TABLE OF CONTENTS essay

Executive summary 8

1 Introduction 9

2 Strategic Positioning and Plan 10

2.1 MISSION 10

2.2 VISION 10

2.3 OVERVIEW 10

2.4 THE PRODUCT 11

3 MARKET ANALYSIS 12

3.1 MARKET SIZE AND TRENDS 12

3.2 MARKET PROFITABILITY 12

3.3 SEGMENTATION 13

3.4 TARGET CUSTOMER PROFILE 13

3.5 ONLINE MARKETS 13

3.6 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET TRENDS 14

4 COMPETITORS ANALYSIS 15

4.1 FIVE PORTERS ANALYSIS 15

4.2 SWOT ANALYSIS 16

4.3 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 17

4.4 RESOURCES BASED ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 20

5 MARKETING PLAN 22

5.1 SITUATION ANALYSIS 22

5.2 OPPORTUNITIES ANALYSIS 25

5.3 TARGETING, POSITIONING, AND MARKETING STRATEGY FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 25

5.4 PRICING 27

5.5 DISTRIBUTION 27

5.6 PROMOTIONAL MIX 28

5.7 E-MARKETING 28

5.8 MARKETING BUDGET 28

5.9 IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL 29

6 HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENT AND PLAN 30

6.1 HR STRATEGIC POSITIONING 30

6.1.1 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 30

6.1.2 PLAN OF ACTION 30

6.2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 31

6.3 JOB ANALYSIS 31

6.4 RECRUITMENT PLAN 32

6.5 SELECTION PLAN 33

6.6 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 34

6.7 COMPENSATION PLAN 35

6.8 Training &amp development plan 36

6.8.1 ORIENTATION 36

6.8.2 CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 37

6.9 RETENTION PLAN 37

6.10 DISMISSAL PLAN 38

6.10.1 TERMINATION 38

6.10.2 TRANSFER TO ANOTHER FIRM 39

6.10.3 SUDDEN REPLACEMENT 40

7 OPERATING PLAN 41

7.1 RESOURCES AND PRODUCTION 41

7.1.1 MATERIAL SOURCING &amp SUPPLIERS (SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS) 41

7.2 FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT’S 42

7.3 OPERATIONS 43

7.3.1 PRODUCTION AND SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS 43

7.3.2 BILLING AND COLLECTIONS 44

7.3.3 INVENTORY MANAGEMENT 45

7.3.4 IT PLAN 45

7.3.5 OTHER SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL ISSUES OF THE VENTURE 47

7.4 LEGAL ISSUES–COMMERCIAL 47

7.5 OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 48

8 FINANCIAL PLAN 49

8.1 FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS 49

8.2 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 49

8.2.1 INCOME STATEMENT 49

8.2.2 BALANCE SHEET 50

8.2.3 CASH FLOW 50

8.3 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS 50

8.3.1 BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS 50

9 PROJECT PLAN 51

10 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………52

11 REFERENCES 53

12 APPENDICES 56

APPENDIX A 56

APPENDIX B 59

APPENDIX C 60

APPENDIX E 62

APPENDIX F 63

APPENDIX G 99

APPENDIX H: 100

APPENDIX I 102

APPENDIX J 103

APPENDIX K 104

APPENDIX L 105

APPENDIX M 106

APPENDIX N 107

APPENDIX O 108

APPENDIX P 110

APPENDIX Q 111

APPENDIX R 111

APPENDIX S 115

APPENDIX T 116

APPENDEX V 120

APPENDIX W 121

APPENDIX X 122

APPENDIX Y 123

APPENDIX Z 124

APPENDIX AA 125

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 7&#82091:Gantt Chart 48

Figure 9&#82091: Age Distribution Percentage 52

Figure 9&#82092: Student/ Employee Percentage 53

Figure 9&#82093: Caffeine Drinkers Percentage 53

Figure 9&#82094: Most Caffeine Consumption Period Percentage 54

Figure 9&#82095: Cups of Caffeine per Day Percentage 54

Executive summary

Forward will produce the herb cup that is a brain-powering drink madeusing natural herbs and ingredients, which is marketed as a healthyalternative to the soft drinks on the market. The end product will bemixed with either water or milk targeting those with concentrationdifficulties. The firm seeks to create interest in the product,increase sales, and improve profitability and a bigger market sharein the soft drinks market. The Promotion efforts will facilitate thisthrough aligning the promotion strategies with the consumer behavior. The pricing strategy considers competition from rival firms to meetthe objectives. The food and drink market in Kuwait is projected togrow in the coming years, as more people live in the cities. Thecountry has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, andsoft drinks, coffee, and tea are popular. To attain the objectives,the market is segmented into student and professional markets, withthe promotional activities then targeting these markets to expandoperations and maximize value for the company. Even though, there arefirms with diverse product offerings, there are few competitorsoffering brain-boosting healthy drinks. Firms with big market sharesin the soft-drink market will likely be dominant, but there the firmwill grow in the healthy drinks market segment. Kuwait is a stablecountry, and the level of spending is one of the highest in theregion. With the growing demand for healthy lifestyles, the businessis viable. Since the product is marketed as a healthy drink willdistinguish the company from the competitors. It is hard for therivals to replicate the drink formula using the special healthyingredients. There is potential for growth in the food and beveragesmarket in Kuwait, with stable growth in energy drinks and coffeesales. The healthy beverage market is viable, and there areopportunities for growth.

1. Introduction

Kuwait consumers are receptive tonew products, and they are brand loyal. Kuwait also has high softdrink consumption compared to the other Gulf countries, and sincethere is a large expatriate population, it is likely that moreconsumers will try out the product (BMI Research, 2016). Themanagement conducts market analysis while using strategic HRobjectives to attract, and maintain talented staff. Since thecountry’s economy is closely tied to the oil market performance,the projected growth of the soft drink industry will be affected bythe macroeconomic indicators. Internal and external factors affectthe viability of the soft drink industry, since the company needs toleverage its strength, and work on the weaknesses.Marketingstrategies and promotion activities are crucial to increasinginterest and awareness in the product. Using natural herbs in Forwardsets the drink apart from competitors, and it will be positioned todo well in the Kuwait market. Consumers are increasingly concernedabout their health, and ‘Forward’ will market the products tofill in the market gap for brain power drink. The success of theproduct requires coordination of the operations, financial, HR andmarketing functions. A market analysis will be conducted to identifyareas of opportunities and the viability of launching the drink inlight of market changes and consumer preference.Bothprimary and secondary research are relevant to understanding thetarget audience, and by highlighting on the product attributes theplanning activities will seek to maximize value. The SWOT analysisand current marketing represent where we are right now, with theobjectives where the product will achieve as supported by themarketing strategy. The product is a new entrant in the industry, thepricing strategy, and financial plan will emphasize the essentialelements to improving sales. Additionally, the case report willhighlight competition analysis, the marketing plan, and operationalplan.

2. Strategic Positioning and Plan

1.1MISSION

The mission is to offer the customers with healthy and high qualitybrain power drink, which is affordable and develop reliable marketshare. The product is made from natural herb targeting individualswho have low concentration abilities.

1.2VISION

The vision is to strive to become the world’s leader in processing,distribution and selling of brain powering cup that is healthy andsatisfies all the customers.

1.3OVERVIEW

The business will be set near organizations or learning institutions.Individuals in such places require high abilities of concentration.“Forward” will be guided by its culture. This will involveapproaches to new technology, work and attention to detail. A teambase approach will be used in “Forward” (Hougaard, 2008).Teamwork will be implemented to help achieve the business objectives.Empowerment of all staffs will be initiated to make them importantand motivated to work. The business will focus on customer retentionand satisfaction. Customers will be given offers and promotions onthe products sold by the “Forward”.

