Efficient Supply Chain Management Processes

Efficient Supply Chain Management Processes Introduction While the importance of proficient supply chain operations augments, organizations are obliged to make their processes incorporated with their chains of supply.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Efficient Supply Chain Management Processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is significant to have a proficient supply chain, in view of the fact that the supply chain management does not only include the management of the connection between the various stakeholders, but also brings into line the achievements of the organization in realizing its corporate objectives. Nevertheless, the current global and competitive business environment necessitates a number of obligations for the organizations. For them to take part in the markets and maintain their lead, organizations are obliged to adopt various approaches founded on a good relationship with the customers, suppliers, retailers, and subsidiaries. Cons equently, a number of novel strategies and pioneering managements ought to be established in the supply chain management processes. This paper discusses efficient supply chain management processes. Supply chain management (SCM) is the â€Å"integration of key business processes from initial raw material extraction to the final or end customer, including all intermediate processing, transportation, and storage activities and final sale to the end-product customer† ( Wisner et al., 28). Supply chain is â€Å"a set of three or more companies directly linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer† (Mentzer, 5; Mentzer et al., 18). SCM assumes that all companies that take part in the process of distributing goods and services to the end users are constituents of a network, pipeline, or supply chain. It involves all things that are needed to ensure that the consumers are contented and t akes account of the products they will purchase, the methods of their manufacture, and the modes of transporting them. The supply chain philosophy ascertains that the consumers get the best products at an appropriate time, at a desirable price and within the preferred locality. The rise in rivalry, intricacy, and geographical scope in the business environment has resulted in this broadened scope. The advance in information and technology has led to optimization of supply chain performance. The advent of the internet has played a pivotal role in the movement of messages within the companies in a supply chain. Companies that have adhered to SCM principles have reported considerable cost and cycle time reductions, for instance, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported rise in inventory turns and lowering of out-of-stock events.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An essenti al principle of SCM is to observe the system of facilities, processes, and individuals who acquire raw materials, change them into manufactured goods, and eventually deliver them to the consumers as an amalgamated chain, instead of a cluster of different, but to some extent connected duties. The significance of this amalgamation cannot be overemphasized since the connections between the chains are the means of realizing the ultimate objective. As much as each company can have a supply chain, it does not imply that each company is able to manage optimally their supply chain to yield increased benefits. Although SCM is not complex in theory, it develops increased intricacies in practice as the company’s size and variety of products becomes larger. SCM is also intricate for the reason that companies may form constituents of a number of pipelines simultaneously. Elements of a supply chain The first element of a supply chain is production. Strategic decisions concerning production centers on the requirements of the consumers and the change in market trends as this is vital in meeting the goals of the organization. This initial phase in building up supply chain agility is concerned with the amount of products to manufacture and the various constituents that are to be produced. These strategic decisions concerning manufacturing should at the same time center on facilities available, value and quantity of the products to be made, while taking into consideration the requirements of the end-users. Alternatively, operational decisions centers on programming various operations within the organization, keeping equipment in good working condition and attending to the immediate needs of the customers. The maintenance of quality should be adhered to throughout the production process. The second element is supply. A company should be concerned with the capacity of their production to manufacture competent and good quality goods at minimized costs. However, a number of o rganizations are not able to give the required performance with the production of all the parts needed. Outsourcing is a good option to be reflected especially for parts that a company is unable to manufacture efficiently. Organizations should cautiously choose suppliers for raw materials based on developing velocity, quality and flexibility at minimized costs. In summary, an organization must make strategic decisions to ascertain their abilities to deliver quality products before outsourcing to other companies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Efficient Supply Chain Management Processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The next element is inventory. Strategic decisions center on inventory and the quantity of finished goods that should be kept in the stores. A crucial issue exists between holding inventory in excess, which can result in increased costs to the company, and inadequate inventory that can fail t o meet the requirements of the consumers. This delicate balance scenario is critical in successful SCM. Operational inventory decisions are most of the time focused on having adequate inventory levels at every distribution link to cater for unpredictability in the market trends in order to maintain customer loyalty. Control strategies should consider having optimal levels of stock at every point. The subsequent element is location. Location decisions revolve around the fluctuating market demands and meeting the various requirements of the customers. Strategic decisions should be based on the positioning of manufacturing facilities, distribution networks, and putting them in strategic locations to attract as many customers as possible. Once prime locations are established, lasting decisions should be reached to locate manufacturing and stocking plants to be as near the consumer as possible. In companies where constituents are light in weight and depends on the market trends, the loca tion of the plants must be within the proximity of the customer. In heavier companies, accessibility to the source of the raw material should be the major concern. Decisions pertaining to location must also take note of tax and tariff issues; particularly where geographical boundaries are major hindrances to successful marketing. Transportation is another element. Strategic decisions concerning transportation issues are associated with inventory decisions and satisfying the varied consumer requirements. For example, air transportation enables the consumer to get the product faster but at increased costs compared to transportation by sea or rail. However, using sea or rail transport is slower and usually results in accumulation of stock in the store that may fail to provide the consumer with a quick service. Therefore, it is important to consider that because thirty percent of the overall cost of a product is included in its transport cost, making the right transport decision is cruc ial. Most of all, consumer service levels should be maintained at all times. Strategically, a company should have adequate measures to make sure that products are delivered timely to the targeted markets (Hugos, 14). The last element is information. Efficient SCM involves getting information from the position of the final consumer and joining that information throughout the chain to enable its faster flow. Information is used to coordinate daily activities and for forecasting and planning in guiding the schedule of the organization.