Likely Impact of MIS on the Global Glass Industry

Likely Future Impacts of MIS on the Glass Industry China looks set to dominate various markets in the near future (Hughes, M (2011) Week 3 â€Å"IS in a Changing World†, MS102, National University of Ireland Galway, unpublished) The glass industry should be a target for them. China is the best in the world for glass production and consumption. China’s flat glass production accounts for 40 per cent of the world today, which is about 38 million tons per year, and the processed glass industry is improving quickly. (Wenyi, M. O Professor of the Chinese Ceramic Society, â€Å"Review and Prospect of the Glass Industry in China†)According to incomplete statistics from 2004, the production scale of insulated glass reached 130 million square metres, and production amounted to 45 million square metres. China’s glass machinery sector has become a new boom industry, and although the Chinese glass industry has made great steps, there is still a large gap between China and advanced countries abroad. China’s flat glass industry consumes more natural resources, energy costs are higher, technology and equipment levels are relatively low, product mix is not feasible, and the processed glass ratio is low.There are lots of manufacturers, but the production scale is small, industry concentration is low, and research and development capitalization is weak. (Wenyi, M. O Professor of the Chinese Ceramic Society, â€Å"Review and Prospect of the Glass Industry in China†). Innovations in future technology within the glass industry are going to be vital for firms within the industry to utilize if they are going to stay competitive taking into consideration the probable advancement of the Chinese Industry. The US glass industry alone spends 1. billion a year on energy and (energy costs) accounts for 14% of the cost of production (Ernest Worrel et al 2008). This leaves huge scope for firms to enable energy saving and thus cost saving technology. A report entitled â€Å"Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Glass Industry† an Energy Star Guide for Energy and Plant Managers by Ernst Worrell, Christina Galitsky, Eric Masanet, and Wina Graus we can clearly see that these cost saving technologies are either there to be utilized by firms within the industry or are very near to that stage.Oscillating combustion is currently being tested by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). This technology forces the oscillation of the burner fuel to create successive, fuel-rich and fuel-lean zones within the flame. It also reduces NOx emissions. Reported fuels savings are 2 to 5% and reduced NOx emissions 30 to 50%. The Segmented Melter works as the batch is melted in an electric melter, after which the cullet is added in a separate oxy-fuel fired melter. Although on the plus side emissions will be lowered maintenance to the seg-melter is high as it only has a useful life of 15 years and requires repairs at lea st once every 3 years.However, there is interest in future improvements of the seg-melter to develop a more energy-efficient glass melting process (TNO, The Netherlands; Alfred University, New York). Under development by Tamglass, Finland, a new HSCâ„ ¢ high-speed convection heater transfers more of the heat by convection (over 50%) using a lengthwise system of heating elements in the furnace. Tamglass claims production increases of as much as 40%, lower energy costs, and increased process reliability (Tamglass 2003). Limited steam use in the glass production process limits the use of cogeneration or combined heat and power generation in the glass industry.An alternative may be the use of an air-bottoming cycle. The average energy savings were estimated at 10% with an estimated payback periods of 3 to 4 years (at price conditions in The Netherlands). The recycling of in-house glass waste is challenging as impurities in the waste material often leads to a high rate of filament bre akage in fiber forming processes. It has been estimated that around 260,000 tons of glass waste are generated each year in US. and that in-house recycling of this waste would save the US glass industry over $7 million per year in avoided nergy and waste disposal costs (ANL 2003). Argonne National Laboratory has developed a glass fiber recycling process based on thermal treatment that is estimated to have a potential payback period of 2 years. One method that firms within the glass industry could do to increase productivity, efficiency and increased profits is to employ improved Information Systems by bringing in Siemens or other specialists to review their processes in the near future as Siemens offer services that will improve IS and reduce energy costs.As a reduction in energy usage and improved production processes will reduce the cost of production firms can benefit in not only the long run but the short to medium term as well. Practically the likes of Waterford Wedgewood and Ga lway Crystal have been in the business of glass production for centuries and therefore may be unlikely/unwilling to let in outsiders to review their processes new firms in the industry may see it as an ideal way to increase their competitiveness in the market reasonably quickly.For it’s customers in the glass industry, Siemens offers a package of services to analyze and optimize energy consumption of plant. They will bring in specialists to examine the production lines for weak points, develop suitable counter measures and, where necessary, also supply the appropriate financing concepts. In many cases, just improving the exploitation of existing equipment will lead to considerable savings. Siemens also offers services that will achieve projected ongoing energy savings of three to five percent per year over the next five to six years. (Optimum use Energy solutions for the glass industry from Siemens)

Corporate Finance AIG Accounting Scandal Essay

On February 9th, 2006, the SEC and the Justice Department settled with AIG for an amount in excess of $1. 6B related to alleged improper accounting, bid rigging (defined by Investopedia as a scheme in which businesses collude so that a competing business can secure a contract for goods or services at a pre-determined price), and practices involving workers compensation funds. Both the CEO and CFO of AIG were replaced amidst the scandal. This closure ended a 5-year period, beginning in 2001, which tarnished the 80-year old institution’s reputation that had become the world’s largest reinsurers, and included Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway as an owner. Several of fraud’s culprits were convicted of Conspiracy, Securities Fraud, False Statements to the SEC, and Mail Fraud. Each offender was handed various degrees of penalties, including jail sentences. AIG’s CEO Hank Greenberg was left unindicted and â€Å"pleading the 5th. What led these executives down a path that would forever change their careers and left many convinced that corporations are willing to go to any extent to satisfy their greed for profits? This paper will examine the intricacies of AIG’s accounting fraud, and discuss the hypothesis that accounting fraud and other unethical decisions focused on short-term profits are positively correlated to long-term value destruction. â€Å"The corporate scandals are getting bigger and bigger. In a speech on Wall Street, President Bush spoke out on corporate responsibility, and he warned executives not to cook the books. Afterwards, Martha Stewart said the correct term was to saute the books. † —Conan O’Brien While there are many techniques to distort the financial condition of a publicly traded company, the most frequent types of improprieties involve revenue recognition, cost or expense recognition, accounting for reserves, and accounting related to business combinations. Below are the laws that Elliot Spitzer’s prosecution based their AIG case on:  §?  §?  §?  §?  §? Using or employing manipulative devices, in connection the purchase or sale of securities Making untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state that a material fact Engaging in any practice or business which operates or would operate as fraud or deceit Falsification of accounting records and conformity with GAAP Conspiracy of two or more persons to commit offense or to defraud United States What does this mean in layman’s terms? Essentially, AIG improperly accounted for the reinsurance transaction to bolster reserves, and detailed numerous other examples of problematic accounting. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 2009) For example, AIG booked as income $500 million in premium for the loss portfolio transfer and then added $500 million in reserves against future claims to its balance sheet. † AIG counted the transaction as an insurance deal, but later concluded that, â€Å"the Gen Re transaction documentation was improper and, in light of the lack of evidence of risk transfer, the transaction should not have been recorded as insurance. † (Hulburt, Ph. D. , H. , 2005) What turns the deal from mistake to blatant fraud was that no underwriting risk transferred in the deal. Instead, the loss portfolio transfer was effectively a $500 million loan from Gen Re to AIG that AIG would repay through $500 million in claims payments to Gen Re. (Hulburt, Ph. D. , H. , 2005) In the end, AIG’s revised financial statements lowered 2004 net income by $1. 3 billion, or 12%, and reduced 2004 shareholders’ equity by $2. 3 billion, or 3%. Details of the adjustments required 22 pages in the AIG 2004 10K, which was included into the Annual Report to Shareholders. The restatement reduced net income by more than 10% over the 5-year period. (Verschoor, C. , 2005) Ethics is recognition of the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. – Potter Stewart AIG’s culture and lack of ethical controls exemplify how the greed of few can impact the value of many. Some have attempted to use this case as an example to SOX’s failure to overhaul corporate accounting practices. However, in AIG’s first report mandated by the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, a number of material weaknesses in control were disclosed, emphasizing that the first and most extensive weakness was in the ethical culture of AIG or its control environment. The report states verbatim â€Å"Certain of AIG’s controls within its control environment were not effective to prevent certain members of senior management, including the former Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Financial Officer, from having the ability, which in certain instances was utilized, to override certain controls and effect certain transactions and accounting entries. In certain of these instances, such transactions and accounting entries appear to have been largely motivated to achieve desired accounting results and were not properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP. (McGee, S. , 2005) Specific overrides noted resulted in (1) creation of a special purpose entity to improperly convert underwriting losses to investment losses, (2) improper recording of reinsurance transactions, (3) improper â€Å"top level† adjustments and covered call transactions, and (4) unsupported â€Å"top level† adjustment of loss reserves. (Knowledge@Wharton, 2005) â€Å"Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence. † – Bernard Montgomery Tom Lin’s article titled â€Å"The corporate governance of iconic executives. explored corporate governance challenges posed by iconic executives such as Hank Greenberg. To better understand the state of AIG, it is beneficial to discuss the iconic executive that led them to water. Hank Greenberg grew up on a New York dairy farm, joined the U. S. Army during World War II, became an Army Ranger, and stormed the beach at Normandy. He attended the University of Miami and New York Law School, where he earned his LLB. As a captain, he received a Bronze Star in the Korean War; Greenberg then entered the insurance business in 1952. He became the youngest person to be appointed vice president at the Continental Casualty Company. As president of AIG’s major subsidiary American Home Assurance Company, Greenberg was credited with developing substantial reinsurance facilities, which allowed insurers who were forced to take unwanted assignments, or â€Å"bad risks,† the opportunity to reinsure those risks. Greenberg’s strategy enabled American Home to write large quantities of major-risks policies and thus control the pricing of those policies. He established a bottom-line philosophy on underwriting only those companies that made profits. Greenberg’s business was successful, aggressive and profitable. Greenberg would acquire companies that were troubled or fighting off takeovers, buying controlling interests in the companies, and ultimately integrating them into the AIG corporate structure. When AIG’s founder and CEO Cornelius van der Starr died, Green was named to head the company. Two years later AIG went public with Greenberg as the CEO where he would reign with an iron fist, terrorizing underlings, intimidating a compliant board and delivering stunningly impressive earnings for the next 40 years. As Tom Lin described, Iconic executives are complex, bittersweet figures in corporate governance narratives. They are alluring, larger-than-life corporate figures who often govern freely. Iconic executives frequently rule like monarchs over their firms, offering lofty promises to shareholders, directors, and managers under their reign. But like many stories of powerful and influential figures, the narratives of iconic executives also contain adversity and danger resulting from excessive deference, overconfidence, and licentiousness. Lin, T. , 2011) â€Å"Money is like a sixth sense- and you can’t make use of the other five without it† – William Maugham Contemporary economic thought presumes that individuals in a society always act according to their self-interest or private economic incentives, while important ethical motivations for action, such as a concern for others and public interest, are largely ignored. (Kulshreshtha, P. , 2005) As is often the case in ac counting cases, the CFO tends to be a central enabler to the fraudulent activities. There are two primary schools of thought when attempting to understand the incentive for CFO’s to become involved in these ethical dilemmas. The first school of thought states that CFOs may instigate accounting manipulations for immediate personal financial gain. There also has been research indicating that CFO equity incentives are more important than CEO equity incentives in explaining earnings management, measured by accruals and frequency of meeting earnings benchmarks (Feing, M. , 2011). Corporate boards have reduced CFOs’ incentive compensation after passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in an effort to undermine this conduct. Bhagat, Sanjai; Romano, Roberta, 2009) Looking at AIG’s share price over the reporting time frame of these actions, the fraudulent accounting did not seem to have significant impact on its market valuation. Analyzing the share price over the months that AIG reported their annual statement in 2002, 2003, and 2004, AIG’s market share price moved approximately -4%, -3% and . 5% respectively. Although a hypothesis could be made that the fraud occurred as a defense against stock devaluation rather than an enabler of increased valuation. The second thought states that CFOs may become involved in accounting manipulations because of pressure from CEOs. As CFOs’ superiors, CEOs can exert pressure on financial reporting decisions through their influence on CFO’s future opportunities and compensation (Feing, M. , 2011). This aligns to what we understand of Hank Greenberg’s style of management. When the judge handed out sentencing to Elizabeth Monrad, the CFO of Gen Re, he made the following statements.  §?  §?  §? The fact that she did not benefit personally from the scheme, does not excuse her conduct. Her involvement in the fraudulent scheme was â€Å"central to its success. † There were many opportunities for her to shake this shady deal, but she never did†¦ Although these two schools of thought help one to better understand the drivers behind the accounting fraud in AIG and other cases academically, they are not mutually independent. In practice, pressure grows like a virus when it attaches to personal gain. Without personal gain, there is hardly a sustainable environment for pressure, which indicates some level of correlation to realizing a self-centered objective. Some of the best lessons are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom of the future. – Dale Turner One may never be able to understand the full extent of the motivations at AIG that resulted in over $1. 6B in penalties, $2. 3B in reduction of shareholder equity, and the destruction of lives and careers. There appeared to be a significant amount of both pressure and personal gain involved. In the end, the AIG case became another brick in the wall for opponents of capitalism pointing to the greed of executives and their boards. With the benefit of writing this in 2012, we know this was merely a minor speed bump in comparison to what would come for AIG in the future global financial crisis of 2008. We now live in a world where greed, profit, share price, and financial institutions are synonymous to each other. However tarnished the reputation of corporations are, there are glimmers of hope in the details. The numbers and results of these actions begin to illustrate a telling story that greed, fraud, and deception are destroyers of value rather than enablers. Cases such as AIG can be reference points to dissuade future decisions of unethical nature. In AIG’s case, their share price fell more than 30% from the period of 1/2/2001 to 5/22/2006 further strengthening our initial hypothesis. The announcement also caused Standard & Poor’s (MHP) to downgrade AIG’s debt rating from AAA to AA+, leading to higher funding costs and decreased long-term value. We may not be able to prove that all of the AIG’s value destruction is directly related to the case beyond a reasonable doubt, it can be arguably assumed that a significant portion is directly related. Even if that destruction is associated to confidence over financial health. (McGee, S. , 2005) In the time since this case, AIG has made considerable steps to prevent future occurrences of financial misrepresentation. The AIG management report on internal control related remediation efforts emphasizing the need for higher integrity and a culture of ethical values throughout the organization. The report notes: â€Å"AIG has taken, and is developing further plans to take, significant actions to improve its control environment, starting with a clear statement of the tone and philosophy set by its current senior management. The Corporate Governance Committee Report in the 2005 AIG Proxy Statement gives further details: â€Å"AIG enhanced its Code of Conduct for employees, mandated that all employees complete formal ethics training, and implemented a Director, Executive Officer, and Senior Financial Officer Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to provide reasonable assurance that all members of the Board of Directors, executive officers, and senior financial officers adhere to the stated principles and procedures set forth in that Code.  At the Committee’s recommendation, AIG is developing a corporate level compliance framework, including implementation of compliance programs at AIG’s major business areas. â€Å"

