Managing Risks in Product Development

Managing Risks in Product Development Staying competitive in the world of business is vital to every company, especially if it hopes to grow and expand, instead of just earning a decent profit from period to period. To achieve competitiveness, a business must always stay ahead of the game in various aspects, such as marketing, personnel management, and production management.Needless to say, product development is also an area where businesses, particularly those engaged in manufacturing, should focus on if they want to make sure that they stay ahead of the competition and will always have something new and fresh to offer to their market. © Shutterstock.com | RAGMA IMAGESIn this article, you will learn about 1) a basic introduction to product development, 2) the importance of product development, 3) stages of product development, and 4) risks associated with product development.PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTIONWhen you say product development, you are likely to immediately think about new product development. You wouldn’t be wrong. However, that is not all there is to it.Product development is, simply put, the creation of new products, or products with new features or specifications that offer added or entirely new benefits to end users. It may involve:Formulation of an entirely new product that will meet the demands of a new market niche, or satisfy newly defined wants or needs of the target market; orModification of an already existing product.However, product development is not limited to the design and creation of the products alone; it also covers the marketing of the new products that have been developed. This means that product development is such a broad field, it covers the whole process, from coming up with an idea of a new product or product innovation, putting it through the production process, and getting the finished new product to the market.Unfortunately, it cannot be said that product development is simple or straightforward. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment, not to mention a lot of resources on the part of the business. The business should be willing to spend money and spend a lot of time on it. Aside from paying attention to the customers and their needs, there is also a need to keep an eye on your business rivals or competitors. The whole process of developing a new product must be carefully thought through, which means it entails a lot of planning.IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTLet us talk about the reasons why all businesses should be serious about product development.To maintain competitiveness. This has already been briefly touched on earlier: in order to k eep up with the competition and the constantly increasing and evolving needs of your customers, there is a need to keep coming out with new offerings. It is important to see to it that the business has a steady flow of new products, and that is where product development comes in. This is considered to be the main reason why product development is given a lot of attention by businesses.To maintain or increase the flow of income. This is just common sense: in order to ensure that the company will have a steady inflow of cash and a stream of revenue or income, it has to be ready to give its customers what they need.STAGES OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTHere are the main stages generally used in the product development process.Research Phase. Product development starts with the customers. What do they want, and what do they need?Spec Phase. From the answers gleaned in the first phase, you will be able to come up with product specifications, or the specific features that the product must have.Des ign phase. This is where the product is designed, in accordance with the specifications listed earlier. This is also where costing takes place.Testing phase. This could be one of the several pre-launch stages. Create a prototype or a pilot version of the product for testing or trial runs. This is the phase that may be repeated over and over until they get the product right.Final launch. This is where the new product is finally rolled out to the market.RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTThere is one fact that is overlooked by many that are engaged in product development: not all product development projects are the same. Depending on several variables â€" such as the nature of the business, the type of products, the current state of the market and the economy, to name a few â€" that will greatly affect how a project development project will go. What worked for one business does not necessarily make it effective in another, and vice versa.With that being said, it is safe to say that product development is not without its risks. Businesses that are engaged in product development processes are bound to be faced with these risks, and it will be up to them how to manage these risks so as not to hamper the future plans of the business for growth and development.Risk #1: The new product may not be what the customers want and need.This is considered to be the main risk faced by businesses when it comes to new product development.This risk is higher when you base your ideas for a new product merely on a whim, or without conducting enough market research. Businesses that are not in touch with their customers are also likely to suffer from this. For example, a business may decide to come up with a new product simply because they got hold of a new technology for it. Just because you can do it does not mean you should.One problem often encountered by product developers is deciding on what features must be included in the product. There is that fine line between a prod uct having too little features and having too much. The first one may be deemed too simple by customers while the second one turns them off for their complexity. There is a need to pinpoint exactly what these relevant features are.How to manage it:Get to know your customers and keep yourself updated on any changes in their needs and preferences. Conducting periodic market research will help minimize this risk.It would also be a good idea to involve a specific group of customers as your source of feedback.Produce a product prototype and perform a series of product testing. Start with testing the product within the company. Then test the product with a select group of customers.There are two main