Love, Speech Pathologist treatment of dementia patients with Research Paper

Love, Speech Pathologist treatment of dementia patients with troublesome practices - Research Paper Example This targets deciding how to guarantee the nature of patients and family members’ lives in circumstances of dementia can be improved. As per pathologists, in spite of the way that memory misfortune has been aâ prominentâ findingâ latelyâ in most dementia patients, the fundamental issue that adds to standardization is the troublesome conduct, for example, superfluous discourse related with the malady. A portion of the principle manifestations related with the sickness incorporate rest unsettling influence, pointless addresses, hostility, misery, disturbance and insane related highlights. What's more, social manifestations might be aâ resultâ of dementia sickness, Iatrogeneric causes and otherâ concomitantâ illness. Notwithstanding, theâ mainâ errorâ made by a greater part in overseeing social unsettling influences is that treatment initiates withoutâ identificationâ of the side effect precipitant. It isâ essentialâ to guarantee that before anybody begins treatment the recognizable proof of theâ disruptiveâ behaviors and causes is done (Teri, Logsdon, Uomoto, and McCurry, 2012). To guarantee thatâ t reatmentâ of a sickâ person isâ satisfactory, the patient’s family and pathologist ought to have aâ soundâ understandingâ of the issue under treatment. Discouragement is one of the manifestations and the problematic conduct of dementia that effects up to 20% of most patients. Sadness can be as superfluous addresses on the grounds that ofâ the malady related neuronal misfortune and, less frequently,â reactionâ to an infection procedure. For patients experiencing vascular dementia,â depressionâ mostlyâ follows the left cerebral half of the globe stroke. Dementia-related illnesses, for example, Parkinson’s malady, have numerous patients demonstrating manifestations of melancholy through their talks. As a rule it is troublesome toâ diagnoseâ patients with misery because of dementia since lack of care isâ common in both disorders (Teri, Logsdon, Uomoto, and McCurry,

Euro Disney Case Study

Euro Disney Case Study Disney Company is one of best administrator of amusement stops on the planet, and their amusement park in America and Japan made extraordinary progress however the circumstance in Europe leaves something to be desired. The article utilizes a few parts of the Hofstedes social measurements and Trompenaars examine on hierarchical culture to look at the social distinction among America and France, at that point discover three slip-ups that the organization made in dealing with its Euro Disney activity through the contextual analysis. In the accompanying parts, the three exercises the organization ought to have found out about how to manage decent variety dependent on its experience will be depicted. Progressively fast improvement in the pattern of worldwide organizations, the culturally diverse administration has become a significant piece of business. The motivation behind this paper is to acquire some positive elements to the future improvement of Euro Disney by the above investigation . Trompenaars order the corporate culture into four sorts: the family, the Eiffel Tower, the guided rocket and the hatchery. The measurements he used to recognize diverse corporate societies are balance chain of importance and direction to the individual direction to the undertaking (Sanchez, Paul. 2004) . The America corporate culture is have a place with the third one, this sort of corporate culture has task-arranged qualities, the workers ought to conform to some fixed guidelines and have high productivity. The business consistently give more consideration to your work results as opposed to the procedure, they demand the representatives ought to be faithful to the callings and undertakings more prominent than be faithful to the organization, so the environment in the organization is some genuine. Contrasted with the America corporate culture, the French corporate by and large don't have terms of the corporate culture. The French organization will never give you a debilitated book wh ich mention to you what you ought to do and which sort of language you ought to talk, however these things are very explained to each branch. Just along these lines the way of life can show adaptable and effective. Numerous individuals will think that its peculiar how could be so productivity under the condition that having not a detail plan and rules. This is a brilliant wonder in The French corporate. In a word, the French organization give more consideration to human and the corporate culture which have a favorable opinion of the profound established relations among individuals and there is a loose and amicable climate in the organization. The three mix-ups In deciding the objective market didn't consider social contrasts Euro Disneys decision of area center around the parts of money related and populace, at that point Euro Disney amusement park situated in the crowded focal Europe. Disney officials didn't see that Mickey Mouse and erudite people in the district of the left bank of the Seine in Paris can not live in congruity and France is not kidding about their scholarly person. All things considered, Paris isn't the best spot to set up such an amusement park, so the foundation of the Disney parks is an affirmation of war to scholarly people of French. Disneys supervisor expressed freely a portion of the analysis is the hogwash of few business would not help them some help. This may can be all around worked by American culture, while the French give more consideration to their own social world class and view this discredit as assault of national quality. Having not satisfactorily consider the propensities for the French when organize the administration sorts Disney don't give breakfast since they imagine that the Europeans don't have breakfast. Also, the Disney organization doesn't give mixed refreshments inside the recreation center, however the French propensities are unique, they are accustomed to drinking a cup while taking lunch, which excited the displeasure of the French. Disney administrators didn't evaluate that the European are not inspired by get-away in amusement park such a great amount, in the mentality of Disney Company the European will be upbeat about putting in a couple of days in an amusement park like the American and Japanese, however white collar class in Europe simply need to escape from everything around and go to the coast or the mountains, and Euro Disney is the absence of such intrigue. No mix of French culture to the neighborhood staff the executives Disney has accepted worldwide standard model as same as the Japanese business, they transplanted the American culture to France legitimately then doing this outcome with a genuine conflict of societies. The Disney Company utilize numerous estimates that left with the neighborhood culture, for instance, in the Euro Disney, the France specialist are mentioned to agree to the exacting appearance code as the other amusement stops in United States and Japan do, the laborers are approached to break their old social antipathies for grinning and being reliably amiable to the recreation center visitor even should reflect the multi-nation cosmetics of its visitor. Furthermore, the Disney Company brought their U.S. Mainstream society to France and contended energetically for a more prominent nearby social setting. The French individuals believe this is an assault on their local culture, so they received an antagonistic dispositio n toward to the appearance of the Disney, including the dissent originate from the scholarly and the neighborhood home and ranchers. The three exercises Global organizations should target advertise precisely Even in a similar nation or local market, the conventional culture makes distinctive control capacity to various individuals. Worldwide organizations ought to be completely founded on itemized statistical surveying to locate the feeble connections in the market and make a forward leap, utilize the point to a zone model to grow. For instance, McDonalds opened in the Chinese market, its objective is no longer work for the bustling common laborers, however the youngsters. The brilliant curves mark, the delight environment of the shop, the outfitted toys, loaded with lively advertisements, just as different limited time exercises explicitly do for kids, these have a colossal intrigue to the objective clients . McDonald imagine that grown-up dietary patterns hard to change, just those kids whose taste not yet shaped are the potential clients of Western inexpensive food culture, the McDonald got Broad market acknowledgment and have gig antic market potential. Global undertakings should give full consideration to the significance of the impact of social contrasts on promoting Face to the new numerous culture condition, the worldwide venture should take a goal recognize about the social contrasts of the purchaser request and conduct and regard it, deserting the partiality and segregation of culture completely(Burnett, Sally-Ann, Huisman, Jeroen, 2010). In addition, global undertakings ought to be acceptable at discovering and utilizing the base purpose of correspondence and coordinated effort of various societies and see this base point as the significant thought factor when intend to enter the objective nation showcase. All things considered, the key basis for a fruitful business undertaking is whether it can incorporate into the nearby social and social condition. The global endeavors ought to improve the affectability and flexibility to the diverse culture condition. Global undertakings should utilize the upper hands of social contrasts and advance worldwide showcasing The goal of universal social contrasts can likewise be the fundamental interest purposes of various serious procedure. In the global market, propelling society advertising exercises and featuring the colorful culture and social contrasts in the objective market can open the market rapidly. Organizations ought to endeavor to assemble multifaceted two-way correspondence channels, it is important to adjust to the hosts social condition and qualities and do the business procedure of limitation to cause it to can be generally acknowledged by the host nation neighborhood government, nearby accomplices, customers and other pertinent partners . Powerful diverse correspondence from one viewpoint add to social incorporation, yet additionally can make an agreeable inside and outer human condition for corporate administration. End From the Euro Disneys disappointment in the underlying stage, we ought to acknowledge profoundly that social variables assume huge job during the time spent extending abroad of the undertakings and absence of culturally diverse mindfulness will bring out disappointment of the business. With the expansion and extend of the practical contact, transnational promoting got increasingly more consideration. In the event that the global organizations can not deal with appropriately the way of life distinction between outside business sectors and home market in the entire promoting the executives procedure, the outcome will be that low benefit with greater expense even lead to insolvency.

