals to understand their roles and responsibilities in the management of the carbon risks and climate change issues. The CPD report shows that the firms management is more likely to disclose the reliable and quality information to tackle the climate change risks and historical carbon emissions by partitioning the carbon risk management and disclosure measurements as a proxy for the environmental change and carbon performance (such as carbon emissions and toxic releases). The information related to the environmental emissions performance and climate change risk management procedure will be released or disclosed by the management and accounting to the stakeh olders and general public through the corporate website and multiple information disclosure channels, such as stand-alone report, CDP report, and annual environmental performance reports (Fisher-Vanden and Thorburn, 2011). In the reviews of Lundholm and Van Winkle (2006), the legitimacy theory depicts that the environmental sustainable organizations are operating within the environmental protection laws, performance standards, and social norms under the social contract between the organization and societies. The environmental sustainable organizations are always trying the best with the greatest potentials and social responsibility to seek the legitimacy conferred by the societies and communities based on the social contracts with the organization. If once the legitimacy is threatened, then the organization will pursue the action plans and strategies to retain the legitimacy again. According to the stakeholder approach, the organizational management decisions could not be taken in the absence of the stakeholders. According to this theory, the participation of the stakeholders is important to communicate or disclose the information regarding the risk management and control process, environmental changes policies, strategic initiatives for protecting the stakeholders interests (Lundholm and Van Winkle, 2006). The empirical research analysis by Lyon and Maxwell (2011) depicts that the legitimacy theory supports the environmental performance initiatives for enhancing the corporate social performance and ethics with the societies and stakeholders by reducing the carbon emissions and excessive industrial waste. According to this theory, the information asymmetry between the firm and externals (general public and stakeholders) regarding the environmental performance is important to improve the organizational financial and operational performance. This theory predicts the positive relationship between the financial-environmental disclosure and environmental-financial performance. The corporate disclosure of the climate change and environmental performance is growing area of research interest for the disclosure of the climate change opportunities and risks, carbon emissions and climate change disclosures in the annual and sustainability report, stand-alone reports, disclosures in response to the climate change risks and CDP questionnaire, and association between the carbon disclosure and climate change and carbon emissions level (Lyon and Maxwell, 2011). Prado-Lorenzo et. Al views that the CDP is a non-profit or voluntary organization that acts in the interests of 534 institutional investors. The CDP started requesting the disclosure of the information related to the carbon emissions and climate change from more than 37,00 firms across the world. The CDP encourages the firms for the disclosure and identification of the information of the carbon emissions and climate change risks and opportunities, control management and risks management procedure, action plans, strategies, performance initiatives to mitigate the climate change risks and high carbon emissions. The CDP also includes the setting of the performance targets by the managers for assigning the roles and responsibilities to the organizational individuals in order to mitigate the carbon emissions/green-house impacts and climate change risks. The energy efficiency, environmental audit, and risk management are important aspects of the CDP report that encourage the firms to reduc e the carbon emissions, climate risks, and industrial wastes (Prado-Lorenzo, Rodriguez-Dominguez, Gallego-Alvarez, and Garcia-Sanchez, 2009). The CDP promotes the use of the renewable energy resources, recycling of the unused or waste materials, balanced preposition between the climate change and environmental performance, and CSR for reducing the growing impacts of the higher rates of the carbon emissions and climate change risks. From the statistics of CERES (2009), it is found that the data from 2000-2008 in the global context shows that the despite of the carbon emissions and climate change risk awareness, approximate 76.3% firms do not disclose the climate change risks and opportunities, environmental change initiatives, strategies, and performance measures to mitigate the climate risks and carbon emission levels in their annual environmental performance reports. It shows their less willingness to communicate or share the environmental performance and CDP report in the general public or with stakeholders. CERES (2009) finds from the CDP reports of top 100 global