In the early days of internet auctions you were much more likely to be conned than you are today. Figures from the National Fraud Information Center for the year 2000 stated that 78% of Internet fraud at that time took place on online auction sites. Since then the big sites have taken major steps to make their auctions safer places for their users. Although it is safer to buy online from auctions today Edson Alvarez Mexico Jersey , for more details visit to www.mining-auction-gold you still need to be careful when transacting in internet auctions. Here are some tips to ensure you don't get taken advantage of. Buy from sellers with good feedback scores as this is one of your best protections. This is a feature of internet auctions which can't be compared by other online retailers. This independent rating system will give you a very good indication of which sellers can be trusted. Ensure the seller has carried out enough selling auctions for it to be a reliable indicator. Pay by credit card, which is usually the safest method. That way Diego Reyes Mexico Jersey , if you have any problems you can seek redress through your credit card provider. This is a facility you wouldn't normally have when buying from a private individual, so use this extra security feature of online auctions. Use the big name auction sites because they want to protect their reputation. That means they'll take any fraud complaints seriously and deal with the culprits quickly because it's in their best interest to do so. Stay away from the small sites that nobody's heard of. Make sure you know exactly what the product or service you're buying is worth to you. Do this right from the start and you'll be in a better position to make sure you don't overbid and end up paying more than the item's worth. There are plenty of people who'll testify to having been caught up in a bidding frenzy. Auctions can be exciting and addictive Carlos Vela Mexico Jersey , for more details visit to www.mining-auction-gold but it doesn't make sense to pay more for items at an auction than those that can readily be bought elsewhere. When you place a bid you have entered into a contract with the seller. Think before you bid. Don't place a bid if you don't really want the item. If you don't that bright orange, floral bathroom sink could be yours! Remember that expression that says buying on internet auction sites - if it sounds too good to be true Carlos Salcedo Mexico Jersey , it usually is. Have a great time - but be careful! Activity-based management can be used by managers in identifying the scope for cost reduction. One approach is to consider a ‘hierarchy’, which means thinking about the structure of costs at different levels Blank Mexico Jersey , starting at the level of the units of output and moving up the organization to the level of the entire service or production facility. For each level of costs the manager asks: ‘What drives costs?’ Then the manager asks ‘How efficient is this activity and can we manage these costs more effectively?’ Customers are essential to an entity because they provide sales revenue, but there are also costs associated with gaining and retaining customers. If the drivers of customer-related costs are understood Andres Guardado Mexico Jersey , then the costs can be managed more effectively. Drivers of customer costs are:
• Location of customers. The distance and geographical spread of customers drives the cost of making contact, communication and delivering to customers. • Supply and delivery costs. If customers order small amounts of product frequently then there will be higher costs associated with taking orders Alfredo Talavera Mexico Jersey , making up delivery packages and arranging delivery. • Sales and promotion costs (including discounts and other incentives). These will be higher if there are more potential customers or new potential markets for products. These costs will be lower if the business relies largely on established customers making repeat orders. • Quality costs. Some customers may specify standards of quality that cause additional costs to be incurred. If the quality is not sufficiently high the customers may be lost. • After-sales service or warranty costs. Customers may have paid additional fees for after-sales service or repairs under warranty but it is still important to control costs within that amount in order to avoid losses while offering a competitive service. If the managers of a business understand customer-driven costs they can make strategic decisions about the relative costs of different types of marketing initiatives. One strategy might be to find a small number of high-value customers and invest effort in customer retention and loyalty. An alternative strategy might be to target larger numbers of smaller-value customers and accept a higher rate of customer replacement. Each strategy drives customer-related costs in a different way.
A Technical Briefing published by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA 2001) summarizes the activity-based management model as described by Miller (1996). It explains that ABM has grown out of the work of the Texas-based Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing-International (CAM-I). ABM thinking is not confined to manufacturing businesses because activity-based thinking can equally well apply to service businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The Technical Briefing provides a summary of the circumstances that make ABM useful. It explains that ABC becomes ABM when it is used to: