Blankets and Security and Spirituality Essay

There are many themes explored in Craig Thompson’s award-winning graphic novel Blankets, but perhaps its chief theme is that of spirituality. Particularly, the text explores how spirituality can be distinct from religion: religion is illustrated as a blunt instrument with which individuals divide themselves, whereas the positive spirituality advocated by Thompson grows out of human experiences, such as his first love. In this sense, the modified view of spirituality overlays traditional religious thought: the titular quilt blanket takes on a totemic significance, like that of a saint’s body part. This is fitting enough, as Thompson presents the relationship with Raina as something sanctified and, not coincidentally, outside the realm of religion. Fittingly enough for a meta-narrative such as this, art forms the basis for Thompson to impose his own distinct narratives over the unfavorable narratives around him. This belief in transformative power becomes important when he discovers his blossoming sexuality: he must realize it is not embodied by the abusive babysitter of his past, but in the relationship he possesses in the here and now. Raina represents the clearest presentation of actual spirituality in the text: she presents the stability that Thompson craves so much, which is the only thing that really allows him to take solace. It is not coincidental that the two begin their relationship at Bible Camp: in a camp that is ostensibly devoted to finding spiritual fellowship, both Thompson and Raina feel like they do not fit in. Accordingly, they must develop their own fellowship with each other, substituting their unique friendship (and eventually erotic love) in place of the relationship with God that the camp is supposed to offer. This is one of the spiritual notions that Thompson hammers home quite effectively: the heart of a true spiritual relationship is one of interaction. Traditional spiritual models rely on following God’s will without having a real relationship with anything other than a personal interpretation of God as a social construct. Romantic love fills that need when spirituality falters. Raina’s place as a saint-like person seems quite intentional in the text. The work culminates, after all, with Thompson finally willing to forge his own path in life†¦but by naming the work after the blankets on which he laid beside Raina, he situates the work as a kind of return to the grace and serenity he discovered in his relationship with her. In this sense, the ending of the work represents a kind of spiritual pilgrimage that Thompson is undergoing, with a remnant of Raina to guide him. In the spiritual spectrum, she seems like a successor to the understanding of Mary offered by Thompson’s religious upbringing. In that conservative religious view, Mary represents the glory of women, but also their aloof subservience to the greater glory of men: Mary is great because she delivered Jesus, but because of that sanctified relationship, a relationship with her is denied to mortal men. Raina, then, represents the spirituality that Thompson is able to interact with. She also represents an opportunity to restore sexual equality to spirituality, as she is not aloof, nor is she playing second fiddle to men. This continues the theme of spirituality as a matter of unity, rather than divisiveness. The final confrontation with his parents represents the final necessary aspect of spirituality: a willingness to seek commonality in all living creatures. This is the nature of their dispute, after all: a difference in beliefs. However, by bringing this conflict out into the open, Thompson is asserting the sovereignty of his own beliefs. They do not fully define him, as religious beliefs define their followers, because the innate aspect of Thompson’s spirituality is that it is constantly evolving. Raina helped him discover it, but she does not represent the be-all, end-all of it. Similarly, Thompson’s pilgrimage at the end is not to literally find Raina, but to use his memento of the time they shared as a way of finding a new relationship that will further help challenge and evolve his notion of spirituality. Interestingly, Thompson does not decry all religion as the enemy of spirituality. However, he does emphasize that religious dogma is often used as an excuse to shut one’s self off from the world. In confronting his parents, Thompson is quite clear: his spiritual beliefs will not be quieted, nor will they be closeted, any longer. Blankets is a work that is certain to endure for many years to come. The reason for that is not lofty ambition to tell an epic story, but rather, a commitment to following the fault lines of human intimacy and romantic relationships all the way to their inevitable quakes. Unwilling to move the camera away (so to speak), Thompson does the audience one better by showing the slow process of picking up the pieces and trying to rearrange a Picasso-esque jumble into a self-constructed identity that he can actually recognize in the mirror. Raina helped him discover what spirituality really represented: not the missing piece, but the knowledge that pieces are missing. And all that is required of true spirituality is an ongoing commitment to never stop seeking completion.