companies in 2008 that these company dont disclose any CHG or climate change risks/opportunity information with the stakeholders and societies. CERES investigates the factors related to the annual environmental performance and sustainability report disclosure of the CHG emissions and climate change risks on the environmental and financial performan ce of the corporations (CERES, 2009). Stanny (2010) depicts that there is higher rate of the responsiveness of the firms to the CDP surveys, but low rates of the disclosure of the detailed information about the climate change and carbon emission risks and strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of the climate change risks. The median values of the MNCs show that the companies disclosing their carbon emissions and climate change information, and action plans and strategies to mitigate the CHG and carbon emissions are $2.3 billion higher than the non-disclosing counterpart corporations (Stanny and Ely, 2010). From the statements of Reid and Toffel (2009), it is analyzed that after 2010, the trend for the carbon emissions and CHG disclosure has been increased to the great extent. The companies now are more likely to reveal or disclose information about the climate change risks and opportunities, carbon emissions impacts, companys environmental change policies and technologies, and environmental practices and performance measure to satisfy the companys stakeholders including shareholders/investors, regulators, employees, and customers. Now, the most of the MNCs are allowing the information asymmetry between the organization and outsiders for expressing their environment performance in the sustainability report (Reid and Toffel, 2009). Hypothesis The organizational control process, risk management procedure, and carbon disclosure information system management will be more effective than the strategic importance and environmental performance targets for protecting the stakeholders interests and community well-being and organizational performance (CERES, 2009). References Aerts, W. and Cormier, D. (2009). 'Media legitimacy and corporate environmental communication', Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 34 (1), pp. 1-27. Al-Tuwaijri, S., Christensen, T., and Hughes, K. (2004). The relations among environmental disclosure, environmental performance, and economic performance: a simultaneous equations approach', Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 29, (5-6), pp. 447-71. Beatty, T. and Shimshack, JP (2010). 'The impact of climate change information: new evidence from the stock market', The BE Journal of Economic Analysis Policy, Vol. 10(1), pp. 1- 27. Botosan, C., Plumlee, M., and Wen, H. (2011). 'The relation between expected returns, realized returns, and firm risk characteristics', Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 28 (4), pp. 1085-122. CERES (2009). Climate risk disclosure in SEC filings: an analysis of 10-K reporting by Oil and Gas, Insurance, Coal, Transportation and Electric Power Companies, CERES Environmental Defense Fund, [Online]. Available at: https://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/climate-risk-disclosure-2009/view. (Accessed: 6 September 2017). Cho, C. and Roberts, R. (2010). 'Environmental reporting on the internet by America's Toxic 100: legitimacy and self-presentation', International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Vol. 11 (1). Clarkson, P., Overell, M., and Chapple, L. (2011), 'Environmental reporting and its relation to corporate environmental performance', A journal of accounting, finance and business studies, Vol. 47 (1), pp. 27-60. Dawkins, C. and Fraas, J. (2011). 'Coming clean: the impact of environmental performance and visibility on corporate climate change disclosure', Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 100 (2), pp. 303-22. Dragomir, V. (2010). 'Environmentally sensitive disclosures and financial performance in a European setting', Journal of Accounting Organizational Change, Vol. 6 (3), pp. 359-88. Fisher-Vanden, K. and Thorburn, KS (2011). 'Voluntary corporate environmental initiatives and shareholder wealth', Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Vol. 62, (3), pp. 430-45. Lundholm, R. and Van Winkle, M. (2006). 'Motives for disclosure and non-disclosure: a framework and review of the evidence', Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 36, pp. 43-8. Lyon, T. and Maxwell, J. (2011). Greenwash: Corporate environmental disclosure under threat of audit, Journal of Economics Management Strategy, Vol. 20(1), pp. 3-41. Prado-Lorenzo, JM, Rodriguez-Dominguez, L., Gallego-Alvarez, I., and Garcia-Sanchez, IM (2009). 'Factors influencing the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions in companies worldwide', Management Decision, Vol. 47 (7), pp. 1133-57. Reid, E. and Toffel, M. (2009). 'Responding to public and private politics: corporate disclosure of climate change strategies', Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 30 (11), pp. 1157-78. Stanny, E. and Ely, K. (2008), 'Corporate environmental disclosures about the effects of climate change', Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol. 15 (6), pp. 338-48.

