Computing project Essay

The system will require a user name and a password to view or edit anything! Only one person is permitted to use the system, no-one else requires access   All files will also be password protected. Database   The instructor will be able to add or delete any records as needed   It will hold all necessary details Specific Objectives   The database will be able to create reports to show what stage the student is at   The database will calculate how many lessons a student has had and how much they have paid with plus if there are any outstanding balances remaining. My system is designed to help the instructor, the instructor has many problems with the current system, and many times it has cost him jobless hours. The current system is very old and has a lot of potential problems and I wish to make a system that eradicates these obvious problems. My system for a start will store the entire student details carefully and properly in line with all data protection acts. The main thing is that these details should not get lost and the instructor has access to this all the time so that he can contact the student at any time. The details should also be available so that it can be updated any time it needs to be. By having all these details stored onto the system it is kept safely and in one place rather than having paper forms lying about getting lost and muddled up, these forms will only be accessed only in one place so if the instructor needs these back in the office or at to work from at home then it is not possible to have multiple copies as it will not all be up to date. For example if a student changes the home phone number then the instructor will have to update every sheet of paper he has with the students phone number if he does not then it will be inconsistent and this can cause problems. The main reason for my proposal of this system is to ensure that the instructor does not continue double booking and not booking students at all. Currently at the end of a lesson the student asks for a booking and the instructor will look in his diary and book appropriately, many times what happens is the instructor looks at the wrong date, for example if the student asks for April 21st 2008 then the instructor may accidentally open may 21st 2008 and tell the student he is free. But in reality on that day an on that time he is busy. This is one of the things the instructor is complaining about and also another thing that has been drawn to my attention is that he misreads the time, so he tells the student that he is booked at 13:00 tomorrow but he is actually free he has a lesson at 3:00 not 13:00 so this is one way the instructor is loosing out on money. I wish to remove this issue and avoid these mistakes happening. GCE A2 Computing CPT 6 Ram Bhojani EXISTING SYSTEM Instructor Bookings | Ram Bhojani 13HAN PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN OVERALL SYSTEM Input Processes Student Name Calculate the number of lessons so far Student Number Calculate the total amount spent. Student Address Add a student Lesson Code Edit a student Price Per Lesson Delete a student Date and time of next lesson Search a Student Day Booked Search Availabilities Time Booked Edit a booking File Outputs Student Details Student details Availability Details Number of lessons each student has had Total spent Balances FORMS General Name Purpose Main Menu This allows the instructor to access the student details and availability details. Student Details This allows the instructor to view all details about a student. It also allows the instructor to print a report on the student progress Availability Details. This allows the instructor to see what dates and times are available in the next two weeks and make a booking. USER INTERFACE DESIGN MAIN MENU STUDENT DETAILS MENU AVAILABILITY DETAILS DATABASE DESIGN INCLUDING ER MODEL STUDENT (StudentName, StudentNumber, StudentAddress, LessonCode, PricePerLesson, DateAndTimeOfNextLesson) Availability (AvailableSlots, NextLessonBooked) RECORD STRUCTURE Instructor Field name Data type Size format Description AvailableSlots Date/time, Date time Shows what dates and times are available NextLessonBooked Date/time, Date time Name of student and the day, date and time of their next lesson. Student Field name Data type Size/format Description Student name Text, 20 The first name and last name of the student. Student number Number, 8 A Unique number given to each student for easy reference. Student address Text, 50 Full address of student, including postal address. Lesson code Number 5 A code that determines what sort of lesson they take, they can have an hour lesson, one and half-hour or pass plus. Price per lesson Number, Decimal 5,2 How much the student pays for each lesson Date and time of next lesson Date time Date time The next lesson student has booked. VALIDATION. I will use validation on some of the fields on the tables so there is less chance of wrong data being inputted. There are only some fields that can have validation but by ensuring they have a working validation it will mean that the system will not be wrong. Things that I can validate are numbers or specific number of characters. This is to make sure that the data entered conforms to a certain standard. The user cannot see the validation rules, so when they make a mistake they find out as an error message appears. VALIDATION Field Name Validation Type Validation Rule Error message Student Number Type Check. 8 digits The student number must be 8 digits Lesson Code Type check 5 Digits The lesson code must be 5 digits. STORAGE AND MEDIA FORMAT For my system I need to know how large each file will be so I have calculated the size of each field, and multiplied that but the amount of fields ii may get, to get an estimate of how large the file could get. Storage and media format Field name Number of records Size of record/ bytes Total size of records/bytes Student name 30 32 960 Student number 30 8 240 Student address. 30 65 1950 Lesson code 30 5 150 Price per lesson 30 8 240 Date and time of next lesson 30 16 480. Available lessons 31 20 620 Next lessons booked 6 134 804 Total 5444b 5. 4kb I have calculated that the approximate maximum size that I will need for the data to be stored will be around 6kb, which is small enough to fit on almost any data storage type. The most suitable storage device for this will be the hard disk drive on the laptop to be used. This means that the system will not be lost easily as it is not a portable storage device but on a actual laptop, which would be looked after carefully. There is a large amount of space on the hard disk meaning that there will be available space for expansion if necessary. Also the laptop can be connected to a computer in the office via a USB cable meaning that the data could be backed up and if needed archived. IDENTIFICATION OF SUITABLE ALGORITHMS FOR DATA TRANSFER Process to calculate Total number of lessons so far = ([Student Lessons])*([Total]) Process to calculate Total spent so far =([Total lessons])*([Price Per lesson]) Produce report of students ready for test Search through student details with criteria field Ready students to find matching records. If there are no matching records output an error message to the user. PLANNED VALID OUTPU.T. For my system outputs I have decided to create a report for students to see their progress. This will need to be created in Access. DESCRIPTION OF MEASURES PLANNED FOR SECURITY AND INTEGRITY OF DATA. The data must be kept secure and correct as this information’s is very confidential, if details of the student were to get lost or misplaced then this would be in breach of the data protection act. To keep the data secure I am going to make sure that the user backs up the data at the end of every working week and keeps this disc either safely at home or in the office. There will also be a back up of the main system so if it happens to crash or is damaged then it can be replaced. If the system does crash then the files will have to be manually transferred back into the system from the backup. DESCRIPTION OF MEASURES PLANNED FOR SYSTEM SECURITY The system will not be secured with passwords however the computer will have a password this will be set to expire every 28 days to ensure that the data is safe even if someone gains the password, the user will generally have to be careful and keep the laptop besides him at all times or lock it in a glove compartment. When the instructor goes home he can either take it with him and store it at home carefully or leave it at the office in a safe place. As my system is only designed for one person the password on the system should be a sufficient security measure. TEST STRATEGY The system must be thoroughly tested to make sure that no errors occur the system is up and running. This is logical because if errors occur when the user starts to use the system, it can cost time to get it fixed. Hopefully if my testing strategy is good enough, it will not have any errors when it goes live. I am going to use bottom up testing, to test the system. This involves testing each individual module using prepared test data, which includes normal data, extreme data, upper and lower limits and individual data after this is done I will test the program to see if every route through the program is tested, every statement is executed, accuracy of the processing and that the program fits the original specification. This will make sure that the system is running correctly as this is basically using the whole system. I am also going to test the system in a beta testing method, although this will be a small scale. I am going to give the system to the user for a week just to make sure that everything works correctly. IMPLEMENTATION Login Screen Main Menu This is the main menu of my programme from here there are three options availability details and student details. Finally you can exit. Testing Test ID Test Data Test/Type Reason for test Expected Results Actual Results Data Entry 1. My system does conisit of tables and menus, both the student details and availability detail screens are very simple, it just displays details about these two entities. The booking screen is more complex because it needs to be live, so when the instructor makes a booking it needs to update on the next lesson booked screen and the availability screen. PROCEDURE AND VARIABLE LIST/ DESCRIPTIONS FOR PROGRAMS OR LIST OF PACKAGE ITEMS DEVELOPED Type of item Item Name Descriptions Table Student Details Holds all the details of the students that the instructor teaches, this includes first name, last name, address, phone number and the details of their next lesson that has been booked. Holds the details of all the available time slots in the coming fortnight, this allows the instructor only to see what is available, he can liaise with the student and once a slot is agreed a booking can be made. Form Make A Booking This form allows the user to make a booking for a lesson, he will need to enter the student number, and then first of all select a time and then the date. Once all these are selected the appointment is made. Form Next lesson Booked Has a list of students and the date and time of their next lesson, so the instructor can check on this if he receives a query from the student. CREATION AND CUSTOMISATION OF THE DATABASE TABLES I created all my tables in Microsoft access; I then linked it up to visual basics, The table below is the Student Details table. It consists of mostly text and one field of number, the reason that the telephone number is a text field rather than a number is because telephone numbers usually start with a 0 and if I put the data type as numbers then it will not let me add a 0 at the front. USER MANUAL BRIEF INTRODUCTION The instructor database is a simple system to handle bookings given to the instructor. The system allows the instructor to control appointments already made and allows him to make new appointments. It allows him to keep electronic records of all students, past and present. The students all have unique student numbers that the instructor can use to search for them. It stores details about student’s names, addresses, telephone numbers and the lessons they have booked. There is a very easy to use form that allows the instructor to make a booking. Microsoft Access 2007 or later. To install the system one must either move the file onto the hard disc of the computer. This can be done by selecting the file ‘Instructor Database System’ and copying and pasting it into an empty folder on the hard disc, this maybe the best idea as there is a possibility a removable storage device could get lost or corrupt. This system could be also run from a removable storage device by opening the file and run it straight away. To back the system up the system the database file can be copied onto a USB pen or CD-R. When the system is going to be backed up, the file should be copied onto the USB pen, when this done a message box may appear asking if you want to replace the existing file just select ‘yes’ or ‘yes to all’. This would mean that the backup would be separated from the main system, meaning less chance of losing both the original and the backup. USING THE SYSTEM Here is a simple short set of instructions to use the system. When the instructor opens up they will be asked to log on, The username at the moment is Ian and the password is Burleigh. Once they enter all these details correctly it allows them to use the system. Once the instructor logs on, he will come to the main menu of the system, I am going to show him to basic things in this tutorial, how to find the phone number of a student and then how to make a booking. Below is the main menu, to get to the student phone number he has to select the student details button, then the screen will have three buttons saying details, he can select any of these three, they all do the same job. Once that is selected at the screen below will appear, there are no details at the moment, but once show details button is pressed all the details will appear. The instructor now needs to press the back button until he arrives back at the main menu, and then select availability details. Then select make a booking. Once the make a booing screen appears first he has to select the date that he wants, then the time and finally the student number. Once that is done press save and then it is saved. Appraisal Comparision of project performance against objectives. To compare the objectives and the performance , I will put the original objectives down and compare against each one. General Objectives Security. The database will be able to create reports to show what stage the student is at   The database will calculate how many lessons a student has had and how much they have paid with plus if there are any outstanding balances remaining. My system is designed to help the instructor, the instructor has many problems with the current system, and many times it has cost him jobless hours. The current system is very old and has a lot of potential problems and I wish to make a system that eradicates these obvious problems. My system for a start will store the entire student details carefully and properly in line with all data protection acts. The main thing is that these details should not get lost and the instructor has access to this all the time so that he can contact the student at any time. The details should also be available so that it can be updated any time it needs to be. By having all these details stored onto the system it is kept safely and in one place rather than having paper forms lying about getting lost and muddled up, these forms will only be accessed only in one place so if the instructor needs these back in the office or at to work from at home then it is not possible to have multiple copies as it will not all be up to date. For example if a student changes the home phone number then the instructor will have to update every sheet of paper he has with the students phone number if he does not then it will be inconsistent and this can cause problems. The main reason for my proposal of this system is to ensure that the instructor does not continue double booking and not booking students at all. Currently at the end of a lesson the student asks for a booking and the instructor will look in his diary and book appropriately, many times what happens is the instructor looks at the wrong date, for example if the student asks for April 21st 2008 then the instructor may accidentally open may 21st 2008 and tell the student he is free. But in reality on that day an on that time he is busy.