Hardy’s use of symbolism and characters in Tess of the D’urbervilles Essay

The roles of rustic characters in Tess of the D’urbervilles are used in many concepts to express Tess’ superiority in the book. Throughout the novel Hardy emphasis his love of the character Tess, he has always made Tess stand out, for example in the opening when we first meet Tess she is described as the most beautiful dancer their but he has also added the red ribbon so she stands out in the crowd of white dresses. Tess of the D’urbervilles, like the other major works by Thomas Hardy, anticipates the twentieth century in regard to the nature and treatment of its subject matter. Tess is the twelfth novel published by Hardy. He began the novel in 1889 it was rejected by several other periodicals from July to December 1891. It was finally published in December 1891. The novel questions societies sexual mores by compassionately portraying a heroine who is seduced by the son of her employer and who thus is not considered pure and chaste women by the rest of the society. Upon its publication, Tess encountered brutally hostile reviews; although it is now considered a major work of fiction, the poor reception of Tess and Jude the Obscure precipitated Thomas Hardy’s transition from writing fiction to poetry. Tess of the D’urbervilles deals with several significant contemporary subjects for Hardy, including struggles of religious belief that occurred during Hardy’s lifetime Hardy was largely influenced by the Oxford movement a spiritual movement involving extremely devout thinking and actions. Hardy’s family members were primarily orthodox Christians and hardy himself considered entering the clergy, as did many of his relatives. Yet hardy eventually abandoned his devout faith in god based on the scientific advances of his contemporises, including most prominently Darwin’s on the origin of species. Hardy’s own religious experiences can thus be seen in the character of Angel Clare, who resists the conservative religious experiences beliefs of his parents to take a more religious and secular view of philosophy. The novel also reflects Hardy’s preoccupation with social class that continues through his novels. Hardy had connections in both the working class and the upper class, but felt that he belonged to neither. This is reflected in the pessimism contained in Tess of the D’urbervilles toward the chances for Tess to ascend in society and Angel’s precarious position as neither a member of the upper class nor a working person equivalent to his fellow milkers at Talbothays. Again, like Angel Clare, Thomas Hardy Found himself torn between different social spheres with which he could not fully align himself. Tess of the D’urbervilles reflects that divide. It was the stories he heard from his mother and grandmother he used in his story about secret baptisms, he witnessed a hanging of a woman who killed her husband for being unfaithful. Hardy was well of but still joined in, in all the country activities, he uses events from his background e.g. the wild country dancing; where he often played his violin he uses this in describing the dancing in Chaseborough. His affinity with nature and the rural environment is used very often in the novel because of his love of the countryside and his home life being around nature and animals he grew to love it and describes it with such emotional attachment when he talks about the season, which he has combined with symbolism. Hardy disliked anything new, and continued telling use this throughout the book since the beginning when Tess goes to Alec’s house he describes it as a ‘crimson brick lodge’ hardy always uses symbolism to represent things red (crimson) is a sign of danger and warning. And also mentioned ‘everything looked like new money-like the last coin issued from the mint. He doesn’t like anything new and states from the beginning that he doesn’t like the idea of Tess going to Alec at his house. Hardy describes the countryside and the season as a sign of symbolism like spring is a happy and cheerful season when good things happen and then when its cold, bad and misfortune takes place. He describes the old and traditional ways of Marlett with joy and happiness, he like the club walking because he describes the evening and the spring. He dislike the combine harvester by the industrial revolution because it destroys the nature and life; he writes that the animals ‘huddled together, friends and foes, till the last few yards of upright whet fell also under the teeth of the veering reaper and they where everyone put to death by the sticks and stones of the harvester’ he describes the whole thing in a negative attitude he calls the threshing machine at Flintomb Ash a ‘ red tyrant’. Hardy in some cases does make rustic characters friendly, sympathetic and kind e.g. whilst harvesting when the children brought Tess her baby they respected her and were sympathetic towards her. Also when her father made a fool of himself at the beginning they don’t laugh or sneer but understand their difficulties. When Tess returns to Trantridge her friends help cheer her up, also when Izzy tells Angel that Tess loves him more than anyone else. He makes them hard working to show they are better than urban dwellers like at the harvest field and farms. The brothers of Angel are not the rustic characters that hardy made the village people but more of upper class well of children who fell to higher than the rest of the village folk to talk part in dancing in public because they feel it is wrong and are afraid that someone may see them and know who they are. The family of Tess are almost the same, they don’t care about anybody but themselves and all they want after finding out that they are from a rich family is to have the money and well fair that will come from it. They don’t care for what they do to Tess to make her do what they want, and the children are only passengers on the shiftless house of the Durbeyfield going nowhere with no future. There are many other roles to the rustic characters the good and bad one the one who are kind, the ones who are jealous and hateful, some that have humour and make you laugh like the treacle and Car. The rustic characters are used to make Tess stand out more like the milk maids all like Angel but they say that Tess is pretty and that Angel likes her but they are not jealous, they accept her and are still her friend. When Car has treacle on her back she doesn’t like the fact that Tess is laughing at her because she is the favourite of Alec, also they say ‘ very well, miss Independence’ meaning that she is strong and won’t let others do the work for her and not many where like her. This does change the way we look at Tess she is made most superior than the others, made to stand out against all odds. The seasons changing symbolise the future events and the mood of the character. Like the faint luminous fog on page 86 just before the rape, this symbolises danger is up ahead and the fog is blinding Tess from the truth, and what’s about to happen. In the novel it stops her from seeing where they are going, so inevitably Alec uses this to his advantage to seduce her without realising. On page 3 it is spring everything is happy cheerful and people are safe and happy nothing can go wrong in May. Page 131 it is spring, which was the happiest time in Tess’ life so, it predicts that it is a new start it predicts a happy future for her. Page 90 when she is about to be rapped it writes that the chase was wrapped in thick darkness now she is totally blinded from all that is about to come, and all that is going to change her life. Tess is very careful in the things she does; the atmosphere around her reflects how she feels, and also the seasons. The dead leaves that she was lying on while she slept before the rape. This tells use that no matter what she doesn’t feel safe she likes the country life with the simple everyday living. She doesn’t trust the world beyond Trantridge, we see this in the way she feels living Trantridge for the first time. The colours are used to warn use of the future and certain characters. Darkness is used in the triangular tent door Alec comes out of darkness, which shows that his intensions are dark and evil. For example ‘darkness and silence ruled everywhere around’ when they where in the woods before the rape. Blue narcotic haze, it almost blinded her from what he’s thinking of almost drugging her unconscious of her present situation. Red is a sign of danger warns readers that something is going to happen. White is the sign of purity and fairness. The first time she leaves with Alec he writes ‘behind the green valley of her birth, before, a grey country of which she knew nothing’. Describes the journey to his home green-past, grey-future, green is what is good and full of life, safe. Grey is when she leaves her green happy life in to a grey bleak one. Red is the sign of danger and a warning. It is used throughout this book it starts with her wearing a red ribbon I believe this represents the fact that she is pretty and pure but the future ahead is full of struggle and danger. Hardy mentions that Alec has red smooth lips this states seduction. The crimson brick lodge-red, new, Hardy doesn’t like new non-country things at Alec’s house. Strawberries- red and always a symbol of seduction, so his intensions of giving her these are clear at his house the first time thy meet. The blood red ray- it means because she is blinded by the smoke she is blurred from the figure who is a dangerous person in her life while she eats. Overall Hardy has used rustic characters in many ways, to emphasis the fact that Tess is his favourite, to make her more superior then the that fact that she was educated till the 6th grade, which is something not many people where. The characters are also there for comfort and humour. Hardy uses symbolism to show danger, predict the future and show passing of seasons and show intensions of characters. In the book he also uses extended metaphors one example is the shiftless house of the Durbeyfields, this extended metaphor of the shiftless house talks about the children’s life in the house which has no destination how they have no choice or future entirely dependent on the choices of the two adults for there pleasure, their necessities, their health, even their existence. The image that is given is of a unstable complicated family with parents and the only choice the children have is to follow nothing else they can do except help when they get older, its no future for them in the ‘shiftless house of the Durbeyfields’. The extended metaphor when she is getting raped it talks about atmosphere, what she’s lost and then finds reason why it was done to her. It talks about no one looking out for her where was god. Where was the providence in her faith? Tess is his favourite character without a doubt he presents her in a light which finds her very favourable to him. Tess can be classed as a tragedy in the Shakespearean scene because basic flaws e.g. pride, guilt, stubbornness and excessive loyalty.

