The Strategy of Toe Tappers and Tiny Toes - Essay Example

Managing Decisions Table of Contents Introduction 2.      Business objectives………………………………………………………..........2 3.     Relate to the business opportunity……………………………………………3 3.1 Incomes, 3.2 Costs, financing, 3.3 Operational details market conditions and customer base 3.4 Considerations about how these factors influence each other. 4.    Evaluation of the methodologies and approaches……………………………………………………………..………..3 5.     Use and application of project management tools and techniques…………………………..4 5.1 Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) 5.2 Gantt Charts. 6. Conclusion……………………………………………..……………………14 6.1 feasibility of the opportunity……………………………………………...………………………14 6.2 viability of the study…………………………………………………….14 Reference……………………………………………………………………….15 Appendix1……………………………………………………………………...13 Spreadsheet Introduction Toe Tappers and Tiny Toes is an institution located in Albion Church, Stamford Street, Ashton under Lyne, Lancs, and belongs to the American Association of Dance. Initially, it began as a dance school for the young, but with time became hospitable in a way to allow all ages to come along and dance. It targeted the ‘young mothers, office workers and retired persons, so as to help them keep fit. According to Burker (2010), he stated that, with the rising issues of overweight, that predispose people to obesity, heart diseases and deaths, Toe Tappers Dance Studio saw it healthy to start the programme and help them cut down the fat and calories. It is with this, that they came up with goals in which they strive to achieve. Tap helps to introduce children to the rhythm and music; it was first introduced in African American dance and named, Juba or Irish Step-Dancing and thought to have taken roots since 1800 when minstrel shows were taking course. Later in 2008, it was started by Rachael when she relocated to Greenwich from Islington after taking a career as a professional dancer. Her aim was to establish the benefits to creative and independent children. Objectives To offer help in those mothers, officers and retirees who want to keep fit. To offer skills to those who want to learn how to dance, improve confidence and enhance confidence. Create room for people to meet each other like social gatherings and enable them share. Relate to the business opportunity (i.e. incomes, costs, financing, operational details market conditions and customer base) and considerations about how these factors influence each other. The school attracts customers by offering the first free lesson for starters, this works as an encouragement where those who really have the urge to cut down calories voluntarily get encouraged and start the exercises as soon as they get time. Povaly (2007), stated that for old members, the organization charges four weekly, where each day, people pay different rates like, they begin their classes with Tots Tap among the three year olds, where children are first taught how to count music and hold a beat, after gaining this skills, they are then taken to the next step of pre-primary tap. By this time the organization targets the school going child. Monday  6-7 pm primary  6.00-7.30pm Junior 1 7- 8.30 junior2/inters Adults/ seniors 8-9pm Just For Fun!!if you want  one hour classes £3 all others £3.50 paid 4 weekly  Thursday 5.30 -6.30 tiny toes 3/4 + 6-7pm advanced beginners  6-7.30pm juniors 6.30 -8 pm juniors  7-8 30 pm junior/inter  7.30-9pm- inter /senior Programs for Saturday mornings are set aside for children who want to enjoy themselves with their parents or guardians watching over them  9.30 -10.15 3+ -5 year olds  10.15 - 11am 2-3+ year olds  lessons £2.50 paid 4 weekly  first lesson free With goals at hand and support from her clients, Rachael has transformed and brought in new styles of teaching which have integrated dance, music and methods that build on her past experience when she was working with major bodies of dancing in the United States. She has also worked to incorporate her styles with that of the British Ballet Organization, so as to make sure as the groups develop; they are able to work in accredited recognition of their development. The mentioned factor of the growing market is due to the merits the organization is striving to give its clients. An example is where, for starters, they are allowed free services for that day, and then the subsequent days of the week, they are charged at fair prices. This has given room to the expansion of Tiptoes and Tappers, to an extent of forming a collision with Ballet.  Evaluation of the methodologies and approaches you have used in order to analyze your chosen business opportunity clearly explain how the outcome from each technique is impacting on the resulting decisions made. Certain support has made the writer fall for this idea that tiptoes and tapper is effective in helping people cut weight and keep fit as early as childhood. This is evidenced in a dance studio at the university of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, when voices are heard calling and responding to the rhythm and singing pattern. The sounds tend to project from Rhythm Technique class run by teacher Jeannie who is known for her unique moves. The idea is supported by Hill who confirms that, the approach to that type of movement training helps to build ones way in which the body wants to move. Here, students get to know more about expressing their energy by going with the rhythm first. If the strength of purpose is combined with emotional reaction in one’s body, it allows one change from classical to natural, rhythm. Another study supports this idea when it highlights that listeners are glad replacing beats in favorite songs with movement. The statement at a glance tries to pinpoint the benefit people are getting in the dance classes. Some researchers quotes, “happy, that trigger has almost uncontrolled need to tap ones feet, bob their head or move the rhythm in some way.” He tries to expound that the enjoyment varies by what is missing compared to what is actually been presented. To make tappers more attractive, they have come up with a program where top winners are granted scholarships. A number of them won this year after an audition that was done in early February. The various spaces of scholarships are, teaching, choreography, performing among others. Major advantages arising from the dancing class, are that most members are able to keep fit and reduce levels of fat