Aol time warner

The merger between the AOL and Time Warner is most certainly a challenging undertaking. To mix a traditional culture existing at Time Warner as ‘old’ company with the flexibility of the ‘new’ AOL culture was both risky and promising.The merger promised Time Warner entrance into the new digital markets where it lacked expertise and created synergies to consider. As a leader in interactive services and owner of powerful Web brands, AOL could deliver performance in areas that promised the greatest growth in the years to come. At the same time, Time Warner with its large asset base created a climate in which AOL would have resources for the realization of the most ambitious projects and undertakings.The choices vary depending on the degree of freedom companies want to have in their operations. On the one hand, AOL and Time Warner could remain to function as two separate entities, undivided by controversies. In this case, the merged company would only engage in c ost-saving and some cross-marketing strategies to increase the profits of shareholders.On the contrary, the company can choose to undertake a massive cultural overhaul in order to blend the two parts closer together. This choice is extremely risky as the two cultures represent different poles of managerial culture.In my opinion, the first choice is the most rational as both companies would need time to understand what they are dealing with. Previously functioning as part of either AOL or Time Warner, the two executive teams have elaborated their own approaches and positions, and bringing those closer together would be difficult.Both companies would thus have more time to study each other’s business models and learn the best aspects of culture and business practices. The restructuring has to be carried out proportionately to the size of both companies, or, alternatively, inclusion of executives from each company on the board could be equal. In this way, the merger would respec t both cultures and give them time to adjust to each other. Â  

My First Day of School Essay

I have been reading in Beaconhouse Sri Inaigot up early in the morning of 8th July to get myself prepared. With my tutor I started towards my new school. On the way it began to rain. When we reached the school we were completely wet. Secondary School for four years. I still remember my first day at this school. On that fortunate day, I got freedom from the control of my tutor who loaded me with heavy home task. I had no holiday in a week. You can think of my joy when I was told that I would be sent to a new school. The sight of the grand building made me nervous. I was uneasy in mind. I entered the office where I found four people sitting behind the counter. My tutor got a form from one of them. Then we entered the Principal’s Office. My tutor gave the form to him. He looked at it carefully. He stuck a bell. At once a peon rushed in. He ordered him to take us to the staff room. The peon led us to the room where I found the teachers seated round a long table. He gave the form to one of them. The teacher put my knowledge to test my English. He found me up to the mark. Then another teacher gave me five sums to solve. I solved them with great ease. Both the teachers wrote some thing on the form. Again my tutor entered to the office and deposits my dues. I was sent to classroom with a chit. I reached the classroom and took my seat in the last row. In front of me there was a big blackboard on the wall. Near it there were descent chair and a table for the teachers. After a few minutes a teacher entered into the class. I gave the chit to him. He wrote my name in the register. To my good luck the teacher is an interesting fellow. He passed a few funny remarks. He also made some interesting and harmless jokes. As the recess bell rang, we rushed out of the class. It was the recess period. The playground becomes the centre of activity. Finding me alone some boys approached me. They cut jokes. One of them asked me â€Å"from which jungle are you coming†? I was salient. Fortunately three boys ran for my help. They took me round the school building. With them I saw the reading room and library. We also reached the hall. I found it decorated with pictures and paintings. In the meanwhile the bell rang and we were again in the class room. One by one other teacher come but none taught us. t 12:30 the last bell went. The classes were dispersed. When I reached home, my head was full of new ideas. I told my mother how great school was. She was very glad to hear the account of my first day.

Evaluate the contributions of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois to the Harlem Essay

Evaluate the contributions of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois to the Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example Following his call for racial pride, a movement called the United Negro Improvement Association was formed, turning most Blacks into adopting the socialist and communist social practices (Gifford 2). The movement preceded a united front of African Americans from all social and economic points unwilling to settle for further oppressions. This rebellion received unprecedented publishing job opportunities among the African Americans. Activists like W. E. B. Du Bois used this opportunities to influence and motivate the people into racial consciousness and pride. Harlem Renaissance’s artistic output had two ideologies; one presented by Du Bois and others who saw artistic art as a platform where talented African Americans could lead in the fight for equality (Gifford 4). Du Bois contributed heavily towards the organization of the Niagara Movement, an assembly of black leaders opposed to the Washingtons leadership and was committed to fighting for civil equality for African Americans. This movement, however, never achieved a firm institutional foundation except for that it signaled a new black assertiveness and contributing directly to the establishment of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois moved to New York City where he took office as the director of publicity for NAACP his role being to edit its monthly journal, ‘The Crisis’ (Gifford 3). Organized economic and political movements helped the Harlem Renaissance by creating a new sense of power (Gifford 4). In his work The New Negro, Du Bois exudes a sense of social pride that was the theme in the Harlem Renaissance. Du Bois emphasizes the need for a united race in conquering discrimination. Using his artistic wits and social privileges, Du Bois provided a liberating step in the search for Africa American cultural identity and on their terms. Using Negro Art, he argued that

The love canal case Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The love canal case - Article Example By going through the case, under-examination, the first questions appears how the situation appeared at the first place. Since, toxic wastes had been buried in the trench, once specified for the canal by William J. Love, the Board and Education and the land developers must have not constructed anything on it, as their act not only destroyed the entire region, but also put hundreds of precious lives in grave jeopardy. Secondly, the governmental agencies also appear to be responsible for demolishing of houses, schools and other places built on the trench carrying fatal waste. Had they not allowed construction of the buildings at there, the area would have not witnessed spread of cancer and other diseases, along with occurrence of abnormal births in that region (Business Week, 32). Thus, the main problem is the (mis)appropriate allocation and use of the land without cleansing it for residential, educational and commercial purposes. However, since Occidental Petroleum Company had informe d about the presence of heavy toxic wastes buried while selling the land to the Niagara Falls Board of Education, in the wake of the latter’s threatening behavior, the Company did not have any responsibilities for the losses in men and material to be occurred for the future years to come. On the contrary, the Board of Education, land developers and governmental agencies are liable for the losses took place in the form of seepage and leakage of the toxic wastes. Thus, the loyalties certainly go to the Occidental Company, and the poor masses due to the very fact that the former agreed to pay heavy ransom for the loss it did not have any involvement or intention to get involved, while the latter suffered in the form of experiencing seepage, breakout of diseases, and demolishing of their residences and workplaces at large (Business Week, 33). Another important issue, appeared while

Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

3 - Assignment Example enge the system include less available time between the demand peak and harvesting times of dried fruits, scheduling and planning of production and distribution of fruits, transportation costs, and order lead time. All of these issues act as major constraints for the supply chain management of Sunsweet Growers. As the result of the above-mentioned problems in the supply chain system, the company encountered some problems. For example, the company was finding it difficult to process the fruits very quickly in order to make them available in markets when required. Usually, the demand increases during the occasions of Christmas and Easter and the harvesting time is very close to these months, particularly, the month of Christmas. Therefore, the company had to pay extra money to its workers in order to get work done on time considering the closeness of the production and demand peak dates. Secondly, as the company produces fruits for nearly one-third of the markets all over the world, packaging the fruits in 20 different languages was another complex process. Moreover, as the company needs to distribute the products to different countries, scheduling and planning the production and distribution according to the need and demand of the foreign markets was another problem that the company encount ers as the result of supply chain issues. The above-mentioned problems can have a negative impact on the business of any company but Sumsweet Growers is a professional and specialized company in the field of dried fruits production, therefore, the impact of these issues is not that much off-putting for the company as it could have been for other companies in this field. However, added up costs for production, distribution, and transportation were still the issues for the company because they directly affect the annual revenues of any company. Therefore, the company needed to come up with some proper solution to address these issues properly. As an effort to address the supply

Analyse and access the blackboard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyse and access the blackboard - Essay Example Currently in your Blackboard courses, you need to remove the existing file and re-upload the new version of the file. With the Blackboard Content System, you will no longer need to upload the same file to several different sections you would simply link from your course to the file in the Content System. This way if you modify, for example, the syllabus file in the Content System, the updates in the file can be reflected automatically in all the courses without having to go into each course and modify each file. Throughout this guide, you find a set of "Why Bother" ideas for Blackboard usage. So, below we've compiled a list of ideas from the broad spectrum of uses to get you thinking of why you would use Blackboard in your course: This is an exploratory study that aims to understand the current implementation of University Blackboard. Based on evaluation, it indicates that the general visibility of this study is guaranteed. The results of this study give students and faculty members more understanding of how Westminster University applies the standard student-faculty services online with the use of tools via the internet according to the website design standards. Furthermore, enhancement and personalising the University Blackboard can be adapted to suite and blend with the general there of the University website. Security is still a concern. Giving access to students should be monitored momentarily to avoid identity theft among students. References Wikipedia. (November 2006). Blackboard Inc. Retrieved November 7, 2006,

Cases Analysis Part 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cases Analysis Part 3 - Coursework Example In this specific case, stating that if Williams ever missed a payment, the store could repossess all the items that Williams had ever bought from Walker, regardless of how long ago they were purchased is a strong example of unconscionable clause. If the clause referred only to that one purchase to which the missed payment referred, it would not be considered unreasonable and unfair. I believe that in this case, the bargaining power of the parties was definitely unequal, placing the consumer in a disadvantaged position. Therefore, Williams should ask the Court not to enforce this specific clause, based on its unconscionability and unfairness. Moreover, in multiple previous cases, it was held that a court can refuse to enforce a clause, if it considers it unconscionable. For example, a leading case in this is Scott v. United States2, where it was held by the Supreme Court that: â€Å"If a contract be unreasonable and unconscionable, but not void for fraud, a court of law will give to the party who sues for its breach damages, not according to its letter, but only such as he is equitably entitled to.† Also, the Uniform Commercial Code provides exact stipulations on this matter in paragraph 2-302, where it stipulates that: â€Å"(1) If the court as a matter of law finds the contract or any clause of the contract to have been unconscionable at the time it was made the court may refuse to enforce the contract, or it may enforce the remainder of the contract without the unconscionable clause, or it may so limit the application of any unconscionable clause as to avoid any unconscionable result. (2) When it is claimed or appears to the court that the contract or any clause thereof may be unconscionable the parties shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to present evidence as to its commercial setting, purpose and effect to aid the court in making the determination. â€Å"3 This means that by law, Courts are entitled to refuse to enforce a contract or a clau se, if it finds it unconscionable, which is the case of Williams. CHAPTER 12 CASE 3 There are several issues that Horizon House Microwave Inc. can use in its favor. First of all, it refers to Hall’s reasons to getting a job for HHM. If Hall decided to become an employee at HHM only because of the promise he was made by Bazzy, it is one thing. BUT, if Hall had been working for HHM for a period prior to the promise, the situation changes. This means that while being employed at HHM, Hall received a full salary package and he was actually fairly remunerated for his work and he suffered no material loss for not purchasing company stocks. Therefore, no material damages can be claimed by Hall from HHM. Another important issue that could be used by Bazzy to refuse to sell stock to Hall as agreed may be the lack of a written agreement on this, that would confirm Bazzy’s intention to be bound to the verbal promise he has made. I would advise Bazzy to refer to the General Statut es, specifically  § 42a-8-319 where it is expressly stipulated that "A contract for the sale of securities is not enforceable by way of action or defense unless (a) there is some writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought or by his authorized agent or broker sufficient to indicate that a contract has been made for sale of a stated quantity of described securities at a defined or stated price; or (b) delivery of the security has been accepted or payment has been made but the contract is

E-Procurement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E-Procurement - Assignment Example Deptt. prepares a â€Å"Components List† 2) The components list is then forwarded to the Planning Deptt., which plans Product Codes (for new components, if any) and schedule reservation; 3) Thereafter the list is handed-over to the Purchase Deptt. for raising a Purchase Order (PO). In case of new requirements, three quotations are first obtained from different suppliers. Finally the PO is created, signed by two persons – i.e DGM Commercial and GM Technical and then delivered to the supplier. 4) Once goods are received, Inspection checks the quality of goods and if found ok, it hands-over to the Store, which makes a Goods Receipt (GR) upon receiving the goods 5) Planning then prepares a â€Å"Pick List† of the required components and gives it to Production for issuance of components from the Store. 6) Upon receipt of supplier’s invoice, items & amount charged are reconciled and then payments are made to the supplier. 7) The performance of Purchase Deptt. is checked through certain KPIs set by the Company while suppliers’ performance is analyzed by means of assigning different grading. Ans# 3: Three key advantages of using e-Procurement over manual processes: 1) Using e-Technology and an integrated ERP application, automates & speeds up business processes related to the production of goods and services. 2) It also serves as a tool in sourcing new suppliers and tendering bids whilst cutting down material cost 3) It ensures modernization which keeps your workplace up to date with the latest procurement/selling techniques. Ans# 4: Three critical process flows of e-Procurement system: 1) Data integrity: In case of error in a PO shall cause incorrect delivery/shipment. Therefore an extra care needs to be taken when preparing & submitting a PO to the supplier. 2) Availability: Ensuring availability of the required material is a critical part of e-Procurement, as the firm is committed to timely delivery of the finished goods to its cus tomers. 3) Inventory Management: Being a fully integrated system, a small error has a large impact. For Instance, it could result in over-stocking or under-stocking of inventory or distracting inventories’ safety level, etc. Ans# 5: How EDI works? The diagram below shows a two-way nature of EDI. For example, if a customer/business partner wishes to place an order, it shall generate an electronic purchase order which shall automatically get transmitted and arrive into the company’s order management system indicating arrival of new order(s). Once the order is processed and goods delivered to the customer, company’s inventories position will be automatically updated. In a nutshell, from order processing till payment, relevant information through out the system shall get automatically updated at both sides (Customer & Vendor). Ans# 6: Business-to-employee requisitioning system benefits an employee in several ways. Many terms used in this context. Human Resource Mana gement System (HRMS) or Shared Services Human Resource (SSHR) is the most commonly used term in business world. The system provides an online submission and approval of a requisition including viewing attendance, applying for leave, requesting a loan, seeking training, submitting Work Objectives or Appraisal, and much more. For example, if applying for a leave, an employee needs to fill-up an online leave form and click on â€Å"Submit† button. The application directly goes to the concerned supervisor under intimation to

Managerial Economics Essay Example for Free

Managerial Economics Essay Identify the fixed and variable inputs. The firms w x L is fixed through out the production process, so $300 is the fixed cost. Firms, cost of capital r x K is the variable cost. It is variable through out the production process. Gus Bonilla MBA 217 Managerial Economics Individual Assignment b. What are the firm’s fixed costs? Cost of labor is the Firms fixed costs, it is equal to $300 c. What is the variable cost of producing 475 units of output? The variable cost are $75 x 6 = 0 d. How many units of the variable input should be used to maximize profits? Profit maximization is achieved when MR=MC. Since the firm runs in a competitive market MR=Price= $2. MC=MR, achieved in between 450 and 475 units of out put, and minimum ATC is achieved at 450 units. So, profit maximizing output is at around 450 units e. What are the maximum profits this firm can earn? Profit is maximized at 450 units of output. TR= 900 TC= 675 Profit= TR- Tc = 900- 675 = $225 f. Over what range of the variable input usage do increasing marginal returns exist? Increasing marginal returns from point 0 units of VC to 3 units. Gus Bonilla MBA 217 Managerial Economics Individual Assignment g. Over what range of the variable input usage do decreasing marginal returns exist? From unit #4 of Variable input (K) onwards there will be decreasing marginal returns h. Over what range of input usage do negative marginal returns exist? From input units 7th onwards there will be negative returns, as the firm incurs losses from this point. Where its ATC is higher than the MR. ) Explain the difference between the law of diminishing marginal returns and the law of diminishing marginal rate of technical substitution? Law of diminishing marginal returns: According to the law of diminishing marginal returns, the margin product will fall if we decide to add more inputs. ?In other words, In a production system, having fixed and variable inputs, keeping the fixed inputs constant, as more of a variable input is added, each additional unit of input yields less and less additional output. Law of diminishing marginal rate of technical substitution: This law suggests that it takes a large amount of capital to replace a unit of labor when capital use is high but little labor is used. As labor becomes more abundant and capital becomes scarcer, however, less capital is required to replace an additional unit of labor. In other words, the law of diminishing marginal rate of technical substitution indicates that it is relatively difficult to replace additional quantities of an input when the level of that input becomes relatively low.

