Effective communication unit 1 D2 Essay

(D2) – Whist taking part in both group interactions and one to one interactions there are many factors that influence the effectiveness of each. This essay will therefore evaluate the factors in which I came across which were an influence to my effectiveness in the interactions. Firstly in the one to one interaction I feel the factors that came across which made my interaction effective was my speech as I feel that I used a clear pronunciations to the service user which allowed her to understand me better so that they weren’t confused with the words I spoke. I also took my time when speaking to her so that she didn’t feel I was rushing her, I did this in order to try and make her open up slightly as she would know I am there to help and spend time focusing on her and her needs so that she didn’t feel that I had better things to do with my time and that I didn’t want to be with her. Also this may make her gain a level of trust with me during the duration which will make her feel like she has someone she can rely on is not alone. I also feel that in my interaction making myself aware of her needs/situation before hand made it easier for me to understand why she was in that state as a service user in the first place and so therefore I didn’t have to recap over the bad parts of her life as that may of got her upset and made her not want to talk even more. This also helped me as I was able to think of advice beforehand so it could be better thought out advice which would hopefully be helpful to her and if she felt the advice was good then this may make her feel that I actually can help her and that there is hope in overcoming her situation. Whilst talking to her I showed my full interests into the communication and interpersonal skills that were taking place and I did this by looking interested and being focused on just her and not having any distractions around me. This would hopefully have made her feel like I am not interested in something else as that may have made her feel that I am not there to help. I felt by doing this it was a strength as it made her open up slightly due to acting as though I want to hear what she has to say and giving her the time to say it and that I was defiantly listening to her. Throughout the period of talking to her I showed assertiveness which made me portray that I was positive and confident. This hopefully then made her feel like I am not going to give up on her and that  would make her have hope in herself that there is a positive outcome. This then would hopefully have made her open up and talk due to wanting to give me information which I can then help her with in order to get her back on track and to have the positive outcome she wants. She spoke about her past in the interaction and about how her mother and father were in prison, at this point she showed a sense of embarrassment and disappointment in them and so therefore I portrayed an appropriate attitude by not judging what is being said to me and saying that this is all in confidence. So that she felt that there is nothing to be ashamed of. When speaking to her I used reflective listening as this would make her understand that I have taken into account what she has been telling me due to me repeating it in a different way, this also lets her know that I understand what she is trying to tell me and will get her to speak more in depth so that I understand exactly what she wants to happen and how she feels. When we were talking I was sitting upright in order to show that I was alert and listening as I would need to look alert in order for the service user to feel that I am aware of what they are saying and that I am bothered about the conversation. I feel that weaknesses to my one to one interaction was that I repeated myself slightly in some conversations due to her body language looking as though she wasn’t listening and this made her feel frustrated as her tone changed acting as though I was patronizing her and that she heard it the first time and wasn’t stupid, to improve this I would therefore give her time to answer what was said and not repeat myself even if she looks like she isn’t listening, if she still doesn’t answer after some time I will repeat the question again although word it in a different way so that it is not the same. I also feel I could of improved on a part of the interaction as I entered a sensitive subject quite early on in the interaction about the death of her auntie which seemed to have put her in an upset frame of mind as I feel that she hadn’t got comfortable enough with me at that time of the conversation to talking about a close subject so I feel that this was a weakness to the interaction, although I brought it back to being effective by showing her the support networks available to her which put her mind at rest and made her feel like she wasn’t alone. In the group interaction I feel the factors that came across which made my interaction effective was the way in which I spoke out in the group to make my point clear to the  other professionals, this also broke the barrier of silence between one another and this brought the others to speak out and share what they feel would be best so I felt that I was an influence on the group here. As a group I feel are strength was that we had good eye contact with one another when speaking which made us realise that we were all listening and interacting so therefore it kept the conversation going. We expressed our thought on things that we felt were negative and explained why so that we understood why we shouldn’t do certain things in certain ways. I feel that I had good use of body language in the group as I sat up straight when speaking and used hand gestures to bring the others to understand more about what I was explaining. Also I feel that my use of nodding my head to indicate that I agree with what people were saying was a good effective interaction as then people in the group knew that I was keeping on track with what they were saying and understood. Also the way in which we worked effective as a group was the way in which we were all aware of the needs and preferences of Mrs.Signh so that we understood about her past and therefore could go straight into what we are going to do with her. I also feel that I made the communication and interpersonal skills effective in the group due to asking questions in order to verify things so that I understood them correctly so that no faults in the system occurred when the meeting was over, as if we go the wrong idea about something then Mrs.Signh’s health may be at risk. In this meeting jargon was used due to it being with 3 professionals in the same profession of health care so they therefore understood the jargon used in the conversation as it was medical terminology. This helped us understand certain aspects of her health in more depth. I also feel that an effective way of communication in the meeting was that we respected each other’s opinions on Mrs.Signh and then came to a conclusion as a group with the final decision, also if we did not feel that someone else’s thoughts were very good we did not put them down we just suggested how we could improve them. I also feel in the meeting that I had a good clear voice with a calm tone so that the meeting stayed at a calm level and stopped it from becoming an intense discussion when disagreements on the care plan occurred, as an intense discussion could of lead to an argument and that would not have been professional. This also helped the other people in the group understand me clearly so that there was no miscommunication or  misinterpretations as these could of lead to the wrong inappropriate care plan which may not have benefitted Mrs. Singh. Ways to improve the meeting as a group in order to gain more effective communication and interpersonal skills may be to not rush the meeting as much as we did and to make it go on for longer stating more information in it. Also we could have introduced ourselves and our care profession at the start of the meeting and shook one another’s hand showing courtesy and politeness. Other ways which we could of improved it is by not having our coats on and so that we are more comfortable and can move about easily for use of good body language. Another way which we could have improved it in our group would be by sitting in more of a closed circle so that we can hear one another efficiently and can see each other clearly in order to see body language and facial expressions. This will help make communication effective and avoid misinterpretations so that no mistakes in the meeting are made. I feel that I could of improved the way that I acted with the group as I feel that I took a direct approach which made me out to be the main person/leader of the group who was in charge due to be speaking up and setting up the topic for discussion. By speaking up in the group with my opinions this may have made the others in the group shy and they may not feel as confident in expressing their opinions. Therefore I would improve this by making it all equal between one another so that others feel that they are on the same level and can speak up and say what they would like to discuss. References: – Robinson, L Segal, J . (2012). Effective Communication. Available: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm. Last accessed 17th October 2012. – Skills you need . (2011-2012). Interpersonal Communication Skills . Available: http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/IPS/Interpersonal_Communication.html. Last accessed 17th October . – Stretch, B Whitehouse, M (2010). Health and Social Care Level 3 Book 1. England and Wales: Pearson Limited Education – Collins Education . (2011). Developing effective communication in health and social care. Available: http://www.collinseducation.com/resources/hscbtecnationalch01.pdf. Last accessed 17th October 2012.

