The Day The World Cried Essay - 880 Words

The Day The World Cried Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended. Our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices – secretaries, businessman and women, military and federal workers. Moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat . But they have†¦show more content†¦Immediately President Bush orders all airports and bridges to be shut down. 10:45 am the South Tower of The World Trade Center collapses, disintegrating into the chaotic streets of New York City. This fearful and emotional morning was hard enough to realize that it was reality and not some clip from an action movie. Yet we had to grip our emotions and deal with the situation. What does it truly take to be a hero? A definition of a hero is a man or woman who is admired for their courage and nobility. After September 11th the firefighters heroism opened our eyes and hearts to their patriotic and noble acts toward their country. As thousands of people were struggling to get out, they went into the buildings risking their own lives. They were not afraid to help those in need. Many of them survived, though not all did. Families of the firefighters have unforgettable memories of their loved ones, as the world looked up to them as heroes. Little boys will grow up with the motivation to save lives and be firefighters just like they were. But most of all they were heroes on September 11th, the day the world cried they were there to wipe our tears away, by giving us hope. Watching the news channels replay the image of the planes hitting the buildings was livid enough to relive the terror. Yet most of us weren’t in the terror as their lives became the cost. The most devastating part of this all is that the people who survived this tragedy, willShow MoreRelatedFairies of the Heart are All Around Us Essay540 Words   |  3 PagesLove is always around us. In a cold world there are fairies that represent our hearts and the love we feel. These fairies are seen by the young and the loved. There once was a young girl, born with three just like everyone else whos blue fairy, love of herself, which was always small. The blue fairy always followed her floating around trying to push her towards happiness but never seemed to gain the strength to help the girl progress. The young girl, once she grew up a bit had a second fairy bornRead MoreI Just Love You644 Words   |  3 Pagesin life, like how the sun never failed to be bright. 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Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future Free Essays