The business will be situated near sports grounds to target learnersand other relevant customers. Customer engagement will also beensured during the business. This will be facilitated by collectingfeedbacks about the quality of the products and service delivery(Takeuchi &ampNonaka, 2011). Customer feedbacks will help thebusiness to put into consideration suggested changes. Complains aboutthe product will be highly considered. It will therefore be easy forthe business to achieve customer retention and satisfaction. To meetcompetition, technology will be incorporated in the business (Kim&ampMauborgne, 2005). This will help in inventing and developing thebusiness. Advertisements will also be included to help familiarizethe product to the customers.

1.4THE PRODUCT

“Forward” delivers brain boosting herb cups. The herb cups willbe made to cater the concentration concerns of the customers. Naturalherbs will be used as an ingredient of the product. The preparednatural herbs will then be mixed with milk or water after which theproduct will be ready for the market. The herb cup will then be soldto customers who experience concentration difficulties. Most peoplerequire different abilities of concentration to perform their dailytasks. The product will have brain boosting content to meet thedemands of the customers. Natural materials will be used to make theproduct. This will eliminate health problems that arise fromartificial materials. Artificial preservation, too much sugar andartificial vitamins will not be added. These ingredients are harmfulto the body. However, the herb will be meet the expectations of theuses for the attraction of more customers (Pride et al., 2010). Oncethe herb cup drink is put on the market, it will become popular dueto its uniqueness.

3. MARKET ANALYSIS

1.5MARKET SIZE AND TRENDS

The forecast of Kuwait food and drinks sector is expected to growthcontinuously in the upcoming years. A carbonated soft drink has highgrowth in Kuwait market as it reached 10.7% in 2015 and is expectedto continue its high growth rate for the upcoming years. The annualrevenue for coffee, tea, hot drinks and soft drinks has reached 124.7million Kuwait Dinar in (“Kuwait food &amp drink report – Q22016.”2016).

In 2015,&nbspKuwait`s total energy drink consumption was 10.5million liters (Candean, 2015) with rate of 65 liter per individual(Kuwait Times,2015). The number of energy drink consumers was 464 perday. Customers that visited coffee shops per day in Kuwaitwere436,000(EXPRC, 2012) with the growth of sale in coffee, tea andother hot drinks 13.1% in 2013, 7.4% in 2014, and 5.8% in 2015. Byhaving the growth rate and the coffee target customers on 2012, thecoffee costumer in 2015 is calculated giving that there were 595,000coffee consumers in 2015.

An online survey has been conducted by using Surveymonkey.com. It isan online software that helps in creating and distribute surveysonline.The result shows that consumers consume one cup a day of acaffeine drink. The total market size is 595,464 and marketpenetration for a new business is between 2% and 6% (Jensen, 2001).Therefore the target size of Forward is between 11,909 and 35,727.

1.6MARKET PROFITABILITY

The market profitability will help indetermine whether or not thecompany has succeed in selling a product. That should not be a bigissue considering that Kuwait is a wealthy nation with stable incomes(Hooley, Saunders, &amp Piercy, 2004). Profitability of the productwould also be enhanced by the uniqueness of the product, herbalenergy cup. Despite a lack of competition at the moment, it would beimportant for the company to introduce a fair price as it enters themarket. The rationale for fairness in price is that customer loyaltyis created and enhanced to avoid mass rejection of the product in theevent of the entry of a competitor (Kotler, 1980). An importantelement that would determine profitability is that the target marketconsists of heavy spenders. Products that target the youth have beenknown to perform quite well around the world.

1.7SEGMENTATION

Kuwaiti market was divided into two criteria’son the online survey that 200 people living in Kuwait answered. Thefirst criteria are whether they are students or professionals and thesecond whether they drunk caffeinate drinks or not. The segmentationwill be identify on the most profitable to be served. Based on theresult, Forward segmentation are students and professionals thatmostly drink coffee and tea in morning.

1.8TARGET CUSTOMER PROFILE

Students and workers are the best consumers forForward. The average of the selected categories are ages 18-54. Thoseage groups include students from first year of undergraduate level tothe legal age of retiring which is 54. These targets need to increasetheir focus ,become more efficient and accomplish as much work asthey can. Drinking Forward will help in achieving these goals in ahealthier and natural way.

1.9ONLINE MARKETS

The online market is significant in theintroduction of the product. The targeted market is highly engagedwith technology. The company should exploit the role of social mediato popularize the products (Cahill, 2006). All available onlineplatforms should be fully utilized to achieveas much expand in thelocal region because about 78.7% of the population has accessto the Internet as of the year 2015. YouTube andInstagram are social media channels that are heavily used in Kuwaitby 43%, followed by Twitter with 41% (Kuwait Internet Usageand Telecommunications).In order topenetrate the marketaInstagram account and a website must be createdto explain about Forward products and usage. Therefore, sellingonline will play a big role in giving Forward a chance to proveitself as a new healthy herbal energy product in the local market.

1.10BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET TRENDS

The business environment in the entire major region of Kuwait isquite conducive and responsive to new products. With the populationconsisting of high literacythe flow of information is fast and themarket is ready for new products at any given time. This is more sopronounced for unique products such as the Forward herbal energy cup.The main purpose may drive consumer’s to a healthier alternative isthe rising of the number of victim’s from over dose energy drinkusage. Introducing Forward as a new trend in the market will be byusing different online marketing strategies. A contract will besigned with Ghaliah, which is aonline communications agency thatmanages 106 social media influencers to help in the spreading ofFroward.

4. COMPETITORS ANALYSIS

1.11FIVE PORTERS ANALYSIS

• Threat of New Entrants

The threat of new entrants is high for existing companies but low fornew ones. The cost of entering the hot beverage market is low sincethe ingredients of preparing Forward depends on mixing herbs withcaffeine

Threat of Substitute Product

The threat of substitute products is high. There are many alternateproducts in the market. Energy drinks, tea, coffee, fruit juices andattention pills and supplements. These drinks consider alternateproducts in the market. Customers can fulfill their need of caffeineor energy through these many choices at different prices. Thesubstitute market is increasing a new energy drink brand called Hypewill enter Kuwait market soon (“Guess which energy drink is landingin Kuwait very soon”). Also three coffee shops that aren’trelated to any coffee chain were recently introduced in Kuwait marketCaffeine, Vo1. and Richards coffee.

Bargaining Power of Customer

The bargaining power of individual customers is high. Despite ofForward new concept, customers can easily switch from a product toanother, particularly for economical and availability reasons. Thealternate products can provide the required performance in the sameor even less price in the same quality.

• Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Bargaining power of suppliers is low. The herbal components ofFroward can easily beimported from different herbal suppliers.Themain components are coffee, tea and the herbal mixture which will beimported from India. Because of Kuwait climate the components cannotbe produce locally or provided from local suppliers.

• Competitive Rivalry

The competitive rivalry is high. Caffeinated drinks are growing fastin Kuwait market that include energy drinks and coffee drinks(Canadean Ltd. ,2015). Red bull, Monster, Horsepower are some chaincompanies of energy drinks in Kuwait. Starbucks, Costa, Second cup,Nestle and Nespresso are some existing chain coffee companies. Thesemarkets may not provide the same concept of healthy energy drinks butit’s provided drinks that provide energy.

1.12SWOT ANALYSIS

Strength

Forward has the strength of targeting the youth as the market sincethese constitutes the majority in Kuwait. Additionally, the firm hasthe strength of being the first to introduce such a product in thecountry. It is essential to note that the youth have a huge impactand influence in the market (Hooley et al., 2001). Also with thehigh and the incensement of life expectancy in Kuwait trend indicatethat Kuwait society is concerned about their health. Several flavorsis on of the strength since it target different types of customerstaste. Having many suppliers is another strength for Forward.

Weakness

It is essential to state that considering the product is beingintroduced for the first time in the country may pose as a weakness.There is a belief that the consumers are familiar with otherbeverages. Forward lacks the conviction of belief of how the productwill be received by the target market.

Opportunities

The uniqueness of the product offers a great opportunity. Consideringthat there is no other such a product in Kuwait is a greatopportunity for the firm to explore the market. It has also beenfound out that target market is open to new products and they embracethem fully which is an opportunity for Forward. Also the consumptionof per capital for soft and hot drinks in Kuwait is very high(Canadean Ltd., 2015).