Pipe Surge and Water Hammer Experiment

Pipe Surge and Water Hammer Experiment The objective of the work undertaken was consisted two separate experiments, pipe surge and water hammer. These are both caused by a reduction in the flow rate within a pipe. They are two alternative dissipations of the kinetic energy of the fluid into another form of energy pressure in the case of the water hammer, and potential energy in the case of the surge shaft. The surge shaft is a device used as a way of avoiding pressure surges which accompany the water hammer effect, by allowing the fluid up a shaft near the valve, thus absorbing the pressure exerted by the fluid on the valve and the pipe. The aim of these two experiments was to compare the results with the theory derived from Newtons Second Law of Motion. Introduction Pipe Surge Water pipelines and distribution systems are subjected to surges almost daily, which over time can cause damage to equipment and the pipeline itself. Surges are caused by sudden changes in flow velocity that result from common causes such as rapid valve closure, pump starts and stops, and improper filling practices. Pipelines often see their first surge during filling when the air being expelled from a pipeline rapidly escapes through a manual vent or a throttled valve followed by the water. Being many times denser than air, water follows the air to the outlet at a high velocity, but its velocity is restricted by the outlet thereby causing a surge. It is imperative that the filling flow rate be carefully controlled and the air vented through properly sized automatic air valves. Similarly, line valves must be closed and opened slowly to prevent rapid changes in flow rate. The operation of pumps and sudden stoppage of pumps due to power failures probably have the most frequent impact o n the system and the greatest potential to cause significant surges. If the pumping system is not controlled or protected, contamination and damage to equipment and the pipeline itself can be serious. The effects of surges can be as minor as loosening of pipe joints to as severe as damage to pumps, valves, and concrete structures. Damaged pipe joints and vacuum conditions can cause contamination to the system from ground water and backflow situations. Uncontrolled surges can be catastrophic as well. Line breaks can cause flooding and line shifting can cause damage to supports and even concrete piers and vaults. Losses can be in the millions of dollars so it is essential that surges be understood and controlled with the proper equipment. Water Hammer Water hammer is the formation of pressure waves as the result of a sudden change in liquid velocity in a piping system. Water hammer usually occurs when a fluid flow start or stops quickly or is forced to make a rapid change in direction. Quick closing of valves and stoppage of pump can create water hammer. Valve closing in 1.5s or less depending upon the valve size and system conditions causes an abrupt stoppage of the slow. Since liquid is not compressible, any energy that is applied to is instantly transmitted. The pressure waves created at rapid valve closure can reach five times the systems working pressure. If not considered for, this pressure pulse will rapidly accelerate to the speed of sound in liquid, which can exceed 1200 m/s, causing burst of the pipeline and pump causing as well as fracture in the pipe fittings. For this reason, it is essential to understand under what conditions these pressure waves are produced and reduce the pressure rise as much as possible in a pipi ng system. Risk assessment In experimental work there are always some risks to everyone in the lab, hence a health and safety briefing before commencing the labs. These will aware people to the potential risks and the appropriate steps to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Therefore it is crucial to follow the advice of the staff supervising at all times and use the protection equipment provided. There are different hazard around in the lab, identifying them is important. There are people doing other experiments at the same time in the lab, make sure what the worst situation can happen with it. Therefore knowing where is the closest fire exit is important, or the short route to get out the build. Making sure there are not wire on the floor, incase people fell over it. Make sure that all the equipments going to be used are safe. Connecting the equipments correctly to prevent short circuit. Make sure that the load is not too heavy to left. When loading the equipment, be careful it might fell on to someones toe. Be aware of anything caught into the equipment When leaving the lab make sure things are placed back to the original place, and all equipments are switched off. There are ways to prevent it happen. Make sure you know the risk of the experiment. Ask others to help to set up, if not sure what the equipment does. Do not leave anything unattended. Not lift anything heavy alone or with equipments help. Wear PPE Methodology Pipe Surge The equipment is set up as shown Figure 4 1, where the head loss can be measured. The static head (hs) is recorded through the level on the surge shaft when there is no flow, this will be the datum level throughout the experiment. Then adjusting the gate valve and supply control valve, so that there is a steady of water flowing into the sump tank, where the new reading in the surge shaft is the velocity head (hv). Then the gate valve is close and wait for the oscillations to stop, once it is stopped the lever is opened to operated gate valve and the water level should drop back to the same value for the velocity head. The value of hs and hv are used to calculate the head loss due to friction which is hs hv = hf. The flow rate will be needed by closing the dump tank to find the quantity of water in the tank in 60 seconds. More reading should be taken for better accuracy. The flow rate should not be changed for the rest of the experiment. The maximum and minimum surge heights are measure by the oscillations and the time between the gate valves is quickly closed. The same procedure is repeated but the time taken between the surges passing the datum point is measured. Water Hammer: Follow the Appendix 8 -1 to set the equipment up. Where the water hammer flow control valve should be fully open and the surge shaft valve is fully closed, then the measurement of the volumetric flow rate will be taken and thus calculate the flow velocity. The volumetric flow rate can be measure using the same procedure as Pipe Surge. Then the fast acting valve is release to stop the flow of water instantaneously causing a pressure pulse to travel up and down the pipe. This is instantaneous closures which mean closure less than 2L/c, i.e. the valve is closed before a reflected wave reaches the valve again, as this will give us the same pressure rise as an instantaneous closure. These pulses are captured on the oscilloscope where we record the average amplitude, time base and the duration of the pulse. The time lags between the two pressure transducers are also recorded. For the second half of this experiment, the oscilloscope setting is changed so that the time base setting is increased to 25ms/div. Once it is set up, the same procedure will be repeated as before. The fast acting valve is release and records the average amplitude value and duration of the pulse for the traces that are on the oscilloscope. Discussion When comparing the values gained experimentally to the values predicted from the equations, tabulated in table 6 -1, it can be observed that the predicted flow rates and the period of oscillation are both quite similar with their experimental values. The reason for the slight difference in flow rates is partly due to the fact that the equation that we needed to use to find the flow rate had two unknown values in it, Q and hf. The equation that we used was: The experimental value of frictional head loss is used so that the predicted flow rate can be calculated. The experimental value of Q is used for calculating the theoretical value for frictional head loss by substituting this value in to the equation However this value would have accumulated more errors and therefore the value would be further away from the experimental value. From Figure 6 1 the time period is about 8 seconds can be observed, whereas the predicted value is 7.5705 seconds. The discrepancy between the two numbers is most likely to be as a result of human error, when timing the points of max and min surge and also when the surge crosses the datum a time factor needs to be taken into consideration for the time taken between the person saying when to stop the timer and the other person actually pressing the button. This time delay could easily explain the half second difference between the two values. When comparing the difference between the experimental and predicted values for maximum surge height, the first predicted value is hugely different to the actual value achieved. The reason for this is because the equation gives the max surge from the static head assuming that there are no losses due to friction, therefore the equation will need to be adjust to take into consideration of the effects of friction. This acts as a correction factor. The reason why it need to be use, because the initial head loss which is due to friction, this is the difference between the static head and the velocity head which is much lower than the static head therefore the initial max amplitude should be taken away. Throughout the effects of friction is important as dealing with a small bore system whereas in reality surge shafts have diameters in meters. The effects of friction can be assumed negligible, as long as the initial head at the valve is assume the same as at the reservoir. However in the flow frictional losses are relatively large, this can be seen in the fact that there is a large difference between the static head and velocity head. This is partly due to the small diameter of the pipe, as the friction occurs at the walls and if the diameter of the pipe is small then the area in which the fluid is unaffected by the friction is going to be smaller. In order to take the effects of friction in to account, the equation of the max amplitude must start from the velocity head therefore the head loss due to friction can also be taken into consideration. Water Hammer From observing Figure 5 -1 the single pressure wave, it varies slightly to the symmetrical smooth square shown as in the Fluid Mechanics Lab Manual. The pulse shown on the oscilloscope showed an unsymmetrical, rough rectangle. This irregularity of the line is as a result of not all the kinetic energy being transferred into potential energy, which is the pressure pulse, and the remaining energy being lost in the form of heat, sound and strain. The strain loss is where the compression of the water tries to expand the pipe, i.e. constant volume therefore change the cross sectional area. The reason of that assumption is the irregular graph as when deriving the equations as assumed that the kinetic energy lost is equal to the energy gained in the form of the pressure pulse, this does not take into consideration the effects of energy losses like heat noise and deformation. In another part of the experiment, the pressure transducer set up halfway along the pipe. i.e. 1.5meters away from the valve; this meant there is a time lag between the first wave and the second wave giving the opportunity to measure the speed of sound in water. Firstly the time lag need to be calculated, using 0.75 per division. In the first set up the time axis for the oscilloscope to 2.5milliseconds per division, therefore the time lag is 1.5 milliseconds. The time lag should roughly be a quarter of the time period, so it is as expected the time lag is 1.5625 milliseconds, which is very close to what experimentally gained therefore suggesting that the value has a slight error but not as significant error that the value cant be used to work out Ce. As a result the value of the time lag in the equation can be used An experimental value was given for the speed of sound in the water/pipe system which is 960m/s. This value is used to calculate the time it takes a single pressure pulse to travel a complete circuit of the pipe, in this case 6 meters, and the value is 4.523 milliseconds compared to 6.25 milliseconds from the sketch. The difference between these two values could be due to not reading the number of divisions accurately enough and also where the measure of the period from, both of which could have made the result closer to the result calculated. However the discrepancy might also be due to pulse travelling further than it is assumed. For the calculations, assumption is made that it is just travelling the length of the pipe, however the pulse might travel some distance into the header tank instead of being reflected back at the edge. This would then account for why the measured time period is longer, as it could be travelling further than the 6 meters as assumed. When looking at the table 6 -2 for the water hammer experiment, the predicted and experimental values for the speed of sound in water can be compared, peak pressure and also the duration of the first pulse. There is not much difference the experimental and predicted values of speed of sound in the water/pipe system, this indicates that the experiment went well and that the calculations and therefore the equations used are correct. However there is a significant difference between the peak pressure and also the duration of the pulse, it is quite likely that measured the duration of the pulse inaccurately as determined a rough value for how many divisions the period was, likewise with the amplitude of the pulse. Furthermore when calculating the experimental velocity of sound in water the time lag was used as the time in the equation and the time lag again was measured by reading how many divisions it took up and as a consequence was open to human error in reading it. From Figure 5 1 can be observe several reflected pressure waves. When the pulse is reflected as a low pressure wave, the pulse is going lower than the original start point. The pressure wave is actually reaching the vapour pressure of water and as a consequence the water is boiling and evaporating creating bubbles, this causes a vacuum to be created thus slowing down the pulse. The energy created from the boiling water soon dissipates and when there are not enough bubbles to slow down the pulse then a second pulse starts and the whole process repeats itself. The fact that the pulse is slowed down in the pressure trough by the vacuum and bubbles means that the pulses are not symmetrical. Studying the Figure 5 1 more closely, on the second pulse wave there is a small spike half way between the first pulse and the second pulse can be observe, this could be due to a number of reasons but the most likely is that it is the pulse that has been reflected back from the back of the Header tank. Ideally the experiment would be set up such that the header tank has a big enough change in volume and pressure compared to the pipe that it would act as a discontinuity and reflect the pulse back straight away. However in this case some of the pulse could be being reflected from the back wall of the header tank. This would also explain why there is a difference between some of our experimental and predicted results for the speed of sound in water, as we could be assuming that the distance travelled by the pulse is slightly shorter than it travelled in reality, thus having different values when calculating C. The reason why the amplitudes of the pulse wave are not symmetrical is partl y due to the vaporisation of the water and also as a consequence of friction, as the flow is slowed the frictional head loss also reduces and so the head at the valve increases to the equilibrium position of the static head, that is why the amplitudes converges towards the static equilibrium can be observe. Conclusions In conclusion, the results between theoretical and experimental were similar and close to each other. However, the slight discrepancies might due to human error, e.g. not recording the time as accurately and also the effects of friction will need to be taken in consideration. Therefore if the experiment is repeated to get better accuracy for the result can be more reliable to use. References Fluid Mechanics Laboratory Manual Level 1 and 2 notes on unsteady flow Douglas JF, Gasiorek JM and Swaffield JA, Fluid Mechanics, 4th ed, Prentice Hall, 2001. (ISBN 0582414768) Massey, B, Mechanics of Fluids, 8th ed, Taylor Francis, 2006 (ISBN 0-415-36206) http://www.valmatic.com/pdfs/SurgeControlPumpingSystems.pdf http://ksbpak.com/pdfs/waterhammer.pdf

