Analysis Of The Battle Of Rorkes Drift

Analysis Of The Battle Of Rorkes Drift 1. Purpose: The purpose of this document is to show how British forces successfully implemented the defensive characteristics of preparation, flexibility, and massing the effects of combat power against the Undi Corps of the Zulu Army at the Battle of Rorkes Drift. 2. Discussion: a. Define the Subject: (3) Where: The Battle of Rorkes Drift occurred at the mission known by the same name located a half mile from the Myzinyathe river in present day South Africa at MGRS 36JTQ4380224088 (Earthpoint), then directly on the border of what was British controlled Natal land and the Zulu controlled Zululand territory (Greaves, 150). Please see attached map 3 on the last page. b. Weather and Terrain (1) Weather: Although the exact temperature for the duration of the battle is unknown, it is known that 22JAN1879 was an unusually hot day at Rorkes Drift (Greaves, 153). This favored the defenders who were in a static position with a water source contained within their defenses. The Zulu forces attacking Rorkes Drift, although in the reserve at the battle for Isandhlwana earlier that day, still had to march 15 miles to get to Rorkes Drift and did not have secondary water sources, possibly contributing to fatigue. Visibility for both the British and Zulu was not degraded, it was a clear day with little to no precipitation. Affecting military operations was the position of the sun during the battle. By late afternoon it shone directly in the eyes of the Zulu marksmen pouring harassing fires down into British positions from Shiyane Hill. This greatly inhibited the already poor accuracy of their aimed fires. This provided a distinct advantage to the British defenders on the southern per imeter who had an easier time picking off those same Zulu who were illuminated in their concealed positions by the setting sun (Knight, Rorkes Drift 45). (2) Terrain: (a) Avenues of Approach: British forces were in a static defensive posture waiting for the Zulu to attack and therefore had no dedicated Avenues of Approach. The Zulu, who were coming from the northern bank of the Myzinyathe River, decided not to risk getting attacked while fording the river at Rorkes Drift and crossed at Sothondoses Drift located a half a mile upstream (Knight, Rorkes Drift 37). Assembling behind Shiyane Hill on the southern flank, the initial skirmishing force approached in open formation, covering approximately 600 yards of open terrain from the cover of Shiyane Hill to the southern barricade of the defense. This approach favored the protected British whose Martini Henri rifles were extremely accurate at these ranges. The Zulu main body, upon seeing the volume of fire against the initial assault, maneuvered to approach from the west and settle into the concealment provided by the vegetation at the front of the post (Knight, Rorkes Drift 40). Please see attached Ma p 2. (b) Observation and Fields of Fire: Observation for both the British defenders and the attacking Zulu was excellent due to the location of the mission on a raised sandstone shelf, and the proximity of Shiyane Hill to the post. From the roof of the hospital, the posted British lookout was able to view the Zulu approach from Shiyane Hill 600 yards away (Knight, Rorkes Drift 36). For the attacking Zulu coming from the high ground and who positioned marksmen on the foot of Shiyane Hill, they were clearly able to observe the British defenses. The British barely had time to prepare their hasty defenses let alone clear fields of fire. This left the vegetation, outbuildings and various other structures outside the perimeter of the British defense for the Zulu attackers to take advantage of and to obscure the British view. The Zulu however, had to cover 600 yards of open ground in closing with the defenders, an advantage that went to the British. The Zulu firing from Shiyane Hill down into th e position had the advantage provided by the high ground that was nullified by their poor aim and dated firearms (Knight, Rorkes Drift 44) (c) Cover and Concealment: British forces that were protected in the fortified structures of the hospital and storehouse as well as along the mealie bag perimeter primarily had the advantage of cover and concealment. To the Zulu marksmen in covered and concealed positions on Shiyane Hill, the northern wall of the perimeter, in the interior yard and all of its British defenders were possible targets (Knight, Rorkes Drift 44). Once the Zulu had covered the open terrain and settled into concealed positions such as the cookhouse and oven at the rear, and the bush and garden at the front of the position, they were able to improve their cover and concealment. (d) Obstacles: Not many natural obstacles existed except for Myzinyathe River to the north and Shiyane Hill 600 yards to the north. In addition, the northern section of perimeter was built on top of a rocky ledge that measured approximately one and a half meters creating a two and half meter obstacle upon completion. Several man made obstacles existed including the mealie bag barricade that formed the perimeter, the well built stone kraal that measured 17 X 10 meters, and the rough stone kraal that was located northeast of the storehouse and measured 30 X 30 meters. Biscuit boxes stacked two high connected the corner of the storehouse with the front wall, cutting the position in half (Knight, Rorkes Drift 30). These obstacles were an advantage to the defenders as they served as cover and concealment as well as an impediment to attacking Zulu forces. (e) Key Terrain: The storehouse and hospital were key terrain to the defenders. If both of the structures fell to the attacking Zulu, they would be able to envelop the British perimeter, possibly destroying the defense force. The bisecting biscuit box wall, constructed after the Natal Native Contingent fled the defenses, mitigated risk in the event that one of the structures was seized by the Zulu as it was in the case of the hospital. c. Action (1) Phase 1: British preparation and the initial Zulu Attack. (a) At approximately 1530, the British regulars and the Natal Native contingent begin establishing a hasty defensive position. Utilizing 200 pound mealie bags, 100 pound biscuit boxes, and two wagons on site to create a complete three to four feet high perimeter, the two structures were linked together in a continuous defensive perimeter incorporated into the terrain when possible. The hospital and storehouse were improved as well, with the windows and doors being fortified (Knight, Rorkes Drift 25, 28, Furneaux 124). (b) At approximately 1630, the 300 man Natal Native Contingent withdraws from the battlefield upon sight of the initial Zulu forces approaching from around Shiyane Hill (Furneaux 123, 125). This left 104 British soldiers and officers to defend the position against the approximately 3,700 man Zulu element (Knight, 29). As a result, within the perimeter, a secondary position of biscuit boxes was prepared as a retrograde position in case one or the other of the buildings happened to be seized (Knight, Rorkes Drift 36). (c) At approximately 1630 