reasons why it would be a good idea to build a working prototype:To check if the product works, or does what it is designed to do.To assess customer reaction to the product, especially on how it looks, how it feels, and how it functions.Risk #2: The product development process may involve tec hnical hurdles and operational risks that must be overcome.The business may be developing an entirely new product that will provide new and better benefits to customers. It may also decide to modify its existing product by adding new features that will make it more appealing to the market. In these cases, it is probable that there will be technical processes that will have to be performed. These include the need for new technology or even new tools, machinery or equipment.It is also inevitable, in most cases, that they have to deal with operational risks. For instance, there may be components that have to be supplied on a regular basis, and sourcing these materials can be a problem. There may also be problems regarding transporting these materials.How to manage:Choose the right people to be in the product development team. The people tasked with developing the new product must have all the relevant skills and knowledge, especially regarding the technical aspects that will be require d in developing the product. It is often advised that the team be composed of all areas or departments of the business, from production to marketing and finance.The objectives of the product development team must be clear to everyone involved. Be prepared for any glitches or setbacks.Draw up a timetable for the completion of the product development process, and schedule a regular or periodic review.Hire experts or get help from outside. Many companies avail of the services of technical personnel in order to facilitate the development of new products.Risk #3: Product development always comes with a financial risk.You can never do away with this risk when developing a new product. It is possible that the new product that you have developed will not be able to generate enough demand at a price that will bring profit for the business. The cost of production, as well as the costs of marketing the product, may not be covered by the selling price.The high utilization of resources during th e product development stage is also a downfall for most companies. Under the assumption that they will get better results if they throw more resources into the project, they will end up spending more than they should have. Thus, costs become unreasonably high.How to manage it:Agree on an overall budget for the various parts of the project and make sure they stay within the limits.When preparing the budget, work with the core team responsible for developing the product, since they are the ones most knowledgeable about the costs that will be incurred.Employ strategies to reduce production costs for the new product, such as:Find ways to simplify the manufacturing process. If the assembly process is too complex, look for ways to work around it and make it simple, without sacrificing quality. One way to do this is to consider subcontracting part of the work, or buy parts that have already been partially assembled, cutting down a couple or more phases in the production process that you wi ll have to perform.Look for alternative parts or components. Find components that are of the same quality, but with a cheaper purchase price.Look for other sources that offer these components at a lower price. Do not stick to just one potential supplier; shop around and compare prices.Risk #4: Sticking to only one development plan may lead to losing other, better, opportunities.Businesses tend to stay within their comfort zone. Why fix something that is not broken? Why step into unknown territory when we can stay in one place that has already worked out for us? As a result, they tend to have tunnel vision and put everything they have on that one, single, plan.How to manage it:Conduct in-depth study of features. Identify what features may be added, and proceed on evaluating them, to be left with a shortlist of the relevant features. Engage the participation of key customers in this study.Perform testing, even if it has to be repeatedly done, and proceed on reworking or tweaking the p roduct design, until such time that it is found to be satisfactory.Risk #5: Conducting product development projects in an ill-timed manner.There is the risk of starting a product development too soon. It could be that the preliminaries have not been set up yet, or that market research has not been completed yet, and the company immediately proceeded towards developing a new product. It could also be that the company is still in the middle of pre-launching a new product, and it is already starting another one.Prematurely starting developing a product without getting all the bases covered is a sign of poor planning, and we all know that poorly planned projects are doomed from the start. Another possible result of this is spreading the resources of the company too thinly, and the business will suffer if it will start pouring its resources on another project while the previous one has not yet provided any returns to recoup the amount of money spent on it. One new product may also face d elays if there is another “player” in the scene, sharing the resources.How to manage it:Establish a reasonable timetable, and don’t rush. This is to control the rate or pace of implementing projects.Make sure everyone in the organization is aware of the objectives of the company and what their priorities are.Managing risks in product development can be summed up in a few points:Gather sufficient information by conducting market research. Focus on getting data on customer demand and pricing.Always keep abreast of what is going on with your customers, suppliers, and competitors.Make sure that the core team responsible for product development has the skill sets and qualifications that are aligned to your objectives.Keep tabs on the risks by constantly monitoring the progress of the product development.The best way to manage these risks, however, is to be proactive. Make sure that you identify what the risks are, and take action before they fully affect the whole project adversely . It will not do you any good to just act when the problem has already grown so big. You’ll only end up “putting out fires”, spending your resources on damage control instead of investing them on the new product.

