Kite Runner Redmption

One of the main themes of the novel The Kite Runner Is redemption. Throughout the novel, the main character, Amir, seeks redemption for his sins. Amir states in the first chapter of the novel that he has a past of â€Å"unatoned sins. † Throughout the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses the following symbols to express the theme of redemption: The scar above Amirs lip, the lamb and the blue kite. The scar above Amirs lip represents the redemption Amir attained by rescuing Sohrab.Amir travels to Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab, who is being exploited by a Taliban leader. The Taliban leader turns out to be an old enemy from Amirs childhood, Assef. Amir must fight Assef in order to leave with Sohrab. During the fight Amir is beaten brutally until Sohrab shoots Assef with his slingshot. Amir is left with a scar above his right lip, strikingly similar to the one Hassan had after having surgery for his cleft lip. At the beginning of the novel, Amir watches Hassan get raped, bu t he did not intervene.The guilt from that day haunts him throughout the novel. At one point, Amir even tries to force Hassan to beat him up, as though the only thing that could redeem Amir was being beaten, but Hassan does not and Amir is even more ridden with guilt. When Rakim Khan calls amir, he says, â€Å"Come, This is a chance for you to be good again. † It is clear Rakim Khan understood the guilt that Amir was feeling, and realized that Amir had been searching for redemption all his life. Khan new that rescuing Sohrab was the only way Amir could truly find redemption.The rescue of Sohrab, was the rescue of an innocent, the rescue of a lamb. Throughout the novel, a reoccurring image of a sacrificial lamb represents a path to redemption. Amir tells the reader how during the Muslim holiday of Eid-Al-Ahda, the Mullah sacrifices a lamb. The look on the lamb’s face during the sacrifice stays with Amir for the rest of his life. When Amir witnesses Asseff rape Hassan, h e remarks, â€Å"I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb.†Once more in the novel, Amir is reminded of the lamb, when he witnesses Asseff exploit Sohrab. The link between Hassan, Sohrab and the Lamb is their innocence; Because Amir betrayed an innocent Hassan, he must save an innocent to be redeemed, Sohrab is this innocent lamb. By ending the exploitation of this figurative lamb, Amir attains redemption for his sin. Finally, returning with the blue kite was an avenue of redemption for Amir. Every winter, in Kabul, there was a large kite-fighting tournament.The tournament was a big deal to the people of Kabul. Amir and Hassan won the tournament, but in order to truly be victorious, Hassan had to retrieve the blue kite so Amir could bring it home as a trophy. During the kite tournament Amir states, â€Å"All i saw was the blue kite. All i smelled was victory. Salvation. Redemption. † Specific ally, redemption in the eyes of Baba. Amir had stated earlier in the novel how he thought Baba thought of him as weak, but this was Amirs chance to be strong in the eyes of Baba, and end Amirs longing for Baba’s love.In conclusion, the rescue of Sohrab, the sacrificial lamb and the blue kite represent redemption for Amir’s sins. Redemption is a main theme of the novel, and Khaled Hosseini uses the aforementioned symbols to tell the story of Amir’s quest for redemption. Amir’s quest makes one question whether sometimes the sinner, is also the victim. As a mere child, Amir betrayed his friend, out of fear, out of cowardice, and out of selfishness, but he did not know that decision would haunt him for the rest of his life. Did he really deserve the punishment befallen on him?

Othello Feature Article

William Shakespeare’s play Othello is one of his four most great tragedies. This play is â€Å"widely known as being one of the most moving and most painful with the fall of proud, dignified man, the murder of a graceful, loving woman, and the unreasoning hatred of a â€Å"motiveless† villain†. Othello is an esteemed general respected and honoured for his position despite the fact he is a moor. After promoting the Florentine Cassio, his â€Å"friend† Iago despises Othello’s decision as he believes it should’ve been him who deserved it.Othello later elopes with Desdemona, which was looked down upon due to Othello being a black man. This is where Iago, the protagonist, begins his malicious plan to bring down Othello. Using Rodrigo, who loves Desdemona, to do his dirty work for him. This play was written in 1604; new versions have been made into film with modern day altercations, for example, â€Å"O†, directed by Tim Blake Nelson. Each o f these show similarities and differences. Many of the themes shown in Shakespeare’s original play Othello use the same themes. and The movie â€Å"O† shows a great deal of parallels to the book.Director Tim Blake Nelson stayed true to Shakespeare's original cast, plot, and sequence of events, but he set his movie in modern times. It takes place in a primarily white high school where Odin, playing the part of Othello, is a basketball star who leads his team to many victories. His right-hand-man, Michel (playing Cassio) is always there for him, helping in any way he can. Hugo plays the part of Iago. He shows a lot of jealousy towards Odin and Desi (playing Desdemona) being in a relationship as well as all of Odin's skills.The characters that create this play show one theme all throughout this play, Deception and Illusion vs. Reality. RACISM: Iago says many things that show his racism clear as daylight. Iago refers to Othello as `thick-lips' and `sooty-bosom', also he ca lls him an assortment of animals including `an old black ram', and a `Barbary horse'. Iago speaks to Desdemona's father, Brabantio. He refers to Desdemona and Othello's children being part animal because Iago is comparing Othello's sexuality to that of a horse. You'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you'll have your nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans† (Shakespeare, 32). McEachern describes Venice as being â€Å"proto-liberal†, even with that view in mind; she describes Iago's racism as being â€Å"super-subtle† (140). Subtle is the word of choice because gradually, all of the main characters become Iago's dupes without knowing it. Iago's racist hatred for blacks gives him a motivation for wanting to destroy Othello's happiness and also gives him a way to do it.Iago only needs to convince Othello that Desdemona hates him because of his color. Iago, in a way, must rationalize and naturalize his own ficti ons as truths in order to get Othello to believe him. He cannot succeed in causing Othello's jealousy unless he believes them, to some degree, himself. â€Å"The most unsettling thing about Iago [†¦ ] is his unblushing separation of being from seeming† (McEachern, 195). Although the reader never finds out what happens to Iago at the end of the play, it is assumed that he gets executed for his treason and lies.All of the energy he used trying to fight Othello, eventually caused his own destruction. Jealousy is destructive weather it is internal, like Iago's racism, or external like Iago's sly hints to Othello about Desdemona's unfaithfulness. â€Å"O† . JEALOUSY: There are many things that Hugo does that show his jealousy towards Odin. He shows shock and dismay when the coach of the team (who is also Hugo's father) said that he loves Odin like his own son. Hugo also takes steroids and other drugs to keep his performance up hoping to surpass Odin's skills.He tells R odger, (who plays the part of Rodrigo) â€Å"I'm considered a utility man. I rebound, I can shoot, I play guard, forward, power forward, you name the position, I fuckin' play it. † â€Å"The point is, I'm the MVP on this piece of shit team [†¦ ]† (â€Å"O†, scene 2). This shows jealousy of Odin because he was selected as MVP of the basketball team. Hugo actually admits that he is jealous, but he sees it as a flaw as opposed to Iago in the play. Hugo talks to Odin before a dunking contest in the gym and says that Odin should forget about Desi.He tells him that he has everything and that he would give his life to be in Odin's shoes and says that Desi is not a prize that he needs to win, but rather that Odin is the prize (â€Å"O†, scene 13). There is one place at the very end of the movie that Hugo directly admits to his jealousy. He is talking about a hawk and how it relates to power, darkness, determination, and to being proud. He says, â€Å"Odin i s a hawk, he soars above us. He can fly. But one of these days everyone's gonna pay attention to me. Because I'm gonna fly too† (â€Å"O†, scene 21).

