Renault's boxy Logan sedan had rear-view mirrors as an option - or so the joke went after its 2005 launch under the low-cost Dacia brand.
Its similarly cheap replacement, unveiled at the Paris auto show, has a chrome dashboard finish and other stylistic flourishes worthy of a mid-market rival. Touch-screen GPS and parking radar feature in all but the simplest versions.
In a brutal auto sales slump, "crisis cars" are coming of age in Europe, narrowing the gap with mainstream brands in everything from esthetics to fuel economy.
"The differences are becoming more subtle," said Renault saleswoman Chloe Gomez as she showed off Dacia's Lodgy minivan.
"We're getting customers who have plenty of money," she said. "They might have owned a (Renault) Scenic, but now they're looking for simplicity, and to save some cash for other things."
Dacia's success echoes a recent survey by Britain's AA motoring association, which found that a sizable majority of drivers would prefer to do without such extras as heated seats, electric parking brakes and rainsensing wipers.
The back-to-basics trend has lifted other cut-price brands, including Volkswagen's Skoda, General Motors' Chevrolet, Hyundai and affiliate Kia. It has also put the squeeze on Fiat, Ford, PSA Peugeot Citroen and GM's Opel at a time when their compact cars are being challenged by a wave of new rivals from luxury makers.
Renault's so-called Entry models were an initial flop in target markets such as India and an accidental hit back home. They have since become the French automaker's biggest earner, with profit margins above six per cent and heading for nine per cent soon, some analysts say.
Wage costs at their assembly plants are 5 euros an hour in Romania and 3 euros in Morocco compared with 30 in France. The factories also use hand-me-down tooling from other Renault plants to save on investment.
"There may have been an element of luck in the success of the Entry strategy," Barclays analyst Kristina Church wrote in a recent note. "But management certainly hasn't been slow to capitalize on it."
Badged as Dacia in Europe and Renault elsewhere, the Logan family has spawned variants including the Lodgy and bestselling Duster 4x4, drawing ripostes from GM, Peugeot and Volkswagen.
Among budget-conscious cars on show in Paris are Chevrolet's Trax compact SUV and refreshed Spark mini, alongside a Peugeot 301 and Citroen C-Elysee - new spartan models from France's larger mass automaker.
Pending a promised lowcost range from VW, the Skoda division is wheeling out its own answer to the Logan: the Rapid sedan, aimed squarely at demand for functional four-doors in Central and Eastern Europe and around the Mediterranean.
In France, where Renault employs about 50,000 workers, the core brand's car sales fell 21 per cent in January-August, cutting market share by 1.8 points to 18.4 per cent. Imported Dacias claimed 4.4 per cent of the market, up half a point.
Global entry range deliveries are set to rise almost a quarter this year to top 1 million vehicles, or 37 per cent of the group total, compared with 15 per cent five years ago.
By 2014, French-built models will dwindle to 20 per cent with Renault's "silent metamorphosis into a low-cost automaker", Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson predicts.
The original Logan did, in fact, include mirrors - but no power steering or electric windows.
Its engines and fuel economy were a generation behind, and the Soviet-hangover styling imposed a hard, drab interior and black plastic bumpers of the kind last seen more than a decade earlier on mainstream models.
2012年9月28日星期五
2012年9月26日星期三
A rare day with the Nats
First of all,Washington’s baseball team isn’t known for excellence. Fact is, it had won nary a playoff or World Series game in all my aging lifetime of 79 years — until last week.
Thus, the day after that happened, I loaded us Blankenship boys into the minivan and celebrated by tooling down the Interstate to the Nationals’ fine new stadium in D.C. Rounding them up was easy. All five of us — myself plus sons Bud and Bob plus grandsons Jamie and Jason — now dwell happily ratcheer in Aquia Harbour.
Our tickets weren’t classy or too costly, at $24 per. They entitled us to seats about three rows back from the fence and a bit to the right of center field. From there I could easily see my favorite, 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper, as center fielder throw out a runner trying to score from third base at home plate. He’s getting really good at that. Alas, the night we were there against Milwaukee, he went none for four at bat.
I could see little else, including most of the balls hit in the air by either team. You see — but I didn’t because I left my distance glasses in the car — we were seated also right in the glare of a huge bank of stadium lights atop the stadium on the opposite side. Downer.
I tried pulling down the bill of my Nationals cap to where it shielded me from the glare. But that didn’t do much good. So we then decided to sit in some unoccupied seats several rows higher in the stands. That helped, but not much for fly balls.
Also of no help was the giant TV screen that showed all the batters and replays of exciting things for fans on the opposite side of the ball park. I guess that didn’t handicap us too much since there was little or no excitement in the game anyhow.
It was nice to see my other favorite Nats player, Tyler Clippard, get into the game in the ninth inning to protect the home team’s 2-1 lead. His pitching record as an excellent stopper suffered that night as he blew the lead and let Milwaukee win the game.
Even so, and even though I could see very little of the plays and would have enjoyed the TV version much better, it was a lovely night, that first day of fall. I trust the Nats will now do better without me or all my Blankenship boys in person.
The crowd was friendly, not a bit rowdy, and it featured lots of families and couples. There was a big crowd, but not where we sat. Our food and drink choices were tasty, but pricey. A beer cost $8 and a hot dog $4 or thereabouts.
Regardless, it will be a while before I return to D.C. to watch baseball. After all, the last time, as I recall, the replacement Senators were on the verge of departing to Texas and were playing in RFK, where everyone was much closer to the field, by the way. I do remember that game. It was against the White Sox, and also dull. The Senators finally won that “night” game, 6-5 in 23 innings.
You read that right. My buddy and I didn’t get back home to Falls Church until nearly 3 a.m. and our wives wouldn’t believe we had only been at the game. We did get more of our moneys’ worth then than this time.