RFP Software Breaking Down the Options - The Writers For Hire

RFP SOFTWARE: BREAKING DOWN THE OPTIONS Several of our RFP clients have asked us if there’s any good proposal software out there. Software that can help them make the proposal writing process a bit easier. Software that can help them keep track of deadlines, rules, forms, and updates. Software that makes it easier to manage feedback from multiple reviewers and balance several time-sensitive moving parts. That’s a tall order. But we thought it was a great idea for a blog. We haven’t used a lot of proposal-specific software, so we decided to embark on a little research to learn more about the proposal management software available today. We reached out to several RFP software companies that were all kind enough to provide us with details of their programs and walk us through their best features. 1.Expedience Software Expedience Software’s RFP response package functions as an add-on to Microsoft Office.It allows users to access features directly through Word, via an additional set of menus that appear within the word-processing program itself. This approach has clear advantages.It takes advantage of Word’s status as the most widely used word-processing software in the world, thereby allowing users who are already familiar with the platform to remain in a comfortable environment.Additionally, it piggybacks on Word’s ability to co-operate with other programs in the Office suite, particularly Excel.In short, it requires users to learn a limited set of new menu options and commands rather than an entirely new program, with a different location on the home screen, a different interface, and different internal logic. As Jason Anderson, vice president for sales at Expedience Software, explained: â€Å"Being in Word brings us lots of advantages, mainly that i t’s known.† Sticking to this familiar platform helps users save time, reduce the learning curve and make fewer mistakes along the way, he said. Expedience Software adds new tabs to the Word menu at the top of the screen – namely, Style Palette and Content Portfolio.The latter is likely to be the first destination when generating a new response to RFP, as it allows users to open proposals and access relevant company information and data through the selection of a content portfolio (i.e., a library of stored content from completed proposals and related documents). It lets them search the content portfolio and use the results of the search to add boilerplate text to documents. Additionally, it gives users the ability to add metadata tags to items within the portfolio to facilitate future searches. Style Palette allows users to format proposal documents, using familiar Word features such as style settings, tables and text boxes.It can apply previously used formatting and styles, so that new documents don’t have to be built from scratch. This approach has clear advantages.It takes advantage of Word’s status as the most widely used word-processing software in the world, thereby allowing users who are already familiar with the platform to remain in a comfortable environment.Additionally, it piggybacks on Word’s ability to co-operate with other programs in the Office suite, particularly Excel. In short, it requires users to learn a limited set of new menu options and commands rather than an entirely new program, with a different location on the home screen, a different interface, and different internal logic. As Jason Anderson, vice president for sales at Expedience Software, explained: â€Å"Being in Word brings us lots of advantages, mainly that it’s known.† Sticking to this familiar platform helps users save time, reduce the learning curve and make fewer mistakes along the way, he said. Expedience Software adds new tabs to the Word menu at the top of the screen – namely, Style Palette and Content Portfolio. The latter is likely to be the first destination when generating a new response to RFP, as it allows users to open proposals and access relevant company information and data through the selection of a content portfolio (i.e., a library of stored content from completed proposals and related documents). It lets them search the content portfolio and use the results of the search to add boilerplate text to documents. Additionally, it gives users the ability to add metadata tags to items within the portfolio to facilitate future searches.Style Palette allows users to format proposal documents, using familiar Word features such as style settings, tables and text boxes.It can apply previously used formatting and styles, so that new documents don’t have to be built from scratch. The newest version of Expedience Software’s package also features an Excel Connect tab (not sho wn in the images above). This tab allows users to move easily back and forth between Word and Excel, a handy feature when responding to RFPs that require bidders to submit their responses in spreadsheet format. One drawback of the tie-in with MS Office is that Expedience Software does not have built-in scheduling or calendar capabilities, so it doesn’t give users the ability to set target dates and arrange for automatic reminders of upcoming deadlines.And, since it focuses primarily on document creation and editing, Expedience Software doesn’t offer as many project management as other software. But Expedience Software does feature an intriguing approach to security and user access. Most of the providers we spoke with used a full licensing system that