MARKETING ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MARKETING ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example e strategies to address those needs, and development of long-term association with the customers by providing them with the products and services they required. â€Å"The Marketing concept resulted in a separate marketing department in organization and today we can see many organization have structured themselves as marketing organization where every employee is contributing towards customer satisfaction whether or not he’s a marketing person† (â€Å"What is Marketing?†). The marketing concept depends to a large extent upon the research conducted by the organization to identify the particular segments of customers, and their individualistic and collective needs. Marketing teams can achieve the satisfaction of their customers by identifying the target market and adopting the right marketing mix to achieve their objectives. The main marketing concepts are the identification of the customers’ needs and ways to fulfill them, assessment of the changing environment and the modifying needs of the customer with it so that not only the present needs of the customers can be addressed, but also measures can be taken to satisfy the expected needs in the future. It is very important for the organizational personnel to realize that marketing of the product or service an organization makes is not entirely the responsibility of the marketing department, but every department as well as individual in the hierarchy of organizational structure has a responsibility towards it. I have had personal experience of working with a firm in which the entire responsibility of marketing was limited to the marketing department, and other firm in which the responsibility was equally distributed among all departments so that the whole organization was structured into a marketing organization. I felt a lot of difference between the effectiveness of marketing between the two firms. Limitation of the marketing responsibility to the marketing department in the first organization was the

The Warehouse Designing Challenge Essay Example for Free

The Warehouse Designing Challenge Essay Warehousing is a critical node in the network of logistics management. Warehousing primarily involves the activities centered on receiving and dispatching materials and supplies coming into and going out of the organization. Other materials such as work-in-progress, consumables and others are also held and managed by the warehouse. Current developments in lean manufacture, just-in-time and other similar inventory reduction approaches have continued to depress inventories and may in deed change the focal point of where the place in which the inventory is held, more likely pushing it back up the chain of supply. In fact, the emphasis has now shifted for warehousing, and now it focuses on; facilitating smooth flow of goods to the clients, meeting the service standards requirement of clients, incorporation of activities such as postponement, which is a value adding activity as away of reducing stock keeping units (SKUs) and the number of product lines in a system as well as raising the dynamism in meeting customer needs (Rushton, Oxley and Phil, 2000). Being a critical and busy part of an organization, there are some issues to do with warehousing that an organization needs to take care of lest the operations of the warehouse malfunction and consequently disrupting the entire supply chain, which normally has a ripple effect on the entire operation of the organization. These issues concern the actual design and management of the general day to day operations of a warehouse. The problem and challenges for the design a resource optimizing warehouse still is a complex task to logistics designers. The strategic issues concerning the design of warehouses are discussed in this paper. Designing a warehouse; Warehouses, distribution centers and stores have to operate as integral component elements within the supply chain. Hence, when setting up these facilities, the key decisions must be determined by overall logistics strategies for cost and service. The following factors have to be considered in setting up the facilities; Product and Market base stability; Long-term projections of how the product range may develop together with long-term market expectations for growth will very much influence on the location and size of a warehouse facility, including the space that should be set aside for potential future expansion. The considerations made in this stage will extend to impact on the organisations perceived needs for flexibility in future, which consequently can influence on the level of technology to be adopted and the type of warehouse to be built. Type of goods to be handled by the warehouse; The goods that an warehouse can handle include finished goods , raw materials spare parts, and work-in-progress in a span of material sizes, types, productive lives and other characteristics that may be set by an organization. The range of units to be handled could be from individual small items to packages, sacks, palletized loads and on up to containers of ISO certification. Special requirement s for humidity and temperature mould most likely have to be met, and all these requirements will have absolute impact on the level of technology to be adopted. Location, type of facility and its size; the specific role of a warehouse in a supply chain together with capacity, the role and location of any other facilities in the in the chain will directly determine or at least influence the size and design capacity as well as the type of operation of a warehouse. The need for inventory reduction, customer base, amount of inventory , overall service level and time compressions in the supply chain should be critically looked into in making decisions concerning location, type and size of a warehouse to be built. Whether the warehouse should be operated by the organization as an own-account or outsourced to a third party to run it is yet another consideration that should be made. Inventory and its location; there rises a question within the supply chain of not only in what locations to hold goods but also what goods and in what quantities to hold (Donald, Waters, 2003). The options that could be available could include distribution centers designed to cater for specific parts of the product range or specific markets, specific geographic areas, or regional centers for distribution of fast moving product lines, and a strategy of holding slower moving lines in the national distribution centers only. Customer base, service levels and product range are the factors that will influence the choice. Choice of unit load; the choice of loads-roll or cage pallets, tot bins, pallets-will have significant weight in determination of the characteristics as well as the nature of the goods passing along a supply chain. This clearly encompasses a wide range of products, pack types and services, and unit quantities (Rushton, et al, 2000). ). This may look like as a routine factor that is less subject to strategic influences and more to operational influences. Within the warehouse however, it can influence the sizing and choice of storage systems as well as handling equipments. Further, in a wider context, it will affect vehicle loading and unloading as well as vehicle utilization and eventually the entire transport operations (Ross, 2004). Warehouse Design Procedure; The basic principle of good warehouse design is to first of all define the overall requirements of the system and by carefully analyzing data, come up with a design that incorporates equipments and methods which most closely match those requirements. However, a n overriding prerequisite exists which is, for whatever level of technology or deign that is adopted for a particular project, a fast, accurate and effective information system to monitor and drive the operations is an end result. The following steps make up the design process; i). Definition of system requirement and design constraints; the design requirements for distribution depot operation or a warehouse after taking into considerations such as likely business developments and potential forecasts for future growth, are likely to constitute; desired service level to be achieved, required throughput and storage capacities, specified facilities such as quality , packaging and others. the constraints in this stage could include but not limited to; time, for instance the facility could be set a date by which it is to be running; financial limits such as limit on cost per unit throughput or capital expenditure, among others. ii). Define, obtain, and analyze data; specifications for the most appropriate location and type of warehouse to be built can be obtained from various sources, for example through conducting a research based on the company’s size, structure and the nature of business it engages in, fairly reliable information can be adduced from the data collected and from this a n effective design of a warehouse developed. A firm can also decide to outsource the warehouse designing professionals who are more likely to develop for it the most resources optimizing warehouse than any other person. Iii). Establish what unit loads that will be used; this will be a decision concerning the appropriate unit loads that are to be adopted, and include stillages, Skid sheets, pallets, tote boxes, roll cage pallets, and garment rails. The choice of unit loads to be handled directly influences the ability t utilizes space efficiently and the choice of equipment. The customers may impose the dispatch unit loads with suppliers imposing the unit loads their material supplies arrive at client’s premises as well. The warehouse designer should therefore put these factors into consideration when designing the most appropriate for the processes to be carried out. Benefits of unit loads include movement minimization, standardization of equipments, material security, as well as minimizing the time it takes to load and unload vehicles. Wooden pallet is the most common unit load (Ross, 2004). iv). Postulate primary methods and operations; the primary processes that will take place in a warehouse, must be established together with how they will be performed. The communication and information requirement should also be determined. Considerations of which systems, paper or paperless, will be used also need to be emphasized, with the kind of warehouse management system in mind. v). Calculate staffing levels; this requirement for operating staff is closely related to the requirements for mobile equipment, and in majority of cases will fallout of the calculations. The staffing costs should enable full costing of the warehouse to be made. vi). Prepare possible sites and building layouts; this encompasses all the component of warehouse processes both inside and outside the building. After this stage comes the final stage whereby the design of the warehouse is turned into a physical facility. Management of Warehouse and information; The broad responsibilities of managing distribution center or warehouse include good control, effective planning, as well as optimum resource use in the drive to achieve the objectives of the operation. The aims of an effective operation includes; meeting the service level requirements; operation that is cost effective; use of resources in an effective and efficient manner, safe operation, meeting the requirements for safety and in work environment; and maintaining the integrity of stock (Rushton, et al, 2000). The operating cost for any individual component in a warehouse mainly depends on the nature of the industry and the nature of the particular warehouse’s operations among other factors. The dominant costs have though been found to be staff and building costs. Two key factors that managers and designers should put more emphasis on are the utilization for building space and proper design and management of systems for picking orders. Conclusion; The adoption of computer based information systems in the management of material supplies, such as just-in-time approach, which have enabled up-to-the–minute information on stock location and availability to be accurately provided, have in a big way challenged the need to have warehouses and holding stock. Even with the deep integration of logistics and production planning, together with accurate techniques for forecasting demand, there will always be a level of mismatch between demand an d supply optimization in many if not all supply chains. Hence warehouses cannot be eliminated from the supply chain. For this reason, the management of warehouses should be done using the highest level of management techniques in all areas of operations. The fist step is to design a warehouse that will effectively optimize the use of available space in the most economic manner possible. Such an initiative will keep the supply chain flowing and hence make an organization to avoid or reduce the operation losses that come with clogging or stalling of supply chains, whose consequences are usually severe. References Donald, C. , Waters J. , Waters, D. (2003). Global logistics and distribution planning: strategies for management (4th ed. ). London: Kogan Page Publishers Ross, D. (2004). Distribution: planning and control : managing in the era of supply chain management (2nd ed. ). MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Rushton, A. , Oxley, J. , Phil, C. (2000). The handbook of logistics and distribution management. VA: Kogan Page Publishers.

