Research Korner: MTR

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong   Introduction Hong Kong is geographically condensed. Among other things, Hong Kong prides itself with one of the world’s most well organized, secured, affordable, and numerous public transport systems. Tourists and locals can choose among taxis, ferries, rails, buses and trams to get around without difficulty and catch magnificent glimpses of the city. The public transport systems in Hong Kong are among the most modern, most accessible and cheapest in the word ().   Public Transport Systems in Hong Kong Mass-Transit Railway (MTR) The MTR is a safe, modern and efficient railway system that helps tourists get around Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and Lantau Island. The tourists can chooses among the convenient drop-off points provided by the MTR for all the best sightseeing, shopping, entertainment and dining options. The MTR is the best choice if a tourist wants to get to Hong Kong's attractions as well shopping and dining outlets quickly and conveniently. It is also a perfect transportation for visitors who want to have glimpses of the whole city. MTR is ideal for sightseeing visitors because of the wide-ranging coverage of the major city attractions and clear signage.   Taxis Frequently the most excellent choice for short distance travels. Taxis are present in major areas and fares are reasonable. Many drivers speak some English. However, it is encouraged that tourists have their destination written in Chinese characters. Taxis come in different colors to indicate their area of service: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Red taxis operate in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, but can also take passengers to and from the New Territories</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Green taxis operate in the New Territories and are cheaper than the urban taxis. They cannot take passengers into the urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Blue taxis operate on Lantau Island only and are cheaper than urban and NT taxis </li> </ul>   Buses Bus routes cover approximately all of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus and Citybus operate routes to cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. New Lantau on the other hand drives on Lantau Island while bus services are offered by Long Win Bus to north Lantau and the airport. Final destinations are notably put on view in English and Chinese on the front of the bus. Exact change is required. Octopus cards are accepted.   Minibuses Minibuses are small-scaled passenger buses that are capable of carrying more or less 16 passengers. Red minibuses operate on routes that are not always set, passengers can get on, and off wherever down the course excluding where special prohibitions apply. Green minibuses operate on specific routes at fixed prices. Exact payment is required when getting on. Octopus cards are accepted. Minibuses are sometimes faster. Once filled, minibuses will not stop until someone asks to get off. Please note that minibuses are more appropriate for people Cantonese speaking people and for those who are familiar with Hong Kong. Generally, minibuses serve areas, which are less accessible by other buses.   Ferries Ferries are abundant in the waters of Hong Kong. These ferries connect Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the Outlying Islands, Macau and Mainland China.  With an excellent harbor and more than 260 outlying islands, Hong Kong has created n broad network of water transport including regular company-operated ferry services and the special "kaido" services. One of popular ferry that attracts tourists is the Star Ferry that travels across the Victoria Harbor and the various routes to the major, scenic outlying islands. Hong Kong’s ferries are typically cheaper than buses and trams. They are also fun, and provide interesting views of the harbor.   Trams Trams travel along an east-west path across north Hong Kong Island and follow the similar tracks they have covered since 1904. Trams provide cheap and convenient transportation around town. The upper decks present splendid views as they drive through busy city districts. Trams run from early morning until midnight. Octopus cards are accepted.   Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR provides commuter train service from Kowloon through the New Territories to the boundary with Mainland China as well as long-distance intercity rail transport into Mainland China. The KCR operates three domestic passenger rail services: East Rail, West Rail and Light Rail.   Benefits of Public Transport The cost savings for travelers using public transportation are high. A traveler can purchase a visitors pass for a local public transportation system and ride all day. This is more affordable than renting a car or taking numerous cab rides around the city or buy gas and park a vehicle.   The most popular activity for those using public transportation while visiting a city is sightseeing, restaurant dining and night life, shopping, travel to and from their place of lodging, visiting a historical site and travel to and from the airport. Travelers who originate from large metropolitan areas are more likely to take advantage of a city’s local public transportation system ().   Travelling around Hong Kong is easy and convenient. Hong Kong’s Public Transportation System is exceptional. The KCR trains, MTR trains, the light rail trains, the buses, taxies, mini-buses, and ferries encompass an enormous transportation network branching out from all directions of the whole city ().   Hong Kong’s Visitors Travel Arrangements Visitors can be categorized into three broad groups by how they arrange their journey to and within Hong Kong, whether it is in the form of “all inclusive tour”, “air ticket with hotel tour” or “non-package tour”. Since travel agents normally arrange all the transport for all the all-inclusive tours, visitors of this category seldom use the public transport facilities. Visitors of the other two categories normally have to make their own travel arrangements within Hong Kong. Other than, some visitors who may join local tours with own transport or may have special arrangement for private transport, a great many of them rely on the public transport services. According to the Visitor Profile Report 2001, for those visitors who did use public transport system, most of them chose Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and taxi to travel around Hong Kong.   Mode of Travel Generally, tourists are divided into two categories when it comes to mode of travel – (1) Tour package with tour guide and (2) Independent travel.   What do tourists look for in Public Transport Systems? Railways 1. Safe during usage of service 2. Comprehensible and precise directional signage and location maps 3. A ticketing system that is easy to follow 4. Punctual and reliable service 5. Clean and pleasant compartment/platform 6. Understandable announcements at the stations and on the trains 7. Appropriate staff attitude (polite, patient and attentive) 8. Competent enquiry handling 9. Effective staff communication skills 10. Toilets at the stations 11. Prompt and professional treatment of complaints 12. Tourists transport passes that will suit the needs of the touirists   Taxis 1. Safety on board 2. Honest taxi drivers 3. Taxi drivers with professional attitude 4. Well-maintained and clean taxis 5. Taxi drivers with effective communication skills 6. Clear and accurate information about fares and destinations 7. Assistance in loading and unloading baggage (www.sqs.gov.hk)   Buses 1. Safety while on board 2. Clear and accurate signs and route information at bus stops 3. Well maintained and clean buses 4. Punctual and reliable service 5. Suitable operating hours 6. Appropriate attitude of bus driver 7. Bus drivers with proper attitude 8. Neat bus drivers 9. Tourist buses 10. Tourist transport passes that suits tourists’ needs  (www.sqs.gov.hk)   Tourists’ Special Requirements Buses <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Clear and accurate signs and route information at bus stops</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of tourist buses along major attractions</li> </ul> Railways <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of toilets at stations</li> </ul> Taxis <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of clear and accurate information about fares</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Assistance with loading and unloading baggage</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Tidiness of taxi drivers</li> </ul>   Service Requirements of Visitors Visitor Segments 1. Family Visitors – visitors that travel with immediate family members 2. Business Visitors – visitors that travel for business / convention and exhibition purpose   The “safety and security when using the service” is among the top priorities of both family and business visitors. Business visitors are more demanding on services, they look to efficient and prompt services, clean and comfortable environment. They are generally less satisfied with the language skills of the frontline practitioners. Family visitors are more demanding on accommodation, shopping and in-town transport services. They place higher importance on “safety and security when using the service” and “proper attitude of staff” ().           How do Public Transport Systems meet the Requirements of Tourists? MTR 1. Ensuring Safety A highly developed train control and signaling system helps to ensures that there is a safe distance between trains. MTR has also set up a perceptive fire alarm system and used noncombustible materials in the trains. 2. Reliability The train service is dependable. It is not affected by traffic or weather conditions. The trains operate 19 hours a day, 7 days a week. 3. Cleanliness and Comfort The trains are well maintained and clean. The trains and underground stations are air-conditioned to guarantee that the passengers have a comfortable travel environment. 4. Convenience The stations are located in the busiest parts of Hong Kong to make sure that the passengers can access the trains conveniently. Each station has multiple, clearly identified exits. For easy access, all platforms are linked to the public spaces by escalators (www.mtr.com). 5. Airport Express Tourist Octopus This 3-day Transport pass is widely accepted by all major transportation services in Hong Kong. The pass takes the tourist to and from the airport and allows them to travel within Hong Kong in a hassle-free way (). 