Threats

The major threats for the product in the Kuwait market are the newentrants. There is no doubt that the business will attract newentrants and the firm must create customer loyalty to ensure that itdoes not loose clients. Also the continuous decrease of oil pricewill effect on Kuwait economy may cause decrease in GDP andincrescent in inflations which lead to rent and raw materialincrescent. Another strong threat is that all of the componentsneeded for the production of Froward must be imported from foreignsuppliers.

1.13INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Internal Competition

Organization Resources

• Tangible:

  • Financial: Internal funds

  • Physical: Machinery, furniture, computer and printer

• Intangible:

  • Technology: Trade secret

  • Reputation: The quality of the drink and brand name.

• Human resources: Skilled, educated, different background owners and employees

Organization Capabilities

• Talent: Forward has the required skilled, motivated and committed people to grow and succeed continuously.

• Speed: Forward has the ability to distinguish opportunities and act fast by introducing a new product to the market.

• Accountability: Forward will deliver what has been promised to employees and customers. Employees with high performance will be rewarded.

• Collaboration: Forward has the ability to work with other to ensure efficiency.

• Learning: Forward has the ability to generate new ideas through observing other companies, researching, experimenting and learning from others with new skills.

• Creativity: Forward has a unique product that is different from competitors.

• Efficiency: Forward seek to high continuous efficiency. Tracking operation cost and compares it over time to be able to use less input to generate more output

• Customer Connectivity: Forward aim to build a strong, trusted relationship with target customers.

Organizational Core Competencies

The core competencies of Forward lies on having a healthy energydrinks that help student and professional to maintain focus. Thiscompetency relies on the special healthy ingredient that is added incoffee or tea. This competency is unique and hard to copy bycompetitors.

External Competition

PEST will be used as a tool to analyze the current external situationas following

• Political: Kuwait is the eighth richest country in the world per capital. Kuwait political situation is considered to be stable and doesn’t affect on the business.

• Economic: Kuwait economy is growing. GDP per capita is increasing which leads to an increase of spending. The over all trend with the inflation rate is increasing since 2013 that reflected an increase in the rent, raw material and man power cost.

• Social: The growth in Kuwait population and demand will affect the business. Kuwait citizens follow trends which is rapidity changing. Now days the trend is towards healthy lifestyle. High life expectancies indicate that Kuwaiti are healthy.

• Technology: New technologies such as integrated systems will affect the way business is done. New technologies will help the business in better performance.

1.14RESOURCES BASED ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Forward is a line of coffees and teas that contains natural herbs,which helps individuals to increase their abilities to concentrate(brain power). These cups are made especially for workers andstudents who have hard time to focus, tend to be extremelydistractible, and overlook details to move forward. The productscompetitive advantage lies in that it is capable of giving studentsand the working class what other coffees and teas cannot provideexcept through caffeine. Although forward does contains caffeine yetits magic lies in the mix of herbs that provides neurologicalenhancements beyond the power of any coffee/tea’s caffeine. Thiscompetitive advantage will help Forward in targeting its niche marketsafely.

VRIO will be used as a tool to analyze Forward internal resources andcapabilities to identify weather these resources and capabilities aresources of sustained competitive advantage:

• Valuable:

Forward concept will bring value to consumers since it will offer ahealthy energy drinks in the most used flavors in Kuwait, which aretea and coffee

• Rareness:

Forward is the only healthy energy drinks that is affordable andquick served in Kuwait. With the secret trade formula only Forwardhave the available to produce the product.

• Imitability:

Imitable Forward consider impossible because of the secret formula.Others may develop other formula to duplicate Forward.

• Organization:

Forward will take the advantage of it’s capabilities by offering ahealthy energy drink with variety of products.

From the VRIO analysis Forward has a sustainable competitiveadvantage.

5. MARKETING PLAN

1.15SITUATION ANALYSIS

The company has analyzed its capabilities and is well aware of whatit could deliver to the Kuwait market ( Kerin, Hartley &ampRudelius,2011). The customers are enthusiastic and open to newproducts, and the firm is ready to take up the challenge. The companyis also well positioned to take advantages of the excellent businessenvironment in Kuwait.

• Market Demographics

Because the product is made from 100% natural ingredients, it isconsidered suitable for all customer age groups. However, the maintargets are professionals and college students starting at age 18 upto 55 years old, which is the age of retirement in Kuwait.

• Market Trends:

Professionals and students go through a lot of roller coasters duringthe professional and educational lives. The following is a list oftrends that each group experience.

Professionals:

-Working longer hours and multi-tasking

-Attending important meetings

-Facing assignment deadline

-Spend a lot of time analyzing and critical thinking

-Need to focus for longer periods of time

-Need a boost when they are tired

-Teachers teaching, creating, and correcting exams

Students:

-Education is becoming more competitive

-Students are trying very hard to get the highest grade possible tosecure their future profession

-Spend a lot of time on the Internet

-Accumulated work needs extra attention

-Exam periods

-Face project deadlines

• Market Growth

According to BMI research, the compound annual growth rate of foodand drink consumption in Kuwait is +2.6%. It is also stated thatcoffee sales growth is +5.6% in Kuwait and that there is a stablegrowth for energy drinks. This means that the market is healthy andnourishing.

• Customers

Forward will offer two basic flavors the first one iscoffee, whichwill be known as Flame and the second one is Leap, which is an herbaltea. The products can be ordered by phone, through Forward website,and at Trolly which is a retail store (Refer to Appendix Q).By usingthese methods customers will be able to acquire the product at theirbest comfort.

• Company

Hard working students and professionals will be guaranteed a highquality completely herbal product that would give both the energy andattention required to satisfy working trends. Forward is an unlimitedpartnership of three and will employ additional people for creatingand gathering product parts. The company does not have a store butrather work as a distributer. The mixed herbs will be placed at thebottom of a specializecup then compressed by filter paper.Forwardproducts can be easily prepared by adding hot water or milk.The product will then be marketed and sold as mentioned in thepromotional mix section.

• Competition

Forward’s main competitors are coffee, tea and energy drinkproviders since students and workers use them to stay alert at theirwork. Efforts will be directed to convince customers to substitutecompetitors’ products with Forward when they work/study. Maincompetitors are as follows: Redbull, Power Horse, Monster, Starbucks,Costa, Secondcup, Nescafe,Nespresso,Lipton,Dilmah and attention pillsand supplements.

• Collaborators

Collaborators are the groups that the company will be engaged with toconduct business properly. Those groups are:

-Suppliers of coffee, tea, cups, and packaging

-Social media influencers(famous people in social media)

-Mobile applications (third party)

-Delivery agents

-Employees

• Context

The intensity of work, both professional and educational, in Kuwaitencourages individuals to increase their focus,become more efficient and accomplish as much work as they can.Because Forward is a healthier substitute, customers will be eager totry the new product to up their level of performance. Purchasing thetechnology that will maximize output and reduce cost will improve thepricing of the product, and create an extra value.

• Critical Issues

Forward is a new concept it is aherbal energy drink therefore, it iscritical for the company to present a strong marketing campaign toconvey the message accurately. The product may face difficulty at theinitial stage in determining the exact amount of demand.

1.16OPPORTUNITIES ANALYSIS

There exists a massive market for Forward and useful strategies toenter the market would guarantee proper exploitation of theopportunities (Hooley, Saunders, &amp Piercy, 2004). There alwayswill be new students and new workers throughout life, which creates anon-ending stream of market size and eventually revenue.

1.17TARGETING, POSITIONING, AND MARKETING STRATEGY FOR PRODUCTS ANDSERVICES

The strategy is to “give it to them when they need it the most.”The market approach to the introduction of Forward would be to helpthe customers solve a problem (Mitręga,2006). With the introductionof the container into the market, concentration and focus problemsamong workers and students would be eliminated. The approach fortargeting students is by looking at the academic calendar of theiruniversities and colleges in Kuwait to determine the timing ofproject deadlines and examination periods. Likewise, for workers itis essential to identify the beginning and the end of the fiscal yearand how its divided, quarterly, semi-quarterly, or yearly and focusmarketing mainly in those times for this target. The best time toserve a customer is when they feel helpless then assist them inproviding a product that alleviates their troubles by providing theright product at the right time.