the Zulu skirmishing force comprised of 500-600 warriors in the traditional Zulu Bull and Horns formation, attacked the rear of the British position from the southern flank of Shiyane hill in an attempt to envelop the British defense (Knight, Nothing Remains 75). When the skirmishing force was 500-600 yards from the position, the British begin massing fires into the advancing Zulu. Overlapping sectors of fire from the buildings and the rear wall allow the defenders to repel the initial Zulu attack. This causes the attacking element to maneuver west, around to the front of the hospital and the northern perimeter. Here they take up concealed positions in the vegetation at that location and launch the first attack on the perimeter in front of the hospital (Knight, Rorkes Drift 37-40) (2) Phase 2: The main Zulu attack. (a) At approximately 1640, elements of the skirmishing force take up covered and concealed positions in the crevices and shallow caves located on Shiyane Hill as well as from the various outbuildings off the rear southern wall of the southern perimeter. From these positions they begin directing fires down into the British position (Knight, Rorkes Drift 44). (b) At approximately 1655, the main body of the Zulu force appears around Shiyane Hill and maneuvers left to join the majority of the skirmishing force engaged along the perimeter in front of the hospital. Settling into concealed positions, it is more than likely that most of the Zulus spent a major part of the battle lying in the bush and grass at the front of the post, waiting for the chance to do something useful (Knight, Nothing Remains 77). The section of perimeter in front of the hospital was unfinished and weak, and the attacking Zulu massed forces at this point. The British were unable to sustain rates of fire consistent with Zulu attacks and resort to bayonet charges to defend their position. (c) From approximately 1700 until 1745 the British fought to hold the perimeter in front of the hospital from which they were eventually driven from. Having constructed a hasty barricade linking the corner of the hospital to the front perimeter, the British concede to the Zulu the veranda, while attriting the attacking force with aimed and lethal enfilade fire whenever they attempted to breach the perimeter (Knight, Nothing Remains, 78). (c) At approximately 1800, facing mounting casualties in the yard area between the two structures and facing a possible breach of the defensive perimeter, the British retrograde to the inner biscuit box wall. This British retrograde prevents the envelopment of the defensive perimeter. With the fields of fire from Shiyane Hill blocked by the storehouse, the Zulu harassing fire from that location is rendered ineffective. This also left the soldiers and the wounded defending the hospital cut off from the rest of the defense (Knight, Nothing Remains 84). The Soldiers are forced to retrograde room to room holding the Zulus at bay in order to evacuate the casualties and rejoin the perimeter. During this time the Zulu forces torch the roof of the hospital (Furneaux, 130). (3) Phase 3: British final perimeter defeats the Zulu attack. (a) From approximately 1815 on, the Zulus mass their forces in the engagement area in front of the storehouse in an attempt to take that location as well. The light from the burning hospital provides the British defenders with illumination at a range of about 50 yards in front of their position allowing them to mass direct fire at the Zulu attacks and repel them (Furneaux, 134). The Zulu were now able to maneuver right up to the front barricade wall that had been abandoned when the British retrograded, using the dead space in front of the wall from which to attack from (Knight, Nothing Remains 84) (b) At approximately 1900, while exposed to intense Zulu fire, Assistant Commissary Dunne and twelve Soldiers utilized the remaining heap of mealie bags to form a makeshift redoubt within the storehouse perimeter. The redoubt provided an elevated position for British riflemen to fire over the heads of the main defenders increasing the rate of fire and the ability to mass where necessary (Knight, Rorkes Drift 50, Greaves, 170). The British now defend a more compact square perimeter with nearly the same amount of men they had in defense of the original perimeter (Furneaux, 133) (c) From approximately 2000-2200, intense close quarter fighting takes place in the area around the cattle kraal and in front of the storehouse forcing the British to delay first to the cattle kraal partition and eventually to the inner wall (Knight, Rorkes Drift 50). This became the British final perimeter; there was nowhere else to go. With the British massing fires into the final Zulu assault firing down from the redoubt as well as the final perimeter, the final massed Zulu assaults are defeated (Greaves, 172). (d) From 2200 when the last Zulu assault was made, until 0400 when the last shots were fired, the Zulu forces resorted to pouring massed, yet inaccurate fires into the final British perimeter, but never mustered another assault again (Knight, Rorkes Drift 67). With the battle at a stalemate, the Zulu force withdrew back across the Myzinyathe River and home to Ulundi. The British set about reestablishing their defense, dispatching security patrols, and tending to their wounded (Greaves, 173,175). d. Assess the Significance (1) Key Event #1: British defenders repel the initial Zulu attack. (a) Causes: The Zulu skirmishers attacked across open ground, utilizing their traditional battle formation of the bull and the horns. This is highly effective against troops in the open, however they encountered a highly defensible British position along a narrow front, from which concentrated and interlocking sectors of fire were massed (Knight, Nothing Remains 76). (b) Effects: The combination of well protected and interlocking British positions and superior firepower, rapidly firing upon a fully exposed enemy at very close range prevented the Zulu skirmishing force from enveloping the British defenses in the initial attack. This caused the entire Zulu attack to settle in for a lengthy battle of attrition. (c) Lesson: The British ability to repel the initial Zulu attack demonstrates the importance of preparation when establishing the defense. Doctrinally, the commander utilizes as much time as possible to establish battle positions and sectors of fire, however in this case the British did not have time. Hastily linking the storehouse and hospital together in a continuous line of defense that utilized the advantages of terrain allowed Lt Chard to economize forces and concentrate all of his combat power along a narrow perimeter. This nullified the Zulu numerical and tactical advantage and provided command and control by avoiding a scenario where the storehouse and hospital were isolated defensive positions. (d) Doctrine: The British element at Rorkes Drift properly exercised characteristics of the defense, specifically preparation which allowed them to defend against a numerically superior force. FM 3-90.5 states that identification of engagement areas, integration of obstacles, and