The Undoing Racism Workshop and Organizational Change

Question: Basically talk about the 'Institutional bigotry' might be wiped out by the prompt presentation of positive separation/governmental policy regarding minorities in society? Answer: Presentation Treating an individual or a gathering of individuals in an alternate way in favor or against such individual or gathering is known to be discrimination[1]. In like manner speech, this differential treatment is more awful or negative to the individual against whom such separation is being made. Along these lines, institutional segregation is the treacherous and unfair abuse of an individual or a gathering of people by foundations and the general public all in all. This kind of separation is done through inconsistent treatment and biasness. Subsequently, the component of value under the steady gaze of the law becomes possibly the most important factor. Institutional separation can be seen all through the nation and is available out in the open and the private area similarly, in instructive establishments and in each layer of the general public. There is a contrast among individual and institutional segregation. Singular separation is supposed to be both cognizant and obvious[2]. Then again, institutional separation has its foundations profound into the cultural structure. In this manner, to control the evil impact of such institutional separation is considerably more relentless. It happens independent of the wants and aims of the individuals shaping piece of the general public. It is the aftereffect of individual and aggregate activities that offers ascend to institutional separation and can't be assessed just simply perceiving singular intentions. Institutional segregation works inside the system of ordinary connections of establishments and its destruction requires something other than sincere goals however an assessment and update of the unfair practices inside an organization[3]. One other significant method of segregation is institutional prejudice. Macpherson gave two away from of bigotry and institutional prejudice independently. As per him, prejudice all in all terms comprises of words, lead, or practices that give a preferred position or hindrance because of their shading, culture or ethnic origins[4]. Macpherson spoke to institutional prejudice as an aggregate disappointment of an association to give a fitting and expert support of individuals on account of their way of life, shading or ethnic inception. Institutional bigotry is apparent in different procedures as bias, numbness and generalizing conduct. This article will attempt to depict the sorts of such institutional bigotry rehearses and the cures gave by the authoritative structure of the nation. By assessing the administrative arrangements, this paper will likewise attempt to arrive at a healing resolution. Institutional prejudice can be seen in numerous social and political fronts including criminal equity, lodging, business, human services, instruction and political force. Oppression a specific gathering dependent on their race is regularly disregarded, as it can't be unequivocally isolated as a hierarchical practice. Institutional bigotry consistently contains a component of abuse. Institutional mistreatment happens when the pervasive administrative structure, customs and frameworks make disparity as opposed to disposing of it. Abuse is practicing authority or force in a crooked way and putting a weight on an individual or gathering. The idea of institutional prejudice initially surfaced in the extreme works of the US dark political activists[5]. The idea of prejudice was particularly contended and was profoundly settled inside the structure of the society[6]. The regular upheaval was the counter dark disposition of mediocrity and the incomparability of the white individuals. The seg regation was conspicuous as high death rate because of absence of food and nourishment, insufficient lodging offices and human services operating at a profit neighborhoods. These elements out and out demonstrated that prejudice was institutional as opposed to individual[7]. In the end the idea turned into a piece of the standard political revelations. Because of the expanded turmoil among the regular people and ethnic gatherings, certain policing and correspondence changes were attempted by the organization. In any case, these changes neglected to accomplish their goals as usage of the progressive appearing steps were really deferred and one-sided. Step by step, the social and political situation started evolving. Consistent portrayals and battle of the focused on bunches constrained the organization to perceive the delicacy of the circumstance and need of great importance. This perceived needs brought about establishing administrative changes so as to give security against organized bigotry and guarantee key privileges of the individuals of the UK. To start a nitty gritty conversation on the subject, we have to have a decent comprehension of equity law. The Equality Act 2010 oversees the component of balance and its assistant issues today. The principal bit of enactment in the UK was the Race Relations Act 1965, which settled issues identified with separation and equity for more than four decades[8]. In the end the extent of insurance increased thus did the quantity of enactments ensuring security. Various enactments works locally and guarantee security against separation. Such enactments incorporate The Equal Pay Act 1970, Se x Discrimination Act 1975, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, Employment Equality (Age) guidelines 2006, Equality Act 2006 (Part 2) and the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007[9]. Aside from this current administrative system, UK likewise needed to coordinate the orders given by the European Union (EU). Since the incorporation of the UK in the EU, the matchless quality of the EU law was built up. Along these lines, various mandates gave by the European Council identifying with human rights and uniformity must be incorporated inside the administrative structure of the UK[10]. EU orders are principally worried about equivalent treatment of people independent of their ethnic or racial cause, equivalent treatment in work and occupation, equivalent treatment of people while evaluating gracefully of different products and enterprises and equivalent chan ces and equivalent treatment of people in issues identified with business and occupation (recast)[11]. Notwithstanding the above orders, the EC distributed another draft mandate that denies victimization incapacity, religion or conviction, sexual direction and age, lodging, training, access to products and ventures, government managed savings, social security and social advantage[12]. Individuals having a place with ethnical minority have been confronting the scourge of bigotry from time everlasting in the general public and its organizations. This racial imbalance has influenced work environments, wellbeing and instruction to an enormous degree. In such a situation, up keeping the ostensible human privileges of individuals has become an overwhelming errand for the legislature and administrative bodies[13]. Commonly this segregation has occurred in light of the fact that a few people have a place with a specific religion or race. An enormous segment of the British populace has conceded that they needed to confront bigotry and the circumstance has gotten more awful. These individuals, notwithstanding being British residents were presented to conduct that was hindering to their very methods for being a living person. Developing threatening vibe towards workers and an intense fear towards a specific religion have started a feeling of contempt among the populace. This is progressively pushing back the social height of the nation in reverse. These biased treatment occurrences are in the ascent since 2001 as cited by the information gave by NatCens definitive British Social Attitudes (BSA)[14]. In any case, the perspective of a specialty bunch can't be disregarded. Global episodes, for example, the London bombings, devastation of the Twin Towers and the war in Afghanistan and Iraq are a portion of the significant supporters of a hostile assumption of the individuals of the UK. Guiltless individuals have lost their lives and the lives of their friends and family because of global fear mongering. After this, the worldwide monetary emergency of 2008 injured the economies of the absolute most created countries of the world[15]. The sub-prime emergency offered ascend to joblessness and wrongdoing. In such a circumstance, organized bigotry was at its pinnacle. Gigantic corporate fakes had gobbled up the institutional structure of the nation to an extrao rdinary extent[16]. Debasement was spread all through the managerial framework and this influenced generally speaking development of the nation. Imbalance in work environment was the same. This was in spite of the way that outsiders and individuals having a place with other ethnic foundations frequently beat customary Britons. The instruction and wellbeing framework was the same. As indicated by the information gave by the enumeration of 2001 and 2011, there was a tremendous contrast between the circumstance of the Britons and individuals having a place with other backgrounds[17]. The thing that matters was noticeable in the acquiring appropriate lodging offices, the way of life, and wellbeing and in instruction. Institutional bigotry has a long history and the episodes identified with institutional are much of the time happening since the foundation of the British Empire. Supreme arrangements in the past partitioned the individuals into the racialised groups[18]. Institutional prejudice is the heritage of the frontier development. Race and prejudice have gotten inserted in government strategies, scholarly talks and mainstream society throughout the hundreds of years. Today, all the associations in the UK are influenced by Institutional bigotry. The vast majority of the individuals perceive the obvious bias as institutional prejudice. Be that as it may, Institutional prejudice is altogether unique in relation to the clear fanaticism. Institutional bigotry directs life results: vocation possibilities or instructive accomplishment, as opposed to simply the offenses of the plain supremacist slur. Notwithstanding, such exercises can just b

Biography of Genghis Khan, Founder of the Mongol Empire

Account of Genghis Khan, Founder of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan (c. 1162â€August 18, 1227) was the amazing author and pioneer of the Mongol Empire. In a range of only 25 years, his horsemen vanquished a bigger region and more prominent populace than the Romans did in four centuries. To the a huge number of individuals vanquished by his crowds, Genghis Khan was insidious in bodily form; in Mongolia and Central Asia, be that as it may, he was broadly worshipped. Quick Facts: Genghis Khan Known For: Khan was the organizer and pioneer of the Mongol Empire.Also Known As: TemujinBorn: c. 1162 in Delun-Boldog, MongoliaDied: August 18, 1227, in Yinchuan, Western XiaSpouse(s): Borje, Khulan, Yesugen, Yesulun (in addition to others)Children: Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, Tolui (in addition to other people) Early Life Records of the Great Khans early life are meager and conflicting. He was likely conceived in 1162, however a few sources state 1155 or 1165. We realize that the kid was given the name Temujin. His dad Yesukhei was the head of the minor Borijin family of migrant Mongols, who lived by chasing instead of grouping or cultivating. Yesukhei had grabbed Temujins youthful mother, Hoelun, as she and her first spouse were riding home from their wedding. She became Yesukheis second spouse; Temujin was his second child by only a couple of months. Mongol legend asserts that the child was brought into the world with a blood coagulation in his clench hand, a sign that he would be an extraordinary warrior. Hardship and Captivity At the point when Temujin was nine, his dad took him to a neighboring clan to labor for quite a long while and gain a lady of the hour. His proposed spouse was a somewhat more seasoned young lady named Borje. In transit home, Yesukhei was harmed by rivals and passed on. Temujin came back to his mom, however the group ousted Yesukheis two widows and seven youngsters, leaving them to pass on. The family made due by eating roots, rodents, and fish. Youthful Temujin and his full sibling Khasar developed to dislike their oldest relative Begter. They murdered him and as discipline for the wrongdoing, Temujin was seized as a slave. His bondage may have gone on for over five years. Youth Set free at age 16, Temujin went to discover Borje once more. She was all the while sitting tight for him and they before long wedded. The couple utilized her endowment, a fine sable-fur garment, to make a coalition with Ong Khan of the incredible Kereyid faction. Ong Khan acknowledged Temujin as an encourage child. This collusion demonstrated key, as Hoeluns Merkid faction chose to retaliate for her some time in the past abducting by taking Borje. With the Kereyid armed force, Temujin assaulted the Merkids, plundering their camp and recovering Borje. Temujin additionally had help in the strike from his youth kindred spirit Jamuka, who might later turn into an adversary. Borjes first child Jochi was brought into the world nine months after the fact. Union of Power Subsequent to saving Borje, Temujins little band remained with Jamukas bunch for quite a long while. Jamuka before long declared his power, instead of regarding Temujin as a sibling, which began a two-decade quarrel between the 19-year-olds. Temujin left the camp, alongside huge numbers of Jamukas supporters and animals. At 27 years old, Temujin held a kurultai (ancestral gathering) among the Mongols, who chose him khan. The Mongols were just a Kereyid sub-tribe, in any case, and Ong Khan played Jamuka and Temujin off each other. As Khan, Temujin granted high office to his family members, however to those devotees who were generally faithful to him. Unification of the Mongols In 1190, Jamuka attacked Temujins camp, barbarously horse-hauling and in any event, bubbling alive his hostages, which turned a significant number of his adherents against him. The joined Mongols before long vanquished the neighboring Tatars and Jurchens, and Temujin Khan absorbed their kin instead of follow the steppe custom of plundering them and leaving. Jamuka assaulted Ong Khan and Temujin in 1201. Regardless of enduring a bolt shot to the neck, Temujin vanquished and absorbed Jamukas remaining warriors. Ong Khan at that point deceptively attempted to trap Temujin at a wedding function for Ongs girl and Jochi, yet the Mongols got away and came back to overcome the Kereyids. Early Conquests The unification of Mongolia finished in 1204 when Temujin vanquished the ground-breaking Naiman faction. After two years, another kurultai affirmed him as Genghis Khan or general pioneer of all Mongolia. Within five years, the Mongols had attached quite a bit of Siberia and what is today the cutting edge Chinese Xinjiang region. The Jurched Dynasty, administering northern China from Zhongdu (Beijing), saw the upstart Mongol khan and requested that he kowtow to its Golden Khan. In answer, Genghis Khan spat on the ground. He at that point crushed their tributaries, the Tangut, and in 1214 he vanquished the Jurchens and their 50 million residents. The Mongol armed force numbered only 100,000. Victories of Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus Clans as distant as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan caught wind of the Great Khan and toppled their Buddhist rulers so as to join his developing realm. By 1219, Genghis Khan controlled from northern China to the Afghan borderâ and from Siberia to the outskirt of Tibet. He looked for an exchange partnership with the amazing Khwarizm Empire, which controlled Central Asia from Afghanistan to the Black Sea. King Muhammad II concurred, yet then killed the main Mongol exchange guard of 450 traders, taking their merchandise. Prior as far as possible of that year, the furious Khan had caught each Khwarizm city, adding lands from Turkey to Russia to his domain. Demise In 1222, the 61-year-old Khan called a family kurultai to talk about the matter of progression. His four children differ over which ought to turn into the Great Khan. Jochi, the oldest, was brought into the world not long after Borjes grabbing and probably won't have been Genghis Khans child, so the second child Chagatai moved his entitlement to the title. As a trade off, the third child Ogodei turned into the replacement. Jochi kicked the bucket in February 1227, six months before his dad, who died on August 18, 1227. Ogodei took East Asia, which would become Yuan China. Chagatai asserted Central Asia. Tolui, the most youthful, took Mongolia appropriate. Jochis children controlled Russia and Eastern Europe. Inheritance After Genghis Khans mystery internment on the steppes of Mongolia, his children and grandsons kept on extending the Mongol Empire. Ogodeis child Kublai Khan vanquished the Song leaders of China in 1279 and set up the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan would govern all of China until 1368. In the mean time, Chagatai pushed south from his Central Asian property, overcoming Persia. Inside Mongolia, Genghis Khan changed the social structure and transformed customary law. His was a populist society, where the humblest slave could ascend to be a military officer in the event that he demonstrated aptitude or courage. War goods was partitioned uniformly among all warriors, paying little heed to societal position. In contrast to most leaders of the time, Genghis Khan confided in faithful supporters over his own relatives which added to the troublesome progression as he matured. The Great Khan restricted the abducting of ladies, likely due to some degree to his wifes experience, yet additionally on the grounds that it prompted fighting among various Mongol gatherings. He banned domesticated animals stirring for a similar explanation and built up a winter-just chasing season to save game for the hardest of times. In opposition to his merciless and savage notoriety in the west, Genghis Khan proclaimed a few illuminated strategies that would not become basic practice in Europe until some other time. He ensured opportunity of religion, securing the privileges of Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and Hindus the same. Genghis Khan himself adored the sky, however he disallowed the slaughtering of ministers, priests, nuns, mullahs, and other heavenly individuals. A 2003 DNA study uncovered that around 16 million men in the previous Mongol Empire, about 8% of the male populace, convey a hereditary marker that created in one family in Mongolia around 1,000 years prior. The most probable clarification is that they are slid from Genghis Khan or his siblings. Sources Craughwell, Thomas. The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire ever: How Genghis Khans Mongols Almost Conquered the World. Reasonable Winds Press, 2010.Djang, Sam. Genghis Khan: World Conqueror, Vols. I and II. New Horizon Books, 2011.Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Three Rivers Press, 2004.

