The blue head

From deep water came the crocodile. Out of black water, curved with whirlpools, and Into the frill of gold shallows by the stepping-stones. He was twice the length of a tall man; and inside him, among the stones which he had swallowed to lad digestion, rolled a silver bracelet. Timber was being floated down this great Indian river from forests further up, and there were sleepers lying stuck around the stones until someone came to dislodge them and send them on their way, or until floods lifted them and Jostled them along.The crocodile had no need to hide himself. He came to rest In the glassy shallows, among logs, and balanced there on tiptoe on the rippled sand, with only his raised eyes out of the water, and raised nostrils breathing the clean sunny air. Around him broad sparkling water traveled between cliffs and grass and forested hills. A jungle track came out of scrub each side and down to the sun-whitened stepping-stones on which a little flycatcher was flirting and trilling along.The mugger crocodile, blackish brown above and yellowy white under, lay motionless, able to wait for ever till food came. This antediluvian saurian?this prehistoric Juggernaut, erectors and formidable, a vast force in the water, propelled by the unimaginable and irresistible power of the huge tail, lay lapped by ripples, a throb in his throat. His mouth, running almost the whole length of his head, was closed and fixed in that evil bony smile, and where the yellow underside came up to It, It was tinged with green.From the day, perhaps a hundred years ago, when the sun had hatched him in a sandbank, and he had broken his shell, and got his head out and looked around, ready to snap at anything before he was even fully hatched?from that day, when he ad at once made for the water, ready to fend for himself Immediately. He had lived by his brainless craft and ferocity. Escaping the birds of prey and the great carnivorous fishes that eat baby crocodiles, he has prospered, catching a ll the food he needed, and storing it till putrid In holes in the bank.Tepid water to live in and plenty of rotted food grew him to his great length. Now nothing could pierce the inch-thick armored hide. Not even rifle bullets, which would bounce off. Only the eyes and the soft underarms offered a place. He lived well In the river, sunning himself sometimes with other crocodiles?muggers, as well as the long-snorted fish-eating sharply? on warm rocks and sandbanks where the sun dried the clay on them quite white, and where they could plop off into the water in a The big crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on deer and monkeys come to drink, perhaps a duck or two.But sometimes here at the ford he fed on a pi-dog full of parasites or a skeleton cow. And sometimes he went down to the burning Ghats and found the half-burned bodies of Indians cast into the stream. Beside him in the shoals as he lay waiting glimmered a blue gem. It was not a gem, though: it was sand-worn glass that had b een rolling about in the river for a long time. By chance, it was perforated right through?the neck of a bottle perhaps? ?a blue bead.In the shrill noisy village above the ford, out of a mud house the same color as the ground came a little girl, a thin starveling child dressed in an earth-colored rag. She had torn the rag in two to make skirt and sari. Sabina was eating the last of her meal, chapatti wrapped round a smear of green chili and rancid butter; and she divided this also, to make it seem more, and bit it, showing straight white teeth. With her ebony hair and great eyes, and her skin of oiled brown cream, she was a happy immature child-woman about twelve years old.Bare foot, of course, and often gooses-cold on a winter morning, and born to toil. In all her life, she had never owned anything but a rag. She had never owned even one Anna?not a piece, not a p', even, to buy, say, a handful of blown glass beads from that stall in the bazaar where they were piled like stars, or o ne of the thin glass bangles that the man kept on a stick, and you could choose which color you'd have. She knew what finery was, though. She had been with her parents and brothers all through the Jungle to the little town at the railhead where there was this bazaar.And she had walked through all the milling people, and the dogs and monkeys full of fleas, the idling gossiping bargaining humanity spitting betel Juice, heard the bell of a sacred bull clonking as he lumped along through the dust and hubbub. She had paused, amazed, before the sweetmeat stall, to gaze at the brilliant honey confections, abuzz with dust and flies. They smelled wonderful, above the smells of drains and humanity and cheap cigarettes. At home she sometimes tasted wild none, or crunched the syrup out of a stalk of sugar cane. But these sweets were green and magenta.Then there was the cloth stall, stacked with great rolls of new cotton cloth, stamped at the edge with the maker's sign of a tiger's head; and sme lling so wonderful of its But there were other wonders to see: satin sewn with real silver thread, tin trays from Birmingham, and a sari which had got chips of looking-glass embroidered into the border. She Joined the crowd round a Kashmir traveling merchant on his way to the bungalows. He was showing downloaded silks that poured like cream, and he'd got little locked chest with turquoises and opals in it.Best of all, a box which, when you pressed it, a bell tinkled and a yellow woolen chicken Jumped out. There was no end to the wonders of the world. But Sabina, in all her life from birth to death, was marked for work. Since she could toddle, she had husked corn, and gathered sticks, and put dung to dry, and cooked and weeded, and carried, and fetched water, and cut grass for fodder. She was going with her mother and some other women now to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river.When you had enough of it, you could take it down by lock cart to the railhead and sell it to th e agent who would arrange for its dispatch to the paper mills. The women often toiled all day at this work, and the agent sat on silk cushions, smoking a hookah. Such thoughts did not trouble Sabina, however, as she skipped along with her sickle and homemade hauberk beside her mother. You could skip on the way out, but not on the way back when you ached with tiredness, and there was a great load to carry.Some of the women were wearing necklaces made out of ala-ala-begs, the shiny scarlet seeds, black one end, that grew everywhere in the Jungle?it was best to have ewe necklaces each year, instead of last year's faded ones?and Sabina was making one too. How nice it was going to be to hear that rattling swish round her neck, as she brushed along with lots of necklaces. But each seed, hard as stone, had to be drilled with a red-hot needle, and the family needle was snapped, so she must wait till they could buy another.Oh for strings and strings of glass and beads?anklets, earrings, inse rting, bangles? all the gorgeous dazzle of the bazaar?all her little golden body decorated! Chattering as they went, the women followed the dusty track toward the river. On their way, they passed a Gujarat encampment of grass huts where these nomadic grazers would live for a time until their animals had perhaps finished all the easy grazing within reach, or they were not able to sell enough of their white butter and white milk in the district, or there was no one to buy the young male buffaloes for tiger-bait.Or perhaps a cattle-killing tiger was making a nuisance of himself. Then they move wrinkled at the ankles, and in their ears large silver rings made out of melted rupees; and one of them was clinking a stick against the big brass graphs in which they etched water from the river for the camp, to see which ones were empty. The men and boys were out of camp Just now with the herd or gone to the bazaar to sell produce, but one or two buffaloes were standing about, creatures of grea t wet noses and moving Jaws and gaunt black bones.The Sugars were Jungles, as Sabina was too, born and bred in the forest. For countless centuries, their forebears had lived like this, getting their living from animals, from grass and trees, as they scratched their food together, and stored their substance in large herds and silver Jewelry. They were Man in the wandering Pastoral Age, not Stone Age Hunters, and not yet Cultivators. Ah, now there was the river, twinkling between the trees, sunlit beyond dark trunks. They could hear it rushing along. The women came out on the shore, and made for the stepping-stones.They had plenty to laugh and bicker about, as they approached the river in a noisy crowd. They girded up their skirts, so as to Jump from stone to stone, and they clanked their sickles and forks together over their shoulders to have ease of movement. They shouted their quarrels above the gush of the river. Noise frightens crocodiles. The big mugger did not move, and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank. Here they had to climb a still hillside to get at the grass, but all fell to with a will, and sliced away at it wherever there was foothold to be had.Down below them ran the broad river, pouring powerfully out from its deep narrow pools among the cold cliffs and shadows, spreading into warm shallows, lit by kingfishers. Great turtles lived there, and amasser weighing more than a hundred pounds. Crocodiles too. Sometimes you could see them lying out on those slabs of lay over there, but there were none to be seen at the moment. Where Sabina was working, wind coming across hundreds of miles of trees cooled her sweating body, and she could look down over the river as if she were a bird.Although she did not dare stop for a moment under her mother's eye, her imagination took her in swooping flight over the bright water and golden air to the banks where she had played as a child. In those caveats above the high-water mark of the highest flood, s he had stored some little bowls molded of clay while they hardened. If there were anything that elephants. Child! † The sharp word?the glare of her mother's angry sweating face, pulled Sabina back to work, and they toiled on. But at last it was time to go back to see to their animals and the evening meal. The loaded women set out to cross the river again. Sabina hung back.She would Just dawdle a bit and run and see if the little clay cups were still there in the cave, waiting to be painted and used. Although the women were now tired and loaded, they still talked. Those in front yelled to those behind. They crossed the river safely and disappeared up the track into the trees on the other side. Even their voices died away. Silence fell. Sabina came down alone to the stepping-stones. The light of evening was striking up the gorge, pink into the ultraviolet shadows. Now that the sun was off it, the water poured almost invisible among the stones, with no reflection to show where it began.Sabina stepped onto the first stone. She was heavily weighted, her muscles stretched and aching. The hauberk squeaked in the packed dry grass and dug into her collarbone so close under the skin, in spite of the sari bunched up to make a pad. When she was halfway over, she put her load own on a big boulder to rest; and leaned, breathing, on the fork. At the same moment a Gujarat woman came down with two graphs to the water on the other side. In order to get the good clear water, which would quickly fill both graphs to the top without sand, she walked onto the stepping-stones. She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her.Up out of the darling water heaved the great reptile, water slashing off him, his livid jaws yawning and all his teeth flashing as he slashed at her leg. The woman screamed, dropped both brass pots with a clatter on the boulder, from hence they bounced to the water, and Sabina saw them bob away in the current. Oh, the two good vessels gone. The Gujarat woman recoiled from the crocodile, but his Jaws closed on her leg at the of the timber logs to save herself. The log Jammed between two boulders, with the woman clinging to it and screaming, while the crocodile pulled on her leg, threshing his might tail?bang! ?bang! ?to and fro in great smacking flails as he tried to drag her free and carry her off down into the deeps of the pool. Blood spread everywhere. Sabina sprang. From boulder to boulder she came leaping like a rock goat. Sometimes it had seemed difficult to cross these stones, especially the big gap in the middle where the river coursed through like a bulge of glass. But now she came on wings, choosing her footing in midair without even thinking about it, and in one moment she was beside the shrieking woman. In the boiling bloody water, the face of the crocodile, fastened round her leg, was tugging to and fro, and smiling.His eyes rolled on to Sabina. One slap of the tail could kill her. He struck. Up shot the water, twenty feet, and fell like a silver chain. Again! The rock Jumped under the blow. But in the daily heroism of the Jungle, as common as a thorn tree, Sabina did not hesitate. She aimed at the reptile's eyes. With all the force of her little body, she drove the hauberk at the eyes, and one prong went in?right in?while its pair scratched past on the horny cheek. The crocodile reared up in convulsion, till half his lizard body was out of the river, the tail and nose nearly meeting over his stony back.Then he crashed back, exploding the water, and in an uproar of bloody foam he disappeared. He would die. Not yet, but presently, though his death would not be known for days; to till his stomach, blown with gas, floated him. Then perhaps he would be found upside down among the logs at the timber boom, with pus in his eye. Sabina got her arms round the fainting woman, and somehow dragged her from the water. She stopped her wounds with sand, and bound them with rag, and helped her for treatm ent. Then Sabina went back for her grass and sickle and fork.The fork was lying in the river, not carried away, luckily, and as she bent to pick it up out of the water, she saw the blue bead. Not blue now, with the sun nearly gone, but a no-color white-blue, and its shape wobbling in the movement of the stream. She reached her arm down into a yard of the cold silk water to get it. Missing it first of all, because of refraction. Then there it lay in her wet palm, perfect, even pierced ready for use, with the sunset shuffled about inside it like gold-dust. All her heart went up in flames of Joy.After a bit she twisted it into the top of her skirt against her tummy so she would know if it burst through the poor cloth and fell. Then she picked up her fork and sickle and the heavy grass and set off home. AY! AY! What a day! Her bare feet smudged out the wriggle-mark of snakes in the dust; there was the thin inning of malaria mosquitoes among the trees now; and this track was much used at night by a morose old manna elephant?the Tussles One; but Sabina was not thinking of any of them. The stars came out: she did not notice.On the way back she met her mother, out of breath, come to look for her, and scolding. â€Å"l did not see till I was home, that you were not there. I thought something must have happened to you. † And Sabina, bursting with her story, cried â€Å"Something did! I found a blue bead for my necklace, look! † 1. Think about your own values in relation to Sahib's. Develop a chart to compare the two, sing the following categories: Lifestyle, Threats to Safety, Life Goals, Role of Children, Education, Treasure or Wealth, Nature of Work, Sources of Self-Worth. . The story begins with a detailed description of the crocodile, before shifting to Sahib's perspective. In small groups, discuss why In your discussion, consider other ways that the story could be structured. Share your ideas with the rest of the class. 3. Working in pairs, present Sa hib's story as a news item for a North American television news station. What details will you emphasize? Who will you interview? How will you grab your viewers' attention?