reinforcement of terrain with obstacles to favor the defender, are all tenets of sound preparation (FM 3-90.5 7-24). The Zulu, being a light infantry force armed primarily with spears, depended on encircling and closing with the enemy in order to destroy them. With no effective combat power capable of knocking down the barricades integrating the obstacles, the Zulu forces ability to fight effectively was degraded (Knight, Rorkes Drift 31). Placement of the barricade on top of the four foot high sandstone shelf at the front of the position multiplied the effects of the obstacle creating eight foot high sections of perimeter (Knight, Rorkes Drift 30, FM 3-90 8-133). By utilizing proper planning factors of a pe rimeter defense, such as the ability to defend against an attack from any direction and establishment of a defense in depth with alternate and supplementary, mutually supporting positions, the British were able to disrupt the initial Zulu attack (FM 3-90 8-37). (2) Key Event #2: British retrograde prevents the envelopment of the defensive perimeter. (a) Causes: Withdrawal from the perimeter in front of the hospital to the hastily assembled dog leg barricade gave the Zulu force the terrain in front of the hospital. This development, coupled with mounting casualties along the front wall due to the harassing fire from Shiyane Mountain, caused Lt Chard concern that sections of his perimeter were undefended and in danger of a Zulu breach (Knight, Rorkes Drift 48). Lt Chard ordered his forces arrayed along the perimeter of the interior yard, on the front and back wall, to retrograde to the interior biscuit box wall and take up the reserve defensive position. (b) Effects: The British retrograde prevented a Zulu breach of the perimeter by economizing forces behind a defense in depth. The new position rendered the harassing fire from Shiyane Hill ineffective and prevented a breach of the perimeter by Zulu forces (Knight, Rorkes Drift 48). With the exception of the few remaining forces fighting for their lives in the hospital, the majority of the British defenders were now defending from an even smaller perimeter with nearly the same amount of firepower, still able to hold the yard with fires from the biscuit box wall (Greaves, 166). (c) Lesson: The British retrograde to the biscuit box barricade demonstrated flexibility in the defense and the importance of defense in depth. The last minute implementation of the inner barricade upon the withdrawal of NNC forces prior to the battle, provided the British the flexibility to maintain the defense if the tactical situation caused the loss of the storehouse or the hospital. Thus the British were able to adapt when faced with mounting casualties and the loss of the verandah, they were able to maintain the initiative and strengthen their position by maintaining a continuous defensive perimeter. (d) Doctrine: Army FM 3-90.5 defines the characteristic of flexibility as sound preparation, disposition in depth, retention of reserves and effective C2 (FM 3-90.5 7-30). It is not clear if the Zulu had a plan of attack, however one can deduce from their courses of action that they were seeking to exploit a weakness in the British defense to overrun the defenders. Due to a numerical disadvantage, the British were in a completely static defensive position, unable to counter-attack and seize the initiative. By exercising sound preparation, the British were able to exhibit flexible use of their combat power and maneuver within their defensive perimeter to consolidate forces in a defense in depth while maintaining effective C2 (FM 3-90 8-37). It was at this final perimeter in front of the storehouse that they were able to mass the effects of their combat power and force a decision, rather than face exploitation of a Zulu breakthrough and possible defeat. (3) Key Event #3: The final massed Zulu assaults are defeated. (a) Causes: With the majority of British forces concentrated in the perimeter directly in front of the storehouse, the Zulu massed forces at that location in a final attempt to overrun the British position where the illumination from the hospital was obscured by the barricades. The combination of the construction of the mealie bag redoubt, and the British consolidation to the final perimeter allowed the British to mass the effects of their combat power. (b) Effects: British construction of the mealie bag redoubt provided an elevated position from which they could mass fires where necessary, creating an immobile reserve of sorts (Knight, Nothing Remains 88). Although the final Zulu assaults managed to drive the defenders out of the cattle kraal, the Zulu were never able to use this terrain effectively; this was in direct fields of fire of the mealie bag redoubt and the inner wall (Greaves, 172). Unable to ignite the storehouse roof, and affected by massed British fires from the redoubt above and the inner wall to their front, the final Zulu assaults were blocked by British massing of effects. (c) Lesson: The British forces demonstrated that mass can be achieved with a numerical inferiority and superior firepower by massing the effects of combat power at a decisive moment. The construction of the redoubt provided the British the ability to bring focused, distributed, and shifting fires to meet the increased Zulu assaults. The withdrawal to the inner wall of the cattle kraal, in addition to creating yet an even more compact perimeter defense, created a close quarters engagement area where the already withering British fire was increasingly more accurate at such a close range. (d) Doctrine: Army FM 3-90 states that, The defending force must mass the effects of its combat power to overwhelm the enemy and regain the initiative. The commander uses economy of force measures in areas that do not involve his decisive operation to mass the effects of his forces in the area where a decision is sought. This decisive point can be a geographical objective or an enemy force (FM 3-90 8-16). The British defenders demonstrated a mastery of this principle through economizing forces in front of the storehouse rather than trying to defend the original perimeter as the battle progressed on. As a result of the massing of their combat power in a compact perimeter, the Zulu forces were only able to commit a portion of their forces at a time negating their overwhelming numerical advantage and allowing the British to accomplish a defeat in detail (FM 3-90 2-7). With the construction of the elevated mealie bag redoubt, the British were able to multiply the effects of the compact p erimeter and economy of force, with increased rates and fields of fire to block the final Zulu assaults and sap their will to continue the attack. 