History of Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Management - Coursework Example Some of the known theorists whose theory’s themes are still in use now are Fredrick Taylor, Henri Fayol and Max Weber. They developed scientific management theory, modern operational-management theory and bureaucratic theory respectively. Managers use the ideas in the theories to run their duties and perform the organizations' activities to achieve their objectives. For example, many managers use the ideas to coordinate their workers, organize their plans, administer worker’s payments and employ skilled workers to achieve the company objectives. Frederick Taylor developed the scientific management theory in the 1880s and 1890s in the manufacturing industries. Scientific management is a management theory that synthesis and analyzes workflows. Its major objective is improving the efficiency of economics, mostly the labour productivity. It among the earliest attempts to use science in management and engineering processes. It needs a high-level managerial control of employe e practices on their work and entails a high managerial workers ratio to labourers than the prior management periods (Frederick, 2007). The theory evolved in an era when automation and mechanization were infancies. The methods and ideas of the theory extended to the American manufacturing system in the craft transformation in automation and mechanization. Therefore, the over labour-displacing technologies concerns rose with the increase of automation and mechanization (Frederick, 2007). Hence, the theory influences some of the management strategies in today’s industries. The theory guide on the worker’s payment. Fredrick studied that some employees were more talented compared to others, and the smart ones were mostly unmotivated. He also observed that many employees that got forced to work repetitive jobs tend to work at a slower rate that is unpunished.

The troubled history of the Airbus A380 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

The troubled history of the Airbus A380 - Essay Example In addition, Soft Systems Methodology allows to identify analyze multiple levels of the problem with purpose of finding the most effective solutions that take into account relationships and dependencies that might not be clearly seen using the Hard Systems Methodology. The analysis and evaluation have shown that the role of systems and operations management is underestimated by Airbus management in the process of managing separate projects and overall business operations. In addition, effective systems and operations management strategies have not been integrated within the company well enough due to lack of organization, strong leadership and communication, among other factors. Business process reengineering, total quality management, Lean and Six Sigma approaches to improvement have been analyzed with the purpose of determining the most effective for Airbus to use. The analysis has shown that business process reengineering would be the most appropriate for Airbus approach because i t implies implementing radical changes within rather narrow time frames. Rapid changes, in their turn, show to be the most effective in attempts to radically improve organizational performance. It is recommended that Airbus uses business process reengineering approach for improving its systems and operations management. Furthermore, decision making and supporting systems, such as transaction processing systems, management information systems and decision support systems should be incorporated into organizational operations in order to align information systems and operations management of the company. Introduction Airbus is, as the company writes about itself, a technology-oriented organization that created its first jet in 1974 (Airbus.com, 2011). In 1991 the company started working an idea of creating a super-large passenger aircraft. The jet would become the largest airplane ever made. Consequently, the work on its creation was sure to be complex and demanding. However, it took t he company 14 years, since 1993 when Airbus started working of the development of the ‘super jumbo’, for the new aircraft to take off in full service in 2007 (Slack, Chambers and Johnstone, 2010). As Slack, Chambers and Johnstone (2010) report, it took the company so many years to, finally, complete the project, because of a number of problems within the organization. Most of them, such as weak organization of production processes, poor leadership or use of incompatible software by different departments, are related to of systems and operations management practices of Airbus. Therefore, the goal of the given report is to determine and analyze how systems and operations management concepts are used by the company and how systems and operations management is integrated into the business. Soft Systems Methodology will be used for analyzing the situation and making recommendations about how the Airbus information systems and operations management should be updated to suppor t and improve their business efficiency. Furthermore, people, technology and organisational issues involved in improving the operations at Airbus will be assessed and analyzed in order to clarify how in particular Airbus can improve its business processes through the update and improvement

Internet Threats and Security for Protection

