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Wiki Wiki Summary
Operations research Operations research (British English: operational research), often shortened to the initialism OR, is a discipline that deals with the development and application of advanced analytical methods to improve decision-making. It is sometimes considered to be a subfield of mathematical sciences.
Arithmetic Arithmetic (from Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós) 'number', and τική [τέχνη] (tikḗ [tékhnē]) 'art, craft') is an elementary part of mathematics that consists of the study of the properties of the traditional operations on numbers—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, and extraction of roots. In the 19th century, Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano formalized arithmetic with his Peano axioms, which are highly important to the field of mathematical logic today.
Bitwise operation In computer programming, a bitwise operation operates on a bit string, a bit array or a binary numeral (considered as a bit string) at the level of its individual bits. It is a fast and simple action, basic to the higher-level arithmetic operations and directly supported by the processor.
Special Activities Center The Special Activities Center (SAC) is a division of the Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operations and paramilitary operations. The unit was named Special Activities Division (SAD) prior to 2015.
Operations management Operations management is an area of management concerned with designing and controlling the process of production and redesigning business operations in the production of goods or services. It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as few resources as needed and effective in meeting customer requirements.
Surgery Surgery is a medical or dental specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pathological condition such as a disease or injury, to help improve bodily function, appearance, or to repair unwanted ruptured areas.\nThe act of performing surgery may be called a surgical procedure, operation, or simply "surgery".
Special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions, and are typically conducted by small groups of highly-trained personnel, emphasizing sufficiency, stealth, speed, and tactical coordination, commonly known as "special forces".
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, 326 Indian reservations, and nine minor outlying islands.
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, being composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate.
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of its active battle fleet alone exceeding the next 13 navies combined, including 11 U.S. allies or partner nations as of 2015.
Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its main historic rival, the Democratic Party.\nThe GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories.
List of presidents of the United States The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term by the American people through the Electoral College. The office holder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. It was founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party.
Manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy.
List of aircraft manufacturers This is a list of aircraft manufacturers sorted alphabetically by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)/common name. It contains the ICAO/common name, manufacturers name(s), country and other data, with the known years of operation in parentheses.
List of loudspeaker manufacturers This is a list of notable manufacturers of loudspeakers. In regard to notability, this is not intended to be an all-inclusive list; it is a list of manufacturers especially noted for their loudspeakers and which have articles on Wikipedia.
List of modern armament manufacturers The following list of modern armament manufacturers presents major companies producing modern weapons and munitions for military, paramilitary, government agency and civilian use. The companies are listed by their full name followed by the short form, or common acronym, if any, in parentheses.
List of computer hardware manufacturers Current notable computer hardware manufacturers:\n\n\n== Cases ==\nList of computer case manufacturers:\n\n\n=== Rack-mount computer cases ===\n\n\n== Laptop computer cases ==\nClevo\nMSI\n\n\n== Motherboards ==\nTop motherboard manufacturers:\n\nList of motherboard manufacturers:\n\nDefunct:\n\n\n== Chipsets for motherboards ==\n\n\n== Central processing units (CPUs) ==\nNote: most of these companies only make designs, and do not manufacture their own designs. \nTop x86 CPU manufacturers:\n\nList of CPU manufacturers (most of the companies sell ARM-based CPUs, assumed if nothing else stated):\n\nAcquired or defunct:\n\n\n== Hard disk drives (HDDs) ==\n\n\n=== Internal ===\nList of current hard disk drive manufacturers:\n\nSeagate Technology\nToshiba\nWestern Digital\n\n\n=== External ===\nNote: the HDDs internal to these devices are manufactured only by the internal HDD manufacturers listed above.
Original equipment manufacturer An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer.\nHowever, the term is also used in several other ways, which causes ambiguity.
Manufacturers Hanover Corporation Manufacturers Hanover Corporation was the bank holding company formed as parent of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, a large New York bank formed by a merger in 1961. After 1969, Manufacturers Hanover Trust became a subsidiary of Manufacturers Hanover Corporation.
List of automobile manufacturers of Japan This is a list of current and defunct automobile manufacturers of Japan.\n\n\n== Major current manufacturers ==\nHonda (1946–present)\nAcura (1986–present)\nHonda Verno (former dealer network)\nHonda Clio (former dealer network)\nIsuzu (1853–present; spun off from IHI in 1916)\nMazda (1920–present)\nAutorama (former dealer network)\nAutozam (former dealer network)\nEfini (former dealer network)\nEunos (former dealer network)\nXedos (former dealer network)\nMitsubishi (1873–1950; 1964–present)\nNissan (formerly Datsun) (1933–present)\nDatsun (formerly Kaishinsha Motorcar Works) (1925–1986; 2013–2022)\nKaishinsha Motorcar Works (1911–1925)\nInfiniti (1989–present)\nNissan Blue Stage (dealer network)\nNissan Red Stage (dealer network)\nNissan Cherry (dealer network, c.1970–2009)\nNissan Motor (dealer network, c.1968–2009)\nNissan Prince (dealer network, c.1968–2009)\nNissan Sunny/Satio (dealer network, c.