3. Conclusion: On 22 January 1879, a vastly outnumbered yet technologically superior equipped British and native contingent earned a victory over the Undi Corps of the Zulu Army in the Battle for Rorkes Drift. Through successful implementation of the characteristics of a defense, the British force of 104 men were able to attrite a force of over three thousand Zulu warriors while sustaining minimal casualties and holding the key terrain of their supply depot at Rorkes Drift. By implementing the principle of preparation in establishment of a hasty defense, the British prevented the Zulu skirmishing force from enveloping or breaching the British defenses in the initial assault and caused the entire Zulu attack to settle in for a lengthy battle of attrition. British forces then demonstrated the principles of flexibility during the Zulu main assault by economizing forces and retrograding to a defense in depth which kept intact the continuous line of defense. Lastly, during the final Zulu assault, the British demonstrated the importance of massing the effects of combat power to overwhelm the enemy in checking the Zulu assault at the British final perimeter. The resultant losses to Zulu forces produced a perceived stalemate, and caused a retirement from the battlefield. Making the ,story of how a handful of Englishmen held the mission house at Rorkes Drift for twelve hours against the furious onslaughts of 4,000 Zulus glutted with victory, rank with the epic of Thermopylae (Furneaux, 124).

The Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid

Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid By Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery, 2009 Acumen Fund Fellows April 2010 Summary Enterprises serving bottom of the pyramid (BoP) markets have tremendous opportunity to create commercial and social impact, but are often illequipped to do so. A particular question that needs to be studied is: how can we sell more effectively to BoP consumers? In this piece, Acumen Fund Fellows Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery draw on their field experiences and research to explain how we can build more effective sales organizations to serve the BoP.Contents Summary Introduction The Survey + Profile of Companies + Overview of Findings + Performance Rating Methodology Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Step Two: Realize Potential Step Three: Reinforce Training + Data Collection + Compensation Conclusion References About the Authors 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 Introduction The business world has heard about â€Å"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyram id† for some time.In his seminal work, CK Prahalad asserts that multinational corporations (MNCs) can stimulate commerce at the bottom of the economic pyramid to improve the lives of the four billion people in the world living in poverty and turn a healthy profit along the way. i This assertion is supported by various case studies, suggesting that the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) is a source of untapped profits for corporations that target local people as both producers and consumers and inspire innovation for new technologies and commercial activities. i A 2008 empirical study by Rodrigo Guesalaga and Pablo Marshall compares the buying power index (BPI) of the BoP market relative to the BPI of middle and high-income market segments and finds that â€Å"relative to the total market, the BoP sector accounts, on average, for more than 50 percent of the purchasing power in developing countries. iii† Large groups of poor consumers have the power to reject or accept what an M NC wants to sell, thereby forcing MNCs to overcome BoP market constraints and revise antiquated business models. v Since the BoP term was first coined, several MNCs and start-ups have introduced new products and services to the world’s poorest customers with mixed success. One leader in this movement is Acumen Fund, which invests in start-up social enterprises that employ market-based solutions to providing the poor with basic goods and services—water, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and housing. An underlying principle of Acumen’s work is that when poor consumers are given the dignity of choice, they are transformed from passive recipients of aid into customers with powerful voices that the business community cannot afford to ignore.Addressing this voice in a sustainable, scalable way is no easy matter, especially for resource-constrained young businesses. Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 1 Lessons from the Field: Sales at t he Bottom of the Pyramid The tools that traditional companies in more affluent markets utilize to understand and reach customers–studies, mailing lists, online campaigns, chambers of commerce, YellowPages, mass media channels— don’t exist or can’t easily be applied in developing countries.BoP-facing companies grapple with language and cultural barriers, infrastructure challenges, and capital constraints, regardless of whether they are an established multi-national corporation or a start-up trying to build a brand from scratch. While literature detailing the benefits of social enterprises is widespread, little attention is paid to the personnel management and organization building of small- and mediumsized enterprises trying to operate in these markets.After a ten-month field placement with two sales-focused Acumen Fund investees in India and Pakistan, Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery (2009 Acumen Fellows) were interested in exploring and uncovering common practices among small-and medium-sized enterprises that are successfully building sales organizations to serve the BoP. This executive summary presents the findings from a survey that Krauel and Montgomery conducted with organizations that target the poor through a variety of sales models.Forty-two different organizations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia participated in the survey and contributed to the BoP Salesforce Lifecycle – a framework which identifies specific steps that social enterprises can take to accelerate their growth and development. Krauel and Montgomery suggest that this three-pronged model – Recruit, Realize, and Reinforce –may help BoP companies break through the barriers they face in building high-performing sales organizations to serve the poor. BOP SALESFORCE LIFECYCLE A three-pronged framework that identifies steps social enterprises can take to build an effective sales forceRECRuIt â€Å"ambassadors† with strong soft skills by l everaging low-cost company assets REALIzE potential using ongoing, experience-based training built upon â€Å"on-the-ground† realities REInFORCE by linking smart data collection to performance-based pay and perks The Survey Profile of Companies An online survey was conducted in July 2009 with the CEOs or Heads of Sales at small- and medium-sized enterprises serving low-income customers in developing countries. The majority of respondents (31 of 42) have fewer than 100 employees and 69% percent have less than $1 million in annual revenues.The age distribution of survey responders is fairly even with 21% of companies in their first year of operations, 31% with two to five years operating history, 29% with six to ten years, and 19% with ten or more years. The survey set is dominated by for-profit companies (71%) and one-third of all respondents (36%) have received venture capital investment. Consumer Goods is the most common industry focus (33% of companies), followed