Case Analysis: Medical Center of Southern Indiana Essay

Introduction The Medical Center of Southern Indiana (MCSI) has had a turbulent tenure as a hospital since its inception in 1973. Unprofitable from the very beginning, MCSI has gone through multiple ownership changes, creating a distrusting atmosphere between Clark County, IN residents, the local medical community, and MCSI. The city of Charlestown purchased the hospital at the end of 1991 in the hopes of turning the facility into a profitable medical center offering key services to the community. An aggressive expansion strategy was developed by management contractor American MedTrust in 1992 and this led to an operating profit in 1998 of $480,545. This marked a turning point for MCSI, as it was the first year in a very long time that the hospital had turned a profit. As they look to the future, MCSI needs to determine if it should continue with the aggressive strategy of expanding services or slow its expansion pace and focus on providing excellent service within its current capacity and looking for ways to reduce cost and enhance revenues. Key Demographics and Facts Certain elements of the MCSI case are essential in determining the appropriate strategy to pursue in the future. The external community general hospital environment has not been thriving during this time period. Of the roughly 5,000 community hospitals in the United States in 1997, 22% had bed capacity of 50-99. From the year 1980 to 1997, the number of hospitals with 50-99 beds decreased by 24%. As a 96 bed facility, the national trend does not bode well for MCSI. When the hospital was purchased by the city of Charlestown, American MedTrust came in with its aggressive â€Å"revitalization initiatives† to help MCSI become profitable. Under American MedTrust’s leadership, MCSI spent more than $3 million from 1992 to 1998 to accomplish these aggressive strategies. Two key elements of those initiatives involved expanding the services offered and rebuilding relationships with insurance companies and the local medical community. As a full-service hospital, MCSI already offered a variety of medical services. Because of a consistently low census (occupancy rate around 45%), developing ways to attract new patients was vital. A new inpatient geropsychiatric unit, skilled nursing facility, and a home health agency were added to the mix when hospital executives determined that there was a need in the community for these services and that the competition was not offering these services. By 1998, all three new service lines were bringing in at least $1 million in gross revenue. Other key investments included the creation of an outpatient mall, purchasing new technology, and the creation of satellite specialty and primary care clinics. Finding and expanding sources of revenue was also a key feature in the aggressive strategic plan. MCSI knew that to enhance revenue, the hospital had to contract with managed care companies. Because of sour relationships between MCSI and the insurance companies, MCSI enlisted the help of the state legislature and the state insurance commissioner to pass the Any Willing Provider bill that required insurance companies to work with providers like MCSI and provide written explanations for any declinations of contracts. In 1994, MCSI had two managed care contracts; there were twenty-five managed care contracts in 1998. With 65% of its patient base on Medicare, it was essential for MCSI to increase these managed care contracts if the organiza tion hoped to expand their revenue stream. Because of the enhanced services offered, the number of full time equivalent employees also increased from 183 in 1994 to 270 in 1998. MCSI has benefited from a low 11% employee turnover and a lean organizational structure. Even with these systems in place however, the salary and wage expense has nearly tripled from $3.3 million in 1992 to $9.88 million in 1998. Of the 270 FTE employees, there are 75 active members of the medical staff. Gross revenue generated by physician was a bit lopsided in 1998 with 11 out of 75 physicians generating almost 75% of the gross revenue. As MCSI plans for the future, revenues generated by physician, by department, and the related salary expenses need to be carefully examined to determine the optimal mix of services provided to the Clark County community. The location and demographics of Clark County continue to provide challenges for MCSI and the creation of future strategic plans. Clark County is a rural  area with the majority of its population living in the southern half of the county, near the Indiana and Kentucky border. While Clark County does enjoy a low 2.7% unemployment rate, the average county household income was a middling $36, 726 in 1997. Only 11% of Clark County residents had earned a bachelor’s degree as of 1998, thus the probability of the average household income increasing by any great degree was small. 65% of the MCSI patient base in 1998 was a Medicare patient. MCSI is located in the north central section of Clark County. Its closest competitor is Clark Memorial Hospital in the southern half of the county. Clark Memorial has about 3 times the number of beds as MCSI and the majority of the county’s population lives closer to Clark Memorial. Louisville, KY is about 15 miles from MCSI. Any future expansion plans must include a close analysis of the population growth trends in the area and an analysis of the service mix offered by both competitors, Clark Memorial and the Louisville-area health systems. Both of these competitors are better positioned to capitalize on any growth trends in the area and have the financial resources to aggressively expand to meet these trends. Even though MCSI has posted an operating profit for the first time in many years, the majority of MCSI’s assets are tied up in receivables. The current ratio and days cash on hand are well below industry standards. With increasing salary expenses and various interest expenses increasing, investing in capital expenditures or investing large sums of money in new service lines might cause MCSI’s operating profits be negative. Recommendations The Medical Center of Southern Indiana should continue to grow and improve the service lines that are currently offered such as home health, skilled nursing, and geropsychiatric services. These services have been marginally profitable in the past for the facility. The home health agency has seen a tremendous growth increasing from $422,000 to $1.75 million in four years. Skilled nursing facility revenues have grown in four years from $1.07 to $4.7 million. In order to keep these existing service lines thriving, MSCI should plan moderate renovations that keep the facility up to date with current service lines. Renovations should be similar to the $300,000 remodeling that was done to the outpatient service mall and should include the purchase of medical supply equipment that will help MCSI stay up to date  with its competitors. Large capital expenditures should be avoided at this time. Additionally, MCSI should expand its marketing campaign to target the local populations and keep patients from the surrounding five counties from migrating into the Louisville area to receive care. This has been a problem for the facility in the past, and has led to losses in revenues. Another point of emphasis that should be addressed is the inclusion of the Ivy Tech College population and the Indiana University Southeast population. This population of students has yet to be targeted by the facility, and are a large source of potential revenue. The marketing strategy should also focus on the recruitment and retention of physicians. Recruitment has been an issue in the past and recruiting and retaining quality physicians is a key component to the success of a facility. Currently, a minority of physicians bring in a majority of the revenues. Having quality physicians that provide services that the community wants and needs will also help enhance revenues. Because so much of the patient population is on Medicare, these revenue enhancement strategies need to be complemented by cost saving strategies. MCSI has a bit more control over their expenses than it does over their revenue sources. After years of having a defender style of strategic plan, this aggressive prospector strategy has allowed MCSI to have the resources to better meet the needs of the community and find a way to be profitable. However, at this point, it would be best to take a step back and shift to analyzer mode before continuing in an aggressive manner. Data The Medical Center of Southern Indiana created a decision matrix to identify decision criteria in pursuing a solution going forward. MCSI choose to analyze physician partnership, its top service lines, expansion of market campaign, and expansion of the Ivy Tech population in order to decide whether or not it should continue its aggressive expansion campaign. Major criteria areas taken into account included market position, competition, potential profitability, and alignment with MCSI’s mission. As shown in Figure 1, it was recommended for MCSI to continue building physician partnership and enhancing its top three service lines (home health agency, skilled nursing facility, and geropsychiatric services). There was the  recommendation to possibly pursue expansion of its marketing campaign and Ivy Tech population. MCSI should slow down its aggressive expansion strategy of adding new services and consolidate gains from those presently in place. In doing so, MCSI would shift from a prospector to an analyzer. MCSI achieved its largest operating profit of $480,545 in 1998. Looking to continue aggressive expansion could potentially lower its operating profit going forward. Overexpansion of services may lead to a dilution in the quality of care. The hospital is already structured as lean to help control costs. With such a low operating profit, MCSI does not have the resources to continue their expansion. As an analyzer, MCSI will look to enhance its existing resources and wait to see what the competition does. Improvements can be made to MCSI’s top three services lines. Allocating resources for future renovations and purchases of equipment will help keep these areas successful and allow them to continue generating profit. These three service lines respond to the needs of the Medicare patient base. For physician partnership, MCSI must keep its physicians who represent a majority of gross revenue. There is a large disparity for both gross revenue brought in and patients seen amongst physicians. Keeping MCSI’s top physicians while also looking to recruit other good physicians can lead to an increased efficiency of patient care and a reduction of cost. Involving the physicians in issues central to care and day-to-day operations is needed for a high physician retention rate for MCSI. It is important to have physicians included in the processes because they are the ones caring for the patients. If MCSI has the available resources, it should pursue expanding its marketing campaign and look into expansion of the Ivy Tech population. The solution for MCSI to focus on its current service lines instead of continued aggressive expansion will require coordination amongst a wide-range of sections within the medical center. Kevin J. Miller, the President and Chief Executive Officer of MCSI is responsible for asserting leadership of the planning and implementation of this solution. He must be involved in the process to avoid disengagement within MCSI. It is critical for him to be a leader, but not take over the entire process. The next step would be defining and communicating the responsibilities and roles of the  organizational leaders in the various departments of the medical center through the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. It is their role to provide oversight and then let the organization take control. Physician partnership through Independent Practice Association (IPA), home health agency, skilled nursing facility, and geropsychiatric services would involve those under the Physician Affiliates, Chief Nursing Officer, and Assistant Administrator of Specialty Services, respectively. Expansion of marketing campaign and Ivy Tech population would involve those under the Director of Human Resources and Director of Business Development. Those under the Chief Quality Officer are then responsible for insuring the facilities are up-to-date through renovations for these service lines. Those under the Chief Financial Officer would be responsible for keeping track of the records and looking at the profitability from services already in place. All of these areas of MCSI must work with each other through active communication. It is necessary to have strategic plan schedules in order for the solution to be successful. Starting with monitoring day-to-day activities, MCSI should complete a full strategic planning process every three years with annual updates on each of the areas in the decision matrix. MCSI must have the resources to provide for this solution. The solution identified by the decision matrix is responsible for MCSI’s ability to earn and increase annual profit. Collecting data in these areas in addition to monitoring the internal and external environment can allow for MCSI to evaluate effectiveness of consolidating gains from services already in place in the future. Current Status of the Medical Center of Southern Indiana The Medical Center of Southern Indiana became a subsidiary of Saint Catherine Healthcare LLC on May 1, 2006. Questions from the end of the Case: 1.Should MCSI slow down its aggressive expansion strategy of adding new services and consolidate the gains from those presently in place, or continue the aggressive expansion strategy of adding and investing in even more services? We feel that MCSI should not continue its aggressive expansion strategy. Rather, they should focus on continuing the upkeep of their current service lines that have been so profitable for them the past  four years (home health, skilled nursing facilities, and geropsychiatric services) Continuing to expand these existing services is what has allowed MCSI to grow and beat out competitors in some areas. Instead of focusing on expanding the service lines any further, money should be invested to keep existing facilities â€Å"top of the line†. 2.Should MCSI reassess present services and retrench those that are not yet breaking even? MCSI should definitely carefully consider all present services, especially those that are not yet breaking even. Certain service lines will never break even, but are required as part of the community hospital services. However, reducing or retrenching these services could possibly be the best strategy moving forward. 3.Should MCSI change its fiscal orientation and focus on cost reduction versus revenue enhancement? With 65% of the patient base on Medicare, revenue enhancement might not be guaranteed. A combination of cost minimization and revenue enhancement strategies through increasing the number of managed care contracts would be the best orientation for MCSI. 4.Should MCSI pursue a joint venture with physicians in limited partnerships? Yes, MCSI should pursue a joint venture with physicians in limited partnerships. In 1998, 4 of MCSI’s 75 physicians brought in 44% of the gross revenue and 11 physicians brought in almost 75% of the gross revenue, which was $39,679,356. It is critical to identify the top earning physicians and keep them at MCSI. Part of MCSI’s mission is to â€Å"increase physician recruitment, retention, and collaboration.† MCSI must continue to involve the physicians in issues central to quality and their day-to-day operations.