Ops Presentation

BGMT 20010 Operations and Supply Chain Management Report December 2011 ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- DANKERS FUNITUTE LTD ————————————————- ————————————————- THE NEW BUSINESS PLANNING CASE ————————————————- ——————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- â€Å"If You Are Not Measuring, You Are Not Managing† CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 2. Overview of the Organisation 3.Description of the main issues raised in the case 4. Problem One; Breakdown in Organisational Relationships * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 5. Problem Two; Short-term actions regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively . Problem Three; Long-term developments regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide Rolf Danker and Danker’s Furniture Ltd with some short-term and long-term suggestions on how to successfully implement their new business venture into timber framed conservatories.This report offers advice on how to successfully incorporate this new venture into the existing processes within the company as well as recommendations on short-term establishment and long-term expansion. Some of the problems that were encountered at the onset of the venture included communication breakdowns between company departments, quality concerns in the two existing Strategic Business Units, and resource constraints. This report suggests that Danker’s adopt a swim lane process map to help with the communications failures as well as improvements in the internal and external supply chains. 2.Overview of the organisation During the 1800â⠂¬â„¢s, a Danker family from Norway moved to County Meath, Ireland. The family was associated with a tradition of high quality furniture design, and high-class customary made furniture. The Danker family discovered that there was a market for their furniture in Meath, enclosed by rich middle class estates. During the next few generations, the Danker’s family continued the family tradition of making furniture and at the end of the 20th Century, ‘Danker’ was renowned for its ability to produce customised hardwood design based on clients specific requirements and specifications.The company became known as Danker’s Furniture Ltd and was well established in the manufacturing markets. The company had been very profitable and had obtained a great reputation. But in the late 1990’s the company experienced problems and the newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker appointed me as operations manager, which quickly resolved the underlying difficulties in t he business at the time. Currently under the management of newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker, the business’ strategic focus is to grow and expand through the production of new goods and services.The massive economic growth in the 1990’s resulted in a huge development in the construction area, Rolf Danker, successfully discovered an opportunity to enter into the standard cabinetry market. The company started making kitchen cabinets and wardrobes to exploit the rapid increase in the number of houses being built which required reasonable priced furniture. Danker’s believed that their established reputation in the customised furniture making industry accompanying the standard cabinets would increase their market share.Rolf believed that this would be a quick way to increase profits instead of continuing exclusively with the previous business model. But by the 2000’s Rolf’s new initiative caused problems in the company’s business foun dations. Fortunately, Rolf appointed me as Operations Manager at Danker’s, which helped to quickly resolve the underlying difficulties in the business at the time. Now in 2002, the company has two independently operated strategic business unites (SBUs), the craft purpose-made and the standard cabinet, the business is performing well again and enjoying good profit margins. 3.Description of the main issues in the case The division was completely financed from the company’s reserves, and in 2002, the company’s balance sheet was very strong with no long-term loans or debt equity. Bankers to the company were very willing towards them and the company were constantly being encouraged by the bankers to take up the finance being offered to them and further expand their business. Following a new product concept generation process involving external consultants, a gap has been identified in the market and the Danker’s Board has agreed to enter the timber conservator y market.The Irish market for conservatories is constantly growing but there is not a huge demand in the home market for hardwood timber framed. But it has been recognised that the UK market is around 20 times the size of the Irish one with a 50% share being for timber framed conservatories. It has been explained that due to the foregoing and rising interest in ‘sustainable construction’, which has been evident in the growth of timber-framed windows, due to improvements in technology and conveniently meets revised Irish Building Regulations.There is no dedicated manufacturer for timber conservatory in the Irish market and this is where Danker’s have seen the opportunity, coupled with the attraction of the large, growing UK market. Rolf feels before focusing on the export opportunity, the company should focus on the home market first and gain experience, amend any defects in their product and then look to expand into the huge UK market. This will be Danker’ s third SBU. Rolf has asked me as Operations manager to plan this new business venture for the company.Duty as operation manager is the planning, scheduling and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close co-operation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all the SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineering manager drew up a Technical Specificatio n Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs * Schedules * Materials technical specifications. * New product development planning schedule was also developed This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. * The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time. * In order for the development plan to be a success, need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. * This is when some problems began to arise. * Jack, the sales manager, did not see the need to have weekly product design meetings with John because he felt that the marketing and production teams already had enough to worry about with their existing products. In this report, we address this breakdown in communication as well as potential problems that will a rise within the short-term and long-term operations and supply chains of the company from implementing their new timber conservatory SBU. 4. The first problem identified was what could be done to clarify the organizational relationships between marketing, production, and engineering. The issue that arose with the introduction of the third SBU was the smooth functioning of the interdepartmental relationships within the company.To create a successful new product it involved more work than the primary sourcing of materials and construction of the conservatories. There needs to be a cohesive and common effort made by all departments to achieve success for this new product. We see this problem arising with Jack, sales manager who was slow to hand in the report on the market characteristics of hardwood conservatoires and declined to attend the weekly product design meetings, claiming the marketing department had too much on its plate.A problem is created in the intrinsic makeup of the pro duct, as now market research is not being contributed to the production of the new product. This could be a fatal flaw for Danker’s as they could be producing something that is not exactly what the customer wants. This increases the riskiness of this new venture. As well as this problem the breakdown in the relationships can result in delays and process breakdown as well as distracting from the two other S. B. U’s of the business.The approach management took to address the issues raised was to focus on improving the relationship between the departments. This was done with a focus being placed on department approval. This system was going to be implemented at the weekly product meetings. Here the department heads could input on resources available, capacity and ability of their department to input on the production process. Jack would be able to have an input into important feedback in relation to aiming and promoting the product to the right customers.A recommendation that could effectively deal with the issue is to implement swim lane process maps. The implementation of swim-lane process maps by the management at Danker’s will help to clarify the organisational relationships between marketing, production and engineering and combat the breakdown in their relationships. The swim lane process maps allowed each department to determine exactly what was required of them throughout the new product design process and prevented situations occurring where marketing refused to attend weekly product design meetings because they felt they were being overworked.Each department was required to attend the weekly product design meetings; this was the first stage of the swim-lane process maps, the second stage involved finalising the product design and this was successfully carried out by the three departments and the third strategic business unit is now ready for launch into the Irish market. There was no ambiguity in relation to what was required from ea ch department and if they were unsure of their role in the development process they re-analysed the swim-lane process map and took corrective action. 5.The second problem that we focused on was to look at what short-term actions could be done to improve the new product development process. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close cooperation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineeri ng manager drew up a Technical Specification Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs New product development planning schedule was also developed New Product Development Planning Schedule – 2003| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sep| Oct| Nov| Dec| Jan| Establish Project Team|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Define Marketing Need|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Concept Cost Estimate|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Technical Specs Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Testing|   |   |   |   |   |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Design Review Meeting|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Hazard Analysis|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Field Test Model Tests|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Production cost Estimate| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tooling / Process Design| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Release to Production| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Order Parts| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Production of Lot 1| | | | | | | | | | | | | | This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time.This approach adopted by management could be successful, but they need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. The hiring of an engineering production manager was very valuable as he created a TSR which would aid the BOM ensuring the correct materials would be ordered, avoiding a potential loss of earnings. Recommendations which could provide additional help to Danker’s would be for each individual sector to improve their own areas which would impact on the overall development process in the short term. For engineering department important aspects they could focus on would be concept development and design. In the marketing area, it is critical that planning improves as well as commercial preparation.By encouraging Jack attendance at the weekly meetings, he will have detailed knowledge of the other two departments, which will aid him in designing the marketing strategy for the SBU. In the production sector, it is vital that process for the supply chain is efficient. By implementing a detailed process map, this will ensure that there is an efficient process layout selected. The layout can then be measured using takt time, theoretical minimum and line balancing so that the amo unt of time idle at the workstation is minimised and the Danker’s can maximise their capacity. This process can then be evaluated at the end of the first year to identify any areas for improvement and opportunity to improve efficiency. The operations manager also needs to ensure that there is good, quality control.All products produced need to adhere to the ISO 9000 and ensure that all products are inspected before they leave the production’s premises. In order to gain a competitive share of the Irish timber conservatory market, Danker’s must develop a competitive strategy. A business strategy can be defined as the identification of the market(s) in which the business will participate and how the business will gain a competitive advantage in those markets. A strategy is a pattern that integrates an organisation’s major goals, policies and actions into a cohesive goal in order to gain a competitive advantage. There are two main types of strategy; 1) Cost L eadership FocusThis strategy involves company managing their costs better than their competitors, so that they can offer a lower cost to their consumers. 2) Differentiation focus The product produced is unique. Customers are willing to pay premium price for it. Having seen already by the work done by the operations manager, Danker’s imposes two different strategies for its two SBU’s; 1) Cost leadership focus implemented for the standard cabinet 2) Differentiate focus for the custom made furniture. Now that Danker’s are producing their third SBU, it is important they distinguish what strategy they are going to implement with it. As operations manager, we recommend that we implement a cost leadership strategy with the production of timber conservatory market.If we succeed in managing our costs better than other competitors in the fragmented home industry, this will enable us to offer a lower price to our consumers and enable us to gain a competitive advantage in t he market and contribute towards the goal of becoming the market leader in the Irish Market. As operations Manager, my job is to make sure that * The business strategy gets translated into operational terms. * Assure the co-ordination with marketing and engineering. * Provide direction and guidance for operation decisions. The operations strategy is a pattern of structural and infrastructural operations decisions that configure the shape and design of the operations function and constitutes the operations strategy.Currently Danker’s had two production lines, one for craft purpose-made and one for the standard cabinetry. We propose as operations manager that Danker’s changes its operations to three production lines, which would incorporate its new business products production process. In the short-term, we would advise Danker’s to use its retained earnings to fund the creation of the third product, as unknown whether its going to be a success, so should start out small to minimise costs. If Danker’s were having difficulties with three production processes or were struggling to fulfil capacity requirement, we recommend that Danker’s could subcontract out the work.There would be no production costs involved. They would have to pay the company but if successful they could expand and develop the company. We propose that Danker’s outsource their distribution costs which are not close to their production premises and engage in distribution contracts with company’s in the North, South, West and deliver to companies in the East of Ireland. 6. The third point recognised was the long-term developments of the new product development at Danker’s. Apart from this new product development opportunity on the home market, Rolf and the Danker’s Board were also attracted towards the larger, growing market for timber framed conservatories in the UK.However Rolf felt that before focusing on this export opportunity, the company should first gain experience in the market / industry sector on the home market first, modify any shortcomings in the product-offer, and then look at how he might make in-roads in the UK. Rolf reckoned that the introduction phase of timber conservatories in the Irish market would need to have 2/3 years experience in Ireland to confirm its viability, before entering the UK market. The UK market is 20 times the size of the home market and up until now it has been described as a fragmented joinery industry. There is great potential to break into the UK market and establish as a leader in the market. This would generate huge profits for Danker’s. It is important to note that Danker’s Balance Sheet has been very strong, with no debt equity, long-term loans, or overdraft.Bankers to the company were very favourably disposed towards them. Rolf Danker and his accountant brother Erik were constantly being encouraged by their bankers to take up the finance being offered t o them and expand their business further. This approach taken by management to gain experience in the Irish market first, evaluate the product, and adjust any shortcomings they may experience before attempting to break into the UK market is crucial. 2-3 year’s experience in the home market would be essential before expanding. Before expansion of the product it is vital that our strategy in the short term is achieved and we successfully become a market leader in the home market first.This will enable us to establish a reputation while creating a loyal customer base giving us a competitive advantage against competitors in the market. Furthermore, this would provide Danker’s with experience of the market before attempting to make in-roads in the UK. Provided we are successful in the home market, there are a number of tasks that would need to be in place for expanding our product. We would need to expand the business by purchasing a larger warehouse to produce the goods in order to facilitate production in the wider UK market as well as maintaining production in the home market and our other SBU’s. To aid expansion, we recommend on taking up on the Bank’s offer providing us with a loan.By increasing capacity this will enable Danker’s to avail of a number of capacity considerations. There include economies of scale, technology/labour mix, and learning curves. With economies of scale the average unit cost decreases as output increases. It is essential that Danker’s are able to obtain lower costs by expanding their business. The technology/labour mix means that Danker’s can improve capacity by introducing new technologies, which will increase fixed costs but reduce their variable labour costs. The phenomenon of learning curves results in increasing output overtime, without an increase in resources. The external supply chain would also need to be developed to penetrate the UK market.The existing supply chain used in the home market would be a template and then extend and adopt it to make it suitable for the UK market. An effective recommendation could be to design a detailed process map. This would allow all staff to ascertain what was required at each stage and the time constraints that would need to be adhered to. As operation manager, it is in imperative to ensure that the process is efficient. However, if Danker’s are finding it difficult to break into the UK market, they could create Strategic Alliance with suppliers from the UK. Distribution costs and warehouse costs will be a major contribution to costs as the firm breaks into the UK market. There needs to be smart decisions made by the operations manager in regards to logistics management.This involves the planning, implementation, and control of the effective flow and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. An effective recommendation for Danker’s would be to outsource their transport requireme nts, this will provide more control, improve customer service, and would be less expensive for the business. With the money from the loan, Danker’s could look to develop a production center in the UK to cut costs. They should then set up distribution centers close to the market in the UK, which would reduce transportation costs. Danker’s then should evaluate their performance on their third SBU to ensure that they are achieving their goals. A method of performance, which could be used is benchmarking.This involves comparing the business to others in the industry to gauge where they stand and steps they may need to identify in order to become more successful. 7. Conclusion Once Danker’s have their third SBU up and running, they will be able to develop sales and operations plans and forecast for the business by looking at previous sales, which will help them to determine the levels of capacity required, both strategically and tactically. They will also be able to plan for future materials required and gauge what inventory levels are required for their business. This will facilitate them to be able to develop a master production schedule. This will drive the supply chain and set precise production levels.We believe that once Danker’s follows the short-term objectives and implements our recommendations, they will generate profits from their new product development and facilitate them in becoming a market leader in the home market. As a result, this will enable them to penetrate the wider UK market in the long run and alongside our advice compete with their product on a large scale. By expanding their business and creating a third SBU we believe that they can generate massive profits and become a leader in the timber conservatory market. 