Compare Chinese and Indian Creation Stories Essay

Creation stories or creation myths are narratives that explain how things began; they are usually passed down generations after generations. In almost every culture throughout the whole world there are a variety of versions of creation stories since the desire to know the origin of things around us is a common human instinct. Despite the differences between the cultures and countries, many common themes and elements can be found in their creation stories. In Both Chinese and Indian creation stories the creators of the earth are both a male human-being like figure with a nonspecific background. A long time ago the whole universe was coalesced into a cosmic egg, inside the egg there was nothing but darkness. Among these â€Å"Hundun( )† (a term was used to describe a nebulous state in Chinese) there was Pangu( ) who was resting for about 18,000 years, finally he woke up and feeling suffocated, so he decided to standup. However; he was wrapped tightly by this egg shell and he couldn’t even stretch his arms and legs. He pulled off one of his teeth and turned it into a huge axe and broke the egg shell into two parts with a powerful swing, the light part of the egg kept flying and became the sky (Yang) and the heavy part kept sinking and became the earth (Yin). Pangu was worried that the sky and earth would come back and close again. He decided to stand between them with his head supporting the sky and his feet on the earth, as time went by he grew taller and the sky and earth also got thicker each day. Another 18,000 years passed. Pangu used up all his strength and was convinced that the sky and the earth could stay separated forever. Finally he lay down and suddenly his left eye became the sun, his right eye became the moon; his breath became the wind and voice the thunder; his hair and beard became the shining stars and his arms formed the ground and the mountains; his blood formed the rivers and muscles the soil; his skin became the trees and flowers, teeth and bones turned into gold and minerals†¦ Similar to the Chinese Pangu creation story the Indian Pima’s creation story also started with a human-being like character whose name was Juh-wert-a Mah-Kai (â€Å"The Doctor of the Earth†). He was floating in the empty darkness and eventually decided to create the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars and eventually the world that he was satisfied with. As we can see there are essential elements or parallels between the two creation stories. They both agreed that the world was crafted by an otherworldly being that had the supernatural powers and the creation of the earth both happened upon waking them up. They both invested in the essential elements that existed on earth from themselves, such as the sun, the moon and the stars. In addition, it is easy to notice that the gender of the creators was male which indicated that in both culture male was the symbol of strength and power. In ancient China this idea was greatly reflected since the male heritage was extremely important as they were the dominated ones in the society. Female characters also played an important role in both Chinese and Indian creation stories. After Pangu separated the sky and the earth, there was a woman Nuwa( ) who was the only human-being existing on earth. She was wondering around and trying to find someone to talk to. However, the fishes and the birds could not understand her. She felt so lonely and as she stopped by a pond where she saw her shadow reflected in the water, suddenly she realized that she needed someone like her on this earth, so she decided to create more human-beings like herself using the yellow clay and mud near the pond. She also made animals out of them such as chicken, dogs, cattle and horses. This kind of mother figure can also be found in the Indian Iroquois creation story where in the upper sky world there was a pregnant woman who gave birth to two twin boys. Both Nuwa and the Indian sky woman were female creators that created human-beings without another male figure involved since the creation stories were told long before people understand the reproductive process and the humans in these stories were undefined creatures that usually possessed unusual power. More importantly they both emphasized the primary responsibility of women in human society as involved in biological reproduction. It is not hard to notice that there are also some common events which happened in both creation stories, such as floods. After human-beings were created by Nuwa, they started to reproduce offspring. Among them there were two characters-fire and water. There was a time that fire and water had a war. The four pillars supporting between the sky and the earth collapsed which led to the rising of the oceans and there was fire and floods everywhere. While Nuwa felt helpless that a giant turtle came to her and offered its legs, Nuwa was able to use them to replace the four pillars and put them between the sky and the earth again and everything went back to normal. However there still were some damages, the sky was slightly ilted towards the northwest side which was the reason why the sun and the moon went back to the west in the end of the day. Also the earth was slightly sunk towards the southeast which explained that all the water and rivers were running and gathering in that direction. In the Indian Puma’s flood story two snakes were made to try to stop the flood and the snakes were lying between the south and west, and after the flood people who were created in the story were settled down in different areas in same region where the Indians were found later on. The flood stories represented the recreation of the original earth that was created and explained the establishment of the orders of nature and societies. Turtle is also a common creature in both creating stories as we found in the Nuwa’s story and in the Indian Iroquois creation story a large turtle saved the sky woman and the back part of the turtle grew into an island of earth. In Chinese culture turtle is often treated as a magical animal, and it is one of the four guardians of the Chinese compass. It is commonly used to represent longevity and endurance in many other mythologies from different cultures since it has a long lifespan and the sturdiness of its back which was used as the implication for the origin of the earth. In conclusion, the Chinese and Indian creation stories are very similar in many aspects. They explained how the sky and earth were created from a state of darkness or â€Å"Hundun†, and how was everything established and reestablished on earth, and they also tried to explain nature phenomena with a logical sense before any scientific explanations were established. They served as the foundations of the social structure for each culture and reflected the religions and beliefs in different cultures. They are also used as great sources today for studying the origins of the cultures. Some people today may look at these stories and find them amusing because it contradicts with scientific facts and evidence. In addition, some of these stories have been used for other purposes such as cartoons, novels, and convey the philosophy of life in an acceptable way that plays a vital role in society.