Thus, the day after that happened, I loaded us Blankenship boys into the minivan and celebrated by tooling down the Interstate to the Nationals’ fine new stadium in D.C. Rounding them up was easy. All five of us — myself plus sons Bud and Bob plus grandsons Jamie and Jason — now dwell happily ratcheer in Aquia Harbour.
Our tickets weren’t classy or too costly, at $24 per. They entitled us to seats about three rows back from the fence and a bit to the right of center field. From there I could easily see my favorite, 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper, as center fielder throw out a runner trying to score from third base at home plate. He’s getting really good at that. Alas, the night we were there against Milwaukee, he went none for four at bat.
I could see little else, including most of the balls hit in the air by either team. You see — but I didn’t because I left my distance glasses in the car — we were seated also right in the glare of a huge bank of stadium lights atop the stadium on the opposite side. Downer.
I tried pulling down the bill of my Nationals cap to where it shielded me from the glare. But that didn’t do much good. So we then decided to sit in some unoccupied seats several rows higher in the stands. That helped, but not much for fly balls.
Also of no help was the giant TV screen that showed all the batters and replays of exciting things for fans on the opposite side of the ball park. I guess that didn’t handicap us too much since there was little or no excitement in the game anyhow.
It was nice to see my other favorite Nats player, Tyler Clippard, get into the game in the ninth inning to protect the home team’s 2-1 lead. His pitching record as an excellent stopper suffered that night as he blew the lead and let Milwaukee win the game.
Even so, and even though I could see very little of the plays and would have enjoyed the TV version much better, it was a lovely night, that first day of fall. I trust the Nats will now do better without me or all my Blankenship boys in person.
The crowd was friendly, not a bit rowdy, and it featured lots of families and couples. There was a big crowd, but not where we sat. Our food and drink choices were tasty, but pricey. A beer cost $8 and a hot dog $4 or thereabouts.
Regardless, it will be a while before I return to D.C. to watch baseball. After all, the last time, as I recall, the replacement Senators were on the verge of departing to Texas and were playing in RFK, where everyone was much closer to the field, by the way. I do remember that game. It was against the White Sox, and also dull. The Senators finally won that “night” game, 6-5 in 23 innings.
You read that right. My buddy and I didn’t get back home to Falls Church until nearly 3 a.m. and our wives wouldn’t believe we had only been at the game. We did get more of our moneys’ worth then than this time.
2012年9月23日星期日
Plenty of parking in Norwich
Jason Vincent has heard the complaints over and over: There's not enough parking downtown to support existing and new businesses.
He set out to answer the questions of just how much parking there is in downtown Norwich, how far it is from popular destinations and how much it costs. The answers didn't surprise the senior economic development associate at Norwich Community Development Corp., but they might surprise some people.
There are more than 3,000 parking spaces in downtown Norwich, and 1,093 of them are free, including 520 on-street spaces. The city and other public entities own 1,756 spaces, while private entities own 1,269 of the spaces.
Vincent said the assessment of the current parking situation will help city officials market the downtown to businesses and potential patrons.
The inventory of spaces was just the first step in a plan to make the downtown - with its narrow, one-way streets and steep hills - more navigable.
In the window at the NCDC Main Street office are two posters that could be signs of things to come. "Walk Norwich. Are you going to Social Security? 1 minute walk." Someone with a smartphone can scan the bar code and download walking directions from the NCDC office, which is directly across the street from the free Main Street parking garage.
The second poster directs people to the nearly Norwich Superior Courthouse, but Vincent already has learned that modern technology is not infallible. The Google Maps directions to the courthouse were wrong. Vincent contacted the Internet giant to let them know and has been informed that the error will be corrected.
"It's not that I need directions to the courthouse," Vincent said. "I know where it is, but for someone coming here for the first time and finding a place to park, and then having to figure out where the courthouse is from there, it's confusing."
In the future, NCDC hopes to create a geographic information system with online links that would provide maps of parking areas and directions and indicate whether they are free or charge a fee.
But for now, Vincent printed out bright orange placards he is distributing among businesses, City Hall, and he hopes the courthouse, with parking information. One side shows a rough map of the key landmarks, key downtown streets with parking lots and free on-street spaces.
"Thank you for visiting," the other side said. "We have plenty of FREE Parking and want you to find it." An illustration of a car in the corner of the card has a thought bubble: "Wow! Over 1,000 FREE spaces."
On Tuesday, Vincent presented the preliminary assessment with detailed spreadsheets of raw data to the Norwich Public Parking Commission to ask for the commission's participation in the effort to make Norwich more parking friendly.
He also asked the commission for permission to place a much larger vertical parking sign on the free Main Street garage. Vincent said he hopes the sign would be visible from Washington Square for vehicles approaching downtown.
Another map shows a person can get to most key places downtown within five minutes on foot.
"It's interesting when you see it laid out like this," said parking commission member and City Council President Pro Tempore Francois "Pete" Desaulniers. "It's really not bad walking."
He set out to answer the questions of just how much parking there is in downtown Norwich, how far it is from popular destinations and how much it costs. The answers didn't surprise the senior economic development associate at Norwich Community Development Corp., but they might surprise some people.
There are more than 3,000 parking spaces in downtown Norwich, and 1,093 of them are free, including 520 on-street spaces. The city and other public entities own 1,756 spaces, while private entities own 1,269 of the spaces.
Vincent said the assessment of the current parking situation will help city officials market the downtown to businesses and potential patrons.
The inventory of spaces was just the first step in a plan to make the downtown - with its narrow, one-way streets and steep hills - more navigable.