Collaboration with influencers in the market will be mainly throughan online media agency. This is informed by the power of the media toshape opinions and hence influence markets of products and services(Ganly&amp Frank, 1994). There has also been the emphasizing ofcustomers to interact so that they share and exchange the availableinformation about the Forward and benefit from the strength ofword-of-mouth to spread the awareness to the public.

According to asnoff’s matrix, since Forward is a new productconcept introduced to a new market the company must be using thediversification strategy. This strategy is perfect for the company’starget market since no other company thought about servingstudents/employees exclusively. Targeting this market made Forwarddevelop a diversified version of tea/coffee that helps this targetreach their potential by giving them the ability to truly focus andconcentrate on their job.

1.18PRICING

The pricing that will be adopted has put into account the fixed andvariable costs incurred the production and distribution of theproduct (Kotler,1980). The completion mainly from sellers of relatedproducts has also been considered in line with the objectives of thefirm to have a grip on the market. The wiliness of the target marketand the group has also been discussed in the pricing Forward. Allthat has been done to enable the product is well positioned in themarket. Additionally, the price will be highly dependent on thecoffee and tea prices in the market to stay competitive. (For thelist of product and price refer to appendix B )

1.19DISTRIBUTION

Becausethe target market is a “busy” group products must be provided attheir best comfort. Distribution will be as follows:

• Direct delivery (ordering by phone)

• Froward Website (Ordering online)

• Trolly retail stores

• EventsExhibitions at working and educational facilities

1.20PROMOTIONAL MIX

The integral promotional mix aspects will be employed. Publicrelations measures have been applied to popularize the firm and itsproducts. Advertising will mainly be in colleges, workinginstitutions and social media to inform and remind the public of theavailability of the product in the market. Public relation is vitalduring major events in colleges and in working institutions where itwill be marketed as “study buddy” and “office pal.”

1.21E-MARKETING

The e-marketing is a significant marketing strategy that cannot beignored by any serious marketer. In the commercialization of Froward,e-marketing has been fully utilized and the role of the social mediahas been acknowledged. E-Marketing will help in using a range oftechnologies in order to connect with our customers through: website,whatsapp and social media.

1.22MARKETING BUDGET

The marketing budget has been allocated based on the objectives andstrategies employed (Hooley, Saunders, &amp Piercy, 2004). Theeffect of present and future competition has also been factored. Thebudget is moderate considering that almost the entire market inKuwait is concentrated in the urban centers. Therefore, the initialmarketing budget is 5,000KD the first six months of the fiscal yearand later it will be 10% of profit.(for more information refer toappendix C)

1.23IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL

The implementation of marketing has adopted a multidimensionalapproach to take into account the dynamism of the market (Grewal, &ampLevy, 2010). Practical and modern strategies of marketing have beenadopted, and all control measures to regulate the market are inplace. After applying the strategy as mentioned in the “marketingstrategy” section, controls will be through the return oninvestment (ROI) that each marketing activity generates. The higherthe return, the more likely the activity will continue. Otherwise,activities with “low” or “no return” will be shut down andanother idea will take its place.

6. HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENT AND PLAN

“HRM practices have the aim to best perform the role of mediatorbetween strategy and performance as the final result of theorganization. HRM practices are focused on human resource in theorganization, i.e. the development and implementation of human andsocial capital.” (Ralević,P. V., Dragojlović, A., Dobrodolac, M., Denić, N. M., &ampNešić,Z. 2015)

Refer to appendix D

1.24HR STRATEGIC POSITIONING1.24.1STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE

The Human Resource (HR) strategic objectives must be linked to thecompany’s innovative strategy. Therefore, Proper HR measures mustbe taken to understand and exceed customer’s expectations byproviding innovative drinks at the best consistency, quality,cleanness, and freshness, in a timely manner. A comprehensive HR planis laid out in this section to determine all processes and activitiesthat must be undergone by the HR department to reach thoseobjectives.

1.24.2PLAN OF ACTION

The HR plan of action will be as follows:

1. Recruiting

2. Role definition –For each job

3. Goal setting

4. Compensation

5. Performance measurement –For each employee

6. Training and development

7. Performance evaluation

8. Reward system -based on performance

9. Appeal process

1.25ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The organizational structure consists of a general manager, marketingmanager, operational manager, financial manager, public relations,human resources, machine operators, logistics/drivers, accountant,sales personnel, financial analysts, and an IT.

The chain of command in the company is short there is one generalmanager, three department managers, and few specialists in eachdepartment (Refer to appendix E). Since the total number of employeesis only fifteen, the span of control in the company is very narrow.

As for centralization, because each department is highly specializedat what they do, Forward will use a decentralized decision makingstyle where decision-making power is not concentrated at a singlepoint. This also helps to “Promote a more democraticdecision-making process” (Devaney, E. 2014).

The size of the organization and organizational structure requiresForward to have an informal nature. Communication flows freelybetween all members of the organization. Loose departmentalizationgives more freedom for employees to interact and collaborate ininterconnected and related work tasks.

1.26JOB ANALYSIS

The following is a list of job titles required by the company.

• General Manager

• Marketing Manager

• Public relations

• Human resources

• Operational Manager

• Machine operators

• Logistics &gt Drivers

• Financial Manager

• Accountant

• Sales

• Financial analysts

• IT

For a detailed description of each job refer to appendixF

1.27RECRUITMENT PLAN

Forward’s recruitment plan starts by determining the neededpositions and job specifications for each position. Then, a Searchfor employees will be via Linkedin, waseet, q8cv.com, and bayt.com.Afterwards, applications are reviewed and a list of suitablecandidates is created.

1. Forward’s Needed positions are as follows:

• PR

• Machine operators

• Driver

• Accountant /Financial analyst

• IT

• Sales representatives

2. Job specifications

Refer to appendix F

3. Where to find employees

-Linkedin

-waseet

-q8cv.com

-bayt.com

1.28SELECTION PLAN

The selection process plan inside the company will be as follows:

1. Applications gathered by the company or sent to the company get directed to the HR.

2. An HR member will sort and categories the applications based on the needed position and highest number of qualifications present.

3. The chosen applicants are called/ emailed to set an interview meeting.

4. Interview.

5. Approval.

6. Sign the employment contract.

For more information refer to appendix G

1.29PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

To effectively manage performance within the organization, employeesmust have concrete knowledge about the organizational mission,vision, as well as their job descriptions, specifications, andrequirements. Then, performance planning takes place, where employeesare given their key accountabilities, specific objectives, andperformance standards to judge accomplishments. (Aguinis, H. 2014)

Employees performance standards are based on competencies such asbusiness awareness, communication, heath, safety, customer focus andorientation, initiative and open thinking, cost awareness,leadership, coaching and developing people, problem solving anddecision making. They will also be evaluated based onquantity/quality of work, on-time delivery of work, discipline andvalue of conduct, and development.

Employee’s behaviors are monitored to determine areas of strengthsand weaknesses to create a development plan to combat this weakness.Employee assessments are collected from peers, supervisors,subordinates and/or customers to encourage openness and transparencyamong employees. Finally, performance is reviewed with each employeeduring a performance meeting that is held once a year.

