example of store assignment

Executing My Store Management (5FW)

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Use the Store Manager apps, Assign Associates to Store, and My Store Overview

My Store Management (5FW)

All parties are involved in this unit. For every brick-and-mortar Retailer, Store Operations is at the heart of the enterprise. A wide range of processes ensures that merchandise is available for sales during opening hours, with excellent customer service. Specific apps are available to support the store manager, and the store associate roles. Note: The Store Operations apps require the user assignment to a specific store. Activities in the store include merchandising functions such as ordering and receiving goods, inventory management including physical inventory, and consumer/customer sales via point-of-sale systems (POS) and sales orders. Store connectivity comprises outbound and inbound message transfer between the retailer's central system(s) and the store's POS system. For example, the POS systems are regularly updated with article and price information so they are ready to handle sales transactions, and in turn, for example sales and goods receipt/movement data is transferred from the store to the central systems.

The 4 solution processes shown in the figure, Overview: Store Operations, are the starting point to cover the wide range of available applications for store operations. The solution process 5FY, covered in this lesson, explains how the ordering and receiving apps are used. Solution process, 5FW, mainly looks at the store manager role. The manager assigns the store associates to the store, determines the picking sequence for click-and-collect or click-and-reserve customer orders, and uses the My Store Overview app for the real-time monitoring of current store processes. The Look Up Retail Products and Print Labels apps, covered in solution process 3HQ, are essential in the daily work of store associates. To connect store sales and online commerce, solution process 5FZ for example introduces the click-and-collect scenario.

Each solution process represents a lesson in this unit, and can be completed individually.

This lesson covers the solution process My Store Management (5FW).

In the retail industry, specific terms differ from the standard terms used in other lines of business. The following terms are used synonymously in this document:

Store associates and managers execute processes differently than employees working in the headquarters. Complex user interfaces aren't an option for in-store processes because of costly training and higher turnover rates of store personnel. The SAP Fiori apps in this scope item are user-friendly, self-explanatory, and streamlined for in-store processes.

A dashboard that contains the most important KPIs for efficient day-to-day operations supports store associates and managers. The dashboard can be configured to exactly meet their needs.

Furthermore, store managers can maintain necessary information required to run and manage processes and people in their store.

Solution Process 5FW introduces three apps which are assigned to the store manager role: Assign Associates to Stores, Maintain Picking Sequence, and My Store Overview. Additionally, the My Store Assignment app, which is used by store associates, is mentioned briefly. It was already introduced in the previous lesson of this unit, which covers the Solution Process In-Store Purchase Order Management (5FY).

Assign Associates to Stores

As a prerequisite for using the Store Operations apps, the users have to be assigned as follows:

To the In-Store Merchandise and Inventory Management roles (Store Associate, Store Manager)

• To their store

The store manager uses the Assign Associates to Stores (F4334) app to assign to, and unassign store associates from their store. When you access the app, the system shows all stores, sorted by their description. To find a specific store in the list, you can either scroll down to that store, or use the search field to search for stores by key or description. To just enter part of the key or description is fine, too. For example, as shown in the figure below, Assign Associates to Stores (1), by entering "174" in the search field, the system brings up all stores with that string in either the key or description. The user in our example is assigned to store 1740, as per the Assigned to Me indicator.

Furthermore, for each store, the app provides a clear overview of the users currently assigned to a store. As shown in figure, Assign Associates to Stores (2), you just click the store (anywhere in the line), and the assigned users are displayed on the right. Here, the store manager can choose Assign to add a specific user, or select one or more of the assigned users, and choose Unassign . You can easily switch between stores by choosing (clicking) another store on the left.

As already mentioned in solution process In-Store Purchase Order Management (5FY), the employee (user) - store assignment is usually done centrally, or by the store manager. However, it can be done by the individual user via the SAP Fiori app My Store Assignment (F4334). With this app, store associates can check their own, current store assignment, but also re-assign themselves to another store. Accordingly, this app is particularly useful for store employees who regularly work in different stores (such as stand-by employees).

The figure, My Store Assignment, shows that the user is currently assigned to store 1740. To change the assignment, the new store can be searched for, or - using the scroll bar - found in the list, which displays all stores sorted by the description. Selecting the new store then activates the Assign Me option.

The My Store Assignment app is a variation of the Assign Associates to Stores app. They have the same app ID, F4334. In the target mapping, the assigned semantic object/action decides which tile must be triggered based on the logged in user: This is the Assign Associates to Stores tile for a store manager, and the My Store Assignment tile for a store associate. You can find further info in the SAP Fiori App Reference Library.

Maintain Picking Sequence

The store manager app Maintain Picking Sequence (F4711) relates to the cross-channel process, where customers order online, and pick up their items in the store. Various terms are used to describe these scenarios, such as click-and-collect, click-and-reserve, online / omnichannel order fulfillment process, or BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store). In these scenarios, described in solution process, Omnichannel Order Fulfillment for Retail (5FZ), the store associate picks the articles, which the customer ordered online, on the shop floor. To optimize the picking route in the store, the store manager can determine the sequence in which the items appear in the Process Picking Request app, by defining the sequence of the merchandise categories.

The merchandise categories should be sorted in the sequence, in which the products occur on the shop floor, to make it easier for the store associate to execute the picking task. This increases efficiency, as it minimizes the route an employee has to take during picking. It is not mandatory to maintain the picking sequence, but recommended.

If no explicit picking sequence is set using the Maintain Picking Sequence app, then the Process Picking Request app applies the item sequence in the relevant sales order: Sorting is done according to the product's merchandise category (MC), as they appear in the sales order. Furthermore, if several products in a sales order belong to the same merchandise category, then they will be clubbed together in the Process Picking Request app at the sequence where the MC first appeared.

In the figure, Maintain Picking Sequence, you see the current sorting of the merchandise categories for store 1740. To change the sorting, you choose Download Picking Sequence . This saves an .xls file, as shown in the figure. Once the new sequence is set, you can easily upload the .xls file by choosing Upload Picking Sequence .

My Store Overview

The My Store Overview (F4674) app enables store managers to monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) of stores such as promotions, goods receipts, and sales performance. Specifically, this information and features are available: Current Promotions, Sales Performance, Goods Receipts Today, My Store, Overdue Goods Receipts, Quick Links, Upcoming Goods Receipts, and Upcoming Promotions.