Whale Symbol Essay -- Literary Analysis, Moby Dick

There are many views on the symbolism of the white whale in Melville’s book, Moby Dick. Melville regarded the symbol as, what William Gleim describes, "a means of both revelation and concealment"(402). The symbol of the white whale lends itself easily to this concept. To Ahab, the whale represents the wickedness of nature. To Starbuck, it is a product. To Ishmael, however, it is "portentous and mysterious"(Melville, 6). It rouses his curiosity, but he recognizes it as a thing secluded. It is an "overwhelming idea"(Melville, 6): an idea which is larger than his consciousness. Its suggestions surpass his conscious understanding and cause him to feel significance even if he can’t know it. Moby Dick is literally an albino sperm whale. In his categorization of all whales, Melville regards the sperm whale as the primate: "He is, without a doubt, the largest inhabitant of the globe; the most formidable of all whales to encounter; and lastly, by far the most valuable in commerce"(Melville, 133). The whiteness of the whale enhances this communication in that it has regal associations, "a certain royal pre-eminence in this hue"(Melville, 184). The white whale, therefore, stands, primarily, as, what Gleim states, "the ideal representation of his species"(406). He is a sign of excellence to the order of nature. To Ishmael, however, the whiteness of the whale has not only dignified associations, but also terrible ones. The whiteness signifies a natural beauty, but it also signifies, "by its indefiniteness"(Melville, 192), the immensity of the universe. For all aboard the Pequod, their voyage is one of search for the ultimate truth of experience. What begins as a voyage in search of the product of whale oil, ends with the discovery of th... ...The white whale represents not only the excellence of creation but also the mystery of creation. William Sedgwick states, "He is significant of the massive inertia in things, and of the blind beauty and violence of nature--all that ignore or twists or betrays or otherwise does outrage to man's purpose"(98). As a significant form in nature, then, the shape of the white whale is the mask of "dumb blankness"(Melville, 192). It contains "the heartless voids† (Melville, 192). of the universe and conceals this abyss. Its mystery is its perplexing nature: its indifference to "kindly associations" and "joint stock"(Melville, 185) theories. Nature, however, is indifferent, and Moby Dick is the symbol of this indifference. Man can force perceptions of beauty upon nature and extract commodity from it, but the white whale represents the absolute negation of these efforts.

News And Newspapers -- essays research papers

News and Newspapers News is simply delineated as â€Å"a report of a recent event; something one has not heard of before†(Websters, 282). Conceding that it is inelaborate in its definition, news is much more intricate as it succumbs to corporate moneymaking ideologies. The corporate essence of news is prevalent in the form of the newspaper â€Å"a paper published periodically for circulating news† that is sold therefore making news a business. In business the saying goes that the customer is always right making news subject to the demands of these consumers. The underlying purpose of news is to â€Å"provide facts upon which decisions are based† (Mencher, 56). Yet this purpose is tainted to accommodate the newspapers need to sell papers. Journalism is the work of gathering news, therefore making the journalist succumb to the corporate needs of the newspaper. The three major newspapers of Toronto (Toronto Sun, Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail) discord in their journalistic techniques for the purpose of selling their produc t. "News is more often made rather than gathered. And it is made on the basis of what the journalist thinks is important or what the journalist thinks the audience thinks is important" (Postman, 14). The Toronto Sun focuses on the audience that yearns for entertainment and adjuts its word selection and choice of articles to accommodate this need for entertainment. The glitz and glamour of today's celebrities provide a fantasy world in which the reader can escape. The Toronto Sun leaves no stone uncovered as it stays on top of celebrity issues to accommodate their audience ‘ the average Joe' with entertainment. â€Å"Michael Jackson's wife gave birth to a baby boy yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center† (T.Sun Feb. 18/97) in the article titled Oh Baby, Jacko to be a dad soon. What makes this article more ominous than any other birth other than that it is entertaining to the star crazed general public? Hundreds Get To Eye Claudia the so called 'superbabe' as she â€Å"breezes her way into The Bay's downtown Yonge St. Store†(T. Sun Feb. 25/97). â€Å"Up to five hundred people waited for up to two hours for a glimpse of the famed beauty and to hear her speak†(T. Sun Feb. 25/97). Imagine how many looked in the Sun for the article. The article choices of the Sun have a direct affiliation to the need for it as a business to p... ...article Hospital's Blood Stock Almost Exhausted contains human interest through its ability to show the community working together â€Å"Although other hospital blood banks were also short of blood, the Toronto Hospital and St. Michael's Hospital agreed to send blood to Sunnybrook by taxi if needed† (T. Star April 2/97). The aspect of community togetherness provokes human interest and complies with the Star's general theme of family. The Globe and Mail article Toronto Desperate For Blood roused human interest thorough community togetherness â€Å"in case the patient required more blood than was on hand the hospital contacted the Red Cross society and two other hospitals to ensure a continued supply." This articles illustration of human interest is moderated through the exclusion of the agreement of the two hospital's to provide more blood even though they were low. Instead the article stuck strictly to the facts that the Globe's readers pay for. Realistically, the sale of newspapers is the primary objective of the journalist illustrated through their use of techniques. Journalistic content and techniques vary according to the audience towards which the newspaper directs its attention.

Short Paragraph on Plastic Money

WHAT IS PLASTIC MONEY? Plastic money are the alternative to the cash or  the standard ‘Money'.Plastic money is the generic term for  all types of  bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, etc.DEFINITION The â€Å"plastic† portion of this term refers to the plastic construction of credit cards, as opposed to paper and metal of currency. The money portion is an erroneous reference to credit cards as a form of money, which they are not. Although credit cards do facilitate transactions, because they are a liability rather than an asset, they are not money and not part of the economy’s money supply. INTRODUCTIONPaper money was first used in China around the seventh century AD, only to be outlawed in 1455. The use of folding currency re-emerged in England in 1694. The biggest  problem which was occurring with the paper note is the wear; the paper note has very small life due to shifting of ownership by time to time and their usage. Firstly Australia was the first who develop the plastic note which have longer life but after wore they are recycled for further utilizing. The plastic notes also secure the government for copying  because paper note easily copied but plastic note cannot be copied.PLASTIC MONEY OR POLYMER MONEY WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1950SThe plastic note are same as paper but the only difference is that they are made of plastic and more secured but in traveling and shopping people used to carry huge cash which was very unsecured and also increasing crime rate. Then the cards are introduced in the world to resolve the issue of carrying huge cash. Then the cards ar e known as Plastic Money. The usage of plastic money(Cards) has increased in the mode of payment of huge amount and time by time there are lots of different types of plastic money has introduced which enhanced the features of plastic money like we can use it to anywhere in the world and etc.Now the world is becoming globalize so every card is accepted everywhere with the power of VISA which interconnect the  different countries. As we have the different type of card as listed below:Credit CardDebit CardCharge CardAmex  CardMasterCard ; VisaSmart CardDinners  Club  CardPhoto CardGlobal  CardCo-branded  CardAffinity  CardAdd-on Card.These cards are performing the function of money with different ways. These cards are accepted worldwide, in which you can utilize your own money and also bank’s money. The card through which you spend your own money is known as debit card.The card through which you spend the amount of bank as loan is called credit card. 1. Credit card s  and  debit cards  as an alternative to  cash. People prefer using  plastic money  as it reduces chances of being misused The  plastic money  brought in a lot of joy to every American home, buy today and pay later, seemed to have worked wonders for some time. Although it is easy to be careless using a credit card, the  plastic moneycan be useful for more important purchases.CREDIT CARDSOne of the most important financial tools in modern times is the credit card. Their uses in varied places are opening up new avenues of personal finance.People prefer using  plastic  money  as it reduces chances of being misused. The use of credit cards operates on a complex network that ensures safety of the user. Many websites are enabling credit card processing for increasing their client base. Online business is booming. Credit card processing has enabled consumers to purchase items without moving out of their houses. To be able to accept credit cards has taking online bu siness to another level. Credit card processing is now deemed as the key to successful online business. The primary function of credit card processing is to accept credit cards.The online business efficiency is also increased manifold. Payment procedures are automated through credit card processing. When a website owner is able to accept credit cards, he is making  money  transactions for his customers and himself easier. The experience of buying online has never been so simple. Gone are the days when one had to place orders over the telephone or use checks for payments. Now, all one needs to do is enter the details of his/her credit card and the rest is handled by the credit card processing service providers. Credit card processing has been able to save a lot of time and energy.Online business operates 24Ãâ€"7. Consumers from all time zones avail the products and services of online business. Credit card processing has rendered this simpler. Being able to accept credit cards ha s made it possible to transact 24 hours a day virtually. Automation has proved to be a contributing factor in the success of online business. Credit card processing has given online business owners freedom from sitting at the desk constantly to monitor the transfer ofmoney. Online business owners need to have an online merchant account to be able to accept credit cards from consumers.This service is needed for processing all the orders. Various kinds of online merchant account providers are available to cater to the different kinds of online business needing credit card processing. The changes of online merchant accounts may vary from the number of payments to monthly payments. The constant competition of the various service providers and the launch of new service providers are expected to pull down the rates in the near future. Online business owners should consider the reliability, the customer support system and security of the credit card processing service providers before they zero in on one of them.Choosing the cheapest service provider is not always a wise decision. Free credit card processing services are also available. These are meant for newcomers in online business. Website owners have to go through verification of the credit card number, its expiry date and other details after they accept credit cards. Beginners have to pay a nominal amount for every transaction and enjoy the services. They do not need to purchase costly credit card processing software or pay huge fees for customer services like regular credit card processing services.A good amount of research is needed to know about the best service providers. Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to computer Virus, do please browse for more information at our websites. Dinner It is not until 1950 that the Dinner Club Card was created by a restaurant patron who forgot his wallet and realized there needed to be an alternative to cash only. This started the first credit card specifically for widespread use, even though it was primarily used for entertainment and travel expenses.