6. Facilities Aside from the ticketing and train services, MTR also offers additional services to its passengers. Among the additional facilities and services offered are: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Post Boxes</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> ATM Service</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Public payphones</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> MTR Travel Services Center – serves as travel agent, sells local and overseas tours, hotel rooms and other ticketing services. It also serves as a customer service outlet providing MTR-related information and selling souvenirs to passengers.</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Location maps are installed at all MTR station halls. Passengers can find hotels, shopping centers and major buildings near each station ().</li> </ul>   Taxis The Transport Department encourages taxi drivers to follow The Hong Kong Taxi Service Standards to ensure that the requirements of the passengers are met. The said guideline is composed of 8 items that will help to achieve quality taxi service. 1. The taxi driver needs to keep a clean and tidy appearance 2. The taxi driver needs to keep his taxi clean and comfortable for the passengers 3. The taxi driver must charge exact fare 4. The taxi driver must be courteous at all times 5. The taxi driver must use the most direct route or route specified by passengers 6. The taxi driver is encouraged to be proactive in providing assistance to passengers 7. The taxi driver must adhere to taxi regulations 8. The taxi driver must provide the passengers with a safe and smooth ride ()   Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation 1. Customer Services Centers The passengers can access the company’s per-recorded information any time of the day through fax or phone. The hotline service is available in three languages – Cantonese / Potonghua / English.   The system’s voice recognition feature enables passengers to obtain train service information more conveniently ().   Octopus Card Travelling in Hong Kong is convenient and stress-free because of the Octopus Card. Each Octopus card has a built-in microchip that contains all fare information. Four types of Octopus card are designed for adults, elderly, students and children. The versatile Octopus cards can be used on different transport systems; MTR, Airport Express, KCR East Rail & Light Rail, buses, ferries etc. These cards can also be used on most public payphones, vending machines and photo booths in transport premises ().   Recommendations In order that a more user-friendly transport environment conducive to tourism development is devised, close attention should be given to the following areas at the more detailed planning level: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Need of well-integrated public transport facilities as far as possible at major tourist attraction nodes</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> To promote tourism, major tourist attraction nodes should be linked up by a convenient public transport. To facilitate easy access, proper signage, route map and tourist information should be put up where appropriate. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Promoting the use of environmental friendly transport to improve the quality of environment and thus enhance the travel experience of tourists</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Making use of advanced transport information system to assist visitors to go around the territory</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Providing advanced multi-lingual tourist information system at major attraction nodes such as that tourist could obtain relevant information such as transport services, lodging, routing, mode choice and location of attraction. </li> </ul>         Railways 1. The staff can have language and body language training. 2. The company can come up with the proper guidelines for dealing with visitors from diffident cultural backgrounds. 3. The company may provide resources of different major languages for the staff that are stationed at the Customer Service Centers. 4. The company may also put up translation systems that will communicate to foreign visitors 5. The KCRC must improve its signage of toilets at stations 6. The MTR may provide signage of close by toilets on the location maps at each station.   Buses 1. There must be a database of all route information at selected bus stops that will guide the visitors. 2. Bus operators need to asses the needs of the tourists as passengers. The tourists need tourist passes that will suit their needs. 3. The Bus operators must cooperate with the Hong Kong Tourism Board.   Taxis 1. The Hong Kong Taxi Service Standards must be adhered to in order to promote a quality service for passengers. 2. An appropriate language proficiency evaluation for taxi drivers must be developed. The industry must promote the use of Workplace English and the drivers must be trained in order to have more effective communication skills.

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong Introduction Hong Kong is geographically condensed. Among othe...

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification

The Octopus Card – An RFID Revolution Introduction             Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is familiar with by most Hong Kong People. We found that Octopus card system is a proverbial example, which is now the world's leading and most extensive rechargeable contactless stored value smart card system used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. RFID technology is commonly used by people from every walk of life.             The Octopus card is in different variety layer with the highest penetration, the highest transaction volume and the widest scope of usage in future. In this project, we are going to discuss the process and development of RFID technology within the Octopus Card system. The Octopus             The Octopus card is a stored value smart card that can be reloaded and cannot be contacted. It is mainly used for transfer of electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. The card was originally launched in September of 1997. Its original purpose was to collect fares for the city’s mass transit system. Since then, the Octopus card system has grown into a widely used payment system for virtually all public transport in Hong Kong. Also, it is used to pay purchases from supermarkets, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, car parks, on-street parking meters, and many other point-of-sale applications such as vending machines and service stations. Moreover, it is also used to access control to schools, apartments and offices. Some charities even accept Octopus cards for donations.             Octopus is one of the world’s most successful electronic cash systems. Today, the card has over 14 million in circulation, which is twice the population of Hong Kong. Octopus Cards Limited is the operator of the Octopus system. It is a joint venture between MTR Corporation and other transport providers in Hong Kong.             MTR’s own experts designed the Octopus system through an open tender, AES ProData (Hong Kong) Limited, now known as ERG Transit Systems. ERG built a number of the components, including the back-end systems. Octopus undertakes its own maintenance, operations and development. In 2005 however, Octopus replaced the central transaction clearing house with its own system.             Hong Kong is the world’s first major public transport system that uses the Sony 13.56 MHz FaliCa radio frequency identification (RFID) chip (and other related technology) which is used by the Octopus card. Physical contact is not really required as the system is “touch” and “go”. Users need only hold the card in close proximity of the reader. Data is transmitted at up to 212 kbit/s (the maximum speed for Sony FeliCa chips), compared with 9.6 kbit/s for Mondex and Visa Cash.             During the development of Octopus back in 1997, there were still no standards in the nasecent industry. Because of this, Octopuses still uses a nonstandard system for RFID instead of the ISO 14443 standards.             The Octopus card uses uses two-way authentication based on public key infrastructure (PKI). Data communications to and from the card are only established when mutually authenticated security handshaking is verified followed by transfer of encrypted data. Concerns and Controversy             A primary security concern surrounding RFID technology is the illicit tracking of RFID tags. Tags which are world-readable pose a risk to both personal location privacy and corporate/military security. Such concerns have been raised with respect to the United States Department of Defense's recent adoption of RFID tags for supply chain management. More generally, privacy organizations have expressed concerns in the context of ongoing efforts to embed electronic product code (EPC) RFID tags in consumer products.            Moreover, some cryptographic protocols are trying to aim for privacy against unauthorized readers. A major challenge in securing RFID tags is a shortage of computational resources within the tag. Standard cryptographic techniques require more resources than are available in most low cost RFID devices. RSA Security has even patented a prototype device that locally jams RFID signals by interrupting a standard collision avoidance protocol, allowing the user to prevent identification if desired.. Various policy measures have also been proposed, such as marking RFID tagged objects with an industry standard label.             Amongst the other controversies that RFID faces are: consumer privacy, religious reactions reagarding eschtology and dispensationalism, virus threat, and RFID shielding.   Conclusion, Predictions and Enhancements               Radio frequency identification of unique products in distribution and supply chains appears to be a burgeoning revolution for some of the world's largest companies. Companies both large and small produce and distribute billions of products annually to wholesalers and retailers. Tracking shipments, monitoring and controlling inventories, and maintaining inventories represent a significant business effort.             The coming year will see RFID continue to spread implemented for a variety of new applications and could mark the start of broad adoption of RFID in the supply chain.