by Busines s Services (24%), Consumer Services (17%), Agricultural or Industrial Products (12%), and Other products or services (14%).The majority of companies target primarily low-income and/ or rural consumers: 81% of companies target low-income, 64%, rural. Fewer companies target the urban (36%) or middleincome (26%) consumer. Overview of Findings Challenges: Survey responders report common challenges in finding salespeople with the requisite skills and then extracting top performance in terms of meeting sales targets, effective Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 2 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the PyramidSalesforce's Performance Ratings Based on End Customer type 100% % of companies surveyed 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 36% 44% 33% Primarily Low-Income Primarily Rural Primarily Urban 26% ;gt;10% Primarily Mid-Income 81% 64% % of Companies (n=42) % High Perfomers 44% Performance Rating Methodology Companies were rated based on self-reported data on p erformance against company sales targets. Companies reporting meeting or beating at least 75% of their sales targets are High Performers, while companies whose sales teams meet or beat 50%-74% of targets are Medium Performers.Low Performers tend to miss more than 50% of their sales targets. Having venture capital (VC) investors does not necessarily correlate with high performance, with 47% of VC-backed companies rated as High Performers compared to 48% of companies without VC backing. Similarly, non-profit or for-profit status has little impact on performance ratings, with 58% of all non-profits and 43% of all forprofit companies being High Performers. Nearly half of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers. †¦This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † Company Performance Based on Years in Operation Companies of all ages are High performers, but an inflection point emerges at five or more years of operating history. 20 Years in Operation: ;gt;15 (n=3) 10 to 15 (n=5) 6 to 10 (n=12) 12 10 2 to 5 (n=13) 0 to 2 (n=9) High Medium Low time management, and thoughtful prioritization of markets and customers. Advantages: Participating companies also report unique advantages that can be leveraged to break through these barriers.Social missions act as powerful magnets to new salespeople and relatively high retention rates make investing in sales force development a viable option. Promising practices around soft-skills-based sales force recruitment and assessment, experiential and ongoing sales force training programs, and low-tech but rigorous data collection linked to appropriate compensation schemes emerged and are discussed in the sections below. Some of these practices also corresponded with existing best practices and research in the field of Sales Force Development in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Interestingly, companies primarily foc used on notoriously challenging rural and low-income markets do not seem to be paying a penalty when it comes to performance. Forty-four percent of companies focused on rural markets are High Performers, compared to 33% of companies focused on urban markets. Similarly, nearly half (15 of 34) of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers compared to less than 10% of companies that include middle-income consumers in their target market.This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † An inflection point in company size and stage emerges from the survey responses, after which performance against targets significantly improves. Of the companies rated as High Performers, 80% have more than 20 employees and 65% have more than $250,000 in annual revenue. This report hopes to highlight tangible steps that companies can take to not only improve performance in the near term, but al so accelerate progress towards this inflection point and down the path towards size and scale.Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 3 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Barrier Hiring skilled sales staff Breakthrough Recruit ambassadors with strong soft skills by leveraging low cost assets top Hiring Barriers by Percent of Companies (n=42) *Note: respondents could choose more than one category Lack of necessary skills — Lack of necessary work experience — Poor cultural fit — Ability to offer competitive wages — Unknown company brand — 19% 24% 36% 43% 40%Nearly all companies (93%) report Other — 10% that hiring salespeople is somewhat challenging (45%), if not extremely Company location — 10% challenging (48%). Lack of core skills, Ability to offer competitive benefits — 10% direct experience, and cultural fit (with formalized and/or fast-paced startup environments) are consistently reported as the top hiring barriers, regardless of company size Candidates with significant, direct experience are hard to find v or stage. Yet, only 10% of companies note retention as a serious in large numbers; survey findings suggest that BoP managers challenge.This may be driven by the heavy use of personal should also target individuals that possess strong soft skills relationships in recruiting, but dedication to the social mission assets (local relationships, personal confidence, verbal is also reported as a top reason for why salespeople are joining communication, and community influence), and then test these these companies. Still, companies report that obtaining good skills in action as part of the interview process. performance from these committed sales teams is problematic.The survey suggests ways that BoP managers can more High Performers consistently report integrating active effectively hire in uncertain environments and then us e high demonstrations into their hiring processes. Sales force retention rates and mission alignment as rationale for investing interviewees are potential ambassadors for the company who – in the development of incoming sales staff. vi when given basic product information – should be able to shine REASOnS SALES PEOPLE JOIn (â€Å"ASSEtS†), SuCCESSFuL RECRuItIng StRAtEgIES (â€Å"tOOLS†) (n=42) StARt-uP ;gt;20 employees; n=14) SMALL EntERPRISE (20–100 employees; n=17) MED—LARgE EntERPRISE (101–500+ employees; n=11) Assets + Social Mission (n=X, 93%) + Start-up Energy (n=X, 36%) + Social Mission (n=X, 67%) + Competitive + Professional Wages (n=X, 53%) + Social Mission (n=X, 80%) + Competitive Wages (n=X, 53%) Development (47%) + Brand (n=X, 40%) tools + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 62%) + Recruiting Agency (n=X, 52%) Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid in role-playing scenarios, trial product demonstrationsvii, or sales contests with potential customers. Post-hire, companies can invest in comprehensive, hard skills training reinforced by thoughtful performance assessment and compensation schemes. This emphasis on recruiting first for soft skills, and then augmenting with training, corresponds with research of Mayer and Greenberg, who advocate for the hiring of employees with real sales ability and talent, instead of mere experience. iii During the recruiting process, BoP managers