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Too much use of paperwork and inefficient computer systems are unsuitable in the current competitive business environment. Cultivating the innovation culture needs consistent flow of information within the structure of an organization. Networks that link computers to each other and the use of internet consolidate the flow of vital information in an organization. Relationships within the supply chain Information and various process systems are amalgamated across the whole supply chain. The intricacy of supply chain increases as the goods and services move from one supplier to the next within the distribution network. The fundamental duties of a company remain the same, not considering whether or not it is following SCM. Suppliers are still needed to provide raw materials while production continues. Distributors are still needed to deliver the products to the consumers for them to purchase. The usual tasks of a company do not change. The eventual disparity in a company that practices SCM is that their attention changes from the occurrences in every link to involve the relationship existing among the various links (Helms, para. 6). An organization practicing efficient SCM also realizes that the chain has relationships that surpass the usual practices within its framework. Efficient management of the relationships is the place where the integration of the supply chain starts. Whichever enhancements or interruption to the supply chain relationships influences the whole chain. The collective supply chain outcome of indecision is illustrated in the following instance. Suppose a producer of iron box gets supply of poor quality thermostat, and since the producer is dependent on its supplier for prompt delivery, the poor quality batch leads to late delivery to a number of its customers. The iron box producer is compelled to stop further production since he or she lacks adequate material. In the end, the customer gets frustrated when he or she fails to get the preferred brand and ends up purchasing from a business rival. This process also has timing costs associated with it since the customer might have made the actual decision to purchase probably some time after delivery of the substandard thermostat. A number of occurrences take place within the supply chain that is most of the time unexpected. Suppliers may at times deliver materials earlier or later than anticipated. Consumers may increase, decrease, revoke previously assigned orders, or even place large orders. Vehicles used in transportation can break down. Workers can become unwell, refuse to work, or leave the job. Products destined to the market may be of poor quality. Some time ago, organizations prepared for the unexpected and increased their level of consumer contentment by allowing inventory to rise. However, presently this option is unacceptable since high inventories lead to increased costs of transportation and the possibility of the products becoming out dated thus impairing the f lexibility of the organization. All the way through the supply chain, inventory is most of the times generated and held at various places. A section of the inventory can then be decreased or eradicated thus the organization lowers costs and improves in productivity. Reducing the amount of duration it takes to transport manufactured goods from one link of the chain to the other also reduces the cycle time of the whole chain. Therefore, this enhances the competitiveness of the organization and increases the consumer contentment. The bullwhip effect Supply chain management gives the required visibility along the chain to increase the performance of the business and if this visibility is lacking up and down the supply chain, the bullwhip effect sets in. Since the consumer demand is most of the time not predictable, organizations ought to forecast demand to correctly position inventory and other available resources. Forecasts are derived from statistical data and may not be perfectly cor rect. Since forecast inaccuracies are evident, organizations usually have to deal with an inventory buffer known as the safety stock. Across the supply chain from the end-user to the one who supplies raw materials, everyone who takes part in supply chain has had increased observed variation in demand and therefore an increased requirement for safety stock. During the times when demand is increasing, down-stream participants’ raises their orders while when demand reduces, the quantity of orders reduce or halt to lower inventory. The effect seen is that variations are increased when a person goes upstream in the supply chain (away from the consumer). The causes of bullwhip effect can additionally be categorized into behavioral and operational causes. Behavioral causes involve wrong use of base-stock policies, lack of proper sensitivity to feedback and time delays, anxiety over unfulfilled demand, and observed threats of other players’ bounded rationality. Operational cau ses include dependent demand processing that comes due to forecast errors and altering of inventory control parameters with each demand perception. Others are lead-time variability, order synchronization due to consolidation of demands and transaction motives, trade promotion and forward buying, and lastly expectation of deficiency. The bullwhip effect has a number of consequences in the supply chain as is evident in the case of Proctor Gamble (PG) company. When the company was evaluating the demand patterns at different positions in the supply chain, it realized that its customers were using diapers at a steady rate. In this case, the demand order variability in the supply chain was increased as it travelled up the supply chain. The company was not capable of noticing the retailing of its products at the distribution channel stage. It had to depend on sales orders from vendors to formulate product forecasts, arrange for capacity, manage inventory, and program for production. This inadequate visibility led to too much inventory, error in forecasts, too much or restricted capacity, poor customer services, and the damage of its public image. Every connection in the supply chain had excessive inventory to offset the consequences of demand improbability and unpredictability. Research has indicated that having this excessive inventory is equivalent to one hundred days’ of supply. Consequently, by taking into account the effect on the raw materials, the total chain can have in excess of a year’s supply of inventory. Ideally, the bullwhip effect does not take place if all orders accurately fulfill the demand at every time. This effect is a major setback in forecast-driven supply chains and cautious control of the effect is a fundamental aspect for the success of any organization. One method of realizing this is to create a demand-driven supply chain that responds to real consumer orders. Wal-Mart distribution system has realized immense success by adop ting this model (â€Å"logistics,† para.13). Other companies, for example, Hewlett-Packard, PG, and Nestle have also been able to manage this effect. Other countermeasures that have been successfully implemented to control the bullwhip effect include innovative access to information for forecasting demand, reworked price structures, or coming up with approaches to incorporate small lot sizes at the same time as still maximizing transportation effectiveness (Mason and Towill, 43). Achieving this is possible through knowing the consequences of supply chain integration, visibility and information. SCM benefits Supply chain management gives several benefits to companies, which allows them to realize long-term profitability and continue with a solid competitive edge. There are four key advantages of implementing SCM. First, it results in improved supply chain network. SCM gives a proper visibility within the entire supply chain network of an organization. This is difficult to be r ealized when working with disjointed manual processes. By the use of supply chain, customers are able to keep an eye on the condition of all the activities within the entire distribution network. This results in more efficient monitoring and control of all interrelated processes. The processes start from obtaining raw materials to changing them into finished products to be purchased by the consumers. Therefore, the condition of all the activities can be monitored throughout and prompt corrective action undertaken before the situation becomes uncontrollable. Secondly, implementing SCM leads to minimized delays. A number of supply chains, especially those that have not be improved by a supply chain application, are usually interrupted by delays which can lead to reduced customer loyalty and loss in revenues. Orders delivery behind schedule, deceleration of production, and logistical blunders in marketing are all frequent issues that are able to reduce the capability of an organization in adequately meeting the needs of its customers. Implementing SCM ensures the efficient management of all activities from the beginning to the end. This results in increased level of on-time shipment of products across the board. Implementing SCM leads to enhanced collaboration among the various stakeholders. SCM makes it possible for an organization, suppliers and distributors to know the task each one of them is engaged in at all times as it bridges the gap between them, regardless of their geographical constraints. The supply chain partners are able to share crucial information, for example, forecasts and inventory conditions. This form of immediate, uninterrupted flow of information and sharing of vital data enables the supply chain partners to be conversant, thus making it possible for a smooth flow of supply chain processes. Lastly, SCM leads to reduced costs. SCM results in enhanced inventory control, which eradicates the strain on real estate and financial implications tha t often is realized when there is a need to keep surplus products. This strategy ensures more demand that is efficient planning. Therefore, production output can be targeted to a level that minimizes wastages due to lost sales. SCM makes it possible for an organization to have enhanced relationships with merchants and its distributors. This enables purchasing and logistics personnel to discover cost-cutting chances, for example, giving volume discounts. Requirements of SCM The first requirement is consumer focus. The supply chain begins and ends with the consumers, therefore the basic focus of SCM starts by appreciating the consumers, their importance, and needs. This involves understanding the internal consumers of the company as well as the consumers at the extreme end of the supply chain. Organizations ought to find out the requirements of the consumers from the product or services they are going to purchase. They should then focus