Fundamental Causes, Inequity and Public Health

Social injustice particularly that of [public] health, has been a constant pariah to the common society. Various ‘theories’ were posited as to the root cause of public health inequity; Phelan and Link (2005) directly associated the ‘fundamental’ causes of public health inequity with the ‘socioeconomic statuses (SES)’, the ‘social conditions’, the ‘gradients’ that existed therein. The fundamental cause lies on the material/ resources imbalance as the authors Phelan and Link (2005), Farmer (1999), and Lynch et al (2000) demonstrated. The fundamental causes of morbidity and mortality consist of: (1) influences to multiple disease outcomes, (2) operation through multiple risk factors, (3) intervening mechanism reproduce the association, and (4) finally, the most important feature of ‘fundamental causes’, it involves accession to resources that can be used to avoid risks or minimize the consequences of the disease involved. Health accession is shaped by extent of socio-economic resources (Phelan and Link, 2005). Here it is noted that the cognitive ability or intelligence cannot explain the relation between resource and health. SES, is, admittedly a ‘constant’ and persistent state of the general society (Phelan and Link, 2005). Not even the introduction of knowledge or the epidemiology of the disease was able to completely eradicate the health maladies present; instead, it seems to encourage health inequity. The US, a supra-economic world engine, has a systematic health care delivery system yet a relatively large proportion of their population—American Indians, Blacks and Hispanic and Asian immigrants—do not enjoy the benefits of the health care system as much as their rich counter parts. Localization of public health inequity is fed by the health biased terms like ‘Third World’, ‘Blacks’, ‘the poor’, and other terms that denote social stigma and racism . The aggravation of health inequity is destined to worsen with the current trend on ‘commodifying’ medicine and health and their ‘money-making’ participation in the market industry. Health inequity, as a result of multi-faceted elements of the society, is, as much as a disease as the feared bacillus ‘tubercle’, the causal agent of tuberculosis; Farmer (1999) illustrated the consumption of the disease agent ‘consuming the lives of the lower strata that existed in the late twentieth century. Farmer illustrates the case of societal ‘infection’ with different experiences of three stereotype tubercle patients—Jean Dubussoin (Haitian rural peasant), Corina Valdivia (Latin American with a multi-resistant drug strain of bacillus tubercle) and Calvin Loach (Afro-American and injection drug user). It was ‘social factors’ that determined the fate of these three-infected persons. Their struggle against their disease demonstrates the common obstacles they faced during health accession. Jean’s very low income and the long distance from the hospital dilapidated her chance at having a good accession to medical services offered. Corina’s case was exactly the same except that it demonstrated that of improper treatment of her disease and medical wariness. Calvin’s case was psychosocial wherein there was suggested wariness between him and the medical practitioner due to ‘[racial] wariness’ and late detection. Health inequity of tubercle bacillary patients does not stem from medical mismanagement, from physician-directed errors, as the three ‘stereotypes demonstrate, but more on the conglomeration of factors like race, income, economic policies, ease of health accession and fear of being apprehended or ignored by the medical staffs (Farmer, 1999). According to Lynch et al (2000), health inequity may also be associated with neomaterial interpretation —differential accumulation of exposures and experiences that have their sources in the material world—and differences in individual income. Health inequity, then, in general, is highly dependent on the resources of the individual. This is in opposition of the psychosocial theory which precludes that inequity is, more or less, a result of hierarchy stress or the combination of maladaptive behaviours as a reaction to the SES. The association between the standard of living and health cannot be easily dismantled, yet, on the face of such social health injustice, what actions are available for the State to remedy this particular problem? Lynch et al’s (2000) on solubilizing the problem was vague and inconclusive: .. trategic investments in neo-material conditions via more equitable distribution of public and private resources that are likely to have the most impact on reducing health inequalities and improving public health in both rich and poor countries in the 21st century†¦ (p. 1203) Farmer’s (1999) ultimate solution is pragmatic solidarity. The term was rather vague and inconclusive with no proper defin itum; Pragmatic solidarity was loosely defined as something that would mean ‘increased funding for control and treatment [of diseases]’, ‘making therapy available in a systematic way’ and preventing ‘emergence [of diseases]. Farmer’s primary intent is to target the health anathema at the specific level. On the other hand, Link and Phelan’s approach was different. Link and Phelan (2005) posited a barrage of solutions which capitalizes on policy consideration as macro-level approach to the problem— creating intervention that benefit state members irregardless of their own resources and actions, monitoring the dissemination of health enhancing information and interventions and creating policies that would distribute resources to the poor. A good solution to the problem would be targeting health inequity using combinatorial methods on the macro and micro-level approach. Interventions created at the larger scale such as policy consideration is a good approach and finding out the etiology of various diseases obviously have positive outcomes for ‘curing’. Such interventions are necessary to preserve not only the health of the general public but also to maintain a relatively pure, socially just and a healthy environment.

Teen in Transition. Impact of a Family Move Essay

Teen in Transition. Impact of a Family Move - Essay Example Experts consider moving to be one of the major stresses in life. Leaving behind friends, familiar places, and activities creates anxiety for everyone involved - parents included. And it's hard work to pack and prepare for a move and then settle into a new home. The reasons behind a move may be upsetting, too, and that can add to the stress. A parent may be forced to take a job in a new town because of company layoffs or staff reorganizations. Sometimes a death or divorce in the family can lead to a move, or the family may have to move to take care of a sick family member, such as a grandparent. Cognitive development refers to the development of the ability to think and reason. Adolescence (between 12 and 18 years of age) marks the beginning development of more complex thinking processes (also called formal logical operations) including abstract thinking (thinking about possibilities), the ability to reason from known principles (form own new ideas or questions), the ability to consider many points of view according to varying criteria (compare or debate ideas or opinions), and the ability to think about the process of thinking. Research by the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that "the brain goes through a dramatic period of development during puberty." (NIMH) During adolescence the developing teenager acquires the ability to think systematically about all logical relationships within a problem. The transition from concrete thinking to formal logical operations occurs over time. Each adolescent progresses at varying rates in developing his/her ability to think in more complex ways. Each adolescent develops his/her own view of the world. It is important to keep in mind in the "family moving" scenario that some adolescents may be able to apply logical operations to school work long before they are able to apply them to personal dilemmas. When emotional issues arise, they often interfere with an adolescent's ability to think in more complex ways. The ability to consider possibilities, as well as facts, may influence decision making, in either positive or negative ways. Like other early adolescents, Hayley has already begun to question authority and society standards prior to our move. She also has begun to form and verbalize her own thoughts and views on a variety of topics, usually more related to her own life, such as: which sports are better to play.; which groups are better to be included in; what personal appearances are desirable or attractive; and what parental rules should be changed. And, yes, also where it would be better for the family to live. Sometimes I long for the elementary school-age version of Hayley, when she had strong ties to her family and want to please her parents. The years between 11 and 14 are a transition between childhood and adulthood, and appropriately adolescents begin to feel the psychological urge to become more independent from their families. This is sometimes seen in an all-consuming interest in friends and teen hobbies. Early adolescents tend to form strong solitary, same-sex friendships. Hayley's friends were always coming over in our old neighborhood - city kids tend to run in and out of each other's homes quite a bit. But things are different here in the rural community where we have moved. Even when Hayley does start to

Andrews Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andrews - Research Paper Example It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every dollar of net assets. The RoE of the company is 0.8 and 0.6 for 2006 and 2005 respectively. The numbers shows that the company is not so much good in generation revenues and is not increasing the share holders wealth. High ROE yields no immediate benefit. Since stock prices are most strongly determined by earnings per share (EPS). The benefit comes from the earnings reinvested in the company at a high ROE rate, which in turn gives the company a high growth rate. Inventory turnover ratio shows that how the company is managing its stock the numbers for the company is 31 nad 19 for 2006 and 2005 respectively. By analyzing the company's inv. Turnover ratio we have analyzed that the company is not managing its inventory in 2006 that of 2005.The asset turn over ratio gives an idea about how well the company is using its assets in generating revenues.

PERSONAL LETTER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PERSONAL LETTER - Essay Example The entertainment and communication field is not something that I am unfamiliar with since I grew up exposed to the various facets of the field as my mother worked as an editor. I have always dreamed of completing higher studies in this field because of my mothers inspiration. This dream has a solid basis in my internship at Phoenix Satellite Television where I learned the intricacies of film editing and how it applies to the concept of program production. The SI program and internship will only last for one semester and will offer me the opportunity to put my Economics class theories into practice as I work in the highly competitive and notable entertainment offices in Los Angeles. By doing so, I will be able to further hone both my Economics know how and communication ability. After having spoken to my Economics course adviser, I have discovered that it would be highly possible to merge my current studies in economics and the entertainment courses I shall be taking online by seekin g an internship in the accounting or finance departments of music, television, or movie studios. I consider the opportunity to apply for acceptance at SI to be the perfect opportunity to merge my two highly different fields of interest into one. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that anybody who has the same interests as I would not dare to pass up. I am highly confident that I shall return to our College of Economics a much more rounded and better skilled person because of the opportunities the program offers that are not readily available to simple Economics students. Part of my plan upon my return to our college is to share my new found knowledge and experience with my classmates so that they too may benefit from my more advanced and intricate studies of Economics and Communication in real world applications. Thank you for taking the time to read my

Health Care Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Health Care Ethics - Essay Example However, in today's world, where the scientific world has come of age in its standing vis--vis disease care and prevention, subsidiary issues have emerged that are considered to be of prime importance in the realm of health care. The changes in society and life all around the world have brought about considerable changes in the lifestyles of people. Similarly, the profession of health care has seen its development through the ages, and many additional factors like ethical, legal and professional concerns need to be understood better. The learning outcomes associated with this course are crucially linked to the integral understand of clinical issues and practice. This paper in turn shall go a long way in reestablishing the norms that were to be established by the goals for this course. Understand the domain of every prong individually is of vital importance: As was mentioned earlier, knowledge of legal issues to the cause of clinical practice has now become imperative. Though universal laws for humanitarianism and morality remain constant for humans, yet there are certain legal implications that are different for certain countries and even states within countries. It must be understood by a practitioner, that the legal clauses are not a matter of burden, but actually a facilitating and binding factor that ensures that the provision of health care would be unequivocal and just for all. The current face of health care is largely a product of the advancement made during and after the World Wars. However, despite the magnitude and quality of work that was done at that time, the obvious constraint due to the war was that a systematic procedure for providing health care cannot be established. Much has changed since then, and the corporate face of the organizations in the changing world has brought about a new shape to the domain of clinical practice. With the inception of concepts like quality and the ISO standards, what the world of today has realized, is that documentation, for any system of work, is not only essential, but is a must. Though the importance and significance of the three major issues has been established, yet appropriate working with these concerns in minds is still easier said than done. For a new practitioner, it is extremely important to properly identify with the issues. The ethical and legal concerns are very similar to the medical ones in their dynamics. For one, the first thing that needs to be done with a disease is appropriate identification with respect to the symptoms. Only a sound knowledge of the traits of a disease and its patterns can help identity for the practitioner as to what is to be done with it. Similarly, with legal and ethical concerns, the first step is to identify any anomaly in the normal proceedings that are likely to produce a problematic response. This is probably the most important element of the assignment, which helps the participant in preparation for the future challenges. This is one factor alone that differentiates the follower from the leader. The fact of the matter is, that many people in all professions tend to believe what is taught and practiced in front of them. They do not have the ability, urge and background to question - which is the most important feature in the development of science. Henceforth, the most credible feature of this assignment is that it would help in the preparation of analytical insight of the healthcare

