Computers Essays (140 words) - Classes Of Computers,

What ia a computer it is a desk top or a laop top and they have really pocket size computers from little screens to real big screen. how many computers do you have I have 4 to 5 different computers. What is the differneces between a desktop and a laptop computer a Laptop you can take with you and a desktop you cannot a desktop the screen is seperate and on the laptop it is attached and the mouse is attached on a laptop and on a desktop it is seperate and on a laptop the keyboard is attached and on a desktop it is seperate and the speakers are attached on a laptop and on a desktop they are seperate. On both the screen can be big or small and the printer is seperate on both laptop and desktop.

Types of Digital Storage

Types of Digital Storage Free Online Research Papers Types of Storage While many types of storage exist today, one should strive to choose which type of storage is best for the situation. Some types of storage are hard disk, floppy disk, RAM, CD ROM, tape, and flash or jump Drive. While each type of storage is a type of storage that a person can be use to save personal or profession data not all storage devices are the same. This paper will attempt to explain the different type of storage. First, one should know the difference between secondary and main memory. Secondary storage also referred to as the auxiliary storage that holds information and software programs when the computer operator is not using the data. Secondary storage is more stable than the computer’s main memory, retaining information and software programs even with the computer powered off. Main memory also called primary storage refers to the physical memory that the computer retains inside the computer. The computer can only use information that is in the main memory bank. As a result, all software programs that the computer implements and all folders that are used are first copied from a secondary storage device into the computers main memory. Hard disk A hard disk is a magnetic disk used to store data from a computer. The expression hard is used to make a distinction the disk from a floppy disk. A hard disk can also referred to as the hard drive of a computer. The hard drive holds more data and is faster than a floppy disk when accessing saved data. The maximum storage for a floppy disk is 1.4 megabytes where the maximum storage for a hard drive can be 10 gigabytes and up. In most cases, hard drives are not as mobile as a floppy disk, even though detachable hard drives are in existence today. Floppy disk A floppy disk like the hard disk is also a magnetic disk used to store data from a computer. A floppy disk is made-up of a thin and floppy magnetic disc encased in a protective plastic shell. The floppy disk though convenient is easy to destroy or contaminate the data on the disk. The disk sometimes fails for no apparent reason and if the computer user has not backed up the data on the disk, they lose all information saved. The floppy disk has become increasingly obsolete since the invention of flash drives. RAM Random access memory (RAM) requires electrical energy to maintain the stored data. The expression random therefore, refers to the thought that every section of data can be returned in a timely manner, despite the position of the data or if data is connected to the preceding portion of information. The acronym RAM is mainly instructions or data that can be temporarily stored memory but that lose their contents if the current is turned off or disrupted (Stair Reynolds, 2006, p. 51). CD ROM Compact Disc Read-only Memory (CD ROM) is a disc that can contain information data a user can access but is not able to write information to the disc (2008). CD ROMs can store different types of data from music, games, and even software programs. Even though CD ROMs are a good source for receiving data, they cannot store any data unless they are rewriteable. Tape Two different forms cartridge or a cassette knows magnetic tape also called tape storage. The tape storage most common use is to perform backup of a large amount of information either nightly or on a weekly basis. Tape storage is generally low costing and has long shelf life making it the storage device of choice for a business. Tape drives allow for access of data in the sequence that the information was saved to the tape, while the hard drive that allows for random access to saved information. Tape drives are slower since they have to spend a large amount of time winding the tape to read they piece of data. Flash or Jump Drive Jump or Flash drive is a portable storage device integrated with a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Most operating systems support plug and play devices making the jump drive a popular choice for data storage. Jump or flash drives allow the user to backup files, store programs, music, and photos. The jump or flash drive is compact, allows for faster retrieval of files, holds extensive data and is rewriteable. The jump or flash drive has little or no moving parts making the drive more dependable. Since most computers manufactured today do not have, a floppy drive installed, and USB ports appear on almost any computer and laptop that are manufactured today. In conclusion, after researching the different types of storage devices the jump or flash drive seems to be the one that is growing to be the most widely used for storage. The jump drives allows for easier access to stored information. The jump or flash drive is easier to carry from place to place with out the fear of damage to the data. References (2008). Glossary of Terms . Retrieved October 12, 2008, from stiltonstudios.net/glossary.htm Stair, R. M., Reynolds, G. W. (2006). Fundamentals of Information Systems (3rd ed.). (M. Mendelsohn, Ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Thomson Course Tech Research Papers on Types of Digital StorageIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceEffects of Television Violence on Children