should keep in mind the unique assets that attract sales people to the particular stage of their company. Start-ups (classified as fewer than 20 employees) can boast of the energy of a new venture and also tout their social mission. Small Enterprises (20-100 employees), on the other hand, can boast of more competitive wages and professional development opportunities. With Me dium – Large Organizations (101-500+ employees), brand recognition becomes more important, though social missionRecruit for â€Å"soft skills† not just years of experiencesalesperson interviewees should be able to shine in roleplaying scenarios and trial product demonstrations. and competitive wages also play an integral part in attracting sales people. Across the board, using word-of-mouth referrals is one of the most important recruiting tools. For Medium – Large Organizations, use of recruitment agencies becomes more common. Newspaper advertisements are another popular recruiting strategy, while little use is made of recruiting or company websites in the hiring process.Lastly, companies of all sizes report keeping senior managers directly involved in hiring sales staff, with 79% overall indicating that the CEO or similar person is directly involved in sales force recruitment. RECRuIt: Innovations from the Field—Quotes from survey responses â€Å"We co mmunicate this activity as a entrepreneurial opportunity†¦which would eventually help them in learning business practices in addition to serving their community. † Indian consumer products company â€Å"We try to rope in satisfied customers [as sales people]. Indian energy product company â€Å"We identify [sales] people by analyzing if they have visited family in the countryside recently†¦ because that is where they will work with us. † Latin American energy products company â€Å"Motivating staff to the social impact of our products†¦. Since the message is out and understood, our staff will go the extra mile. † African food products company Step Two: Realize Potential Barrier Effectively training sales people in a way that is consistent with ompany strategy and priorities Breakthrough Realize potential using ongoing, experiential training based on ground realities As a manager from a Large European Consumer Goods Company states, â€Å"Training is the key, it takes time to develop [a] BoP sales force. † The value of sales training programs depends on the actual number of training hours along with the quality of the curriculum and instructors. Sixty-five percent of High performing companies conduct at least 10 hours of initial training during the first month of employment compared to only 30% of Medium and 33% of Low Performers. For most HighKrauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 5 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid tRAInIng PRACtICES BY COMPAnY PERFORMAnCE RAtIng (n=42) HIgH (n=20) Specialized sales training 10+ hours initial sales training Ongoing sales training Experiential sales training 85% 65% 85% 85% MEDIuM (n=10) 60% 30% 70% 80% LOW (n=12) 58% 33% 42% 62% Performers, the initial training is complemented by periodic refreshers. Eighty-five percent of High performing companies conduct ongoing training compared to 70% of Medium performing companies and 42% of Low performing companies.Not surprisingly, High performing companies dedicate more time to training sales staff, but quantity alone is not sufficient. Many companies indicate that experiential training is the most effective method of training sales people. At least 80% of High and Medium Performers focus on experiential training (role plays, shadowing, etc. ) as opposed to pure lecture form, compared to just 62% of Low Performers. This finding corresponds with the research of Galloix and Robinson x, which cites the importance of role-playing in training good salesmen.Survey findings show a disconnect between the challenges sales staff face in the field and the sales training programs that companies offer. Market prioritization and time management are consistently rated as the top challenges managers face with salespeople, but fewer than half of participating companies provide training in these areas. While High Performers are generally more pleased with the quality of their training programs, only 40% indicate that sales staff have actually acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in the field, compared to just 20% of Medium performing companies and 0% of Low performing companies.Recent research from the developed world suggests that highperforming SMEs successfully integrate R;D into customer outreach (sales and marketing). xi Perhaps, organizations selling to the BoP can benefit from making training a priority and ensuring that training programs are ongoing, consistent with company priorities, and relevant to the on-the-ground realities that sales people face. xii REALIzE: Innovations from the Field â€Å"We gave a one-day training that included a morning full of lecture. The second half of the day, we dropped sales people off in random villages and asked them to sell a product in one hour. Pakistani agricultural product company â€Å"We blend classroom training and demonstration camps.This provides participants an opportunity to learn, apply theoretical learning in live camps and again come back to classroom for clarification about doubts/feedback. † Indian consumer goods company â€Å"We do our operational training in the field with a new customer in as public a place as possible to create a buzz while doing the training. † African consumer services company Step Three: Reinforce Training Barrier Poor performance of sales staff Breakthrough Reinforce training and ompany strategy by linking smart data collection with perks and performance-based compensation Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 6 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid High Performers use rigorous data collection and innovative compensation schemes to reinforce company sales strategy and boost performance. xiii Data collection Nearly all companies (95%) collect basic sales data on a regular basis, and many High and Medium Performers collect sales data on a weekly or if not daily basis ( 63% vs. 33% of Low Performers).This is striking given how challenging data collection can be in developing countries that lack robust IT and communication infrastructure. This challenge is compounded for companies with sales staff that live and work in the underserved communities they are trying to reach (mainly low-income, rural). Companies are breaking through these infrastructure barriers by using a blend of SMS, verbal, email and paper-based methods to capture results from the field. These â€Å"IT-light† practices don’t necessarily change as companies get larger, with 55% of companies with 100 or more employees reporting continued use of verbal reporting.However, older companies (five or more years of operation) report increased use of email and mobile phones in data collection along with decreased use of paper and verbal methods. High Performers also report limited use of verbal reporting (only 30% compared to 60% of Medium and Low Performers). These