Time Management Tips for Students

Time Management Tips for Students Time Management Tips for Students Home›Education Posts›Time Management Tips for Students Education PostsFrom the first days of studying, many freshers find time management one of the most challenging tasks. With so many new duties, e.g., visiting the library, essay writing, commuting home for weekends, good time management can really make a difference. Using the tips below will help you to become a better time manager and make your life easier:Buy a calendar. It can be a paper one as well as digital on your cell phone or on your PDA. Just have one.Write everything down. All assignments must be written down in one place. Multiple calendars make it easier to miss something. Schedule the time to sleep, to do the laundry, to call parents. The crazier your schedule becomes, the more you need it organized.Plan time for relaxing. The fact that your schedule starts at 7 a.m. and finishes at 11 p.m. does not mean that you are able to have time for a break.Ensure flexibility. Undoubtedly, there will be events not included in your schedule. It is impossible to plan everything. That is why it is advisable to leave space in the calendar to be able to shift things a little when needed.Plan in advance. If you have your research paper due the end of the semester, work your calendar backwards: estimate the amount of time you need for proofreading, writing, researching and, finally, choosing the topic. If you consider that 7 weeks would be enough for the whole process, go backward from the due date and schedule time in the calendar.Plan the unexpected. There is no doubt that you are able to work hard and pass all your credits on time, but mind that you can fall ill right before the planned all-nighter. What will you do then? Expect something unexpected to plan your calendar accordingly. That will save your time for fixing your mistakes.Plan a reward. Your midterm exams will be over on Friday. Schedule a party with your friends for Friday evening to celebrate the end of the nightmare. On one hand, it will be easier for you to go through everything knowing that in some day it will be over. On the other hand, your brain needs to relax.Go to QualityCustomEssays.com. Here you can order the best custom essay written for you. This will not only improve your grades, but also will ensure you have an open schedule.

Examining Corporate Debt Restructuring Schemes In Pacific Asia - Free Essay Example

Corporate debt restructuring scheme is one of the most preferred strategic for those financial distress companies to take advantage at a lower interest rate. It is a consultation process which involves a series meeting between the debtor and creditor. After that, it moves into the negotiation stage between both parties and then come to the contract stage. Before signing the contract, borrowing company must agree to the financial conditions, for instance, terms of the interest, terms of payment and so forth (Article, 2010). The objectives of corporate debt restructuring are to support continuing economic recovery, enable debtors to continue their business operations, and promote fair debt repayment to the creditors. Hence, it is including of debt rescheduling, interest rate reduction, debt for equity swaps and debt forgiveness (Makhija, 2008). However, this corporate debt restructuring considered as the final option for a company before it goes into insolvency. Besides that, there are three popular approaches of corporate debt restructuring scheme to restructuring the debt. The three approaches are centralized, decentralized, and London approach. Government plays as a leading role in this centralized approach. This approach is only suitable for small size of debt and simple corporate structure. Moreover, this model is unsuitable because government is enjoys high levels of confidence while success cases in this approach for large debt complex restructuring was unknown. This approach was conducted in Sweden in the early of 1990 and Hungary in the mid of 1990 (Abd, 2000; Kolkata, n.d.). The second approach, decentralized approach is more effective than the centralized approach. It is more appropriate for those companies which are experienced a large bad debts and complex corporate structure. This approach is an informal and a voluntary process without government involvement. United States was adopted this approach in 1990 (Abd, 2000). Lastly, London approach was a non statutory and informal framework that introduced by the Bank of England in 1990 to handle insolvency. During 1990 recession, more than 160 British companies were conducted London approach (Abd, 2000). London approach encourages creditors in out of court agreements by follow certain principles. The principles are minimized losses to creditors, avoid unnecessary liquidation of viable debtors, and offer continued financial support to viable borrowers (Claessens, n.d.). It tends to rescue a financial distress companies as going concern instead of forcing them into a formal insolvency (Laryea, 2010). Besides that, many Asian countries that had been affected by the Asian financial crisis have practised the corporate restructuring scheme which is similar to London approach. Those countries are Indonesia, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. 2.4.1 Korea Korea adopted corporate restructuring coordination committee to mediate the disputes between debtors and creditors. Corporate Restructuring Coordination Committee works under the powerful of Financial Supervisory Commission in Korea while it was established in 1998. CRCC workout process was followed to the London approach which is out of court resolution of financial restructuring cases. (Krause, 2000; Pomerleano Shaw, 2005). According to Chan (2002), there are two main causes of the corporate sector inefficiency for Korea to implement corporate debt management and restructuring at the onset of the financial crisis. The first causes was Korea manufacturing firms experienced cash flow shortage due to the excessive and inefficient investment, high leveraged and diversified businesses were financed by debts. Second, non performing loan was burdened the corporate sector and lead to the increasing number of bankruptcies. According to Chan (2002), Corporate Restructuring Coordination Committee had success in lowering the debt to equity ratio and improving interest coverage ratio of the corporate sector after Asian financial crisis. Besides that, the GDP growth rate recovered, interest rate decreased to 5.4 percent from over 19.0 percent, and unemployment rate dropped to 2.7 percent from 6.8 percent after the Asian financial crisis. The improvement has shown that the corporate restructuring contributed significantly to Korea rapid economic recovery. Moreover, due to the economic recovery, Korea was able to repay their IMF loans in August 2001 which is two years and eight months earlier then originally scheduled. However, non performing loans in Korea had significantly decreased from 88.6 percent in 1997 to 24.0 percent in 2001. Debt to equity ratio had trended down from around 4 in 1997 to about 2 in 2001, while interest coverage ratio also had improved (Worldbank, 2002). Thus, resolution of corporate debts in Korea has been satisfy and successful. 2.4.2 Thailand Corporate Debt Restructuring Advisory Committee was formed in June 1998 under the Bank of Thailand. CDRAC was created to mediate formal out of court workouts of non performing loans. However, Thailand was adopted Bangkok approach which is administered by CDRAC. Bangkok approach is a non binding and non statutory guidelines for efficient restructuring of corporate debt for benefits of creditors, debtors, employees, shareholders and Thai economy (Chanyarungrojn, 1999; Nashville Tennessee, 2004). According to Yupana, (2004) debt ratio increased for both business group and non group firms after the Asian financial crisis. For business group firms, the average debt to asset ratio increases from 40 percent in 1996 to 54 percent in the end of 1997. Besides that, the average ratio of total debt to total capital increases from 50 percent in 1996 to 66 percent in 1997. The average ratio of interest coverage ratio also had decreased from 11.65 percent in 1996 to 2.94 percent in 1997. Thus, the profits of business group firms had decreased significantly. CDRAC was restructured totalling of Baht 2.6 trillion in August 1999, while among them, 700 cases were large distressed loans that exceeded baht 500 million. However, CDRAC completed restructured of totalling Baht 1.1 trillion at the end of 2000. Besides that, about 400 non financial companies shown that the corporate debt ratio was declined from 3.2 percent in 1997 to 2.04 percent in the mid of 1999. Generally, corporate debt restructuring was quite effective. 2.4.3 Indonesia Indonesia government established the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency in January 1998 as an independent body to restructure troubled banks and their assets. Indonesian then created Jakarta Initiative in September 1998 to complement the Indonesia Debt Restructuring Agency and amended bankruptcy law. It is a London approach based principles as it involved informal framework that encouraged out of court debt workouts between the debtors and creditors (IMF, 2000; Adams Mathieson, 1999). According to Halim (2000) corporate debt restructuring is one of the important element for economic recovering, however, Indonesia Debt Restructuring Agency has not been successful. Corporate Indonesia is still highly leveraged even after the restructuring process. Debt to equity ratio is remained higher among the restructured firms. A sample of 34 cases which involved the debt of US$8 billion showed that 59 percent were resolved by using the combination of reduced interest rates. Most of the company workout only rescheduled debt, rather than improving internal operations or significantly reducing leveraging (Dfat, n.d.). 2.4.4 Malaysia Malaysia government had come out a new strategy in the mid of 1998 to solve the financial restructuring of banking sectors and corporate sectors. The strategy comprises of three agencies, which is Danaharta, Danamodal and Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee. Danaharta and Danamodal are considered as statutory options, while CDRC is considered as non statutory option (Rajandram, 1999). CDRC is similar to the London approach as it helped to renegotiate and restructure those distress companies with out of court resolution. CDRC had received 75 applicants of restructuring plan in 2000. However, CDRC had resolved 33 cases which are worth RM25.5 billion, while 12 cases worth RM11 billion remained outstanding at the end of 2000. Besides that, the debt of these 33 companies, RM4.6 billion were settled through cash payments, RM4.6 billion in bonds, and RM3.99 billion in financial notes. Thus, the non performing loan had decreased as part of these loans had been turned into performing loans (Aslam, 2005). The success of the out of court debt restructuring strategies depends on the credibility of the mediator and the cooperation among all the parties that involved in the restructuring scheme.

