Indian myth and legend by Mary Fraser

in need of humane help essays

in need of humane help essays The world has evolved tremendously throughout the ages. As days go by, scientists are struggling to improve both quality and length of life by developing new medicines, and by creating more efficient procedures. Through investigation and experimentation science is capable to come up with solutions that are not as cruel or violent with the patients as in past years. Nowadays, not only has there been an improvement in the tools of the trade but also in humanizing of the medical doctors towards their patients with mental problems. There has always been a solution to suffering through pain killers and anaesthetics that has helped patients in their most tragic moments of suffering. In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey, there is a vast demonstration of the cruelty and inhumane treatment received by the mental patients. Treatments such as electroshock and lobotomy, performed by doctors in mental institutions of past years, dont accomplish their goal of improving the quali ty of life of the patients, instead they only benefit the doctors and hospitals and leave the patients as vegetables. The use of electroshocks was a popular and common method in the treatment of mentally unstable persons. It consists of passing an electrical current through the brain of the patient in order to produce a major seizure. The shock is so severe that it produces a blocking in the normal electrical patterns of the brain and can even cause death of a brain cell. The seizures produced by electrical shocks are much more brutal than those produced by an epileptic episode. Medical doctors thought this was the cure to dementia, without realizing the damage they were causing to their patients. It was not only the fact that they were using this method, but that it was not used appropriately since electroshocks were applied to any mentally unstable person. There are a lot of examples in One Flew Over the Cuckoo ...

Journey artical Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Journey artical - Article Example as a company. It is an American multi-national communications company which is based in Illinois. It was known initially in 1928 as Galvin Manufacturing. By 1947, the company changed its name to Motorola though that name had been used as the company's trademark since the 1930’s. The company's first product was, at the time, radio car. Numerous Motorola’s products were radio-related, starting from battery eliminator for radios, and then to the world's first walkie-talkie. Nowadays, the company is known well for cellular phones of high quality and at the same time as the leading provider for the microprocessor which is used in Commodore Amiga, Apple Macintosh and Power Macintosh personal computers. It is at the same time offering different lines of communication products like satellite systems, digital cable boxes and modems (2007). China Laws Law in the People's Republic of China attracted very little attention a decade ago. But it is now attracting quite a good deal of attention from the business industry. Communicative interest on this subject are everywhere. Commercial services are even now keeping close tracks of Chinese legal developments, while publishing just about all foreign-related laws and regulations as they are being issued from Beijing together with English translations. There even exists a number of Chinese law discussion lists which can be found on the Internet, talking about broad policy issues and technical legal points which are the main topic of more and more spirited dealings by specialists around the world. (Corne, 1997) There are good explanations for this flourishing interest in Chinese law. Nowadays, foreign businesses that are involved in or thinking about doing business with China have an evident need to get a better understanding of the developing legal situation within which they will have to run. Foreign governments, in view of China's increasing value in the world trade and investment, are concerned with protecting th eir nations' interests by assuring the compatibility of China's legitimate scheme with those of the world's economy. For China itself, its "open door" policy of promoting foreign trade and foreign investment has been the booster of its economic improvement. It is at the same time the main motivational force behind its fast economic growth since 1978. Modification in foreign business laws has led into a broadening improvement of the entire legal system to meet the needs of a industry economy. Both its people and their leaders knows that continuing development in this aspect relies on the continuing efforts to take their legal system into agreement with world standards. (Robinson, 1995) China's legal regime for the approval and standard of foreign direct investment was an important focus of discussions. It is on this topic that the National People's Congress has been most productive in passing legislation. It is at the same time in this area that the laws passed have had such momentou s outcomes. China played its introductory law concerning foreign direct investment in 1979 which was known as the Equity Joint Venture Law. This activity authorized the creation, though was dependent to state approval, of joint Sino-foreign business undertakings. Participants in these ventures are liable for the firm's financial obligations, at the same time, entitling them to its profits to the point of capital that was brought in. They are approved to exist for up to 30 years and are accepted under Chinese law as legal persons. Equity joint ventures are ruled

Why are some nations rich & others poor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why are some nations rich & others poor - Essay Example Therefore, new explanations for the success of one nation over another are still forthcoming. Jared Diamond and David S. Landes are two gentlemen offering different explanations for the unequal distribution of wealth around the globe. Jared Diamond is a historical geographer. As such, he offers an explanation for this unequal distribution of wealth that focuses on such realities as the availability of key natural resources. Specifically, he states: †¦the differences between human societies on different continents seems to me to be attributable to differences among continental environments, and not to biological differences among peoples themselves. In particular, the availability of wild plant and animal species suitable for domestication†¦contributed decisively to the varying rates of rise of agriculture and herding, which in turn contributed decisively to the rise of human population numbers, population densities, and food surpluses, which in turn contributed decisively to the development of epidemic infectious diseases, writing, technology and political organization (6). Through the course of his essay, Jared Diamond argues persuasively that this unbroken chain of bioregional realities is what determines the wealth of a group of people. He offers many examples for each of these determinants, or as he calls them, "proximate reasons" as to why the wealthiest and most powerful on earth are located where they are. Diamond structures his argument as if each "proximate reason" were a link in a chain. The first link in the chain is the domestication of plants and animals. This occurrence resulted in a food surplus that opened the many facets of what we call civilization today. According to Diamond, the geographic structure of the continents had much to do with the creation of this food surplus. He argues that domestication was more successful and widespread in Eurasia and North America