Internet Threats and Security for Protection Introduction Technology is still under development in Saudi Arabia and has not reached the advance level as its reached in UK and USA. Therefore Internet Security is still a main as well as a major issues to most businesses and organisations in Saudi Arabia. Media hype surrounding the topic of Internet security can scare the general public, as the novice users. The continual talk of the latest virus alerts, which have corrupted thousands and stories of teenagers hacking into networks and stealing numerous informations such as personal details, credit card details other details which relates to different institution, is enough to put anyone off the idea using their personal details over the Net. All this media hype needs to be addressed to see if it is just that, or is there a ground for all this sensationalism. The chances to actually undergo extensive research and establish leads and ideas that I have not come across before about Internet Security, it is a major challenge for me and I feel that by conducting this research it will broaden my knowledge about Internet Security and also make people understand the aspects of Internet Security which they havent come across before. Abstract This dissertation looks at the question: ‘Is The Internet Secure?. Where secure is defined as ‘secure enough to trade or pass information via the Internet. With the constant media hype of Internet Security, it felt that this title to be one of interest and appealed. Therefore, research include, determining what types of organisations are present on the net, and categorising them into several groups. Studying past literature to determine all possible threats on the Internet and then to discuss possible solutions to these threats. As society is in the information revolution, in which the Internet is the main channel for distribution, this area of research is related to each and every one of us. Internet trading is a common practice amongst the new age. However, this is a subject that needs to be addressed to see whether all this ‘Media Hype is just that, or is their just grounds for concern. With the number of users on the Internet growing daily, and businesses becoming completely dependant on technology, serious issues of vulnerability need to be looked at. To ensure that no gaps appear in the security aspects of Internet, which will in turn trap the new users. Conclusions where made by in viewed and researched based companies. This research aims to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of Internet Security. The Internet is a medium that will be a part of future generations, and it is paramount that it is managed correctly and to ensure it does not have devastating consequences for those involved in its operation. The research carried out draws the conclusion, that the Internet is not a secure for trading, and that a regulatory body is required or a more structured policing. Therefore more actions from organisations are needed as well as from the government. Future research can concentrate on data recovery methods, application methods and interviewing in more depth and on a longer scale. Acknowledgement Chapter Outline Chapter1: The introductory of this chapter starts with the definition of I.T security. It follows on with what the aims and objectives are and the methodology followed during the fact finding exercise. The chapter outlines the scope and the limitations of the project. Chapter 2: This chapter describes how the internet was formed and how it has developed. Finally it highlights the key developments of the internet throughout its early life cycle, and the growth of its user base. Chapter 3: Defines the types of businesses that trade on the net categorising them into several divisions, which are further explained in the appendix. This chapter also talks about on-line banking and how to purchase over the Internet. Chapter 4: Starts by discussing the potential threats of viruses, how they work and how they spread. It also discusses what different authors believe to be the main threats of the Internet. It also talks about all the potential threats and briefly defines each one. Chapter 5: Discusses the potential answers to the security issues, broadly discussing all of the security applications available. The chapter introduces computer security as well as the different application. Chapter 6: The fact finding stage highlights the responses gained from the organisations, which were interviewed. The findings were incorporated into graphs to illustrate the answer. Chapter 7: To conclude this study, the author discusses what the project aims were, how the findings were achieved and why came to this conclusion. A SWOT analysis was also carried out to assist the conclusion. Appendix: Any information that did not fit in the thesis, which the author felt important, is included in the appendices. There are also other documents and information, which has been referenced in the dissertation in the appendices. I.T security as defined in this dissertation is the practices, procedures, applications and services which ensure a security breach or loss of use of a computer system does not occur. Security provides protection for IT system resources from human action. The security products, services and procedures used will aim to protect any hardware or data in the system. 1 Introduction Media hype surrounding the topic of Internet security can scare the general public, as the novice users. The continual talk of the latest virus alerts, which have corrupted thousands and stories of teenagers hacking into networks and stealing numerous informations such as personal details, credit card details other details which relates to different institution, is enough to put anyone off the idea using their personal details over the Net. All this media hype needs to be addressed to see if it is just that, or is there a ground for all this sensationalism. 