The app provides a good overview of all this data at first sight, right upon opening the app. The user may individually arrange the cards in that app according to personal preference. However, the app then also allows to navigate to the various apps. For example, clicking the Goods Receipt Today card, opens the Receive Products app so the task can be executed right away. Also, clicking a promotion number in the Current or Upcoming Promotions tiles, opens the Retail Promotion app so you can look up further details of the promotion. The Quick Links card contains links to further apps, such as the Look Up Retail Products, or Transfer Products app.

Tutorial: Execute My Store Management

Watch the tutorial/simulation My Store Management  to learn more about the system-related activities.

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11.12: Assignment- Merchandise Management

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Your task is to physically observe a retail environment in person—this may be done alone, or in partnership groups of two or three. So, pick a partner (or not!) and make a plan. Then go to a local retail store of your choice (grocery, clothing, outdoor goods, etc.) and take notes on the store design and layout.

You may want to let the store know what you are doing, especially since you’ll be taking notes as you walk through the store. Once you have finished walking around the store, find an area in the store that is out of the way where you can unobtrusively observe and take notes for 15–20 minutes.

Please make notes on the following items:

• Describe the exterior of the store (architecture, window displays, signage, etc.).
• Describe the interior, entrance, checkout, and exit of the store.
• Overall layout of the store including number and layout of aisles, how products are categorized, colors, feature areas, use of furniture, open space, overall store atmosphere, etc.

Other things to observe:

• customer flow, shopping patterns, and behaviors
• advertisements and isle end caps that customers are gravitating towards

After you have finished your observation and collected notes write a 1-page (minimum) essay describing the design choices you observed for this store and answering the following questions:

• What type of customer experience does the design of this store aim to give? Is it successful? Why or why not?
• Does this store have a free flow or boutique style layout?
• What type of customer traffic or flow patterns did you observe? How would these patterns be affected by a change in the layout?
• If you do, include a detailed floor plan of your recommendations.
• If you do not, include a detailed floor plan of the current design and explain what parts of the store are the most successful and why.

Be sure to include a copy of your drawing of the store (or suggested store) in your essay.

Grading Rubric

This assignment is worth a total of 50 points.

Contributors and Attributions

• Assignment: Merchandise Management. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Jameson Gurely. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

Resources: Discussions and Assignments

Module 11 assignment: merchandise management.

Your task is to physically observe a retail environment in person—this may be done alone, or in partnership groups of two or three. So, pick a partner (or not!) and make a plan. Then go to a local retail store of your choice (grocery, clothing, outdoor goods, etc.) and take notes on the store design and layout.

You may want to let the store know what you are doing, especially since you’ll be taking notes as you walk through the store. Once you have finished walking around the store, find an area in the store that is out of the way where you can unobtrusively observe and take notes for 15–20 minutes.

Please make notes on the following items:

• Describe the exterior of the store (architecture, window displays, signage, etc.).
• Describe the interior, entrance, checkout, and exit of the store.
• Overall layout of the store including number and layout of aisles, how products are categorized, colors, feature areas, use of furniture, open space, overall store atmosphere, etc.

Other things to observe:

• customer flow, shopping patterns, and behaviors
• advertisements and isle end caps that customers are gravitating towards

After you have finished your observation and collected notes write a 1-page (minimum) essay describing the design choices you observed for this store and answering the following questions:

• What type of customer experience does the design of this store aim to give? Is it successful? Why or why not?
• Does this store have a free flow or boutique style layout?
• What type of customer traffic or flow patterns did you observe? How would these patterns be affected by a change in the layout?
• If you do, include a detailed floor plan of your recommendations.
• If you do not, include a detailed floor plan of the current design and explain what parts of the store are the most successful and why.

Be sure to include a copy of your drawing of the store (or suggested store) in your essay.

Grading Rubric

This assignment is worth a total of 50 points.

• Assignment: Merchandise Management. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Jameson Gurley. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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Store Assignment

Administrators can use 'Store Assign' feature to associate users and stores in their sales geography. They can also select the frequency of visit of the user to each of his/her assigned store. Store visit compliance of a user is measured against this preset visit frequency. Admins will be able to use filters to search, find and selectively assign store locations to reps. This will be very helpful for countries that have several hundreds or thousands of stores in the database and previously had to sort

through many pages to find the right ones.

'User Store Assignment' page

Upon clicking 'Store Assign' sub tab or link, you will land on 'User Store Assignment' page which will look like the picture shown below:

The page has 3 panels. One horizontal panel at the top for user selection, which can be hidden or unhidden. Underneath that, there are 2 vertical panels aligned adjacent to each other. You can select users from the drop down menu on the left side of the top horizontal panel. There is an excel icon at the right end of the horizontal panel. Click on that to export/download the list of all user - store assignment list as a spreadsheet. The left vertical panel is to list all available stores in the country / sales geography. The right panel is to list down those stores to which the selected user is assigned to (or already assigned to).

Start by selecting a user from the drop-down menu in the top horizontal panel. User list in the drop down menu is sorted in the alphabetical order of their surnames.

Assigning store to a user:

Once the user is selected, select a store from the left panel with mouse left click, then drag and drop in to right panel. The store will then get listed in the right panel table. This action assigns the user to that store. You can assign any number of stores to the user in this way. If you want to remove the assignment of a store from that user, just do the opposite, i.e. drag and drop the store in concern from the right panel to the left.

Once the stores have been added to the right, the column that displays 'Visits/Month' becomes editable (refer to the picture below). This field is to select the store visit frequency. You can click on the increment or decrement buttons to change the frequency.

Removing a store assignment:

To remove a store assignment, drag the store from 'Assigned Store' list on the right panel to the left panel ('Available Store' list).

It must be noted that store un-assigning action takes effect instantaneously. When a store is un-assigned, the user will no longer be able to see/select that store on his/her REP client app. So, to ensure reps complete all their assigned visits for the current month (unless that is required), please wait until the new month falls before stores are unassigned. Once a month begins, any un-assignment will not take effect until the following month. Any additions will be pro-rated based on how far into the month it is when the change is made.

If you see that the Default Visits/Month is dithered and the Visits/Month Column is not visible, then store visit compliance aspect for this user is turned off. You can turn that on by going to User Management page and editing the user type (title) associated with that user. But remember, doing this will change the store visit compliance for all users with the same user type / title. The red markings below show what this looks like when compliance is turned off in User Titles.

