Marketing plan of airline company

Introduction A market plan is a document that strives to ensure all strategies are implemented to the end (Mcdonald, 2011).The main goal of marketing involves revenue maximization and customer satisfaction. It is expected that when a good marketing plan is adopted and implemented, it should be the turning point for any enterprise.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing plan of airline company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Plunkett, †The commercial airline industry has always been particularly vulnerable to economic and political changes† (2009). Therefore, investing in the industry needs carefull considerations. A good marketing plan places a firm on a higher pedestal to compete and command a sizeable share of any market that it operates. Mission statement Fere Airline is committed to becoming a profitable, global, and competitive airline, known for success based on efficiency and e ffectiveness in all its aspects of operations. Fere Airline’s Core Purpose: The Airline strives to make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of Europe. Core Values: Customer satisfaction Continuous improvement of service and product quality to remain competitive Maintain the highest safety standards in operations Fere Airline’s Goals:Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To become the airline of choice in Europe To adopt business strategies that will ensure profitability To place London’s Stansted Airport on the map of the world and develop it as a premier hub in Europe To achieve a world class status in all aspects of operation, performance, customer satisfaction, and product quality Airline’s Organization Structure: For efficiency in service delivery, the airline’s organization structure will comprise of eight departme nts. An executive director will head each of the departments. The executive directors in consultation with the Group Managing Director will make most departmental decisions. The suggested departments are: Security and Anti-terrorism Technical Information Systems Finance Flight Operations Commercial Human Resources and Administration Ground Handling Fleet 15 Boeing 737 900ER Image courtey of ComPilots-Aviation Portal   Boeing 737-900ER Technical Characteristics Wingspan 112 feet 7 inches (34.3 meters) Wingspan w/winglets 117 feet 5 inches (35.7 meters) Cabin width 11 feet 7 inches (3.53 meters) Overall length 138 feet 2 inches (42.1 meters) Tail height 41 feet 2 inches (12.5 meters) Lower hold volume 11,824 cubic ft. (51.6 m3) Volume with 1 aux tank 1,674 cubic ft. (47.4 m3) Volume with 2 aux tanks 1,585 cubic ft. (44.9 m3) Source (Boeing, 2004)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing plan of airline company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More General Strategy The airline industry is fiercely competitive (Cento, 2008). As globalization gains momentum, this already fierce competition is expected to intensify. This means that without proper marketing, the firm will hardly make any penetrations. Therefore, survival in this field means appropriately responding to the changing aero-political environment. Considering the above factors, Fere Airline has committed to investing in a state of the art information gathering system that will ensure the company remains up to date with market changes. As such, the company’s ability to respond to unforeseen threats and available opportunities will be rapid. In concrete terms, the airline aims to become the leading carrier in Europe with a heavy presence in Africa, Asia, and America in the next 20 years. The company also intends to own a fleet of 40-50 modern aircrafts for these operations. Finally yet importantly, the company intends to forge partnerships with other airlines to increase service efficiency. Product and service analysis Fere Airline’s headquarters will be based in London Stansted Airport. As a European short haul airline, its operations will cover France, BCN and ARN. Fere Aitrlines has already acquired 15 Boeing type B737 aircrafts for start up. The Airline will engage in both cargo and human transport. However, concentration will be on passengers considering the size of the palne. B737 are relatively small aircrafts and cannot, therefore, handle voluminous laggage (Kundu, 2010). To ensure that the airline gains considerable market share, various products and services will be offered. Gift cards The company will introduce gift cards to its loyal customers. Customers who win the gift cards will have their journeies fully sponsored to a destinations of their choice. Be it the Himalayas for a holiday with your spouse, Africa to watch wild animals, or the Middle East, the company will take them safely at no pay. Travel insurance Travel insurance makes airline travelling expensive (Lee, 2006). According to Karr, â€Å"The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the cost and length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2006).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many airlines use the above mentioned factors to swindle traveller and charge exhorbitant prices. The company will offer comprehensive insurance to its clients at very affordable rates. The comprehensive cover will comprise lost package, travel delays, and trip cancellation insurance. Payment methods Apart for the conventional payment methods such as direct deposits, mastercard,and visa card, which are sometimes inconveniencing, the company will offer a varriety of convenient payment methods such as paypal, pyoneer, credit cards, GoodAsGold, Moneybookers, Alertpay, and Mobile Money Transfer. This will ensure that customers can easily pay for their flights using the most convenient method to them. One bag free campaign Travelers who have a lot of luggage need not worry. The company plans to run a promotional campaign aimed at attracting more clients, especially those travelling with families. Therefore, every paseenger will be allowed to travel with one bag free. Free onboard service s XM Radio Every seat will have a fixed XM Radio for customers to tune in and listen. Most interestingly, the customers will have a choice of 100 radio stations. This will ensure that passangers tune in to the stations of their choice in terms of presenters, music genre or discussions. Snacks Fere airline’s management knows that travelling without snacks makes the journey boring and long. As such, the company has contracted leading snack companies, Doritos, Jeffa Cakes, Hovis Bakery, and Greggs. DIRECTCTV On every seat is installed a 36 channel DIRECTV with leading international channels. Clients who like business news can always catch up with Quest on CNN, sports and entertainment lovers, ESPN among other wolrd class channels. Partnerships â€Å"Strategic partnerships are being heralded as a sound strategy in the airline industry† (Fojt, 2006). Attaining a world class status with a Boeing 737, is an almost impossible task. As globalization gains prominence, so is air travel (Meskill, 1999). This means that the demand for air travelling across the world remains high. The company must, therefore, make efforts to tap into this growing market through mergers. As such, the following companies have been contacted for mergers. Air France Fere Airline and Air France have agreed to share services between London and Paris. This will give the customer a better service experience through regular routes and marvelous experinces. Aeroflot Fere Airline will share London to Frankfurt route with Aeroflot. Time schedule Time schedule is used to advertise the timetable of arrivals and departures. It only includes days when the airline is operational. In this case, the time schedule will cover the period beginning 1st February 2011 to 18th April 2011. Departing London Stansted Airport To Departure Arrival Flight nos. days France 2200 2354 CS001 1stFebruary 2011 Barcelona 2200 0045 CS003 10THFebruary 2011 Stockholm 0930 1236 CS007 15THFebruary 2011 Fran ce 2100 1100 Cs012 21stFebruary 2011 Barcelona 1715 2000 Cs015 27thFebruary 2011 Stockholm 1035 1500 Cs 014 30thFebruary 2011 France 2245 0500 Cs013 2ndMarch 2011 Barcelona 1545 1830 CS011 5th March 2011 Stockholm 1135 1700 Cs005 10thMarch 2011 France 2025 0400 Cs006 14thMarch 2011 Barcelona 1600 2200 Cs003 18thMarch 2011 Stockholm 1135 1700 Cs004 21stMarch 2011 France 2000 0600 Cs009 28thMarch 2011 Barcelona 1600 2145 Cs008 4thApril Stockholm 1135 1600 Cs007 16thApril 2011 Time justification Fligh time and distance have been calculated using flight time calculator (https://flighttime-calculator.com/). London to Paris Flight distance:344.79km Ground distance:344.20km Flighttime:0h 54min Start time:31 Jan 2011 22:00 GMT +00:00 Arrival time:31 Jan 2011 23:54 GMT +01:00  (Local times) London to Barcelona Flight distance:1141.13km Ground distance:1139.16km Flighttime:1h 45min Start time:09 Feb 2011 22:00 GMT +00:00 Arrival time:10 Feb 2011 00:45 GMT +01:00 (Local times) London to Stockholm Flight distance:1438.86km Ground distance:1436.39km Flighttime:2h 6min Start time:15 Feb 2011 09:30 GMT +00:00 Arrival time:15 Feb 2011 12:36 GMT +01:00  (Local times) London return Flight distance:344.79km Ground distance:344.20km Flighttime:0h 54min Start time:21 Feb 2011 19:00 GMT +01:00 Arrival time:21 Feb 2011 18:54 GMT +00:00 (Local times) Budget for advertising Budget in marketing plan refers to comparison between expected revenue earned as a direct result of advertising and cost incurred in advertising. Care should be taken to ensure that an optimal level of advertisement is reached. That it is to say marginal costs of advertising should be equal to marginal revenues collected. Too much advertising is not recommended since it will only be effective up to certain optimal limit. $150000 Budget Between February and April 2011, the company plans to spend $ 150,000 on advertisement. The table below show specific areas of expenditure and ex pected revenue generated from advertising effects. Marketing expenditure February March April total Online 2000 3000 3000 8000 Brochures 6000 5000 6000 17000 Trade shows – 9000 10800 27000 Print 12000 11000 9000 32000 Radio 10000 12000 10000 32000 Promotions – – 30000 30000 Publications 1000 2000 1000 4000 Sales training 6000 5000 1000 12000 Total spent 50000 52000 48000 150000 Total sales 4000000 4500000 6000000 1450000 Marketing as a % sales 1.25 1.15 0.8 Online advertising The internet has proven effecteive lately in advertisement. In fact, according to Yeshin, â€Å"The web should not be regarded as a substitute for advertising in traditional media† (2005). Instead, the internet should be taken as a primary advertising method due to its wide coverage, cost effectiveness, and efficiency (Rock, 2005). Use of social media such as Face Book and Twitter and company website can be of great importance to online advertising. Onlin e advertisement will run for 3 months. Brochures â€Å"An attractive brochure can be very useful† (Henning, 2008). The company must, therefore, design and print brochures and distribute them to potential customers to aid selling of company products. Trade shows Trade shows, if well organized, can prove crucial to a company’s success. It is no wonder that Hisrich claimed that, â€Å"The importance of trade shows in industrial sales cannot be overstated† (Hisrich, 2000). Radio Radio advertisement has remained of great importance despite the emergence of the internet and Television. More still, the advent of FM radio stations has brough in jist among listeners (Mathur, 2005). The company, has decided to use 3 popular radio stations in its advertisements. From the projections, February, March, and April’s ratio of expenditure to sales would registere 1.25%, 1.15%, and 0.8% respectively. This is a favorable ratio. It shows that returns on amounts invested in a dvertisement cost are several times the cost. This occurrence shows that advertisement plays a pivotal role in boosting revenues. Print and radio utilized the highest cost while publications registered the lowest cost. Marketing strategy Marketing strategy refers to causes of actions that are aimed at achievement of market plans (Handlechner, 2012). Such strategies mainly focus on gaining competitive advantage in the market to boost revenues. They also work to ensure customer loyalty to products of a particular enterprise. Competitive and customers strategies Fere Airline will strive to be competitive despite the cutthroat competition that exists in the airline market. It faces completion from established airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and British Airways. Despite the economic strength of these established companies, Fere Airline will most probably prevail and be profitable because of its highly efficient and effective operations. Mock press advertisement We are glad to announce to you the introduction of our world class airline services. The industry is crowded already, but we took this step because we believe travellers deserve nothing less than excellence and comfort. Surely, what we are launching today, Fere Airline, is an epitome of comfort with a touch of class. It is impressive and highly innovative. This is the reason why you need to fly with Fere Airline. We are introducing a flee of 15 Boeing 737 all customized to meet your comfort needs. It may be hard to believe that such excellent services would come at low prices, but Fere Airline is determined to make travelling cheaper and more exciting for all. We desire to ply all routes in Europe. However, we will only make direct flights to France, Spain, and Germany. Conclusion Marketing plan is an integral element of any business idea. Ignoring the need for a marketing plan is business’s own peril (Berman, 2009). A good marketing plan is paramount for success. It should be designed exhaustively and realistically without leaving out important components. Important components include various competitive strategies,potential challenges and how the business intends to tackle these challenges. The management needs to go a step further, adopt the components of market plan to the fullest. It should not just be a decorated documents which is not implemented in the business strategic planning. Fere Airline shows good tidings in the future, it should not be complacent. It exists in a very competitive arena, and no efforts should be spared by all stakeholders, since slight mishap could plummet the tremendous grounds they have covered to oblivion. References Andrew, T. (2003) Aviation insecurity: the new challenges of air tarvel, Amherst, NY: Promethes Books. Bayne, K.M. (1997) The Internet marketing plan, New York: J. Wiley Co. Bell, T.W. (1999) Internet Gambling: popular, inexorable and (eventually) legal. Bill, M. (1972) Air travel, London: Collier-Macmillan. Boeing ( 2004) 737 Family. Web. Brehmer, B. (1994) Future risks and risk management, Norwell, MA: Springer. Browning, H. (2007) Maintaining Team Performance, Volume 420, Greensboro: Center for Creative Leadership. Cahill, D.J. (2006) Lifestyle market segmentation, Binghamton, NY: Routledge. Cento, A. (2008) The Airline Industry: Challenges in the 21st Century, Segrate: Springer. Cohen, W.A. (1995) The marketing plan, New York: Wiley. Croft, M.J. (1994) Market segmentation: a step-by-step guide to profitable new business, London: Routledge. Dan, M. (2002) Safe air travel companion, New York: McGraw Hill. Davidson, A. (2010) How the City Really Works: The Definitive Guide to Money and Investing in London’s Square Mile, Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Publishers. Fojt, M. (2006) ‘The Airline Industry’, Strategic Direction, vol. XXII, no. 6, June, p. 53. Freiberg, K.a.J.F. (1998) Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ crazy recipe for business and personal success, New York: Broadway Books. Garbutt, D. (1967) A simple introduction to capital expenditure decisions, California, CA: Pitman. Hancock, P.A. (1999) Human performance and ergonomics, San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Henning, R. (2008) Effective Guest House Management, 3rd edition, Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd. Hisrich, R.D. (2000) Marketing, 2nd edition, New York: Barron’s Educational Series. J., J.A. (1979) Air travel, London: Macdonald Educational. Jackson, A.J. (1979) Air trave, London: Macdonald Educational. James, M. (1930) Air travel, New York: C. Scribner’s Sons. Jolly, A. (2009) Business Insights: Europe: A periodical Guide to Company Formation, Philadelphia: Kogan Page Limited. Karr, P. (2006) Frommer’s Vermont, New Hampshire Maine, 5th edition, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Kendrick, T. (2009) Identifying and Managing Project Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-Proofing Your Project, New York, NY: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Kotler, P. (2000) Marketing management. Mill ennium ed, Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Kralev, N. (2011) Decoding Air Travel: A Guide to Saving on Airfare and Flying in Luxury, London: Nicholas Kralev. Kundu, A.K. (2010) Aircraft Design, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lee, D. (2006) Advances in Airline Economics: Competition policy and antitrust, Kidlington, Oxford: Emerald Group Publishing. Martel, G. (2010) A Companion to Europe 1900-1945, 10th edition, Califonia: John Wiley and Sons. Mathur, U.C. (2005) Advertising Management Text And Cases, 2nd edition, New Delhi: New Age International. Meskill, T. (1999) Current Market Outlook, 1998: World Market Demand and Airplane Supply Requirements, Seattle, WA: DIANE Publishing. Plunkett, J.W. (2009) Plunkett’s Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Almanac 2009 (E-Book): Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies, Houston, TX: Plunkett Research, Ltd. Rock, R.A. (2005) Quo Vadis Ad vertising?, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. Rogers, R.M. (2009) Gambling in America. Web. Saber, R. (2006) International Business Operations and the Impact of Political Environment:A Conceptual Frame Work Based on a Four-Industry Study, LaVergne: Lightning Source Inc. Tim, W. (1993) Air tarvel, New York: Thomson Learning. Vejlgaard, H. (2008) Anatomy of a trend, London: McGraw-Hill. Weinstein, A. (2004) Handbook of market segmentation: strategic targeting for business and technology firms, Binghamton, NY: Routledge. Yeshin, T. (2005) Advertising, Hong Kong: Cengage Learning EMEA. This essay on Marketing plan of airline company was written and submitted by user Yusuf Robinson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Khmer Empire Water Management System