The merger report between XM Canada and SERIUS Canada Essay

The merger report between XM Canada and SERIUS Canada - Essay Example The availed report is supposed to be taken on April 11, 2011, where the launch and implementation of proposal is supposed to be done and just on time. Some of the prevailing articulation that were on the top of the agenda for any company to acquire merger rights were the issue of management team makeup, consolidation of marketing strategies, integration of operations and information and the activities articulation Financial aspects. Previously, Federal communications commission approved Digital Audio Radio service to use a certain radio satellite broadcast rights, which oversees American mobile Radio XM Radio paying $ 93 million for its license and CD radio that currently known as SERIUS Satellite Radio paying $ 89 million for its license. However, both two broadcasting company has intense competition working based on subscription models to woe their customers. Many consumers have been signed up on the daily basis for as little as US $ 12.95 with an aim of making their consumers enjo y quality and affordable digital music, news, sports, talk and more. According to the availed report and plan tabled before Redmond indicates that the two companies’ offers subsidized radio upgrades that make purchasing decision easier on the prevailing consumers. Some of the technology that the two companies tried to outdo each other is by availing a project that was overseen manufactures installing satellite radio equipment in every car and then provided free service for the new car owner for a period of one full year. Going by the business analysis and statistics, the business models based on the free installation norms did not work well for these two companies since the aspect of free services usually leads to high and expensive price maintenance. When maintenance price is high, a farm usually suffers a loss (Kaser and Brooks 24-27). However, the introduction of programming skills has triggered the aspect of growth in both companies leading to streamlined operations and r efining products offerings, one of the positive articulations that lead business into a positive note. Managers within any prevailing business need to employ platforms that initiate marketing strategies, which triggers efficiencies norm. All this can be achieved through the introduction of new marketing and programming model as administered within the case of XM and SIRIUS media houses. Through new strategic model, both media houses have been well received after providing an additional merger platform resulting to $4 a month. Based on the discussion availed by the two companies involving XM Canada and SIRIUS Canada Inc, the report indicates that the two companies agreed to a merger perception probably on 24th, November the year 2010 that a total of 22.7 percent shares will be for Canadian Sattelite Radio Holdings Inc., 37.1 percent shares for SIRIUS XM, 15 percent for CBC, 15 percent for Slaight Communications and 10.2 percent for other investors. This decision was based on manageme nt team and its perception, operations and information systems availed, marketing strategies and financial articulation. For the purpose of joint within these, two companies, works based on team management that underpins the aspects of management structures initiated. There is a critical rivalry perception here in that it has been so difficult for the two companies to decide who should be picked up and be included within the executive but this was done through the use of integration model. In this process the two companies appointed Michael Washinushi, who was the chief financial