Hauling Job Sturges House Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hauling Job Sturges House - Research Paper Example The paper "Hauling Job Sturge’s House" explores the painting by David Blackwood. David Blackwood was born in the 1941 in Wesleyville, Newfoundland. The small community on Bonavista Bay received its name from John Wesley, who was a leader of the Methodist movement at the time, which was 1884. This decline was due in part to the brutal struggle of the people to survive in an unforgiving climate. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has a volatile climate, with an average of six-months of winter each year. The temperatures for the province range from about -5 to -30 degrees Centigrade for extended periods of time. Frequent precipitation, fog and high winds, create a distinct problem for travelers in any venue (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2010). This is the norm for the area, and considering the people at the turn of the century did not have the capacity to understand or protect themselves from such an environment, made life that much more difficult to sustain. T he first people to visit Newfoundland were the Vikings, but it wasn’t until 1497 that John Cabot arrived and announced a â€Å"new found isle† for the King of England. The inhabitants of Newfoundland were the Beothuk people, who hunted caribou and fished. These Native people, also called the Inuit people, survived here for thousands of years before the European’s arrival. These intrepid Eroupean settlers came from France, England, Spain, Ireland, Scotland and Portugal to fish the legendary waters of the Grand Banks. (Greenpeace, USA, 2005). These hunters and fisherman were not aware of the hardships they were preparing to face in their trek to this new land. The frigid temperatures, brutally bone chilling winds and seemingly endless snow took their toll on these settlers. It was only the strongest, most determined of people who were able to survive this hostile climate. They battled the Atlantic to make a living hunting seals and fishing for cod like the native Inuit people. Through the harshest of conditions, these tough, hardy people survived and have created what we know as the Newfoundland of today. David Blackwood has worked throughout his career to keep the way of life of these hardy people alive in his works. Newfoundlanders fought hard to keep the new British North American colony within the British Empire out of their back yards. The mere idea of confederation was abhorred, but Newfoundland and Canada had to try to negotiate and settle many issues throughout the 19th century. It was only because of the collapse of government in 1934 that Newfoundland allowed Canada into its midst. In 1949, Newfoundlanders became Canadian citizens, a mere 8 years after David Blackwood was born. This undoubtedly had an affect on this young man’s psyche, showing him that there may be weaknesses or there may be strength in the decision that Newfoundland made, but no one knows for certain. Certainly, Blackwood has childhood memories that the soc ial construct of the world has all but washed away. This is where his art is so outstanding. His focus is on the age-old traditions and way of life of the early settlers of Newfoundland, which have been forgotten by many. He has chosen to make it his life’s work to ensure that these memories are regaled, enjoyed, embraced by a new generation and ultimately, never die. Blackwood’s talent for etching is expressed in many different ways, but his primary genre is of Newfoundland’s age old traditions and ways of life. His use of etching and aquatint on wove paper is unique to Blackwood himself. Not so much the materials as the technique that he uses in his artworks. His main inspiration was his early years, growing up in the isolated town of Wesleyville on Bonavista Bay in Newfoundland. He relives the culture and rituals

No cellphones in class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No cellphones in class - Essay Example All schools have given teachers to own and use cell phones to school. However, students owning such gadgets in school are still a contentious issue faced with mixed reactions. The first advantage of students carrying their cell phones to school is for security and safety measure. The students can react to emergencies faster and efficiently by contacting relevant rescue teams. In addition, mobile phones that are internet enabled are essential to students when seeking information related to academic contents. Cell phones, therefore, are a good technology to incorporate in the learning because they enhance research and education. Cell phones are also advantageous to learners in the classroom because they find an opportunity to interact with friends, families and other acquaintances through platforms that promote information sharing (Brady 45). That can be useful only when students use phones outside the classroom context. In addition, cell phones also have both print and non-print media that are useful in enhancing learning. Particularly those that have videos and cameras are essential when learning requires realia and images. Such gadgets, therefore, enhance learning. Mobile phones are distracters during learning sessions. Most students participate in anti-learning activities with their cell phones during the learning process. Some students misuse their cell phones by watching censored materials and videos from the internet. Others students send instant texts, listen to music and illegal videos that draw attention from learning activities. Cell phones that have calculators installed make students lazy because they tend to use such machines to solve even simpler mathematical problems. Consequently, learners become dependent by using machines to solve most of their problems. Although the gadgets were regarded as a luxury possessed by adults, it is presently in the hands of school-going children.

Multicurrency decision Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Multicurrency decision - Speech or Presentation Example I would suggest that it is more prudent and viable to reject the offer, because there is a 71% probability to earn the amount of profit rather than the bank's offer.Question6HSBC'S offer for payment of $2,150,000 in return of revenue in local currency is a good offer because it gives Corvette an average return. In addition Corvette would directly change the types of liabilities and assets it holds, to enter into financial contracts and shift some of the IRR they have to other Companies or investors who are better capable to manage themQuestion7The Corvette's the sales manager is more risk averse because he is more opposing the risk because the future is uncertain and unpredictable with random occurrence therefore the known should be accepted. And if fluctuation happens further in exchange rates and the Company may loose a lot. Question8Management dead-lock: Like in the case of disagreement on whether to accept the HSBC offer, this may causes the Company to loose business.The bank des cribes its value at risk as the loss that happens at the 5th percentile of the unsure inflow. Regulatory bodies repeatedly make use of a slightly more complex adaptation of gap analysis to approximation the level of IRR banking institutions and for the whole banking industry.Question 9 The idea that money available at the three months' time is more   worthier than the same amount due   in the future to its potential earning capacity. This chief principle of finance maintains that the sooner money is received.