8. References We got our information for our report from the following; * Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain Management; Bozarth & Handfield, 2nd Edition (2008); Pearson International Edition. * B GMT 20010 Operational and Supply Chain Management 2011 Lecture Material, University College Dublin. Ops Presentation BGMT 20010 Operations and Supply Chain Management Report December 2011 ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- DANKERS FUNITUTE LTD ————————————————- ————————————————- THE NEW BUSINESS PLANNING CASE ————————————————- ——————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- â€Å"If You Are Not Measuring, You Are Not Managing† CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 2. Overview of the Organisation 3.Description of the main issues raised in the case 4. Problem One; Breakdown in Organisational Relationships * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 5. Problem Two; Short-term actions regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively . Problem Three; Long-term developments regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide Rolf Danker and Danker’s Furniture Ltd with some short-term and long-term suggestions on how to successfully implement their new business venture into timber framed conservatories.This report offers advice on how to successfully incorporate this new venture into the existing processes within the company as well as recommendations on short-term establishment and long-term expansion. Some of the problems that were encountered at the onset of the venture included communication breakdowns between company departments, quality concerns in the two existing Strategic Business Units, and resource constraints. This report suggests that Danker’s adopt a swim lane process map to help with the communications failures as well as improvements in the internal and external supply chains. 2.Overview of the organisation During the 1800â⠂¬â„¢s, a Danker family from Norway moved to County Meath, Ireland. The family was associated with a tradition of high quality furniture design, and high-class customary made furniture. The Danker family discovered that there was a market for their furniture in Meath, enclosed by rich middle class estates. During the next few generations, the Danker’s family continued the family tradition of making furniture and at the end of the 20th Century, ‘Danker’ was renowned for its ability to produce customised hardwood design based on clients specific requirements and specifications.The company became known as Danker’s Furniture Ltd and was well established in the manufacturing markets. The company had been very profitable and had obtained a great reputation. But in the late 1990’s the company experienced problems and the newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker appointed me as operations manager, which quickly resolved the underlying difficulties in t he business at the time. Currently under the management of newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker, the business’ strategic focus is to grow and expand through the production of new goods and services.The massive economic growth in the 1990’s resulted in a huge development in the construction area, Rolf Danker, successfully discovered an opportunity to enter into the standard cabinetry market. The company started making kitchen cabinets and wardrobes to exploit the rapid increase in the number of houses being built which required reasonable priced furniture. Danker’s believed that their established reputation in the customised furniture making industry accompanying the standard cabinets would increase their market share.Rolf believed that this would be a quick way to increase profits instead of continuing exclusively with the previous business model. But by the 2000’s Rolf’s new initiative caused problems in the company’s business foun dations. Fortunately, Rolf appointed me as Operations Manager at Danker’s, which helped to quickly resolve the underlying difficulties in the business at the time. Now in 2002, the company has two independently operated strategic business unites (SBUs), the craft purpose-made and the standard cabinet, the business is performing well again and enjoying good profit margins. 3.Description of the main issues in the case The division was completely financed from the company’s reserves, and in 2002, the company’s balance sheet was very strong with no long-term loans or debt equity. Bankers to the company were very willing towards them and the company were constantly being encouraged by the bankers to take up the finance being offered to them and further expand their business. Following a new product concept generation process involving external consultants, a gap has been identified in the market and the Danker’s Board has agreed to enter the timber conservator y market.The Irish market for conservatories is constantly growing but there is not a huge demand in the home market for hardwood timber framed. But it has been recognised that the UK market is around 20 times the size of the Irish one with a 50% share being for timber framed conservatories. It has been explained that due to the foregoing and rising interest in ‘sustainable construction’, which has been evident in the growth of timber-framed windows, due to improvements in technology and conveniently meets revised Irish Building Regulations.There is no dedicated manufacturer for timber conservatory in the Irish market and this is where Danker’s have seen the opportunity, coupled with the attraction of the large, growing UK market. Rolf feels before focusing on the export opportunity, the company should focus on the home market first and gain experience, amend any defects in their product and then look to expand into the huge UK market. This will be Danker’ s third SBU. Rolf has asked me as Operations manager to plan this new business venture for the company.Duty as operation manager is the planning, scheduling and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close co-operation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all the SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineering manager drew up a Technical Specificatio n Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs * Schedules * Materials technical specifications. * New product development planning schedule was also developed This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. * The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time. * In order for the development plan to be a success, need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. * This is when some problems began to arise. * Jack, the sales manager, did not see the need to have weekly product design meetings with John because he felt that the marketing and production teams already had enough to worry about with their existing products. In this report, we address this breakdown in communication as well as potential problems that will a rise within the short-term and long-term operations and supply chains of the company from implementing their new timber conservatory SBU. 4. The first problem identified was what could be done to clarify the organizational relationships between marketing, production, and engineering. The issue that arose with the introduction of the third SBU was the smooth functioning of the interdepartmental relationships within the company.To create a successful new product it involved more work than the primary sourcing of materials and construction of the conservatories. There needs to be a cohesive and common effort made by all departments to achieve success for this new product. We see this problem arising with Jack, sales manager who was slow to hand in the report on the market characteristics of hardwood conservatoires and declined to attend the weekly product design meetings, claiming the marketing department had too much on its plate.A problem is created in the intrinsic makeup of the pro duct, as now market research is not being contributed to the production of the new product. This could be a fatal flaw for Danker’s as they could be producing something that is not exactly what the customer wants. This increases the riskiness of this new venture. As well as this problem the breakdown in the relationships can result in delays and process breakdown as well as distracting from the two other S. B. U’s of the business.The approach management took to address the issues raised was to focus on improving the relationship between the departments. This was done with a focus being placed on department approval. This system was going to be implemented at the weekly product meetings. Here the department heads could input on resources available, capacity and ability of their department to input on the production process. Jack would be able to have an input into important feedback in relation to aiming and promoting the product to the right customers.A recommendation that could effectively deal with the issue is to implement swim lane process maps. The implementation of swim-lane process maps by the management at Danker’s will help to clarify the organisational relationships between marketing, production and engineering and combat the breakdown in their relationships. The swim lane process maps allowed each department to determine exactly what was required of them throughout the new product design process and prevented situations occurring where marketing refused to attend weekly product design meetings because they felt they were being overworked.Each department was required to attend the weekly product design meetings; this was the first stage of the swim-lane process maps, the second stage involved finalising the product design and this was successfully carried out by the three departments and the third strategic business unit is now ready for launch into the Irish market. There was no ambiguity in relation to what was required from ea ch department and if they were unsure of their role in the development process they re-analysed the swim-lane process map and took corrective action. 5.The second problem that we focused on was to look at what short-term actions could be done to improve the new product development process. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close cooperation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineeri ng manager drew up a Technical Specification Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs New product development planning schedule was also developed New Product Development Planning Schedule – 2003| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sep| Oct| Nov| Dec| Jan| Establish Project Team|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Define Marketing Need|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Concept Cost Estimate|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Technical Specs Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Testing|   |   |   |   |   |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Design Review Meeting|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Hazard Analysis|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Field Test Model Tests|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Production cost Estimate| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tooling / Process Design| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Release to Production| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Order Parts| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Production of Lot 1| | | | | | | | | | | | | | This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time.This approach adopted by management could be successful, but they need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. The hiring of an engineering production manager was very valuable as he created a TSR which would aid the BOM ensuring the correct materials would be ordered, avoiding a potential loss of earnings. Recommendations which could provide additional help to Danker’s would be for each individual sector to improve their own areas which would impact on the overall development process in the short term. For engineering department important aspects they could focus on would be concept development and design. In the marketing area, it is critical that planning improves as well as commercial preparation.By encouraging Jack attendance at the weekly meetings, he will have detailed knowledge of the other two departments, which will aid him in designing the marketing strategy for the SBU. In the production sector, it is vital that process for the supply chain is efficient. By implementing a detailed process map, this will ensure that there is an efficient process layout selected. The layout can then be measured using takt time, theoretical minimum and line balancing so that the amo unt of time idle at the workstation is minimised and the Danker’s can maximise their capacity. This process can then be evaluated at the end of the first year to identify any areas for improvement and opportunity to improve efficiency. The operations manager also needs to ensure that there is good, quality control.All products produced need to adhere to the ISO 9000 and ensure that all products are inspected before they leave the production’s premises. In order to gain a competitive share of the Irish timber conservatory market, Danker’s must develop a competitive strategy. A business strategy can be defined as the identification of the market(s) in which the business will participate and how the business will gain a competitive advantage in those markets. A strategy is a pattern that integrates an organisation’s major goals, policies and actions into a cohesive goal in order to gain a competitive advantage. There are two main types of strategy; 1) Cost L eadership FocusThis strategy involves company managing their costs better than their competitors, so that they can offer a lower cost to their consumers. 2) Differentiation focus The product produced is unique. Customers are willing to pay premium price for it. Having seen already by the work done by the operations manager, Danker’s imposes two different strategies for its two SBU’s; 1) Cost leadership focus implemented for the standard cabinet 2) Differentiate focus for the custom made furniture. Now that Danker’s are producing their third SBU, it is important they distinguish what strategy they are going to implement with it. As operations manager, we recommend that we implement a cost leadership strategy with the production of timber conservatory market.If we succeed in managing our costs better than other competitors in the fragmented home industry, this will enable us to offer a lower price to our consumers and enable us to gain a competitive advantage in t he market and contribute towards the goal of becoming the market leader in the Irish Market. As operations Manager, my job is to make sure that * The business strategy gets translated into operational terms. * Assure the co-ordination with marketing and engineering. * Provide direction and guidance for operation decisions. The operations strategy is a pattern of structural and infrastructural operations decisions that configure the shape and design of the operations function and constitutes the operations strategy.Currently Danker’s had two production lines, one for craft purpose-made and one for the standard cabinetry. We propose as operations manager that Danker’s changes its operations to three production lines, which would incorporate its new business products production process. In the short-term, we would advise Danker’s to use its retained earnings to fund the creation of the third product, as unknown whether its going to be a success, so should start out small to minimise costs. If Danker’s were having difficulties with three production processes or were struggling to fulfil capacity requirement, we recommend that Danker’s could subcontract out the work.There would be no production costs involved. They would have to pay the company but if successful they could expand and develop the company. We propose that Danker’s outsource their distribution costs which are not close to their production premises and engage in distribution contracts with company’s in the North, South, West and deliver to companies in the East of Ireland. 6. The third point recognised was the long-term developments of the new product development at Danker’s. Apart from this new product development opportunity on the home market, Rolf and the Danker’s Board were also attracted towards the larger, growing market for timber framed conservatories in the UK.However Rolf felt that before focusing on this export opportunity, the company should first gain experience in the market / industry sector on the home market first, modify any shortcomings in the product-offer, and then look at how he might make in-roads in the UK. Rolf reckoned that the introduction phase of timber conservatories in the Irish market would need to have 2/3 years experience in Ireland to confirm its viability, before entering the UK market. The UK market is 20 times the size of the home market and up until now it has been described as a fragmented joinery industry. There is great potential to break into the UK market and establish as a leader in the market. This would generate huge profits for Danker’s. It is important to note that Danker’s Balance Sheet has been very strong, with no debt equity, long-term loans, or overdraft.Bankers to the company were very favourably disposed towards them. Rolf Danker and his accountant brother Erik were constantly being encouraged by their bankers to take up the finance being offered t o them and expand their business further. This approach taken by management to gain experience in the Irish market first, evaluate the product, and adjust any shortcomings they may experience before attempting to break into the UK market is crucial. 2-3 year’s experience in the home market would be essential before expanding. Before expansion of the product it is vital that our strategy in the short term is achieved and we successfully become a market leader in the home market first.This will enable us to establish a reputation while creating a loyal customer base giving us a competitive advantage against competitors in the market. Furthermore, this would provide Danker’s with experience of the market before attempting to make in-roads in the UK. Provided we are successful in the home market, there are a number of tasks that would need to be in place for expanding our product. We would need to expand the business by purchasing a larger warehouse to produce the goods in order to facilitate production in the wider UK market as well as maintaining production in the home market and our other SBU’s. To aid expansion, we recommend on taking up on the Bank’s offer providing us with a loan.By increasing capacity this will enable Danker’s to avail of a number of capacity considerations. There include economies of scale, technology/labour mix, and learning curves. With economies of scale the average unit cost decreases as output increases. It is essential that Danker’s are able to obtain lower costs by expanding their business. The technology/labour mix means that Danker’s can improve capacity by introducing new technologies, which will increase fixed costs but reduce their variable labour costs. The phenomenon of learning curves results in increasing output overtime, without an increase in resources. The external supply chain would also need to be developed to penetrate the UK market.The existing supply chain used in the home market would be a template and then extend and adopt it to make it suitable for the UK market. An effective recommendation could be to design a detailed process map. This would allow all staff to ascertain what was required at each stage and the time constraints that would need to be adhered to. As operation manager, it is in imperative to ensure that the process is efficient. However, if Danker’s are finding it difficult to break into the UK market, they could create Strategic Alliance with suppliers from the UK. Distribution costs and warehouse costs will be a major contribution to costs as the firm breaks into the UK market. There needs to be smart decisions made by the operations manager in regards to logistics management.This involves the planning, implementation, and control of the effective flow and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. An effective recommendation for Danker’s would be to outsource their transport requireme nts, this will provide more control, improve customer service, and would be less expensive for the business. With the money from the loan, Danker’s could look to develop a production center in the UK to cut costs. They should then set up distribution centers close to the market in the UK, which would reduce transportation costs. Danker’s then should evaluate their performance on their third SBU to ensure that they are achieving their goals. A method of performance, which could be used is benchmarking.This involves comparing the business to others in the industry to gauge where they stand and steps they may need to identify in order to become more successful. 7. Conclusion Once Danker’s have their third SBU up and running, they will be able to develop sales and operations plans and forecast for the business by looking at previous sales, which will help them to determine the levels of capacity required, both strategically and tactically. They will also be able to plan for future materials required and gauge what inventory levels are required for their business. This will facilitate them to be able to develop a master production schedule. This will drive the supply chain and set precise production levels.We believe that once Danker’s follows the short-term objectives and implements our recommendations, they will generate profits from their new product development and facilitate them in becoming a market leader in the home market. As a result, this will enable them to penetrate the wider UK market in the long run and alongside our advice compete with their product on a large scale. By expanding their business and creating a third SBU we believe that they can generate massive profits and become a leader in the timber conservatory market. 8. References We got our information for our report from the following; * Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain Management; Bozarth & Handfield, 2nd Edition (2008); Pearson International Edition. * B GMT 20010 Operational and Supply Chain Management 2011 Lecture Material, University College Dublin.