Structuring Supply Chains Based On Product Segmentation Commerce Essay

Structuring Supply Chains Based On Product Segmentation Commerce Essay The world has just gone through one of the worse crisis since the Second World War. In order to reduce the negative impact, companies have tried to reduce cost by any ways, by freezing all expansion, by reducing the number of employees, by launching quick wins project in order to free-up cashà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to summarize nothing sustainable. In order to catch a sustainable growth that will reduce the impact of any future crisis, to obtain a competitive advantage, companies need to design an optimized supply chain. This optimization will lead to a supply chain that are no more a cost but an competitive advantage, a supply chain that brings value, a supply chain that become strategic. The time and the cash spend to source; to produce and to distribute product and services are so huge that companies cant afford to ignore it. When designing its supply chain, companies need to keep in mind that ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL, meaning that one supply chain configuration cant fulfil each customers requirements. Indeed, each customer has different needs which cant be fulfil in the same way. One customer may seek for a company able to provide reactive supplies, while another company is seeking for minimum purchasing costà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Providing different product/service implies having different supply chain configuration. The objective then is to provide different global services which go far beyond the product itself. Nowadays, companies cant provide a product only. They need to provide a global service meaning that they have to provide quality service which goes with the product. The level of quality that needs to be reached is then determined by the customers requirement and willingness to pay a certain price. Customers may want seek for a good quality/price product, some other may want to have a extremely high quality and innovative product, some other are looking to receive the product at their place the next day they purchased it,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And in order to be able to provide this global service that includes the product, companies need to design their supply chain accordingly. This thesis is focusing on understanding the different choice that a company can make when designing its tailored supply chain. Each product is designed differently, and each product (or service) is meant to be for one specific customer. The time when Ford was making one single car for everyone is over. We will focus on how to design its supply chain based on product segmentation. We will first identify the different type of supply chain configuration a company can choose based on its corporate strategy. We will then try to define the meaning of the segmentation and what are the main criteria to perform it. This will lead us to identify the different models that currently exist, models that will help companies to segment, categorize and design tailored supply chains. Then we will try to apply the models on a real case and try to redesign the company supply chains going from an AS IS statement to a TO BE ideal situation. Product Segmentation and Supply Chain Segmentation Segmentation Definition Segmentation can be defined as: Process of defining and sub-dividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. [http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market-segmentation.html]. The main purpose of segmentation is to help to decide what configuration of the business is the most suitable for what customer. The concept of one size does not fit all has for meaning that each customer has a different need and this need cannot be fulfilled in the same way the other customers need are fulfilled. In supply chain the purpose of segmentation is to configure the processes in a way that will lead to a competitive advantage and then to profit. However, we cannot fulfill in a different way each single customer as this will increase the cost so much that the company wont survive. Thus, it is important to build groups that have similar needs and provide one single service for this group. Different type of Supply Chain Functional Product VS Innovative Product The idea of categorizing product in order to identify the most suitable supply chain is not new. In 1997, Fisher introduced a new concept in order to better serve the customers. Fisher said that the first step in devising an effective supply chain strategy is therefore to consider the nature of the demand for the product ones company supplies, [Fisher]. He identified several factors that will influence the design of the most suitable Supply Chain, factors such as Product life cycle, demand predictability, Product variety and market standards for lead times and services. Thus, he started by categorizing product based on theirs characteristics. He identified two types of products: Functional Product and Innovative Product. The main difference of these two types of product influence the type of supply chain needed to optimize the supply of these products. Fisher defines Functional Products are products with long life cycles and with low demand uncertainty. Conversely, innovative product s are products having a short life cycle with high demand uncertainty. Fisher went event further as you can see on the Table 1 below in the distinction between Functional and Innovative Products: Figure 2: Matching supply chains with product characteristics (Source: Fisher, 1997) Hau L. Lee also developed Fishers idea on the distinction between Innovative and Functional Products as you can see on the table below: Table 1: Demand Characteristics  [1]   The impact of this distinction on the Supply Chain type is tremendous. The choose to develop a Lean Supply Chain or an Agile Supply Chain is easier thanks to this new distinction as we will see on the next part. Lean, Agile, Leagile Supply Chain Based on the functional and innovative products concept, we are now able to introduce different supply chain strategy. Each companies objectives are different, thus when designing its supply chain, the aim of this new organization will be different. We are introducing here different strategy when designing its supply chain: The Lean Supply Chain aims to reduce the waste and thus the cost while providing high quality products/services. The Agile supply chains objective is the flexibility to fulfill the customer demand while this ones predictability can be very low. The Leagile strategy is a hybrid solution, combining the Lean and Agile strategy in one. The first time we heard about Lean Manufacturing was in 1988 by John Krafcik in a article he wrote in the Sloan Management Review: Triumph of the Lean Production System  [2]  when he was describing the Japanese production model which is essentially the elimination of waste. Naylor et al provided with a interesting definition: Leanness means developing a value stream to eliminate all waste including time, and to enable a level schedule [Naylor et al.]. Since then, the concept becomes much broader. Indeed, Christopher and Towill highlighted the fact that the Lean Supply Chain works better with a stable demand and where variety is low  [3]  : which correspond to the functional products. From this statement we can already start to have a clearer view on what supply chain for what products; thus, functional products need Lean Supply Chain. The lean supply chain will focus on cost reduction for standardized mass-products [Volker Stich, Jan Christoph Meyer]  [4]  . The origin of agile concept lie partially in flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) [M. Chritopher, D. Towill]. The Agile Supply Chain allows using a highly flexible supply chain in order to better serve the customer. As for the Lean definition, Naylor et al. introduce a definition for agility concept: Agility means using market knowledge and a virtual corporation to exploit profitable opportunities in a volatile marketplace [Naylor et al.]