Renaissance Humanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renaissance Humanism - Essay Example Bernini captures the essence of the story of Apollo and Daphne because of the actions and reactions of the characters in the sculpture and because of the items in it that altogether provide the emotions and meanings of the original story. Apollo lovingly grabs Daphne. He is running after her, so he is in the movement of a running man. It shows his desperation because of his passionate love for her. Daphne, however, hates Apollo and calls help from his father. Her face is a frantic plea for her father to save her from Apollo. She reaches up to prevent Apollo from touching her and she becomes a tree during this process. Her hands are already turning to branches and leaves. Somehow, her face also shows freedom. She seems to be in a transition from anxiety to calmness as she becomes a tree and remains free from Apollo’s advances. This transition from human to tree is part of the Greek myth. Bernini’s sculpture captures the story of St. Teresa of Avilas encounter with an angel because he includes the main characters of the story and the emotions that came with the story. His sculpture has an angel with the arrow that is positioned toward Teresa’s heart. He is smiling in his act of thrusting the arrow to her. Rays of light are coming down on Teresa. Teresa is already experiencing ecstasy with her closed eyes and parted lips. The deep folds of her clothes suggest movement of her pleasures for the arrow. The way that Teresa also lies down with her left hand clutching the clouds and left foot in display reinforce her feelings of deep oneness with God. She receives God inside her and feels the full force of her spiritual marriage with God as if it is both physical and spiritual. This is Bernini’s sculpture, The Rape of Proserpina. Pluto or Hades kidnaps and rapes Proserpina in the Underworld. The two-headed dog Cerberus is included to signify that it is Hades who kidnaps her. It can be seen how he grabs Proserpina by her waist and thighs that

World of Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World of Work - Essay Example According to Ashenfelter (1999), computer technology has resulted to change in relative demand for skills. Change in workplace caused by introduction of computer has required individual workers to enhance their skills. However, the change has made work to be much easier and enjoyable than it used to be before. This has actually made individual workers to be more efficient on their roles thus becoming more productive. Currently, an employee who used to type one page using the typewriter can write ten pages using a computer in a much easier and enjoyable manner. The change in workplace resulting from introduction of computers has also resulted to great impact to the society. Through internet technology, computers enhance searching of record as well as the displaying of results (CSA, 2010). This has reduced the level of fatigue for individual workers. As a result, their interaction during work and after work has been greatly enhanced. Moreover, the technology has improved communication between individuals. This has greatly enhanced the relationships of individuals in the society thus resulting to societal

Torts problem question-Negligent misstatements Case Study

Torts problem question-Negligent misstatements - Case Study Example Whoever makes a claim due to somebody's negligence besides proving duty of care, breach and damages, must also show extra factors under 'duty' As pure economic loss caused by negligence is not a tort but liability under common law negligence. In Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd [1963]1 UKHL 4 (28 May 1963, it was held by the House of Lords that respondents were not liable as bankers for giving negligently favourable opinion about their client whom the appellants dealt with as a result. The reason was that the bankers had no fiduciary relationship with the appellants nor had any duty of care to them as there was no contract. Besides they had cautioned the appellants that their opinion was without owning any responsibility. Applying the same principle in the above case, it can be argued that though the bankers had been in the process of making a fiduciary relationship subject to the surveyor's opinion, such a relationship had not been established. There was also no negligence on the part of the bankers. Besides they also had relied on Surveyor's opinion and lost business as a result. In fact Helen and the Bank are in the same position. On the other hand whether Helen as well as Andrew can claim compensation from the Surveyor depends on the principles of duty of care, fiduciary relationship, and negligence. ... But proximity of relationship could be deemed to exist as two of them have suffered due to his negligent opinion. Therefore both Helen and Andrew can claim damages from him. In fact, valuer was held liable in Can v Wilson2, wherein the valuer was held responsible to the mortgagees for negligent undervaluation and was asked to pay loss incurred by the mortgagees due to mortgagor's default. In this case, the defendant who was the valuer sent his valuation report to the agent of plaintiff (mortgagee) in order to induce him to advance money against the mortgage of the property he valued. As the valuer had knowingly placed himself in that position, he had a duty of care in the preparation of a valuation document. In somewhat identical cases, Smith v. Eric S. Bush and Harris v. Wyre Forest District Council [1989]3, both the plaintiffs purchased houses relying on valuations of the surveyors who acted under the instructions of the defendant mortgagees and their fees were paid by the plaintiff purchasers. The valuations of the surveyors turned out to be defective resulting in serious financial loss to the plaintiffs. Even though the terms of agreement excluded liability for both the mortgagees and the surveyors for any loss due to inaccuracy in valuation, the House of Lords held that surveyors had a duty of care to the plaintiffs and the terms of exclusion of liability was struck down by virtue of section 2(2) and 11 (3) of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. B In the case of B.Pen & Co, Charles lent money to James to buy the business of B.Pen & Co, relying on the Accountant's report which later turned out to be untrue to the detriment of both Charles and John. Although it was