accumulation in the body. This allows flow of blood in the body vessels and organs with no resistance hence healthy individuals. If one does not exercise, especially the targeted young mothers and office workers, plus the retirees, muscles tend to accumulate and in turn cause fat deposits on the veins and blood vessels which later impair blood flow to vital organs and predispose people to medical conditions like, Deep Venous Thrombosis, Hypertension, obesity which can later cause death. Among the drawbacks for heavy dancing may be some injuries to the muscles to cause compartment syndromes, bones may get dislocated. An example of Wynen 44 years old is a veteran and dance professor in the University of Ballarat. He developed plantar fasciitis in the right foot while choreographing for the university arts academy. It was thought that his injuries would slow him down to bed, but the opposite. Mr. wynen continued with his dance classes, but this time he considered moving more effectively and learning safely, in a more natural and healthy way for the body. Use and Application of Project Management Tools and Techniques Project management is one of the challenging areas that comprise many complex responsibilities. There are many tools used to assist with accomplishing the tasks and executing the responsibilities. Some require a computer with supporting software, while others can be used manually. Project managers should choose a project management tool that best suits their management style. No specific tool addresses all project management needs. The most common used tools are Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) and Gantt Charts. Both of these project management tools can be produced manually or with commercially available project management software. PERT is a planning and control tool used for defining and controlling the tasks necessary to complete a project. PERT charts and Critical Path Method (CPM) charts are normally used interchangeably; the only difference is how task times are computed. Both charts display the total project with all scheduled tasks shown in sequence. The displayed tasks show which ones are in parallel, those tasks that can be performed at the same time. A graphic representation called a "Project Network" or "CPM Diagram" is used to portray graphically the interrelationships of the elements of a project and to show the order in which the activities must be performed. PERT planning involves the following steps: 1. Identify the specific activities and milestones. The activities are the tasks of the project. The milestones are the events that mark the beginning and the end of one or more activities. 2. Determine the proper sequence of activities. This step may be combined with #1 above since the activity sequence is evident for some tasks. Other tasks may require some analysis to determine the exact order in which they should be performed. 3. Construct a network diagram. Using the activity sequence information, a network diagram can be drawn showing the sequence of the successive and parallel activities. Arrowed lines represent the activities and circles or "bubbles" represent milestones. 4. Estimate the time required for each activity. Weeks are a commonly used unit of time for activity completion, but any consistent unit of time can be used. A distinguishing feature of PERT is its ability to deal with uncertainty in activity completion times. For each activity, the model usually includes three time estimates: Optimistic time - the shortest time in which the activity can be completed. Most likely time - the completion time having the highest probability. Pessimistic time - the longest time that an activity may take. From this, the expected time for each activity can be calculated using the following weighted average: Expected Time = (Optimistic + 4 x Most Likely + Pessimistic) / 6 This helps to bias time estimates away from the unrealistically short timescales normally assumed. 5. Determine the critical path. The critical path is determined by adding the times for the activities in each sequence and determining the longest path in the project. The critical path determines the total calendar time required for the project. The amount of time that a non-critical path activity can be delayed without delaying the project is referred to as slack time. If the critical path is not immediately obvious, it may be helpful to determine the following four times for each activity: ES - Earliest Start time EF - Earliest Finish time LS - Latest Start time LF - Latest Finish time These times are calculated using the expected time for the relevant activities. The earliest start and finish times of each activity are determined by working forward through the network and determining the earliest time at which an activity can start and finish considering its predecessor activities. The latest start and finish times are the latest times that an activity can start and finish without delaying the project. LS and LF are found by working backward through the network. The difference in the latest and earliest finish of each activity is that activitys slack. The critical path then is the path through the network in which none of the activities have slack. The variance in the project completion time can be calculated by summing the variances in the completion times of the activities in the critical path. Given this variance, one can calculate the probability that the project will be completed by a certain date assuming a normal probability distribution for the critical path. The normal distribution assumption holds if the number of activities in the path is large enough for the central limit theorem to be applied (Rad & Levin 2006). 