. With an Agile Supply Chain it is much more efficient and effective for product with high volatility in the demand and high variety which correspond to the innovative products. In the table below, Chritopher and Towill went even further in the difference between a Lean and an Agile Supply Chain: Table 3: Comparison of Lean Supply with Agile Supply: The distinguishing Attributes  [5]   Distinguishing Attributes Lean Supply Agile Supply Typical Products Commodities/Functional Fashion Goods/Innovative Marketplace Demand Predictable Volatile Product Variety Low High Product Life Cycle Long Short Customer Drivers Cost Availability Profit Margin Low High Dominant Costs Physical Costs* Marketability Costs** Stockout Penalties Long Term Contractual Immediate and Volatile Purchasing Policy Buy Materials Assign Capacity Information Enrichment Highly Desirable Obligatory Forecasting Mechanism Algorithmic Consultative *Physical Costs: All Production costs, distribution costs and storage costs **Marketability Costs: All obsolescence costs and stockout costs If only, both agile supply chain advantages and Lean Supply Chain advantages could be put together to build a perfect supply chain, it would be the best of both world. Coming from this pursuit of perfection, the concept of Leagile [Naylor et al] supply chain appeared. This concept suggests using lean supply chain for the upstream flows and the agile supply chain for the downstream flows. In practice, this strategy is using what is called The decoupling point or Postponement. This concept principle is to keep sub assembly inventory and to produce finished goods only when the order is know. Chritopher and Towill pointed out one important fact is the information de-coupling point: they argue that the furthest point upstream to which information on real demand flows i.e. information which has not been distorted by inventory policies such as re-order points and re-order quantities contributes to the Agility of a company. Figure 1: The decoupling point  [6]   Stable and Evolving Supply Chain As pointed out Volker Stich and Jan Christoph Meyer, all the approach discussed earlier are focusing on the demand side. Hau L. Lee introduced a new concept called Stable and Evolving supply processes. This concept is focusing on the supply side of the supply chain. Hau L. Lee provided a useful definition as follows: A stable supply process is one where manufacturing process and the underlying technology are mature and the supply base well established. [Hau L. Lee] An evolving supply process is where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are still under early development and are rapidly changing, and as a result the supply base may be limited in both size and experience. [Hau L. Lee] There is more difference between stable supply processes and evolving supply processes, the figure 2 is summarizing some of these differences. The link should be made with Fishers Functional and Innovative products: Functional products tend to use a more mature and stable supply process but this is not always the true. Hau L. Lee provides several example summarized in the figure 3. Figure 2: Supply Characteristics. (Source: Hau L. Lee) Figure 3: The uncertainty Framework: Examples. (Source: Hau L. Lee) Segmentation Factors Determining the Customers Needs: Order Winner and Market Qualifier The definitions of Order Winner and Order Qualifier found in the APICS dictionary are quite interesting: Order winners are those competitive characteristics that cause a firms customers to choose that firms goods and services over those of its competitors. Order winners can be considered to be competitive advantages for the firm. Order winners usually focus on one rarely more than two) of the following strategic initiatives: price/cost, quality, delivery speed, delivery reliability, product design, flexibility, after-market service, and image. [APICS Dictionary 2008]  [7]   Order qualifiers are those competitive characteristics that a firm must exhibit to be a viable competitor in the marketplace. [APICS Dictionary 2008]  [8]   When Terry Hill invented this new concept of Order Winner and Order Qualifier, he aimed to linked operations objectives with Marketings one. The operations people were then in charge of managing the supply chain in a way that the company will obtain a competitive advantage and win the market. As you can see on the APICS definition, several strategic initiatives have been identified: price/cost, quality, delivery speed, delivery reliability, product design, flexibility, after-market service, and image. Based on that, R. Mason-Jones et al. combined the Fisher concept with Hill concept as you can see on the figure 2. The key information is that companies need to excel and focus on the Market Winners factors while being highly competitive on the Market Qualifiers. The figure 3 shows that the company is focusing on Cost and obtained a competitive advantage on the price. The important point is that this company is not neglected the others key competitive factors and its performance is always above the critical minimum performance which if it would have been below, it would have eliminated the benefice acquired from the competitive advantage. Figure 2: An example of using the classification matrix based on market winners and market qualifiers [Source: R. Mason-Jones et al.] Figure 3: The performance matrix [Source: Nabil Montassir] Another concept that needs to be took into account is the difference with Importance and Performance BLABLABLABLABLABLA Corporate Strategy (Operation Excellence, Customer Intimacy, Innovation Excellence) When designing a new Supply Chain or even redesigning an existing one, it is important to be consistent with the corporate strategy. The supply chain needs to be aligned with the overall company strategy. We can summarize nowadays strategies by three main one: Operation Excellence, Customer Intimacy and Innovation Excellence. The operation excellence meant to provide the best quality/price ratio. The objective is to decrease the cost in order to sell it at the most competitive price without reducing the quality. The market winner is definitely the price. This strategy is likely to suit a Lean Supply Chain which aims to reduce the waste and therefore the cost. The Customer intimacy is focusing on providing the highest service level to its customers. Agility, flexibility, reactivity are suitable adjective to describe the aim of this strategy. The price is no more the market winner but the Service level is. Agile and Leagile Supply Chain is likely to be the best strategy to compete on this market. Innovation Excellence as the name indicates has to be at the cutting edge of innovation. The company wants to provide always the most advance product. The cost is higher than the other product and the company aim to touch the Early Adopters who are willing to pay a higher price to get an advanced product, thus the market winner is Innovation. The forecast for these kinds of products are difficult and the stockout as well as the obsolescence can be very high. Therefore it requires a rapid time-to-market if the product knows a rapid growth. Supply Chain Key Classification Variables From the table 2, A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson identified key cost drivers of the supply chain. They conclude that all costs apart from manufacturing there is a small set of drivers: throughput level and variability; product size and weight; value and the demand variability/service factor [A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson]. They even go further by reducing this number to three by combining the value with size and weight to form product value density [A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson]. Using these three key cost drivers, supply chain segmentation can be done. Each group of products resulting from this segmentation will share common characteristics. Table 2: Principal Cost Drivers in the Supply Chain [Source: A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson] In the same spirits, J. Aitken, P. Childerhouse, M. Christopher and D. Towill identidfied five key market characteristics that will be use to design Supply Chains. They use the term DWV [Christopher and Towill (2005)]: Duration of life cycle, Time Window for delivery, Volume, Variety and Variability  [9]  . They argue that for Short life cycles products, the end-to-end supply chain lead time needs to be reduced and optimized which will allows a higher flexibility and a faster time-to-market. Volume and Variability are similar to Lovell et al throughput level and demand variability. However, variety has been taken into account in Lovell concept: Higher the variety is lower the average demand by SKUs will be as the demand will be spread across a greater number of SKUs. It will require a higher flexibility to produce the right product at the right moment. A postponement strategy is well adapted to this kind of environment. Before going further, the table below summarized the key factors that will influence supply chain segmentation: Table 2: Factors influencing Supply Chain Segmentation [Source: A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson] Segmentation Methods and Model: Choose your supply chain strategy From the previous part on the segmentation factors, we have found different criteria: From these different criteria, many people developed different model and matrix to help them in segmenting the supply chain. In this part we will introduce those models, try to explain their advantage and disadvantages. At the end, we will choose the one we think the most complete and use it during the practical part of this thesis. Many of the models we will introduce use the same concept Volkers 4 folds model: The criteria used by Volker are the Demand predictability and the customer needs. The demand is either easy to predict or non-predictable. The customers require low cost or high flexibility. From this matrix, we can obtain 4 different type of Supply Chain: the Accurate SC, the Agile SC, The Cost-Efficient SC and the Responsive SC. The cost-efficiency represent to the Lean Supply Chain we introduced before. A predictable demand which allows high planning accuracy and therefore enables the most efficient design of the involved processes [Volker] combines with the cost as the order WINNER in clearly indicates that a Lean SC (or Cost-efficient SC) as the best fit. At the opposite, when the demand is non-predictable and the order WINNER is the service level (through the high flexibility) the most suitable Supply Chain will be the agile one. When the