Analyse The Factors Affecting The Strategic Plans

Analyse The Factors Affecting The Strategic Plans Tesco plc is a well-established and consistently growing food retailer global company operating in UK and many other countries like USA, Europe, Thailand, China, Japan and so on. It was established in 1919 by Jack Cohen, when he sold some groceries in the stall in East London and then it later lead to the opening of the first Tesco store in 1929 in North London. Using the well-researched and consistent strategy for growth, Tesco has been able to strengthen their core UK business and lead them to expand into new markets. Tesco has already been declared as the no.1 superstore in UK against its rivals Asda, Sainsbury and Morrison. Tesco is still aiming to broaden the scope of their business to enable it to deliver strong sustainable long-term growth by following the customers into the basic and the large expanding markets at cheaper price. Currently, Tesco has over 2200 stores in UK and has been able to reach every possible customer through its different types of outlets as superstore, metro, extra, express and by various means as online shopping through Tesco direct, Reserve and collect plus loyalty/club cards, insurance, clothing, banking and financial services, telecoms, insurance. So this report will be identifying Tescos vision, Mission, its current strategic objectives, evaluates them and analyses the factors that will be affecting strategic plan. The purpose of this case study is to review and determine the organizational strategic aims and objectives identify and analyse the progress towards organizational strategic aims and objectives and to determine and evaluate strategic options to support a revised strategic position. 1.1 Identify the current strategic aims and objectives TESCOS STRATEGY Our well-established and consistent strategy for growth has given the business momentum to grow through the downturn. (1) Long term Strategy According to Tescos official website it is clearly evident that Tesco has a well-established and consistent strategy for growth. The rationale for the strategy is to broaden the scope of the business to enable it to deliver strong, sustainable long-term growth by following customers into large expanding markets at home such as financial services, non-food and telecoms and new markets abroad, initially in Central Europe and Asia and more recently in the United States. Objectives:- The objectives of the strategy are: Successful global retailer Tesco aims to be one of the most successful global retailer organisation in the world. With this idea in mind they have opened stores in many other countries like Canada, USA, Europe, Thailand, China and Middle East. Growth in core UK business Tesco also aims on growing its business as the core UK business as it is originated here. It had 1500 stores in UK in 2007 whereas the number has reached to over 2000 by now. And it has diversified its market from only being a food retailer to selling fuel, clothes, housing, finance, banking, insurance, mobile broad band and electronics. Strong non food retailer As Tesco has been known for its food items and is the leader in food retailing, Tesco also aims to develop the rest of the retailing it has been doing. They are working hard to be as strong in non-food as they are in food. Developing banking and finance Tesco is also working for developing retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Banking, Telecoms and Tesco.com. This is showing that Tesco is determined to help its customers even with the financial and banking services. As the name specifies, Tesco is all set to deliver Every little helps. Community friendly Approach Tesco is determined to put community at the heart of what they do and help maintain the natural balance. Values and aims According to the official website, Tesco feels that: No-one tries harder for customers than Tesco They have mentioned that they understand their customers needs and they want to be the first to meet their needs and at the same time they want to act responsibly to their community in order to avoid any kind of degradation in the environment and ethnicity. Tesco promises to treat people as we like to be treated: Work as a teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Trust and respect each otherListen, support and say thank youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Share knowledge and experience.so we can enjoy our work. Tesco has been taking regular feedbacks from customers by asking them and the staff what can be done to make shopping with them and working with them better.(2) 1.2 Undertake an evaluation of the component parts of a strategic plan Tescos strategy to diversify the business in 1997 has been a very important landmark and the base to the success of the company. Product Diversification from being only food retailer to non-food retail was the best decision that has made Tesco to be the market leaders in many of their markets in and outside UK. According to Tescos official website (www.tescoplc.com), its vision and mission are: Vision- Every little helps. Tescos vision is very simple as it is stated. It simply focuses on providing every little helps to the customers. Tesco is willing to follow the customers and their basic needs and be the only retailer to help them out with every kind of help they need -small or big Mission Tesco aims to broaden the scope of their business to enable it to deliver strong long-term sustainable growth by following their customer into large expanding markets at home such as financial services, non-food and telecoms and new markets abroad, initially in Central Europe and Asia, and more recently in the United States Chairman s statement Over the past decade Tesco has transformed itself into a diverse international business- we are well-positioned for long-term growth. Tesco is scanning the external environment as much as possible in order to develop its mission and vision. All these efforts from Tesco is making them able to meet their strategic plan to be everywhere, to sell everything and sell to everyone . Managers are taking further actions to full fill their promise. They are satisfying and identifying customer needs through affordable prices, quality products, home delivery, 24 hrs service, recycling, business expansion and technological developments such as online shopping and home deliveries. These evidences shows that; there is a clear alignment between their mission. Vision and strategies. This helps tesco in being market leader in UK retail super markets. 1.3 Analyse the factors affecting the strategic plan For any business to run and meet its long-term strategic aims and objectives, there is a great involvement of the environment. The environment is divided into Macro/external and Micro/internal environment and there factors which are affecting the long-term organisational strategic planning. Some factors both external and internal for Tesco are discussed below: Internal factors are those factors which come from the business and affect it without any regards to the external factors like suppliers, customers, distributors and so on. Some examples are Research and Development, Employee Turnover/employee satisfaction, Physical assets, mission and objectives and so on. The internal environment consists of variables (Strength, Weakness, Threat and Opportunities) that are within the organization itself and are not usually within the short-run control of the Top management. This variables form the context in which work is done. They include the cooperations structure, culture and resources, Key strength form a set of core competencies which the organization can use to gain competitive advantage. (Thomas L. Wheelen, J. David Hunger (2000). Strategic Management Business Policy. p10) By analyzing PEST Analysis, it is observed that Tescos strategic plan is affected by various external factors. They are: 1. POLITICAL FACTORS Government interferes in the economy of every company. Factors such as tax policy, labour law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs and political stability makes the major impact on the business and the society as well as the global market. This year the government has increased the tax from 17.5% to 20%. This has affected the profit of Tesco and is affecting the long-term aims, mission and vision of Tesco. 2. ECONOMICAL FACTORS Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_rate / Inflation raterate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions. For example, interest rates affect a Tescos revenue and therefore to what extent a business grows and expands. Exchange rates affect the costs of exporting goods and the supply and price of imported goods in an economy. Example: increased fuel tax, impact of credit crunch on sales. SOCIAL FACTORS Social factor includes the cultural aspects and include growth rate of population, age distribution, health consciousness, career attitudes and health and safety. Changes in the social factors affect the demand for a companys products and how that company operates. For example, the new trend of health consciousness has resulted in Tesco to produce more organic and low fat foods such as skim milk, organic milk, organic vegetables, Lighter choices with nutritional value mentioned in the product and local charities and getting Thailand over fit- 3 million people involved in aerobics Tesco has changed various management strategies to adapt to the social trends such as recruiting older workers and long term unemployed people as a part of social responsibility; Regeneration: where people who are unemployed for more than 6 months had been trained for several weeks and were guaranteed jobs; Community Champions and many volunteers helping the community and local charities. (UK supporting canc er research with race for life to fight against cancer) (4) 4. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Technological factors include technological aspects such a Research and development activity, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. Technological changes in Tesco can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation. Example: Use of self check out service, online shopping and reserve and collect service(new) has saved huge amount of labour cost, has avoided customers from being charged for same product more than one time plus has saved time of the customers. Or use of security system and CCTV cameras has prevented Tesco from having huge amount of stock variances and made the staff more work efficient with the fear of being caught while doing irresponsible activity during their duty hours. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Environmental factors are growing awareness of the potential impacts of climate change is affecting how tesco operates and the products they offer, both creating new markets and diminishing or destroying existing ones. Zero carbon foot prints, Recycling, sustainability are the areas of focus for tesco, so that the products have been labeled with the message of recycling. Using local resourced products is attracting customers towards the specific food products.Example: climate change affecting Tescos supply and transport. 6. LEGAL FACTORS Legal factors include discrimination law, consumer law, data protection law, antitrust law, employment law, and health and safety law. Assuring Health and safety in all the regions wherever it is expanded is one more challenging Legal responsibility of Tesco. These factors can affect how Tesco operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. Example: Tesco to avoid the legal opposition to expand on the high streets LO2: Evaluate alternative strategies to meet the desired future strategic position. 2.1 Apply a range of strategic analysis tools to audit progress towards strategic aims and objectives SWOT ANALYSIS FOR TESCO INTERNAL FACTORS Strength Weakness  · Giant Leader in superstores  · Financial stability  · Huge Brand name  · Bulk goods importers and sellers  · Product Diversification from being food retailer to non food plus electronics, telecom, insurance, banking and finance  · Competitive pricing-providing goods and services in low price  · Ensuring Health and Safety in different parts of the world  · Maintaining Quality issues as the goods are supplied from different suppliers abroad, out of which some are not very experienced with maintaining high quality.  · Stabilizing itself as a good non food retailer.  · Maintaining their presence and growing customer loyalty in the recently expanded countries  · Expansion in more developing c countries  · The competitors: Asda being competitively cheaper Sainsbury, Morrison being food retailers with comparative pricing  · Environmental issues and corporate Governance responsibility Opportunities Threats EXTERNAL FACTORS Strengths Giant leader in superstore and financial stability Tesco has over 2200 stores and Tesco holds more than 71% share in the UK retail market Its strategic capability explains that it will continue to grow share in food, while increasing space contribution from supermarket will allow it to drive a higher share in non-food. Tescos business growth shows no sign of failing. In the UK, Tescos late 2006 investment into West-midlands based convenience store group TS was billed as the most aggressive move into the neighbourhood market by a big-name retailer so far. They are aggressively expanding and going with acquisitions with the local food stores. The deal has turned Tesco into the countrys biggest convenience store chain, and the company also plans to open up 95 new stores PLC in the UK this year which includes 6 stores purely based on Regeneration Scheme. Tescos general growth shows no sign of failing. Health safety issues and maintaining quality Maintaining health and safety is a major challenge for Tesco. From the suppliers to warehouses and to the store, there is always a risk associated. Plus making sure that the stock is properly handled in the store by stacking them properly and the use of trolleys and their proper management is also the major responsibility of Tesco. They must make sure that every single person who is linked to Tesco should be safe while they operate their operations. Maintaining the quality and standard of goods they supply is also a major challenge to a bulk good retailer like Tesco as they have to get goods from their suppliers all around the world. They have been very fair to their suppliers and they want them to be decent to them by maintaining the standard of the goods they produce and supply. Opportunities Business growth and expansion in Europe is successful but it still has to work in some other parts of world. They have just started exploring Asia but being all over Asia and the rest part of the world is a strong opportunity. Being established as a non-food retailer is another very good opportunity for Tesco. Since the start of diversification, they are working to prove Tesco not only as a grocery store but a superstore providing customers with every little helps. Weaknesses 2.2 Review and assess the expectations of major stakeholders and their influence upon the organisational strategy Engagement with stakeholders is helping Tesco identify new risks and opportunities and to ensure that their long-term goal and strategy is sustainable. In some cases, they have found that working with stakeholders in partnership can help deliver shared goals. Tesco feels that they might not be able to satisfy all stakeholder concerns all the time but through proper engagement they can do their best to balance competing demands. Tesco is very committed to having a productive dialogue with its stakeholders inorder ensure that they understand what is important to them. This is allowing themselves the opportunity to maintain their position. Engaging with stakeholders includes customers, employees, suppliers, investors, government, regulators and non-governmental organisations.() (www.tesco.com/cr2010) The major stakeholders of Tesco plc.are: Customers Customers need to be able to trust tescos business and they will only trust only if they believe that there is appropriate engagement in regular basis with the stakeholders. Tesco has been using various strategies to able to win the trust of its stake holders by following various strategies such as Cost leadership, diversification, Tesco believes that if they can offer what the customer needs than surely they will come back and purchase again. This is helping to establish and gain lifetime loyalty of the customers. The launch of Club cards is helping customers satisfy their needs and quality services are the functional business strategy of Tecso. They have been innovating more than 2000 new products (food/non-food) every year depending upon the demand of the customers. Example: Launching organic, dietary and healthier food options, Nutritional values in the packaging and making sure that the quality of the food is maintained by doing mystery audits in the suppliers factories. And the new self check out system where customers can grab whatever they want and go has helped the customer to manage their time and made it simple to operate. According to the Tesco website, Tesco says No-one tries harder for customers: Understand customers. Be first to meet their needs. Act responsibly for our communities. Treat people as we like to be treated: Work as a team. Trust and respect each other. Listen, support and say thank you. Share knowledge and experience.so we can enjoy our work. We regularly ask our customers and our staff what we can do to make shopping with us and working with us that little bit better. This proves Tesco has been treating their customers as the core of their business and are providing every simple and small helps by being fair to them. (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/values/) Employees Tesco employees 285,000 employees. Philip Clarke, Chief Executive from 2011 says If we dont look after our staff the chances are they will not look after our customer. (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/board_announcement/) Tesco has been using the term A great place to work in which they include; Our staff have told us what is important to them to be treated with respect, having a manager who helps them, having an interesting job and an opportunity to get on. Helping achieve what is important to our staff will help us to deliver an Every Little Helps Shopping Trip for our customers. (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/values/) The statement clearly states that they treat everyone with respect and dignity. At the same time they have great managers who are always ready to help the team and make their job interesting everyday and giving them good opportunities by job rotation, job enrichment and job enlargement. These activities take the employees off from the regular job pattern, motivates them to learn and do new things everyday. And staff are the basic point of contact to customers and it is very important to get them right to gain satisfaction and loyalty of all our customer. Employees are the most important and basic level of contact with customers. Every customer remembers his first experience when he visits the store and the way he had been assisted. A good and motivated employee always treats them very well. So Tesco has been very focused to make sure the employees do their duties in the right way and makes sure that every customer and even the employee is being treated in the right way. Rewards wise also Tesco is the only organization which has been giving bonuses to their staff on doing their regular jobs. For maintaining the accuracy of stock level they get 15% bonus, till accuracy 5% bonus and Mystery shoppers result 5% bonus. Apart from this there are more benefits and rewards the employees are getting like holiday pay, outstanding service award, discount in shopping, career breaks, free company shares. Tesco has recently given a huge amount of