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification

The Octopus Card – An RFID Revolution Introduction Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is familiar with by mo...

DIGITAL RADIO VS ANALOG RADIO

Chapter One   INTRODUCTION     1. 1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY   After reading these articles, Captain Johnson knew he needed to act. Over the next week, Captain Johnson received numerous calls from colleagues who were commanders of other State Police divisions and patrol barracks. Captain Johnson had long-standing relationships with each one of the callers through previous assignments. They expressed the frustration felt by patrol officers during incidents like these and impressed upon Johnson their strong desire to see something change. From these calls, the captain determined that several key factors limited the state's ability to respond effectively to similar incidents. He came up with the following list of State Police wireless communications issues: <ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in"> <li class="MsoNormal"> The State Police was operating on a 40-year old land mobile radio system. </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> The State Police radio system (and their statewide mutual-aid channel) operated in a UHF band and is uncommon compared with what other law enforcement agencies in the state used. </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Radio system repairs were becoming more frequent, and replacement parts were difficult to locate. </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> The State Police had little to no interoperability with federal, county, or local law enforcement. </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> The State Police also had no interoperability with responding fire or EMS units.</li> </ul> Captain Johnson, like other state and local public safety officials across the country, faced the problem of figuring out how to upgrade or replace their current public safety communications system with one that would allow all public safety agencies to talk to each other in real time. He thought that sharing frequencies or equipment with other agencies whose missions encompassed the protection of life and property could potentially solve some of the observed problems, but he was not an expert on the issue and was not sure what his next step should be. He mulled over three alternatives. Which one would you choose for Captain Johnson? Digital vs. Analog Digital radio has little in common with conventional radio, which uses analog technology. The technical difference between digital and analog radio can be compared to the difference between a digital and analog watch; the difference in sound quality is comparable to the difference between CDs and records. Analog radio, or any other analog technology, is based on a continuous flow of data. An analog watch moves from minute to minute, also touching on the infinite points between each time increment. Digital watches, on the other hand, jump from one value to another. Much the same way, digital radio is capable of broadcasting specific stations without following the continuous airwaves. Digital radio uses a built-in computer to scan each song or sound bit as a long series of numbers, then reproduce the sound created by each unique combination. This takes place at the same speed as with a CD player -- 50,000 scans per second. Advantages of DAB Not surprisingly, digital radio also promises CD-quality sound -- without the inconveniences of CDs, like skipping. This new technology also boasts static-free reception and a much larger selection of stations among its advantages. Furthermore, the digital receiver comes with a faceplate (also called LCD, or liquid crystal display) which is able to display all kinds of information. This includes the name of the radio station, the name of the song and its artist, traffic and weather reports, and even information about products being advertised on-air. A special antenna and a small receiver box are also required for digital radio reception. Digital radio is now only available to drivers -- digital receivers for cars are already on the market -- reinforcing radio's dominance in one area that television and the Internet have yet to reach: the automobile. If they can afford the technology, commuters will be able to enjoy the benefits of digital radio. However, highway drivers will find that digital radio still has its limits, as stations broadcasting in digital format simply stop playing music past the reach of their digital signal. In the future, digital signals will connect stations across wide distances, so that a driver travelling east and listening to CBC Radio, for example, would hear a continuous stream of sound even though the computer within the digital receiver was switching from a fading station to a more powerful one. Even more appealing to travellers is the possibility that the computer would scan station information based on genre of music, and switch seamlessly from one Top 40 station to another, for example.   1.2  CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK      Input                                             Process                                      Output                 1.3       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This research will compare the different digital MTRS available in the market today and determine the best digital MTRS that the PNP can use for their law enforcement operations.  This stems from the plan of the PNP to upgrade their current analog MTRS into digital.   Specifically this study will consider the following criteria to determine the best digital MTRS:   a.      the cost of the whole digital MTRS if installed for the PNP in the Metro Manila area;   b.      the features of the digital MTRS and its suitability to the law enforcement work of the PNP;   c.      the after-service and product support to be provided after the installation of the MTRS;     1.4   STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESES Ho :     The upgrading of the MTRS from analog to digital will improve the law enforcement work of the members of the PNP;                                                     H1  :   The upgrading of the MTRS from analog to digital will not improve the law enforcement work of the members of the PNP;    ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY                         The following assumptions are posed to support this study: 1)                 The PNP has a budget for the upgrading of the MTRS from analog to digital;   2)                 The different digital MTRS companies have given proposals to the Radio Division of the PNP.    1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Society             The importance of quick communication cannot be underestimated for a job like law enforcement.  Time is of importance in this type of work and proper coordination and quick action can be done only through an efficient communication system.  The MTRS has been useful to the members of the PNP through the years.  However, the emergence of digital technology offers and even broader range of activities for the people in law enforcement.  However, such efforts like upgrading facilities involve money and changes in the system, that is why, it is important to study the options available first and determine which of them has the best track record and an affordable price..   This study will also benefit the members of the PNP since with a more sophisticated equipment at hand, they are now expected to also be more efficient and effective in their law enforcement work.    Academe             This study will be of importance to those who want to upgrade systems in their own field of work.  This study will try to show why the factors involved in upgrading a system; cost, features and after service support, should be considered by those handling the acquisition of such goods.  The study will also try to show that it is possible to upgrade one’s facilities within one’s budget and one’s expectations.               1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY             This study will choose from among the different proposals from different digital MTRS companies, the best digital MTRS for the members of the PNP.  The upgrade of the system will entail cost that is why the study will use the following guidelines in choosing the best digital MTRS: cost, features, after service and support.  The different companies offering the digital MTRS will be rated according to the aforementioned guidelines.  The members of the PNP who use the digital MTRS will serve as respondents of this study, for they are usually the ones who directly use this equipment.               The study will focus only on the upgrade of the analog MTRS to digital as used by the members of the PNP.  .   1.7  DEFINITION OF TERMS Trunking is the automatic sharing of a small number of communication paths among a large number of users.   AWS.......... Digitial Advanced Wireless Services TETRA ........ TErrestrial TRunked RAdio ETSI............. European Telecommunications Standards Institute MESA .......... Mobility for Emergency and Safety Applications TIA............... Telecommunications Industry Association EEA ............. European Economic Area PMR............. Professional Mobile Radio TCP/IP ......... Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol PHY ............. Physical Layer (ISO Model) TDMA.......... Time Division Multiple Access DQPSK ........ Digital Quadrature Phase Shift Keying 3G ................ Third Generation GSM............. Global System for Mobile communications TIPHON....... Telecommunication and Internet Protocol Harmonization Over Networks BRAN .......... Broadband RAdio Access Networks UMTS .......... Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service IPv6x............ Internet Protocol version x QoS .............. Quality of Service C3................. Consultation, Command and Control APCO........... Association of Police Communications Officials STF .............. Strategic Task Force MRA ............ Mutual Recognition Agreement                                                                           Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature                                                                             Chapter 3   RESEARCH METHODOLOGY   This chapter presents the description of the research method to be used, a description of the respondents, the instruments to be used, the procedures and statistical treatment utilized in analyzing the data that will be gathered.     A.  Research Design   This study will use the descriptive-normative-survey approach.  The descriptive method involves the description, recording, analysis and interpretation of the prevailing conditions and the present nature of a certain group.  It will include the following processes: induction, analysis, classification, enumeration, measurement and assessment of the data. Survey refers to the gathering of data regarding current conditions. Normative is used to ascertain the normal or typical condition.  The survey will try to ascertain the effectiveness of the customer service offered by the website of a popular wireless cellular phone company.  Furthermore, the researcher will ask customers for other services they would like to include in the company's website.   a)     compatibility of the system; b)     complete data; and c)      quick accessibility.   The procedure will include the general principles of gathering data and used published sources of statistics; sampling questionnaires; interviews; and content analysis of documentary and verbal material.  The researcher will present case studies of successful Internet-based businesses.     B.  Method of Data Collection               The primary source of the data will come from a researcher-made questionnaire which to be given to the respondents.  The survey will assess the current archival and retrieval system of the personnel records of the Philippine National police.  The questionnaire would solicit information using the following criteria: compatibility of the system; complete data; and quick accessibility of records.     C.  Sampling Design and Respondents   The general population for this study is exclusive and should have the following qualifications: a) an employee of the Philippine National Police who has used the analog MTRS for three or more years, and b) an employee of the Philippine National Police Archival and Retrieval Department.  The department has currently around 20 employees who will act as respondents for this study.    In determining the sample size of the employees of the whole PNP, the following ’s formula shall be used:   n          =           N                                             1 + Ne2   where:                                    n           –          is the size of the sample                         N         –          is the size of the population, and                         e          –          is the margin of error.               D.                Statistical Treatment of Data   After the questionnaires will be answered, the profile of the respondents will be taken, according to age, gender, educational background, civil status, occupation and frequency of Internet usage (number of hours per week).  To be able to get a description of the profile of the respondents, the data coming from each item mentioned above will be placed in tabular form with the indicated percentage as well as the frequency.  This will show the predominant characteristics of a Smart wireless cellular phone user website surfer.    The formulae that will be used in this study are:   1.       Sloven’s Formula – to determine the sample population.  The margin of error is 5%   2.       Percentage – to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire.             n % = -------- x 100        ;           n – number of responses             N                                 N – total number of respondents   3.       Weighted Mean               f1x1 + f2x2  + f3x3 + f4x4  + f5x5 x = ---------------------------------------------  ;                         xt where:            f – weight given to each response                         x – number of responses                                    xt – total number of responses                    The weighted mean scores for each item in the questionnaire will be determined.

DIGITAL RADIO VS ANALOG RADIO

Chapter One INTRODUCTION 1. 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY After reading these articles, Captain Johnson knew he neede...

7-11

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY             Human resource development (HRD) plays a vital function by maximizing employee expertise to achieve the main objectives of an organization. This is done by methods that enable organizations to compete with the emergent changes in business strategies. The key function of HRD evolves from the onset of information technology which is deemed useless without the intervention of skilled manpower. It is in this light that HRD determines the implementation of the needed techniques for business success. Two factors have influenced the evolution of HRD toward a more active role in the formulation of business strategy: (a) the centrality of information technology to business success, and (b) the sustainable competitive advantage offered by workforce expertise. These two factors work together in such a way that the competitive advantages they offer are nearly impossible to achieve without developing and maintaining a highly competent workforce. 7-Eleven is convenience store in Hong Kong that seeks appropriate strategy to maintain it leadership in the industry. This paper has analyzes its organization and its competitors as well as the industry as a whole. Having analyzed the internal and external environment of the organization, a performance-based development strategy is the identified appropriate strategy for the organization. In addition, an improvement plan is formulated to give the organization a guide for the execution of the plan. There are already 600 superstores and convenience stores in Hong Kong today not including their outlets. Competition is more dynamic today and organization must possess flexibility in order to cope up with the dynamic changes in the industry. However, with the increase of working women, convenience stores sales have increased in the year 2006. Convenience stores have increasing become popular giving 7-Eleven more opportunities to expand. However, in order to attain sustainable competitive advantage human resource development plays a vital role in the success of any organizations objectives through development of its employees.   INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY   Convenience Retailing in Hong Kong                (2006) has reported that “in 2005, food and drinks total retail sales has reached to $6.4 billion which represents a 6 percent growth comparing to 2004. In January to August 2006 retail sales has increase 6.2 percent for traditional markets and 6.3 percent for superstores compared to the same period in 2005. Retail establishments in 2006 amounts to approximately 15,083, which includes 85 supermarkets and convenience store establishments in which would total to 1,634 stores if branch outlets are included and 14,998 wet market stalls and “mom and pop” shop operators. Retail shops in Hong Kong generally are very small in size, about 98 percent of which hire less than 10 employees. Traditionally, Hong Kong consumers shop for food daily because of a preference for fresh food. Much of the shopping is still done in traditional markets including wet markets and mom-and-pop shops. However, sales in supermarkets are increasing. The supermarket’s share in terms of retail sales has risen from 44 percent of total sales in 1995 to 54 percent in 2005. Many supermarkets in Hong Kong now have successfully tapped the fresh food market by offering fresh foods at very competitive prices and providing a comfortable shopping environment, which is very different from traditional wet markets. In 2000, only $524 million worth fresh/chilled meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and frozen food were sold in supermarkets. The sales values of the same category in supermarkets greatly expanded to $684 million in 2005, increasing 31% over 2000.”   