demand is predictable and the customer requires high flexibility, it requires the highest accuracy in the planning processes, to guarantee th e required availability and flexibility. The last part is the responsive one the Supply Chain needs to be cost effective while the demand is unpredictable which suggest that a Leagile Supply Chain is the most suitable one. Figure 5: Supply Chain segments and Supply Chain phenotypes [Volker] Advantage: The main advantage is its simplicity, easy to understand and to use. It includes the customers needs. Disadvantages: From the table Factors influencing Supply Chain Segmentation, we can see that this model is using only Markets criteria. It doesnt include any product criteria or source criteria. The throughput level is also missing which makes difficult to determine the importance of the product and the manufacturing strategy that we will use. Therefore, this model is missing key decision factors. This model is limited to the strategy level and doesnt go on the operational level which makes difficult to configure the supply chain. Hau L. Lees model: Same type as the Volkers model, Lees model is using one same criterion: the demand predictability (or the demand certainty). The other criterion is the Supply Uncertainty. The segmentation possibilities: Efficient, Risk-hedging, responsive and agile corresponds at the same concept we introduced before. Advantage: Simple and take into account the supply side. Disadvantage: As for Volkers model, it doesnt include any product factors. And it doesnt include the throughput level. This model is limited to the strategy level and doesnt go on the operational level which makes difficult to configure the supply chain. RELs 9Box: This model use two factors: the Throughput level (in value) and the demand variability It divides the products in three major groups and three different supply chain strategies: Green group: The characteristics of this group are a high throughput level and a low variability in the demand. Easily to forecast using statistical methods, the accuracy needs to be very high as the service level should be high. The value of those product are high so the DIO Days of Inventory Outstanding needs to be low in order to avoid to have too much cash tied up in the supply chain. This group is the major group and needs to get the full attention and the priority from the business. Orange group: As for the green group, MTS Make-to-Stock strategy will be privileged with an average or medium customer service level. The priority is given to the green group. The forecasting method used would be a statistical method or a smoothing average. The forecast accuracy needs to be high and the days of inventory target should be put on average: again the priority is given to the green group. This groups demand certainty is in overall lower than green groups and the throughput level is lower as well. Red group: This groups main characteristic is the low demand certainty that make difficult to drive the supply chain. Thus the manufacturing strategy privileged is the MTO Make-to-Order strategy. As it the fluctuation in demand is too high, the forecast become highly challenging and the accuracy target should be Medium/Low and the DIO target near none. Advantages: Much more operational than the other model we have viewed so far. It goes in a much deeper level than the other model. It is as well simple to use and easy to communicate. Disadvantages: It doesnt include product characteristics into account. It doesnt include the supply side factors and doesnt include customers needs. In addition, it gives us information on the supply chain configuration but forget to identify the supply chain strategy: Lean, Agile, Leagileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Product Value Density Model: The main difference of this model with the others is that this one is using three segmentation factors while the other methods were using only two. Indeed, this model is using the Product Value Density, the throughput level and the demand-service factor (variability of the demand). From the table showing the supply chain cost (see chapter Supply Chain Key Classification Variables, table XXX), Lowell identified four major factors that impact cost all along the Supply Chain: the Throughput level, the product size and weight, the product value and the demand variability. These four factors become three by combining product size and weight and the product value forming the Product Value Density (PVD). This model can be representing in a three dimensional graph but for ease of comprehension only two dimensional graph will be used (see Figure XXX). Thus, we will consider: the demand variability-service and the throughput; the PVD (product value density) and the throughput; the PVD and the demand variability-service. When introducing his model, Lowell concentrates on the inventory and the transportation side of the supply chain as you can see o n the figure XXX below. Advantages: Take into account product and market factors. Disadvantages: Mainly focus on operational level and focuses on the inventory and transportation part of the supply chain. DWVs model: This model is the one I chose for the practical part. This model is more a guide than a matrix. By the letters DWV, we always take into account all the main factors when determining the supply chain design and configuration. Duration of life cycle, Time Window for delivery, Volume, Variety and Variability Variety = postponement The chosen model: The model chose for the practical part is the first one we have shown, the Volkers model. But we will change it a little so it can include the throughput level (in value) as well as the variety level. So this new model is using four different factors: The customers need, the demand Uncertainty (or variability), the throughput level and the variety level. The throughput level helps us to prioritize the resources through an ABC analysis of the value per product or family of product (ex; Do we really need to build an agile supply chain for a C class product?). It is important to understand the customer needs but business is business and if one customer is not really profitable then the importance for us decrease as much as the throughput level decrease. The variety level helps us to identify the product that may need a postponement strategy. Key Performance Indicators Before to go forward, it is important to introduce the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that we could/should/will use to keep visibility on the supply chains. KPIs are like a speedometer on a car that helps us to know at what speed we are driving. When dealing with an Agile Supply Chain, the performances that we need to keep a close eye on them are: OTIF (On Time In Full): Companies set up Agile strategy to fulfill a specific needs for their customers. They need to get a product when they want, where they want and at the right quantity. And these customers are willing to pay a higher price to get their suppliers that flexible. So any companies setting up an agile supply chain need to make sure that the OTIF performance are extremely high to not disappoint their customers. Forecast Accuracy: If our purpose is to have a Lean strategy, then the forecast accuracy needs to be high. In general, when having a lean supply chain, companies have a make-to-stock production configuration which is equivalent to a forecast-to-stock. Having a bad forecast accuracy will lead to mismatch between demand and supply. Either the company will end up having excess inventory or not lost sales. This KPIs analysis can be done for each of them. Each time we will introduce a new KPI, we will try to explain how important it is for one or another supply chain configuration. Supply Chain Design Practical Example The supply chain design consists on how to structure its supply chain. It involve the configuration of your sourcing (Source) strategy, the production (Make) strategy and the distribution (Deliver) strategy. All these strategy together represent the Supply Chain Configuration or design. Electrolux Make configuration In this part, we have to take different decision, like the production configuration MTS, MTO, ETO, Batch Size, Prioritization, Temporal Physical Postponementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) SOURCE Strategy (Suppliers Partnerships, Suppliers Selection, Suppliers Performance Service Levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) DELIVERY Strategy (Delivery Lead Time, Transportation Modes, Service Levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Inventory Strategy (Safety Stock Level, Inventory Level, Inventory Location, Physical Spatial Postponement) Segmentation Model (Nine Box, Product Value-Density Model, Agile Lean Matrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Nous effectuerons  : Case study Ce que je pense faire, cest en effet dutiliser les matrices prà ©sentà ©s dans la deuxià ¨me partie et les appliquà ©es a cette entreprises pour restructurer sa supply chain. Les indicateurs de performances seront à ©galement intà ©grer. Ce cas doit à ªtre lillustration des choix faits en fonction de ce que vous avez trouvà © en II ( la fameuse matrice de dà ©cision) SNECMA Presentation Industry Specification SNECMA current strategy SNECMA TO-BE Supply Chain based on product Segmentation Model Case Study Conclusion