Tata Motors International Business Strategy

Tata Motors International Business Strategy Tata Motors Tata motors is an Indians largest multi-holding company. It was established in 1945. This company caters to three market segment internationally. The passenger cars, Utility vehicles and commercial vehicles. The company produced the first mini-truck, first light and heavy vehicles and many more firsts in India, being an inventor in their industry. Tata motors has entered into strategic acquisition and joint ventures in its mid stage and launched new products at a rapid pace in various markets. Now a days, Tata motors enjoys the position of being Indians leading auto-mobile manufacturer with increasing presence in Europe, South East Asia, Africa, Australia, and the middle East with a total more of US $ 4 billion. The company focuses on providing customers the best value for their money meets European standards and environmental regulations through their advance technologies. A newer version of the car, named Indica V2, was a major improvement over the previous version and quickly beca me mass favourite. In United Kingdom a badge engineered version of this car was sold (Rover City Rover), which was big failure and declared the worst car ever driven on BBC Top Gear show. Tata motors also successfully exported large quantities of the cars in South Africa. The success of Indica in many ways marked the rise of Tata Motors. The proposal will include the current position of Tata motors and its international expansion, what are the things they have done to be successful? What are their weaknesses? How can they improve. Marketing factors effecting Tata motors. The companys Swot analysis, its Boston matrix, Its market planning and strategy will all be included in the proposal. (Yadong Lou 1999) suggests International Expansion is a process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global-spanning network of communication and trade. This report would not only define how Tata motors and tea expanded internationally but also what are the reasons of organisations to globalise, how complex this expansion is actually as it may seems to be mouth watering because of high profits and economies of scale but in practise it is not that easy. It is important to understand why Tata Motors did expand, though companies in the international arenas have experienced many benefits, however the complexity of the international business also brings a lot of risk with it. For Tata motors to justify international business activities, therefore, relied on the below reasons. International customers : Tata motors wanted to continue serving his customers who became international. To make them feel the same as when they were in the home country. New expanded market : New different market was available outside their home country; additional resources including management, skills just to name the few. Increase sales: Tata motors wanted to increase the sales of his vehicles. Because of this they had to go into markets where consumers had a very strong purchasing power. And also to industrialise courtiers where products such as heavy commercial vehicles were needed or demanded. Generally international expansion is not easy as it may sound since many factors have to be taken in to account. For example Tata motors started from India with an international view but faced problems like political new countrys legislation and laws. For example Nanos launch in October maybe delayed due to political issues related to plant land. Reference Free research report for 1Q 09 results. It should be taken in to account that Plant of Tata motors in India would be much more cost beneficial rather than a plant in Europe as there would be a difference in minimum wage laws. So to decide where a plant should be build lot of thinking is required. Economic factors were also taken in to account, since different countries would have different per annum income of the people hence to produce cars that would be affordable. Recession has not hit the third world countries as such but has hit European countries to much more effect so different international strategy is required. One of the reasons of Tata motors success is that they faced such challenges successfully. As it is shown above Tata motors expanded with consideration of a lot of factors and proved to be successful. To understand the concept it is important to know how did they market their products, what their planning was? What marketing strategy did they use. Marketing: Marketing is the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customer in return. Tata motors market their product differently when producing in different regions. (Gary Armstrong 2009) Market targeting is a process of evaluating each market segments attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter. Segmentation is dividing into distinct groups of buyers who have distinct needs, characteristics, or behaviour and who might require separate products or marketing programmes. As the Tata Group is a worldwide concern operating in more than 100 countries with thousands of products, there is almost no industry which seems to be untouched by the group. The focus of Tatas market entry will be UK. There were several reasons for selecting UK as the target market. These favourable factors were the status of India as the favourable economic agent, UK Car market dynamics and potential, language similarity. The other countries which were considered as potentially attractive were: the USA the largest market size in the world, Russia emerging market with significant sales potential. The option of the USA as target market was declined due to extremely high quality require ments and other non-tariff barriers which make it hard for a new entrant to enter this market ÂÂ   (Roger A. Kerin 1994) Through strategic planning, the company decides what it wants to do with each business unit. Market planning involves deciding on market strategies that will help the company attain its overall strategic objectives. A detailed marketing plan is essential for each business, product or brand. The plan begins with an executive summary, which quickly overviews major assessments, goals and recommendations. Tata Nano is the cheapest car in the world. It is sold in home country India around Rs 1-lakh i.e. approximately USD 2000. Tata Nano was first launched in India on 1st April 2009 and expected to be in Indian market by July 2009. Since launching, it has created a huge buzz all over India. Within the first two days of lunching, it has received 5500 booking. The figures keep increasing every day since the launching. What makes Tata Nano so cheap? Basically, by making things smaller, lighter, do away with superficial parts and change the materials wherever possible without compromising the safety and environmental compliance. It is said that Tata Nano has better mileage than Toyota Prius and same gas emission as a scooter. The planning of this car is that it will be imported to Malaysia in parts by Tata motors and is assembled in its two assembly plants. There are forty sale offices in Peninsular Malaysia nationwide. All Tata Nano cars will be distributed through these sale offices only. Order can be made vide these distribution centres or its web site. (Robert.E) Market strategy: Market strategy outlines the broad marketing logic by which the business hopes to achieve its marketing objectives and the specifics of targets markets, positioning, and marketing expenditure levels. How will the company the company create value for customers in order to capture value from customers in return? This section also outlines specific strategies for each marketing mix element and explains how each responds to the threats, opportunities and critical issues spelled out earlier in the plan. Product: Over the years Tata Motors have been successful in creating their brand image especially they use some famous stars as their spokesman. Other important marketing strategies are such as the packaging, innovations, and quality control. Tata Motors provide many innovative features to attract car lover. One of these innovations is the Tata Safari 4X4 Decor that has Reverse Guide System. A weather-proof camera is fixed to the rear car to help the driver while reversing the car. Pricing strategy: There are number of factors to determine the price of the car. Factors include like market condition for example it cannot be too low or too high with the prices of same vehicles of the competitors. Giving discount every month and special promotion for certain type of vehicle also one of the strong strategy use by Tata Motors. Discount can be made from Companys profit or from dealers profit at certain range. Place: It includes the company activities that make the product available to target customers. Channels of distributions, locations and sales is usually adopted. Vehicle should be distributed in a systematic way, from the plant to dealership and to end user. Tata Motors has an extensive dealer network covering Indian and International markets. Wherever you are, there is a Tata Motors Sales and Service dealership close to you Promotion: Personal selling: There is cold calling to customer, this is done by collection of customer data bases done by the sales officers. Hence there is minimum personal selling involved. Advertising is any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor. It is designed to promote the sale of a product or service. The various media that can be used for advertising are T.V, Newspaper, Magazines, Hoardings, and Internet etc. Tata Motors is responsible for the advertising of its products. The dealer conducts point-of-purchase displays to advertise the products. The advertisements done by the Co. help the dealer to capitalize on the market. Advertising is often used to make consumers aware of a products special low price or its benefits. But an even more important function of advertising is to create an image that consumers associate with a product, known as the brand image. The brand image goes far beyond the functional characteristics of the product. The products of Tata Motors have many special characteristics to them, but when consumers think of it, they not only think of its features, but they may also associa te it with quality, performance, and class. All of these meanings have been added to the product by advertising Sales promotion is a short term incentive to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. Its purpose is to supplement and coordinate advertising and personal selling. It is designed to persuade consumers to purchase immediately by providing special incentives to them for example extra product, prizes or gifts. During festivals such as diwali customers are given festive discounts. Public relations is building good relations with the companys various publics by obtaining favorable publicity, building a good corporate image, and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories and events. The Co. takes serious measures to maintain good public relations. The Co. follows business ethics to ensure that the customer is satisfied and receives good service whenever and wherever he desires.