E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

E-commerce - Essay Example Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the technology company as well as models which it follows also provides different associations with the company and the way in which it is now linking to a booming market. Business Issues The main business that Loving Outdoors has created is based on moving to the outdoors with different supplies that are required for clothing, footwear, camping, fishing and nutrition. They also supply outdoor kits that are readily available for those who expect to spend more time in the outdoors. Each of these are divided by product on the main website and have developed into a large variety of brand models and high quality items known for those interested in the outdoors. Loving Outdoors has combined this with reviews, interaction, blogs and information through polls and newsletters to help with the needs of customers and to make the information easier to find. This allows consumers to have easier connections to the different information that is available while providing more opportunities to highlight the best items that are a part of the outdoor company (Loving Outdoors, 2011). The first business concept which is looked at with the company is the information technology which is used for e-commerce and how this defines the roles that are required with the online business. ... This is also inclusive of information which is found easily and applications which are used for managing customers through both automated and customer support systems (Chaffey, 2007: 81). For Loving Outdoors, the strength in this comes from the blog, newsletter and polls that are on the website, which immediately offers information and interaction. This is combined with the straightforward navigation for different items available and the customer support that is known by the company. However, some difficulties in basic navigation and the large amount of products available cause the IT infrastructure to be limited without newer and high end components that are a part of e-commerce. Another relation that is created with Loving Outdoors and the business issues comes from the supply and value chain that is a part of the online store. When examining this, one can see a limited number of items that are available. However, these are noted to have a diversity of brands and a large diversity of types of equipment. For example, if looking at fishing rods, one is able to access almost 50 different items that are available. This is more than a regular store and offers more convenience of shopping. Even though there are a large number of supplies by value, the supply number is not as high as expected with the shipping from a main warehouse being the main objective with the Loving Outdoors items. Since everything is done through e-commerce, it requires continuous additions with the supply and demand while continuing to add to the value of the company. The concept of the supply and value chain that is a part of Loving Outdoors relates to the gaps that are in the main concepts for supply chain management. This includes the three phases of procurement of materials, processing

French Revolution Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Essay Although an autocrat, Napoleon is revered by many as the son of the French Revolution as he single-handedly implemented the ideas of â€Å"Liberty, Equality and Fraternity†. Napoleon implemented the ideologies of French Revolution which were derived from the Enlightenment by introducing the Napoleonic Code, lycee and baculerrate education, constitutions and meritocracy. These reforms could have only been implemented by a strong ruler with the power of the modern state tailored to suit his motives of maintaining his power. During the start of the French Revolution the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was not really put into complete practice. During the reign of terror, the nation grew weary of terror and turmoil and therefore welcomed Napoleon’s rule. Ten years of upheaval had the firm rule much more appealing. Napoleon seized power and was welcomed by the nation even though he was an autocrat as he brought the end to the terror and started executing various enlightened ideals. During the first few months of Napoleon’s rule were most productive. After seizing power in coup d’à ©tat in 1799 and forming a consulate he passed new constitutions and with popular approval in 1804 became an emperor with absolute power. Napoleon like most autocrats had certain motives for implementing the radical reforms of the French Revolution. It allowed his to maintain his position as an autocrat by giving reforms so people would be happy and continue supporting him. By using meritocracy he rewarded only those that earned his loyalty and by improving society earned the support of people. He used his popularity and charisma to maintain order which was crucial for Napoleon in order to survive being an autocrat. Napoleon used his powerful position as the ruler of France to bring reforms as it was an instrument to maintaining his power. He brought about freedom of religion by the Concordat of Bologna in 1801 which allowed state to control religious affairs and allowed Catholics to practice their religion freely. He bargained with the middle classes and made the famous Napoleonic code which simplified the French laws which used to favour the nobles. He made enlightened laws like freedom of speech, equality before law, protection of property etc. He lowered the feudal taxes on the peasants and granted them liberty. He created meritocracy and education by introducing the baculerrate and lycee and favouring only those that worked harder than being born into a noble family this created more equality. Napoleon executed the ideals of French Revolution not only in France but spread them to countries that he defeated or made allies with. He did this by ended feudalism and manorialism and reformed the political and economic systems by introducing constitutions. He also simplified the complex structure of Germany and Italy and this brought about the rise of nationalism which was the idea of fraternity of the French Revolution. Napoleon is widely accredited to spreading the ideals of the French Revolution to all of Europe.

SouthWest Airlines :: essays research papers

According to their main website, their mission statement is, â€Å"The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.† This reveals Southwest’s true mission: To please their customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For their loyal customers, Southwest offers a â€Å"Rapid Rewards† program which gives the customers free tickets based on the number of times they fly with Southwest. Customers who make 8 round trips or 16 one-way trips receive a free ticket. Programs such as the â€Å"Frequent, Frequent Flyers-Companions Travel† offer a year of free trips to customers. Customers who make 50 round trips a year can designate someone to fly with the customer free of charge for an entire year. Award programs such as these show that they appreciate their loyal customers and that they are willing to take cuts, such as giving away free tickets, to prove to their customers that their patronage is valued.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another aspect of their great customer service is their online travel booking center. The customer can rent a car and make reservations at a hotel all online. This allows the customer to thoroughly plan their vacation or trip. Since Southwest was a relationship with Alamo, Budget, Dollar, and Hertz, customers have the ability to pick what kind of car they will get upon arrival. By making friendly relations with other companies Southwest is making their customers’ job easier by consolidating all the necessities of travel under one roof. This shows that Southwest is willing to go the extra mile for their customers and do more than just provide transportation by air, but also transportation by land, and also accommodations at hotels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a part of their â€Å"low fares, no frills† campaign, Southwest does not offer any in-flight meals to their customers. They believe that by offering the bare minimum, so they can offer low customer rates. However during the flight they do offer complementary juices, cold drinks, and nuts to the passengers. They also encourage the passengers to bring their own meals on board for their own pleasure and convenience. Actions like this show the honesty of Southwest Airlines. Although they could make a sizeable amount of revenue by offering in-flight meals, Southwest allows passengers to bring their own meals so that the customer saves money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A big part of Southwest’s game plan is cost reduction; this shows that Southwest is very customer-oriented.

Weather Investigation

Aim: To record the temperature around School to try to discover if there is a microclimate. Hypothesis: There is a microclimate around the school. The temperature will change. Geographical Theory What is a microclimate? The climate of a small, specific place within a larger area. An area as small as a yard or park can have several different microclimates depending on how much sunlight, shade, or exposure to the wind there is at a particular spot. Compare macroclimate. Plan: In my experiment I am going to measure * Wind speed * Wind direction * Temperature- caretakers room, the English room, Italian room, tree by tennis courts * Air pressure * Rain fall * Cloud cover Method 1) Firstly, we went to the Geography room where we took a look at the Barometer. We read the black needle and then turned the gold needle to the black needle so that tomorrow we would be able to read the air pressure for today. 2) Then we went outside to the rain gauge near the pond. We lifted it up and read how many millimetres of water were inside it. We then emptied it so that tomorrow we cold read from fresh. 3) Next, we went to the tennis courts and measured the wind speed and wind direction using an anemometer and our finger. To use the anemometer you need to hold the digital reader in your hand and lift the other part until you get the highest reading. We licked our finger to find the wing direction and also used a compass then where our finger felt the coldest was where the wing was coming from. 4) We the measured the cloud cover by using observation and counted the number of clods comparing it in eighths. 5) Finally, we measured the temperature around the school reading the results from four different thermometers situated in four different places around the school. These are: the Italian room, the English room, the tennis courts and outside the caretakers room. We measured the current temperature from a normal thermometer and the lowest and highest temperature of the day from a max. min. thermometer. Analysis On Wednesday there was the least amount of air pressure but the most amount of rainfall. It also had the slowest wind speed but the highest number of oktas. Also,on Friday there was the most amounts of air pressure and the lowest number of oktas for the cloud cover. Description of results: On Monday the air pressure amount was between the highest and lowest amount, 998 mb. It had a lot of rainfall of 10 mm and the highest fastest wind speed of 6.4 ms going into the direction of east and 7 oktas for cloud cover. On Tuesday it had the second smallest amount of air pressure of 989 mb and the median amount of rainfall which is 5.5 mm. The wind speed was one of the slowest as it was only 5.1 ms heading east. There were 6 oktas for cloud cover. On Wednesday there was the least amount of air pressure with 981 mb and the most rainfall which is 11.5 mm. It had the slowest of wind speed of 0.75 ms heading south – east and the most cloud cover of 7 oktas. On Thursday it was a median amount of air pressure, 998 mb and the second smallest amount of rainfall with 5 mm but on that day the rain gauge tipped over so 5 mm was not the correct result. There was a wind speed of 5.9 heading south and the cloud cover was of 6 oktas. Lastly on Friday there was the highest amount of air pressure, 1012 mb and the lowest amount of rainfall which was 1.8mm. The wind speed consisted of 6 heading north the cloud cover being 5 oktas as the lowest. Conclusion I have concluded that there is a microclimate in different places around St Michael's Grammar School. But on certain days it was more obvious then others. This is because all the temperatures are varied because of small changes such as facing south- which is where the sun is, or if there is a building in the way which can block sunlight, or if the weather is cloudy, which blocks the sun from getting to a certain area, which changes the temperature in the different areas. Evaluation This investigation was quite accurate but there are a few ways I would make this better. First of all I would make sure that the rain gauge is straight and steady so that it collects the right amount of rain that should be collected so that the rainfall results will be completely 100% accurate. Next I would make sure that the wind speed results are correct as well by using the anemometer properly and waiting longer for the highest amount of wind speed so that we can get a larger result. Another thing is to reset the temperature everyday at the exact minute from the past 24 hours so that the temperature will be accurate for every day. Overall the investigation had reasonably accurate results and there are ways to improve it but it in the end it was a great weather investigation.