Employees that show improvements are rewarded monetarily by adding agrade percentage raze on their basic salaries. (Refer to AppendixI)

Appeal process:

In the advent of a possible misjudgment, employees are encouraged todiscuss why they think the results of the appraisal is flawed inorder to give them the chance to rectify their grade. Each employeeis aloud a single appeal per year. The appeal process proceeds asfollows:

1. Discuss with supervisor reason for wanting to file the appeal

2. Solving the problem before filing the appeal form

3. Filing and submitting the appeal to the HR department

4. HR evaluates the reasons and facts with the general manager

5. Grade change/ or no change

Refer to Appendix J

1.30COMPENSATION PLAN

All employees will receive an average base salary according to theirspecialties, which is the monthly standard amount they are promisedwhen they sign the employment contract. Those salaries are theminimum monthly compensation that each employee will receive.Additionally, employees will receive a yearly increase over theirbase salary for every additional year they stay in the company whichis designed as a bonuses depending on their yearly performancestandard measured through the grade they receive on their performanceappraisal form (Refer to Appendix H). When an employee receives agrade “A” in two consecutive years they will receive double theirbase salaries at the end of the second year.

Forward will also use a reward system, where each employee is paid anextra monthly amount for doing a specific job. All managers willreceive a solid 5% of the company’s overall monthly sales as anappreciation for their efforts.

The public relation and sales personnel will receive an extra 1 KDevery ten customer acquired and/or retained. (Roberge, M. 2015)Likewise, machine operators will receive an extra 0.100 KD perpackage created above the required daily amount only if the qualitymatches the company’s requirements. Drivers, however, will beassessed based on the number of complaints regarding punctuality,attitude, and quality of product upon delivery. If there is nocomplaint then they gets paid a reward of 0.100 KD per delivery,otherwise, each complaint will be deducted from their rewardcompilation(Refer to Appendix K).

1.31Training &amp development plan

“Training is an organized approach to positively impactingindividuals’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to improveindividual, team, and organizational effectiveness. Training givesorganizations access to resources that will allow them to completesuccessfully in a changing environment, and to plan for andaccomplish set goals. Effective training helps correct employee andorganizational deficiencies.” (Shenge, N. A. 2014) Forward must usetraining and development in two levels, one at the introduction stage“orientation” and one to maintain high levels of productiveness“continuous training and development”.

1.31.1ORIENTATION

All new employees are required to receive an orientation that coversthe following topics:

Job description

• Department functions and goals

• Schedule of hours

• Co-workers introduction

• Desk/office location

• Safety procedures

• Job training

• Overtime policy

• Compensation plan

• Reward system

1.31.2CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training and development must be based on the yearly appraisalresults where each employee’s weaknesses are specified. Employeeswill receive a minimum of one course per year depending on theirlimitations. Those who require less amount of training/score high ontheir appraisal evaluation form will receive percentage bonus overtheir salaries.

1.32RETENTION PLAN

“To increase organizational performance, organizations mustdevelop and implement employee retention approaches such as rewards,independence, reputation, incentives, compensation, and fair andcompetitive wages.” (Al-Emadi,A. A. Q., Schwabenland, C., &amp Wei, Q. 2015) Forwardis planning to overcome retention difficulties by doing thefollowing:

1. Increase sense of belonging

• Celebrate holidays

• Celebrate employee’s birthdays

• Celebrate achievements

• Listen to employee’s problems, recommendations, and concerns

• Call sick employees to ask about their health

2. Fairness

• Recognize well done job

• Provide benefits

• Promotion

3. Clarity

• Employees must understand their responsibilities clearly to avoid future confusions/ conflicts

• Communicate employee’s mistakes in a proper and respectful manner

4. Convenience at workplace

• Provide coffee and lunch breaks

• Promote a friendly environment

• Praying break

1.33DISMISSAL PLAN1.33.1TERMINATION1.33.1.1Misconduct:

• Poor performance – when an employee receives a grade “D” in the appraisal for two consecutive years

• Unsafe behavior

• Confidentiality breach

• Behaviors that endangers the health and safety of employees

• Violence in the workplace

• Bullying and harassment

• Theft or fraud

• Serious breaches of employment clauses

1.33.1.2Process:

1. Investigate the matter

2. Check documents (papers, videos, others)

3. Provide written findings

4. Meet with the employee

5. Make decision

6. Provide written notice

(Refer to appendixL)

1.33.2TRANSFER TO ANOTHER FIRM

• An employee must proved a three month notice prior to departure

• Employees are granted the right to receiving any recommendation letters upon request

1.33.3SUDDEN REPLACEMENT

To avoid facing tribulations at the advent of a sudden unexpecteddeparture, Forward must plan ahead one successor for each position inthe company. This means that Forward’s HR department is required toconstantly evaluate employee’s performance for promoting them to ahigher position. Also, They must also look for new candidates eventhere was no position open for applicants at the moment because “ifyou wait until the job coms up and you can’t recruit you’restuck” (Stevens, C. 2015).

7. OPERATING PLAN

1.34RESOURCES AND PRODUCTION1.34.1MATERIAL SOURCING &amp SUPPLIERS (SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS)

The production of Forward needs various kinds of materials. Acombination of herbs namely rahmi,gotukola (Centellaasiatica),ashwaghandha,vacha,tagara,and tulsiare the main components. The mixture of these herbs is calledGotukola powder. The herbs will be pre-mixed by the suppliers withtwo basic flavors, i.e., black tea and coffee. Various differentflavors will be introduced in the future. The Gotukola powder will beordered from two herbal suppliers, of whom supplier A will provideGotukola powder mixed with tea, known as Leap, and supplier B willprovide Gotukola powder mixed with coffee, known as Flame. Bothsuppliers are located in New Delhi (India). Forward’sherbal orders will be shipped by air in a period of 10 to 14 days.

As for the specialized cups and filter paper the shipment will befrom a packaging company in China (Company C). A prototype design,which includes information about Forward expiry date, ingredients,and usage,it will be sent to the company to be printed on customized,disposable cups. A preorder must be placed before three days and theshipment will take place in a period of 10 days. After the deliveryof raw materials they must be stored in a proper way in the storagearea considering the humidity. The main machine is located in theproduction area and two production methods will be used. The firstmethod is make-to-stock, which means after the production process thefinal cups will be stored until customer’s orders are received.Make-to-order is the second method used in production, this method isused for online orders. After the order is placed, an email is sentto the sales person with a full description of the order and then theproduction will start. Finally, the payment for the products will bedone using an online application and the products will be deliveredthrough that application (Refer appendix M and N).

1.35FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT’S

The manufacturing unit will be located in a 48 square meter store inan industrial area called Aswag Al-Qurain. The area is known to be alarge city that contains restaurants, car wash, mobile stores, andretail stores. The store will be located in the second row with an 8meter frontal space so that the delivery cars can be parked. The mainreason of choosing this location is that the customs office is only afew minutes’ drive.

The whole company will be divided into threeparts namely administration, storage, and production. Theadministration part will include Marketing, HR, IT, andfinancial/accounting departments. The area will require furnituresuch as desks, chairs, and cabinets. Five personal computers, aprinter, barcode printer, barcode reader, and a scanner will also beprovided.

The second part is the operation area where the production takesplace. The machines that will be used to produce Forward cups arecalled Automatic tea dispensing machine and FBC－999full automatic tea-cup filter machine. The function of the firstmachine is to place the mixture of herbs at the bottom of the cup.Then the second machine will compress it with filter papers. Leap andFlame will be premixed by the suppliers to avoid manufacturingindustrial mistakes and to maintain the same flavor every time.Different companies worldwide were contacted and the best offer wasfrom: Dongguan Liyi Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., which islocated in China. The machine will be shipped in about 15 days, witha specialized working table that will absorb sound. The capacity oftea-cup filter machine is 1300 cups/hour. The installation process isan easy one, however, a video containing the step-by-step procedurewill be sent. One employee is needed to work on the production. Firstthe tea-cup filter machine must be filled with the herbal mixtures,then the worker has to place the cups in the specified place to befilled with either Leap or Flame. After that filter papers arecompressed at the top of the herbs, which are at the bottom of thecup using the dispensing machine. Finally, a barcode label will bestamped on the pack that contains six cups together into onepackaging box, barcode labels won’t be present on each and everysingle cups because the final products will be sold as a package. Themachine doesn’t require any maintenance and only needs to becleaned daily at the end of the production period with clean drydisposable cloth.