their energy towards meeting these requirements. The process of the supplier ought to be associated with the purchasing process of the consumer and performance measurement ought to be consumer focused. This is because the behavior of the last consumer would eventually influence the performance of the whole supply chain. The second requirement is Information flow. Organizations should devote their resources in communication devices that are able to give rapid flow of information from one source to the other. Information is the key to enabling quick response among the parties in the supply chain in case any changes take place. Information assists in the process of decision making, for example, assessment and investigation options. The proper flow of information is significant to the visibility of the products and services as they move all the way through the supply chain as this enhances inventory control and consumer service abilities. Because matters of trust and security are important to information integration, a number of comp anies are triumphantly addressing these matters by coming up with partnerships in business. Another requirement is employee and management support. Supply chain approaches usually need transformations in processes and customary norms. This calls for flexibility among the supply chain members to be able to incorporate novel ways and concepts. Sometimes the level of flexibility and change needed becomes complex for companies and their workers. Nevertheless, the capability to adopt essential changes will enable an organization to reap the full benefits of implementing SCM. Since the supply chain is unpredictable, companies are instructed to give room for change, anticipate resistance and find ways of tackling any eventualities. Preparation in the ideas of SCM is able to assist in this endeavor. Furthermore, the new concepts should get adequate support from all the employees and those in management. The last requirement is measurement. Usually organizations adopt methods to enhance thei r performances minus taking concrete steps to ascertain the level of their success. The methods of measuring performance should reflect on the whole supply chain and be aimed at meeting the consumer requirements. Consequently, SCM guarantees that the methods of measurement are properly adhered to in the process of adopting SCM techniques in an organization. Attaining the objectives of SCM The ways that are employed to attain the objectives of SCM can be categorized into two groups. A number of ways strive to attain these objectives by enhancing the processes in the links of the chain while other ways strive to attain these objectives through transforming the duties or the purposes of the chain. The ways employed to enhance this process consist of modeling various alternatives, efficient measurement, and enhanced forecasting. Others are cross-docking inventories (products are not allowed to stop as inventory in the distribution chain), direct store delivery (bypass distribution cente r) and electronic data interchange technology. Direct store delivery method involves products that are needed when fresh or when fast restocking is needed. Electronic data interchange technology involves the use of computers as a method of communication among two or more organizations and it is used to process various issues that arise due to transaction. Big retailers such as Wal-Mart and Kmart have initiated this technology, which ensures that information is transmitted quickly. Other ways are present that employ changing roles to attain SCM objectives. These are postponement strategies (interrupts the differentiation of products to address the changing consumer requirements), vendor managed inventory (companies reach beyond their boundaries and combine their energies with suppliers and consumers), and supplier integration (organizations focus on allying with all the key suppliers in the supply chain). Supply chain operations reference The Supply-Chain Council (a not-for-profit tr ade association) set up the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model. The model was made to illustrate all the activities of an organization that are related to meeting the requirements of the consumer and it divides the entire supply chain activities into five management processes of plan, source, make, deliver, and return. The model has numerous subdivisions. By illustrating supply chains, SCOR can be employed to illustrate supply chains that are extremely easy or extremely difficult through employing a standard of terminologies. Therefore, unrelated organizations can be connected to illustrate in detail the parameters in any supply chain. Global projects and site-specific projects have triumphantly adopted SCOR as a foundation for meeting their objectives. SCOR is an important tool employed by organizations to evaluate the arrangement of their supply chains, discover and assess metrics in the supply chain, establish weak points and attain optimal outcomes. SCOR is a cross-i ndustry guideline for supply chain management. It gives a universal supply chain framework, guideline on terms used, and regular metrics with related point of reference. Organizations, suppliers, and consumers are able to establish integrated supply chains using it since the model can be employed as a standard guideline for assessing, locating, and adopting SCM practices. Principles of supply chain management The first principle involves starting with the consumer by appreciating their values and varied needs. Consumers are grouped depending on the service requirements of the different groups. The supply chain is then altered to efficiently meet the needs of these groupings. These groupings assist the organization to provide products customized to the targeted market segment. The second principle involves managing logistics assets across the entire supply chain, not only within the organization. Plans that are concerned with the location of distribution plants, pipeline inventory, a nd transportation activities must involve both down-channel and up-channel partners, for example, retailer-managed inventory plans will need corporation to determine various delivery issues. The next principle appertains to organizing consumer management. This ensures that it gives one â€Å"face† to the consumer for any information needed as well as providing optimal customer service. It involves corresponding suppliers’ fulfillment processes with the consumers’ purchasing behavior and it necessitates that information technology to be organized to give a single window on the order status. The subsequent principle involves integrating sales and operations planning. This forms the foundation for a more responsive supply chain, for example, ensuring that all the functions have the same forecast number. This calls for sharing of information amongst the various stakeholders in a supply chain. The fifth principle appertains to leveraging manufacturing and sourcing to ensure flexible and competent processes. Leading organizations are implementing other strategies besides the traditional approaches. Postponement tactics, for an instance such as controlling production in order to lower inventory while maintaining optimal operations in the levels of stocks, can be practiced effectively. The next principle involves building strategic alliances and relationship management within all the members of the supply chain. Even though building a true collaboration is a daunting task, the reality is that if strategic relationships are lacking, controlling the whole supply chain as a distinct unit is difficult. The last principle deals with developing consumer-driven performance measures, which will eventually be the reference point for the behaviour of all the partners in the chain. The comprehensive supply chain strategy entails coming up with measures and performance criteria that checks the financial position of the entire supply chain. Conclusion As the s trategy of total quality management (TQM), Supply chain management is an advancing process since it lacks a definite stopping point. Implementing SCM ensures that an organization records increased benefits in costs reduction and competency improvement. Supply chains involves organizations together with the business operations required to design, make, deliver, and make use of a product or service. Organizations rely on their supply chains to provide them with what they need to survive and thrive in the competitive business environment. Each organization fits into one or more supply chains and has a duty to perform in every one of them. SCM attends to difficult matters and business rivalry by exploiting and improving the supply chain in order to give tactical, economic, and profitable outcomes to the organization. Helms, Marilyn. â€Å"Supply Chain Management.† Reference for Business. 2010. Web. Hugos, Michael. Essentials of supply chain management. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, 2006. Print. â€Å"Logistics.† 2009 Global Sustainability Report. Wal-Mart. n.d. Web. Mason, Rachel and Dennis Towill. Coping with Uncertainty: Reducing Bullwhip Behaviour in Global Supply Chains. Supply Chain Forum 1.0 (2000): 40–44. Print. Mentzer, John T. et al. â€Å"Defining Supply Chain Management.† Journal of Business Logistics 22. 2 (2001): 1–25. Print. Mentzer, John T. Supply chain management. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication, 2001. Print. Wisner et al. Principles of supply chain management: a balanced approach. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.