The Step-by-Step Approach: Guidelines to writing a Literature Review Es

The Step-by-Step Approach: Guidelines to writing a Literature Review Globally, students and researchers alike are presented with the task of developing a literature review. This process may seem daunting to the inexperienced writer, however, there is no need for trial and error as there are known procedures and guidelines created to simplify such an assignment. A basic literature review may be defined as â€Å"A written document that develops a case to establish a thesis. This review synthesizes current knowledge pertaining to the research question (Machi & McEvoy, 2012)†. A literature a review is an organized way to research a topic and is considered the foundation of a research study (Polit & Beck, 2013). According to Lawrence A. Machi and Brenda T. McEvoy (2012), the purpose of a literature review depends on the nature of the inquiry. Basic literature reviews summarize and evaluate topics that have been previously explored. Advanced literature reviews are slightly more demanding because they apply the knowledge gathered from a basic literatu re review and incorporate that knowledge as a basis for formulating a new question and original research. Machi and McEvoy (2012), authors of The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success describe the following six steps to the literature review process— 1. Select a Topic, 2. Search the Literature, 3. Develop the Argument, 4. Survey the Literature, 5. Critique the Literature, 6. Write the Review. This paper will describe and evaluate the steps involved in writing a literature review. The first step in conducting a literature review is selecting a topic. Selecting a topic of discussion requires at least two tasks. First, find a personal interest. Most research topics are based upon everyday co... ...n the review, following these steps should conclude in a literature review that highlights the significant aspects of a topic in a logical order that allows the reader to understand the context and relation to a research question (Polit & Beck, 2013). References Aaron, L. (2008). Writing & research. writing a literature review article. Radiologic Technology , 80(2), 185. Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2010). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Machi, L. A., & McEvoy, B. T. (2012). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Sage. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice. Wolters Kluwer Health. Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 14(13), 2.

Develop a stock market Essay

(a) Dependable law and regulations The existence of dependable laws and regulations, not only from the government but also from the enterprises themselves is a necessary conditions since these all the organizations to compete and cooperate with the oversea and worldwide companies. (b) Resolution of policy risk Investor confidence in reliable property right and stable, market-oriented policies are a necessary condition for financial integration and the development of emerging stock markets. Announced market-oriented policies may be reversed, however, and are initially not fully credible. We argue that sustained privatization and liberalization programmes represent a major test of political commitment to safer private property rights, successful privatization has a significant effect on emerging stock market development through the resolution of policy risk, i.e. the risk of ex post policy changes with redistributive impact on investment returns. The evidence showed the progress in privatization gradually leads to increased confidence. (c) Promoting healthy financial institutions Healthy financial institutions especially banks, is a crucial prerequisite for financial stability. The largest number of crises still arise, be it in emerging market economies or industrial countries, from financial institutions overextending themselves when times seem good and then retrenching violently afterwards. Governance would first benefit from a greater internal focus on risk-adjusted rates of return, particularly when rewarding traders and credit officers. The relentless pursuit of shareholder value, without this crucial adjustment, could prove a very dangerous strategy. (d) Developing worldwide acceptable accounting and audit standard It is recommended profession should be is self-regulated through accounting  standard board instead of regulate by government, improve the credible of accounting and auditing report up to international accounting system (IAS) standards.

dramatic rise

Recently, in the US there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people working longer hours. Understanding how workaholic behavior patterns can affect ones psychological well-being and life satisfaction is becoming increasingly of greater importance to mental health professionals. Workaholism has been described both positively and negatively as an addiction to work, the compulsion or uncontrollable need to work incessantly. Most employers value an employee that is very hardworking but as longer hours are put in, a person may begin to struggle at balancing personal and family needs with the increasing workload. Though generally accepted in society, there is surfacing evidence of the negative consequences of Workaholism. Research has suggested that workaholics report higher levels of stress and are subject to more health related problems than nonworkaholics. Workaholics tend to be of a perfectionist nature and are often unwilling to delegate work to others, which can sometimes slow progress and reduce efficiency in many jobs. These findings would suggest that workaholics might possess traits that might not be as desirable to employers as once thought. The term Workaholism was coined decades ago because of the similarity in the patterns between an alcoholic and a workaholic. The most similar trait is that the behavior is continued despite the knowledge of how it is affecting the person physically or psychologically. There are generally two types of workaholics, the enthusiastic and the nonenthusiastic. Both types are defined as people who exhibit an excessively high work involvement. The difference is however, the enthusiastic workaholic actually enjoys a high rate of personal enjoyment and satisfaction gained from their work. In contrast, a nonenthusiastic workaholic doesnt receive the same satisfaction from their efforts. There are three basic theories as to how people become workaholics. T ...