Flatland essays

Flatland essays Edwin A. Abbott starts his book Flatland with a very dry description of the figures in Flatland. This sets the reader up for the rest of the book, and quite simply, the rules of this foreign planet. The book is set in a world of only two dimensions, a flat land in you will. All shapes are seen as straight lines, this hardship is explained further in the later parts of the novel. Houses are next to be explained simply a pentagon with two doors. One door for men, and one for women. The flatland caste system is based on regularity and number of sides. The lowest of the inhabitants of flatland are the women. Mere straight lines, of up to a foot in length. Soldiers and the working class follow next as acute isosceles triangles. The Middle class being equilateral triangles. Professional men and Gentlemen are squares or pentagons, and so forth. Here also, the genetic rules of flatland come into play, and define how a family can progress to the top of the social structure. In so few words, after progressing to the working class, each successive child will have one more side than the father. These rules, however basic will control the rest of the novel; a civilization of geometry. An interesting aspect of the way this story is written, is how it uses geometry to symbolize things much bigger, and more historic. With out a doubt, the most important uses of symbolism can been seen in the beginning of the novel, with the definition and structure of the mathematical social society. Soldiers and the lowest working class are very distinct. This is continuous with third world countries, and most places around the globe that are less advanced than ourselves. The pointy shapes of the soldiers also associated them with the shape of a woman. All three of these social levels are not very respected, and while distinct, they can blend into the crowd, and be forgotten. A thought provoking issue raised in the book was the ...

Mans Search for Meaning essays

Mans Search for Meaning essays There are definitely three characteristics that place me out of the ordinary. The first is my drive. I believe that if I want something that motivation is the key. I feel that my determination to conquer the obstacles in my life is the only salvation that has rescued me from my own mistakes. While my drive may not be as strong as most, it has saved me from the worst and granted a way out of the dark. Such as poor decisions like quitting school to pursue other cities for the possibility of another wonderful life somewhere else. I have made this mistake, but when it came down to it I found the path to return and fix the mistake where others cannot even bare the thought of returning a failure. By making such an error I educated myself and still found my way back to the light to make right what I have made wrong. My character has also been a savior in my life for some time. My personality has always been a nice one. This trait has an extreme up considering that when an individual has th e capability to meet new people, they open many doors. These doors can hold windows of opportunity that can benefit your life in many aspects. The people in my life have opened many job opportunities that have exceeded my expectations of what I can achieve. This characteristic leads me closely into another trait, versatility. The ability to adapt to ones surroundings is a key element in survival. Many people are unable to change there personality around to suit the environment. This is one trait that has saved me under many circumstances. For instance, I have been unable to maintain just one single social circle for my entire life. My friends and acquaintances have come from many different social groups. None of the people that I know from these groups can socialize amongst my other friends due to the clash of personalities. I can suit to my personality to the environment to get along with everyone rather than just one group. This versatility has given me ...

How to Convert Feet to Inches

How to Convert Feet to Inches Feet (ft) and inches (in) are two units of length, most commonly used in the United States. The units are used in schools, daily life, art, and some areas of science and engineering. The feet to inches conversion is useful and important, so heres the formula and examples that show how to convert feet to inches and inches to feet. Feet to Inches Formula This conversion isnt quite as easy as converting between metric units, which are simply factors of 10, but its not difficult. The conversion factor is: 1 foot 12 inches distance in inches (distance in feet) x (12 inches/foot) So, to convert a measurement in feet to inches, all you need to do is multiply the number by 12. This is an exact number, so if youre working with significant figures, it wont limit them. Feet to Inches Example Lets say you measure a room and find it is 12.2 feet across. Find the number in inches. length in inches length in feet x 12length 12.2 ft x 12length 146.4 or 146 inches Converting Inches to Feet Since all you do is multiply by 12 to convert feet to inches, it should make sense to you that all you do to convert inches to feet is divide by 12. The conversion factor is the same: 12 inches 1 foot distance in feet (distance in inches) / (12 inches/foot) Inches to Feet Example You measure your laptop and find the screen is 15.4 inches across. What is this in feet? distance in feet (distance in inches) / (12 inches/foot)distance 15.4 in / 12 in/ftdistance 1.28 feet Important Information for Unit Conversions with Division One of the most common areas of confusion when doing unit conversions involving division concerns unit cancelling. When youre converting inches to feet, you divide by 12 in/ft. This is the same as multiplying by ft/in! Its one of those rules you use when multiplying fractions that a lot of people forget about when dealing with units. When you divide by a fraction, the denominator (part on the bottom) moves to the top, while the numerator (part on the top) moves to the bottom. Thus, the units cancel out to give you the desired answer.

Comparing The Education System in the United States And Afghanistan Research Paper

Comparing The Education System in the United States And Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Education in Afghanistan on the other hand incorporates the system of elementary, primary and high school education. After high school education, Afghan students join an institution of higher learning most of which are under the Higher Education Ministry (Gross, 2008). Since very early times Afghanistan has had an organized education system but since the Taliban took power, education has changed in Afghanistan. Education in Afghanistan has also been affected and influenced by the 2002 ouster of the Taliban. Access to Education Before the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States, access to education was very low in Afghanistan and it was mainly focused on religious education. Women and girls were completely denied an education by the Taliban government and illiteracy levels were very high among women. Since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, there have been great strides made in improving education in Afghanistan. Recent estimates put the number of learners at five point four million with girls comprising thirty five percent (Baker, 2008). Afghanistan currently boasts of an enrolment rate that is even higher than before the Taliban bans on secular education. Access to education is now provided to all Afghanis free of charge. The right to education is now enshrined in the Afghanistan up to a high school level and is free of charge. In the US, education is also a right that is enshrined in the constitution. Contrary to the Afghanistan situation the United States has always had universal access for everyone of school going age in public schools. America education system is compulsory for all learners below the age of eighteen. The US literacy rate stands at 99% with this figure being roughly equal for both men and women (Wadhwa, 2011). The United States just like Afghanistan employs the k12 system with elementary, primary and high school being compulsory and higher education being optional and privately funded and controlled. Approved home schooling p rograms are also allowed. Schooling in Afghanistan Since 2001 Since the toppling of the Taliban regime in 2001 and the setting up of the Karzai government a lot of changes have taken place with regard to education in Afghanistan. The schooling system is however facing many challenges in its quest for providing education to all Afghanis. The system is plagued by an influx of students who number approximately six million yet there are not enough teachers to teach. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the teachers available to teach are not sufficiently qualified. The ministry of education is also grappling with low standards since there is no standard curriculum which has been adopted officially by all the schools (Baker, 2008). There is a critical shortage of education infrastructure such as textbooks, and buildings in many parts of the country since most of the infrastructure was destroyed by the Taliban. One of the most pressing of concerns of the education ministry i n Afghanistan is regarding security. The Taliban have been using a campaign of terror against government run education through bombing of schools particularly girl schools. The Taliban also threaten teachers and disrupt the distribution of learning materials all over the country. Funding of Education Education in Afghanistan is mainly funded by donors since the government has a critically underfunded budget. Institutions such as UNICEF and UNESCO have been in the forefront in the provision of funding and even material support towards

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

Economics Module 3 - Assignment Example (10 pts.) Watch  at least one of the following entertaining videos:   (i)  LearnLiberty.orgs The Broken Window Fallacy  (3.09); and (ii)  Stossel Macro Video 04 - Government spending, jobs, and unemployment  (2.40) Listen  to or read at least one of the following pieces: (i)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Seen and What Is Not Seen  by Frederic Bastiat. Or, listen-on-the-go to the  Audio   (8.11); and (ii)Creating Jobs vs. Creating Wealth  by Dwight Lee (Audio, 8.58 minutes).    Directions:   Use your knowledge of the â€Å"Broken Window Fallacy† to evaluate each of the following claims.   These statements are used frequently by proponents to argue that government spending can help pull an economy out of a recession.  What does economic analysis indicate with regard to this argument? (Hint:   Write the â€Å"seen† and the â€Å"not seen† effect of each one of these proposals.) 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I propose that we hire all of the unemployed people as government workers and pay half of them to dig holes and the other half to fill them back up.   This way everyone who wants a job can have one!† This is a true policy that was implemented by the government to basically find a reason to spend. As of now, the focal point is in spending when the government must enact programs to stimulate growth. FDR has similar initiatives during the Great Depression as he forced the government to spend in public infrastructure even when it was necessary. This policy created jobs and reached its objectives of keeping unemployment rates low. 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The unemployment rate is high and, therefore, it is time to stimulate the economy!   I propose that we use tax dollars to pay car dealers to destroy older used cars by smashing them and sending them to the dump.   This will cause people to buy new cars which will increase economic activity and put us on the path to