6. Update the PERT chart as the project progresses. As the project unfolds, the estimated times can be replaced with actual times. In cases where there are delays, additional resources may be needed to stay on schedule and the PERT chart may be modified to reflect the new situation. An example of a PERT chart is provided below: Benefits to using a PERT chart or the Critical Path Method include: Improved planning and scheduling of activities. Improved forecasting of resource requirements. Identification of repetitive planning patterns which can be followed in other projects, thus simplifying the planning process. Ability to see and thus reschedule activities to reflect inter project dependencies and resource limitations following know priority rules. It also provides the following: expected project completion time, probability of completion before a specified date, the critical path activities that impact completion time, the activities that have slack time and that can lend resources to critical path activities, and activity start and end dates. Gantt charts are used to show calendar time task assignments in days, weeks or months. The tool uses graphic representations to show start, elapsed, and completion times of each task within a project. Gantt charts are ideal for tracking progress. The number of days actually required to complete a task that reaches a milestone can be compared with the planned or estimated number. The actual workdays, from actual start to actual finish, are plotted below the scheduled days. This information helps target potential timeline slippage or failure points. These charts serve as a valuable budgeting tool and can show dollars allocated versus dollars spent. To draw up a Gantt chart, follow these steps: 1. List all activities in the plan. For each task, show the earliest start date, estimated length of time it will take, and whether it is parallel or sequential. If tasks are sequential, show which stages they depend on. 2. Head up graph paper with the days or weeks through completion. 3. Plot tasks onto graph paper. Show each task starting on the earliest possible date. Draw it as a bar, with the length of the bar being the length of the task. Above the task bars, mark the time taken to complete them. 4. Schedule activities. Schedule them in such a way that sequential actions are carried out in the required sequence. Ensure that dependent activities do not start until the activities they depend on have been completed. Where possible, schedule parallel tasks so that they do not interfere with sequential actions on the critical path. While scheduling, ensure that you make best use of the resources you have available, and do not over-commit resources. Also, allow some slack time in the schedule for holdups, overruns, failures, etc. 5. Presenting the analysis. In the final version of your Gantt chart, combine your draft analysis (number 3 above) with your scheduling and analysis of resources (number 4 above). This chart will show when you anticipate that jobs should start and finish. An example of a Gantt chart is provided below (MAMET 1993).  Benefits of using a Gantt chart include: Gives an easy to understand visual display of the scheduled time of a task or activity. Makes it easy to develop "what if" scenarios. Enables better project control by promoting clearer communication. Becomes a tool for negotiations. Shows the actual progress against the planned schedule. Can report results at appropriate levels. Allows comparison of multiple projects to determine risk or resource allocation. Rewards the project manager with more visibility and control over the project Between the two tools, Gantt is best suited for Toe Tappers Dance Studio. This is because it will help put a track on the progress. An example is the number of days that are required to complete a task that reaches a milestone. This can be compared with the planned or estimated number. The actual workdays, from actual start to actual finish and in terms of time, are plotted below the scheduled days. This information helps an organization like Toe Tappers target potential timeline slippage or failure points. These charts serve as a valuable budgeting tool and can show dollars allocated versus dollars spent. Gantt seem to be much evidenced and works in a transparency way. It can pinpoint the minute areas with shortcomings that can be easily giving room for rectification. It will be easier to enter such type of a data in Gantts chart and for quick presentation. Monday  6-7 pm primary  6.00-7.30pm Junior 1 7- 8.30 junior2/inters Adults/ seniors 8-9pm Just For Fun!!If you want  one hour classes £3 all others £3.50 paid 4 weekly  Thursday 5.30 -6.30 tiny toes 3/4 + 6-7pm advanced beginners  6-7.30pm juniors 6.30 -8 pm juniors  7-8 30 pm junior/inter  7.30-9pm- inter /senior Programs for Saturday mornings are set aside for children who want to enjoy themselves with their parents or guardians watching over them  9.30 -10.15 3+ -5 year olds  10.15 - 11am 2-3+ year olds  lessons £2.50 paid 4 weekly  by MAMET (1993).  In column one, the task name is, Toe Tappers Dance Studio, and a description of how the project was started, what was required to make it flourish, did it have goals and were they achievable? On the other column, a list of how the goals will be achieved is set in days, at what time and what type of activity. Back to the procedure a careful evaluation is done more than once either periodically or after a certain time to see whether people are enjoying the dancing services or there is need to come up with other skills. After a careful re-evaluation, a programme is then designed to complete the project (O’donell 2005).  Conclusion The chosen study was began by Rachael and worked hard to expound on her gained skills. She worked with a mind of trying to help children keep fit, before putting a consideration for the elderly who are at great risk of lifestyle diseases and saw that the programme would work to help prolong lives, in as much as they are living healthy. In as much as the dance has a lot of benefits, in terms of gaining skills, allowing people create room for people to meet each other like social gatherings and enable them share, various risks are encountered though they are outweighed by the benefits. An example when Wynen a veteran who is 44 years old and dance professor in the University of Ballarat, developed plantar fasciitis in the right foot while choreographing for the university arts academy. Many thought that his injuries would slow him down and put him off from dance school, but the reverse happened. Mr. wynen continued with his dance classes, but this time he considered moving more effectively and learning safely, in a more natural and healthy way for the body. From this project, it confirms that the project is viable. Bibliography (2003). The Chicago manual of style. Chicago, Ill, University of Chicago Press. BARNES, L., MURATA, S., & SCHWARTZ, J. (1999). Toe tapper. New York, Somerville House. BECKER, M. C., & LAZARIC, N. (2009). Organizational routines advancing empirical research. Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=433337. BELSKY, E. S., HERBERT, C. E., & MOLINSKY, J. H. 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