share profit to its employees (02/06/10). More than 216,000 Tesco staff, from checkout operators to drivers and managers found out that they will share a  £105 million bonus pot as the company announced details of its biggest ever Shares In Success scheme(http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/media/pr/pr2010/2010-06-02/). Supplier Tesco has been supplying goods from different parts of the world as the bulk retailer has to meet the demands of huge retail market segment like Kenya, South Africa, Spain, Scotland, Wales, and has high expectations of its suppliers. They have built a strong relationship with their suppliers, have given them the best value for their customers and given their customers the confidence of maintaining good standard through out their chain. They are very focused in treating the people in the right way so that they perform better and which will automatically helps in improving sustainability in their supply chain by encouraging suppliers to make proper investment in products and stable work. Due to their decent pricing, Tesco is confidient to keep the trading for longer period of time and is willing to get enough support from its supplier by being with them and helping them maintain their ethical and food standards. Tesco has been sourcing products from the countries which has cheaper good employment practices, cheap labour and less regulations to maintain the level of margin. (http://cr2010.tescoplc.com/en/buying-and-selling-our-products-responsibly.aspx) Tesco has been paying more for the diary suppliers. Kenayen suppliers had been supplying goods since long time. Tesco launched an awarding agenda where they had been launching surprise visits and evaluating the hard work done by the suppliers and rewarding them afterwards. Tesco has also been providing necessary training to the suppliers staff in Kenya, South Africa. The following diagram shows the competitive rivalry and shows the effect of stake holders in the business. 2.3 Analyse, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of the organisational strategic position Note: The challenges faced by the organisation may be identified, for example, competitive environment, external climate and globalisation (if applicable) may be examined. The knowledge gained by studying Porters three generic strategies and PESTAL analysis may be applied. Political view reflects that the economic downturn- credit crunch has lead to high number of unemployment. But Tesco has been able to help a number of people by providing them jobs. and therefore helping the unemployment. Regeneration: People who are unemployed for more than 6 months had been trained for several weeks and were guaranteed job. Three new stores were opened and 320 people were employed. 6 more stores will be opening this year. Community Champions: Tesco has Community Champions and many volunteers helping the community and local charities, Healthy living for customers: is one of key promise by Tesco and is celebrated by producing healthy products like lighter choices, nutritional value mentioned in the product, getting fit-Thailand over 3 million people involved in aerobics, UK supporting cancer research with race for life to fight against cancer. Tesco is also instrumental as a retailer in supporting carbon reductions and have also encouraged their customers to make low carbon choices .They created a  £100 million Sustainable Technology Fund for this purpose. At the same time they are maintaining the eco-friendly approach by helping reducing the pollution-they are passing the message to their customers to reuse and recycle the wastages. LO3: Decide upon a strategy and identify how, if required, you would justify your selection to meet the required future strategic position. 3.1 Identify and develop a range of alternative strategic options to meet strategic aims and objectives Note: This section requires the candidate to apply his/her own judgement so that a few alternate options are visualised and discussed,. For example the candidate may propose emphasis on alternate products, or increased after sale service, or following aggressive marketing strategy etc. During the 1980s Professor Michael Porter from Harvard Business School developed the model of generic competitive strategies. He called the strategies generics as they can be undertaken by businesses of any size or type, even if they are non-profit organisations (Hunger and Wheelen [2001]p82). He argued that companies only have three strategies to choose from: Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Porter also believed that before a company decides which strategy to adopt, it must know its competitive scope: the breadth of its target market, the range of products it wishes to produce, the distribution channels, the type of buyers and geographic areas it wants to serve and the related industries it will be competing in (Hunger and Wheelen [2001]p82).The cost leadership strategy is aimed at the broad mass market and requires actions like cost minimisation in research and development, services, sale forces, advertising and so on. By doing this the company will sell its product for smaller price than its competitors but still achieve reasonable profit. This also creates entry barrier for the new market entrants, as it would be difficult for them to match the low cost of the existing producer. (Hunger and Wheelen [2001] p83). The differentiation strategy is aimed at the broad mass market as well, but this time creating a product which must be perceived as unique by its customers, for example through design, The strategy aims to gain customer loyalty and therefore making the buyer insensitive image, technology, customer service, dealer network and so on to a higher price. This again will also make entry more difficult for new entrants (Hunger and Wheelen [2001] p83). (Hunger and Wheelen [2001] p83) argue, differentiation strategy generates high profits as it creates a better entry barrier. Low cost strategy however creates increase in market share. Focus strategy concentrates on serving only a certain niche market as either a cost leader or with a differentiation strategy. In cost focus a firm seeks a cost advantage in its target market only, in differentiation focus a firm seeks differentiation in its segment (Lynch [2000]p.568) The following diagram may illustrate Porters model in more detail: Fig: Porters Generic Model (http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic.shtml) Tesco has been implementing the cost leadership strategy since its establishment. And after going to non-food retail in 2004, it also applied the diversification strategy in their business to meet the customers every needs. Tesco launched its own broad band in 2004 followed by Home plus in 2005. Globalisation has been another important step taken by Tesco. Though Tescos Fresh n easy did not do very well in USA in the first 2 years of its establishment, now it is maintaining its grip among the customers, according to Sir Terry Leahy Chief Executive. Tesco has been very successful in Europe and in Asia. To flourish more of its business in South Asia, Tesco has an exclusive franchise agreement with Trent, the retail arm of Tata Group to support the development of their Star Bazaar format by the end of 2010 in India. Since Tesco has already used the first two strategies, it still has the Focus strategy in hand. Tesco can still aim on the niche markets and work on that segment of the market in order to gain more market share. Tesco has recently opened their first baby store in Manchester which provides all the necessary materials to the toddlers including clothes, push chairs, strollers, car seats, high chairs etc. Similarly, the start of DRIVE-THRU store has covered another segment of people who drive and have very strict time schedule. Apart from that Tesco should also work on its weaknesses. Maintaining Health and safety in all parts of the world with its globalisation and maintaining quality of goods upto the Tesco standard at all times is the major challenge. Tesco should make sure that their ware house, suppliers factories and even the shop floor should be Health and Safety approved and should have all kinds of equipments that helps in maintaining it such as use of helmets, gloves, safety goggles and also training the people with right procedures of lifting weight, handling chemicals and so on. Tesco must make sure that every product they sell is 100% hygienic to the customers and has the same quality and standard at all times. Because of having different suppliers all over the world and buying goods on bulk, Tesco might not be have been able to keep proper maintained standard at all times(as some issues were raised last year regarding the bread supplier) So focusing strategy is not only a good idea to get a grip over the niche market segments but also to maintain its brand value among the existing customers. 3.2 Determine and justify the strategic option that meets the revised strategic position Note: Out of the alternate options in 3.1 above, the one which is considered to be most suitable to meet the new strategic position, may be identified. Justification may be given as to how this selected option is likely to fit in the present position. Out of the various strategies suggested above in 3.1,Focus on maintaining quality and brand value at all times all over the world without a single compromise is the most important option which is most suitable to meet new strategic position and is likely to fit in the present position. Tesco has already been market leader in Cost leadership and has used Differentiation strategy to its limit by understanding the needs of people to the basic extent and providing them the services and satisfying them. They have already started working in the niche marketing strategy by starting DRIVE-THRU store and Kids store. Tesco is aiming to launch mortgages in the first half of 2011, followed by current accounts in the second half of 2011/2012 financial year.