In the window at the NCDC Main Street office are two posters that could be signs of things to come. "Walk Norwich. Are you going to Social Security? 1 minute walk." Someone with a smartphone can scan the bar code and download walking directions from the NCDC office, which is directly across the street from the free Main Street parking garage.
The second poster directs people to the nearly Norwich Superior Courthouse, but Vincent already has learned that modern technology is not infallible. The Google Maps directions to the courthouse were wrong. Vincent contacted the Internet giant to let them know and has been informed that the error will be corrected.
"It's not that I need directions to the courthouse," Vincent said. "I know where it is, but for someone coming here for the first time and finding a place to park, and then having to figure out where the courthouse is from there, it's confusing."
In the future, NCDC hopes to create a geographic information system with online links that would provide maps of parking areas and directions and indicate whether they are free or charge a fee.
But for now, Vincent printed out bright orange placards he is distributing among businesses, City Hall, and he hopes the courthouse, with parking information. One side shows a rough map of the key landmarks, key downtown streets with parking lots and free on-street spaces.
"Thank you for visiting," the other side said. "We have plenty of FREE Parking and want you to find it." An illustration of a car in the corner of the card has a thought bubble: "Wow! Over 1,000 FREE spaces."
On Tuesday, Vincent presented the preliminary assessment with detailed spreadsheets of raw data to the Norwich Public Parking Commission to ask for the commission's participation in the effort to make Norwich more parking friendly.
He also asked the commission for permission to place a much larger vertical parking sign on the free Main Street garage. Vincent said he hopes the sign would be visible from Washington Square for vehicles approaching downtown.
Another map shows a person can get to most key places downtown within five minutes on foot.
"It's interesting when you see it laid out like this," said parking commission member and City Council President Pro Tempore Francois "Pete" Desaulniers. "It's really not bad walking."
2012年9月19日星期三
Malaysia’s CIMB arrives
On a humid evening in late August, half a dozen workers down their tools and adjourn to temporary accommodation in the shadows of the Ar-Rahah Mosque, which they are building alongside a gleaming new business park in central Kuala Lumpur. Moulds, wheelbarrows and panes of glassare scattered beneath the scaffolding and the smell of fresh bitumen emanates from the newly laid car park.
The mosque, which is nearly complete, is testament to the skill of the builders: vast geometric patterns race up the interior, colliding with verses from the Koran, preaching the wisdom of prayer, on the white walls. A splendid red and gold carpet is rolled out amid the debris, pointing towards the Universiti Malaya, and beyond that, Mecca.
The mosque is a gift from Nazir Razak, 45, group chief executive of Malaysian bank CIMB Group, to his mother, Tun Rahah Mohd Noah, 79, the former first lady of Malaysia.
“I just woke up one day and said that is one thing I want to do for my mother,” Nazir says about his motivation for building it.
But the mosque is more than a gift: it reflects the apotheosis of his family. Nazir’s father, Tun Abdul Razak, was the second prime minister of Malaysia; his brother, Najib Razak, is the current prime minister.
While the name Razak is omnipresent in Malaysia, few advisers in Australia had heard of Nazir – or CIMB – at the start of this year.
This changed in March, when CIMB bought, for 75 million ($115.8 million), the Asia-Pacific cash equities and investment banking assets of the Royal Bank of Scotland, including in Australia. This has made Nazir the boss of the new kid on the investment banking block in Australia.
Its Australian leadership team of Nick Rowe, Simon Perrott and Randolf Clinton, who all joined CIMB from RBS, should be handing out CIMB business cards from the first week of November, once the regulator’s testing of new trading systems is complete.
While some local investment banking leaders are sceptical that CIMB will make much of an impact on the scene here, Nazir has big plans for his new Australian flock, whose remit will not be confined to the continent.
“It’s not just about them joining you, it’s about you making them better as a result of you being the new shareholder,” he says of his management philosophy for integrating recruits. “I spend an equal amount of time thinking what I can do for them, what business we can pipe through to them and help them generate. I am very big on integration and leverage.
“Many of the Australian team members are too talented to just be in the Australian market. I would like them to be the centre of excellence for some of the sector coverage across the Asian region. That’s a big opportunity for them, and a big one for me. Now, it’s about making it happen, and convincing everybody to work accordingly.”
Nazir has had a good deal of experience of late in convincing a diverse group of bankers, from a range of cultures around the region, to sing from the same hymn sheet. The RBS deal is part of the Nazir-led expansion at CIMB, which has undergone explosive growth while maintaining a return on equity of about 16per cent. The recent deals include buying 60per cent of Philippines lender Bank of Commerce for $US280 million in May, and taking a 70per cent stake Sicco Securities a year ago to boost presence in Thailand.
CIMB now has extensive banking operations in nine of the 10 countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, or ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and is applying for a licence in the last, Laos. This positioning is a big play on the future of the regional body, which was founded out of anti-communist solidarity in the late ’60s, as it seeks closer economic ties between its members.
There are many benefits of capturing the economic momentum: in the ASEAN 10, home to 600million people, average gross domestic product is growing by almost 8per cent a year and the bloc would be the world’s fifth-largest economy (after the US, China, India and Japan). Further removal of non-tariff trade barriers to allow the freer movement of goods, workers and capital will serve to harmonise the region’s financial markets.
The mosque, which is nearly complete, is testament to the skill of the builders: vast geometric patterns race up the interior, colliding with verses from the Koran, preaching the wisdom of prayer, on the white walls. A splendid red and gold carpet is rolled out amid the debris, pointing towards the Universiti Malaya, and beyond that, Mecca.
The mosque is a gift from Nazir Razak, 45, group chief executive of Malaysian bank CIMB Group, to his mother, Tun Rahah Mohd Noah, 79, the former first lady of Malaysia.