Facilities Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Facilities Management - Essay Example Use of ‘going green buildings’ will serve to address these measures and concerns. (Cooper, ‘The Future is Bright Green’) The article provides a clear definition of the requirements of what developers should encompass in designing a green building. The building should ensure improvement of interior air quality, reduction of green house gas emission, conversion of waste to energy, reduction of water consumption, improvement of energy efficiency and reduction of waste through reuse or recycling. With these factors in mind, buildings will enhance productivity as a result of their environmental friendly nature and the wellbeing of people, both inside and outside the buildings. These factors have facilitated the development of ‘intelligent’ buildings which are adaptable and easy to use and manage. The article further demonstrates how the initiative has been embraced by shopping centers. The buildings are designed in the image of ‘going greenâ₠¬â„¢, as they are green in nature. These latest design and technological developments have ensured that buildings have increased their asset performance as well as their value (Cooper, ‘The Future is Bright Green’). The initiative reduces the element of the building depreciating and thus the building is a good value for investment. As a result of the success of green building in shopping centers, developers are eager to spread the development of these ‘intelligent’ buildings to other retail sectors that would be better suited for this initiative. The measures are mainly intended for the offices as it has been revealed that the use of the going green initiative would best be implemented in the office sector. The high level of interaction between people, machinery and systems in the offices, has called for the office sector to integrate going green measures, so as to improve the performance and effective operations of workers (Cooper, ‘The Future is Bri ght Green’). The success of the green buildings in shopping centers serves as evidence that the measure is applicable in buildings that require a lot of systems and people to co-exist, hence applying the initiative in offices would be easy and effective. In conclusion, green buildings have proven to be a success in shopping centers, and as a result, it is very ideal for the technology to be applied in the other sectors. It is important for buildings to become part of the ‘future is bright green’, as this will provide a catalyst effect to going green initiative, which seeks to protect the environment. In so doing, the world will be a healthier place to live (Cooper, ‘The Future is Bright Green’). It is evident that the effects of green gas emissions, has facilitated the death of humans and parts of the environment. Risk-Based Maintenance The article is an illustration of how risk assessment is applied in the operation of a manufacturing plant. It reve als the measures that can be applied as well as their application in increasing the level of production. Application of risk assessment by a maintenance manager can help a firm save a lot of money by reducing its production costs. In the article, risk maintenance is demonstrated using scenarios of how the application of risk assessment measures would serve to improve operations. Important equipments and machineries should be grouped, and their risk priorities established so as to ensure that they are kept running at capacity. (Barr, ‘

Post-Coloniale Theory_Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post-Coloniale Theory_Gender - Essay Example This is not to say that he did not suffer the suppression of body, mind and spirit under alien masters or being an alien in his own country, as did millions of others before him. To imitate a popular statement: You can take colonialism out of a colony but you can not take a colony (of people) out of colonialism! Fanon was born in the French colony of Martinique, French Antilles in the Caribbean. Creole is the language of this colony and black, the colour of his skin. Under the French administration, Martinicians were born and brought up as Frenchmen or Frenchwomen. This superimposition of a European culture on an African community in the Caribbean islands formed the background to the evolution of Fanon’s thinking and writings1. Formally trained as a psychiatrist and a philosopher, he was an original thinker, Marxist revolutionary and writer on suppressive aspects of colonialism and propounded his views in his seminal works, most important of which are â€Å"Black Skin, White Masks† (1952) and â€Å"The Wretched of the Earth† (1961). Through these writings and other works, Fanon has helped us understand colonialism as more than the exercise of political and economic power, but as a psychological process. We shall analyse this argument in the light of his cultural moorings, his works and his revolutionary interpretations. The word colonialism has its origins in the mid-14th century Roman word ‘colonye’, a settlement, an outpost or occupied lands outside the Roman city states.2 ‘Colonialism’ is a 19th century concept of social, political and economic policy towards ‘occupied lands’ under the British imperialism. During the 15th and 16th centuries, European nations experienced renaissance of art, literature, music and drama even as Christianity and the church confronted the State to capture and control the minds of the people. The sea-faring

Christopher Billop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christopher Billop - Essay Example Although Christopher was unwavering in his dedication to staying within the British Empire, it was a difficult choice to make and to abide by it during the Revolution. Before the start of the war, some Quakers were seized and jailed in Virginia because they were deemed to support the colonialists (Sabine 26). The Patriots, a group fighting the British, were not a lenient people since they regularly harassed the loyalists, took their property, and even harmed them. Christopher’s vehemence against patriots in the revolution made him a target of patriots’ anger; he was abducted and held for ransom two times. On June 1779, some patriots rowed from Perth Amboy and arrested Christopher; he was detained for two months. The next kidnap happened in November 1779 and held in a jail in New Jersey. Christopher was chained to the floor and given light food to survive with (Sabine 27). He was informed that his arrest was revenge for people arrested by the British. In the second arrest, he was again detained for two months and set free after Christmas. The arrests were supposed to send a message to the loyalists that their efforts to support the British Empire were unpopular amongst the patriots. Every American was supposed to support the revolution and kick out the British.

Post-Coloniale Theory_Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post-Coloniale Theory_Gender - Essay Example This is not to say that he did not suffer the suppression of body, mind and spirit under alien masters or being an alien in his own country, as did millions of others before him. To imitate a popular statement: You can take colonialism out of a colony but you can not take a colony (of people) out of colonialism! Fanon was born in the French colony of Martinique, French Antilles in the Caribbean. Creole is the language of this colony and black, the colour of his skin. Under the French administration, Martinicians were born and brought up as Frenchmen or Frenchwomen. This superimposition of a European culture on an African community in the Caribbean islands formed the background to the evolution of Fanon’s thinking and writings1. Formally trained as a psychiatrist and a philosopher, he was an original thinker, Marxist revolutionary and writer on suppressive aspects of colonialism and propounded his views in his seminal works, most important of which are â€Å"Black Skin, White Masks† (1952) and â€Å"The Wretched of the Earth† (1961). Through these writings and other works, Fanon has helped us understand colonialism as more than the exercise of political and economic power, but as a psychological process. We shall analyse this argument in the light of his cultural moorings, his works and his revolutionary interpretations. The word colonialism has its origins in the mid-14th century Roman word ‘colonye’, a settlement, an outpost or occupied lands outside the Roman city states.2 ‘Colonialism’ is a 19th century concept of social, political and economic policy towards ‘occupied lands’ under the British imperialism. During the 15th and 16th centuries, European nations experienced renaissance of art, literature, music and drama even as Christianity and the church confronted the State to capture and control the minds of the people. The sea-faring

The Ethics of Citibank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Ethics of Citibank - Research Paper Example As a means of understanding the ethical ramifications of the collapse and the contributing factors that ultimately led up to it, the analysis will first delve into something of a historical analysis of the collapse so that the key decisions that Citibank made leading up to and just prior to the collapse can be understood within a broader appreciation for the means by which successive ethical oversights and dependency behavior created the perfect something of a perfect storm that has affected untold millions around the world and cost untold trillions in loss to the global economy. Moreover, it is the hope of this author that such an analysis will help the reader to not only come to an appreciation for ethical factors and the impacts that they can have but to create a sense of urgency within the mind of the reader to integrate with ethical decision making at each and every step of the business process. As such, the forthcoming analysis will break down the financial collapse and subsequ ent ethical oversights into two main sectors; those dealing with the ethical oversights that existed prior to the crash and contributed to the global financial meltdown (evidenced within Citibank), and those ethical oversights that took place after the crash and fundamentally concerned appropriation and disbursal of stimulus funding. Taking the more recent situation first, it can be noted that in excess of 220 billion USD was allocated to Citibank by the Federal government as a result of TARP. The initial reason for this allocation was of course the fact that the Federal government and key decision makers within the Federal Reserve felt that without TARP stimulus it would be highly possible that the poor investment structure of Citibank could lead to its collapse. Due to the fact that Citibank and others were labeled as â€Å"too big to fail†, it was determined that it was vitally necessary to transfer this massive amount of money from the taxpayers into the coffers of some of the largest financial institutions in the world. Not surprisingly, Citibank and others were none to alarmed with such a rapid increase in the overall level of money that they could leverage to meet their liabilities. Unfortunately, rather than leveraging this money and immediately doing a thorough audit of their firm to ensure that k ey standards were being met and no such situation as had been witnessed the following year could ever occur again, the key ethical oversight of merely continuing to conduct business as usual was witnessed. Certainly, it can be noted that Citibank and others met minimum federal requirements; however, a proactive stance in seeking to maximize their shareholders utility and minimize any potential and lingering levels of ethical oversights was not engaged. Moreover, it can also be noted that one of the first major managerial decisions that was made after the financial collapse and subsequent federal disbursal of bailout funds was with relation to liberal bonuses for many of the top leadership positions within Citibank. This serves as perhaps the most visible ethical oversight that this brief analysis will analyze. The news media soon picked up on this revelation and broadcast the names and actual bonus levels that many of these upper