1.1Human Action Human-inspired security breaches are defined as accidental or deliberate, passive or active attacks, which result in the loss or damage of I.T system hardware, software or data. This can come in many guises, as the following shows: Viruses where a program is placed on a system with the intention of corrupting its processing. The theft of data. Hacking deliberately gaining unauthorised access to a computer system. The invasion of privacy, through the unauthorised disclosure of data and breaches of data protection legislation. Sabotage interfering with the processing of a system, such as the placing of a ‘clone machine. 1.2The Key areas of I.T Security I.T security involves a number of key areas. The most important of these are introduced under the following headings. 1.2.1 E-Commerce E-Commerce (Electronic Commerce) enables measures to secure web merchants sites from external hacking and intrusion, with the aim to develop secure online transactions. E-Commerce requires the means to engage in electronic transactions without the fear that credit card details and bank details could get into the wrong hands. These involve, for example, the use of secure payment servers and secure software servers. 1.2.2 Network Security The aim of network security is to create a secure environment in which the users can send classified information and business applications solely to those people that they wish to receive them, preventing others from accessing the data. This is an issue of increasing concern, given the growing importance of networks to companies. This aspect of security tends to resolve around using network management and security software tools, and developing network security policies. 1.2.3 Virus Protection To prevent computer viruses from infecting I.T systems, companies use anti-virus software and alert systems. The requirements for information security as well as the type of products and services used to have undergone a major transformation since 1995. The need for security has widened, where traditionally it was confined mainly to governments, protecting classified data, financial institutions and protecting messages with monetary value, today most medium-sized to large organisations require information security. The growth of computer networks, group working and mobile working, and the subsequent need to communicate with contacts outside the organisation, has made I.T systems more open to external forces and more vulnerable to internal action. Today, security is demanded to handle communications through the internet, intranet, extranet and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). All of these technologies use common, standardised networking protocols and such networks are exposed to greater security threats than before. In a modern computer network, employees share information with each other, and companies share information with their suppliers, partners and customers. This calls for a more sophisticated security system, which is more comprehensive and flexible than the products and services used in the past, and which can be deployed to a large number of users in a consistent, manageable and secure fashion. 1.3 Aims and Objectives Introduce and provide an overview of the development of the Internet. How it was started and how it works. Identify the diverse nature of businesses that trade on the Internet, their roles and their functions. Identify and disseminate the literature available on threats inherent in the use of the Internet including viruses and secure transmission of data. Identify and discuss the appropriate solutions for any potential threats for internet security. Evaluate and conclude the arguments, to discuss potential ways of enforcing a suitable security policy for web-based companies. 1.4 Methodology Information for this study was gathered from journals, books, Internet sources and certain company documentation pertaining to Internet security. The best form of methodology for this type of research would be to use Quantitative and Qualitative analysis as well as the use of secondary sources, as mentioned. Quantitative research was used to gain rich information, basically finding out the ‘experts opinions from the relevant areas of expertise, for the research. The qualitative research consisted of a questionnaire with open ended and some closed questions. The main aim of this questionnaire was to elaborate on the authors literature review, basically agreeing or disagreeing with the literature presented on this study. For the quantitative aspect of the research a short structured questionnaire was designed, this consisted of closed questions, which would give a statistical look to the fact-findings chapter. This questionnaire was distributed in Preston and Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Closed question questionnaires were used to obtain the awareness of the issues presented, to gain views, beliefs and attitude to these. The questionnaires were designed to ensure easy reading, therefore overcoming any confusion on the respondents behalf. Questions were explained to ensure comple te reliability in their responses 1.5Limitations and scope of Dissertation As Internet Security is a very large topic, this author has limited his research to the following: Types of businesses on the web, categorising them in several areas. Discussing threats that past authors identified. Discussing possible solutions to these threats that past authors identified. Carrying out a first hand fact-finding excersing to either agree with the literature or disagree. Setting out the key differences. Summarising the thesis and presenting the findings. 