The third and last area in the company will be the storage area,which is divided into two sections, one is for the raw materials andthe other one is for the finished goods. The storage area requiresseveral things that must be applied to maintain the quality andvalidity of the herbal products. The area must be maintained at acool temperature to avoid oxidation and very low lighting to preventany chemical reactions. The raw materials will be stored in stainlesssteel shelves one above the other in the received boxes afterchecking the condition of the packaging. A two-meter longrefrigerator will be provided to maintain the quality of the openedtins that contains the mixture of the herbs, also an air conditionerthat controls both the temperature and humidity will be provided (SeeAppendix M,O,P,Q and AA).

1.36OPERATIONS1.36.1PRODUCTION AND SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS

As mentioned before, two production methods will be used in creatingthe product, the first is make-to-stock and the second ismake-to-order. One worker will be needed for the production and theworking hours will be divided into two sessions. The first sessionwill be from 8am–11am to produce Leap, and the second session isfrom 12pm–3pm to produce Flame. The total working hours forproduction are four hours with four 30 minutes breaks, for checkingthe product condition by the operation manger. The last working houri.e., 3pm–4pm will be for cleaning the production area. The otheremployees in different departments will be working from 8am–4pm,but all employees will receive a one-hour break i.e., between11am–12pm. The capacity of Forward per day for one working positionis 2600 cups, which means the total production of both Leap and Flametogether is 5200 cups/day. If the demand of consumers increases andthe stock of Forward decreases, then the working hours will beconverted into two shifts in order to meet the demand (Refer toappendix U)

1.36.2BILLING AND COLLECTIONS

The agreement with the suppliers included the method of payment thatwill be used. Half of the payment will be made when the order isplaced and the other half will be made when the order of rawmaterials is received in good condition. Payments will be made onlineusing the credit card of the company. Introducing Forward in themarket will be a big challenge. Online advertising will be done bysigning a contract with Ghaliah which is an advertising media companythat manages the social media influencers. An agreement to rent ashelf in a small convenience store called Trolly is also considered.Trolly is a retail store located in eleven different locations, threeof them are private universities (AUM, ACK, and GUST). By contactingthe operation manger, general information was given about thepolicies required to rent a shelf. Trolly has different policies forrenting but as per Froward’s condition which is a new product astart-up price of 300 KD was given to rent a half-shelve i.e., 75 ×30cm. As for orders that are placed online through Forward’swebsite, the payments will be done using an application called Adfla.The application will deduct the amount from Forward and the customerfor 350 fills when payment is made through KNET. Using visa or mastercards will lead to a deduction of 3% from Forward and 300 fills fromthe customer (see AppendixR).

1.36.3INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Tracking the inventory will be through software that will be used toinput orders, the software will automatically calculate theinventory. However, the operation manger will not depend on thesoftware a daily check at the end of each day will be applied. Theoperation manager will track the inventory in three main stages.First, tracing the shipment of the raw materials, then checking thefinal products from the operation area, and finally keep track of theinventory in the storage. This will help in identifying shortages inorders, to prepare for the orders already received, and to increaseproduction.

The minimum inventory will be 500,000 for the cups and herbs for thefirst month. For the next six months it will still be the sameamount. However, during the second month of the second year, theinventory will be 100,00 and will stay the same at both the 8^thand 12^th month. The inventory will change in the thirdyear, in the second quarter and this will be 400,000. In the fourthyear the first and fourth quarter inventories will be 400,000.

The sales forecast will be targeting a minimum of 11,909 people. Thecompany is trying to target 2% which is 1,909 people.

Using a simple calculation by the financial and accounting departmentit is found that 1909 times six cups will give a total of 7140,adding 3% of inventory will give the final total of 215 cups.

1.36.4IT PLAN

The IT plan for the company consists of severalstages that will simultaneously grow along with the growth of thebusiness. Microsoft Access is the software that will be used foraccounting, finance, HR, and for ordering and monitoring theemployees. The Wasp Inventory Control will be used for tracinginventory, order, and sales. Forward’s documents, will always bebacked-up and auto-saved through a cloud driver “dropbox”. Therewill be five personal computers two will be in the marketingdepartment, two in the financial/accounting department, and onepersonal computer for the general manager. The Wasp system includesinventory control software, barcode printer and barcode labelingsoftware, mobile computer, and 5 PC licenses. The general manager’spersonal computer will have accesses to the security cameras, anddata and software of all departments. The Wasp system will be in theIT department. Forward’s website will be launched to explain moreabout the products and to take orders from customers, an email willbe sent with the order and received by a sales person then bedelivered. Several rules and regulations were published to have morecontrol on the usage of the companies.

• Every employee has his/her own login name and password.

• Downloading anything that is not related to work is forbidden.

• Using any equipment (PC, printer, company e-mail) in the IT department for personal use is also forbidden.

• Data storage devices (CD, flash memory) or personal computers that are owned by employees are not allowed in the company’s departments.

• Every employee is held accountable individually if any damages are caused to the software or hardware of the IT departments.

A five year plan has been considered as amission to improve the IT department for the company, like using anadvanced software and further developing the website. Using localwebsites (Taw9eel, Talabat) for description also has been consideredto develop the department.

1.36.5OTHER SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL ISSUES OF THE VENTURE

A contract will be signed with an insurance company to insure thewhole store and its equipment’s. However, prices can only beestimated when the actual company is created. The company also has tofollow strict guidelines issued by the ministry of health andministry of commerce and industry to avoid any irregularities. A firealarm must be placed in the company to maintain safety. The companyalso will have a simple security system with four cameras and a largeshutter for the exterior door. To control the growing demand ofForward products the production will be divided into two shifts.Froward will not have a legal department instead a contract will besigned with lawyer Mohamed AL-Majeed. Mr Mohamed is a lawyer withmassive experience of about ten years in a Kuwaiti court. Goingglobal is a big step for Forward, but it’s to be considered onlyafter getting expanded in the local market.

1.37LEGAL ISSUES–COMMERCIAL

For starting the production at Forward different kinds of legalcertifications must be issued. Firsta form must be filled at theMinistry of Commerce and Industry. Then a certificate must beobtained from the bank that proves that the partners of the companyhave deposited the start-up money. The third step will be theexamination of the herbs by the Ministry of Health, which may takeabout six months. Then the commercial licenses will be published witha full description of the company’s activity. With the licensegiven the foreign employees hired will be registered in the company’sname, and this will be done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bycompleting these procedures Forward would become a legal company.Figure 2 shows the above-mentioned processes in detail (See alsoAppendixS and T).

1.38OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Forward will be known as a limited liability company, the ownershipwill be divided between three partners. Munerah will be both thegeneral manger and the marketing manager because she owns most of theshares and have great business management and marketing background.The other two partners also have important positions in the company.Nour will be the head of operations, responsible of machineoperators, IT, and logistics. The head of financial/accountingdepartment will be Fatmeh, whom will be responsible for theaccounting department. The working hours for all the employees willbe from 8am to 4pm, the delivery will be done in two shifts from10am–2pm and from 4pm–8pm (See AppendixE,U and W).

8. FINANCIAL PLAN

1.39FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS

Forward financials are built on foundation of financial assumptions.Forward must be assumed since it is a new business that hasn’tstarted. The following are the financial assumptions that has beenconducted

• The startup cost is approximately 27,000 KWD, which will be borrowed from a bank with 5.4% yearly interest.

• Forward sales on the first month are 1,190 packs. Sales assumption was based on the target market that has been calculated previously which is between 11,909 and 35,727 cup per day. A 2% of this target was taken and multiples by since the pack of Forward contains of 6 cups of caffeine drink.

• The sale will be from two sources. 40% from Leap and 60% from Flame. This assumption was based on the survey that was conducted earlier since 60% of the caffeine consumption prefer coffee.

• Sales growth was assumed to be 3% monthly.

• Wages was assumed to increase 10% in yearly based

• Dividend will distribute on the second year with 50% of the net income.

• Owner equity will be 7,500 KWD. This is the minimum amount to start a company.