Alternative Fuels for Automobiles

Alternative fuel, also known as non-conventional fuels, is any material or substance that can be used as a fuel, other than fossil fuels. Alternative fuels, as defined by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), include ethanol, natural gas, propane, hydrogen, biodiesel, electricity, methanol, and p-series fuels. Using these alternative fuels in vehicles can generally reduce harmful pollutants and exhaust emissions.Alternative fuels are designed to be cheap, non-polluting, ‘infinite' sources of energy. No such fuels currently exist globally, or they would by now be rapidly replacing current fossil fuels. In the year 2000, there were about eight million vehicles around the world that ran on alternative fuels. A primary concern is that the fact that the use of conventional fuels directly contributes to the global warming crisis.Another concern is the problem of peak oil, which predicts a rising cost of oil derived fuels caused by severe shortages of oil during an era of growing ene rgy consumption. According to the ‘peak oil' phenomenon, the demand for oil will exceed supply and this gap will continue to grow, which could cause a growing energy crisis by the year 2010 or 2020. Most of the interest in alternative fuels has focused on transportation vehicles, since this application represents 70% of petroleum consumption.The President also proposes acceleration of the development of domestic, renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuels through: $150 million for the Biofuels Initiative—a $59 million increase over FY 2006—to help develop bio-based transportation fuels such as â€Å"cellulosic ethanol† from agricultural waste products, such as wood chips, stalks, or switch grass; $31 million to speed the development of advanced battery technology to extend the range of hybrid vehicles and make possible â€Å"plug-in† hybrids and electric cars—a 27 percent increase over FY 2006; and $289 million for the President†™s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.President Bush outlined the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI) in pursuit of a national goal of replacing more than 75 percent of U. S. oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. Since 2001, nearly $10 billion has been invested by the Federal government to develop cleaner, cheaper and more reliable alternative energy sources. 1. ETHANOL Ethanol can run at a much higher compression ratio without octane-boosting additives. It burns more completely because ethanol molecules contain oxygen; carbon monoxide emissions can be 80-90% lower than for fossil-fuelled engines.(Hua Lu Karlsson. 2006). However, ethanol is degrading to some plastic or rubber parts of fuel delivery systems designed to use petrol, and has 37% less energy per litre than petrol . There has been a recent revival in interest in the use of ethanol-diesel fuel blends(E-diesel) in heavy-duty vehicles as a means to reduce petroleum dependency, increase renewable fuels use, and reduce vehicle emissi ons. The major concern with the use of E-diesel derives from its flammability characteristics.E-diesel blends containing 10% to 15% ethanol have the vapor pressure and flammability limits of ethanol. This means that ethanol concentrations in enclosed spaces such as fuel storage and vehicle fuel tanks are flammable over the temperature range of 13 to 42 °C, typical ambient temperatures. Thus, there are increased risks of fire and explosion compared to diesel fuel, or even gasoline. Other vehicle performance-related concerns have also been raised.These include decreased maximum power, increased incidence of fuel pump vapor lock, and reduced fuel pump and fuel injector life due to the decreased lubricity of ethanol. Ethanol can be blended directly in petrol, up to a mix of 20%, without engine modifications, though engines would need to be modified for higher blends. Ethanol blended diesel fuels (10 to 15% ethanol) require emulsifiers and solubilisers, depending on the ethanol quality . For use of pure ethanol in diesel engines an additive (ignition improver) is needed for cold start and idling. Fuel pump adaptations may also be necessary.Barriers to the use of ethanol in diesel fuel include limited miscibility at lower temperatures and need for minor variations in fuel delivery systems to account for the different physical properties of ethanol as compared to diesel. ( K. R. Gerdes and G. J. Suppe , 2001). An increase in fuel consumption approximately equivalent to the reduction in energy content of the fuel can be expected when using ethanol-diesel blends. With ethanol percentages of 10%or less, operators have reported no noticeable differences in performance compared to running on diesel fuel. ( Hansen et al.,2001). The use of E diesel is the affect of the ethanol on the lubricating properties of the fuel and the potential for fuel system wear. Additive packages that are used to formulate E diesel fuels can improve fuel lubricity and prevent abnormal fuel syst em wear. E 85 The heavily promoted alcohol fuel called E85 might cut America's oil use and help support U. S. agriculture, but it's not reducing motorists' fuel bills. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). E85 is classified as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy. A flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) is a vehicle that can operate on any blend of ethanol up to 85%. If E85 is not available, the vehicle can operate on straight unleaded gasoline or any percentage of ethanol up to 85%. It has the highest oxygen content of any fuel available today, allowing it to burn more completely (cleaner) than conventional gasoline. E85 contains 80% less gum-forming compounds, like the olefins found in gasoline. Production and use of E85 results in a nearly 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 2.METHANOL Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, can be used as an alternative fuel in flexible fuel vehicles that run on M85 (a blend of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline). However, it is not commonly used because automakers are no longer supplying methanol-powered vehicles. Methanol is even more corrosive and its energy per liter is 55% lower than that of petrol. Methanol can be used in internal combustion engines with minor modifications. It usually is made from natural gas, sometimes from coal, and could be made from any carbon source including CO2.The ability to produce methanol from non-petroleum feedstocks such as coal or biomass is of interest for reducing petroleum imports. Methanol can be used to make methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate which is blended with gasoline to enhance octane and create cleaner burning fuel. MTBE production and use has declined because it has been found to contaminate ground water. Methanol produces a high amount of formaldehyde in emissions. In the future, methanol could possibly be the fuel of choice for providing the hydrogen necessary to power fuel cell vehicles.3. P ROPANE (LPG) Propane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is also fast becoming a popular alternative fuel. It is a by-product of natural gas processing and crude oil refining. Propanol and butanol are considerably less toxic and less volatile than methanol. In particular, butanol has a high flashpoint of 35  °C, which is a benefit for fire safety. The fermentation processes to produce propanol and butanol from cellulose are fairly tricky to execute, and the Weizmann organism (Clostridium acetobutylicum) currently used to perform these conversions.Propane vehicles can produce fewer ozone-forming emissions than vehicles powered by reformulated gasoline. There is 98% reduction in the emissions of toxics, including benzene, 1,3 butadiene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, when the vehicles were running on propane rather than gasoline. The cost of a gasoline-gallon equivalent of propane is generally less than that of gasoline, so driving a propane vehicle can save money. In addition, propan e is the most accessible of all alternative fuels. 4. NATUAL GAS (CNG/LNG)Natural gas in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) is fast becoming one of the most popular alternative fuels. Natural gas contains hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane; and other gases such as nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapor and is produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. Natural gas pollutes much less than gasoline and very little has to be done to modify an internal combustion engine. It is also clean burning and produces significantly fewer harmful emissions than reformulated gasoline or diesel when used in natural gas vehicles.Smog-producing gases, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, are reduced by more than 90% and 60%, respectively and carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is reduced by 30%-40%. Natural gas can either be stored onboard a vehicle as compressed natural gas (CNG) at 3,000 or 3 ,600 psi or as liquefied natural gas (LNG) at typically 20-150 psi. Natural gas can also be blended with hydrogen. 5. HYDROGEN Hydrogen (H2) will play an important role in developing sustainable transportation, because in the future it may be produced in virtually unlimited quantities using renewable resources.Hydrogen has been used effectively in a number of internal combustion engine vehicles as pure hydrogen mixed with natural gas. In addition, hydrogen is used in a growing number of demonstration fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen and oxygen from air fed into a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell â€Å"stack† produce enough electricity to power an electric automobile, without producing harmful emissions. Fuel cells generate electricity by electrochemically combining hydrogen and oxygen. On a life-cycle basis, they produce zero or very low emissions, depending on the source of the hydrogen.Fuel cells are highly efficient energy-conversion devices that utilize hydrogen. But there are still many barriers to their use in vehicles, including the lack of a hydrogen distribution infrastructure, high capital costs for fuel cells and hydrogen-production technologies, and challenges related to hydrogen storage. The main difference is that batteries store electrical energy, while fuel cells generate electricity continuously as long as an external fuel source is supplied. That means their performance is not hindered by lengthy, inconvenient recharging times.If pure hydrogen is used as the fuel source, the only products are electricity, heat and water. The solid oxide fuel cell is able to directly utilize commonly available fuels such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, diesel and biogas. When operating on natural gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are reduced by up to 60 percent compared with conventional electricity generation, with practically no emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx). Many scientists believe that pure hydrogen, the most common element on earth, is destined to be the vehicle fuel of the future.Hydrogen can be extracted from thousands of compounds, including natural gas, water, sugar and many petroleum products. The extraction of hydrogen requires energy, making hydrogen an energy carrier rather than an energy source. In transportation, and for many other applications, fuel cell technology is opening new doors of opportunity for hydrogen. Governments and industry around the world, are investing heavily in research and development into hydrogen fuel cells. 6. BIODIESEL Pure biodiesel is considered an alternative fuel under EPAct.Biodiesel (fatty acid alkyl esters) is a cleaner burning diesel replacement fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and using in a conventional diesel engine substantially reduces emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrate d polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. These reductions increase as the amount of biodiesel blended into diesel fuel increases.The use of biodiesel decreases the solid carbon fraction of particulate matter (since the oxygen in biodiesel enables more complete combustion to CO2) and reduces the sulfate fraction (biodiesel contains less than 15 ppm sulfur), while the soluble, or hydrocarbon, fraction stays the same or increases. Therefore, biodiesel works well with emission control technologies such as diesel oxidation catalysts (which reduce the soluble fraction of diesel particulate but not the solid carbon fraction). Blends of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines.Biodiesel can also be used in its pure form, but it may require certain engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems and may not be suitable for wintertime use. Just like petroleum diesel, biodiesel operates in compression-ignit ion engines. Higher blends, even pure biodiesel (100% biodiesel ), may be able to be used in some engines (built since 1994) with little or no modification. 7. ELECTRICITY Electricity can be used as a transportation fuel to power battery electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles and in limited use in hybrid-electric vehicles.Fuel cell vehicles use electricity produced from an electrochemical reaction that takes place when hydrogen and oxygen are combined in the fuel cell â€Å"stack. † The production of electricity using fuel cells takes place without combustion or pollution and leaves only two byproducts, heat and water. Even though the battery electric vehicle itself produces zero pollutants, when emissions from the power generating stations from traditional sources (coal, oil-fired or nuclear) are factored in, battery powered electric cars still produce less than 10 percent of the emissions of standard internal combustion engine cars.Clean electricity production is possible in future years since the wind and solar power generating stations are becoming as a sources. Maintenance for battery electric vehicles is less, which have fewer moving parts to service and replace, although the batteries must be replaced every three to six years. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are hybrid cars with an added battery. As the term suggests, plug-in hybrids – which look and perform much like â€Å"regular† cars – can be plugged in to a 120-volt outlet (for instance each night at home, or during the workday at a parking garage) and charged.Plug-ins run on the stored energy for much of a typical day's driving – depending on the size of the battery up to 60 miles per charge, far beyond the commute of an average American – and when the charge is used up, automatically keep running on the fuel in the fuel tank. A person who drives every day a distance shorter than the car's electric range would never have to dip into the fuel tank. M ost of the energy used by plug-ins comes from electricity and not from gasoline.That electricity can be generated efficiently and cleanly from America's abundant domestic energy resources, thus greatly reducing our dependence on imported oil. Unlike in the 1970s, when much of our electricity was generated from oil, today only 2% of our electricity is generated from oil. Hydrogen storage returns around 47% of original energy, while advanced batteries return 75-85%. According to the report, using electricity to charge electric vehicles (EVs) provides twice the miles per kilowatt hour than employing electricity to make hydrogen fuel.Lithium ion batteries developed for portable electronics can store electricity at an energy density about six times greater than conventional lead acid batteries and in the future could go nearly 250 miles between charges. 8. P-SERIES FUEL P-Series fuel is a mixture of natural gas liquids (pentanes plus), ethanol, and methyl tetrahydrofuran(MTHF), a biomass -derived co-solvent. P-Series is predominantly derived from renewable resources and burns much cleaner than gasoline. It can be mixed with gasoline in any proportion and is used in multi-fuel vehicles.Pure Energy Corporation holds the exclusive worldwide license to produce and supply P-Series fuel. Reference 1. Retrieved November 30, 2006, from http://oee. nrcan. gc. ca/transportation/fuels/hydrogen-fuelcells/hydrogen. cfm? attr=16 2. Retrieved November 30, 2006, from http://www. nrel. gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/plugins. html 3. Retrieved November 30, 2006, from http://www. ethanol. org/e85. html 4. Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles. Retrieved November 30, 2006 from http://www. iags. org/pih. htm 5. K. R. Gerdes and G. J. Suppes. 2001. Miscibility of Ethanol in Diesel Fuels . Ind. Eng. Chem.Res. , 40 (3), 949 -956, 2001 6. A. C. Hansen, P. W. L. Lyne, and Q. Zhang, â€Å"Ethanol-Diesel Blends: A Step Towards Bio-based Fuel for Diesel Engines,† ASAE Paper No. 01-6048, July2001. 7. Hua Lu Karlsson. 2006. Emissions from Conventional Gasoline Vehicles Driven with Ethanol Blend Fuels. http://www. senternovem. nl/mmfiles/ ethanol_blend_emissions_in_conventional_vehicles_tcm24-195177. pdf. 8. U. S. Department of Energy. 2006. http://www. eere. energy. gov/ afdc/afv/prop_vehicles. html. 9. Ethanol Fact Book. 2005. www. cleanfuelsdc. org/pubs/ documents/2003EthanolFactBook. pdf.