“I just woke up one day and said that is one thing I want to do for my mother,” Nazir says about his motivation for building it.
But the mosque is more than a gift: it reflects the apotheosis of his family. Nazir’s father, Tun Abdul Razak, was the second prime minister of Malaysia; his brother, Najib Razak, is the current prime minister.
While the name Razak is omnipresent in Malaysia, few advisers in Australia had heard of Nazir – or CIMB – at the start of this year.
This changed in March, when CIMB bought, for 75 million ($115.8 million), the Asia-Pacific cash equities and investment banking assets of the Royal Bank of Scotland, including in Australia. This has made Nazir the boss of the new kid on the investment banking block in Australia.
Its Australian leadership team of Nick Rowe, Simon Perrott and Randolf Clinton, who all joined CIMB from RBS, should be handing out CIMB business cards from the first week of November, once the regulator’s testing of new trading systems is complete.
While some local investment banking leaders are sceptical that CIMB will make much of an impact on the scene here, Nazir has big plans for his new Australian flock, whose remit will not be confined to the continent.
“It’s not just about them joining you, it’s about you making them better as a result of you being the new shareholder,” he says of his management philosophy for integrating recruits. “I spend an equal amount of time thinking what I can do for them, what business we can pipe through to them and help them generate. I am very big on integration and leverage.
“Many of the Australian team members are too talented to just be in the Australian market. I would like them to be the centre of excellence for some of the sector coverage across the Asian region. That’s a big opportunity for them, and a big one for me. Now, it’s about making it happen, and convincing everybody to work accordingly.”
Nazir has had a good deal of experience of late in convincing a diverse group of bankers, from a range of cultures around the region, to sing from the same hymn sheet. The RBS deal is part of the Nazir-led expansion at CIMB, which has undergone explosive growth while maintaining a return on equity of about 16per cent. The recent deals include buying 60per cent of Philippines lender Bank of Commerce for $US280 million in May, and taking a 70per cent stake Sicco Securities a year ago to boost presence in Thailand.
CIMB now has extensive banking operations in nine of the 10 countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, or ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and is applying for a licence in the last, Laos. This positioning is a big play on the future of the regional body, which was founded out of anti-communist solidarity in the late ’60s, as it seeks closer economic ties between its members.
There are many benefits of capturing the economic momentum: in the ASEAN 10, home to 600million people, average gross domestic product is growing by almost 8per cent a year and the bloc would be the world’s fifth-largest economy (after the US, China, India and Japan). Further removal of non-tariff trade barriers to allow the freer movement of goods, workers and capital will serve to harmonise the region’s financial markets.
2012年9月16日星期日
Modeling performance after evaluation criteria
It's one of those things that would appear so very logical that we rarely, if ever, do it. Think back to the first few days of work at your most recent place of employment. Did you even think of asking your boss to share with you the criteria with which you will be evaluated one year hence?
It's my contention that when it comes to career advancement there may be nothing more important. As a matter of fact, if coached properly it would behoove one to broach the subject during the latter stages of the interview process. I would certainly recommend that this piece of business be high on the priority list -- if not first -- when accepting a new position.
The reality is that usually a year out you will be sitting down with your boss, and he or she will present you with a document entitled "Performance Evaluation." For most, it will be the first time any such formal assessment of your skills by the company will be unveiled. You really can't afford to be caught by surprise.
If you wish to secure the actual forms, you should ask the person to whom you report. However, it shouldn't surprise you to find out they may not be able to accommodate you. Such details are often left to the human-resources professional responsible for the business unit.
The fact is that until that time of year rolls around, it's the last thing on a manager's mind. Usually, the HR professional ends up chasing the evaluator to submit their report on time. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to be proactive and request this information. It's your prerogative to view this material.
It becomes of paramount importance to have knowledge of this criterion if you've negotiated a six-month salary review in lieu of a higher rate of compensation. Due to challenging economic times, this phenomenon happens to be more commonplace. Simply stated, if it affects your bottom line, you need to keep both eyes on the prize.
There is a movement afoot to increase the number of evaluations to two per year or one every six months. It has to do with the motivation and satisfaction of the employee as it pertains to retention. Companies in today's market, more than ever before, covet high-achieving employees. So be sure to question how often these ratings will be doled out.
Oh yeah, and ask also if a self-evaluation is encouraged. This is certainly worthwhile and can go a long way to foster a strong relationship with your boss. Being on the same page at the start is a good thing. And occasionally, a well thought-out personal evaluation may influence the hiring manager in a positive way.
The actual evaluation form will likely consist of a definition of the ratings. Sometimes a number system, say categories 1-5, may be employed. But most often a word-based scenario is the choice.
For example, something like "FE" pertaining to "far exceeds" goals in all areas would indicate exceptional performance while "CE," or "consistently exceeds" goals, is considered superior. These might be followed by "SM," or "sometimes meets" goals, equals expected/successful performance and "PM," meaning "partially meets" goals, shows fair performance. "DNM," or "does not meet" agreed-upon goals, would be considered poor performance and rounds out the ratings scale.
Key areas of responsibilities for the job vary by discipline but usually consist of somewhere between three and five specific standards. They're graded per the above scale.
If your company is on top of its game, it will measure your performance against a well-defined success profile based on information derived by the various assessment tools at its disposal. The more detailed the explanation of these competencies, the better your capability to perform to the specific model.
Normally, there are anywhere from five to 10 areas to be rated. One of the usual suspects is technical competence, measuring your technical knowledge in several functional areas and your ability to translate such information.
Similarly, some combination of initiative/drive rating helps the employer determine managerial maintenance levels along with ones so called "think-out-of-the-box" potential.