Raw Materials as Biofuel Pellets Essay Example for Free

Raw Materials as Biofuel Pellets Essay In the Philippines, forests and woodlands cover about 7,168,400 hectares (http://forestry.denr.gov.ph). These forests have unique environmental and biodiversity values, and make available a wide range of products for subsistence use. The most predominant use of wood is in the form of firewood and charcoal by the majority of Filipinos in both rural and urban areas. Firewood is preferred in rural areas simply because it is obtainable free of charge. Charcoal is preferred in urban areas on account of its being cheap, easy to transport, distribute and store. It is almost smokeless and has higher calorific value A(30 MJ/kg) than firewood (15MJ/kg). But according to the U.N. FAO (2003), the woodlands have experienced highest rates of degradation and deforestation compared to other cover classes. This could be attributed to selective cutting for timber and clear felling of trees for both charcoal production and cultivation. Charcoal production is responsible for degradation and deforestation.Between 1990 and 2010, the Philippines lost an average of 54,750 ha or 0.83% of forested area per year. Charcoal production and cultivation have an impact on large-scale deforestation that has occurred in the area between 1991 and 1998. Philippine Government is also in trouble as environmental sanitation is concerned. Waste materials in markets or even in public places continually piled up every other day when it is not fetched by a garbage truck. These waste materials are primarily composed of coconut shells in markets, wastepaper in schools and offices, rice hulls in agricultural remains and sawdust, a waste product produce in the lumber shops. This study was conducted to reduce the percentage breakdown of deforestation which would soon contribute to the prevalent global warming. Since waste materials such as coconut shells, rice hulls, sawdust and wastepaper are totally organic and may seem useful at times, we came up on using it as a primary component in making Biofuel at varying formulations. This way, the researchers can help in preserving the environmental balance of the ecosystem and at the same time, to come up with a cheap, easy-drying and a highly combustible fuel for household fuel – The Biofuel Pellets. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to determine whether different formulations of coconut shells, rice hulls, sawdust and wastepapercan be a viable source of Biofuel in the form of Pellets. Specific Objectives: This study specifically aimed to answer the following inquiries: 1. To determine the heating values of each raw materials to be used in making the biofuel pellets. 2. To determine the heating values of the biofuel pellets at varying coconut shells: rice hull: sawdust: wastepaper ratios and the wood charcoal as the positive control. 3. To determine if there is a significant difference on the heating value of Formulation 1, Formulation 2, Formulation 3, Formulation 4 and the positive control. 4. To determine the relationship between the size and the heating value of varying formulations and the positive control. 5. To determine the boiling time of biofuel pellets when biofuel pellets at varying formulations and wood charcoal are used as fuels. 6. To determine if there is a significant difference on the boiling time of Formulation 1, Formulation 2, Formulation 3, Formulation 4 and the positive control. 7. To determine the relationship between the size and the boiling time of varying formulations and the positive control. 8. To determine the density of biofuel pellets at varying formulations and the wood charcoal. 9. To determine if there is a significant differenceon the density of Formulation 1, Formulation 2, Formulation 3, Formulation 4 and the positive control. 10. To determine the relationship between the size and the density of varying formulations and the positive control. Hypothesis of the Study This study aimed to determine whether the mixture of waste paper products and materials, and coconut shell can be a viable source of bioethanol. Specifically, this study aimed to determine if there is an existing significant difference, in terms of the percentage of bioethanol produced, between the pure waste paper mixture, pure pulverized coconut shell, and 1:1 ratio mixture of waste paper and pulverized coconut. This study hypothesized that there will be no existing significant difference, in terms of the percentage of bioethanol produced, between the pure waste paper mixture, pure pulverized coconut shell, and 1:1 ratio mixture of waste paper and pulverized coconut. Schematic Diagram Independent Variables Dependent Variables Formulation 1 150g coconut shells, 150g rice hull; 150g, saw dust , 50g paper Formulation 2 225g coconut shells, 112.5g rice hull, 112.5g sawdust, 50g waste paper Boiling Time (minutes) Formulation 3 112.5g coconut shells, 225g rice hull, 112.5g saw dust, 50g waste paper Burning Time (minutes) Formulation 4 112.5g coconut shells, 112.5g rice hull, 225g saw dust, 50g waste paper Density (g/ mL) Positive Group: Wood Charcoal Figure 1.A diagram showing the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables Significance of the Study The findings of this study would greatly benefit the various sectors, primarily the following: Community Residences. Since it takes a lot of time to dry those wood charcoal that is traditionally used by countless homes in the community, this study could be a good source of an alternative fuel in household cooking chores. First, it is well-accessible to use anytime, with less worries of its dryness when used and lastly, it could be conveniently used in any cooking activities because of its high combustibility, since Biofuel pellets are primarily composed of combustible materials. Energy Sector. The promising friendly fuel from biofuel production could help the energy deficit of the energy sector; thus sustaining not only the demand of the consumers but also the need of the environment to have a green and amicable energy source. Environmental Sector. This study could help reduce the amount of pollution to the environment by simply using organic waste products and converting it into an environment friendly source of fuel. Other Researchers. This study could benefit other researchers by using this study as a reference for future researches. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study was conducted on July 12, 2012 until August 4, 2012 at the Negros Occidental High School Physics and Chemistry Laboratory. The waste materials that were used in this study were coconut shells, rice hulls, sawdust and wastepaper. The coconut shells were obtained from different stalls at Libertad Market, rice hulls were from Agricultural waste during post-harvest, and sawdust was from lumber shops while the Wastepaper was a total combination of that in Offices and Schools. The study limited itself in the determination of the heating values and the most effective formulation of waste materials that could be a viable alternative for wood charcoals. In addition, this study did not include the cost analysis based from the probable costs that may arise during the experimentation process. However, utmost economic optimization was employed during the materials selection and Biofuel pellets production. Definition of Terms Boiling time. Allotted time in which phase transition of the substance turns from the liquid state to the gas state, usually occurring when a liquid is heated to its boiling point (http://chemistry.about.com). In this study, boiling point was used as one of the parameters of this study. Burning Time.the time during which the propellant charge of a fuel is fully consumed (merriam-webster.com). In this study, the burning time was used as one of the parameters during the experimentation of the study. Coconut. A member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut (apps.kew.org). In this study, the coconut was one of the raw materials in the process of fuel pellet production. Density.The quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or volume or the mass per unit volume of a substance under specified conditions of pressure and temperature (thefreedictionary.com) In this study, density was used as one of the parameters during the experiment. Fuel Pellets. A piece of fuel usually in the shape of a sphere or cylinder, used in pebble-bed reactors, inserted in graphite blocks, or used in metallic tubular fuel elements (www.thefreedictionary.com). In this study, fuel pellets was the product of the study conducted. Heating Value. Amount of heat produced from the complete combustion of a specific amount of fuel (www.businessdictionary.com). In this study, heating value was used as one of the parameters in this study. Rice hull.The dry outer covering of a rice grain; a husk (www.thefreedictionary.com). In this study, the rice hull was pulverized and used as one of the materials in the process of fuel pellet production. Sawdust. The small particles of wood or other material that fall from an object being sawed (http://education.yahoo.com). In this study, sawdust was used as one of the raw materials for the fuel pellet production. Waste papers.Paper that is not needed and has been thrown away (Encarta Dictionaries, 2008). In this study, the waste paper was used as a raw material for fuel pellet production.