An Overview Of Political Stability In Pakistan Politics Essay

An Overview Of Political Stability In Pakistan Politics Essay An Overview of Political Factors, Political Institutions norms and conventions which are informal constraints; and enforcement characteristics. The competency of the bureaucracy, business government relations, the political order present, the type of party structure and the qualities of the political leadership are all important political institutions which further instigate other political factors affecting the type of order maintained within the country. The authenticity and credibility of political institutions is therefore at the helm of what the power play within the country is and thus predicting the future of the state. Given the significance of political stability it is only fair that the variable is defined accurately and further investigated. A number of political factors are correlated with political stability, but which factors are responsible for this causation. Macroeconomic policies, estranged international relations and the inefficient use of natural resources are a ll important aspects that may affect the variable concerned. Political freedom, political activism and political confidence are factors that measure the public reaction to the various political institutions and decisions implemented. The authenticity and credibility of political institutions is at the helm of what the power play within the country is. These institutions are built through the political factors and in turn determine the level of political stability within the country. This paper will attempt to unfold the relationship between variables such as judicial autonomy, the level of corruption and the amount of foreign aid being granted on Pakistan’s domestic political stability. An empirical approach using both past literature and new primary research will be utilized in concluding the causal effects.

Daimler organization culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Daimler organization culture - Assignment Example 305). Moreover, neither the Americans nor the Germans liked the merger, and it destroyed both companies. Chrysler was faced with falling profits shortly after the merger, which destroyed Chrysler’s market advantage; meanwhile, Daimler was faced with the fact that their products were not as quality as they once were, which destroyed Daimler’s market advantage (Markowitz, 2003). The end result was that the company posted losses almost immediately after merging, and this occurred from the beginning, and Daimler had its biggest loss ever in 2001. The two companies finally de-merged in 2007 (Banal-Estanol & Seldeslachts, 2007, p. 1). Chrysler probably should not have been looking for a merger at this time, however, the CEO of Chrysler, Bob Eaton, felt that the coming years would bring problems for the company for three reasons. First, there was the issue of overcapacity. Chrysler had too much inventory and needed a new market, and wanted inroads into the European market. Two , there was the issue of environmental concerns, which threatened the existence of the internal combustion engine. Three, Eaton saw a retail revolution that would empower buyers (Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, 2002, p. 1). Daimler was also looking for a partner. It had failed to make inroads into the American market, and was longing for a partner that would help it do so (Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, 2002, p. 3). Daimler was also vulnerable, in that its company was dominated by one brand, Mercedes-Benz, which made up 95% of its sales. Therefore, it needed to diversify (Golitsinski, 2000, p. 10). A merger of equals proved not to be the case, however, as the German company Daimler insisted that the new merged company be domiciled in Germany, and Daimler CEO Jurgen Schrempp stated that Daimler would never be a junior member of any merger, and that Daimler must take the lead in the merger (Badrtalei & Bates, 2007, p. 309). Moreover, Schrempp never envisioned the company to be anything but a German entity. Finally, there was the issue of the name. While Bob Eaton, the CEO of Chrysler, wanted the name to be Chrysler-Daimler, the German company once again got its way, and the name was Daimler-Chrysler. Thus, Daimler managed to dominate on all the key issues – domicile & name, while still pretending that the merger of the two companies were equal. Later, Bob Eaton was made co-chair of the organization for three years, and this created a huge leadership vacuum in the United States end of the operations (Badrtalei & Bates, 2007, p. 309). Thus, within a year after the merger, many of the key executives from Chrysler had left the merged company and the stock prices for the company plummeted. In the end, however, much of the problem was that the merger involved a clash of cultures. Culture conflict is one of the leading causes of merger failure (Weber & Camerer, 2003, p. 412). The analysis of this problem, with regards to the failed merger of Daimler and Chrysler, will be conducted by using Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions. These cultural dimensions represent four different ways that countries differ from one another in a fundamental way. The first is individualistic verses collective –

Teachers Unions and Education Productivity Functions Essay

Teachers Unions and Education Productivity Functions - Essay Example But even when taking this into account, â€Å"[N]ot only are America's teachers grossly underpaid, but that teaching is simply not a sustainable profession it its current form...teachers routinely work 10-12 hour days that don't end when the dismissal bell rings...46 percent of teachers leave within their first five years. Such high turnover and instability undoubtedly wreaks havoc on public schools and their respective communities, in which teachers play a vital role† (Heller, 2005). Compared to their professional cohort, people with undergraduate degrees who underwent additional certification, teachers are colossally underpaid, and teaching is a more obviously stressful and demanding job than other jobs in the cohort; one study found that even after taking into account benefits, teachers were paid 12% less than other professionals (Martindale, 2009). Conservatives argue that it is only good teachers who are underpaid, but this argument is bizarre. The very reason that many s chools are turning to underqualified teachers, using substitute teachers increasingly, and relaxing standards is because teacher pay doesn't attract qualified professionals: The market has spoken, and it has denied conservative claims that teachers are overpaid (Moore,. Bearing this in mind, microeconomic analysis makes one thing clear: Teachers' unions, despite risks of rent-seeking behavior, do not lead to net micro-economic loss, and are net-beneficial for the economy. This research only extends to union organization for the sake of collective bargaining (i.e. increasing job satisfaction) and does not address union organization as a national, political interest group. It is possible that teachers' unions might push for negative reforms or have a negative impact on the political system. This paper also attempts to avoid discussing wholly subjective issues of the value of education: Instead, microeconomic analysis conducted hopes to demonstrate that teachers' unions do not cause te achers' pay to spiral out of control compared to others in their professional cohort. Admittedly, an analysis of the effects of collective bargaining on known determinants of student achievement (i.e. teacher time) as well as the education production rate (namely, high school graduation rates) is only a preliminary step in determining the overall effect of collective bargaining on student achievement and teacher productivity. The assessment of teacher pay above ignores yet other factors. First: Not all teachers are paid identically. Since schools are funded by property taxes, there can be substantial variation in pay and school quality. Some areas, like the Glenbrooks in Chicago, have such high incomes in the community that the school resembles a private school. Inner city schools, on the other hand, struggle with poorly paid teachers, inadequate resources, etc. (Wise, 2005; Moore, 2000). The reason is simple: State spending went down, so communities were left to fend for themselves . Where did the money go? Prison. â€Å"40 percent of the U.S. prison population is functionally illiterate... From 1980 to 2000, states' expenditures on education went up 32 percent. In that same period of time, states' spending on prisons went up 189 percent† (Moore, 2000, pg. 198). Any analysis of the pay of teachers' unions will have to

