document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=179320>Question 179320</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help...i'm so confused..\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1)     Describe a strategy (maybe with equations) to estimate the number of road signs (not advertisements) on interstate 95 that runs from South Florida to New England.  One may assume 1800 miles. How many road signs are there?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5) It is January. You are a CEO or a CFO (pick one) of a company.  The company is high tech with 50% engineers.  This company designs, produces, and sells expensive products.  There are two problems with the company.  One is that the present economy is not doing very well (slumping) and products are not selling as well as Sales forecasted.  The second is that the product is getting old and new products are required to bring in revenue.  New products take about a year to develop and to start seeing revenue.  The CEO wants to be at a certain number at the end of the year, but does not want to destroy the company. What would you do\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "**this is just guesswork...there is no right or wrong answer but i'm still confused.** my professor just want a theory. can u help please.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Make some assumptions\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Give reasons to your conclusions\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "How can your assumptions be improved?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #134244 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Fombitz><B>Fombitz(32388)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Fombitz><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Fombitz><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=134244\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 1) Think about when you're on the road taking a long trip. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "When you're near a big city, you see a lot of road signs.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "When you're out in the country, you don't see as many. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Make some assumptions. From Florida to New England, there are x number of big cities. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Say in a 20 mile stretch around those cities you would have a sign every mile. That's 20 total signs for every big city, 20x in total, depending on your guess for the number of big cities (Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, etc, etc). \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You could check a map or just make a guess. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "It's more than 10. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Remember the total number of city miles can't be more than 1800, so with 20 miles, x can't be greater than 90. <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "That leaves the country signs. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "The total mileage left is the total mileage (1800) minus the city mileage (20x). That would be<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=M%5Bctr%5D=1800-20x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"M%5Bctr%5D=1800-20x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If there is a sign every 10 miles, then the number of country signs is mileage divided by rate of sign.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=N%5Bctr%5D=%281800-20x%29%2F10=180-x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"N%5Bctr%5D=%281800-20x%29%2F10=180-x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then add the two together,<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So if you assume that there are 35 big cities along the route, then the number of signs would be,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=N=19%2835%29%2B180=845 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"N=19%2835%29%2B180=845\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Again, you have control over all of the variables. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "If you think, 20 miles is too much, too little, you can change that.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If you think, one sign every 10 miles in the country is too much, too little, you can change that. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "If 35 big cities is too many/too few, you can change that.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then work it through and get the total sign equation.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2) New products take a year so you can't dedicate all your focus there. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Without new exciting products though, your future sales will suffer. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Again, if your company doesn't make it through this year, no need to worry about the future. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "These are real world issues that are facing companies throughout the world especially these days. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "You can always spruce up an old product with a new feature or new package that might attract customers. How many times have you seen \"new, improved formula\"? <BR>\n" );
document.write( "You could also look to reduce costs on the old product so you could reduce your price to the consumer and maybe spur some new sales of your old product. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Look for opportunities to work together with other products that work with your product (example: Blockbuster Video also sells popcorn and candy just like at the movies). <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Dedicate half of your team to work on new products, building that pipeline of products for the future. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Dedicate half of your team to work on old products, reducing costs, looking for joint programs, adding new features, etc. to spur new interest and bump sales up.  <BR>\n" );
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