Kepler And Galileo The Invention Of Physics And Astronomy

Kepler and Galileo are responsible for the advancements of physics and astronomy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Although these advancements were a part of the scientific community, one cannot be certain that their views rested on science alone. Theology was extremely important and influential in this time period, and the Catholic Church placed many limitations on scientists. With this being said, Kepler and Galileo must have had theological ideas in the back of their minds while working. They believed that God left the universe for man to figure out and discover, and they were sure that the work they were doing, independently, was the truth behind it all. Many people at the time, including the Catholic Church, did not agree with their work believing it was anti-religious and went against the word of God. The Catholic Church, quite offended by their work, punished both men for their publications. Kepler and Galileo stood by their work and believed that what they had accomplished was all for God. Kepler and Galileo both knew that they were religious men who were simply trying to uncover the truth behind the universe God has created; they thought they were serving God with their work. According to the Church at the time the Bible held all truths, but Kepler and Galileo believed that there was more that could be learned. Galileo stated that he believed that God created the universe in a particular way, and that it was the mission of humans to figure itShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Scientific Revolution1263 Words   |  6 PagesRevolution; Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Brahe, used previous scientific principles and their own genius to make advances in science that are still being used today. Scientific pamphlets, the telescope, observations of the universe and the creation of laws for planetary motion are some of the major advances that came out of the revolution and that were found by the scientists of its time. Nicholas Coperincus (1473-1543) was born in Poland where he studied mathematics and astronomy. In 1504, CopernicusRead MoreResearh of Galileo Galilei Essay573 Words   |  3 PagesResearh of Galileo Galilei The Italian physicist was born is Pisa on 15 February 1564 (see appendix B). He was the first of seven children. Galileo was educated by a tutor and his father, a nobleman and well known for musical studies. At the age of 11 he was sent to a local monastery where he, like other children of noble people studied Greek, Latin, religion and music. Following his fathers wish, he continued his education, at the age of 17 he enrolled as a student of medicine at the UniversityRead MoreScientific Discoveries Of The Scientific Revolution1548 Words   |  7 Pagesrelevant topics of this time were mathematics, astronomy, biology, physics and chemistry. Typically, the scientific revolution is considered the time in Europe starting around the end of the Renaissance period and lasting through the late 18th century. Between 1543 and 1700, Europe underwent many changes that forever changed the thoughts and beliefs of society as a result of the scientific revolution. During this time, the creation of many inventions came about and the studies of many people changedRead MoreThe Scientific Revolution Essay1165 Words   |  5 Pagesearlier in the astronomy field. While Copernicus had set out to glorify the great religion of his time, Aristotles views came 200 years before Christ was even born! Although the book gives the impression nothing of significance in astronomy happened in the time between Aristotle and Copernicus, professional astronomy was a developing institution during that time. For nearly 2000 years astronomers had been tracking and organizing and refining the prevailing thoughts in astronomy so that CopernicusRead More Galileo: The Father of Science Essay examples1798 Words   |  8 Pages Galileo Galileo was a teacher, astronomer, philosopher, and physicist and was known to be a major part of the scientific revolution. With all of his elaborate drawings and notes he has been referred to as the father of modern astronomy, father of modern physics, and as father of science. Galileos experimentation was an active process involved the investigating of causal relationships among variables. His studies in scientific experimentationRead More Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Universe Essay2798 Words   |  12 Pageslargest library and school of the ancient world, which when found, greatly benefited scientists in decoding the ancient astronomers calculations and theories. The life of Ptolomy is vague, as is the reaction to his works at the time. His system of astronomy, which is in his book the Syntaxis, was accepted as correct until the year 1543 AD. In this system, the earth was the center of the universe, and was the axis of a huge rotating sphere, which spun. On t he outer edges of the sphere were the starsRead MoreThe Enlightenment Essay999 Words   |  4 Pages During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the scientific revolution brought about a slow change in societies’ thinking regarding math, earth science, physics, and astronomy. Early on, new ideas about our universe were not widely accepted, especially from the church. This soon changed due to the hard work and perseverance of several scientists and philosophers who unbeknownst to them brought about an era known as the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, which eased into existence in the seventeenthRead MoreThe Catholic Church And The Copernican Revolution2463 Words   |  10 Pagesthe sun stood still in relation to the stars.† (Cohen, 40) Aristotle on the other hand believed that the Earth was still because â€Å"a body that we launch into the air vertically falls back on the same site â€Å"and but this argument would be refuted by Galileo Galilei. If we observe the movement of Venus, Mars and other planets, we see that cross the â€Å"celestial orbit and at any given time seem to stop and retreat, and then return to continue their movement.