It's my contention that when it comes to career advancement there may be nothing more important. As a matter of fact, if coached properly it would behoove one to broach the subject during the latter stages of the interview process. I would certainly recommend that this piece of business be high on the priority list -- if not first -- when accepting a new position.
The reality is that usually a year out you will be sitting down with your boss, and he or she will present you with a document entitled "Performance Evaluation." For most, it will be the first time any such formal assessment of your skills by the company will be unveiled. You really can't afford to be caught by surprise.
If you wish to secure the actual forms, you should ask the person to whom you report. However, it shouldn't surprise you to find out they may not be able to accommodate you. Such details are often left to the human-resources professional responsible for the business unit.
The fact is that until that time of year rolls around, it's the last thing on a manager's mind. Usually, the HR professional ends up chasing the evaluator to submit their report on time. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to be proactive and request this information. It's your prerogative to view this material.
It becomes of paramount importance to have knowledge of this criterion if you've negotiated a six-month salary review in lieu of a higher rate of compensation. Due to challenging economic times, this phenomenon happens to be more commonplace. Simply stated, if it affects your bottom line, you need to keep both eyes on the prize.
There is a movement afoot to increase the number of evaluations to two per year or one every six months. It has to do with the motivation and satisfaction of the employee as it pertains to retention. Companies in today's market, more than ever before, covet high-achieving employees. So be sure to question how often these ratings will be doled out.
Oh yeah, and ask also if a self-evaluation is encouraged. This is certainly worthwhile and can go a long way to foster a strong relationship with your boss. Being on the same page at the start is a good thing. And occasionally, a well thought-out personal evaluation may influence the hiring manager in a positive way.
The actual evaluation form will likely consist of a definition of the ratings. Sometimes a number system, say categories 1-5, may be employed. But most often a word-based scenario is the choice.
For example, something like "FE" pertaining to "far exceeds" goals in all areas would indicate exceptional performance while "CE," or "consistently exceeds" goals, is considered superior. These might be followed by "SM," or "sometimes meets" goals, equals expected/successful performance and "PM," meaning "partially meets" goals, shows fair performance. "DNM," or "does not meet" agreed-upon goals, would be considered poor performance and rounds out the ratings scale.
Key areas of responsibilities for the job vary by discipline but usually consist of somewhere between three and five specific standards. They're graded per the above scale.
If your company is on top of its game, it will measure your performance against a well-defined success profile based on information derived by the various assessment tools at its disposal. The more detailed the explanation of these competencies, the better your capability to perform to the specific model.
Normally, there are anywhere from five to 10 areas to be rated. One of the usual suspects is technical competence, measuring your technical knowledge in several functional areas and your ability to translate such information.
Similarly, some combination of initiative/drive rating helps the employer determine managerial maintenance levels along with ones so called "think-out-of-the-box" potential.
2012年9月12日星期三
Vitafoam
Vitafoam is 50 this year, but assuming no assurance of boilerplate age as it drives avant-garde the accession of new technologies and accomplishment methods and brings to West African consumers the all-embracing levels of account they admiration today. The aggregation was founded in 1962, listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1978, and has become accustomed as by far the better supplier of adjustable cream articles to the Nigerian market—itself the better in Africa with a citizenry of over 160 actor people. But there’s hardly amplitude actuality to allocution in detail about Vitafoam’s ascendancy in the top above adjustable cream articles bogus from four branch locations at Ikeja, Lagos in the south-west; Aba in the south-east; Kano in the north-west; and Jos in the north-east of Nigeria. Suffice to say that the aggregation is universally accepted for its mattresses, fibre pillows, upholstery sheetings, reconstituted cream for orthopaedic mattresses and affairs products.
Vitafoam’s all-inclusive arrangement of above articles accept been aggregate beneath four segments: ‘Early Days’,which caters for nursing mothers, babies and accouchement afore the boyish years;‘Lifestyle’, a trend-changing and avant-garde chic with articles that reflect avant-garde tastes in the household; ‘Premium Health’,which focuses on the accouterment of articles that baby for the upwardly adaptable and ageing chic who are bloom conscious;and assuredly ‘Leisure’, advised to abode the alfresco and leisure needs of the adolescent at heart.Lately it alien into the Nigerian bazaar inner-core bounce mattresses, packaged beds, duvets and bed spreads (fitted and credible sheets), thereby alms the customer a absolute band-aid for a adequate sleep.
The majority of Nigerians today beddy-bye on Vitafoam mattresses, says Vitafoam’s CEO Bamidele Makanjuola, but appeal is alive appear the affectionate of centralized braid bounce mattresses that are about accepted in North America and Europe. In 2011 Vitafoam congenital an addendum to its Ikeja bulb and able it with avant-garde bounce authoritative accouterment from Manchester in the UK and became the aboriginal architect of bounce mattresses in the West African region, business them beneath the Vita Bounce brand. Vita Bounce Flex and Vita Bounce Firm are generally accepted by top cast hotels.
This has been a abundant success, he says. Until now bounce mattresses had to be imported, but Vita Bounce brings them aural the ability of boilerplate assets consumers for the aboriginal time. “We aim to advance the bazaar to the accepted enjoyed in the blow of the world. Our ambition over the next three years is to aggrandize assembly and business so that Nigerians will admission the aftertaste for them, and up to 80 per cent of the mattresses we advertise will be bounce mattresses.”
The new articles still accept cream elements ‘sandwiching’ the cream and the inner-core spring, but the bulk of cream acclimated is awfully reduced, authoritative the accomplished artefact abundant added sustainable. “The abridgement of CFCs and added chemicals is one of our key drivers. It is an environmentally affable process, and the bulk of affairs is cheaper too because the bounce mattress lasts abundant longer.”