How Molecule's Structure affect the pKa Lab Report

How Molecule's Structure affect the pKa - Lab Report Example The lab report "How Molecule's Structure affect the pKa?" discusses a molecule's structure effect on the pKa of Its ground and excited States. The structure of a molecule is widely believed to have a considerable influence on the pKa of Its Ground and Excited States. This is particularly attributed to the energy relationships between the ground and excited states of various organic acids in both their deprotonated and protonated forms. According to many experts, the electronic structure of a molecule can determine both its physical and chemical properties as well as the potential charge distribution, ionization potential, geometry, electronic affinity and ultimately, chemical reactivity. In this regard, any change in the electronic structure of a molecule may be expected to alter the chemical or physical properties. Generally, this is what usually occurs when molecules are raised to an electronically excited state through the absorption of quantum light such as photons with an energy that matches the energy gap between the exited and ground states. 2-naphthol, also known as ÃŽ ²-naphthol or ArOH is a fluorescent, colorless and water-soluble solid that can effectively be used to help determine the potential energy relationships between the protonated and deprotonated forms of organic acids and their ground and excited states. The reagents that were used in the experiment included 1.0 M ammonium hydroxide buffer solution (NH4OH), 1.0 M ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and 0.10 M hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Sports Nutrition - Training Advice (Menu Planning, Recovery Snacks, Fl Essay - 1

Sports Nutrition - Training Advice (Menu Planning, Recovery Snacks, Fluids, Supplements) - Essay Example Therefore, to ensure that the demands on the athlete's body are well met, it is essential to make a Menu Planning, not only based on what the athlete enjoys eating but also what the athlete is needing to accomplish the daily calorie intake (Coyle, 2004):36). In addition, the portion of each food component in the menu will change, based on the level of the training activity of the athlete, current weight, height and age of the athlete (Stouffer, 2002:7). Thus, for Pete, the following Balanced Menu Planning has been customized, based on bodily calorie intake needs and the training activity levels. The customized menu has been informed by the fact that under the Dietary Assessment and Hydration section in Part I, it was recommended that Pete should reduce both his protein and fat intakes, and increase his carbohydrates intake. The Recovery snacks are as important to the body of an athlete, just like the breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day (Burke & Deakin, 2010:17). During the marathon training activity, an athlete can break down both the muscle and the red blood cells, while also using all the stored up glycogen and also sweating up to two litres of water (Volpe, 2006:24). Therefore, what an athlete consumes after training is crucial both for the athlete’s performance and also recovery, while also supporting the immune system to handle anybody damages sustained during training (Manore & Thompson, 2010:33). The consumption of recovery snacks, therefore, is one way through which replenishing the muscles and restoring liver glycogen are attained, thus enabling the positive recovery and future performance. The consumption of recovery snacks also helps the athlete’s body to attain the necessary protein needed for tissue repair, as well as the restoration of fluids and electrolytes that are lost during sweating (Burke, 2007:12). Thus, the following is a Recovery Snack Menu customized for Pete.  Ã‚  

PESTLE Analysis Google Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PESTLE Analysis Google - Lab Report Example The organization is full of young life and has been serving thousands of customers and user since its incorporation (Google, 2013a). The primary source of revenue is the online advertisements. As on 2011, the core areas on which the business focused was enterprise, operating system and platform, advertising and search. The business used its AdWords programs to promote their services and products with targeted advertising. Apart from this, the third party that included Google Network used its AdSense that delivered relevant advertisements and generated revenue (The New York Times, 2013). The study focuses on Google Inc., understands the methods followed by the company, conducts a PESTLE analysis and decides on the future performance of the organization. The Methods Google is known for its search engine. Larry Page describes a perfect search engine is one which exactly understands what the user wants and gives him back exactly that particular thing. Google has not kept itself restricte d to search engine only but has started offering products beyond that. They have shown whole lot of technological advancement staring from search to Gmail and Chrome. The goal of the organization remains the same; to assist their users easily access the things they require. Thus, the company follows a faster and smarter approach while developing its product (Google, 2013b). The huge success of the organization is based on the set of methods and beliefs that the company follows. Since the beginning of the organization they focus on providing the best experience to the users. Whatever new innovation they do, they always look towards the expectation of the users and try to fit into their requirements. At the same time when they are designing some new applications or tools they make them work so well that the user do not have to bother about the changes or think about how differently they have been designed. Google has a large pool of researchers who are extensively engaged in solving t he search problems. The company is well aware of what it does and also knows how to make it better. The company continues to make several attempts in order to solve difficult problems and has solved many complex issues. This leads to the improvement of the services that they provide and make the experience and search of the user better. The organization is fully dedicated towards developing innovative products (Google, 2013c). Google believes that time is valuable and this makes the company design their product in such ways that it takes minimum time for the customers to find what they are searching. This is the only company who aims towards making the user leave their website as soon as possible after accomplishing their objectives. This same belief is kept in mind every time the company launches their product whether it is a mobile phone application or a new browser. They understand the demand of the present moment and increasing use of mobile. Today people are seen to use mobile phones for accessing information, which has driven the company to implement new technologies and offer new products and solutions for mobile services that may help the users, present at various corners of the globe to accomplish their task. Google generates their revenue by offering search technologies to various companies and displaying advertisements on their own website and on other sites across the web. Several advertisers take advantage of AdWords to

Where Does the Customer Fit in Innovation Strategy Assignment

Where Does the Customer Fit in Innovation Strategy - Assignment Example se a panel data constructed from numerous organizational surveys conducted over a nine-year period to prove the very importance of customer-input as a way of responding to rapid market changes; â€Å"market orientation† is, thus, a critical factor both for the success of a new product released into the market as well as that of the firm in general. Investigating the very same topic but in a different dimension in a study titled â€Å"Integrating Customers in Product Innovation: Lessons from Industrial Development Contractors and In-House Contractors in Rapidly Changing Customer Markets,† Sandmeier, Morrison and Gassmann (2010) concurs with above scholars noting that the modern customer is an active co-designer in the creation of value, injecting their specialized knowledge of needs into the mainstream production away from the traditional, passive recipient. Dell’s ‘IdeaStorm,’ one of the most successful crowd sourcing forums ever invented in history, serves as a perfect example of how the ideas generated by the customers can be efficiently incorporated into the innovation process. Through IdeaStorm alongside organized events, customer panels, partnerships among other avenues, the company gathers product requirements directly from tens of thousands of daily customer-interactions with a complete view of the industry’s landscape (Rohrbeck, Steinhoff, & Perder, 2008). Dell started out as a direct seller from its very inception—beginning with a mail order way before the use of the internet to drive sales. The deletion of the traditional middlemen distribution process allowed the company to generate own corrective market data tailored towards customer needs. In its quest to deliver value to customers, the company has pursued virtual integration, developing effective partnerships with manufacturers [suppliers] that enabled â€Å"just-in-time† delivery with significant cost and product pricing advantages compared to the competitors’ in-house operations. Most

Diagram of Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System Essay Example for Free

Diagram of Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System Essay Figure 2.0: Context Diagram of Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System The figure 2.0 represents the two (2) users of the Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System namely the Administrator and the Professor. The Administrator entity shows the capability to access the system; manage account by modifying account’s profile; managing member’s account such as creating new user profile and updating user profile; importing student list; creation of grade criteria; generating students grade report and updating website contents. The Professor entity shows the capability on accessing the system; managing account profile; importing student list; defining grade template for grading computation and generating student’s grade. Figure 3.0: First Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of Administrator’s Capabilities The figure 3.0 represents the First Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of the Administrator upon successfully logging-in into the Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System. He/she has the capabilities to manage modules such as handling member’s account, importing students list, creation of grade criteria, grade computation and updating website contents Figure 3.1: Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram on Managing Account for Administrator The figure 3.1 shows the Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of the Administrator on managing members account wherein he/she has the capability to create account’s profile for new professor or associate. He/she also capable on updating existing member account. Figure 3.2: Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram on Import Student List, Create Criteria, Grading and Website Modules for Administrator Figure 3.2 shows the continuation of the Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of the Administrator. Upon successfully accessing the system, he/she has the capability to import students list and create criteria template to be use for the student’s grade computations. The Administrator also has the  capibility to change or update website contents from client’s discretion. Figure 4.0: First Entry Level Data Flow Diagram for Professor’s Capabilities In the Figure 4.0 shown above, it represents the First Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of Professor in the Generic Academic Performance Monitoring System. Same with the Administrator user, the Professor also have the capabilities to update own account profile, import student lists and generate student’s grade summary. Figure 4.1: Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram on Managing Account, Import Student Lists and Compute Grade Modules for Professor Figure 4.1 shown above presents the Second Entry Level Data Flow Diagram of the Professor upon successfully logging-in into the system. Same with the Administrator user, the Professor is also capable on modifying and updating account profile; importing student list; defining grade criteria template and generate grade summary of students.