Reflective Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Account - Essay Example This strategy is also developed based on the need of creating significant partnership between patients, health workers and stakeholders within the field of health (Health Works: A Review of the Scottish Government's Healthy Working Lives’ Strategy, 2010). In addition, the strategy satisfies the need of a clean health care environment and continuance of health care services. It also promotes excellence in clinical medicine and health care provision. This paper seeks to use Gibbs’ reflective model to consider Scottish Government’s Quality Strategy (2010), which will help me analyze in detail on my role in providing seamless care. The paper will focus on safe effective discharge planning in writing a reflective account and consider professional, legal and ethical issues, evidence-based care, multidisciplinary team working, decision making / prioritization, care planning, effective communication skills, and implications for future practice. Description This is a refl ection on my role as a health professional in charge of ensuring safe and effective discharge of patients from the hospital to their homes. This reflection is aligned with the policies established by the 2010 Quality Health Framework. The reflective framework used is the one advocated by Johns (2000); it is based on certain clues, such as description of the experience, reflection, factors that influenced my decision and other choices available that could influence my decision and lessons learnt from the experience. The role of discharge planning team involves coordinating transition of a patient from the Hospital to their homes. This is due to the fact that safe transition to their homes is an important process in the recovery of a patient. As a member of the discharge team, it is my responsibility to advise the patient on the importance of recovering in a rehabilitation facility or at home. For example, on a reflection of what happened in the past while I was on placement in Accide nt and Emergency Dept the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). I was asked to recommend treatment for an old diabetic man who just finished his treatment at the hospital. As a member of the discharge team, I recommended that the patient looks for a home care so that he may effectively respond the treatment administered, this recommendation was however overruled by the family of the old man, in spite of the assertions by Geriatric professionals that the patient has the capability of a quick recovery if enrolled in a care home, as opposed to his house (Clare & Hofmeyer, 1996). Feelings On reflection, this was a very unpleasant experience that occurred in my life in my duties. It may have been both unprofessional and unethical to suggest to the old man that he attends a care home for his quick recovery, without prior consultations. It would have been prudent to have consultations made with other professionals and families members who were concerned with the health condition of the old man . This is because the process of recovery involves various stakeholders including; doctors, the patient her/himself, nurses, family members, social workers, and geriatric professionals. Through this experience, I realized the importance of communication in effective provision of medical and health care services (Riley,

Staffing Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Staffing Organizations - Essay Example Finally the strategy should have sufficient flexibility to adjust in case there needs to be made a drastic change pertaining to the feedback the project receives. The recruitment process starts with in the most reachable circle. Spread the word. The most workable way to start off in spreading the word is by accumulating information from the closest ring of people around. (Suchecki, Paul M.J) Circulating the information through friends and family is a great method to find workers initially. They can provide feedback if there are any people who would be interested to work at the small business. The work force that comes through acquaintances would be more helpful and trustable towards a novice owner. Recruiting through family, friends, clubs, activity and sports groups that you are a part of is a practical step to begin with. While recruiting young students would generally be a priority among starting businesses, recruiting a couple of experienced workers should also be considered as an option. It may be harder to with experienced workers as a beginner but their experience will only resonate in the scheme of events once such a staff starts working. It would also serve as a continuous training and inspiration as the staff would have someone professional working in the field to look up to. The recruitment should be done keeping into view the audience for the shop. If the shop is near a high school targeting teenagers, the staff might as well be capable of catering to such an audience. If the shop is by the roadside targeting ordinary passerby the recruitment must be done accordingly. Customer satisfaction should be kept in mind at this point in time as well. Since the stakes of the business depend largely on the comfort of the consumer. After the onset it would also interesting to develop a theme for the shop as it would further streamline the kind of selection I want to make in the upcoming years. If the theme has

Global Climate Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Climate Models - Essay Example Furthermore, recent studies have shown that the model is very efficient in estimating global climate change. It has been adopted by many nations globally because of its effective understanding of climate sensitivity. Moreover, the ECHAM5 reproduces the global metrics of the tropical cyclones. The other submodels before the ECHAM5 include the ECHAM4 which reproduces the extremes and variability of rainfall (Randall and Wood). The model was developed in 2005 by the Beijing Climate Centre. It was designed as a global ocean, atmospheric global model to reflect or study the mean climatological state (Bader, 2008). Therefore, it was not designed climate change in China, but to be used all over the globe. Additionally, it is very important to note that this model is used to predict global and East Asian seasonal climate. It presents a very high resolution of climate forecasts in China and more so it produces monthly scale forecasts of the climate in this region (Palmer, 2014). As a result, the monthly extended dynamic range system is thus based on the BCC-CM1 model. The BCC-CM1, 2005 has proved to be very accurate in predicting seasonal climate change as compared to the atmospheric and ocean models. After the analysis of the two climate models, it is crystal clear that the models were created in the same year and that both of them are coupled employing a combination of two models in one. However, the two models greatly differ from each other. The BCC-CM1, 2005 was designed in China while the ECHAM5/MPI-ON was designed in Germany. The most important difference is that the BCC-CMI model is very effective in predicting seasonal climate change. On the other hand, the ECHAM5/MPI-OM forecast climate change in the long run (Semenov & Stratonovitch, 2010). The computation of the ECHAM5 is meant to predict the climate change globally, but for a long duration of time.  Ã‚  

Csr in Inidan Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Csr in Inidan Banking Sector Essay State regulatory bodies, NGOs, media, customers have significantly addressed social responsibility issues in banking sector. International organization such as World Bank also exerts pressures on banks to analyze social and environmental risk involved in projects to be financed. In addition the reputation and resultant profitability of an organization are greatly effected by their CSR activities. Researchers have found a positive correlation between CSR and financial performance of the organization. Around the globe, a good commitment is being shown by the banking industry to CSR principles. Banks are showing conscious efforts to reduce the regulatory actions by depicting a good environmental citizen image. Banking in India has originated in the last decades of the 18th century with the establishment of General Bank of India in 1786, and the Bank of Hindustan set up in 1870 (both banks are now defunct). At present, the commercial banking structure in India consists of Scheduled Commercial Banks Unscheduled Banks. Banking in India has evolved in four distinct phases: Foundation phase, Expansion phase, consolidation phase and Reforms phase. An integrated approach of combining CSR with the ultimate customer satisfaction is being adopted by Indian banking industry voluntarily. An attempt has been initiated to ensure social responsible behavior of banking sector in a more systematic manner. Public and private sector banks have common thrust areas which are children welfare, community welfare, education, environment, healthcare, poverty eradication, rural development, vocational training, women’s empowerment, protection to girl child, employment. The core areas for reporting CSR activities are slightly different in both public and private sector banks. The major areas investigated for reporting CSR activities in public and private sector banks is shown by the Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively below: X axis in the below charts represents the fields of CSR activities and Y axis represents the number of banks working in the particular fields out of the selected sample. Figure 1: Core thrust areas for reported CSR activities in public sector banks Source: 1-IJAEBM-Volume-No-1-Issue-No-2-CSR-Practices-and-CSR-Reporting-in-Indian-Banking-Sector-058-066 As per the chart above rural development has been the ost actively participated activity for Indian public sector banks. Besides, their primary focus has been on gender equality through women empowerment. Figure 2: Core thrust areas for reported CSR activities in private sector banks Source: 1-IJAEBM-Volume-No-1-Issue-No-2-CSR-Practices-and-CSR-Reporting-in-Indian-Banking-Sector-058-066 Enhancing the level of education and employment has been the major areas for reporting CSR activities i n Indian private sector bank. Following are community welfare, programs for child welfare and protection of environment. 3. 1 RBI guidelines on CSR: On December 20, 2007 RBI circulated a notice for all the scheduled commercial banks to highlight the role of banks in corporate social responsibility, with title â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Development and Non-Financial Reporting – Role of Banks†. Major issues discussed in the notice were regarding – 1. Corporate Social Responsibility 2. Sustainable Development 3. Non-Financial Reporting Talking about the corporate social responsibility program RBI followed many international initiatives to highlight the importance of the notice like – 1. United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) 2. They can achieve the mission by supporting initiatives that are * Cost effective * Capable of large-scale replication * Measurable * Having potential for both near and long-term impact. * Banks must provide appropriate training to its employees on environmental and social risks in lending to ensure that climate change is taken into account in corporate banking decisions. 6. Conclusion The CSR moment in the banking sector is slowing picking the pace. Many banks are showing their inclination and interest towards the CSR activities and believe it as their social responsibility. On the other side CSR reporting practices are far from satisfaction. There are hardly few banks which report their activities on triple bottom line principles. The lack of uniform standards for rating CSR practices leads to problem in comparison of corporate houses and difficulty in determining the CSR rating. In spite of the slow adaptation of CSR reporting practices in India, it is predicted to pick up a great pace in near future. The need for enacting some stringent regulatory provisions to ensure adherence to social responsibility principles is necessary. https://ru.scribd.com/doc/19779226/CSR-PROGRAM-IN-BANKING-SECTOR-AN-INDIAN-PERSPECTIVE http://www.karmayog.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_Bank_of_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility

The Emergence Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Information Technology Essay

The Emergence Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Information Technology Essay Many organizations have initiated Enterprise Resource Planning systems, using such packages as SAP, Peoplesoft and Oracle. The ERP market is one of the fastest growing in the software industry. In a research conducted by APICS, 34.5% of the companies with revenues over $1 billion planned to purchase or upgrade in ERP system. This research is relevant to indicate that the ERP market may reach $ 1 trillion by the year 2010 (Umble et al., 2005). Enterprise resource planning systems are a major investment. Companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in ERP software. Its implementation promotes a variety of business justifications which include replacement of numerous legacy systems, reduction in cycle time from order to delivery, and reduction in operating costs. Also, the on-line, real-time operational data that ERP systems enable managers to make better decisions and improve responsiveness to customer needs (Gyampah, 2004). There is evidence that organizations are satisfied with ERP. Based upon a sample of 117 firms in 17 countries, the Conference Board reports that 34% of the organizations were satisfied with ERP, 58% were somewhat satisfied, 7% were somewhat unsatisfied, and only 1% were unsatisfied (Al-Mashari, M., Zairi, M., 2009). Organizations have a business justification for implementing ERP systems. The business benefits of ERP include improved accessibility of information, real time access to data across the organization, improved cycle time for orders, decreased financial closing time, reduced operating costs, and lowered inventory levels. In addition ERP systems provide an opportunity to re-align business processes with best practices and to integrate enterprise-wide information supporting financial, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing functions. Evolution of ERP It was in the Sixties that the concept of resource planning was first introduced by software packages that dealt with inventory control capability. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems were later introduced in 1970s and these contained a master production schedule and a bill of materials file with list of materials needed to produce each item. MRP systems were enhanced by adding tools for sales planning, customer order processing and capacity planning that provided input production scheduling, known as closed loop MRP. In the 1980s, MRPII systems incorporated financial accounting system along with manufacturing and materials management systems. MRPII led to an integrated business system that was used to create a database of material and capacity requirements for production and this system then translated these requirements into financial information. By 1990s ERP systems provided seamless integration of all information flows in the company- Financial Accounting, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management and Customer Information (Rondeau Litteral, 2001). Challenges of ERP System ERP system projects involve considerable time and cost not only in terms of investment but also for realization of benefits from their implementation. Research by Standish Group illustrates that 90% of ERP projects are late over budget. Meta Group survey data, based on 63 companies, showed that average implementation cost of ERP was $ 10.6 million and took 23 months to complete (K. Siau, 2004). A successful implementation of ERP requires a multi-stage approach (Jones M. and Price L., 2004), and the benefits of ERP may not occur until later stages. Jones et al., propose three stages: the project phase, the shakedown phase, and onward and upward phase. ERP software is introduced during project phase and is implemented into firms operations during shakedown phase. It is not until onward and upward phase, during which ERP modules are successfully integrated with operations, that the organization can achieve actual business results, such as inventory reduction (Motwani et al., 2002). However, Spathis et al. identify four phases for implementation of the same. The phases are: a planning phase, a re-engineering phase, a design phase, and a configuration and testing phase (Spathis et al., 2003). They indicate that re-engineering business practices around the ERP software is critical to successful implementation. In their stage analysis, Rondeau et al. (2001) suggest benefits of ERP occur when ERP modules are implemented successfully and when organizations can use the ERP foundation to add advance modules such as customer relationship management. A company has to make sure that its ERP investment fetches increased profitability. The key challenge is not in managing technology, but in managing people. An ERP system changes the way people work, and for the system to be effective, the change must be dramatic. It promotes efficient business processes with the requirement of fewer people than before ERP implementation or up-gradation. This implies that some employees will be asked either to change their day-to-day activities or their services would no longer be needed. Managing human behavior aspects of organizational change also known as organizational change management (OCM) cannot be underestimated in importance of this part of the implementation process. One of the keys to managing OCM is to realize that people tend to defy changes associated with their work related activities. If the ERP implementation is a project that is being forced on the employees, then they will instinctively resist it. However, if it is viewed as a chance to make the company more efficient and effective by improving business process, and consequently these process improvements will make the company more profitable and ensure job security to employees, then there is a greater likelihood that the employees will wholeheartedly support the implementation efforts. The best way to improve a business process is to delegate the task to develop process improvement ideas to people who are most familiar with the process using their experience and creativity. Sometimes, a company is not ready for ERP. In many cases, ERP implementation difficulties result when management does not fully understand its current business processes and cannot make implementation decisions in time . In order to obtain benefits from an ERP system resulting in reduction of costs needs an organization to streamline its business processes. However, if a company is not prepared to change its business process es, it will find a large bill for software and consulting fees with no improvement in organizational performance. ERP packages imply, by their design, a way of doing business, and they require users to follow that way of doing business. Some of business operations, and some segments of its operations, may not match the constraints inherent in ERP. Therefore, it is imperative for a business to analyze its business strategy, organization, culture and operations before choosing an ERP approach. Review of Literature Companies implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in order to achieve better responsiveness to the needs of customers through real-time information provided by the system, to link customers and suppliers into a complete supply chain, to provide high degree of cross functional integration, to reduce the costs and to provide the foundation for effective e-commerce (Vollmann et al., 2005). The pressure to survive in the new world order and align with the new paradigm for organizational success, namely, speed, flexibility, integration and innovation, further drives organizations towards adopting integrative software approaches like ERP. It is also a well known fact that information technology affects the organization structure (Bhattacherjee, 2000). Hence, ERP implementation would impact the structure, but this impact has not been elaborately investigated. It is often supposed that IT creates a flatter structure (Stevens, 1998). The flat structure speeds up decision-making p rocess, shortens lines of communication and aids in savings (Klein, 2001). ERP implementation benefits are not realized quickly as expected and the process is lengthy and expensive (Siau, 2004). Many organizations world over and particularly in the fast developing countries are traditional hierarchies and managing changes in structure offering challenges. As ERP implementation is an enterprise wide venture of change.It is important to understand how to manage impact on the organization structure. Two research objectives were central to this research project. ERP implementation influences the structure of the organization. Management of the change to the new structure. This paper is an attempt to examine the ERP implementation experience in a company. It drew on Organization Theory and Change Management theory to understand the transition between structures and to provide the explanations (Amoako-Gyampah, 2004). ERP represents a comprehensive software approach and information technology effects on the organization structure (Kurup, 2004) and ERP implementation success involves change management of techniques, the change management theory (Paton and McCalman, 2004) prove useful in explaining the outcomes of the case study . IT and Organization Structure The organization structure defines how the tasks are to be allocated, who reports to whom and the formal coordinating mechanisms and interaction patters that will be followed (Robbin, 1990). Organization structure has three components: Complexity, Formalization and Centralization. These components are described below and impact of IT on these components is expressed and applied to case analysis to aid in investigation of the influence of ERP on organization structure. Complexity Complexity refers to the degree of differentiation that exists within an organization. This includes the degree of specialization or division of labour, the number of levels in the organizations hierarchy, and the extent to which the organizations units are dispersed geographically (Klein, 2001). With introduction of this component of organization structure, it is possible to have wider span of control with more knowledgeable and empowered employees. Companies with IT can reduce the middle management layers and widen span of control and thereby flatten the organization structure. However, removing layers might create new challenges. New mechanisms for coordination might be needed or new process of governance might be necessary. According to the model proposed by Klein (2001), IT results in wider spans of control, fewer levels, fewer people, easier collaboration and communication. In other words, IT lowers the complexity. Formalization Formalization refers to the degree to which an organization relies on rules and procedures to direct behavior of employees. Evidence exists to indicate that developing detailed guidelines of appropriate operating procedures enhances coordination and is suitable in a stable environment (Martin, 2009). Formalization, however, is negatively associated with adoption and implementation of innovation in organizations (Ahadi, 2004) and hence it is negatively related to the ERP implementation because it tends to boast deleterious effects on the work attitudes. Centralization The decisional control in organization could be centralized or decentralized. In traditional hierarchies the decisional control is usually centralized. Research indicates that IT tends to make the decisional control more decentralized with no commensurate loss of control by the top management (Robbin, 1990). It is possible that the centralization component is related to the size of middle management although there are conflicting findings. IT results in a decrease in the size of the middle management workforce in organizations with centralized decision authority and with an increase in the number of middle managers in organizations where the authority is decentralized. Change Management The change management when linked to ERP implementation has been more focused on process change (Davison, 2002). The other type of change namely organizational restructuring provides specifics related to moving from one structure to another. The objective of restructuring is based on the companys long-range plan and the intention is to set up a structure that enables a company to be ready for new activities. However, changing an organizations structure can be difficult and successful restructuring depends on three conditions: sound planning, effective leadership and organizational commitment (Witzel, 2002). To examine organizational change in a traditional hierarchical organization, consideration is given to: Human element and informal organization. Necessity of strong management actions and inspirational vision. Sustainability of an initiative. None of available models considers all the three aspects. Informal Organization INPUT Strategy Formal OUTPUT Resources, Organization Individual Environment team, Performance Managing Change Transformation Process Figure -1 In traditional organizations, manager had to solve problems by directly communicating with the employees and was related to power and values. However, in ERP implementation much of the learning process comes from hands on use under normal operating conditions after the implementation period is over. Thus power is then transfered to individuals who are able to operate the ERP system better and utilize Work People the system resources efficiently (Aladwani, 2009). ERP affect on nature of work and training is an important part of change management practices. ERP requires users to understand that they are no longer working in isolation, and whatever they do now impacts someone else. This can create resistance that comes from a fear of the unknown and from the need of stability. There are two fundamental sources of resistance to innovations like ERP: perceived Risk and Habit. The habit of keeping the routine practices prevalent in hierarchies has to be tackled using appropriate strategies. Spathis and Constantinides (2003) have proposed a planned change model and this model assumes that change can be defined and moved in a planned way. Unlike other planning models, the four phases suggested in this model are linear and irreversible. This model satisfies the requirement of well-controlled change and strong management actions. Four phases that have been suggested are: Exploration, Planning, Action and Integration. Implementation of ERP Information technology leads to a tremendous impact on productivity of both manufacturing and service organizations. Companies have implemented systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), MRP, EDI, over time for improving their productivity. ERP systems have received attention lately due to more effective decision-making capability. Many companies are implementing ERP as a means to reducing operating costs, increasing productivity and improving customer services (Martin, 2009; Pliskin and Zarotski, 2000). ERP system can cripple a company, if not implemented properly. There are horror stories concerning implementations gone astray (Laughlin, 1999; Bancroft et al., 1998). Implementing ERP system successfully calls for strong leadership, a clear implementation plan, and a constant watch on the budget (Wagle, 2008). From a project managers point of