Assessment Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assessment Challenges - Essay Example A provost serves as a senior administrator in institutions of higher learning. The provost also acts as the chief academic officer in a university (Texas State University, 2015). The office is responsible for overseeing all educational programs and offerings. The individuals who serve in this position have to oversee academic policies and faculty affairs. They are also expected to handle personnel matters. It is crucial to acknowledge that the provost is also responsible for ensuring that all the educational programs and offerings are consistent with the mission, vision and values of the institution. In order to achieve their mandate, they should supervise all the senior academic staff in the university. The role of a provost evolves as the educational institution changes. As the school becomes bigger, the position acquires additional responsibilities. Another responsibility is to work with the leaders of the university in order to implement the strategic plan of the University. In addition, provosts are responsible for staff recruitment and retention (Texas State University, 2015). They have to ensure that the institution creates an attractive environment for top teaching talent. One of the most important responsibilities of a provost is to safeguard the quality of the student experience. In order to achieve this objective, one has to understand the issues affecting students and their expectations. It is simple to fulfill this responsibility when one cares about young people. In addition, it is necessary to learn about young people and the things that occupy their minds. One should also believe that students should enjoy a good learning environment (Texas State University, 2015). The position involves the need to oversee the implementation of quality learning standards. Provosts occupy a senior position in a university. As a result, their peers respect them. They are responsible for understanding the relevant

Wells Fargo & Company Financial Ratios Analysis Research Paper

Wells Fargo & Company Financial Ratios Analysis - Research Paper Example The bank has positioned itself with a niche in specialized lending activities. It is the nation’s largest consumer lending bank with profits as high as $4 billion for the third quarter of 2011. Since 2008, Wells Fargo & Company has enjoyed increased revenue year by year until 2010. The three quarters for 2011 have however, experienced an increase in its earnings. The highest rise in its net income was attained from 2008 to 2009 of 362% increase i.e. from $ 2,655, 000 to $12,275,000. This has since then stabilized at the $12million range. Financial ratios analysis Profitability ratios Return on assets The ratio was 0.96% in 2008 and has risen to 5% in 2010. The return on assets has been increasing steadily from 2009 to date. It rose sharply in 2008/2009. Investment in bonds and notes, preferred and common stocks and other securities in its diversified portfolio of assets have seen a tremendous rise in its assets for the last three years. The ratio indicates that the returns from use of assets in the company are effectively invested in to generate high earnings for the bank. A comparison with the peer shows a big difference. The peer has ROA of 2.2% currently and the trend for the 4 years is an increase from 0.8%. Return on equity The ratio rose sharply in 2008 – 2009 then has stabilized for the following years. The ratio was at 4.84 in 2008 then rose to 10.42. Currently, the range is 10 – 11. That of its peers rags behind with 2008 having a negative of 3.86, and in 2010 a ROE of 5.10. Wells Fargo and Company has doubled its ROE in comparison to its peer group. The ma nagement team of Wells Fargo & Company has done a tremendous job in investing the shareholders equity and generating a high return therefrom. The return on equity is very high compared to its industry. The management has achieved this high mark through the investment strategies it has adopted. The company retained earnings are as high as $61 million this year compared to $48.9 million in September, 2010. These have been used as internal equity for reinvestment. The company investments are seen as a high diversified portfolio in the different sectors of the economy. The 4 year analysis of Wells Fargo financials indicate that both preferred and common equity is in surplus. The company is not highly geared, but it uses its earnings for investment purposes. The year 2008 experienced a huge increase in its equity when the company added its share capital. Efficiency ratios: Net Interest Margin – This is a measure of the difference between the cost of funds and the income generated by those funds. This stands at highs of 20.66%. The increase is owed to the reduction in provisions for credit losses. Net Noninterest Margin - Measures fees and service charges relative to noninterest expenses. It stands at 9.62%. This has resulted from the decrease in operating expenses that are not directly related to credit taking. Net Operating Margin The figure stands at an increase of 30.28% in 2011. This is owed to both reduced noninterest expense and the provision for credit losses in the year. Earnings per Share This stands at 0.72 in 2011 and has increased for the 7 consecutive quarters. This indicates that the company’s efficiency is high although its revenues have decreased. Earnings Spread This stood at 6% in 2010 compared to the third quarter of 2011 of 22%. Its peers have however, managed highs

Ethical dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical dilemma - Essay Example This is an ethical problem because the patient comes from an Orthodox Jewish family. This family’s denial of a pig’s xenograft is well understood since Orthodox Jews consider pigs unclean. It is impossible to solicit the patient’s wish is untenable since he is one year shy of the legal age, on the one hand. On the other hand, to listen to the parents’ adamant stand may prove to be catastrophic to the patient due to absence of synthetic ileums and the essence of time. The ileum of the pig is the only available option and transferring the patient to another state for treatment is prolonging the patient’s predicament and endangering his health. This is especially because the gangrene may spread to the rest of the patient’s digestive system. This is not necessarily an ethical dilemma. The patient’s parents can be called to the hospital and sat down for consultation and persuasion. In the event that the parents adamantly stick to their religious compunctions, the hospital will easily release the patient out of its custody, so that his parents can seek for a better alternative in another hospital. It is not up to the hospital to decide for the patient or the patient’s family on what is good for him after all. Again, carrying out surgical intervention on the client will not necessarily be going against the power of attorney’s decision. According to Karadag and Hakan, the principles of modern bioethics are non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and respect to autonomy. However, there are situations when upholding these principles becomes subject to ethical dilemma. A case in point herein is a treatable mentally unsound patient, Mark who has had a bout of testicular torsion. Doctors have unsuccessfully tried to manually rotate the testis back to its position, thereby prompting the need for surgical intervention (Karadag & Hakan, 8-9). In the case above, there is an ethical dilemma since respect to autonomy

Human Recources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Human Recources - Essay Example An understanding of implications of SHRM has been obtained by applying concepts such as resource-based view of the firm and HR-business partner model. The discourse also highlights critical aspects related to application of SHRM based on these two models and how organizations adapt to the changing demands from external and internal customers in order to sustain their competitiveness. Strategic human resource management has emerged as the most favourable proposition for businesses as it provides a comprehensive framework for HR practices to be aligned to organisational strategies. These practices have enhanced company’s growth and profitability upon integration with business purposes. This faculty has become very popular in the areas of the traditional HRM, organisational behaviour and industrial relations. This concept practically addresses many limitations of the conventional HRM practices, and works on the philosophy of integration of HR strategy with business strategy. David Guest’s (1987, 1989a, 1989b, 1991) Harvard model emphasizes the significance of achieving strategic integration and asserts the role of organisation’s ability to integrate HRM issues into its strategic plans in such a manner that various aspects of HRM are congruent with the policies and practices implemented at all levels (Armstrong, 2000). To achieve this, many management specialists support the resource based view (RBV) of the firm as it provides competitive advantage in strategic sense. However, practical implications of RBV on managerial functions such as selection, development, combination and deployment of resources experience certain challenges which questions RBV’s status as the backdrop of SHRM. This discourse examines the extent of integration achieved by organisations between strategic decisions and practices with respect to SHRM. Further, an assessment of the effectiveness of RBV

Write a feature article about Travel, great places to go to in the Essay

Write a feature article about Travel, great places to go to in the world, Muslim woman in different countries, comparing different cultures to Saudi - Essay Example Today, global economic organisations and institutions have come up with several laws and regulations that have made the cross-border transfer of people from one place to another, which used to be very difficult in the time past very easy and simple now. Because of this, a lot more people are now able to travel easily to other places regardless of cultural or religious differences. Having established the point that cross-border traveling has now been made simple, the next aspect of discussion to look at is the choice of place to visit. Without any doubt, there are several excellent places a person may choose to visit for whatever leisured intentions the person may have. Most of these places are major cities of the world and they offer almost everything that makes a person’s stay away from home a memorable one. Talk of natural land sites, sports events and infrastructure, education and academic excellence, cultural integration, economic enhancement, historical symbolism, architectural innovations and technological advancements: there are countless number of cities to visit to have a feel of all these. Happily, each continent in this world can boast of a number of cities and countries that will readily give a person all of such travel expectations. The freedom to travel and abundance of choice notwithstanding, there are a number of factors that really aff ect the conduct of a particular traveller to and from different places of the world. One of such factors is religious and moral differences. A typical case can be given with Muslim women who may want to travel to some of the world’s most renowned destination. Making Europe the first point of call, one place that cannot be left out as an exquisite destination is Madrid. Sabina (2011) notes that ‘’the city of Madrid is located in the Community of Madrid (La Comunidad de Madrid). Â   The Community of Madrid is located almost exactly in the centre of Spain.’’ This is a