The Origin Of Gypsies English Language Essay

The Origin Of Gypsies English Language Essay This report will explore the origin of Gypsies, their traditions, culture, and discrimination associated with them. By the end of this report the unique traditions and general culture of the Romani, generally known as Gypsies will be evident. Throughout the centuries, Roma (Gypsies) have been misunderstood by society. Due to their unique and indifferent culture, traditions, and lifestyle. Other cultures have become suspicious and fearful of them. This led to furious speculation, stereotypes and judgment of these misunderstood people. In general, most Europeans presume that Gypsies originate from Romania and although this is not the case, the image of the Romanian people has been maligned for decades. Background Roma (Gypsies) do not originate in Romania or Egypt as is the common belief. The Romas are a nomadic tribe originating in India. In the second half of the 18th century evidence from scholars shows that Gypsies come from northern India. Professor Lub Kalaydjieva of the University of Western Australia and his team did a DNA study of eight to ten million people in Europe known as Gypsies. They have ten years experience studying Romani genetics. They discovered that Romani (Gypsies) originate from India. Another indication that Gypsies come from India are the similarities between Indian language, Sanskrit and the language spoken by the Roma. Language, numerals, kinships terms, names of body parts, music and similarities exist between Indian and Roma. Tradition Traditionally, each Romani family or clan has a trade or profession which is followed and passed on from generation to generation. One of the things Romani are known for are of their skilled trades. Horse dealers and horse breeders are one of them. They could diagnose the illnesses of horses and find ways to heal them. They also are known for their ability to change horse shoes. The Roma also established a good name for themselves by being very skilled blacksmiths. This was one of the oldest and the mainstay of Romani trades. Today not many Romani are committed to blacksmithing but rather making candle holders, mountings, latticework and many other artistic objects. Another well established profession for the Roma is that of a coppersmith. They are well known for their master craftsmanship and currently make pots and tin caldrons. In Romania, Hungary and other Balkan countries they still practice the wood carving profession they brought with them from India. Carving utensils like spoons and troughs for people that are in need of them. A spoon maker in Romania and the Balkans is called Lingurar. Croatia and Hungary they have a different name for a spoon maker, called Bejas. Among other trades such as; leather workers, bear and snake trainers, sharpening knives, making unfired bricks from clay, musician, farmers and other trades they had to master to make a living. It seems surprising to some that some Romani are educated and in highly regarded positions. There are some among us today that have established careers for themselves such as; doctors, lawyers, car mechanics, computer programmers and so on. Culture Engagement One of the Romani traditions is to get married at the age fifteen. To distinguish between non married and married women is to notice that married women have their head covered with a cloth called Batic. The Batic (head-kerchief) represents the symbol of married women. The first step to get married is for the boys parents to send a messenger to the girls parents house with all kinds of gifts. Typically, the girls parents receive wine and money. Once the messenger arrives at the house he confronts the girls father and lets him know who he was sent by. The messenger asks the father if he approves of his daughters marriage. Once he approves the wedding, than he informs Council. The Council is the older man in the community. The girls father asks the council if they approve as well. If they do, than the messenger has to offer to buy all the people in the community drinks. To settle the wedding day the boys parents and relatives go the girls house, except the groom. In the Roma community t here are some strict rules that it must be followed for the marriage to go on. If the father of the bride is not wealthy, he has right to demand money for his daughter. It all depends on the beauty of the bride. If his quantity is not met, than he has the right to call off the wedding. If the father of the bride is wealthy, he doesnt have the right to inquire for any money. Normally upscale people stick with their own kind. They wed their kids with a wealthy family. On no account a poor man will ever ask for bori (daughter in law) from a well-off man. In some cases the mans poor daughter gets married with a wealthy man only if the boy finds her very attractive. The future in-laws negotiate the girls contributions before the completion of the engagement. The following are the normal gifts that the girl gets from the future in-laws: 50 skirts of 5 m long each 50 aprons of 2 m long each skirts of 3 m long each 50 handkerchiefs 50 shirts Three large pillows of 1m stuffed with goose feathers A big necklace with gold coins The smallest necklace has ten golden coins on it. Gradually the necklace gets bigger with gold coins depending of the wealth of the brides father. Usually a necklace will never reach 100 golden coins. Other contributions may be presented such as; various cooking pots, plates, carpets furniture. It is the obligation of the mother of the bride to give her daughter everything that is needed for her new home. The Wedding day For the first day of the wedding, one woman from the brides side and one from grooms side are to help dress the bride with her white dress. Not just any woman can be picked from any sides. They had to have the following criterias; not to be married more the once, she had to be a virgin on her wedding, be wealthy, hard worker, have kids and have unity in her family. The wedding lasts minimum of 3 days to a week eating, drinking and dancing. In this day and age, some Roma enclose their weddings at restaurant having two hundred to three hundred guests. All the wedding guests give gifts to the newly-weds. Once the wedding is finished the bride has to cover her head with a scarf. The only person she is permitted to show her hair to is her husband. These traditions are practiced within many Roma communities, but unfortunately in big towns and cities these traditions are slowly disappearing. Baptism Another Roma tradition is baptism. Once a woman knows she is pregnant she informs her husband and other women in her clan. She becomes isolated and taken care of only by the women. Normally, the pregnancy takes place in someone elses tent, trailer or house so their own home doesnt become sinful. After two weeks or three the baptism takes place. The child is purified by the water at the baptism. Only after the ceremony, people then are allowed to say the childs name and take any pictures of the child. Romani Holocaust Isnt it extraordinary that the majority of us never heard of the Romani Holocaust? Is it because it was not brought to our attention like the Jewish Holocaust? Maybe the education in school has a small part to do with it or the mass media. We all know about the Jewish Holocaust one way or another. The Holocaust started between 1933 to 1945 when Adolf Hitler was in power, and annihilating of more than six million Jews. Jews were the main target but besides them another 5.5 millions of others such as Romani, Sinti, homosexuals, and others that were against Nazi regime, were mass murdered. History shows that Gypsies were hated and persecuted as much as the Jews. In 1935 a new Law came into effect called Nuremberg Law. This Law was created to forbid any Gypsy marriages with white people. In January 1940 at Buchenwald a concentration camp was established. A tragic month, were two hundred and fifty Romani kids are used as experiment the cyanide gas crystal. August 2nd and 3rd of 1944, it w as one of the horrifying days of the Romani history, were several thousand Romani were massacred at the Zigeunerlager in Auschwtiz-Birkenau concentration camp. The number of Romani massacres is unknown due to lack of documentation. Scholars estimated to be between 250,000 to 500,000 thousand, but it could be more. Not many survived as prisoners of war. If they wouldnt die from starvation, they passed away from diseases or brutality. If not killed from the medical experiments they were submitted to, they would die from poisonous gas or execution. Nazis developed a system to speed up the process of the mass elimination. They made six more extermination centers by which they could mass murder people by gas and body disposal threw cremating their bodies. It is sad to say, that 70% to 80% of the Romani population had been annihilated by the Nazi regime by the end of the war in 1945. Population There are more than twelve million Roma located in many countries around the world. Unfortunately, it is hard know the exact numbers of Roma population in the world. Due to the discrimination people fear to disclose their true identity as Romani. Discrimination Romani people have been discriminated throughout history and still nowadays their situation it has not gotten any better than before. They are not given the equal opportunity to advance in our society. Most of us do not know very much about Romani traditions, culture, and history. Therefore, most of the stereotypes come from the stories and the mass media. The discrimination that is still happening all around the world but mostly in Europe is as strong as ever. This has stopped Romani people to get access to jobs, social security systems, services and housing. One incident that occurred in the Czech Republic was highly publicized on CBC News. A young man at 17 year of age, walking home was confronted by prejudiced group of skinheads. Threaten him by saying today he will die. He was thrown on the ground and insolated and beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalized for a week. Now 24 year of age and living in Hamilton, Ontario the victim is happy not to worry that someone will jump him when walking down the street due to his nationality. Discrimination continues to occur in Europe like Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia and others countries through segregation. There are established separate schools only for Romani children. In other words, they are branded as Gypsy schools. Where there is low standard of teaching and poor material conditions. Governments around Europe need to change policy to end educational segregation of the Romani people. Romani children need to receive equal opportunities in education as the non Romani students so they can achieve the same or better goals in life. Without the right education, they are not able to succeed in our society. With a good education they will be able to succeed through better careers and opportunities, thereby being able to support themselves and their families. Conclusion I believe no race or human being should be discriminated against. We all deserve the right of freedom and equal rights. We should all take some time to read and explore and understand about one another culture and traditions. Lets not be judgmental and jump to conclusions of what we hear in our mass media these days. We are all humans, and we all make mistakes one way or another. Some more than others and some less. If some people from the same nationality like Romani make mistakes and break the law by stealing, mugging, or other acts of violence. We should not stereotype and conclude that all the Romani people are the same. They deserve a chance to show that they are better than what they are exploited by others.

Will the European Union Survive? :: European Union Essays

"Europe must prevent Greece from becoming an out-and-out catastrophe and make sure that the same fiscal 'remedy' is not applied to other weak economies" -- Franziska Brantner. The EU (European Union) has gone thru many changes. For some countries it has been a blessing and a huge success. For others adapting to a single currency and marketplace has been quite a struggle. The EU hopes to expand even further with the introduction of more states and become one of the largest marketplaces in the world. But will the EU survive in the long term? Is it really of benefit to its members? The EU was established in 1993. It was the EEC (European Economic Community) before that in 1967 and the ECSC (European Coal and Steal Community) in 1951. Its main focus has been for the economic development of its members. Now it seems to be more focused on government, social and legal issues. But the primary reason for the EU was to create a united states of Europe. The objective for this union is to create free trade among member states creating a more competitive market place thus developing competition and in doing so giving a better standard of living for its people. This could be said true for one of its members, Ireland. Ireland has been a textbook case for the EU. Obviously each country in the EU has its different experiences with membership. Ireland has been quite the model EU member in its ability to adapt to the concept of the EU and has seen its GDP almost double in size. Currently Ireland holds the presidency for the EU and will play host to the introduction of the newer members this summer. But has Ireland really benefited from its membership or is its success due to its nearest neighbor west, America. Since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1940 Ireland has had to establish its own economy independent from British rule. Prior to this time being a part of the British Empire guaranteed commercialism for ones country. Although it could be said to be one-sided the British Empire relied on its colonies for trade. In some respects Ireland was not an industrialist nation and was predominantly an agricultural country. In order to succeed and further develop itself she had to change its way of doing business. One of the first orders of business was to introduce a better educational system.

HISTORY AND ORIGINATORS OF KEYBOARD Essays -- essays research papers

HISTORY AND ORIGINATORS OF KEYBOARD BAROQUE PERIOD Harpsichord (Italian cembalo; French clavecin), stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked to produce sound. It was developed in Europe in the 14th or 15th century and was widely used from the 16th to the early 19th century, when it was superseded by the piano. In the 20th century the harpsichord was revived for performance of music of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, as well as for new compositions. The incisive sound quality of the plucked metal strings adds clarity to melodic lines. The harpsichord is particularly effective in performing contrapuntal music—that is, music that consists of two or more melodies played at the same time, such as that of the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Construction and Mechanism The harpsichord usually has a wing-shaped body, or case, like a grand piano; however, its proportions are narrower and longer, and the case and its inner bracing are normally lighter. Harpsichords have also been built in other shapes. Thes e include the virginal, or virginals, a small oblong instrument; the spinet, a small polygonal harpsichord; and the less common clavicytherium, an upright harpsichord. From the 16th to 19th century the terms spinet and virginal were often used interchangeably, and in England during that era any harpsichord was called a virginal. Harpsichords of any shape have the same plucking mechanism. For each string a small piece of material, or plectrum, is set in a thin slip of wood, or â€Å"jack,† which rests internally on the far end of the key. When the front of the key is depressed, the far end rises, and the plectrum plucks the string. The jack is pivoted so that, when the key returns to rest position, the plectrum slides by without striking the string. Since the volume and tone of the sound produced by the plucking mechanism remain constant regardless of the forcefulness of the keystroke, various methods have been developed to alter the harpsichord's sound. Many harpsichords have two strings for each key, with a row of jacks for each set of strings. Stops, or registers, allow the player to move unwanted sets of jacks slightly out of reach of the strings, thus making possible different volumes and combinations of tone colors. One set of strings may sound an octave above normal pitch. Some 18th-century German harpsichords had a set of strings so... ...18th-century instruments, often incorporating the best of the 19th-century innovations. Electronic Organs Electronic and electric organs, developed in the 20th century, are not organs in the strict sense, for they do not produce sound by air vibrating in a pipe; rather, they are instruments in their own right. One kind, invented in 1935 by an American, Laurens Hammond, utilizes electrical circuits and amplifiers to produce and enlarge the sound. Another kind uses electronic devices such as vacuum tubes. Although such instruments are often designed to imitate the tone qualities of pipe organs, they are frequently criticized for a pinched or artificial-seeming sound. Electronic organs were widely used in the rock bands of the 1960s and after. In such bands, which use extensive electrical sound amplification and manipulation, the distinctive qualities of electronic-organ sound are exploited for their own sake. Reed Organs Keyboard instruments in which the wind supply is directed tow ard free metal reeds like those of a harmonica or accordion are called reed organs. They include the melodeon, developed in the United States about 1825, and the harmonium, developed in Germany about 1810.