findings sug gest that BoP companies may be able to avoid investment in expensive ERP or CRM systems, but that there is significant value in adopting rigorous low-tech solutions that are easy to follow, consistently used, relatively scalable, and that limit errors. iv High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting. With â€Å"compliance with company policies† consistently ranked among the top two or three sales force priorities, frequent data collection integrated into training and compensation schemes may be a underutilized but promising practice.xv REInFORCE—DAtA: Innovations from the Field â€Å"Ensure data collection is seen as a specific skill. † Indian healthcare service provider â€Å"We give minor incentives to the top performers in each week's data metric. † African equipment company We issue discount coupons [in order to] capture data from customers. † India financial services company Compen sation Surprisingly, survey responders did not report the inability to offer competitive wages as a significant barrier to growth. Fewer than one-in-four companies note wages as one of the top two challenges in hiring salespeople. However, what these BoPfacing companies might be gaining in sales force affordability, they may be losing in productivity and performance. Company responders are using creative compensation schemes to breakthrough the performance barrier.High performing companies are less likely than Medium and Low Performers to offer variable compensation (35% vs. 70% and 50%, respectively), but those High Performers that offer bonuses and/or commissions, do so aggressively. For High Performers, variable compensation constitutes 46% of total compensation compared to 21% at Low Performers. High Performers are also more likely to complement pay packages with attractive perks and benefits, with 75% offering perks compared to 42% of Low Performers. This raises the point as to how companies think about allocating employee-related expenditures.Targeting rural, low-income clients often translates into long hours, extensive travel, and limited creature comforts for sales staff. BoP companies may benefit from capping overall sales wages at market-rates and investing remaining funds towards employee health insurance, Companies have other levers to pull when it comes to data collection. Forty-five percent of High Performers tie data reporting to compensation, compared to 33% of Low Performers. High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting (71% compared to just 50% of Low and Medium Performers).Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 7 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid transportation, lodging, meals, mobile phones, or retirement plans – perks that can improve a salesperson’s quality of life while also directly supporting sales-relat ed activities. REInFORCE—COMPEnSAtIOn: Innovations from the Field + Eco-friendly paper salesmen are eligible for profit-sharing. + Rural energy salesman receive bonuses on a sliding scale, based on company performance. ConclusionAfter 50 or more years of somewhat ineffectual international development efforts, there is a new awakening among practitioners and business leaders around a different way to approach the problems of poverty: through market-based approaches. At the heart of every market-based approach, there is a customer and a company. And, at the heart of every customer relationship, there is a sales force. In many ways, the success or failure of the BoP movement will hinge upon companies’ and organizations’ abilities to build and maintain high performing sales organizations.Interestingly, our findings resonate with existing academic research on how to construct effective sales organizations, and perhaps BoP businesses can also learn from the best pract ices in sales force development for SMEs. The first step BoP-facing social enterprises can take to confront challenges with less developed labor markets is to clearly articulate their unique company assets (based on company stage) as they actively Recruit sales staff with strong soft skills who can become true ambassadors and champions of the company.Next, companies can Realize sales force potential with ongoing and experience-based training programs, designed with on-the-ground realities in mind. Lastly, linking training topics to targeted data collection and compensation schemes can help to Reinforce and institutionalize company priorities and sales strategies. + African salespeople receive live chickens as rewards during sales meetings. + Latin American rural logistics company provides funds for vacation travel. + Rural energy company follows â€Å"open book management† so sales team sees how their performance fits in. + Community water system company provides salesmen ith equity shares.

Archimedes’ Autobiobraphy

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – DISSRTATION EXAMPLES & FREE ESSAYS Abstract The invention of mathematical formulas used in physical and chemical sciences has played a crucial role in technological advancement exhibited in the contemporary society. Many of these inventions were made in the early and the late 1800’s, while some made as early as 200 BC’s. Many scholars in the contemporary generation have shown increased interest in studying the motivation of these ancient inventors and how they managed to develop their ideas (Netz & Noel, 2007). This paper will document the autobiography of Archimedes of Syracuse, who has been considered a pioneer through inventing mathematical formulas. â€Å"Archimedes of Syracuse† Archimedes was born to Phidias, a mathematician and an astronomer in 287 BC in Syracuse, a city in Sicily (Zannos, 2005). There is no clear information about his early life and his family, but some people claim that his nobility was of Syracuse and that he was related to the King of Syracuse, Hiero II. During this period, Syracuse was considered a centre of commercial activities and as a young person growing in this busy city Archimedes developed an interest in solving complex mathematical problems facing the people of Sicily (Anderson, 2009). After acquiring much information from the local schools he attended in Syracuse, he travelled to Egypt for further learning in Alexandria University. Upon completion of his education, Archimedes travelled back to Syracuse where he lived a life of innovative thinking and solving problems through critical thinking as well as application of mathematical formulas (Geymonat, 2010). King Hiero II was impressed by Archimedes’ inventions which o ffered solutions to various challenges (Neal, 2011). One of Archimedes’s inventions that impressed King Hiero II was Archimedes’ screw that enabled the King to empty water from a hull of his ship. Archimedes was also asked by the king to find out how he could determine the amount of gold on his crown without destroying it. Archimedes addressed this by immersing it in water and determining the volume of the water it displaced, then determining the weight of the crown, thus its density (Dijksterhuis, 2009). This information enabled him to determine the purity of the crown. Apart from his