Cubic Feet to Cubic Inches Conversion

Cubic Feet to Cubic Inches Conversion Converting cubic feet  to cubic inches  is a common English units conversion  problem. Here is the conversion factor and a worked example. Conversion Factor 1 cubic foot   1728 cubic inches 1 cubic inch 0.000578704 cubic feet Simple Example Convert 3.5 cubic feet into cubic inches.  When using a conversion factor, be sure the unit you are changing from gets canceled out. You can multiply by the conversion factor: 3.5 cubic feet x 1728 cubic inches per cubic foot 6048 cubic inches Worked Example You measure a box and find it is 2 foot  long, 1 foot  high, and 0.5 feet deep. The first step is to calculate the volume in cubic feet.  The volume of the box is length x width x height so the volume of the box is: 2 x 1 x 0.5   volume in cubic feet 1 cubic foot Now, to convert this to cubic inches, you know there are 1728 cubic inches in 1 cubic foot: 1 cubic foot x (1728 cubic inches / 1 cubic foot) volume in cubic inches 1 cubic foot x 1728 cubic inches/foot   volume in cubic inches 1728 cubic inches

American soldiers' harbored bitterness toward their hometown and Essay

American soldiers' harbored bitterness toward their hometown and ordinary average citizen in America - Essay Example ?other.’ They are compelled to respond in such a manner because they are confronted by what seems to them, and is, an overwhelming apprehension of injustice. But, while going inward and seeing others as the source of their anxiety, they are paradoxically fleeing themselves. If they feel divorced from civilians, sometimes reflect bitterly about them, but feel strong impulses to still communicate with them, it is because these young men are consumed with the dread of others’ opinions of their behavior, the choices they have made or which have been thrust upon them and resent being in this position. Risking death and pain in a war they know to be questionable, if not unjustified, they flee to isolate themselves from what they most fear: disapproval. everyone uncomfortable. It is this moral dilemma that Tim O’Brien addresses in ‘On the Rainy River.’ It is also his reason for fleeing, and for seeing in others the cause of his crushing anxiety. In the first paragraph, O’Brien admits his reticence to tell this story about himself, certain it will cause embarrassment – â€Å"a sudden need to be elsewhere.†(39) The mere suggestion that he would refuse service in Vietnam upon receiving his draft notice, would play the coward rather than the hero, instills in him shame. But his dilemma is real: he has no choice but to agree to â€Å"fight a war [he] hated,† in which â€Å"[c]certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons.†(40) That summer became for him one of â€Å"moral confusion.†(40) One feels in every word on the page O’Brien’s suffocation, his â€Å"moral split.†(44) One also understands his outrage and how he expresses it. This war is not a war he chose. He considers it unjustified. But in his conservative prairie town of southern Minnesota he can find no one who shares his thoughts – though it must be admitted that he makes no attempt to find and speak to anyone about his angst. Patrons of the Gobbler Cafà © on Main Street represent to him the

Miss Evers Boys Opinion Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miss Evers Boys Opinion - Movie Review Example These blacks had put their blind trust in the hands of the medical practitioners, doctors and medical professionals, besides the United Stated Government. However, they were meted out with discriminatory practices. The victims were used as 'study cases' and were experimented upon, depriving them of proper medical care. From the 1930s to the 1970s, the United Stated Public Health Service used about six hundred of the syphilis affected blacks as 'case studies' to conduct experiments. They did not make use of the already discovered wonder drug, penicillin and carried on with their insensitive experimentation. This leads to the death of nearly two hundred victims, which the doctors hide under the garb of lack of treatment. Alfre Woodard plays the young nurse, Eunice Evers who works for Dr. Brodus, played by Joe Morton. The two, in combination with a white doctor, played by Craig Sheffer are appointed to open a treatment centre for the blacks with syphilis.