The Khmer Empire Water Management System The Angkor civilization, or Khmer Empire, was a complex state in southeast Asia between AD 800 and 1400. It was remarkable, among other things, because of its extensive water management system stretching across over 1200 square kilometers (460 square miles), which connected the natural lake Tonle Sap to large man-made reservoirs (called baray in Khmer) through a series of canals  and permanently altering the local hydrology. The network allowed Angkor to flourish for six centuries despite the difficulties of maintaining a state-level society in the face of successive dry and monsoon regions. Water Challenges and Benefits Sources of permanent water tapped by the Khmer canal system included lakes, rivers, groundwater, and rainwater. The monsoonal climate of southeast Asia divided the years (and still does) into wet (May-October) and dry (November-April) seasons. Rainfall varies in the region between 1180-1850 millimeters (46-73 inches) per year, mostly in the wet season. The impact of water management at Angkor changed natural catchment boundaries and eventually led to erosion and sedimentation of channels requiring considerable upkeep. Tonle Sap is among the most productive freshwater ecosystems in the world, made so by the regular flooding from the Mekong River. Groundwater in Angkor can today be accessed at ground level during the wet season and 5 meters (16 feet) below ground level during the dry  season. However, local groundwater access varies greatly across the region, with bedrock and soil characteristics at times resulting in a water table as much as 11-12 m (36-40 ft) below the ground surface. Water Systems Water systems were used by the Angkor civilization to cope with the vastly changing water quantities included raising their houses on mounds or stilts, building and excavating small ponds at the household level and larger ones (called trapeang) at the village level. Most trapeang were rectangular and generally aligned east/west: they were associated with and perhaps controlled by the temples. Most temples also had their own moats, which were square or rectangular and oriented in the four cardinal directions. At the city level, large reservoirs- called baray- and linear channels, roads, and embankments were used to manage water  and may have formed an intercommunication network as well. Four major baray are in Angkor today: Indratataka (Baray of Lolei), Yasodharatataka (East Baray), West Baray, and Jayatataka (North Baray). They were very shallow, between 1-2 m (3-7 ft) below ground level, and between 30-40 m (100-130 ft) wide. Baray were built by creating earthen embankments of between 1-2 meters above the ground level and fed by channels from natural rivers. The embankments were often used as roads. Archaeologically-based geographic studies of the current and past systems at Angkor suggests that Angkor engineers created a new permanent catchment area, making three catchment areas where there once was just two. The artificial channel eventually eroded downward and became a river, thereby altering the natural hydrology of the region. Sources Buckley BM, Anchukaitis KJ, Penny D, Fletcher R, Cook ER, Sano M, Nam LC, Wichienkeeo A, Minh TT, and Hong TM. 2010. Climate as a contributing factor in the demise of Angkor, Cambodia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(15):6748-6752. Day MB, Hodell DA, Brenner M, Chapman HJ, Curtis JH, Kenney WF, Kolata AL, and Peterson LC. 2012. Paleoenvironmental history of the West Baray, Angkor (Cambodia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(4):1046-1051. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1111282109 Evans D, Pottier C, Fletcher R, Hensley S, Tapley I, Milne A, and Barbetti M. 2007. A new archaeological map of the world’s largest preindustrial settlement complex at Angkor, Cambodia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(36):14277-14282. Kummu M. 2009. Water management in Angkor: Human impacts on hydrology and sediment transportation. Journal of Environmental Management 90(3):1413-1421. Sanderson DCW, Bishop P, Stark M, Alexander S, and Penny D. 2007. Luminescence dating of canal sediments from Angkor Borei, Mekong Delta, Southern Cambodia. ​Quaternary Geochronology 2:322–329.