Graphic Organizers Essay

Graphic organizers are wonderful tools for learners of all abilities in all grades. They help students to visually and clearly organize their opinions and ideas. Students are enabled to see connections and relationships between information, facts and terms. For ELL students and struggling readers, this is particularly useful because it aids with language issues and challenges in comprehension these students struggle with. It visually provides them with a broad picture of this corpus of information they are trying to learn as opposed to words and language. Introducing and organizing instructional content can be done in a fun and simple way. I would begin with a simple fun math lesson that is on a more personal level. To introduce the lesson; the first step should describe to the students the lesson’s purpose (how to budget within your means), then explain its components (reason, solve problems, communicate, computation) and finally model its use (3 column chart) together with the class. This will ensure students comprehend the material they are learning. The 5th grade class would be instructed to divide into 3 groups of 6. Each group will be assigned a budget of $60.00. I would then hand out menus to each group from a popular fast food restaurant (Wendy’s). Students in each group will order any item off the menu for lunch but within their group budget. They will itemize their choices on their worksheet and include quantity and total amounts. Students will be aware that all deluxe meals come with french fries and a drink. Any state tax will not be configured for this lesson. Together we will input the information collected from each group onto the organizer. We will analyze, compare and discuss the decisions each group made with their selections and how well they managed their budget. The graphic organizer will also help them reflect individually as they see the information unfold from this valuable tool. It is important for students to learn the concept of managing money and to learn to live within their means.

Free Essays on Leon Trotsky And George Orwell

Leon Trotsky and George Orwell Leon Trotsky’s real name was Davidovich Bronstein. He was born in Elisavetad, Russia on Nov. 7, 1879 and died Aug 20 1940. George Orwell’s characters come into similarities with Leon Trotsky’s life events. Big Brother, Winston, and O’Brien together have a little bit of Leon Trotsky characteristics in them. Orwell’s influence on Trotsky probably made him compare him to his character in 1984. George Orwell’s 1984 character Winston comes into similarity with Leon Trotsky with his fatherly like love for O’Brien. Winston really doesn’t know anything about him, but has that feeling that O’Brien is in the Inner Party. Winston has so much hate for the government formed by Big Brother. Leon Trotsky relied on the proletarians to over-throw the capital. Although he had sided with the Mensheviks at the 1903 party split. He found his way to center himself between both the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Leon Trotsky and Linen were close together on their decisions, were as Winston looked up to O’Brien for advise about what he should do. Trotsky also compares to some of the events that accrued with Winston in the book. Winston gets in trouble with Big Brother and his government for betraying him and breaking the laws. Leon Trotsky was sent to jail several times because of his acts of rebellion. Big Brother, like Trotsky, was an all-powerful leader. Big Brother is an all- knowing figure who sees and knows all. His is loved by the inner party but in Winston case, as an outer party hates him. In the End Winston forced to love Big Brother and therefore loses humanity because he gave up on Julia to accumulate himself from the tortures brought upon him during the room 101 incident. Trotsky proved to be impatient to work carefully at practical politics after Lenin’s death therefore he was stripped of all posts and expelled from the party. (Rosenberg) Both of these leading figure... Free Essays on Leon Trotsky And George Orwell Free Essays on Leon Trotsky And George Orwell Leon Trotsky and George Orwell Leon Trotsky’s real name was Davidovich Bronstein. He was born in Elisavetad, Russia on Nov. 7, 1879 and died Aug 20 1940. George Orwell’s characters come into similarities with Leon Trotsky’s life events. Big Brother, Winston, and O’Brien together have a little bit of Leon Trotsky characteristics in them. Orwell’s influence on Trotsky probably made him compare him to his character in 1984. George Orwell’s 1984 character Winston comes into similarity with Leon Trotsky with his fatherly like love for O’Brien. Winston really doesn’t know anything about him, but has that feeling that O’Brien is in the Inner Party. Winston has so much hate for the government formed by Big Brother. Leon Trotsky relied on the proletarians to over-throw the capital. Although he had sided with the Mensheviks at the 1903 party split. He found his way to center himself between both the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Leon Trotsky and Linen were close together on their decisions, were as Winston looked up to O’Brien for advise about what he should do. Trotsky also compares to some of the events that accrued with Winston in the book. Winston gets in trouble with Big Brother and his government for betraying him and breaking the laws. Leon Trotsky was sent to jail several times because of his acts of rebellion. Big Brother, like Trotsky, was an all-powerful leader. Big Brother is an all- knowing figure who sees and knows all. His is loved by the inner party but in Winston case, as an outer party hates him. In the End Winston forced to love Big Brother and therefore loses humanity because he gave up on Julia to accumulate himself from the tortures brought upon him during the room 101 incident. Trotsky proved to be impatient to work carefully at practical politics after Lenin’s death therefore he was stripped of all posts and expelled from the party. (Rosenberg) Both of these leading figure...

Privacy Issues Essays

Privacy Issues Essays Privacy Issues Essay Privacy Issues Essay Evaluate whether Tesco’s Stakeholders will benefit from the company’s growth. Tesco have several groups of stakeholders that could benefit from the growth of the company. A stakeholder is a group of people or an individual with a direct interest in the success of a business. The stakeholders that will benefit the most are employees. In the long run employees could benefit if the company is in a secure financial position due to the company’s growth. This is because, Tesco will be much steadier and will be able to pay their wages without any problems and also if possible it could result in a rise in wages by a fair amount. Therefore, Tesco will be in a capable financial state to keep these workers employed, which will benefit the employees as they have a job and a secure income. Employees will also benefit by working in a big and successful firm because there is more job security. They will continually need an efficient workforce to carry out day to day jobs so it is unlikely that employees are fired often. Also, there are better conditions for the employees in a bigger firm because Tesco want their workers to be happy and feel safe at the work place to overall keep morale high amongst all members of staff. The next stakeholders that will benefit the most are the shareholders. A part of being a shareholder means that you receive a dividend. A dividend is a percentage of the company’s profits depending on how much the shareholder owns. As Tesco grows, revenue should increase and therefore so should profit. So in the long run there would be a rise in dividend value because of the increased sales Tesco would be achieving. However, dividends may have to fall beforehand in the short run if some of the profit is retained to help pay for the growth of the company. In addition, suppliers may benefit due to Tesco’s growth. As Tesco gets bigger, they will need more constant supplies in order to satisfy their customers, so their suppliers are going to be needed much more frequently. Therefore, the supplier’s position in giving Tesco their products will be much more secure, and consequently they will be receiving a decent and somewhat constant pay. However, suppliers may not benefit from the growth of Tesco. Due to Tesco’s increasing monopoly power they could demand more products for a lower cost as they will be needed more quickly and efficiently. Therefore, the suppliers profit margin is going be smaller. In conclusion, considering these three stakeholder groups, it is somewhat clear that Tesco’s growth will benefit specific stakeholders but on the other hand worsen situations for others. This would need to be taken into consideration by Tesco if it wants to appeal to all its stakeholders.

Definition and Examples of Decorum in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Decorum in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, decorum is the use of a style that is appropriate to a subject, situation, speaker, and audience. According to Ciceros discussion of decorum in De Oratore (see below), the grand and important theme should be treated in a dignified and noble style, the humble or trivial theme in a less exalted manner. Examples and Observations Decorum is not simply found everywhere; it is the quality whereby speech and thought, wisdom and performance, art and morality, assertion and deference, and many other elements of action intersect. The concept underwrites Ciceros alignment of the plain, middle, and elevated oratorical styles with the three main functions of informing, pleasing, and motivating an audience, which in turn extends rhetorical theory across a wide range of human affairs.  (Robert Hariman, Decorum. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) Aristotle on Aptness of Language Your language will be appropriate if it expresses emotion and character, and if it corresponds to its subject. Correspondence to subject means that we must neither speak casually about weighty matters, nor solemnly about trivial ones; nor must we add ornamental epithets to commonplace nouns, or the effect will be comic... To express emotion, you will employ the language of anger in speaking of outrage; the language of disgust and discreet reluctance to utter a word when speaking of impiety or foulness; the language of exultation for a tale of glory, and that of humiliation for a tale of pity and so on in all other cases.This aptness of language is one thing that makes people believe in the truth of your story: their minds draw the false conclusion that you are to be trusted from the fact that others behave as you do when things are as you describe them; and therefore they take your story to be true, whether it is so or not.(Aristotle, Rhetoric) Cicero on Decorum For the same style and the same thoughts must not be used in portraying every condition in life, or every rank, position, or age, and in fact a similar distinction must be made in respect to place, time, and audience. The universal rule, in oratory as in life, is to consider propriety. This depends on the subject under discussion and the character of both the speaker and the audience...This, indeed, is the form of wisdom that the orator must especially employto adapt himself to occasions and persons. In my opinion, one must not speak in the same style at all times, nor before all people, nor against all opponents, not in defence of all clients, not in partnership with all advocates. He, therefore, will be eloquent who can adapt his speech to fit all conceivable circumstances.(Cicero, De Oratore) Augustinian Decorum In opposition to Cicero, whose ideal was to discuss commonplace matters simply, lofty subjects impressively, and topics ranging between in a tempered style, Saint Augustine defends the manner of the Christian gospels, which sometimes treat the smallest or most trivial matters in an urgent, demanding high style. Erich Auerbach [in Mimesis, 1946] sees in Augustines emphasis the invention of a new kind of decorum opposed to that of the classical theorists, one oriented by its lofty rhetorical purpose rather than its low or common subject matter. It is only the aim of the Christian speakerto teach, admonish, lamentthat can tell him what sort of style to employ. According to Auerbach, this admission of the most humble aspects of daily life into the precincts of Christian moral instruction has a momentous effect on literary style, generating what we now call realism.  (David Mikics, A New Handbook of Literary Terms. Yale University Press, 2007) Decorum in Elizabethan Prose From Quintilian and his English exponents (plus, it must not be forgotten, their inheritance of normal speech patterns) the Elizabethans at the end of the [16th] century learned one of their major prose styles. [Thomas] Wilson had preached the Renaissance doctrine of ​decorum: the prose must fit the subject and the level at which it is written. Words and sentence pattern must be apt and agreeable. These may vary from the condensed native maxim like Enough is as good as a feast (he recommends Heywoods proverbs which had recently appeared in print) to the elaborate or exonerated sentences adorned with all the colours of rhetoric. Exoneration opened the wayand Wilson provided full examplesfor new sentence structures with egall members (the balanced antithetical sentence), gradation and progression (the paratactic cumulation of short main clauses leading to a climax), contrarietie (antithesis of opposites, as in To his friend he is churlish, to his foe he is gentle), the series of sentences with like endings or with repetition (like opening words), plus the verbal metaphors, the longer similitudes, and the whole gallery of tropes, schemes, and figures of speech of the last few decades of the 16th century.  (Ian A. Gordon, The Movement of English Prose. Indiana University Press, 1966)