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Tableau Projects for Practices: Sample Superstore Dataset

Tableau is one of the leading data visualization tools. And I have many beginners looking for the tableau projects for practices.

If you’re new to Tableau, I recommend you check some best Tableau books . Or if you want to learn Tableau online , you can follow the link.

Here we have shared a detailed course considering the person completely new to the technology.

So, if you have done some course on Tableau or if you’ve learned on your own and looking for the project, this post is for you. Here we have shared Tableau projects for practices.

Tableau projects for practices

The tableau projects for practices I am going to share today is related to the sample superstore dataset we have. If you’re not sure what is this dataset, then you can follow this path-

C:\Users\user_name\Documents\My Tableau Repository\Datasources

This is the default Tableau location (if you’ve not changed) so far. Here you can select the folder as per your Tableau version and find the file. If still, you have an issue looking for the file, you can download it from below link.

Tableau Project Overview (Requirement)

General requirements.

• Dashboard size is 1250px wide by 750px tall.
• Prefer using containers
• The dashboard has a total of 5 containers (no more, no less)
• The Filter Pane
• Each filter has some padding

The Charts Pane Requirement

• All 3 charts must be in one vertical container
• Do proper formatting
• Each chart has some padding between them and other objects
• Each chart has a grey border, slightly darker than the Pane background color.
• The Pane under the Title has a border

Business Requirements

• Show four filters- Category, Sub-Category, Region, and Segment. These filters should have only relevant values.
• The dashboard should have the title “Executive sales”
• The first chart should have the title “YTS KPIs” and should show the following- Total Discount Overall Profit Total Quantity and Total Sales
• The second graph should have the title as “Sales” and should show monthly sales per year. Make sure it is an area chart with proper formatting.
• The third graph should the title as “Profit” and should show monthly profit per year. Make sure it is an area chart with proper formatting.
• Do proper formatting so that it can look professional

Tableau Project Expected Solution:

After creating the dashboard, we should be getting the dashboard something like below-

Tableau project Explanation for Practice Solution

Now let’s start and see how to solve this Tableau sample free project. We’ll go step by step and develop this project as per the requirement.

Step 1: Data source connection

First, connect the sample superstore dataset to Tableau and select the “Order” sheet.

Step 2: Create First Tableau worksheet

Now go to sheet 1 and start creating the first graph as explained in the 3rd point of business requirement. Here you can use “measure values” and “measure names” to accomplish this. Once done, make a little decoration and you should get something like below-

Step 3: Add Filters in Tableau

Here we’ll add all the filters as per the requirements shared. Please check #1 of business requirements.

Step 4: Create an area chart in Tableau

In this step, we’ll touch base with the 4th point of business requirement. Here, if you carefully look into the solution, it is area chart along with border in Tableau. So, let’s create an area chart in Tableau and make some formatting to get something like below.

Step 5: Create an area chart in Tableau for Profit

In this step, we’ll touch base with the 5th point of business requirement. Here, if you carefully look into the solution, it is area chart along with border in Tableau. So, let’s create an area chart in Tableau and make some formatting to get something like below. This is similar to step 4 and just sales will be changed to profit.

Step 6: Create a Dashboard in Tableau

Now we’ve come to the last section of this tableau projects for practices. Here we need to simply arrange the three tableau worksheets and provide proper formatting along with the border. Here we need to consider chart pane requirement and general requirement sections. Also, enable the dashboard title as shared in the requirements.

This was all about the tableau projects for practices. I hope you have followed the steps and were able to create this dashboard. If you got any issue, feel free to share that in the comment and our team will reply with the solution.

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GOOD PROJECT….

I need many sample projects like above, is this possible. If so, could you please share some projects..

Thanks Kumar

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Home » Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Assignment is a task given to students by a teacher or professor, usually as a means of assessing their understanding and application of course material. Assignments can take various forms, including essays, research papers, presentations, problem sets, lab reports, and more.

Assignments are typically designed to be completed outside of class time and may require independent research, critical thinking, and analysis. They are often graded and used as a significant component of a student’s overall course grade. The instructions for an assignment usually specify the goals, requirements, and deadlines for completion, and students are expected to meet these criteria to earn a good grade.

History of Assignment

The use of assignments as a tool for teaching and learning has been a part of education for centuries. Following is a brief history of the Assignment.

• Ancient Times: Assignments such as writing exercises, recitations, and memorization tasks were used to reinforce learning.
• Medieval Period : Universities began to develop the concept of the assignment, with students completing essays, commentaries, and translations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
• 19th Century : With the growth of schools and universities, assignments became more widespread and were used to assess student progress and achievement.
• 20th Century: The rise of distance education and online learning led to the further development of assignments as an integral part of the educational process.
• Present Day: Assignments continue to be used in a variety of educational settings and are seen as an effective way to promote student learning and assess student achievement. The nature and format of assignments continue to evolve in response to changing educational needs and technological innovations.

Types of Assignment

Here are some of the most common types of assignments:

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument, analysis, or interpretation of a topic or question. It usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Essay structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and thesis statement
• Body paragraphs : each paragraph presents a different argument or idea, with evidence and analysis to support it
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and reiterates the thesis statement

Research paper

A research paper involves gathering and analyzing information on a particular topic, and presenting the findings in a well-structured, documented paper. It usually involves conducting original research, collecting data, and presenting it in a clear, organized manner.

Research paper structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the paper, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the paper’s main points and conclusions
• Introduction : provides background information on the topic and research question
• Literature review: summarizes previous research on the topic
• Methodology : explains how the research was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the research
• Discussion : interprets the results and draws conclusions
• Conclusion : summarizes the key findings and implications

A case study involves analyzing a real-life situation, problem or issue, and presenting a solution or recommendations based on the analysis. It often involves extensive research, data analysis, and critical thinking.

Case study structure:

• Introduction : introduces the case study and its purpose
• Background : provides context and background information on the case
• Analysis : examines the key issues and problems in the case
• Solution/recommendations: proposes solutions or recommendations based on the analysis
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points and implications

A lab report is a scientific document that summarizes the results of a laboratory experiment or research project. It typically includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Lab report structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the experiment, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the purpose, methodology, and results of the experiment
• Methods : explains how the experiment was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the experiment

Presentation

A presentation involves delivering information, data or findings to an audience, often with the use of visual aids such as slides, charts, or diagrams. It requires clear communication skills, good organization, and effective use of technology.