Source:  (2006)   Source:  (2006)     In short, as according to  (2006), “wet markets are strong in fresh foods, while supermarkets are strong in processed, chilled and frozen, high added value, and canned food products. The competition between wet markets and supermarkets has intensified in recent years. Some wet markets have turned air-conditioned and provide free shuttle to nearby residential areas. In the next few years, the Hong Kong Government has earmarked over $77 million to improve the environment of wet markets. Meanwhile, more and more supermarkets have been renovated to make sales of fresh meats possible and to enhance the overall experience of the convenience shopping at a supermarket.” According to the latest figures available, in 2004 there were 85 supermarkets in Hong Kong but only 9 of them had 5 or over branch outlets. About 63 supermarkets had only one store without any branch outlets (, 2006). In the past decade, there has been a substantial decline of small supermarket operators. Between 1997 and 2004, the number of supermarket operators decreased by 31 percent whereas the sales and the number of persons engaged in the supermarket industry rose by 11 percent and 29 percent respectively (, 2006). These figures reflected that the supermarket industry has been growing but in a way not favorable to small operators. Many small operators left the market due to severe competition. Source:  (2006)   There are two dominant supermarket chains in Hong Kong: The Wellcome Co. Ltd. (247 outlets with 20 superstores) and ParknShop (over 226 with 46 superstores). ParknShop and Wellcome account for about 80 percent of the supermarket turnover. Both supermarkets are able to work closely with real estate developers to open stores in strategic locations, thus maintaining their significant market share (, 2006). In the past decade, a “superstore” concept has emerged in the operation of supermarkets, blending the Western supermarket style with a traditional Hong Kong wet market. Superstores offer traditional Chinese fresh food like live fish, meats, ready-to-eat foods and market-style fruit and vegetables as well as the most extensive range of international products. Almost all Hong Kong supermarkets require listing fees, that is, a fee charged to allow a new product to be put on their shelves. This is a one-off fee for a trial period. The listing fees are extremely negotiable and vary greatly among different supermarket chains. Major supermarket chains, such as Wellcome and ParknShop which have many branch stores, have expensive listing fees. Industry sources revealed that key supermarket chains may charge HK$1,000 (US$130) per SKU for each of its store (, 2006). A 30 percent discount may be offered to certain suppliers. The discount offered varies tremendously depending on the popularity of the products and the bargaining power of the supplying companies. Agents/importers will not bear this cost, which is transferred to their principals. In short, all supermarkets require listing fees except those belonging to Japanese department stores. Hong Kong consumers usually demands for numerous trading term from Hong Kong food retailers, such as promotional discounts; back-end income (flat rebate per year that a U.S. exporter has to pay to the retail chain based on the annual turnover); D.G.A. (Distribution allowance - the fee that the supermarkets charge for distributing the products from its warehouse to its many branch stores); and incentive rebate (a percentage of turnover rebated to the supermarkets in case sales exceed the agreed amount). It can be expected that the bigger the supermarket, the harsher the trading terms. For general reference, about 15 percent of the annual turnover has to rebate to the major supermarkets and 8 percent to small ones (, 2006). Agents representing very popular items with large turnover usually have a stronger bargaining power and will be able to negotiate for a lower rebate rate. Different products have different mark-ups. A dried fruit importer revealed that an importer usually operates on a mark up of 5% to retailers who would then mark up another 30% to 35% to consumers (, 2006). There is excellent potential growth in Hong Kong’s retail food market for U.S. grocery store items, particularly new and different items, as food retail outlets continue to increase and diversify. Because of established ties and traditional relationships, most of Hong Kong’s supermarket chains traditionally looked to Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada for supplies. In recent years, however, buying habits are shifting and many more American items are now available on local grocery store shelves. Supermarkets tend to use consolidators to help them source new products which are popular in the United States. There are around 950 convenience stores in Hong Kong. Two major chains dominate the market: 7-Eleven (711 outlets) and Circle K (238 outlets). They are targeting the customer age group of 15-35. Convenience stores are characterized by round-the clock operation. Since only a limited choice of brand names is available and prices are generally less competitive, most purchases are “convenience” in nature, i.e. goods are normally bought in small quantities for immediate consumption. Good sales items include packaged drinks, beer and snack food. The average store size of a convenience store is 1,000 sq. ft. Listing fees are also required for convenience stores. According to a study, Hong Kong can accommodate 1,200 convenience stores (, 2006). The primary strategy of convenience stores is to increase services providing "convenience" to consumers and to increase the number of stores so as to reach economies of scale. Despite faring below expectations, Hong Kong retail sales witnessed a strong growth in October 2006 as the Asian nation saw its retail sales jumping to US$ 2.3 Billion, up by 6.9% year-on-year, reports  on December 1 2006 (, 2006). Retail sales volume also increased by 5.2 % compared to last year (, 2006). Current consumer boom boosted by increasing wages, lower lending rates & recent boom in stock market has been the mainstay of Hong Kong retail industry & the current scenario suggests that the consumption is likely to remain stable in near future.   7 Eleven Background Information 7-Eleven is an international franchisor, licensor, and operator of the largest chain of convenience store in eighteen countries including: Canada, United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico in the Americas; Norway, Sweden and Denmark in Europe; Taiwan (Republic of China), People’s Republic of China (China), Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan in East Asia; the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia; and also Turkey and Australia. The company was founded in Oak Cliff, Texas, USA, which is now part of Dallas, USA, in 1927, and started to use the 7-Eleven name in 1946; 7-Eleven purchased a chain of stores in 1964 called "Speedee-Mart", which initiated the company's entry into franchising. Supermarket chain Ito-Yokado, which operates 7-Eleven stores in Japan, purchased the majority interest of The Southland Corporation in 1991. In 1999, The Southland Corporation changed its name to 7-Eleven, Inc. Initially, these stores were open from 7 am to 11 pm, which was unprecedented at the time, hence the name; however, most 7-Eleven stores are now open twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. 7-Eleven's most popular private label products include: Slurpee, a partially frozen carbonated and non-carbonated beverage, available in a number of flavors, and the Big Gulp super size sofdrink in 32, 44, 52(Xtreme Gulp), and 64 (American) fluid ounce sizes. In 2005, 7-Eleven introduced their largest soft drink product, the 128 fluid ounce (1gallon) Team Gulp. In November of 2005, Seven and I Holdings Co. completed the purchase of 7-Eleven, Inc., turning the American publicly traded conglomerate into a publicly traded Japanese conglomerate. Seven-Eleven Japan is itself a subsidiary of Seven & I Holdings, which also owns the Japanese Denny’s chain of restaurants and Ito-Yokado. In Hong Kong, 7-Eleven is operated by Dairy Farm since 1981. There are over 600 stores in the city in 2005. About half of them are franchised stores. In September 2004, Dairy Farm acquired Daily Stop, a convenience store chain located mainly in the territory's MTR and KCR stations, and converted the Daily Stop stores to 7-Elevens in the spring of 2005. 7-Eleven in Hong Kong offers items such as food and drink, magazines, medicines, CDs, and MP3 songs. Extra services include the sale of postage stamps, recharging Octopus Cards, and ATM machines found within the store premises. The company opened its 711th Hong Kong store July 11 (7-Eleven Day), 2006 in the Causeway Bay district of the city (). With most locations being in urbanized areas, approximately 40 percent are franchised stores. 7-Eleven in Hong Kong offers items such as food, beverages, newspapers, magazines, medicine and cigarettes. Sandwiches, pizza, microwaveable Dim Sum, meal boxes and other Chinese-style snacks are available for purchases. The Hong Kong 7-eleven 24-hour convenience store was launched in Hong Kong in 1981 and was acquired by Dairy Farm Group in 1989.  Having a long presence in the market and a well-known brand both internationally and locally, 7-eleven has customers from all walks of life and serving some 15 million customers per month. 7-Eleven, operated on a franchise basis, is able to expand the number of stores quickly. 7-Eleven is owned by Dairy Farm, which is also the parent company of the giant supermarket chain of Wellcome. Many of 7-Eleven stores are strategically located in MTR (subway) and KCR (train) stations, popular shopping malls and housing developments throughout Hong Kong.     Competitor Analysis             7-Eleven is currently have various competitions which includes superstores, hypermarkets, convenience stores and even traditional markets. However, the biggest competitor of 7-Eleven today are Circle K convenience stores, ParknShop and Wellcome. Currently, in Hong Kong there are already more than 600 supermarkets and convenience stores. ParknShop opened its first superstore in 1996 with a floor area of 45,000 sq. ft. Presently, its largest supermarket in Hong Kong has a floor area of 72,000 sq. ft. giving customers a modern one-stop shopping solution. The store sells over 20,000 product categories ranging from snacks to electrical household appliances. The ParknShop supermarket chain carries two own-label product lines, namely PARKnSHOP and Best Buy, first introduced in 1995. ParknShop is also associated with three other supermarkets by the name of Great, Taste, and Gourmet. These high-end supermarkets are after the more affluent clientele. They are ideal outlets for innovative, quality and priced international food products. These stores also carry a wide selection of organic products. Great adopts a stylish international food hall concept and its flagship store offers over 46,000 gourmet items. The first 35,000 square feet TASTE food galleria was opened in November 2004, and features more than 25,000 quality food items sourced from around the world. Gourmet, opened in 2005, occupied 15,000-square-foot store offering a selection of over 20,000 products carried across 30 merchandise categories of quality and premium foods. The average expenditure per customer for Gourmet and Taste is expected to be $18 and $13 respectively. In addition Wellcome also is a competitor of 7-Eleven which is also is owned of Dairy Farm. Wellcome, will also be opening an upscale supermarket in Hong Kong’s central commercial area catering to the more affluent clientele. The new store called Three Sixty will be opened in mid November. With a floor area of 23,000 square feet, it will be Hong Kong’s largest retail outlet for organic and natural products. About 6,000 items or 70 percent of the items in the store will be organic or natural products. The store will include an organic sector for baby products. “Health” and “natural” are the key concepts of this store.     