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay Toyota Motor Corporation Profile According to Toyota Global (2015) Toyota is a worldwide Japanese automotive corporation headquartered in Aichi, Japan. Toyota was founded in August 28 1937 by founder Kiichiro Toyoda. Marketing Strategy Fifield (2012) claims there are countless meanings for the term Marketing Strategy. Fifield (2012) accumulates and provides a number of meanings from various authors for the term Marketing Strategy. But the most captivating definition from Fifields (2012) research was from an author named Craven. Fifield (2012, p.xxiv) quotes Cravens definition of a marketing strategy in which he defines it as a process that involves strategically analysing environmental, competitive as well as business factors that affect business units and forecasting future trends in business areas of interest to the company. Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy A marketing strategy currently used by Toyota is a strategy called penetration pricing (See Appendix A). Ferrell and Hartline (2010) reveal that the purpose of the penetration pricing marketing strategy is to maximise sales and to attain widespread market share within the market a company is competing in. Ferrell and Hartline (2010)also bring to light that the penetration pricing marketing strategy has the objective of capturing a large market share rapidly by setting low prices for products that a company sells. Furthermore Ferrell and Hartline (2010) claim that penetration pricing is best executed when consumers are sensitive towards the price of the product. Harrison and John (2013) highlight Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy which states that Toyota sell their cars in the low end of the price spectrum. This strategy caters to the price sensitive consumers. Whats more Wood (2007) exemplifies Toyotas use of the penetration pricing marketing strategy when Toyota introduced their Yaris Subcompact car production to the Europe market. Wood (2007) highlights that Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy for their Yaris car production enabled the corporation to compete with other well-known automotive companies such as Ford, Volkswagen, Renault and Vauxhall. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Another marketing strategy used by Toyota is a marketing strategy called the guerrilla strategy (See Appendix B). Boone and Kurtz (2014) inform that guerrilla marketing involves companies using unconventional techniques to attract consumer attention. Boone and Kurtz (2014) also regard the guerrilla marketing strategy as a fairly new marketing technique, in addition Boone and Kurtz (2014) reveal that the strategy is normally used by companies that do not have financial resources for other well-known or more effective marketing strategies. What is more Boone and Kurtz (2014) bring forward that established companies such as Toyota and Pepsi also employ the guerrilla marketing strategy even though such companies have the financial capacity to implement more effective marketing strategies. Boyles (2008) acknowledges Toyotas incorporation of the guerrilla marketing strategy which outlines that Toyotas main reason for using the guerrilla marketing strategy is to attract the younger crowd i.e. young adults. Boyles (2008) also points out that companies such as Toyota conduct this strategy by placing advertisements on objects that are used everyday e.g. food or drink packaging. What is more Boyles (2008) goes further by revealing that companies such as Toyota use alternative methods for the guerrilla marketing strategy such as placing advertisements in locations where people commute frequently. Social Media Marketing Strategy A further strategy currently used by Toyota is the social media marketing strategy (See Appendix C). Marketing via use of social media is considered a contemporary strategy in the marketing world and is also considered a very effective marketing strategy. Many companies in this day age are now taking advantage of the social media marketing strategy such as Toyota. Zarrella (2009) notifies that social media marketing involves the usage of web technologies. Zarella (2009) also points out that social media web technologies include activities such as blogging, social networks (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) and media sharing sites (such as Flickr and YouTube). Tybout and Calde, (2010) present a detailed example of Toyotas usage of the social media marketing strategy. Tybout and Calde (2010) exemplify Toyotas usage of the social media strategy marketing by unveiling Toyotas affiliation with a company called iCrossing. Tybout and Calde (2010) go further by acknowledging iCrossings role in building awareness of Toyotas IQ city car which was released by Toyota in 2008. Tybout and Calde, (2010) declare that iCrossing is a UK based company who specialise in digital marketing. Additionally Tybout and Calde, (2010) mention that iCrossing helped to promote Toyotas IQ car model via the use of a campaign called the The Hypermiling Campaign. Hypermiler (2015) is an online community that focuses on providing fuel saving advice. iCrossings assistance in promoting the IQ car production helped Toyota to generate positive anticipation amongst the communitys online users. Tybout and Calde, (2010) continue by talking about Toyotas IQ blogging site which was created specifically for the IQ car production. Tybout and Calde, (2010) carry on by disclosing Toyotas increase in traffic on their blogging site which increased by more than 212 percent as a result of their affiliation with iCrossing. Tybout and Calde, (2010) lecture on how the social media marketing strategy has enabled Toyota to reach new audiences through the use of alternative social media marketing techniques such as blog posting, Flickr and Twitter. Tybout and Calde, (2010) conclude by addressing an additional technique used by Toyota in the social media realm which is the integration of their online newsroom with social media outlets such as YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. The result of this marketing technique integration has allowed the web community to access Toyotas images, videos, activities and anything else associated with Toyota. Trade Show Marketing Strategy The last strategy used by Toyota is trade show marketing strategy (See Appendix D). This marketing strategy is used by many well-known automotive companies within the car industry. Trade show marketing involves companies exhibiting their new product(s) or service(s). Sà ¶ilen (2013) describes trade show marketing as person to person, information exchange and selling. Sà ¶ilen (2013) proceeds by stating that trade shows involve the gathering and distribution of information. Toyota uses this particular strategy to exhibit new car productions. An example of Toyotas trade show marketing strategy is their collaboration with a German company called B+s exhibitions. B+s exhibitions (2015) illustrate the partnership between the two companies where they present galleries as well as video footage of Toyotas trade shows. Toyota and b+s exhibitions have worked together since the early 1980s. B+s exhibitions are a company who have been specialising in trade shows for over 40 years where one of their primary focuses is trade show marketing for top automotive companies all around the world. Recommendations to Improve Toyotas Marketing Strategies Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings, Toyota could improve their penetration pricing marketing strategy by initially selling their cars at a low price then slowly increasing their prices once they have established a strong clientele on any new production they release. As mentioned earlier companies use the penetration strategy to attain widespread market share within the market they are competing in. What this means is companies such as Toyota using the penetration pricing strategy are trying to build a strong clientele which Toyota achieved many times over the years with the various car productions they have released. Holden and Burton (2010) address this issue in which they write about the problems that can arise from the penetration pricing strategy. First Holden and Burton (2010) tackle the issue of customers who come to companies such as Toyota based on price where they highlight such customers as being the first to leave once another competitor enters the market. What is more Holden and Burton (2010) state that competing with competitors based on price is the least sustainable competitive advantage strategy to have. Even though Toyota has been one of the worlds leading automotive competitors for many years it is imperative to take such precautions into consideration for the reason that they could sooner or later find themselves in such a situation. The tactic of starting off with low price then slowing increasing the price could help sustain the companys competitive advantage years down the line. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Improvement Toyota could improve their guerrilla marketing strategy by integrating their guerrilla marketing strategy with their social media marketing strategy. Levinson and Gibson (2010) speak about the effectiveness of combining the two marketing strategies. Levinson and Gibson (2010) delve into how guerrilla marketing strategy is able operate alongside the social media marketing strategy by noting the cost aspect of combining the two marketing strategies. They reveal that creating a social media platform requires zero fees. Levinson and Gibson (2010) carry on by discussing that all guerrilla marketers should take advantage of this idea as it gives guerrilla marketers such as Toyota the opportunity to maximise their brand to a wider audience. Social Media Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings Toyota has already constructed a solid social media marketing strategy. However Toyota could improve their social media marketing strategy as a way to study their competitors. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) bring to light how the social media marketing strategy can useful weapon when analysing your competition. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) provide an insight on how the social media strategy is a contemporary tool for monitoring and gathering information about competitors within your market segments. Moreover West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) go further by making a note of the type of information that can be gathered about competitors where information can include competitor brands, strengths, weaknesses and strategic decisions. Additionally West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) present an extra commodity where they state corporations such as Toyota can employ specialist firms to analyse competitors on their behalf. Having access to such information would provide Toyota with ammunition which they can then use to get a better understanding of the market they are competing in. Trade Show Marketing Strategy improvement Toyota could improve their trade show marketing strategy by integrating their trade show and social media strategies together. Executing their social media strategy before and during their trade shows would help Toyota to improve traffic and awareness of their trade shows. Stratten and Kramer (2012) bring to attention that social media is one of the best ways to increase traffic at a trade shows. This can be done is by engaging in social media before and during the event. Stratten and Kramer (2012) offer an example of this tactic by saying that users of the trade show marketing strategy could use a social media outlet such as Twitter for their trade shows by using the hashtag tool. According to Chen et al. (2014) the hashtag tool is a feature on social media that is used to identify messages by topic. Stratten and Kramer (2012) continue by explaining that the use of hashtags enable the hosts of trade shows to see what people are saying about their conferences. This tactic can be carried out days or weeks before the event. Conclusion Research has revealed how instrumental marketing strategies can be to a companys success. Additionally the report has shown how various marketing strategies play different roles to elicit varied results. Research has also illustrated how marketing strategies can be the catalyst to a companys longevity and possess the power to separate successful companies from unsuccessful companies. What is more from research conducted it can be seen that even established companies such as Toyota still have room for improvement as development is a never ending process. Overall the report has helped to discover how Toyota has attained their current status within the automotive market. Toyota is good example of a company that executes effective marketing strategies. The marketing strategies outlined in the report have helped to expose how Toyota has had such a strong force in the automotive market over the years. References Boone, L. and Kurtz, D. (2014). Contemporary Marketing. ArkansasBoyles, D. (2008). The Corporate Assault on Youth. New York: Peter Lang B+s exhibitions (2015). b+s exhibitions GmbH |. [online] Available at:  http://wordpress.bs-exhibitions.de/?lang=en Chen, Y., Balke, W., Xu, J., Xu, W., Jin, P., Lin, X., Tang, T. and Hwang, E. (2014). Web-age information management. Macau: Springer. Ferrell, O. and Hartline, M. (2010). Marketing Strategy. 6th ed. Erin Joyne. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing Strategy. 2nd ed. The Chartered Institute of Marketing Harrison, J. and St. John, C. (2013). Foundations in strategic management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. olden, R. and Burton, M. (2010). Pricing with Confidence. Somerset: Wiley. Hypermiler (2015). Hypermiler.co.uk, Hypermiling News, Techniques Tips. [online] Available at:  http://www.hypermiler.co.uk/ Levinson, J. and Gibson, S. (2010). Guerrilla Marketing for Social Media: 100+ Weapons to Grown Your Online Influence, Attract Customers and Drive Profits. Entrepreneur Press. Solberg SÃÆ' ¸ilen, K. (2013). Exhibit marketing and trade show intelligence. Berlin: Springer. Stratten, S. and Kramer, A. (2012). UnMarketing. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Toyota Global (2015). Toyota Global Site | Overview. [online] Available at:  http://www.toyota-global.com/company/profile/overview/ Tybout, A. and Calder, B. (2010). Kellogg on Marketing. 2nd ed. Illinois. West, D., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E. (2015). Strategic marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wood, M. (2007). Essential guide to marketing planning. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Zarrella, D. (2015). The Social Media Marketing Book. Sebastopol: OReilly Media. Bibliography Conway, A. (2015). Beijing Auto Trade Show Toyota Unveil its new Concept. [online] Auto-Types.com. Available at:  http://www.auto-types.com/autonews/beijing-auto-trade-show-toyota-unveil-its-new-concept-8598.html Global, T. (2015). Toyota Global. [online] YouTube. Available at:  https://www.youtube.com/user/TOYOTAglobal Lum, R. (2012). Toyota: Protect Whats Behind You. [online] Creative Guerrilla Marketing. Available at:  http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/toyota-protect-whats-behind-you/ Seymour, R., Haddon, E. and Brownlee, S. (2012). Hot looks and Cool Connections with New Toyota Aygo Fire and Ice UK Media Site. [online] Media.toyota.co.uk. Available at:  http://media.toyota.co.uk/2012/02/hot-looks-and-cool-connections-with-new-toyota-aygo-fire-and-ice/ Appendix A: Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Example Sourced from Toyota UK Media, 2012 Appendix B: Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Creative Guerrilla Marketing, 2012 Appendix C: Social Media Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from YouTube, 2015 Appendix D: Trade Show Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Auto Types, 2015