A Study Of Change Management At Mcdonalds Commerce Essay

A Study Of Change Management At Mcdonalds Commerce Essay McDonald’s  is one of the biggest food organisation in the world, and  has  established it’s own operating restaurants and it’s franchises   which is  about  28,700  selling points  in 110 countries.  Another most important aspect is  Food business is  much interested  among  young adults,  children  and  adolescents.  Therefore,  The Company  provides an enjoyable environment to their customers which is very secure and safe  where  all of their customers spend to  joyfully and they can get less expensive  food in a clean installation  as well as the food company offers a unique interior  designs and its own inner clown  (Debre, 2005).  Furthermore,  McDonald’s  put tremendous  efforts to  maintain  healthy  relationships with its  suppliers and  franchisees.  The organisation continuously enhancing their services, supporting timely management and it’s capital operations to the ir partners. Therefore, this makes  its  suppliers and  the franchisees  loyalty  I think, this kind of strategies will make their partners involve more effectively in work to achieve the organisation goals  (Aswathappa, 2006).  However, the food corporation  continuously  works with innovative  ideas  towards the needs and  to grow during the operation without problems (Russell and  Gubman,  2006).  In this research paper, I  am determined to find out  key strengths and challenges of  managing change  at Mc Donald’s and will present a comprehensive documentation by discussing an important areas with examples about How this food company managed  to survive  competitively  in the  global  business environment. The most surprising news is that from over 110 countries everyday approximately about 53 million customers eat at McDonald’s. Although McDonald’s  has huge private  franchisees to its chain of  restauran ts. However I think, the core management  functions  play a vital role to determine the success of the any organisation.  Therefore, i would like to take an opportunity to  discuss how  the core functions influencing the organisational management with the impact of  globalization  such as  controlling, directing, organising and  planning. McDonald is constantly leading as a present and future leader in the global food business environment.  At the same time, it is very important that the company must have to focus on international and local investment and trade as this food corporation working more than in 100 countries. Moreover,  the company should keep utilizing creative and new technologies to enhance  the business and to promote  new solutions and products to sustain  its  position as a global business leader in food business.  Furthermore, McDonald’s should look at  its  common goal and also, take care of  publicity and  Customers   satisfaction. The demands McDonald, McDonald strongly urge for what he strongly component McDonald should win for that diversity with McDonald’s is thinking about the meet. With a daily reach of every culture daily scope McDonald McDonald’s just about access to almost all cultures, which many operations ambiguous / moral issues is clearly working. To solve more complex than the wider dissemination of a culture growing demand for spreading culture and morality. In this letter, we will examine how / external / internal factors impact the McDonalds impact of globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, one of four work ethics affect management.

Global issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global issues - Essay Example Britain had expanded its empire by military power whereas US has primarily increased its influence and domination through economic supremacy and expansion of trade across the world. Ferguson believes that liberal imperialism can be a good thing primarily because it provides the countries to expand its business across the regions and thereby establish more effective economic supremacy over the nations (Ferguson, 2004). Terrorism is an act of violence and intimidation against innocent people to meet the vested political goals and religious fanatics’ demands, committed by terrorists. They have no moral and infiltrate the society by luring the weak and the vulnerable common man who is then used as medium to commit the heinous crimes. That is the reason that terrorist outfits like Al Qaeda are difficult to combat. Powell Doctrine defines the defense strategy and states that the military power should be used as the last resort and all resources and tools should be used in the war to conquer enemy (Healy, 2003). It encourages nations to employ diplomacy and negotiation techniques to avert war and therefore, significantly restricts imperialistic tendencies of America. United State has increased significant influence in the world polity not only because of its military power but also as the biggest, richest, scientifically most advanced and economically established nation of the world (Johnson, 2004). Ferguson and Johnson have reiterated that in the recent times, America has been sidetracked from its public welfare policies to the use of military power to declare its military supremacy and domination over the weak nations. Zakaria has also compared US influence to that of British Empire and has emphasized that the British empire disintegrated because of lack of effective economic policies and though America’s considerable influence across the globe can be termed as