Emotionl Litercy Interventions In the Prevention of Bullying Within Essay

Emotionl Litercy Interventions In the Prevention of Bullying Within the Pstorl System of School - Essay Example This essay stresses that emotionÐ °l psychologicÐ °l trÐ °ining wÐ °s implemented to reduce bullying in pÐ °storÐ °l clÐ °sses. The support teÐ °ms were Ð °n outgrowth of Olweus's progrÐ °m thÐ °t recommended collegiÐ °l support groups for teÐ °chers thÐ °t Ð °re designed Ð °s Ð ° forum for teÐ °chers to discuss bullying dilemmÐ °s, to shÐ °re experiences, Ð °nd to leÐ °rn from their successes or fÐ °ilures. This paper makes a conclusion that the bully prevention treÐ °tment progrÐ °m is Ð °n effective intervention for increÐ °sing teÐ °chers' knowledge of bullying intervention skills, use of bullying intervention skills, Ð °nd teÐ °chers' personÐ °l self-efficÐ °cy Ð °nd teÐ °chers' self-efficÐ °cy relÐ °ted to working with specific types of children, Ð °s well Ð °s reducing the Ð °mount of bullying in the clÐ °ssroom Ð °s meÐ °sured by teÐ °cher disciplinÐ °ry referrÐ °ls. These findings contrÐ °dict the proponents of Ð ° whole school community Ð °pproÐ °ch, suggesting thÐ °t efforts to reduce bullying behÐ °vior will be effective only if Ð ° whole school community Ð °pproÐ °ch is the intervention progrÐ °m of choice. PerhÐ °ps the teÐ °cher-trÐ °ining component of Olweus's progrÐ °m is the effective component of his work. Therefore, implementing Ð ° teÐ °cher-tÐ °rgeted psychoeducÐ °tionÐ °l progrÐ °m, Ð °s opposed to Ð ° schoolwide bully pr evention progrÐ °m, mÐ °y be more precise, cost-effective, Ð °nd time efficient. This suggests thÐ °t exposing teÐ °chers to Ð ° bully prevention trÐ °ining progrÐ °m mÐ °y be Ð °n efficient Ð °nd effective meÐ °ns not only to reduce Ð °nd prevent bullying but, more importÐ °nt, to creÐ °te Ð ° sÐ °fer leÐ °rning environment for students Ð °nd teÐ °chers.

Several topics included in the uploaded file (questions from the case Essay

Several topics included in the uploaded file (questions from the case study) - Essay Example There are many methods of investment appraisal. Each method analyses the investment in different ways. The three main methods are: ‘Payback time’, ‘Average / Annual rate of return’ and ‘Net present value (NPV)’. Payback method is used to compare various projects for a business; the project which gives the best returns is considered. It generally calculates the time taken for the return of capital invested. Similarly if the annual return rate is considered, the projects are selected based on the one providing highest annual returns. The company’s cash flow can change from time to time; thus, this method is helpful as it considers the ‘rate of returns’. Usually, there is a time lag in receiving the payment for the business done and money value might be inflated or deflated during this time lag. Hence, in the ‘Net Present Value’ or ‘Discounted Cash Flow’ method, the ‘real value’ of the mone y is considered. The returns calculated using this method is called ‘Real Return’ (Investment Appraisal, 2008). With respect to Hazlewood Sandwiches, capital investment was made for the following reasons: It was observed that people, in general, had become very busy with their existing jobs or multiple jobs and hence had very little time to cook. This was the main reason to foresee an increase the demand for sandwiches. Secondly, due to good earning and spending power of the people, they preferred to pay others to get their food prepared, rather than painstakingly cooking food themselves. This served as a time saver and therefore increased demand for readymade sandwiches. Thirdly, Hazlewood Sandwiches could provide foodstuffs with better quality than the best existing in market, promising exponential growth in market. In support to these factors, the new factory setup assured a superior production flow line which decreased the number of workers needed to move materials within the factory and helped to manage the inward movement of raw materials to outward movement of finished goods. Hence, these three reasons mainly influenced Hazlewood Sandwiches’ decision to make capital investment. Q2: Discuss the differences, advantages and disadvantages of the three investment decision techniques mentioned in the case. Investment appraisal decisions are very crucial for any company, since it involves the future of the company. Decisions have to be made between various alternative project plans which decide the next steps of the company. There are 3 techniques of investment appraisal: The first technique is ‘The Payback Method’. It directly calculates how quickly the return of the investment covers the investment on the project. Returns on investment are calculated for all the alternative projects in hand. It is based on the shortest payback period, contributing in the prevention of cash flow problems. It is known for its simplicity and ada ptability to changing technology as the cost of machinery can be recovered before the next new model is released. The disadvantage is that the returns after this period are ignored. Additionally, the real value of money is not accounted since value of money is considered directly without considering the inflation effects on money value (Business Studies online, Investment appraisal, Chapter 4a.2.2, 4a.2.3). The ‘Average Rate of Return’

The Dream Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dream Job - Essay Example Hip-hop music involves rapping and ‘MC-ing’, terms that were coined in the 1970s to describe the action of rhythmically uttering a certain set of lyrics following certain beats. Usually, rapping has stood the test of time in describing what hip-hop artists do, an attribute that makes their music outstanding (Hess 56). Evidently, rapping is distinctly different from singing, and requires a level of talent and creativity. In other cases, hip-hop artist may wrap some stanzas of a song and then sing the chorus. Rapping has certain choreographic moves that accompany the rhythmical lyrics. Evidently, hip-hop musicians must exhibit expertise in performance and demonstrate the ability to create a fan base and be able to entertain them. Music plays a critical role of entertaining although a percentage of the audience considers the theme of the lyrics. The job responsibilities of a hip-hop artist may be tasking because they include composition of the lyrics, choice of the appropriate moves, design, and pattern of the choreographic moves, audio and video production, performance at different concerts, and marketing trips (Hess 87). Composition of the lyrics is the initial stage in any music genre. This needs talent because the artist must exhibit expertise of putting together rhythmical words. An artist may also rely on the composition of another individual, while paying royalties as dictated by the legal requirements. Different instruments are used in the production of the beats with the expertise of the producer. An artist requires choreography classes in order to have moves that conform to the lyrics and the beats (Katz 67). With the help of the producer, an artist can record an audio version of the music. Videoproduction is more demanding and requires an entire crew on board. Performance at different concerts requires energy and enthusiasm as it involves direct interactions with fans. Developing a musical

Multiple Topics to Choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple Topics to Choose - Essay Example In the story, she happened to host the Earl of Beresford, a passenger from Canada, who got caught in her beauty to the extent, that he proposed her. Despite being an average girl with nothing materialistic to take pride in, she would refuse the proposal of any lad accoutered with utmost richness and wealth just like a princess, though she had completely different and unique reasons for doing so. â€Å"No princess of the blood could have been more stalely, self-possessed and politely determined to keep one at a distance† (Stowe 123). Although she was a house girl and did not have interaction with strangers in her unmarried life, yet she was brave and bold enough to have argument with a stranger like the Earl of Beresford. She refused to marry the Earl of Beresford because she could not feel attracted to all the fantasies he attempted to make her realize being his wife. Her priorities in life were far from materialism. She believed in succeeding through struggle. She would not t ake success for granted. She was determined and consistent. That was why, she had complete confidence in George. Mary was portrayed by Stowe as a character that had no materialistic proof to have faith in George but her own confidence and determination. Moved by her encouragement and confidence in him, George struggled and ultimately became a minister. All credit went to her. She married him. Conversion of an ordinary man into an American Minister is indeed, an achievement. This tells how important role women play in building an educated, learned and civilized society. Harriet Beecher Stowe has portrayed woman as having equipped with extreme courage, bravery, boldness and determination that contrasts with her intrinsic beauty and delicacy. The fundamental cause of George’s success was Mary. This tells that a woman keeps all the potential to cause a big change in the society remaining within the premises