An Investigation into the Best Current Practice of Supply Chain Managem

An Investigation into the Best Current Practice of Supply Chain Management This report documents an investigation into best current practice of Supply Chain Management. Various methods of materials procurement are outlined in addition to their relevance to examples in modern industry. The report discusses the ideal characteristics of a successful supply chain. From a traditional perspective, this has proven to be based around the development of strong inter-firm relationships among the participating organisations that make up the supply chain. Additionally, a detailed strategy of materials management is proposed for a manufacturer of earth moving equipment; JCB, and a digital camera manufacturer; Sony. Management Practice Supply Chain Management Materials procurement from the 60s to the 90s Although developed prior to this period, Henry Ford introduced a strong foundation for businesses of the 1960s with Vertical Integration. Ford attempted to control all of the operations in his business by buying other companies in the distribution channel. The Ford Motor Company owned the suppliers up the channel in backward integration and down the channel in forward integration, thereby gaining total control of all stages of the process from raw material extraction to finished car showrooms. Organisations of the 1960s maintained this Vertical Integration structure, in addition to somewhat adversarial inter-firm relationships that were a prevalent characteristic among 1960s businesses. Buyers and sellers typically operated at arm's-length, independent relationships, competing for resources rather than collaborating. The primary benefits associated with the arm's length philosophy were concerned with cost effectiveness when managing external sources. This arm's length approach to merchant and customer relations was balanced with the vertically integrated structure, as primary functions of the organisation were mostly under the firm's control. Before long, this vertically integrated organisational structure began to flatten, which gave rise to the supply chain organisation. Many organisations began to sell their units acquired by vertical integration and chose to partner with other companies that provided these services. Consequently, the concept of supply chain management developed, as organisations were attempting to achieve ... ...o a lack of motivation of the organisation in ensuring the success of the relationship with the supplier. It is anticipated that this work has demonstrated the importance of the role of the supply chain manager in establishing strong relationships with suppliers. Bibliography Boddy, D. & Paton, R. (1998). Management: an Introduction., Prentice Hall, Europe. Harrison, M. (1993) Operations Management Strategy. Pitman. Lines, D., Marcouse, I., & Martin, B. (2000). The complete A-Z Business Studies, 3rd ed., Hodder and Stoughton, England. Pietrak, W. J., Rietzke, J., & Wamsher, W. (1988) Material requirements planning. APICS Online JCB Groupn http://www.jcb.com Sony Corporation http://www.sony.com Duxbury. (2004), What is Supply Chain Management?, [Online]. Available: http://www.duxbury.com/statistics_d/templates/student_resources/0534373631_shapiro/introduction/introduction.html [2004, November 21]. Minicom. (2004), Asset management systems, [Online]. Available: www.mincom.com [2004, November 22]. Seagate. (2004), Electronic Data Interchange, [Online]. Available: http://www.seagate.com/support/edi/whatised.html [2004, November 24].

