Defining Productivity

Generally productivity means many things in many other different fields. Even in business where it has its nearest relations, productivity is defined variously according to the aspect that is studied. (Reportedly, there are around 20 definitions of productivity related to business.)

Productivity concepts

Most of these concepts relate to productivity as a relationship between output and input to the studied systems. It contains variables and other inter-relationships within the precise group it belongs to (office, manufacturing plant, machinery systems, etc).

It is also regarded as a stimulus-response model that an input causes an output. Universally, for purposes of simplicity, it is output divided by input. However, there is some confusion to this view.

Formally, in most circles productivity is “strictly a relationship between resources that come into an organizational system over a given period of time and outputs generated with those resources over the same period of time.”

Variables

In a factory, for example, productivity measures connected with input factors (labor, capital, etc) are inadequate and can be misleading sometimes.

On one hand, input factors cannot be studied while isolated by themselves. Productivity improvement in one aspect is generally at the cost of the other. Also, labor as an input factor is present in all phases. On the other hand, managerial resource (another important input factor) is not counted in such measures. 

However, the rest of the many concepts consign productivity in an output-input relationship, mostly relevant to a production system. This implies that there is an organization that works as a physical system with variables and other inter-relationships within.

Objectives

Experts Sardina and Vrat declared that those who will undertake productivity measurements should have three objectives.

One, potential improvements must be identified. Two, a decision must be made to reallocate resources. And three, it should present how well the previously established goals were determined.

Performance and financial productivity

There is a difference between these two factors. Performance productivity is based on the number of produced outputs.

For example: company X had produced 100 units of products in one week, and in the next, was able to come with 120 units. The performance productivity would have increased by 20%.

In comparison, the focus on the output value is grouped as a financial productivity. Suppose that company X had produced 100 units of products in the first and second week.

However, the selling price was raised from $1.00 to $1.20 per unit in the second week. The financial productivity would have been increased by 20% but with no increase in output.

This is misleading, too. If, on the other hand, the company sells 120 product items at $1.20 each but in the second week the price is dropped by 16.7%, the result is still $120 in sales.

From a financial viewpoint, there is no change while from a performance point there had been change. (They had to produce 20 more items.)

Definitions

Thus far, managers cannot pinpoint productivity’s definitions, measurements and improvements. On the same vein, they cannot define the performance’s concepts, measurements, and improvements as well.

This demonstrates that there might be a number of perspectives in viewing productivity. Following that viewpoint, there could also be a number of different measures in assessing productivity.

Finding Product Reviews before Online Shopping

The ability to find product reviews before online shopping is very useful for online shoppers. These reviews can be very helpful for consumers who are trying to decide whether or not to purchase a particular product or attempting to compare to similar products. Based on these product reviews the consumer may make a more informed decision about which products to purchase and which ones to avoid. However, there are different types of reviews available and some product reviews are more useful than others. This article will discuss product reviews which can be found directly on the online retailer’s website as well as product reviews which can be found on websites dedicated to compiling product reviews.

Reviews on the Online Retailers Website

There are to many online retailers provide reviews of products they offer for sale directly on their own website. These reviews typically fall into two categories and include consumer product reviews and product reviews offered in terms for compensation. Consumers who are using these reviews to gather information about a product should proceed with caution to ensure they understand what type of reviews are being offered on the website.

Consumer reviews are typically the best resource for consumers who want to learn more about a product. This includes reviews which come from others who have purchased and used the product in question. These reviews are usually completely candid and offer great insight into the form and functionality of the product. Online shoppers who find the majority of consumers are satisfied with a particular product may be reassured they have selected a high quality product. Conversely online shoppers how consistently find negative reviews of a particular product may wish to consider purchasing a different item.

Online retailers also sometimes feature reviews on their website from reviewers who have been compensated to provide a review. When a retailer compensates an individual to make a review it is usually necessary to divulge this information because the review may tend to rate the product more favorably than they would if they were not compensated to do so.

Websites Provided for Consumers to Review Products

There are also websites available which are dedicated to compiling product reviews. This includes websites such as epinions.com. Here consumers can browse through a variety of products to find additional information in the form of product reviews for products they are considering purchasing. The reviews they find may be incredibly detailed and useful or they may be brief and provide very little useful information. Consumers are advised to consider these opinions carefully especially when there are a large number of reviews available which seem to be in agreement regarding the quality of the product. However, when there are only a few reviews available it can be much more difficult for the consumer to formulate his own opinion of the product based on these reviews posted on the website. Consumers are also advised to ignore reviews which vary significantly from the majority of the other review posted. These reviews may be mistakenly referring to the wrong product or may demonstrate an anomaly. For example if the majority of reviews are overwhelmingly positive but one or two reviews are negative it is generally acceptable to ignore the negative reviews as long as the company selling the product is reputable and there are enough positive reviews available to convince the shopper the product is worthwhile.