1.40FINANCIAL STATEMENTS1.40.1INCOME STATEMENT

Refer to Appendix V

1.40.2BALANCESHEET

Refer to Appendix W

1.40.3CASH FLOW

Refer to Appendix X

1.41FINANCIAL ANALYSIS1.41.1BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS

Forward will break-even after the 6^th month. Fixed costsinclude place insurance, depreciation, phone expense, rent expense,office supplies, wages, vehicle lease, software and cleaning.Variable costs include PR/Advertising, vehicle fuel, others and costof good sold. For more information refer to appendix Y

9. PROJECT PLAN

Figure 7&#82091:Gantt Chart

10. Conclusion

Theproduct will meet the consumers’ needs, with new students andworkers the primary targets for the drink. Renowned soft drink brandshave a significant market share in Kuwait while coffee is stillpopular. There are opportunities for the product and the marketingstrategies will help meet the set objectives. The researchinformation highlights the need to position ‘Forward’ as ahealthy drink alternative that boosts the brain power and usesnatural ingredients. An integrated promotional mix approach will beused to create awareness and inform the target audience about theproduct and firm. Promotionsrecognize the difference in consumer preference and behavior whilealigning the marketing needs with the strategic objectives willensure growth and profitability. The operations planning was alsoidentified as a crucial component of ensuring that the supply chainmeets the objectives, where it is possible to source for rawmaterials readily without interruptions. Combining differentobjectives will allow the firm to achieve the set objectives. Thisextends to improving the market share, competitive strategy, entryinto the soft drink industry and pricing strategy based on marketanalysis. Thepricing strategy will ensure that the firm remains competitive, butthere is a need to consider rice changes in soft drinks, tea andcoffee as this affects the demand of the Forward product. Entry intothe new market will result in the competitors reacting and this mayalso initiate price wars. However, since the market analysishighlights the threats and weaknesses of the firm, it will bepossible to maintain profitability by implementing the strategicobjectives. The projected costs and expenses will be considered asthey affect profitability, and ‘Forward’ should break even and bea leading product for the drink to be a successful venture for thefirm.

11. REFERENCES

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12. APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

Figure 9&#82092: Age DistributionPercentage

Figure 9&#82093: Student/ EmployeePercentage

Figure 9&#82094: Caffeine DrinkersPercentage

Figure 9&#82095: Most CaffeineConsumption Period Percentage

Figure 9&#82096: Cups of Caffeine perDay Percentage

APPENDIX B

The following is a list of the products and their prices for a packof six cups:

• Flame (American coffee) 3.000 KD

• Leap( Black Tea) 3.500 KD

APPENDIX C

APPENDIX D

APPENDIX EAPPENDIX F

The following are the positions, job descriptions, duties andrequirements (tasks), Job specifications (knowledge, skills, andabilities), and working activities description for each job requiredby the company.

Job title: General Manager

Job Summery:

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction ofcompanies or private and public sector organizations withinguidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body.Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highestlevel of management with the help of subordinate executives and staffmanagers.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Direct or coordinate an organization`s financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.

• Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.

• Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.

• Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.

• Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge:

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

2. Skills:

• Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

3. Abilities:

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities:

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

• Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

2. Detailed work activities:

• Direct financial operations.

• Direct organizational operations, projects, or services.

• Advise others on legal or regulatory compliance matters.

• Promote products, services, or programs.

• Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.

Job title: Marketing Managers

Job Summery:

Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such asdetermining the demand for products and services offered by a firmand its competitors, and identify potential customers. Developpricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm`s profits orshare of the market while ensuring the firm`s customers aresatisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends thatindicate the need for new products and services.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.

• Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers.

• Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.

• Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.

• Compile lists describing product or service offerings.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge:

• Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• Communications and Media — Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

2. Skills:

• Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

3. Abilities:

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

3. Work activities:

• Communicating Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

4. Detailed work activities:

• Supervise employees.

• Confer with organizational members to accomplish work activities.

• Analyze data to inform operational decisions or activities.

• Evaluate program effectiveness.

• Monitor external affairs or events affecting business operations.

Job title: Human Resource Management

Job Summery: Perform activities in the human resource area.Includes employment specialists who screen, recruit, interview, andplace workers and performance management

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Prepare or maintain employment records related to events such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.

• Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.

• Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.

• Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.

• Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.

• Performance management, monitoring, and meetings

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

2. Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

3. Abilities

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Key accountabilities

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities:

• Communicating and meeting with Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

• Staffing Organizational Units — Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

2. Detailed work activities:

• Prepare operational reports.

• Evaluate personnel practices to ensure adherence to regulations.

• Inform individuals or organizations of status or findings.

• Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.

• Update knowledge of legal or regulatory environments.

Job title: Public Relations

Job Summery:

Engage in promoting or creating an intended public image forindividuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select materialfor release to various communications media.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.

• Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.

• Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.

• Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization`s accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.

• Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Communications and Media — Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

2. Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Time Management — Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

3. Abilities

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

• Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

• Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

• Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

2. Detailed work activities

• Promote products, activities, or organizations.

• Edit written materials.

• Write informational material.

• Write advertising or promotional material.

• Coordinate logistics for productions or events.

Job title: Machine operators

Job Summery:

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer productsfor storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack foodproducts.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.

• Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.

• Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn`t sticking properly.

• Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.

• Stock and sort product for packaging or filling machine operation, and replenish packaging supplies, such as wrapping paper, plastic sheet, boxes, cartons, glue, ink, or labels.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials,production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniquesfor maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

2. Skills

• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Operation Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

• Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

3. Abilities

• Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

• Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

• Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities:

• Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

• Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

2. Detailed work activities

• Remove products or work pieces from production equipment.

• Sew clothing or other articles.

• Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.

• Measure dimensions of completed products or work pieces to verify conformance to specifications.

• Record operational or production data.

Job title: Driver

Job Summery:

Drive truck or other vehicle over established routes or within anestablished territory and sell or deliver goods, such as food/drinkproducts, or pick up or deliver items such as commercial laundry. Mayalso take orders, collect payment, or stock merchandise at point ofdelivery.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Collect money from customers, make change, and record transactions on customer receipts.

• Drive trucks to deliver such items

• Write customer orders and sales contracts according to company guidelines.

• Inform regular customers of new products or services and price changes.

• Listen to and resolve customers` complaints regarding products or services.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• Transportation — Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

2. Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

3. Abilities

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.

• Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities:

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

• Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

2. Detailed work activities:

• Load shipments, belongings, or materials.

• Record sales or transactions data.

• Collect fares or payment from customers.

• Provide transportation information to passengers or customers.

• Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.

Job title: IT

Job Summery: Plan, initiate, and manage information technology(IT) projects. Lead and guide the work of technical staff. Serve asliaison between business and technical aspects of projects. Planproject stages and assess business implications for each stage.Monitor progress to assure deadlines, standards, and cost targets aremet.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Manage project execution to ensure adherence to budget, schedule, and scope.

• Develop or update project plans for information technology projects including information such as project objectives, technologies, systems, information specifications, schedules, funding, and staffing.

• Monitor or track project milestones and deliverables.

• Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.

• Develop and manage work breakdown structure (WBS) of information technology projects.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

2. Skills

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

3. Abilities

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

• Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

2. Detailed work activities

• Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.

• Manage information technology projects or system activities.

• Prepare analytical reports.

• Develop detailed project plans.

• Assign duties or work schedules to employees.

Job title: Accountant

Job Summery: Analyze financial information and preparefinancial reports to determine or maintain record of assets,liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financialactivities within an organization.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.

• Report to management regarding the finances of establishment.

• Establish tables of accounts and assign entries to proper accounts.

• Develop, implement, modify, and document recordkeeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.

• Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge:

• Economics and Accounting — Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

• Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

• Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

2. Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.

• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

3. Abilities

• Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities

• Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

• Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

2. Detailed work activities

• Calculate tax information.

• Examine financial records or processes.

• Appraise property values.

• Examine financial records.

Job title: Financial Analyst

Job Summery: Conduct quantitative analyses of informationaffecting investment programs

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Draw charts and graphs, using computer spreadsheets, to illustrate technical reports.