Da Vinci †The Genius at the Venetian Las Vegas Essay Example for Free

Da Vinci – The Genius at the Venetian Las Vegas Essay While plenty of people are familiar with Da Vinci the painter not as many realize his prowess as a Renaissance man. Perhaps he was the first true man of so many talents that it was hard to peg him as one type of individual. In Da Vinci – The Genius you get a good look at the results of a great mind. You won’t see original works of art but instead you’ll see what has transpired from notes and drawings that Leonardo da Vinci created. Da Vinci was an artist, scientist, mathematician, architect, inventor and so much more. This enormous amount of brain power from one man has been highlighted in various forms before but this traveling exhibition highlights some of his inventions that today we might take for granted. As a result of the research to put together such an exhibition the idea of one large exhibition that celebrated Da Vinci and his Genius was created and can be viewed in Las Vegas. For the Mona Lisa he used oil paint, on poplar wood, there doesn’t seem to be any brush specifications, so we can just assume he used normal brushes. He employed a couple of techniques called sfumato and velature. Sfumato, roughly translated from Italian, means evaporated or vanished. This technique involves mixing light and dark paint, using tiny brush strokes, to create a smoky blend between the two colors. Velature is when an artist mixes paint on the canvas, instead of on a palette. Leonardo perfected both these techniques, as well as having his general knowledge of the human anatomy and the laws of nature to make his paintings more realistic. Da Vinci was left handed and did not force himself to switch like most people did then. In his day with quill pens, it was important to pull the writing instrument rather than pull it. When a right handed person writes left to write he or she pulls the pen and his or her hand does not smear wet ink. When a left handed person writes left to write he or she pushes the pen for less control and his or her hand smears the ink for less legibility. Rather than change his writing hand, he changed the direction in which he wrote. This allowed him to more quickly and easily write notes to himself without having to conform to the stifling conventions at the time, an overall goal of the renaissance.

Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay examples -- Song of Myself Essays

In one of the sections from the poem, â€Å"Song of Myself† Walt Whitman starts out with a child asking a question, â€Å"What is the grass?† Grass is a symbol of life. God, who created both the heavens and the earth also gave birth to life. When Whitman refers to grass as a â€Å"handkerchief of the Lord† (7), as a gift. When people look at the grass, they do not think of it as a creation but rather just a plant. Whitman refers to the grass as â€Å"a child, the produced babe of vegetation† (11, 12). Here, the grass is a metaphor for the birth of a child. In often cases, the birth of anything is celebrated because it symbolizes a new life, a new beginning. Whitman in a way compares grass as a human society. He mentions that grass is â€Å"a uniform hieroglyphic† (13) and they â€Å"alike† (14). In scientific terms, all humans are similar to each other and the only aspect that makes each person different is their personality and race. But even if people are racially different from each other physically, every person is the same internally as Whitman puts it: â€Å"Growing among black folks as among white, â€Å"Knuck, T...