view, most important consideration is a clear implementation plan and a strategy, that should evolve through systematic consideration of companys requirements and its ability to manage changes called for under new circumstances. Some of the factors to be considered seriously at planning stage are: Information needs at the operational and managerial level for various functional areas. Feasibility of ERP system integration with the existing information systems Schedule for adaptation of the new system. An organization requires development of an implementation strategy. Such a strategy, will determine how the related changes can be successfully absorbed at various parts of the organization. It has been found that the organizations that had no SAP implementation strategic plan performed poorly compared to those who had a plan. ERP implementation from countries around the world demonstrates that success is essentially conditional on adequately managing complex context of the implementation, which necessitates change management across various key areas related to business processes, IT structure, and management systems (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 2009). This highlights practical issues associated with the implementation of ERP systems. For successful implementation three basic requirements are to be met: a clear business objective, comprehension of the nature of changes and understanding of the project risk. Strong leadership and constant watch on budget are the two other, yet equally significant requirements, as stressed by Wagle (2008). For an effective implementation of ERP system, particularly SAP R/3, an organization must take a holistic view of the process (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 2009). Various issues at strategic, managerial, and operational levels should be addressed in order to achieve optimum outcomes from an ERP system. For a successful outcome an organization must establish competencies in four core areas: Change Strategy development and deployment, Enterprise-wide Project Management, BPR integration with IT, and technical aspects of ERP installation. These competencies will enable managers to effectively manage changes and direct the organization to desired goals (see Fig.2). Fig. 2. Core competencies in effective implementation of ERP (adopted from Al-Mashari and Zairi 2009). Change management Strategy Changes in an organization are brought about through implementation of strategies. Kuruppuarachchi et al. (2002) examined the success (and failure) factors and implementation methodologies that contribute to change management strategy formulation in organizations. Fig. 3 presents a framework of the change management process, incorporating change agents and strategic considerations at various stages of ERP implementation, when viewed from an IT project implementation point of view. Meyers et al. (2009) analyzed about 130 research papers to find out factors influencing the implementation of new technologies for improved operational efficiencies. They classified implementation success factors as buyers characteristics, seller characteristics, buyer-seller interface, and environment. These factors are listed below: Human resources: greater education and training among personnel; positive motivation, attitudes, and commitment toward the innovation. Structure: an adaptive and flexible structure; strong communications mechanism and net work across structural boundaries. Decision processes: broad strategic, as opposed to narrowly and earlier involvement of technical goals; greater and earlier involvement of the operational workforce; top management support and commitment and the presence of a champion; cooperation among units; slow, gradual radical incorporation of the innovation. Technology fit: familiarity with the new technology and availability of relevant skills within the organization. Higher level of technical capabilities of the seller. Strong communications skills of the seller. Expertise in project management of the seller. Constructive cooperation between buyer and seller in implementation. Knowledge transfer: the buyer is involved in leaning, diagnosing, and shaping usage patterns of the buyer. Intensive networking within and across industries leading to greater exposure to innovations. Fig.3. Change management considerations (Source: Kuruppuarachchi et al., 2002). Case Study -I Pantaloon: ERP in Retail More than eight years after it forayed into the retail business, Pantaloon Retail decided to implement SAP to keep itself competitive in the rapidly growing Indian retail market. Store operations have never been as important to retailers as they were then. Successful retailers are those who know that the battle for customers is only won at the frontline, which in the case of a retail chain is at its stores. Pantaloon was regularly opening stores in metros and there was an urgent need for a reliable enterprise wide application to help run its business effectively. The basic need was to have a robust transaction management system and an enterprise wide platform to run the operations, says Rakesh Biyani, Director, Pantaloon. The Solution The company was looking for a solution that would bring all its businesses and processes together. After a comprehensive evaluation of different options and software companies, the management at Pantaloon decided to go in for SAP. Some of the qualities of SAP retail solutions are that it supports product development, which includes ideation, trend analysis, and collaboration with partners in the supply chain; sourcing and procurement, which involves working with manufacturers to fulfill order according to strategic merchandising plans and optimize cost, quality, and speed-variables that must be weighted differently as business needs, buying plans, and market demand patterns change; managing the supply chain, which involves handling the logistics of moving finished good from the source into stores and overseeing global trade and procurement requirements; selling goods across a variety of channels to customers, which requires marketing and brand management; managing mark-downs and capt uring customer reactions, analyzing data, and using it to optimize the next phase of the design process. In a Nutshell Aim To deploy a robust transaction management system and an enterprise wide platform to run its operations. Solution SAP retail solution Implemented by SAP team with the help of Novasoft, Singapore Number of users Around 1,200 Time taken About six months Cost of implementation A $ 10 million Implementation The implementation was outsourced to a third party. The implementation was done by the SAP team with help of Novasoft which is based at Singapore, says Core Team Member. This project was headed by Pantaloons Chief Information Technology Officer, Chinar Deshpande. Some people from Pantaloon assisted in the project and twenty four qualified people worked on the SAP implementation. Three Phases SAP implementation in Pantaloon was not a single phase process. The project was divided into three phases. The first phase of implementation involved blueprinting of existing processes and mapping them to the desired state. In this phase, the entire project team worked on current processes within Pantaloon Retail. The various existing processes were thoroughly analyzed and drafted. This blueprint was later used in the formation of new states of the solution. Since the SAP would combine all the processes, each and every one of these had to be evaluated. In the second phase, the SAP platform was developed with the help of Novasofts template which was predefined by SAP after evaluation of Pantaloons needs and expertise in retail solutions. The last phase in this project was for stores to switch over to the new system and for current data to be ported. Before the SAP implementation, all the data was unorganized. This data had to be migrated to the new SAP application. The project was flagged off on 15th June 2005 and took about six months to finish. It went live at the head office on 1st January 2006. The Pantaloon Retail stores used SAP from 1st January 2006 to 30th June 2006. Benefits and Challenges The key challenges in this project were not in the implementation. Rather, the difficulties were faced during the data migration and in managing the interim period when the project was underway for about six months. Migrating unorganized data to an organized format was a challenging task. SAP General Ledger gives Pantaloon a higher level of transparency into individual operations and helps it continually drive productivity improvements across the enterprise. For example, Pantaloon can now automatically split accounting line items per document for each company profit center. These transactions are handled by the software,and the company no longer needs to make period adjustments to balance sheet and profit and loss statements. With the document splitting tool, Pantaloon now has a real-time, complete picture of its accounts receivables and payables across all operational levels, which has enabled it to reduce receivables by up to 10%. In addition, it is now able to close the monthly books 20% faster, due to tight integration between financials and controlling components and real-time reconciliation capabilities. The application is currently being used by around 1,200 employees across the organization. For maintaining this implementation and its related applications, Pantaloon has an in-house team and it has outsourced ABAP resources. ERP system relied greatly on this in-house team for training its employees (at every level) and extracting benefits from ERP. The system runs on a HP Superdome server on HP UNIX 11 and the database is from Oracle. The cost of this project was about $ 10 million. Future projects After the successful implementation of SAP for its retail chain, Pantaloon plans to go ahead with IT projects such as implementation of WMS with RFID, Customer Intelligence and CRM. Inventory and Promotions Optimization are being pursued. Case Study II Ace Designers Ltd. ERP reduces manufacturing costs by 20% for Industrial Equipment manufacturer Overview Since 1987, Ace Designers Limited, Indias manufacturer of CNC lathes and auto lathes, has been exporting machines around the world, including Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States. With growth, their largely manual systems started breaking down. They had no centralized purchasing department and means of sharing information, so company groups were paying different amounts for the same parts from the same vendor. Delivery dates were missed because of a lack of inventory control, and top management had little visibility to manufacturing process. The Challenge Ace needed a complete information system built around an ERP solution that would help manage every aspect of their manufacturing process-from purchasing and inventory to manufacturing, planning and preparing for ISO certification. The Solution Ace commissioned a comprehensive survey of the ERP market and Intuitive was selected for four major reasons: A 100 percent Microsoft platform, an easy-to-use graphical interface, excellent support, and scalable open architecture features that permitted the addition of users at any time. The consultants who evaluated Intuitive ERP and its competitors for ACE Designers concluded: Intuitive ERP is easy to install, interface, customize and maintain. It can be integrated seamlessly into any manufacturing environment and has a good scheduling flexibility and versatile options. It also has a definite ISO 9000 facilitation orientation. Ace Designers Results Ace started module wise implementation of Intuitive ERP in four phases, which were completed in four months. Intuitive ERPs graphical interface and integration with Microsoft Office and Access made it easy for Aces staff, which prior to this had virtually no computer experience, to learn and use the new system. And using Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine delivered speed and robustness necessary for their mission critical applications. Hence, employees support was a crucial factor that added to achievement of success in ERP implementation in the organization. We transformed the company from a practically nil computer culture to a total computerized system, said V. Chandra, General Manager of Ace. The learning curve for Intuitive ERP is reduced to well below that of other manufacturing systems because of graphical and interactive flow charts and complete context sensitive online help. Implementing Intuitive ERP led to dramatic improvements in every operational area: Managers now have the most current inventory and costing models available to them at all times, and they can set competitive pricing that ensures profitability. They are able to monitor online status of work orders for components, sub-assemblies and final assemblies. Improved Planning: With the previous manual planning system, it was difficult to coordinate customer requirements and design changes with production and assembly functions to meet the manufacturing schedule. Now there is seamless coordination between all departments while significantly reducing planning headcount. Prior to Intuitive ERP, there had been virtually no inventory management at Ace; information on non-moving or slow-moving items and stock values was not available. With new tools in place, manufacturing inventory has been reduced by 20 percent. With reports such as Purchase Price Variance, there is visibility of the cost of every purchased item. This has resulted in better price negotiation with suppliers resulting in a 20 percent price reduction. Intuitive ERP provides accurate data for making manufacturing decisions through reports that include online machine utilization, online work order status monitoring, online WIP components costing, online WIP sub-assembly costing and online labor utilization. Case Study III ERP Implementation Failure at HP Stanford engineers Bill Hewlett and David Packard started HP in California in 1938 as an electronic instruments company. Its first product was a resistance-capacity audio oscillator, an electronic instrument used to test sound equipment. During the 1940s, HPs products rapidly gained acceptance among engineers and scientists. HPs growth was aided by heavy purchases made by US government during the Second World War. In the 1980s, HP emerged as a major player in the computer industry, offering a full range of computers from desktop machines to powerful minicomputers. This decade saw the development of successful products like the Inkjet and LaserJet printers. HP introduced its first personal computer (PC) in 1981, followed by an electronic mail system in1982. This was first major wide-area commercial network that was based on a minicomputer. HP introduced its HP 9000 computer with 32-bit super chip. HP became leader in workstations with the purchase of market leader, Apollo Computers, in 1989. In August 2004, HP announced that its revenues for the third quarter and it was identified that its Enterprise Servers and Storage (ESS) segment had gone down by 5% (amounting $ 3.4 billion) as compared to the same quarter the previous year. The company attributed this revenue shortfall mainly to the problems faced because of migration to a centralized ERP system at one of its North American divisions. The total financial impact of the failure including backlogs and lost revenue was pegged at $ 16