Exporting Rubber Products to China

The manufacture of rubber based products such as industrial tyres, tubes, auto parts and components has been a part of Sri Lanka’s economy since the early 1930’s. As one of the largest rubber producing countries, Sri Lanka produces different types, forms and grades of rubber as well as rubber based products for export markets. China accounted 0. 45% of total exports from Sri Lanka to the world, but on the current trend it’s optimistic that China will increase the potential items of exports from Sri Lanka such as rubber products, tea, spices and confectioneries and seafood. China’s demand for rubber was expected to rise 8. % tonnes in 2010 to reflect strong growth in the country’s auto sector. The development of the auto industry is the main driver for the development of market for rubber products in China. The development of highway construction and transportation industry will drive the demand for tyres, engineering rubber products and other rubber products. China consumes 16% of the world’s natural rubber. China has already become the world’s largest rubber consumption than any other country, estimated statistics illustrate China’s top rubber consumer’s position will not be shaken in the period ahead. In recent years, the world’s major rubber companies such as Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin and other tire companies have entered China, mass production of export products. As the emerging economic super power, China led solid foundation for the exporters of rubber products by creating potential market opportunities due to its sustained high growth in exports of rubber. Many opportunities are available on improving trade with China considering the strength of the cordial relationship maintained between the two countries by continuous dialogue and trade agreements on mutual understanding. It is reasonably appropriate to commend the trade relationship between the two countries considering the fact its historical relationship and the monumental development in China who will indisputably become the giant in trade & industry during this century. China’s membership of Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) would provide Sri Lanka access to one of the largest markets in the world. It was becoming more important as it gave Sri Lankan exporters access to the emerging giant economies in the world such as China, India and South Korea. Rates of utilization of key trade deals such as the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) and South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) were low by Sri Lankan rubber exporters. It might be due to exporters are not obtaining certificates of origin from the department of commerce, exporters are not aware of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) or the importer is not presenting it and getting duty concessions. It’s important to improve exports to China because the potential market for the rubber based products is enormous. Sri Lankan exporters should make aware of the preferential trade terms between China and Sri Lanka and utilize them in the best possible way to develop the export of rubber products. Recently, Sri Lankan Government has used trade policies which would further their foreign policy objectives such as building strong relations with China. Despite Sri Lanka rubber industry being adversely affected by this world crisis, Sri Lanka was able to recover the lost market share and offer its natural rubber at a highly competitive rate under these trade agreements. China commenced import of rubber from Sri Lanka in 1951 even before agreements became effective. China extended a remarkable sense of generosity to the people of Sri Lanka in becoming the principal importer of rubber from Sri Lanka. Although exports under APTA have grown, it was still only about 50 million dollars worth of goods to China, Korea, India and Bangladesh with about 1,800 certificates of origin issued by the commerce department. Natural rubber and rubber products are one of the main products exported under South Asia Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) and Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). Under SAPTA also total Sri Lankan exports remains modest. While the Free Trade Agreements do not eliminate import tariffs on rubber, it would facilitate to ensure stable cost and supply for China suppliers. The agreement can encourage Sri Lankan exporters to set up distribution offices in China and sell directly to downstream manufacturers in the country. Southeast Asia is the largest source of rubber in the world, particularly Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. All of these countries are huge competitors from the Sri Lankan perspective. The quality of output from the region is good and stable as well. China, on the other hand, is the largest global manufacturer of tires and China requires at least 60% of natural rubber used for the industry is currently sourced overseas. There would be a potential market not only for rubber products but also for natural rubber for the exporters of Sri Lanka. China's rubber market has maintained rapid consumption growth and booming growth patterns remains unchanged. If Sri Lankan rubber producers seek the markets available in the world such as China and build international competitiveness in the industrial rubber products, it would help Sri Lanka to raise national income and create jobs in the particular sector. Rubber industry helps to utilize underemployed labour resources because it needs intensive labour resource and it is also kind of forest rehabilitation. Sri Lanka could shift from exporting of long lived forest products to relatively short lived forest products such as rubber. Sri Lankan rubber products manufacturing industry could achieve remarkable progress with the use of novel technology and sophisticated production facilities. In tandem with the increase in rubber consumption in China, the corresponding increase in the volume and value of exported rubber products has grown significantly. Factors of rapid growth of China’s rubber consumption * Rapid economic expansion As China is at present stage of heavy industrialization there’s a vast need of rubber based products for the appliance manufacturers, automobile companies and various other industries. Major economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Industrial Production annual growth rate, Fixed Asset Investment Growth Rate and annual growth rate of China demonstrate the potential opportunities available in China. * Automakers have been strong. There’s a rapid growth in vehicle production with the improvement of people’s income levels, middle class expansion of automobile consumption. * Dramatic increase in the road traffic Expansion of the economic output, the acceleration of urbanization, domestic and foreign trade and enhanced standard of living has increased the road traffic significantly in China. Considerable increase in road traffic is a direct stimulus to the major rubber product, industrial tyres. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUTION 1. It ‘s necessary for private sector to develop and add more value on their rubber based products so as to improve their competitiveness in the Chinese markets as well as to make the best use from the abundant natural rubber in Sri Lanka. * In order to improve their competitiveness, producers of rubber products should develop and enhance their human resources skills, improve their production process to be more efficient and produce higher quality rubber products. In addition, Sri Lankan firms should focus more attention on research and development (R&D) to enhance and upgrade their products to be a higher quality in order to meet product standards and requirements in China. * The most important fact is that producers, suppliers and related institutes (Research Institutes, Testing laboratories and so on) should hold hands to form a cluster in order to help and support each other in the integrated supply chain. 2. To improve the quality of rubber products to export to China, the producers should study and possess good understanding on China’s compulsory standards and recommended standards. 3. Before exporting to China, the exporters should study and have a good understanding of the current situation in the Chinese rubber markets, the transportation and logistics system in China, regulations and other related policies of the Chinese Government and China’s commitment in the WTO as well as China’s FTA agreements with Sri Lanka. 4. Be cautious of selecting business or trade partners, and select one with potential and credibility. The exporters should emphasize on building close relationships with their Chinese partner to allow for smooth business operations. Connections are one of the most important business customs in China and other social and cultural aspects include joining a meal together and gift giving using two hands as it demonstrates sincerity and intention between two parties. The system of Chinese networking is heavily focused on personal relationships. . The Government of Sri Lanka should encourage public and private sector to add more value on natural rubber, which are abundant in Sri Lanka in order to produce processed rubber products by financially supporting the rubber industry, providing technical and other assistance, developing the human resources, conducting more researches on rubber products as well as encouraging rubber producers to improve the quality of Sri Lankan rubber products to meet the required standards in oreign markets, particularly in China and other foreign countries. 6. The Sri Lankan Government should financially support and establish the research and testing laboratories as well as Sri Lankan researchers and specialists to improve the production processes and upgrade higher standards of Sri Lankan products, including the equipment, machinery and innovation to produce new hi end products. . When taking into consideration fundamental factors such as size of economy, size of population and size of domestic market, it seems that Sri Lanka is not in a position to compete with China. Therefore, its necessary to adapt strategic approaches to co exist with China, particularly to be part of China’s economic growth rather than to explicitly compete with China. Therefore, we suggest the Sri Lankan Government to implement the â€Å"Rise with the Dragon† strategy, in terms of trade and investment in order to be part of China’s production and consumption processes. The export of rubber products to China would be economic growth driven international business to Sri Lanka. As Rubber fall under the main export categories of Sri Lanka, we have a potential of developing the quality of rubber products and there’s a vast opportunity exists in China for Sri Lankan Rubber Products.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Essay