Paradoxical Thinking of Google

Paradoxical Thinking of Google Abstract Paradoxical thinking is looking at a problem from opposite perspectives. We live in a complex world which is full of paradoxes. Paradoxical thinking has contributed to many companies success. It is important for us to know about paradoxical thinking. This article analyzed that how Google applies paradoxical thinking in their interface, products and '20 percent program'. Then the article indicated that the key to learn paradoxical thinking is open in mind. Paradoxical Thinking Introduction Before we get started, we need to know what is paradoxical thinking.A paradox is a group of statements that are contradictory. And paradoxical thinking is looking at a problem or a situation from different or even opposite perspectives, and finding the same thing which is deep down in two opposite perspectives. (Westenholz, 1993) For example, in the 1830's, Faraday had observed that a current of electricity passing through a wire could cause the magnetized nee dle, which was located close to the wire, to move in a rotational direction. This was the basis of his electric motor. But he didn't stop with this.He twist his mind and found that moving magnets can cause electricity to flow. This is one of the most brilliant application of paradoxical thinking. Paradoxical thinking has helped plenty of companies to be successful. The following research on Google is trying to find out how they practice paradoxical thinking. Research on Google Company History Google Inc. is an American corporation which provides internet-related products and services. It has the dominant position in this field. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and set up the workspace in a garage.At the end of 1998, Google was recognized as the search engine of choice by â€Å"PC Magazine†. In 1999, Google received 25 million dollars investment and started its rapid growth. In 2000, Google started to release multiple language versions of Google. com and became the world's larg est search engine by acquiring the first billion-URL index. (Schonfeld, 2008)Google's initial public offering of 19,605,052 shares stock took place on Wall Street on August 18, 2004. Opening price: $ 85 per share. And the price is around $700 per share. Recently, Google. om is listed as the internet's first most visited website, and numerous international Google sites are in the top hundred, as well as several other Google-owned sites such as YouTube and Blogger. (â€Å"Our History in Depth† . Google Inc, 2012) Interface At the end of 20th century, countless search engines were published. What makes Google. com outstanding? I think the interface is a very important factor. As we can see in the pictures, many search engines, such as HotBot, Excite, DogPile, used very complex and colorful homepage in order to attract visitors and indicate their websites' powerful functions.While Google. com used a very simple homepage. It only got a logo, a textbox and two buttons on the websit e. At first, the complex homepages maybe more attractive because of their colors and structures. But visitors more concern about the result pages than the search engine page. Then the convenient Google. com became popular. This is a good example of paradoxical thinking. Complexity cannot always be good. Simplicity can be a better choice. Besides the simple homepage, the â€Å"Google doodles† is also a determine difference. The doodles are not just comics, they also include mini games and short animations.Visitors will have fun and learn some knowledge through these doodles. The doodles are great mixed with Google's logo. It will connect visitors good feelings with Google. com and make them more willing to re-visit it again. Sometimes people come back not because the functions, but for the little funny tricks. (Gube, 2009) Products and Services Google provide a variety of services for people and businesses, not just search for the word you typed. The CEO, Larry Page, described the â€Å"perfect search engine† is something that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want. This means making search smarter and faster. You can save time when searching information and have more time on the stuff you are good at. Advertising covers more than 90% of Google's revenue. Google has implemented various innovations in this market. Traditional way of advertising is that showing a product or a service and then trying to raise your interests about it or persuading you to pay it. While Google uses a different way. It takes full advantage of its search engine. The ads show up in the result you found and are related to what you are looking at. Helft, 2009) Ads are presented to you, according your interests. Only a few sentences can be more effectively than traditional ads. And people are more willing to see the ads that are related to what they are looking at. Google search is Google's core product. Now it is far more than a web search engine. You can get access to all the Google's products and services through it. Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. They want to build a worldwide information centre. For example, the Google map.You can see almost everywhere all over the world. And you can get various information, such as traffic information, geography information, even the street view. Google also developed Chrome and Android to make it simpler and faster for people to do what they want to online. All the Google products and services are trying to make the complex web and information simpler and easier to access or use. 20 percent time Theories of workplace control don't talk much about freedom. The workplace is often understood as a totalizing environment, saturated with obvious and subtle forms of coercion.It is kind of like a prison camp. While, companies like Google have created environment that resembles a playground more than a prison camp. They use a innovative time off program called â€Å"20 percent time†. This program allows the staff devote 20% of the working time to independent projects of their own choosing. (Walker, 2011) Although, not all the independent projects can be applied, Google have got many innovative products, such as Gmail, Chrome, Google Earth and so on. This program is contra to the theories of workplace control, but it keeps Google's creativity.Culture Google is known for having an informal corporate culture. Unlike other big company, Google has a casual culture. Google has some philosophy like â€Å"you can be serious without a suit†, â€Å"work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun. † (Stross, 2008)They believe that great, creative thing are more likely to happen with the right company culture. It does not just mean lava lamps and rubber balls. The culture put an emphasis on team achievements and pride in individual accomplishments has contribute to t heir success.They have built wonderful offices to make employees feel comfortable and fun, and made the company attractive and creative. Learn Paradoxical Thinking Paradoxical thinking is not a talent. It is a skill that you can learn and practice. Paradoxical thinking is looking at a problem or a situation from different or even opposite perspectives. The core is â€Å"outside the box†, which means be open in the mind. We need openness, courage and curiosity to think paradoxically. Openness means that we need to pay attention on our ideas that seem to be ridiculous and be open to learning new subjects.Be brave to try a totally different approach to what you are doing. Be curious about everything, especially that you have been ignoring for granted. Always ask yourself â€Å"Can I change this into the exact opposite? † Being a paradox thinker need to be skeptical. The more skeptical you are the better a paradox thinker you will be. Do not take for granted what others ac cept as a routine (K. R. Ravi). The eight skills related to intelligence are memory, logic, judgment, perception, intuition, reason, imagination and paradoxical thinking.Paradoxical thinking is often regarded as the least used of these skills. This is because that companies that survive hold rational views. While paradoxical thinking involves the ability to reverse, manipulate, combine, synthesize opposites (K. R. Ravi). It is hard to accept paradox for people that cannot live with two seemingly contradictory forces at the same time. Summary We live in a complex world which is full of paradox. It is very important for us to learn paradoxical thinking. (T. Belasen) By thinking paradoxically, we can find new opportunities, improve our performance.For management and leadership, paradoxical thinking means try opposite ways, and find the expectation in these ways. For example, the Greyhound bus line have gone through a very tough time because of the Green Tortoise. The Green Tortoise lin e's price is half of that of Greyhound. It is hard for Greyhound to compete with Green Tortoise on price. Instead of reducing the journey time and cost, the owner of Greyhound increased the journey time from four days to six days. This is trying a opposite way. Since he is more familiar about this place than the Green Tortoise does, he added more ‘fun' into the six days trip.His fun trip strategy gave him a new opportunity and changed travel into a pleasure industry. References â€Å"Our History in Depth† . Google Inc. (2012, October 21). Retrieved from http://www. google. com/about/company/history Gube, J. (2009, September 12). Popular Search Engines in the 90's:Then and Now. Retrieved from http://sixrevisions. com/web_design/popular-search-engines-in-the-90s-then-and-now/ Helft, M. (2009, March 11). Google to Offer Ads Based on Interests. The New York Times. K. R. Ravi. (n. d. ). Paradoxical Thinking. Retrieved from http://www. krravi. com/PARADOXICALTHINKING. df Scho nfeld, E. (2008, January 9). â€Å"Google Processing 20,000 Terabytes a day, and Growing†. Retrieved from TechCrunch. Stross, R. (2008). Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan to Organize Everything We Know. New York: Free Press. T. Belasen, A. (n. d. ). Paradoxes and Leadership Roles. Walker, A. (2011, November). ‘Creativity loves constraints': The paradox of Googles twenty percent time. Ephemera: Theory & Politics in Organization, pp. 369-386. Westenholz, A. (1993). Paradoxical Thinking and Change in the Frames of Reference. Organization Studies, pp. 37-58.