string(42) " to wow customers without confusing them\." A Microsoft Banking and Capital Markets White Paper The bank branch of the future 2 The bank branch of the future Contents Redefining the role of branches 4 Case study: Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs 8 Article: The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels 10 Recognition — selling to a market of one 12 Case study: CRM at Wintrust Financial and Fiserv 14 Case study: Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions 15 Engagement — creating memorable touch points 16 Case study: Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy 18 Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada 21 Case study: Streamlining communications at Fidelity 22 Origination — developing new business opportunities 23 Case study: Predictive analytics at U. S. Bancorp with Portrait Software 25 Profile: Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign 26 Case study: Incentives at Bank of the West and Varicent 27 Service — taking customers to the next level 28 Case study: Next-generation self-service at BBVA with NCR 30 Case study: Espirito Santo creates a better banking experience with CRM and a 360 degree, integrated view of the customer 31 Innovation — developing new products and services with customers 32 Case study: Social computing at NewsGator and CME Federal Credit Union 34 Bringing it all together — technologies of channel integration 35 Article: Creating a consistent customer experience through channel synchronization 36 Having a vision for the future 39 Profile: Helping customers succeed with ARGO 40 Realizing the branch of the future 41 Microsoft partners appearing in this paper 42 Microsoft in Financial Services Financial services is a major industry for Microsoft ® Corporat ion. We will write a custom essay sample on Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our commitment to the industry comprises client-dedicated accounts teams, and technology and industry specialists. Our solution areas embrace almost every facet of the industry, including client experience, governance, risk and compliance, payments, and operating capabilities. The U. S. Financial Services industry group led by Ben Narey is responsible for developing financial services solutions combining Microsoft capabilities with those of our partners, for our U. S. -based banking clients. This is one in a series of thought leadership papers designed to share insight into leading industry issues and help our clients realize their vision of the future. www. microsoft. com/financialservices The bank branch of the future 3 A message to our customers and partners After a significant period of expansion, banks are finding current market conditions tough to say the least. Putting customers first is the right response, and the branch is the place to do that. But the role of branches is changing dramatically. Transactions are moving to the Internet, so customers may have fewer reasons to visit branches. In addition, new technologies, such as social networking and personal financial management (PFM) tools, are transforming the relationship with customers, forcing banks to develop new ways to create the right customer experience while empowering customers and giving them more control. If branch visits are less frequent, they must become more valuable and more interesting. The days of existing and potential customers walking into branches and not being recognized or effectively engaged are over. A new era of personalized financial services is forcing banks to sell to a market of one. This means understanding customer needs and addressing them appropriately. This also means moving from a reactive sales model to a proactive one, where customer needs can be anticipated in advance. Thanks to changes in technology, customer expectations of the experience they should receive when they visit the branch are rising all the time. But just filling branches with new technology isn’t the answer. There needs to be a plan in place and one developed with customers in mind. The customer should be at the center of the branch operation. The branch of the future is an engaging, interactive and fun environment. It should also be a lower cost one. There is opportunity for a dramatic improvement in branch performance. This means streamlining processes, eliminating paper, and improving front and back-office integration. Branch staff are being asked to play a different role. Branch personnel need constant training to do this. The technology of the branch of the future exists to empower tellers, financial advisors and service representatives to serve customers more effectively, moving from a reactive to a proactive engagement model. Microsoft Corporation has a strong commitment to the branch of the future. Directly and through our partners, we work with financial institutions around the world to develop their own path to improved performance. Many of those solutions are outlined in this white paper. We hope you find this a useful contribution to your future plans and the longer term direction of our industry. Yours truly, Ben Narey Director, U. S. Financial Services Colleen Healy General Manager, U. S. Financial Services 4 The bank branch of the future Redefining the role of branches T A dizzying period of change echnology is changing at a blurring rate. It is at once more social, connected, mobile and continuous. We are seeing game-changing advances in many areas from user interfaces to Internet TV. It’s not just transactions that are moving to the Internet but conversations and relationships as well. In this new world, banks are engaging with customers in very different ways. For some banks, branches are emerging as the new, technology-enabled centerpiece in the relationship with customers — a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking in the branch of the future. Banks face other challenges. Revenues are stalling, margins are under pressure and costs remain high. For many, technology remains fragmented. As banks invest more in customer technologies, they must also reduce costs and improve margins, achieve more with less, and at the same time comply with new regulation. In this constantly shifting story, there are many moving parts, and they must all come together to wow customers without confusing them. You read "Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future" in category "Essay examples" The branch of the future is an exercise in innovation that must be competitive, game-changing and ultimately profitable. It must be part of a broader strategic focus that considers all channels, not just the branch itself. It will involve not just a vision, but an ecosystem of partners that can deliver it. Microsoft ® expands its reach by working closely with partners to deliver many of our capabilities, and many of them are included here. In this paper, we lay out a process that a bank could follow in developing its branch of the future story. As steps in that story we include case studies and solutions that we believe are leading edge. We realize that every bank’s journey will be different because each bank will need to develop its own unique approach to the branch of the future. Branches are emerging as a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking. The new alternative channel? Many banks consider the branch to be their primary customer relationship channel. But do customers feel the same way? Today roughly 90 percent of daily transactions take place electronically. Checks may be phased out in most developed economies in the next few years. Branch traffic is on the decline. Are branches the new alternative channel? Does that mean branches are finished? Not necessarily. Bank customers still seem to have a strong affinity to branches even though they may visit them less. But it does mean the role of the branch must change and be less dependent on transactions. What should this new role be? To answer that question we must have a better understanding of what customers really want. The bank branch of the future 5 And that boils down to at least three things. Firstly, they want more control over their finances. One of the consequences of the financial crisis is a feeling of greater insecurity and a decline in trust in financial institutions. Thanks to the growth in technology and the disclosures surrounding the financial crisis, bank customers often know more about their banks than banks do about their customers. Secondly, consumers want more choices and are less willing to put all their financial eggs in one basket. They are more willing to change banking relationships and are less loyal to their existing providers. Thirdly, they want a better experience. Banks often measure their performance with customers based on service satisfaction, but service is only part of the equation. The ability to access banking services at any time from any location, transparency in fees and simpler contracts, and access to quality, impartial advice all sum up to a new value exchange between banks and customers that may define the next phase of banking. Technology is playing a huge part in transforming the banking experience. Smartphones and slates (tablets) are giving consumers greater mobility. Cloud computing gives all of us easier access to more computing power. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications and natural user interfaces enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. So what is the transformation in the role of the branch that needs to take place? Snacks, lunches and fine dining experiences Perhaps the experience of other industries might provide us with some clues. Financial services provider Fiserv has equated interaction through banking channels to â€Å"snacking,† â€Å"lunching† and â€Å"fine dining† (see article on page 10). As our lives become busier, long, lingering meals become more rare. Snacking has become a way of life, often at our desks rather than at restaurants. So restaurants must work harder for our business. But there are many restaurants to choose from. How do they compete for our attention? Every good restaurant needs its own brand. Often fine food is not enough. It may need a theme or an image. It might be the country of the cuisine. It might be a constantly changing menu. It might be the ability to have snacks, lunch and fine dining in the same location. From the services, to the cutlery and the plates to the interior to the food itself, all these elements may combine to create a unique customer experience. In the case of banking, customers have a choice of channels and therefore experiences. But if most of the channels are mainly about transactions or â€Å"snacking,† then they are likely to prefer fast food to fine dining. For the branch to be attractive, it has to have something else on the menu. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. 6 The bank branch of the future The branch — where all channels can converge Today bank channels are like those in the first diagram in Figure 1: independent channels that are mainly about â€Å"snacking. † In this model, it is easy to see how the branch becomes less important as â€Å"snacking† channels grow. But some customers may prefer to research online and get advice in the branch. Their financial journey may involve a combination of visits to different channels at different times, perhaps even for the same service — beginning a journey in one channel and completing it in another. In this way, channels reinforce each other rather than compete with each other for customers’ attention. The new model of bank channels is more like the second diagram in Figure 1. Channels are no longer siloed but mutually reinforcing. Instead of playing a diminishing role, the branch can begin to play a more influential one. But the branch is the one channel where all channels can converge. Like the airline or the restaurant that offers a choice of customer experiences, snacking, lunching and fine dining can all take place in the same location. As a result the branch becomes an easier place to conduct all our banking business rather than the least attractive of all. FIGURE 1 Transforming the role of branches BANKING TODAY BANKING TOMORROW MOBILE MOBILE BROWSER CHANNEL USAGE CHANNEL USAGE BROWSER CALL CENTER CALL CENTER BRANCH BRANCH INDEPENDENT CHANNELS WITH FRAGMENTED IMPACT INTEGRATED CHANNELS AND GROWING INFLUENCE The bank branch of the future 7 Dimensions of branch transformation Microsoft ® believes there are at least five dimensions of branch transformation that can lead to a significant increase in customer experience and financial performance. Branch design — balancing networking with privacy, access and convenience Talent — more focus on advice and expertise and less on transactions Channels — integrated and mutually supportive Innovation — customer driven, building on experiences and solutions Brand — unique and customer driven In each of these dimensions, technology has a major role to play. But the real challenge is to empower each dimension so that they operate together to enhance the customer experience, improve revenues and reduce costs. A fragmented approach will simply increase costs, confuse customers and reduce financial performance. Effective branch transformation demands an enterprise-wide blueprint. A project to build nextgeneration ATMs needs to take into consideration the opportunity to empower and integrate other channels. A project to introduce digital signage should consider not only the customer experience, but the ability to improve staff performance as well. The introduction of digital signatures and automated account opening should consider the implications for document management and records keeping. We are not just transforming branches but creating a completely new retail banking business and operating model to deliver a higher standard of customer experience. A continuous process of performance improvement Branch activities should involve a continuous process of performance improvement based on an in-depth understanding of customer needs with the goal of deepening customer relationships. Recognition — selling to a market of one Engagement — creating memorable touch points Origination — developing new business opportunities INNOVATION FIGURE 2 A continuous process of performance improvement RECOGNITION ENGAGEMENT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT gt; Service — taking customers to the next level Innovation — developing new products and services with customers Ideally, almost all these activities should be capable of taking place at any part of the branch, whether at an ATM, in a teller line, at a teller booth, or in discussions with a servic e advisor or a banker. But if executed effectively, one step will lead to another, creating a positive loop of continued performance improvement. (See Figure 2. ) SERVICE ORIGINATION 8 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs It’s easy to spend money on technology. But it is more important to understand what customers really want from their