Discuss Somerset’s global supply chain Essay

Somerset Furniture Company (SFC) was founded in 1957 in Randolph County, Virginia. Traditionally, SFC manufactured large, medium-priced, ornate residential home wood furniture such as bedroom cabinets and chests of draws, and dining and living room cabinets, tables, and chairs. Somerset prides itself on customer service. They believe that late deliveries to its customers would harm its credibility and result in loss of customers and excessive inventories. Somerset has recently set up new strategies and tactics to meet goals and improve global supply chain. They first found their problems were, and focused on its core capacities that will improve productivities and reduce inefficiency to win in the global market. In the mid-1990s, SFC was faced with increasing foreign competition, high labor rates, and diminishing profits. SFC decided to outsource several of its furniture product lines to manufacturers in China. This reduced the size of its own domestic manufacturing facility and labor source. SFC considered quality and time as its core competences. SFC planned to implement and strengthen its core by adopting EDI, RFID, and RTA (ready to assembly) to acquire more competitiveness on time by reducing time, improving the delivery of economic value to customers. Because of supply chain variability, shipments can be off schedule or delayed. Since 9/11, random security checks delay shipments. SFC’s global supply chain was getting lose its competitive edge and even faced shipment delays by as much as 40%. SFC was initially successful in their idea to outsource their business on a limited basis. SFC has since then discovered that as many companies do this same thing, out sourcing can result in a host of supply chain problems. Discuss possible remedies for its supply chain problems. Reduce Variability: Somerset should implement processes and tools that will reduce variability. The current process orders furniture on a weekly and bi-weekly basis. The process takes between 12 and 25 days to develop a purchase order which is then released to the Chinese suppliers. With these kinds of gaps in order creation, it makes it extremely difficult to forecast demand. The supply chain can easily be improved by implementing a real-time internet driven system that allows for direct communication between the retail operations and the supplier. Suppliers then can begin manufacturing  new furniture as orders come in. Additionally, implementing such a system will help ensure that once an order is received, that there is an urgency to deliver that order to the store, versus the current process where it may take from one day to a month before furniture is delivered to a store. Somerset wants as much of the order delivered to a store as possible in order to improve their on hand inventory levels and reduce variability. Improved Transportation: Somerset should also leverage technology with its transportation companies. Technologies such as RFID can be used to provide real-time updates to the transportation company. With improved forecasting, thresholds can be established, so that once reached, a truck is pre-ordered with the expectation that a complete order will be reached once the truck reaches the manufacturing facility. With improved forecasting and the use of technology, the trucking company can better estimate its consumer needs, thus improving their preparedness. Shipping Partnerships: In order to improve the probability of securing shipping containers and to reduce the delays caused by security checks, Somerset should leverage partnerships with companies that have similar shipping needs. By increasing the scale of their shipping needs, Somerset and t heir partners can compete with larger companies like â€Å"Big W†, by placing advanced orders. Additionally, Somerset, will experience cost savings, because of the shared container costs. The company will have fewer concerns with partially filled containers. Lastly, due to the increased scalability, the company (along with the business partners) may be able to leverage their size and avoid delays caused by security checks. Alternative Suppliers: Somerset should begin exploring opportunities with different global suppliers. Given quality concerns with production facilities and the difficulties with improving transportation and shipping resources, China may not be the best supplier for Somerset. By securing a different supplier, Somerset can not only improve its quality (thus securing its reputation), but also improve the expedience with receiving its ordered goods. These improvements can result in cost savings and improved customer service for Somerset. Discuss strategic and tactical changes that might improve the company’s supply chain performance. Collaborative Data Collection: Somerset needs to partner with the stores they deliver furniture to in order to gat her sales and other data customer facing attributes like delivery performance, fill rate and order  fulfillment. They could use this data to address supply chain response time and make their production more flexible. This entire process should be automated and accessible over to all of the stakeholders. By evaluating this data and comparing it with data about their competitors Somerset can develop a more accurate model for forecasting future sales and returns by reducing the variability due to a shorter lead time. Optimizing the customer facing fulfillment system will provide insight into how to adjust their internal supply chain process. For example, Somerset will be able to shorten the time it takes to develop and release their purchase order to their Chinese manufacturers. However, this process needs to be automated and accessible to their Chinese manufacturer so they are better able to prepare to fulfill the orders in a timely manner. This purchase order process should be combined with a plan that incentivizes their manufacturer to process their orders quicker. They also need to penalize th e manufacture for faulty products and late delivery. Although they currently have a Quality Control process they should have their own representative participate in the QC the process in China. Since Somerset has the machinery to make the custom furniture, part of the agreement should include requiring their Chinese manufacturers to use them. They also need to find other manufacturers so that they can mitigate the risk if their primary manufacturer experiences a problem meeting the deadline or there is a problem with the shipping deadlines. New Product Release: Somerset should re-evaluate how they introduce new products and phase out old product lines. For example, instead of replacing the entire product line at the same time they could introduce new products that replace the products are beginning to experience a drop off in demand. They should also examine the cost of replacement parts. They should look for ways to replace the faulty parts at a minimal cost. Standardized Parts: Somerset should identify parts that can be made interchangeable. The use of standardized parts would cut down on the time and skill required to make the furniture without affecting their customized features. Another option would be for Somerset to incorporate the manufacture of replacement parts into the facility where new products are developed. That could reduce the cost and time it currently takes to get replacement parts from China. In order to address the partially filled container problem and the creaking issue Somerset should ship the parts in standardized boxes that stack better an  fill the containers. Then establish an assembly plant in the US. That also provides them with a final control over the quality of the finished product. Somerset should also add a distribution center in China where the products are delivered prior to being shipped to the US and another distribution center in the US near the port of entry. This would help address the delays in delivery to the ports. Furthermore, Somerset should purchase their own trucks and coordinate delivery of finished product s with the pickup of raw materials. Additionally they could ship these standardized containers via airplane verses relying exclusively on ships. Although they can’t shorten the time it takes their containers to clear customs Somerset could reduce the time it takes to deliver them by purchasing their own delivery trucks to pick up the delivery from the dock. They can still contract with larger delivery services pick up from the distribution centers. Please note that these distribution centers could act as warehouses where additional inventory is stored. Product Visibility: In order to further remove uncertainty the individual boxes should be bar coded and the containers should have RFID capabilities. As a result of using technology, Somerset will have visibility to status of their products and shipments at all times. The information derived from the enhanced process would enable Somerset to reduce the supply chain cost and continue optimize their supply chain efficiency ultimately cutting cost and increasing revenue. Discuss strategic and tactical changes that might reduce system variability. Somerset Furniture faces the challenge of trying to alleviate delayed shipments in their supply chain process from their current 40% variability rate. The dilemma with shipment lead time is that the determining factor is processed orders from the past. Somerset’s management team would evaluate their past orders to determine how much lead time was reasonable in order to forecast future furniture shipments. As we learned from the case, Somerset’s variability issues stem from many factors. Some of the factors are beyond Somerset’s control due to the strict compliance factors in International shipping. For example, the size of Somerset’s business causes them to generate more security checks than larger companies because of the smaller and infrequent number of shipments. These security checks can lead to a three week delay in the shipping process. Also there is a 3-6 day lead time for containers to be loaded at the docks. There really isn’t much that  Somerset can do about this lag time because ports have their own employees and contract labor group to handle loading and off-loading duties. Furthermore, ports order containers according to bulk demand and availability which makes it hard for companies like Somerset to control the 1-7 day wait time that it takes to empty and transport available containers to the port loading docks. Another issue facing Somerset and other retail companies is that companies like SunKist and SeaLand, who own containers, only wish to order and manufacture enough containers that can be loaded and off-loaded on a continuous basis. This maximizes the fleet inventory of SunKist and SeaLand so that they can generate the most profits from their assets. Container Purchase: One way that Somerset can alleviate this problem is to purchase or lease their own fleet of containers from container manufacturers. This would allow them to reduce the 1-7 day variability wait period for empty containers. Somerset Furniture could own or lease this inventory and contract with companies like SunKist or SeaLand to store the empty containers at their docks for rental fees. By purchasing or leasing their own fleet of containers and contracting with available container owners, Somerset would also be reducing the excess space problem that they are having due to the dimensions of the containers. By ordering th eir own fleet of containers, Somerset could customize the orders to better accommodate their furniture shipments thus maximizing container space. Regulatory Compliance: Another challenge facing Somerset is that the inventory trip from China to Somerset’s Norfolk warehouse takes 29 days. There really isn’t much that Somerset can do about this timeframe. In addition to the above waiting period, the stringent process that International shipments undergo during the Customs inspections is also beyond Somerset’s control. The only thing Somerset can do to alleviate this problem is to comply with every aspect of Customs to not cause a further delay in the process. Trucks can only be loaded with furniture when the containers past inspections at the docks. One would think that the common sense thing to do is to have trucks waiting on the containers to pass Customs to prevent further delays; however, 3rd Party trucking companies charge for hold over time. The reason behind the downtime charge is that they lose money if their vehicle fleet is not on the road carrying a load. The 1-3 day trip that it takes for trucks to get from Customs to Somerset’s  warehouse is a minor issue compared to the potential 30 day period that it takes for the trucks to be unlo aded at Somerset’s warehouse docks. Supplier Incentives: The variability issues for Somerset that are within their control exist on the front end of the process beginning with the work order and purchase order process. For starters, one of the things that Somerset can do to eliminate wait time is to offer incentives to its Chinese suppliers to search for ways to process purchase orders faster. If the Chinese suppliers can accurately and efficiently reduce the 10-20 day wait period it takes to process purchase orders on the front end, then Somerset Furniture Company can reduce the potential 30 day wait period that it takes to unload trucks on the backend at their warehouse. This would help Somerset Furniture to be able to reduce excess storage fees that they have to pay to 3rd Party trucking companies for having their trailers occupied for many days at Somerset’s docking stations. Another tactical strategy that Somerset can employ is to seek ways to reduce the 60 day wait time that it takes for their suppliers in China to begin the manufacturing process. Questions need to be asked. What kind of incentives can be offered to their suppliers to start the manufacturing process earlier? Are there other suppliers in China that Somerset can employ as sole supplier manufacturers? Employing sole suppliers would help to cut down on variability because there would be no other customers hindering the manufacturing process since Somerset would be the only customer. Lastly, rather than use low-cost suppliers in China, Somerset should do the math and see if it makes sense to become their own low-cost supplier in China. By searching for ways to reduce the 60 day manufacturing cycle ¸ Somerset could reduce excess inventory and increase Just-In-Time (JIT) shipments. Also by searching for a sole supplier in China, Somerset could enjoy a streamlined manufacturing process with little or no lag time. This in turn would help to alleviate the quality issues that Somerset was having because there would be one supplier to hold accountable for their product. Discuss strategic and tactical changes that might improve quality and customer service. We have listed multiple strategic and tactical changes that Somerset could potentially make to their organization that would not only improve the overall quality of their product, but would certainly improve their customer service. If Somerset made a deliberate effort to improve its transportation via technology, engage in strategic  shipping partnerships, standardize some of its key parts, and offer supplier incentives, it would undoubtedly improve its quality and its customer service. Inspections: In addition to the above listed items, Somerset should acquire the services of an independent auditor or inspector. By placing an independent inspector in the facilities of its Chinese suppliers, Somerset could greatly increase the quality of its products and would likely reduce the amount of customer complaints. Proactive Customer Service: Somerset could greatly increase its customer service by committing to a proactive customer service team. Somerset could increase the size of its customer service support function that would allow its customer service team more time to place courtesy calls, follow up calls, emails, and texts to customers that may have had a bad experience. A dissatisfied customer could likely become a lost customer if there is not a proactive customer service team to follow up on each issue. Customer Service Score Cards and Online Surveys: Lastly, Somerset should make every attempt to listen to the voice of its customers. Somerset could provide its customers with customer service score cards and/or online surveys so that they could stay in tune with the changing demands of their customers. The exceptions such as late deliveries or damaged products should be addressed as expeditiously as possible, however, it is in the organization’s best interest to know and understand what their customers like, dislike, want, and need. Customer service score cards and online surveys would give Somerset priceless feedback and it would open lines of communication between the organization and its customers.

