July 9, 2020 | Adamas University

Facebook for Business

Facebook has been one of the most potent mediums that bonded the people in one virtual place to share their thoughts, ideas, and all kinds of a possible form of information without being physically involved. This social media platform has been an enormous success after its launch in 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg focused to improve the internal communication among the Harvard University campus. Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, who are generally focused on a particular category, Facebook certainly welcomes all its users to share all kinds of content (except few prohibitions) without any charges. The unique nature of Facebook is to host the conversation which is of common interest and the users can increase the multitude of information by sharing and re-sharing them on their walls, groups, and pages. One thing that is common in all the Facebook posts is that the platform looks out for the opportunities to engage more users through the content which is often used by the brands to propagate their schemes and offers and also increase brand awareness among the potential market. Several brands are using Facebook as a tool of promotion for their brands to reach out to the potential segment through innovative campaigns and there begins the need of formulating a proper and effective business plan for the medium.

There are multiple befits of using Facebook for business:

Facebook is a free social media platform to subscribe and use (though some services require investments).
One an account is activated and promotion starts, it gets the opportunity to be discovered by the other users who are searching for similar products or services.
Facebook provides a friendly environment that helps users to easily be in touch with each other and also maintain a healthy relationship among them.
Facebook provides the option of creating communities to facilitate the brands to share their information.
The platform often comes handy when generating leads for their business.
Facebook makes personalizes communication easier for the users to design and serve it to the targeted one.
Through Facebook, the process of feedback to answer the complaints and grievances becomes faster and more effective.
Facebook allows us to share multiple types of content in innovative forms to attract consumers.

Personal vs. professional usage

Most Facebook users use the platform for recreational purposes and share the content of their choice which also indicates their personal choice and inclinations. While the individual profiles are generally meant for personal usage, the pages and groups are quite extensively used by the brands to set up a channel of communication with their potential market. But to create a business page or group, a profile must be created, which under any circumstances should not be used for personal communications and all the commercial communication needs to be sourced out from the business page.

The following benefits can be utilized offered by a Facebook page:

A Facebook page allows multiple interactive activities like following, sharing, liking, inviting friends to drive the traffic towards the page to increase its reach.
Email address, website link, postal address with the locational map can be added to a page for better navigation. On a business page, the opening and closing hour details can also be added for physical store locations to help out the consumers.
A Facebook page can also host job postings to attract suitable candidates for their organization.
While managing all the activities of a page can be challenging for one person, Facebook allows to disseminate the responsibilities among people with multiple altitudes like “Admin”, “Editor”, “Moderator”, “Advertisers” and “Analyst”.
All the Facebook pages are by default accessible to all the uses, making it easily searchable.
A Facebook page allows us to put details of the product or services to make the search easier and narrower.
The privacy features in Facebook make the information shared on the platform secure while ensuring the free flow of information to the target sections.
The algorithm helps the users to easily mage and control their pages.

The usage of pages varies for different purposes and they can broadly be categorized into the following types.

Local business or place
Company, organization or institution
Brand or product
Artist, band or public figure
Entertainment
Cause or community

Another important tool that can be used for marketing brands and their products or services is Facebook groups. While sharing most of the characteristics with pages, most groups allow the members to share their content on the “group wall”, while the group admin has the authority to remove any person or any post that does not fit for the group at any point of time. A Facebook group can host multiple interactive activities to engage and retain the member to the group. One such activity is the polls that can be used by the brands to understand and gather information from the consumers without disturbing their regular activities. Polls generally include the options spread across with a question and allows people to choose from. The same can be used by the brands to identify the consumer’s preferences and expectations from the product or service and help them in modifying the same.

Facebook services are mostly free and allow the users to use them for their benefits but there are services requires monetary investments to multiply the effects like the Facebook ads which proved to be extremely helpful for marketer and advertisers to uphold their brand offerings among their consumers.

TATA NEXON Electric Vehicle in India: A Game-Changer?

Contributor : Sudip Chakraborty and Ranjan Kumar

Significant improvement in battery technology and concerns over supplies of hydrocarbons are creating a marketplace for battery powered passenger vehicles in India. Electric Vehicles have been the transportation mode for at least 190 years but it has failed to get the customers’ attention. For the last few decades many researches have been conducted on vehicle dynamics, battery management systems, charging capacity etc. and now EVs are gaining market appeal. There are some technical factors which have a great impact on adoption, these are:

EV Modelling.
EV Battery Technologies.
Recycling of EV Batteries.
Charge Carrying Capacity.

This subcompact crossover SUV named TATA NEXON was marketed in 2017 but from 2014, the prototype was displayed in Delhi. TATA has recast the model into a Hybrid Electric vehicle which has been named as TATA NEXON EV and it was launched in December, 2019 in India. This EV comes with three variants namely XM, XZ+, XZ+LUX.