Effects of Globalisation on Operations Management

Effects of Globalisation on Operations Management Global operation management in financial institution has seen unpredictable activities in recent years due to global economic downturn and competition for market share. The key element which underpin global environment will be internationalisation and globalisation. Global operation refers to dynamics which affect the world economy and successful integration of global dispersed function or activities. According to Yip(1995) global operation can be refer to, among others global sourcing, to have manufacturing or service facilities world wide or to supply drivers of globalisation including global market, each of which increase competitiveness through increase sales by expanding into new market. On the other hand, Slack, et al (2001) argues that globalization is the opportunities for operation managers to develop both supplier and customer relation in different part of the world. Recent tactics in global competition among organisations require extension of trade internationally by the pattern of foreign direct investment which has resulted emerging newly industrialising nation. In a highly competitive global environment, companies need to set a well define operation objectives and plans to successfully compete in both domestic and global market. This assignment critically analyses the key global operation management techniques adopted by Barclays bank for its innovative process to distinguish itself as a unique global asset management firm offering tremendous service to institution and individuals. Barclays global investors are one of the worlds largest asset managers and the world largest providers of structure investment strategies. The company operation strategy should reflect its position in global, economic, political and social environment. (See Appendix one) According to this assignment there are 8 major key factors for global operation management to be considered below; Global Total Quality Management in service industries (TQM gurus) Global Inventory Planning and Control Management Strategies for Global Change Management Global Operation Design and Process Global Operations Planning, Scheduling Global Distributions and Supply Chain Management Strategy for Global Human Resources. Global strategy for operation Management Global strategies for operation management Operation management is a systematic approach to address all the issues pertaining to the transformation process that convert some inputs into output that are useful and could fetch revenue for the organisation. According to Slack, et al (2001) global operation management is the term used for the activities, decision and responsibilities of operation managers who manage the production and delivered of produce and service. The operation strategy should be part of the organisation total strategy to achieve global dominance. Financial service product faces unique challenges which need customers present during the production and service delivery. This requires Barclays to improve its operation process that will add value to achieve competitive advantage. Strategy for Managing Global Operation Effective operation through efficient use of resources world wide drive towards a globalize economic system. Global market imposes new standards on quality and time requires operation managers to think domestic market and penetrate the global market. To achieve its objectives towards globalization, there should be improve communication technologies and open financial system. The company strategy should achieve adequate utilisation of resource and adequate customer service. This strategy has prove success by positioning itself as customer-oriented organisation and empowering customers world wide to make different choices of innovative financial product to meet their needs. However, global strategy has the following draw backs; To manage multinational operation faces challenges of language and customs difference, different management style and different laws and regulation. The current economic downturn has affected consumer spending and confidence in the banking industries. Complex global operation by multinational faces ethical and environmental challenges. Operation Strategy contents In global operation content, the decision and action should be specific to achieve the objective. The content reflects the four perspectives; Operation strategy as top- down perspective Operation strategy as bottom-up perspective The market requirement perspective The operation resources perspective Global total quality management in financial service industries Total quality management The business leaders face immense pressure in todays turbulent competitive environment thats move forward by globalisation, macro-environment factors and advanced technological growth of internet. The strong market forces within this competitive environment have developed global customers who are more aware of changes in the global market. Total quality management is an important tool in any business to surmount future challenges within the turbulent financial service environment. TQM provides the financial business leaders with a formalised process in setting clear and achievable corporate objectives and at the same time guides the management in planning strategies to maximise resources and to achieve win-win partnership. Total quality management (TQM) is an organization-wide process that revolves around  the Total Quality Triad. It assumes that there is never a state of perfection (Kelada, 1996). Hence, in order to that plans are developed in an integrated manner, three important total  quality principles must be adhered to participation and commitment by stakeholders  and senior management team, employee involvement and continuous improvements to  meet customer satisfaction. Source: Bradford University Total quality management in global financial services environment In the global financial services environment, Total Quality Management (TQM) provides the overall concept that fosters continuous improvement in an organization. The implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) does not equate to self-generated results. Continual improvement Continuous improvement of the QMS is of paramount importance for meeting and satisfying clients ever changing needs and requirements. The purpose of the project is to identify quality improvement through Kaizen program, performance measurements; benchmarking with appropriate key performance indicators; and essentially designing a balanced scorecard to achieve continual improvement. Practices by non-financial organisation Good practices implemented by construction organizations in strategic partnerships alliances and knowledge management was identified and developed recommendations for improvements to gain competitive advantage in the construction industry. TQM not suitable for financial services environment TQM is not really suitable for any service organisations but it really helps the service organisations to focus on the participation of senior management team, involvement of all employees and managing internal process towards achieving customer satisfaction. Long Term client relationship In global financial services environment business strategy is building on long-term client relationships. Over 90 percent of the work is repeated business from loyal clients. This strategy yields cost advantages, profits, and growth, allowing them to attract and retain investors and thus fuel further growth. Quality Gurus There are a number of writers whose work dominates the quality movement. Their ideas and approaches have stood the test of time and have come to from a body of accepted knowledge, to lead and advise their own movement in quality. They have become known as gurus Crosby Philip B. Deming W. Edwards Feigenbaum Armand V Ishikawa Kaoru Juran Joseph M Oakland john S Shingo Shigeo Taguchi Genichi All the above Gurus have presented their own work on quality management and have made a significant impact on the world through their contributions to improving not only businesses, but all organizations including national governments, public organizations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and many other establishments and organizations. Global inventory planning and control management What is planning and control? The purpose of planning and control is to ensure that operations are working effectively and the production of products and services as required. There is another purpose of planning which is to minimise uncertainty and risk and a clear view of future forecasting. Financial planning and control It is a well known fact that a successful business helps organisations to generate enough cash in order to cover costs and make some profit. The difference between sales and cost is profit. The businesses are not always expected to be profitable from the very first day but there should be an expected plan for them to become profitable. There should be proper financial controls for all the businesses. The records should be accurate and complete and should fulfil the legal requirements. The tight financial control always helps the financial organisations or any organisation to monitor their current situation and always predict the future environment. The information derived from financial statement analysis can be used to establish future operating goals (financial planning) and to determine how to meet established goals (financial control). Developing pro forma financial statements is an important part of the planning and control processes. Inventory planning and control in financial services environment Inventory planning and control in financial services environment is the method of organising the difference between demand and supply of financial products and services. Inventory control is not a small matter from a financial perspective way. Inventory is really important and major current asset for any business including financial services organisations.  As a result, there are always policies of businesses to keep the inventory as low as possible because too much cash hold up in inventory. The objective of reducing the inventory can be accomplished with modern inventory management processes that are working effectively. INVENTORY PLANNING AND CONTROL Supply The Operation Operations resources Demand The Market Customer requirements Global change management strategies in financial environment In todays world of economic and technological development, the organisations have changed significantly. The change had only been possible through restructuring, technological improvement and merging with other businesses. The most important challenge for the organisations is to implement such change to achieve the behavioural and cultural change that is most likely required to achieve the planned benefits. Behavioural change does not just happen in the organisation. Change will only occur if there is leadership, clear goals and planned benefits for its stakeholders. All of these should be properly communicated in a timely manner. Strategy for Change Three important principles to manage change are: Change management is not the goal in itself: For an organisation to be successful, change management plays an important role. Change management is all about managing the process effectively and leads to an environment where an improvement in performance are realised. The change targets must play an active role in realising the change: Change in projects will identify and successfully communicate the image, therefore letting the employees know that the planned benefits have changed and play an active role in realising those planned benefits. Employees are the greatest asset for any organisation: Employees are potentially the greatest challenge for any organisation. The image or goal of any purpose can only become reality if the employees believe in the project and have the desire to achieve it. Financial services environment In the last decade, financial services sector has undergone major changes. The financial sector is a rewarding field in which there is every chance to make or improve a career, particularly if staff is loyal, hard working and have given the correct back up support. It cannot be ignored that the current process of globalization and market deregulation has often led to restructuring within organisations. If these major changes have been mis-handled, then it would bring job insecurity and resulting increased pressure on work forces, which in turn can lead to higher work related stress, and a possible lack of commitment and motivation. Change requirement in current financial environment Capital, currently, is grossly overvalued. Company objectives are all about maximizing value for shareholders, the providers of capital. This can lead to companies adopting strategies that do not necessarily benefit stakeholders such as customers and staff. The same emphasis on capital, and shareholder value, breeds an unhealthy focus on short-term results. Shareholders of stock listed companies want better results every quarter, leading management to take decisions that are not necessarily in the longterm interests of the company and its stakeholders. This needs to change. Global Operations Design A global operation must be designed to enable efficiency and effectiveness. It must not happen by default. To design is to conceive the looks, arrangement and workings of something before it is constructed. (Slack, chambers and Johnston, 2007). Global operations design consist of process design, products or service design, process technologies and layout design. Process Design Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007; defined process design as the overall configuration of a process that determines the sequence of activities and the flow of transformed resources between them. Process design should reflect process objective. Processes should be designed so they can create all products and services which the operation is likely to introduce. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007) The Volume-Variety Effect of Process Design Normally, the design of a process for a financial services organisation within a country is based on volume-variety. This also applies globally. Process type in service operations Process design will be determined by the volume and variety. When volume is low, there is the possibility that variety will be high. When volume is high, there is the possibility that variety will be low and so there will be standardisation. Professional services provide high levels of customised services based on customer needs. As a result may have high level of variety and low volume. Mass services process have a high number of transactions, often involving limited customisation, example gocompare.com. As a result there will be high volume and so variety may be low. Service shops process are positioned between professional services and mass services, usually with medium levels of volume and customisation. In global operations design, FSO falls within the Mass Services category. This is high volume and less variety. Therefore, there is standardisation. This is because; Uniformity Due to globalisation, there is more movement of people across the world. It is therefore important to create a uniformity of processes so that customers from different part of the world who have seen such a product or services at other parts of the world could easily identify and understand the processes. Cost Saving In FSO, it cost of money to create a process. Some of the cost are the amount paid to consultants and key management staff to design a process to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. Hence such a process is copied by other branches throughout the world to save money. Time There is also a lot of management time in process design. It is therefore better for other branches in other part of the world to copy so that management time will be saved and spent on other activities. Human Resource Management Globalisation has also lead to the movement of staff, especially senior and management staff across the world. To ensure that they fit into the system easily, process are standardised. Global Management Strategy Most FSO now see the world as a global village. For that matter, top management see the world global operation as one unit. As a result, they adopt similar processes across the whole global organisation. Products or Service Design Products and services are often the first thing that customers see of a company, so they should have an impact. A good design is to satisfy the customer. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007). As customer gets satisfied, the organisation can achieve its vision (Lynch and Cross, Performance Pyramid). According performance pyramid developed by Lynch and Cross (Advanced Performance Management, Essential text, 2007); Customers base their satisfaction on quality and delivery time. The organisation bases their satisfaction on process time and level of waste. This is known as level four. As level four is achieve, leads to level three. That is customers becomes satisfied, the organisation becomes flexible to meet customers needs and so productivity as whole increases. Level three leads to level two. The organisation then get market share and high profitability as a result of level three. Finally, the organisation finally achieve its vision. Aspects of products and services All products and services can be considered as having three aspects. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007). That is, concept, package and process. The concept, which is the understanding of the nature, use and value of the service or product. FSO may manage the three aspects mostly through both external and internal environmental analysis by using SWOT Analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat), Porters five forces and Porters Diamond. Supply network design Supply network includes suppliers and customers. It also include suppliers suppliers and customers customers and so on. It is the network of supplier and customer operations that have relationships with an operation. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007). The network has a supply side. That is, network of suppliers, suppliers suppliers that provide resources to an operation. The demand side is, chains of customers, customers customers that receive the products and services produced by an operation. The supply network must be designed to reduce time and cost. The shorter network, the shorter the cycle time and so the delivery time to the customers may also reduce. Process Technology Sometimes, FSO outsource some activities to reduce the supply network to save cost and increase speed. Furthermore, information technology has also help to reduce the supply network by eliminating intermediaries. Example, e-procurement can enable FSO to access a pool of suppliers directly. For the demand side, websites like moneysupermarket.com can be accessed by a wide range of customers directly. Global Operation Planning and Control Most FSO fail because they fail to plan and control their resources globally. The situation of most banks in the current global recession is a typical example. Apart from HSBC and Barclays Bank to some extent, most banks nearly collapse. Northern Rock and Lloyds TSB are a example of failure to plan and control globally. This shows that planning and control are very important because global operation for FSO is a very high risk. Therefore, planning and control is important. This is to ensure efficiency and effectiveness globally. The whole world economy is interlinked. There is free movement of capital across the world. As a result, an economic downturn in one part of the world could affect the rest of the world. Example, the downturn of the housing market in U.S.A. nearly leads to the collapse of Northern Rock as a whole. Furthermore, the current recession in Dubai has affected the Lloyds TSB in the U.K. Some of the things that are planning and control globally are; Capacity Planning and Control This is the task of setting the effective capacity of the operation so that it can respond to the demands placed upon it(Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007). That is how to deploy resources to able to meet demand. That can be termed as flexibility of resource utilisation. Globally, FSO must be flexible enough to cope with changing levels of operation. Failure in capacity planning and control normally lead to delay of delivering on time. As a result, customers get dissatisfied and the long term effect is lost of market share. Some of the factors that may affect global capacity planning and control are; Political Example are; political instability, government regulations Economics Recession, Exchange rate, Foreign exchange control. Social Culture, Religion, Availability of staff Technology Level of technology Environmental Activities of environmental agencies and international policies on  environmental issues. Legal Legislation like health and safety, anti monopoly laws Project Planning and Control A project is a set of activities with a definite start point and a definite end state, which pursues a defined goal and uses a defined set of resources. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2007). It involves five stages. They are; Understanding the project environment Defining the project Project planning Technical execution Project control Global project planning and control is difficult and risky. This is because, it is very big, it covers wide area, time differences and it may involve a lot of resources. Poor planning and control of project can lead to failure. That is, more resources may be used than anticipated and the project may also not finish on schedule. A project can be planned and controlled by techniques such as critical path analysis and Gantt charts. The introduction of information technology has help to manage global projects. The most popular software for managing global projects is Groupware. Global Supply Chain Management Global operations managers of FSO have to look beyond internal view if they want to manage their operations effectively. This is because, an organisation depends on other organisations for survival and so there is the need to manage the supply and distribution of product and service. Decisions have to be made regarding supply and distribution, to ensure that the needs of end customers are met. That is, supplying customers with the appropriate products and services when needed at a competitive price. The objectives of supply chain management are quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost. Internet and mobile phone have helped most global FSO to make relationship between suppliers and customer work more efficiently and effectively. Through internet, global FSO has gained access to wide suppliers and also has used internet and mobile to deliver banking services to remote customers in different countries. STRATEGIES FOR GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCES Human resources have got a key role in entering in to a new market to find out the risk and opportunity of the market. Human resources are concerned about staffing, recruiting and retain employees, training and development, cultural compatibility, communication and technology, and policies, procedures and structure. As organizations expand worldwide, human resource management has become increasingly more complex and challenging. The global business needs highly skilled and educated people for the operation and the HR management support these people to work as a team. Many companies have developed technological tools to address and overcome the HR challenges. In the global operation the HR managers struggled to communicate with the entire workforce effectively as they are spread all over the world. Many businesses develop innovative tools to communicate effectively to the workforce. Some years before the managers are sending from the headquarters to the overseas business. With efficient HR management many companies recruiting people from local area and employing managers without concerned of their origin. The HR managers have to understand the issues arise in the global operation. Global human resource management mainly focussed on recruiting key professional. By establishing ethical standards and maintain these standards HR involved in the new operation, mergers and acquisition. The human resource management should have a thorough knowledge of companies business strategy, product and services to be successful in global business development. If the HR managers have no business knowledge their role will be limited to administrating and staffing. If the HR takes initiative responsibility for developing resource plans and solution for staffing they will have a key role in global business development. When staffing for global operation the HR management should taken consideration of the timelines of establishing the new operation, the skills and expertise required the long term and short term staff requirement, the availability of local candidate and the position which need to be filled soon. The terms and condition of the employment includes payroll and compensations has to make clear before recruiting the employees. As in the global business many countries have different rules and regulations and its HR managers responsibility to change the terms and condition according to the country in which it operates business. The HR has to maintain a policy to all employees regardless of the place they work. There are four principle alternative between local adaption and global integration. They are international strategy in which knowledge transfer from head quarters. It is suitable for the when there is only few foreign business. The second one is multinational strategy which is local adapted. The next alternative is globalisation strategy which is centralised strategy for all the global operation. The final alternative is the transnational strategy. The HR manager should involve in the due diligence process before acquisition or merger occurs. The due diligence includes analysing the experience and expertise of the proposed merging management, the employment practices and the pay and benefit practices. The consistent HR strategy would improve the efficiency of workforce and can retain trained employees which will reduce the recruiting and staffing cost. The HR should establish a consistent HR strategy as well as a consistent localisation strategy. Without a consistent HR strategy it is hard to recruit, retain and train employees. GLOBAL OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT All the operations have got scope of improvement regardless of how well they managed. The managers should know their business and need to know how well they are operating at the present. The five performance objectives- quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost can be measure how well they are operating at the moment. The customer satisfaction is other tool for measuring the performance. The performance measures should be compared with a target. The target can be historically based, external performance based or absolute performance target. It can be also done by bench marking which is comparing with own performance or some others in the similar industry. The priority for improvement can be assessed from their performance and importance. The important-performance matrix can be used for this, which is a technique to compare the relative importance and performance to prioritize the improvement. Some other methods are using for improvement, such as break through improvement which is innovation based improvement, and the continuous improvement method as the name says it following the gradual improvement method. The business process re-engineering process is another method of improvement which recommends redesign of process to fulfil customer needs. To improve the operation, it should know the cause of failure of the operation. There are many reasons for operational failure. It could be design failures, facilities failures, people failure like errors and violation, supplier failures, customer failure and environmental disruption. Most of the failures root cause is human failures. As the failures can be controlled and improve the failures are an opportunity. Once the failures cause and effect understand the next step is try to prevent the failure in future. By maintaining the operation with care will minimise the chances of failure. The Total Quality Management could be use to improve the operation, by inspecting, controlling and assuring the operation will lead to improve the operation. The companies are improving their operation and product by experience and learning from the world to be competitive in the global business. The companies have to innovate new product and service to win the world. The traditional operational functions have to be change with the demand of the global economy for multinational organisations. The new technologies and sources able the companies to discover and access knowledge before their competitors. Therefore multinational companies have to act up on quick to the new knowledge they gain to sustain in the industry. The companies need to practice to learn from wherever the knowledge is generated. Once the knowledge is brought together it should be turned as an innovative product service or process which will help in global operation. The globally successful companies have the ability to spread their innovation across the global market. The companies have to obtain wide range of technology and techniques to be successful in global operation. GLOBAL OPERATIONAL CHALLENGE The challenges of operational management are many, but the major challenges are the impact of the globalization of markets, the changing view of the social responsibility, the environmental responsibility of businesses, the influence of technology development on operations management and the emergence of the concept of knowledge management.(Nigel slack, Stuart chambers, Robert Johnston). The challenge for operation is that it has to understand the changes in the economy