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II The Battle of Monte Cassino was fought January 17 to May 18, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945). Fast Facts: Battle of Monte Cassino Dates: January 17 to May 18, 1944, during  World War II  (1939-1945).Allies Armies and CommandersGeneral Sir Harold AlexanderLieutenant General Mark ClarkLieutenant General Oliver LeeseUS Fifth Army British Eighth ArmyGerman Armies and CommandersField Marshal Albert KesselringColonel General Heinrich von VietinghoffGerman 10th Army Background Landing in Italy in September 1943, Allied forces under General Sir Harold Alexander began pushing up the peninsula. Due to the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of Italy, Alexanders forces advanced on two fronts with the Lieutenant General Mark Clarks US Fifth Army on the east and Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Montgomerys British Eighth Army on the west. Allied efforts were slowed by poor weather, rough terrain, and a tenacious German defense. Slowly falling back through the fall, the Germans sought to buy time to complete the Winter Line south of Rome. Though the British succeeded in penetrating the line and capturing Ortona in late December, heavy snows prevented them from pushing west along Route 5 to reach Rome. Around this time, Montgomery departed for Britain to aid in planning the invasion of Normandy and was replaced by Lieutenant General Oliver Leese. To the west of the mountains, Clarks forces moved up Routes 6 and 7. The latter of these ceased to be usable as it ran along the coast and had been flooded at the Pontine Marshes. As a result, Clark was forced to use Route 6 which passed through the Liri Valley. The southern end of the valley was protected by large hills overlooking the town of Cassino and atop which sat the abbey of Monte Cassino. The area was further protected by the fast-flowing Rapido and Garigliano Rivers which ran west to east. Recognizing the defensive value of the terrain, the Germans built the Gustav Line section of the Winter Line through the area. Despite its military value, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring elected not to occupy the ancient abbey and informed the Allies and Vatican of this fact. First Battle Reaching the Gustav Line near Cassino on January 15, 1944, the US Fifth Army immediately began preparations to assault the German positions. Though Clark felt the odds of success were low, an effort needed to be made to support the Anzio landings which would occur further north on January 22. By attacking, it was hoped that German forces could be drawn south to allow Major General John Lucas US VI Corps to land and quickly occupy the Alban Hills in the enemy rear. It was thought that such a maneuver would compel the Germans to abandon the Gustav Line. Hampering Allied efforts was the fact the Clarks forces were tired and battered after a fighting their way north from Naples (Map). Moving forward on January 17, the British X Corps crossed the Garigliano River and attacked along the coast putting heavy pressure on the German 94th Infantry Division. Having some success, X Corps efforts forced Kesselring to send the 29th and 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions south from Rome to stabilize the front. Lacking sufficient reserves, X Corps was unable to exploit their success. On January 20, Clark launched his main assault with the US II Corps south of Cassino and near San Angelo. Though elements of the 36th Infantry Division were able to cross the Rapido near San Angelo, they lacked armored support and remained isolated. Savagely counterattacked by German tanks and self-propelled guns, the men from the 36th Division were ultimately forced back. Four days later, an attempt was made north of Cassino by Major General Charles W. Ryders 34th Infantry Division with the goal of crossing the river and wheeling left to strike Monte Cassino. Crossing the flooded Rapido, the division moved into the hills behind the town and gained a foothold after eight days of heavy fighting. These efforts were supported by the French Expeditionary Corps to the north which captured Monte Belvedere and assaulted Monte Cifalco. Though the French were unable to take Monte Cifalco, the 34th Division, enduring incredibly harsh conditions, battled their way through the mountains towards the abbey. Among the issues faced by Allied forces were large areas of exposed ground and rocky terrain that precluded digging foxholes. Attacking for three days in early February, they were unable to secure the abbey or the neighboring high ground. Spent, II Corps was withdrawn on February 11. Second Battle With the removal of II Corps, Lieutenant General Bernard Freybergs New Zealand Corps moved forward. Pushed into planning a new assault to relieve pressure on the Anzio beachhead, Freyberg intended to continue the attack through mountains north of Cassino as well as advance up the railroad from the southeast. As planning moved forward, debate began among the Allied high command regarding the abbey of Monte Cassino. It was believed that German observers and artillery spotters were using the abbey for protection. Though many, including Clark, believed the abbey to be vacant, increasing pressure ultimately led Alexander to controversially order the building to be bombed. Moving forward on February 15, a large force of B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells, and B-26 Marauders struck the historic abbey. German records later showed that their forces were not present, through the 1st Parachute Division moved into the rubble after the bombing. On the nights of February 15 and 16, troops from the Royal Sussex Regiment attacked positions in the hills behind Cassino with little success.  These efforts were hampered by friendly fire incidents involving Allied artillery due to the challenges of aiming accurately in the hills. Mounting his main effort on February 17, Freyberg sent forward the 4th Indian Division against German positions in the hills. In brutal, close-in fighting, his men were turned back by the enemy. To the southeast, 28th (MÄ ori) Battalion succeeded in crossing the Rapido and captured the Cassino railroad station. Lacking armor support as the river could not be spanned, they were forced back by German tanks and infantry on February 18. Though the German line had held, the Allies had come close to a breakthrough which concerned the commander of the German Tenth Army, Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who oversaw the Gustav Line. Third Battle Reorganizing, Allied leaders began planning a third attempt to penetrate the Gustav Line at Cassino. Rather than continue along previous avenues of advance, they devised a new plan which called for an assault on Cassino from the north as well as an attack south into the hill complex which would then turn east to assault the abbey. These efforts were to be preceded by intense, heavy bombing which would require three days of clear weather to execute.  As a result, the operation was postponed three weeks until the airstrikes could be executed. Moving forward on March 15, Freybergs men advanced behind a creeping bombardment. Though some gains were made, the Germans rallied quickly and dug in. In the mountains, Allied forces secured key points known Castle Hill and Hangmans Hill. Below, the New Zealanders had succeeded in taking the railroad station, though fighting in the town remained fierce and house-to-house. On March 19, Freyberg hoped to turn the tide with the introduction of the 20th Armoured Brigade. His assault plans were quickly spoiled when the Germans mounted heavy counterattacks on Castle Hill drawing in the Allied infantry. Lacking infantry support, the tanks were soon picked off one by one. The next day, Freyberg added the British 78th Infantry Division to the fray. Reduced to house to house fighting, despite the addition of more troops, Allied forces were unable to overcome the resolute German defense. On March 23, with his men exhausted, Freyberg halted the offensive. With this failure, Allied forces consolidated their lines and Alexander began devising a new plan for breaking the Gustav Line. Seeking to bring more men to bear, Alexander created Operation Diadem. This saw the transfer of the British Eighth Army across the mountains. Victory at Last Redeploying his forces, Alexander placed Clarks Fifth Army along the coast with II Corps and the French facing the Garigliano. Inland, Leeses XIII Corps and Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders 2nd Polish Corps opposed Cassino. For the fourth battle, Alexander desired II Corps to push up Route 7 towards Rome while the French attacked across the Garigliano and into the Aurunci Mountains on the west side of the Liri Valley. To the north, XIII Corps would attempt to force the Liri Valley, while the Poles circled behind Cassino and with orders to isolate the abbey ruins. Utilizing a variety of deceptions, the Allies were able to ensure that Kesselring was unaware of these troop movements (Map). Commencing at 11:00 PM on May 11 with a bombardment using over 1,660 guns, Operation Diadem saw Alexander attack on all four fronts. While II Corps met heavy resistance and made little headway, the French advanced quickly and soon penetrated the Aurunci Mountains before daylight. To the north, XIII Corps made two crossings of the Rapido. Encountering a stiff German defense, they slowly pushed forward while erecting bridges in their rear. This allowed supporting armor to cross which played a key role in the fighting. In the mountains, Polish attacks were met with German counterattacks. By late on May 12, XIII Corps bridgeheads continued to grow despite determined counterattacks by Kesselring. The next day, II Corps began to gain some ground while the French turned to strike the German flank in the Liri Valley. With his right wing wavering, Kesselring began pulling back to the Hitler Line, approximately eight miles to the rear.  On May 15, the British 78th Division passed through the bridgehead and began a turning movement to cut off the town from the Liri Valley. Two days later, the Poles renewed their efforts in the mountains. More successful, they linked up with the 78th Division early on May 18. Later that morning, Polish forces cleared the abbey ruins and hoisted Polish flag over the site. Aftermath Pressing up the Liri Valley, the British Eighth Army immediately attempted to break through the Hitler Line but was turned back. Pausing to reorganize, a major effort was made against the Hitler Line on May 23 in conjunction with a breakout from the Anzio beachhead. Both efforts were successful and soon the German Tenth Army was reeling and facing being surrounded. With VI Corps surging inland from Anzio, Clark shockingly ordered them to turn northwest for Rome rather than cut off and aid in the destruction of von Vietinghoff. This action may have been the result of Clarks concern that the British would enter the city first despite it being assigned to Fifth Army. Driving north, his troops occupied the city on June 4. Despite the success in Italy, the Normandy landings two days later transformed it into a secondary theater of the war. Selected Sources BBC: Battle of Monte CassinoHistory: Battle of Monte Cassino

Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modernity - Essay Example Berman says modern humans â€Å"are moved at once by a will to change †¦ and by a terror of disorientation and disintegration, of life falling apart† (Berman, 1982). Change frightens us even as we long for it. â€Å"To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. †¦ It is to be both revolutionary and conservative: alive to new possibilities for experience and adventure, frightened by the nihilistic depths to which so many modern adventures lead† (Berman, 1982). In capitalistic society, it is argued that the consumer is the master by reason of making the choice to purchase or not purchase. Berman says this is not really the case. Availability of options only begins the list of restrictions. â€Å"Poor people can't get lawyers in a country that is glutted with them; the HMOs have abolished the autonomy of physicians; college professors are often glorified fundraisers† (Hitchins, 1999). The World Trade Center of New York City is an architectural example of the modern. Berman describes it as â€Å"isolated †¦ it gave off hostility† as compared to the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. â€Å"[The Port Authority’s] idea of safety involved repelling the people. The slab shape †¦ grew out of an aesthetic voiced best by Le Corbusier, who said that in order to have modern planning we have to ‘kill the streets.’ For him the street epitomized disorder and chaos† (Berman, 2002).

Planning for Evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Planning for Evaluation - Term Paper Example In the context of my planed change, stakeholders include patients, physicians, nurses, local community, government organizations, and non-governmental organizations that may fund the planned change program. This will be followed by allocation of available resources, for instance human resource or nurses, according to the immediate and most pressing needs of the organization. The fourth step will include formulation of questions to assess the outcomes(Holden et al, 2009) followed by an assessment of whether the specified objectives have been attained through analyzing stakeholders feedback in relation to levels of satisfaction, number of readmissions, and consideration of the amount of time patients are spending on queues. In terms of the timeline, data collection will be a continuous process running for 3 months, starting from May 15th, 2015 to August 15th 2015. Three months would allow assessment whether the approach to resource allocation and focus on stakeholders perspectives have achieved the projected level of outcomes. To encourage refreezing in relation to my planned change, I would ensure consistency in terms of practicing the newly adopted strategies and secondly, allow time for the new approach to conducting activities and processes to be diffused within the organization (Laureate Education, 2013e). In terms of the insights I have gained, focus on stakeholders way of thinking and interpretation of the program is essential in comprehending the ultimate results of the program (Sridharan and Nakaima, 2010). Holden, D. J., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2009). Evaluation planning here and now. In D. J. Holden & M. A. Zimmerman (Eds.), A practical guide to program evaluation planning: Theory and case examples [Sage