2What is the Internet and how it started The revolution in computer networking has made it possible for personal computers able to communicate with each other. This chapter is about the Internet and basically a history of its beginning. It provides a comprehensive view of literature regarding factors that promote e-commerce and aid the new era of online banking. The scale of the Internet is awesome and therefore more and more people are connecting to the net. Statistics continues to grow on a daily basis at an alarming rate. People from all walks of life, not just the scientist, teachers and computer experts use the Internet. 2.1Origins of the Internet The Internet has its roots in a network set up by the United States Department of defence in the early 1970s (Ellsworth 1994). This network (ARPANET) was a collection of four computers. By 1996 the Internet was a collection of over 50,000 networks. The methods they slowly developed included a ‘Protocol (which is a computer language) allowing dissimilar computer systems to communicate, and a method that routed data through multiple communication paths using groups of data with their own destination addresses built in packets. Prior to this technology, even with machines that were compatible, the used had physically carry magnetic tapes and insert them into another machine in order to transfer data from one computer to another. With the new technology, a computer simply has to put its data into envelope called an Internet Protocol (IP) packet, and ‘address the packet correctly to send a message on the network. The philosophy was that every computer on the network could talk to any other computer. 2.2NSF Developments In the late 1980s the National Science Foundation (NSF), started expanding its own NSFNET using the technology developed by ARPANET.†(Krol 192). Five supercomputer centres at major universities were created, and connections were used for e-mail, and for transferring data and information between sites. This created a communications problem, they needed a way to connect their centres together and to allow the clients of these access. â€Å"In response, the NSF built its own network based on ARPANET Internet Protocol (IP) technology. â€Å"(Eraase 1994) it connected these centres with telephone lines. Since the telephone lines were paid for the mile, it was obvious that each university could not be connected to a supercomputing centre, due to financial constraints. They instead created regional chains of networks, with each university being connected to its neighbours, at the top of this chain there was a connection to the super computer. Eventually any computer was able to communicate with any other computer by forwarding the conversation through its neighbours. 2.3Internet Created The NSF agreed to commercial exploitation and on-line service sprang up. â€Å"CompuServe, the first of these, started in 1970 and fifteen years later claimed 3.2 million users in 20 countries. It was part owned by commercial relationships with the German group Bertelsmann and the French group Hachette† (Winston 1998). Prodigy belonged to IBM and Sears claimed 1.4 million users. His ‘World Wide Web was open for business in 1992. Meanwhile a commercial Internet Exchange had been established in 1991. Large multinational corporations have been on the Internet for years, although their access has been limited to research and engineering departments. In 1992, many of the restrictions on commercial use began to change. In fact, there are already more commercial sites on the Internet than educational and research sites combined, according to statistic, commercial addresses now comprise of 51% of the network domains. The Internet is made up of over 25,000 networks that can transfer data via many routes. However, it is near enough impossible to pin down any exact numbers concerning its size due to the fact its growth is unparalleled by any other industry. Ghosh 1998 states that the Internet has been adopted faster than any other technological development. 2.4The use of the Internet Between 1993 and 1998, more than 100 million users of the Internet were estimated, and the number of sites of the WWW has grown from 130 to 4.3 million sites. As of June 1999, the Internet users population has been placed at around 170 million people. It has been forecasted that the number users will reach 350 million by 2005 worldwide. In simple terms, the Internet allows millions of people all over the world to communicate and to share. â€Å"The Internet is the first global forum and the first global library† (Hahn and Stout 1994). Commercial businesses are the fastest growing segment of the Internet, you can gather information communicate and actually transact business on the Internet. Here are a few reasons why businesses are using the internet: E-mail is a low cost method for maintaining communication at all levels. Messages can be exchanged in minutes. E-mail is a domain for sharing information and is said to be one of the most important productivity packages around. The Internet allows businesses to be in touch with different branches and work teams at other locations. This creating a virtual community in which people are able to communicate on a daily basis. Using the Internet many organisations are able to bring a global edge to home grown businesses. For many companies, the use of the Internet creates a level playing field; smaller businesses can create an image on the network to compete with larger businesses. â€Å"Many corporations use the Internet to keep a check on the rate of emerging and new technologies, and the market response to these technologies† (Ellsworth 1994). The public information and discussion groups available on the Internet provide insight and feedback that is hard to get in any other manner. Here people from all levels of industry, exchange information on marketing research and technological developments. Having the most up-to-date information about your markets and your products allows you to keep or increase your competitive edge. In a business where the concept of