Name of Retailer   Ownership   Food Sales US$   No. of Outlets   Location   Type of Purchasing agent   Wellcome   Hong Kong   over $1 billion   261, 27 of which are superstores   Hong Kong   Importers/Agents Exporters Consolidators   ParknShop   Hong Kong   over $1 billion   215, 45 of which are superstores*   Hong Kong   Importers/Agents Exporters Consolidators Source:  (2006)   ParknShop and Wellcome account for almost 80 percent of the supermarket turnover. Both supermarkets are able to work closely with real estate developers to open stores in strategic locations, thus maintaining their significant market share.  Because of their significant market share, they are able to make suppliers offer goods to them at very competitive prices, so that they are able to set retail prices lower than their competitors’.  Consequently, it is difficult for small competitors to survive and new players to enter into the market. Moreover, a new development in 2003 is that ParknShop expanded into 24-hour convenience store operations.  The supermarket giant has opened a number of stores under the name ParknShop Express on a trial scheme and may expand the network across Hong Kong if the experiment succeeds.  Currently, there are about ten Express stores.  ParknShop has intrinsic competitive advantages over its rivals because it can use the leverage of the group’s existing infrastructure to offer products at low prices.  The stores carry the products as other convenience stores such as cooked food, drinks, newspapers and magazines.  In a bid to lure customers, the 1,000 products offered by ParknShop Express are priced at the same level as those being sold at ParknShop.  This is in contrast to other convenience store operators charging at a premium of up to 15 per cent from those selling at supermarkets.  In the convenience store, Circle K is the a competitor of 7-Eleven. Circle K is continuing to expand. A Circle K representative revealed that average purchases per customer had dropped to HK$10.62 (U.S.$1.56) for the first three quarters of 2002, down 7% from a year ago (  , 2006). Retailer Name Ownership No. of Outlets Location Purchasing Agents Year Established Client’s Age Circle K Hong Kong 180 HK Importers Agents 1985 15-35 Source:  (2006)     SWOT Analysis Strengths             Majority of the goods that 7-Eleven Store are low prices sue to low cost of operations. Also, 7-Eleven is more convenient to customers. Consumers could avoid the long checkout lines, crowded parking lots, and traffic. There are many choices of shopping methods; browsing the aisles, using product search, and choosing from a shopping list customized from frequently bought products. They could shop 24/7 since the store is open for 24 hours in 7 days. The store also offers variety of selection from fresh to processed food and whatever shoppers would need.   Threats             However, despite the strengths, the store has also its weaknesses. One of which is inventory inefficiency in which they would experience stock outs. Moreover, with the presence of superstores, their current marketing strategies have been overshadowed. In addition, low performance of workers also has negative effect on the efficiency of the store.   Opportunities             7 Eleven has also some opportunities. With the problem of information dissemination, an opportunity to acquire new technology for more efficient operations can now be possible. Also, 7 Eleven has been already known by the people as a store open in 24 hours they have the advantage over it. In addition, the company also got the most strategic locations of their stores. Moreover, the company can still expand their business and open some more stores especially in China which got the opportunities of expansion with its large market.       Weaknesses             With the lax government regulations in trade, more international competitors are entering Hong Kong. Increase in competition is a great threat to 7 Eleven. Also, with the increasing high levels of educated people, consumers are now more skeptics and are more demanding. In addition, the traditional markets in which people can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables are still in its popularity in Hong Kong. Moreover, 7 Eleven has high employee turnover which is a sign of bad management.     IMPLEMENTATION             Since a convenience store is both a goods and service business, it is important that the workers have the ability to give the best service to customers and availability of goods is also important.             7 Eleven, despite market competition, is a market leader in Hong Kong today. However, with the continuous enter of international companies, it is important for 7 Eleven to maintain its leadership in the convenience store industry. Superstores are already emerging in the country which are mostly are also beginning to open 24 hours.             From the SWOT analysis, the company faces various problems that are needed to have a solution. It is recommended to concentrate on some areas. One of the areas that have a major impact on offering goods and service is the efficiency and effectiveness of the people doing the work.             One of the major objectives that the company should concentrate is the improvement of their workers. A strategic human resource development must be implemented within the company.             Human resource development (HRD) plays a vital function by maximizing employee expertise to achieve the main objectives of an organization. Human resource development (HRD) has served the needs of organizations to provide employees with up-to-date expertise. According to  and  (1994) Advances in HRD models and processes have kept pace with the increasingly sophisticated information and production technologies that continue to diffuse throughout our nation's most vital industries. During this period of rapid technological development, the HRD function could be relied upon to support a broad range of business initiatives that required a competent workforce. Critical business issues, from new marketing strategies to innovations in production technology, were based on, among other factors, the performance capabilities of those expected to use these new work systems. As a factor integral to business success, employee expertise itself has been expanded through effective programs of employee development. Expertise is defined as the optimal level at which a person is able and/or expected to perform within a specialized realm of human activity (, 1994). In short, the development of workplace expertise through HRD has been vital to optimal business performance. However, according to  and  (1994), today's business environment requires that HRD not only support the business strategies of organizations, but that it assumes a pivotal role in the shaping of business strategy. Business success increasingly hinges on an organization's ability to use employee expertise as a factor in the shaping of business strategy. As a primary means of sustaining an organization's competitive edge, HRD serves a strategic role by assuring the competence of employees to meet the organization's present performance demands. Along with meeting present organizational needs, HRD also serves a vital role in shaping strategy and enabling organizations to take full advantage of emergent business strategies. Both the strategy supporting and strategy shaping roles of HRD have distinctive features that are evident in the business practices of successful companies. The rationale for using HRD interventions to support business objectives is to enhance employee expertise through HRD increases the likelihood that business objectives will be achieved ( and , 1995; , 1994). For example, education and training used to support business objectives at Motorola is typical of the challenges and opportunities faced by many organizations in today's business environment. What Motorola discovered earlier than most organizations that began introducing new sophisticated technologies into the workplace was that their employees did not have the skills to make full use of the technologies (, 1994). Companies that compete in the fast-paced communications market where customers are particularly innovation-conscious must deliver high-quality, reliable products despite short product development cycles. Motorola sought production advantages through both the integration of new technology and the development of employee expertise. Motorola offers on- and off-site classroom education and training, laboratory training, and structured training in the workplace for employees at all levels of the organization. In addition to supporting Motorola's successful pursuit of its business objectives, many of its education and training initiatives serve as examples of best practices against which other organizations' HRD functions benchmark their performance. Thus, Motorola provides an early and influential example of HRD used to support business objectives. Training and other initiatives associated with total quality management have been critical in transforming marginal manufacturing plants into successful facilities (, 1994). HRD continues to be a primary vehicle for assuring mandated levels of employee competence and public safety in highly regulated sectors like the nuclear power industry (, 1994). In addition, HRD is moving beyond a role that is exclusively supportive of business strategy. Moreover, HRD is assuming a more influential role at the point of strategy formulation and is becoming one of the key determinants of business strategy.  