Implication Of The Use Of The Triple Bottom Line Approach In The Essay

Implication Of The Use Of The Triple Bottom Line Approach In The Events Industry - Essay Example This led to the formation of the Triple Bottom Line Approach. The Triple Bottom Line Approach is also known as the ‘people-planet-profit’ approach. As the name suggests, this approach says that a company must have three different bottom lines (or net earnings). 1. The People Bottom Line: This is meant to show how socially responsible the company has been towards the people it is associated with. Its employees, stakeholders and any other person that comes in contact with the organization in its operations. (economist.com 2009) 2. The Planet Bottom Line: As the world is more environment conscious right now and all know that our resources are coming to an end, a lot of focus is given on how much effort the company put into trying to give back to the environment. Recycling, rainwater harvesting, treating waste water, sensible disposal of harmful chemicals, and so on are some of the ways in which companies today are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. (economist.com 2009 ) 3. The Profit Bottom Line: This is the traditional corporate bottom line of a company’s monetary profit or loss in the financial year. It is usually in the form of a Profit and Loss Account and is easier to judge than the other two aspects of the Triple Bottom Line Approach since it is numerical. The other two are not so simple to judge in comparison. (economist.com 2009) If we think about it, the Triple Bottom Line Approach is a very good way to judge the actual profit of an organization because it even judges the humane aspects of an organization’s functioning. Having a big figure in the profits column does not mean that the company has prospered. In today’s day and age of environmental crises, it is essential to give back to the planet. Also, it is essential to make sure that all the people associated with the organization’s success are able to say they are happy to be a part of the organization. Event: Spanish Bullfighting Spanish Bullfighting is an event that has met with a lot of opposition in the past. It was started in 711 A.D. to celebrate the crowning of King Alfonso VIII. The sport was originally played on horseback, but when King Felipe V banned it in 1724 citing it was a bad example to set on the public, people started fighting bulls on foot, for the simple reason that they could not afford horses. (spain-info.com) Spanish Bullfighting takes place mainly in three stages. 1. Stage 1 - Tercio de Varas or third of lances This is the first stage that is mainly a testing stage. In this, the matador and his team mainly do many passes to check on the mood of the bull so that they can plan the rest of their strategy. One must note that that matador doesn’t enter the bullfight alone. (donquijote.org). He is accompanied by a team of people on foot and horseback that assists him. Here they try various ways to weaken the bull and also test to find out what is the bull’s favorable side and so on. They also try variou s means to ensure that the bull is weakened enough to hang his head down for the rest of the fight. (donquijote.org).This is a very essential step in a bullfight. 2. Stage 2 - Tercio de banderillas or third of flags In the second stage, the matador’s helpers try to stab the bull in its shoulders. This not only weakens the bull but also angers him very much and makes him charge with all his might at the bullfighters. (donquijote.org).This stage is designed to weaken the bul

Recidivism in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recidivism in America - Research Paper Example Despite all these suggestions as the reason for the crimes, there still is an escalating prison system with no relief in sight (Clear, Resig & Cole, 2010, p4) Recidivism A 2002 study survey showed that among 275,000 prisoners that were set free in 1994, 67.5% were arrested within the next 3 years, and 51.8% were back in prison (Langan el at, 2002, p 26). The study found no evidence that spending more time in the prison raises the recidivism rate and those that serve the longest time had a slightly lower rate of arrest than every other category of prisoners (Clear, Resig & Cole, 2006, p 3). This is likely explained by the older average age of those released with the longest sentences. The study shows a strong negative correlation between recidivism and age upon release. Recidivism is, for that reason, a culture of both the young and the old. The prisoners commit the same offenses after their release because the causes of their arrest ignored before they are set free from the prisons o r they lack proper rehabilitation while they are in prison. Comparison Of Recidivism In America With Other Countries The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world (743 per 100,000 populations). Russia takes the second position with a high rate of (577 per 100,000); followed by Rwanda (561 per 100,000). By comparison; the incarceration rate in England and Wales; October 2011 was 155 people imprisoned per 100,000 residents. The rate for Norway in May 2010 was 71 inmates per 100,000; Netherlands in April 2010 was 94 per 100,000; Australia in June 2010 was 133 per 100,000 and New Zealand in October 2010 was 203 per 100,000 (New York Times section A, 2008, p 1). Comparisons give a reduction according to the countries listing above. Still it is the length of sentences that truly distinguishes American prison policy, the mere number of sentences imposed would not place the United States at the top of the incarceration lists. If the lists were compiled based o n annual admissions to prison per capita, several European countries would outpace the United States (New York Times section A, 2008, p 1). Causes Of Recidivism In America, the rate of incarceration has increased dramatically. Prisons have been full to capacity with deplorable conditions and long lasting side effects of inmates, their families and communities in New York. In many prisons, the crimes continue on the inside and further affect outside crimes related activities. The main reasons for this increment include social environment, peer pressure, family structure, state-level policies and lack of employment opportunities (Scott 2010, p 4). However, other things that need to be relied are the individual’s circumstances before incarceration, things that happen before they are incarcerated and the period after they are released from prison. Both immediate and long-term considerations will put poverty and difficulties as the main reason for the causes of recidivism. Drug Ab use Treatment And Recidivism The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between drug use and recidivism among criminals and to consider how generalized drug treatment participation and completion further affect this relationship. Among researchers and policy makers, a consensus reveals drug use as linked to criminal behavior and recidivism. Further, drug treatment reduces the chances of recidivism (Mackenzie, 1997). On average, 65% of individuals who

Implication Of The Use Of The Triple Bottom Line Approach In The Essay

Implication Of The Use Of The Triple Bottom Line Approach In The Events Industry - Essay Example This led to the formation of the Triple Bottom Line Approach. The Triple Bottom Line Approach is also known as the ‘people-planet-profit’ approach. As the name suggests, this approach says that a company must have three different bottom lines (or net earnings). 1. The People Bottom Line: This is meant to show how socially responsible the company has been towards the people it is associated with. Its employees, stakeholders and any other person that comes in contact with the organization in its operations. (economist.com 2009) 2. The Planet Bottom Line: As the world is more environment conscious right now and all know that our resources are coming to an end, a lot of focus is given on how much effort the company put into trying to give back to the environment. Recycling, rainwater harvesting, treating waste water, sensible disposal of harmful chemicals, and so on are some of the ways in which companies today are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. (economist.com 2009 ) 3. The Profit Bottom Line: This is the traditional corporate bottom line of a company’s monetary profit or loss in the financial year. It is usually in the form of a Profit and Loss Account and is easier to judge than the other two aspects of the Triple Bottom Line Approach since it is numerical. The other two are not so simple to judge in comparison. (economist.com 2009) If we think about it, the Triple Bottom Line Approach is a very good way to judge the actual profit of an organization because it even judges the humane aspects of an organization’s functioning. Having a big figure in the profits column does not mean that the company has prospered. In today’s day and age of environmental crises, it is essential to give back to the planet. Also, it is essential to make sure that all the people associated with the organization’s success are able to say they are happy to be a part of the organization. Event: Spanish Bullfighting Spanish Bullfighting is an event that has met with a lot of opposition in the past. It was started in 711 A.D. to celebrate the crowning of King Alfonso VIII. The sport was originally played on horseback, but when King Felipe V banned it in 1724 citing it was a bad example to set on the public, people started fighting bulls on foot, for the simple reason that they could not afford horses. (spain-info.com) Spanish Bullfighting takes place mainly in three stages. 1. Stage 1 - Tercio de Varas or third of lances This is the first stage that is mainly a testing stage. In this, the matador and his team mainly do many passes to check on the mood of the bull so that they can plan the rest of their strategy. One must note that that matador doesn’t enter the bullfight alone. (donquijote.org). He is accompanied by a team of people on foot and horseback that assists him. Here they try various ways to weaken the bull and also test to find out what is the bull’s favorable side and so on. They also try variou s means to ensure that the bull is weakened enough to hang his head down for the rest of the fight. (donquijote.org).This is a very essential step in a bullfight. 2. Stage 2 - Tercio de banderillas or third of flags In the second stage, the matador’s helpers try to stab the bull in its shoulders. This not only weakens the bull but also angers him very much and makes him charge with all his might at the bullfighters. (donquijote.org).This stage is designed to weaken the bul

Housing Crisis in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Housing Crisis in the USA - Essay Example Alan Greenspan, as the leader of the Federal Bank definitely had a stake in this and in fact, he and his team seemed to have too much faith in the theory of an efficient market that is able to regulate itself (Shiller 89). Yet, these ideas of a perfect market where competition in the context of demand and supply is supposed to create market equilibrium are fundamentally flawed. In such cases where deregulation occurs, it is always likely that there will be a time when the market will collapse under its own pressure. The increasing income inequality is a major factor that led to the housing crisis. Increasing poverty in America meant that many households are not able to have the proper income to own a house and this led to the creation of a huge market niche that the banks could not ignore. These people who make the greater majority of the pupation in the United States had to achieve the American dream of owning a house, yet they did not have the means because they could not access the normal mortgages. When banks, through the freedom afforded them by deregulation, discovered this niche, they started giving subprime mortgages. The subprime mortgages were a high-risk venture and as would be expected, they ended up having a negative impact on the economy because many of these subprime customers ended up defaulting on their mortgage repayments. In this case of the housing crisis and the adverse situations that followed, everyone is to blame in a different kind of way. The banks were to blame for being careless and also for misleading people to believe that these products (subprime mortgages) were good for them. People seem to trust banks very much and always believe that anything these banks offer is without any hidden agenda. When banks offered the subprime mortgages, it was easy for these people to believe that it was safe to engage in the investments. The individuals are also to blame because their greed overshadowed their rationality.  