Esr Class Presentation †Week V

ESR Class Presentation – Week V ( September 12& 13 2011) 1. Cases for Discussion (David J. Fritzsche): * It’s Your Turn (page 109) * Kader Industrial (Thailand) Company- Case 10 (page 182) * Muebles Fino Buenos- Case 11 (page 184) 2. â€Å"It’s Your Turn† – Please answer the question in the last line using the following ethical frameworks: (a) Categorical Imperative; (b) Rule Utilitarian; (c) Veil of Ignorance; and (d) Act Utilitarianism. * Categorical Imperative: If you have a contract with another party, fulfill this contract. No matter what.Especially if the other party is counting on you, because they should go bankrupt. Humanity: Fulfill your contract, moral duty. * Rule Utilitarianism: Follow through with your contract. Don’t abandon people/companies with who you have agreed to help/work with. * Veil of Ignorance: You have limited amount of resources, so you have to make the choice for one of the 2 clients. Keep producing for the old cl ient, but use the rest of your capacity to start producing for the new big one. What if The domestic customer only signs the contract if you can produce everything in the first month. hose for domestic one, 2 happy vs. 1 bad * Act Utilitarianism: More positives vs. best negatives. Ok you make one party really unhappy, but still this is the most good for the most peoples. 3. Case 10: Only Questions 4, 5, 7 & 8. * 4: Lock the doors, no safety regulations or fire escapes. Cloth close to electrical transformer. No alarms. If you lock doors, make sure that you can open them really fast at all times. Building disintegrated quickly (poor construction, steel beams) * 7: Business aimed, only profit matters†¦. Don’t look at the people as humans, but use them as machines.They even asked their workers to keep working while there was a small fire. Maybe even hostile, locking doors etc. * 5: Legal: Board, managers†¦ should have safety regulations. Government, Safety and health or ganization in Thailand (from government). Moral: * 8: Only sign contract if you know that the working conditions are ok, that there are safety regulations etc. company should at least follow the country regulations for safety codes, building rules etc. , if you ask more of the company, they won’t be able to give you the cheap labor. ut point in the middle Class†¦ where would you put the line, what are the moral/social obligations for the customers before signing any contracts? 4. Case 11: Only Questions 3, 4, 6, and 7. * 3: They didn’t follow all the environmental rules of the state. Unhealthy for the employees to work there. Just switching countries because they didn’t want to invest in the machines/other processing methods and to evade the fines. So fire a lot of people to get new employees at 1/8 of the costs. Is this even outsourcing? Or really moving your whole company somewhere else. * 4: Pollution vs. working conditions.A lot of pollution vs. good pa id jobs. As long as there are good safety regulations and compensations for health. * 6: Egoism view: YES 😉 because you make more profits and you don’t care about the pollution. But†¦ you pay your employees less than in California, so you can invest a bit more in environmental issues. Deontology (don’t do to anybody else what you don’t want them to do to you): Stay in America and fix your pollution problems, because you don’t want to get fined and you don’t want your employees to get ill. * 7: Make sure they follow the standards and make sure that you have quit high environmental standards.But a lot of corruption in Mexico so make sure the companies follow your standards by controlling them yourself. Because a lot of American companies will go to Mexico (because of rising environmental standards in US) build some parks and green zones to help the people who live there to be able to live healthy, outside all the pollution. 5. Assume tha t stung by charges re the happenings of Foxcon in China, Apple Inc. has asked you to draft a memo on the subject of an ISO standard to be applied to high-tech contract manufacturers of high-end electronic items.Restrict yourself to 6 standards and explain your choice. 6. The Medical Council of Singapore has asked you to draft 3 ethics principles relating to the outsourcing of medical work to India. Please identify what, in your opinion, are the three most important principles and explain the purpose behind your choice and the specific content of such principles. Firms Find a Haven From U. S. Environmental Rules : Commerce: Hundreds of companies set up shop in Mexico, where regulation is less strict and wages are low. THE FREE-TRADE DILEMMA: The environmental costs of a U. S. Mexico pact. Third in a four-part series. Next: How will free trade affect El Paso's smoggy skies? November 19, 1991|JUDY PASTERNAK  |  TIMES STAFF WRITER â€Å"We are rewriting history here. It was only re cently that anyone here started to care about the environment. It will take time. † The backlog troubles EPA officials who deal regularly with SEDUE. Said one, who spoke on the condition of anonymity: â€Å"This is a situation where the economic activity has gotten way ahead of the regulatory activity. † * http://articles. latimes. com/1991-11-19/news/mn-70_1_environmental-rules/4

Be able to use software-generated information to make decisions in an Essay

Be able to use software-generated information to make decisions in an organisation - Essay Example For instance, it Management it is used to ensure that there is proper transition of employees within the scope an organisation. Moreover, it is used in strategic management to source the right job candidate, to enhance employee’s professional growth and development as well as to motivate employees to achieving organisation goals and objectives (Information Resources Management Association and Khosrow-Pour, 2001). Management information system may be used at tactical level to assess market competition and government policies that may affect organisation performance. For example, management information systems may be employed to carry out marketing research and gather facts concerning a particular market. This may help an organisation to assess its weakness and how it can use its strength to counter its weakness. Additionally, management information system is used to execute tactical functions by helping managers to make informed decision in respect to organisation operations. Managers can inform their clients on the impending changes and how those changes will help to meet and exceed customers’ needs (Information Resources Management Association and Khosrow-Pour, 2001). Based on the above computation, it can be observed that financial viability of this will have an accounting rate of return of 30%.This means that this project is worthwhile investing based on this approach. However, the accounting rate of return method tends to be criticized due to its limitations. For example, it does not provide an appropriate project appraisal because it includes items that are non cash. Further, it fails to take into consideration the time value of cash as well as its difficult to adjust inherent risks that may be attributed to a (project Introduction to corporate finance, 2012). Based on the calculation above it can be observed that the project will yield a positive net present value of +Â £79,301.8, this

Assets and Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assets and Risk Management - Assignment Example SWOT is an analytical method that categorizes organizations internal factors that affect it. The steps used in this approach are, Identifying the strengths of the organization- the strengths of an organization are obtained by looking at the advantages, what the organization does well, what resources the organization accesses and what the people sees as the strengths. The weakness of an organization is looked at by looking at what should be improved in the organization, what the organization does poorly and what should be avoided that place the company at risk of losing its customers. The weaknesses are considered from an external and internal viewpoint by asking questions like, do people see weakness that the management does not see and are the organizations competitors doing any better than the latter? On doing this, the company notices its loophole and can go ahead in addressing the issues raised. The employee’s management in an organization looks deeply at a realistic opportunities that are ahead of them and the trends that are of interest to the entity. They ought to look at avenues where useful opportunities can result. Perfect examples include technological and market change on the broad and narrow scale, government policy related changes, social patterns and population changes and the local events too. To identify the threats of an organization, one has to know what obstacles they face, the progress of the competition. There is also a need to scrutinize whether there are any changing specifications, knowledge of any cash flow problems and knowing any other serious weaknesses that threaten the organization. The analysis helps in knowing what needs to be done and also by putting problems into perspectives thus identifying the threats. When carried out, this analysis often seems to be illuminating - this occurs both in terms of pinpointing what is

Discussion Questions III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Questions III - Essay Example The effectiveness depends on the strength of understanding and ability to influence and achieve. â€Å"Strategies for communication and influence need to be rooted in a detailed, context-specific understanding of both the behavioral patterns and the underlying cultural values of those with whom we want to engage. Recognition of this is a vital first step for professionals†¦ who want to exert influence upon and engage with others across the globe.† (Dr Mooij, 2009) Negotiations are an important part of conducting business to arrive at mutually acceptable decisions or resolve issues where participants hold differences of opinion or objectives. But, â€Å"operating across national cultures often magnifies negotiation problems† (Hendon, 1999, p.16) due to differences in interpreting the subtle languages of time, space and other concepts. Apart from culture, the ability to negotiate is also affected by emotions, and body language is interpreted differently in different cultures. Take the simple action of a friendly handshake for example. Like the Germans, Americans tend to shake hands forcefully, but â€Å"in some parts of Europe a handshake is usually quick and to the point† (ibid, p.70) and the Asian handshake may be limp. Asians might interpret an American handshake as being â€Å"too abrupt and heavy-handed† (ibid) whereas an American may consider the less firm handshake as a sign of being unassertive. Spatial concepts dictate greeting rituals, the size of one’s personal ‘comfort zone’, eye contact, acceptable seating arrangements, and so on, all of which differ between cultures. Concerning time, this is something that is followed more strictly in a fast paced country like America than it is in many other countries of the world. The typical western mode of thinking perceives the concept of time as linear and sequential rather than cyclic and simultaneous. Thus, the negotiating style for someone having the former perception

Business Intelligence Report (BIR) about the company's management Essay

Business Intelligence Report (BIR) about the company's management practices - Intorduction and Conclusion - Essay Example Whole Food Market had been experiencing heavy rise in profits since Jan 2001. The hard work of its team members and strong leadership at the helm of affairs helped the company prosper. Whole Foods products include only natural and organic products. These products include everything from produce, bakery items, cheese, coffee, meat, seafood, body products, supplements, wine, floral, house hold cleaning products and pet products. Their marketing is being taken care by a team of 45 proficient marketers and the employee pool is a rich in expertise and a diverse pool. All in all, Whole food has a solid ensemble in all areas of its management. Organization Structure 2. Organizational Structure The Organizational Structure section can include a chart but should include an explanation of the company's organizational structure and how that impacts the company's performance. Whole Foods Market depends on organizational structure to ensure performance that would impact employees and customers. S ince January 2001 Whole Food Market has experienced increase in sales, profits, and stock prices. The success of the company has flourished from the hard work of team members and strong leadership throughout the company.

Portfolio A new force for social change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portfolio A new force for social change - Essay Example The realization of these ideals across every nation is what empowers human rights organizations in achieving their goals. Communications Technologies Human rights organizations find strength in the internet’s ability to bring geographically distant and isolated human rights violations to public attention and, in turn, elicit immediate response. Unconstrained by spatial and temporal boundaries, the internet can disseminate pertinent human rights information in real-time and in low cost. The two-way information flow facilitated by the internet, in addition, enables immediate feedback and interaction among the public. Human rights violations are brought to light, discussed over, and immediately acted upon through the use of the internet. Human rights organizations can also utilize social networking sites such as Facebook to reach more people and get them informed about their activities. The Press The press contributes to the goals of human rights organizations by reporting on hum an rights issues, humiliating/praising human rights violators/followers, and encouraging immediate action from the government. Like the internet, newspapers provide information on human rights issues, developments, and activities to the public. Being labeled as a human rights violator by the press, meanwhile, serves both as a wake-up call to offenders and a warning to those who are on the verge of committing violations.