Chronis Illness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chronis Illness - Assignment Example Chronic illnesses Chronic illnesses refer to medical conditions or health problems with associated symptoms or disabilities that require long-term management usually three months or more (Brunner & Smeltzer, 2009). Chronic illnesses may also refer to illnesses that have extended or prolonged course that are unlikely to be resolved immediately and that cure may be absent or rare. Currently, the term chronic illness is gradually fading and it being replaced by the term living with a long-term condition. The import of this approach is to eliminate or reduce emphasis on the disease rather than the person. The magnitude of chronic diseases has been defined and based on the length of illnesses, recurrence, resistance to cure and severity (Power and Orto 2004). The major causes and factors that led to the increased number of people with chronic conditions include decrease in mortality from infectious diseases, lifestyle factors, longer lifespan because of advancement in medicine and improve d screening and diagnostic procedures (Ackley & Gail, 2000). Lifestyle habits such as smoking and sedentary lifestyles have contributed to the rise and risk of chronic illnesses and problems such as respiratory diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity among others. Characteristics of chronic illnesses Chronic illnesses characteristic revolves around the lives of the patients and their families and its management. Chronic illness management often goes beyond the treatment of medical problems and it goes further to address other related psychological and social problems. This is because living with chronic illness and any disability has the potentially of affecting, changing and altering the identity, roles, body image and lifestyle of people (Carrier, 2009). As a result, these changes and alteration need to be managed to enable people living with chronic illnesses to continuously adapt and for them to be accommodated in the society. Another characteristics of chro nic illness is that is develops in different phases over the life span of a person. The phases may include acute periods, stable and unstable periods, flares, and remissions and each phase is normally associated with its inherent physical, psychological and social problems that need various regimens and management (Brunner & Smeltzer, 2009). Successful management of chronic illnesses requires persistent and consistent adherence to therapeutic regimes as failure or any slight deviation from the treatment may increase the risk of patients for developing other complications and it may increase the development process of the disease (Larsen, 2011). Chronic illness may lead to the development other chronic illnesses or conditions hence contributing to high risk of morbidity and mortality among patients. Chronic illness is uncertain and its management is a process of discovery that involves the collaboration of various healthcare professionals who work together with the patient and their families in the provision of various services (Nolte, Knai, & McKee, 2008). Chronic illness management is an expensive and costly as patients often incur a lot of expenses that are related to costs for hospital stays, diagnostic tests, equipment, medications and supportive services. The cost problem is further exacerbated by the fact that most living with chron

To What Extent Does a Director's Duty Under Section 175 Companies Act Essay

To What Extent Does a Director's Duty Under Section 175 Companies Act 2006 Continue Post-Resignation - Essay Example The Company Act 2006 brought up a statutory code of general duties of directors; this introduction was appearing in the UK’s Company law for the first time. The main purpose of this legislation was to enhance the general understanding of the legal duties of directors. The duties of the directors established in the Act are based on certain equitable principles and common law rules. The interpretation of the statutory duties in the future is required to be according to the development of those principles of case law.2 The director’s duties are not owed to the shareholders but rather to the company. The Act stipulates the duty of each director to include: a duty to foster company’s success as the director deems it in good faith; a duty for the director to avoid any conflicts of interest; a duty of non-acceptance of benefits such as secret commissions and bribes; a duty to act within the terms of powers granted under the constitution of the company; a duty to exercis e reasonable diligence, skill, and care; a duty to declare any interests in the company’s transactions; and a duty to effect independent judgment.3 . In addition, the Act incorporates expressly long-standing equitable doctrines in order to provide remedies for director’s breach of duties, as noted for example in the case of Boardman v Phipps.4 Of most interest in this discussion is section 175 of Companies Act 2006. In reference to section 175 Companies Act 2006, this discussion will consider the extent to which a director’s duty will continue post-resignation. In particular, section 175 of the Companies Act 2006 deals with the director’s duties concerning conflict of interest (actual and potential). The main rationale of this provision is to codify the subsisting principles of case law and to develop parallel principles to the existing ones. Section 175 (1) state that a company director must avoid situations in which he has, or can have, conflicts of int erest either directly or indirectly, or this interest and that of the company may conflict. Section 175 (2) provides that the duty to avoid conflicts of interest applies particularly to the exploitation of any opportunity, information, or property.5 However, section 175(3) provides that this duty shall not apply to conflicts of interest arising from an arrangement or transaction with the company. Additionally, section 175(4) states that this duty will not be considered infringed if: the directors have authorised the matter or the circumstances cannot be reasonable considered as giving rise to conflicts of interest. In section 175(5), the Act provides that the directors may give the authorisation in the following situations: where the company is a public constitution and the provision enabling authorisation by the directors is contained in its constitution, or where the company is a private company and its constitution does not validate authorisation of matter. Besides, section 175(6 ) states that authorisation can be effective if: agreement to the matter was made without voting or its agreement could have

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PAPER - Essay Example According to Cleary (143), some people who do not suffer from any mental illness hurt themselves and others; however, suffering from psychiatric conditions increases the likelihood of a person doing self-harm. Individuals with personality disorders of any kind are at high risk of hurting themselves; including dual personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. In addition, phobias to various common phenomena cause people to harm themselves in one way or the other, as is depression caused by many pressures of daily living. Schizophrenia reduces a person’s ability to distinguish between real and imagined things, thereby causing a person to harm self or others. In addition, schizophrenic patients tend to be suicidal especially if the patients are young and know what the disease will do to their lives. Final in the list of mental disorders is Munchausen Syndrome, though it results in self-harm to a lesser extent. Recent studies have shown that terminally ill patients ar e also at risk of committing self-harm or suicide in extreme cases, for instance, HIV/AIDS patients. Psychologically, self-harm is caused by any form of trauma including childhood abuse, bereavement, and abusive relationships. Autism may cause patients to harm themselves, while other factors in life in may also contribute, including poverty and unemployment. Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is the only genetic conditions that result in self-harm; however, genetics predisposes a person to conditions like stress and depression that may cause a patient to self-harm. Alcoholics are the most predisposed drug users to self-harm, accounting for over 60 percent of drug users who do so. Harming oneself due to drug influence may occur when a person is abusing the drugs, due to the addiction, or because of withdrawal symptoms resulting from attempting to stop the habit (Laye-Gindhu and