Why Marching Band Should Be Considered a Sport Essay Example for Free

Why Marching Band Should Be Considered a Sport Essay There may be as many as 500+ members in a marching band, each having their own part that inter-locks with the 499 others. I believe marching band should be considered a sport. Everyone must be incredibly coordinated and precise. The band as a whole, and individually must practice. Then theres all the physical stresses that you have to overcome. Coordination plays a key roll in marching. A lot of teamwork goes into it as well. All the musicians have to play in the right key, stay in step, and stay musically in time or else the entire show could be compromised. Memorizing game plays is a large roll in football and other team sports, same with band. You must remember the basic notes, key signatures, and various other musical symbols. Then there are the hundreds of sets, or where and when you have to be on the field during the show. Just one person off can throw off the entire form or melody. Athletes selected for the Olympics have trained for almost all their lives for their event. In Bellevue Wests marching training, we have a two week period of living hell, aka band camp. You basically do nothing but eat, sleep, and think band during the two hottest weeks of the entire summer. Mr. Haugen, our band director, pushes hard and some break down and quit, but in the end, the majority of the group is remaining. All thats left now is a well oiled machine, just like any sports team. I only hinted how physically demanding this â€Å"extra-curricular activity† actually is. You must carry an instrument exactly level while marching, and all your body wants to do is bounce up and down like loose luggage. Then if youre a sousaphone, like me, you have around 45-50 lb. ushing down on your shoulder as you try to elevate yourself as high as possible, as to follow correct marching form. Then you must remember that half your air as you march down the field, goes to playing your instrument. If thats not enough, youre also trapped in a dark, thick fabric uniform, squeezing the last whistles of your breath from your lungs. It may be only for 15 minutes, but even track athletes get breaks in-between events. In those god-forsaken uniforms, that quarter hour feels like centuries. For some odd reason, people have the idea that its easy to play in motion, its anything but! You must have incredible music-making skills, especially considering your bouncing up and down as you sometimes run to get to your spot. Sports are very physically strenuous and demanding, so is marching. Sports teams practice all year long to get ready to compete, we only the summer and a few weeks into school. Each individual plays such a key role in the tone and appearance of the band, its unreal. Marching band isnt just a bunch of nerds and fat guys playing tubas. Its a tight-knit brotherhood of strength and skill. Like football, if you are not in the right spot, you arent scoring the touchdown.