innovations, Archimedes participated in the defense of Sicily from the Romans. Sicily was considered a centre of political and geological activities, as an Island located between Carthage and Rome, Sicily was faced by the challenge of ally issues. That is, the King did not know whether to form an ally with either Rome or Carthage: This is because, forming an ally with i.e. Rome, could have led to enmity between Sicily and Carthage (Gow, 2005). Archimedes was given the responsibility of constructing walls to protect the city from Carthaginian or Roman attacks. He also developed war machines that could be used during attacks. In geometry, Archimedes contributed significantly towards the development of the basic principles of pivot as well as pulley system. He also contributed significantly towards the understanding of the principle of buoyancy, defined as the power of liquid to exert an upward force on an object placed in it (Paipetis, 2010). Archimedes died when Rome at tacked Syracuse, he was attacked by an enraged soldier, who had demanded that he accompany him to King Marcellus’ tent (Jaeger, 2008). In conclusion, Archimedes had a significant contribution to in mathematics and physics. His ideas regarding the calculation of density of objects immersed in water as well as the idea of buoyancy are currently used in various learning systems and in practical circumstances. Archimedes can also be considered a patriot owing to the fact that he defended his nation fearlessly from the cruel Roman Soldiers, an act that led to his death at 75 years (Archimedes, Netz &Eutocius, 2004). Bibliography Archimedes., Netz, R. and Eutocius, (2004). The works of Archimedes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dijksterhuis, E. (2009). Archimedes. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Netz, R. and Noel, W. (2007). The Archimedes Codex. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. Zannos, S. (2005). The life and times of Archimedes. Hockessin, Del.: Mitchell Lane.Geymonat, M. (2010). The Great Archimedes. Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press. Anderson, M. (2009). Archimedes of Syracuse: The chest of ideas : A historical novel. Faifield, Iowa: 1st World Publishing. Gow, M. (2005). Archimedes: Mathematical Genius of the Ancient World. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow. Paipetis, S. (2010). Archimedes’ Contribution in Physics and Mathematics. Dordrecht: Springer. Neal, C. (2011). Archimedes. New York: McGrawHill. Jaeger, M. (2008). Archimedes and the Roman imagination. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Internet and Itss Services. - 5106 Words

Internet and its services. Richard Zuber DL Efficient and Effective Self-Expression BC302 Bill Bagatelas Research Paper 11/24/2001 Working with Internet does not mean just browsing www and sending and receiving e-mails. The Basic Structure of the Internet was developed through last 30 years of existence of the Internet. The Internet is a heterogeneous worldwide network consisting of a large number of host computers and local area networks. The Internet uses the TCP/IP suite of protocols. This allows the integration of a large number of different computers into one single network with highly efficient communication between them. This way, the user can access information on all kinds of host computers from a desktop PC, Macintosh, or†¦show more content†¦Listserv, the most popular program for managing discussion lists also handles subscription via mail messages, archives incoming messages, and allows users to retrieve these and other archived files. Thousands of discussion lists focusing on all kinds of topics exist on the Internet. Topics range from various hobbies, political discussions to operat ional aspects of different computer systems and research questions. For the user, discussion lists are an easy way to identify and contact a large number of people with similar interests. A discussion list can also be considered as a worldwide forum for expressing views and discussing opinions. While messages are automatically sent to all subscribed users in the case of a discussion list and one has to be subscribed in order to receive the messages, messages in Netnews are distributed between a net of servers. Messages are organized in a hierarchy of newsgroups. Incoming messages are stored for a particular period in a publicly accessible area. Each user can connect to this area, browse through the stored messages, and respond to any one of them. This way Netnews allows for a better overview of ongoing discussions but requires the user to actively connect to the respective area. One of the reasons for the creation of a computer network like the Internet was to give users access to remote computers and to allow them to transfer files to and from this machine. These are typical demands forShow MoreRelatedCompensation And Benefits Of Employees921 Words   |  4 PagesYou are the HR manager of a relatively new retail company that has both retail stores and Internet sales. Your company is steadily growing in revenue and profitability. The company realizes that in order to retain the solid, highly productive workforce it currently has in place, it is important to enhance the base compensation and benefits package offered to the employees. The company currently offers a basic compensation program and only federally mandated benefits. Employee surveys suggest theRead MoreColorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault987 Words   |  4 Pageswebsite was going to be more precise than how she would exactly word it. CCASA is a membership organization that promotes safety , justice, and healing for survivors of sexual assault while working to eliminate sexual violence (CCASA, 2016). CCASA services Colorado communities only and have a vision that Colorado communities believe and support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and take action to end sexual violence (CCASA, 2016). CCASA has a list of core values that are followed that helpRead MoreApples Profitable but Risky Strategy2540 Words   |  11 Pagescompany to setback and achieve a competitive advantage against its competitor and rival is called competitive strategy. This type of strategy is frequently used in marketing, promotion and advertising operations by somehow questioning the rivalrys service or product. Competitive strategies are vital to businesses which are competing in markets for the leading position, the market which is deeply saturated with substitutes for consumers. (Porter,2008). This case study is truly about the competitiveRead MoreIndustrial Training Report2225 Words   |  9 Pagesimagination from both of you. Besides, this internship program makes me realized the value of working together as a team and as a new experience in working environment, which challenges us every minute. Not forget, great appreciation go to the rest of ITS’s staff that help me from time to time during the project. The whole program really brought us together to appreciate the true value of friendship and respect of each other Great deals appreciated go to the contribution of my faculty - Faculty of Business