Sociology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Sociology - Assignment Example The first aim of a person is to ‘live’ and then live happily. A person has to take life as a natural gift which cannot be destroyed or wasted by the person himself. Life is a precious gift of nature and God bestowed on the people with a direction to take care of it. Law, society and people fight for their rights and all these efforts are in search of a happy life. If people would start running away from difficulties and may take death as a resort, life will become worthless and meaningless. People will eventually stop putting efforts to have the best possible thing in life to eat, wear, reside and acquire. Does it mean that people must stop thinking about dying? Certainly not! The concept of living is to be encouraged to live, work, put efforts and think about future. This does not mean that a person must take this life as immortal. We see, hear and observe many instances of accidental, age factored and usual deaths and hence cannot deny the fact that one has to die some day. However, the concept is not to leave today’s happiness and comforts for tomorrow’s sorrow. According to me, we are in this world to make it a better place to live, to innovate and to explore the nature. We are not here to wait for the death – the end of our life. It is worth mentioning here that the concept of assisted suicide is flawed in my opinion. Each and every minute of our life is important, even the most painful moments. Life is subjected to bear the unwanted and fight the uncalled. If we think about society, promoting such a concept will not only affect people’s perception about life but will also eliminate the charm to live. Encouraging assisted suicide or making it legal will change people’s views and they will be less motivated to work, study and even to earn. They may involve themselves in other harmful activities, crimes and unethical practices as they know a way out of their consequences. In conclusion, we can say

Epistemology - Sense Essay Example for Free

Epistemology Sense Essay The issue of knowledge is definitely an essential part in philosophy. It forces us to question whether we are certain of the things we think we know, and whether we can justify the things we know are actually true. This theory or study of knowledge can be referred to as epistemology. All these views on knowledge can vary depending on how we view the world itself. We are able to perceive the world through the application of our senses, however, our senses alone can be very deceiving. We can never really be definite of what we know just by looking at the world the way it is. We are able to make opinions and assumptions about what we see, smell, taste, and hear, but can never really be absolute. In order to claim knowledge, it requires certainty that something is true. If we were to claim knowledge without certainty, we would be disregarding Descartes’ conception of knowledge and certainty. Descartes clarifies doubt as the contrast to certainty. As certainty increases, doubt decreases; conversely, as doubt increases certainty decreases. The world would not be as challenging as it is if we could just accept anything as knowledge. We would be able to simply opinionate, assume, and estimate whatever we would like and claim that all is true. However, as good as it sounds, it is not practical. It is as what it sounds to be like a make believe world. Basically, if we based knowledge off of ideas we are not certain of and just accepted them as true, we would never be able to continue on to the next levels of knowledge. Somewhere along the lines of this uncertain knowledge, we would find that things do not correlate, or make sense. We would find ourselves questioning the reason for things and only finding out that our knowledge is inaccurate. All in all, fictitious knowledge is not beneficial in the long run without certainty.

English Language Essays Learning Styles

English Language Essays Learning Styles Free Essays English Language Essays An examination of learning styles and typologies in a language classroom. plan, teach / act, observe and reflect Sue Davidoff and Owen van den Berg, 1990 The Observation Myobservation was undertaken at the British Council in Kuwait/Gulf Region. The observation class was of mixed nationality ArabicLanguage speakers at Intermediate level. There were twenty students in total,80% males to 20% females. The class comprises of 30% students, 60% working orprofessional people 10% homemakers others. The age range isbetween 20 to 55 years. The class is halfway through a 6 months languagecourse. I observed and was involved in a 90 minute lesson focusing onvocabulary, reading and speaking. At the end the teacher answered my preparedquestionnaire. The followingessay consists of a brief theoretical, analytical and practical examination of learningstyles and typologies in a language classroom and how best to plan for them. Itincludes an analysis of specific elements from the observed lesson put in thecontext of theory and intended future practise. To support thelesson, the teacher used the white board, an overhead projector with onetransparency and three handouts. Whole class work focused on provision ofvocabulary and contextualisation of the material. The material was real andrelevant to contemporary interests and cultures. The teacher used discussionstarters to motivate and encourage student interest and involvement (asAllwright and Bailey advise, 1991) Responses were elicited from the class andsupported through teacher modelling of pronunciation and writing on the whiteboard. Individual work was limited. The teacher had established small groups(three to four students) aimed at balancing ethnic background and gender. Research shows theimportance of understanding and catering for different learning styles andcognitive strategies. When a learning style is not catered for, the studentcan easily become bored and inattentive, do poorly on tests, getdiscouraged about the course, and may conclude that they are not good at thesubjects (Zhenhui, 2001). Various parameters have been constructed fordefining students preferred way of learning, such as Knowles (1982) concrete,analytical, communicative and authority-orientated learning styles (cited inRichards, 1994). Another defines the groups as auditory, visual andkinaesthetic learning styles (Krause et al, 2003, pp154-155) whilstfigure 1 gives a representation of student and teacher inter-reactionsdependent on learning styles. Some researchers such as Richards (1994, pp.59-77)consider an individuals culture as vital to understanding learning styles. Ladson-Billings(1995) advocates a method of Culturally Responsive Teaching which integratescultural points of reference through out the learning process. Others disagree(Kubes, 1998, cited in Krause) and cite more universal forms of learning. This class wasboth interested and engaged in its learning. However, during the interview,the teacher expressed a wish that there was more time for individual tailoring.The teacher acknowledged that this would better cater for the range oflearning styles. More concrete resources (actual materials eg fruit, etc) andincreased use of visual aids (magazines, more transparencies, laminatedpictures) may also help to convey understanding and increase retention. Two tests wereused during the class one was a linking exercise and one a reading exercise.The teacher finished the lesson with each student expressing an opinion on anarticle using the lessons language. Whilst these were not formal tests, theyinvolved assessment strategies. As Nunan points out (1990, p62) assessmentcontributes part of the information for student evaluation. As this infers, thetools for student assessment, be they observational, formative or summative,need to balance with an understanding of the bigger picture. For example, thegoal may be to allow students to understand, practise and develop their own languageand learning strategies (see Hismanoglus exploration of Language LearningStrategies, 2000) be they direct or indirect strategies (Oxford, 1990, p9).Most students require clear and precise scaffolding (Vygotsky, in Krause, 2003,pp60-65) to develop their metacognitive practises for making meaning. Assessmentcan act as a benchmark to the success of the learning pr ocess and show theteacher areas that need to be covered again or in a different way. There is no spacehere to do full justice to the impact of the learning environment upon studentsyet it needs inclusion for a balanced understanding of students learningstyles. Suffice it to say that, as Nunan and Lamb say (1996), the teacherneeds to aim for a safe, positive and progressive environment that encouragesstudent participation, thinking and risk-taking. Much as assessment is an endresult of reflection upon what one wants to define, the learning environmentshould be based upon a thorough understanding of theoretical aspects. Forexample, traditional teaching methods tended towards a unitary approach tointelligence. Contemporary theories, such as Gardners work on multipleintelligences (cited in Krause et al, 2003) allow for the inclusion ofvariable factors that define a students strengths and weaknesses. Many agreewith Wilsons (1998) assertion that Gardners MI theory helps teachers createmorepersonalized and diversified instructional experiences and develops empoweredlearners (http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/mi/wilson1.htm) This holisticapproach agrees with an understanding of other influences upon learning, Maslowshierarchy of needs for example (see Figure 2), or Bronfenbrenners (1979)ecological systems theory. These ecological factors encourage moreintegrated forms of assessment and are particularly useful in understandingvarious forms of washback (see Cushing Weigle, 2002) that may result. Othermore structured tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indications Survey, (Myers McCaulley, 1985) may also have their place. The teacher usedgender and ethnic background to balance the groups. The groups worked welltogether in a pro-social manner. However, Woods encourages consciousexamination of an educators own attitudes, especially when the may cause subconsciousactions and opinions to form (Woods, 1996). Should the two parameters ofgender and ethnicity become constraints, then they are not valid means of groupconstruction. Sometimes is appeared that not all group members contribute intheir cooperative learning. However, research has shown that even those who donot appear to be so communicative do benefit to a degree from the listening andprocessing that this format provides. It may be that they are better atworking individually and as such should have the opportunity to do so. The teacher usedelements of the 3 Ps approach presentation, practise, production. However,as the lesson transcript shows, the language was expanded in what became moreof a Harmer-style engage study activate method. I would like tolist the implications for my own teaching under the following points: Use a wide range of teaching strategies and styles to ensure comprehension eg support spoken material with writing on the white board, leave the transparency up on the overhead projector, bring in concrete materials, provide visual clues, model your required responses, set short, realistic goals and review and recycle often. (Antonaros, 2005 ), role play, use song. Use methods according to the area you wish to cover, the materials you have prepared and present concisely and precisely. If the area is suited best to direct instruction then use it, if student-centred instruction or co-operative groups then vary accordingly. Motivation and interest are paramount, but sound understanding is the goal. Prepare your materials so that they are interesting, real, relevant, encourage thinking whilst supporting language development. Take an action research approach to (for example Wrights, 1987, 2005) to develop a thorough understanding of my students learning and cognitive styles and my own attitudes. Use active listening to understand, modelling to improve and discussion to encourage communication Use teacher modelling strategies to develop the students autonomous language learning skills as exemplified by Lowes and Target (1998) in Helping Students to Learn. Providing a positive learning environment where mistakes are not derided Assign homework that re-caps and therefore re-enforces the issues covered in the lesson. Ensure equity in communication make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Everyteacher who has taught a group of grown-ups knows that some individuals may bereluctant to speak, especially when they realize or assume that other studentsare more fluent. (Turula,2002) References Allwright, D. Bailey, K. (1991). Focus on the LanguageClassroom. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Antonaros, S. (no date) Looking Inside and Out for the Answer toMotivating Our Learners http://www.tesolgreece.com/nl/75/7505.html)Accessed 7th February 2006 Davidoff, S., Van Den Berg, O. (1990) Changing YourTeaching. The challenge of the classroom. Pietermaritzburg: CentaurPublications Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Books, Harmer, J (1998) How to Teach English. Harlow, UK: Longman Hismanoglu, M. (2000) Language Learning Strategies in ForeignLanguage Learning and Teaching, The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No.8, August 2000 Knowles, L (1982) Teaching and Reading. London, UK: NationalCouncil on Industrial Language Training. Krause, K., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. (2003) EducationalPsychology for learning and teaching. Southbank, Victoria: Thomson. Kubes, M (1998) Adaptors and innovators in Slovakia: Cognitive styleand social culture. European Journal of Personality, 12(3), pp.187-198 Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But thats just good teaching! The casefor culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159-165. Lowes, R. Target, F. (1998). Helping Students to Learn.London: Richmond. Malamah-Thomas, A. (987). Classroom Interaction. Oxford, UK:Oxford University Press. Nunan, D., Lamb, C. (1996). TheSelf-Directed Teacher. Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press. Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What EveryTeacher Should Know. New York, USA: Newbury House Publishers. Richards, J.C., Lockhart, C.L. (1994). Reflective Teachingin Second Language Classrooms. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Richards, J.C. Nunan, D. (eds.). Second Language TeacherEducation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Turula, A (2002) Language Anxiety and Classroom Dynamics: A Study ofAdult Learners. Forum English Teaching Online, US Dept of State, Vol.40 (2). http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol40/no2/p28.htm#top Wilson, L (1998). Whats the big attraction? Why teachers aredrawn to using Multiple Intelligence Theory in their classrooms? http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/mi/wilson1.htmAccessed 7 February 2006 Woods, D. (1996) Teacher Cognition inLanguage Education. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press Wright, T. (1987). Classroom Management inLanguage Education. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan Wright, T. (1987). Roles of Teachers andLearners. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Zhenhui, R. (2001) Matching Teaching Styles with Learning Stylesin East Asian Contexts, The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 7,July 2001 Matching teaching styles: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Zhenhui-TeachingStyles.htmlaccessed 3 February 2006. Language Learning Strategies: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Hismanoglu-Strategies.htmlaccessed 3 February 2006 Maslows Heirarchy of Needs, Huitt, 2004, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html.Accessed 7 February 2006 Language Teaching http://www.ittmfl.org.uk/modules/effective/6a/paper6a4.pdfaccessed 5 February 2006