Debut Albums and Answer

My favorite pet is a fish. Who am l? Hide the answer Ð’Â » A shark. Sharks experience tonic immobility, also known as apparent death, where they appear to have died. Blood does not easily flow through their bodies, forcing sharks to swim continuously to circulate their blood. Lastly, sharks have pet fish called Remote (sometimes called suckering). They feed on parasites on the sharks and leftovers, and they use the shark as transport and protection. A big thanks to Caravans for answering this. Serve Many But They Forget About Me serve many, confirmed by how healthy those I serve are.Yet after they're successful they forget about me. It's true, sometimes I hit them and they're often bloody, but they don't mind. What am l? A doctor (more specifically, an obstetrician) or a midwife. They deliver thousands of healthy babies but they are soon forgotten. Sometimes they smack the baby on the butt to clear the airway, and newborn babies can have blood on them from the placenta being pull ed from the walls of the uterus or from an episiotomy. Travel a Lot Meet Both Rich and Poor travel a lot and meet both the rich and the poor, but nobody knows where am going next.I'm invisible but you can see what I do. Who or what am l? Wind (or anything blown by the wind). It moves all over, reaches the rich and he poor equally and no one knows exactly which way the next gust of wind will blow. You can't see the wind, but you can see what it blows, like leaves or dust. Captain Mark Captain Mark is the captain of the ship. The captain of the ship is Captain Mark. The ship has plenty of space. What is the name of the ship? The Space Shuttle Endeavourer, captained by Mark Kelly. Received this by email from someone who didn't know the answer.Thanks to Devon for helping with this answer. Many are Perplexed While Seeking Me Many get perplexed in life while seeking me. Others put their life in danger and others give up. If you find me you are satisfied. What am l? Hint: It is in every ho use. I'm guessing its something like food, air or some other essential thing. I ran ‘every house' through the anagram server but didn't see anything pop out. Please add your answers in the comments. You'll Never See It Again What day will you never see again? Hide the Ð’Â » Yesterday.What is the center of gravity? V. The letter ‘V is the center Of the word gravity. Up a Drainpipe Down but Not Down a Drainpipe Up What can go up a drainpipe down but not down a drainpipe up? Hide the answer Ð’Â » An umbrella. Sometimes I'm a Sphere Sometimes I'm a sphere, Sometimes I'm a banana, And sometimes I'm not there at all. The moon. A full moon is a sphere, a crescent moon looks like a banana, and sometimes the moon is not visible at all. Look at My Face f you look at my face you won't see 13 in any place. What am l? Hide the A clock face.It only has the numbers 1 through 12. You'll See Me When the Sun is High and Also Late at Night You'll see me when the sun is high and als o late at night, I'm in the songs of holidays, when the snow is white, Kings and Queens and royalty, are all found in me, I'm the largest of them all, with just one you see, Step by step with pounding feet, I'm tribes of angry men, I'm above your hands right now, for help or to go again, You'll use me in the kitchen, or add a little more, I'll be in the years to come, and the days of yore. Twelve (12).Noon and midnight are both 12 o'clock and the Twelve Days Of Christmas is a popular Christmas carol. There are twelve face cards in a standard 52-card deck and twelve is the largest number with one syllable. There are twelve steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, a troy pound is 12 ounces, there were 12 tribes of Israel and a popular movie was called, â€Å"Twelve Angry Men† (12 members of the jury). There are twelve function keys on your keyboard. Fl often shows a help screen and reloads pages in your browser. Many species measure items by the dozen, adding one more for a baker's dozen .There are twelve months in a year. It's surprising how many times the number twelve shows up in our culture. Blow for Blow They Matched Each Other Blow for blow, they matched each other. Neither would fall to the other. In the eyes of the crowd, they were this. Equal. By Kef Destroy Has a Mouth But Cannot Drink Has a mouth, but cannot drink. Has a head, but cannot think. Has a tongue, but not a lung. Some are held and some are hung. A bell. Comes To Bedsides, Icy Bridges He comes to bedsides, icy bridges, battlefronts, and crumbling ridges. When he comes, he comes alone, taps a shoulder, then is gone.Death. Growing Tall But Never Fat This on this. That on that. Growing tall, but never fat. A stack. Sometimes Enter With a Gong I'm a word, six letters long, sometimes enter with a gong. All in order from A to Z, start with the letter B. What is the word? Begins It has six letters, when a meditation begins they sound the gong, and the letters are in alphabetical order. Hear a Lot, Say a Lot hear a lot And I say a lot Few ever look for me And even fewer ever hear me hide in plain sight Whether its day or night To help is all I want But most like to bend meAnd as if they had a wand Never again shall anyone find me They do this to control Without realizing the high price of a soul But when Pm least expected They'd rather be protected For there shall be no place to hide The truth. It Never Lasts Forever You can have it and be at it, but it never lasts forever. Peace. Downward Grows the Root Downward grows the root. Outward grows the skin. Upward grows the shoot. What way blows the wind? Way rd. Posted in Riddles No Thicker Than Your Finger No thicker than your finger when it folds. As thick as what it's holding when it holds. A sack. Posted in Riddles It Is HateIt is hate and has hate in it, but it isn't hate. Hatred. Gain and Lose the Most Some are quick to take it. Others must be coaxed. Those who choose to take it gain and lose the most. Risk. Guide and Scraping A long Guided, I am scraping along, leaving behind my snow white dust against that which I am scraping, for when am scraping, I must. Chalk EXiSt Between TWO Things It can only exist between any two things and men know it well for the hardships it brings. Distance. Always Done On Purpose Of all the things that are broken, this makes the least noise and is always done on purpose. Bread. One Strand Dangles One strand dangles.Two strands twist. Three or more can fashion this. Braids Apples for Leather Apples for leather, leather for silk, silk for tobacco, all to get milk. Bartering. Shorter Than My Four Siblings Shorter than my four siblings, but easily the strongest, sometimes wear a funny hat. A Thumb. So Simple I Only Point I'm so simple I only point, Yet I guide people all over the world. A compass. Tagged with What am l? Celebrate, Hide Their Shame or Commit Crime Some use me to celebrate, Others use me to hide their shame, Others use me to commit crime. Alcohol. People have a drin k to celebrate, but also drink to hide their shame.Lastly, drunk driving is a crime. A mask is also a valid answer. They can be used to celebrate Halloween or at dress-up parties, a mask can hide your shame and masks are used by thieves. 8 July 2014 update: This one has more valid answers than I thought. Money and drugs also work. Posted in Riddles Sounds Nothing Like the Word When pronounced, it sounds nothing like the word. A sentence. Onto Burden For Its Weight Not a burden for its weight and daily carried out, He who takes it wishes it had never come about. Punishment. In Different Ways It's Proudly Shown In different ways, it's proudly shown, though many like it to have been sewn.It's never torn from being worn, but when it's torn, it should be burned. A flag. They are displayed proudly in a variety of ways and are sewn on shirts. They are discarded from being too worn, but if torn or worn, they're burned out of respect. By Kef Destroy What Has Hair and Leaks? What has hair and leaks when something bad happens? Your eye. Your eyelashes are the hair and when something bad happens, your cry. Posted in Riddles What Can You Catch But Not Throw? What can you catch but not throw? Your breath or an illness (a cold, virus, the flu etc). Three Feet But No Head What has three feet but no head?Award stick (its 3 feet long). What Runs Around the Yard What runs around the yard without moving? A fence. Has Teeth taut can't Bite What has teeth but can't bite? A comb. Other inanimate objects with teeth like a saw, zipper or a gear can â€Å"bite† you. Many people can affirm from painful experience in regards to zippers and saws, and the unfortunate factory worker who is missing a finger can attest to gears. It's a rare event that anyone would be injured by a comb. Four Legs and a Foot What has four legs and a foot, but can't walk And a head but can't talk? A bed. The foot of the bed can't walk and the head of the bed can't talk.It's probably a good thing that beds can't walk and talk. Just think of where they'd go and what