Presentation structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and purpose of the presentation
• Body : presents the main points, findings, or data, with the help of visual aids
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and provides a closing statement

Creative Project

A creative project is an assignment that requires students to produce something original, such as a painting, sculpture, video, or creative writing piece. It allows students to demonstrate their creativity and artistic skills.

Creative project structure:

• Introduction : introduces the project and its purpose
• Body : presents the creative work, with explanations or descriptions as needed
• Conclusion : summarizes the key elements and reflects on the creative process.

Examples of Assignments

Following are Examples of Assignment templates samples:

Essay template:

I. Introduction

• Hook: Grab the reader’s attention with a catchy opening sentence.
• Background: Provide some context or background information on the topic.
• Thesis statement: State the main argument or point of your essay.

II. Body paragraphs

• Topic sentence: Introduce the main idea or argument of the paragraph.
• Evidence: Provide evidence or examples to support your point.
• Analysis: Explain how the evidence supports your argument.
• Transition: Use a transition sentence to lead into the next paragraph.

III. Conclusion

• Restate thesis: Summarize your main argument or point.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your essay.
• Concluding thoughts: End with a final thought or call to action.

Research paper template:

I. Title page

• Title: Give your paper a descriptive title.
• Author: Include your name and institutional affiliation.
• Date: Provide the date the paper was submitted.

II. Abstract

• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of your research.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct your research.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of your research.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions of your research.

III. Introduction

• Background: Provide some background information on the topic.
• Research question: State your research question or hypothesis.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your research.

IV. Literature review

• Background: Summarize previous research on the topic.
• Gaps in research: Identify gaps or areas that need further research.

V. Methodology

• Participants: Describe the participants in your study.
• Procedure: Explain the procedure you used to conduct your research.
• Measures: Describe the measures you used to collect data.

VI. Results

• Quantitative results: Summarize the quantitative data you collected.
• Qualitative results: Summarize the qualitative data you collected.

VII. Discussion

• Interpretation: Interpret the results and explain what they mean.
• Implications: Discuss the implications of your research.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of your research.

VIII. Conclusion

• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your paper.

Case study template:

• Background: Provide background information on the case.
• Research question: State the research question or problem you are examining.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the case study.

II. Analysis

• Problem: Identify the main problem or issue in the case.
• Factors: Describe the factors that contributed to the problem.
• Alternative solutions: Describe potential solutions to the problem.

III. Solution/recommendations

• Proposed solution: Describe the solution you are proposing.
• Rationale: Explain why this solution is the best one.
• Implementation: Describe how the solution can be implemented.

IV. Conclusion

• Summary: Summarize the main points of your case study.

Lab report template:

• Title: Give your report a descriptive title.
• Date: Provide the date the report was submitted.
• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of the experiment.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct the experiment.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of the experiment.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions
• Background: Provide some background information on the experiment.
• Hypothesis: State your hypothesis or research question.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the experiment.

IV. Materials and methods

• Materials: List the materials and equipment used in the experiment.
• Procedure: Describe the procedure you followed to conduct the experiment.
• Data: Present the data you collected in tables or graphs.
• Analysis: Analyze the data and describe the patterns or trends you observed.

VI. Discussion

• Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of the experiment.

VII. Conclusion

• Restate hypothesis: Summarize your hypothesis or research question.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your report.

Presentation template:

• Attention grabber: Grab the audience’s attention with a catchy opening.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your presentation.
• Overview: Provide an overview of what you will cover in your presentation.

II. Main points

• Main point 1: Present the first main point of your presentation.
• Supporting details: Provide supporting details or evidence to support your point.
• Main point 2: Present the second main point of your presentation.
• Main point 3: Present the third main point of your presentation.
• Summary: Summarize the main points of your presentation.
• Call to action: End with a final thought or call to action.

Creative writing template:

• Setting: Describe the setting of your story.
• Characters: Introduce the main characters of your story.
• Rising action: Introduce the conflict or problem in your story.
• Climax: Present the most intense moment of the story.
• Falling action: Resolve the conflict or problem in your story.
• Resolution: Describe how the conflict or problem was resolved.
• Final thoughts: End with a final thought or reflection on the story.

How to Write Assignment

Here is a general guide on how to write an assignment:

• Understand the assignment prompt: Before you begin writing, make sure you understand what the assignment requires. Read the prompt carefully and make note of any specific requirements or guidelines.
• Research and gather information: Depending on the type of assignment, you may need to do research to gather information to support your argument or points. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites.
• Organize your ideas : Once you have gathered all the necessary information, organize your ideas into a clear and logical structure. Consider creating an outline or diagram to help you visualize your ideas.
• Write a draft: Begin writing your assignment using your organized ideas and research. Don’t worry too much about grammar or sentence structure at this point; the goal is to get your thoughts down on paper.
• Revise and edit: After you have written a draft, revise and edit your work. Make sure your ideas are presented in a clear and concise manner, and that your sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly.
• Proofread: Finally, proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It’s a good idea to have someone else read over your assignment as well to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
• Submit your assignment : Once you are satisfied with your work, submit your assignment according to the instructions provided by your instructor or professor.

Applications of Assignment

Assignments have many applications across different fields and industries. Here are a few examples:

• Education : Assignments are a common tool used in education to help students learn and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic, to develop critical thinking skills, and to improve writing and research abilities.
• Business : Assignments can be used in the business world to assess employee skills, to evaluate job performance, and to provide training opportunities. They can also be used to develop business plans, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
• Journalism : Assignments are often used in journalism to produce news articles, features, and investigative reports. Journalists may be assigned to cover a particular event or topic, or to research and write a story on a specific subject.
• Research : Assignments can be used in research to collect and analyze data, to conduct experiments, and to present findings in written or oral form. Researchers may be assigned to conduct research on a specific topic, to write a research paper, or to present their findings at a conference or seminar.
• Government : Assignments can be used in government to develop policy proposals, to conduct research, and to analyze data. Government officials may be assigned to work on a specific project or to conduct research on a particular topic.
• Non-profit organizations: Assignments can be used in non-profit organizations to develop fundraising strategies, to plan events, and to conduct research. Volunteers may be assigned to work on a specific project or to help with a particular task.