getting closer to the customer prime, the internet is becoming increasingly important as well. Internet sales, where customers are sought and served on-line through Gophers and variety of virtual storefronts, are also becoming more popular. Customers can be and are sought before the sale and supported after sale. Companies are able to do actual product sales transactions on the Internet. In addition, in some cases it is possible to deliver the product via the Internet, as with software and information. Many companies have been using the Internet for the transmission of data. The major financial institutions in the world use the Internet extensively for exchanging information and files. Corporate users are now responsible for the transfer of the largest portion of data. 2.5The World Wide Web â€Å"The WWW is the newest information resources to the Internet† (Krol 1992). It is based on technology called Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML). Hypertext is a method of presenting information where selected words in the text can be expanded at any time to provide other information about the word. These words are actually links to other documents, which may be text, picture or sound format. The presentation of information on the web is much friendlier that traditional methods and the interface provides for a user -friendly environment. â€Å"The combined with the ability to use any of the Internets tools within the web has been a catalyst for the rush to get on the Internet† (Ellsworth 1994). The WWW can be defined as a global, interactive, dynamic, cross platform, distributed, graphical, hypertext information system that runs over the Internet and is available globally (Lemay 2000 Online). In the early 1990s the advent of the World Wide Web on the Internet represented the tuning point for electronic ecommerce by providing an easy to use technology solution to the problem of information publishing and dissemination. The web made electronic commerce a cheaper way of conducting business and enable more diverse business activities. The WWW infrastructure is built around the following:- Web sites: A web site is a collection of web pages maintained by a college, university, government, agency, company or individual. Web age: A web page is document on the web. Web pages can include text, pictures, sound and videos. Web server: A web server is a computer connected to the Internet that makes web pages available to the world. The Wold Wide Web is a dynamic structure, and due to the popularity of this new phenomenon it is expanding rapidly. The reason for it being so popular is the fact that information can be made available to anyone anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes (Kalakota, Whinston. 1997 p.145). What types of businesses are trading on the web Business is changing. The way we do business is changing. The electronic commerce revolution is upon us, and perhaps represents the greatest single change to the way in which business operates. Companies of all sizes are now working together to establish their position and create opportunities in this world. The Internet phenomenon has result in a major shift in the way organisations do business, and how they intend to proceed in the future. Many organisations now realise that without an e-commerce strategy they will not survive. This realisation has affected, and will continue to affect business relationship of all sizes. E-Commerce E-Commerce (Electronic Commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a newer term, e-business are often used interchangeably. For online retail selling, the term e tailing is sometimes used. E-Commerce can be divided into: E-tailing or â€Å"Virtual Storefronts† on web sites with online catalogues, sometimes gathered into a â€Å"Virtual mall†. The gathering and use of demographic data through web contacts. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business to -business exchange of data. E-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and establish customers (for example, with newsletters). Business-to-Business buying and selling. The security of business transactions. Electronic messaging technologies streamline business processes by reducing paperwork and increasing automation. (Kalakota, Whinston. 1997 p.54). E-Commerce today, is a very wide area of study due to its phenomenon growth and thus, can be described as an umbrella concept, which will continue to grow. Therefore incorporating a variety of disciplines and can be described as following path of a hierarchical structure. Recent technology has increased the capacity of e-commerce transactions, resulting in noticeable paradigms in a number of daily transactions. There are unforeseen benefits not only to businesses, but also consumers, the government and even on a global trade level. The technology that is responsible for taking e-commerce to a global stage is the Internet. There are also other factors that have affected the growth of e-commerce, for example, the availability of hardware at affordable costs, as well as the increased power and ease of use of operating systems and software. With the prices of computer hardware and network equipment falling, e-commerce is seen as one of the strategic investments in line with marketing goals of most business, to stay competitive, improve productivity and to deliver quality services. Commonly, e-commerce is associated with the buying a selling of information, products and services via computer networks. It is also known as the paperless exchange of electronic information, whether it is by electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic funds transfer or other similar technologies methods. Overview of E-Commerce E-Commerce, evolved as early as the days of Alexandra