they'd say†¦ Posted in Riddles Look In My Face Look in my face and I am someone, Look in my back am no one. A mirror. The face of a mirror shows your face, but the back of a mirror shows nothing but dust and cardboard (depending on the type of mirror). Posted in Riddles Word Pronounced Incorrectly What 1 1 -letter word does everyone pronounce incorrectly? The word â€Å"incorrectly'. More Than a Few Nothing specific, but more than a few. This many clustered together will do. Bunch. Its a vague term that means more than a few.And clustered items like bananas, grapes or celery come in bunches. By Kef Destroy Never Goes Airborne It never goes airborne, yet, still, it may land. A punch. Not a Bird Though Feathered It's not a bird, though feathered, and it has a mobile nest. It's quick in flight and, having flown, it always stops to rest. An arrow. It has feathers and its nest (a quiver) is usually carried an archer's bac k. The arrow flies when released, but will always land somewhere to rest. Slayer of Regrets Slayer of regrets old and new, sought by many, found by few. Redemption. It can get rid of regrets, many people seek it but few find it.By Kef Destroy Split Itself What can split itself before splitting something else? Lightning. It looks like it's splitting apart in the sky, and trees are split in half when struck by lightning. By Kef Destroy A Blade of Jagged Cut Has a blade of jagged cut. Keeps the quickest hand out shut.

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Nurse Practitioner Free Essay Example, 2250 words

Shortage of physicians with the resultant limitation on access to care was an important factor for this development. Regarding this role of the nurses, it has been stated that this nurse would be an independent practitioner backed by appropriate education at the Master's level so she can concentrate in a specific area of clinical nursing 2008). Their roles would be defined by the needs of a client population, the expectation of the society that they belong to, and their respective clinical and skill expertise. The sociopolitical angle may be further stressed when the evolution this role is examined closely. In their independent practice, it is also expected that they would be able to exercise leadership ability and judgment. In this way they can be an individual provider of care at the direct care provider level, thus effecting change within the broader healthcare system (Jackson and Daly, 2004). The nurse practitioners are very important stakeholders in this whole process, especial ly as indicated by the Australian Nurse Practitioners' Association. The has indicated that this advanced nursing role is based on academic learning of advanced medical and clinical content. We will write a custom essay sample on Nurse Practitioner or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

The Effects Of Global Warming On The Earth s Atmosphere...

Global warming occurs due to an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. Various reasons as discussed in task 3 lead to the rise in temperature around the earth. The reasons include deforestation, burning fossil fuels, increase in human population and increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. (Dai, 2013) Greenhouse gasses are produced when fossil fuels or wood is burned. In other cases, when plants rot, carbon and methane are released into the atmosphere. Global warming can be controlled through the following ways: preservation of forests, minimal use of fossil fuels in energy production, efficient use of energy and use of low carbon or zero carbon technology. Conservation of forests: Forests can be preserved through prevention of deforestation and through planting more trees. The importance of forests in controlling global warming applies where the trees use up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and therefore reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Carbon, which is a component of carbon dioxide, is stored in the trees and is necessary for tree growth. Therefore, preservation of trees ensures minimal circulation of carbon and its products in the atmosphere. (Spies A.S. Mori, 2013) Deforestation has currently become a daily activity and the number of trees affected is massive. Deforestation can be discouraged throughShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Earth s Atmosphere1491 Words   |  6 Pages 1. a) Greenhouse effect is the direct natural result of Sun powering climate on the Earth. Sun’s radiation is passing through the Earth’s atmosphere which in turn causing the Earth’s surface to warm up. As an estimation, about 30% of the solar energy is bouncing back to the space as a results of the Earth’s atmosphere. The other 70% of solar energy is attracted by the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. In order to create a balance, Earth has to reflect this extra amount of energy back to space butRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Earth s Surface, Oceans, And Atmosphere1165 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal warming is the gradual increase of temperature in Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere. Some people may say that global warming is just a theory that has not been proven scientifically; however, I do believe that global warming is happening and that there is strong evidence about this occurrence. Such evidence includes the increase of ca rbon dioxide, the rising of sea level, the increase of acid in the ocean, and clearly, the changes in global climate. In fact, mostly all sorts of humanRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On The World1267 Words   |  6 Pages Over the course of the years global warming has become a threatening issue that scientists and the government have been cognizant about. Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. The earth periodically warms up and cools down. The Earth is currently going through a warming trend that coincides with the industrial revolution. ThisRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects On The Earth927 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal-Warming Mother Earth is burning as we speak; humanity has killed our precious Earth. Global-warming is a vicious killer that was created by the humans on this Earth, and there s no way to cure it. We,as humans, have the power to cleanse the Earth, but instead we destroy it. Heat is absorded by carbon dixide and greenhouse gases. A greenhouse gas absorb thermal radiation emmited by the Earth s surface. As the sun s energy reaches the Earth’s surface some of it goes back out into spaceRead MoreClimate Change : Global Warming1194 Words   |  5 PagesDonya Curtis April 19, 2017 English 1001-rough draft Global Warming Global warming is one facet of the broader term climate change. It is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth s surface air and oceans from the mid 20th century and the projected continuation. The Global warming is primarily the consequence of building up greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Emission rates for most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, CO2, have increased 120 fold in the past 140 years. WhileRead MoreAnalysis Of Earth s Blanket 1253 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor McKay GEO 1021 October 5, 2014 Earth s Blanket A great deal of chapter nine in our book, Discovering Physical Geography, discusses the various climates that exist within our world. As the chapter goes on, the book explains the past climate changes due to the numerous fluctuation in Earth s average temperature. One well known theory, the Milankovitch theory, explains that the fluctuation of Earth s temperature are due to the long-term variations in Earth s orbital eccentricity, tilt, and axialRead MoreGlobal Warming : Causes And Effects905 Words   |  4 Pagesfaced with, global warming. What is global warming? Well, global warming is a rise in the Earth s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect (which I will talk more about.) Which is when our ozone layer has a hole which gradually increases, and increases heat from the sun. This causes major problems such as the polar caps melting and increase of temperatures on Earth. The number one cause of global warming is the largeRead MoreThe Causes Of Global Warming Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pages Global warming has been for decades the center of discussion between intergovernmental agencies and world leaders, each forum aiming to discuss the causes of the global warming. Scientists have been in the front lie to figure out the causes of the global warming. The hurdles and the efforts to discern the causes of the global warming are to learn ways to counter the causes so as to prevent the earth from vanquishing in the detrimental effects of the global warming. Additionally, the effort to learnRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Communities, Health, And The Climate972 Words   |  4 Pagesplanet Earth that is causing a significant and harmful effect on communities, health, and the climate. It is Global Warming which can be defined as the constant heating of Earth s surface, oceans and atmosphere. In order to understand global warming, the most importan t basic is to figure out how the of greenhouse effect plays an important part in its development. The greenhouse effect is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) that trap heat in the atmosphere that keeps the Earth warm.Read More Negative Effects of Global Warming Essay711 Words   |  3 PagesGlobal Warming Global warming is causing a negative effect on the whole planet and we all need to do something to stop it. The climate is changing frequently and is making the planet hotter in some parts and in other parts its making it colder. There are two factors affecting global warming. The first types of factors are natural factors like changes in the solar output, changes in the earths orbit, the green house effect and aerosols. The change in the solar output is the amount of