3D-finite Element Analysis of Beam Design

3D-finite Element Analysis of Beam Design Abstract: Any design and development activities involves in huge amount of time and money in bringing out the final product to the market, whilst functionality of the product being crucial under all scenarios without fail or malfunctioning over a period of time. Earlier design was carried out by the conventional methods from planning to final manufacturing of a components and the behavior of the product was understood only when it was not meeting its functionality. Recent developments in the above said area is vast, as this enables an engineer to study the behavior of a component/assembly, whist suggesting precautionary measures or a possible solution in validating the member thereby saves an organization time and effort. Thanks to the recent developments in the field of Stress analysis, along with the CAD packages, which actually enable us to visualize the component in 3D and analysis and design, validate it before it is actually released for manufacturing. Furthermore the robustness of CAE packages enables us to visualize the behavior of the component/assembly when it is actually put to work defining constrains under which it has to perform. Industries strongly rely on these packages to reduce the time and money involvement of a company and it is important for an Engineer to adapt the methods presented in this paper in the right approach so as to meet the design criteria which should be practical in nature. Introduction: This paper demonstrates the Design of a beam which has to be validated under several constrains/operating conditions, and understanding its behavior under these real time situations. Application of Stress methods using Solid Works Simulation package is demonstrated to understand the behavior of the beam. 3D Finite element analysis is one of the approaches in understanding the behavior of the load paths under different situations and with different boundary conditions. Several beam sections are validated to design the best beam under the given load conditions and the best beam based on several criteria are made, by demonstrating several plots. Hand/Theoretical calculations and results from Simulation are interpreted in order to study the behavior of the beam. Methods of this Stress Simulation and relevant steps are explained by plotting various plots like the Stress, Displacement and Factor of Safety by relevant comments at certain stages are done for the company to understand the process and design validation. Further it is important for the safety engineer to understand the usage of 3D finite element method so as to interpret the results and to make design changes before the component being put it function. Beam analysis: [Part 1] The figure below shows the beam on which the loads are acting at points P1, P2 and P3 of magnitude 18KN, 26KN and 20KN respectively. Beam 1 and 2 are bolted with pins through the two beams and the beam is supported at two locations. Analyzing the above situation, several considerations are needed in order to apply and analyze the situation. The above situation is a case of simply supported beams at either ends and loaded at the center. Design phase: The given sections are designed using Solid works package as per the dimensions provided. The cross-section of beams designed is plotted below. Consider the cross-section 1 for analysis. Below shows the cross-section 1 with dimensions being A= 0.3m, B=0.3m respectively. 3D element solid element type analysis using finite element method: Cross-section 1: [Beam with circular hole] As shown above the assembly is created using solid works as Solidworks.asm format and is meshed and analysis is carried out. Several steps are carried out like constrains, load conditions, assigning material are done in order to study the behavior of the assembly. Load points are defined at three locations as shown; either of the beams is connected by means of metal pads of 3mm thick with pins to support them. As we apply the loads at points P1, P2 and P3, simulation is carried out and a report on the desired results is obtained and are plotted below. Further to the design of the beam with relevant dimensions, simulation of the assembly is carried out using Solid works simulation. Several boundary conditions are implied, like the loads at the given locations, applying material, bolts at four locations and finally meshing the assembly to perform the analysis. Repeating the above procedure for rest of the cross-sections for design of beam, following plots will account for the values of Von-misses stress, displacement and factor of safety. Deflection Calculations: From the bending moment diagram, we observe that the maximum deflection occurs at the centre of the beam. The maximum load due to all the three loads can be found out. By using the Principle of Superposition, the deflection due to each load can be interpolated to the centre. Consider a load P acting on a beam AB at a distance of a from end A as shown in figure. The bending moment plot shown in figure above, shows a discontinuity at the point x=a. Solving for each of the lengths of the beam For length AD, (d2y /dx2) = (M/EI) = (Pbx/EIL) 1 Integrating equation 1, we get, y = (Pbx3/6EIL) For length DB, y = (Pax3/2EI) (Pax3/6EIL) + B1x + B2 To determine the four constants A1 and A2, two boundary conditions and two continuity conditions are used. For segment AD, y (0) = 0 = A2 For segment DB, y (L) = 0 = (PaL2/3EI) + B1L + B2 Equating the deflections and slope on both segments at x=a, and solving the four equations, we get, A1 = (Pb/6EIL) (L2 b2) A1 = 0 B1 = (Pa/6EIL) (2L2 + a2) B2 = (Pa3/6EI) Hence we get the following equation, for length AD y = (Pbx/6EIL) (x2 L2 + b2) . (2) Considering the load P1 = 18KN, the deflection at midpoint, we have, P = 18000N, x = 1.4m, b = 1.9m, L = 2.8m, E = 220 X 109N/m2. Substituting these values in equation (2), we get y = (2.9407 X 10-8) / I m Hence, below are the values For cross section 1: y1circle = 0.04523mm For cross section 2: y1oct = 0.0454mm For cross section 3: y1sqr = 0.0465mm For cross section 4: y1isect = 0.06022mm For segment AD, using the expressions obtained for B1 and B2 in the deflection equation, we get, y = (Pa/6EIL) [(x3/2) (x3/6L) {x (2L2 + a2)/6L} + (a2/6)] 2 Considering the load P2 = 20KN, deflection at mid point can be calculated using, P = 20000N, x = 1.4m, a = 1.7m, L = 2.8m, E = 220 X 109 N/m2. Substituting the above values in equation (2), the deflection at mid point D is found to be: y = (2.2074 X 10-8)/I m Hence, For cross section 1: y2circle = 0.03395mm For cross section 2: y2oct = 0.0341mm For cross section 3: y2sqr = 0.0349mm For cross section 4: y2isect = 0.0452mm Similarly, considering the load P3 = 26000N, deflection at mid point is, y = (54.0484 X 10-9)/I m Hence, For cross section 1: y3circle = 0.0831mm For cross section 2: y3oct = 0.0835mm For cross section 3: y3sqr = 0.0854mm For cross section 4: y3isect = 0.1107mm Total deflection is given by: y = y1 + y2 + y3 Hence, For cross section 1: y = 0.1622mm For cross section 2: y = 0.1630mm For cross section 3: y = 0.1668mm For cross section 4: y = 0.2161mm Factor of safety for the beams. Factor of safety is given by the formula: FOS = ?yield / ?max Given, yield stress of the material, ?yield = 650N/mm2 Using the above data, we get, For cross section 1: FOS = (650/8.6) = 75.58 For cross section 2: FOS = (650/8.64) = 75.23 For cross section 3: FOS = (650/8.84) = 73.53 For cross section 4: FOS = (650/11.46) = 56.72 By the above results, the cross section with the highest FOS can be chosen for designing the beam. Hence it can be recommended to choose the cross section with circular hole for final design. Part 2 The zone is red color is critical, means it has high stress and displacement. Hence clamping used will play a major role. From the plot, the maximum displacement at this location is 0.6511 mm, which is less than the customers expectations and hence the design is safe. As this displacement is almost 3.8 times of the specified value [2.5mm], no design changes or precautions would be needed. Therefore, Maximum displacement < Specified value. Part 3 Finite element method is one of the methods widely used and applied among the industries in the recent years and is used to study the behavior of the part by assigning various properties on to it. Method of simulation: Static studies in Solid works simulation calculate displacements, reaction forces, strains, stresses, failure criterion, factor of safety, and error estimates. Available loading conditions include point, line, surface, acceleration (volume) and thermal loads are available. Below criteria are important and are followed in this document so as to obtain values which are realistic in nature; The approach is done in three phases and are, Bottom up assembly-Phase 1 Defining load points-Phase 2 Simulation-Phase 3 Phase 1. Assembly of beams with relevant dimensions was done with fully defining the sketch geometry. Generating bosses with desired lengths and creating the profile as needed. Mates being defined between each parts using mate options in assembly mode. Phase 2. Split of 10mm was done at the top surface of the beam was done in order to imply point loads. Phase 3. Solid works simulation tool was used to access the simulation options. Steel was applied from the material database for all the components in the assembly. Connections were defined so as to make the assembly a rigid structure by defining the locations and this creates an effect of holding both the beams by means of bolts. Fixtures create an effect of holding the beam as required and are done at the either ends. Loads in terms of Newton were applied on to the points which were defined at phase 2. Mesh size was defined for the entire assembly and this inturn divides the geometry and several nodes are created for analysis. Finally the meshed model will provide us the study report, Von-misses stress, Factor of safety and Displacement of all the four cross-sections are obtained. Possible mistakes in simulation: It is up to the safety engineer in order to take extreme care before the analysis is performed so as to avoid the failure or inaccurate results during or before the simulation is actually performed. Mistakes should be avoided to the maximum extent while conducting simulation, as this might deviate the results and are not practical in nature and hence lead to misinterpretation. Some of them are listed below. Applying the material: This result in wrong stress and strain plots, displacement plots, Factor of safety, this inturn results in wrong load path distribution. Defining boundary conditions: Defining boundary conditions is crucial in terms of accurate results. Loadings should be done as per the real situation and unwanted assumptions have to be avoided. Generating mesh: Applying mesh is one of the important criteria as this procedure being the base on which the elements of the member or the beam is divided into several millions of individual pieces and are analyzed by applying degrees of freedom. Mesh size: Mesh size is important in order the material/component to take the load conditions. Larger mesh could result in small deflection and results may not be practical in nature. Clamping face: Wrong clamping face in simulation would completely alter the end result and this leads in wrong interpretation of the results obtained from the stress plot, displacement plots and Factor of safety. Mesh sizes and types: Solid works simulation currently includes solid continuum elements, curved surface shell elements (thin and thick) and truss and frame line elements. The shells are triangular with three vertex nodes or three vertex and three mid-edge nodes. Solids are tetrahedral with four vertex nodes or four vertex and six mid-edge nodes. They use linear and quadratic interpolation for the solution based on whether they have two or three nodes on an edge. The linear elements are also called simplex elements because their number of vertices is one more than the dimension of the space. The size of each element indicates a region where the solution is approximated by a spatial polynomial. Most finite element systems, including SW Simulation, use linear or quadratic complete polynomials in each element. You can tell by inspection which is being used by looking at an element edge. If that line has two nodes the polynomial is linear. If it has three nodes then the polynomial is quadratic. When the model is set for simulation, the program sub-divides the model into many tetrahedral small elements, these small points share a common point called as NODE. Below shows the small element where a common node is shared by curves, lines and edges. Difference between hand calculation and simulation: Few difference do exists between theoretical and hand calculations. Hand calculations: Hand calculations are often called as theoretical calculations, because of the fact that it does not take into consideration of several constrains could not be defined as we could do it in simulations. Material cannot be assigned in hand calculations. Mesh cannot be created for better and accurate result. Deflection, stress plot, displacement plots could not be visualized in hand calculations. Several assumptions might be required and thereby accounts in the deviation of the result from that of simulation. Hand calculations are based on the available formulae like from the design data hand book and are not different compared to simulation results. Result analysis like the animation of the result and high stress regions could not be obtained from hand calculations. Changes in boundary conditions would require repeating the procedure in hand calculations and time consuming process. Conclusion: Study of 3D-Finite element analysis of beam design assembly, address the capabilities of simulation. The idea of using the presented methods and techniques helps in optimizing the product before manufactured. This helps an industry in being changing their design at this stage based on the results obtained from simulation. Simple to complex parts/assemblies are simulated by this method, by defining several boundary conditions. The advancement in FEA area is vast, and has the capabilities of creating an environment of real time engineering situation and much finer results could also be obtained, as it provides options for finer mesh and hence more accurate the results. Finally this method of optimizing or validating the product at the initial level before design is done, has its own advantages, whilst it is worth understanding the customers requirement along with understanding the basic concepts of FEA makes a worth effort towards any engineering problem. Hence I strongly suggest for any organization to follow the process of FEA and get the full benefit of the same, as they could save time in the process of optimization of the product. References: Class tutorial. S Timo shenko and D H young. 5th Edition. Elements of strength of materials. Strength of materials by Bela I. Sandor. Solid works study material. Strength of materials by Ferdinand L. Singer and Andrew Pytel, 3rd Edition Strength of materials by Surya Patnaik and Dale Hopkins, Title: A new unified theory for the 21st century.