The electric motor which is being used in this EV can produce 94.7039 KW power and 245 N-m torque. The battery pack of 30.7 KW-h allows the vehicle to run up to 312 km at a go at full charged condition. It is estimated that for an urban road, weekly commute is 250 km on an average for a particular car. So, full charge can help you to ride for a week. The powertrain hardware consists of a permanent magnet motor and a single speed gear box with liquid cooled battery pack. The EV has got two modes of driving namely Drive and Sport. Drive mode is suitable for city driving whereas Sport mode is used for highway driving. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in just 9.9 secs in Sport mode.

It offers owners to charge the car using both 15A socket and a DC fast charger. The EV battery can get 0% to 80% charge in 60 minutes using the fast charger where in regular charging, it takes 8.5 hours to get charged up to 90%.

Technical Specifications:

Motor & Transmission –

Electric Motor	3 Phase Permanent magnet synchronous Placed at Front Axle
Fuel Type	Electric
Max Motor Performance	127 BHP / 245 N-m
Power Consumption/Mileage	10.33 Km/kWh
Driving Range	312 Km
Drive Train	FWD
Transmission	Automatic
Emission Standard	BS6
Battery	30.2 kWh, Lithium Ion Polymer, 320 Volt. (Placed under floor pan)
Battery Charging	8.5 Hrs with AC Fast Charging
Others	Regenerative Braking, Pure Electric Driving mode

Suspension, Brake and Steering –

Suspension Front	Independent, Lower Wishbone, McPherson Strut with Coil Spring
Suspension Rear	Semi-Independent; closed profile Twist beam with Coil Spring and shock absorber
Front Brake Type	Disc
Rear Brake Type	Drum
Minimum Turning Radius	5.1 meters
Steering Type	Power assisted (Electric)
Wheels	Steel Rims
Spare Wheel	Steel
Front Tyres	195 / 60 R16
Rear Tyres	195 / 60 R16

Modelling of NEXON EV. [Image Courtesy: www.autodevot.com]

Other Specifications:

ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) for perfect car control during braking.
Brake assist.
Corner Stability Control.
Reinforced body structure to protect during accidents.
Dual airbags.
Liquid-cooled IP67 battery pack to prevent overheating.
Iso-fix anchorage.
Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control for getting better grip on climbing hills.

NEXON EV: Exterior and Interior (Courtesy: autobics.com)

Technical comparison between TATA NEXON EV and TATA NEXON (Diesel and Petrol Variants):

Technical Specification	TATA NEXON EV	TATA NEXON (Diesel and Petrol Variants):
Engine Type	3 Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	1.2 Turbocharged Revotron Engine
Battery Type	30.2 KWh advanced Li-ion Polymer with Liquid Cooled Battery Pack	NA
Charging Time	8.5 Hrs	NA
Power	127 BHP	108 BHP with 5000 rpm
Torque	245 Nm	170 Nm with 1750-4000 rpm
Displacement (CC)	NA	1199
Number of Gear	NA	6
No. of Cylinders	NA	3

Dimensional Comparison:

	TATA NEXON EV	MG ZS EV	Hyundai Kona Electric
Length (mm)	3994	4314	4180
Width (mm)	1811	1809	1800
Height (mm)	1607	1644	1570
Wheelbase (mm)	2498	2579	2600

Security Features:

	TATA NEXON EV	MG ZS EV	Hyundai Kona Electric
Airbags	2	6	6
ABS with EBD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parking Aids	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera
Isofix	Yes	Yes	Yes
Electronic Stability Control	No	Yes	Yes
Tyre Pressure Monitor	No	Yes	Yes

In Indian market, there are very few EVs which can run up to 300 km at one go, TATA NEXON EV is one of them. The cost of this car is comparatively lower and it starts from 13.99 lacs. Tata NEXON EV with a certified range of 312 km and battery warranty of 8 years/ 160000 km. Tata NEXON EV looks stunning because it has the flat grille and various blue accents which attracts the people. With a ground clearance of 205mm, it stands tall and takes a good space on the road. As it is based on the Tata NEXON facelift, it looks fresh. The interiors look nice too with a central touchscreen, semi-digital instrument cluster and flat-bottom steering wheel adds to the sporty feel. Tata Motors joins hands with Tata Power to set up charging stations. Supporting the Indian Government’s ‘National electric mobility mission’, Tata Power established the first set of Electric Vehicle charging stations in Mumbai. Now present the charging stations are already set up in Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Tata Power will set up more charging stations for a better adaptation of electric mobility.

Positive effects of the New Normal Post Covid-19

The emergence and acceptance of Blended Learning

The world is gradually coming out of the CoVid-19 freeze. It is not coming back to the way it was earlier, rather we are defining it as “New Normal” or “Neo-Normal” – a world which co-exists with the virus around us. This new way of life is very different to what we were used to. Every aspect of our lives has changed and still it is very dynamic. Most experts and academicians feel this change is permanent and perhaps many of the things which we were used to are all the thing of the past.