Opportunities to work from home

Uncovering legitimate work from home opportunities in Canada We here at the Employment and Education Centre recognize that there are many capable and talented people who for a variety of reasons are looking for legitimate opportunities to earn a living from home. To support our clients who have a need and interest in creating a work from home situation we decided to do some research. Are there legitimate opportunities to find employment from home? How do you separate the real opportunities from the scams? What kind of work is available? These are Just a few of the questions we wanted to find answers to.We have worked elegantly to research, dig, and verify the information presented here. We Goggled a variety of terms, read articles, followed links, checked information on the WHO'S database, and then reached out to the companies presented below. Here are some symbols to guide you: Connected with the company via email, chat or telephone Link from a good source and requires further resea rch Be advised that this information comes from research on our part but we do not verify or warrant any of these sites. We are sharing this information with you and it is now your responsibility to pick up and continue to do the research.Our Professional Employment Counselors are here to support you in developing the skills and abilities to find work that suits and supports your life goals. We look forward to working with you, so please call, stop in or email us. Sincerely, The Employment and Education Centre Team 0 2012 The Employment and Education Centre 2 TELEPHONE BASED WORK Agents / Sales Lexicon Communications From their website: Lexicon Communications is looking for customer service representatives to be Independent telephone contractors, working from home.We are excited to further expand this opportunity across Canada. We offer phone opportunities (as little as 20 hrs per week up to 60 hours per week) for contractors to service the largest Communication Company in Canada. W age: $1 1. 35/hour & $12. 35 depending on your selection of shifts Payments are made to you on the 13th and the 28th of each month by direct deposit Requirements: Ability to work from home as a remote agent Availability to work a minimum of 20 hours per week between the hours of am-am with 4 of these hours on the weekend- $1 1. 5 per hour. We also have an evening option that does not require weekend work- $12. 35 per hour Complete a Voice audition Background Check (we will provide the location to complete) Windows based Computer with XP Service Pack 3 or Windows 7 High-Speed Internet service Dedicated Phone Line Approved headset http://www. Licentiousness's. Com/3201/index. HTML Transom – Home Agent Option From their website: Transom is a global employer in an industry that depends upon strong, resourceful, talented people.In return for commitment, hard work and talent we offer competitive salaries and benefits, high quality training and opportunities to forge a career in a p rogressive, client focused business. Http://careers. Transom. Com/ To go Job Search, Go to Location & select Home Agent Canada to apply 3 Contract World From their website: The World Of Work-At-Home Jobs Begins Here Contractor. Jobs is the website at the center of the expanding world of contract work for home-based customer service agents. There's nothing quite like it.The site was first launched 5 years ago in Canada and now has over 50,000 members from all across thriving new I-J based agent community at Contractor. Co. UK. Home-based agents are finding helipad, interesting work from the growing list of call enters who recruit on-line at Contractor. Jobs. Depending on who you decide to contract with you will need to invest anywhere from $30 to $300 to be trained. If you pass the training you are guaranteed work. Anne-Marie Some of North America's largest companies are recruiting right now and there's certainly a lot more companies and contracts to come. Http://'. NM. N. Ml. Contra dictoriness/work_at_home_]bobs_Canada/01 _home/ work_at_home_]bobs_ho me. HTML Alpine Access Canada We understand that Alpine Access pays From their website: When hired by Alpine you for the time you spend in training. Access, you are an employee – not an independent contractor. We are committed to you and believe that an employer-employee relationship creates the best experience for you and our clients. We've found that when our employees feel valued and excited about work, they provide great service to customers. HTTPS://]bobs. Alpenstock. Mom/work-home/employee-benefits/Canada The following are links that we found and more research is needed to see if the opportunities exist. NCO Virtual – http://www. Inconvertible. Com/index. HTML Divans – http://field. Divans. Ca/en/ Marketing – http://www. Racketing. Com/careers. HTML Converged – wry. Converges. Com/careers 4 Medical, legal and insurance transcription services from home Way With Words From th eir website: TRANSCRIPTION: APPLY TO WORK FOR US Our application process is simple yet challenging. Only between 2% – 5% of our applicants pass our assessments as we take the applicants' English-language skills very seriously.To apply to work for us as a transcriber please click here. PROOFREADING: APPLY TO WORK FOR US To apply to work with us as a proofreader, please submit your C.v. proofreader(at)weatherproofing. Com. Should you like to apply to work for us as a transcription proofreader (audio transcript proffer) please download the following sound file and request the test transcript. Instructions will be emailed to you. CAPTIONING: REGISTER WITH US To be considered for our register of capacitors in future, please submit your C.V. to captioning(at)weatherproofing. Com.Note: Only experienced individuals with own computer, internet access and appropriate captioning software need apply. Http:// www. Watchwords. Info/ Obstetrician From their website: Obstetrician Job Applica tion please complete all parts of this application, including the requested transcription sample. Thank you. Interesting to note that the head office is located in Cape Town, South Africa – they contract with Canadians regularly. Key facts about being a transcription with Obstetrician: 1. We pay $0. 50 per audio minute 2. We pay weekly via Papal for work completed the prior week 3.Work your own hours 4. Join a fun growing team! Http://www. Obstetrician. Com/ 5 Accent's From their website: Medical Transcription – Accent's Inc. , a leading provider of independent physicians across Canada, has ongoing requirements for experienced Canadian medical transcriptions/editors to work as independent contractors from home. Http://www. Accent's. Ca/careers/Canadian. PH Terra Nova From their Website: Terra Nova prides itself on hiring talented employees who support its mission of delivering high quality results and best-in-class service to each customer.