Caring for Children and Young People Booklet Essay Example for Free

Caring for Children and Young People Booklet Essay Unit 10 caring for children and young people assignment 2 of 2, report There are 3 types of maltreatment: abuse, neglect, bullying and harassment. Abuse can be physical, emotional (intellectual) and sexual. Signs of physical abuse are: * Unexplained injuries that sound untrue or doesn’t fit in with the injury * Injuries on a non-mobile baby or head injuries on a child who is less than one year old * Nervous behaviour, jumpy, watchful and cautious, scared of psychical contact – shrinking back when touched * Difficulty in making friends and trusting others * Refusing to undress for physical education or medical examination, wearing too many clothes in warm weather to cover up the injuries * Chronic running away and school absences * Repeated attendance at accidentemergency * Self-harm and self-destructive behaviour, being bullied * Aggression towards others, bullying others * Lying, stealing, getting into trouble with the police Signs of emotional abuse are: * Delayed development – emotionally immature for age, physically small and intellectually behind peers * Nervous behaviour such as rocking , hair twisting , self-harm * Speech disorders * Extremes of passive or aggressive behaviour * Fear of making a mistake and a overreacting to a mistake * Fear of new situations but can be over friendly with strangers * Continually putting themselves down * Inability to be spontaneous * Inability to concentrate Signs of sexual abuse are: * Medical problems in the genital area, sexually transmitted illnesses, bed wetting * Being overly affectionate and sexually knowing – demonstrating sexually inappropriate behaviour, flirting or graphic, sexualised play * Changes in behaviour – withdrawn, sad or even more extreme – depression, self-harm and attempts to suicide * Eating  disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, loss of appetite or compulsive overeating * Behaving than much younger child for example thumb-sucking or having a cuddly toy * Thinking badly about them and at the same time trying to be ultra-good and overreacting to criticism * Being afraid of someone they know, not wanting to be alone with them, lack of trust * Being scared of physical contact and fear of undressing Signs of child being neglected are: * Poor personal hygiene * Underweight or constantly hungry, may be stealing food * Always tired and cannot concentrate to learn or play * Clothing inadequate for weather, too small, dirty * May have untreated medical conditions e. g. cough, cold * No friends, might be bullied, socially isolated * Destructive tendencies Risk of maltreatment can be within family, outside family for example in care setting or strangers. Children and young people are more at the risk to be maltreated by people known by them. When a child has specific learning difficulties, communication difficulties, specific development delay, genetic influence, difficult temperament, physical illness, academic failures and low self-esteem then the child is more at risk for maltreatment. Consequences of maltreatment vary depending on child’s age and the type of maltreatment. The long term consequences of maltreatment on children and young people who are not helped effectively have a personal cost and a cost to a society as a whole. Children with constant fear that is experienced when being abused can affect brain development with long life consequences. Brain scans show the difference between abused children and non-abused children. Child from 0 to 3 years needs to bond – make a secure and trusting relationship with the main caregiver in order to develop health. Ability to feel empathy, compassion, trust and love is based on these early experiences. If bonding is not there then the relationship between caregiver and child is not right. There are four theories of maltreatment: medical, sociological, psychological and feminist. The medical model of child abuse is where abuse is viewed as a disease which is called the battered-child syndrome which is a clinical condition is children who  have received abuse and is a cause of permanent injury or even death. The sociological model of maltreatment defines child abuse in terms of social judgement of parental acts which are considered inappropriate by cultural standards and practices. Sociological models focus on contextual condition such as poverty that give rise to abuse. The psychological model of maltreatment is an attachment theory and says that a child needs to develop a relationship with at least one caregiver for development to occur normally. The feminist model say that feminist believe that men like to have all power and they can get it by abusing children or to regain power if they have lost it. If child abuse is suspected then it should be immediately reported. It depends on where the child abuse is suspected, people should always follow the policies of the setting and implementing safe working practices. For example if you work in school or nursery you would talk to the designated person for example manager or head teacher. People should write down causes for concern as and when they happen recording as much information down as possible and writing down only the facts. So if a child tells you something you should write it down exactly as they said it and not what you think they mean. Depending on what has been disclosed would depend on how you react. For example if child has a bump on their head and is very quiet about it and doesn’t tell you it doesn’t mean that they have been abused. You have to know their parents too. If a child discloses something which is of concern to you for example they reveal that they have been abused then action should be taken immediately to ensure child’s safety. A person has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality according to policies of the setting. Person who is suspecting the abuse should always listen and communicate at children or young person’s pace and without any pressure and always take the child seriously. Strategies and methods that can be used to support children, young people and their families where abuse is suspected or confirmed is that person should be respectful towards these children and have a child centred approach. Active support should be provided which empowers children and young people. Their self-confidence, self-esteem, resilience and assertiveness should be supported because it is really low when people were abused and it is needed to really support children and young people because it would have affected them. You should always share information and not to keep secrets from them but giving  information according to their age because you wouldn’t want to give too much information or inappropriate information for example to a 3 year old and you would talk differently with children than with young people. For families it is important to develop supportive relationships with parent and families and involving parents in the assessment of children needs to help them not to make the same mistakes in the future and to make them know what the children needs to have. People should always help parents to recognise the value and significance of their contributions and encourage them to develop their parenting skills. To minimise the effects of abuse you should always encourage expression of feelings within acceptable boundaries to help them deal with their emotions and to help them improve their self image. Helping them to build self esteem and confidence is also really important, for example by play therapy or counselling. Rasheed, Elizabeth; Irvine, Jo; Hetherington, Alison. BTEC Level 3 National Health and Social Care. London, GBR: Hodder Education, 2010. p 224. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/southessex/Doc?id=10448710ppg=235 Copyright  © 2010. Hodder Education. All rights reserved. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/pdfs/nfnts-childneglect_e.pdf http://forums.nurseryworld.co.uk/showthread/c23d171e-b642-4e2a-a09c-d21a022f5ca5/ The Battered-Child Syndrome, July 7, 1962. (brak daty). 03 19, 2012 http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/181/1/17.abstract

Posthumus and Innogene Essay Example for Free

Posthumus and Innogene Essay The following passage is from Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline’ Act 4 Scene 2. In the quoted lines Innogen identifies Clotens to be Posthumus due to Posthumus’ garment worn by Clotens. Innogen looks at Clotens’ body and his garments and says â€Å"I know the shape of`s leg; this is his hand†. According to her, his foot is ‘Mercurial’ and thighs â€Å"Marcial’. From the first act the audience is accustomed to see a chaste Innogen who is attracted only to her husband, Postumus. However in this passage Innogene is made to speak admiring words about Clotens which is ironic to the audience. Her instant decision based on the garment is a kind of an amusement to the audience who is aware of the identity of the corpse. Innogene believes that she know Posthumus well enough to identify him without the head or the ‘jovial face’. The audience may expect better judgment from Innogene who till then did show good judgment in choosing Postumus to Clotens. This passage shows that Postumus and Clotens were more similar looking than Innogene would want to believe. These similarities are mentioned by Clotens in â€Å"I mean, the lines of my body are as well drawn as his;† in Act 4, Scene 1(9-10). She tries to see some logical reason for the gruesome murder of her husband. The first possibility that comes to her mind is Pisanio’s involvement. She suspects him to have revealed the details about Posthumous to Clotens. Everyone except Innogene knows that Pisanio has got nothing to do with this murder. Moreover Innogene is unable to think logically, for, if Pisanio was the culprit he may not have helped and sent her in pursuit of Posthumus. She concludes that Pisanio has joined with Clotens to kill Posthumus. In the passage Innogene call Clotens, â€Å"irregulous devil Clotens†. Clotens is interested in marrying Innogen. When he found out that this was not possible because she chose to be the wife of Posthumus, Clotens decided to murder Posthumus and rape her. He goes to the wilderness in search of Posthumous with pure hatred in his heart. Nevertheless he wears Posthumus’ garments while seeking out Posthumus and Innogene. This is ironic that he chose to wear the dress of his opponent in subduing him. He may have thought this would be a nice way to torture Innogene with the thoughts of her dead husband when he uses force on her. This may heighten the misery. This however goes a long way to show the cruel nature of Clotens. On the other hand the audience sees that Posthumus is aggrieved for ordering the death of his wife. He is repentant and tries to seek his own punishment by surrendering as a Roman soldier in to the hand of British troops. During the battle he takes the side of his motherland and protects it from the enemy attack, fulfilling the duty of the son of the soil. Deception in costume plays its part here again when he dresses as an Englishman and fights with Iachimo. Posthumus and Clotens are two opposite forces juxtaposed to bring out their contrasting natures to intensify the final good over evil concept. However Innogenes’ misunderstanding in identifying the corpse is the climax of this parallelism. This is an important scene in this play due to the death of Clotens and his misidentification as Postumous. Clotens has been the shadow of Posthumus throughout the play. At every mention of Posthumus there is a direct comparison drawn with Clotens as both are interested in noble Innogene. Death of Clotens signifies the death of evil and victory of good. However at this stage not all threads in the play are brought to a conclusive end. Moreover the difference between both is so strong that it needs to have a lingering effect for some time until alls well. Hence this scene is a good device to conclude the play in a progressive gradation.

