US Bakery Industry

The US bakery industry has combined annual revenue of nearly $25 billion from commercial bakeries and nearly $2 billion from small retail bakeries. There are about 2600 commercial bakeries in the US and 7000 small retail bakeries. Some of the leading companies within this industry include Interstate Bakeries and Flower Foods as well as smaller divisions such as Sara Lee and Nabisco. The commercial bakery segment is highly concentrated with 80% of the market held by 50 large bakeries. On the other hand, the retail bakery segment is highly fragmented.Larger bakeries dominate the market because they have greater economies of scale in procurement, production and distribution. The industry is also characterized by high automation. However, the end bakery product is generally low value and but the stable demand is sufficient to generate modest revenues for most players in the market. The most commonly sold bakery items include baked breads (white, wheat and rye), rolls, muffins, buns, bage ls and croissants. Other popular items include cakes, pies, pastries and doughnuts. (Industry Overview: US Bakery Industry; Hoovers Online)Competition is tough but differentiation can be attained through automation. Although baking is a low-technology business, the larger the bakery facilities and the more automated the facility the bigger the profits for that company. This is because in large automated facilities, labor costs can be reduced significantly and maximum production can be attained. However, since bakery products are highly perishable, large facilities are only sensible for bakeries which have high sales and do not maintain a great deal of inventories.Bakeries also face competition from coffee outlets and fast food outlets since most of them also carry bakery style products such as bagels, pastries, doughnuts etc. Commercial bakeries again enjoy a commanding position because they can act as suppliers to these outlets while smaller retail bakeries sometimes have to suffer since customers have more inclination to go to fast food outlets then to visit a bakery. Moreover, customer trends are rapidly changing.There was a time when the average consumer desired freshly baked products but now consumers are willing to purchase packaged products and believe that they are safe, easy and convenient to use. Thus, packaged bakery snack products are also snatching the share from retail bakeries which offer freshly baked products to the consumers. (US Bakery Trends) Consumer demands and preferences are also changing constantly. Today, customers have become more health conscious and demand low fat and fat free products. Moreover, customers are now increasingly aware and quite educated.They have detailed information about nutrition and quality issues and have sophisticated tastes and preferences. That is why the industry has seen a growth in non-traditional bread products such as bagels, flat breads and organic products. Bakeries have had to change their strategies and their technological capabilities in order to keep up with the changing customer demands and preferences. (Bakeries and Snacks: 2005) Bakeries are affected by external factors such as volatile prices of raw materials. Most baked goods use ingredients such as flour, sugar and vegetable oil.These are global commodities with fluctuating prices so it is important for both commercial and retail bakeries to make intelligent and proactive purchase decisions. Flour is the primary ingredient in baked goods and accounts for the largest cost element for bakery products. Wheat prices are quite volatile and this can have a significant impact on profit margins. Price of butter has a similar impact and many bakeries have switched from butter to vegetable oil but again quality has to be maintained in order to sustain a competitive position within the industry.The US bakery industry also has a growing export segment. Since the 1990s exports of US bakery products have been increasing consistently. It is expected that exports of US bakery products will exceed $250 million by the middle of the decade if not higher. Some of the core reasons for the growth in exports include rising incomes, increasing populations, growing tourist industries, reduction in trade barriers and an overall increase in global demand for baked goods.The main factors hindering export growth are demand for freshness and transportation limitations. However, with the improvement of technology, bakeries are now able to produce products that overcome these limitations. Moreover, there is always a demand for baked mixes, cookies and dough’s that can be easily packaged and transported and that have longer shelf lives. The biggest customer of US baked goods is Canada. It is a huge market and Canadian customers have similar tastes to US customers.It is estimated that nearly half of US bakery products are consumed by Canada. (Clair, Thomas: 1992)Bibliography1. Industry Overview: US Bakery Industry. Hoovers Online. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. hoovers. com/bakeries/–ID__91–/free-ind-fr-profile-basic. xhtml.2. Clair, Thomas. (1992) Bakery products exports on the rise. AgExporter. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_n1_v4/ai_11754641/pg_2.3. The Canadian Bread and Bakery Industry. Agriculture and Agri Food Canada. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do? id=1171653091262&lang=e.4. Bakery industry cashes in on wholegrain trend. 2005. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. bakeryandsnacks. com/news/printNewsBis. asp? id=62237.5. Eyre, Charlotte. US Bakery markets beckons for Vivartia. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. cee-foodindustry. com/news/ng. asp? id=83797-vivartia-nonni-s-wind-point-partners.6. US Bakery Trends. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. bakeinfo. co. nz/industry/trends/article. php? id=43.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours Essay