(Edmund Jerome McCarthy). SWOT ANALYSIS: SWOT analysis helps a firm in strategy formulation, in responding strategically to the environment, the goal is to reduce identified threats and take advantage of the best opportunities. The following is the SWOT analysis of Tata motors Strengths The internationalisation strategy so far has been to keep local managers in new acquisitions, and to only transplant a couple of senior managers from India into the new market. The benefit is that Tata has been able to exchange expertise. For example after the Daewoo acquisition the Indian company leaned work discipline and how to get the final product right first time. The company has a strategy in place for the next stage of its expansion. Not only is it focusing upon new products and acquisitions, but it also has a programme of intensive management development in place in order to establish its leaders for tomorrow. The company has had a successful alliance with Italian mass producer Fiat since 2006. This has enhanced the product portfolio for Tata and Fiat in terms of production and knowledge exchange. For example, the Fiat Palio Style was launched by Tata in 2007, and the companies have an agreement to build a pick-up targeted at Central and South America. Weaknesses The companys passenger car products are based upon 3rd and 4th generation platforms, which put Tata Motors Limited at a disadvantage with competing car manufacturers. Despite buying the Jaguar and Land Rover brands (see opportunities below); Tata has not got a foothold in the luxury car segment in its domestic, Indian market. Is the brand associated with commercial vehicles and low-cost passenger cars to the extent that it has isolated itself from lucrative segments in a more aspiring India? Opportunities In the summer of 2008 Tata Motors announced that it had successfully purchased the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford Motors for UK Â £2.3 million. Two of the Worlds luxury car brand have been added to its portfolio of brands, and will undoubtedly off the company the chance to market vehicles in the luxury segments. Tata Motors Limited acquired Daewoo Motors Commercial vehicle business in 2004 for around USD $16 million. Nano is the cheapest car in the World retailing at little more than a motorbike. Whilst the World is getting ready for greener alternatives to gas-guzzlers, is the Nano the answer in terms of concept or brand? Incidentally, the new Land Rover and Jaguar models will cost up to 85 times more than a standard Nano! The new global track platform is about to be launched from its Korean (previously Daewoo) plant. Again, at a time when the World is looking for environmentally friendly transport alternatives, is now the right time to move into this segment? The answer to this question (and the one above) is that new and emerging industrial nations such as India, South Korea and China will have a thirst for low-cost passenger and commercial vehicles. The range of Super Milo fuel efficient buses are powered by super-efficient, eco-friendly engines. The bus has optional organic clutch with booster assist and better air intakes that will reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%. Threats Other competing car manufacturers have been in the passenger car business for 40, 50 or more years. Therefore Tata Motors Limited has to catch up in terms of quality and lean production. Sustainability and environmentalism could mean extra costs for this low-cost producer. This could impact its underpinning competitive advantage. Obviously, as Tata globalises and buys into other brands this problem could be alleviated. Since the company has focused upon the commercial and small vehicle segments, it has left itself open to competition from overseas companies for the emerging Indian luxury segments. For example ICICI bank and DaimlerChrysler have invested in a new Pune-based plant which will build 5000 new Mercedes-Benz per annum. Other players developing luxury cars targeted at the Indian market include Ford, Honda and Toyota. In fact the entire Indian market has become a target for other global competitors including Maruti Udyog, General Motors, Ford and others. Rising prices in the global economy could pose a threat to Tata Motors Limited on a couple of fronts. The price of steel and aluminium is increasing putting pressure on the costs of production. Many of Tatas products run on Diesel fuel which is becoming expensive globally and within its traditional home market. These all factors held lot of importance for Tata motors to expand inte rationally. (Peter Jackson 1982). The strategic positioning of an organization admits the inventing the desired future position of the organization on the groundwork of present and predictable exploitations, and the constructing of programs to realize that positioning. Strategic positioning can be analysed by Porters SWOT analysis approach and Boston Consultants Group (BCG) Matrix (See Figure 2). BCG Product portfolio matrix indicates the Cash Cows refers to the industries with a high market share and low growth such as Power (Energy), Steel and Oil Gas. Dogs refer the industries with low market share and low growth such as Tata Sky, Tata Tele services etc. the stars shows the industries such as Automotive, Tea, and Chemicals with high market share and high growth. However; the each industry position in the matrix is an opportunity open to business (Sutherland and Canwell, 2004, p 16; Stacy, 1993, pp 48-49, Thompson, 2002). For example; in cash cows, Tatas acquisition with Corus (UK) and gained a big share of market . In stars Tatas acquisition of Daewoo (Korea) and achieved a high market share in the Korean automobile market. Figure: 2 Tata motors takes in to account the value proportion of what is proposed in the market and also make sure that target customers segments also are addressed by the value proposition. For example; the Tatas recent announcement, of launching the cheapest cars for the Indian market for the target market of two wheeler owners such as motorcycle and scooter. Tata motors has developed effective distribution channels to reach the customers and to develop relationship with them (David Mercer)It is very important for a company like Tata motors which is a global company that it considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. The macro environments that can affect Tata motors include political, economical, Socio cultural and technological factors. Political arena: Political arena can have a lot of influence upon the regulation of businesses and also one the spending power of the consumers and other businesses. The political factors that can affect Tata motors are, strong tax incentives for inbound investors, different countries would have different laws so company has to take in to account what they are dealing with, strong motivation and trust, there was a negative effect on the IT industry after 2009 because the governments initiative of Tax holiday under STPI expires (Thinking street 2007) In order to be successful marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy both in the long and short term. It would be essential when Tata motors plan to do international marketing. As interest rates, Inflation, employment level per capita and gross domestic product per capita would all play important roles. Tata motors would also be affected by competitive labour cost model and highly mobile work force. Social and cultural factors: Social and cultural factors influence the business varies from country to country. It includes factors like, dominant religion in the area? The attitudes to foreign products and services? How much effect language has upon the diffusion of products onto markets. Technology: Technology is one thing which is very important in the car industry. Since technology will give Tata motors a competitive advantage over others and is a major driver of globalisation. For example technology can allow the products to be made cheaply hence reducing cost and increasing revenues, It offers new innovative products to the consumers that will make sure that the product dont get obsolete, Tata motors internet site provides all the information about the cars, 3d view and videos can be seen making information easily accessible to the consumers. It also adds the concept of customer relationship manager who will be in touch with the consumers even after the car has been purchased. Thus consumer will feel themselves part of the organisation. So to be competitive Tata motors have to do strong R D culture and facilities, strong tie-ups with western technology companies and be adaptive to new technologies. The various motives behind buying an automobile are Need, Prestige, Comfort, Fashion, Jealousy and Novelty. The R D Department continuously strives to bring new innovations in their product. Tatas have an industrial experience of over 100 years and they are well known with the Psychology of Indian customers, who desire more at less price. This experience has helped them to develop products which fulfil the expectations of Indian consumers. Porters 5 Forces Analysis: Porters 5 forces analysis deals with the factors outside an industry that influence the nature of competition within it. According to Porter (1985), competition is at the core of the success or failure of firms. The intensity of rivalry will determine the extent to which competing companies will give away the value that they have created. They will either pass this value to the buyer in lower prices or it will be absorbed by higher costs of competing (Porter, 1991). Michael Porter has provided a framework that models an industry being influenced by the five forces which will give below. That helps the strategic business manager to develop an edge over rival firms as this model helps in understanding the industry context in which firms operate. Figure 1 shows the five forces model: Barriers to Entry: Time and cost of entry: When launching a product time is the most essential thing. The launch of NANO is a good example since demand for small cars is on the rise of the market. Cost of entry actually means the initial capital that would be required to setup a new firm is very high. Knowledge and technology: It is from knowledge and technology that firms get competitive advantage over others. Tata motors have great knowledge and technology because of the experience they had and also from the fact that they have done few mergers and acquisitions over the last few years. Product differentiation and cost advantage: The new products should be attractive and different to be accepted by customers. Attractiveness can be measured by feature, price etc. NANO car price is one of its things which are very attractive for customers at the moment. Buyers: Switching costs: In the case of NANO the switching cost from bike to car is high. Thus increasing the demand of the car. Number of customers: Few buyers can dictate their terms. The bargaining power of buyer is higher if there are a lot of choices available to the buyers. In the case of NANO the price tag that it has got no compromise have been done at front. Brand Image: The brand image of Tata company is one of their strength in the market. Suppliers: Number of size of suppliers: Suppliers give raw material to the company, if there are few suppliers then they can set high prices to capture the profit. The NANO car has 128 suppliers in all. Unique product/service: Suppliers industry is dominated by few substitutes. Some parts of the Tata motor cars are obtained from few suppliers and limited substituted are available to their product. Competitive Rivalry: Price competition: Advertising battles can increase the demand in the industry, but may be costly to small competitors. NANO is the only player so it has the price competition but as the Maruti and Honda are planning to launch a car in the same segment so price competition will start. Product quality and number of diversity of competition also effect the competitive rivalry. (Charles Hill 2009)Strategies can be made but the real thing is to make sure that theory works in practicality, for this purpose monitoring and evaluation system is used for an organisation to have a check on policies and procedures through out the time. If an organisation does not care about how well it is doing or about what impacts it is having, why bother to do it at all? Monitoring and evaluation allows you to assess the quality and impact of your work, against your action plans and your strategic plan. In order for monitoring and evaluation to be really valuable, you do need to have planned well Conclusion: Given the intensity of competition and fast changing business environment in the segment, the world over, the acquisition, undoubtedly, is a strategic fit for Tata motors, as far as its globalization gambit is concerned. And, the number one spot, which it is aiming at, may not be far away. But of course, it would have to put its best cup forward. The hybrid strategy is used by the company in various industries, it involved a higher degree of organisational excellence and integration of all the departments. Here the strategy of the group is to maintain the cost of raw materials as lowest as possible and to achieve the lowest cost of final products. The group also invested a huge amount in research and development in order to achieve the highest degree of quality at the lowest price.