Activity-Based Costing (Abc); Hunter Company

Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company Emmanuel Achirem ACC 560-Managerial Accounting Dr. Lotfi Geriesh Strayer University 08/04/2012 Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 1 Introduction Over the past two decade’s adoption of Activity-Based Costing ABC has been tossed around like a hot potato by every size and type of organization. It was adopted by organizations ranging in size from huge multi-national companies like General Motors to the much smaller Alexandria Hospital. Lanen, Anderson, & Maher, 2011) Some companies began the initial processes but stopped short of actual implementation when they discovered more time and resources were needed to effect the change so management ran from it just as they had run from quality improvement concepts from the seventies and eighties. (Romano, 1990) Was this because ABC was not a good fit for the organization or was there a deeper issue? These organizations knew they were not adequately capturing the costs of activities ye t they final cost could be. T.J Rodgers who founded Cypress Semiconductor wrote: â€Å"The seeds of business failure are sown in good times, not bad†¦Growth masks waste, extravagance, and inefficiency. The moment growth slows, the accumulated sins of the past are revealed all the way to the bottom line. † (Clemmer, 1992) Given the competitive nature of business today organizations both big and small cannot long afford to ignore the 900 pound gorilla in the room. The goal of this paper is to discuss Time-driven ABC cost system can be implemented and how it has benefited some companies such as Hunter Company.The system was not widely accepted in the beginning, but ABC has play major role in cost accounting today and has help some managers to combat corporate resistance to change when trying to implement it. Operating managers have known for many years that while the traditional costing approach was inaccurate; and archaic it was close enough. Today, because of the global a nd high speed Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 2 nature of the business environment, the errors of conventional costing are systematic and can affect too many decisions.Time-driven ABC is not a hypothetical improvement to traditional ABC analysis. It has been applied in dozens of companies, helping them to deliver significant profit improvements quickly. The Hunter Company (disguised name of actual company), a large, multinational distributor of scientific products with over 20 facilities, 300,000 customers, and 460,000 product SKUs, processes more than one million orders each month. Hunter already had an existing activity-based costing model that had been built with the assistance of an external consulting team.The insights revealed from the model were extremely informative but many in the company questioned if the view was worth the climb. Their main complaints can be summarized as follows: †¢ The model had been cumbersome to build and maintain. With more than 1,0 00 activities, the monthly survey of department staff of where they had spent their time was complex and costly. Also, tracking the driver quantities for each activity and customer was difficult. †¢ The model did not reconcile with actual financials since activity cost driver rates had not been updated recently. Despite the already large number of activities, the model was still not considered accurate or granular enough. It did not reflect several important differences between orders. To increase accuracy, more activities would have to be added, and employees would have to be re-interviewed. Also, an additional data extract to track the quantities of the new cost drivers would be required. The existing ABC approach was not easily maintainable, and thus not sustainable.The company called in a software and consulting company to help it implement the time-driven ABC approach. The time-driven approach led to the following changes: For a department, such as the inside sales departm ent, the previous ABC model required employees to estimate, each month, the percentage of their time spent on their three activities: customer set-up, order entry, and order expediting. In the time-driven approach, the ABC team estimated the time required to perform each activity.For example, the activity to set-up a new customer took 15 minutes. Since a field already existed within Hunter’s ERP system that identified whether a customer was new, assigning a customer set-up cost to a new customer became a simple transaction. For order entry, the team learned that every order took about five minutes to enter the basic order information, plus three minutes for each line item on the order. Again this was a simple calculation to implement since the ERP system already tracked the number of line items for each order.Finally, the team learned that order expediting was triggered by a request by the customer to rush the shipment, resulting in an additional 10 minutes of time to coordin ate the expediting. The order included a field that identified it is a â€Å"rush order. † The project team could write a simple equation to estimate the Inside Sales Department time required for each order received: Inside Sales Process Time = 15*[New Customer] + 5 + 3*[Number of Line Items] + 10*[Rush]The Inside Sales Department cost for the order was obtained by multiplying this time by the cost per minute of Inside Sales Department resources. This process was replicated in each department to arrive at the total cost of producing, handling, and fulfilling the order. Note that once the team had created the Inside Sales Process algorithm, it did not need to continually re-interview personnel. Each period, the costs of the department would be assigned based on the volume and nature of the transactions it handled.Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 4 The Hunter Company identified the following benefits from shifting its ABC model to the time-driven approach. †¢ I t reduced the number of activities to maintain. It transformed 1,200 activities (e. g. , set-up new customer, enter orders, expedite orders) to 200 department specific processes (e. g. , the equation used to estimate Inside Sales Department time). Also, it could easily update the resource cost of each cost center and departments so that its process costs were accurate and current. Its cost estimates were more accurate since they were based on actual observations of processing time and actual transaction data, not subjective estimates on where and how people spent their time †¢ It was easier to increase model accuracy and granularity, when wanted, for high cost and heterogeneous processes. Adding more elements to the time equation enabled managers to easily add more variety and complexity to the model when required. This enabled managers to identify specific SKUs, customers, and processes where improvements could be made. The model was easier to validate. The calculated total pr ocess time, based on all transactions in a period, could be reconciled to head count (resources supplied during the period). If the total process time exceeded the actual resources supplied, managers received a signal that some of their unit times were likely too high. If total calculated process time was well below the time supplied, but employees felt they were working at or beyond capacity, managers learned that some of their unit times were under-estimated or employees were working less efficiently than anticipated.Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 5 †¢ The model provided explicit information on processes operating at or beyond capacity, and those operating well below capacity. Managers could take action to relieve bottlenecks expected to persist in future periods, or act to reduce capacity in departments where any unused capacity was expected to persist for several periods into the future. Today, it takes two people, two days per month to load, calculate, valida te and report findings, compared to the 10-person team spending over 3 weeks to maintain the previous model.Employees now spend time generating increased profits from the information rather than just updating and maintaining the information. Over the past 15 years, activity-based costing has enabled managers to see that not all revenue is good revenue, and not all customers are profitable customers. Unfortunately, the difficulties of implementing and maintaining traditional ABC systems have prevented activity-based cost systems from being an effective, timely, and up-to-date management tool. The time-driven ABC approach has overcome these difficulties.It offers managers a methodology that has the following positive features: 1. Easy and fast to implement 2. Integrates well with data now available from recently installed ERP and CRM systems 3. Inexpensive and fast to maintain and update 4. Ability to scale to enterprise-wide models 5. Easy to incorporates specific features for partic ular orders, processes, suppliers, and customers Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 6 6. More visibility to process efficiencies and capacity utilization 7.Ability to forecast future resource demands based on predicted order quantities and complexity These characteristics enable activity-based costing to move from a complex, expensive financial systems implementation to becoming a tool that provides meaningful and actionable data, quickly and inexpensively, to managers. In conclusion, we can see that the methodology behind Activity-Based Costing is sound, and can result in sometimes great savings to a company willing to take the time, effort and expense to implement a plan.Although there are some pitfalls to the process, with perseverance and a solid commitment from management, ABC can be of great benefit to a manufacturing company. Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 7 References C. Argyris and R. S. Kaplan, â€Å"Implementing New Knowledge: The Case of Activity -Based Costing,† Accounting Horizons (September 1994): 83-105. Journal of Cost Management (Winter 1989): 34-46; R. Cooper and R. S. Kaplan, â€Å"Measure Costs Right: Make the Right Decisions,† Harvard Business Review (September-October 1988). http://www. hbs. edu/research/facpubs/workingpapers/papers2/0304/04-0