User Models and Models of Human Performance Essay

User Models and Models of Human Performance - Essay Example There are seven steps that are involved in developing a critical path model (Stanton 2007). The first is defining the tasks. In a situation where a driver is driving a car on the road and his mobile phone rings, the river will perform the following tasks: The second step identifies the input and output sensory modalities used in the tasks. For example, in retrieving the mobile, the driver will use his left or right hand, making the task step manual. Pressing buttons is also manual and can either be done by the right or the left thumb. Talking on the phone constitutes speech modality whereas listening requires auditory. Reading the screen requires visual modality and responding can involve cognitive modality. Step 3 of the approach requires construction of a chart, where dependency of the tasks is assessed (Sikora & Hattan 2009). The tasks need to be followed in a specific order, one after the other, and two tasks having the same modality need to be performed in series. Step 4 involves assigning the task time and these estimates should be accurate, unbiased and consistent (Thornley 2003). For example, retrieving the mobile can take five, six seconds on average, whereas talking can take long, depending on the duration of the conversati on. Pressing the buttons can take up to half a second each, whereas reading and looking at the screen can consume two to three seconds each. Then forward pass time needs to be calculated by adding up the individual times of each task, and, assuming a one minute long conversation, it becomes 73 seconds. Then backward pass is calculated. The last step is the calculation of the critical path, which is done by identifying the nodes which have zero difference between Earliest Start Time and Latest Finish Time. The model will provide a comprehensive procedure to make adjustments for variations in user performances. The arrangement of elements can be evaluated by a cognitive model and the design can be adjusted to outcomes of the

Planning and conducting research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Planning and conducting - Research Proposal Example It usually includes interaction with potential customers regarding their work, interests, opinions, trends and buying habits as well as paying attention to customer insights for future plans regarding products and services. The purpose of market research is to: 1) know the customer needs and wants; 2) to know if the customer is satisfied with the product or need; 3) identify potential target markets; and 4) establish the best advertising strategy for a given group of customers (Bull, 1994). The purpose of this study is to determine what particular research method is deemed effective in addressing the shortcomings, from the planned success, the consortium has experienced in the past three years. As a consortium of twenty-five tour operators in the United Kingdom that sells about 100 holidays and has 6000 customers that have already placed orders in the past, it is important to know which part of the services provided by the operators is most liked and least liked by the customers. The primary aim of this paper is to determine what are the services that need to be upgraded and services that are unnecessary. This paper will try to present a method that will be able to answer the following questions. This study is operated under the quantitative paradigm wherein the survey method will be utilized in order to elicit the relevant information needed to complete research (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 1992). Besides, quantitative research plainly and distinctively specifies both the independent and the dependent variables under investigation (Matveev, 2002). It also follows resolutely the original set of research goals, arriving at more objective conclusions, determining the issues of causality and eliminates or minimises subjectivity of judgment (Kealey & Protheroe, 1996). The research variables were primarily analyzed in order to provide description on the factors that concerns the topic of the study. The variables of the study imply quantitative research wherein the data, situations, or other facts collected will be explained or correlated with other data. Basically, this research based its findings through quantitative research methods because this permits a flexible and iterative approach. Through this method, qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behaviour, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs are analysed. As such, the information that the informants of the study shared to the researcher will be accordingly examined, analysed and interpreted to answer the research questions presented. In order to gather the necessary data, the research will employ the survey method. The survey method will be implemented in three successive data collection procedures. These include the pretest of the questionnaire, the actual survey, and the back-checking after the analysis of the data. The pretest of the survey is necessary in order to identify possible shortcomings of the instrument that may hinder the efficient collection of valid and reliable data. On the other hand, the back-checking that will be implemented is to provide assurance that the results of the analysis are consistent with that of the available information and facts in the field. This research

Risk Assessment and Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk Assessment and Risk Management - Essay Example The essay "Risk Assessment and Risk Management" talks about the knowledge bases in risk assessment and risk management and the consensus-based model of risk assessment. The knowledge base is the foundation of any profession; this refers to a body of specialist knowledge, which acts as the base of professional practice. Therefore, it has become increasingly essential for individuals and organizations to demonstrate underpinning knowledge base while undertaking any task within human services, aimed at achieving professional status. In the development of a framework for risk assessment and risk management, three interweaving features of knowledge bases are needed: theoretical knowledge, practical or personal knowledge, and factual knowledge. The theoretical knowledge base includes the existing literature that analysis risk incidents, situations, or events, literature that analysis our role and tasks in risk assessment and risk management, and literature that offers guidance on the pract ical approaches to be followed in assessing and managing risks. Practical or personal knowledge base refers to the practical skills or knowledge that is acquired at workplace related to risk assessment and risk management. These practical skills may be acquired through training, or through learning from experience, which leads to new knowledge. Finally, factual knowledge refers to the professional standards, rules, regulations, and ethical values developed in the past to provide guidance during professional practice.

Zoologist Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zoologist Career - Essay Example This paper represents the facts about the zoologist career opportunities in a modern world. It describes the wide range of organizations a zoologist has a choice to work in and analyzes if it is profitable to work as a zoologist. It also talks about the necessary qualification for this profession and how a person who chose this career can get required skills and actual practice. As zoology is the scientific study of the structure, behavior, evolution and function of animals, therefore it can lead one to work in various institutions as a public health officer, for example, in industrial settings, museums, law firms, government institutions and even in the education sector. Other potential employers include cosmetic companies, agricultural departments, aquariums, and pharmaceuticals. With such numerous options to choose from, one’s interest goes a long way in making the right choice once a person receives the necessary academic qualifications. Although the duties performed by zoologist differ a lot, in many cases they engage in laboratory work and research. In order to pursue a career as a zoologist, one must have an interest in biological sciences and in particular they must love to work with animals and high levels of commitment. It is prudent for zoologist career to volunteer services to zoos and other zoology-related organizations as an intern. And like in numerous other occupations, it is much easier and more profitable to get into the profession with adequate academic qualifications.