Prestnation and presentation write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prestnation and presentation write up - Essay Example (Crooks 2010). â€Å"The oil leak started when there was a loss of control over the pressure in the well followed by the failure of the well’s blowout preventer, a specialized valve designed to maintain consistent conditions. After the initial explosions the blowout preventer’s emergency functions failed to seal the well, allowing the leak to occur†. (BP oil, 2011) The language of this statement stresses that the occurrence was an â€Å"accident† which implies that it is out of the control of the company, and something that happened by chance. The expression of regret is a recognition of the pain and suffering that has been suffered by those who died and others who know them. The words do not imply that BP caused these deaths, or that they accept responsibility for them. The words just regret that something has happened. Because of the location of the incident near the American coastline there was immediate press interest and a flood of images and commentaries on the incident itself and the on-going and severe pollution of the area around the rig. BP was forced to treat this as a major public relations disaster as well as an environmental one and health and safety one. It was the attention of the press over a long period of time that turned this from one incident into a long series of further damaging developments. Not only the leak was highlighted, but also the inability of the company to stop it, and the inadequate clean up and recovery attempts. â€Å"We have acted to take responsibility for the clean-up, to respond swiftly to compensate people affected by the impact of the accident, and to look after the health, safety and welfare of the large number of residents and people who helped respond to the spill. As of 31 December 2010, we had spent $17.7 billion for our response activities. Throughout, we have sought to work closely with government, local residents, our shareholders, employees, the wider industry and the media. â€Å" (BP oil 2011) The

Kudler Fine Foods Problem Statement Essay Example for Free

Kudler Fine Foods Problem Statement Essay The following is a problem statement explaining what is currently wrong with Kudlers plans on expansion, and how they can improve these plans. Introduction After reviewing the strategic plan for Kudlers Fine Foods it is obvious there are several issues that will stunt the growth and success of the organization. The company is suffering from a lack of management and poor organization planning. The issues that will be discussed are the poorly developed expansion and growth plans, and the lack of risk management in preparation of a competitor entering the market. Problem Statement The management at Kudler Fine Foods is planning on opening a new location when all of the current locations are not successful, and the company has not done a proper analysis of the need for their services in the area. Also Kudler is not prepared for factors that may decrease the profitability of the company, or factors that can contribute to the failure of a new location. Solution With the Del Mar location not producing profit as expected this is the location management should use to create a market research and analysis plan. By using this location they will be able to determine the factors that are hindering the success of this location and then develop ways to counteract those factors. The benefit is they will improve the business done at that location before opening a new location. By looking at factors like population, socio-economic status in locations surrounding area and health factors in the area can determine what the need are for the community. Management should also look to see where people are purchasing food in the community and what types of food and products are selling at the local grocery. If there are gourmet products selling out of the supermarket than that is a factor that needs to be accounted for. Once the market research is done Kudlers management can the focus on a risk management plan. Before a risk management plan can be established they must know what risk are out there and the market analysis and research will help the company determine what risk and challenges they face. Risk management is a part of a basic business plan, I see where threats are outlined in the strategic plan but there are no alternative plans to minimize each threat nor are there any plans for how to be competitive should a competitor arise. Kudler only considers other gourmet shops as competition they should also consider, grocery stores that sell gourmet foods a competitor. Then they should focus on how to maintain their existing book of business. If Kudler developed their website so customers could place orders online that would give them a way to expand while working on the risk management plans and the online based business would also help with the market research. A high concentration of orders coming from a specific location may be an indicator used to determine where to open a new store. Desired Resolution Kudler Fine Foods will be able to expand all facets of the business and have a risk management plan in place to counter act competition entering the market. Kudler will expand in to locations where they will be successful. Kudler will also have an effective and efficient model for future expansion and growth. Conclusion The goal of Kudler Fine Foods is expansion and growth while increasing profit and the current book of business. By doing the extra research and implementing a risk management program before opening a new location will increase the success of all three current locations and ensure the success of any future locations. It will also help Kudler organize and develop other facets of the business like the website. A little extra work goes along way and with the risk management plan in place and a new location market analysis model being used Kudler Fine Foods should be able to grow and meet all the organizations goals.

Narcissism in John Milton’s Paradise Lost Essay example -- Milton Para

Narcissism in John Milton’s Paradise Lost When Eve eats the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, her decision to tell Adam of her disobedience turns on two suppositions. If her transgression is kept secret from God, Eve's augmented knowledge might increase Adam's love for her, and perhaps cause her to be more equal or even superior to Adam. Even though Eve was created comparable to Adam as his helper, she refers to Adam as her "Author and Disposer." Furthermore, she says that while God is Adam's law, Adam is her law. Apparently, Eve chafes under this arrangement, as she wraps up her evaluation of not telling Adam of her sin with, "for inferior who is free?" However, her death is assured if God has seen her wrongdoing. In this alternative, God may provide Adam with another woman, rendering Eve extinct. Eve finds unendurable the possibility that Adam will father children with a new Eve. Eve's consideration of either alternative depends on her narcissism and her need to be loved, even worshiped. Milton's Eve, like Narcissu s, is infatuated with herself. Created in Adam's image, Eve draws Adam's love, his narcissism projected onto Eve. Inexperienced with women's wiles, uxorious Adam falls. Having created Adam in his own image, the Lord God commanded Adam not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. After the Lord God created Eve from Adam's rib, Milton's Adam warns Eve that the consequence of eating the tree's forbidden fruit will be the knowledge of death. From the Bible and Milton's text, it is apparent that Eve hears directly only from Adam about the forbidden fruit. It is significant that God sends Raphael to "converse with Adam," to warn him of the fall of Satan and his companions, and to alert Adam to the ... ...rcissism engenders the desire to be worshipped as a Goddess. Wanting deity for both, Eve chooses to induce Adam to eat because she is resolved that Adam shall share her fate. Eve's female charms seduce Adam. He desires Eve more than he loves God, and he eats freely of the fruit. Adam and Eve's ardour, once based on mutual respect, turns to carnal lust. God's Son berates Adam for subjecting himself to Eve's will. Why did Adam obey Eve, who is in no way superior to Adam in reason and other faculties of the mind? Adam has sinned against God; Eve has sinned against God and Adam. Only when Mary of the seed of Adam and Eve conceives the Son of God does God extend his grace to mankind, permitting narcissistic Eve and uxorious Adam's progeny to enter heaven. Works Cited and Consulted Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Merritt Y. Hughes. New York: Odyssey Press, 1962.

Deutsche Allgemeinversicherung(Dav)