Coming to America essays

Coming to America essays Social class in modern society is a very interesting topic to explore. There are many ways to understand concepts that describe class, but I believe the best way in doing this is by comparisons through movies. I believe one of the best movies that distinguishes social characteristics and relates social theories on class is Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The movie is about an African prince who comes to Brooklyn in search of an American bride who will love him for who he is, rather than for his wealth and royal status. He poses as a poor bus boy in a restaurant in NY. He falls in love with his bosses daughter, but his boss is rich and thinks he is poor so he doesnt want them to become a couple. He wants her to marry some rich man from a wealthy family. This movie shows how people use SES, or socioeconomic status to make class judgments. Such as when her father believes the prince is poor, uneducated, and has no occupational prestige he thinks he is not good enough for his daughter, as soon he find out he is a wealthy prince he thinks he is the best guy in the world. At first the father would only see the prince at work, so he assumed he was of lower class, because he worked at a fast food restaurant and that is also not a prestigious job, but a prince on the other hand is a prestigious add a long, its like having dr. before your name, and if youre a prince wealth is associated along with your name. This is based on the objective approach of class. Many people also believe certain groups of people are poor like for example single mothers. Race and social class are also said to have close ties. Even though 2/3 of all poor people are white it is said the percentage of poor in minorities is disproportioned, according to Second Edition Sociology, by Linda L. Lindsey and Stephen Beech, 11 percent of whites are poor but 26.5 percent of blacks are poor. The movie also illustrates this, bu...

Find Scam-Free Postal Service Jobs

Find Scam-Free Postal Service Jobs You may have seen them online or in the classified section of your local newspaper - ads offering to help job seekers find Postal Service jobs ... for a fee, of course. Heres the thing: Theres no trick to finding those Postal Service jobs ... for free. When it comes to federal and postal jobs, the word to remember is free, the Federal Trade Commission says in an alert to consumers. Information about job openings with the U.S. government or U.S. Postal Service is free and available to everyone. Applying for a federal or postal job also is free. How the Scams Work The consumer-protection arm of the government wants that scam artists try to hoodwink Postal Service job seekers into shelling out cash by hiding behind important-sounding federal agencies. Some examples of those bogus agencies are the U.S. Agency for Career Advancement and the Postal Employment Service, according to the FTC. One popular scam is conducted by con artists who lure job seekers into responding to ads placed in local newspapers. They inform the job seekers there are openings locally and that they qualify, but that they need to pay for study materials to get a high school on the postal exam. The FTC says such claims are ridiculous. The company isnt part of the U.S. Postal Service, the materials may be worthless, and a passing score on a postal exam does not assure youll get a postal job. There may not even be an available job in your area, the FTC says. How to Spot Scams Here are a few tip-offs to Postal Service job rip-offs from the government: Classified ads, online ads or telephone sales pitches that imply an affiliation with the federal government, guarantee high test scores or state that no experience is necessary;Ads that offer information about hidden or unadvertised federal jobs;Ads that refer you to a toll-free phone number; Often, in these cases, an operator encourages you to buy a valuable booklet of job listings, practice test questions and tips for entrance exams.Toll-free numbers that direct you to other pay-per-call numbers (such as 900 numbers) for more information. Under federal law, any solicitations for pay-per-call numbers must include full disclosures about the cost of the call. If you have concerns about a company’s advertisement for employment services, contact: The Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint, or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).The U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Find your local office at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or in the blue (government) pages of your telephone directory.Your state attorney general at naag.org, or your local Better Business Bureau at bbb.org. In addition, federal government job information is available through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s USAJOBS at usajobs.gov. How to Find a Postal Service Job on Your Own The federal government makes it very easy to find Postal Service Jobs. To look for Postal Service jobs go online to www.usps.com/employment. The site will tell you where the Postal Service is hiring, as well as whether you need to take an exam. Even you do need to take a test, the agency typically offers sample questions to people who sign up for the exam. Best of all, its free. Are Postal Workers Government Employees? While Postal Service employees must follow federal government rules and do receive federal employee benefits, they are not classified as federal employees by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics because the postal service is a quasi-federal agency. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has direct control over the rules and regulations the post office must follow concerning operations and personnel. The U.S. Postal Service does not receive tax dollars for personnel and most of its operations. Instead, all its revenue comes from the sale of postage stamps and other postal produces and mailing supplies. Updated by Robert Longley