Glanbia Company Management and Organisation Structure

Glanbia Company Management and Organisation Structure The author has been asked to write this report on behalf of Kilkenny and Carlow education and training centre. The author has used secondary sources throughout this report. This report is in three sections the first section gives a brief history of Glanbia its legal form its current size and location around the world, and the products it produces. The second section describes the administration functions of an office and describes three pieces of equipment used to carry these functions. The third section gives a brief overview of three pieces of employment legislation. Glanbia meaning pure food in Irish has its roots in the Irish co-operative movement. In the 1960s many small co-operatives joined together, realising the benefits of increase scale and having greater diversification. Waterford Co-op Society was formed in 1964 with Avonmore Creameries formed two years later in 1966. With the introduction of European milk quotas in 1984 growth in domestic opportunities were restricted. Waterford Co-op Society and Avonmore Creameries both recognised that to expand they would have to look outside Ireland and the best way to fund this expansion was through a stock market flotation. Both were floated on the Irish Stock Exchange in 1988. With the capital raised leading to business expansion outside of Ireland. A number of small cheese plants in the USA being the basis of Glanbia marketing leading US Cheese business today. On 4 September 1997, Avonmore Foods plc and Waterford Foods plc merged to form Avonmore Waterford Group (AWG) plc. The combined entity wa s the fourth biggest dairy processor in Europe and the fourth biggest cheese producer in the world. In 1999, the business was rebranded and the name changed to Glanbia plc. Organisation and Legal Form   Ã‚   Glanbia is a private sector business enterprise, being floated on the Irish Stock Exchange on 4 September 1997. It was known then as Avonmore Waterford Group (AWG) plc and being renamed Glanbia plc in 1999. Size and Location Glanbia registered office is located in Glanbia House Kilkenny; it employs over 6,000 people across 32 countries and their products are sold or distributed in over 130 countries with an annual turnover of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.6 billion. Their major production facilities are located in Ireland, the US, the UK, Germany and China. They have four segments; Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Global Ingredients, Dairy Ireland and Joint Ventures Associates. Their shares are listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchanges (symbol: GLB). Products Glanbia has a wide range of nutrition sports brands, Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN) is the number one global performance nutrition brand portfolio comprising Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure, thinkThin, Nutramino, ABB and trusource, each with its own brand essence. It has also a wide range of dairy brands Dairy Ireland is comprised of two businesses. Consumer Products is the leading supplier of branded consumer dairy products to the Irish market and long-life products for export. Agribusiness supplies inputs to the Irish agriculture sector and is the leading purchaser and processor of grain and the leading manufacturer of branded animal feed in Ireland. Audit Committee The Audit Committee is responsible for assessing the Companys financial arrangements, as well as reviewing the design and implementation of internal control and risk management. It also agrees the approach and scope of the internal and external audit and keeps under review the objectivity and independence of external auditors. Two main functions of the Audit committee is the review of financial statements and external auditors, which involves monitoring the integrity of financial reports and assessing the efficiency of the internal and external audit process. The second main function would be the reviewing and implementing the companys risk management systems. Mainly assessing the principal risks that would threaten the companys business model, future performance, solvency and liquidity. Nomination and Governance Committee The Nomination and Governance Committee is responsible for hiring individuals with the knowledge, experience and management skills needed to expand the business and deliver its strategic objectives. Two main functions of the Nomination and Governance Committee are recommending new appointments to the board of directors. The second would be the forward planning in the succession to the board. Remuneration Committee The remuneration committee has responsibility for putting in place a remuneration strategy, that is designed to meet the companys strategic business ambitions and that attracts new talent and delivers long term sustainable shareholder value. Two main functions of the remuneration committee, one is to review the executive salaries and benefits. The second would be to seek approval the annual incentive targets. Group Management Committee The group management committee is responsible for delivering the companys annual business plan and strategic priorities. Two main functions To research and analyse the potential markets for products to be sold. To develop the growth of the company business, through strategic investments, and also with strategic acquisition or alliance with other complementary businesses. Group finance director The finance director has the responsibilities, for managing the department financial strategy ensuring the company delivers on key financial goals. To achieve these goals involves assessing both external and organic investment opportunities, cash conversion through improved working capital management and moderate business sustaining capital expenditure. Leveraging the companys activities in order to improve cost structures utilising shared services, procurement, IT and maintaining the capital structure with an implicit investment grade credit profile. Group HR and Corporate Affairs Director Is responsible for man power planning, addressing any issues raised by employees, reviews HR operating model to ensure it is meeting the strategic goal of acquiring the talent needed to maintain companys goals. Making sure there is a comprehensive succession and people talent review of senior leadership. Developing a comprehensive Code of Conduct to support commitments to ethical business practice, The administrative function involves the collecting; storing and processing of data. The collecting of data involves many things such as reports, minutes of meeting, enquires, quotations, prices lists, invoices to name a few. Storing of data depends on the nature of the data; the law requires the storing of data in a specific manner and a specified period of time especially the keeping of accounts for tax purposes. Data can be stored on computers or hard copies in a filing cabinet. Processing of data can involve converting the data into more manageable chunks of information such as charts, spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations. Which are used, for the benefit of better understanding of the information in order to make important decisions within an organisation. Equipment Computer -nearly all employees in an office have a desktop computer these days. Software such as Microsoft word and Excel can be used for many office tasks such as storing and processing of information, and email is used for communication within the office and outside communications. Fax machine used for sending documents, diagrams and pictures. Linked to the telephone line it is a quick and easy way of communicating. You can send and receive documents with a push of a button. The advantage is that it takes a physical document and transmits it in physical form to the receiver, it is a scanner, modem and printer all in one. Photocopier every office has a photocopier for the purpose of copying and printing of documents. Modern photocopiers can resize documents and scan documents. They can connect wirelessly; they can have multiply functions like fax. You can produce anything from A4 and A5 stapled, saddle-stitched booklets to hole-punched, stapled 50-sheet presentations. Some copiers can print documents on a mixture of paper formats, such as heavier stock for covers and dividing sheets, or coloured paper for specific sections. A photocopier can create lots of copies in a short space of time. Workplace Legislation    Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 The key aim of this act is to place broad obligations on employers, employees and the self- employed in relation to safety, health, and welfare matters in all areas of the work place. With the emphasis being on preventing workplace accidents and ill health from occurring by focusing on workplace hazards and putting appropriate precautions in place. Employers are obliged to provide a safe place of work by putting in place safe systems of work, the appropriate training, supervision, appropriate clothing and equipment, emergency plans and welfare arrangements. Employers are required to prevent any inappropriate behaviour that may put the safety, health and welfare of their employees in jeopardy. Employees are obliged to have reasonable care for the safety of others, by making sure that equipment supplied for their safety are used properly, and all machinery, tools are used correctly. They have a required duty not to be under the influence of drink or drugs in the workplace. They are also required to undergo reasonable medical or other assessment if requested by their employer. Employment Equality Acts 1998 2008 The key aim of these acts is to prohibit discriminatory practices in the workplace environment. They prohibit both direct and indirect discrimination. The employer has to give equal access to employment, conditions of employment, training and promotion, and like pay for equal work. Direct discrimination is defined as treating one person in a less favourable way than another person has been or would be treated because of their gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race and membership of the traveller community. These acts also create the Equality Authority which works towards the elimination of discrimination in employment, promotes equality of opportunity in matters the legislation applies to and supplies information to employers, service providers, individuals, trade unions and the legal profession in relation to the Equality Acts. Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 The key aim of this act is to protect workers under eighteen, it sets the minimum age for entry into employment and limits the working hours and provides rest periods and prohibits night work. An employer is required to obtain a birth certificate if employing anyone under the age of eighteen and get written permission from parent or guardian before employing anyone under the age of sixteen. An employer must also keep a record of workers under the age of eighteen. Glanbia is a very organised and efficiently run company with an annual turnover of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 billion. References (n.d.). Retrieved Feburary 2017, from www.vikingdirect.ie. (n.d.). 2015_Annual_Report. Glanbia. About us. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2017, from Glanbia.com. (n.d.). Glanbia_AR2014. Keenan, à . (n.d.). Essentials of Irish Business Law. Gill and Macmillan. Our Heritage. (n.d.). Retrieved from Glanbia.com.

College Admissions Essay: Cabells Jurgen Speaks to My Heart :: College Admissions Essays

Cabell's Jurgen Speaks to My Heart    When I was in high school I just liked this book because it was bawdy and picaresque. The older I get, though, the more I return to it and the more it speaks to my life. I only recently realized that it's a comment on Goethe's Faust, too. But then despite several starts I've yet to read Faust all the way through and I've read Jurgen four or five times.    Because of Jurgen I've read other books by Cabell, and even acquired a fairly rare set of his works. I haven't read them all yet, but I've read some. Some are just entertainments, but in others he melds good storytelling with something deeper. His Figures of Earth, for example, is not only a funny book, but it says much that's painfully true about our existence that I've never heard another author say. The way he mixes satire and humor and wit and a statement about humankind all together is something I aspire to in my own writing.    From Jurgen I got the first outside confirmation that someone other than me found life to be a profound dark comedy. I already felt this, but didn't trust in my own feelings. In school I was encouraged to see life as a very serious affair, and to dismiss the comic point of view as being pleasant but trivial. But I didn't and don't believe any of that in my heart. Jurgen helped me listen to my heart.    As it happens, I don't think there's really anything to be done about it. For better and for worse, my writing is at least somewhat comic even when there are serious issues at stake, and I can't change who I am or how I see things. But I've also learned over the years that comedy and tragedy are very close. The difference is not so much one of subject matter but of attitude. Both can encompass serious issues. And while tragedy is the mode of regret, comedy is the mode of forgiveness.    Without intending it, I find that everything I write turns out to be about folly, illusion, self-deception.

Presidencial Election Essay -- American Government, Politics

Every four years, the presidential election cycle sparks a renewed interest into American politics. While the candidates debate on what seems like a weekly occurrence, the public itself is in a struggle to find out who best suits their interests. Rhetoric resembling that of Kennedy and Reagan reappears and talk of â€Å"Change† invokes a sense of optimism. However, many fear that the nominees are simply attempting to win over the electorate, and what began as a promise on the campaign trail will evolve into the status quo in Washington. Examining the past can provide insight into the future and provide direction for a political party. I am choosing to compare the positions of four distinct groups: Colorado Democrats, Libertarians, as well as the ’28,’68, and 2008 platforms of the Democratic Party. State Party vs 2008 National Party (Health Care Reform) One of the most intriguing core values of the Colorado Democratic Party is its stance on Healthcare. They believe that the health of its citizens is of the utmost priority. The State party has indicated that the healthcare system â€Å"should be focused proactively on wellness, preventive medicine, public health, and disease prevention, as well as primary care† (CO Democratic Party, 2010). Additionally, the party supports President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation â€Å"as a first step toward a quality universal single-payer health care system, independent of employment† (CO Democratic Party, 2010). On the national level, the Democratic Party platform for 2008 bares a strong resemblance to that of Colorado. President Obama campaigned on the promise of increasing coverage while reducing the cost and social burden. Affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans was a cornerstone of... ...rtion can be defined as a wedge issue: â€Å"policy concerns that may divide the voter bloc of the opposing party† (Liscio et. al. 256). Typically, a pro-choice stance is one that is supported by Democrats, however Libertarians tend to vote Republican and are fiscally conservative. In the past, minority parties have pursued wedge issues to regain control (Liscio et. al 256). During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Republicans were pushed to the fringe. In 1968, Richard Nixon campaigned on restoring â€Å"law and order†, attracting conservative white Democrats who were unhappy with their party’s position on race (Liscio et. al. 257). In essence, Libertarians are a faction of the Republican party. Every party has a group that branches off and is contradictory, however, they â€Å"have been fairly successful at submerging their differences in order to win office and govern† (Reiter 43).