required each user within a company to have an individual license to access the program. But Anderson explained that Expedience Software issues licenses only to users who need to access every part of the content portfolio. License holders can then grant outside experts and consultants limited access to basic viewing and editing functions without the need to acquire additional licenses, he explained. â€Å"Most other software wont let you control access to content in this way, but we do,† he said. Anderson also stressed that license holders had the ability to prevent unlicensed users from accessing every part of the company’s library. â€Å"You can restrict authorship,† he said, explaining that this option preserved the security of company records while ensuring that lower-level employees and outside consultants could still view and edit proposal documents as necessary. He further noted that these security provisions allowed managers to protect confidential information without setting up additional storage infrastructure. License holders can restrict authorship to documents on existing company servers or any other storage solution, he said. â€Å"If there’s a firewall, it can be behind that. It can be on a network drive [or] in the cloud,† he said. The bottom line: Expedience Software provides advanced document-management options in a setting that is both familiar and easy to access. Main pros: Based on familiar Word platform and has a low learning curveTies directly into ExcelMain cons: No scheduling or calendar features Few project management features 2.Qwilr Qwilr is quite different from Expedience Software. This is not just because it is a stand-alone program with no explicit link to existing platforms, but also because it aims to turn out a different type of product. Responses to RFPs typically follow one of two formats: Word-type documents that describe a given company’s ability to provide goods and/or services, as well as its compliance with requirements Spreadsheets that contain the same type of data and information in a pre-formatted, Excel-type format By contrast, Qwilr allows users to generate a dynamic response that bears more resemblance to a web page than to a stack of paper. Finished Qwilr products are web-based and have website-like elements such as hyperlinks, video content and online quote acceptance. Additionally, they can be built, edited and viewed on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The software appears to be easy to navigate, with a straightforward, point-and-click interface. â€Å"In terms of ease of use, we’re up there. The software is even pleasant to use,† said Jomar Gomez, a sales and customer success representative for Qwilr. Moreover, he said, the end product is easy to navigate, â€Å"as it’s more like a web page with design elements.† Qwilr’s main focus is on this type of dynamic presentation. But users can also generate RFP responses in several formats, including text, and can save files as PDFs. Additionally, Qwilr makes plenty of design and graphic elements available to users seeking to craft dynamic responses.It incl udes multiple pre-set templates, each with a different look and feel, and also lets users access a library of stock photos. The software also offers a built-in quote acceptance tool that allows for a rapid response from contracting organizations.This easy-to-use tool features sliders that can be activated with the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger. Another handy tool is the Analytics feature, which helps users keep track of the progress of a project, from the creation of the initial document to responses from contracting organizations Despite its forward-looking features, Qwilr does not lose sight of the fact that users need more than attractive graphics and design. It gives users the ability to create and access a library of boilerplate texts, and its Clone feature streamlines the process of using previous documents as a model for new responses. Qwilr uses a standard licensing model, with each individual user required to obtain a license. It also includes security features su ch as Block, which restricts access to and editing capabilities, making it a good fit for companies that bring in outside consultants or experts when drafting proposals. There are some downsides to this software, however: Qwilr does not tie directly into Excel, so it offers no advantages to users responding to RFPs in spreadsheet format. It does not appear to have a calendar function, though it does have an audit trail that lays out the timeline for each project. The bottom line: Qwilr allows users to craft proposals that will stand out from the crowd. Main pros: delivers visually striking content, includes useful toolsMain cons: doesn’t help with spreadsheet RFPs, no scheduling or calendar features, more suited to smaller companies that can present proposals in person 3.Loopio and RFPIO Both Loopio and RFPIO allow companies to compile and draw on examples of past work, thereby simplifying tasks such as retrieving standard boilerplate text or duplicating existing formats.B ut they each offer unique takes on RFP response software.Loopio and RFPIO do not piggyback on MS Office like Expedience Software; and they don’t emphasize web-style, graphics-focused content like Qwilr. Instead, these stand-alone packages bear a strong resemblance to project management systems, as both have dashboards and group projects into folders. Their folders and menus help companies to