IZotope Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers (mass numbers) due to different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. While all isotopes of a given element have almost the same chemical properties, they have different atomic masses and physical properties.The term isotope is formed from the Greek roots isos (ἴσος "equal") and topos (τόπος "place"), meaning "the same place"; thus, the meaning behind the name is that different isotopes of a single element occupy the same position on the periodic table.
Nerd Corps Entertainment Nerd Corps Entertainment was a Canadian 3D computer animation and flash animation studio located in British Columbia. Founded by former Mainframe Entertainment producers Asaph Fipke and Chuck Johnson in 2002, the company was acquired by DHX Media (now WildBrain) on December 24, 2014.
DK (publisher) Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. \nIt is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann.
Daredevil (TV series) Marvel's Daredevil is an American television series created by Drew Goddard for the streaming service Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics character Daredevil. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), acknowledging the continuity of the franchise's films, and was the first Marvel Netflix series leading to the crossover miniseries The Defenders.
Westinghouse Licensing Corporation The second incarnation of Westinghouse Electric Corporation (commonly known as Westinghouse Licensing Corporation) is a Delaware General Corporation Law organized subsidiary that was founded in 1998 by Westinghouse-CBS (the renamed "original Westinghouse") in managing the intellectual property assets relating to the Westinghouse trademarks produced from 1886 until 1996.\nWestinghouse Licensing has its headquarters in New York City, owned by Brookfield Business Partners.
Iron Fist (TV series) Marvel's Iron Fist is an American television series created by Scott Buck for the streaming service Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Fist. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), acknowledging the continuity of the franchise's films, and was the fourth Marvel Netflix series leading to the crossover miniseries The Defenders (2017).
Imagi Animation Studios Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was a Hong Kong animation studio established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 585), a Hong Kong-based investment company.\n\n\n== Background ==\nIn 2000, Imagi Animation Studios was set up and production starts on its first project, the CG-animated television series Zentrix.
Calvin Klein (fashion house) Calvin Klein Inc. () is an American fashion house established in 1968.
Trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others. The trademark owner can be an individual, business organization, or any legal entity.
Generic trademark A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of products or services, usually against the intentions of the trademark's owner.\nA trademark is said to become genericized—or, informally, to have suffered genericide—when it begins as a distinctive product identifier but changes in meaning to become generic.
Trademark symbol The trademark symbol ⟨™⟩ is a symbol to indicate that the preceding mark is a trademark, specifically an unregistered trademark. It complements the registered trademark symbol ⟨®⟩ which is reserved for trademarks registered with an appropriate government agency.In Canada, an equivalent marque de commerce symbol, ⟨🅪⟩ (U+1F16A) is used in Quebec.
List of generic and genericized trademarks The following three lists of generic and genericized trademarks are:\n\nmarks which were originally legally protected trademarks, but have been genericized and have lost their legal status due to becoming generic terms,\nmarks which have been abandoned and are now generic terms\nmarks which are still legally protected as trademarks, at least in some jurisdictions\n\n\n== List of former trademarks that have been genericized ==\nThe following partial list contains marks which were originally legally protected trademarks, but which have subsequently lost legal protection as trademarks by becoming the common name of the relevant product or service, as used both by the consuming public and commercial competitors. These marks were determined in court to have become generic.
Trademark dilution Trademark dilution is a trademark law concept giving the owner of a famous trademark standing to forbid others from using that mark in a way that would lessen its uniqueness. In most cases, trademark dilution involves an unauthorized use of another's trademark on products that do not compete with, and have little connection with, those of the trademark owner.
Registered trademark symbol The registered trademark symbol, ®, is a typographic symbol that provides notice that the preceding word or symbol is a trademark or service mark that has been registered with a national trademark office. A trademark is a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.