Explain Different Religious teachings on Life After Death :: essays research papers fc

Over two thousand years ago Saint Tiruvalluvar wrote that "Death is like falling asleep, and birth is like awakening from that sleep." The early Hindu’s did not believe in Heaven, nor did they ascribe to such desire. Their early teachings were that they would be reunited with Mother Nature. There was no yearning to live eternally – their prayers were for a healthy life. The notion of reincarnation and Heaven evolved over time. In the Hindu religion, righteousness and to be without sin is of paramount importance. They are the determining factors whether one goes to Heaven or Hell. The Hindu’s teach, â€Å"As it does and as it acts, so it becomes: The doer of good becomes good, and the doer of evil becomes evil†¦" Hindus moved onto believe in a cyclical time span. This means they believe people don not live and die just once but are reborn a number of times before reaching their final state. Hindus believe that after death the soul is reborn in this world to live a new life. What the person and into which caste they are reborn into is decided by there karma. Karma will try to increase their goof karma by keeping dharma which is their duty to the Gods. The process of being born growing, dying and being reborn is called samsara. It is the goal of every Hindu to be freed from this cycle in order to be in the presence of God or become on with God. The idea of reincarnation derives from the Bhagavad-Gita. There are three four verses imparticular, the first one talk about the soul not ever being born or dying that it is always alive and it is therefore the body which dies. â€Å"It (the self) is not born, and It does not die; nor is it ever that this One having been nonexistent becomes existent again. This One is birthless, eternal, undecaying, ancient; It is not killed when the body is killed.† - Gita Ch. 2 Verse 20 The second verse related to reincarnation states â€Å"As after rejecting (discarding) worn-out clothes a man takes up other new ones (clothes), likewise after rejecting worn-out bodies the embodied one (soul) duly attains new ones.† -Gita Ch.2 Verse 22. As if when the body is worn and grow as much as it can, the soul moves on. The third verse discusses that fact the reincarnation is a certainty.

1,000 Word Essay On THE LOVE STORY :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many positive things and negative things about the movie and the story. In the movie you have a chance to see what Elizabeth looks like. That alone could be a positive and negative thing. The movie is more glamour than thought. In the movie your mind has more free will so therefore this is the better of the two. The thought in the movie that, there is unlimited communication between the two, takes away your imagination and the curiosity of what they will say and how they will say it in the last message between the two of them. The changing of the time period was a very smart and interesting thing done in order for the movie to fit exactly into place. In the story the little details is what makes it important. Such as the marble floor in the Post Office, or that in the story, the Post Office is small. All of these little details are left out in the movie. Although it doesn’t seem like a great deal, the little details do play a large part in the importance of the Postal Office in the story. Although the story seems more simple in the â€Å"word† sense, it also leaves a lot of room for the mind to wonder what it is like back in the 1800’s. Therefore the story is more open for the mind and it is more pleasing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A girl in a high-necked dark dress with cameo brooch at the collar. Her dark hair was swept tightly back, covering the ears, in a style which no longer suits our ideas of beauty. But the stark severity of that dress and hairstyle couldn’t spoil the beauty of the face that smiled out at me from that old photograph.† This above is the description stated in the story that described Helen Elizabeth Worley. This description is not of lustrous beauty, but of the true love he felt for her. This statement and description is made at the end of the story. The movie gave you the chance to make your opinion on looks before you even began to know her. You are sort of forced by your eyes to make judgments on her personal appearance in the movie. When you make judgments on appearance then you don’t get the picture of this story, or any story for that matter. The imagination is one of the most powerful tools you can have, and in the movie you don’t use it that often, because the movie paints the picture for you.