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Phlebotomy - Essay Example Professionalism is required while medical assistants work with patients. Therefore, efficiency, competence and a show of concern to patient needs and feelings are crucial (Lindh, Poole, Tamparo, & Dahl, 2010). A phlebotomist should understand the blood circulatory system and the composition of blood so as to be able to collect blood from an individual or patient. For instance, blood forms in the body organs, and bone marrow is responsible for the formation of blood cells. Blood is produced in sites such as the spleen, thymus and the lymph nodes (Lindh, Poole, Tamparo, & Dahl, 2010). Blood performs crucial functions in the body such as transporting oxygen to body tissues and organs and removing carbon dioxide from such organs and tissues, the waste product of functions of the organs and tissues. In addition, blood carries nutrients to all parts of the body and removes wastes products, which it moves to organs such as the kidney, lungs, liver and the skin for excretion (Lindh, Poole, Tamparo, & Dahl, 2010). Components of the blood circulatory system include the heart, veins, arteries and capillaries. The heart is responsible for the pumping of blood through the body in arteries, veins and capillaries (Lindh, Poole, Tamparo, & Dahl, 2010). Arteries enable blood to flow away from the heart while blood flows into the heart through veins. Capillaries connect veins and arteries. Arteries are thick walled to enable them withstand pressure, and they normally branch to form arterioles which also branch to form capillaries (Lindh, Poole, Tamparo, & Dahl, 2010). Capillaries join to form venules which supply blood back to the veins. Blood is composed of the liquid part which is plasma, red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells (Hoeltke, 2013). The circulatory is divided into two systems and these are the pulmonary system and the systemic system. Blood is circulated to the lungs for enrichment