Analysis of the Topps Company :: Chewing Gum Companies Businesses Audits Essays

Analysis of the Topps Company The Topps Company, among other things discussed later, is in the business of manufacturing chewing gum and confections. According to the Business and Company Resource Center, the Topps is involved in ten different industry categories. They are listed here with their respective SIC/NAICS codes: Commercial Printing (2759), Chewing Gum (2067), Candy and Other Confectionary products (2064), Periodicals Publishing and Printing (2721), Dolls and Stuffed Toys (3942), other Commercial Printing (323119), Confectionary Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311330), Non-Chocolate Confectionary Manufacturing (311340), Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing (339931), and Periodical Publishers (511120). All of these product industries allowed Topps to accumulate sales of $302.9 million in fiscal year 2002. Topps primarily manufactures sticker collections, confections, comic books, and collectible trading cards. These are the company’s most popular and principally produced products within its international market. Most of Topps’ success has come from the production of the confections and trading cards. These two aspects of their overall industry are by far the most important and beneficial to the company as a whole. With all of the products that Topps produces, there are of course many raw materials that contribute to each entertainment product. In fiscal year 2002, Topps spent $6,395 on their raw materials as compared to $2,860 spent in 2001. The company’s sports cards are the most popular and require a few materials. Film must be on hand constantly, as photographs must be taken of each athlete before computerized technology adds graphic designs to be put on the cards. Other materials needed for their collectible trading cards include large sheets of paperboard for the photos to be printed on, and plastic coating or foil lining to add additional interest to each card. These substrates are purchased in sheet form from specialty printers and are added to the paperboard before being placed on a pressing machine that cuts the paperboard into the individual cards. Raw materials for their confectionary products include many different types of sugars and both natural and artificial flavori ngs to be mixed in large vats before being processed through another pressing machine which cuts the candy into individual pieces. Eventually, each confectionary product is wrapped in paper or plastic to secure freshness. Paper and adhesives are the primary materials used for the sticker collections produced by Topps. Inks and dyes are used on all products in some shape or form whether it be on a wrapper or on the collectible trading cards being printed up.