Stephen Hawking Essay -- Stephen Hawking biography Essays

If you casually mention the name Stephen Hawking in conversation, you are likely to get a number of reactions from people.Some people know him from cameo appearances in movies or TV shows like The Big Bang Theory. Others have leafed through his popular book, A Brief History of Time. People recognize him as an outspoken representative for the disabled, and a leader of the scientific community.But how many people know him for his research? Professor Hawking has certainly lived an impressive life, and he is an inspiring public figure.With all the distractions surrounding Professor Hawking, most people forget about the groundbreaking discoveries that he has helped develop in the science of Cosmology.Through this essay, I hope to share some of his scientific work the reader. Like with any story, we must begin at the beginning.Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo.He came from a relatively modest background.His family did have a rather strong academic tradition though.Both of his parents had attended and graduated from Oxford, and his father, Frank, was appointed Head of the Division of Parasitology at the National Institute of Medical Research after the end of World War II.His family lived in the small town of St. Albans.When Stephen was 10 he was sent to St. Albans School, a private school with an excellent academic reputation.Stephen was naturally gifted and remained near the top of his class.He ran with a small group of friends who were all good students and they spent a great deal of time discussing intellectual matters.Hawking graduated from St Albans and was admitted to Oxford on a scholarship1. Many scholars are surprised to hear that Hawking did his undergrad... ...agraph comes from White & Gribbin pgs. 175-182 15) The preceding paragraph comes from Hawking pgs. 139-146 16) The preceding quote comes from White & Gribbin pgs. 187-188 Sources: - Hawking, Stephen. (1988). A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam Books. (pp 191). - Hawking, Stephen & Ellis, George. (1973). The Large Scale Structure of Space-time. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (pp 364). - White, Michael & Gribbin, John. (1992). Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science. New York: Dutton. (pp 293). - Hawking, Stephen. Does God Play Dice?. Public Lecture http://www.hawking.org.uk/pdf/dice.pdf - Hawking, Stephen. Space and Time Warps. Public Lecture http://www.hawking.org.uk/pdf/warp.pdf - Hawking, Stephen. The Beginning of Time. Public Lecture http://www.hawking.org.uk/pdf/bot.pdf