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 5

Marketing - Essay Example In the current case, an expensive line of women bathing suit is to be launched internationally. For this, the bathing line will have to create strategic alliance either with the host nation or with a local organization. The various criteria for choosing a country are as follows: Political assessment- It means accessing government stability as well as friendliness to foreign market entrants. Economic assessment- It involves documenting and analyzing of economic indicators such as, health, foreign investment activities, taxes as well as history or mergers and acquisitions. Social assessment- It involves collection of demographic information such as, age, employment rates, income history and population. Infrastructure assessment- It involves evaluation of ground conditions like, power, roads as well as telecommunications reliability. Legal assessment- It includes preparation of all regulatory compliances which the company is not following currently. Each of the countries chosen, Brazil, UAE and Spain are politically and economically suitable for the expansion business. Also, the infrastructure in all three countries is well established and shows constant growth (Lawrence, 2000). Brazil and UAE are major emerging economies and Spain has an established market for luxury swimsuit line for women. Thus, all these three countries are suitable according to most of the chosen criteria. Marketing communication Before entering into an international market, it is extremely important to understand the foreign market and the industry environment. Before marketing communication planning, the Swimsuit Company will have to look into following criteria: Assessment of growth potential It involves projecting realistic and opportunistic growth trajectory after entry into the market. Spain is one of the major European markets for swimsuits, after Italy and France. The overall yearly swimsuit sales are increasing. This can be attributed to huge tourist footfalls as well as local market consumption. Brazil has become one of the hottest destinations for luxury apparel market, as a result of increasing number of international brands as well as affordability among consumers. Even though apparel sector has seen a constant growth in UAE, the sale of men’s luxury swimsuits is much more than the ones for women. Competitor evaluation It involves identification of top players in the industry. Spain is the home for some of the top-notch luxury swimsuit brands such as, Women’s secret and Oysho, which are market leaders. Other prominent market leaders are Andres Sarda, TCN and Selmark. Brazil is still an emerging market in terms of luxury swimwear. Local brands such as, Gap and H&M, are not doing a good job. Brazil has the opportunity for luxury swimsuit market. Most of the women swimsuits in UAE are available only in malls. Customer evaluation It involves gathering customer behavior insights which can help in making useful adjustments in product designs as well as marketing communication strategies (Young & Aitken, 2007). Tools such as, fit matrix and customer opportunity matrix, can be used. As discussed earlier, both Brazil and Spain are preferable markets for expansion. However, Spain can be considered as a mature market and competition will be tough. Compared to this, Brazil has fewer competitors in luxury swimsuits category and market demand is constantly increasing. Pricing and positioning analysis It is important to forecast appropriate approaches