Free Essays on Mansfields The Dolls House :: Dolls House essays

The Doll's House      A contributing factor to the story "The Doll's House" by Katherine Mansfield is the characterization of Kezia as she travels in her innocence through the symbolic world of experience.   Kezia is essential to the plot because she represents a taboo, offering opposition to common ways of thinking. Through the portrayal of Kezia, as she interacts as the symbolic eccentric, Mansfield emphasizes the powers and blind justification of conformity within a society. The story commences with the arrival of the doll's house sent to the Burnell children.   The Burnells take a great liking to this new acquisition.   As the two older children admire the red carpet, red plush chairs, and gold frames of this highly ornamented house, Kezia, the youngest of the girls, takes an interest in the rather simple lamp. In fact, "what she liked more than anything, what she liked frightfully, was the lamp." This infatuation symbolizes her impeccability in comparison to the others as she is drawn to the unadorned lamp. Kezia proceeds to find fault with the state and proportions of the doll's house and perfection with the lamp in its simplicity.   As others take interests in the gaudy nature of the house, Kezia rebels:   "But the lamp was perfect.   It seemed to smile at Kezia, to say `I live here.' The lamp was so real." Conflict intensifies as Kezia remains the odd ball.   The appreciation of the lamp is a metaphor for the actions to come. Kezia likes the lamp because she does not know any better.   Thus, she decides to befriend the Kelveys because she doesn't see anything wrong in doing so.   The Kelveys are a family that are shunned because of their economic status.   Throughout the town, "Many of the children, including the Burnnels, were not allowed even to speak to them."   Without a second thought, school children and their families followed in the consuming tradition of looking down upon these unprivileged people.   Kezia offers offset to this common path of thinking and questions such a blind following.   She asks her mother, "Can't I ask the Kelveys just once?" To which, the response is, "Run away, Kezia; you know quite well why not." Mansfield successfully expresses the enveloping and controlling nature of conformity through the juxtaposition of Kezia's innocence to the prejudiced views of   those who live in the world of experience.   While others remain to push Kezia's nonconformist

The Human Brain :: essays research papers fc

The Human Brain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the use of molecular biology it is thought that the hominidae family first appeared about 5 million years ago. Based on this time frame it is believed that an African Hominoid lineage was present shortly before that time, approximately 10 myp, which contained the common ancestor to both the chimpanzee and human. The split into proto-chimpanzee and proto-human occurred during the last million years of the Miocene epoch. (Changeux and Chavaillon pg. 61). The fossils, especially those of the skull, from this time frame are limited. This leads to difficulty in proving differences in brain formation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fossils of the hominoid cranium are not available until 2 million years after the proto-human lineage begins. The lack of cranial fossils for 2 million years is a problem. We do not know what took place during this time. The first available cranial fossils are those of A. afarensis. The mean endo cranial capacity was 413.5 cm3, which means that its brain size was that of today’s African great apes (Changeux and Chavaillon pg. 65, table 4.1). With the limited fossils available and the apparent brain size of today’s African great apes there is no proof of significant differences in brain functionality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One study done by Ralph Holloway on the endocaste of the Hadar AL 162-68 skull fragment lead to a different theory regarding significant differences in brain functionality. Hadar â€Å"concluded that the lunate sulcus would have had to be, according to the position of the interparietal sulcus, in a more posterior position than in Pan brains†. This means that A. afarensis â€Å"had an expansion of the parietal association cortex and consequently a brain reorganization (Changeux and Chavaillon pg.106)†. Brain reorganization implies that A. afarensis had a significant difference in brain functionality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cranial capacity of A. africanus has a mean of 440 cm3, A. robustus a mean capacity of 530 cm3 and A. boisei a mean capacity of 463.3 (Changeux and Chavaillon pg.65, table 4.1). When the limited sample size is taken into account, is there a significant difference? â€Å"The modern human inter-racial mean is of the order of 1350 cm3, which is 3.52 times that of the chimpanzee, 2.68 times that of the gorilla value, and 3.33 times the orang-utan value, the comparative inter-hominoid index values for Australopithecus species are seen to have hardly increased at all (Changeux and Chavaillon pg. 67).† If we compare the modern chimpanzee, as modern human’s closest living ancestor, to the australopithecines we find that they â€Å"show a small but definite advance over the chimpanzee in both absolute and relative brain size (Changeux and Chavaillon pg.