Swot and Pestle - 1359 Words

SWOT PESTLE Analysis SWOT and Pestle analysis is a strategic analysis tool that feeds important information into the business strategy formulation process. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. SWOT is used to determine the current position of an organization. The first two components pertain to internal factors and the latter two concern external issues. Pestle (or PEST) is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Legal and Environmental analysis. Pestle is a tool for assessing the external context of an organization (Bee, 1998). Sequence Pestle can be used alone or in combination with SWOT. If combined, Pestle analysis is done first to provide a context for SWOT analysis (Basu, 2004). Pestle†¦show more content†¦The beauty of SWOT and PESTLE are their simplicity and the fact that they are applicable in every market. Let’s talk about SWOT †¢ Strengths These are the strengths within your organisation. What exactly is it about you and your business that is better than the competition? Examples might include quality products, advanced technology, advanced knowledge and a long established business. Identifying the strengths of your current business or a new venture can improve the efficiency of your sales and marketing efforts – it helps you to visualise the unique selling point of your business which helps you write better sales copy, create better sales letters, make more successful sales calls and develop smarter marketing campaigns. †¢ Weaknesses Be realistic about what is weak about your business. Are you less advanced than the competition or do you produce lesser quality products? Understanding what is weak about your business can help you to negate these shortfalls, you might produce lesser quality products BUT you are cheaper. Having an awareness of your weaknesses allows you to be smarter with your marketing messages, it helps you to determine which promotional battles to fight and which ones to avoid. For example, the British supermarket chain Morrissons doesn’t profess to being the cheapest supermarket, but instead it chooses to compete on produce quality and freshness. Only pick fightsShow MoreRelatedCadburys Swot and Pestle1329 Words   |  6 PagesSWOT analysis Strengths Cadbury has a strong manufacturing competence, established brand name and a leader in innovation. People trust the company and support the brand. Cadbury’s is fully focused on chocolate, candy, and chewing gum, with a unique understanding of consumer in the segments. This allow Cadburys to be able to put all efforts and resources into just this area, concentrating all RD and marketing here and not using money in other areas. Ability to respond to the market needsRead MoreStrategic Marketing Pl Pestle Framework And Swot765 Words   |  4 PagesThese factors are divided into two categories: macro environmental factors and internal environmental factors .Porter’s five forces model, PESTLE, GE Matrix, BCG matrix and SWOT analysis is a list of aid tools that can be used in purpose of analysing the factors and obtain strategic marketing plan. The given paper aims to provide further details about both of PESTLE framework and Porter s Five Forces model which are used to analyse the macro environmental factors, focusing on, the usefulness of eachRead MoreBusiness Benefits : Swot Analysis And Pestle Analysis1275 Words   |  6 Pages1. Valentinos, Mission Statement, Three Business Benefits, SWOT Analysis and PESTLE Analysis. - Mission Statement To guide persons to the right path in their relations with a high level of privacy and confidentiality. - Three Business Benefits - SWOT Analysis Strengths: 1. The long established brand name and the stability performance as a result of the experience gained during the years of work. 2. The use of high technology and experienced staff who are ready to meet the members needs. 3Read MorePESTLE, PORTER and SWOT analysis of LUKOIL Essay2595 Words   |  11 Pagesthe organization; provides standards for allocating organizational resources; establishes a general organizational climate; shows purpose and direction. Consequently, mission and vision are clear and give a lot of advantage. 3. 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We neither endorse nor tolerate any form of plagiarism, whole or partial, and will not engage in any activity that facilitates cheating. Papers For You or its affiliates will NEVER sell a model paper to ANY student giving us ANY reason to believe that (s)he will submit our

Characteristics Of Cabo San Viejo s Customer Base

What are the characteristics of Cabo San Viejo’s customer base? Despite Cabo San Viejo’s (CSV) start in the late 1970s as a â€Å"fat farm,† catering primarily to women, the resort is now operating in a more niche and exclusive market, providing for guests who are largely affluent with high expectations for the service. In terms of pure demographics, the business welcomes 3,500 new guests each year. Between new and repeat customers, 70% to 80% are female. In the high seasons of winter, spring and fall, the average household income (AHI) exceeds $150,000 for 82% of guests; in the summer an AHI greater than $150,000 applies to 59% of guests. Most customers live in California and the West coast region and are in their 40s or 50s. It is interesting and should be pointed out that between 1992 and 2004, CSV’s average customer age has increased by 10 years of age, from 47 to 57. Behaviorally, up to 70% of new guests became aware of CSV via word of mouth, while 30% visited as a result of travel agent referrals. The most common reason s for patronizing CSV (regardless of frequency) are rest, a healthy vacation option, fitness vacation option and spa activities and offerings. The average guest takes 3 to 4 vacations per year and first time guests returned to the resort within six years at a rate of 32% and 62% of initial return visitors returned again within 6 years. The two most common reasons for customers returning are health benefits (35%) and a great overall vacation (30%). CSV

Slavery And The Slave Trade - 1453 Words

For this assignment, I have decided to write about slave ships. There is an extreme amount of sadness and cruelty that surrounds the slave trade. I am very passionate about this subject because I don’t think that slaves are given the proper recognition that they deserve. I don’t think people think about what it was like to actually be on one of these slave ships. I think it is important to keep the history of the slave trade alive since we will never fully know what life was really like on a slave ship and to honor those who died on the voyage and those who died once reaching their destination. The beginning of slave ships started with the Portuguese making voyages to the west coast of Africa in the fifteenth century. On these voyages the†¦show more content†¦Larger ships had a third or fourth mate, a few mates for the doctor, and a few more seamen and landsmen (Rediker, 2007, p.57). Compared to the number of slaves on the ship the crew was undermanned usually with only six to eighteen crew members, including the captain (Greene, 1944, p. 347). The captain was responsible for managing the navigation and everything related to the cargo, voyage, and sailors (Rediker, 2007, p. 57). He had the responsibility of hiring the crew members, he oversaw the loading of the original cargo, and he conducted all of the business of the voyage, such as the buying of slaves in Africa until their sale (Rediker, 2007, p. 57). There was a doctor present on slave ships as well. The doctor’s job was to make sure that the crew and slaves survived the voyage from one side of the At lantic to the other side (Rediker, 2007, p. 59). The doctor attended to slaves daily, tried to answer any complaints they had, diagnosed their illnesses, and even prescribed them medications that were in stock onboard (Rediker, 2007, p. 59). The doctor also treated the crew since any illnesses the slaves had could easily spread to the crew members. The doctor, however, also assisted in the purchase of slaves. He would carefully inspect each one for signs of illness or debility (Rediker, 2007, p. 59). Healthy Africans had a better chance of surviving the stay on the African coast and during

Essay on Themes in Song Of Solomon - 2113 Words

Toni Morrison is one of the most talented and successful African-American authors of our time. Famous for works such as The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved, Morrison has cultivated large audiences of all ethnicities and social classes with her creative style of writing. It is not Morrison’s talent of creating new stories that attracts her fans. In contrast, it is her talent of revising and modernizing traditional Biblical and mythological stories that have been present in literature for centuries. Morrison replaces the characters in these myths, whom would have been white, middle-class males, with characters who depict the cultural practices in black communities. The protagonists in Morrison’s works are primarily African-American women†¦show more content†¦He experiences the pain felt in Black communities after 14-year-old Emmett Till, from Chicago, Illinois, was murdered in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman and many other violent cases after, including the bombing of a Black church in Alabama that killed four young girls. Toni Morrison is an author that is interested in showing the world the constant struggle of African-American men and women. Like Milkman, Morrison was born in 1931 during the height of racism in the United States. She has lived through the same events as Milkman and has experienced the pain and turmoil forced upon African Americans. Like Milkman, Morrison was also unaware of the racial tension in the country until she was a teenager. She graduated from high school with honors and attended Howard University as an English major. This explains Morrison’s interest in the theme of Flight in her works. She has been determined to be successful since she was a child, despite the racism and poverty she had experienced. Morrison is a strong, independent, successful, and talented woman. She focuses on the theme of feminism in her works to show both men and women of all races and ethnicities that women can be just as powerful as men. She has integrated pieces of her life into the novel, almost creating a mini- biography. Constant themes occurring in Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon are Marxism, Feminism, and flight. Marxism is a major theme in Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon.Show MoreRelatedTheme Of Change In The Song Of Solomon1267 Words   |  6 PagesChange is inevitable. People change, places change, everything is constantly changing and evolving. Toni Morrison writes the American literature novel, The Song of Solomon, as a way to portray the difficulties of change among people and society from 1931 to 1963. Milkman Dead lives in an oppressive society where there is no change. At the age of thirty, he lives with his parents, Ruth and Macon Dead, and sisters First Corinthians and Magdelena called lena. Because of this, he does not know how toRead More Song of Solomon Essay: Theme of Maturing514 Words   |  3 PagesTheme of Maturing in Song of Solomon    While Song of Solomon is generally seen as a myth of the male maturation, it also contains the subtext of Pilates rite de passage and the ritual of cultural immersion. In her history is the process by which she acquires the values that will sustain Milkman and by extension, the black community. Pilates initiation occurs much earlier than Milkmans. Having been raised in relative isolation in the edenic Lincolns Heaven, Pilate is abruptly and cruellyRead MoreTheme Of Character Development In Song Of Solomon1161 Words   |  5 PagesSong of Solomon’s protagonist Milkman plays a crucial role in the novel’s major focal point of character development. The novel can be appropriately labeled a Bildungsroman due to its clear and continuous creation of Milkman’s characteristics. Throughout the text readers can see changes made within the character, such as his reactions to situations and the language he uses when he is talking and thinking. Milkman commences the novel as a confused, spoiled young man who feels he deserves the worldRead More Essay on Spirituality in Song of Solomon894 Words   |  4 PagesInclusive Spirituality in Song of Solomon    When slaves were brought to America they were taken from all they had known and forced to live in a land of dark irony that, while promising life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, provided them with only misery. In a situation such as the one in which the slaves found themselves, many people would rely on their religion to help them survive. But would slaves be able to find spiritual comfort within the parameters of a religion that had been passedRead More Song of Solomon Essay: Devotion and Protection598 Words   |  3 Pages Devotion and Protection in Song of Solomonnbsp; Song of Solomon is a novel written by Toni Morrison. As research is done further, into the bible, the title refers to a book from the Old Testament. A major theme of the book in the bible is love. It is about honor and loyalty. This is similar to the theme of love and protection in the book by Toni Morrison. Three female characters that portray this best are: Pilate, Ruth, and Magdalene called Lena. 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Goblin Market superficiallyRead More Biblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Essay example673 Words   |  3 PagesBiblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, is about a man named Macon Dead. Throughout this novel, however, he is known by all except his father as Milkman because his mother breastfed him until he was in his teens. The novel centers on Milkmans attempt to find himself. His family is a wealthy black family living in a poor black neighborhood, where Milkmans father prohibits Milkman from interacting with most of them, including his aunt. HoweverRead MoreEssay on Song of Solomon: A Bildungsroman of Milkman 1092 Words   |  5 PagesIt can be said that Song of Solomon is bildungsroman which is defined by The Encyclopedia Britannica as â€Å"a class of novel that deals with the [coming-of-age or] formative years of an individual†. Furthermore, in a bildungsroman, a main protagonist usually undergoes some transformation after seeking truth or philosophical enlightenment. In Morrison’s novel, the plot follows the main protagonist Milkman as he matures within his community while deve loping relationships with others and discovering his