Many business use the CIPD Human resources profession map as it sets out what HR practitioners need to know, do and deliver at all stages of their career to be effective and successful. It sets a benchmark for HR excellence for the individual and the HR function. The map focuses on the knowledge, activities and behaviours by underpinning the skills required to develop products and services for the profession and the individuals, and it sets out how HR adds the greatest sustained value to the organisation now and in the future. It provides you with the support to accelerate your own career and professional development by offering an online self assessment tool called My HR Map. The map was devised from HR experts so it is a reliable source. The map is made up of different sections, firstly eight behaviours which are shown around the outside of the circle, these are; decisive thinker, skilled influencer, personally credible, collaborative, driven to deliver, courage to challenge, role model and curious. This section describes the behaviours and HR professional needs to carry out there activities. Each behaviour is described at four bands of professional competence. These four bands which go up the side of the map describes the four bands of professional competence and the transition challenges faced when moving from one band to the next, it is how their contribution and success is measured, band one being where you start at in a HR role and band four being a senior or management role. And then then there are ten professional areas inside the map which describes what activities you need to do and what you need to know for each area of the HR profession at four bands of professional competence. The ten professional areas are; organisation design, organisation development, resourcing and talent planning, learning and talent development, performance and reward, employee engagement, employee relations, service delivery and information, and the final two are professional areas which are recognised as the two core areas, these are insights, strategies and solutions, and leading HR. The two core professional areas of the map sit at the heart of the map and are applicable to all HR professionals regardless of their job role and stage of their career. Firstly looking at Insights, strategies and  solutions, this develops actionable insights and solutions, prioritised and tailored around a deep understanding of business, contextual and organisational understanding. The CIPD have produced tables for each of the professional areas describing the activities (what you need to do) and the knowledges (what you need to know) for each one putting them in relation with the bands. The four bands of professional competence define the contribution that professionals make at every stage of the HR career. Looking at the activities in insights, strategies and solutions a first example is building a picture. In band one the employee needs to Use management information and role experience to develop an understanding of what’s happening in the organisation and externally. Another example of an activity is Developing actionable insight, in band one the employee needs to Develop insights about potential opportunities or risks for the organisation from experience. From the same activity an example of a band two would be to work with colleagues and managers to develop shared insights and priorities and activities. Building capacity and capability is another activity and an example from a band one would be that the employee has to provide accurate and timely information, data and advice to managers and employees on organisations human resources policy and procedures and employment laws. Then moving on to knowledges so this is what the employees need to know. Firstly looking at business knowledge band one is to know the vision and purpose of the organisation and how this relates to your role. For contextual knowledge in band two the employee would need to know the sector context in which the organisation operates. In band one for organisational knowledge the employee needs to know the capability and skills that are needed within the organisation. And finally HR professional knowledge a band one professional would need to know how to effectively organise their own workload and priorities. Leading HR is the other core professional area and this area provides active, insight-led leadership owning, shaping and driving themselves, others and activity in the organisation. Although not everyone will have a role where they lead others, it is still important that they develop and grow in the other two dimensions. Looking at the activities for Professional leadership in band one the employee needs to seek feedback and coaching to continually learn and develop as a professional by using HR  processes as appropriate for own CPD (e.g. through my HR Map). Another activity is leading others, in band one the professional needs to focus on delivering flawless process and relevant, timely and accurate advice and data to support HR operations plan. Looking at leading issues an example of an activity is delivering value and performance in HR teams, and example of a band two professional would be to seek feedback from team to identify areas of concern around HR reward and recognition package and make suggestions for improvement where appropriate. Now looking at the knowledges of what the professional needs to know in leading HR the first example is leadership, they need to know the differences in how people work and interact, that is a band one professional. Another band one knowledge is Resource management, the employee needs to know personal skills profiles and strengths and gaps against role requirements. Performance management is another knowledge and for band two the professional needs to know methods for managing and evaluating team performance. Finally financial management, in band one the professional needs to know methods for collecting and analysing financial and non financial data.