branch before embarking on an ambitious program of investment. The whole point of investing in branches is to improve the relationship with customers. So why not begin by understanding what customers really want? Nascent Digital (www. nascentdigital. com) is one of the market leaders in the field of combining market research with the design and development of technology. As a result, Nascent is able to create rich and relevant connections with customers from business applications to educational and entertaining experiences. Having previously deployed experiences on multiple mobile and touchscreen platforms such as iOS, Nascent has eased into working with the cutting-edge Windows Phone 7 and Slate devices. Nascent Labs’ mobile platform enables it to quickly develop game-changing Windows Phone and Slate applications connected to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. It has also played a major role in the development of Microsoft Surface technology. Bank customers seek digital experiences that are unique and engaging. To that end, Nascent’s unique design-led approach employs research, in-depth experience design and early rapid prototyping. These methods enable insights into how to realize the best possible digital customer experience. Nascent has partnered with Microsoft ® to envision the possibilities for Slate computing in the branch of the future. The design process and resulting prototype yielded insights into multiple new possibilities for customer interaction, relationship building, and ustomer-associate collaboration on everything from day-to-day banking to financial planning and advisory. Building on Windows Phone 7 Metro design language, Nascent was able t o create a single digital interface that unifies the customer mobile experience with a collaborative sales experience in the branch. By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire. The bank branch of the future 9 Nascent begins by compiling and distilling existing research to form a basis for further inquiry. Industry best practices, existing published research and open access data are evaluated to focus their primary research. Focus groups and discussions led by expert coordinators are directed to reveal a deeper insight into the ideal digital experience for the user base. Once the research phase is complete, the experience design process begins to output a series of visual representations that can be easily transformed into a rapid prototype. Early prototyping enables innovation by bringing vivid experiences to life quickly for early user testing. (See Figure 3. ) By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire, and thus are successful in empowering their branches with new technology. By reconciling customer needs with the bank’s own strategic direction the bank is more likely to develop a business model that works. It may take more time to get it right first time, but in the long run it is a quicker and much more effective path to innovation. FIGURE 3 The Microsoft Nascent discovery process UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER CONCEPT DESIGN VISUAL DESIGN CONCEPT TESTING Secondary market research Primary market research Industry best practices Brainstorming Wireframes Context design Information architecture Applied cognition Concepts Brand expectations Game-changing experiences Matched audiences Usability testing Final design blueprint 10 The bank branch of the future ARTICLE The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels The way financial institutions deliver services across banking channels is being profoundly impacted by two significant shifts. First, there is a demand for â€Å"information convergence† across channels. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and expect to be able to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. Second, there is a significant degree of â€Å"interaction specialization† taking place within each channel. This interaction specialization is driven by the unique properties of each channel, which determine the primary activities conducted through the channel. Consumers have different habits and preferences about which channels they use to accomplish different financial tasks. For day-to-day needs, consumers generally prefer self-service via digital channels — mobile and online – respectively, the fastest growing channels. Fiserv characterizes interaction via the mobile channel as â€Å"snacking. † From a financial services perspective snacking encompasses frequent interactions that take less than 60 seconds. This includes tasks such as checking balances, receiving alerts and paying bills. One Fiserv financial institution client sees an average of 26 logins to mobile banking per user, per month — proof of their desire to consume financial services information in quick, frequent servings via the mobile channel. The bank branch of the future 11 The snacking analogy can be extended to the online channel and to the branch as well. The online channel serves up the financial equivalent of a square meal. Consumers go online when more browsing and a slightly deeper level of engagement is required. This includes tasks such as comparing products, managing budgets and setting up preferences. These types of activities usually occur on a weekly or monthly basis. The branch is for fine dining, those special occasions where more personal service and in-depth interaction is required. This includes advisory services and overall relationship management, encompassing critical decisions that require consultation and typically occur infrequently. As a leading global provider of digital channel solutions for financial institutions, Fiserv perceives that the shifts toward information convergence and interaction specialization will create challenges for financial institutions. Delivering consistent information across channels will require back-end integration and real-time functionalities that are often not in place today. This will be further compounded by device proliferation, the rise of tablet computing and the blurring of lines between social media as an interaction platform and a transaction platform. In addition, interaction specialization will require that financial institutions tailor services for specific channels. This will most impact services delivered via the mobile device, as financial institutions will be expected to support â€Å"mobileonly† services such as remote deposit capture for checks, location-based offers and contactless payments via near-field communications (NFC) technologies. Beyond self-service, the mobile device is also likely to become a banking platform for different types of interactions. In this context, financial institutions are under attack from nontraditional players — such as mobile operators and consumer brands like Apple — that would like to gain access to both customer information and transaction revenue. Financial institutions have much to consider when it comes to effectively serving consumers. An integrated channel strategy that incorporates the unique attributes of mobile solutions as part of an overall approach is a winning strategy. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. 12 The bank branch of the future Recognition — selling to a market of one T 84404893YHQAM235-4747343 ougher markets demand deeper, more profitable customer relationships. The need for banks to treat each customer as unique is more important. New technologies such as digital marketing and predictive analytics are making it easier to sell to a market of one. Personal recognition When customers come into the branch it helps to recognize who they are and make that information available to key members of the branch. An RFID tag can be part of that process. Embedded in a debit or credit card, it can identify customers as soon as they enter a branch. Through access to a customer relationship management system (CRM), bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story. But potential customers also visit branches, sometimes just by chance. These are opportunities that need to be captured. Applications that allow branch staff to identify customers from personal IDs such as driver’s licenses or Green Cards, identify their credit history and then immediately direct them to a service opportunity, can replace paper-based processes that could take days, weeks or even months to complete, if at all. But technology is changing the concept of â€Å"branch† from a physical to a virtual concept. Valerie King Through access to a CRM system, bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story. Digital marketing Digital marketing is not just a technology, it is also a channel. In fact, it is many channels and embraces every aspect of digital media including TV, the Internet, mobile phones and social media, and even older technologies such as radio. Whenever we click on a Web site, we create digital breadcrumbs that leave behind clues about our interests and preferences. They provide important intelligence about our real needs that marketing departments can respond to. Recognizing a customer through his or her digital identity gives a bank the opportunity for new customer touch points, more targeted campaigns and services more closely aligned to customer needs. Thanks to this approach one financial institution in the U. K. generates more revenue through inbound marketing than through any other channel. Social networking Social media generates conversations about brands and customer experiences that banks can follow. Airline companies in particular have been successful in using social networks as a customer service tool, allowing them to respond proactively to individual issues and concerns. The bank branch of the future 13 Some social networking sites — Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and Facebook Places — allow members to share their locations with other members. This can provide promotional opportunities for businesses. For example, each time someone checks in to a Hard Rock Cafe in the United States using Facebook Places, Hard Rock International donates a dollar to WhyHunger, a charity fighting global poverty and hunger. The offer lasted through December 2010 — an innovative way of gaining customers and promoting Hard Rock’s commitment to philanthropy. Social networking is not just about customers. It’s about staff as well. Enterprise social networking is a vital collaboration tool that enables bank talent to share knowledge and expertise across the bank. By its very nature, a branch is a decentralized part of the bank, but for many customers it is their most important interface with the bank. Keeping branch staff up-to-date with the latest products, services and regulations and making them feel an essential part of a much bigger organization is essential for their morale and their ability to serve customers effectively. Social CRM To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. Branches have been successful at integrating into physical communities, but less successful in penetrating virtual ones. Microsoft’s CRM system comes with a social networking accelerator that allows branch offers to follow the customer chatter about service needs, reactions to products and feelings about the bank generally. Having a panoramic view of customers clearly creates a competitive advantage. Microsoft Dynamics CRM, together with Microsoft partner Customer Effective, creates an advanced CRM solution leveraging Customer Effective’s expertise in implementation and data integration. Why do so many CRM systems fail to meet expectations? Because they are often stand-alone implementations and are not an integrated part of a complete customer relationship management solution linking customers, services, channels and systems to create a higher level of customer experience. To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. 14 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY CRM at Wintrust Financial and Fiserv Wintrust Financial, a Chicago-based financial holding company with more than $14 billion in assets, is implementing EnActâ„ ¢, its relationship sales management solution for financial institutions. EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use. Using the EnAct solution from Fiserv, Wintrust Financial’s bankers will now have a holistic view of client relationships with access to sales productivity tools to execute local outreach programs, track relationship management and prospecting activities, and monitor opportunity pipelines. EnAct leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM and is designed to serve the distinct needs of banks’ primary lines of business — Retail, Commercial and Wealth — enabling Wintrust Financial to deploy a single, banking-ready CRM solution enterprise-wide. In implementing EnAct, Wintrust aims to better support collaboration across its organization, enabling referrals between divisions and facilitating team-based management of high-value relationships that span multiple business lines. â€Å"We empower our community banks to manage their clients and their markets locally, but we also want to leverage our combined scale and use the most advanced tools to serve our customers and grow our business,† said Tom Ormseth, senior vice president, Wintrust Financial. As part of our expansion program, we identified the need for an enterprise customer relationship management solution and we chose EnAct because it provides us with specialized banking functionality on a versatile tec hnology platform. We felt Fiserv was the right partner for us because they understood our business and had the experience and know-how to help us succeed. † Wintrust Financial recognized that lack of user adoption is a common pitfall of CRM projects, so deep integration with Outlook was considered an important benefit of EnAct. Outlook is integral to bankers’ workday at Wintrust; it’s where they manage their time, contacts, tasks and email communication with clients and colleagues. EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use and encouraging end-user adoption. â€Å"By expanding its relationship with Fiserv, Wintrust joins a growing family of banks that are using EnAct to help execute their growth strategies,† said David Dervish, managing principal, Customer Value Enhancement, Fiserv. Wintrust Financial began its initial rollout of EnAct to a pilot group of more than 200 commercial bankers in December 2010 and is continuing implementation to a total of 1,400 users across 15 community banks as well as its various wealth management and specialized financial services divisions. To complement EnAct, Wintrust Financial also licensed Aperioâ„ ¢ Campaign Management and Aperio Customer Analytics. These solutions will help Wintrust analyze customer needs, identify opportunities and better manage centralized marketing campaigns that support local business development initiatives. The bank branch of the future 15 CASE STUDY Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions After 15 years of fighting for market share in its Mason City, Iowa, home market, First Citizens National Bank (FCNB) was at a crossroads. â€Å"We grew by mining market share from the larger players,† explains Gregg Maakestad, FCNB’s SVP and CIO. To maintain our head-to-head competitive status we needed to challenge and exceed their capabilities. † But by 2009 FCNB’s item processing and marketing customer information file (MCIF) solutions had become inadequate. Rather than install point-solutions, FCNB, a subsidiary o f First Citizens Financial Corp. ($1. 