Gods Forgiveness in Taylors Meditation 42 Essay -- Edward Taylor Poe

In Edward Taylor's "Meditation 42," the speaker employs a tone of both desire and anxiousness in order to convey the overall idea that man's sinful nature and spiritual unworthiness require God's grace and forgiveness to gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven. In the opening stanza, the speaker describes the human craving and longing for material objects. From the very first word of "Meditation 42," a sense of longing and desire infuses the poem as "apples" (ll. 1) often symbolize both temptation and desire. Because Eve allowed the lure of attaining the God's knowledge to overtake her in the book of Genesis, she bites from a fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which is commonly depicted as an apple. In addition, because the "apples" allude to man's fall from paradise they thereby represent man's imperfection and sinful nature. Furthermore, the fact that "apples of gold in silver pictures shrined" (ll. 1) emphasizes the desire or lust for physical, material items of beauty and wealth. These items "enchant" (ll. 2) as the "gold" and "silver" appeal to mankind's covetous nature and tendency to value superficial items. Thus, the speaker conveys his longing and desire for physical riches which "enchant" him. Yet his want for treasures exist as strictly human desire, causing physical consequences as they "make mouths to water" (ll. 2). However, despite the monetary value of precious metals, attaining such superficial items does not allow man to gain any true fulfillment. For example, in the opening stanza, all the treasures "In jasper cask, when tapped, doth briskly vapor" (ll. 4). The material items mean nothing in the larger scheme of the world and therefore "briskly vapor" and disapp... ..., but still pleads for God to "take me in" (ll. 41), and promises to "pay...in happiness" for mercy. Once again, the speaker demonstrates the same desires for physical treasures that he expresses in the first stanza as he asks God to "give mine eye / A peephole there to see bright glory's chases" (ll. 39-40). Even in the God's kingdom, the speaker reveals his humanity as he focuses on ornamentation which starkly contrasts with God's divinity as He has the ability to show love even for sinners. Thus, while man shows his human nature, desiring and coveting physical riches and treasures, God demonstrates his truly divine nature as he possesses true spiritual riches, in the form of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Works Cited Taylor, Edward. â€Å"Meditation 42.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lautier. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004

Huntington’s Argument

In his work The Clash of Civilizations Samuel P. Huntington presents a new challenging vision of cultural conflicts in the modern world. In his view, the growing role of civilization identity is likely to become the source of the major cultural conflicts. Certainly, it is difficult to reject the truth: we are all different in our religious, cultural, and social beliefs. Simultaneously, these differences may not be as dramatic as Huntington (1997) describes them. Neither India, nor China would have become the sources of miraculous economic transformation, if not for the cultural change; and Huntington seems to make a mistake, when separating culture from economic and social areas of global human performance. Huntington’s Argument In his work The Clash of Civilizations Samuel P. Huntington presents a new challenging vision of cultural conflicts in the modern world. In his view, the growing role of civilization identity is likely to become the source of the major cultural conflicts. Huntington (1997) is confident that â€Å"differences among civilizations are not only real; they are basic. Civilizations are differentiated from each other by history, language, culture, tradition and, most important religion†. The author suggests that North African immigration to France and the process of Asianization in Japan are the bright examples of the ways culture changes civilizations and generates irreversible cultural conflicts at micro- and macro- levels. At first glance, Huntington’s arguments seem rather plausible, but at deeper levels, they generate a whole set of relevant and reasonable objections. Certainly, it is difficult to reject the truth: we are all different in our religious, cultural, and social beliefs. Simultaneously, these differences may not be as dramatic as Huntington (1997) describes them. â€Å"In the past, the elites of non-Western societies were usually the people who were most involved with the West, had been educated at Oxford, the Sorbonne or Sandhurst† (Huntington, 1997); and the current situation is not different from the way it used to be a couple of centuries ago. The simple fact that Islamic extremists come to the U. S. to study and learn suggests that knowledge and education can serve the basis for global unification of ideas, regardless the religion and culture to which specific learning groups adhere. Huntington (1997) writes that â€Å"cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved than political and economic ones†; but what about the cultural changes brought into Eastern countries from the West? India and China are the two countries that have been able to adapt to the new cultural environments, and to utilize the best features of global culture for the promotion of their social, economic and cultural growth. Obviously, neither India, nor China would have become the sources of miraculous economic transformation, if not for the cultural change; and Huntington seems to make a mistake, when separating culture from economic and social areas of global human performance.

Role of Women in Greek Myth

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Body soul destinction Essay

‘Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul.’ Discuss.Humans appear to have both a body and a mind, the body which is related to physical movements and appearances. And the mind which relates to feelings and emotions, qualia.This it is distracted by earthly wants and desires.Plato old saw the body and soul as two separate entities. The soul that most closely resembles the eminent divine and immortal. While the body resembles the human and mortal, which is endlessly changing and can be broken down. Plato was not trying to suggest the soul was perfect as it joined the body which it is inhibited by, however, he explains that by taking care of the soul the person can develop knowledge.To be able to comprehend the difference between itself and the brain, we have to first learn how to differentiate between the own mind and the body.

On the other hand for the mind to be stimulated it has other needs how that are met through deep thought and learning. However, there is a flaw to Plato’s theory, how can you have two completely different substances that are the same thing? Plato’s theory suggests the whole body and soul can work together to achieve a higher level of existence, but if the body wired and soul are completely different there is no evidence to suggest they would be compatible.Another dualist, Aquinas took a more more religious view of dualism. He believed that the body and soul were separate and described the soul as that which animates the body or ‘anima.Humans have the soul that is the rational soul.Evidence for religious views on the soul come extract from the bible.Within the new testament, there are stories of Jesus’ resurrection that suggest dualism. Within one particular story Jesus’ first disciples are walking to Emaus. Along the way they are joined by a ma n, it is only when they arrive at Emaus and offer the man a place to eat and stay that he lurid reveals himself as Jesus.His theory is difficult to comprehend.

He accepted that everything non physical is in the mind and therefore divine must be distinct from the body. The mind according to Descartes is non – spatial and is distinct from material and bodily substances.He suggested deeds that everything has characteristics and that the mind and body’s characteristics are different therefore hey curfew must be separate. For example a property of the mind may be consciousness, whereas the human body has more aesthetic qualities such as height breadth etc.Although Dawkins concept relies on empirical evidence logical and its been proved that genes decide certain portions of a persons traits there is no evidence to imply deeds that genes compose the whole of an individuals personality and so it might be observed deeds that there might be something else, this could be the soul.† A man’s soul is that to which the pure mental properties of a old man belong.† Richard Swinburne developed a dualist view based on th e soul being indestructible and indivisible. Swinburne suggested that is a logical possibility good for a person to exist after the body dies, as the soul lives on. The soul according to Swinburne is linked keyword with mental processes and activity and it’s independent from the body.Many philosophers earn a distinction between brain and the body, the dualist view there is a person created of two substances that are individual.

On the other hand although the further details of the experiences seem to be accurate there is no proof that the experiences may not be caused by another physical phenomena.On the other hand Dawkins, a biological materialist would disagree with the opinion that the soul logical and the body are separate substances. Dawkins bases his theory on evolution and genetics. He would reject any concept of an eternal soul and therefore rejects dualism.Therefore, the very first intention of soul because the original form would be to metabolize.Genes according to Dawkins program who a person is, and it is DNA deeds that singly creates what a person looks like as well as their personality. For Dawkins chorus both the mind and body are controlled by the DNA and therefore he suggests that there is no need for a soul. Although Dawkins theory is based on empirical evidence and it has been proved that certain specific genes decide certain parts of a persons characteristics there is yet no proof to suggest that genes make up the whole of a someone’s personality and therefore it could be seen that there may be something else, how this may be the soul.John Hick has formed a view of religious materialism.Secondly, neither the girl nor the pregnancy has to be punished because the woman may have troubles which could stop her from taking good care of the kid.

This replica is the same person however, whilst they cannot exist at the same time. According to Hick at the same time that when a person dies a replica of them is created by God. how This is a way of preserving personal identity after death. The evidence for religious materialism is based on the resurrection of Jesus.According to Hick at the time if he dies a copy of them that is made by God.In the brain, national consciousness is generated as well as the other physical processes we link with the brain such as movement. further Evidence for this is put foreward in â€Å"the philosophy files†. Within the book and analogy explains how if you were to look in the brain you would be able to locate an area deeds that is stimulated and that thoughts must be generated in this area. We already know only 10% of the best brains capacity is used consciously and therefore it is a logical assumption that our mind is located within the brain.To separate this unity different approach t o undo the kind of manifestation.