† (Cohen, 40) This was difficult to reconcile withRead MoreThe Scientific Revolution Of The Modern Era1830 Words   |  8 PagesRevolution taking place in 16th century Europe, a time in which peace and prosperity was vibrant. was a time of great learning, understanding, and itself was the dawn of the modern science. During this time, many distinguished scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton began to set the foreground of future science. Through their marvelous works they succeeded in changing society’s ways of thinking and view of life in itself, from a theistic one to a realistic one. In fact, their workRead MoreThe Renaissance Essay758 Words   |  4 Pagesmedieval traditions of Scholasticism, Thomism, Scotism, and Ockhamism were continued in the Renaissan ce. Medieval Platonism and Aristotelianism were crucial to Renaissance philosophical thought. The advances of mathematical disciplines, including astronomy, were indebted to medieval precedents. The schools of Salerno, Italy, and Montpellier, France, were noted centers of medical studies in the middle Ages. The Italian Renaissance was above all an urban phenomenon, a product of cities that flourished

Essay on Descartes Proof of Gods Existence - 1247 Words

The existence of God has always been an arguable topic. Descartes’ however, believed that he had proof of God’s existence through an intense analysis of the mind. Throughout this paper I will discuss what he has provided as proof and some of the complications that arise throughout his argument. You can find Descartes’ proof of the existence of God in the Third Meditation. Although to understand this argument you have to look at his previous meditation where he begins to build his argument with the notion that in order for him to think, he must exist. From this observation, Descartes’ sees that the idea of his existence is very clear and distinct in his mind. Based upon this clarity and the fact that he has just determined his own†¦show more content†¦This means the ideas either came from inside or outside of us. Innate ideas are what someone thinks something is, what truth is and what thought is. These ideas are considered innate because the understanding process seems to be a result simply from one’s own nature. They are in no way derived. When I see, hear, feel, touch, and talk, I develop an idea adventitiously. For example, if I were sitting by a fire, I would feel the heat off of the flames. Feeling or having the idea of the heat was not so mething I decided to do from within; therefore, it must have come from something other than myself, which in this case would be from the fire. Last but not least, some ideas are made up in my own mind. For instance, when I read a book, I develop an image based on what I’m reading but I obviously have never actually seen the settings of the stories I have read. Descartes utilizes another rule in his thought process which states that objective reality cannot exist without formal reality. By this he means that we cannot form an idea without a cause. Assuming that God does exist would be an example of a Formal reality. Whereas the idea of God, is considered objective reality because it represents an infinite substance. Ideas themselves automatically have objective reality because the idea itself represents some reality. Also, the more perfect ideas cannot come from the less perfect; this is called The CausalShow MoreRelatedEssay about Descartes Third Meditation: Proof of Gods Exi stence1382 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes Third Meditation: Proof of Gods Existence In Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes is seeking to find a system of stable, lasting and certain knowledge, which he can ultimately regard as the Truth. In his methodical quest to carry out his task, Descartes eventually arrives at the proverbial fork in the road: how to bridge the knowledge of self with that of the rest of the world. Descartes’ answer to this is to prove the existence of God. The purpose of this essayRead MoreDiscourse on Descartes Skeptical Method1672 Words   |  7 PagesSebastian Gumina Paper Topic #1 Descartes’ Skeptical Method Descartes’ method offers definitive conclusions on certain topics, (his existence, the existence of God)but his reasoning is not without error. He uses three arguments to prove existence (His and God’s) that attempt to solidify his conclusions. For his method to function seamlessly, Descartes needs to be consistent in his use of the method, that is, he must continue to doubt and challenge thoughts that originate in his ownRead MoreEssay about A Very Brief History on the Existence of God 1202 Words   |  5 PagesThe subsequent essay will provide a brief overview on the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), examines Descartes’ proof for the existence of God. Section (2), explores G.W. Leibniz’s view on God’s existence in addition to his attempts to rectify the shortcomings of Descartes’ proofs. Before continuing, it is imperative to understand that both Descartes and Leibniz believed that th e existence of God could be proved via reason. The remainder of the essayRead MoreEssay on Descartes Proof For The Existence Of God1543 Words   |  7 Pages Descartes Proof for the Existence of God The purpose of my essay will be to examine Descartes’ argument for the existence of God. First, I will review Descartes’ proof for the existence of God. Then I will examine the reasons that Descartes has for proving God’s existence. I will also discuss some consequences that appear as a result of God’s existence. Finally, I will point out some complications and problems that exist within the proof. The basic problem with most religions in the world hasRead MoreDescartes Proof for the Existence of God Essay example1562 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes Proof for the Existence of God The purpose of my essay will be to examine Descartes