FORM B (specific course information) |Course Name/Title |Process Management in Manufacturing/ OPIM 656 | |Program |MBA | |(e. g. MBA or Ph. D. | | |Required or elective |Elective | |Instructor(s) Name and email address |Anita Tucker [email  protected] upenn. du | | | | |Number of Class sessions in course |26 | |Duration of each class (minutes) |80 | |Typical number of students enrolled in recent |37 | |course offerings. | |Textbook Used |No | |Misc. Instructor comments about course | | OPIM 656 /SYS 522 Process Management in Manufacturing Fall 2004 Monday-Wednesday, 3:00-4:30 p. m. (JMHH 255) Revision date: 9/7/04 Professor Anita L. Tucker [email  protected] upenn. edu JMHH 551 (215) 573-8742 Office Hours: M 9:30-12:00; W 10:30-12:00 (or by appointment) Brief Course DescriptionThis 26-session course builds on the concepts introduced in OPIM 631 and OPIM 632 to examine how organizations can develop and leverage excellence in process management. This course uses a diverse set of ca se studies from manufacturing and service organizations in the United States, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Two modules comprise this course. The first 13 sessions focus on operations strategy. In these classes, we examine what constitutes an operations strategy and how organizations can create value by managing complexity, uncertainty, and product development.We also examine issues related to scaling up a company’s operations and challenges to capturing the value created through operations. In the second half of the course, we discuss recent developments in both manufacturing and service industries, with an emphasis on the importance of process excellence in achieving and maintaining competitive advantage. Specifically, we examine initiatives in quality (i. e. 6-sigma) and Time-Based Competition/JIT. As applications, the course considers important recent advances in enterprise-wide planning (ERP) systems, supply chain contracting and B2B interfaces.These may be viewed as att empts to align enterprise processes with customer needs and market structures and to assure continuous improvement of these processes once designed. In manufacturing, these developments have led to restructuring of the manufacturing and logistics system to provide adaptive and time-responsive supply chains, new product development processes and support functions. The results of this on-going restructuring have important implications for globalization of operations.The course is recommended for those interested in consulting or operations careers, as well as students with an engineering background who wish to develop a better understanding of managing the manufacturing process. Prerequisites and Follow-on Courses The course builds on OPIM 631 and 632, which are prerequisites. Other students must have permission of the instructor to enroll. The course is a useful precursor for OP1M 657, OPIM 658 and OPIM 762. Permission of the instructor is required to enroll under SYS 522.For either of these, basic courses in probability and statistics must have been completed prior to enrollment. Grading Your grade for this course will be based on written exercises (10%), two case write-ups (20%), class participation (30%), and a final exam (40%). Written exercises: You may work in groups to prepare the exercises, but each person must turn in his or her own hard copy (not electronically, please) set of answers. Late exercises will NOT be accepted. Date 1: Nov 24thTopic: Attribute Control charts Date 2: Dec 1st Topic: 6-sigma Case Write-ups:In groups of 3 or 4 people (or individually if you prefer), please prepare a case write up (maximum of 4 pages, including exhibits) for two cases that interest you and turn in a hard copy to me at the start of the class in which we cover that case. Please indicate the contribution made by each individual. Late write-ups will NOT be accepted. Final Exam: The final exam will be a take home case. Details TBA. Text and Materials for the Course T here is no required text for the course. Most of the readings will be found in the Course Bulkpack, which will be distributed through Wharton Reprographics.The course assignments, lecture notes and various supporting materials can be obtained from the WebCafe. Detailed Course Outline Part I: The Concept of Operations Strategy Class 1. Wednesday: September 8 (Introduction to Operations Strategy) This course introduces a common framework for the bases for operations strategy—four competitive priorities of cost, quality, flexibility, and delivery. In the first class, we consider the fundamental questions: What is operations strategy? Can an organization create a competitive advantage through its production processes?For class, please read the following articles and be prepared to discuss in class †¢ Skinner, W. 1974. â€Å"The focused factory. † Harvard Business Review May – June: 52(3):113. †¢ Hayes, R. H. and D. M. Upton. 1998. â€Å"Operations-based s trategy. † California Management Review 40(4):8-25. Class 2. Monday: September 13 (A more detailed look at two companies’ different operations strategies within the same industry) †¢ Read American Connector (A), HBS case 9-693-035. Case Synopsis: American Connector Company and DJC Corporation are two companies in the electrical connector market which have chosen different competitive and operating strategies.The case focuses on how American Connector should respond to the potential threat by DJC’s entry into the U. S. market. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. How serious is the threat of DJC to American Connector Company? 2. How big are the cost differences between DJC’s plant and ACC’s Sunnyvale plant? Consider both DJC’s performance in Kawasaki and its potential in the United States. 3. What accounts for these differences? a. How much is due to the slumping demand in the U. S. (Hint: Look at depreciation) b.How much of the difference is inherent in the way the two companies compete? (Hint: Can you roughly graph their two competitive positions (x-axis flexibility, y-axis price charged) c. How much is strictly due to differences in the efficiency of the operations? (Hint: consider materials, labor, and fixed costs) 4. What should American Connector’s management at the Sunnyvale plant do? Class 3. Wednesday: September 15 (Three views of operations strategy: Tradeoffs, Cumulative capability, Integrative) Read the following articles: †¢ Porter, M. E. 1996. â€Å"What is Strategy? † Harvard Business Review (Nov-Dec 1996):61-78. Hayes, R. and G. Pisano. 1996. â€Å"Manufacturing Strategy: At the Intersection of Two Paradigm Shifts. † Production and Operations Management 5(1):25-41. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What is the main point made by Porter, 1996? Do you agree with him? Is there anything in his article you disagree with? 2. Can you reconcile the conflicting views expressed in Porter’s 1996 article with those expressed in Hayes and Pisano, 1996? Class 4. Monday: September 20 (Tradeoffs: The value of focus) †¢ Read: Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines. HBS Case # 9-602-065Case Synopsis: Southwest Airlines had been consistently profitable every year for 28 years, but with firms cutting back on travel and airlines increasingly trying to cut costs and lure customers away from competitors, it might rethink its egalitarian strategy. For example, frequent fliers wanted rules changed so they could receive preferential treatment, such as being guaranteed first boarding regardless of the time they arrived at the airport, and being able to change tickets without paying upgrade fees. The case considers the implications that changing these rules might have on Southwest Airlines operating strategy.Assignment: Please prepare the following questions for case discussion. 1. What is Southwest Airline’s value proposition? What are Southwest’s sources of competitive advantage? 2. Consider the economics of the airline industry. From Exhibit 2 and Exhibits 9-15, what do you see as driving the difference in financial performance across airlines? How important are frequent fliers to airline performance? 3. From your experience, how does Southwest’s service philosophy compare to the rest of the major players in the airline industry? What are the obstacles to its successful execution?POLL QUESTIONS: Please answer the following questions on the WebCafe poll. 1. Should Southwest save a few low-numbered boarding cards for its most frequent fliers? Thought questions for class discussion: What is the key motivation for your opinion? What are the tradeoffs that Southwest must consider in making this decision? 2. Should Southwest allow its most frequent fliers who have missed their flights to take the next available flight with an empty seat or s hould these customers have to wait for the next available flight with an empty seat within the same fare class? Thought question for class discussion:What drives your decision? Class 5. Wednesday: September 22 (Cumulative view of developing operating capabilities) †¢ Read: Micom Caribe (A) HBS Case 9-692-002 Case Synopsis: Micom Caribe examines both quality improvement and the development of flexibility in a satellite manufacturing unit based in Puerto Rico. This change has been brought about through commitment of the workforce and the adoption of simple, yet effective production technologies. The aim of the case is to explore the sources of Caribe’s improvement. Assignment: Prepare the following questions for class discussion of the Micom Caribe Case: 1.What accounted for the quality crash in 1987? To what extent was the geographical location of manufacturing relevant, and what would you have done differently, as MCC, to avoid the crisis? Why were people at MCC unable t o see your solution? 2. What were the most important steps taken to reconfigure MCC’s Puerto Rican manufacturing operation and what capabilities did each build? 3. What specific capabilities does Caribe now have, and, as Moshetti, how would you develop MCC’s manufacturing strategy? Class 6. Monday: September 27 (Using capabilities to enable entry into new markets) Case: Australian Paper Manufacturers (A) HBS 9-691-041Case Synopsis: Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) dominated the domestic paper packaging market in a long-standing industry relationship that divided the Australian paper market neatly and cordially among the country's three main paper companies. In 1987, APM invaded the fine papers market, once the sole domain of the Paper Company of Australia (PCA). Haunted by its environmental record, PCA initially found itself paralyzed, unable to modernize and expand capacity to repel its new rival. By December 1991, Ken McRae, APM's group general manager, was consi dering his options, now that APM had established a reputation for quality and nvironmental sensitivity in the fine papers market. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What opportunities and risks did Ken McRae face as he contemplated taking APM into the fine papers market? Be specific with respect to technological, operations, and capital investment (as well as other considerations). 2. As Ken McRae, what technology and operations strategy options `are available? Which do you think he ought to pursue? Why? Class 7. Wednesday: September 29 (Summary discussion) Read the following articles in preparation for class discussion †¢ Wheelwright, S. C. and K. B.Clark. 2003. â€Å"Creating Project Plans to focus product development. † Harvard Business Review September: 2-15. †¢ Thomke, S. and D. Reinertsen. 1998. â€Å"Agile product development: Managing development flexibility in uncertain environments. † California Manageme nt Review 41(1): 8-30. Part II: Creating and Capturing Value Class 8. Monday: October 4 (Managing New Product Development) Case: We’ve got rhythm! Medtronics Corporation’s cardiac pacemaker business. HBS Case 9-698-004 Case Synopsis: Medtronics manufactures implantable cardiac pacemakers. The company’s market share has eroded from about 70% in the early 1970s to below 30% in 1986.The decline stems from the way the company’s executives managed the process of defining and developing new products. The case outlines the steps the company took to try to rebuild its product development capabilities and market share. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are the reasons behind why Medtronic nearly lost its position as market leader in the 1970s and 1980s? 2. Which of the improvements in the new product development process that the Medtronic management team implemented strike you as having been particularly crucial to turning the company around? . What do the concepts product line architecture and train schedule mean in the pacemaker business? What are the costs and benefits of having implemented these concepts as the Medtronic management team has done? What elements of Medtronic’s approach could be applied in very different business settings? 4. Evaluate the nature of senior management involvement in Medtronic’s implementation of its product development system. Which elements of the system does senior management need to be intimately involved in, and which can it delegate or pay less attention to? Class 9. Wednesday: October 6 (Managing Uncertainty)Case: Delamere Vineyard HBS 9-698-051 Case Synopsis: Delamere Vineyard is a small, integrated winemaking business in Tasmania. Richard Richardson, Delamere’s winemaker and owner, confronts a choice among three potential quality improvement projects, the merits about which customers and industry experts offer conflicting advice. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are Delamere’s strengths and weaknesses? What does it deliver to customers that other vineyards do not? What does it take to be outstanding in the wine business? 2. What types of uncertainty does Richardson face? . What does quality mean in winemaking? 4. What principle and concepts should one apply to improving a production system such as winemaking? 5. What should Richardson do? How will his experience and personality shape his decision? Class 10. Monday: October 11 (Managing Complexity) Case: Ellis Manufacturing. HBS Case # 9-682-103 Case Synopsis: Ellis, a leading producer of small kitchen appliances has seen its market share steadily eroding over the last few years, and internally has experienced increasing conflict among sales and production groups over control of production for local markets.James Cassals, the top operations executive at Ellis has been asked to rationalize the multip lant network. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What problems does EMC face? What are the causes of these problems? 2. What is the cost of producing an average mixer at the Barnstable plant? At Georgetown? At Flower Springs? What insights do these calculations provide as to how product lines should be assigned to plants? 3. How should EMC’s multiplant network be organized? Class 11. Wednesday: October 13 (Capturing Value: Scalability) †¢ Read Fresh Connections HBS Case 5-600-108Case Synopsis: Fresh Connections is a start-up food manufacturer that hopes to exploit the growing enthusiasm of Americans for â€Å"home meal replacements†, prepared food purchased in supermarkets and eaten in the home. A startup Fresh Connections could manage operations on an order-by-order basis, as it grows the company finds it needs more formalized systems. But which system should they adopt? Assignment: Please come to class prepared to di scuss the following questions: 1. What are the most important operating and strategic issues facing Fresh Connections? (Hint: Try to estimate how many new products are developed each month. 2. Which segment(s) of the prepared foods business do you think is most attractive for Fresh Connections? 3. What choices must Fresh Connections make in developing an operations strategy? What is the effect of complexity on Fresh Connections’ operations? (Hint: Try to estimate the cost of having to change over between every batch as opposed to being able to make long runs of the same product, which wouldn’t require complete clean-outs between batches. ) 4. How will growth impact Fresh Connections’ operations? 5. What capabilities should Fresh Connections emphasize in its strategy? Class 12.Monday: October 18 (Value Capture versus Value creation) Case: McDonald’s Corporation (Abridged) HBS Case 9-603-401 Case Synopsis: McDonald’s is rightly seen as one of the gre at growth stories in American business history. The company offered outstanding consistency, service speed, and price to its customers. For almost half a century, the formula seemed unbeatable. But in the 1990s growth had stalled. New competitors entered the fast-food industry, and were apparently better able than McDonald’s to react to shifting customer preference. Can McDonald’s meet this challenge while keeping its operating system intact?Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What characteristics of McDonald’s production system have been most important in building its record of success and growth in the industry? 2. What are the downsides of their operating strategy? (i. e. what things does McDonald’s NOT do well) 3. What are the primary new challenges McDonald’s faces at the start of the 21st century? 4. How would you adapt the system to accommodate these changes in the U. S.? 5. How can McDonaldâ€⠄¢s lay the basis for future growth? Class 13. Wednesday: October 20 (Summary discussion)Read the following papers: †¢ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HBS Technical Note 9-699-020. †¢ T. H. Davenport, â€Å"Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System,† Harvard Business Review, July-August 1998 Assignment: For a company of your choice, think through the costs, benefits and risks of implementing an ERP-based solution to providing the transactions-based infrastructure for materials management, manufacturing and distribution in the company. Monday: October 25: Break Part III: Managing the operations supply chain Class 14. Wednesday: October 27: (Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP) Read Cisco Systems: Implementing ERP. HBS Case 9-699-022 Case Synopsis: Upon arriving at Cisco in 1993, the Chief Information Officer, Pete Solvik, recognized that the manufacturing systems that were unstable and needed replacement Although initially hoped to replace the suite of legacy systems at a slower, more deliberate rate, the instability of the company’s systems were an obstacle to sustaining the rapid growth of the company. Thus, Pete and his fellow managers aggressively attacked the problem with an ERP approach. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1.At the start of the case, Cisco’s information systems are failing, yet no one steps forward to lead the effort to replace them. Why is this? Why were no managers eager to take on this project? 2. Cisco was highly successful with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) effort. What accounts for this success? What were the most important things that Cisco did correctly? 3. Did Cisco do anything wrong on this project? If so, what? 4. We often hear that senior management commitment is important for projects like Cisco’s ERP implementation, but senior management commitment to do what?What can top managers do to maximize chances for success here? 5. Cisco went live with ERP in a big bang fashion, which is inherently risky. How did Cisco mitigate this risk? 6. Was Cisco smart or lucky with its ERP implementation? Class 15. Monday: November 1: (Supply Chain Management and Design) The next two sessions provide a general introduction to and review of the following strategies employed in designing supply chains for flexibility, time and cost performance: Read: †¢ H. Lee, V. Padmanabhan, S. Whang, â€Å"The Bullwhip Effect in Supply Chains†. Sloan Management Review, Spring 1997, pp. 93 – 102. David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky and Edith Simchi-Levi, â€Å"Supply Chain Integration†, Chapter 5 in Designing & Managing the Supply Chain, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2003, pp. pp. 119-142. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What is the â€Å"Bullwhip or Whiplash Effect† in industries, can you give some additional examples other than those cited in the Lee et al. paper? According to Lee et al. , what are the causes of the Bullwhip Effect? Do you agree or disagree? Can you think of additional causes other than those discussed in the paper? . Why information distortion brings inefficiencies in Supply Chains? What do you think of the value of information sharing? What are the benefits of supply chain coordination? Can you give us some fresh examples from reality? How can we mitigate the Bullwhip Effect? What are additional mechanisms you think can be used for Supply Chain Coordination? 3. Based on the previous question (2), how can ERP and Business Intelligence Technology be used to develop an electronic supply chain? 