Production System

Production systems What is a production system? An apparel production system is an integration of material handling production process, personnel and the equipment that directs work flow and generates finished products. Different types of production systems are †¢ Progressive bundle system †¢ Unit production system †¢ Modular production system Each system requires an appropriate management philosophy, materials handling methods, floor layout, and Employee training. Firms may combine or adapt these systems to meet their specific production needs.Firms may use only one system, a combination of systems for one Product line, or different systems for different product lines in the same plant. Progressive Bundle System The progressive bundle system (PBS) gets its name from the bundles of garment parts that are moved sequentially from operation to operation. This system, often referred to as the traditional production system, has been widely used by apparel manufacturers for several decades and still is today. The expert says that use of bundle systems would decrease as firms seek more flexibility in their production systems [pic]Work flow in progressive bundle system Bundles consist of garment parts needed to complete a specific operation or garment component. For example, an operation bundle for pocket setting might include shirt fronts and pockets that are to be attached. Bundle sizes may range from two to a hundred parts. Some firms operate with a standard bundle size, while other firms vary bundle sizes according to cutting orders, fabric shading, size of the pieces in the bundle, and the operation that is to be completed. Bundles are assembled in the cutting room where cut parts are matched up with corresponding parts and bundle tickets.Bundles of cut parts are transported to the sewing room and given to the operator scheduled to complete the operation. One operator is expected to perform the same operation on all the pieces in the bundle, retie t he bundle, process coupon, and set it aside until it is picked up and moved to the next operation. A progressive bundle system may require a high volume of work in process cause of the number of units in the bundles and the large buffer of backup that is needed to ensure a continuous work flow for all operators. [pic] The progressive bundle systemThe progressive bundle system may be used with a skill center or line layout depending on the order that bundles are advanced through production. Each style may have different processing requirements and thus different routing. Routing identifies basic operations, sequence of production, and the skill centers where those operations are to be performed. Some operations are common to many styles, and at those operations, work may build up waiting to be processed. Advantages and disadvantages of using progressive bundle system AdvantagesThe success of a bundle system may depend on how the system is set up and used in a plant. This system may a llow better utilization of specialized machines, as output from one special purpose automated machine may be able to supply several operators for the next operation. Small bundles allow faster throughput unless there are bottlenecks and extensive waiting between operations. Disadvantages: The progressive bundle system is driven by cost efficiency for individual operations. Operators perform the same operation on a continuing basis, which allows them to increase their speed and productivity.Operators who are compensated by piece rates become extremely efficient at one operation and may not be willing to learn a new operation because it reduces their efficiency and earnings. Individual operators that work in a progressive bundle system are independent of other operators and the final product. Slow processing, absenteeism, and equipment failure may also cause major bottlenecks within the system. Large quantities of work in process are often characteristic of this type of production sys tem.This may lead to longer throughput time, poor quality concealed by bundles, large inventory, extra handling, and difficulty in controlling inventory Unit production system A unit production system (UPS) is a type of line layout that uses an overhead transporter system to move garment components from work station to work station for Assembly [pic] Work flow of unit production All the parts for a single garment are advanced through the production line together by means of a hanging carrier that travels along an overhead conveyor.The overhead rail system consists of the main conveyor and accumulating rails for each work station. The overhead conveyor operates much like a railroad track. Carriers are moved along the main conveyor and switched to an accumulating rail at the work station where an operation is to be performed. At the completion of an operation the operator presses a button, and the carrier moves on to the next operation. Most unit production systems are linked to a com puter control center that routes and tracks production and provides up-to-the-minute data for management decisions. The utomatic control of work flow sorts work, balances the line, and reduces claims of favouritism in bundle distribution. Electronic data collection provides payroll and inventory data, immediate tracking of styles, and costing and performance data for prompt decisions. Processing begins at a staging area in the sewing room. Cut parts for one unit of a single style are grouped and loaded directly from the staging area to a hanging carrier. Loading is carefully planned so minimal handling is required to deliver garment parts in precisely the order and manner that they will be sewn.When possible, operations are completed without removing the parts from the carrier. Varied sizes and types of hanging carriers are available for different types of products. Automated materials handling replaces the traditional system of bundling, tying and untying, and manually moving garme nt parts. Unit production systems eliminate most of the lifting and turning needed to handle bundles and garment parts. The need for bundle tickets and processing operator coupons is also eliminated when an integrated computer system monitors the work of each operator.Individual bar codes or electronic devices are embedded in the carriers and read by a bar code scanner at each workstation and control points. Any data that are needed for sorting and processing such as style number, color shade, and lot can be included. Integrated systems have on-line terminals located at each work station to collect data on each operation. Each operator may advance completed units, reroute units that need repair or processing to a different station, and check their efficiencies and earnings Operator may signal for more inventory or call for a supervisor if assistance is needed.The terminals at each station enables central control center to track each unit at any given moment and provide management wi th data to make immediate decisions on routing and scheduling. Operators of the UPS control center can determine sequences of orders and colors to keep operators supplied with work and to minimize change in equipment, operations, and thread colors. A unit production system can control multiple routes and simultaneous production of multiple styles without restructuring production lines. The control center may perform routing and automatic balancing of work flow, which reduces bottlenecks and work stoppages.Each operator as well as the control center is able to monitor individual work history. individual unit, number of units completed, the operator who worked on each unit, and the piece rate earned for each unit. The system will calculate the earnings per hour, per day, and the efficiency rate of each operator. Advantages: Benefits of a unit production system depend on how a system is used and the effectiveness of management. Throughput time in the sewing room can be drastically redu ced when compared to the progressive bundle system because works in process levels are reduced.Operator productivity increases. Direct labor costs are reduced because of propositioned parts in the carriers and elimination of bundle processing. Indirect labor costs may be reduced by elimination of bundle handling and requiring fewer supervisors. Quality is improved because of accountability of all operators and immediate visibility of problems that are no longer concealed in bundles for extended periods of time. The central control system makes it possible to immediately track a quality problem to the operator that completed the operation.Other benefits that are realized are improved attendance and employee turnover and reduced space utilization. Disadvantages: Considerations for installing a UPS include costs of buying equipment, cost of installing, specialized training for the system, and prevention of downtime. Down time is a potential problem with any of the systems, but the low work in process that is maintained makes UPS especially vulnerable. Modular Production System A modular production system is a contained, manageable work unit that includes an empowered work team, equipment, and work to be executed.Modules frequently operate as minifactories with teams responsible for group goals and self-management. The number of teams in a plant varies with the size and needs of the firm and product line. Teams can have a niche function as long as there are orders for that type of product, but the success of this type of operation is in the flexibility of being able to produce a wide variety of products in small quantities. The numbers of employees on a team, usually 4 to 15, vary with the product mix. A general rule of thumb is to determine the average number of operations required for a style being produced and divide by three.Team members cross-trained and interchangeable among tasks within the group. Incentive compensation is based on group pay and bonuses for meeting team goals for output and quality. Individual incentive compensation is not appropriate for team-based production. Teams may be used to perform all the operations or a certain portion of the assembly operations depending on the organization of the module and processes required. Before a firm can establish a modular production system, it must prioritize its goals and make decisions that reflect the needs of the firm.With a team-based system operators are given the responsibility for operating their module to meet goals for throughput and quality. The team is responsible for maintaining a smooth work flow, meeting production goals, maintaining a specified quality level, and handling motivational support for the team. Team members develop an interdependency to improve the process and accomplish their goals. Interdependency is the relationship among team members that utilizes everyone's strengths for the betterment of the team. Work flow in modular production system [pic]A Modu lar Production System operates as a Pull System, with demand for work coming from the next operator in line to process the garment. Wastage is normal, and workflow is continuous and does not wait ahead of each operation. This increases the potentials for flexibility of styles and quantities of products that can be produced. Teams usually operate as ‘Stand-up’ or ‘Sit-down’ units A module may be divided into several work zones based on the sequence of operations and the time required for each operation. A work zone consists of a group of sequential operations. Operators are trained to perform the operations in their work zone and djacent operations in adjoining work zones so they can move freely from one operation to another as the garment progresses Work flow within a module may be with a Single-piece hand-off, Kanban, or Bump- back system. If a single-piece hand-off is used, machines are arranged in a very tight configuration. As soon as an operation is co mpleted the part is handed to the next operator for processing. Operations need to be well balanced as there is usually only one garment component between each operation. Some modules may operate with a buffer or small bundle of up to ten pieces of work between operators.If a small bundle is used, an operator will complete the operation on the entire bundle and carry the bundle to the next operation. An operator may follow a component or bundle for as many operations as they have been trained or until the adjacent operator is ready to assume work on the bundle Advantages of a Modular Production System are: 1. ) High flexibility 2. ) Fast throughput times 3. ) Low wastages 4. ) Reduced Absenteeism 5. ) Reduced Repetitive Motion Ailments 6. ) Increased employee ownership of the production process 7. ) Empowered employees 8. ) Improved QualityDisadvantages of Modular Production System: 1. ) A high capital investment in equipment. 2. ) High investment in initial training. 3. ) High cost incurred in continued training Combinations of Production Systems Some firms may use the progressive bundle system for producing small parts Combined with modular production for garment assembly. This reduces the investment in specialized equipment and reduces the team size needed. Some industry consultants believe that a modular system combined with a unit production system provides the most flexibility, fastest throughput, and most consistent quality.This would be particularly useful for large items such as coveralls or heavy coats. The UPS would move the garment instead of the operators. Each manufacturer needs to determine what is best for its product line and production requirements. The another major and oldest production system followed in industry is TOYOTA PRODUCTION SYSTEM (TPS) Toyota production system [pic] History of (TPS) The production system developed by Toyota Motor Corporation to provide best quality, lowest cost, and shortest lead time through the elimination of waste.Development of TPS is credited to Taiichi Ohno, Toyota's chief of production in post-WWII period. Beginning in machining operation and spreading from there, Ohno led the development of TPS at Toyota throughout the 1950's and 1960's and the dissemination to the supply base through the 1960's and 1970's. Toyota Motor Corporation's vehicle production system is a way of â€Å"making things† that is sometimes referred to as a â€Å"lean manufacturing system† or a â€Å"Just-in-Time (JIT) system,† and has come to be well known and studied worldwide.Then, in 1924, Sakichi invented the world's first automatic loom, called the â€Å"Type-G Toyoda Automatic Loom (with non-stop shuttle-change motion)† which could change shuttles without stopping operation. The Toyota term â€Å"jido† is applied to a machine with a built-in device for making judgments, whereas the regular Japanese term â€Å"jido† (automation) is simply applied to a machine that m oves on its own. Jidoka refers to â€Å"automation with a human touch,† as opposed to a machine that simply moves under the monitoring and supervision of an operator. Since the loom stopped when a problem arose, no defective products were produced. This meant that a single operator could be put in charge of numerous looms, resulting in a tremendous improvement in productivity. [pic] Just in time `Just-in-time' is a management philosophy and not a technique.Just-in-Time† means making only â€Å"what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed. † To efficiently produce a large number of products such as automobiles, which are comprised of some 30,000 parts, it is necessary to create a detailed production plan that includes parts procurement, for example. Supplying â€Å"what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed† according to this production plan can eliminate waste, inconsistencies, and unreasonable requirements, resulting in imp roved productivity. Kanban system [pic] Kanban is a production system†¦ its a part of toyato production or lean manufacturing system†¦ Kanban is a Japanese word which means signal cards†¦. These cards are hung where ever required†¦ o only when this card indicated that the particular space is empty; the products are filled back in the tray†¦ This is a simple concept, but very effective. Kanban mainly focus on the reduction of overproduction. The is also interlinked with the Toyota production system In the TPS, a unique production control method called the â€Å"Kanban system† plays an important role. The Kanban system has also been called the â€Å"Supermarket method† because the idea behind it was borrowed from supermarkets. Supermarkets and mass merchandizing stores use product control cards on which product-related information, such as product name, product code, and storage location, is entered.Because Toyota employed Kanban signs in place o f the cards for use in production processes, the method came to be called the â€Å"Kanban system. † At Toyota, when a process goes to the preceding process to retrieve parts, it uses a Kanban to communicate what parts have been used. Here a Kanban system is used [pic] There are two kinds of Kanban †¢ Production instruction Kanban †¢ Parts retrieval kanban Cellular manufacturing What is cellular manufacturing? Cellular manufacturing, sometimes called cellular or cell production, arranges factory floor labor into semi-autonomous and multi-skilled teams, or work cells, who manufacture complete products or complex components.Properly trained and implemented cells are more flexible and responsive than the traditional mass-production line, and can manage processes, defects, scheduling, equipment maintenance, and other manufacturing issues more efficiently [pic] History Cellular manufacturing is a fairly new application of group technology, although the Portsmouth Block M ills offers what by definition constitutes an early example of cellular manufacturing. By 1808, using machinery designed by Marc Isambard Brunel and constructed by Henry Maudslay, the Block Mills were producting 130,000 blocks (pulleys) for the Royal Navy per year in single unit lots, with 10 men operating 42 machines arranged in three production flow lines. This installation apparently reduced manpower requirements by 90% (from 110 to 10), reduced cost substantially and greatly improved block consistency and quality.Group Technology is a management strategy with long term goals of staying in business, growing, and making profits. Companies are under relentless pressure to reduce costs while meeting the high quality expectations of the customer to maintain a competitive advantage. Successfully implementing Cellular manufacturing allows companies to achieve cost savings and quality improvements, especially when combined with the other aspects of lean manufacturing. Cell manufacturing systems are currently used to manufacture anything from hydraulic and engine pumps used in aircraft to plastic packaging components made using injection molding. Goals of cellular manufacturingThe goal of cellular manufacturing is having the flexibility to produce a high variety of low demand products, while maintaining the high productivity of large scale production. Cell designers achieve this through modularity in both process design and product design. Process design The division of the entire production process into discrete segments, and the assignment of each segment to a work cell, introduces the modularity of processes. If any segment of the process needs to be changed, only the particular cell would be affected, not the entire production line. For example, if a particular component was prone to defects, and this could be solved by upgrading the equipment, a new work cell could be designed and prepared while the obsolete cell continued production.Once the new cell is teste d and ready for production, the incoming parts to and outgoing parts from the old cell will simply be rerouted to the new cell without having to disrupt the entire production line. In this way, work cells enable the flexibility to upgrade processes and make variations to products to better suit customer demands while largely reducing or eliminating the costs of stoppages. Product Design Product modularity must match the modularity of processes. Even though the entire production system becomes more flexible, each individual cell is still optimised for a relatively narrow range of tasks, in order to take advantage of the mass-production efficiencies of specialisation and scale.To the extent that a large variety of products can be designed to be assembled from a small number of modular parts, both high product variety and high productivity can be achieved. For example, a varied range of automobiles may be designed to use the same chassis, a small number of engine configurations, and a moderate variety of car bodies, each available in a range of colors. In this way, a large variety of automobiles, with different performances and appearances and functions, can be produced by combining the outputs from a more limited number of work cells. In combination, each modular part is designed for a particular work cell, or dedicated clusters of machines or manufacturing processes.Cells are usually bigger than typical conventional workstations, but smaller than a complete conventional department. After conversion, a cellular manufacturing layout usually requires less floor space as a result of the optimized production processes. Each cell is responsible for its own internal control of quality, scheduling, ordering, and record keeping. The idea is to place the responsibility of these tasks on those who are most familiar with the situation and most able to quickly fix any problems. The middle management no longer has to monitor the outputs and interrelationships of every single worker, and instead only has to monitor a smaller number of work cells and the flow of materials between them, often achieved using a system of kanbans