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of an assignment varies depending on the context in which it is given. However, some common purposes of assignments include:

• Assessing learning: Assignments are often used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic or concept. This allows educators to determine if a student has mastered the material or if they need additional support.
• Developing skills: Assignments can be used to develop a wide range of skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and communication. Assignments that require students to analyze and synthesize information can help to build these skills.
• Encouraging creativity: Assignments can be designed to encourage students to be creative and think outside the box. This can help to foster innovation and original thinking.
• Providing feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback to students on their progress and performance. Feedback can help students to understand where they need to improve and to develop a growth mindset.
• Meeting learning objectives : Assignments can be designed to help students meet specific learning objectives or outcomes. For example, a writing assignment may be designed to help students improve their writing skills, while a research assignment may be designed to help students develop their research skills.

When to write Assignment

Assignments are typically given by instructors or professors as part of a course or academic program. The timing of when to write an assignment will depend on the specific requirements of the course or program, but in general, assignments should be completed within the timeframe specified by the instructor or program guidelines.

It is important to begin working on assignments as soon as possible to ensure enough time for research, writing, and revisions. Waiting until the last minute can result in rushed work and lower quality output.

It is also important to prioritize assignments based on their due dates and the amount of work required. This will help to manage time effectively and ensure that all assignments are completed on time.

In addition to assignments given by instructors or professors, there may be other situations where writing an assignment is necessary. For example, in the workplace, assignments may be given to complete a specific project or task. In these situations, it is important to establish clear deadlines and expectations to ensure that the assignment is completed on time and to a high standard.

Characteristics of Assignment

Here are some common characteristics of assignments:

• Purpose : Assignments have a specific purpose, such as assessing knowledge or developing skills. They are designed to help students learn and achieve specific learning objectives.
• Requirements: Assignments have specific requirements that must be met, such as a word count, format, or specific content. These requirements are usually provided by the instructor or professor.
• Deadline: Assignments have a specific deadline for completion, which is usually set by the instructor or professor. It is important to meet the deadline to avoid penalties or lower grades.
• Individual or group work: Assignments can be completed individually or as part of a group. Group assignments may require collaboration and communication with other group members.
• Feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for feedback from the instructor or professor. This feedback can help students to identify areas of improvement and to develop their skills.
• Academic integrity: Assignments require academic integrity, which means that students must submit original work and avoid plagiarism. This includes citing sources properly and following ethical guidelines.
• Learning outcomes : Assignments are designed to help students achieve specific learning outcomes. These outcomes are usually related to the course objectives and may include developing critical thinking skills, writing abilities, or subject-specific knowledge.

Advantages of Assignment

There are several advantages of assignment, including:

• Helps in learning: Assignments help students to reinforce their learning and understanding of a particular topic. By completing assignments, students get to apply the concepts learned in class, which helps them to better understand and retain the information.
• Develops critical thinking skills: Assignments often require students to think critically and analyze information in order to come up with a solution or answer. This helps to develop their critical thinking skills, which are important for success in many areas of life.
• Encourages creativity: Assignments that require students to create something, such as a piece of writing or a project, can encourage creativity and innovation. This can help students to develop new ideas and perspectives, which can be beneficial in many areas of life.
• Builds time-management skills: Assignments often come with deadlines, which can help students to develop time-management skills. Learning how to manage time effectively is an important skill that can help students to succeed in many areas of life.
• Provides feedback: Assignments provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their work. This feedback can help students to identify areas where they need to improve and can help them to grow and develop.

Limitations of Assignment

There are also some limitations of assignments that should be considered, including:

• Limited scope: Assignments are often limited in scope, and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. They may only cover a specific aspect of a topic, and may not provide a full picture of the subject matter.
• Lack of engagement: Some assignments may not engage students in the learning process, particularly if they are repetitive or not challenging enough. This can lead to a lack of motivation and interest in the subject matter.
• Time-consuming: Assignments can be time-consuming, particularly if they require a lot of research or writing. This can be a disadvantage for students who have other commitments, such as work or extracurricular activities.
• Unreliable assessment: The assessment of assignments can be subjective and may not always accurately reflect a student’s understanding or abilities. The grading may be influenced by factors such as the instructor’s personal biases or the student’s writing style.
• Lack of feedback : Although assignments can provide feedback, this feedback may not always be detailed or useful. Instructors may not have the time or resources to provide detailed feedback on every assignment, which can limit the value of the feedback that students receive.

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Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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.Michael Martin (Member) asked a question.

Sample data that appears in the December Tableau User Group presentation. Note: Geographic locations have been altered to include Canadian locations (provinces / regions).

Updated Superstore Excel file to the version shipping with 10.4 - 11/28/2017

➡️ Community Manager update (Ciara Brennan)

Where Can I Find Superstore Sales? courtesy of @Steve Martin (Member) ​ 

• Show more actions

Ciara Brennan (Tableau)

FYI the thread below has the 2018 Global Superstore spreadsheet attached

Prep Superstore Quota help file has no 2019 data

Tableau Community (Tableau)

Hello Team,

                    i'm looking for data set name Global Stores Returns 2016 .csv file. Which is used in online free training videos.Please post that link where i can download the file.

Michal Dygudaj (Member)

Lari McEdward (Tableau)

Hi Srinivasa,

The Global Superstore 2016 files are available for download under the training videos themselves, either as a data set or a workbook with starting state sheets build out. Once you've signed in or filled out the form to watch a video, click "Watch Now" and the download links will appear under the video.

Global Superstore 2016.xlsx is used in most videos and can be downloaded here: Getting Started with Data

The csv (returns) and xlsx (orders) files used for cross database joins can be downloaded from here: Getting Started

Let me know if you still have any issues. Thanks!

Patrick Van Der Hyde (Member)

Hello Michal,  The use of superstore data is subject to the EULA agreed to upon installation of Tableau. 

Patrick 

Paula Jennings (Member)

I was unable to find the Canadian locations data in the above file. It seemed to me that it was only US and US states. California is there though with  "CA" .

Rasel Khan (Member)

Where's the download link of 2018 version of global superstore dataset? I deady need this for my research purpose . Please help me to get this.

@Ciara Brennan (Tableau) ​  has it posted here:

https://community.tableau.com/s/question/0D54T00000C5REXSA3/prep-superstore-quota-help-file-has-no-2019-data

I just checked and the excel spreadsheet is still on that thread.