Economic Globalization And Offshore Sourcing Management Essay

Economic Globalization And Offshore Sourcing Management Essay In tune with increased economic globalization and offshore sourcing, global supply chain management is becoming a vital subject for many businesses and Somerset Furniture is one of the companies facing the challenges when set up its global supply chain. The business strategy constitutes overall direction to achieve corporate objectives and goals in long term, but supply chain strategy focuses on driving down operational costs, streamlining procedures and maximizing efficiencies. However, most companies have wonderful business strategies but most of them are unlikely designed a seamless supply chain strategy which can result in great failure when doing business overseas. In this case study, Somersets current approach to manage its supply chain resulted in poor business performance, the visible hazards and other negative factors frustrated Somerset included poor logistics management, ineffective order system and inventory management as well as inconsistency of product quality. In adopting a value chain, Somerset must incorporate and execute a robust supply chain management strategy for best-fit suppliers selection, further establish on how to work with supply partners, distributors, suppliers, customers or even customers customers as a way to remain competitive. Otherwise, the company will not survive. As the marketplace changes rapidly and becomes very competitive, it is critical that Somerset reinforces existing relationships and work together internally and externally. That being said, a well-practiced supply chain strategy results in value creation for the whole organization. In a nutshell, supply chains have shifted from a cost focus to a customer focus, until currently to a strategic focus, scrutinizing the success of a strategy is just as good as the companys capabilities to fully and properly execute all. A great supply chain strategic approach, connected with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in crisis but also its partners and customers. 1. Introduction Somerset Furniture is an established ornate residential home wood furniture company with over 50 years history in USA, renowned for producing quality and affordable furniture with a practical range of innovative design. To cope with the fast growing U.S. market, Somerset has developed its marketing strategy by introducing new product lines every few years and successfully gained creditable reputation during the last half of the twentieth century. The company was a pioneer in furniture manufacturing processes and in applying TQM principles to furniture manufacturing. However, Somerset soon faced with thorny problems emerging in mid-1990s, such as stiffer competition, high labour rates, diminishing profits. As a result, the company downsized the domestic manufacturing facility and labour force through outsourcing several internal furniture product lines to China manufacturers, this led to be very successful in reducing costs and increasing profits initially. By 2000, Somerset closed entire manufacturing facility in the United States and outsourced all of its manufacturing to suppliers in China and then set up global supply chain, at which a series of chain-reacting problems raised and affected business. The primary focus of this paper is to find out outsourcing solution and rectify the global supply chain strategy to be very competitive. The evaluation of Somersets approach on managing current supply chain both from strategic and tactical viewpoint will be addressed in Chapter 2. The subsequent Chapter 3 and 4 respectively describes the new strategic supply chain approach and then explains the transformational requirements for changing Somerset supply chain effectively and efficiently. The conclusion will be made in Chapter 5 outlining the study points for readers. Evaluation of Somerset Furniture Companys Approach to Managing Supply Chain from both strategic and tactical viewpoints. Somersets Existing Global Supply Chain Process Map Figure 2.1 Somersets Global Supply Chain Logistic Flowchart Source: Adapted from Fawcett, Ellram and Ogden (2007, p.218) Foreign Competition While Somerset formulated a good strategic marketing plan for continually launching new product lines every few years during half of the twentieth century, simultaneously, experienced the positive effects of applying the TQM in its furniture manufacturing and popularly is known as high-quality yet affordable wooden furniture provider in domestic market. However, since the mid-1990s, the company suffered from the stiffer competition, high labour rate and decreasing profits. To get out of this situation, Somerset started outsourcing several furniture product lines to China that helped benefit from cost-effective and reduced operating costs. Another strategy was reducing the manufacturing facility and labour force, to keep the low costs in line with the pace of outsourcing. It was very successful initially in reducing costs and increasing profits for the company. By 2000, Somerset decided to set up global supply chain and closed entire manufacturing facility in the United States by outsourcing all of its manufacturing to suppliers in China. Shipments of Raw Materials and Inconsistency of Product Quality Somersets global supply chain facilitates the wood shipments from the United States and South America to manufacturing plants in China. This shipment itinerary takes a long time to arrive China, therell be unexpected delays for processing shipment which incurs customer complaints and orders cancellation. Despite of long shipping time, the costs of shipment to the final destination and the raw material from US and South America are apparently high that reduced the profits. As the manufacturing plants employed Chinese workers to produce products by hand in China, it will cause discrepancies in product dimension and quality. Customers would ask for exchange or refund as the quality is not assured by hand-made. Poor Distribution Network and Transportation Management The finished furniture products are shipped by containers from Hong Kong or Shanghai to Norfolk, Virginia, once arrived, the containers are transported by truck to Somerset warehouses in Randolph Country, where all of retailers stores located and installed the furniture to prevent from damage during transport. Ineffective Order Management It is found that therere some critical flaws exist internally within Somersets global supply chain on its order processing and fulfillment system. Somerset processes orders weekly and biweekly and it takes 7-14 days to developing demand forecast and 12 -25 days for processing order which amount totally 22 to 45 days for purchase order to eventually complete. It requires another 60 days to produce product by hand when going into production. Poor Transportation Management As required by Chinese logistics, all finished furniture items have to be transported from the manufacturing plants to Chinese ports, which can take up to several weeks depending on trucking availability and schedules. Since 9/11, random security checks of containers will delay shipment for another one to three weeks and the trip overseas to Norfolk takes 28 days. Hence, from China to Norfolk port, it can take more than two months delivery time. Thereafter, clearing US customs can take another one to two weeks before local workers take another 1-3 days to unload containers and transfer the furniture onto truck to Somersets warehouse in Randolph County. Ineffective Inventory Management The variability of supply chain estimated is up to 40% for schedule deferment. Due to Somersets innovative conception to introducing new products frequently, it resulted in substantial excess inventories left over in warehouse where the obsolete furniture occupy precious space and increase high disposal and storage costs. Somerset proudly stands behind its products and customers can get a warranty period of 1 year from the date of purchase. It brought a serious problem for parts replacement, because China supplier is only able to provide these parts which are in production, but most of the parts are not produced anymore after 1-year guarantee period. Poor Product Quality Although quality auditors are employed by Chinese suppliers to perform quality audit every few weeks, Somerset still encounters several quality issues. Consequently, Somerset has to inspect every piece of furniture it receives from China due to retailers and customers complaints. 3. Development Justification of New Strategic Supply Chain Approach to be used by Somerset Foreign Competition Owing to fierce competition, Somerset has to close its entire US manufacturing facility and outsource all of its manufacturing to China to reduce costs and increases profits for the company. Outsourcing has become a common strategy that is adopted by all US companies and managing supply chains has now become a trend due to globalisation. It is felt that Somerset should have an outsourcing strategy which will continue to evaluate alternate low-cost furniture manufacturing plants around Asia or other regions. Depending on just low-cost China manufacturers which product its products by hand may not be a viable long term solution for its overall corporate or supply chain strategy. 3.2 Shipment of Raw Materials Consistency of Product Quality Somersets shipment of wood from the United States and South America to manufacturing plants in China is a costly and time-consuming process. Raw materials should be sourced from within China or from neighbouring countries around manufacturing facility to ensure low cost and better efficiency in materials movement. The China manufacturing plant produced all furniture products by hand, which is not only time-consuming, taking 60 days to finished the production, but also cause inconsistency of products quality. It is thus recommended that China manufacturing plant be ISO9000 certified, to provide Quality Assurance and invest in partial or fully automated machine to manufacture some of these furniture products so as to cut down the production lead-time and provide better consistency in products quality. In the meantime, the leader should take action of outsourcing another manufacturer in China to replace the current one, because the current plant may not have enough capital to purchase all necessary expensive equipment. Furthermore, the conversion from undeveloped factory to a qualified lean manufacturing facility cannot take place in one day since it is viewed as a long term transformation. Therefore, Somerset should outsource the production base to other China furniture manufacturing facilities, which comprise the following competencies: Lean manufacturing system implementation Lean manufacturing results in significant cost savings over a two to three year period. Specifically, manufacturing companies report significant reduction in raw materials, in-process inventories, setup costs, throughput times, direct labor costs, indirect labor costs, staff, overdue orders, tooling costs, quality costs, and the cost of bringing new designs on line (Swamidass 2002) ISO9000 certification Flexibility (refers to modification, design, machine, production lines and time flexibilities) Capacity (in terms of space, labor, equipment, IT and materials) 3.3 Better Distribution Network Transportation Management According to Chopra Meindl (2010), with regards to movement of products from factory to customer, there are six distinct distribution network designs for company to select one of them, as shown below: Manufacturer storage with direct shipping Manufacturer storage with direct shipping and in-transit merge Distributor storage with package carrier delivery Distributor storage with last-mile delivery Manufacturer/distributor storage with customer pickup Retail storage with customer pickup Somerset can select one of above distribution network to help in improving its distribution network. Choosing the manufacturer storage with direct shipping will help to eliminate the movement of furniture from Somerset warehouse to retail stores. This will have the advantages of better customers experience and lower inventory costs. Installation of hardware can therefore also be done at customers house instead of at retail stores. However, it has the disadvantages of higher transportation costs (because of increased distance and disaggregate shipping) and requiring investment in information infrastructure to integrate manufacturer and retailer. Another improvement in transportation is to eliminate export of raw materials from US to China by sourcing these materials from China or its neighbouring countries. This not only saves transportation time but also costs of materials. Purchasing department of Somerset will thus have the task to source for these new raw materials around Asia. 3.4 Effective Order Management The order processing and fulfillment system in Somersets global supply chain is too long and it is suspected that Somerset and Chinese manufacturing plant may not have the necessary information technology to enable the rapid sharing of demand and supply data. Per Harrison Hoek (2002), they mention that integration of demand and supply data so that an increasingly accurate picture is obtained about the nature of business processes, markets and consumers, can provide increasing competitive advantage. Figure 3.1 shows a conceptual model of how supply chain processes (supply, source, make, distribute and sell) are integrated together in order to meet end customer demand (cited by Harrison Hoek 2002, p.14): Figure 3.1 Integrating demand and supply chains Source: Harrison Hoek (2002, p.14) Another solution is to ensure that Somerset utilizes software for order processing which will automatically route for approval and issue purchase order in an efficient manner. There should also be policy in place to ensure that the approval routes are short and approving manager does not take too long to approve it. 3.5 Better Transportation Management Apparently, the Chinese logistics arrangement, depending on trucking availability and containers, causes wide times variability in shipment of finished furniture items from China ports to Norfolk. It is really critical for Somerset to have a good logistics/transportation manager to understand the root causes, select work with the Chinese suppliers to reduce this time and wide-variability to avoid delay shipment to customers. Langley et al. (2009) recommends proactive management approach to identify and solve transportation problems by reducing the number of carriers, negotiating with carriers, establishing carrier contracts with prescribed service levels, and modifying loading procedures. Hence, Somerset can negotiate and establish new contracts with Chinese suppliers or carriers to ensure that the finished products can depart China ports consistently at a shorter lead-time. In fact, Somerset should establish contracts with all transportation modes to ensure the required transportation service level and lead-times predictability. Other means of improvement and cost-effectiveness can be done through consolidating shipments and monitoring transportation service quality. 3.6 Effective Inventory Management It is highly recommended that Somerset adopts Just-In-Time (JIT) and Lean thinking concepts, as discussed by Harrison Hoek (2002), that can reduce delay, waste and inventory costs. Long-standing approaches to material control, such as reorder point stock control (ROP), economic order quantities (EOQ) and material requirements planning (MRP) can be made far more responsive by the application of JIT principle whereas lean thinking seeks perfection by gradually reducing waste from each of below four areas: Specifying value from the customer perspective Identifying the value stream ( through time-based mapping) Making the product flow through the supply network (by applying JIT principles) Letting the customer pull (through pull scheduling) Somerset may also adopt vendor-managed inventory (VMI) where it takes responsibility for monitoring sales and inventory in the retailers process. This information is used to trigger replenishment orders. As VMI is facilitated by willingness to share data, the use of integrated systems, and standard procedures, it is made more difficult by such factors as long replenishment lead times, inaccurate data, and unwillingness by either party to invest in systems support. Murphy Wood (2008) highlights tracking technology, radio-frequency identification (RFID) to keep track of inventory, which can further improve the efficiency in the supply chain network. 3.7 Better Product Quality The fact that Somerset has to inspect every piece of furniture it receives from China proves that China manufacturing plant must be ISO9000 certified and implement Quality Assurance System in-house. In addition, this will avoid the need to get quality auditors who are employed by Chinese suppliers to perform quality audit. A Quality Improvement Team should be formed in the China manufacturing plant and be trained so as to improve quality on a continual-basis. Somerset can also assist in the implementation of lean manufacturing for its outsourced China manufacturing plant or introduce Lean Six Sigma methodology to effectively control the process for better consistency in products quality. The requirements for the successful implementation of lean manufacturing, as per Swamidass (2002), are: All levels in the plant, from the production worker to the president must be educated in lean production philosophy and concepts. Top management must be totally committed to this venture and provide necessary leadership. Everyone must be involved in the change, and the internal customer must be empowered to play a vital role in this evolutional process. Everyone in the plant must understand that cost, not price, determines profit. The customer determines price, the plant determines the cost. Everyone must be committed to the elimination of waste. This is fundamental for becoming lean. The concept of standardization must be taught to everyone and applied to documentation, methods, processes as well as system metrics. 4. Evaluation Transformation Required In order to change the Somersets Supply Chain Philosophy from its traditionally position of functional independence to an integrated single entity, top management of Somerset has to ensure that conflicting functional objectives along the supply chain are reconciled and balanced. According to Barnes (2001), supply chain management requires a new approach to systems: integration is the key. Somerset must better manage its supply chain effectively through adapting the six building blocks for effective supply chain management (Harrison Hoek 2002) as follows: Develop a supply chain strategy Elements to be incorporated are: Customer service requirements Plant and distribution centre network design Inventory management Outsourcing and third-party logistics relationships Business processes Organizational design and training requirements Performance metrics and goals Gather supply chain information Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to facilitate the flow of information across their organization Develop effective partnerships and alliances Collaborative approach with key suppliers and customers for better decisions in procurement, production, inventory and fulfillment. Pilot new supply chain solutions Piloting initiatives on a small scale reduces risk and can encourage buy-in from others within the organization or supply chain. Elements to be included in any pilot projects are: Involvement of key stakeholders, suppliers, customers and employees. Selection of scope and environment Identification of critical success factors Organise for supply chain performance Organisational change for cross-functional instead of functionally based structures. Develop measurement system for supply chain performance Cross-supply chain instead of function focused measures: On time in full, outbound On time in full, inbound Internal defect rates New product introduction rate Cost reduction Order to delivery lead time Fiscal flexibility Somerset can also consider the proposal by Heinrich Betts (2003) to transform companys supply chain into adaptive business network. This new business model joins companies as partners, into an adaptable and flexible set of business relationships such that each company is able to respond more swiftly into changing market conditions and leverage the networks cumulative ability to: Plan and anticipate demand and supply. Execute plans efficiently and effectively. Sense events that affect the plans as those events occur, and analyze them for impact. Respond to and learn from ever-changing business conditions. Somerset can then move to an adaptive business network in four steps, as in Figure 4.1: Figure 4.1 The Four Steps of an Adaptive Business Network Step 1 Visibility: Sharing of information with partner companies. Many routine business processes with partners standardized. Information posted for common view on portal. Greater insight into business process and data accuracy problems. Step 2 Community: Moving day-to-day transactions to the portal. Establishment of minimum and maximum control thresholds. Reduction of inventory. Time savings via mechanizing transactions. Step 3 Collaboration: Sharing of customer demand data with members. Targeted replenishment of supplies. Responsibility transferred to supply replenishment vendors. Ability to reallocate inventory to fulfill maximum number of orders. Step 4 Adaptability: Time required for many tasks greatly decreased. Many tasks completely eliminated. Inventory and working capital dramatically reduced. New alliances, products, and revenue opportunities possible. Source: Heinrich Betts (2003, p.80) Harrison Hoek (2002) illustrates a number of transitional forces that need to be harnessed to give momentum to the change project, as structured in Figure 4.2 below: Figure 4.2 Transition forces Source: Harrison Hoek (2002, p.267) These 5 forces are described briefly as follows: Viability of current performance level Consider in light of market changes such as: Demographics Time-stressed customers One-to-one marketing The marketplace becomes the marketspace Perceived pay-off benefits from targeted performance Reap the potential benefits of e-business and benchmarking of improvement projects to quantify the potential benefits of making a change. Belief and enthusiasm Ability of project manager to communicate belief in the change process with enthusiasm. Ability to manage change Ability to plan the change, organizing the resources needed to make the change and managing the application of those resources in order to achieve the necessary outcome. Ability to operate in the new environment People in the organization must have the right skills, tools and techniques to operate the new process. The management of the new process will require a new set of performance measures to be in place so that its efficiency and effectiveness can be assessed. Specifically, there are several action items that are required to progressively (from Stage 1 to 3) change Somersets supply chain network to be effective and efficient, as illustrated in Table 4.1 below: Table 4.1 Action Items Required To Change Somersets Supply Chain Network Item Action Item Action To Be Taken Remarks 1 Foreign Competition Outsourced to China manufacturing plants Re-evaluate its capabilitycapacity Done 2 Shipment of Raw Materials from US Source raw materials in neighbouring countries of China Stage 1 3 Poor Distribution Network Manufacturer storage with direct shipping to customers Stage 3 4 Ineffective Order Management Integrating demand and supply data using technology Stage 2 5 Poor Transportation Management Re-negotiate new contracts with all transportation modes Stage 2 6 Ineffective Inventory Management Implement JIT approach and pull system scheduling Stage 3 7 Poor Product Quality Get China manufacturing plant ISO9000 certified Stage 1 However, the implementation of change in business is often frustrating and difficult, particularly in supply chains as it has to be undertaken in a coordinated manner across and between several organizations. It is therefore important to gain agreement from the top level of all companies involved before wide-scale changes can be made. 5. Conclusion In this case study, Somersets approach to manage its supply chain resulted in poor business performance. The visible hazards and other negative factors frustrated Somerset included poor logistics management, ineffective order system and inventory management as well as inconsistency of product quality. In adopting a value chain, Somerset must incorporate and execute a robust supply chain management strategy for best-fit suppliers selection, further establish on how to work with supply partners, distributors, suppliers, customers or even customers customers as a way to remain competitive. Otherwise, the company will not survive. In addition, top management of Somerset has to lead and motivate not only all internal functional teams, but also external suppliers and partners, to work as an integrated entity in the new strategic supply chain network, so as to achieve the overall corporate objectives. In a nutshell, supply chains have shifted from a cost focus to a customer focus, until currently to a strategic focus, scrutinizing the success of a strategy is just as good as the companys capabilities to fully and properly execute all. A great supply chain strategic approach, connected with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in crisis but also its partners and customers.