and (1995) posit the argument that "Organizations in the new economy have come to realize that employee expertise is a vital and dynamic living treasure. The desire for employee expertise is meaningless unless an organization can develop it in ways that respond to the business needs." However, some Organizations have rushed to embrace information technology as a way to improve overall efficiency and reduce costs. Yet, it is not the information technology itself, but the way information technology is thoroughly integrated into major business processes, that represent the greatest opportunity for the successful transformation of outdated business processes (, 1993). However, those who have successfully used information technology to improve business performance will quickly point out that these advantages will not materialize without highly competent people to both implement and utilize these innovative work systems. The human capacity must exist to use information technology to maximize performance. Employee expertise is critical to an organization's ability to capitalize on the vast opportunities afforded by information technology. HRD is then in a strategic position to assure that the required expertise is available and effectively utilized. Organizations in market leadership positions realize sooner or later that human resources are ultimately the only business resource with the creativity and adaptive power to sustain and renew an organization's success despite changing market conditions (, 1993). The development of employee expertise provides a potentially inexhaustible source of ideas for further innovation and increased productivity because the most basic output of the highly competent employee knowledge is not used up in the process of producing it (, 1989). Investments in employee education and training increasingly fund the development of an infrastructure to support the sustainable competitive advantage that a highly-trained workforce provides. Developing employee expertise at all levels of the organization and using knowledge as a catalyst for growth and competitive advantage represents a major frontier in organizational performance that is only now beginning to be fully appreciated (, , , , and , 1994; , , and , 1995).             HRD serves a broad range of interests and outcomes in organizations. The primary purposes to be served by HRD can range from programs intended to meet the personal development needs of individuals such as identifying individual learning styles or personal financial planning to HRD programs necessary for everyone in the organization such as programs addressing a new performance appraisal method or role changes secondary to structural reorganization.             In addition, knowledge drives product innovation and employees are the carriers of that knowledge. As a vehicle for the continuous development of employee expertise, HRD is a crucial antecedent to successful business strategy. In these situations, HRD actively shapes strategy. In other business contexts, strategy may be based on providing reliable, high quality products in stable markets less affected by continuous innovation. Strategies for assuring reliable service and consistent quality, like those followed by food processors and electric companies, are supported by HRD after strategy has taken shape. Because their customers want quality and consistency, these companies rely on HRD to support the expertise needed to insure these outcomes.         PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN             In order for 7-Eleven convenience stores to maintain its leadership in the market of Hong Kong, an improvement plan should be conducted in the human resource development of the organization. The company should undergo a series of reorganizations. The company should work on downsizing. Performance-based development strategy is the appropriate strategy to use to increase the organization, the team and the individual to be more efficient and effective. It is a strategy that focuses obsessively on bridging the gap between anticipated and actual business results. The HRD should be the major driver in scoring their improvements. 7-Eleven should take an effort to fundamentally alter the way performance of the organization’s performance.             7-Eleven currently is the market leader in the convenience store over its close competitor which is the Circle K. To maintain this market rank, 7-Eleven should redefine the organization. In order to this, objectives are identified.   Objectives <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> To ensure that people across the organization understand its vision</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Create a work environment in which it is possible to pursue this vision</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Coach people on how to collaborate effectively within their own units and across business lines</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Improve the problem solving and decision making abilities of individuals and teams</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> To develop processes for streamlining operations, rebuilding teams and opening new lines of communication</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> To remove organizational barriers that hindered productivity and profitability</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> To increase trust between the people in the organization</li>   New Mission             7-Eleven convenience stores should decide on redefining the organization. To begin, middle- and upper-level managers should recruited for change teams responsible for designing and implementing a re-engineering process. Their objectives were formidable: to restructure the organization; to eliminate fragmented, inefficient and costly work processes through downsizing and other means; and to create an environment where managers could manage, not just perform transactions.             A comprehensive systematic analysis should be taken and accomplished to look not only at the mission of the organization but also the relationship of every individual in the organization. Evaluation on the goals and practices of the organization should also be undertaken. In addition, most importantly, evaluation efficiency, role clarity and value added of every individual in the organization should be undertaken.             With the emerging of more competitive environment in Hong Kong, 7-Eleven would require further development of the employees of the organization to attain the competencies necessary for the success of the business. The organization need to operate at the highest possible levels of effectiveness. HRD team plays a major role in managing the implementation of the re-engineering effort of the organization.             In order to attain these objectives and mission of the organization, a performance-based development strategy will be implemented.   The Performance-Based Development Strategy It is crucial for an organization to replace traditional, static developmental approach with a more flexible and dynamic responses (, 1991).  Some existing parts of the performance-based development model would be appropriated with some modules from other methodologies will be adapted (, 1991;  & , 1991; , 1991;  & , 1988). The strategy approach that will be develop will have an emphasis on improving individual, team and organizational effectiveness which would offer the most promising strategy for strengthening 7-Eleven short- and long-term competitive position. In addition, this approach will also yield a clear-cut measure of the impact of HRD performance on business results. Performance-based development begins by looking at a unit's business expectations and at its actual results. The job of the HRD business consultant will be to determine which factor or combination of factors (individual and organizational) is causing the gap between anticipated and actual business results. Through the development of a diagnostic process, the consultant will search and identify the root cause of a performance problem. Later in interactive consultation with the client, the HRD consultant will design customized developmental actions to eliminate the mutually acknowledged deficiencies and to improve results. HRD’s first task is to discover the source of a deficit or the root cause which is actually the most difficult and consequential task. Three computer-linked diagnostic tools that are designed and adapted are particularly useful to the HRD business consultant trying to ferret out the roots of a client's performance problem: <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> The "open organization profile" measures the current state of productivity. This tool takes the organization's mission, strategy, history, culture and goals into account. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> The "team development assessment" uses questionnaires, surveys and interviews with individual contributors to assess team effectiveness. The evaluation focuses on the business's goals and purposes, its operations, how people interact and overall performance. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> The behavior of individual employees is also studied in depth. This research provides a profile of what an employee should know in comparison to what the employee does know. </li> These tools and others support the performance-based development process will be used by HRD in every intervention. The process will normally take the following courses:   Research Numerous diagnostic tools which include personal interviews, surveys, questionnaires and on-site observation will be used to have a detailed and comprehensive picture of the organization. The main objective of the diagnostic tools is to specify business needs and understand the nature of the current difficulty. Having conversation with the people at every level and observing intra and interdepartmental transactions will also be conducted.   