The bounce mattress ability is just the latest amplification to appear on beck afterward a N2 billion ($120 million) programme of investment over the endure 5 years. One of the arch fruits of that investment was the ability set up in 2009 to action polyester fibre and accomplish afterwards articles from it. Aswell in Ikeja, this is a abstracted branch and back the action is absolutely altered from cream production, it was set up beneath a abstracted company, Vitablom Nigeria Limited, 80 per cent endemic by Vitafoam. “Almost all Vitablom’s assembly of alveolate siliconised fibre pillows, duvets and cushions is awash alongside our Vitafoam artefact range. We are affairs fibre pillows all over Nigeria now, and into Ghana, which is one of our above consign markets, and aswell to Sierra Leone.”
With a citizenry of about 5.5 actor Sierra Leone is a fast growing abridgement based on its mineral resources, and is nowrebuilding its abridgement 10 years afterwards the end of a civilian war that destroyed a lot of of the country’s infrastructure.Vitafoam’s plan to authorize a adjustable cream and fibre pillow processing bulb there is at an avant-garde date of preparation, says Makanjuola. “We anchored a $2.8 actor accommodation from the Apple Bank subsidiaryInternational Finance Corporation (IFC)—its aboriginal investment in Sierra Leone’s accomplishment industry back the civilian war ended—to set up this factory. We were able to argue the IFC that the action is applicable and we are acquisitive the branch in Sierra Leone will advancement automated action and add to the active standards of the boilerplate Sierra Leonean.” Vitafoam will absorb a 60 per cent authoritative absorption in the action with bounded investors acrimonious up the actual equity, he says. Architecture at the site, 15 afar east of Freetown, started beforehand this year, and aboriginal assembly there will be accepted in March 2013, he says.
Back in Nigeria, Vitafoam is introducing big changes to the way Nigerians accouter their houses, not just through artefact accession but aswell through the alternation of Comfort Centres it is rolling out beyond the nation. “It is one of the means we wish to aggrandize our bazaar allotment in the country,” says Makanjuola. “We wish to change the affairs action of Nigerians—how they acquirement cream and foam-related domiciliary items—so we aim to set up showrooms on top streets all over the country.” Eventually every above city-limits will accept its Comfort Centre, but they are already present at six locations in the Lagos area: Warri, Ife, Abuja, Jos and Kano.
Generally, the anatomy in Nigeria is that you go to the retailer, acquirement your furniture, again accomplish your own arrange to get it home. Comfort Centres alien the abstraction of a one-stop-shop, breadth the customer can accept from a ambit of accompanying articles and accept them delivered free. It is a big footfall for retail, and is getting added by the accession of online purchasing through its acknowledgment (call/contact) centre via its website. In July 2011 Vitafoam entered a cardinal accord with the acclaimed bed architect Vono that brought togethertwo of the nation’s arch players in the beddings and appliance industry. Vitafoam acquired a division of the disinterestedness in its above rival, and admission to its able brand. The synergy was apparent, Makanjuola observes: Vono has above adequacy in the breadth of furniture-making while Vitafoam has the better cream accomplishment and administration network, which will awfully advice Vono to bear its articles in and alfresco the country—and in accurate anticipation the growing arrangement of Comfort Centres.
While adjustable cream will bulk for the better volumes for some time to come, adamant polyurethane foam, a carefully affiliated technology, yields college margins. Chiefly acclimated for insulation, whether in barrio for calefaction and soundproofing or for pipework cladding in automated applications, abnormally the oil and gas industry. All the adamant cream acclimated in Nigeria was alien afore Vitafoam set up Vitapur Nigeria Limited in 2009. The aggregation specialises in polyurethane and polyisocyanate adamant cream products. “Rigid cream was a accustomed move for us, and we are advance heavily in it. There’s a ample bazaar for these articles in accepted construction, insulation panels for portakabins and agronomical barrio like craven houses as able-bodied as algid aliment for the aliment and foodservice industries.”
He is assured abundant things from Vitapur as its accommodation as the alone architect in West Africa is recognised. Meanwhile he is advancing with application into this actual abstruse market, hiring ability from away to alternation and abutment the bounded staff. In time Vitapur hopes to accept the aplomb to accouterment ample aqueduct insulation projects for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry: to this end it has active affiliation agreements with two specialist Italian gas and oil activity insulation companies.
Vitafoam’s all-inclusive arrangement of above articles accept been aggregate beneath four segments: ‘Early Days’,which caters for nursing mothers, babies and accouchement afore the boyish years;‘Lifestyle’, a trend-changing and avant-garde chic with articles that reflect avant-garde tastes in the household; ‘Premium Health’,which focuses on the accouterment of articles that baby for the upwardly adaptable and ageing chic who are bloom conscious;and assuredly ‘Leisure’, advised to abode the alfresco and leisure needs of the adolescent at heart.Lately it alien into the Nigerian bazaar inner-core bounce mattresses, packaged beds, duvets and bed spreads (fitted and credible sheets), thereby alms the customer a absolute band-aid for a adequate sleep.
The majority of Nigerians today beddy-bye on Vitafoam mattresses, says Vitafoam’s CEO Bamidele Makanjuola, but appeal is alive appear the affectionate of centralized braid bounce mattresses that are about accepted in North America and Europe. In 2011 Vitafoam congenital an addendum to its Ikeja bulb and able it with avant-garde bounce authoritative accouterment from Manchester in the UK and became the aboriginal architect of bounce mattresses in the West African region, business them beneath the Vita Bounce brand. Vita Bounce Flex and Vita Bounce Firm are generally accepted by top cast hotels.