Finance Internship Report

Internship / Project Title: Revenue Operations Specialist Internship / Project Progress: I worked in a Saas-based company as a revenue operation specialist. My main responsibilities were to work closely with the CFO with weekly cash flow analysis and to apply cash, book journal entries and created A/R aging reports in Net Suite and GP. Also, I completed monthly GL account reconciliations and revenue waterfalls and prepared SOX filing, such as sales order and journal entry samples.Furthermore, I worked closely with account executives in managing over 350 customers, generating invoices and processing payments in Quickbooks and Xero. When my company transferred system, I migrated over 5 GB of system data using Pivot Table and Vlookup and created novel collection metrics and invoice billing charts on daily basis. Besides, I helped AP team to verified over 100 weekly expense reports for employee expense reimbursements and assisted with accounting logs and billing/revenue close process.I a lso supported in preparation of financial statements and management reporting and managed billing schedules for revenue recognition This position helps me understand how a finance department runs in the daily work. Also, I built many skills relevant to accounting in the software industry, such as revenue recognition, account receivables and VSOE. I summarized what I learnt and contributed for my company below.Revenue and Budgeting: Assisted financial team to reached $29 million quarterly revenue target in ahead of one month; Managed P&L, aged receivables, income statement, bank reconciliation reports and journal entry for monthly revenue reconciliation; Handled revenue waterfall month end closures in an accurate and timely manner, finishing a week before official due date and exceeding manager expectation. Maintained the budgeting model by the development and improvement of budgeting process to decrease 10% cost on delivery rates and advertisement occupancy.Account Management: Engag ed professionally with sales personnel to manage over 350 customer master files in QuickBooks and 300 customers in Xeros and to implement leads generations in Salesforce. com CRM; Built and developed customer relationships to enhance performance in the bank and generated 10% in portfolio revenue. Data Management: Posted daily cash applications and journal entries in various accounts in Net Suite, kept track of over checking and money market accounts simultaneously and maintained onsistently 100% accuracy; Reconstructed over 5 GB of system data using vlookup and combination formulas in Excel, handled software compatibility issues, input and output parsing, saved company over 30 hours in automating the manual migration of data. Overall, what I learn from class in ITU is well applied to my job. For instance, in Financial Accounting class, we learnt the knowledge about three important financial statements, which I used and reviewed in my job.

Philips Vs Matsushita Case Study Essay

CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: Philips vs Matsushita Philips and Matsushita are two principal consumer electronics companies that adopted two different strategies that lead them to some success, and later losses. Philips, as a multinational company, was more into a global organizational portfolio; whereas, Matsushita was focusing its operations in Japan. Unfortunately, both companies face loss of profitability even if their top managers were putting a lot of effort into the success of their respective business. Philips employed seven CEOs, and each used different strategy to reach the company success. Matsushita strategy was to turn the company into a cost containment mode, but the losing trend appeared by then. While Philips pursued its path into innovation and entrepreneurship by using their local resources to create new products, Matsushita was more focusing on a strategy based on standard products. Philips began closing useless plants and identifying businesses as either core or non-core. Purchasing the North American Philips Corp was to regain control and spending on basic research was to make the R&D the direct reasonability of the business. However, the spending was wasted; NOs were unwilling to use the new technologies developed. Matsushita, on the other hand, was more focusing on its subsidiaries; for instance, it implemented the operations localization that gave more power to the subsidiaries and more choice to their managers. After collapsing, the latest CEO decided to consolidate manufacturing facilities. However, it did not focus on innovation and did not develop new products. Nevertheless, both companies had many disadvantages in their strategies. For instance, Philips lacked the ability to deal with a changing international environment, exceeded by the competition in terms of price since it was offering the most expensive products in the market, and also, faced many problems internally like disputes between its NOs and its product divisions. On the other hand, Matsushita has a centralized production which led to losses throughout the years. Also, their cultural values were not adaptive enough to let the firm cope with the changing environment. Even by adopting strong strategies, Philips and Matsushita continue to lose profitability and now for sure, they need to restructure their businesses and risk should be spread in order to mitigate unforeseeable disasters.