Fasibility on Generic Pharmacy Essay Example for Free

Fasibility on Generic Pharmacy Essay INTRODUCTION According to http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacy DRUGSTORE is a common American term for a type of store centrally featuring a pharmacy. Drugstores sell not only branded and generic medicines, but also miscellaneous items such as candy, cosmetics, and magazines, as well as light refreshments. During the height of the war on drugs, many stores removed the term Drugstore from their signage and replaced it with the more politically correct term Pharmacy. A PHARMACY is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing medications, and it also includes more modern services related to health care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information. From http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Drugstore A GENERIC DRUG is a drug defined as a drug product that is comparable to brand/reference listed drug product in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use. It has also been defined as a term referring to any drug marketed under its chemical name without advertising. Although they may not be associated with a particular company, generic drugs are subject to the regulations of the governments of countries where they are dispensed. Generic drugs are labeled with the name of the manufacturer and the adopted name (non-proprietary name) of the drug. A generic drug must contain the same active ingredients as the original formulation. http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Drug BRAND-NAME DRUG a drug that has a trade name and is protected by a patent (can be produced and sold only by the company holding the patent). http://audioenglish.net/dictionary/brand-name_drug A DRUG is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating, performance enhancing or other effects when taken or put into a human body or the body of another animal and is not considered a food or exclusively a food. http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug In addition to being operated as a private business and selling affordable medicines, our pharmacy are also catering free services such as free medical consultations and check-ups. We are willing to help our fellow Filipinos by giving discount in their medicines especially in terms of calamities like those people who is flood victims and typhoon, our pharmacy is willing also to give substantial discounts to those who would like to buy medicines for donation purposes. In recent years, people demanded for cheaper medicines because of the change in the quality of living. At the same time the generic medicines industry is growing through the years and there are provisions that supports the selling of generic drugs in the Philippines which is R.A. #6675 which is an act to promote, require and ensure the production of an adequate supply, distribution, use and acceptance of drugs and medicines identified by their generic names. Our business proposal is a generic pharmacy. 1.1 COMPANY DESCRIPTION The proponents, Ms Asio, Charis Ann, Ms. David Divine Grace, Ms. Garay, Rosalie, Ms. Llanza, Buengie, Ms. Manto, Noreen and Mr. Montallana, Reynaldo will manage and supervise the entire operation of the Medicure Generic Pharmacy, an unlimited liability company. The proponents combined efforts in the creation of Medicure Generic Pharmacy have serve to come up with detailed plan that encompass the important elements required to succeed in today’s competitive pharmacy environment. In closing, we feel the business plan for Medicure Generic Pharmacy represents a realistic expectation of success for all parties involved. Moreover, we will be providing a benefit to the community by providing a great product and secure jobs to community residents. LOCATION The proponents decided to place the pharmacy in the corner of Jalleville Subdivision along Quirino Avenue San Dionisio Paranaque City based upon the facts that all potential pharmacy locations is far from the Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Our propose location are located in closest to hospital and also it is in the corner which many Barangay’s are located. It is also along in the Quirino Avenue which is most of the passengers and car owners from Las Pinas, Pasay and Paranaque City are pointing this road. CAPITALIZATION Establishing a Generic Pharmacy apparently needs capitalization. In approximation, the proposed business will cost P 1,390,000.00. The 65% of capital will be funded by the proponents and the remaining 35% are loan from the bank. Charis Ann AsioDavid Divine Grace| Php 150,583.33 150,583.33| Garay Rosalie| 150,583.33| Llanza Buengie| 150,583.33| Manto Noreen| 150,583.33| Montallana Reynaldo| 150,583.33| Capital ContributionBank LoanTotal Capital Investment| 903,500.00 486,500.00 Php 1,390,000.00| START-UP SUMMARY The Medicure Generic Pharmacy will incur the following needed start-up cost. * Office Furniture’s and Fixtures * Chairs * File cabinets * Desks * Machineries and Equipments * Computer server with a laser printer, and a back up system, installed with software; Microsoft Office, QuickBooks pro, drug interaction software, Physician Desk, Reference Software detailing side effects and other information pertinent to the customers * Two front counter, storage bins, cash registers * Refrigerators * Air-condition * Store Supplies * Envelopes * Ribbons * Bond papers * Ball pens * Tape * Staples and stapler * Trays * Plastic bags etc. * Store front build out * Signage * Logos * Paints etc. * Lease * Star-up inventory * Generic medicines * Miscellaneous items * Working capital * Contingency fund * Legal fees * * BIR * SEC * MAYORS PERMIT * BUSINESS PERMIT * MERALCO * NAWASA BREAKDOWN OF START-UP COST Office furniture’s fixtures Php 160,000.00 Machineries Equipments160,000.00 Store Supplies 50,000.00 Store Build Out200,000.00 Start-Up Inventory450,000.00 Legal Fees 70,000.00 - Working Capital300,000.00 Total Capital RequirementPhp1, 390,000.00 VICINITY MAP Medicure Generic Pharmacy 1.2 BUSINESS CONCEPT MISSION †¢ To offer the widest range of quality affordable generic medicines putting customer satisfaction above all by serving our clients’ needs efficiently, effectively, providing friendly and professional counseling. †¢ To recognize the importance of our employees in achieving our aspirations, and to keep them highly motivated based on the principles of fair compensation, meritocracy and respect. †¢ To educate the public about quality generic medicines and to provide various community services to fulfill our social responsibilities to our countrymen. VISION THE MEDICURE GENERIC PHARMACY aims to be the leading national chain of drugstores offering quality and affordable generic medicines with superior customer service that will satisfy the customers need. VALUES * Integrity We will commit to truth and honesty in what we say and do, and practice high standards of fairness and ethics at work and in our relationships. * Customer Satisfaction We will serve and interact with our internal and external customers as best as we can, in a professional and friendly manner. We constantly look for innovative products and services that will answer their needs. * Excellence We will aim high in everything we do and continuously seek to improve our level of performance. * Team work We will communicate and cooperate with one another, working together in an harmonious way to achieve the company’s goals. * Respect for the Individual We will show respect, appreciation and concern for every person. We engage in positive relationships based on mutual trust. * Social Purpose We will do believe that it is our responsibility to help the community and our countrymen. We recognize that the nature of our business, especially the corporate focus on quality affordable generic medicines, gives us a unique opportunity to make a very positive contribution to the health of the communities that we serve. TAGLINE Mabisang Gamot at Serbisyong Maaasahan GOAL The Medicure Generic Pharmacy long term goal is to become the number 1 generic drugstore in the Philippines offering a very effective and efficient customer service and having a strong sense of social purpose. HISTORY The proponents come up with an idea of putting up a Generic Pharmacy catering to customers when some of the proponents made a research in one of our major subjects which was Marketing Research. The research was entitled The Perception of the Consumer on the Effectiveness of Generic Medicines in a selected Barangay in Paranaque City. This completes its essence of the outcome of the research and will serve as a basis for future studies on business. We also agreed to come up with a business that was related to our research as mentioned which is a Generic Pharmacy. Since we already have the idea that this kind of business will have a chance in the market due to the needs of the consumers of affordable quality medicines. Since we are Business Administration students major in Marketing Management we are applying all what we have learned. The propose name of our business would be Medicure Generic Pharmacy. â€Å"Medi† is a short word of medicine and â€Å"Cure† means recovery or relief from a disease. We decided to have this catchy for an easy retention to our clients or customers. VENTURE DESCRIPTION The proposed establishment is a generic pharmacy named Medicure Generic Pharmacy. We will be able to sell generic drug prescriptions at reduced prices by carefully maintaining efficiencies and effective operations and by targeting a specific segment of the market or with over the counter and prescribed medication to our customer. Aside from catering generic medicines, we will be able to sell miscellaneous items such as cosmetics, tissues, toothbrush, candy, magazines, as well as light refreshment and etc. We believe that providing over†the†counter (OTC) medications that compliment prescription and miscellaneous items can create a â€Å"one†stop†shop† for the customer. For employees, a more comprehensive line of front†end and over the counter items that consist of items that may be needed during the work day such as tissues, toothbrush can create an added customer convenience. In both instances, providing non†prescription items can eliminate the need for the customer to travel to other settings that offer prescription services. When considering non†prescription items for product placement, durable medical equipment (DME) should also be considered for resell. By focusing on this segment it gives us additional efficiencies we avoid disruptions in cash flow often associated with insurance payments and we can eliminate unnecessary services for the type of knowledgeable, repeat customer taking maintenance-type medication. Our pharmacy will operate from one store that will serve walk-in customers or those persons visited personally and buying over the counter. We will thrive by employing friendly and knowledgeable personnel, which, along with our great prices, will drive the repeat business that we will rely upon. We only expect that as the price of medication continues to skyrocket, the pharmacy will appeal more and more to the customers sense of value and convenience. Concept Description and Statement The Medicure Generic Pharmacy is a business venture that sells generic medicine to customers prescribed medication. We sell also miscellaneous items such as candies, cosmetics, toiletries, baby care products and medical or surgical products to customers for a one-stop-shop experience. We believe that in selling other merchandise assortments except for a generic medicine will serve convenience to our target customer. Our propose location is in the corner of Jalleville Subdivision along Quirino Avenue San Dionisio Paranaque City with a lot area of 25m long and 20m wide. It consists of two (2) POS, shelves, waiting area with seats, parking lot, fire extinguisher in case of emergency and a room for employees with one (1) comfort room. We put three (3) computers with systems including the price per quantity item. This will help the customer to canvass the price for their prescribe medication and other items by asking a pharmacist. We put a storage area where we can store our new delivered products. The pharmacy is fully air conditioned to maintain the quality of our products especially medicines. We hire people to man the pharmacy in a day to day operation. It consists of a one (1) General Manager, Supervisor, Registered Pharmacist, and three (3) Pharmacy Assistant. The Medicure Generic Pharmacy anticipates serving continuously from seven (8) o’clock in the morning up to nine (9) in the evening everyday from Mondays to Sundays. The expected table of operation are as follows.