Reverse Logistics

REVERSE LOGISTICS SUPERVISED BY: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR M. RAKOVSKA PREPARED BY: TATYANA BLAGOEVA FACULTY NUMBER: 10114004 Contents A Supply Chain Opportunity3 What is Reverse Logistics? 3 Case Examples4 Money is Hidden in Returns5 Reverse Logistics Completes the Supply Chain System6 Reverse Logistics and the Supply Chain Maturity Model11 Concluding Case Study Example13 The results were impressive:14 A Supply Chain Opportunity Most practitioners have their own understanding of the fundamental processes involved in an extended supply chain network.The novice will tell you it starts upstream with suppliers supplying suppliers, moves through manufacturing and production and goes downstream through distributors or direct to the business customers. An improvement effort starts within the four walls of a business by drawing a process map and working on product, information and financial flows to improve the key steps in the linkage that will save time, money and use of assets. The journeyman will go further and explain that a supply chain continues externally, until products and services have been delivered to the end consumer.System improvement involves order management, planning and distribution, inventory management and effective customer satisfaction. This counselor knows that supply chain is about bringing the key process steps to best practice and optimized conditions, while receiving high satisfaction ratings from the customers and consumers. The seasoned professional will shake his or her head and calmly explain that the journey is not ended until the products and services elivered have been accepted. If there is dissatisfaction with the results of the supply chain and something is returned, the processing continues. We stand with those who favor this extended enterprise view of supply chain, which results in the total satisfaction of the end consumer. There is a great opportunity in that sense, to focus on the generally forgotten or too often lower priority are a of attention given to finishing the job – going the last few feet in the linkage.When it comes to completing the end-to-end processing, companies should do two things: * Take the full view and understand the total cost of supply chain, which includes having and dealing with returns * Realize the opportunity that an analysis of the return part of the system offers in terms of finding and solving problems, better satisfying customers and consumers, and discovering a way to increase revenues What is Reverse Logistics?When considering any area of business as an opportunity for improvement, begin with having an understanding of just what you are trying to change. What is Reverse Logistics? The broader concept of  logistics  is described by The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) as:   The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information f rom the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements.Wikipedia defines the narrower concept we are considering as:  Reverse logistics is the logistics process of removing new or used products from their initial point in a supply chain, such as returns from consumers, over stocked inventory, or outdated merchandise and redistributing them using disposition management rules that will result in maximized value at the end of the item’s useful life. For our purposes, reverse logistics includes all the activities that are mentioned in the definition above, with the difference that reverse logistics encompasses all of these activities as they operate in reverse.Therefore, according to authorities Dr. Dale S. Rogers and Dr. Ronald S Tibben-Lembke, reverse logistics becomes: The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. To settle on a specific definition, reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value, or achieving proper disposal to the satisfaction of the customer or consumer.Remanufacturing and refurbishment activities may be part of the procedure. Reverse logistics includes processing returned merchandise due to damage, seasonal inventory, restock, salvage, recalls, and excess inventory. It also includes recycling programs, hazardous material programs, obsolete equipment disposition, and asset recovery. For a practitioner, the disposition choice is determined by the most profitable alternative: * Reconditioning –  when a product is cleaned and repaired to return it to a â€Å"like new† state Refurbishing –  similar to reconditioning, except with perhaps more work involved in re pairing the product. * Remanufacturing –  similar to refurbishing, but requiring more extensive work; often requires completely disassembling the product * Resell –  when a returned product may be sold again as new * Recycle –  when a product is reduced to its basic elements, which are reused – also referred to as asset recovery. Case Examples A business printer field service and reverse logistics model helps explain how an operating system works.The process for such a firm starts when a business customer with a problem calls an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or third party customer support contact, both of which are used in an attempt to diagnose the problem and provide problem resolution instructions if applicable. An OEM field technician or third party certified technician attempts to repair the equipment on-site. If unable to make the repair, the unit is sent to the OEM or certified third party repair facility, where a regional-based loan er or exchange program may be available. The unit is then repaired at the OEM or third party repair facility.The OEM then ships the returned unit or comparable unit back to the customer, or places the unit in used stock if an exchange is previously provided. A field technician is then scheduled to install the loaner unit, exchange units, or repair equipment at the customer site   As an example, consider firms involved in the aftermarket sales and services business, and how reverse logistics plays a role. Products in this business can include accessories, replacement parts, and repair and service parts. The services could include: product and technical support, training, product documentation, warranty and claims management, and field service repairs.As an adjunct to these products and services, reverse logistics fits the definition by providing for: exchanges and in-warranty repair, out-of-warranty repair, maintenance, upgrades and retrofits, remanufacturing, and end-of-life asset recovery and hazardous material disposal. In the aftermarket business, field services and reverse logistics are generally considered one of the harder areas to manage, coordinate and operate efficiently. The area is often forgotten or given little consideration regarding launch of new products, importance to overall customer satisfaction and loyalty, and company profits.In a specific case example of how complex the situation can become and how allowances are made to assure proper services are provided, we can take a look at what Microsoft did when it decided to introduce its XBOX. The details help make the point about the importance of paying attention to the full supply spectrum, including reverse logistics. Microsoft decided to have the main product manufactured by Flextronics. Accessories would be produced by a variety of manufacturers. Distributors and electronics retailers were to perform the warehousing, distribution, and end customer sales functions.Solectron was used for af termarket warranty and customer repair services. Microsoft took the time to ensure the above capabilities were fully operational before the first XBOX was sold to an end consumer and that any returns would be processed effectively by the designated party. In another example, a cell phone reverse logistics model proved very beneficial for a firm selling such products under their brand name. This firm had the cell phones manufactured by LG Industries, Samsung, Motorola and others. Accessories were again manufactured by a variety of firms.Order taking and initial end consumer billing was performed by Amazon. Forward logistics, including warehousing, carrier service programming and order fulfillment were performed by CellStar. Cellular carriers such as Verizon and Sprint provided the monthly service. Extended warranty and product protection insurance was provided by lock/line. The customer call center service and reverse logistics was performed by CellStar. Money is Hidden in Returns Re asonable estimates made of the costs involved in the area we are considering indicate that reverse logistics as a part of supply chain could equal a half percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, an enormous sum that often simply detracts from financial performance. Saving some of that money is one avenue for finding benefits. Understanding how to use reverse logistics to differentiate a business and build satisfaction and revenues with customers is generally hidden in the twilight of this area. If we take a look under the covers of this often neglected part of supply chain, we’ll see how a company can better understand the opportunities to eliminate many of the reasons for returns and turn dissatisfaction into satisfaction.The idea is to take a look and consider where you might do a better job with a nuisance part of your business. Let’s start by considering some common objective for reverse logistics initiatives. These include: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduced repair / replacement unit costs †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduced replacement turnaround times †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on hardware design and ease of use †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on OEM quality †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on end consumer education and first level customer support †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improve understanding of real reasons for hardware returns †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduce overall level of returns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Standardize returns processes across enterprise where possible/desired †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Utilize common systems across enterprise and automate the returns process to the extent possible/desired †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Handle increased volumes of returns due to new products, programs, business par tners †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enable demand driven supply chain concepts for returned products †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Differentiate company services from the competition Reverse Logistics Completes the Supply Chain System Exhibit 1 – Reverse Logistics: Returns, Customer Service, Field Service, Repair and  ReplacementNow let’s look at how you turn the objectives into benefits. A glance at Exhibit 1 shows reverse logistics can include a multiplicity of actions, from returning goods from a consumer to the retailer or provider, receiving customer service or   having field service take place to repair or fix the item in question, or having the product sent to a third party for repair or replacement. The fact is that reverse logistics includes virtually all of these services, and we counsel a broad perspective should be taken to not let this area be a burden to the business.Most companies tend to place the involved operations in the hands of a subsidiary part of an existing logistics function and pay little attention to the effect it can have on the company’s brand, financial performance or supply chain efficiency. A better view is to take a harder look at this area of the supply chain and find ways to turn what is typically a nuisance into something of value to the business. To make sense out of what we’re considering, let’s remember that reverse logistics includes all of the activity related to the final disposition of products that must be removed from the supply chain system.Such activity involves the processes related to removing products from a supply chain that do not have value for the customer or end consumer. These products may be the result of poor workmanship, over-stocked inventory, outdated or obsolete design, damages, or general dissatisfaction with product performance. For whatever reason, someone at the end of the downstream side of the supply chain says â€Å"I don’t wa nt it† and the smart supplier will make it easy to return the goods.The goal is to make certain the least damage is done to the firm’s brand and reputation, and to handle the process so it results in a positive rather than a negative impression. A system of disposition management is required to handle such situations in an effective and rewarding manner, with the understanding that reverse logistics is far different than forward logistics. In the return situation, there must be a convenient point of collection for receiving the goods or to remove these goods from the supply chain.This process step can require inspection, re-packaging, storage, and salvage of any residual value that might exist; and the development of a transportation mode that is compatible with the existing forward system of supply. The range includes credits for unwanted goods that are returned to inventory, payment for damage that may or may not be a fault of the supplier, replacement of obsolete pro duct, and simply accepting the return of goods that have no apparent problem. Much of the goods in the last category are re-conditioned or re-packaged to go back into the system or to an alternate buyer.There are many examples of firms using this type of system to turn what used to be an out-of-pocket loss into a profit by re-selling the returned goods to a satisfied customer. Exhibit 2 – Reverse Logistics Model – Small Logistics Partner In the model depicted above, the partner receives the returned goods and makes a test to determine if the need is for disposal, there is a major defect and the unit must be repaired, or there is a cosmetic defect and the unit can be refurbished. In either of the latter cases, the unit is repaired and placed in stock for subsequent used stock order fulfillment.In a broader situation, as shown in exhibit 3, the process becomes more involved. Now we see the unit is returned based on the â€Å"return from† location and goes to a des ignated center. The same type of processing takes place, but may also include factory direct repair if authorized by the OEM. This model is more appropriate where large volumes of product are to be processed. Exhibit 3 – Reverse Logistics Model – Large Repair Partners A model used by a satellite TV service provider is described in exhibit 4, where we see different business partners being used for returns processing and minor defect removal versus major product defect repair.Exhibit 4 – Model for Satellite TV Service Provider Where there is sufficient volume, cost savings for using a regional test and refurbishment center can be significant. As shown in exhibit 5, we see the results of an actual example. In this case, the total annual savings of $3. 5 million was based on 1. 4 million returns. Exhibit 5 – Projected Cost Savings for Refurbishment Center Reverse Logistics and the Supply Chain Maturity Model Improving the reverse logistics process starts with making selections from the list of objectives a firm wants to accomplish with its attention to this generally neglected area of supply chain.Our list includes the following common intentions: * Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty – don’t lose customers because of a bad experience * Reduced repair, replacement or re-shipment costs – handle the process in an effective manner * Gain feedback from the process to eliminate root causes – demonstrate to the customer that the firm studies its problems and makes them go away * Improve understanding of the reasons for returns – get to the bottom of why the system did not function in a fail-safe manner * Utilize common systems and automate the returns process to the extent possible – Find the way to turn a problem into an opportunity for better customer satisfaction and a source of revenue * Differentiate the firm’s services from those of the competition – Use the experience to ga in customer confidence and build new sales With such a list in hand, the next step is to determine what is currently taking place to meet the objectives versus what must be done to assure they are fully met. The procedure must follow some basic principles, including: * Move credit/flag product receipt point for returned product as close to the customer as possible * Minimize shipping costs * Minimize refurbishment/repair costs * Minimize hand-offs between organizations, facilities, systems, etc. in order to reduce costs and overall cycle time CSC has developed a proven methodology for helping take this step. In Exhibit 6, we see the characteristics and capabilities a firm demonstrates, as it moves up the familiar supply chain maturity model.Beneath each level of the model, we see industry examples showing what a company can achieve as it makes its progress to higher levels of achievement. CSC has been very successful using this calibration matrix to help a firm position its reverse logistics activities against what can be achieved. Exhibit 6 – Maturity Grid – Reverse Logistics Concluding Case Study Example A concluding case study will help demonstrate the kind of hidden values we’ve been considering. The firm is a major provider of logistics services to the wireless communications industry, serving network operators, agents, resellers, dealers, and retailers, located in North America, South America and Asia. Sales are in excess of $2 billion. The business problem was typical of the industry.Strong competition and low margins were prevalent factors on traditional forward logistics services. The firm needed to improve its business customer and end customer service levels. There were increasing business customer demands for more timely and useful data. Existing processes were fragmented, inconsistent and error prone. It was a very labor and paper intensive situation. The company did have a vision: Focus on diversification into higher margin p roduct and service lines. Position the firm to provide more value added customer services with higher profit margins – especially around reverse logistics including end customer support, advanced exchange programs, asset recovery, warranty and repair services.The solution that emerged included some very typical steps in a reverse logistics situation. The firm assessed its existing application architecture and technical infrastructure along with the high level business requirements needed to achieve its vision. A packaged application was recommended to address gaps in reverse logistics capability and leverage existing IT infrastructure. The firm reviewed its existing operations and business processes and introduced industry best practice concepts for reverse logistics. Business process improvement workshops were conducted, which were used to highlight opportunities for standardization and guide new application software configuration, enhancement and implementation.Finally, the firm performed custom enhancements as needed and implemented new software to enable enhanced reverse logistics capability. The results were impressive: * Re-designed business processes, new reverse logistics application capability and outsourcing of non-core functions allowed them to expand and improve level of service to customers, increase sales revenue stream by adding new customers, and increase overall profit margins * The new reverse logistics solution enabled the following typical improvements for their business customers (before versus after): –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reconcile warranty credit – from 30+ days   to

Industrialised Countries Essay

‘Newly industrialised countries have been, and continue to be, the driving force of globalisation’ To what extent do you agree with this statement Globalisation can be seen as the increased flow of goods, services and information across countries, and it is driven by rapid technological growth and increased connectivity between countries of the world. It also establishes and maintains economic and political relations between these countries. Some of the factors that have affected globalisation include technological innovation as it had made transport and communication around the world easier, trade has also played an important role in encouraging globalisation. Trade between countries in the developed world and the developing world has specifically been the biggest driving force of globalisation. Newly industrialised countries or NIC’s are countries whose economies have not yet reached first world economic status but their economic growth are still increasing more than other developing countries. NIC’s are switching their current agriculture-based economy into a more industrialised, urban economy. Current NICs include China, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines, Thailand and Turkey. The average growth rate between these countries is approximately 7.6% compared to the world average of 3.7%. The first group of NIC’s came from the Asia area, they included Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. They called these the Asian Tigers. The Asian Tigers were notable for maintaining exceptionally high growth rates (in excess of 7% a year) and rapid industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s. By the 21st century, all four have developed into advanced and high-income economies. There are several factors that make Newly Industrialised countries the driving force of globalisation. Firstly, most newly industrialised countries have a large population; this makes the countries more attractive for investment as these countries have lots of cheap labour. Therefore, these countries seem more attractive to TNC’s as they can make more profits when the cost of labour is cheap. A Transnational Corporation or a TNC is a privately owned company that is based in 2 or more countries. They take advantage of the NIC’s cheap labour and large growth rate. For instance Toyota is one of the world’s leading car manufacturers and is the third largest in the world. Although based in Japan, Toyota produces most of its cars in its transplants in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Burnaston and Derbyshire.