Fairy>. Oberon, Titania Titania displays her ability to be in love but never be ability to find true love. Her feelings for Oberon, Nick, and the changeling are swayed very easily and without notice. When Titania is obsessed with Oberon but becomes intimately attached to the changeling child. However, when Titania is again sprinkled with fairy dew, her affections turn from the child to Nick (Act IV, sc i). The fairies intervene again, and Titania finds herself once again infatuated with Oberon (Act IV, sc i). When exploring the issue love in â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† comments â€Å"Love, as interpreted by the comic spirit, is a certain fine lunacy in the brain of youth; not an integral part of life, but a disturbing element in it. The lover is a being of strange caprices and strange infidelities, beyond the control of reason, and swayed with every gust of passion. While Titania’s affections are the most intense and deeply felt of anyone’s within in the play, she is unable to maintain her love for any character and is therefore incapable of true love. Oberon seems to be a greedy brute but only a little further on in the play, he acts generously and tries to help the four hopelessly muddled lovers. His character is confusing. Though he starts out brutish, during the course of taking his revenge, he takes pity on both Helena and, later, on Titania herself, as he feels remorse that he has paired her with an ass: â€Å"Her dotage now I do begin to pity.† (4.1.45) There is not much to say about Titania’s conflicts, as she is altered for much of the play, and, therefore, does not have the chance to express her true feelings to the audience. Oberon emerges, therefore, as the centrally conflicted character in the play’s parallel imaginative world. Mortal>. Theseus, Hippolyta True love does not exist between Theseus and Hippolyta. Hippolyta approach to love seems to be indifference. Her love for Theseus does not seem to sway but she also does not make any indication that she is in love with Theseus. In all of the play she does not say a loving word or commit a loving act toward Theseus. Theseus, in the Greek myth, has acquired the love of Hippolyta by killing her family and close friends. Theseus thinks very highly of himself and thinks only of himself. He takes Hippolyta on endless hunting trips and offers the following uninspiring proof of his love, â€Å"My love shall hear the music of my hounds† (Act IV, sc i). The reader must question if Hippolyta enjoys these hunting trips or Theseus. Her general lack of interest answers both questions. Even when Hippolyta attempts to communicate, Theseus is just unwilling to listen (Ac V, sc i). This clearly shows that while Theseus attentions are focused only Hippolyta their relationship is not mutually beneficial. This one of several instances where the audience can see the power of imagination in romance as well as parody of romantic convention†¦see the pain suffered by women to whom men are foolish, insensitive, and even brutal. Young lovers>. Hermia, Lysander Lysander is supposedly in love with Hermia. However, after he is mistakenly sprinkled with dew by Puck, his attentions shift from Hermia to Helena. In Shakespeare’s Comedies, the dialog supports the point that â€Å"Shakespeare uses an ‘outside force’ which interferes in and controls the affairs of men.† He then treats Hermia cruelly with no concern for her well being or emotions. In the play his love for either women is easily switched on and off. Once the fairy love juice wears off Lysander’s attentions again fall on Hermia. The same is true of Demetrius who is also effected by the fairy love potion. He found himself in love with Hermia and his desire for her was â€Å"melted as the snow† however when the juice wears off he laments that he does not know â€Å"by what power† made him fall in love. In William Shakespeare†s a Midsummer Night†s Dream, the erotic absolute will inevitably be embodied in a successful rival. Helena cannot fail to be torn between worship and hatred of Hermia. Imitative desire makes all reciprocal rapports impossible. Demetrius and Lysander are unable to maintain they love for anyone woman calling to question their sincerity and real motives in loving either. Hermia is in love with Lysander but her father, Egeus, decides that she must marry Demetrius instead. She and Lysander decide to elope, and go to the wood outside Athens. Hermia is bewildered when Lysander deserts her, and quarrels with her friend Helena, accusing her of enticing Lysander away from her. Hermia is short and dark, in contrast to Helena. She is also hot-tempered. Helena, Demetrius Demetrius is a young man of Athens, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena. Demetrius’s obstinate pursuit of Hermia throws love out of balance among the quartet of Athenian youths and precludes a symmetrical two-couple arrangement. Helena is young woman of Athens, in love with Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena were once betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena’s friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena. Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her when the fairies’ mischief causes them to fall in love with her. Poor, lovesick Helena pursues her Demetrius throughout the play, much to the dismay of the audience, but what is theater without drama? She is a character the audience can truly come to understand as her emotions are laid bare for all to see. Her misery and humiliation at her betrothed’s rejection and then pursuit of her childhood playmate is so unanswerable that she refuses to give her love and spends her time chasing Demetrius. Eventually, through magic, her lover is restored to her, though the audience is left to decide for themselves whether unnatural (fairy-driven) love is as good as the real thing.   Helena, who are the doubling figures, are in an unresolved situation: Helena loves Demetrius, but Demetrius has only, in the Victorian phrase, trifled with her affections. In the second part we’re in the fairy wood at night, where identities become, as we think, hopelessly confused. At dawn Theseus and Hippolyta, accompanied by Egeus, enter the wood to hunt. By that time the Demetrius-Helena situation has cleared up, and because of that Theseus feels able to overrule Egeus and allow the two marriages to go ahead. At the beginning Lysander remarks to Hermia that the authority of Athenian law doesn’t extend as far as the wood, but apparently it does; Theseus is there, in full charge, and it is in the wood that he makes the decision that heads the play toward its happy ending. At the same time the solidifying of the Demetrius-Helena relationship was the work of Oberon. We can hardly avoid the feeling not only that Theseus is overruling Egeus’s will, but that his own will has been overruled too, by fairies of whom he knows nothing and in whose existence he doesn’t believe. Mechanicals>. Pyramus, Thisbe In A Midsummer Night’s DreamThe workmen’s Lamentable Comedy can be seen as a parody (silly copy) of Romeo and Juliet. There are obvious similarities in the plot (can you say what these are?) but not in the theatrical qualities of the two pieces. In Pyramus and Thisbe we see how not to do things which are done much better elsewhere in A Midsummer Night’s Dream,in Romeo and Juliet or in other plays by Shakespeare. (These include depicting wild animals, a wall, moonlight and killing on stage). Comment on how these things are done both in Pyramus and Thisbe and in the plays proper. Comment on how hard or easy it is for actors to speak the dialogue in Shakespeare’s plays generally, and to speak the verse we meet in Pyramus and Thisbe (look at the end of the Prologue, and the dying speeches of the two lovers). The danger is always a performance like Pyramus and Thisbe, in which imagination and reality are not sufficiently balanced to create the illusion a successful play requires to work its magic. The ideal seems to be a performance in which reality is neither so openly flouted as to make the play unbelievable, nor rendered so literally as to make it ridiculous, but is balanced with imaginative pretense in such a way as to manifest the purpose of playing itself, the channeling of nature by art into harmonious and satisfactory patterns. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare Essay ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a romantic comedy and one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays or stories. The main characters of this story are Oberon, Titania, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. This story deals with marriage, family, elope and comedy. Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander to get married and Demetrius who loves Hermia follows them into while Helena, Hermia’s friend and Demetrius’ lover, follows Demetrius into the forest. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies in the forest, have an argument which causes tension between them. Is the forest a magical place? Yes, it is because all the characters in the forest reconcile. The story starts off with Egeus, father of Hermia, reporting to Theseus, King of Athens at that time, that his daughter refused to obey him when he commanded his daughter to marry Demetrius, a man of a noble Athenian family. There was a strict law in the city of Athens that if a daughter refused to marry the man her father had chosen, she would be put to death. Hermia had not loved Demetrius but she loved another Athenian, Lysander. She also didn’t want to marry him because her best friend, Helena, loved Demetrius and she wanted to stay loyal. Theseus could not alter the laws the rules of his country so he could only give Hermia four days to reconsider her decision or else she would be put to death. Lysander was informed about this and proposed to Hermia that they should elope to his aunt’s house outside of Athens, where the laws were not applied. Demetrius heard of this and thus, he followed them into the forest. Helena was afraid of losing Demetrius forever so therefore she followed him into the forest. Demetrius reproached Helena for following him but Helena tried to remind him of his former love and true faith to her. Demetrius, after saying many cruel things to Helena, abandoned her while Helena still raced after him. Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fairies respectively. They were having a disagreement when Titania refused to give Oberon a changeling boy. Titania dotes over this child which makes Oberon jealous. Oberon wants to make the boy part of his entourage. Titania refuses to give the boy up, hence the conflict. They lived in the magical forest. Oberon had a counsellor, Puck. Oberon observed the conflict between Demetrius and Helena. Oberon was always friendly to true lovers and felt sorry for Helena. He reported this to Puck  and commanded him to use a piece of the purple flower, which has a ‘love-juice’, and use it on Demetrius to make him fall in love with Helena. Oberon described him as wearing Athenian clothes. Puck found a man in Athenian clothes but it turned out be Lysander who was sleeping next to Hermia. Puck poured the love-juice into his eyes and the first person he saw he would fall in love with. The next morning, Helena would find Hermia and Lysander. When Lysander woke up, he saw Helena in front of him and immediately fell in love with her. Helena was confused and then she became angry with Lysander. She thought that he was pulling a sick prank on her. Oberon and Puck soon realized what happened. Oberon scolded Puck and Puck found Demetrius asleep. Puck applied the love-juice to his eyes and when Demetrius woke up, he first saw Helena and became in love with her. Ironically, what had first started out as Lysander and Demetrius chasing Hermia with Helena left behind, now had turned into Lysander and Demetrius chasing Helena with Hermia left behind. Helena outraged, thinking it was a prank, got herself into a war of words with Hermia. Oberon and Puck observed the chaos he caused and immediately attempted to fix it. Puck wearied them out by getting them lost and removed the charm from the eyes of Lysander with an antidote to reverse the effects and forget his new love for Helena. After, everything was back to normal Hermia was with Lysander and Helena was with Demetrius. Meanwhile, Oberon, longing for the changeling boy, had poured some love-juice on Titania to make her give it up. When Oberon had returned, he found a clown sleeping next to her. He put a donkey’s head on him and Titania fell in love with the clown. Oberon seized the chance and demanded the changeling boy which she unwillingly accepted. Soon, Oberon had poured some juices of another flower and had brought her back to her senses. She immediately loathed the sight of the monster. All the couples in this story reconciled. Egeus understood Demetrius not wanting to marry his daughter but Helena and Egeus accepted the marriage between Lysander and Hermia. The forest is truly a magical place because what had started as elope, disagreements and hatred turned out be union, harmony and love.

My Visit to a Jewish Synagogue Essay

When I visited my first Jewish synagogue, I expected it to be very different. My previous experience with religious ceremonies was limited to a few visits to Baptist churches. The most surprising thing for me at this one was, oddly enough, its similarity to Christian services and rituals. I went into the religious visit expecting an enormous difference in the customs and perhaps even in the attitudes of the people attending the service. What I found instead was a religious ceremony very reminiscent of the Christian ones I’ve been to before. To begin, I was nervous about attending a service for a faith to which I did not belong and which was not even part of my heritage. Previously when I had attended Baptist worship, I had gone along or with a member of my family, who belonged to the church. I wasn’t sure how people of a different religion would react to having someone who was not of their faith visiting their place of worship. However, as soon as we walked into the synagogue, the people there were very friendly and not at all unused to having visitors. There was a collection of pamphlets set out for anyone unfamiliar with the Jewish religion and with Sabbath services and there were nametags for us to wear. The people were very friendly, asking us if we would like to know anything more about the synagogue. There were people standing in small groups too talking and catching up with the happenings of the week before. Overall, the interior of the synagogue reminded me very much of a church. The sanctuary was round or possibly octagonal, with the seating also set up in a semicircle. Inside of the sanctuary the atmosphere was different from that in the lobby, more serious I would say. I thought that it was lovely, and smaller than the chapel of any church I’ve ever attended. We were given prayer books as we entered, and when I leafed through mine I found that it was printed from right to left instead of left to right. This threw me off a little, in part because the text inside (the English translations of the Hebrew) were still printed left to right, though the book itself was read from right to left. I sat near the back, a good thing because it was mostly the people participating in the service who sat at the front. I noticed that several of the women had a tallit, or prayer shawl, and only knew the significance of them because of our readings and lessons. Many of the men were wearing a yarmulke as well, though not all of them were. As I looked around the room I noticed the Ark, which holds the Torah scrolls. As I continued to scan the room I also notice the menorah (candelabrum). The rabbi began the service fairly casually, greeting the congregation in English. After the English greeting came a more traditional greeting in Hebrew, and then a song to greet the Sabbath, or Shabbat, which is the word that was used at the synagogue. The Hebrew might have been strange to me, but there were English translations for just about everything in the prayer book, along with the prayers and songs written out in Hebrew. My personal favorite part of the service was the singing. There were two singers, one male and one female. All of the songs were beautiful, and caused me to consider the fact that many religions use songs and music in order to convey their messages. I believe that this is a good practice, because music is a common language, one that everybody can understand regardless of whether they speak Hebrew, or any other tongue. Although I’m not Jewish, I could appreciate the songs at the synagogue for their simple tunes and for the feelings and beliefs that clearly went into their writing and their performing. Also interesting was the way the rabbi tied many everyday events and circumstances into the faith. He discussed baseball in relation to the seder, talking about how his father had loved both things and had given him his own love of baseball and of the traditional supper. Again, though I don’t share the religion, I could understand and relate too much of what he was saying, because our parents shape the way that we all grow and learn and change. After the service, we were invited to share in the refreshments that were provided for congregation members. All of the people present were very willing to answer questions and to discuss the religion and were very open and friendly toward me at all times. My experience at the Jewish synagogue was very fun and enlightening. I gained a lot of firsthand knowledge of a religion I had only studied academically before. I’m not sure that I’ll ever have the chance to attend other types of religious services, but I may attempt to do so in the future. In my opinion, a visit like this one to another religion’s place of worship is the best possible way to learn more about a particular religion, no matter whether it’s for a class or simply to further one’s own personal knowledge.