Different control sensors Essay Example for Free

Different control sensors Essay The idea of a pressure sensor is to ultimately measure and monitor the pressure of either gasses or liquids. But, what is pressure? Well, pressure ultimately is an expression used to describe the process of the force that is used when restraining a gas or a liquid from expanding. It has a certain measurement normally in the force per unit area. When the pressure is measured it can be monitored in a number of ways, but, most typically it is done with an electrical signal. We can see many examples of pressure monitors/switches in appliances all over the world today. Pressure sensors are found in items such as cars and lifts. For example, a person walks up to a door and they wish for it to be opened on arrival, with a pressure switch located in the floor as soon as the pressure switch is activated the door will open, this form of switch will tend to require a form of displacement. Another example if where a pressure switch/monitor may be found is within a car. When the tyres reach a certain pressure the control system kicks in and then they are warned to pump them up. If we consider large industries such as factories with combustion engines then we need to bear in mind that there needs to be some form of indication when present conditions change within the mechanism, this is also where a pressure sensor will come in handy. The picture on the top left of this paragraph is similar to what may be found in an industrial placement. A Rotary Switch A rotary switch is used when we have a devise that needs to operate or change to two or more different states, for example, a rotary switch may be used for; A fan that regulates heat at different speeds A radio that needs to operate on different frequencies The most common type of rotary switch is the rotary light switch, and the way in which this works is pretty straight forward. A rotary switch is a device that has a rotating shaft connected to one terminal capable of making or breaking a connection to one or more other terminals (the rotating shaft can be seen in the picture on the left) to many other types of electrical switching mechanisms, the electromechanical rotary switch provides a desirable means to control large numbers of circuits over a wide range of currents, voltages and power requirements. Rotary switches provide electrical control for the following types of equipment; Medical equipment, Aircraft, computers, Â  Industrial controls, Â  Communication, Â  Ordnance, Â  Ground support equipment Different types of rotary switches are used in a variety of electric devices. They are in the form of at least two parts and have a rotatable switching means arranged in a grouping and a rotary knob having a coupling element which can be pushed into or onto the switching means. The rotary switches are provided with a contact/sensor system and with a detent mechanism. The detent mechanism determines the number of possible switch positions. Rotary switches may feature different switch positions that can be set by rotating the switch spindle in one or another direction. Rotary switches may convert positions into binary numbers; such switches are known as coded switches. A rotary electromechanical encoder includes the overall characteristics of a rotary switch, but has additional mechanical movements. Pyrometers A pyrometer comes in very useful in industrial places where measuring and controlling inputs and outputs of a computer system become far too dangerous for a human to undertake the responsibility. It is often used to determine and control the temperature; however, it can also be used for radiation purposes. The word pyrometer is derives from the Greek word for fire, and the Greek word for measure, which is meter. As previously said, pyrometers are optical aids and although now days there are many forms of pyrometer as the need for more specific, demanding control systems are required the most basic still works on the principle below; On the previous page we can see how a basic optical pyrometer works, the only problem being that it can display temperatures that are high (up to around 700oC, but is inefficient for very low temperatures. As temperature inside the work place/furnace increases, so does the filament inside the pyrometer giving off a red colour, indicating the heat capacity. Using digital readouts the user can use the pyrometer to calculate the temperature of the material and also use the pyrometer to heat the material or furnace, or wherever the control system is placed to whatever they require. Thermocouples A thermocouple is a very simple heat/temperature sensor and comprises of two components. One end is joined tightly and the other end is separated. It is the end that is separated that is considered to be the output of the control system, and this is the end that actually generates the voltage. This voltage is then proportional to the heat or temperature to which it is measuring. This then means that the hotter the temperature the more voltage is output. Below can be seen the two most commonly found applications of thermocouples; Measuring room temperature Monitoring the presence of a pilot light It is the actual materials used within the control system that determines the application. There are then thermocouple types derived which can be used for differing purposes. Thermocouples are easy to use and require no batteries or fancy electronics. However, the voltage signals generated are very small so an amplifier may be required if you wish to read the temperatures into a computer Control System Thermometers Control system thermometers consist of a normal day to day thermometer thats connected to an electric circuit. Then, when the heat/temperature reaches a certain level it can be indicated or displayed in a number of ways, for example if connected correctly we could have it so that the temperature, when it hits 20, displays a red light located somewhere else, and, then when it falls below the light goes off. Inductosyn The idea of an inductosyn is to read the measurements of current within a system and then make extremely accurate measurements or movements based upon these readings. The principal in which it works is as follows. Incremental Absolute An inductosyn has a metal block in which grooves are cut out. Along these grooves are continuous strips of magnetic metal, then, a current is passed from one end to the other. The sliding block has an identical strip set in to it completes the circuit when connected with the other strip. Now we have the possibility of resistance change, by sliding the sliding block from one end to the other we have a system that changes the resistance of the circuit. This then increases and decreases the current accordingly. This is then output to a display which the user can see. This relationship between current and movement can then be used to move objects very small distances with a tremendously high degree of accuracy. This is all based on the current. Thermistor A thermistor is a type of resistor that varies resistance in a computer control system according to the temperature readings. Thermistors are thermally sensitive resistors whose prime function is to exhibit a large, predictable and precise change in electrical resistance when subjected to a corresponding change in temperature. A temperature sensor application would be compared to that off the one found in a central heating system. A sensor would detect the temperature in the air, by using a thermometer and then change as desired using something like a thermistor. The thermistor would act as the thermostat. Therefore, when the thermostat is changed, we can change the output of the heating system accordingly. The thermistor is widely used and often unknown to the untrained eye. Linear Limit Switches The theory behind the linear limit switch is very straight forward. Basically the linear limit switch is a button, that when activated starts a process. In relation to computing its like an event drive operation. For the linear limit switch to be activated it must be pressed. For example, in a lift, how do we get the lift to stop going up, or, stop going down, or stop on the right floor. It would be of my opinion that a linear limit switch is implemented, so that when the lift reaches the required floor, a switch is activated and the lift stops and the doors open. However, its not limited to lifts, the linear switch is a very common device. In the picture on the left we can see a clear example of a linear limit switch. The operation needed to be performed is for that of the swimming pool cover, when the cover reaches the end of the pool the switch is pressed and the motor stops working, this then stops the problem of the cover falling off of the reel.