1 billion in total assets), determined that a core systems modernization would provide capabilities beyond just meeting current needs, Maakestad relates. A long-time user of the Phoenix System from Lake Mary, Fla. -based Harland Financial Solutions, FCNB nonetheless conducted due diligence in early 2009. â€Å"With every contract cycle we look at all options,† notes Maakestad. Because Harland is an open-systems vendor that shares all its database tables, we learned the strategic value of leveraging database tables,† he adds. â€Å"Therefore, we evaluate vendors’ willingness to share tables as a significant selection criterion. † In fact, using the tables has become a critical best practice at FCNB. â€Å"We use the tables to supplement vendor-supplied reporting and modeling,† Maakestad explains. â€Å"For example, when Reg E [governing electronic fund transfers] was updated, †¦ we calculated the impact on our organization’s revenue immediately. And we’re doing the same now for the Durbin Amendment [regarding debit card fees]. † According to Maakestad, Harland’s latest platform, the Microsoft . NET-enabled PhoenixEFE Core, was the best solution for FCNB, leading to a late-2009 migration. â€Å"Beyond our existing hardware, PhoenixEFE only required setting up two production [IBM] XM servers and two for disaster recovery,† Maakestad reports. â€Å"There were no showstoppers in the new core system — just some minor items [that Harland is improving]. † During 2010 FCNB added Harland’s ActiveView Item Processing solution and the vendor’s business intelligence tool, Touche Analyzer. And early this year the bank also integrated Touche Messenger, which draws intelligence from Analyzer for targeted multichannel marketing communications. The results have been impressive. PhoenixEFE has been key to achieving our current efficiency ratio of 47. 5 percent,† says Maakestad. †In addition, our item processing is simpler and our read rates have improved 15 percent. Also, the Touche solutions will be vital to moving our services per household fr om the current 3. 493 to our 2011 goal of 3. 516. † The new platform also enabled FCNB to replace multiple daily ATM and debit card batch processes with near-real-time transactions. And, over the next couple of years, the modern core will allow the bank to add more online and mobile products to its existing offerings. â€Å"As new opportunities mature, we’ll jump into them with both feet,† Maakestad says. In short, our new core platform has made us more customer-centric and more efficient, positioning us for future growth. † CUSTOMER 16 The bank branch of the future Engagement — creating memorable touch points C Microsoft Surface offers an eyecatching way of bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate. apturing customers’ attention inside or outside the branch is easier with memorable touch points. Distinctive interactive walls, compelling messaging and outstanding presentations all contribute t o a better customer experience. Cool toys, personalized advice and cross-channel integration are all essential tools for capturing the customer’s attention. But they all have to work together and be targeted at customers who are likely to respond to them. Surface technology Exploring financial options with an advisor or with your partner? Or just browsing? Microsoft Surface offers an eye-catching way of shopping for services, bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate and connect. Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch — supporting more than 50 simultaneous inputs. This experience comes to life in the new 40-inch Surface that can be used as a table, on the wall, or embedded in other fixtures or furniture. What-if scenarios are a lot more fun when you are working with Surface. But Surface can be more than just an eye-catcher. It can be a complete distribution channel in its own right, allowing customers another opportunity for self-service banking — snacking in the branch or browsing the menu while waiting for a table for some private dining advice. Interactive walls While customers wait in teller lines, wait for a financial advisor or just wander through branches, interactive walls can provide engaging interactions and compelling messaging for the financial shopper. Browsing for a car loan or a mortgage? Explore your options on an interactive wall. By touching it you can get the latest rates, explore financing options and do your homework before making a financial decision. Digital signage Wondering what the markets are doing? Curious about news and events in the community? Intrigued by a message from the chairman? Digital signage is a term used to describe the display of up-to-the-minute information on electronic devices such as plasma screens, LCD panels and projectors. Suppose it’s raining outside and there are more customers inside the branch and you want to change your electronic messaging to talk about new products and services. Managing the metadata in your digital signage system gives you that flexibility. The bank branch of the future 17 What if branches are serving Spanish-speaking customers in one location and English-speaking in another? Digital signage tools provide the flexibility to communicate different messaging to different markets. Digital signage can be used wherever there is a need to communicate to individuals or large groups of people. Wherever there is static signage, there is potential to replace it with digital signage. (See Figure 4. ) Founded in 1991, Omnivex originally supplied software to financial trading floors to post buy/sell positions on large LED wallboards and drive financial tickers. Trading floors were quick to adopt large plasma displays to monitor television news reports. Omnivex recognized that these displays could also be used to help traders clearly spot market trends and developed applications to display data graphically. Building on its foundation of a data-driven system, the company moved into the broader digital signage market, where its software could be used to display real-time information to facilitate decision-making by delivering targeted content to specific audiences. Financial institutions quickly adopted this medium within the retail banking industry, and we now see digital signage installations appearing more and more frequently in bank branches to communicate with customers and employees. Due to its data-driven approach, Omnivex digital signage software can deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time, helping to increase the effectiveness of communications. In branches, new products and services, promotional campaigns, market data, corporate communications and training materials can be delivered instantly, easily and memorably. In addition, digital signage can improve the customer experience by reducing perceived wait times, while entertaining and informing customers. Today, Omnivex software is used by many financial institutions around the world to power their digital signage networks. FIGURE 4 Microsoft partner Omnivex and digital signage 18 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy Banks have often been influenced by the success of retailers. Microsoft partner Reflect Systems is a leading, national full-service provider of in-store digital media solutions including digital signage, interactive applications and assisted shopping features, mobile messaging, and in-store music. Reflect worked with Best Buy and its partners to deploy a solution that fit its vision for enabling networked digital media in all its stores, while adhering to business policies and preferred technology standards. Best Buy needed to improve the shopper experience with relevant and timely media content, showcase products and services with brand partners, and capture revenue opportunities available by leveraging the platform as a new digital media network that connects with loyal Best Buy shoppers. After methodical lab testing and pilot programs, Reflect employed ReflectView, its industry-proven scalable software solution, to meet the challenge of managing and distributing large amounts of digital media across Best Buy’s complex network of more than 1,100 locations across the United States. Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, ReflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store — at any given time, in any specific region — from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. Today, Best Buy has increased its in-store digital media footprint to include television and computer displays in the electronics department, checkout aisles and music via in-store audio systems. Best Buy has a fast-paced business environment that requires a dynamic approach to supporting new in-store initiatives. Reflect continuously strives to provide a platform approach for in-store media, and maintains a partner-focused solution set that provides choice, performance and measured results. Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, ReflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. The bank branch of the future 19 FIGURE 5 Financial benchmarking with Bundle Next-generation banking Next-generation ATMs, line busting, interactive walls and smartphone channels all converge together in a unique customer experience that targets customers from Gen Y to baby boomers. A common user interface is key to a compelling customer experience that recognizes the branch as a focal point in building enduring customer relationships. The technology of Kinect can provide in-branch entertainment as well as more engaging customer interactions replacing transactions with conversations. Personal financial management tools Technology has made it easier for customers to do research and resolve issues online. Branches are a perfect place for that research to take place. If the customer is already in a branch and wants to do some research or use automated tools to perform financial calculations, budgeting and planning, resources should be available for independent and banker-assisted research and planning. Options to consider include the following: A dedicated bank of PCs for independent research Interactive walls to explore financial options Surface technology to explore different products and solutions Bundle is an example of a personal financial management tool eveloped by Citi, Morningstar and Microsoft, which allows consumers to compare how others spend their money. (See Figure 5. ) FIGURE 6 At Banco do Brasil, a customer explores financial options through an interactive wall. 20 The bank branch of the future Private, face-to-face advice Have tablets replaced de sktops or have they just empowered them? By deploying both, branches have more options for face-to-face advice. It can vary from line busting to a confidential meeting with a private banking client. Technology may be needed to support those discussions, accept deposits, sign documents or review financial plans. Tablet technology can play an important role, and there are many providers to choose from. Companies like Motion Computing, HP and ExoPC offer slate models in addition to the iPad. Motion Computing, in particular, specializes in manufacturing tablets designed for the needs of individual industries. (See Figure 7. ) FIGURE 7 Customized industry devices from Motion Computing Windows slates combine the ability to consume information and present it to clients with the full production capabilities of a PC. They are also secure and interoperable with other technologies. Incorporating your tablet solution into a complete branch experience demands the ability to interact with other devices, applications and systems. Bankers and financial advisors don’t just meet clients in the bank. They may also visit them in the home. The concept of a mobile sales force attached to the branch is not a new one. But for such a team to be effective it will need to be empowered by technology. Mobile technology can be used for customer presentations, the review of different products and services and the completion of documentation. (See Figure 8. ) FIGURE 8 A selection of Windows slates (in order of appearance, the Asus E121, Motion’s CL900, the HP 500, the ExoPC and the Fujitsu-STYLISTIC Q550 Slate PC) The bank branch of the future 21 Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada Barclays has opened a new flagship branch at Piccadilly Circus in London. The bank describes the project as â€Å"the first ‘brand concept’ branch in the UK,† covering 8,000 square feet of retail space over three floors. With the opening of the branch, Barclays became the first bank in Europe to pilot Microsoft Surface. Infusion was engaged to create a Surface program that allows users to â€Å"grab† digital content with their hands and navigate information about Barclays’ Premier banking offering with simple gestures and touches. Royal Bank of Canada has partnered with Microsoft to provide customers with an interactive banking experience through Surface. The implementation of Surface creates a fun and interactive way for RBC to inform its customers about their financial services. RBC found that giving customers a way to learn about their financial goals through interactive applications, such as Infusion’s application for Surface, is a great way to ease customers into initiating conversations about complicated financial topics. Client communications When was the last time any of us wrote or received a letter? The way we communicate is undergoing profound transformation. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. In this new chapter of communications there are risks and rewards implying profound changes in the way we develop, share and exchange information, even the way we work and play. The rewards are clear — richer and more frequent client conversations, better research, more informed insight, more accurate presentations. But the risks can be great as well. The information we create can be instantly shared through flash drives and across the Internet. Clients, markets and regulators are holding us more accountable for what we say and how we say it. The one-off presentations produced in local offices that differ across the firm should become a distant memory particularly since even small differences in client communications can have regulatory implications, dilute brands and confuse clients and markets. The world is changing at a dizzying rate. Client communications must be timely to add value, but with current technology it can also be too costly and time consuming to develop frequently. A 100-page pitch book for a key client meeting may require data and content from many sites, sources and databases, much of it captured manually. What if the process could be automated, branding managed centrally and compliance built into the process in advance? Microsoft’s partner Xinnovation has the solution — the ability to produce automated presentations within minutes that are compliant with regulations and firmwide brand management standards. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. 22 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Streamlining client communications at Fidelity Xinnovation streamlined Fidelity’s 22-day data intensive, increasingly complex investment review process into just a few simple hours. Quite impressive when you consider these specialized, targeted presentations can run up to 100 pages chock full of dynamic charts and graphs, which draw from backend data systems. (See Figure 9. ) Fidelity turned to Xinnovation and its Web-based, Microsoft ®-standard XiDocs document automation platform. XiDocs includes easy-to-use features that enable rapid development of solutions. XiDocs features include content management, configurable assembly and publishing of highly customized Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents, data-driven Excel charts and graphs, enterprise content, and workflow — all living natively inside Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. It gets better — Fidelity and Xinnovation implemented a direct XML connection with Fidelity’s print and fulfill vendor to maximize workflow capabilities. And if that is not enough smart for one day, Xinnovation’s technology enables Fidelity to provide its reports through its client portal and extend a â€Å"greener† process. FIGURE 9 Automated document generation with Xinnovation The bank branch of the future 23 Origination — developing new business opportunities O ne of the toughest challenges banks face today is origination. This is particularly true in a low-growth environment. So it is important that banks have a clear understanding of where their opportunities lie. Most banks have a marketplace that can be split into three parts: Customer enthusiasts — customers who are enthusiastic about their relationship with the bank and want to expand it Customers on the fence — customers who are indifferent to their relationship with the bank but could be swayed one way or another Dissatisfied customers — customers who are about to leave and are waiting for the right opportunity to move on. Against this mix there are further segmentation opportunities. The challenge is to find the right marketing and distribution mix for each customer segment. For example, Bank of America identified the mass affluent as a â€Å"must-win† strategic market. The bank worked with Merrill Lynch to target services to a specific part of its target — the mass affluent — which it defined as customers with investable balances of about $200,000 or more, but not superwealthy. The bank reasoned this group of customers were occasional investors rather than active traders and so offered them 10 free trades a year to boost their loyalty and deepen their relationship. Where does the branch fit in to this mix? Should it be the preserve of a few customers, or is there a way for it to play a role across all sectors of the market? One way of approaching this is to think of the branch as a networking opportunity, emphasizing its social rather than its transaction role. Targeting families, small businesses, emerging entrepreneurs or local clubs and associations reinforces the role of the branch as a focal point for the community. Financial seminars targeted at local entrepreneurs, pension advice for boomers, and financial services for college students are examples of programs that bring traffic to the branch and reinforce its role as a critical part of the local economy. With branch traffic up, the next step is to make it easier to open accounts, browse new services or get financial advice. Increasing self-service facilities — not just ATMs, but interactive walls and Surface devices as well — within the branch is one way of achieving this. But technology doesn’t have to exclude the human element. Enabling bank staff to assist customers through video links on next-generation ATMs and other self-service channels reinforces the relationship between banker and customer rather than excluding it. 24 The bank branch of the future Some of the tools to consider include the following: Targeting customers through predictive analytics — Reaching out to customers can be costly for several reasons. Along with more traditional campaign costs, companies often fail to take into consideration any negative impacts that a campaign may have in terms of driving customers away or driving customers to consider alternative offers. Predictive analytics plays a critical role in minimizing negative campaign responses and ensuring that campaigns are targeted and effective. This also includes maximizing opportunities for cross sell and retention in the key instances when customers are engaging via inbound channels. Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive customer value in the long term. Whether customers are online, talking to a call center or in the branch, it is important to have a clear picture of who those customers are, and what particular offer, be it cross sell or retention, is best to present them at that moment. One insurance company found that by optimizing customer nteractions in this manner it was able to sell more through inbound channels than through all other channels combined. Managing customers’ time when they are in the branch — By enabling branch staff to reduce queuing at teller counters they can also engage with customers and explore other service opportunities. A ha ndheld computer device can accelerate deposits, account inquiries, transfers and other simple transactions. Line busting can turn unproductive wait times into business opportunities. Scheduling and calendaring linked to digital signage solutions can manage appointments with branch staff and expectations with customers who might otherwise be unclear when they would be seen. gt; Making it easier to access new services through paperless banking — If a customer wants to open a new account or obtain a new line of credit but has to wait for the paperwork to be completed, that just adds time and cost to the onboarding process and delays revenue realization. It can also frustrate customers and cause them to look elsewhere to meet their needs. Years of paper-based processes may need to be revisited to improve customer experience, improve margins and increase security. Marketing through self-service transactions — Originations should be possible within the branch through any ch annel, whether through a bank of PCs, through next- generation ATMs, or call centers accessed from within the branch. Surface devices and interactive walls can be both a source of information and origination channels. Self-service channels are mainly for existing customers, but it should be just as easy for new customers to become activated through them as well. Banker-assisted originations — Often completed through paper documents, the origination process can involve several stages, and many documents — account opening forms, signature cards, loan agreements — but if converted Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive value in the long term. The bank branch of the future 25 into electronic form can be completed quickly and easily but still securely while the customer remains in the branch. This shortens the origination process considerably. The problem is how to accomplish this in a secure way. The growth in eSignature technology and supporting regulation (the ESIGN Act and UETA) makes this a much easier option for many banks. Tellers as relationship managers — Probably the one personal contact the bank customer has the most frequent engagement with is the bank teller. Yet this is the one interaction we want to get over with as quickly as possible. A friendly interaction with a teller can play an important part in origination. But for that to happen the role of tellers within the branch must change and they must be managed very differently as a resource. The first challenge is to manage traffic within the branch to reduce the pressure of a short and pressured interaction. Secondly, tellers’ productivity has to be improved by giving them access to technology that enables them to process transactions more easily. Finally, tellers should know who their customers are, reinforcing the importance of the personal connection. Branch recognition technologies and access to CRM systems can help tellers play a pivotal role in strengthening customer relationships. CASE STUDY Predictive analytics at U. S. Bancorp with Portrait Software Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI) is a Microsoft Gold partner that leads the pack in the field of predictive analytics. The Consumer Direct division of U. S. Bank, a subsidiary of U. S. Bancorp, found that its traditional marketing campaigns were not delivering the returns they once were, and was failing to target customers with the most relevant message. After two successful trials, U. S. Bank implemented PBBI’s Portrait Uplift solution and has since achieved significant gains — a 300 percent lift — in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. U. S. Bank is just one of several customers in different industries that have found PBBI’s Portrait suite of analytics solutions to be of immense value. Selling to a market of one is a challenge across all industries, financial services in particular. U. S. Bank has achieved significant gains in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. 26 The bank branch of the future PROFILE Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign We are all familiar with digital signature in the retail environment, even in insurance. A number of leading banks have begun to adopt the process, but in financial services the technology of digital signature is still in its infancy. Whether we are opening a bank or brokerage account or applying for a loan there is usually a lot of paper involved. But paper takes time to process, must be stored and can easily be lost. Plus we need a more reliable way to ensure documents have been signed and stored as securely as possible. Is it time for a fresh approach? Many businesses around the world are saving money by replacing paper processes with electronic signature and document solutions. In the U. S. the ESIGN Act gives electronic signatures the same legal significance as paper signatures, provided the customer consents to the process. Various forms of eSignature exist from a simple click to sign to robust bi ometric signatures written on electronic signature pads that record the precise shape and sequence of the signature, its strokes and direction of loops, and detailed timing of each part of the signature used in the signing process. Another form of electronic signature that does not incorporate biometrics — the digital signature — uses asymmetric cryptography to ensure documents can be protected once they are signed and any changes related back to the original signer. The technology of eSignature and digital signatures is now available across multiple devices and can be deployed locally or at an enterprise level. Mainly deployed in the public sector and in the retail, healthcare and insurance industries, this technology has already been adopted by a number of leading banks to improve the speed and security of banking document processes. Such efficiencies are leading the charge in enabling bank branches to become paperless. AssureSign (www. assuresign. com) and Topaz Systems (www. topazsystems. com) are leaders in the field of electronic signature and document management. FIGURE 10 Topaz eSignature software technology can be deployed across the Web and directly with its biometric electronic signature pads. Biometric signature AssureSign is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or on-premise electronic signature solution that allows signers to execute documents via web portal interactions, captures the â€Å"act of signing,† email invitation or in-branch scenarios. AssureSign easily integrates with existing not an image of a signature banking and financial services applications to provide a paperless document execution process. AssureSign can also work alongside Topaz solutions to bridge the gap between in-house and external web-based signing requirements in a FIGURE 11 A biometric signature using AssureSign single platform. AssureSign solutions offer a variety of front-end signer authentication options as well as Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESign Act) and Uniform Electronic Transactions ACT (UETA) compliant signing processes. Topaz Systems offers a broad array of electronic signature pads for use in teller- and nonteller-related transactions, along with bundled software, authentication and server tools, and plug-ins. Topaz solutions provide the capability for corporations to deploy their technology across any Web-based service and on any device, whether tailor-made or generic. Topaz signature pads are available in color and monochrome versions, wireless versions for use in drive-up teller environments, and pads that capture simultaneous electronic and paper signatures up to full legal clipboard size. (See Figures 10 and 11. ) The bank branch of the future 27 CASE STUDY Incentives at Bank of the West and Varicent If branch staff are to play a different role in the branch of the future, the question that arises is whether they should be compensated differently. To meet this challenge, Bank of the West chose Varicent SPM to manage incentive compensation and sales performance throughout the organization. Varicent’s SPM solution was chosen by Bank of the West because of its ability to provide a single system for all compensation plan management that easily integrates with all other existing systems within the bank. Varicent is an industry leader in providing incentive compensation (ICM) and sales performance management (SPM) solutions. Bank of the West, based in San Francisco, offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services and operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. â€Å"Varicent’s solution will provide us with the unique ability to more effectively analyze important compensation and sales performance metrics. We will also use Varicent to improve the accuracy of our forecasts and to create effective sales incentive models that can drive the right behavior and maximize our future performance,† said Donald Duggan, senior executive vice president and CIO at Bank of the West. Varicent’s approach offers a lower total cost of ownership than alternative solutions and in-depth sales analytics to help understand performance, allowing for accurate forecasting and modeling of future plans. Streamlined administrative processes include the managing an How to cite Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future, Essay examples