Volume Variety Matrix Free Essays

string(29) " in extremely large volumes\." Volume-variety and design In Chapter 1 the four V’s of operations were described. These were volume, variety, variation and visibility. The first two of these – volume and variety – are particularly important when considering design issues in operations management. We will write a custom essay sample on Volume Variety Matrix or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not only do they usually go together (high variety usually means low volume, high volume normally means low variety) but together they also impact on the nature of products and services and processes which produce them. The volume and variety of an operation’s activities are particularly influential in determining the way it thinks about its performance objectives. The figure below illustrates how the definitions of quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost are influenced by the volume-variety position of the operation. [pic] Quality Quality in a low volume-high variety process such as an architects’ practice, for example, is largely concerned with the final aesthetic appearance of the building and the appropriateness of its detailed design. In an exceptionally high volume-low variety process, such as an electricity supply company, quality is exclusively concerned with error-free service – electricity must be constantly available in the correct form (in terms of voltage, frequency, etc. . The meaning of quality has shifted from being concerned primarily with the performance and specification of the product or service towards conformity to a predefined standard, as we move from low volume-high variety operations through to high volume-low variety operations. Speed Speed for the architects’ practice means negotiatin g a completion date with each client, based on the client’s needs and the architects’ estimates of how much work is involved in each project. Speed is taken to its extreme in the electricity utility where speed means literally instant delivery. No electricity company could ask its customers to wait for their ‘delivery’ of electricity. Speed therefore means an individually negotiated delivery time in low volume-high variety operations, but moves towards meaning ‘instant’ delivery in some high volume-low variety operations. Dependability Dependability in processes such as the architects’ practice means keeping to each individually negotiated delivery date. In continuous operations, dependability often means the availability of the service itself. A dependable electricity supply is one which is always there. So dependability has moved from meaning ‘on-time delivery’ in low volume-high variety operations to ‘availability’ in high volume-low variety operations. Flexibility Flexibility in low volume-high variety processes such as the architects’ practice means the ability to design many different kinds of buildings according to its clients’ various requirements. With the electricity company’s process, the need for product flexibility has disappeared entirely (electricity is electricity, more or less) but the ability to meet almost instantaneous demand changes through volume flexibility is vital if the company is to maintain supply. Flexibility has moved from meaning product flexibility in low volume-high variety operations to volume flexibility in high volume-low variety operations. Cost Cost, in terms of the unit cost per product or service, varies with both the volume of output of the operation and the variety of products or services it produces. The variety of products or services in low-volume operations is relatively high, which means that running the operation will be expensive because of the flexible and high skill levels employed. Further, because the volume of output is relatively low, a few products or services are bearing the operation’s high cost base. Also, and more significantly for the operation, the cost of each product or service is different. At the other end of the scale, high-volume operations usually produce similar products or services, output is high, so that whatever the base cost of the operation, it is shared among a high number of products or services. Cost per unit of output is therefore usually low for operations such as the electricity utility but, more significantly, the cost of producing one second of electricity is the same as the next second. Cost is relatively constant. Copyright  © 1995-2010, Pearson Education, Inc. Legal and Privacy Terms | [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] LINE. When product demand is high enough, the appropriate process is the assembly line. Often, this process (along with continuous; both are in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix) is referred to as mass production. Laborers generally perform the same operations for each production run in a standard and hopefully uninterrupted flow. The assem bly line treats all outputs as basically the same. Firms characterized by this process are generally heavily automated, utilizing special-purpose equipment. Frequently, some form of conveyor system connects the various pieces of equipment used. There is usually a fixed set of inputs and outputs, constant throughput time, and a relatively continuous flow of work. Because the product is standardized, the process can be also, following the same path from one operation to the next. Routing, scheduling, and control are facilitated since each individual unit of output does not have to be monitored and controlled. This also means that the manager’s span of control can increase and less skilled workers can be utilized. The product created by the assembly-line process is discrete; that is, it can be visually counted (as opposed to continuous processes which produce a product that is not naturally divisible). Almost everyone can think of an example of assembly-line manufacturing (automobile manufacturing is probably the most obvious). Examples of assembly lines in services are car washes, class registration in universities, and many fast food operations. Because the work-in-process equipment is organized and sequenced according to the steps involved to produce the product and is frequently connected by some sort of conveyor system, it is characterized as flowing in a line. Even though it may not be a straight line (some firms utilize a U-shaped assembly line) we say that it has a connected line flow. Also, firms in the lower-right quadrant (line and continuous) are classified as having a product layout. Continuous manufacturing involves lot-less production wherein the product flows continuously rather than being divided. A basic material is passed through successive operations (i. e. refining or processing) and eventually emerges as one or more products. This process is used to produce highly standardized outputs in extremely large volumes. You read "Volume Variety Matrix" in category "Papers" The product range is usually so narrow and highly standardized that it can be characterized as a commodity. Considerable capital investment is required, so demand for continuous process products must be extremely high. Starting and stopping the process can be prohibitively expensive. As a result, the processes usually run 24 hours a day with minimum downtime (hence, continuous flow). This also allows the firm to spread their enormous fixed cost over as large a base as possible. The routing of the process is typically fixed. As the material is processed it usually is transferred automatically from one part of the process to the next, frequently with self-monitoring and adjusting. Labor requirements are low and usually involve only monitoring and maintaining the machinery. Typical examples of industries utilizing the continuous process include gas, chemicals, electricity, ores, rubber, petroleum, cement, paper, and wood. Food manufacture is also a heavy user of continuous processing; especially water, milk, wheat, flour, sugar and spirits. Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, competitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. html#ixzz24d4V1uTD [pic] [pic] USING THE MATRIX The product-process matrix can facilitate the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. A firm may be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stages of the product life cycle and its choice of production process(es) for each individual product. By incorporating this dimension into its strategic planning process, the firm encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. Also, use of the matrix provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with those of marketing and of the corporation itself, all the while leading to more informed predictions about changes in industry and the firm’s appropriate strategic responses. Each process choice on the matrix has a unique set of characteristics. Those in the upper-left quadrant of the matrix (job shop and batch) share a number of characteristics, as do those in the lower-right quadrant (assembly line and continuous). Upper-left firms employ highly skilled craftsmen (machinists, printers, tool and die makers, musical instrument craftsmen) and professionals (lawyers, doctors, CPAs, consultants). Hence upper-left firms can be characterized as labor intensive. Since upper-left firms tend to utilize general-purpose equipment, are seldom at 100 percent capacity, and employ workers with a wide range of skills, they can be very flexible. However, there is a difficult trade-off between efficiency and flexibility of operations. Most job shops tend to emphasize flexibility over efficiency. Since efficiency is not a strong point of upper-left firms, neither is low-cost production. Also, the low volume of production does not allow upper-left firms to spread their fixed costs over a wide enough base to provide for reduced costs. Finally, upper-left firms are also more likely to serve local markets. Lower-right firms require production facilities that are highly specialized, capital intensive, and interrelated (therefore, inflexible). Labor requirements are generally unskilled or semi-skilled at most. Much of the labor requirement deals with merely monitoring and maintaining equipment. Lower-right firms are also more likely to serve national markets and can be vertically integrated. Hayes and Wheelwright relate three areas affected by the use of the product-process matrix: distinctive competence, management, and organization. DISTINCTIVE COMPETENCE. Distinctive competence is defined as the resources, skills, and organizational characteristics that give a firm a comparative advantage over its competitors. Simply put, a distinctive competence is the characteristic of a given product that causes the buyer to purchase it rather than the similar product of a competitor. It is generally accepted that the distinctive competencies are cost/price, quality, flexibility and service/time. By using the product-process matrix as a framework, a firm can be more precise about its distinctive competence and can concentrate its attention on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives and a restricted set of marketing alternatives. In our discussion, we have seen that the broad range of worker skills and the employment of general-purpose equipment give upper-left firms a large degree of flexibility while the highly specialized, high-volume environment of lower-right firms yields very little in the way of flexibility. Therefore, flexibility would be a highly appropriate distinctive competence for an upper-left firm. This is especially true when dealing with the need for flexibility of the product/service produced. Lower-right firms find it very difficult to sidetrack a high-volume operation because of an engineering change in the product. An entire line would have to be shut down while tooling or machinery is altered and large volumes of possibly obsolete work-in-process are accounted for. Upper-left firms, however, would have none of these problems with which to contend. It must be noted though that lower-right firms may possess an advantage regarding flexibility of volume. Quality may be defined a number ways. If we define quality as reliability, then lower-right firms could claim this as a distinctive competence. Lower-right firms would have the high volume necessary to quickly find and eliminate ugs in their product, yielding more reliability to the end user. However, if we define quality as quality of design (that is, â€Å"bells and whistles†Ã¢â‚¬â€things that embody status, such as leather seats in an automobile or a handcrafted musical instrument), then quality would be seen as a possible distinctive competence of upper-right firms. Service may also be defined in more ways than one. If one defines serv ice as face-to-face interaction and personal attention, then upper-left firms could claim service as a distinctive competence. If service is defined as the ability to provide the product in a very short period of time (e. . , overnight), then service as a distinctive competence would belong to lower-right firms. Finally, remember that high volume, economies of scale, and low cost are characteristics of firms in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix. Upper-left firms produce low volumes (sometimes only one) and cannot take advantage of economies of scale. (Imagine, for instance, what you would have to pay for a handcrafted musical instrument. ) Therefore, it is obvious that price or cost competitiveness is within the domain of lower-right firms. MANAGEMENT. In general, the economics of production processes favor positions along the diagonal of the product-process matrix. That is, firms operating on or close to the diagonal are expected to outperform firms choosing extreme off-diagonal positions. Hayes and Wheelwright provide the example of a firm positioned in the upper-right corner of the matrix. This would appear to be a commodity produced by a job shop, an option that is economically unfeasible. A firm positioned in the lower-left corner would represent a unique one-time product produced by a continuous process, again not a feasible option. Both examples are too far off the diagonal. Firms that find themselves too far off the diagonal invite trouble by impairing their ability to compete effectively. While firms operating in the near vicinity, but not exactly on the diagonal, can be niche players, positions farther away from the diagonal are difficult to justify. Rolls Royce makes automobiles in a job shop environment but they understand the implications involved. Companies off the diagonal must be aware of traps it can fall into and implications presented by their position. Also, a firm’s choice of roduct-process position places them to the right or left of competitors along the horizontal dimension of the matrix and above or below its competitors along the vertical dimension of the matrix. The strategic implications are obvious. Of course, a firm’s position on the matrix may change over time, so the firm must be aware of the implications and maintain the capability to deal with them appropriately. The mat rix can provide powerful insights into the consequences of any planned product or process change. Use of the product-process matrix can also help a firm define its product. Hayes and Wheelwright relate the example of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards who produced a low-volume, customized product using a highly connected assembly-line process. Obviously, this would place them in the lower-left corner of the matrix; not a desirable place to be. This knowledge forced the company to realize that what they were offering was not really circuit boards after all, but design capability. So, in essence, they were mass-producing designs rather than the boards themselves. Hence, they were not far off the diagonal at all. ORGANIZATION. Firms organize different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Most firms will select two or more processes for the products or services they produce. For example, a firm may use a batch process to make components for products, which are constructed on assembly lines. This would be especially true if the work content for component production or the volume needed was not sufficient for the creation of a dedicated line process. Also, firms may need separate facilities for different products or parts, or they may simply separate their production within the same facility. It may even be that a firm can produce the similar products through two different process options. For example, Fender Musical Instruments not only mass produces electric guitars (assembly line) but also offers customized versions of the same product through the Fender Custom Shop (job shop). Again, the matrix provides a valuable framework for diagnostic use in these situations. OTHER USES OF THE PRODUCT-PROCESS MATRIX Additional uses of the matrix include: †¢ Analyzing