➡️ Reference links

~dashboard showcase~ Super Sample Superstore

This corporate style viz is a different take on the classic Tableau Superstore data set. Quickly spot increases or decreases in sales, profit ratio, and shipping time, and switch to the Prescriptive tab to pinpoint the root cause. Created by Ryan Sleeper, this workbook aims to train users on design, data visualization strategy, and how to use Tableau to get the most out of any data set.

~on-demand webinar~ Intro to Tableau Desktop | Part 1 | Superstore

Deepak Kumar (Member)

Hi @Matthias Giger (Member) ​ : I am not sure how this got added here today- I have not logged into tableau forum for quite sometime. I apologise for the confusion- I am unable to remove this link. Kindly ignore.

James Emery (Member)

@Deepak Kumar (Member) ​ 

 It was for another Deepak Kumar. The Forums have an issue now that has increased the chance of tagging the wrong user with an identical name.

James Emery

Tableau Forum Ambassador

Once a response addresses your problem, please click 'Select as Best' so future users can quickly find the answer.

RIDDHI KOTAK (Member)

Can any one help to get Real time sales data of any retail product of last 5 years??

I need it for my research work.

@RIDDHI KOTAK (Member) ​ You might find some suitable datasets here

Free Public Data Sets For Analysis

Dear i checked at above mentioned link but supermarket data set not available there.

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Assignment on McDonald’s Corporation

Executive summary.

McDonald’s Corporation is a “Centralized, International company”, which competes in the fast food industry supplying hamburgers, french fries and other consumable items using standardization, heavy expansion and branding as the driving force.  McDonald’s operates in over 121 countries and has over 30,000 restaurants worldwide.

McDonald’s utilized an intense, rapid expansion into foreign countries through three primary methods, franchising, company owned restaurants, and joint ventures.  With the majority of international restaurants stemming from franchising agreements, McDonald’s management relied on this method to aid in the acceptance of a new style of eating into unfamiliar markets.  With minimal risk and maximum gains, franchising continues to contribute heavily to McDonald’s international success.

With a centralized, international structure, McDonald’s keeps a tight grasp on operations, cost and quality.  With an ethnocentric management strategy, McDonald’s relies on domestic based logic and attitudes and transfers them to their international outlets and restaurants.

In order to control its overseas operation, McDonald’s uses a combination of two approaches.  The majority of control would fall under the rules approach, meaning that control lies with headquarters creating procedures and policies for the subsidiaries to follow.  However, there is also a little of the cultural approach that has surfaced and is being utilized judging by the adaptation that has occurred in some of the overseas restaurants.  This has occurred even with the tight internalized norms that are constantly presented and enforced by headquarters. 

McDonald’s Background

With operations in over 121 countries and over 30,000 restaurants around the globe, McDonald’s Corporation is the largest fast food service and supplier in the world.  To serve all of the their customers and demonstrate the incredible size of the company, McDonald’s has more than one and a half million employees and serves more than ninety-six percent of the world’s population at least once a year.  McDonald’s operates in the fast food industry and its core product lines include hamburgers and french fries, but the chain also sells chicken, salads, and fish products among others.

Since the first restaurant operations in the early nineteen fifties, McDonald’s has grown at an incredible pace through an internal philosophy of “expand at all costs.”  What this philosophy means is open as many stores as possible as fast as possible.  At the peak of the company’s growth, this rapid pace had a new McDonald’s outlet opening every four hours everyday of the year.  Management instilled the idea that as more restaurant locations are opened the more customers will be served, and this leads to higher profits that would be realized across the board.  Since the beginning, this intense expansion plan has been successful, both in the domestic and foreign markets abroad.  However, recently there have been issues developing with saturation across the globe that have had an impact on sales, which will be discussed later in the paper.

The company has always utilized four major principles throughout its history to expand rapidly, increase sales and remain the market leader.  By leveraging their enormous cash flow, brand power, real estate and customer spending habits, McDonald’s has not only emerged as the world-wide leader, it has also changed the way the world eats.  As the means to rapid expansion are not the focus of this paper, altering the eating habits around the world represent a very significant topic and will also be addressed later in the paper.

International Operations Significance

McDonald’s first international expansion occurred in 1967 when the company opened in Canada.  The company’s international division was formed shortly after in 1969 and has continuously grown since.   Over the years, the international section of the McDonald’s Corporation has become increasingly more important to the company’s overall success.  As of this past year, non-US based restaurants account for over half of the company’s $40 billion in revenues (Appendix A).  Even more critical than the amount of sales to the company is the amount of profits of the overseas operations.  Foreign restaurants now account for about 60% of McDonald’s total profits 4 .  The difference between revenues and profits of international operations is credited to McDonald’s immense market share in off shore outlets.  Currently, McDonald’s is the market leader in 96% of the markets they do business in around the world and it is very common for McDonald’s to hold over 50% of the fast food market in foreign markets.  Unlike the U.S., competitors in the past have not cut into McDonald’s market share as easily in foreign markets, although that is beginning to change.

There are a few major reasons why McDonald’s not only chose to invest overseas originally, but also continuously since. In the last ten years, almost 90% of McDonalds’ expansion occurred in countries other than the United States.  During that time, the 1990’s saw an increase in international units from 3,600 in 1991 to more than 11,000 by 1998, largely in Japan, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, and France.  Additionally, the number of international countries nearly doubled from 59 in 1991 to 114 in 1998 (Appendix B).  The rationale behind these important decisions stemmed foremost from the increasing amount of saturation that had evolved in the United States.  This saturation was in the past, and is currently, forcing McDonald’s to slash prices and as a result profits in its domestic market.  To counter this trend, international restaurants were franchised and invested in.  As was mentioned earlier, foreign markets are extremely more profitable for McDonald’s than U.S. operations.  McDonald’s detected this trend early as an opportunity through marketing research and the idea of utilizing the heavily populated areas of focus to cut costs and increase profits.  Second, expansion in the U.S. has been taking place for the last 45 years, where it has only been occurring heavily overseas for about 20 years, so there is more business opportunity.  McDonald’s serves over 43 million people a day, but that is still less than one percent of the world’s population, so you can see how McDonald’s management could be so optimistic.

To reiterate the importance of McDonald’s international restaurants to the overall core business plan of McDonald’s, a closer look at a few facts is required.  First, the busiest McDonald’s in the world is located in Pushkin Square in Moscow.  The restaurant serves over 43,000 customers a day and is only one example of the volume that some of the larger foreign restaurants are capable of.  In fact, eight of the ten largest McDonald’s outlets in the world are located outside of the United States .