build on previous proposals and to compile boilerplate text, as both employ templates and metadata tags, as well as document and answer libraries. Additionally, both are cloud-based platforms that use a standard licensing model. Both can be used on mobile devices as well as PCs. There are differences between the two, though. The most noticeable of these is that RFPIO appears to have a wider range of capabilities than Loopio. For example, RFPIO does not require users to work from templates, although it does offer them that option. It allows users to fill out a form with the relevant infor mation (or with a command to retrieve specific information from the content library) and then generates a proposal on its own. RFPIO also offers a predictive text function based on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This reduces the time needed to search for and retrieve relevant information, said Chris Pulley, an account executive at RFPIO. â€Å"There’s not even a need to cut and paste. That’s a huge component of the software,† he said. â€Å"RFPIO automatically saves answers to questions. It will also suggest answers for you using key words, without any prompting. [This feature] is a key way to save time.† Additionally, the program allows users to import questionnaires and MS Office files with only one click of the mouse. As such, it facilitates replies to spreadsheet-based RFPs while also streamlining the process of drawing on document files in Word or Excel format. Both types of software allow companies to customize access levels for multipl e users in order to guard confidentiality. However, Loopio only grants access to license holders, which means that companies using outside experts or consultants must obtain an additional license, explained Allison Russell, a sales development representative for the company. â€Å"The software is designed to serve a group of people collaborating and working on the same response toward a common goal, but it keeps confidential information secure,† she said. â€Å"We have different settings for that, and they’re up to the discretion of the user. The settings can be made different for each license user.† RFPIO, by contrast, gives users the option of granting outside consultants and experts access to content portfolios without additional licenses. It also lets users set custom security levels to ensure that these contributors can access the information they need and no more. â€Å"There are different levels of access – administrator, member, and guest,† Pulley said. â€Å"The guest feature lets any employee be set up as a member of the team working on the response.† RFPIO and Loopio also differ significantly with respect to scheduling oversight. On this front, RFPIO clearly comes out ahead, as it includes a calendar function that allows users to set specific deadlines and arrange for automatic reminders. And as Pulley emphasized, these notices and reminders are not just for major projects involving an entire team, but also for sub-tasks, assignments and questions directed to individuals, smaller groups and outside contributors. Loopio, by contrast, follows Expedience Software and Qwilr in offering few options for scheduling. Russell did note, though, that the package included useful features for users seeking to comply with deadlines. â€Å"Project managers can have control over notifications,† she said. â€Å"They can send prompts and reminders to team members, using Loopio to send out emails with their message.â⠂¬  The bottom line: RFPIO and Loopio provide users the ability to generate and manage proposals in a project-management setting. RFPIO pros: calendar feature, tracks project progress in a manner similar to Qwilr’s Analytics tool, easy integration with MS Office files RFPIO cons: smaller companies may not need or use all features Loopio pros: offers consistent branding through easy formatting options, builds strong library of boilerplate text and answers to previous questions Loopio cons: no scheduling or calendar features, does not have same level of integration with MS Office files Making the Decision Of the two cloud-based software packages reviewed here, RFPIO appears to be a better option than Loopio. While the two systems are similar in visual presentation and basic functionality, the former gives users more options for managing content and access. Among the other two, there is no obvious winner. Expedience Software offers the lowest learning curve and the best integration with MS Office, but it is not an ideal platform for project management or scheduling. One online review[i] also indicates that it works best for users who are already familiar with Word’s most advanced options. For its part, Qwilr delivers the most attractive responses for companies seeking to stand out from their text-focused competitors, but its finished products will not satisfy all potential customers – especially large contracting organizations that require proposals to be submitted in the form of a spreadsheet. Instead, its web-based proposals probably pack the biggest visual punch in small, face-to-face settings. The choice of RFP response package would seem to hinge, then, on the individual needs of potential buyers. Companies seeking to simplify and improve the RFP response process should, therefore, strive for a match between their resources and the software’s capabilities.Tweet this [i] 1. https://www.capterra.com/p/141108/Expedience-Software-Suite/#reviews: Scroll down to review by Crawford R.