Case Study: Rupali Café

Introduction:
Vanita’s family run a Rupali café infront of Wadia group of college. Later on Vanita got 
married to Vilas, whose common friend is victor proposed a plan for the introduction of non-vegetarian,
beer bar. Vanita’s father asked victor to design a plan with cost required and time implemented in each 
step.
Problem:
Victor is to design a plan regarding cost and time estimate of given plan.Victor’s proposals can 
be considered or rejected.
Main people involved:
Vanita and her family who run café near a college.
Victor who is a common friend of Vanita and vilas.
Facts:
-Vanita’s family run a Rupali café in front of Wadia group of college
-The café was open between the times 7am to 10 am and between 12noon to 5 pm.
-The café also provides good quality vegetarian items.
Assumptions:
-Introduction of non vegetarian items, beer bar.
-opening the café all the day i.e. from 7 am to 9 pm.
-Building a good brand for café with increase in revenues.Varied Possible solutions:-
-Identifying the different areas where the market is divided.
-Basically they define it by dividing it into three age groups.
15-30 yrs
30-50 yrs
50 yrs +
Now they should target the market accordingly.
First to capture the market in the age group of below 30 years.
-they would introduce various types of products in various different costs with various different 
quantities. So that the customer think rather than discard to buy the product.
-At the same time, they shouldn’t integrate beer bar with café. As it may hurt the sentiments of family. 
They do expect a cool, good and clean surroundings.
-Infrastructure wise they should make difference in café bar. They should place café on the front and 
beer bar at the back . At the same they should time make non vegetarian open to all.
-Now to build brand. they should target different sectors of people accordingly.
First to target all the students. they should organize a small café with nv in all colleges especially during 
the time of fests.
-A group of 5 people first conduct a small quiz. Questions were asked on the basis of rupali café. Then 
for the winners, instant coffee of their choice is the gift. So especially in these fest many college 
students were present. At the same time it is also profitable with little investments in these areas.
-Later on they should turn these profits with little investment in advertisements to make brand popular.
Once it is into the market, distribution channels become wide open. Many new customers who wish to 
sell these products will come forward. At the same time distributors will come forward to take franchise 
for this product..
-Now to market beer bar with café and other non vegetarian items .They should choose the sites 
according to needs. Especially where the market size is big .Also they should I will introduce these items 
in pubs and other function halls, where especially youth plays a key role. In order to this they should 
contact all the officials who wishes to give contract.
-Next once the distribution network is wide open they should I will introduce marketing strategies. First 
they should promote all the products through social media marketing. they should concentrate on targeting all people of particular area, they should also make sure that many people follow their pages
and posts.
-Once the brand is established. Different products with different products will be released into market in
every two month period.
Cost estimates:
-They should maintain one café & beer bar located in the city centre. So that it is infrastructure wise
looks good. Also they shouldn’t integrate beer bar with coffee. Basically the costs of the setting up of 
good infrastructure depends on themselves. I would recommend to invest at least 15lakhs.
This includesAdvance-5Lakhs(Depends on the area)
Furniture-5Lakhs(Sufficient in the beginning)
Setup for coffee and non veg and veg items-2L
5 Workers and 5sales boys -90,000/-
2 motor bikes for free home delivery within 3km - 1L(Starting enough)
Special chefs for veg and non veg-1L per month.
5 professional bartenders-1L per month.
5 Workers and 5sales boys in beer bar -90,000/-
-A team of 2 who would appointments in famous colleges, companies, function halls etc, for giving 
franchise or for giving contracts.30,000/- per month.
-A team of 5 who were consistently in the market whether in schools, colleges, public places to promote 
product-Rs/-50,000/-per month.
-Basic inauguration function with 500 instant coffee free per day for 3days.on starting day and Saturday 
of first week and one Sunday on next week. Here we calculate material costs and salesmen's costs-
30,000/-
-A social media marketer who markets the product in social media like facebook . Rs25,000/-per month.
-An advertisement in the news papers on every Saturdays and Sundays of every month . Rs/-20,000 per 
month.