argument for the existence of God. First, I will review Descartes proof for the existence of God. Then I will examine the reasons that Descartes has for proving Gods existence. I will also discuss some consequences that appear as a result of Gods existence. Finally, I will point out some complications and problems that exist within the proof. The basic problem with most religions inRead More Descartes Third Meditation: Proof of Gods Existence Essay1370 Words   |  6 Pages Descartes Third Meditation: Proof of Gods Existence In Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes is seeking to find a system of stable, lasting and certain knowledge, which he can ultimately regard as the Truth. In his methodical quest to carry out his task, Descartes eventually arrives at the proverbial fork in the road: how to bridge the knowledge of self with that of the rest of the world. Descartesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ answer to this is to prove the existence of God. The purpose of this essayRead MoreThe Cartesian Circle Essay913 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes’ Cartesian Circle Descartes’ â€Å"Cartesian Circle† has come under fire from countless philosophers because it supposedly commits a logical fallacy with its circular reasoning. In his second Meditation, Descartes attempts to prove the existence of God. He states that clear and distinct perception leads to knowledge, and that God’s existence is apparent and obvious because of things we have come to perceive as knowledge. Furthermore, he asserts that we cannot turn these perceptions intoRead MoreDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Essay1093 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Instructions: First: Analyze and evaluate the two proofs of Gods existence. How are they different? Is one more convincing than the other? Why did Descartes think he needed two proofs? Do they do different work for him? And secondly: Does Descartes give a satisfactory account of human error, given a perfect and divine creator? Are Descartes arguments convincing, or does it still seem unnecessary and less than perfect that God created us withRead MoreThe Existence Of Saint Thomas Aquinas And Ren?ï ¿ ½ Descartes1460 Words   |  6 PagesGod’s existence has long been a topic of controversy, one that spans the course of many centuries and––because of its nature––will never be resolved. Two notable philosophers have attempted to prove God’s existence: Saint Thomas Aquinas and Renà © Descartes. Despite having been influenced by the former, Descartes’ arguments––while similar to Aquinas’––are reached through noticeably different methods. To analyze Aquinas’ proof for God’s existence, it is important to first analyze his definition ofRead MoreThe Projetion of the Perfection Paradox1176 Words   |  5 Pagesend in mind, by analyzing proofs that Descartes finds it can be seen if this was achieved. The proof that God exist is a defining moment in the discourse since God is continually referenced for origin of true knowledge. The reference to God does not only set the stage for further proofs on knowledge, but as the original truth, all of what Descartes finds real can be related back to God. This idea will be key in order to keep the excising of the method going when Descartes falls stagnant when relating

Inquiry in Healthcare

Question: Discuss about theInquiry in Healthcare. Answer: Introduction: Clinicians are challenged continuously for keeping up with the rapidly changing and growing information base that is relevant to their practice areas. Apart from locating the relevant information, they are also expected to assess its quality that should thoroughly investigate their validity. They are also required to deal with the conflicting information by using the different types of sources that include journals, textbooks, systematic reviews and meta-analysis. This essay will answer a research question using the PICO framework based on the principle of the search process and refinement, comparing cranberry juice to the antibiotics for the treatment of urinary tract infection. The research question for this assignment has been presented below. In adult females who suffer frequent urinary tract infections is cranberry juice compared to antibiotics more effective in preventing urinary tract infection? Search Terms The search terms used for this assignment are the therapeutic efficacy of cranberry juice in UTI, antibiotics and cranberry juice comparative efficacy in UTI, adult female UTI prevention or treatment and treatment outcome of urinary tract infection with cranberry. Based on the PICO framework, the search terms were organized and selected to answer the research question. The Boolean terms used were AND and OR. Sources of Information The sources of information used for this study are Pubmed and Embase. Pubmed is free to access search engine used to search the abstracts and references on the biomedical and life sciences topics. It is primarily used to access the Medline database and the rationale for selecting Pubmed is that it is an intuitive and fast search interface and it helps in automatic term mapping by automatic inclusion of medical subject headings and synonyms in the search criteria. Embase is a pharmacological and biomedical database consisting of published literature. The rationale for selecting Embase is the fact that it is used for quicker access to the articles that are newly published. This makes the retrieval from Embase much more comprehensive and the recently published articles are more readily extracted. Therefore, these two sources of information were used as sources of information. Search Process The search process involved searching of the databases using the search terms for answering the research question based on the PICO format. The period of search was refined from 2010 to 2016 and the various parameters were set according to the relevance of the search criteria. The filters and limiters were set accordingly with respect to the PICO framework search criteria and the search parameters have been presented in the table below. Table 1: Search Process and Refinement Actions Search Mode Results Limiters Database: Pubmed Article: Recurrent urinary tract infection in females is a benign disease Author: Wuorela et al. (2016) Heading and Abstract, Boolean used: UTI OR Urinary Tract Infection, Search Term: Adult female UTI prevention or treatment 25191000 items in Pubmed and 3920 items in Embase Filter applied for last six years and sorted by most recent / relevance Database: Pubmed Article: Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections Author: Jepson, Williams Craig (2012) Heading and Abstract, Boolean used: UTI OR Urinary Tract Infection, Search Term: Therapeutic efficacy of cranberry juice in UTI 6 items in Pubmed and 10 items in Embase Filter applied for last six years and sorted by most recent / relevance Database: Embase Article: Cranberries vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized double-blind non inferiority trial in premenopausal women Author: Beerepoot et al. (2011) Heading and Abstract, Boolean used: UTI OR Urinary Tract Infection. Search details: (Antibiotics and cranberry juice) AND (comparative efficacy in UTI) OR (Urinary Tract Infection), Search Term: Antibiotics and cranberry juice comparative efficacy in UTI 32 items in Pubmed and 18 items in Embase Filter applied for last six years and sorted by most recent / relevance Database: Embase Article: Cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial Author: Barbosa-Cesnik et al. (2011) Article: Recurrent urinary tract infection and urinary Escherichia coli in women ingesting cranberry juice daily: a randomized controlled trial Author: Stapleton et al. (2012) Heading and Abstract, Boolean used: Treatment outcome AND Urinary Tract Infection, Search Term: Treatment outcome of urinary tract infection with cranberry 24 items in Pubmed and 268 items in Embase Filter applied for last six years and sorted by most recent / relevance Source: (Richardson-Tench, Taylor, Kermode Roberts, 2016) In few of the cases, the search terms did not yield the satisfactory results. There, the terms were altered in various combinations with different Boolean terms and displacing them with the help of parenthesis. However, the search terms were altered, but the meaning was kept the same to get the best possible and relevant results. Best Evidence The relevance and credibility of the searched articles were determined by selecting the most relevant article depending on its inclusion criteria. The four articles selected according to the population, intervention, comparison and outcome of the PICO framework has selected to answer the research question. Pubmed and Embase are the two databases used for this assignment as they are the prime search engines for biomedical and life sciences topics. Out of the two databases, Embase was found to be more efficient compared to Pubmed as it provided twice as many citations in comparison to Pubmed and it provided a bigger coverage of the total citations retrieved. Embase provides a comprehensive search of the research articles and yielded more relevant results compared to Pubmed. However, Pubmed provided more results in few cases but more citations do not necessarily mean citations of higher quality (Libguides.fiu.edu, 2016). Therefore, Embase was the database of choice for searching the res earch articles. Conclusion From the searched articles, it can be said that cranberry juice is lesser effective in comparison with antibiotics in the prevention of urinary tract infection. The first article studied the population and dealt with the patients of UTI and the consequences of the disease. The second article studied the intervention and this article dealt with the determination of the effectiveness in prevention of UTI. The third article studied the comparison and this article demonstrated a comparative study between TMP-SMX and cranberry capsules and found the former to be more effective. The fourth and fifth articles studied the outcome and these articles found that Cranberry juice had no significant effect in the treatment of UTI. Following the PICO framework, it was found that cranberry juice has been lesser effective when compared with the standard dosage of antibiotics and therefore, has been lesser effective in the prevention and treatment of the disease. It can be recommended for Yani that sh e should continue her antibiotic regimen for the prevention and treatment of UTI rather than changing over to cranberry juice in her diet regularly. References Barbosa-Cesnik, C., Brown, M. B., Buxton, M., Zhang, L., DeBusscher, J., Foxman, B. (2011). Cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial.Clinical Infectious Diseases,52(1), 23-30. Beerepoot, M. A., ter Riet, G., Nys, S., van der Wal, W. M., de Borgie, C. A., de Reijke, T. M., ... Geerlings, S. E. (2011). Cranberries vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized double-blind non inferiority trial in premenopausal women.Archives of internal medicine,171(14), 1270-1278. Jepson, R. G., Williams, G., Craig, J. C. (2012). Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,10(10). Libguides.fiu.edu. (2016).FIU Libraries: Research: Embase Guide | Gua de Embase: Embase vs. PubMed MEDLINE. [online] Available at: https://libguides.fiu.edu/c.php?g=160191p=1047492 [Accessed 5 Sep. 2016]. Richardson-Tench, M., Taylor, B., Kermode, S., Roberts, K. (2016).Research in nursing: Evidence for best practice. Cengage Learning Australia. Stapleton, A. E., Dziura, J., Hooton, T. M., Cox, M. E., Yarova-Yarovaya, Y., Chen, S., Gupta, K. (2012). Recurrent urinary tract infection and urinary Escherichia coli in women ingesting cranberry juice daily: a randomized controlled trial. InMayo Clinic Proceedings(Vol. 87, No. 2, pp. 143-150). Elsevier. Wuorela, M., Isoaho, H., Arve, S., Lehtonen, A., Viitanen, M. (2016). Recurrent urinary tract infection in females is a benign disease.European Geriatric Medicine,7(2), 127-130.