4. What are the emerging business opportunities for B2B marketplaces (see Lee 2001, Simchi-Levi et al. 2003)? Class 16. Wednesday: November 3: (Business-to-business supply chains) †¢ Read Quantum Corporation: supply Chain Group. HBS Case 9-601-099 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss th e following questions: 1. What are the biggest challenges facing HDDO? How can Information Technology help with these? 2. Why is time so critical in this business? What efforts should the eSupplyChain group advocate to allow Quantum to reduce the lead-time for its products? 3. How should the eSupplyChain group best accomplish its mission within Quantum’s organizational structure? 4.How should Quantum and HDDO use the new eHITEX consortium? If we think of the adoption of eHitex by high-tech companies as a kind of implementation process, what kinds of pitfalls with this implementation face? 5. The new IT-enabled product allocation process, which is described on p. 12 of the case, has the potential to be an improvement over the current one. What difficulties, if any, do you think there will be in moving to the new process? What organizational groups might not be enthusiastic about moving to the new process? 6. How much financial benefit will a 1-day TOO reduction realize for HDD G?Class 17. Monday: November 8: (Management of process technology in a global plant network) †¢ Read ITT Automotive. HBS Case 9-601-099 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are the implications for both cost and flexibility of automation? Do you agree with the assertion made by one of the managers in the case: â€Å"If you automate, you stagnate†? 2. What are your recommendations regarding the issue of standardizing process technology across all plants? Are there motives behind this proposal, other than those stated in the case? 3.As Juergen Geissinger, how would you go about implementing your recommendation? How would you overcome resistence from the plants? As Steve Dickerson, the plant manager at Asheville, North Carolina, what line of reasoning would you use to convince senior management that full automation is the less desirable alternative? 4. As Klaus Lederer, what option would you like to see pursued? How do variou s options fit into the broader corporate strategy of ITT Automotive? Class 18. Wednesday: November 10: (Vertical integration) †¢ Read Nucleon, Inc. HBS Case 9-692-041 Case Synopsis: Nucleon is a five-year old biotechnology company whose first harmaceutical product, CRP-1, is almost ready to be tested in human beings. The company has focused entirely on R&D since its founding and thus has no manufacturing capabilities of its own. It must decide whether or not to build a small-scale pilot plant to manufacture CRP-1 for early phases of clinical trials. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are your recommendations regarding the manufacturing of CRP-1 for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials? What are your recommendations regarding manufacturing for Phase III clinical trials and commercialization? . How would you justify your recommendation to would-be investors in the company? 3. What is your recommendation regarding Nucleon’s long-term manufacturing strategy? What should this company look like in 10 years (e. g. an R&D boutique, an R&D boutique with pilot scale manufacturing capabilities, or an integrated manufacturing enterprise)? Class 19. Monday: November 15: (Outsourcing strategies) Read †¢ David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky and Edith Simchi-Levi, â€Å"Procurement and Outsourcing Strategies†, Chapter 7 in Designing & Managing the Supply Chain, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2003, pp. p. 119-142. †¢ Solectron. Stanford Case GS-24 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. Why did IBM decide to use a contract manufacturer? Do you think there were any risks associated with their decision? 2. What strengths did Solectron have that made it an appropriate contract manufacturer for IBM? 3. What made Solectron a successful contract manufacturer in general? Note: Contract manufacturing and outsourcing have become vital ingredients of both hig h-tech sectors (e. g. aircraft manufacturing and electronics) as well as medium- and low-tech manufacturing, including that in emerging economies. Use the reading and the Case discussion to think through the basic ingredients (internal and external) for a company to survive and prosper using outsourcing and off-shoring. Class 20. Wednesday: November 17 (Managing a global network of suppliers) Case: Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd. HBS 5-396-386 Case Synopsis: Li & Fung is one of the largest trading companies specializing in low-cost, labor-intensive consumer goods from suppliers throughout east Asia.Its main work is to connect Asian factories with U. S. and European retailers and manufacturers who have their own designs for merchandise and need them turned into physical product. The case poses two decisions for students: a Li & Fung division manager must decide which supplier can best handle a particular customer order; and the Managing Director must determine whether or not to restructure all of the soft goods (textile products) divisions in a way that might dramatically change its service to its customers. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1.How does Li & Fung create value for its customers and suppliers? How do international differences in labor costs play into this value? 2. Should Charles Ho (Li & Fung’s division manager) send Classique’s order to Qingdao, China, or the Philippines? If he sends the order to China, should he ask the HV division to supervise it? If he sends it to China and has his own staff supervise it, how many visits should they make to the factory—two, three, or four? Consider the division manager’s personal interests, as well as those of the customer and of Li & Fung. 3.Assess Li & Fung’s internal structure, including its organizational structure and the ways in which it motivates its employees. How does it align employees’ interests with both customer satisf action and Li & Fung’s financial performance? 4. Should William Fung follow Danny Lau’s recommendation to extend the restructuring experiment to all soft goods divisions? 5. How do business-to-business services differ from business-to-individual consumer services? Part IV: Managing Internal Processes Class 21. Monday: November 22 (Introduction to Time Based Manufacturing) Read Hopp, W. J. and M. L. Spearman. 2004. â€Å"To pull or not to pull: What is the question? † Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 6(2):133-48. †¢ Spear, S. and H. K. Bowen. 1999. â€Å"Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System. † Harvard Business Review 77(5):96-106. Class 22. Wednesday: November 24 (Attribute Control Charts) Read the following pages out of Gitlow et al, Quality Management, 2005. †¢ Skim Chapter 6, pages 169, 170 †¢ Chapter 7, pages 184-223. †¢ Skim Chapter 8, pages 254-260; page 293. Assignment: Prepare and turn in answers to th e problems 7. and 7. 25. Prepare the following questions for class discussion: 1. What is the difference between attribute and variable control charts? When would one use one versus the other? 2. What is the difference between n, np, c, and u charts? When would one use one versus the others? 3. What, if anything, are the downsides of using control charts? What are their limitations? Can you think of alternative methods for controlling systems and improving processes? Class 23. Monday: November 29 (Application of p-charts ) †¢ Read Deutsche Allgemeinversicherung.HBS Case 9-696-084 Case Synopsis: Deutsche (DAV) is one of Europe’s largest insurance companies. To defend itself and to regain its traditional leadership position, DAV has begun a new quality initiative, focused primarily on some key processes it believed could be dramatically improved. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. Why is DAV using SPC? What are the primary chal lenges in applying Statistical Process Control to a service industry compared with manufacturing? 2.If you were to explain the concept of a p-chart to a group of bank tellers without a background in SPC, in about 30 minutes, how would you do it? 3. How large should each sample be for the experiment Schoss and Kluck describe on page 7? 4. The first 12 weeks of the data in Exhibit 4 represent the diagnostic period for the Policy Extension Group. What are the 3-sigma control limits for the process? In which of the subsequent weeks is the process out of control (if any)? 5. Develop specific implementation plans for solving the problems facing Annette Kluck that are described on page 9 of the case. . How would you now begin improving the performance of the operation? Class 24. Wednesday: December 1 (6-sigma improvement programs ) Please read †¢ Chapter 10 in Evans, James R. and William M. Lindsay. 2005. The management and control of quality. 6th edition. Thomson South-western, Mason , Ohio. Pages 479-513. †¢ Dow, D. , D. Samson, and S. Ford. â€Å"Exploding the myth: do all quality management practices contribute to superior quality performance? † Production and Operations Management, 8(1), p 1-27. Please prepare the following questions to hand in at the start of class 1.What is a defect? Explain how to compute defects per million opportunities (dpmo). 2. Explain the theoretical basis for Six Sigma quality. 3. Problem # 1 on page 505. 4. Problem # 3 on page 505. Please be prepared to discuss discussion question #1 on page 504. †¢ Six-sigma has been criticized because a) The results often don’t have any noticeable impact on company financial statements. (90% of the companies that implement six-sigma don’t end up with higher stock values. ) b) Only early adopters can benefit c) Six Sigma focuses on defects, which are hard to objectively determine or service businesses d) Six Sigma can’t guarantee that your product will have a market. Class 25. Monday: December 6 (Transfer of learning) Read †¢ Pisano, G. P. , R. Bohmer, and A. C. Edmondson. 2001. â€Å"Organizational Differences in Rates of Learning: Evidence from the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery. † Management Science 47(6):752. †¢ M. A. Lapre and Luk N. Van Wassenhove, â€Å"Learning Across Lines: The Secret to More Efficient Factories†, Harvard Business Review, October, 2002, pp. 107-113. Class 26. Wednesday: December 8 (Course Summary) Final Examination: Take Home Case Date TBA