Brl Hardy Driving Forces to Become a Global Company

What are the driving forces behind BRL Hardy to become a global company? â€Å"A Global company is an organization that attempts to standardize and integrate operations worldwide in all functional areas. † In general, there are multiple Globalization forces; some of them are: * Industrial: get access to a bigger market to sell the product. * Financial: by emerging worldwide, it is easier to borrow money * Political forces: the raising globalization goes along with the decrease of the importance of the state. Companies can set up their headquarter in different countries, in function of the legislation in those countries. * Technological forces: the new discoveries and the fast evolving technology eases the communication and makes it easier to collect information about foreign/other goods. * Market: when companies globalize, they also become global customers. * Cost: By becoming global, companies can benefit from economies of scale. The company can also locate production in countries where production costs are lower. In early times, the wine industry was very little. There were little village labels and the grapes grew on tiny vineyards. Those factors made the wine industry very agricultural i. e. the harvest was very vulnerable to weather and diseases. On the other side, the wine business had very few multinational companies and therefore very few true global brands. This made BRL Hardy think about expanding its business to multiple locations over the world and become one of the world’s first global wine companies. The first company on the market has a big chance to become one of the biggest companies in his sector. By breaking the habit of growing and selling only its own wine, Hardy was able to build the scale necessary for creating strong brands and negotiating with retail stores. In 1882, BRLH won his first international gold medal at Bordeaux. Winning a price creates a certain reputation, which makes it more likely that the wine will sell if the company becomes a global company. Also, the company was Australia’s largest winemaker, and one of the most respected. Next to this, Australian wine was becoming a trend, and the demand from new customers in nontraditional markets grew rapidly. All this were driving forces to become a global company. Sources: http://www. slideshare. net/gugaslide/global-business-presentation http://www. slideshare. net/RealRedOne/harvard-business-school-brl-hardy-globalizing-an-australian-wine-company http://www. businessschoolnetherlands. com/files/bsn-article_marius-leibold_business-model-innovation_1. pdf http://www. andidas. com/academic/lse_coursework/MN498%20-%20Tesco%20Internationalisation_by_andidas. pdf http://scholar. sun. ac. za/bitstream/handle/10019. 1/3328/Ewouba-Biteghe,%20BS. pdf? sequence=1 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Globalization