Time To Change :: essays research papers

Time To Change The earth and many of its contents, thanks in large part to humans, is deteriorating and it has been for quite a time now. It is overwhelmingly populated with both ignorant and lazy people. In effect, not much is being done to prevent this deterioration. For instance, we are killing off vital animal populations every day. We have caused the extinction or endangerment of numerous species for absolutely no reason other than selfishness. An example is the poaching of elephants. We are killing these animals only for our own wealth. We take their ivory and leave them behind to die. As a result, they are on the verge of extinction. Also, pollution caused by humans and their inventions cause a major dilemma. Automobile exhaust fumes and factory pollutants are only a couple of the impurities causing damaging affects to the ozone layer and atmosphere. We depend on the ozone to defend us from harmful UV rays. Finally, we have a major impact on the degeneration of natural resources. Millions of gallons of oil, coal, and other valuable resources are wasted each day. These are just a few of the human disruptions to nature available to our knowledge. We are conscious of many more, and there are probably others that we are not aware of. If we do not start taking them seriously soon it will be too late, if it is not already. We need to reevaluate our priorities and plan for the future existence of this world. A group labeled the Earth-Firsters' often attempt to accomplish this task through drastic and sometimes dangerous methods. As Joni Seager states ( The Eco-Fringe: Deep Ecology, Pg. 636), "In Australia, Earth-First protesters buried themselves up to their necks in the sand in the middle of logging roads to stop lumbering operations; in the American Southwest, Earth Firsters handcuffed themselves to trees and bulldozers to prevent logging; and in California, they dressed in dolphin and mermaid costumes to picket the stockholders' meeting of a tuna-fishing company." The Earth-Firsters' tactics are not the only drastic only measures they practice. Their ideas seem to be quite extreme as well. For example, they believe the population of the world is entirely too high, by as much as ninety percent, causing too much "wear and tear" to the earth. To resolve this issue, some say we should cease all study toward the curing of disease. Others said we should stop aid to the poor, sick, and homeless. They ration in Africa that the sickness is a natural occurrence. Also, some of the Earth-Firsters' believe in order to conserve land and nature, Time To Change :: essays research papers Time To Change The earth and many of its contents, thanks in large part to humans, is deteriorating and it has been for quite a time now. It is overwhelmingly populated with both ignorant and lazy people. In effect, not much is being done to prevent this deterioration. For instance, we are killing off vital animal populations every day. We have caused the extinction or endangerment of numerous species for absolutely no reason other than selfishness. An example is the poaching of elephants. We are killing these animals only for our own wealth. We take their ivory and leave them behind to die. As a result, they are on the verge of extinction. Also, pollution caused by humans and their inventions cause a major dilemma. Automobile exhaust fumes and factory pollutants are only a couple of the impurities causing damaging affects to the ozone layer and atmosphere. We depend on the ozone to defend us from harmful UV rays. Finally, we have a major impact on the degeneration of natural resources. Millions of gallons of oil, coal, and other valuable resources are wasted each day. These are just a few of the human disruptions to nature available to our knowledge. We are conscious of many more, and there are probably others that we are not aware of. If we do not start taking them seriously soon it will be too late, if it is not already. We need to reevaluate our priorities and plan for the future existence of this world. A group labeled the Earth-Firsters' often attempt to accomplish this task through drastic and sometimes dangerous methods. As Joni Seager states ( The Eco-Fringe: Deep Ecology, Pg. 636), "In Australia, Earth-First protesters buried themselves up to their necks in the sand in the middle of logging roads to stop lumbering operations; in the American Southwest, Earth Firsters handcuffed themselves to trees and bulldozers to prevent logging; and in California, they dressed in dolphin and mermaid costumes to picket the stockholders' meeting of a tuna-fishing company." The Earth-Firsters' tactics are not the only drastic only measures they practice. Their ideas seem to be quite extreme as well. For example, they believe the population of the world is entirely too high, by as much as ninety percent, causing too much "wear and tear" to the earth. To resolve this issue, some say we should cease all study toward the curing of disease. Others said we should stop aid to the poor, sick, and homeless. They ration in Africa that the sickness is a natural occurrence. Also, some of the Earth-Firsters' believe in order to conserve land and nature,

Deception Point Page 49

Marjorie Tench's raspy voice echoed in her mind. Are you aware that Sexton is accepting bribes from private aerospace companies? Gabrielle's pulse began racing as she gazed down the darkened hallway toward the archway that led into the senator's den. She knew she should speak up, announce her presence, and yet she felt herself inching quietly forward. She moved to within a few feet of the archway and stood soundlessly in the shadows†¦ listening to the conversation beyond. 55 While Delta-Three stayed behind to collect Norah Mangor's body and the sled, the other two soldiers accelerated down the glacier after their quarry. On their feet they wore ElektroTread-powered skis. Modeled after the consumer Fast Trax motorized skis, the classified ElektroTreads were essentially snow skis with miniaturized tank treads affixed-like snowmobiles worn on the feet. Speed was controlled by pushing the tips of the index finger and thumb together, compressing two pressure plates inside the right-hand glove. A powerful gel battery was molded around the foot, doubling as insulation and allowing the skis to run silently. Ingeniously, the kinetic energy generated by gravity and the spinning treads as the wearer glided down a hill was automatically harvested to recharge the batteries for the next incline. Keeping the wind at his back, Delta-One crouched low, skimming seaward as he surveyed the glacier before him. His night vision system was a far cry from the Patriot model used by the Marines. Delta-One was looking through a hands-free face mount with a 40 x 90 mm six-element lens, three-element Magnification Doubler, and Super Long Range IR. The world outside appeared in a translucent tint of cool blue, rather than the usual green-the color scheme especially designed for highly reflective terrains like the Arctic. As he approached the first berm, Delta-One's goggles revealed several bright stripes of freshly disturbed snow, rising up and over the berm like a neon arrow in the night. Apparently the three escapees had either not thought to unhook their makeshift sail or had been unable to. Either way, if they had not released by the final berm, they were now somewhere out in the ocean. Delta-One knew his quarry's protective clothing would lengthen the usual life expectancy in the water, but the relentless offshore currents would drag them out to sea. Drowning would be inevitable. Despite his confidence, Delta-One had been trained never to assume. He needed to see bodies. Crouching low, he pressed his fingers together and accelerated up the first incline. Michael Tolland lay motionless, taking stock of his bruises. He was battered, but he sensed no broken bones. He had little doubt the gel-filled Mark IX had saved him any substantial trauma. As he opened his eyes, his thoughts were slow to focus. Everything seemed softer here†¦ quieter. The wind still howled, but with less ferocity. We went over the edge-didn't we? Focusing, Tolland found he was lying on ice, draped across Rachel Sexton, almost at right angles, their locked carabiners twisted. He could feel her breathing beneath him, but he could not see her face. He rolled off her, his muscles barely responding. â€Å"Rachel†¦?† Tolland wasn't sure if his lips were making sound or not. Tolland recalled the final seconds of their harrowing ride-the upward drag of the balloon, the payload cable snapping, their bodies plummeting down the far side of the berm, sliding up and over the final mound, skimming toward the edge-the ice running out. Tolland and Rachel had fallen, but the fall had been oddly short. Rather than the expected plunge to the sea, they had fallen only ten feet or so before hitting another slab of ice and sliding to a stop with the dead weight of Corky in tow. Now, raising his head, Tolland looked toward the sea. Not far away, the ice ended in a sheer cliff, beyond which he could hear the sounds of the ocean. Looking back up the glacier, Tolland strained to see into the night. Twenty yards back, his eyes met a high wall of ice, which seemed to hang above them. It was then that he realized what had happened. Somehow they had slid off the main glacier onto a lower terrace of ice. This section was flat, as large as a hockey rink, and had partially collapsed-preparing to cleave off into the ocean at any moment. Ice calving, Tolland thought, eyeing the precarious platform of ice on which he was now lying. It was a broad square slab that hung off the glacier like a colossal balcony, surrounded on three sides by precipices to the ocean. The sheet of ice was attached to the glacier only at its back, and Tolland could see the connection was anything but permanent. The boundary where the lower terrace clung to the Milne Ice Shelf was marked by a gaping pressure fissure almost four feet across. Gravity was well on its way to winning this battle. Almost more frightening than seeing the fissure was Tolland's seeing the motionless body of Corky Marlinson crumpled on the ice. Corky lay ten yards away at the end of a taut tether attached to them. Tolland tried to stand up, but he was still attached to Rachel. Repositioning himself, he began detaching their interlocking carabiners. Rachel looked weak as she tried to sit up. â€Å"We didn't†¦ go over?† Her voice was bewildered. â€Å"We fell onto a lower block of ice,† Tolland said, finally unfastening himself from her. â€Å"I've got to help Corky.† Painfully, Tolland attempted to stand, but his legs felt feeble. He grabbed the tether and heaved. Corky began sliding toward them across the ice. After a dozen or so pulls, Corky was lying on the ice a few feet away. Corky Marlinson looked beaten. He'd lost his goggles, suffered a bad cut on his cheek, and his nose was bleeding. Tolland's worries that Corky might be dead were quickly allayed when Corky rolled over and looked at Tolland with an angry glare. â€Å"Jesus,† he stammered. â€Å"What the hell was that little trick!† Tolland felt a wave of relief. Rachel sat up now, wincing. She looked around. â€Å"We need to†¦ get off of here. This block of ice looks like it's about to fall.† Tolland couldn't have agreed more. The only question was how. They had no time to consider a solution. A familiar high-pitched whir became audible above them on the glacier. Tolland's gaze shot up to see two white-clad figures ski effortlessly up onto the edge and stop in unison. The two men stood there a moment, peering down at their battered prey like chess masters savoring checkmate before the final kill. Delta-One was surprised to see the three escapees alive. He knew, however, this was a temporary condition. They had fallen onto a section of the glacier that had already begun its inevitable plunge to the sea. This quarry could be disabled and killed in the same manner as the other woman, but a far cleaner solution had just presented itself. A way in which no bodies would ever be found. Gazing downward over the lip, Delta-One focused on the gaping crevasse that had begun to spread like a wedge between the ice shelf and the clinging block of ice. The section of ice on which the three fugitives sat was dangerously perched†¦ ready to break away and fall into the ocean any day now. Why not today†¦ Here on the ice shelf, the night was rocked every few hours by deafening booms-the sound of ice cracking off parts of the glacier and plummeting into the ocean. Who would take notice? Feeling the familiar warm rush of adrenaline that accompanied the preparation for a kill, Delta-One reached in his supply pack and pulled out a heavy, lemon-shaped object. Standard issue for military assault teams, the object was called a flash-bang-a â€Å"nonlethal† concussion grenade that temporarily disoriented an enemy by generating a blinding flash and deafening concussion wave. Tonight, however, Delta-One knew this flash-bang would most certainly be lethal. He positioned himself near the edge and wondered how far the crevasse descended before tapering to a close. Twenty feet? Fifty feet? He knew it didn't matter. His plan would be effective regardless.