Anotated Biography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anotated Biography - Research Paper Example He presents his experiment on the cadets of Israeli Air force flight school to support his argument. The paper gives an experimental insight into the use of simulation in training which will help develop a methodology for research Gonzales and Cathcart give a factual account of how human nature adapts itself to learning. What are the problems encountered and how the brain evolves eventually? This will be very useful in the literature review of our research as it will help find a co-relation between development and simulation/training. Salas explains how PC-based simulation games can be used to exploit the student’s cognitive skills in various real world domains. This work will be helpful in the research as it seeks to provide various ways in which simulation can be used in training teachers. The paper explores the use of PC-Based simulations in air crew coordination. How valid it is, how safe it is and in what way is it better. It provides some valid points which will be useful in the research. In this paper Kincaid draws comparison between the effectiveness of tradition and simulation based training in medicine. He and his colleagues came to this conclusion that simulation and simulators are being used without regard for cognition, design and training. This will be very useful in the critical analysis part of the paper. In this paper Kincaid draws comparison between the effectiveness of tradition and simulation based training in medicine. He and his colleagues came to this conclusion that simulation and simulators are being used without regard for cognition, design and training. This will be very useful in the critical analysis part of the paper. Kohn, Linda, T, Carrigan, , & Janet, (2000). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health Sys-tem, Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Retrieved 15th July 2010, from http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9728&page=R1 This is a detailed elaborate

Philosophy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy - Research Paper Example The college was founded by Pastor Jonathan Blanchard in the year 1860. Blanchard was an abolitionist who was a pioneer in the abolishment of slavery (Wheaton Heroes, par. 2). He was also strongly against Freemasonry and possessed strong Christian and cultural values. These are both indications of the values upon which the college was built. Jonathan Blanchard was also the college’s first president and was later succeeded by his son. Currently the president of the college is Philip Ryken (Wheaton, par. 4). In total the college has had eight presidents. At the current moment, Wheaton has approximately 2500 students from each of the states in America and approximately 50 countries all over the world (U.S News, par. 1). It is one of the most highly ranked Christian colleges and its mission is to build the church and improve the world (Wheaton College, par. 3). It aims to fulfill these goals using the philosophies of its founders which were centered on humanitarian activities. The college aims to promote the role of Christians in the community and attempts to achieve this mission by implementing programs of excellence into a solid Christian education (Wheaton College, par. 3). These programs and policies adhere to the college motto, â€Å"For Christ and His Kingdom† (Wheaton College, par. 2). Another major aim of Wheaton College is to establish more churches and spread the word of God. This philosophy can be seen in action as students from this college are able to fulfill their role in society in approximately 60 countries due to several service projects and programs that have been initiated by the college (Wheaton College, par. 1). Students from the college perform researches and participate in other academic activities in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. It also has an HNGR program which enables graduates to complete their internship in developing countries (About HNGR, par. 2). The

Retail Industry in the UK for the Last Quarter of 2011 Essay

Retail Industry in the UK for the Last Quarter of 2011 - Essay Example The UK retail sector contributes 8% towards the country’s GDP which includes the UK retailers going overseas and expansion of e-commerce beyond the borders of the United Kingdom (Farfan, 2011). However, retailers in the UK face a huge challenge as they struggle to cope with the sudden deterioration in consumer demand and willingness to purchase. This report presents an in-depth analysis of the key factors that influence the development of the retail sector while evaluating which sectors offer the most potential. 2. Overview of the retail sector 2.1 Top retailers - UK The top four retailers in the UK include Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury and together they account for about 80% of the retail food sales in the UK (Farfan, 2011). Even though recession impacted the individual retail chains, there were not many substantial changes in the largest retail UK chains. The largest retail chains held their ranking order because there were no changes observed. Two major changes that occurred in 2011 in the UK retailing industry were that the apparel retailer Arcadia group and department store Debenhams lost their spots in the World’s largest retailing list completely. ... 2.2 Causes of decline in consumer shopping The retail sector witnessed a healthy start to 2011 as figures showed that sales on high street were up 9% year-on-year which provided a new boost to the British mid-market retailers (Sillitoe, 2011). Fashion sales, non-fashion trading and homeware sales had all witnessed growth in sales. However, the economic and survey data suggest a slowdown in activity, which poses a challenge for the UK retail sector. Following the recession the economic growth has been slow which reflects the weak consumer sector and the rising unemployment. The economy is expected to grow by 2.0% in 2012 but the retail sector continues to be grim (Retail Economics, 2011). Consumer spending had fallen for four consecutive quarters before September 2011. Consumer spending in the second quarter of 2011 declined by 1.7% compared with the same period last year. Real disposable incomes have been affected due to high levels of inflation and low earnings growth. Besides, taxe s have been imposed and benefits cut, which further affects the household disposable income. Fears about job security and personal finances have contributed to low consumer spending. The consumer spending is expected to slow down further as consumer debt rises, assisted by rising interest rates and inflation (Prospects, 2012) and stagnant wage growth and rising unemployment (Leach, 2011). House prices and job security also affect how people shop. Consumer confidence has waned because people will shop only if they feel optimistic about the situation. When they lack confidence in their own financial security, naturally the spending will be reduced. There has been a slow growth in the retail sector as the operating costs and the cost of credit have risen. The