Art enhances our understanding of Reality Free Essays

Whether it is drama, paintings, literature, or music that they encounter people appreciate them as superficial practices extant for pleasure. However, this notion is amiss. The media is a plethora full of various arts serving to represent phenomena that occur in real life. We will write a custom essay sample on Art enhances our understanding of Reality or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through their works, artists convey their own nterpretations of the prevailing issues of society. Thus, the audience is provided with a vivid illustration of reality in perspective of an omniscient position. A renowned American novelist from the twentieth century, John Steinbeck pronounced, â€Å"l hate cameras. They are so much sure than I am about everything. † There was a time in history when society ceased to develop, called the Middle Ages. People in this era suffocated in the same, perpetual system of which social classes were unjust. Not only were groups treated differently, but also those mpotent in society had few rights. Thus, in the following period, called the Renaissance, artists strayed from idealism. Instead, they inclined to daily aspects of life as autonomous humans, hoping to abandon the old ways. One well-known fgure is Leonardo da Vinci, who influenced his contemporaries with his works of humanistic studies. Da Vinci expressed in his arts the will to discover oneself and possibly find his identity as a human being. Just like Da Vinci who spread the knowledge of mankind through his arts, in odays society, many innovative artists create works with certain means to convey the status quo. For example, our world is deteriorating due to mistreatment of nature. The majority of the population waste natural resources, such as metals, trees, and other recyclables as well. Disheartened, a famous hip-hop artist, T. l. , was determined to prove the world’s need to save trees and significance of recycling. Nonetheless, â€Å"Paper Trail†, a self-portrait pieced together with paper shreds, was able to successfully demonstrate the gravity of environmental problems to the people, specially his fans. As a result, meaningful works, such as the artwork of T. . ‘s, are able to insinuate the ongoing issues in our society. To this day, practices of art lucidly depict the ‘reality by involving the human senses -Literature for the readers, paintings for the viewers, and music for the listeners. How to cite Art enhances our understanding of Reality, Papers

A Journey of Thousand Miles Starts with Single Step free essay sample

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I have recently learned how true this statement is and started to realize that it applies to just about everything in my life. From college, to getting over the loss of a good friend, to starting new relationships. Ever since I was a little girl I talked about going to college. We will write a custom essay sample on A Journey of Thousand Miles Starts with Single Step or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As I got into high school I started to receive letters and information from different colleges. But the fact that I was actually going to go didn’t hit me until I had to start picking out and narrowing down the college I wanted to go to in my junior year. Now that I’m entering my second half of my senior year I have to pick out which colleges I apply to and soon will attend. The rest of my life started with the small step of dreaming of going to college. Over the past few years I have lost many close and dear friends. Each time I received the bad news that someone else had passed away the pain I felt was unbearable and like my whole world came crashing down. Time went on and I have learned to accept that no one lives forever and that it was just that persons time to pass on. I have also learned to think of each persons life as a blessing and that the end is not a horrible thing but just makes us appreciate each person around us more. After losing so many people in a short period of time I became very wary of making new friends. For some reason I thought that if I got to know someone new I would lose someone else. I kept pushing people away, trying to protect myself from feeling more pain. Thankfully over the summer I had a chance to realize that I thought wrong. There were so many people around me that wanted to be my friend and I was losing out. By the time I got back to school my whole attitude had changed. People that I had pushed away were still willing to be my friend and I accepted them. Now I have some really great friends that are there to help me out whenever I need them. Most important thing I feel though is that they need me. Once I let these people in my life it got a lot happier. By taking one small step you can change your life forever. Whether it be forbetter or for worse you still learn from it. Every decision you make is the first step in your thousand mile journey