Indian Institute of Management to see more freshers, less engineers in 2014

AHMEDABAD: Fewer engineers may join the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad(IIM-A) after CAT this year. In a significant change in its admissions policy, the premier management institute is expected to welcome students from diverse backgrounds.

According to the institute, over 96 per cent of students in the 2012-14 and 2013-15 batches have an engineering background. In order to bring this number to 80 per cent, IIM-A has proposed two major changes in CAT 2013, which will have a considerable influence on the composition of the batch. The formula for calculating the application rating (AR) has been changed; a provision for direct shortlist to the written analysis and personal interview (WA-PI) round for top performers in the five academic categories has been included.

The IIMs have faced flak for becoming bastions of graduate engineers, mostly from IITs. The changes proposed in the admission criteria is in line with IIM-A's desire to break the mould and increase diversity among the incoming students with respect to their academic background.

"There were several complaints since the past two years that due to the multiplicative calculation of AR scores, there was too much focus on marks obtained in X and XII standards. Under the old system, if the candidate had fared badly in any one of the exams but showed exceptional performance otherwise, it would have hampered his chances in getting shortlisted. By giving more weightage to performance in the undergraduate degree and shifting to a completely additive model, the proposed system makes sure that recent performances are given adequate weightage as performances farther back," IIM-A posted on its blog with data compiled by the institute's media cell.

The number of students without work experience or a master's degree is also set to increase in the personal interview round at IIM-A, as it will not give any points for work experience or for postgraduation in its new system. Currently, freshers constitute around 27 per cent of the batch strength.

IIM, Bangalore, and IIM, Calcutta both have higher percentage of non-engineers in their current batches as compared to IIM-A.

IIMs expect 10% rise in applicants this year

NEW DELHI: Indian Institutes of Management are expecting an increased number of registrations for the Common Admission Test 2013 (CAT 2013) due to an increase in the number of seats. Around 115 seats have been added taking the total seats across 13 IIMs to 3,335.

The organizers also expect a bigger participation by female candidates as IIMs have started giving extra points during admissions to women.

From this year, CAT has introduced e-vouchers, but sale of physical vouchers will also continue. Moreover, four more cities have been added to the list of 36 where CAT 2013 is to be conducted.

After gradual decline in the number of CAT takers for over five years, last year the number of registration increased marginally with a total registration of 2,14,068. Due to increase in number of seats as well as the gradual increase in interest for MBA, IIMs are expecting a 10% increase in registration. "The IIMs are preparing for more students to appear for CAT 2013 as they will have greater chances for admission," said Rohit Kapoor, CAT 2013 convenor.

Going by the trend and IIMs initiative to give extra points to woman candidates, their number is also expected to increase this year. The number of women appearing for CAT has been steadily increasing-from 53,700 in 2010 to 56,000 in 2011. For 2012, more than 60,800 women appeared for the CAT.

The registration window for CAT 2013 will start from August 5. "New to this year's CAT is the option to buy vouchers electronically. Details about online payment of fees will be made available on the website, www.cat2013.iimidr.ac.in, from 5 pm on August 3. Candidates can also buy vouchers for registration and scheduling from designated Axis Bank branches from August 5 to September 24," said Kapoor.

This year CAT is being coordinated by IIM, Indore. The results will be declared on January 14, 2014.

Similar to last year's exam, CAT 2013 will have two sections. The first will focus on quantitative ability and data interpretation and the second on verbal ability and logical reasoning. The two sections will be implemented sequentially with separate time limits. The examination will be for140 minutes.

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS APPEARED IN ONLINE CATE-2012.

1)what is the units digit of 7^2001?
a)7           b)3                 c)0              d)5


2)A circle is inscribed in a squareABCD of side 4 cm.If the circle touches the square at 4 distinct points E,F,G,H at 4 midpoints of a square..Two lines are drawn from G to vertices A,C.meets circle at I,J.Now find the height of the triangle formed by triangle GIJ?