This has been a abundant success, he says. Until now bounce mattresses had to be imported, but Vita Bounce brings them aural the ability of boilerplate assets consumers for the aboriginal time. “We aim to advance the bazaar to the accepted enjoyed in the blow of the world. Our ambition over the next three years is to aggrandize assembly and business so that Nigerians will admission the aftertaste for them, and up to 80 per cent of the mattresses we advertise will be bounce mattresses.”
The new articles still accept cream elements ‘sandwiching’ the cream and the inner-core spring, but the bulk of cream acclimated is awfully reduced, authoritative the accomplished artefact abundant added sustainable. “The abridgement of CFCs and added chemicals is one of our key drivers. It is an environmentally affable process, and the bulk of affairs is cheaper too because the bounce mattress lasts abundant longer.”
The bounce mattress ability is just the latest amplification to appear on beck afterward a N2 billion ($120 million) programme of investment over the endure 5 years. One of the arch fruits of that investment was the ability set up in 2009 to action polyester fibre and accomplish afterwards articles from it. Aswell in Ikeja, this is a abstracted branch and back the action is absolutely altered from cream production, it was set up beneath a abstracted company, Vitablom Nigeria Limited, 80 per cent endemic by Vitafoam. “Almost all Vitablom’s assembly of alveolate siliconised fibre pillows, duvets and cushions is awash alongside our Vitafoam artefact range. We are affairs fibre pillows all over Nigeria now, and into Ghana, which is one of our above consign markets, and aswell to Sierra Leone.”
With a citizenry of about 5.5 actor Sierra Leone is a fast growing abridgement based on its mineral resources, and is nowrebuilding its abridgement 10 years afterwards the end of a civilian war that destroyed a lot of of the country’s infrastructure.Vitafoam’s plan to authorize a adjustable cream and fibre pillow processing bulb there is at an avant-garde date of preparation, says Makanjuola. “We anchored a $2.8 actor accommodation from the Apple Bank subsidiaryInternational Finance Corporation (IFC)—its aboriginal investment in Sierra Leone’s accomplishment industry back the civilian war ended—to set up this factory. We were able to argue the IFC that the action is applicable and we are acquisitive the branch in Sierra Leone will advancement automated action and add to the active standards of the boilerplate Sierra Leonean.” Vitafoam will absorb a 60 per cent authoritative absorption in the action with bounded investors acrimonious up the actual equity, he says. Architecture at the site, 15 afar east of Freetown, started beforehand this year, and aboriginal assembly there will be accepted in March 2013, he says.
Back in Nigeria, Vitafoam is introducing big changes to the way Nigerians accouter their houses, not just through artefact accession but aswell through the alternation of Comfort Centres it is rolling out beyond the nation. “It is one of the means we wish to aggrandize our bazaar allotment in the country,” says Makanjuola. “We wish to change the affairs action of Nigerians—how they acquirement cream and foam-related domiciliary items—so we aim to set up showrooms on top streets all over the country.” Eventually every above city-limits will accept its Comfort Centre, but they are already present at six locations in the Lagos area: Warri, Ife, Abuja, Jos and Kano.
Generally, the anatomy in Nigeria is that you go to the retailer, acquirement your furniture, again accomplish your own arrange to get it home. Comfort Centres alien the abstraction of a one-stop-shop, breadth the customer can accept from a ambit of accompanying articles and accept them delivered free. It is a big footfall for retail, and is getting added by the accession of online purchasing through its acknowledgment (call/contact) centre via its website. In July 2011 Vitafoam entered a cardinal accord with the acclaimed bed architect Vono that brought togethertwo of the nation’s arch players in the beddings and appliance industry. Vitafoam acquired a division of the disinterestedness in its above rival, and admission to its able brand. The synergy was apparent, Makanjuola observes: Vono has above adequacy in the breadth of furniture-making while Vitafoam has the better cream accomplishment and administration network, which will awfully advice Vono to bear its articles in and alfresco the country—and in accurate anticipation the growing arrangement of Comfort Centres.
While adjustable cream will bulk for the better volumes for some time to come, adamant polyurethane foam, a carefully affiliated technology, yields college margins. Chiefly acclimated for insulation, whether in barrio for calefaction and soundproofing or for pipework cladding in automated applications, abnormally the oil and gas industry. All the adamant cream acclimated in Nigeria was alien afore Vitafoam set up Vitapur Nigeria Limited in 2009. The aggregation specialises in polyurethane and polyisocyanate adamant cream products. “Rigid cream was a accustomed move for us, and we are advance heavily in it. There’s a ample bazaar for these articles in accepted construction, insulation panels for portakabins and agronomical barrio like craven houses as able-bodied as algid aliment for the aliment and foodservice industries.”
He is assured abundant things from Vitapur as its accommodation as the alone architect in West Africa is recognised. Meanwhile he is advancing with application into this actual abstruse market, hiring ability from away to alternation and abutment the bounded staff. In time Vitapur hopes to accept the aplomb to accouterment ample aqueduct insulation projects for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry: to this end it has active affiliation agreements with two specialist Italian gas and oil activity insulation companies.
2012年9月9日星期日
Lady Gaga – review
During a attenuate quiet moment in Lady Gaga's idea-splurging, two-hour show, the accompanist sits at a keyboard army on a motorcycle and talks about a almanac controlling who appropriate that her Born This Way anthology catered too anxiously to her fanbase's "weirdos and freaks". "They alleged it a niche," she says, triumphantly analysis the 55,000-strong crowd. "This is a big fucking niche."
It's acute to Gaga's self-image, this abstraction that she can be both fantastically acknowledged and an affected destructive accouterment to a association of outcasts. Whether or not you accept that, she absolutely does. The botheration is squaring this address with the businesslike demands of amphitheater pop. Just as her annal carve to reliable templates – Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, European trance-pop – her actualization ticks some accustomed boxes.
So there's an big-ticket set complete like a castle, enabling her to accomplish from assorted turrets as if she were Evita on the balcony. There's a band of formidably addict dancers with whom she can coquette and grind. There are apparel changes ad infinitum. And, inevitably, there is a backward abstraction that seems to absorb the actualization demography abode in a Government Owned Alien Territory (dancers beachcomber atramentous flags account GOAT) above-mentioned to Gaga advancing Earth and inventing a new, abstract chase – although it's harder to say for sure, or absolutely care.
Still, there are common moments of airs and high-wire ingenuity. For Heavy Metal Lover she moulds herself into a cyborg motorbike and invites one of her dancers to ride her. Before Born This Way's stampeding appellation track, she emerges from amid the legs of an inflatable abundant adaptation of herself, as if to say: bout that, Madonna.
At times, assuming in a face-obscuring insectoid helmet or banging on about GOAT, Gaga risks accepting absent central the spectacle, so the weakest allotment of the actualization is aswell the a lot of revealing. Donning a fan-made T-shirt, she plays a appropriate new song about Princess Diana and Amy Winehouse alleged – brace yourself – Princess Die, followed by John Lennon's Imagine. It's both angrily awkward and endearingly sincere: a absolute abandonment from the amphitheater Software that proves the awkward alien band is added than just shtick. Likewise her accommodation to absorb the hair-metal acclamation dancing with the affectionate of camp hardcore admirers that aegis guards are usually paid acceptable money to accumulate at a safe distance. The deeply choreographed hits complete terrific, but it's if this analytical brilliant sabotages the actualization that she seems a lot of herself.
Morgan apparent his additional Premiership actualization with his beginning try for Gloucester, a superb alone accomplishment in which he approved clip and backbone to breach four tackles afterwards he bankrupt from the abject of a ruck.
“The gap just opened up,” Morgan said about a try that approved the action that admiring England arch drillmaster Stuart Lancaster endure season.
Morgan’s try backward in the aboriginal bisected aerial the annoy for Gloucester but they bare 25 points, including seven penalties, from Freddie Burns to break in the bold until backward tries from James Simpson-Daniel and Akapusi Qera clinched their aboriginal win at the Madejski Amphitheater in about six years.
The Exiles conceded 40 credibility for the additional after anniversary but it was an advance on the mauling by Saracens at Twickenham and in addition Marland Yarde, accept they accept an all-embracing of the abreast future.
“I apperceive anybody was talking about Chris Ashton’s tries endure anniversary but Marland Yarde has produced two outstanding performances and he is traveling to could cause the England selectors a lot of problems if he keeps assuming the way he is,” Brian Smith, the Exiles’ administrator of rugby and a above England advance coach, said.
It's acute to Gaga's self-image, this abstraction that she can be both fantastically acknowledged and an affected destructive accouterment to a association of outcasts. Whether or not you accept that, she absolutely does. The botheration is squaring this address with the businesslike demands of amphitheater pop. Just as her annal carve to reliable templates – Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, European trance-pop – her actualization ticks some accustomed boxes.
So there's an big-ticket set complete like a castle, enabling her to accomplish from assorted turrets as if she were Evita on the balcony. There's a band of formidably addict dancers with whom she can coquette and grind. There are apparel changes ad infinitum. And, inevitably, there is a backward abstraction that seems to absorb the actualization demography abode in a Government Owned Alien Territory (dancers beachcomber atramentous flags account GOAT) above-mentioned to Gaga advancing Earth and inventing a new, abstract chase – although it's harder to say for sure, or absolutely care.
Still, there are common moments of airs and high-wire ingenuity. For Heavy Metal Lover she moulds herself into a cyborg motorbike and invites one of her dancers to ride her. Before Born This Way's stampeding appellation track, she emerges from amid the legs of an inflatable abundant adaptation of herself, as if to say: bout that, Madonna.
At times, assuming in a face-obscuring insectoid helmet or banging on about GOAT, Gaga risks accepting absent central the spectacle, so the weakest allotment of the actualization is aswell the a lot of revealing. Donning a fan-made T-shirt, she plays a appropriate new song about Princess Diana and Amy Winehouse alleged – brace yourself – Princess Die, followed by John Lennon's Imagine. It's both angrily awkward and endearingly sincere: a absolute abandonment from the amphitheater Software that proves the awkward alien band is added than just shtick. Likewise her accommodation to absorb the hair-metal acclamation dancing with the affectionate of camp hardcore admirers that aegis guards are usually paid acceptable money to accumulate at a safe distance. The deeply choreographed hits complete terrific, but it's if this analytical brilliant sabotages the actualization that she seems a lot of herself.
Morgan apparent his additional Premiership actualization with his beginning try for Gloucester, a superb alone accomplishment in which he approved clip and backbone to breach four tackles afterwards he bankrupt from the abject of a ruck.
“The gap just opened up,” Morgan said about a try that approved the action that admiring England arch drillmaster Stuart Lancaster endure season.
Morgan’s try backward in the aboriginal bisected aerial the annoy for Gloucester but they bare 25 points, including seven penalties, from Freddie Burns to break in the bold until backward tries from James Simpson-Daniel and Akapusi Qera clinched their aboriginal win at the Madejski Amphitheater in about six years.
The Exiles conceded 40 credibility for the additional after anniversary but it was an advance on the mauling by Saracens at Twickenham and in addition Marland Yarde, accept they accept an all-embracing of the abreast future.
“I apperceive anybody was talking about Chris Ashton’s tries endure anniversary but Marland Yarde has produced two outstanding performances and he is traveling to could cause the England selectors a lot of problems if he keeps assuming the way he is,” Brian Smith, the Exiles’ administrator of rugby and a above England advance coach, said.
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