FRAGILE X SYNDROME Essay Example For Students

FRAGILE X SYNDROME Essay Fragile X Syndrome is an inherited genetic condition associated with mental retardation. It is caused by a mutation of the X chromosome. Fathers cannot pass the disease onto their sons, because females always give an x chromosome where a man gives either an x or a y. If a man gives a y chromosome, then the result is a boy baby, and since the disease is only carried in the x chromosome, a boy can only inherit this disease from his mother. A girl, on the other hand, can inherit the disease from either her father or mother. Interestingly enough, more boys than girls are affected by this disease. Fragile X syndrome appears in children of all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds. It is second only to Down Syndrome as a chromosomal cause of mental retardation. It is suggested that testing be done on all people with mental retardation or autism where a cause is not known, people with extreme hyperactivity, learning disabilities, and/or mild cognitive deficits. Also, people with any of t he physical or behavioral features of fragile X syndrome, regardless of sex or family history, are encouraged to be tested, as well as any member of a family exhibiting recurrent mental impairment. The greatest risk of producing a child with this disease would be if the mother and father are both affected or carriers. of the Fragile X chromosome. The physical features of Fragile X include a long, narrow face, prominent jaw and forhead. Many children with Fragile X may not show all these features, but prominent ears are seen in approximately two-thirds of affected children. Loose joints are also quite common. In childhood, most Fragile X sufferers have hyperactivity symptoms, tantrums, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. About 80 percent of boys who inherit Fragile X will have mental impairment ranging severe retardation to low-normal intelligence. The majority are mildly to moderately retarded. Girls are much less affected, with estimates that about 30 percent with this condition have some degree of mental retardation. Currently, there is no cure for Fragile X, but there are some things that can improve the life of Fragile X victims. In childhood, hyperactivity, tantrums, and anxiety can be heolped by drugs such as Ritalin, Dexedrine or Cylert. For older children, sometimes anti-depressants such as Prozac or Zoloft ma y be prescribed. The likelihood of being a carrier of Fragile X syndrome are about 1 in 600. This disease affects approximately 1 in 1,200 people worldwide. Since about 3 percent of the population are considered mentally retarded, this means that Fragile X syndrome accounts for up to 10 percent of mental retardation. It is the most common inherited cause of mental retardation known to exist. Detection in the carrier is relatively new. In fact, some of the reference books I obtained said there was no way to detect a carrier. However, in 1991, scientists discovered the gene FMR-1 that has led to the development of improved testing for both carriers of the syndrome and those affected. The testing is done by DNA and is a blood test which requires sending blood to a lab which specializes in DNA studies. The test is very accurate and can be used for prenatal diagnosis. In addition, fetal testing can be done through either amniocentesis or earlier in pregnancy through chronic villus sampling. Bibliography:Personal Interview: Sandra Ursitz, R.N., Nursing Supervisor at Western Center State Hospital for Mentally Retarded Individuals. Personal Interview: Sylvia Bartos, M.D., Staff Physician at Western Center State Hospital for Mentally Retarded IndividualsSmiths Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation, Fourth Edition. Northern California Fragile X Association Newsletter, Winter 1997. Internet Source: Association for Retarded Citizens, Q;A on Fragile X Syndrome. Magazine: Exceptional Parent, 1998 Resource Guide, January 1998. .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .postImageUrl , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:hover , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:visited , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:active { border:0!important; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:active , .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43 .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf14a7b978665b456813e34ed1b733c43:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Peter the Great Persuasive EssayFunk ; Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1986 Edition,

Spirituality and Religion in Nursing free essay sample

If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. Stephanie Shoulders September, 12, 2012 NameDate Spirituality and Religion in Nursing Spirituality is defined as a quality that transcends religious affiliation and strives for inspiration, reverence and awe, and as the inherent drive of a human being to empathize and act for others just as one would do for himself. Shakeel, 2012) Religion as a master motive whose origin is rooted in basic human desires for security and protection, but with maturity provides a comprehensive philosophy of life, meaning, a value-system, and beliefs, and practices which promote integration of life events amp; personality. (Highfield, 2012) Spirituality differs from religion because it is built based on your religion beliefs. Religion is the center of your spirituality. When I think of spirituality I think of my personal beliefs or actions based on my religion that I use in everyday life. We will write a custom essay sample on Spirituality and Religion in Nursing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Spirituality in nursing is used without thinking about it. I believe that it comes natural when taking care of patients. Holistic care is taking care of a patient as a whole, not just fixing the current diagnosis. Holistic nursing is a type of nursing that focuses on the patient as a whole, recognizing that other aspects of a patient besides their physical health can affect them and can also be part of their health. (Smith, 2012) This type of nursing requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their lives. (Smith 2012) Sometimes patients just need a caring person to listen or talk too, that is providing spiritual care. Patients my request you to pray for them or with them and that is consider spirituality. Being a nurse I sometimes don’t think about the spiritual side of nursing. When I receive a new patient I have to say that I am guilty of sometimes not assessing for spiritual needs. Spiritual needs are overlooked greatly when nurses are taking care of patients. I sometimes have to slow down to properly provide holistic nursing. When in nursing school I cannot remember instructors focusing on spirituality. Spiritualty is a touchy subject because you don’t want the patient to think that you are pushing your religious beliefs on them. As stated before I provide spiritual care every day in nursing without even thinking about it. I’m still not comfortable assessing for spiritual needs but it is something that has to be done. Working in rehab, patients comes to us very sad because they are ready to go home. Patients have to be spiritual sound to be able to participate in therapy to get better. By making sure the patient does not have anything going spiritually we can get the highest level of participation and recovery. Providing spiritual care to a patient who does not have a religion belief does not change anything for me. I still have my spirituality and religion beliefs regardless. A patient deserves to have the same care no matter what their beliefs are. A patient my still need spiritual care even if they don’t have a certain religion. Everyone has a spiritual nature that has the potential to be touched through the interventions of the humanistic nurse. (McEwan, 2004) You could listen to a patient and that is providing spiritual care. By just making a patient feel comfortable is being spiritual. I have provided spiritual needs to patients many times. I have had many different experiences providing spiritual needs to the patient. One encounter that was really touching to me was when I was fairly new nurse on the floor and I had been having this patient for many days and I took a few days off and did not have the patient when I came back work. On that day another nurse had him as a patient and had to administer blood to him. He was very nervous and voiced his concerns to me. He overheard the nurse talking that this was her first time giving blood and became more nervous. The patient asked me to come in the room with him while she started the blood. I agreed and went in and held his hand for a few minutes while the blood was getting started. It made my day because this patient made me feel like he trusted my care. This was one my first experiences providing spiritual care. Another experience was when a patient had to go over for a procedure and was very anxious. This patient had concerns about the procedure. I explained the procedure and reassured the patient it was going to be okay. The patient asked if I would pray for them while they were gone. I agreed and gave the patient a hug to comfort them before they went to the procedure. Just by doing that the patient calm down and went to the procedure safely. Spirituality and religion is a big part of nursing care. Nurses needs to be more sensitive to the patient’s holistic needs in their assessments. Nurses can better care for a patient’s spiritual needs are taken care of. Taking care of patients your spiritual or religious beliefs does not have to be compromise. Nurses have to be open minded of their patient’s beliefs. Providing spiritual care is something that I will be working to provide better holistic care to my patients.