Analysis and Feedback Once the data is compiled, the information will be stored in computer-based systems where HRD will have immediate access to and can analyze abundant data quickly. This analysis will enable to determine the strengths and weaknesses of an individual, a team or an organization and to identify the factors inhibiting performance. The finding will be reviewed in group settings for organization development and in consultative sessions for individual development. Data will be shared to come to a conclusion of what the performance problem. In this way, the root cause of the performance gap would be fully understood by the organization and the individual.  Action After data are collected and performance gap has already been identified and understand by the organization and the individual, implementation of action program will commence which would be intended to counteract the problems hindering performance. With full commitment of the organization with the program, it would be easier for the improvement plan to be conducted and implemented.      Execution of the Plan             The execution of the plan is intended for the improvement of the performance of the organization, team and individual. Mainly, HRD’s responsibilities are to improve organizational effectiveness, to create agile, high-performing teams, and to increase the skill levels of individuals to meet business objectives.   The Organization The development of organizational effectiveness will relatively take a long range process for any organization and particularly with 7-Eleven. It intends to improve a business unit's ability to solve problems and to adjust to changing conditions. Such organizational development activities will be designed to contribute to 7-Eleven operations and management in several ways: Ø      To assist business leaders in defining a strategic direction that will result in improved business focus and increased profitability. Ø      To streamline workflow processes within and between functions to yield greater efficiencies. Ø      To create results-focused teams. Ø      To improve organizational problem solving processes. Ø      To increase the organization's ability to adapt to change.   One tool that will be used extensively in our organizational development is the Open Organization Profile (, , , , 1993). An automated instrument, it asks respondents to rank themselves, their team members and others in their unit in three categories: alignment with the business goals; their ability to respond to internal forces; and their ability to react to the marketplace and other external challenges. It provides an accurate measure of the degree of cooperation and effectiveness in a business unit.   The Team Increasingly, teams are handling key jobs in 7-Eleven dynamic business of convenience stores. Having numerous branches of the stores around Hong Kong, different teams handle its own store problems and decision making. The team’s effectiveness will be measure in the following conditions:   Ø      The business leader must show a strong commitment to the team's work. Ø      All team members must share a common understanding of and a commitment to the team's purpose and goals. Ø       Individual team members must bring the proper mix of skills to their work. Ø      The processes that enhance interaction and communications must be in place.   HRD will be creating a Team Development Process that systematically assesses a team's effectiveness against these criteria and produces training programs to address specific deficiencies. A number of assessment tools will be developed and adapted to evaluate teams and their characteristics depending on the objectives of the particular team.   The Individual The approach to individual development will concentrate on the core competencies that are integral to effective job performance in 7-Eleven.  Six categories of knowledge have been identified that constitute the basic core of learning required of people throughout the organization. Depending on the requirements of their specific jobs, employees must have varying levels of knowledge of these categories: Ø      The company's products Ø      Finance Ø      The convenience store system, from network operations to legislative issues Ø      The operations of sales and service Ø      The electronic database systems used throughout the company Ø       Leadership and management   HRD will used as assessment tool which is the Individual Contributor Competency Assessment Profile, which will evaluate an individual's command of these core competencies. Other professional capabilities are measured by this tool as well, including skills in planning, problem solving, communicating, influencing others and innovating. Furthermore, the Profile assesses job proficiency, the quality of work produced, the degree of customer focus, adaptability to change, willingness to assume accountability, and teamwork skills. The competency assessment will give a 360-degree profile of the job holder. It includes a self-assessment as well as evaluations by the individual's manager, co-workers and subordinates. The data is compared to a profile developed for the particular position which specifies the attributes and skills needed to perform optimally in the job. Most important, this assessment serves as the foundation for a customized action plan to deal with the employee's unique developmental needs. Performance-based development for individuals will integrate classroom training, self-study and computer-based instruction. It will be built around the core business interests of 7-Eleven which include product knowledge, sales, customer service and the service delivery system. To help ensure cost-effective delivery of core training, employees will have access to these programs through their desktop computers.     Future Performance Targets Like many other large organizations, 7-Eleven is facing a future with the prospects of periodic, if not continual, cost-cutting and downsizing. This sobering reality often translates into intense pressures to come up with fast answers and quick fixes. Consequently, HRD's toughest challenge in moving forward in re-engineering journey will be to sustain and leverage significant practice changes and gain that will be made. However, this will be done demonstrating the value of performance-based development strategy, showing how it supports the goals of the business and contributes to the bottom line. HRD will maximize awareness and build buy-in of performance-based development across the organization. Especially in a climate of caution and retrenchment, we must aggressively market the efficiencies, the rigor and the discipline that this powerful strategy can bring to the business However, the work of HRD does not end with the diagnosis, design and delivery of appropriate development activities. Crucial to HRD's performance-based approach are systems that track the impact of development activity on business results ( and , 1982).                   CONCLUSION To maintain the top-performing competitor of 7-Eleven in the industry, everyone on staff needed to understand the business goals and objectives. The organization need to create a work environment where everyone worked together to support the business and take ownership for its performance. The human resources development approach will give the organization the tools to address issues of non-performance, to isolate deficiencies and to identify the steps needed to improve results." Today, a systematic process is in place to identify and eliminate any performance problem. The foremost responsibility of HRD consultants is to pay close attention to the client's bottom line while analyzing why the business isn't achieving the results it wants. Clearly, the failure to achieve desired business results can stem from many causes: a key manager may be ineffective; a cross-functional team may not be operating productively; employees may not be well-versed in a new product or service; or an organizational obstacle may exist. It generally takes the HRD team a week or two to compile and interpret diagnostic data, which is used to pinpoint the source of the business' performance problem. Next, these findings are communicated to the client, along with a recommended course of action. HRD also prepares a cost-benefit analysis showing how the benefits of the solution outweigh the costs of the proposed action plan. If the business accepts HRD's recommendations, a consultant maps out appropriate training and organizational development activities. The tools, tactics, processes and strategy that will be adapted and adopted have been customized to fit the organization's needs. HRD in the organization plays a vital role in the success of its business. HRD needed to be obsessive about linking individual and organization development to the bottom-line, making sure that you deliver exactly what the business needs and what it wants. It is important to examine the successful models and practices that now exist then adapt them to fit your organization's particular conditions. Emphasizing the competencies of the development staff is also vital to build credibility for the business unit. In addition, it is important to use a development approach that is performance-based, not activity-oriented and focusing on effective management, not the volume of transactions.                         REFERNCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Human resource development (HRD) plays a vital function by maximizing employee expertise to achieve the m...