Trademark look Trademark look or signature look is the characteristic clothes or other distinguishing signs used by a certain character or performer, making the person more recognizable by the audience. Politicians may also have trademark signs, such as the suit of American President Barack Obama or the Merkel-Raute hand gesture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Risk Factors
POLO RALPH LAUREN CORP Item 1A Risk Factors The following risk factors should be read carefully in connection with evaluating our business and the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, our operating results, our financial condition and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this report
Ralph Lauren or other key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business
Ralph Lauren’s leadership in the design, marketing and operational areas of our business has been a critical element of our success
The death or disability of Mr
Lauren or other extended or permanent loss of his services, or any negative market or industry perception with respect to him or arising from his loss, could have a material adverse effect on our business
Our other executive officers and other members of senior management have substantial experience and expertise in our business and have made significant contributions to our growth and success
The unexpected loss of services of one or more of these individuals could also adversely affect us
We are not protected by a material amount of key-man or similar life insurance covering Mr
Lauren, our other executive officers and certain other members of senior management
We have entered into employment agreements with Mr
We cannot assure the successful implementation of our growth strategy
As part of our growth strategy, we seek to extend our brands, expand our geographic coverage and increase direct management of our brands by opening more of our own stores, strategically acquiring select licensees and 17 _________________________________________________________________ enhancing our operations
Implementation of our strategy involves the continued expansion of our business in Europe, Asia and other international areas
As discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we acquired our previously licensed Polo Jeans and Footwear licenses in Fiscal 2006
We may have difficulty integrating acquired businesses into our operations, hiring and retaining qualified key employees, or otherwise successfully managing such expansion
In addition, Europe, as a whole, lacks the large wholesale distribution channels found in the United States, and we may have difficulty developing successful distribution strategies and alliances in each of the major European countries
Implementation of our strategy also involves the continued expansion of our network of retail stores, both in the United States and abroad
We may not be able to purchase or lease desirable store locations or renew existing store leases on acceptable terms
Furthermore, we may not be able to successfully integrate the business of any licensee that we acquire into our own business or achieve any expected cost savings or synergies from such integration
Our business could suffer as a result of consolidations, restructurings and other ownership changes in the retail industry
Several of our department store customers, including some under common ownership, account for significant portions of our wholesale net sales
We believe that a substantial portion of sales of our licensed products by our domestic licensing partners, including sales made by our sales force of Ralph Lauren Home products, are also made to our largest department store customers
In Fiscal 2006, sales to Federated Department Stores, Inc
represented 18prca of our wholesale net sales, sales to Dillard Department Stores, Inc
represented 17prca, and sales to The May Department Stores Company represented 15prca
Federated has announced plans to close more than 79 of the combined companies’ stores in calendar 2006 and to divest itself of the 55 store Lord & Taylor division and is converting the remaining stores formerly owned by The May Department Stores to the Macy’s name plate
In the aggregate, our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 72prca of our wholesale net sales during Fiscal 2006
There can be no assurance that consolidations in the department store sector will not have a material adverse effect on our wholesale business
We do not enter into long-term agreements with any of our customers
Instead, we enter into a number of purchase order commitments with our customers for each of our lines every season
A decision by the controlling owner of a group of stores or any other significant customer, whether motivated by competitive conditions, financial difficulties or otherwise, to decrease the amount of merchandise purchased from us or our licensing partners or to change their manner of doing business with us or our licensing partners, could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition
” Our business could be negatively impacted by any financial instability of our customers
We sell our wholesale merchandise primarily to major department stores across the United States and Europe and extend credit based on an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition, usually without requiring collateral
However, the financial difficulties of a customer could cause us to curtail business with that customer
We may also assume more credit risk relating to that customer’s receivables
and The May Department Stores Company, in the aggregate constituted 45prca of trade accounts receivable outstanding at April 1, 2006
and The May Department Stores Company merged in August 2005
Our inability to collect on our trade accounts receivable from any one of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition
” Our business could suffer as a result of a manufacturer’s inability to produce our goods on time and to our specifications
We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities and depend exclusively on independent third parties for the manufacture of all of our products
Our products are manufactured to our specifications primarily by international manufacturers
During Fiscal 2006, less than 1prca, by dollar value, of our men’s and women’s 18 _________________________________________________________________ products were manufactured in the United States and over 99prca, by dollar value, of these products were manufactured in Asia and other countries
Two of the manufacturers engaged by us accounted for approximately 15prca and 10prca of our total production during Fiscal 2006
The primary production facilities of these two manufacturers are located in Asia
The inability of a manufacturer to ship orders of our products in a timely manner or to meet our quality standards could cause us to miss the delivery date requirements of our customers for those items, which could result in cancellation of orders, refusal to accept deliveries or a substantial reduction in purchase prices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations
Our business could suffer if we need to replace manufacturers
We compete with other companies for the production capacity of our manufacturers and import quota capacity
Some of these competitors have greater financial and other resources than we have, and thus may have an advantage in the competition for production and import quota capacity
If we experience a significant increase in demand, or if an existing manufacturer of ours must be replaced, we may have to expand our third-party manufacturing capacity
We cannot guarantee that this additional capacity will be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us
” We enter into a number of purchase order commitments each season specifying a time for delivery, method of payment, design and quality specifications and other standard industry provisions, but do not have long-term contracts with any manufacturer
None of the manufacturers we use produce our products exclusively
Our business could suffer if one of our manufacturers fails to use acceptable labor practices
We require our licensing partners and independent manufacturers to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations
While our internal and vendor operating guidelines promote ethical business practices and our staff periodically visits and monitors the operations of our independent manufacturers, we do not control these manufacturers or their labor practices
The violation of labor or other laws by an independent manufacturer used by us or one of our licensing partners, or the divergence of an independent manufacturer’s or licensing partner’s labor practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the United States, could interrupt, or otherwise disrupt the shipment of finished products to us or damage our reputation
Any of these, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations
Our business is subject to risks associated with importing products
As of April 1, 2006, we source a significant portion of our products outside the United States through arrangements with over 350 foreign vendors in various countries
Risks inherent in importing our products include: • quotas imposed by bilateral textile agreements with China and non-WTO countries
These agreements limit the amount and type of goods that may be imported annually from these countries; • changes in social, political and economic conditions or terrorist acts that could result in the disruption of trade from the countries in which our manufacturers or suppliers are located; • the imposition of additional regulations relating to imports or exports; • the imposition of additional duties, taxes and other charges on imports or exports; • significant fluctuations of the cost of raw materials; • significant delays in the delivery of cargo due to security considerations; • the imposition of antidumping or countervailing duty proceedings resulting in the potential assessment of special antidumping or countervailing duties; and • the imposition of sanctions in the form of additional duties either by the United States or its trading partners to remedy perceived illegal actions by national governments
19 _________________________________________________________________ Any one of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations
We are dependent upon the revenue generated by our licensing alliances
Approximately 30prca of our income from operations for Fiscal 2006 was derived from licensing revenue received from our licensing partners
Approximately 26prca of our licensing revenue for Fiscal 2006 was derived from two licensing partners: Impact21, 14prca, and WestPoint Home, Inc, 12prca
We had no other licensing partner which accounted for more than 10prca of our licensing revenue in Fiscal 2006
The interruption of the business of any one of our material licensing partners due to any of the factors discussed immediately below could also adversely affect our licensing revenues and net income
We rely on our licensing partners to preserve the value of our licenses
The risks associated with our own products also apply to our licensed products in addition to any number of possible risks specific to a licensing partner’s business, including, for example, risks associated with a particular licensing partner’s ability to: • obtain capital; • manage its labor relations; • maintain relationships with its suppliers; • manage its credit risk effectively; and • maintain relationships with its customers
Although some of our license agreements prohibit licensing partners from entering into licensing arrangements with our competitors, our licensing partners generally are not precluded from offering, under other brands, the types of products covered by their license agreements with us
A substantial portion of sales of our products by our domestic licensing partners are also made to our largest customers
While we have significant control over our licensing partners’ products and advertising, we rely on our licensing partners for, among other things, operational and financial control over their businesses
Although we believe in most circumstances we could replace existing licensing partners if necessary, our inability to do so for any period of time could adversely affect our revenues, both directly from reduced licensing revenue received and indirectly from reduced sales of our other products
” Our trademarks and other intellectual property rights may not be adequately protected outside the United States
We believe that our trademarks and other proprietary rights are extremely important to our success and our competitive position
We devote substantial resources to the establishment and protection of our trademarks and anti-counterfeiting activities worldwide
Significant counterfeiting of our products continues, however, and in the course of our international expansion we have experienced conflicts with various third parties that have acquired or claimed ownership rights in some trademarks that include Polo and/or a representation of a polo player astride a horse, or otherwise have contested our rights to our trademarks
We have in the past resolved certain of these conflicts through both legal action and negotiated settlements, none of which, we believe, has had a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations
We cannot guarantee that the actions we have taken to establish and protect our trademarks and other proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent counterfeiting or a material 20 _________________________________________________________________ adverse effect on our business or brands arising from imitation of our products by others or to prevent others from seeking to block sales of our products as a violation of the trademarks and proprietary rights of others
Also, there can be no assurance that others will not assert rights in, or ownership of, trademarks and other proprietary rights of ours or that we will be able to successfully resolve these types of conflicts to our satisfaction or at all
In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as do the laws of the