DOWNLOAD CAT-2013 PAPERS WITH SOLUTIONS.

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Online CAT: Do's and Don'ts.

Beginning this week, Business Standard will bring you a two-part series on cracking the Common Admission Test — one of the most anticipated examinations in the country.

Dear Students,
The most pressing question on the minds of students appearing for the examination is ‘How do I tackle the Online CAT?’

The most obvious aspect of the ‘Online CAT’ that concerns students is the emphasis on the word ‘Online’ rather than the the word CAT. Well, the answer is to keep things simple and not to worry about the ‘Online’ format, instead concentrate on the ‘content’ of the paper.

CAT is more a test of elimination than a test of selection. The successful candidates often attribute their success to their approach — a poised and calm mind, avoid errors and do not fall into the traps that the exam often surprises you with. This article will address the common errors that students make in the run-up to CAT.

Some of the common errors are as follows:

Error#1: Preparing only for select topics
One of the serious flaws in the approach over the years has been to narrow down the syllabus and prepare only for select topics based on questions that have appeared in the past few years of CAT. CAT has been an extremely unpredictable examination and is known to spring a surprise every year. There is a high probability that topics or areas that have not had much of a weightage in recent years might make a comeback. Therefore it is in the best interest of students to prepare for all topics.

Error#2: Speculating on the composition of the paper
CAT is known to ask questions from a wide assortment of test areas and therefore there is no point speculating as to what might happen this year. The IIMs have hinted that there will be ‘around’ 60 Qs across three sections: Verbal, Quantitative and Logic & Data Interpretation in CAT2013.

Error#3: Overdose of mocks
Most students believe that the best way to prepare is to take as many mocks as possible. Repeated mock tests only highlight the same weaknesses and if students are not analysing their mistakes and rectifying them, then there will not be any major improvement in their performance. Therefore, a thorough analysis of every mock test will yield far better results than taking a large number of such tests.

Error#4: Missing out on items to be carried to the examination centre
This year, students should carry their Admit Card, the CAT Voucher, a Valid Photo identity (any among Driver’s License, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee Identification Card or a notarised affidavit with photo, signature, date of birth and residential address) and a valid document as proof in case the student belongs to the SC/ST categories.

Error#5: Blind guessing
It is has been observed in ‘experimental’ conditions that blind guessing almost always leads to a negative/low score, therefore avoid blind-guessing and marking answers indiscriminately. However, if you are able to eliminate two/three choices (out of the four or five) on proper reasoning, then, it is not advisable to leave out the question even if you do not know how to solve it.

Error#6: Unequal distribution of time across sections
The IIMs calls only those students who manage to clear the cut-offs in each section of CAT and also the overall cut-off. To meet this objective it is imperative that you spend equal amounts of time across all three sections to give yourself enough opportunity to clear the cut-off in every section.

Error#7: Not having a buffer time
This year the exam will be for 135 minutes and a good time allocation strategy would be 40 minutes across three sections with 15 minutes of buffer time. The buffer is required to cushion against bad performance in any one section or to tackle a section that is exceptionally difficult, or one where the student is not confident of clearing the cut-offs.

Error#8: Targeting a specific number of Qs to clear cut-offs
Targeting a pre-set number of questions to clear the cut-offs is not a great strategy, as the cut-offs are a function of the difficulty level of the section and the paper. Hence, one can decide to attempt a certain number of questions during the exam but not before.

Last-minute exam tips for CAT

About 10,000 students will be taking the CAT 2009 once again on Saturday and Sunday! If you are amongst these students, then following advice may be of help!

First of all, while it is natural to be unhappy about this unfortunate development, you should follow the dictum let bygones be bygones. Most of you would have taken many mock tests, some on paper and some that were computer-based. Take the re-test with this mindset that the cancelled CAT was the last mock CAT test taken by you. Since the objective of taking mock tests is to understand one's strengths and weaknesses and fine-tune the time distribution and sequencing of sections, the cancelled CAT would also help each of you to further understand dos and don'ts. Further, you will do well to keep on reminding yourself that your chances of selection have not gone down due to re-test and you can do better in this one!