Child Health Patterns Essay Example for Free

Child Health Patterns Essay 1)Compare and contrast identified similarities as well as differences in expected assessment across the childhood age groups. In the health perception category parents are responsible for their child’s perceived level of health and well-being, and on practices for maintaining health. In the school age years the children are beginning to incorporate their own health practices like good hygiene in their daily lives. The nutrition and metabolic pattern continues with help of the parents. Toddlers and preschoolers rely on their parents to make sure that they are eating the right foods. School age kids are in the stage where they can pick out their own foods and have been taught what the best sources of good nutrition are. In the toddler age group, parents are beginning to initiate toileting training. By the school age years this age groups has elimination patterns similar to adults. With the exception of those who have elimination problems like enuresis. Throughout the three age groups, activity and exercise levels continue to increase with the learning of new fine and gross motor skills. Once again parents continue to play a big role by promoting healthy levels of physical activity with their child. As the child begins to age so does their ability to comprehend and use information. Each age group the child continues to add another cognitive function. The biggest difference between sleep patterns is that as the child ages naps are no longer needed. All of the age groups tend to need at least 8 hours of sleep. The differences between the age groups in the roles and relationship pattern is that in the toddler and preschool age they try to identify with their parents or care givers whereas school age children begin to focus or identify with their peers. The value and belief pattern is instilled in the child when they are born. Parents or caregivers teach their children what values are important to them. 2)Summarize how a nurse would handle physical assessments, examinations, education, and communication differently with children versus adults. Consider spirituality and cultural differences in your answer. Adults and children are in two different stages of life. Children are in the stages were they are still learning and understanding how the healthcare world works. Most adults on the other hand are used to going to the doctor and they kind of understand the routine during the assessment process. â€Å"Many assessment techniques for the child are similar to those of the adults. Techniques for approaching the pediatric patient vary from one age group to the next. A basic principle during the physical assessment is building a trusting relationship; this can be done in a variety of ways† (Estes, 2006, pg 848). When assessing the child the nurse must establish a game plan based on the child’s age. Children are already frightened about the idea of receiving an exam but the nurse can use techniques to reduce anxiety. Parents or caregivers must be available for support. According to Estes, 2006 nurses can use game playing and they can demonstrate procedures on a doll, stuff toy or on the parent to increase patient cooperativeness. The writer remembers learning in nursing school about when taking the blood of a younger child. Never say â€Å"I’m going to take your blood pressure† but say something like â€Å"I going to see how strong your muscles are with this cuff†. When educating the child try to involve their parents but use materials that are on the child’s level. This can consists of materials that use colorful pictures and graphics. Individuals have to understand their own beliefs and traditions especially nurses who are with always dealing with the public. Each day more nurses are providing care to patients that are from different cultures. With such a diverse population challenges will be faced. â€Å"As American society shifts in demographics and attitudes about diversity, there is a growing recognition that health and illness care occurs in dynamic interactions situated within complex cultural contexts for both patients and providers† (Benkert, Borse, Doorenbos,Schim,2005, pg324). Nurse have to be more culturally sensitive when assessing and educating patients. If the nurse is unfamiliar with ethnicity or race then research should be done before the assessment if time allows. References Benkert, R. Borse,N. Doorenbos, A. Schim, S.2005. Psychometric Evaluation of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument Among Healthcare Providers. Nursing Research.54(5)324-331. Edleman,C. Mandle C.(2010). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Estes M. (2006). Health Assessment Physical Examination.Canada: Thompson Delmar Learning.

Need For Effective Leadership Consequences Of Ineffective Leadership Management Essay

Need For Effective Leadership Consequences Of Ineffective Leadership Management Essay Leadership can be viewed as a process of influencing activities and actions of an organized group or team in its efforts towards setting goals and achieving goals. (Stogdill, 1990). A leader is an individual who considerably affects the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of a considerable number of individuals. (Gardner, 1995). Leadership is a process; it is comprised of more than the leader and the situation (Church, 1998). When viewed in the terms of organizations leadership is considered to be a special contribution because it makes a significant difference to the success of the organization. (Tjosvold and Wong, 2000). When leadership is effective in an organization ordinary can be transformed into extraordinary and this leads to satisfaction of customers, employees and top management, i.e. all are content and satisfied. (Tjosvold and Wong, 2000). The four Vs of Leadership have been considered as critical when defining it; they are vision, values, value-Added, and vitality. (Shaw, 2006). There are various viewpoints from which leadership has been defined previously, including individual traits, behaviours, contextual perspectives, and combinations of these viewpoints. (Taormina, Robert. J, 2008). Need for Effective Leadership- Consequences of Ineffective Leadership Leadership in an organization must focus on the essential actions and behaviours of the leaders if view of the following ill consequences and hence it is extremely important to develop the quality of leaders and continuously improvise on managers abilities to lead the organizational teams. (Georgenson, 2009) 1. Leaders not providing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time) targets to their employees: o Low synchronisation of personal and organizational objectives o Workforce may become unproductive o Lack of clarity regarding what is to be achieved o Frustration may build among the workforce (Source: www.learnmarketing.net) 2. If leaders are not providing clear, positive and instant opinion about the employees work standard and results achieved. o Reluctance among the employees regarding managers interest in the work. o Unproductive behaviours may persist leading to long term loss in productivity of workforce. 3. If leaders do not provide continuous improvement avenues. o Employees waste time looking for ways to become better o Employees employ irrelevant activity for improvement o Development of employees is restricted leading to less productive workforce 4. If leaders are unable to provide for effective performance appraisal o Continuation of poor performance o Employees consider their current performance as acceptable o Problems in meeting targets set for future (Georgenson, 2009) Beyond achieving performance related organizational goals effective leadership makes an organization capable of meeting contemporary challenges in todays business environment such as need for competitive advantage, ensuring ethical behaviour and achieving productivity through a diverse workforce in global companies in a fair and equitable manner. (Jones George, 2004) Teamwork- The Spirit of Successful Organizations A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. (Katzenbach and Smith).Teamwork not only promotes a sense of comradeship within an organization, it is also transmitted to all clients or customers who do business with the organization. (Twomey Kleiner, 1996). Teamwork may have two kinds of objectives: co-ordinating and innovating. Teamwork can be a measure to open the horizontal communication among the hierarchies, and it adds to the flexibility of the whole organization. (Nurmi, 1996). Combining Teamwork and Leadership Teamwork facilitates management and leadership, and it helps improve communication and saves the time of both the employees and management. Teamwork in companies is structured. A team has a team leader who coordinates with the team members in defining and achieving other roles, objectives, accountability, schedules and deadlines. (Nurmi, 1996). In present day companies and in modern management teamwork is a necessity. There is a necessity of teamwork in a functional organization where they are needed for the co-ordination of different departments because all the departments in the organization are partly responsible for the collective performance of the whole organization as a unit. (Nurmi, 1996). Challenges for leadership A research conducted by C.D. McCauley, Ohlott Ruderman, 1999 helped in identifying five basic categories of challenges for leadership. (C.D. McCauley, Ohlott Ruderman, 1999, cited in: Antonakis, John, Ciancolo, Anna. T., Sternberg, Robert, 2004). These are: a) Creation of a change by taking the organization in new directions; addressing problems of previous leadership and decide in the face of uncertainty. b) Management at higher levels of responsibility and commitment as the leaders decisions guide the organizations moves. c) Management of issues related to leaders authority on other people. d) Effective management of diversity within an organizational culture. e) Being unflappable during job transitions, change of responsibilities and building relationships. I as a Consultant- Advices and Suggestions My advices in relation to the improvement of leadership and enhancing teamwork skills and performance levels and productivity. I will be predominantly citing examples from the global outsourcing and consulting giant; Infosys Technologies Ltd. My suggestions for improvement of leadership levels would be the following. They have been categorized into several strategic intentions and actions towards developing the leadership skills. They are: 1. Leaders need to build self esteem among the employees who follow them. They must seek their advice on the issues and make them feel important. In this way the employees will feel that they are needed and will be more than willing to work for the leaders. Its also important for the leaders to understand the employees needs for appraisal and motivation in several forms. Being a good leader means that they understand the people they work with and respect them for their contribution. Infosys points out that moral intelligence is new to the analytical playing field, and highlights four key principles that can sustain moral intelligence: Integrity; Responsibility; Compassion; Forgiveness. (Ethics, success and leadership the Infosys way, 2006) 1. Integrity is creating harmony between what we believe and how we act, doing what we know is right (and this definitely includes telling the truth at all times). 2. Responsibility is a person who is willing to take responsibility for their own actions, and the consequences only by taking this responsibility do you stay true to core values. 3. Compassion is broadened to include caring about others, which then shows our respect for others. It also has a boomerang effect, because generally when a compassionate person is in trouble, we return compassion to them. 4. Forgiveness is a key principle because without a tolerance for mistakes and acknowledgement of human imperfection, we are likely to be rigid and inflexible, thereby reducing the common good.