Planning functions of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning functions of management - Essay Example However, Nestle usually plans for some period of time. Three to five years are more typical planning horizons. As one of the most important functions of management, planning process is based on stipulated criteria and procedures which have a great impact on planning processes. Criteria such as reduced cost, improved quality, improved sense of direction, better teamwork, and improved service delivery might be used. The timing of any evaluations should also be considered. In Nestle, the plan involves deciding upon how resources will be used to help the organization achieve its strategic goals. It relies more on past records and involves shorter time periods. Present conditions are usually dominant in the planner's mind when the organization initiates a plan and these may be overstressed. Also, many events are obviously unforeseen, but planning can be aided by techniques giving suggested probabilities of events taking place (Bateman, Snell 2004). In Nestle, a special attention is given to product quality and product standards. This policy is important because Nestle produces a wide range of food products from coffee, beverages and ice-cram to infant food and pet food. The responsibility of companies in food industry is to analyze social conditions and possible threats of their products for potential consumers. They should be well aware of regulation changes and should not sell a product which can be injurious to health. In order to meet high standards and quality, Nestle constricts its activities according to legal regulations and requirements stipulated by EU for European countries. Also, planning process include analysis of the macro-environment (e.g., economic trends, inflation, changes in citizen needs, changing demographics, etc.), the government environment (especially changing federalism and state government trends), the competitive environment (the present and potential competition, particularly as related to economic development), the citizen environment (what the service user says), and the organization's internal environment (e.g., is there antiquated technology, high turnover, many people planning to retire soon) (Boone, Kurtz, 1992). Environmental scanning will also identify a variety of factors, both internal and external to Nestle, to be considered as part of the planning process. In fact, one of the benefits of planning is that an organization will gain a better understanding of how environmental scanning should be done and be able to manage more effectively as a result. Factors to be considered as part of the macro-environmental scanning process include social factors such as demographics, financial factors such as interest rates, and political factors such as increasing government deregulation, changing federalism and state government's trends, and regulations (Campbell, 1997). Among the factors to be considered as part of the government environment are the number and locations of other governments, the degree of federal and state government presence, the typical services being provided, and the marketing strategies of other competitive local governments. Ethics and corporate social responsibilities affect all decisions and plans developed and introduced by the company. From the very beginning, Nestle clearly informs customers about threats and possible impact of products. Ethical guidelines and social responsibi

Drilling in the ANWR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drilling in the ANWR - Essay Example This may be financially much more feasible to the country in general, but in the long term it can have some negative effects. This is because the drilling can cause a lot of problems to the natural habitat. The drilling will cause a damaged environment, one which can not be cured easily. Because of scarcity, choices have to be made on a daily basis by all consumers, firms and governments. For a moment, just have a think about the hundreds of millions of decisions that are made by people in your own country every single day. Take for example the choices that people make in the city of London about how to get to work. Over six million people travel into London each day, they have to make choices about when to travel, whether to use the bus, the tube, to walk or cycle – or indeed whether to work from home. Millions of decisions are being taken, many of them are habitual (we choose the same path each time) – but somehow on most days, people get to work on time and they get home too! This is a remarkable achievement, and for it to happen, our economy must provide the resources and the options for it to happen.† (Tutor 2 u) As the excerpt suggests that the government had the chance and job of making decisions and at times this can get very difficult. The government should have probably allowed for the exploration and the exploitation, however, should have also made sure that the habitat is preserved in the best way possible. These situations are pretty common for governments throughout the