Chisti Dargah Essay

In Ajmer city, there is a Dargah Shriff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti which is indeed an ornament to this city. A holiest place where not only Muslims but other caste people also visit as it is a place of worship for them. Since Khwaja Saheb came to India, he enjoys great respect and devotion universally and known as a ‘Living Spirit† of Harmony and peace. He considered as a redeemer of human suffering and one of the greatest spirits. He has been a source of moral strength and enlightenment of spirituality. Both Hindu and Muslim are faithful and worshipers of Khwaja Saheb. Not only common man, even many mighty kings of Hindustan (India) have worshiped and submitted their self to this great saint. There are precious buildings and various rich charities dedicated to the Dargah of Khwaja Saheb. These are living memorials given by the people of India in the memory of Khwaja Saheb from 750 years. The Dargah is at extream north of Taragarh Hill and here it has the tomb of the great saint. The tomb is main attraction of the Dargah and considered as sanctum of the Dargah. There are amny other prominent attraction which also catches the eyes of visitors as soon as they visit the Dargah. There are two Buland Darwaza, which were built under the vision of Sultan of Malwa, Sultan Ghyasuddin Khilji. He ruled Malwa from 1469 to 1500 A.D. There is another Buland Darwaza(now uses as main entrance) in the north of the Dargah, it was built by H.E.H. Nisam Usman Ali Khan of Hyderabad Deccan in 1915 A.D. It was built at a cost of Rs. 55,857/-. On the top of this Buland Darwaza, there is the main Naqqar Khana (drum house) containing two pairs of huge naqqars (beating drums). These were gifted by Emperor Akbar after his successful victory in a campaign of Bengal. These naqqars (beating drums) are sounded to the accompaniment of music played on Nafeeries and Shahnias. These are sounded only at certain fixed hours of every day and night of the year only by musicians permanent employees of the Dargah. There are many other attractive buildings, tombs, courtyards and Daalaans in the Dargah, Some of which are excellent examples of the Moghul architecture and were erected during the Moghul period. Akbar (the first Moghul Emperor who visited Dargah) visited the Dargah on foot when Ajmer came under his possession. There is a Akbari Masjid in the Dargah built in 1571 A.d. by  Akbar which is a spacious mosque (140Ãâ€"140) feet. Later It was repaired in 1901 A.D. by Nawab Ghafoor Ali of Danapur. As per given on the Website of Dargah Shrine Dargah Shrief, a place where wishes and desires come true. Devotees from all over the world visit this Dargah to be blessed by Khawaja Baba and to fulfill their desires. More often than not their wishes do come true and the wish fulfillment is usually followed by devotees offering flowers, gilaf (velvet cloth), ittar (non-alcoholic perfume) and sandal wood powder. Besides these offerings they also recite Quran, Nafal Namaz, Milad and Aayat-e-Karima and Khatam Khawajgan. Services provided by Dargah Shrine: * Sufies, Dervash and Aulia Allah started the custom of arranging Langars (free distribution of food for all the makhlooks (mankind) and this is now considered as one of the biggest charity one can offer. We arrange Langar, which includes one deg of biryani that can feed 70 people. Note: This should not be included as part of Zakat money. * We make it possible for you to participate in all the activities of Dargah Sharief. The activities include milad, khatam of Quran, special monthly prayers for members etc. This entails becoming a member of our silsila. * Make transport and lodging arrangement, package trips and also offer services of ourguesthouse for free stay. * Make arrangement for donating a room for people visiting the Dargah Sharief We believe Khawaja Baba’s blessings can cure any disease, business or personal problems. If you have any problem please tell us we will pray to lmighty Allah and he will listen out prayer with the blessing of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz R.A. THE MISSION OF KHAWAJA SAHIB It is a well-known historical fact that in spreading the ethical and spiritual values of Islam, major and effective contributions have been made by the walis of Allah (saints). It was their humanistic disposition and pity, which won over the hearts of lakhs of people. They made a direct contact with the masses, served and loved them, lived with them in the realisation of Eternal Truth. Haji Syed Mohammed Sayeed Chishty * The proof of this is more than evident from the history of growth of Islam in India. Although Islam had penetrated in this subcontinent in the first century of Hijra, but the noble task of inspiring the people to its tenets and values in India was accomplished by Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty (R.A.) popularly known as Khwaja Sahib and Khwaja Gharib Nawaz. He did it all through his great moral power, glorious and appealing character, with love and dedication to mankind, without any worldly resources of wealth, power, force and material means. * Khwaja Sahib was a scholar of great repute. He interpreted the true Islamic message of love for mankind and through that, the love for the Almighty creator. He preached the Quranic philosophy of the unity of religion and worked out its potentialities for  the whole humanity. He was the greatest mystic of his time. He laid the foundation of the liberal Chishtia order of sufis in India, and inspired millions of souls to be his followers and thus served the masses of the Indian Sub-continent. Why Ajmer Was Chosen Why Ajmer was only selected to be poineer of Hazrat Khawaja Muinuddin Chishti’s mission in India? This is a very general question which may be asked by some critical readers. A microscopic study of the history of India before Khawaja Saheb’s arrival, and of the period of his stay in Ajmer will answer this question successfully. Dargah shrine have already thrown sufficient light on this point, Shrine trace a brief history of Ajmer and the Khawaja Saheb’s Dargah which attracts millions of people every year to seek spiritual blessings of the great saint. Geographically, Ajmer is situated in the heart of Rajasthan, at one time the citadel of India kingdom, and thus it suited the grand mission of Khawaja Saheb best. Politically, Ajmer the seat of a most powerful kingdom of the last Rajput Emperor of India, Raja Prithviraj Chauhan (1179-1192 A.D.) whose whole life was â€Å"one of unbroken chain of chivalrous deeds and glorious exploits which have won for him eternal fame and a name that will last as long as chivalry itself.† Prithviraj was the son of Someshwara (1170-1179 A.D.) who was the 29th descendant in the lineage of King Vasudeva who flourished as far back as 551 A.D. Vasudeva has descended from Chahuan (the founder of the Rajput clan of Chauhans) whose date is untraceable in the description of Ajmer. As given in Sarga IX of the famous documentary â€Å"Prithviraj Vijaya†, runs as below:- The city was so densely populated and there were so many gardens, tanks and wells that not more than one-tenth of the earth was visible to sun, and water in the wells was only two cubits from the ground surface. Karpurdevi (mother of Prithviraj) under whose regency he was brought up also founded a town†. Describing Ajmer in his â€Å"Picturesque India† (p.77) Mr. Caine, says:- â€Å"It is an ancient, beautiful city full of interest, both historical and architectural; its gay busy bazars and its old houses with carved fronts, some of which are among the finest in India, giving added attractions to its superb situation. A well-built stone wall with give gateways surrounds the city†. Source: – http://www.dargahajmer.com/a_about.htm

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 12

Case Study - Essay Example Edward Alexander wants to invest in real estate, thus building equity based future. He believes that increasing his return would be best done by managing his own investment. He thinks that paying someone for rent is a not a smart idea since it’s simply a waste of money. Alexander wants to invest in the popular Beacon Hill area and thus he initiated a thorough search about the area. He found out that the value of the area is increasing rapidly due to the natural advantages surrounding it such as Charles River and public parks. The properties were listed in the market from $299,000-2.4 million dollars. The rent for a one bedroom apartment in that area ranges between $1100-1600 per month and the two bedroom apartment ranges from $1600-$2100. Alexander has $80,000 cash and the required investments about 21.5%. Thus, Alexander needs $70,000 in cash. Alexander decided to invest in a complex priced at $350,000 that needs renovation of $165,000, he decided to invest his $80,000 and get a $19,000 from an investor and take a mortgage loan of $450,000. Taking into consideration of miscellaneous costs and fees that totaled $549,000, consequently, a mortgage higher than $450,000 would result in a higher interest of $2000 during renovations. This paper will analyze Alexander’s options with regard to this property. And provide forecast of the most important financial ratios. The cases regarding to Alexander Edward, who is a graduate from Harvard College, and recently working in a biotech firms since four years. Due to the good knowledge of the location, and his perspective to give a hand in real estate business included their urge to have a home a good location, he started to explore the location with all possible sources. The business in the sector is on its peak and growth is very good since last ten years. The home liked by Alexander is almost priced at $500,000

Sourcing and supply chain strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sourcing and supply chain strategy - Essay Example Often, strategies that have been already tested in practice are preferred, as they can ensure the limitation of risks involved. Similar approaches are used in modern organizations when having to manage organizational sources. In this case, two different concepts appear: the sourcing strategy and the supply chain strategy. The above two frameworks, even if they seem identical, they refer to different organizational needs. Of course, as all organizational strategies, the outsourcing strategy and the supply chain strategy have a common target: to provide to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals (Weele 2009). The relationship between the sourcing strategy and the supply strategy is explored in this study. Reference is made to the elements of these strategies, their requirements and their key processes. Particular emphasis is given on the parts of supply chain strategy, since the particular strategy is extensively used in modern organizations, having the power to sig nificantly support organizational growth. At this point the following issue should be highlighted: the literature published in the particular field promotes different approaches for explaining the role and the structure of the outsourcing strategy and the supply chain strategy. ... Then, the processes of each of the above strategy would be analysed using appropriate theories and examples so that the value and the implications of both these strategies to be made clear. 2.1.1 Sourcing strategy The sourcing strategy, as the supply chain strategy, focuses on specific organizational needs. Patel (2005) note that ‘the sourcing strategy defines who will fulfil various parts of the objectives as defined by the business strategy’ (Patel 2005, p.43). At the next level, ‘the activity to which the above objectives are related can be a project or a process’ (Patel 2005, p.43). Thus, the role of outsourcing with modern organizations is quite specific: to respond to the needs of particular organizational initiatives, other internal or external, which have to be developed within a short or a long period of time. From a similar point of view, Philippart et al. (2005) noted that the outsourcing strategy is used when having ‘to identify the strateg ies which will be used for sourcing the appropriate products and services’ (Philippart 2005, p.118). The potential role of outsourcing as one of the key business strategies is made clear through the following example: IBM and Dell, key competitors in the global electronics industry, have significantly decreased their costs by using outsourcing in regard ‘to their key commodities, such as memories and hard disks’ (Philippart et al 2005, p.118). In other words, if it is appropriately planned, outsourcing can help to the improvement of cost control in modern organizations, supporting the standardization of organizational performance. In 2010, Walmart introduced a new sourcing strategy based on the following