Skyscraper Building Code Revision Essay -- American History, September

Building Code Revision The attacks of September 11 were some of the worst ever experienced in the history of the United States. These attacks generated a widespread feeling of insecurity and uncertainty throughout America, compelling the government to revise safety measures and protocol pertaining to the wellbeing of the United States. However, some aspects of security under modification, such as building codes, are being questioned by many. The collapse of the twin towers, due to the impact from the airplanes, spurred a movement focused on strengthening the integrity of skyscrapers and other high-rise buildings throughout the United States. Though the terrorist attacks proved to be a tremendous tragedy, the application of measures this great is not seen as a proven necessity. The circumstances of the incident proved to be so extraordinary that dramatic modifications to the structure of building should not take place because of such an event. Therefore, the building codes of skyscrapers should not be chan ged due to the terrorist attacks of September 11. The modifications of existing building and the construction of new ones under the most recently proposed building codes would be too costly to implement. The billions of dollars would be required into order to perform the suggested renovations. Marolyn Davenport, a vice president at the Real Estate Board of New York and a member of the task force, states that, â€Å"Burdensome restrictions would make construction too expensive.† He goes on to say, â€Å"While you want to incorporate safety features, at the same time we have to compete with surrounding areas† (Qtd. in Chan 1). Buildings that would fall subject to the new building codes would be given an unfair advantage in the competitiv... ...state and local governments to drastically revise the skyscraper building codes in the United States. It would cost far too much money to implement all of the standards that are being requested by state legislatures. In addition, there are many methods that have proven to be more effective means of reducing the threat of terrorism surrounding this country. Though some of the suggested codes have been passed and are now currently in the code, an instant change to building regulations is unlikely. The need for many of these modifications is still under debate and their fates are yet to be determined. Good has come out of the efforts to modify high-rise construction codes, but the potentially beneficial aspects are far outweighed by the negative. Skyscrapers stand tall despite the terrible events of 9/11 and should not be unnecessarily altered because of them.

Management of Old-growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest Essay

Management of Old-growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest When westward expansion brought settlers to the Northwest in the 1800s, they discovered that coniferous trees â€Å"forty feet in circumference [that] shot two-hundred feet straight up† flourished in the forests of the Pacific coast (Ervin 55). These early pioneers found the opportunity for economic growth in logging these vast forests of towering trees unlike any they had seen before. Today, the timber industry still remains the backbone of economic support for Washington, Oregon, and northwestern California, but an inevitable conflict has arisen between humans and our environment. A struggle over the control of the use of the old-growth forests threatens the balance of the ecosystem and the stability of the economy in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, 55,000 acres of Northwest forest land succumb to chainsaws to feed the ever-increasing foreign and domestic demands for lumber (Time 21). To profitably satisfy these demands, old-growth trees, those of two hundred years or more, are sought by Northwest logging companies. At this rate, environmentalists believe the unique ecosystem created by old-growth forests is in danger of being destroyed. To protect the old-growth forests and the plants and animals found there, a reduction must be made in the amount of old-growth trees logged each year. Yet reducing the amount of logging in the Pacific Northwest decreases the current number of jobs involved in harvesting the forests and the revenue received by both the companies and the government for their processed logs. To fully understand the current conflict over the old-growth forests, we must look at what each side stands to lose and then suggest a possible balanced sol... ...reach an agreement before it is too late. At our current rate of logging, the old-growth forest, its ecosystem, and its loggers will disappear in less than 15 years (Watkins 12). References Abate, Tom. â€Å"Which bird is the better indicator species for old-growth forest?† Bioscience Jan. 1992: 8-9. Carey, Andrew, Janice Reid, and Scott Horton. â€Å"Spotted Owl Density in Northwest California.† Journal of Wildlife Management 54.1 (1990): 11-18. Davis, Phillip A. Congressional Quarterly 4 Sept., 1991: 2611-12. â€Å"Environment’s Little Big Bird.† Time 16 April 1990: 21. Ervin, Keith. Fragile Majesty. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1989. Gup, Ted. â€Å"Owl vs. Man.† Time 25 June 1990: 56-65. Satchell, Michael. â€Å"The Endangered Logger.† U.S. News and World Report 25 June 1990: 27-29. Watkins, T. H. â€Å"The Boundaries of Loss.† Wilderness Spring 1991: 12-16.