Speech on a english project Essays

Speech on a english project Essays Speech on a english project Essay Speech on a english project Essay One thing that I have been cooperative in is the marching band. Cooperation is the most important skill to have in band. It is needed to make all the formations to be in the correct shape. I also need cooperation with others so that we all watch the drum majors and stay in step, play at the right time, and do dynamics correctly. One of the last major aspect cooperation is used for in the marching band is agreeing on new ideas for what to do during the show. Cooperation is the key aspect for any marching event whether it is a football game or a competition. It is a important that we all watch the drum majors for many reasons. The drum majors direct the beat of the music and by watching them we can flow them and stay in step. We can also know when to start and stop playing at the proper times. Lastly the the drum majors show us when we have to play major dynamics. Dynamics are the louds and softs played in the music. Without the drum majors the cooperation in the band would be much harder to control. Another important aspect need with cooperation for marching band is to get into the correct formations. It is everybodys Job in the marching band to be in the right lace at the right time. If one person is out of place the whole formation looks wrong, which is why cooperation with the other band members is so vital in this sport. The last major reason cooperation is necessary for the band is coming up with new ideas to do during the show. If the band is standing in a formation for a little while we need to do a visual. This involves the members agreeing on an idea and making sure it is practical idea. After it gets approved it is required that everybody learns the move and can preform it with the right technique. This is sometimes very ifficult because of one group of members doing one thing and other doing nothing, then they both switch what they are doing. I believe that cooperation is the most important aspect and characteristic needed for marching band. Watching the drum majors for playing the music at the right times, staying in step, and doing correct dynamics is important. Agreeing with other band members on the new ideas for the marching show. One of the most important things of all is getting to the proper formation at the right times for the entire show. Speech on a english project By SirCeasar

Academic Fraud : Student Athletes

about the students and their academics. Students put time and effort while they continue to stay on the right path. Our professors are important too. They are the reason that students have the opportunity to move up to the next level. They teach students what they need to know such as skills and character. The main thing we forget to recognize is the administration of higher education. Our administrations make good leaders. They work with our students as a team to help our students become responsible†¦ The NJCAA has had a huge impact on the leadership of collegiate athletics through academic and athletic opportunities for the student-athletes. The National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) has done a remarkable job in providing eligibility criteria that demand institutional and student accountability. The eligibility criteria is highlighted with the exclusive right for the student-athletes to be part of a unique demographic of 525 schools, separated into 24 regions, and three divisions†¦ this topic is to recognize what I believe to be a problem, so that it can be mended in order to improve the perception of sport. I believe there is an issue with universities and the athletic department’s mindset towards the academic success and livelihood of their student athletes. Higher education programs and governing bodies don’t provide have enough concern of the athlete’s education and livelihood when concerning: encouraging the enrollment of ‘easy’ or ‘fake’ classes, purposely changing grades†¦ taught to embers my title as a student scholar athlete. Being a student-athlete is one of the most rewarding and stressful things ever. You need to keep up various exercises at one time, including the way that you need to keep up a specific GPA to be qualified as a competitor on any group. Being part of a basketball, football or volleyball team requires practice every day, weight training, or fundraising, meeting with coaches, conditioning and more. Student’s athletes have much more to prioritize†¦ Brent Perry Mr. Hale Engl. 1301 24 October 2014 College Academics and the Student Athlete Historically, sporting events have played a huge role in the American culture. Most kids grow up aspiring to be just like their heroes on the field; however, the harsh reality is that roughly only 6.5% of high school athletes will go on to play their sport at the collegiate level and even fewer will play at the professional level. Over the past few years, the qualities that collegiate coaches look for has†¦ Are colleges doing enough to prepare student-athletes to be successful in life? Are students benefitting or are universities exploiting? Colleges are monetarily thriving from the talents of athletes. A numerous amount of these athletes are only recruited for their physical talents and many of them are not academically up to par. Although academic institutions claim to procure means to aid athletes in the classroom, there are still vast conundrums plaguing society concerning the miseducation of these†¦ Vishal Patel English 104 April 26, 2012 Pay Student Athletes The word student-athlete refers to a student who is playing a sport in college and receiving scholarships in return. On the surface, most people sees great athletes getting a free education, but they deserve more than just free education such as extra rewards and benefits since the college, the conferences and the NCAA are making billions of dollars off of them. To be in a nationally televised game or making deep runs in tournaments†¦ In the article â€Å"Examining Academic and Athletic Motivation among Student Athletes† I found some very interesting details about student athletes, that I had never known about before. Being a student athlete myself I know how difficult it is being in season and trying to get all the work done you need for my classes. It is very difficult to show up and get my work done on time during season because of the constant traveling my team does during the week. I find myself missing classes every other day†¦ The Student as an Athlete The student athlete is a term often used to describe a member of the student body at an institution as well as a member of one of the schools athletic teams. This is not a label that includes students who play recreational sports during their leisure time; this term is used for those students who split their time between athletics and academics. In the beginning of inter-collegiate competition and even now the governing body the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic†¦ Case Analysis 9.15: Academic Fraud The following is a case study analysis of Case 9:15 Academic Fraud. This particular case involves, three individuals, one of which is a graduate student by the name of Sam. Sam is currently in his second year of his master’s program. The second individual mentioned in this case is, Dr. Milton. Dr. Milton is a very thorough and caring mentor at the same university that Sam is attending. The third individual mentioned in this case, serves a pivotal role to†¦

The Value and Importance of Training Research Paper

The Value and Importance of Training - Research Paper Example In the year 1980, the company had abandoned a joint service with British Airways, in which BW was supposed to fly a concord to Ireland and Shannon with packages of FedEx onboard, subsequent to which FedEx would fly the packages to the different points of delivery in Europe. FedEx Corp later on acquired Kinko's Inc. to expand its retail access to the public in general. Being a technologically driven organization, its competitive strength lies in the technical aspect, as well as skills and expertise that it nurtures. The project seeks to bring forth the different training approaches that can be implemented in the organization for sustaining its competitive strengths and position in the market. Along with this, it provides a description of the best ways of applying the training strategies in the organization (FedEx Corp, 2012, p.7-8). ... Some of the critical trends noted in the recent training programs in organizations are the adoption of a performance consulting strategy; constant monitoring and evaluation of results to monitor performance; and a just-in-time approach in training. The current trend in such activities is identified as being in alignment and associated with the long-term strategic objectives of the organizations. They are focused on the strategic and competitive strengths of the organization and are aimed at accomplishing long-term goals and objectives (Laird, Naquin, & Holton, 2003, p.77). The present training and developmental programs in FedEx must first address the gap or discrepancy between the firm’s current level of performance and that which is desired. This includes making analysis of the basic level of performance of employees according to their detailed job description and key result areas (KRAs). Since FedEx is largely a technologically driven organization, it must update itself on the current trends in technology and services. Training must necessarily concentrate on the technical competencies and skills of employees and delivered as per their performance levels. This also includes taking into account the forecasted technical skill requirements in the organization. Another current trend in training programs noted in organizations is that they are largely concentrated on the behavioral aspects in addition to skills building. This is also geared towards adding value to the competitiveness of the organization at large. Behavioral modifications are desired in FedEx to bring about greater tenacity and motivation level at the workplace, stress and time management, team building,