Research Paper on Pakistan :: essays research papers

PAKISTAN I chose to do my research on the customs and lifestyles of Pakistan and their people. It took me quite a while to get in contact with someone who lives there, but once I finally did, I made a friend for life! I was very curious how the Pakistani’s felt about Americans, and if I could get an honest answer from someone there. My friend â€Å"Hussain† assured me that although there are extremists, just as there are everywhere, who take their hatred for America, and for any other country that they feel â€Å"threatened† by, and use it to destroy innocent peoples lives. For instance, like the suicide bombers that we hear of so often, they would be considered â€Å"extremists†. As far as the â€Å"common people† as Hussain put it, they understand that our government (meaning President Bush and his administration) is doing what must be done in order to protect the citizens and/or the â€Å"common people† of America. I didn’t have as much time to correspond with Hussain before this research paper was due, as I would have liked too, I look forward to continue learning about the lifestyles and customs there. It’s amazing to learn how different people’s lives are depending on what culture they live in. I had so many questions for Hussain, but I was also afraid that I would overstep my boundaries by asking certain questions, therefore I tried to be very careful in the way I worded things. It’s very easy to tell even through an e-mail that he has a very distinct accent, however, he does speak good English. He told me that he was married and had 3 children. He was born in Sindh, Pakistan, which I later found out that Sindh is a â€Å"State† like â€Å"Oklahoma†. He got his education and graduated in 1991. (He did not say whether or not that meant high school, or college) He was married in 1994, through an arranged marriage. His parents picked out this young lad y for him, and he said that through time, he did learn to love her very much, and that he was grateful to have a â€Å"success story†. He did say, however, that his wife was NOT educated, and therefore it was difficult for her to do anything, as far as working, outside the home. She stays home with the children. His oldest son is in the 3rd grade, and the younger two have not yet started school.