Assess The Individual In A Health And Social Care Setting Essay

As a part of my role I go out and assess potential residents that are looking to be admitted to the Home where I work. The usual process is that someone telephones or visits, whether it be a Social Worker, a family member, a Health Care Professional from Hospital or the perspective resident themselves. We have an assessment form for this stage we call a Resident Enquiry form, basic details are asked of the potential resident and contact details are noted as well as medical conditions, and a brief overall picture of the person. Once a visit has been arranged or if they happen to come unannounced which is recommended, I give them some information after they have had a look around the Home and asked any questions they may have. The information includes our Home brochure, our statement of purpose, our CSSIW report and Local Authority report and a newsletter. It is extremely important to work in partnership with other agencies involved with the potential resident to be able to provide the right care needed and the right social environment and know their personal choices etc. It should enable a smooth cross over into the Care setting, with all their needs being met and staff are able to get an overview of the resident’s needs as well as their personality, hobbies, character etc. Looking at this unit I have discovered several styles of assessment, the questioning model, which is something I often do when assessing a resident, as I personally feel it can be impersonal sat filling in a form in front of them, as if they have to pass a certain test to be allowed to come to the Home. I prefer to ask, listen, process the information, and then go and fill out the form after I have finished chatting to the resident. This method is however led by me as the service provider; I have to decide if our Home is able to meet their needs as I ask some of the questions that we have on our assessment form that we use. Read more:  Essay About Assess Individual in Health Care I don’t particularly like the procedure model as it appears that the potential resident has to tick all the right boxes to get a place in our care Home. If unsuitable for whatever reason they may feel rejection,  insignificant, upset and worried. The exchange model sounds the best as it puts the person being assessed as the expert and I would like to put an assessment across this way, and ask things like how do you think we as a Home can help you? Etc. The resident should be the most important person in all decisions being made prior to coming into our care Home. They are the ones that are going to be affected, emotionally, physically, mentally, a disruption to their usual daily life, a huge significant change, giving up their own homes, with so many memories and treasures. Our standard resident assessment form – prior to admission, is set out much like our enquiry form but in much more depth, the form is designed as a rough guide of questions to ask prior to assessment to ensure that the Home has the right facilities, environment to meet their needs. Not all of the form is filled in with the potential resident, some questions are asked of the Nursing Staff, family or social worker. I think that when assessing a resident it is important to gain their trust, get to know them and chat about other things not only what is on the form. I like to talk about the Home where I work; describing it, the staff, the Home owner, the dog, the food then let them ask me questions if they wish which they usually do. I try and be as positive as I can about them coming into care, describing activities that take place, the fun we have at Christmas and birthdays, the productions the staff perform for the residents etc. The elderly often think of care homes as the end, defeated, giving up, sadness, etc, I like to help them see things differently if I can, that together we can help them continue to be happy, continue their way of lives as best as we can, that they will never be alone or afraid, that someone is always around if they need them, that they will make new friends etc. When assessing I believe I use a mix of the questioning and the exchange model. Recently I was asked to show a couple around our Home, which I did of course. After looking around the Home I sat and chatted with them answering various questions and taking details off them as they were extremely keen for their relative to come to us as soon as possible. The potential resident was in  hospital and initially the advice give to the family who has no Social services interaction thus far, was to go down that route, get a social worker involved to assess, to offer support with choice of a home, the financial procedures etc. The family were happy with this route as there was no immediate hurry for her to be admitted, she was currently in hospital recovering after a water infection and some dizziness. Two days later the family contacted the Home asking if someone could come and assess their Mum as soon as possible, because after telling their Mum they had visited us and how the Home was, she was very eager to come to us straight away and the Social services had told the family that it may be several weeks for them to come and see and start the process going. The family were afraid the bed we had available might go, that the only involvement they needed from Social services would be to set up a care assessment and a contract of agreed care needed as the financial help would not be required as she would be privately funding herself. I chatted with my Manager who agreed that it was in this lady’s best interest to go and assess her as she wanted to leave hospital and come to us, so after contacting the ward in the hospital to let them know we would be coming to assess Mrs G, we both went to assess her in hospital the next day, which the family were thrilled about. I took the lead in her assessment and asked the nurses on the reception area if I could pleas come and assess Mrs. G and where I was from and my position, they then told us where to go to find her. Mrs G was absolutely lovely; she was really pleased to meet us and asked immediately when can I come to you. We chatted for a while, she said that we could ask her anything and sh e would tell us whatever we needed to know. We talked about where we both lived, about our children, about old Aberdare, how things have changed. She told me she was not going home to her house as she was afraid of being alone and wanted company. We had a few giggles as we shared some funny stories about our families, then I asked her a few questions about her basic needs and abilities. I didn’t write anything down whilst I was chatting with her as I felt it would be rude, I asked her what we could do for her, what she likes to do, what interests she has etc. She was really open about everything and was so pleased to know she could get out of hospital and come to us. She asked me what happens next, when she could come. I said I was going to have a chat with the nurses first, then the home owner then make arrangements for  an admission date if she was happy with that, she of course was. I went to find a nurse that had been looking after Mrs G, I asked how she was as a patient in the hospital, and she said she was a lovely lady, no problem whatsoever, independent though sometimes forgetful, does everything herself, sleeps well, but is at risk of falling. The nursing staff had given Mrs G a zimmer whilst in hospital, and the impression I was give was that they weren’t very keen on their patients moving around in case they fall. I thanked the nurse for her assistance and told her I would be in touch once an admission date had been arranged. I telephoned the Home Owner to ask when it would be convenient for Mrs G to be admitted, if there were any jobs he needed to do in the empty bedroom, he said that she could come whenever she was ready. Mrs G and her family were of course thrilled with this news and an admission date was arranged and the ward staff informed. Two days later Mrs G was admitted to the Home and is still very happy and settled with us. Her early assessment enabled her to come to us within a few days, she was unhappy in hospital in a bay on her own, she knew she couldn’t manage at home and didn’t want to anymore and wanted to get a bed with us, as she was familiar with our Home, she had actually visited some friends of hers that lived in the Home for a while, several years previously. After her admission is when the real paperwork assessments and care plans, risk assessments take place, the personal history forms, care profiles, likes dislikes etc all have to be completed. This was all done with Mrs G present and asking her opinion on what was put in place for her. You will see by her care plans that I recommended she be weighed regularly as she was really small, 5 stone on admission and not a great eater, I later recommended if things deteriorated she be referred to a dietician, which she has since being admitted. Her daughter and she agreed she no longer needed a zimmer frame; she now walks without one and is perfectly safe and able to do so. She does forget to wash and dress, she does like to stay in her room some days, she might forget to wear underwear, she likes to walk up and down the stairs unaided and go back and fore to her room and the garden whenever she likes, which is all ok, it is all accounted for in her care plans and  risk assessments and she is happy and settled and her family are happy too.

Human Computer Interface Essay

According to Nicky Danino(2001), Human Computer Interaction(HCI) is defined as ‘the study, planning, and design of what happens when a person and a computer work together’. HCI consist of three parts that is the user, the computer and the interaction involved between the user and the computer. Therefore I am going to evaluate the company based on several criteria. From what have been observed in the Kannal Solutions , the work area was found to be comfortable for the employees to work. The chairs provide sufficient cushioning. This enables the employees to work for long hours without feeling cramps or pains on their bottoms. Besides that, it is observed that the chair has adjustable heights. This enables the employees to adjust the height of the chair according to their comfort. The back rest of the chair also provides adequate support for the back bone. This feature of chair avoids the employees suffering from back aches or other lower back injuries. On the other hand, much attention was also given to the monitors. The monitors that are used in this company is positioned in such a way that the observer views the screen perpendicularly. When viewing the monitor at this angle, the observer will be able to reduce the stress applied on the neck muscles. Furthermore, only liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are used as a monitor. This monitor is flicker free because LCD does not depend on scanning electron beam to perform. Flickering of the screen can easily cause headaches to the employees which can severely reduce the productivity of the company. Moreover , the LCD screen is built such that it would not reflect light out, thus producing a less glare effect. These characteristics delays the eyes from getting tired. Apart from that, LCD has also been proven to produce lesser radiation. Thus, choosing LCD screen as a monitor was a good step taken by this company to keep their working environment more comfortable. The difference found from what is observed is this company does not provide the employees with ergonomic keyboards or mouse. This causes discomfort for the staffs working here especially for long hours working. Prolonged usage of non ergonomic keyboard can be as bad as the worker gets muscle strain or as worse as the employee suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) or tendonitis. CTS is the inflammation of the nerve that connects the forearm to the wrist whereas tendonitis is the inflammation due to repetitive motion on the tendon. The IT and telecommunication industry spends and invest a lot of money to operate. Therefore like many other companies , Kannal Solutions try to minimize wastage to reduce cost. Other than to minimize wastage, this company also gives a lot attention to save the environment. Therefore, green computing, which is as defined by Sarah Gingichashvili is ‘ the study and practice of efficient and eco-friendly computing resources’. In this company, printers and computers used contains Energy Star symbol. Electrical appliances and product that has Energy Star symbol consumes much lesser energy compared to those that does not have it. This symbol ensures that the computers automatically switches to the ‘sleep’ mode whenever it is idle. Switching to this mode reduces the energy consumption of the computer. Besides that, the employees also switches off their computers whenever it is not in use. If in case they need to use it at intervals, they would at least turn off the monitor so that electricity can be saved. Another reason why LCD screen is used in this company is also because of the fact that LCD screen consumes lesser energy than the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor. Due to this reason the CRT monitor waste a lot of energy mostly due to the large emission of heat energy. In Kannal Solutions , most of the computers uses Intel E2140 Dual Core with a processor speed of 1. 6Ghz. These computers gives a good performance which is needed during the collection of information from customers. The best part about this machine is that its power consumption is really low and efficient. It only consumes 69 watts. Therefore, in long run Kannal Solutions can save great deal of electricity while making sure that their performance is not affected. Although this company pays a great role in keeping the employees safe and comfortable, it is found through observation that the keyboards and mouse used is not ergonomic. In longer run the staffs can face nerve complications. So, it is recommended that the company take an immediate action to convert all the mouse and keyboards to an ergonomic one so that the workers here will not face any kind of problem which can cause to reduction of productivity to the company. Apart from that, although the chair has ergonomic feature such as adjustable height and proper back rest, it does not have a hand rest. So , whenever the staff feels tired they have to rest it on the table. It would be safer and much comfortable as the hand rest ensures that the worker’s hand would be parallel to the floor and the elbow would be perpendicular to the arm. So, it is recommended that the chairs here should be equipped with a hand rest. Thus, it is very clear that this company takes HCI seriously. Although there are some drawbacks, it can be overcame by taking proper steps such as suggested in order to keep the employees contributing to the development of this company.