Assess the state of the economy, both its orientation and success, in Essay

Assess the state of the economy, both its orientation and success, in East and Southeast Asia in the past two generations - Essay Example Other countries such as Taiwan also shared this economic growth and became sufficient in terms of technological improvements while at the same time countries like South Korea and Singapore also became the trading hubs for the world and the region specifically. (Kaup 2007) The basic change in the structure and overall orientation of the Asia Pacific economies came after 1985 when countries in the Region signed Plaza accord. The Plaza accord allowed the integration of these economies and further advanced the cause of the economic supremacy of the region in the world economy. It is also important to note that with the increasing economic self sufficiency of the countries in the region, their overall dependence on US gradually declined and they became relatively independent economies with their own dynamics and strengths to steer ahead in the world economy. The period during early 1990s however, also witnessed a worst financial crisis in these countries due to currency and foreign exchan ge issues which forced many countries like Thailand and Korea to re-evaluate their economic infrastructure and decision making process in order to become more self sufficient. In the last decade of the 20th century, China emerged as the leading country in the region to make unprecedented economic progress. China continuously recorded economic progress of approximately 10% consistently. ... refore gave rise to the assumption that in 21st century, there will be three main centers of Power in the world i.e Europe, North America and East Asia. (Mahbubani 1995) On political grounds, the Region however remained fragile and did not made considerable progress. China is still predominately a socialist country with government playing central role in controlling almost every aspect of life including the economy as well as the political sphere of life. Similarly, tension between North and South Korea is still one of the significant political threats to the economic stability of the Region. Political changes in China however, can also be considered in favor of free trade as after the end of Mao Zedong’s revolutionary era, subsequent governments in China gradually opened the Chinese economy to the external world and achieve the natural integration of China in the world’s political and economic scene. This allowed international companies to invest in China and other reg ions to take advantage of the large and previously untapped market. Corruption is still rampant in countries like Philippines and Indonesia with Indonesia is considered as the most corrupt country in the Region. Corruption in Philippines is relatively more rampant due to the fact that most of the production resources and employment is controlled by large organizations. For them, it is relatively easier to do the corruption due to their overall influence in the government and in political parties. (Digal 2010) Considering the overall situation, it is clear that the East and Southeast Asia may be able to surpass the economic progress made by the West. Countries like China are considered to hold the key for the economic future of the world however, on the political and governance level, countries in the

Walt Disney Concert Hall Essay Example for Free

Walt Disney Concert Hall Essay â€Å"Why cant we have those curves and arches that express feeling in design? What is wrong with them? Why has everything got to be vertical, straight, unbending, only at right angles and functional? † ? Charles, Prince of Wales. (Quotes) Three years ago I was studying high school in Los Angeles, and during vacation I travelled around and explored the city. I still remember out of all the locations that I have toured, Walt Disney Concert Hall probably is the one that stands out most in my memory. Although I didn’t visit the interior of the Concert Hall, the exterior appearance left a profound impact on me influencing my view regarding the society and art. I feel astounded by how Gehry’s work can beautifully allow art and architecture to collide into a piece of functional aesthetic structure. Among all the nearby and typical buildings in the city of Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank O. Gehry, becomes a prominent infrastructure and representative of the area. It reveals an eye-catching comparison as it unconventional, curvaceous, irregular and stirring style contrasts with the surrounding proportional, balance, symmetrical and straight buildings. Through the critical examining of its construction styles, design, social manifestation, and public response which I am going to evaluate in this essay, I want to expose an understanding of how architecture reflects on its symbolic function and societal progression. â€Å"I know I draw without taking my pen off the page. I just keep going, and that my drawings I think of them as scribbles. I dont think they mean anything to anybody except to me, and then at the end of the day, the end of the project they wheel out these little drawings and theyre damn close to what the finished building is and, and its the drawing, the hand eye coordination which starts to generate this, the beginnings of this kind of ephemeral image, and its the way from those drawings I organ , its strange what I do, I organise the space of a building. † Frank O. Gehry (BBC radio) The architect Frank O. Gehry made the above statement during a radio interview. He begins the design with sketches and after many refinements, finally produces a massive building formed by titanium, steel, glass, wood, brick and concrete (Guilfoyle). The use of stainless glass has always been an attractive element of Walt Disney Concert Hall and is also Gehry’ signature. Not only because of its lustrous appearance that attracts the public, but also delivers a positive message to the world. As titanium is a material mainly used in aeronautics, it implies the embracement of the future (Barnet 92). Additionally, other materials such as glass suggest a sense of understanding of the world and connecting two materials in harmony through its transparent quality. Brick implies warmth, simplicity, unpretentiousness and hand-craftsmanship. And wood associates with nature and the outdoor environment, giving a sense of pristine, rudimental, and original properties (Barnet 93). It shows that even materials can contribute to the meaning of the building. Furthermore, besides the materials that convey meaning, the site that is chosen to build an infrastructure also creates specific connection and meaning to the public. As the Disney Hall is built beside the street, it allows convenient and easy access which benefit the crowds. This location promotes a welcoming sign to everyone, showing art is available to different culture, race and class. If the construction site had been chosen in Beverly Hills, an extravagant tourist attraction in Los Angeles, it definitely will not advertise the same accessible atmosphere. Likewise, rather than locating the Hall in a quiet, isolated and distant area, the government decides to situate it inside the city, which reflects its important connection with the citizens or as an international display. It emerges as a symbol to reflect the diverse culture, unique characteristic and hot climate of downtown Los Angeles (Dal Co 442). The hospitable nature of Walt Disney Concert Hall also initiated from Gehry’s desire to create a â€Å"synergy† via intimacy and inclusion within and outside (Leigh). He hopes the musicians and performers will be able to feel comfortable and easy on stage and â€Å"the orchestra and the audience would have an intimate connection with each other† (Leigh). Under this goal, Gehry makes use of modeled Douglas fir and cedar to surround the auditorium and concave wood panels to generate the audience seat. As a lot of timber materials are placed inside, it results in a perception of vibrating sound, enlivening the musical performance. Thus, any small sound from the audience will be amplified and intermingled with the actual orchestra. Moreover, the stage is designed a bit higher than the orchestra seats in order to provide a better view for the audience. It seeks to provide a cozy and intimate acoustic experience (Leigh). The usual concert halls normally provide private boxes appealing to the promising and affordable audience, but Gehry eliminates this design as he believes every seat in the Hall provides a different sensational experience (Leigh). Once again, I think this message aims to promote equity in art and that none is able to purchase or own it. The design of Walt Disney Concert Hall is based on Deconstructivism, contradictory to Constructivism; both are attempts to invent a new style of post-modern architecture in the 1980s resulting from the imperfection of Modernist conventions (Melvin 136). Deconstructivism, identified by the concept of fragmentation, deviation, unpredictability and under-controlled chaos, functions to create distorted, irregular and broken shapes to alter the traditional elements of architecture. It is influenced by the modern art cubism and minimalism, it deformation style implies a detachment of cultural differences (Citizendium). Just as Gehry said, he likes to â€Å"control chaos and relate that to the urban world† (Leigh), which is one of the characteristic of deconstructivism. Overall, I find the design of Walt Disney Concert Hall as a great representation of contemporary architecture. Evaluating its materials and design, it successfully generates a positive image as a landmark of Los Angeles city. However, I think the shortcoming is that the stainless steel forming the exterior of the Hall brings out a negative impact to the surrounding climate. As the residents of surrounding buildings complained about the increase in temperature and visual glare affecting their daily life, which cause high temperature on the path and even soften plastic objects around (Valmont). Although it doesn’t cause problem to visitors of the Hall, but produce a long-term affect to people living around. Last but not least, some critics also claim that Walt Disney Concert Hall displays a sense of detachment, with inconsistency, showing an absence of social attention. They argue that the simplicity of Hall has abandoned the values of past and present art works without a clear intention (Citizendium).