Online Shopping for Clothing

There are a variety of online retailers selling clothing. This includes traditional stores that also have online stores as well as retailers who operate exclusively online. Shopping for clothing online is very popular especially for those consumers who do not have sufficient time to visit traditional stores and spend time browsing and trying on clothing. It is also a popular option for consumers seeking an outfit for a special occasion who have not been satisfied with the options they found available to them in local traditional stores. This article will supply information on some of the popular online retailers of clothing as well as information on selecting clothing items online and dealing with items that do not fit properly.

Popular Online Retailers for Clothing

The majority of major traditional stores that sell clothing also have an online version of their store where consumers can browse through the inventory, make purchases and have items shipped directly to them or to friends or family members. Examples of popular traditional stores who also offer online versions of their store include Old Navy, Banana Republic, Abercrombie and Fitch and Ann Taylor. Additionally, department stores such as Target, Macy’s and JCPenny which do not exclusively sell clothing make their clothing, as well as other products, available through the online versions of their stores. Shoppers who opt to peruse the online stores for clothing may find a greater selection than there is available in traditional stores. The online stores may have items available which are only available online. Additionally, the online stores may have access to a greater inventory unlike traditional stores which may run out of popular sizes rather quickly.

Choosing Online Clothing Options Carefully

When purchasing clothing online, consumers have to be somewhat cautious. This is because it may be difficult to tell how well a clothing item will fit without trying it on first. Also, it can be difficult to assess the texture or color of clothing when shopping online. Online shoppers should read product descriptions carefully and pay particular attention to sizing charts when shopping online for clothing. This will help the consumer to make wise choices.

Online shoppers should also pay attention to the description of the cut of clothing items and should carefully compare these descriptions to the photos displayed on the website of the online retailer. This is an important consideration because consumers may prefer certain cuts which are more flattering to them while other cuts may not look as appealing. Paying particular attention to this information will help the consumer make wise decisions when shopping for clothing online.

When the Shoe Doesn’t Fit

Despite a consumer’s best intentions, there may be times in which they purchase clothing items they have to return because they do not fit well or simply because the consumer changes his mind about the item after making the purchase. For this reason, all online shoppers should carefully review the return policies of online clothing retailers before making purchases. Most online retailers will take items back regardless of the reason for the return but some of them may only assume responsibility for the shipping fees associated with the return if the item is defective. However, there are some online retailers that will not accept returns on certain items and the consumer should be aware of these restrictions before making a purchase.

A Cool Steps for Applying a Payday Loan

Was there a time in your life that you have needed cash so bad but don’t know where to get it? Too bad you haven’t encountered payday loans. Payday loans are amounts of money that are acquired through payday loan establishments which can be paid within a couple of weeks but with an appropriate amount of interest. There are a lot of benefits when applying for a payday loan and one of them, obviously, is to help you get through any financial problem that you’re experiencing.

If you wanted to apply for a payday loan but have no idea where to start, here are some tips on how to effective apply for a payday loan. But first, you would need a couple of essentials like: a pay stub from your last employment, photo identification, and a blank check.

Step # 1 – Start with your search

You can look into the yellow pages for payday lenders within the vicinity of your place. Start with a location that’s near you for easy access. By looking through the yellow pages of your phone book, you can locate the address of available payday loans around your area.

Step # 2 – Bring basic requirements

Before stepping through the door of a payday loan store, be sure you have everything with you. You have to have the essentials that were mentioned above like your identification, pay stub and blank check. Pack it all up the you’re ready to proceed.

Step # 3 – Start walking

By this time you have a clear picture on how much you are willing to receive. You have to run down in your mind the reasons for getting this loan. If you have several payday loans in your area, try to visit all of them and determine which one offers the most out of the deals. Payday loans vary from one another. The best payday loan is the one that offers less interest rates or fees. If you have already found your store, you can already fill up the application paper that will be given to you.

Step # 4 – Wait for approval or denial

When applying for a loan, you have to keep in mind that not all amount requested are approved. The business establishment will basically check and see if you are capable of paying the amount that you have requested base on your last employment pay stub. If the company sees that you are incapable of paying the requested amount, they might turn the request down or offer a smaller amount. A representative will be notifying you about the result of the amount that you have requested.

Step # 5 – Write a check

If you have both agreed on the amount that will be borrowed, you will be given the opportunity to write a check for the amount that you have requested including the interest rate that may vary according to state laws. Upon writing, leave the part of “pay to the order of” blank. That will be filled up by the representative in behalf of the company’s name.

Step # 6 – Explanation of payday loan rules

The moment you have successfully given the check to the representative, explanation of contract rules and regulations will follow. After which, you will be asked to sign the contract. Money will then be given out to you. A certain due date will be implied when you will pay the loan. At that point, your current financial problem is solved, for the mean time though.