Managing Change in Complex Environment Essay

History and Background Introduction The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government organization that generates income through mail services. It is currently the second largest civilian employer in the United States. Its primary task is to deliver mail around the country, at a standard price, regardless of geographic location. Over the last two centuries, the USPS has evolved into an efficient organization that financially sustains itself through its delivery operations. With a monopoly on the delivery of non-urgent mail, the USPS provides delivery service of about 40 percent of the world’s mail, or approximately 200 billion pieces of mail annually. Starting in the 1990s, the USPS faced increased competition from rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the Internet. Presently the USPS is facing a financial collapse. The USPS needs to undergo an essential and systematic change in order to maintain its significance in the 21st century. History/Background On July 26, 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed a Postmaster General giving birth to the Postal Department of the United States. The mission of the U.S. Postal Department was much the same as today, process and deliver first class and non-urgent mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. Congress passed various laws that grant the post office a â€Å"statutory monopoly† on non-urgent First Class Mail and the exclusive right to put mail in private mailboxes. Although these laws grant the USPS a market advantaged they also restrict its ability to compete with rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the technological innovations. How it got started The Post Office Department has origins in America dating back to the 17th century, when there was a need for mail between colonial settlements and intercontinental exchange of information with England. In 1775, the Continental Congress named Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general and chairman of a committee empowered to make recommendations for the establishment of a postal service. On September 22, 1789 the post office became a new government branch of the United States. At this time there were 75 post offices and approximately 2,000 miles of post roads. The USPS was critical to national welfare and pivotal in facilitating communications for military, congressional representation and newspapers. From the very beginning, the USPS financed operations from revenue it earned and Congress gave it a monopoly to be the only courier service to deliver mail. Key points in evolution The main focus and the efforts of postal officials from the foundation of the Post Office to the present day have been finding the best methods of transporting information and directing mail. For example, in 1791 George Washington stated that that the importance of the postal routes had increased because the country wanted to distribute knowledge of governmental laws. Also, between 1791 and 1861, the U.S increased from 3.9 million to 31.4 million square miles and postal roads grew from 1,875 to 240,595 miles. The Board of Governors of the USPS sets policy, procedure, and postal rates for services rendered. Of the eleven members of the Board, nine are appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate. The nine appointed members then select the Postmaster General, who serves as the board’s tenth member, and who oversees the day to day activities of the service as Chief Executive Officer. The ten-member board then nominates a Deputy Postmaster General, who acts as Chief Operating Officer, to the eleventh and last remaining open seat. The USPS is often mistaken as a government organization but it is legally defined as an â€Å"independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States.† Environmental context The external environment elements that significantly influence the USPS are the United States political system, workforce unions, changing technology and market forces. United States Political System In 1970 the U.S. Postal Department evolved into the USPS through the implementation of the Postal Reorganization act. This act required the USPS to be a â€Å"self-sufficient organization within the U.S. Government†. It also added an additional regulatory body into its chain of command, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), but did not make any modification to the Postal Department’s Board of Directors or regulatory congressional statutes. The USPS Board of directors is charged with directing the USPS through the control of expenditures, reviewing practices, long term planning and setting policies and service standards. The PRC has 5 commissioners, appointed through the executive branch and confirmed by the Senate, who have the authority to reject, modify and approve any USPS initiated congressional recommendations. Since congress alone retains the authority to change USPS’ rates, service frequency and employee benefits, any market related changes from the Board of directors is routed through the PRC and congress for consideration. Pressure from Unions There are 4 unions representing around 90% of the USPS workforce: National Association of Letter Carriers, American Postal Workers, National Rural Letters Carriers Association and National Postal Mail Handlers Union. These organizations have successfully contracted collective bargaining agreements for its members for compensation and benefits that have come to exceed the USPS’ ability to maintain with its current revenues. These labor unions are very influential in weighing in on most of the decisions that affect the well-being of the USPS labor force. Presently USPS employees enjoy 79% coverage of their health care costs; the most of any federal agency. Strategic challenge Over the years the USPS has transformed its operating model and is now set up and mandated to operate like a business entity generating its revenue through the sale of postal products and services. The largest issue with the current business model of the postal service is its lack of flexibility essential for a business in a dynamic market. Specifically the USPS has not been able to organizationally adjust to a large decrease in the demand for first class mail service has resulted in decreasing net revenue in recent years. Congressional Influence The USPS congressional charter came with both benefits and operating constraints. Among the constraints the USPS is obligated to provide a uniform price for its services regardless of the geographic location and dispersion of its customer base. The USPS is obligated to deliver six days a week to every mailing address regardless of its mail volume. Additionally the USPS is required to provide free mailing service to the blind and facilitate voting for overseas military personnel. A significant amount of the USPS’ operating costs comes from its requirement to pre-fund retiree health benefits (RHB) for future retirees. Key Issues The USPS is suffering from the combined effects of declining mail volume from new technology and increasing labor costs resulting in a loss of net revenue. These declines are projected to extend into the future. The addition of a significant number of new addresses in the United States each year increases the USPS’ operating costs although volume is decreasing. Business Model – While the USPS has enjoyed the benefits of the monopoly on first class letter mail services that congress has bestowed, it has a stagnant business model that prevents the USPS from being able to adapt in the face of technological innovation and other market forces that affect its bottom line annually. The major source of revenue for the post office is the postage it charges for first class and non-standard mail. The advance of modern information systems such as email, smartphones, online banking, and other digital communications decreased the demand for traditional mail services. Compounding this issue is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. New technologies offer cheaper substitutes for the services that the post office provides. Stakeholders Postal Workers – The USPS employs more than 500,000 employees making it second only to Wal-Mart as the nation’s largest civilian employer. While every employee is represented by a labor union, employees are legally restricted from striking. Labor Unions – The USPS unions are old, influential and politically connected. Collectively, these unions continually fight for increased employee pay, living allowances and health care benefits. Postal Regulation Commission (PRC) – The PRC serves as the middleman between the USPS board of governors and congress. The PRC can reject or modify requests before they reach congress for final approval. Congress – Members of Congress exercise control over many aspects of the USPS operations including approving the markets for which it competes as well as representing the interests of its constituents whenever the USPS requests changes to its business model. Public Consumer – One of the mandates of the post office is to provide mail service of all addresses. The number of addresses has increased by nearly 18 million nationwide in the past decade and continues to climb as the country recovers from the past recession. A vast majority of the consumers are congressional constituents to whom member of congress are responsible. Competitors The USPS monopolizes, via congressional mandates, the delivery of first class mail, non-urgent mail and small packages. As such it faces very little direct competition from other businesses. However, the USPS has seen significant decreases in its mail volume over the years. The decreased volume of mail is directly related to the global acceptance of technology and use of digital communications which displaced traditional USPS services. Market Forces The USPS full time workers cost the USPS 80% of its revenue. Although they still enjoy a monopoly on first class mail, they are in direct competition with smaller, more efficient, companies who deliver large packages and urgent letters. Strategies Used What it Does Now – The USPS has improved its efficiency and effectiveness through both technology and reorganization. The USPS made significant investments in the late 1990’s in fuel efficient vehicles and new facilities as well as a $15 million advertising campaign to improve its image as a progressive and modern organization. A decade ago it took 70 employees one hour to sort 35,000 letters. Today in an hour, only two employees process an identical volume of mail. Though the number of addresses in the nation has increased by nearly 18 million in the past decade, the number of employees who handle the increased delivery load has decreased by more than 200,000 (Potter 2010a). It launched delivery confirmation service and priority mail in order to compete with competitors. The USPS now operates more than 31,000 post offices and the largest vehicle fleet in the world, with an estimated 218,684 vehicles. What They Want to Do – Concerned with increasing costs and decreasing revenues, the USPS petitioned for the following changes: * Stop Retiree Health Benefits prefunding – in 2011 the prefunding amount exceeded net operating losses. * Retirement System Overpayment – In 2010 Government Accountability Office disputed overpayment freezing approximately $6.9 billion. * Delivery Frequency – Shifting from six to five days weekly delivery would save approximately $3 billion annually. This measure is supported by 75% of USPS consumer base. * Change prices – Mandates currently cap the USPS ability to adjust to market conditions dynamically. * Restructure labor costs – Current collective bargaining decision do not consider the USPS financial health yet mandate compensation and benefits to be paid at levels comparable with private sector organizations with the burden falling on the taxpayers. * Consolidate infrastructure – A proposal in 2009 to close 3,000 postal outlets to reduce excess capacity yielded only a closure of 157 following consumer complaints and congressional intervention. Part II Diagnosis Lewis (2011) states that the USPS’ problems are a result of a restrictive business model and its inflexibility to operate in a dynamic market place. As stated earlier, the USPS response to this problem is a direct plan to cut expenses and increase revenues to overcome their mounting deficit. Although this plan does address the USPS’ immediate insolvency concerns, it fails to address their underlying issues. Through the use of Senge’s system approach and the McCaskey’s Organizational Design model, this paper will expose USPS’ root problems. Strategic Issues/Strategies/Goals-Objectives The USPS’ strategic issues are a loss of revenue due to declining mail volume, extensive costs due to a bloated and expensive unionized-workforce and the use of an outdated-legislatively constrained business plan. Their proposed strategy to mitigate these issues centers on cutting their expenses, consolidating infrastructure, renegotiating labor cost/employee benefits and increasing rates. In addition, the USPS intends to evolve their business plan to incorporate technological innovations. This strategy aligns with their long term goal of providing a â€Å"trustworthy, dependable, reliable and secure means to communicate on a national level† (Lewis, 2011), by implementing a long term sustainable business model that promotes flexibility and economic growth in a dynamic market. Environment In FY11 the USPS’ total revenues were $65 Billion dollars while their total expenses were $75 Billion dollars. Under congressional law the USPS is required to be a â€Å"self-sufficient government agency†. Under this direction the USPS is obligated to cover its costs without government assistance. The USPS does this by generating revenues from a monopoly market while operating more like a private business then a government agency. Its government backed monopoly advantage comes with extensive congressional restrictions on rates, delivery procedures and labor benefits. The USPS’ monopoly restricts the direct competition in the delivery of first class mail, use of specific delivery routes and personal mailboxes. It does not protect the delivery of urgent mail and large packages. FedEx and UPS are direct competitors in this market and have a competitive advantage due to their efficiencies, technological innovations and ability adapt to market needs. Key Success Factors The USPS’ key to success is their ability to meet their customer’s needs, generate enough revenue to cover their costs , maintain the flexibility to adjust in a dynamic market and optimize a scalable infrastructure that facilitates the efficient and economic delivery of their services. Task Requirements There are multiple ways that mail is accepted into the delivery process. For the purpose of observing the USPS organizational structure, the simple method of customers placing the mail in their residential, or post office, curbside mailbox will be examined. In either case this process begins and ends with the customer sending or receiving mail at a mailbox. The mail item is received by the postal carrier, and then consolidated at the local post office, where it is inspected manually or automatically checked for correct postage. It is then routed to a hub for delivery to a particular region in the country. The mail is then sent to a final processing plant where it is sorted for the specific route for delivery. Finally the mail is sent to the distant end post office for delivery to the end customer. The mail is moved in a linear manner between each node in the process chain. Along the interdependency continuum of the USPS’ functional units we observed a sequential relationship. Throughout the process each entity produces an output that is a necessary input for the next link in the chain. The USPS’ key to success in this linear process is the secure delivery of mail for a nominal fee. For their part, the workers must be honest and ensure mail is properly safeguarded as it makes its way through each step in the chain. The workers only have to be ‘good enough’ for their specific task in the process. This means that there is very little incentive for them to innovate or make improvements to the process from within. Any efficiencies gained, in any one link in the process, are not readily propagated throughout because of the sequential nature of the process. Because of the nature of change within the organization, and the employee compensation structure, their only incentive is to maintain the status quo. This analysis is represented in the interdependency/coordination mechanism model below. The analysis shows a misalignment between the levels of interdependence between the functional units and the coordination mechanism used. The USPS coordinates through rules and regulations. Using the systems approach of focusing on successes rather than the failures of the organization, we compared the USPS current coordination level to its closest successful competitor, FEDEX. As depicted FEDEX has a coordination level that aligns with it level of interdependency. The preferred and optimal approach is to align the organization’s level of interdependency horizontally with the coordination mechanism. The USPS needs a higher coordination mechanism to match the current level of interdependence in order to facilitate efficiencies in the system. Process/ Systems Snowfall and showers may not be able to stop postal carriers from their appointed delivery routes, but their financial problems may halt at least 50% of all postal offices. The U.S. Postal Service, weakened by a public turning to digital communications, is down 22 percent in volume from just five years ago, a decline which is expected to continue, driven in part by rigid competition from carriers such as FedEx and UPS. The Postmaster General has responded with a list of cost-cutting proposals, such as eliminating Saturday delivery and closing up to 3,700 local post offices which would be replaced with automated centers operating out of local businesses. The Postmaster General has also proposed laying off as many as 120,000 workers, and pulling workers out of more costly federal pension plans. Pre-funding retiree benefits has cost the Postal Service $21 billion in the last three years. The underlying issue is that all those moves cannot be made without congressional approval. In order to make these immediate and dramatic changes, the Postal Service would require access to its own funds as well as the authority to act as its own corporation. The transition from a government ran entity to a privatized organization requires Congress to give the USPS flexibility to take action and make changes without all the bureaucracy. The below modified Senge Model (Limit to Growth) demonstrates how the USPS is constrained from making changes. In short, the USPS is limited by congress to making quick and reactive changes that focus on the problem rather than the underlying issue. Creating change and making it work are all resisted by a condition called the â€Å"Status Quo† and the USPS is no exception. USPS employees feel protected under the current unionized culture. They feel threatened by the prospect of losing benefits and are unwilling to pay the high personal price necessary for change. We have demonstrated that this change is necessary for the long term health of the organization. The real question is, â€Å"does the current status quo fit the new change requirements?† An organization in dire need to make radical adjustments to become current cannot be fixed with antiquated congressional imposed constraints. PART III Change Management Plan The USPS acknowledges its need to cut costs and increase revenue. It believes this will fix the problems. USPS starts to address this by taking reactionary measures, but fails to take the necessary steps to address the root issue. We argue that there is a more fundamental problem within the USPS organization which requires a systems approach to identify and solve. Senge says â€Å"it is impossible to change the system from inside the system.† By â€Å"complicating up† the USPS management structure we identify the core problem and faults in its system. Due to the short time needed to enact this change we propose a top down approach that pushes change while mitigating assumed employee resistance such an approach will generate. Our plan uses the Lewin and Kotter models to shape the USPS organizational transition. Through the Lewin model we identify a three phase approach to address changes that simultaneously focuses on employee and organizational issues. Throughout each p hase an information plan is propagated to employees to facilitate transition to the next phase. Conclusion The bottom line is that the USPS current costs of doing business outweigh its current methods of productivity. Without changing the strategic management model, the USPS will continue to lose revenue and be unable to react effectively to market demands. Its proposed cost cutting solutions only scratches the surface of the underlying problem of restrictions on organizational management and coordination. Our uses validated organizational change models. We justify our plan which uses the Lewin model and shows a close association to Kotter’s organizational change model. Our plan leads the USPS to long term success, maintains its relevance in today’s market and allows it to make appropriate changes through periodic reevaluations. References Lewis, T., Montgomery C., Shuler, J. , (2011), The US Postal Service , Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Senge, P., (1990), The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday Publishing, New York 15May 2012: http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_124.htm> 15 May 2012: http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj31n1/cj31n1-9.pdf 19 May 2012: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Transportation-Communications-Utilities/United-States-Postal-Service.html