Aurochs essays

Aurochs essays The buffalo-like Aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius) once roamed over European plains with might and dignity, before its extinction at the hands of human hunters. Also known as the wild ox, the Aurochs grazed the fields of Central Europe and the Baltic coast, although most recently it was restricted to Poland, Lithuania and Prussia. In appearance, the male Aurochs was described as a fearsome animal. Measuring over 180 cm (710 in) at the withers, the bull Aurochs would stand taller than almost any hunter, and the species was not a pacific one. Fiercely territorial, bull Aurochs would attack almost any predator who entered their domicile, and despite its massive size, an Aurochs can move very quickly. (1) The Aurochs was covered in thick dark hair, usually black or brown in color, with a lighter colored ridge or ruff running the length of the spine. The facial structure of the Aurochs was most like that of the present day Spanish bull, with dark, tear shaped eyes, small tufted ears, a cro wn of hair on the scalp and a rather short snout. Aurochs also had a very impressive set of horns, which swept forward and spread out away from the face. These horns could often reach the length of 81 cm (32 in), and were used as decorative ornaments by hunters. (2) The thick neck of the Aurochs was also protected by a layer of fat, to better prevent and deter goring during the mating season. Like modern bulls, the Aurochs had a tufted tail, however, unlike modern day descendants, the Aurochs had more muscular and larger legs. This enabled it to cover ground easily. Males weighed up to 1000 kg (approx. 2200 pounds), while females were much lighter, approximately 700 kg (approx. 1500 lbs). In comparison, modern day cows measure at 141 cm (56 in) and weight in at 770 kg (1700 lb). (3) Although the Aurochs massive size ensured that very few predators would be willing to attack it, even in packs, size only made the species more appealing to man. ...

Happy Yuletide!

Happy Yuletide! Happy Yuletide! Happy Yuletide! By Maeve Maddox Today is a day that has been important to human beings from time immemorial. For ancient English speakers, it was Yule. Even now people refer to â€Å"the Yuletide season†and sing about the Yule log. Spelled Geola in Old English, Yule is a very ancient English word. Before the English adopted the Roman calendar along with Christianity, Yule corresponded to the months of December and January. What we call December was Aerra Geola, â€Å"before Yule,† and January was Afterra Geola, â€Å"following Yule.† The festival of Yule fell between. Yule was an ancient Germanic solstice celebration that began on or around December 25. The Yule log was burned on the family hearth. A portion of it was saved, kept in the house all year, and used to light the next year’s Yule log. It was a token of prosperity for the household. The expression â€Å"Yuletide season† is redundant. Yuletide means â€Å"Yule season.† The Old English element tide means â€Å"point or portion of time.† And speaking of time, the â€Å"twelve days of Christmas† as used by merchants seem to be the last twelve shopping days before Christmas. In the church calendar, the twelve days of Christmas are the days between the birth of Jesus on December 25 and the arrival of the Wise Men on January 6. The Anglo-Saxon year Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)On Behalf Of vs. In Behalf OfSupervise vs. Monitor

Slavery and the Mississippi Secession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Slavery and the Mississippi Secession - Essay Example Using that as the basis, they argued that the Union was taking away their right to own said property and land; and taking the ability to succeed in commerce with the property owned. They felt the Union had interfered with their ownership by allowing escaped slaves to take fugitive in the Free states, by denying protection to the slave ships on the high seas, and removing the ability to acquire more land. In President Lincoln's inaugural address, he specifically addressed the slavery issue with this statement: "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." In fact, the emancipation proclamation did not necessarily free all slaves but those who lived within the Union States. President Lincoln was much more interested in preserving the Union of the United States and felt the South had no right to just arbitrarily seceded: "Again: If the United States be not a government proper, but an association of States in the nature of contract merely, can it, as a contract, be peaceably unmade by less than all the parties who made it One party to a contract may violate it-break it, so to speak-but does it not require all to lawfully rescind it" There is particular irony between the reason statement: "It advocates negro equality, socially and politically, and promotes insurrection and incendiarism in our midst." and the further reason statement: "It has enlisted its press, its pulpit and its schools against us, until the whole popular mind of the North is excited and inflamed with prejudice." followed by the announcement: "Utter subjugation awaits us in the Union, if we should consent longer to remain in it." (Readings # 109, p. 406) In the first statement, written as one of the reasons for the declaration of secession, they claim that the Union was promoting equality among the slaves, and promoting the slaves to violence if necessary. Within the same document the authors cite their own personal freedoms as reason to secede. But the majority of the document is about how the north (or the Union) is treating the south (or the Confederate States) as non-equal members telling them what they may or may not do. The document descri bes that the result of following the Union dictates would be utter social ruin and complete loss of property, valued at 4 billion dollars. Looking at the value only, one could understand their desire to remove themselves from the Union and by the same token, one could understand the desire of the north not to lose such value. Abraham Lincoln summed it up better in his Gettysburg address, which was written after the start of the Civil War: "All men are created equal." "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." November 19, 1863 "A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union" Reading 109. Third Edition. Readings in U. S. History to

Plato's design systems that reduce the apparent irregularities in the Essay - 2

Plato's design systems that reduce the apparent irregularities in the motions of the planets to regular motions in perfectly regular cicles - Essay Example But it is very difficult to let go of traditional beliefs and very often people cannot recognize anything that is not correct scientifically or morally. â€Å"In The Sleepwalkers, Koestler traced what he thought to be the mainstream of the development of science through exquisitely researched and written biographies of some of sciences leading figures.† (Adler) Plato writes in his book ‘Republic’ that stars form a section of the ‘visible world’ which it not real or actual world. While being very beautiful they are a ‘copy of the real world’. For Plato real world is the ‘world of ideas’. He would rather study the stars in abstract than find about their rotation and revolution. Only by paying full attention to the intellectual can we in actual understand and capture the essence of astronomy. Plato was a very prominent scientist till the last years of twelfth century. But he lost to Aristotle for two hundred years. Plato did make a comeback but both these scientists complemented each other. For Plato change goes hand in hand with deterioration and he describes the creation as â€Å" story of the successiveemergence ofeven lower and less worth forms of life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ the ladder which he climbs down starts from god to ‘the world of reality’ which is made up of ‘perfect form and ideas’. Then comes ‘the world of appearance’ that is a pale reproduction of the real world. Plato believes in the philosophy of decline and devolution rather than that of growth by ascent. To judge whether Platois sarcastic or is to be believed word for word or symbolically is very difficult. Plato hated change and looked down upon the idea of evolution and changeability. The middle ages echoed this along with its simultaneous desire for everlasting and unchanging flawlessness. The author is very critical of Plato and his view seems like a tunnel vision phenomena, but he feels that this is ‘what he came to mean to a long row of future generations- the one sided