Operations Management in Daimond Manufacturing free essay sample

Definition Operation Management is the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver goods and services (Slack et al, 2010). These activities commences from the very initial production stage of information gathering right up to the final stage of consumer consumption of the product. Every organization does operation management even if they do not notice it. All organizations produce goods and/or services and to create goods and/or services, the organization must perform a number of operations which must be effectively and efficiently managed. 1. 2 Role of Operations Management Operations Management is of prime importance in all sectors, cells, functions, units and groups within the organization. An organization is a system and according to the business dictionary, (http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/system. html) a system is ‘An organized, purposeful structure that consists of interrelated and interdependent elements (components, entities, factors, members, parts etc. ). These elements continually influence one another (directly or indirectly) to maintain their activity and the existence of the system, in order to achieve the goal of the system’. We will write a custom essay sample on Operations Management in Daimond Manufacturing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Read more: http://www. usinessdictionary. com/definition/system. html#ixzz2QSyXAP1f . All employees are part of this system and have a common interest in making the consumer to receive goods and/or services in the best way possible. So I will say every manager in every part of the organization is to some extent an operational manager. According to James (2011), the role of operations management is to manage the transformation of an organization’s inputs into finished goods and services using processes. Processes are actually present in all areas of the organization from Human Resource to Finance to Marketing to Procurement etc. 1. The ‘Input – Transformation – Output’ process Resources can either be transforming resources or transformed resources. After the transformation process is complete, transforming resources give rise to transformed resources. According to James (2011), there are 2 main types of transforming resources: * Facility which compri ses of land, building, plant and equipment. * Staff which comprises of everyone involved in the operation process. There are 3 main types of transformed resources: * Material. Transformation can be physical (manufacturing), by location (transportation), by storage (warehousing), or by ownership (retail). Information. Transformation can be by property (accountant’s information), by possession (market research), by storage (libraries) or by location (telecommunication). * Customer. Transformation can either be physical (plastic surgery), by storage (hotel accommodation), by location (airline transport), by physiological state (hospital), or by psychological state (entertainment). Input Output Input that will be transformed * Material * Information * Customer Input that will transform * People * Facility * Goods * Services Transformation Input Output Input that will be transformed * Material * Information * Customer Input that will transform * People * Facility * Goods * Services Transformation Figure 1: The ‘Input-Transformation-Output’ process 2 Operations Strategy 2. 1 Definition Strategy is defined by Johnson et al, (2008) as ‘the direction and scope of an organization over the long term: ideally, which matches its resources to its changing environment and in particular its markets, customers or clients so as to meet stakeholder expectations. ’ 3. 2 Levels of Strategy Strategy can be viewed from 3 levels which are: The Corporate level: This level looks at the long term position of the company. It answers questions like ‘where will the organization be in 10 years? Or are we going to launch a new product in a new market? ’ The Business level: This level looks at the market and is concerned with the goods and services which the organization has to offer. It answers questions like ‘how do we compete? ’ The Functional level: This level deals with the functional aspect of the organization like finance, marketing, human resource etc. It answers questions like ‘how do we manage our financial resources’. . 3 Operations Strategy Operations strategy is the total pattern of decisions which shape the long-term capabilities of any operation and their contribution to overall strategy, through the reconciliation of market requirements with operations resources (Slack and Lewis, 2011). A 5 step structure has been designed by Hill (2005) so as to design and understand a goo d operation strategy. The steps are as follows: 1. Define Corporate Objectives Here, long term objectives are set-up so as to give the company balance and a good direction. At this stage, Sparkle does environmental scanning and the company also looks at its core competences, core processes and its global objectives. Performance Indicators (KPIs) are also established here so as monitor the accomplishment of these objectives. Top management uses a number of models which includes PESTEL, SWOT and Porter’s 5 forces. See appendix A. 2. Set Marketing Strategies Here Sparkle identifies the market it wants to compete in and then it looks on how to compete in these markets. Ansoff’s matrix is used. | New Product| Existing Product| NewMarket| Diversification| Market Development| Existing Market| Product Development| Market Penetration/ Market Growth| Figure 5: Ansoff Matrix. Source: Kaplan Financial Ltd, 2008. Sparkle uses the market penetration/market growth pathway for now. With time, they will start manufacturing out of the UK thus implementing the market development strategy. It is yet not known if they are thinking of one day starting up the production of a new product. 3. How do we gain competitive advantage? At this stage of Hill’s structure, the organization is to find ways to make its product win other products in the market. For this to happen, the organization must have a base to make its competition and this base is usually one or more of the following performance objectives: speed, quality, cost, dependability and flexibility. See chapter 3. Sparkle uses the above performance objectives to gain competitive advantage but it must be noted that, competitive advantage must: * Be real * Add value (to the consumer) and * Be difficult to imitate. 4. Choose a delivery system Here, the organization has to choose an appropriate delivery system so as to meet up with speed and maybe dependability. In Sparkle, most orders are icked up by the customer but if not, Sparkle uses their vans which have a high level of security for close distances or they post the jewelry for faraway distances. 5. Choose your Infrastructure The company at this phase has to choose all necessary infrastructures that it has to obtain so as to gain an edge over its competitors in the market. Different organizations in different industries wi ll need different types of infrastructures. But in the diamond manufacture industry, the infrastructures are almost the same and can hardly give competitive advantage. 3 Performance Objectives In the present congested and very competitive business environment, companies must do something extra so as to stand out of the crowd. For them to do this, they must react to what customers value and these fall into the following category. They are called performance objectives. 1. Cost 2. Quality 3. Dependability 4. Reliability 5. Speed Sparkle is aware of the tight competition in the diamond market and it takes its performance objectives very seriously so as to gain competitive advantage. Before achieving the above performance objectives, they must achieve the 4 Cs (see appendix B). * Cost. The principle of cost is doing things cheaply. Sparkle changes its processes, its materials and its suppliers every now and then so as to operate on a lower cost scale. They buy rough diamonds directly from the companies who buy them from the mine and sometimes the make orders directly from the mine so as to reduce cost because the more intermediaries there are, the higher the final price. They sometimes buy more rough diamonds than what the actually need so as to gain discount for bulk buying. They automate most of their processes to reduce the number of hours worked by human beings thus reducing total wages. Quality. This involves producing durable high standard error-free goods that consumers perceived to the good. In the fashion business, quality is king because consumers are becoming more conscious of what they wear. One can say that everything in the diamond industry is of good quality so in this kind of high standard industry, quality is not the issue but superb quality. Spark le buys the best of the rough stones which are hand-picked one after the other so that their final product will be of the best quality and they will have very little waste during production. * Dependability. This is doing everything on time so as to keep commitments and promises made to customers. Sparkle has a track record and reputation of never keeping its customers waiting. Customers’ diamonds are always fully processed before the pick-up date. Customers love coming to this organization because they know they can rely on them when it comes to delivery. There was a scandal in March 2008 in Real Diamonds where a couple arrange for their wedding rings costing thousands of pounds to be manufactured but the company was unable to meet up with the due date so the couple had to use different rings for the wedding. Flexibility. This is being able to change what you produce or how you produce it. Sparkle is very flexible in regards to their products because they produce apparently anything requested by the customer. We pride ourselves on being different, you won’t find our jewelry just anywhere, we appreciate that you want something special to you (Source: sparlediamonds. com/abo ut). They manufacture dressing rings, marriage rings, engagement rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bangles and designers jewelry out of diamond. Over the years, they have come up with different diamond designs thought by others as impossible and have now gained a name as being the company that uses diamond to manufacture anything and everything. On the other hand, their production process is flexible too but not very flexible. They change little bits of their production process all the time to cut down cost and to increase the quality of the diamonds but this change is never a big change (process improvement). Figure 5: Different items made out of diamond. Source: * Speed. This can be described as how responsive an organization is to the customers’ demands and complain. It is a measure of the time between a customer’s order or complain to the time when that customer’s order or complain is sorted out fully. Sparkle is very fast in dealing with complains. Any customer who comes to the company with a complaint is not allowed to leave when the matter concerned has not been resolved. Complains made online take a maximum of 2 working days to be dealt with and those by post takes a little more time. Figure 5: Different colors of diamond. Source: 4 Product Design . 1 Definition Product/service design is the process of defining the specification of products and/or services in order for them to fulfill a specific market need (Slack et al, 2009). According to Russell and Taylor (2009), new product designs can provide a competitive edge by bringing new ideas to the market quickly, doing a better job of satisfying customers’ needs, or be ing easier to manufacture, use and repair. Product design is of great importance in any organization because consumers are becoming more and more conscious of the products they consume and their contents. Almost everybody in the organization is involved in product design because bringing in a new product design is not just about the market requirement but it is also about anticipating future demand and this needs imagination and creativity. In coming out with a good product design, market requirements, technical issues, cost, quality, investment information and the target market must be considered and dealt with appropriately. Diamond design ‘step by step’ Various steps are followed when coming out with a good diamond design. 1. Generating Ideas Ideas to bring up a new diamond designs can come from anywhere and comes from everywhere. Some organizations look only within the organization and come up with a diamond design but this approach is very dangerous because it can easily back fire leading to a poor design. Ideas in Sparkle usually come from: * The customers who will use the product. Most at times, the customer comes to the organization with a design in mind. The design team in the organization then sits with the customer and adds ideas to perfect the customer’s request. * The employees who serve the customers. These groups of persons know exactly what customers wants because they are the people who take customers specifications, demands and complaints. They play an important role in the creation of a new design. * Competitors and any new technology. Sparkle sometimes looks at the designs of its competitors like Avi Paz and tries to modify it so as to create something better than theirs. * Research and Development (Ramp;D) Department. One of their major roles in the organization is to look for new possible designs which will entice customers. It is at this stage that the diamond color, size, weight, cut grade, clarity grade, carat weight, laser inscription and shape is decided. Figure 4: Computer simulated diamond designing in progress. Source: www. sparklediamonds. com 2. Product Screening According to Slack et al (2009), not all concepts and ideas generated will be capable of being developed into products and/or services. Each idea generated is taken and examined to see whether or not they are acceptable, feasible and vulnerable. Fig 5 illustrates. Figure 5| Some typical evaluation questions for marketing, operations and finance. | Evaluation Criteria| Marketing| Operations| Finance| Feasibility| Is the market likely to be big enough? | Do we have capabilities to produce it? Do we have access to sufficient finance to develop and launch it? | Acceptability| How much market share could it gain? | How much will we have to reorganize our activities to produce it? | How much financial return will there be on our investment? | Vulnerability| What is the risk of it failing in the market place? | What is the risk of us being able to produce it acceptable? | How much money could we lose if things do not go as planned? | Fi g 5: Slack et al (2009) Some typical evaluation questions for marketing, operations and finance [e-book] p. 89 3. Preliminary Design At this stage, the design is reviewed by the cutters and polishers to see if the can really produce the diamond and any unnecessary complexity in the diamond’s design is eliminated because such complexities can build cost. For example; there are some unnecessary and unnoticed cuts in a diamond’s design but these cuts could split the whole diamond if not done carefully. Because customers will not even notice the additional cuts and even if they do, they will not be willing to pay an addition for it so the cuts are eliminated. Figure 4: Different diamond designs (drawing). Source: Figure 4: Different diamond designs. Source: 4. Final Design After all the above has been done, a prototype is then created out of glass and tested to see if it meets market requirements, technical requirements and the financial limit. Tangible prototypes are created and virtual (computer simulations) model too to properly assess the diamond before production goes any further. Sometimes, customers are called in to see the prototype and give their feedback from which some adjustments may be made on the product’s design. An after acceptance, diamond cutting commences. Figure 5: Prototype diamond made out of fine glass. Source: 5 Process Design 5. 