What to Do After College Applications are Submitted

Ahhh, Friday. Nothing like the end of a long week to put a little bit of extra spring in your step. And if youre an applicant who has finally finished putting together and submitting your applications, this Friday could be particularly relaxing.For the vast majority of college applicants, mid-January marks the point at which youve finished all of your applications. Whether you applied early and have been done for months or caught one of the many January 15 deadlines earlier this week, hopefully youre now at a point where you can stop obsessing over test scores, transcripts, essays, recommendations, and other application necessities. If you successfully submitted an application this cycle, whether one or twenty, heres something from all of us here at :Congratulations!!!While this particular outlet doesnt allow me to add much more emotion to the above exclamation (short of adding more exclamation points, but I consider three an absolute maximum), please accept our heartfelt best wishes . Everyone here, from editors to customer support, means it.With applications done, I often get asked whether there is anything else hopeful students should do at this time of year. The simple answer is yes see below for three suggestions on steps you should take when your applications are complete.1. Say Thank you!No matter how hard you worked to pull applications together, you inevitably had help from others during the process. Make sure that you take some time to say thanks to everyone who helped you along the way. Particularly important are those who wrote recommendations on your behalf. You may also want to reach out to those who helped you with essays, standardized test preparation, or general support. Finally, its always worth saying thanks to your parents even if you think they did nothing but nag and worry throughout the entire application process, theyre still immensely deserving of some gratitude.2. Dont completely check out.Applications are done, but that doesnt mean y ou should start coasting right now. There are still many good reasons to stay focused and avoid the infamous senior slump. Here are just a few: AP exams. If youre taking any AP courses, giving them your all and ultimately earning a 4 or 5 on AP exams can earn you college credit or allow you to skip entry-level coursework. Financial aid. Merit-based financial aid will definitely consider your academic performance as a whole, including this semester. Waitlisting. Dont forget that theres a chance you wont be accepted or rejected when admissions decisions are made, but rather waitlisted. If that happens, you wont want to give the school any reason to second guess your credentials.3. Relax!This ones simple. At this point, the process is out of your hands. Dont obsess over things, worrying that you couldve improved on something or made a mistake somewhere else. Your application is in, you did your best, and thats all that the admissions committee can ask for. Admissions officers are the o nes who will now be staying up late agonizing over applications. Its your turn to put your feet up, catch up on sleep, and remember what high school life is like without an application hanging over your head!

How To Use Outbound Sales To Expand Your Lead Sources With Trish Bertuzzi

How To Use Outbound Sales To Expand Your Lead Sources With Trish Bertuzzi For companies that generate $5-$20 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), marketing typically sources about 42% of an account executive’s leads. For larger revenue-generating companies with $20-$50 million in ARR, marketing sources only 36% of an account executive’s leads. So, if your inbound traffic is flatlining, it’s time to look into new lead sources to grow your business. How? Outbound sales and marketing processes, which diversify lead sources that help grow your business. Today, we’re talking to Trish Bertuzzi, CEO and founder of The Bridge Group and author of The Sales Development Playbook. The Bridge Group provides services to the B2B technology space in three areas: Sales development, inside sales, and account-based selling. Trish identifies the biggest challenges when companies are getting started with outbound sales or marketing. Best practices include automation and getting past cold processes to drive huge returns from outbound efforts. Some of the highlights of the show include: Getting to engagement is hardest part of the sales process because we overwhelm buyers spam emails and robo voicemails Different buyer types react to different ways of outreach; figure out your buyer type, analyze their preferences, and build a strategy Effective Outbound Outreach Tactics: If you’re going to use the phone, tell a story with your voicemails; back that up with great emails and valuable content Sales and marketing teams should build stories together and consider implementing a CRM, sequencing tool, and conversational intelligence tools Get a steady stream of outbound leads through a strategy: Who to go after, what to say, how to say it, how message will be delivered, and how to analyze results Get to the point when reaching out to someone for the first time; tell them your objective and what’s in it for them Make voicemails and emails concise; subject lines matter and no attachments The Bridge Group publishes two primary reports: Inside Sales for SaaS Metrics and Comp and Sales Development Metrics and Comp Reports are the #1 lead source for The Bridge Group; they’ve impacted the company’s pipeline and revenues. Look at the right numbers; how many fit your ideal customer profile? Links: The Bridge Group The Bridge Group’s Blog The Bridge Group on LinkedIn Inside Sales for SaaS Metrics and Comp Sales Development Metrics and Comp The Sales Development Playbook Chorus Gong ExecVision OutBound Sales Acceleration Conference Fanatical Prospecting Write and send a review to receive a care package Quotes by Trish Bertuzzi: â€Å"We’re not being human with them, we’re just throwing crap against the wall and praying to God something sticks, so they’ve built a wall, the wall is higher than it’s ever been before, outbound’s tougher.† â€Å"Different buyer types will react to different ways of outreach, so I think you have to figure out how do your buyers want to be approached.† â€Å"Outbound is about making sure we’re all targeting our perfect ideal customer profile, that our story is in alignment, that our marketing message backs it up, and that all of our content is part of the overall story.† â€Å"I always say those who focus are those who win.