“Without Freedom it is Impossible to Make Moral Choice” Discuss

Kant, a soft determinist, said that in order to make a moral decision we must have freedom. Kant believed that the ability to make moral decisions lay within the existence of freedom; stating that if we are not free to make our own decisions those decisions could not be moral as we were never free to make that decision in the first place. Kant thought that a person could be blamed for an action if they could have acted differently; for example if a person’s family is held at gunpoint and they are forced to open a safe they cannot be blamed as they did not have a choice.If we are to have free will we must have the ability to make a decision that is unhindered; Kant believed that we must have free will if we are to be help morally responsible for our actions, if God did not give us free will then our decisions cannot be considered immoral or moral as we would have had to act in the way we did. Thus we cannot be held responsible; a good moral action cannot be praised as you had n o other option, whilst an immoral action cannot be punished as once again there was no free choice.John Locke who was also a soft determinist as he believed that morality and the ability to make moral decisions developed throughout your lives. Locke believed that the mind was a tabula rosa, a blank slate that is shaped and filled by the person’s life experience and that ultimately creates a person’s morality. However the sensory data that creates this moral framework within the mind is already determined; therefore using Locke’s idea freedom is not required in order to make a moral decision it is the determined experiences you live through that create your morality and result in you making immoral or moral decisions.Another soft determinist was David Hume who believed in a limited form of free will, he ultimately believed that nature was in control of human destiny. That freedom was also subject-based, meaning that you are free to make a moral decision and free to follow through with that action. He went on to argue that determined events create human free will and that each individual is free to respond in their own way to those determined events; the morality of the choice the person makes is down to them.Hume believed that nothing occurred by chance or luck but we do have the free will, even if limited, to make our own decisions A libertarian would state that human’s decisions and actions are strictly uncaused; that no choices we make are determined and that we are completely free to make our own choices, these can either be moral or immoral, thus we are completely responsible. Libertarianism is incompatible with determinism, this is because they believe determinism is incorrect as everyone is free to all act differently in the exact same event, not all of humans would act morally in such an event.Kant would have been against Libertarianism because despite being a compatibilist Kant thought that some actions were determined. Othe rs believe that it is not necessary to be required to accept responsibility for your actions thus there is no need to be free in order to make moral decisions. Hard determinism also covers the problem of free will and moral decision making; one of the most famous hard determinists is Clarence Darrow. Darrow was a defence lawyer who in the trial of Leob and Leopold used hard determinism to suggest that we are not free thus we cannot make moral decisions.In the trial Darrow blamed their actions upon the way the two were brought up thus were predetermined to murder Robert Franks; their upbringing determined how they would make moral decisions in the future. This means that using Darrow’s idea Leob and Leopold did not have free will and thus could not make a moral choice; their predestination meant that they would only make an immoral decision. Ted Honderich was another hard determinist who approached the idea of free will using the physics as his base; using the Aristotelian ide a that nothing occurs without a cause.Honderich believed that events within the universe are determined and humans act in response to those events and are therefore not responsible for their actions. Using this belief one would argue that moral decisions cannot be made as there is no freedom to do so, everything is already determined beforehand. Saint Augustine was a religious determinist who believed that humanity required God’s help to do good; this is granted by God to humans, therefore God determines who will be saved and who will not. This is known as predestination; there irrelevance of our actions whether moral or immoral as God has already chosen those who shall be saved.John Calvin argued that people have no free will in regard to moral decision making; stating that God makes his choice about who to save, therefore does not look at a person and recognise them as good. Calvin stated that people only do good because God made them that way and placed them in an environm ent that would only make them do good. Logically Calvin concluded that if we have no control over our actions due to being made to act in a certain way, we cannot be considered responsible for them, thus we cannot make a moral decision as the decision and way we act was already determined by God.

My Thoughts On Love Essays - Why, Free Essays, Term Papers

My Thoughts On Love Essays - Why, Free Essays, Term Papers My Thoughts On Love My thoughts on Love What is love for? Why does it have to be just a word thrown around like a misguided sin? Why do people fall in love? Is it because they want to be hurt? If people realized that love only brings pain and heartache in the end, why bother with it? I cant stand the pain. It has been eating at me for a while now. Love does strange things to people. I feel like im hanging on the edge of a cliff and love has pushed me off the edge. Is it easier in the long run? No! why fall in love when you know you are going to get *censored*ed over in the long run? Love isnt worth it. and girls wonder why guys are such *censored*s to them. did you bitches ever sit back and think about what your doing to provoke the guy to the brink of rippig your neck out with a spoon? why *censored* with our emotions? Is love just some game you play with our hearts? Life is just a game right? Hell yeah it is. It seems like love is winning and people are losing. People have feelings. Love takes all and leaves you with empty promises and broken dreams. why go for it? Bibliography [emailprotected] geocities.com/syylentkiller/index.html

Anetial Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anetial Market - Essay Example Inflation is a measure of changes in prices over a specified period and the objective of the monetary policy is to set the interest rate so that inflation can be brought back to target within a reasonable duration. Bank rate is therefore an essential tool used by the Bank of England to control the inflation rate. When Bank believes inflation is beginning to rise, it raises interest rates to cool the economy and vice versa. However this formula has many exceptions as proved by the recent rate cuts by the Bank of England. Although factory gate inflation (based on prices of good leaving factory) reached a 16 year high in December 2007 influenced by rising oil and food prices and CPI stood at 2.1 %, the Bank still went ahead with rate cut. It is interesting to understand why. Although bank rate is used as a tool to control inflation, it is first important to understand that there are different ways of measuring inflation. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and Retail Prices Index (RPI) are used in UK to measure inflation and usually have separate values. This is because of the difference in goods and services they cover and the method of calculation. The Government inflation target, which is currently 2%, is based on CPI. ... aper the most important difference that needs to be considered is that CPI does not include certain housing costs, such as mortgage interest payments. The reasons for the rate cut was not a isolated decision by the Bank of England but was influenced by the crisis in the global financial market as a result of what has now come to be known as subprime mortgage crisis. Subprime is the general term used to refer to lending to borrowers who do not normally qualify for standard market rates for various reasons such bad credit history or lack of stable income. Obviously these borrowers are a greater risk to the financial institutions. For many years, Cleveland in America was the major market for the sub-prime lenders where the brokers informed the residents that they could obtain cash by refinancing their homes, "but often neglected to properly explain that the new sub-prime mortgages would reset after 2 years at double the interest rate" (BBC, 2007). As the home owners were subsequently unable to afford repayments, this resulted in a wave of repossessions. As the sub-prime lending had spread across America, the same story has been repeated. As many borrowers defaulted on payments, the financial institutions felt the credit crunch which reflected on other developed economies such as UK. The lenders in UK tightened their loan conditions in response to the US financial slump, especially in the sub prime market which has influenced the price of property in UK. The profitability of the financial services sector, which has been a key driver of UK economic growth in recent years, has also been affected. As the housing demand in UK showed a decline, this resulted in a general fear of economic slowdown. At this stage, the Bank of England faced a dilemma between a rise

Consumer Participation in Mental Healthcare Essay

Consumer Participation in Mental Healthcare - Essay Example Different stakeholders have suggested several strategies and intervention mechanisms to promote consumer participation in mental health care. According to World Health Organization (W.H.O), the empowerment of patients is a prudent strategy to strike a balance between the patients and mental healthcare providers. This report seeks to explore consumer participation in mental healthcare in three series. First, it will briefly look at the benefits and barriers to consumer participation. Second, it will give consumers account with the healthcare. Lastly, it will analyze its finding and provide concrete conclusion. Several governments have formulated policies that aim at solving the barriers between their mental patients and healthcare providers. These initiatives intend to maximize the benefits of a smooth mental healthcare. Different stakeholders employ these initiatives at different level. With the knowledge that consumers are paramount to the successes of the endeavor, these government s focus on consumer friendly interventions. The varied level of participation include, establishment of national consumer networks, officers of consumer networks, and consumer- directed provider organizations. Moreover, the policies promote consumer participation in the mental health facilities. ... The driving force of all these policies is to bridge the gap between the two mental patients and health sector. Consumer participation has many benefits in the mental healthcare not only to the consumer but also to the improvement of health sector’s image. To start with, through patient empowerment programs, there is remarkable improvement in health service delivery. These programs help mental patients to develop self-esteem, confidence and to realize their rights even in such mental state. Empowerment eliminates the perception that mental patient’s have little to contribute in the society and nation as a whole. Empowerment achieves acceptance of the mental patients in the society. These programs unite the patients and the community. This brings harmony and gives a chance for the mental patients to participate in productive activities. This is not only at community level, but also at national level. Moreover, the programs boost the full recovery of individuals. Mental p atients empowerment serves as a unifying factor between the patients and the health professionals. Health practitioners accord respect to this patients. This is because they know an empowered patient knows his/her right. Any attempt to violate the patients’ right is met with punitive measures. Second, consumer participation improves access to quality mental healthcare. Consumers and other stakeholders contribute immensely to sound strategies. The inclusion of consumers ensures there is accountability and transparence in the mental healthcare. Designing of consumer friendly strategies is achieved. Moreover, consumers participate in the implementation of programs that are befitting to them and the community. This allows the health sector