1 Definition Process design is Sequence of interdependent and linked procedures which, at every stage, consume one or more resources (employee time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts, etc. ) into outputs. These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end result is reached (www. businessdictionary. com). Read more: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/process. tml#ixzz2QTQAtoBi When deciding a product design, it is advisable to simultaneously come up with a matching process design. This will entail the flow of the process and Barnes (2008) said that the design of processes is different in all organizations and these designs will be based on the volume and variety of the demand for the product in the market. He further categorized the processes under project, jobbing, batch, line and conti nuous. Types of Processes There are different production processes namely project, jobbing, batch, line and continuous. See Appendix C. Sparkle is in a business of very expensive products which are very small in size so they do jobbing. Customers usually give orders which are produced by the company (make to order). They usually hold little or no fully-processed inventory. The Production Process Diamond ore is sorted by density using X-rays. Before that technology became available, grease belts were used to separate diamonds from the rest of the ore, due to the diamonds greater tendency than other minerals to stick to grease. Rough diamonds are then set to be cut as gemstones in the cutting laboratory. A diamond has different cuts and different professional specialize on different cuts. This is the most daunting task of diamond production because a bad cut will cost the company a fortune. Figure 5: Diamond plan before cutting. Source Cutting produces the facets associated with a diamond. The angles of the facets maximize light, giving the diamond its greatest possible luster (dispersion of white light). The cutting process can take as much as 50% of a rough diamonds weight. Figure 5: Illustration of diamond facets. Source: A number of factors come into play when deciding how a diamond should be cut. X-rays are employed to analyze the stones crystallographic structure, its hardness and ability to cleave. The diamonds flaws are considered, and the cutter decides which to remove and which can remain. Either a hammer or a diamond saw can be used to split the diamond – the hammer is quicker, but the saw is surer. Figure 5: Diamond cutting. Source: A number of institutes in the diamond industry offer courses for diamond cutters, but the bulk and most crucial part of the training for this delicate trade take place during the cutters apprenticeship. A diamond may get its final cut from many skilled hands: the diamond marker or designer; the diamond sawyer; the diamond cutter or brute; the cross-worker; and the brillianteer. After the initial cutting, diamonds undergo the polishing stages, usually performed by a technician as the process is a standard one. Polished diamonds are reexamined for flaws, which can be addressed through enhancement techniques or disguised when set in jewelry. Figure 5: Diamond Polishing. Source: Finally, the polished diamonds are sold to individuals, retailers, wholesalers and jewelry shops. Figure 5: Diamond quality check. Source 6 Planning, Control amp; Innovation In any good type of project or manufacture to be successful, it must be planned at the very beginning and at the end, it has to be controlled to make sure that the planned processes and cost is not very different from the actual. Businesses must also continuously innovate so as to move line to line with the changing tastes of consumers and to beat numerous designs from competitors. 6. 1 Planning Eur says this about planning â€Å"It lists the phases and encapsulates all the main parameters, standards and requirements of the project in terms of time, cost and quality/performance by setting out the ‘Why’, ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘Who’, ‘Where’, and ‘How’, of the project. † Planning therefore looks at the entire process, product and project but in an imaginary form which has not yet happened but it is wished that it should happen that way. 6. 1. 1 Advantages of Planning 1. It gives direction of what has to be done and how it has to be done. 2. It assigns responsibilities on every person thus answering â€Å"Who does what? 3. A good plan will see problems a project, product or process will encounter before the problem strikes. 4. A plan helps us to manage cost, quality and design side by side with the profit we will want to make on the product. 5. Plans are used to assess how well a product, process, p roject or person has done. 6. 1. 2 Disadvantages of Planning 1. It is usually made up by top management and given to the employees down the management ladder who just follow it. 2. Plans are usually followed to the latter. Even when some changes have to done, it is not because a plan is being followed. 3. Plans are usually just estimates and it has no use in turbulent economic environments as the plan and the actual are usually very different. 6. 2 Control Control involves measuring the actual results against the plan and then taking action to adjust actual performance so that it moves in line with the plan. So in other words, control is only possible when we have a plan. Control has a feedback phase and this involves adjusting the actual to move in line with the plan or reporting differences between actual and budget so that there may be no such discrepancies in the future. 6. 3 Innovation Innovation is defined by the oxford dictionary as â€Å"changing something established by introducing new methods, ideas or products. † Just like there is no control where there is no plan, there is no innovation where there is no control. They all rely on one another. After control has been done, feedback is sent back and improvement or innovation is made. But in the complex business environment operating now, innovation just not just come from within the company but from outside the company like from competitors and especially from the consumers due to the rapid change in customers taste, design and fashion. In the diamond manufacture industry, there are many different innovative ways manufacturing diamonds and Sparkle has had the following innovations: 1. The Supercut design Sparkle has introduced the innovative supercut design into the industry: a patented ideal emerald cut, with more than twice the facets of a traditional Emerald – providing unparalleled brilliance and fire. The culmination of three years of research, the supercut gives extraordinary brilliance and reflection and this innovation gives Sparkle competitive advantage in terms of having good designs with extraordinary glittering. 2. Precision cutting Since 2010, Sparkle has brought in a technology of cutting the diamonds using computer software and this cut is so exact that less than 0. 000002% waste is created from diamond cutting. Waste use to be about 0. 5% during diamond cutting and this innovation has caused drastic cost saving making Sparkle to be more competitive in terms of cost. 3. Sparkle offers a wide range of jewelry manufacturing processes, including design, modeling, prototyping, grooving, setting, finishing and meticulous quality control; all featuring our own fine diamonds, and designed for clients to sell under their private labels. . 4 The ‘Planning – Control – Innovation’ Cycle. From the above notes, it can be seen that planning, control and innovation work together. Sparkle’s cycle looks like this. Plan Procurement of unrefined stones. Process the stones into fine diamond. Sell and make a reasonable gain. Actual Procurement of unrefined stones. Process the stones into fine dia mond. Sell and make a reasonable gain. Control Looks at the difference between what was planned and what actually happened. External Information Customer specific design New tastes and fashion Design from competitors Market Research (Ramp;D) Feedback and Innovation Plan Procurement of unrefined stones. Process the stones into fine diamond. Sell and make a reasonable gain. Actual Procurement of unrefined stones. Process the stones into fine diamond. Sell and make a reasonable gain. Control Looks at the difference between what was planned and what actually happened. External Information Customer specific design New tastes and fashion Design from competitors Market Research (Ramp;D) Feedback and Innovation Figure 7. The ‘planning-control-innovation’ cycle. 6. Changes happening in the diamond industry. * Researchers are on the verge of bringing in new materials which reflect light better than diamond and these materials are stronger and more durable than diamond. But, they will be far cheaper than diamonds and this is going to be a big problem to diamond manufacturers as the demand for diamond will surely drop. An example is synthetic stones. * In response to growing concern over illicit trade in conflict or blood diamonds, the United Nations General Assembly established the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in 2003. This scheme is going to make sure of the source of every single diamond so as to ensure that they are from a genuine source. This happening will increase the price of diamond because more than 55% of diamonds are from Africa and the mines there are operated by very cheap labor and sometimes by slaves, women and children. The UN will come in and stop this practice thus increasing the cost of labor, working conditions and ultimately the price for diamonds. 7 Quality Management Quality is one of the performance objectives and it is taken very seriously by all organizations because if achieved, may give them competitive advantage. Some organizations rely on quality more than others and the fashion and health industry takes quality as primary considering the fact that people want to look good and in good health. Quality is a matter of perception so what can be called quality for A might not necessarily be called quality for B. According to Garvin (1984), the attributes in quality for a product are: * Performance * Features * Reliability * Conformance * Durability * Serviceability * Aesthetics * Other perceptions Parasuraman et al. (1985), on the other hand listed 5 attributes in defining what is quality of a service? nd they are: * Reliability – Are we always going to get on time delivery? * Responsiveness – Are the always going to respond quickly to our demands and complaints? * Assurance – Are we assured of their competence? * Empathy – Does the organization feel and understand customers’ needs and concerns? * Tangibles – Is the physical surrounding conducive? 7. 1 Qu ality in the Organization But in relation to Sparkle, the best definition of quality is that as per Slack et al. (2009) â€Å"quality is consistent conformance to customers’ expectation† and I will say and even surpassing those expectations. Sparkle uses total quality management as their quality management technique. They look for means and ways to maintain and continuously improve quality at each stage of the production process. All employees meet once a month to discuss on how to improve the organization’s present performance. Books by Deming, Crosby, Juran, Hill and other total quality management gurus are in the company’s library and research department for employees to read and be motivated to contribute into the organization’s performance. All employees are made to know that quality and customer’s requirements being met comes before any other thing. The organization has a suggestion box where employees can write any inspiring idea that comes in mind and this box is emptied every day and read by the research staff and it is summarized and sent to the manager examine. 7. 2 The Cost of Quality Quality has a cost which is like a double-edged sword meaning that good quality will have a cost and bad quality will also have a cost. 7. 2. 1 The Cost of Good Quality This is also known as the cost of quality assurance. Sparkle has a lot of this cost because they are continuously always trying to get better in quality all over the organization so as to better serve customers’ needs. The cost of quality assurance is further divided into prevention cost and appraisal cost. * Prevention cost is the cost of trying to make everything right on first attempt and some of this cost are: * Sparkle does not give a command for precious stones and wait for the stones to come. They go to the supplier’s premises and pick the stones one after the other and not in groups to ensure the best stones are taken. The supplier charges more for this. * The cost of designing the jewelry in a computer automated system and running several checks with other very expensive bespoke software before the design is confirmed. Sparkle trains its employees every 6 months and buys books to update them on new technologies and to keep their skills up and awake. * All employees are taught a wide variety of skills so that if a certain employee is not available to do a specific thing, there will always be another to do it. * Appraisal cost is concerned with controlling quality and this is achieved by testing the process before the product is manufactured and testing the product before it gets to the customer. Some of these costs are: * The cost incurred in testing all equipment, machines and ensuring staffs are fit and able before any diamond is processed. The cost of checking the diamond after manufacture by employees and with the use of a computer aided personalized software which is very expensive to make sure that the diamonds are flawless. * The time spent in testing the diamonds ensuring the pass all the set of test before and after manufacture. 7. 2. 2 The Cost of Bad Quality All organizations including Sparkle wants to evade this cost because it is very dangerous and it can even bring down the entire organization in a blink of an eye. The cost of bad quality is divied into internal failure cost and external failure cost. Internal failure cost is cost incurred before the product reaches the customer. Some of this cost are: * The cost of scrap. Diamonds are very expens ive so any little scrap of badly shaped diamond is worth a whole lot. So Sparkle makes sure the best quality diamond is procured and diamond cutting should be not less than perfect. * The cost of reshaping ill-shaped diamonds and gluing broken once. * The resources lost in repairing diamonds. Labor, machine time, and electricity are used which should have if the diamonds were made right the first time. External failure cost arises after the product has been received by the customer and some of this cost include: * The cost listening to customer complaints and responding to them. * The cost of replacing a defective diamond which a customer has rejected. This can cause the organization a fortune. * The customer might have to take the company to court and the organization will pay a huge sum if the lost the lawsuit. Some compensation may run to millions of pounds and could bring the organization to its end. * One of the most dangerous costs is that which we don’t see. An example is the lost sale and contribution. When a customer is dissatisfied, he will most at times not want to come back and he will discourage a potential customer who will discourage another customer to come to us. Saying all this, quality should be treated like an egg in the midst of rocks. 8 Supply Chain Management 8. 1 Definition Supply Chain is the management of the interconnection of organizations that relate to each other through upstream and downstream linkages between the processes that produce value to the ultimate consumer in the form of products and services (Slack et al. 2010). A supply chain is a holistic network starting from the sourcing of material, through its transportation to the organization’s premises, to manufacturing, to storage and warehousing and finally to consumers. So it is a whole system and it works as one therefore is one part of the chain is broken, the whole system will fall apart and consumers’ will not be satisfied. 8. 