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Essay

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Approaches to Research In my career as a student, I have had a little scope to perform researches and therefore had limited knowledge in the field. From this particular module, emphasising on the various approaches used in a research purpose, especially those regarding cultural issues, I was able to come across multiple facts which will surely help me in my future endeavours in the field of academic researches. Research is defined as the expansion of knowledge and/or the use of existing information as a resourceful way in generating new concepts. From my learning, I understood that the collected data are implemented or used in the research process through certain approaches which are often regarded to be the strategies or steps through which the collected data are used systematically. In my study to this particular module, I learnt that the approaches to research, especially those concerning cultural differences, are categorised into four different phases such as separation, encultur ation, assimilation and integration or pluralism while elaborating on the issue. With regards to my module learning, I was able to define the separation approach as a process to identify the individualistic behaviour of restraining own cultures and desires from being influenced by others. Through enculturation approach, I have been able to notice those groups’ practices in which the members keep hold of their primary rules and behaviours, without incorporating other sets of value system from differing ethnic rudiments (Kim & et. al., 2009). Similarly, with the help of assimilation approach, I gained knowledge regarding certain measures to cooperate with the superior culture in order to gain confidence from them for future career developments. From the discussion with regards to integration or pluralism approach, I learnt that it reveals the strategies of managing the cultural diversification and therefore I would categorise the approach as a more practical and objective-orien ted one (Berry, 2011). After gaining an in-depth knowledge regarding the approaches, I can state that the integration, often regarded as pluralism approach, is the most realistic research method which motivated me to work in a group with different cultured members. I also learnt that research focusing on the identification and evaluation of cultural differences are often based on theoretical pursuits, such as those inscribed by Trompenaar and Hall. The theoretical explanation presented by Hall upon the cultural differences helped me to understand the levels or dimensions present within the culture. The theory focuses on the cultural differences in terms of social level, personal freedom and time management as well. From the lecture class, I was also able to gather adequate information that along with the levels of culture, the personal attitude related to liberty and time management also leads to diversification of culture within the environment (Nardon & Steers, 2004). I further le arnt that from a similar perspective, Trompenaar presented the theoretical concept stating the differences of culture with the help of seven dimensions. From the Trompenaar’s theory, I learnt that five of the factors deal with the people’s relationship amid the society and the remaining two factors helped me to indicate the time management

Are virtual organisations Multinational Enterprises (MNE) Assignment

Are virtual organisations Multinational Enterprises (MNE) - Assignment Example According to Preston (n.d), there are four key characteristics of virtual organizations as a process. Virtual organisations involve developing relationships with a wide range of partners each having a core competence that complements the others. It capitalises on the ability of telecommunications technology to overcome distance and time related problems. Furthermore, it involves trust between parties. Virtual organisations are also motivated by specific opportunities. As soon as these opportunities are exploited enterprises move on to form new partnerships and alliances. 2.0 Description of MNEs A multinational enterprise (MNE) or corporation (MNC) is an entity that operates in more than one tax jurisdiction whether as a single tax payer entity or as a group of such entities (Fernandez and Pope 2002). MNEs have their headquarters in one country (the parent/home country) and operate subsidiaries in several other countries known as host countries. There are a number of enterprises world wide that operate in this way. MNEs continue to grow and expand their operations because of WTO trade rules which facilitate globalisation as well as the growth of electronic commerce and information technology. Some MNEs have budgets that are larger than some countries and this indicates the extent of their power and influence as it relates to the setting of trade rules and regulations by international bodies. Multinational enterprises have many dimensions to them and can be viewed from several perspectives. These dimensions include and are not limited to management, ownership, strategy and structure. In terms of ownership, it may be argued that an enterprise is multinational if it is owned by nationals of more than one country. Companies that fit this particular criterion include Shell and Unilever which is owned by both British and Dutch interests. Many multinational enterprises do not meet this test as most of them originated in one country. In terms of the management criterion the managers are from different nationalities according to the countries in which they operate. However, as a starting point most multinational enterprises use persons from their home country to lead the management team in the initial stages of their operations in host countries. In terms of strategy, multinational enterprises seek to maximise their profits globally by entering new markets. The structure of these companies is such that the head office which is located in the home country controls the operations of the subsidiaries and assists in the direction and coordination of their activities. According to Moran (2007) MNE investments in the developing world occurs in four distinct forms. They are Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in extractive industries, FDI in infrastructure, FDI in manufacturing and assembly, and FDI in services. However, multinationals operate in not just developing countries but also developed countries. In addition to FDIs they also provide licenses and mana gement agreements in the fast food and hotel sectors. Therefore, FDI and licensing are the two ways in which MNEs