International Expansion through Franchising

Now that the international operations have been conveyed as an increasingly important part of McDonald’s overall sales, it is vital to analyze how McDonald’s entered into the foreign markets.  McDonald’s entered into the international markets utilizing three methods; franchising, joint ventures and company owned outlets.  Where McDonald’s had a choice, franchising was not only favored, it dominated how the company expanded. Currently, 73% of all McDonald’s restaurants across the globe are franchised 16 .  When entering into some of the countries, McDonald’s had to abandon its philosophy of franchising and use the other methods.  For instance, when McDonald’s first entered into Mexico, the government did not allow franchising from foreign countries.  To work around this, McDonald’s utilized company owned restaurants to enter the market until the laws changed.  In 1990, when the legislation went through legalizing franchising, McDonald’s Corporation sold the company owned outlets to franchisees.  Similarly, joint ventures were used as an early entry method where franchising was not feasible.  Although this option was not McDonald’s first priority, it was not a far second behind franchising, and the company’s most prosperous international success to date stems from an initial joint venture in Japan.

To grasp a better understanding of how important franchising was to McDonald’s rapid international growth, the very concept of franchising must be analyzed.  McDonald’s restaurants have crossed international borders fairly easily compared to other retail sectors and it is attributed directly to franchising.  However, the idea of franchising was not a new one to McDonald’s.  In fact, McDonald’s expansion in the United States began very early in the company’s first years utilizing a method that was relatively new to the industry, franchising 5 .

It was the fast food industry, and McDonald’s specifically, that turned franchising into a business model that would transform the retail economy of the world.  At the heart of a franchise arrangement is the desire by two parties to make money while avoiding risk.  The franchiser wants to expand an existing business without spending its own funds.  The franchisee wants to run a business without going at it alone and risking everything on a new idea.  One provides a brand name, a business plan, expertise, and access to equipment and supplies.  The other puts up the money and does the work 10 .  In the case of McDonald’s, they wanted an international presence without the incredible risk associated with entering foreign countries and altering eating habits.  McDonald’s knew that entering into foreign markets would be very difficult for an American fast food company and needed the aid of local partners to ease the transition.  That is exactly what franchising allowed McDonald’s to accomplish.  By franchising, McDonald’s could be marketed as a local country business instead of an American company strong-arming their way in.  What they had to offer was the fastest growing fast food business in the world.  Not to mention an extensive supplier line, industry leading technology and a very prosperous business history for anyone willing to accept the terms and pay the franchising fees.

Administrative Heritage

When comparing and contrasting the past and present organizational history of McDonald’s, the reflection in a mirror becomes top of mind.  McDonald’s is one of the world’s most insular large companies, with a management team more typical of a private company than a global powerhouse.  The average top executive started working at the company when Richard Nixon was President and there are no future plans to shuffle top management.  The 15-member board of directors has avoided the corporate-governance revolution that has attacked a large majority of the Fortune 500 companies.  By adding directors who do not have a direct stake in the company, share holders, consumers, and employees can be reassured that actions made are for the good of the company.  However, McDonald’s has elected not to take part in this trend.   Currently, more than two thirds of the board of directors is filled with current and former executives, vendors, and service providers 4 .

McDonald’s has basically been the same for fifty years, and change does not seem to be a top priority.   The company focus has always been publicly stated as being directed to McDonald’s customers and employees, although both have been debated extensively over the years.  One topic that has remained constant throughout the company’s history is the emphasis on management training.  Management centers are now located in Munich, Tokyo, Sydney and London where professors instruct management students in 22 languages.  These centers are replicas of the Hamburger University that has become famous in the United States, not only for the information taught, but also for the large number of managers that have been trained at the facilities.

McDonald’s Structure and Strategy

McDonald’s is a “centralized, International Division” company composed of franchisees and joint venture partners.  McDonald’s utilizes a broad approach and initially grew overseas by relying on transferring new products, processes, and strategies from the United States to less developed markets 1 .  The idea has always been to transfer the American tradition of fast food to other counties using the same real estate principles, cost advantages, and new technologies that were so successful in the U.S.  McDonald’s has always exploited the corporate company knowledge and transported and diffused it to foreign markets.  Starting with the concrete supplier chain, all the way down to the store design and implementation, differentiation is not encouraged nor is it allowed.

With an Ethnocentric mentality, McDonald’s has constantly based the companies international operations on “home-grown” ideas and concepts.  Corporate first places the focus the domestic market, and then filters the functions to the overseas operations.  Information flows from corporate to the franchisees based on what is working in the United States markets, with the expectation that it will be implemented in the foreign markets.  When analyzing McDonald’s corporate structure (Appendix C), it is evident that the top down approach is not only used it is enforced.  All information starts with corporate and is disbursed to the foreign markets.

Company Control and Coordination

In order to control the thousands of franchises in the system, McDonald’s corporate utilizes a combination of methods.  Both the Rules Approach and the Cultural Approach are applied by management in order to ensure that the international outlets maximize their potential without disrupting the overall corporate plan.  The reason for the combination of control approaches stems from the nature of how the McDonald’s system was built.  By relying and building around franchising, a fine line has to be drawn between keeping the franchises motivated and accomplishing the company objectives.

The elements of the Rules approach are very evident when magnifying the requirements of the franchisees.  Management requires continuous lines of reports and paperwork to follow every move of the franchises.  The extent of the requirements can be seen in the following example.  The McDonald’s operation-and-training manual is a roughly seven hundred and fifty-page document that weighs about four pounds.  It is known throughout the company as “the Bible” and contains precise instructions on how various appliances should be used, how each item on the menu should look, and how employees should greet the customers.  An example of the extent of detail that is contained in the manual are hamburgers are always to be placed on the grill in six neat rows; french fries have to be exactly 0.28 inches thick. The regimentation and standardization of McDonald’s restaurants determines exactly how every task is done and imposes rules about pace, quality and technique. The McDonald’s Corporation insists that its operators follow directives on food preparation, purchasing, store design and countless other minute details.  Operators who disobey these rules can lose their franchises and this has occurred in the past.

The control from corporate can be extensive at times and franchises are constantly threatened.  “We have found out…that we cannot trust some people, who are nonconformists,” declared Ray Kroc, one of the founders of McDonald’s, angered by some of his franchisees.  “We will make conformists out of them in a hurry…The organization cannot trust the individual; the individual must trust the organization…” 4,10 From the beginning of time, McDonald’s management has created and pushed an operating system of unusual thoroughness and attention to detail.  In order to enforce this style of management, McDonald’s has strategically placed local and regional offices throughout the world (Appendix D).