2 Sparkleâ⠂¬â„¢s Supple Chain Stage 1 Sparkle’s supply chain starts from the diamond mines in Africa which produce more than 50% of total diamonds to mines in India, Russia, Canada and Australia. The mines usually dug very deep but the deepest diamond mine runs for about 160km passing through sand, rocks, and gravel to be blasted drilled, crushed and processed. It should be noted that only 20% of diamonds from mines can be polised and used for jewelry; the rest is used for industrial use. The stones picked here are very rough still with no beauty (see figure 10). Stage 2 Companies and independent buyers go to these mines and buy the rough stones from the mine owners and take them to their premises for processing. These stones are then processed to make them a little bit more presentable so that diamond manufacturers can then buy them and further process them into diamonds. Diamonds at this stage looks like that in figure 11. Figure 8: Trapping stones to look for diamonds in an African mine. Source: Figure 9: A typical unprocessed diamond. Source: Figure 10: Unprocessed diamonds directly from the mine. Source Figure 11: Diamonds which have been slightly processed. Source: Stage 3 Sparkle buys the diamonds in fig. 11 and examines them with the use of a computer aided personalized software. After a series of checks, rejected diamonds will be sent back to the suppliers and the good ones will be cut into different shapes so as to give the greatest value. After cutting, the diamond goes through computer aided software to confirm its perfection and after this, it is polished and cleaned. Sparkle will also buy what the diamonds are going to be fitted on because people will scarcely buy a chunk of diamond. Diamonds are usually fitted on rings, pens, earrings, belts and many more (see figure 14). These things are usually bought from top manufacturers with good design and quality and they are usually very expensive. Figure12: Diamond cutting in Sparkle. Source: Figure 13: Diamond polishing in Sparkle Source: Stage 4 After polishing and the diamond have an unblemished shine, shape and color, it is then taken by the customers. Some of the customers ordered just a few and sometimes even just one special diamond while other big customers like jewelry shops order bigger quantities at ones. It is either Sparkle delivers the diamond to the place agreed by the customer or the customer comes to the organization’s site on an agreed date and after a phone call to pick up the diamond. The supply chain ends after the diamond has reached the customer. Figure 14: Finished diamond ready for the customer. Source: Figure 15: Diamonds bought by jewelry shops. Source: The Mine The Cutting Company Polishing Customers Jewelry Shops Manufacturing The Mine The Cutting Company Polishing Customers Jewelry Shops Manufacturing The supply chain of Sparkle is a good and effective. Its success can sometimes be attributed to the information technology they use. They use the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system which brings in data from all sources and this is used to know when suppliers have diamonds and the variouse categories, to know when jewelry shops are running short of iamonds, and many more (all discussed in chapter 9). Figure 16: Sparkle’s Supply Chain 9 Information Systems As seen in chapter 1, â€Å"Operation Management is the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver goods and services† (Slack et al, 2010). For these activities to be properly managed, it needs the help of automated process and compu ter aided techniques. Information systems are found throughout an organization and if used well reduce costs and can be a source of gaining competitive advantage. 9. 1 Computer Aided Techniques Sparkle uses information systems in many ways in its business. Listed below are some specialized computer aided programs used. 1. They use Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) which gives an optimum layout of the cutting steps and their sequence (this is different for different diamonds). There are many diamond cutting machines and they all have different cutting styles and they are operated by specialist in the different cutting sectors. So the CAPP examines a diamond and gives different possible steps on which machine to use first and which not to use so as to minimize waste and give the diamond the best possible cuts so as reflect light in an optimal way. 2. They use Computer Aided Designs (CAD) to design the shape of diamonds on a computer and finished diamonds can actually be seen even before processing starts. If an error is made in the design, it can be corrected but this could have been impossible without CAD. 3. The also use Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) which takes the drawings and designs from the CAD and test them for perfection. Different test are administered and the flawlessness of a diamond can be confirmed even before manufacture. 4. Automated Material Handling (AMH) system is also used. Diamonds are very expensive and so care must be taken at each step. The AMH system improves efficiency in diamond movement, storage and retrieval. 5. The Laser Security System (LSS) is used where diamonds are kept be it rough stones, semi-processed diamonds and fully processed diamonds. Invisible laser rays crisscross the diamonds and it needs a password to be deactivated. Only top managers have the password and the password of each of them is different making it easy to know who accessed the diamond safe. If someone tries to pass through the laser rays, it can kill or paralyze them and the security alarm is automatically triggered and an automated call goes to the nearest police station. . Security Camera Systems (SCS) make use of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) at all times to monitor the whole building especially where inventory is held. 7. The Inventory Control System (ICS) gives detail information about each diamond rough, semi-processed or fully processed held in inventory at any point in time. Management must no go into the safe to see what t hey have in stock because the ICS does it all. This system is also used online to make customers see the diamonds, its specification and all other relevant information. Figure 16: The CAD system used to design a blue diamond. Source: Figure 17: The virtual version of the diamond in fig 16. Source: 9. 2 Pros and Cons of Information Technology (IT) IT is a very necessary tool in any organization be it a big or a small one. IT has advantages and disadvantages. They are listed in Appendix D including ‘Why IT cannot replace Human Beings’. 9. 3 Information Systems ‘Information system can be defined as a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization’ (Laundon amp; Laundon, 2006). Most organizations use some form of computer-based technology to accumulate, organize and distribute information’ (Ted, 2011) and Sparkle is not an exception. They use a set of interrelated information systems. 9. 3. 1 Transaction Processing System (TPS) This system is used to account for day by day transactions of Sparkle. It records all sales, purchases, expenses, income, tax, bills paid, equipment bought and all other transactions performed by organization. This system is also used to account for employee’s attendance, absences, pay, overtime, bonuses, remuneration, and all other things concerning the employees. . 3. 2 Supply Chain System (SCS) This system deals with customers and suppliers. It monitors the stock in the jewelry shops so as to know when to give the shops an offer. It monitors the stocks which are demanded more and those demanded less so as to know when to produce. It tracks frequent and valuable customers and grades them into groups so as know how to give discounts. This system also monitors the stock in the cutting companies. It looks at the new stocks and compares price side by side quality so as to know which supplier to order rough diamonds from. 9. 3. 3 Knowledge Management System (KMS) In Sparkle, all manufacturing processes are recorded and stored in the KMS. Any ideas gotten either by inspiration, customer’s requirement, employees’ suggestions or business intelligence are stored in the KMS for future use. Sparkle is said to be very innovative and has this edge over its rivals because of its mastery of the KMS. When a new employees is recruited, he has 2 weeks probation where he is taught how to operate in the organization and how processes function. Before the implementation and use of the KMS, probation was 3 months so this system has greatly reduces learning time. 9. 3. Management Information System (MIS) This system takes all the information from the above systems and summarizes them into financial statements and reports. It is used by management to make decisions on how to run and control the business. 9. 3. 5 Decision Support System (DSS) This system looks like an advance of the MIS. It takes data from all sources (internal and external) and su mmarizes them for top management to make decisions on the long term plans of the organization. Information from this system appears as statements, reports, charts, graphs, ratios, statistics and trend analysis. . 3. 6 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) This can be called the overall system. It takes information from all sources of the organization and brings them together in one large database. From there, required information is taken out and implemented or used to make decisions in Sparkle. It should be noted that all other systems deposit their information in ERP. Figure 18: Example of ERP. Source: LSBF MBA Intake 14, SOM Lecture 3, Session 9, Slide 34. 9. 6 Intranet and Extranet Sparkle uses intranets to deal with its employees and management. Staffs all have a particular passcode which the use and your code depends on your position within the company. Some passcodes can access some areas which other codes can’t. They also use extranets to communicate and share information with customers, suppliers, some competitors and the government. This system is more secured and less vulnerable to attacks as compared to the internet. 10 Job Design It is said that the blood stream of any organization is money and I will say the skeleton holding an organization and making it stand up straight is its workforce. An organization manages resources so as to be able to deliver acceptable goods and services to its customers and one of these resources is its workforce. An organization’s workforce is its most valuable and the most complicated of all its resources because unlike other resources, humans have a mind of their own. To be able to deal with human beings, you must know what they like and this is different for different people but these needs though different are similar. In providing this, it motivates the employees and when motivated, they produce better output eventually yielding higher profits, quality and flexibility. 0. 1 Motivation Motivation is the urge to take action to achieve something or to avoid something (BPP, 2010). Motivation can either be intrinsic (wanting to satisfy an internal urge like being happy to be able to help others) or extrinsic (reliant on tangible rewards like money, fame and power). Continues in Appendix E. 10. 2 Empowerment This is the act of delegati ng work to employees making them feel more superior because of the added responsibility and new accountability. This is good motivation for many employees. ‘Job design is about how people carry out their tasks within a process. It defines the way they go about their working lives. It positions the expectations of what is required of them, and it influences their perceptions of how they contribute to the organization. It also defines their activities in relation to their work colleagues and it channels the flows of communication between different parts of the operation. But, of most importance, it helps to develop the culture of the organization – its shared values, beliefs and assumptions’ (Slack, 2009). In designing any job, the following have to be put into consideration. * Safety. Jobs should be design in a way that it will bring no harm to the employee be it physical, psychological, mental or emotional harm. Workers in the mines especially those in Africa are exposed to a lot of risk and still earn less than the minimum wage. The mine owners wanting to make more profits cut down on cost by reducing expenditure on employees’ safety. The employees of Sparkle all have safety equipment like hats and new ideas are being implemented to make the process safer. The organization has also fully insured its entire staff. * Legal and Ethical Issues. Jobs should be design in such a manner that those doing the job will not go against the law or their code of ethics. * Own time. Job design should create time for the employees to catch up on something other than work. For example visiting new places, being with their families or performing other social activities. Employees working in the mines have little of this, but Sparkle’s employees all have right to a paid holiday and taking permission to be out of work if the need arises. * Employee’s Ability. An employee’s ability to do the job or a range of task should be considered before designing the job. For example; only heavy built men carry cargo from the trucks into the warehouse because of their physical ability to carry heavy weight unlike their colleagues. * Wage and Benefits: In designing any job, the wage and benefits to be paid for the job should be considered if not the employee can be over-paid or under-paid for the job. 10. 3 Division of Labor Unlike traditional production approaches that stipulated that one person should know everything in the company so that he can serve any function, Henry Ford came in with the idea that one man should only know one thing and should be an expert in that thing. He suggested that with specializing in a particular function, the whole organization will be specialized and will give the best quality goods and services. So jobs should be broken down into smaller portions and given to different individuals who will specialize and bring forth quality cost-effective products. 10. 3. 1 Advantages of Division of Labor (Slack, 2009) * It is easier to learn. Short and simple tasks are easier to learn compared with long and complex tasks. This will be very advantageous when training new recruits because training will take a shorter time and it will be better mastered. Automating. Short and simple task are easily automated as compared to long and complex task. * Time. More time is spent on one long task compare to time if that task was broken down. This extra time is as a result of picking different tools up and putting them down, looking for equipment, thinking of what to do next etc. 10. 3. 2 Disadvantages of Division of Labor (Slack, 2009) * Monotony. The same small task will be repeated every hour, week, month and year. This will make the job boring and less fulfilling thus resulting to absenteeism, staff turnover and errors. Over-reliance. If one employee is absent, no other will be able to perform his duty and this may bring the whole production process to a halt. * No flexibility. Employees let to do one particular thing over the years turn to lose the skill of being able to learn another thing. So if the production process was to change, many employees will not be able to cope with learning how to perform a new task. * Physical Injury. The repetitive use of one part of your body let’s say arm or wrist will in the long run cause pain to that part. This is known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Sparkle teaches their employees a wide range of task during their probation but the employees are assigned to do just one thing when they fully start work. Teaching them a wide range of task is to expose them to the processes of the whole organization so that they can contribute ideas in the development of a department or process which does not involve them. Another reason for giving employees holistic training is to make an employee being able to do an absent employee’s work. This tactic was also implemented because the organization did not want an employee to feel indispensable. 0. 4 Job Design Approaches In coming out with a good job designing, the following approaches should be implemented:- 1. Job Simplification: The organization tries to the range of task and their complexities. Polishing diamond use to be a very complex task at Sparkle but with the introduction of DiamondShines TM a specialized software where diamond polishing is programmed with exact details. 2. Job Ro tation: This is periodically interchanging employees performing different task to do the task of the other. Sparkle does a lot of job rotation and this makes the employees’ job more exciting. Job rotation is successful in this organization because they train their employees to perform a number of task but if division of labor was strictly implemented, this approach could have been impossible because employee A will not have a clue of employees B’s task. 3. Job Enlargement: This involves integrating same level tasks to the ones already performed by the employees to make the job more exciting. This is not practiced in Sparkle. 4. Job Enrichment: This involves integrating different level tasks to the ones performed by the employees. The new tasks are usually higher level tasks giving employees more responsibility and decision making power. Sparkle once a week picks an employee randomly and gives him the power of a supervisory manager so as to see the changes and innovations he is going to bring to the organization. Sparkle also makes employees work in small teams and the organization creates a competitive strain amongst the teams. The competition amongst the teams brings a lot of hard work, efficiency and effectiveness.