How working with an editor helped me score a publishing deal

How working with an editor helped me score a publishing deal How Working with an Editor Helped me Score a Publishing Deal Leslie Heath recently secured a publishing contract for her novel "The Last Mayor's Son". She attributes a large part of her book's success to her editor. In this article, she shares glimpses into the editing process and her advice on how to maintain a good author-editor relationship.A good editor can take a mediocre story and help make it into something phenomenal, but that requires lots of communication, knowledge, and above all, a strong relationship between the author and editor.Important note: a good editor doesn’t actually change the story  - they make suggestions that the author can accept or refuse. It is ultimately the author’s responsibility to make any necessary revisions to the prose, storyline, or characters.Finding the right editorWhen working on my novel,  The Last Mayor's Son, I first tried finding an editor  on author forums and web searches - without much luck. I did begin to work with one individual, but that arrangement quickly fell apart for many reasons, some of which I should have seen coming. First, I figured out almost immediately that this "editor" was not a professional - despite the claims on his website. When I asked him about his cringeworthy grammar and punctuation, his response was that those things were not his concern. This might have been funny if it wasn’t so frustrating. Finally, I asked around for advice, and several people recommended Reedsy as the best place to find a genuinely professional editor.Reedsy's briefing process was simple, and  within no time, I had accepted an offer from one of their vetted editors, Maria D’Marco. Initially, I asked her for an editorial assessment to point out flaws in the plot and give me a general idea of where to improve. I expected a short two- or three-page overview, but I got so much more. Maria gave me an in-depth, twenty-page written assessment plus notes in the manuscript. She not only showed me the areas that needed work but also highlighted pl aces where the story shined.How to facilitate a good author-editor relationshipThis is a good place to point out the most important aspect of the author-editor relationship: the author must be willing to accept constructive criticism. It is astounding how many authors ask for input, then get offended and angry when the editor or reader finds an error or suggests a change. I didn’t agree with every suggestion, but I used them as jumping-off points where I could improve my story. Also, this is where the author needs to have a plan for the story. There were several places where Maria suggested something that wouldn’t work for my idea of the storyline. Instead of getting upset at her feedback, I saw it as an arrow pointing to a problem. Clearly, my idea didn't get across in that passage, so I rewrote it to say what I wanted it to. A good author-editor relationship requires  the  ability to accept constructive criticism. One instance of this is a scene where it necessary to the story for a character who is swimming in a lake to head for deeper waters. After reading this scene, Maria felt it was a bit random and that I needed to specify why this character dives deeper. She suggested the character notices something sinister in the shallow-end and therefore swims away. While this was intriguing, it didn’t fit the story. To fix the clarity problem, I added a few lines of dialogue at the end of the scene where the character explains that something brushed his leg, startling him into jumping toward deep water.The importance of editing for fantasy novelsFantasy stories can require more work than other types of fiction, especially when the author has to keep track of all the details about how the world works. The world I had created for "The Last Mayor’s Son"  has 3 moons which orbit in different directions and in different time schedules. This is an issue at one point in the story when two c haracters must  wait until the slowest moon is full again before they can be freed from their temporary prison. A sharp editor is essential in these situations, as they can see inconsistencies that the author may not have noticed.Several months after Maria’s initial assessment, I returned to Reedsy - and Maria - for a full developmental edit. I was eager to see what her reaction would be to the changes I had made. This time we got more into the nitty-gritty of each individual scene, and she also pointed out some bad grammatical habits I had fallen into. Specifically, she walked me through improving the flow and coherence of the final, epic battle scene, where the main character leaves his home to help defend a  forest village, he must face the enemy. While I had the major events of the battle already defined, Maria helped me organize them so the flow made sense and readers could easily follow what was happening. I would go more in-depth here, but I don’t want to give away the ending!Professional editing helped me score a publishing contractAfter more revisions and reworking those scenes, I started sending off queries to publishers and agents. Within a few short weeks, I received a request for a full manuscript, and then an offer for a contract with a small independent publisher. I have no doubt that Maria’s help was instrumental in landing the deal because she helped strengthen the weakest parts of the book. And after working with a talented professional, I can say with confidence that a good editor is instrumental in creating a book people will want to read. A good editor is instrumental is to creating a book people will want to read. Just remember - know the story you are trying to tell, but keep your pen open to suggestion and you will find working with an editor to be a fruitful and happy process.The Last Mayors son is available from Class Act Books, and on Amazon in paperback and  Kindle.  What have been your experiences working with an editor? Do you have any additional tips for creating a good author-editor relationship?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Leslie  in the comments below.