A risk management strategy

A risk management strategy Introduction This report details a risk management strategy for a given organization based on Australian Standards AS4360. Risk Management Strategy details: 1 2. Rationale for managing risks and risk management objectives All companies face risk. The main rationale for managing risk is to reduce the likelihood of project failure, be it financial, schedule or performance based. A formal risk management strategy provides a structured way to highlight threats to a project success. The strategy provides advice to the project team and management to benefit the organization as a whole by assisting in the decision and planning process, identifying opportunities or threats and gaining value from changing situations. The strategy takes a proactive approach to management and allocates resources more efficiently. Reduction of loss can be reduced and stakeholder trust is improved (Australian Standards, 2004). A balance between being able to take action on opportunities versus protecting the company against loss must be decided upon. Risk management should be part of company culture so that everyone in the company has a role to play and is aware of risk management. In the early days insurance was how organizations managed risk but now it is an essential part of all management teams. According to Sadgrove (2005), there are two types of business risk, non entrepreneurial risk and entrepreneurial risk. Non entrepreneurial is for example company fraud, theft or fire. Entrepreneurial risk is for example the opening of a new shop or produces a new product. It is in the best interests for the company directors to manage risk as it applies to all manage decisions. Risk is a pre-condition for innovation, a key ingredient of a successful company (Sadgrove, 2005). Risk management objectives are to reduce company cost, disruption and unhappiness (Sadgrove, 2005). It rates which activities are worth investigating for risk and which activities do not present current risk. By identifying risks earlier, managers can better plan for their possible occurrence in the future. Further objectives and benefits to the company include improved planning, greater resource efficiency, more timely scheduling, prevention reduced costs, improved company reputation, less surprises, enhanced communication between managers and staff, reassurance of stakeholders, higher quality products and more flexible and robust contingency plans (Carol and Elizabeth, 2005). As indicated in AS4360 when formulating objective for a risk management process, they must take into account the internal and external environmental factors (Australian Standards, 2004). Risk management is growing in importance these days for a number of factors. These include tougher legislation, more expensive insurance, customers less likely to accept product failure, higher standards for public image and changing management attitudes to a more global outlook. 3. Risk strategy issues According to Sadgrove (2005), issues covered by a risk strategy may be based on operation, strategic, compliance and financial issues. Operational issues include risks associated with employees, suppliers or natural events such as rain. Strategic issues include other markets, the economy and legal issues. Compliance issues may be accounting standards, tax requirements or government legislation. Financial issues include cost issues, interest rates and profitability concerns. The areas covered by the risk strategy will be influenced by the requirements of the company and its objectives. The products and / or services it supplies and the processes and practices used by the company will also affect the type of risk strategy employed. 4. Acceptable risk tolerance. According to Fischoff, Lichtenstein, Slovic, Derby and Keeney (1981), acceptable risk describes the likelihood of an event that has two factors. Firstly, the chance of occurrence is small. Secondly, the consequence is small. s are so slight, or whose benefits (perceived or real) are so great, that individuals or groups in society are willing to take or be subjected to the risk that the event might occur. The stakeholders and managers often determine acceptable risk factors. It is based on their perception on what they believe constitutes firstly a risk and secondly whether or not it is an acceptable one. An acceptable risk determination can vary and depends on factors such as differences in values, different requirements, project assumptions, concerns, concepts as they relate to the project being considered. According to AS4360, (Australian Standards, 2004), a team approach is very effective in determining and identifying risks more effectively. Risks are compared against a set of criteria from which priorities are set. The decision is then made to either treat the risks if they are deemed unacceptable or to continue to monitor and review the risks if they are currently viewed as acceptable. The risk criteria which is used to determine whether a risk a acceptable or not is based on financial, operational, humanitarian, legal, technical, social, environmental, or other criteria. The risk is evaluated and decisions are made about which risks need attention. The company or organization must make a decision on how much risk it is willing to accept as part of normal business practice. This level can then be set as the benchmark and gives the company a tolerance level to work with. This tolerance may depend on the maturity of the risk management plan, experience of management, data available f or consideration and other important factors. Some firms want to accept new ventures with higher risks while other companies want to maintain a steady course. Often young companies with less to lose will take larger risks where as older individuals may not wish to risk as much (Sadgrove, 2005). The acceptable risk tolerance depends on the reward. As the risk increases so to must the reward in order to make it worthwhile. 5. Risk infrastructure, management, identification, assessment and treatment. A company, which has a risk management strategy in place, needs an appropriate policy plan and an adequate support system in place to ensure the strategy is implemented correctly (Australian Standards, 2004). According to AS4360, in assessing the risks once they have been identified, there are three general types of analysis. These are qualitative analysis, Semi-quantitative analysis and Quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis may be used as an initial tool to identify preliminary risks which are to be analyzed in more detail later. It should be combined with factual information when it is able to be sourced. Semi-quantitative analysis must be used with care since the data chosen to support the qualitative words may be misleading that can lead to inappropriate outcomes. Quantitative analysis depends on the accuracy of the numerical values and they may be expressed in terms of the criteria initially set by the risk identification. According to an article by the Project Management Institute (Project Management Institute, 2008), if you dont identify risk areas and have a response plan then possible tough times may be ahead. By beginning with a brainstorming session, and including a wide cross-section of stakeholders from many levels throughout the company, possible problems on the way to success may be identified. Ms. Reed, a vice president of an American project management firm notes that when running such meetings criticism should be left at the door, otherwise it may turn into an unorganized discussion. 6. Risk management responsibilities. Risk identification, assessment and treatment. System review, documentation and maintenance. Responsibilities for the risk management process should be detailed in the risk management plan and this plan should also detail how the plan shall be conducted throughout the organization. Treatment plans may either be separate from the risk management plan or included with it. An example of an organization which follows the AS4360 guidelines is the State Records Department of the New South Wales Government in Australia (NSW Government State Records. 2009). With their plan, senior management are allocated the responsibility of ensuring that the risk analysis, identification and assessment procedure are implemented regularly. They are also responsible for managing the budget allocated for the risk management strategy and ensuring that it is implemented to protect the records and systems of the State Records Department. The review of their systems is continuous as is stated in the AS4360 guidelines. According to the AS4360 guidelines (Australian Standards, 2004), few risks remain static. Continual review is essential to ensure that the risk management strategy remains relevant. The Risk Assessment will be continuously monitored and updated throughout the life of a given project, with monthly assessments included in the status report and open to amendment by the Project Manager. The company senior directors and executives are responsible for managing risk in their organization. All employees are responsible for the risk management within their given areas of managerial responsibility. The risk management plan can be broken down into specific sections based on different functions and areas within the project. Each area should have a separate plan, consist with the main company risk management plan, that details risks most relevant for their particular team and sub project requirements and concerns. The project manager for each team is responsible for the management of each risk management plan and ensuring his or her team is under the watch of the localized plan. This manager must also however ensure that the risks of the organizational risk management plan are also kept in mind. The senior staff of an organization must also be committed to the risk management strategy of all these senior managers (Australian Standards, 2004). Documentation to record details of risks must be generated to record priorities and highlight changes in risk priorities. Reports should record treatments and if incidents occur the lessons learned should be recorded. The entire risk management plan system progress should also be documented as a whole. 7. Risk management documentation requirements. A common tool used in the documentation of risk management system is the risk matrix. The risk matrix is a table used in risk analysis in which rows show the risks and columns show their likelihood or probability of occurrence and their impact. For each important business function or area, a risk matrix can be created. Often numerical values from one, meaning no impact, to five, meaning maximum impact, can be assigned for each function. This simple approach to documenting risk can provide a useful set of raw data from which appropriate plans can be devised. Many larger organizations also use this simple approach (National Computing Centre, 2009). 8. Risk management system budgets and its determination. Such a risk management strategy has a cost associated with it and this cost must be balanced against the cost of the potential loss if it were to occur (Microsoft Press, 2009). Through the application of risk management methodologies, a company can manage risk levels so that it does not reach a determined unacceptable level. The budget size for a risk management system will of course depend on the size of the company, its complexity and the responsibilities of the manager in charge of the risk management program (Sadrove, 2005, p55). A good policy is to make the risk management services free to departments and only charge the departments when they make a loss. By charging them when mistakes are made the managers are more likely to seek help and pay more close attention to the risk management strategy. This is better than just waiting for an issue to occur. Too much investment in risk management will burden the company and make it uncompetitive. Underinvestment in risk management will make it more vulnerable and likely to receive expensive incident costs. The optimal position is somewhere in the middle (Sadgrove, 2005, p14). Mochal (2006), shows that a risk management system budget can be established by basing it on the Expected Monetary Value (EVM) index. For each risk there are two parameters assigned. Firstly, the probability that the risk will occur and secondly the impact to the project if the risk occurs. If this is completed for all the risks the potential impact to the project can be calculated. Hence the risk management system budget should reflect the impact of the risk and the likelihood that it will happen. According to AS4360, if the budget for the risk management system is restricted, there should be a clear priority order for the risk treatments. 9. Risk management policy approval and its source. Senior management should review and endorse the risk management policy for an organization. The source of the policy should come from all higher end managers concerned as well as all concerned stakeholders. Dialogue with key internal and external stakeholders should be undertaken as to avoid a one way flow of information. Stakeholders often have different views on what should be ranked as high-risk priorities due to factors such as differences in values, requirements concepts and concerns about the project concerned (Australian Standards, 2004). References Alexander, C., Sheedy, E. 2005. The Professional Risk Managers Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Current Theory and Best Practices. PRMIA Publications. Fischoff, B.; Lichtenstein, S.; Slovic, P.; Derby, S. L.; and Keeney, R. L. 1981. Acceptable Risk. Cambridge. UK, Cambridge University Press. Microsoft Press. 2009. Why Manage Risks Formally? Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc500373.aspx Mochal, T. (2006). Create a risk contingency budget using Expected Monetary Value (EMV). Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6069576.html National Computing Centre. 2009. A matrix approach to risk assessment. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.nccmembership.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_WEBART/view.asp?Q=BF_WEBART_113283 NSW Government State Records. 2009. Risk Assessment. Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeeping-manual/guidance/guidelines/guideline-5/guideline-5-part-3 Project Management Institute. 2009. Risk Identification Uncover project troubles before they blow up. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.pmi.org/Pages/Risk_Identification.aspx Sadgrove, K. (2005). The complete guide to business risk management. England, Gower Publishing Limited. Standards Australia. 2004. Australian/New Zealand Standard AS 4360 2004. Australia, Standards Australia International Limited.

The Destructive Nature of Man Depicted in Keyes Flowers for Algernon E

Imagine how you would feel if you were always being treated as though you were not human, or if people acted as though they created you. Well this is how you would feel if you were the subject of a science experiment. Science experiments should not be performed on humans or animals because of the unknown outcome. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes shows a destructive nature of man through stereotypes, absence of family, and the various IQ levels needed to mature. Scientific experimentation shows a destructive nature of man through stereotypes. Stereotypes are cruel and heartless. â€Å"He makes the same mistakes as the others when they look at a feeble-minded person and laugh because they don’t understand there are human feelings involved. He doesn’t realise I was a person before I came here.† (Keyes, 145) Before the surgery Charlie was looked down upon because of his mental state. However, after the surgery he is treated like he was made by the scientists, as though he was their very own ‘Frankenstein’. This is a destructive nature of man because after the surgery Charlie finds out that his so called friends have been making fun of him his whole life. Stereotypes show a destructive nature of man. â€Å"People with mental illness are depicted as burdens to society and incapable of contributing in positive ways to their communities.† (Edney) Through this book the reader knows this statement is false, b ecause Charlie is able to function fairly well in society, considering he has a job and he is doing very well there. Stereotypes show a destructive nature of man because they belittle people and make them feel worthless. There is a destructive nature of man is shown in Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon through the absence of family. Sci... ...es not necessarily mean just a fully grown up individual it is a combination of age, awareness, intelligence and decision making ability.† (V, Jayram) when you are intelligent you are able to become mature. When Charlie is trying to decide whether or not to tell Donner about Gimpy, this shows he is becoming more mature because of his decision making ability. This proves that there is a destructive nature of man shown through the various IQ levels needed to mature. In the end, Charlie is returned to his previous mental state proving that scientific experimentation leads to a destructive nature of man. In Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes shows the reader a destructive nature of man through stereotypes, absence of family, and the various IQ levels needed to mature. Therefore, science experiments should be left for chemicals and labs not humans and animals. The Destructive Nature of Man Depicted in Keyes' Flowers for Algernon E Imagine how you would feel if you were always being treated as though you were not human, or if people acted as though they created you. Well this is how you would feel if you were the subject of a science experiment. Science experiments should not be performed on humans or animals because of the unknown outcome. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes shows a destructive nature of man through stereotypes, absence of family, and the various IQ levels needed to mature. Scientific experimentation shows a destructive nature of man through stereotypes. Stereotypes are cruel and heartless. â€Å"He makes the same mistakes as the others when they look at a feeble-minded person and laugh because they don’t understand there are human feelings involved. He doesn’t realise I was a person before I came here.† (Keyes, 145) Before the surgery Charlie was looked down upon because of his mental state. However, after the surgery he is treated like he was made by the scientists, as though he was their very own ‘Frankenstein’. This is a destructive nature of man because after the surgery Charlie finds out that his so called friends have been making fun of him his whole life. Stereotypes show a destructive nature of man. â€Å"People with mental illness are depicted as burdens to society and incapable of contributing in positive ways to their communities.† (Edney) Through this book the reader knows this statement is false, b ecause Charlie is able to function fairly well in society, considering he has a job and he is doing very well there. Stereotypes show a destructive nature of man because they belittle people and make them feel worthless. There is a destructive nature of man is shown in Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon through the absence of family. Sci... ...es not necessarily mean just a fully grown up individual it is a combination of age, awareness, intelligence and decision making ability.† (V, Jayram) when you are intelligent you are able to become mature. When Charlie is trying to decide whether or not to tell Donner about Gimpy, this shows he is becoming more mature because of his decision making ability. This proves that there is a destructive nature of man shown through the various IQ levels needed to mature. In the end, Charlie is returned to his previous mental state proving that scientific experimentation leads to a destructive nature of man. In Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes shows the reader a destructive nature of man through stereotypes, absence of family, and the various IQ levels needed to mature. Therefore, science experiments should be left for chemicals and labs not humans and animals.