• Inform investment decisions by analyzing financial information to forecast business, industry, or economic conditions.

• Monitor developments in the fields of industrial technology, business, finance, and economic theory.

• Interpret data on price, yield, stability, future investment-risk trends, economic influences, and other factors affecting investment programs.

• Monitor fundamental economic, industrial, and corporate developments by analyzing information from financial publications and services, investment banking firms, government agencies, trade publications, company sources, or personal interviews.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Economics and Accounting — Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

• Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

2. Skills

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

3. Abilities

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Key accountabilities:

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities

• Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

• Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

2. Detailed work activities

• Develop financial or business plans.

• Determine the value of goods or services.

• Analyze market conditions or trends.

• Purchase products or services.

Job title: Sales Representative

Job Summery: Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers tobusinesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantialknowledge of items sold.

Duties/Requirements (tasks):

• Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders.

• Recommend products to customers, based on customers` needs and interests.

• Answer customers` questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.

• Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.

• Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.

Job specification (Knowledge, skills, abilities):

1. Knowledge

• Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

2. Skills

• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

3. Abilities

• Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

• Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

• Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Behavior (How job is done):

1. Work activities

• Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

3. Detailed work activities

• Negotiate prices or other sales terms.

• Identify potential customers.

• Monitor market conditions or trends.

• Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.

• Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.

APPENDIX GAPPENDIX H:

Job title

Date of joining

Competencies:

Comments:_

Results rating and work behavior:

Comments:_

Manager’s signature Employee’s signature

–

APPENDIX I

Employee grade distribution:

• Consequences after the Appraisal

If any employee gets:

A/A-	Bonus: 7% on the basic salary
B/B-	Bonus: 5% on the basic salary
C/C-	Bonus: 3% on the basic salary
D and below	Bonus: 0% on the basic salary

APPENDIX JAPPENDIX K

APPENDIX LAPPENDIX MAPPENDIX NAPPENDIX OAPPENDIX P

25/03/2016, 04:13 – Supplier‬: hello‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 04:14 – Supplier‬: we produce papercup，doyou need 8oz ，singlepe paper cup‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 09:32 – Supplier‬: i send the product price to youre_mail. Do you received?‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 09:36 – Forward: Yes this price with the shipping

25/03/2016, 10:08 – Supplier‬: The price is exw price‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 10:27 – Supplier‬: You need 8oz single pe paper cup ,80*52*93 , 300gsm , 18gpe, 3 color printed is 38usd/2000pcs, exwprice‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 10:29 – Supplier‬: By sea?‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 10:37 – Forward: Yes

25/03/2016, 11:13 – Forward: What is the minimum quantity

25/03/2016, 11:17 – Supplier‬: 50000 pcs‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 11:28 – Supplier‬: these goods can be loaded one 20container‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 11:28 – Forward: Ok

25/03/2016, 11:34 – Supplier‬: the cost of freight is 1235usd‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 11:42 – Supplier‬: 20 container can hold 68carton，‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 11:43 – Forward: Total cost ?

25/03/2016, 11:49 – Supplier‬: the total cost is 1600usd‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 11:50 – Forward: Expired date for the cups

25/03/2016, 12:01 – Supplier‬: the cups can stored 5 years‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

25/03/2016, 12:02 – Forward: Thank u

25/03/2016, 12:37 – Supplier‬: you are welcome‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

APPENDIX Q

3/25/16, 11:16:41: Forward: I want the 2 working position

3/25/16, 11:16:53: Supplier‬: Ok‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:18:52: Supplier‬: For this two working machine, thecapacity is 1300cups/h‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:19:06: Supplier‬: Need two working person‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:19:22: Supplier‬: Operate‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:19:44: Forward: After how many cups it need tomaintenance

3/25/16, 11:21:47: Forward: ??

3/25/16, 11:25:54: Supplier‬: Wait‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:40:21: Supplier‬: Usually for these kinds of machine,the use time is about 10 years‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:40:51: Forward: No need for maintenance?

3/25/16, 11:41:32: Supplier‬: Correct usage, no need‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:42:03: Forward: How many hours in day i can use it ?

3/25/16, 11:43:28: Forward: Continuously?

3/25/16, 11:44:27: Supplier‬: No limit time‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 11:44:45: Forward: So it can 24/7 operate ??

3/25/16, 11:54:18: Supplier‬: Yes‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 14:41:24: Forward: How much is the shipping

3/25/16, 14:44:42: Supplier‬: For one set, Us$300 by sea to yourseaport‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 18:28:58: Supplier‬: Us$2667 is this set‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 18:33:35: Supplier‬: So total should be with two tablesand two small dispensing machine‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 18:34:18: Supplier‬: That is the whole set‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 18:36:58: Supplier‬: Total price is US$3683 exw‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3/25/16, 18:44:34: Forward: Thank u

APPENDIX R

Gahila

Ghaliah is the leading online communications agency in Kuwait, SaudiArabia, and now in Qatar.

Since the establishment in 2011, Ghaliah provides tailoredcommunications services and mandates to help organizations leveragethe increasingly significant role played by Social Media, especiallyin the era of Internet reliance and the widespread use of smartphones.

Ghaliah offers a full suite of Social Media marketing services foryour business. No matter what size of a company you manage, we cansupport branding your business, engage with customers online, andboost sales while sustaining reputation.

Ghaliah had helped over 1,500 local and international brands,organised over 5,000 advertising campaigns, and more than 500 socialevents.

http://www.ghaliah.com/en/about/

Adfla

Adfla service is a service (K-Net)to any person who owns a small business or home without permission orlicense – now received the value of sales from your customer beforeyour goods from your store or graduated Menzlk- Through this program,you can see your own account revealed far from your account bank – asthere not to let the customer Bmaraft your name feature or accountnumber or rendered dealing with the bank`s name and lets you chooseany other brand name worthy of your – and after registration you willreceive Mbarcherh your network by e-mail code and at the same timeyou can give the code to the customer to pay you all this in just onesecond and the service to owners of home-based businesses allows themto receive the value of their sales before working on them and beforebeing sent to the customer – as this program helps owners of medicalclinics of the receipt of the value of booking appointments in orderto preserve time and effort and money in the event attended by thereferences he defended and that did not attend it is worth the timereserved to him – defended as are suitable for the owners of thetravel offices to receive the value of bookings by activated andaccess Paschkalat with agencies of the global travel and in order topreserve their rights as well as anyone can deal with thisapplication which does not need a commercial license permanently-khaddmh (Adfla) is a revolution in the field of collection ofamounts from anyone and converted to a bank account within secondsonly – and this is also the way of service and sophisticated domestictrade and small businesses, especially restaurants to receive thevalue of the order before it is sent to the customerDownloadthe program and revel in receipt of payments while maintaining theconfidentiality of your name and your account number and rendereddealing with the strictest confidence and according to Kuwaiti lawwith a choice of your own brand name and easily pleased when chargedfor this program is considered OK to the laws of the State of Kuwaitand do not contradict Bank

Trolley

Trolley is a chain of convenience stores founded in 2010 catering tothe niche markets at private universities and malls before making itsway to the gas stations. Filling the huge gap in Kuwait Retail arena-Trolley is expanding into gas station to offer customers ease ofshopping in their close proximity and defining the true meaning ofconvenience in the country.

Trolley offers a large range of everyday consumables in a wide spreadof categories focusing the ultimate customer satisfaction, nocompromise on quality and value for money.

Trolley is committed to create the brand of choice for consumers bygiving Kuwait a &quotOne Stop Shop&quot solution for all theirquick needs. Once entered a Trolley store customer will not only beable to shop for FMCG but will also be able to enjoy the coffee ofchoice, will be able to fulfill all their cellular needs, or send anovernight courier after printing an important document at Trolleyself-printing corner all under one roof – 24 hours by 7 days a week.http://www.trolleykw.com/

APPENDIX SAPPENDIX T

APPENDIX U

APPENDEX V

APPENDIX WAPPENDIX XAPPENDIX YAPPENDIX ZAPPENDIX AA

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