Think positive! This is the lesson number one! So, what inferences can be drawn from the details known about the CAT test papers held in 20+ slots earlier? In each slot, the difficulty level of the paper was not the same. Chances are that you will get a paper with 20-20-20 distribution but if you get a different pattern, don't get devastated! Don't go with a pre-conceived notion about the difficulty level of any section or paper as a whole that creates any minimum number of attempts as a target for the re-test.

Keep an open mindQuite a few students got distracted by the noise/disturbance last time. Hopefully, your test should go through smoothly this time. Another issue that bothered a lot of students is that the paper wasn't that difficult provided you saw all the questions properly and did not get stuck on any questions.

See all questionsEnsure that you see all the questions properly and don't leave any questions unseen. A test is like a one-day match. If something went wrong last time, it may not happen again. Similarly, if something went well last time, it may not recur. Treat CAT re-test as another test where your performance does not depend upon what happened in the last test. It is another opportunity to score well hit a century!

Finally, for most of the students taking the re-test, wishing that it should have been a pencil-and-paper test is of no use. CAT is being held in a CBT format and you should believe that you are fully geared up to tackle it. The last lesson is: Believe in yourself till the last of the 135 minutes!  

How to tackle the online CAT-2013

The most pressing question on the minds of the students is 'How do I tackle the Online CAT?' However, the most obvious thing that one notices in the question is the emphasis on the 'Online' aspect more than the one on 'CAT'. Well the answer to this question is to keep it simple and not to worry about the 'Online' format as much as the 'content' of the paper.

One can get familiar with the Online format through the "CAT 2010 Practice Test" on http://catiim.in/ and through online mock tests.

The key to doing well on CAT has always been 1) Sound preparation

2) Getting the Basics right

3) Plenty of practice on Sectional Tests

4) Taking a good number of Full Length Mock CATs (Online) simulating all possibilities

5) Self-belief

'Sound preparation' encompasses looking at questions from previous years' CATs and understanding the 'syllabus' of CAT. First, one should make a list of all topics/areas on which questions have been asked in Quantitative, Logic & Data Interpretation and the Verbal section.

Then, one should assess whether one is 'proficient', 'average' or 'needs improvement' in each of those areas. The areas that fall in the third category is what one should look at quickly addressing rather than hoping that questions from that area do not come in CAT2010!

The IIMs, through CAT, test the students on their understanding of basic concepts and this is where 'Getting the basics right' plays a vital role. Often students look for the toughest material to practice without realising that their understanding of concepts as simple as LCM & HCF is not as good as they think it is.

CAT has often trapped students with simple and elegant questions that probe into their understanding of the basics. A quick recap of all the chapters in Quantitative and the concepts involved in each of them would go a long way in rectifying this.

One key aspect of CAT has been its unpredictability in terms of the pattern, the question types, areas emphasised and the difficulty level. However, CAT 2010 has eased the unpredictability to an extent by mentioning the pattern beforehand (3 sections with a total of 60 questions).

Students should try to strengthen their performance in each section in terms of speed and accuracy by practicing on a good number of sectional tests. Students should also ensure that they get enough practice of all kinds of full length papers through a comprehensive Mock series program.

This ensures that one is exposed to relevant and plausible question types which increases one's capacity to deal with any surprise in CAT2010. However taking lots of mocks is not the only preparation strategy - analysing the mocks after the test is over and learning from ones mistakes is, in fact, a key step, which students often overlook.

Finally, the most important ingredient in tackling CAT 2010 successfully is self-belief - the conviction that the effort that one has put in over the past months will yield positive results.

Constant worrying about the end result only makes the task much more difficult to accomplish.

So keep your spirits high and elevate your level of preparation in the next one month leading upto CAT. Success will belong to those who can follow this advice religiously and keep up their belief quotient.