While there have been unprecedented loss of life and livelihood due to the crisis, it has also made us adopt many new ways which are for the better. Education also has undergone a massive change. Even a few months ago, traditional teaching (Classroom based Teacher Student Learning) was normal and Online classes was known to a very few and used by even lesser students/teachers. With the world going into lockdown due to the CoVid-19 crisis, every institution turned towards online education. From play schools to large universities, everybody went online. So much so, that few thinkers have started calling it the future of teaching-learning. Universities, Tech giants and governments have started to think of ways to make online education more seamless, far reaching and weed out issues that are still persistent. In the last couple of months, I have read many columns discussing about how online education would be the new norm and gradually we would find the brick and mortar universities & schools fade away.

While this might be a very farfetched thought, we might see a rapid adaptation of Blended Learning going forward. Blended learning is a concept of learning that combines educational materials available online, online interactions, online collaborative research along with the traditional physical classroom methods. Students attend a normal school with a teacher to attend a face-to-face class but then some learning practices are also combined with electronic/internet-based activities. Blended learning is already majorly being used in professional development and on the job training.

Simply put blended learning is something which adapts the better of both the methods. This is Blended Learning.

Why blended learning?

Post covid-19, one thing is very clear that we would not conduct the classes the same way. With lesser students in a classroom due to distancing norms, but similar infrastructure, we would have to adopt online classes. But research show that concepts learned online, are gradually forgotten over time compared to concepts in a classroom environment. Blended learning is a structured approach to tackle this problem.

Advantages of Blended learning

Blending learning ensures that the student is always engaged and in control of their own individual learning experience in their own pace.
Blended learning is much more interactive than conventional learning. As this is simply not just learning by listening but also mixes traditional classroom training with online sessions, many more senses and skills are engaged in the process.
A student may first do self-studies or pre-learning, followed by Face-to-face interactions, or vice versa. This way of learning adopts the benefits of both the modes by optimizing and reinforcing the different techniques.
Knowledge gained in the classroom, digitally allows students to develop their critical thinking, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills in the specialized subject.
Adopting multiple learning channels and ICT allow students to access large amounts of information in a variety of ways, such as videos, podcasts, and more—and they can go deep into any topic or review it as per their choice and convenience.
Knowledge retention is significantly improved with a variety of interactive elements in the learning process, built-in assessment and feedback, and real-world implementation.
The blended learning approach delivers a much richer training experience and helps you to immediately begin to use what you have learned in the sessions while receiving valuable feedback from an expert instructor so that you can focus on improvement in your weaker areas.

The typical elements of any blended learning system normally comprise of:

In-Person Training:Normally done in a typical classroom by a teacher. It can also involve peer group learning from classmates and seniors.
Online Learning:This module involves self-learning and often is through various ICT channels. This helps the learner to deep dive into the concepts which he or she has learned. The module can also be used for pre-learning before the in person training about the topic.
Coaching:The last module is one to one coaching. This is extremely important module as this provides individual feedback to the learner based on which he/she can improve their learning further

Ways to implement blended learning

There are various ways of implementing blended learning. These ways can be adopted depending upon resource availability, length of the curriculum, complexity of the course and number of learners.

Face-to-face driver:In this process the trainer/instructor or teacher gives instruction and take aid of various digital tools to augment the learning. In other words, we may say that traditional teaching is the main mode of delivery but technology is also used to supplement learning.
Rotation:Students or learners go through a cyclic schedule of self online study and face-to-face classes and also if required field work.
Flex:The flex model delivers most content online, but in a traditional school setting. Teachers guide students through the learning process and provide one-to-one or small group help when needed. This model helps students to learn in their own pace and select their content.
Online Labs:The online lab model gives the maximum of the content online and remotely. This is different from strictly online learning as learners gather in a traditional setting to access computers for learning. But face-to-face interaction with teachers is very limited.
Online Driver:In this model the entire course is primarily delivered based on technology and over internet. Most instructions are given remotely. Teachers and students can be geographically in different places. Most of the times there is no face to face interactions, and teachers are mainly there to provide guidance, support and in some cases act as resource only if needed. This model offers maximum flexibility and brings down the costs associated drastically as the mode eliminates the need for any form of physical space and has a reduced resource requirement.

Conclusion

Thus, blended learning has a lot of advantages and helps teachers to retain the attention of students longer. It introduces flexibility in learning along with putting the learner in charge of his own learning. Blended learning as a concept was always prevalent, with student using libraries for additional learning, institutes conducting seminars and workshops for additional learning. With the emergence of technology and internet, the options are far more and possibilities endless.