Bell, followed by the launch of terrestrial television and radio communications. However recent developments in technology have increased the efficiency in commerce and have placed e-commerce under the spotlight. During the mid 20th century, the channels through e-commerce took place were telephone networks, the television and the radio. In their infancy they impressed businesses and consumers, so did EDI in the early 1970s and now at present the Internet has bought back the same feelings. Below is an illustration of a generic framework for electronic commerce (Kalakota, Whinston.1997) The figure 1 below is an illustration of the e-commerce overview. Electronic Commerce B2A B2C C2A B2B The Internet Telephone Fax The Internet Telephone Fax Cable Satellite, and Digital TV Telephone Fax The Internet including EDI, marketing, purchasing and e-mail Collaborative Work Groups EDI via Internet Telecomm uniting Electronic Funds Transfer E-Mail Video Conferencing Telephone Fax Figure 1 Types of E-commerce E-commerce covers five main categories that are listed below: Business to Business (B2B) Business within Business (BWB) Business to Administration (B2A) Consumer to Administration (C2A) Business to Consumer (B2C) These are discussed in detail in Appendix 3 titled Types of Web Traders. The introduction of e-commerce has facilitated consumer to business transactions, customers learn about products through electronic purchasing. From a consumer perspective electronic commerce facilitates for the following: Social Interaction. Electronic Commerce enables consumers to communicate with each other through electronic mail, video conferencing and news groups. Personal Finance Agreement. Use electronic means to manage personal finance and management using the online banking tools Purchasing Products and Information. Allows consumer to find online information about exiting and new products and services. (Kalakota, Whinston. 1997 p.139) The explosion in Internet traffic has created other problems. Mostly worryingly, there are continuing fears that many companies offering financial services online are not providing a secure environment to clients and customers. Purchasing on the Web The Internet and the World Wide Web have dramatically changed the way consumers seek and use information online. Whether they are shopping for Information or shopping for goods and services on-line, todays consumers must learn how to manage the resources (Kelley, B Weibke, J. 2003). Most attention on e-commerce has focused on business-to-business transactions and analysts say the surging electronic business-to-business market is about to explode. On-line purchasing systems promise to streamline operations, save time and cut the costs of businesses drowning in order processing. Most buying over the Internet focuses on indirect materials, also known as non-production goods or maintenance, repair and operations. Typically, such applications let any employee order through managed access rights, non-production supplies and service from an on-line catalogue using on a web server. They simplify the process of buying day-to-day items such as office equipments, PCs and other electrical goods to run the company. According to a recent study carried out by Forrester Research (2000) has suggested that the on-line commerce will raise form  £657 billion in 2002 and reach the figure of  £6.8 trillion in 2004. The statistics suggested that more customers are shopping day by day and revenue is increasing for on-line shoppers. The view is supported by Swazey (1999) who believes that the on-line shoppers spend more time on-line shopping than normal high streets shoppers and the amount of money spent rises with the amount of time spent on-line. The view point of Swazey (1999) is similar to Ghosh (1998) as he states that the â€Å"On-line shoppers tend to get carried away within the comfort of their own h ome†. However the above viewpoint have contrast in bearing to an article (Computer Fraud Security, Sept 2000, p.2) that seemed to suggest that although it may seems like everyone is on-line, but its not true. Internet Banking Internet Banking is no longer a novelty. Banks have long ceased being worried about trading via the web, and instead have embraced the newest delivery channel with enthusiasm. All clearing banks, including the connected building societies, now offer Internet based banking services and all will have an online current account in place. Some, including Barclays, Woolwich, Abbey National and HSBC have developed other channels of delivery including digital TV and mobile phone banking service. All e-banks promise busy current account users speed and convenience. There are no counter queues in cyberspace and e-banks are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On-line banking customers can check their balances, view recent transactions, transfers funds, set-up standing orders and direct debits and also option to pay bills on line. In the past, the banking industry was chiefly concerned with asset quality and capitalisation, if the bank was performing well along these dimensions than the banks would be profitable. Today performing well on asset quality and capitalisation is not enough. (Kalakota, Whinston.1997 p.30) The Internet is a medium that provides a new dimension and introduces much opportunity especially for banks; the main advantages are outlined as follows: Enable innovation Cost savings Increased customer base Enable mass customisation Marketing and communication Developments of non core business In a report issued by the BE Agency (2000), it states that the experts believe that the slump in high street banking due to deregulation can be revived by this new medium e-commerce, offering the potential of reviving or at least