the product entry and exit. †¢ Determining the appropriate mix of manufacturing facilities, identifying the key manufacturing objectives for each plant, and monitoring progress on those objectives at the corporate level. †¢ Reviewing investment decisions for plants and equipment in terms of their consistency with product and process plans. †¢ Determining the direction and timing of major changes in a company’s production processes. Evaluating product and market opportunities in light of the company’s manufacturing capabilities. †¢ Selecting an appropriate process and product structure for entry into a new market. It should be noted that recent empirical research by Sohel Ahmad and Roger G. Schroeder found the proposed relationship between product structure and process structure to be significant but not strong. In general terms, they found that as the pr oduct life cycle changes the process life cycle also shifts in the consistent direction, but not necessarily along the diagonal. Some 60 percent of the firms studied did not fall on the diagonal. The researchers propose that this occurred because new management and technological initiatives have eliminated or minimized some of the inherent trade-offs found on the Product-Process Matrix. They classify these initiatives as processing technology, product design and managerial practice (e. g. , TQM and JIT). Therefore, Ahmad and Schroeder recommend that the matrix be conceptualized as having three axes instead of two. They propose an x-axis (product life cycle stages), a y-axis (process life cycle stages), and a z-axis that represents an organization’s proactive effort towards adopting and implementing these innovative initiatives. As a firm moves away from the origin along the z-axis, it becomes able to minimize some of the trade-offs seen in the Product-Process Matrix framework. Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, competitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. h tml#ixzz24d4lyOQ5 [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] How to cite Volume Variety Matrix, Papers

The History Of Pre-Scientific Era free essay sample

In the prehistoric era, knowledge and guidance were delivered from generation to generation in an oral tradition, before the writing system develops well. They said that psychology has a long past, but a short history. The long past because psychology lies in our curiosity to understand the living lives and why. It has a short history due to it only seems like an organized body of specific in the last hundred unusual years. The variance between the prescientific psychology and science psychology is the prescience focusses on philosophical concern whereby science psychology focusses on biology and medicine.THE HISTORY OF PRE-SCIENTIFIC ERAi. Ancient Roots: which explains the terms of mystical or supernatural things and magical power to natural measures and come out the concept of good and bad.ii. Greek Roots: ancient Greek started to use guesswork and logic in understanding the natural event.iii. Philosophical roots: the early philosophersiv. In India, Buddha questioned how sensations and perceptions combined to form idea while in China, Confucius understands the power of ideas and the importance of an educated mind.v. Socrates (469-399 B.C) and his learner, Plato (428-348 B.C) believed that mind was parted from the body and mind continued to exist after death, and ideas were inherent.vi. It is different to Aristotle (348-322 B.C) recommended that the soul is not separable from the body and that knowledge (ideas) grow from experience and understanding.vii. Rene Descartes, like Plato, assumed in soul (mind) body separation but doubted how the immaterial mind and physical body connected and communicated.viii. Pre-scientific psychology with John Locke (1632-1704) said that the mind was a Tabula rasa or blank sheet, at birth, and experiences wrote on it.ix. In general, understanding of how ideas are formed. Socrates and Plato agreed that some ideas are inborn while the mind is a black slate believed by Aristotle and Locke.x. The influence of Islam in the Middle Age: They are two philosophers from the Islamic civilization and they are:†¢ Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (c. 980-1037)Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Sina is better known in Europe by the Latinized name Avicenna. He is perhaps the most significant philosopher in the Islamic tradition and possibly the most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era. He is best known as a polymath, as a physician whose main work the Canon (al-Qanun fil-Tibb) continued to be taught as a medical textbook in Europe and in the Islamic world until the early modern period, and as a philosopher whose major summa the cure (al-Shifa) had a key impact upon European scholasticism and especially upon Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274). Primarily a metaphysical philosopher of being who was anxious with the understanding of the selfs existence in this world in relation to its contingency. Ibn Sinas philosophy is an effort to build a clear and comprehensive system that accords with the religious needs of Muslim culture.†¢ Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (1126-1198)Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd, well known in the Latin West as Averroes, lived during a unique period in Western logical history, in which interest in philosophy and theology was fading in the Muslim world and just beginning to display in Latin Christendom. His influential commentaries and unique explanations on Aristotle recovered Western scholarly in ancient Greek philosophy, whose works, for the most part, had been neglected or abandoned since the sixth century.?PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE IS BORN (SCIENTIFIC ERA)The psychology science began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) the first founder to psychological research in Leipzig, Germany. He admi nistrated the first psychology experiments by calculating individual time reaction to simple task and established the first psychology lab in Germany. Psychology as science convey beneficial to other subjects of human science as below;-STRUCTURALISMEdward Bradford Titchener joined the Cornell University faculty and introduced Structuralism can be defined as psychology as the study of the elements of consciousness which is the supposed structure of our mind. Example, describing about an apple. Apple is crisp, juicy, round, colored and sweet. Structuralism which tried to figure humans thought and elements by having the individual report on how they feel about it. Both Wundt and Titchener studied the basics (atoms) of the mind and emotion to the body.FUNCTIONALISMA school of psychology that focused on how mental psychological and behavioral processes function, on how they enable the creature to survive, adapt and flourish. It is influenced by Darwin and William James (1842-1910) who established the school of Functionalism, which conflicting Structuralism. The first textbook title Principles of Psychology was written by William James. James believed that Consciousness served as a function and the memories would expose our present actions.GESTALT PSYCHOLOGYA school of psychology established in the 20th century that provided the groundwork for the modern study of sensitivity, perceptions, on how people perceive and experience objects as the whole pattern. The word Gestalt is used in modern German to mean the way a thing has been placed or put together.Max Wertheimer (1880-1943), Kurt Koffka (1886-1941), and Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967) were three German psychologists who introducing psychologists to various Gestalt principles.THE UNCONSCIOUS MINDSigmund Freud (1856-1939) and his followers stressed the importance of the unconscious mind and its effect on human behavior.The term Behaviorism refers to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson. Psychological Science develops on how Watson (1913) and later Skinner emphasized the study of overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific psychology.HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGYFocused on each individuals potential and stressed the importance of developing, growth and self-actualization. It began as a feedback psychoanalysis and behaviorism in the 1950s. Carl Rogers (1902-1987) and Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and a few others emphasized current environmental influences on our growth potential and our need for love and acceptance. The character of a person as a unique and organized whole. To know the person well, one needs to collect information about the individuals whole life story and experiences. All the discussed schools of thought in psychology have fade today but they have influenced psychology greatly. Psychology today selecting the best from each school and working with other scientists to improve and achieve their goals better.