Mercedes Benz’s E-Biz Solution Essay

The incident that we would be angiotensin converting enzyme of the prime(prenominal) machine manufacturing furrows in the unify States to support a pulverization supportance plat nominate would be seen as a literal positivistic issue in this regard. William Engelke, answerer Manager, IT trunks, Mercedes Benz US multinationalistic, commenting on the FDRS. Linking guests By 2000, Mercedes Benz united States International (MBUSI), instaler of the amply- tincture MClass sports utility catalogue fomite (SUV), naturalised itself as a go with that in both(prenominal) case delivered thoroughf bekey guest returnss. superstar much(prenominal)(prenominal) service was the speech chat woof where by the node could worry gross sales talk of the fomite at the grind in aluminium, US.The plan c al champi angiotensin converting enzymed the pulverisation apprehensionress substitute dust (FDRS), enab take MBUSI to form and corroborate 1800 crops per hour. FDRS alike mechanic whole(prenominal)y generated corporal pick verbotenments and barments of secular1 for 35,000 fomites per hour. The node consanguinity prudence (CRM) ancestor that make FDRS attain up to(p) was base on crowdus half mask2 and IBM Netfinity3 horde4. Analysts entangle that with its forward-looking drop of the bracing broadcast, MBUSI non solitary(prenominal) managed to ameliorate its guest transaction by providing the ruff service, un little overly demo its load to nodes by qualification them an intact soften of the process. customers were, in a demeanor conjugate straight to the manufacturing plant degree which was a hefty sales tool. accent Mbusi and its employment Ch altogether(prenominal)(prenominal)(a)enges MBUSI was a exclusively- suffered auxiliary of DaimlerChrylser AG. 5 In 1993, Daimler Benz cognise that the Benz smirch could be great to roomyr commercialise segments. Traditionally, M ercedes Benz6 appealed to senior(a) and train guests only. Daimler Benz cute to rip clients use upstairs 40 years of age, who cherished a crushed fomite with all the galosh and prodigality features of a Mercedes. Daimler Benz refractory to maturate a SUV cognize as the M-Class.It judge tough acquire for the forward-looking fomite and thusly cerebrate to build its piss-go-class honours degree motor gondola-manufacturing installment MBUSI in the (Tuscaloosa, atomic derive 13) US. The MBUSI promoteiness had whatever(prenominal) a(prenominal) advantages. First, pains cost in the US were roughly half(a) that of in Germany. Second, the US was the booster cable geographical grocery fund for SUVs. Third, as the vehicles were assembled in the US, they could be distributed to Canada and Mexico much efficiently. In January 1997, the manufacturing plant started takings at overt sensation capacitor and by the extirpate of the year, it was producin g at undecomposed capacity.By 2000, the grinder was whorl prep ar somewhat 380 vehicles per day. The rising M-Class allactivityvehicle delineate a rising impression for the confederal officialeracy. Also, mountain customization indispensable that item-by-itemly vehicle be tough as a let step up project, with its own meridian of Material. To volume with these challenges, Daimler Benz fixed to enforce an attempt wide selective instruction technology (IT) clay, with the help of IBM globose function7. To provided intone the check of Mercedes Benz in the US, MBUSI plotted to deliver vehicles at the pulverisation, proper the starting signal international railroad car manufacturer in the US to do so.MBUSI as well as wanted to ameliorate the nodes painting. Commented William Engelke, The manufacturing plant slant resource fall make with(predicate)s Mercedes-Benz nodes something that they do non nourish from newly(prenominal)wise travel ma nufacturers which is wherefore we figure the design depart resonate with our customers. We think that having the manumanufacturing plant sales talk design obtainable to Mercedes customers adds to the general experience of the customer. The introduction of FDRS The FDRS political course of instructionme was proposed in the show metre d vulgar in of 1998. In the ordinal pass on out of 1998, MBUSI entered into a stuff with IBM.A suppuration con human body was repres residual with IBM ball-shaped Solutions specialists and IBM e-commerce developers, who worked nigh with MBUSI. The class became available by the commencement of all string of 1999. The IT squad at MBUSI had a exceed class of in operation(p) specifications for FDRS. However, they relied on IBM to understand the design into an e- employment resolvent. The FDRS was intentional in such(prenominal) a heart and soul that customers purchase the M-Class SUV could show that leave commod e take talking to of their modern vehicle at the grinder. They could place the allege at any of the 355 Mercedes Benz corpuss in the US.An genuine employee at the franchise entered the pulverisation address regularize the net interface. measure was the close to squargon shot of the FDRS amourality, as it was closely coupled with MBUSIs vehicle performance schedule. Mercedes Benz fall in States of the States (MBUSA)8, march in Montvale, NJ, was the first get together in the FDRS computer programme. It was the manoeuvre where the lead touchable hardened the dedicate. MBUSAs graphic symbol was to engineer the diffusion of vehicles to dealers across the country. Later, it had to add the identify to the ships alliances Baan go-ahead alternative training (ERP)9 frame, which schedule the s reverse for take. close to lead months onward the end intersection experience, the dealer could schedule in a windowpane, the date and quantify of r distri butivelying of the customer at the pulverization for address. The window was consequently automatically computed by the FDRS to give the dealer, the possible language dates. asunder from the rake date, the customer could too finalise the approach courseories for the car and overly petition a pulverization racing circuit. FDRS was base on white lily domino (Refer butt I), white lotus initiative Integrator10 and IBM Netfinity master of ceremoniess. It excessively inter face up with IBM S/390 pair go-ahead boniface, archetype 9672-R45 hardened in Montvale, NJ (Refer variety I). in that location were deuce half mask legions an IBM Netfinity 5500 and an IBM Netfinity 3000. conception I establishment architecture OF FDRS author MBUSI The designer that acted as the internecine domino innkeeperwas fit(p) behind a firewall 11. It replicated infobases through the firewall to the outdoor(a) boniface. The return, which was encrypted, represented the patriarchal means by which the FDRS arranging achieved gage. Netfinity 3000 acted as an foreign domino horde. It had humankind suppuration and was overly the prime discourse contact lensage for dealers. The ack-end of the FDRS was weaponed with an illusionist infobase that updated the subjective domino waiter selective informationbase with cast information. The updation was through with(p) use sacred lotus go-ahead Integrator. The selective information which was replicated to the midland domino boniface accept lists of well-grounded dealers and lists of enjoin numbers. When an order was placed by the dealer on the FDRS agreement, the selective information was first stored on the orthogonal domino master of ceremonies, subsequently which it was replicated to the cozy half mask treatr. hence it was replicated to the fanny-end infobase via the lotus opening move Integrator. info replication amid the lotus observations servers happened all(prenominal) 15 minutes and data transposition with the put up-end database leash measure per day. in that location was withal a link amongst the back end database and an IBM S/39012 processor establish scheme fit(p) at MBUSA via a T113 line. MBUSA managed the catamenia of vehicles to Mercedes dealers across the unite States. This mainframe ground agreement, reliable virgin vehicle orders (as foreign to milling machinery lurch engagement requests) from undivided dealers. The orders were indeedce sent to MBUSIs Baan musical arrangement and in addition to the back-end database.The vehicle rescript and factory reservation data were co-ordinated with all(prenominal) other when the back-end database uploaded the data to the internal eye mask server. This coordinated the output signal and deli truly information. FDRS execution ane of the closely succeedsay aspects of the writ of execution seemed to be the complexness of the white lily and dom ino scripts. The evolution group up had to group all the information from various(a) arrangings. Commented William Engelke, on that point was a substantial beat of very complex cryptography voluminous in the FDRS upshot. This action involves a lot much than having our dealers filling out a form and submitting it. at that place atomic number 18 many things the servers subscribe to do for the agreement to function properly, such as looking at at calendars and crossingion schedules. We streng henceed a qualifytlement with some very move confabulation linkages. IBM faced many good challenges during the executing of the program. atomic number 53 of them was the several(predicate) m schemes of the lotus Notes databases and backend databases (ERP). This led to discrepancies in the data. eye mask server was a close trus dickensrthy eon (NRT) Server14, and MBUSIs backend activities were both realistic clock time15and multitude bear upon16. Also, to get the go around egresss, the half mask server was an optimised subset of the ERP shelve set17.However, the development team achieved a sense of equilibrium surrounded by the two sidesof the solution by focalisation on issues of timing, wrongful conduct detection schemes, and alerts. Customer rejoicing FDRS patriarchal attain MBUSI seemed to measure FDRS triumph in call of change magnitude blessedness of its customers. The association overly believed that the market and customer atonement aspects outweighed the import of to a greater extent tralatitious cost- ground benefits. away from the factory lecture experience, the program too plyed the customer a factory tour and rebuke on the off-road course at a downhearted cost.The keep company comparablely seemed to gain strategic trade benefits from the FDRS program, as it was able to establish Mercedes-Benz as a grant reproach. (Refer carry over I for advantages of FDRS in diametrical beas). Customers could in addition overturn the various touring car musca volitans in Alabama afterward weft up their M-class vehicles. board I ADVANTAGES OF THE FDRS schedule commonwealth strategical trade Benefits damage nest egg ADVANTAGES FDRS was pass judgment to repair customer enjoyment and shuffling loyalty, as it enriched Mercedes customers experience. The program in any case strengthened the distinguish hear of Mercedes in the US. developing of a web-based solution enabled MBUSI to propose the factory pitch shot program at advantageously humble costs, collect to less creed on administrative personnel. software product trade the FDRS program with a excite to holidaymaker sites, deepen the image of Alabama as a tourer destination. The creative activity of a similar albeit smaller factory economy scheme to the European Customer pitch shot focalise in Sindelfingen, Germany, reflected favorably on the MBUSI business unit. offset MBUSI regional sparing discipline DaimlerChrysler AG emerging of FDRS In 2000, MBUSI be after to leverage FDRS plan by adding a superfluouswheel of other service.MBUSI strengthened an advanced syllabus to lay down communication cogitate to its suppliers. by the link, MBUSI provided them feedback on the quality of supplies it received. The dealers and suppliers had a drug user-ID and password, which the dodging recognized. It then routed them into the discriminate compass point of the FDRS. The company withal aforethought(ip) to dribble the innovative strategy to include transactional cover programs such as orderliness materials and checking order stipulation on the Web. The company pass judgment that the new system based on FDRS, would be more efficient than the electronic information give-and-take (EDI)18 system. Bill of Material keeps take of all raw materials, parts, and subassemblies use to wee a undone product. 2 A product of IBM Corp. , lotus Notes and domino R5 are t he industrys principal client/server combination for collaborative communicate and e-business solutions. 3 The IBM Netfinity server offers solutions for charge up-and- sucker and application compute needs. 4 A calculating machine or blind on a mesh that manages profits resources. For example, a file server is a information treat system and retentivity gimmick utilize to storing files. whatsoever user on the meshing lavatory store files on the server.A print server is a computing machine that manages one or more printers, and a profits server is a reckoner that manages cyberspace traffic. A database server is a information processing system system that processes database queries. 5 DaimlerChrysler AG was the result of a conjugation among two leading car manufacturers Daimler Benz of Germany and Chrysler Corp. of the US in 1998. 6 A opulence brand of rider cars, Sports service Vehicles from DaimlerChrysler. 7 IBM globose Services is the services and consult ancy naval division of IBM Corp. that offers extensive ebusiness solutions. 8 MBUSA is the wholly owned US admissionory of DaimlerChrylser. ERP attempts to contain all departments and functions across a company onto a unity calculating machine system that female genitalia serve all those variant departments accompaniment needs. 10 A server-based data dispersion product that enables data counterchange between genus Lotus Domino and a number of forces and relative applications. 11 A system designed to balk unaccredited access to or from a hidden network. Firewalls tooshie be implemented in both ironware and software. Firewalls are a great deal apply to clog unlicenced profits users from accessing underground networks affiliated to the Internet, especially intranets.all(a) contentednesss unveiling or expiration the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the undertake security criteria. 12 The IBM S /390 servers offer pass high fastness access to the e-business application and are apply for first step Computing. 13 A commit promise fraternity reinforcement data range of 1. 544 Mbits per morsel. A T1 business organisation actually consists of 24 individual manoeuvers, each of which supports 64 Kbits per second. severally 64 Kbit per second channel gouge be assemble to percentage or data traffic. 14 The NRT Server System supports real time dissemination of near-real time data. 5 factual time refers to events fictive by a information processing system at the equivalent speed that they would return in real life. 16 penalize a series of noninteractive cheats all at one time. The stipulation dates back to the age when users entered programs on bullet card game. They gave a bunch of these programmed cards to the system operator, who fed them into the computing artifice. Usually, plenty jobs are stored up during workings hours and then put to death wh enever the computer is idle. galvanic pile processing is particularly efficacious for trading operations that require the computer or a peripheral device device for an widen menstruum of time. at one time a clench job begins, it continues until it is done or until an demerit occurs. Note that plenteousness processing implies that on that point is no interaction with the user patch the program is creation executed. 17 The ERP get acrosss are the database tables, (thousands of them), on which the packet boat is built. The programmers and end users moldiness set these tables to match their business processes. each table has a finality thumbthat leads the software down one decision path or another. 18 EDI connects all the suppliers in and out of the US. www. icmrindia. org/free resources/casestudies/Mercedes Benz-IT&Systems-Case Studies. htm