Opportunities and Challenges of Benchmarking

The first question to be asked is what benchmarking can do for any organization. The process of benchmarking permits the entire organization to identify, share and use the knowledge that exists within the organization as also the best practices prevalent within the organization. The attempt is to concentrate on improving the situation of any business unit and not to just measure the best performances that have been achieved. The method for this is to apply the use of best known methods of solving the problems that are facing the business. The results come from the utilization after determination of the problems and this can come only after a careful study of the problems. On determination it is expected that the best solutions will be implemented. (Defining Benchmarking) The result will come to the organization in the form of gaining important advantages for the organization in the form of advantages. These can be in any form or more than one form – strategic advantages, operational advantages, or direct financial gains. At the same time, it also is an indirect admission that some others are better at the function that we are involved in than ourselves. At the same time, we are being wise enough to understand our own shortcomings and are trying to improve our position so that we can improve and match them in performance. If all our efforts are in the direction of development, a stage may come when we would be in a position to perform better than them. (Defining Benchmarking) The process of benchmarking is not just calculating numbers, getting briefs about sites on which organizations are to be set up or traveling through the factories of other organizations, or even copying, spying or espionage. The process does not end here and it has to continue further throughout the entire life of the organization and as the organization improves to a better position, there has to be additional steps which have to be taken so that the organization can successfully step even further. When benchmarking is not performed and a major in any industry ignores the competition levels there are chances that it would tend to fall behind in its own development and leadership qualities. It is also not the same with regard to establishing benchmarks which involve the setting up of acceptable levels of standards, so that the product or service can move forward to the next immediate step and not be rejected automatically as a result of quality control. Benchmarks are defined in terms of how many units are to be produced in one unit of time, how quickly the product line can transfer itself into manufacturing another product, how high the production levels can be from one shift, or what the minimum levels of production are which are being acceptable. The similarity of benchmarking and benchmarks is in that benchmarking tries to find out and understand the direct reasons for the production to be high in certain relevant situations and not be so high in other situations/conditions. Once the reasons are being determined then the same methods can be expanded for use in other parts of the complete production process so that the total production level can be at higher levels and correspondingly the profits of the organization as well. This is the real benefit that can be obtained from the practice of benchmarking. (Defining Benchmarking) Looking at the acts of benchmarking in benefiting the organization, one can see some direct benefits. It prevents reinventing the wheel and what is meant by that is that since the process or machinery or item has already been invented, anybody else trying to reinvent the same is only wasting money. The second method in which it provides benefits is through using tested and proven practices that have already been used successfully by others, it convinces people who do not take kindly to fresh ideas by demonstrating to them that it works, and it forces the organization to move at a rapid pace as it knows that competitors are already using the method. The third advantage is that it leads to development of some ideas that were not being used earlier and these are innovative ways to improve methods and in many cases they have come from outside the industry. The use of benchmarking also forces organizations to check on the present process and many times these may lead to direct improvements in terms of quality or quantity directly. The last use of benchmarking is also advantageous in making changes more likely as the process involves the direct participation by the owners. Today is the age of competition and it is very difficult to say which manufacturer is the best, and at the same time, this is an age when every manufacturer can claim that they are the best based on scientific studies of their machines. Let us view it in a simpler context and try to determine which team is the best in baseball, and may be you have a reason for determining this – you may love the game, you may be laying a bet on the results of the current season, or just curiosity. It is known that New York Yankees have won the World Series Championships seven consecutive times. In the opinion of quite a few of the fans, that would make them the best team. Thus one of the first points in benchmarking is deciding on the benchmark, and then one has to decide as to how the performance can be measured against the benchmark. If the required standard is not known by the organization trying to be the best then it cannot possibly reach the target. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) In certain cases they are measured by definitions like Mean Time between Failures or MTBF. This will help the customer also and make him ask the manufacturer as to the MTBF for the product. Then let us say that on one of the products of the client is 120 hours and on another product is 150 hours, then that will have to be mentioned to the customer. Then to be the best, the concerned organization has to find out or determine the method to get to the best possible benchmark. Now let us say that on investigation it is found out that for competitors, the MTBF is 10,000 hours. It is clear now as to which manufacturer will get the order. Thus often benchmarking is not a stand alone exercise, but a part of a Process Re-engineering or Quality Improvement Initiative. The requirement is not a management fad, but is a requirement to be able to compete in the market. Most of the initial work on benchmarking was done in manufacturing, and it is important that it is still done there, but benchmarking has now developed into a management tool that can be used anywhere. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) One has to develop a system which permits the organization to produce material of a certain quality, as if that is not produced many incidences may occur which are of great importance to the organization but also to the nation. Let us take a few examples of this and one of them is the case of the disaster of the space shuttle Columbia, and another is the power outages in August 2003 in New York which was followed by power failures in United Kingdom and Italy. There are reasons for this and one reason which is often quoted is â€Å"failure of maintenance†. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) At the same time, maintenance is also a part of benchmarking and it is not a benchmarking of the product, but of the service system in the organization. Thus the problem can be manifest in many different ways in the field. There were four charges of manslaughter placed on individuals who were in charge of maintaining or managing railways in United Kingdom at the time of the Hatfield Train Disaster. The charges against these people were dropped only in August 2004. Among the people who were charged was the previous Chief Executive Officer of the company who owned all the assets indirectly. Another case is the legislation in Canada which imposes criminal liability on businesses and individuals when workplace accidents take place. In short it is becoming very important that proper maintenance is done and for that purpose, benchmarking is essential for the assets. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Desired future state and goals against which to evaluate alternatives It is clear that benchmarking is an activity of the individual organization undertaken with a purpose of developing the organization and giving it benefits or advantages over competition. The details for such studies are obviously not available, and we got information only from an instance when the exercise was done at the initiative of the Surface Mining Association for Research and Technology. They commissioned a research project the main purpose of which was to enable comparison of equipment performance in the mining industry, and this was due to collaborative relationships between the mining industries to gain competitive advantages at a global level. There was not much collaboration between the different units of the industry and as a start the attempt was made to establish some common definitions for availability and utilization. The entire exercise was conducted over some twenty five mining operations based in Canada and United States. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) After developing the common definitions the next stage was to collect the response from different members of the industry and put them in a position where the responses could be classified. In terms of operations there were some typical events that were encountered as all the units were involved in the operation of a mine. These also had to be identified and included in the entire exercise for study. At the end of the study it was found that among the entire group the formulas and definitions for availabilities and utilizations of different parameters were similar, yet there were differences in the meanings of the formulas that were used by different units. There are also differences in classification of different events in terms of their importance. The two differences combined in the final report to show differences in the operating characteristics of different mines, and the events that we are referring are fairly common in the operations of mines. Thus it was possible to find out some common definitions for the mines in terms of operating parameters, yet all comparisons between them are meaningless. For any comparisons to be made, it is important that the discrepancies which are clearly seen to be happening due to their differences in meanings first being turned into some common time categories. In practice it was not possible to get the different mines to change their formulas or collection practice for data as these systems had been well established over many years, it was seen that it was important to develop a parallel system which could collect similar data from the existing data collection system. This of course could be done only in organizations which wished to continue in the entire exercise of benchmarking all these units and getting to some results. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) This led essentially to the establishment of a central database. This is where all the units participating in the study would be able to reach the data that they wanted or needed. They would also be able to compare their own formula and definitions with the new data that was collected. This would permit them to comparisons with the earlier data that they had, or even the standardized benchmarking formula that they were using. This was the first method of industry wide comparisons. Once these were developed they would be the benchmarking definitions for the industry and thus the first step to development of industry-wise standards for required operating measures. Most of the mines understood that this was required, but very few wanted to proceed on these lines, and all their actions are concentrated to their own mines. There does not seem to be much collaboration in the industry and most organizations are doing the same thing over and over again. There is a certain amount of interest in sharing of maintenance information there is scope for a study in which the maintenance practices can be compared as also the development of performance standards in the area of maintenance. This would be of great use to the mining industry. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Identify two to four potential solutions Here again the solution are different for every application of benchmarking and the solutions will depend also on the problems for which the solution is being sought, the nature of the industry, state of development, projected future growth, etc. Since we have started with the mining industry, let us continue with the same industry. One point that has to be remembered is that this industry has continued to remain behind other industries in the application of benchmarking. The reasons for the shortcomings have already been discussed to some extent – a reluctance to share information as they feel it violates confidentiality and privacy concerns with a special sensitivity to cost data; available resources within the different units to spend time on the required initiatives for benchmarking; a specific lack of commitment and support for the benchmarking exercise at all levels of the organization; and the lack of consistent and relevant indicators for performance. The problems of these organizations has to be solved by meeting the difficulties in all these respect and this makes the first solution as to stop comparisons till the operating events are clearly classified. Till this issue is resolved, there is very little value in suggesting common definitions for availability and utilization. The clear resolution thus also involves on consistent allocation of operating events as per agreed time classifications. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) The second solution comes from the survey interviews and that stated clearly that there is a great interest in information sharing and comparison, and still none of the organizations showed that they would be willing to accept new definitions for their operating parameters or accept new standards for the allocation of operating events so that they could get information in exchange. At the same time, there is strong interest in the exchange of data. There is a solution to this apparently conflicting position and this can be done only through information sharing taking place in a manner that existing operating data collection and reporting systems at individual units proceed on their operations unaffected, but the data that had been collected earlier are not touched through any mode. The solution comes from utilizing data storage and manipulation with a capability of existing data collection systems being utilized for this purpose. This will take care of the constraints. The third solution is from the general interest in sharing of maintenance information between different units. This arises as most of the units understand the importance of improving maintenance management systems and processes. In general it can be said that development of maintenance performance management has not developed as fast as the other production systems in mines. This area requires collaboration, but much of that has not been coming. Thus it is clear that most organizations are just concentrating on doing the same job under different names. The solution would be to implement a study comparing management practices and development of performance standards for maintenance. This would be found to be useful by the entire industry in that area. The fourth point is that once the data collection is built up, then it may be applied to other areas of the entire system so that those areas could also benefit. Some of those areas are the large tire user group that requires data common to the entire exercise; OEM availability guarantee reporting and lost control system benchmarking. It could also be seen that the structure which would be established for such initiatives could become the basis for a framework that could be used by the group for purchasing. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Let us now go to another area of benchmarking that we have used earlier and this is with reference to asset management. This has been important throughout history, and yet poses a special economic challenge during the 21st century. The reason for the challenge is from our efforts to release economic value from our investments in asset investment as much as is possible and the main cause for that is the extreme competitive nature of industry and business now. The challenge has led to our tackling the issue of benchmarking asset investment in three different areas and these are through minimizing life cycle costs of asset ownership, minimizing direct costs that are related to asset management and minimization of costs associated with new asset purchase and renewal of assets. Here the question of asset renewals means the overhauls and renovations that are carried out to the assets. All our benchmarking efforts are now directed to this area so tat any new effort should give benefits in these terms. The question is whether that is enough? An introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Apart from this there has been a very rapid change in the use of technology and this has forced many professionals from other areas rapidly into the functional areas of management of assets. The new managers are making, managing or even otherwise deciding on assets. Do they have the capability? They have no experience or any depth of knowledge or experience in the area that they are now managing. In terms of areas, these may be system selection, implementation and regular day to day management. This is leading to decisions being taken many times on issues which are not connected to management and the decisions may not concern the assets themselves or the asset managers. These sorts of incidents are happening throughout the world. The issue of maintenance was earlier seen as a secondary rollout of a large scale system originally decided for financial or supply chain reasons, and the decision was taken whether the solution was the best for asset management or not. Another important change has been the shifting of maintenance function to outsourcing and this is also likely to affect the function. This is a change that has been predicted many times by management consultants and also recommended by them as a method of reducing direct costs, improving the level of contact with specialized skills and of avoiding the complications that exist in finding and controlling a skilled workforce. This is very useful when the total production function is being outsourced. This has also led to many changes in employment patterns throughout the world. Many technical and repetitive roles like software development, call center management and some engineering functions are being shifted away to the third world from the first world. In those countries the salary levels with the similar competencies as those in the 1st world are much lower. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Now that we have talked a lot about the advantages of benchmarking, let us also take a look at the other side. These refer to the times that existed before benchmarking came to be called benchmarking, and it was viewed as just application of common sense. It is always true that the best method of learning how to do a job is to see how others do the work and then trying to do it. It is said that the great Henry ford went through the operations of production methods in a Chicago slaughterhouse before deciding how to set up his own production line for which he is rightly renowned. At the time, and probably for many decades since that time, it was called a good idea – till in the 1980s, this process of learning was given the name of benchmarking. It is true that benchmarking can provide very good improvements of the product and deserved returns based on efficiency, cost savings and new revenues. The process also is able to reduce cycle times, productivity, customer service, quality and production costs. This can make them a part of an effort of the company to change the culture of the organization to a more customer oriented and results focused. Yet many companies make a mistake in letting this excellent process of benchmarking to become an end in itself. This is quite common in corporate settings which have already established full fledged benchmarking teams. (Benchmarking: The trend line) The organization ends up loosing sight of the objectives and start on benchmarking as an objective in itself. This can be seen in the case of Florida Power and Light Co. This received the Deming Prize in 1989 as it had performed excellently in benchmarking. In the same year, the company was put under the charge of a new CEO and he dismantled large sections of the company as those sections were mainly based on benchmarking and less on functions of the company. Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Inc said â€Å"He found the company was more committed to winning awards than serving the customer†. (Benchmarking: The trend line) This is a loss in focus that can happen if benchmarking is made a part of the jobs of line managers and they have other responsibilities. They are more inclined to take up practical applications for their talents. (Benchmarking: The trend line) Let us take a case of a computer based service organization. The organization is trying to speed up the service of its computers when they fail as the computers are the main machines which help them keep their business in running condition. The question is that there are many parts inside a computer and every time it was repaired, there used to be a serviceman who would come and replace the part. Of course the bill for the part would be received and the amount paid. The organization decided to go through an exercise of benchmarking so that the cost of repairs can be reduced. The decision was to introduce the system of codes so that it would be known which part was failing. These codes are numbers which are cross referenced to a complete list of code descriptions. The codes may also be a series of alphanumeric descriptions. Now since computers are fairly commonplace the full descriptions of the failed parts are now being stored. (Failure codes) The storage of the complete list was in the computerized management system. The required parts are input by the person who was reporting the failure and if it was not known to him then it had to be input by the technician when he repaired the equipment. The main use of these codes is in providing statistics about machine failures. Thus one can know the reasons for machine failures and take corrective actions. (Failure codes) The risks of using such a procedure is very low as the computers also have self assessment procedures and that can often tell the region of failure. This information is unlikely to be wrong. For the technician when he comes in to repair, he has to change the required part for the machine to start running again, and thus he is also unlikely to be wrong. The risks with finding out the part number are thus very low and can be safely viewed to be accurate. The objectives of determining the part numbers are also very simple as each part stops certain functions that the machine is supposed to do. This slows down operating procedures and once the reasons for delays are known, action may be taken to speed up the entire process. Once the operations are speeded up, the organization is expected to earn more revenues. The total impact can only be assessed after the full analysis is made. This sort of a system is also used in certain organizations where computerized systems are used to deliver items at fixed schedules like newspapers, milk processing machines, etc. Present the recommended solution and the rationale behind the recommendation We are now in a period of history where we have to totally depend on machines for all our functions and most industrial tasks. At the same time, repairs and other tasks are becoming increasingly complicated as no extra persons are available. Computerized machinery is very good as long as they run, but when they fail, they fail completely and no action can be taken till they are repaired. Thus getting the machine repaired is very important. The technicians come quickly, but often they do not have the needed parts and when that happens, the machine will continue to remain out of order fro quite a few days, and that is what is sought to be avoided through this exercise. The objective is not to increase profits directly, but make the operations more dependable. The new machinery has been responsible for dramatic increases in productivity levels, but it has also led to high direct costs for asset management over the last few years. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) The problem with determination of reliability in most cases is that some factors may be brought up by theory and through strategic planning, but they do no translate into reality at the end of the day. In many cases, the results that are achieved cannot justify the investments that are made to achieve them. There are many areas which hurt the realization of benefits. Here the change in process is just the recording of a part number and that should not take much time when compared to the total time lost in terms of production. We are talking about the requirement to note down the part numbers when the machine fails. Identify the expected impact and value The expected impact is in terms of costs is not much as has been explained earlier, but the impact in terms of value is expected to be high. The effect will be in terms of extra production capacity that should be available. The exact benefits can only be determined when the total picture is known. It is not useful to make advance calculations in such cases, as the present production is for the total usage of the company and no extra jobs can be taken up without meeting this requirement. Provide a summary of how you would approach implementing the recommended solution and measuring its effectiveness The implementation methods are very simple. Prepare a list of the parts that go wrong in the machines in different areas and hand them over to the operators. Every operator has to make a failure report and when that is submitted, the reason for failure that is given has to include the part number. Once the part numbers are made available in this way, then in the report itself they should be noted, and after a period of six months, a search program or a summary should be made of the reasons for failures. This is a totally internal exercise and we do not have to observe the other requirements now. APQC has now developed and wants adherence to the following code – â€Å"guide benchmarking efforts, advance the professionalism and effectiveness of benchmarking, and help protect the members from harm†. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) According to this code will help the implementation of efficient, effective and ethical benchmarking. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) The question is that ultimately the entire process is for internal development and to be done totally internally, so why are we all getting so excited about it? Make the changes that you have to after a cool consideration.