As mentioned before, the nature of franchising has led to this pattern of control and further discussion on the topic is warranted to clarify it.  The franchising relationship has its built-in tensions.  The franchiser gives up some control by not wholly owning each operation and the franchisee sacrifices a great deal of independence by obeying the company rules.  Everyone is happy when the company is succeeding and profits are rolling in, but when revenues fall, the arrangement often degenerates into a mismatched battle for power.  The franchiser almost always wins.  In the global world of McDonald’s, that exact scenario is currently taking place.  The last three years, McDonald’s has seen lagging sales in the domestic market and booming sales in the international markets.  As a result, corporate is trying to tighten the reigns on foreign operations even tighter than they have in the past 10 .  The key to a successful franchise, according to many texts on the subject, can be expressed in a single word: uniformity.  Franchises must reliably offer the same product or service at numerous locations.  This is the case with McDonald’s.  They must continue to provide a high quality core product line at the lowest possible cost available.  Customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown.  A brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same.  At the same time, a little control must be sacrificed to keep motivation and creativity among the franchises blossoming.  This concept is why McDonald’s management also utilizes some of the Cultural Approach to control the international markets.

Through the years, McDonald’s management has realized that in the fast food industry, more freedom is needed in order to prosper in foreign countries. There are two major business functions that are dictated by the country’s local influence and symbolize the Cultural Approach freedom; product development and marketing.  These functions are not only locally developed they are operational away from headquarters and are represented in McDonald’s structure chart accordingly (Appendix C).  By allowing the foreign markets the autonomy to develop and market geographical specific menu items, management is not compromising or deviating from internalized company norms or standards.  Instead, they are allowing for local adaptation that will not only benefit the franchise, but the corporation as well.  Both product development and marketing will be discussed in detail below.

Product Development and Marketing

As mentioned previously, product development and marketing can and do occur at a local level in McDonald’s international countries.  These are the only two major business functions that McDonald’s Corporate allows some flexibility by deviating from the tight grasp that they hold over international restaurants.  Now, that is not to say that the countries and local markets have complete freedom to add to the menu and promote their products how they wish. McDonald’s prides itself in the consistency of its products and taste around the world and would not allow complete autonomy.  Instead, it means that some of the lengthy, tedious, and idea crushing control that corporate normally holds over its franchises is lifted slightly and can occur at the country level as opposed to corporate level (Appendix C).   To look at the impact this has on the international outlets, a closer look at product development and marketing will each be analyzed.

Each local country has the autonomy and authority to develop its own products to address unique tastes that their consumers have.  It is the sole responsibility of the individual country to complete the marketing research and develop new menu items.  Once that has occurred, the information is then studied and approved or rejected by the corporate offices depending on the extent of favorable data available.  Where there is limited involvement from corporate in the development process, there is still heavy involvement in the acceptance process.  This involvement from corporate is only increasing, as the international markets become more important to McDonald’s overall business.  However, according to Den Fujita, President of McDonald’s Japan, when McDonald’s first entered Japan, corporate was relatively accommodating to the new menu items that were presented to them, and as a result, acceptance in Japan was expedited 5 .

There are many examples of item adjustments that have been made around the world over the years to address local tastes and preferences (Appendix E). The menu changes resulted from many different reasons such as cultural, religious, taste preferences and translation reasons.  Some specific examples are in India, there are no beef items served throughout the country, so McDonald’s added the “Maharaja Mac”, a lamb version of the standard “Big Mac”.  Other examples include Germany, where McDonald’s serves beer with meals and in Cyprus, the McNistisima menu was adopted for the lent period between Easter and Christmas and consisted of veggie burgers, country potatoes, and shrimp and spicy rolls 14,16 .  Occasionally, new local menu items might not seem like a logical choice for a country and are protested accordingly like when McDonald’s was going to recently add meat bowls over rice.  Heavy protesting occurred until the launch of the items.  However, on the first day the bowls were available, they sold out entirely proving that local marketing research and flexibility can benefit the company 13 .

The marketing of international restaurants is handled with the same process as product development.  Locally, the countries develop and test market ideas that differ from the corporate worldwide message.  Any differences in the core message are then presented to the corporate office for approval.  Marketing overseas, like product development, is mostly handled away from the corporate office.  There are many reasons why the core marketing message would change, including; translation reasons, cultural differences, customer target differences and the fact that the product itself being marketed might not even exist in the company’s core message.  A specific example of a country differing the marketing message from corporate took place in different countries that use the metric system.  Instead of calling their burger the “Quarter Pounder”, the European countries market their burger as either the “Royal Hamburger” or the “Burger Royal.”

Future Issues for McDonald’s

In order for the international division of McDonald’s to continue the impressive success that it has achieved in the past, two major areas of concern must be addressed.  The increasing level of saturation in most of the major markets around the world and the struggle over autonomy between corporate and the franchises must be addressed with extreme urgency and by allocating the resources necessary.

As mentioned earlier, competition in the fast food industry is becoming incredibly saturated.  When McDonald’s first began expanding into international markets, their main focus was altering eating habits.  This was primarily because there was an absence of major competitors overseas.  However, over the last decade, the international market is beginning to mirror that of the heavily saturated United States market.  Profits are shrinking, same store sales are down, and the overall market growth has slowed tremendously.  This has prompted McDonald’s to continue to cut costs by announcing the closing of 175 under performing outlets in 10 countries.  As the international markets become more competitive and saturated, McDonald’s must continue to analyze and make adjustments accordingly.

Although saturation is a growing issue overseas, it was noted earlier that foreign operations are now more than ever, a major element of the McDonald’s Corporation business.  As a result there is a constant battle over autonomy.  The franchises, especially the experienced outlets with over a decade of success, want more autonomy to adapt to local tastes and preferences.  The franchises feel that as the market becomes more competitive, it will be vital for alterations and adaptations to occur faster and easier than they ever have in the past.  However, McDonald’s corporate is on the opposite side of the issue and is not budging.  Corporate feels that control must be at an all time high because of the importance of the international division and the fact that if it fails, the whole company could suffer as a result.  Corporate has tightened the reigns consistently the last few years and will continue to do so to stay afloat by turning the losses into gains.

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