halting the decline, by raising customer service standards, increasing the choice of retail financial products, reducing the charges and giving customers a more convenient way to manage their money. It is agreed with Patterson (2000) that the banks will have to go online, his reasons being as to why banks have to adopt this new medium is â€Å"in short answer to win over new customers† it is easier to leave it at that, but also the factors he has also said that it will also promote this new medium are lower cost of account servicing, cross selling opportunities, customer relations and because they have to. Customers can now deal with their accounts personally at any time from anywhere in the word for any reason. Customers can also have the same facility to compare and contrast the products and services of a multitude of banks and choose one that meets their requirements. Knowing how safe is it to use the website an

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

In the novel Of Mice and Men, Jon Steinbeck portrays the life of two common men looking for work on various ranches throughout the United States. The ultimate goal of Lenny and George is to save enough money so they will be able to purchase their own ranch. Traveling the country in search of work proves to the men that companionship is one of the greatest things a man can obtain. Steinbeck uses his novel to introduce several themes that many people will encounter in life such as loneliness, death, and chasing the American dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lenny and George discover that as long as they have each other, they will always have something. Most of the other ranch workers do not have any family or a close friend. Lenny can not take care of himself and depends on George to do so. George merely counts on Lenny for companionship and as someone to confide in. George tells Lenny of his hopes and dreams and although Lenny may not fully comprehend what George is saying, George’s need for someone to converse with is fulfilled. Lenny and George are almost like a family as in they satisfy each other’s emotional needs and keep each other company. Both Lenny and George benefit greatly from their relationship. Although it appears that Lenny needs George more, George’s needs are just not as evident. Without Lenny, George would take his pay, and “go into town and buy liquor.'; Lenny is a means of hope and his presence keeps George on track.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is not perceived to be the worst possible situation in this instance. Lenny has a mental condition and has the mental capacity equivalent to that of a third grader. Lenny’s reasoning skills, or rather lack thereof, lead him into doing harm to others and ultimately into killing Curley’s wife. After the other ranch workers find Curley’s wife dead, they suspect Lenny to be the killer. Lenny runs away and hides in a spot that George has told him to run to if anything bad should ever happen. George finds Lenny before the other men do, but ironically George kills Lenny. George does not kill Lenny to get rid of him and not have to take care of him anymore, but as way of helping him. Lenny’s mental state deters him from distinguishing right from wrong and thus, Lenny stays in constant trouble. Lenny does not comprehend his strength and does not know how to contain it.

Navistar Supply Management Essay

Executive Summary Navistar was a worldwide leader in the manufacturing medium and heavy trucks for 17 consecutive years in the North America market. Navistar’s premium conventional trucks were produced at the Chatham assembly plant, which had almost 14 years experience in producing Navistar’s premium line since 1983. Navistar had forecasted increased industry demand for heavy and medium trucks in 1998. Especially, the Chatham assembly plant’s customers had strict requirements to the truck’s quality and delivery date. As the assembly supervisor in Chatham, Andy Ramsz encountered the interior trim quality and delivery problem for the truck. Andy had begun to gather data on the interior trim supply problem and he got the crucial reasons for these problems occurred. These reasons absolutely affected the Navistar’s internal supply process, increased the extra cost as well as reduced the efficiency of the supply management. According to the reasons identified for the trim supply problem, my decision is to set up the improved procedure focused on problems identified and take plans to enhance efficiency and productiveness of trim supply chain so as to relieve the difficulty of shortage problem and meet customers’ requirement accurately. Issue Identification Navistar provides premium trucks that ranged in design from no frill models to highly customized units. Customers are able to select from customized units which represented 50-80 percent of production volumes. These customized units contained various options that formed kits that included anywhere from 18-26 individual trim pieces. Andy Ramsz, the Assembly Supervisor at Navistar’s Chatham facility has been experiencing an issue with interior trim shortages for Navistar’s premium conventional trucks. The shortage of parts and non compliance with delivery schedules did not allow plant assemblers to complete the interior of a truck. The delay in completing the truck affected the bottom line as the interruption in waiting for replacement parts caused additional time and money. Environmental Issue Navistar considered quality and on-time delivery as a priority that came before costs; therefore, various improvement initiatives to quality programs were supported by top management as well as initiatives to improve processes and on-time delivery. Andy is an Assembly Supervisor but had very broad job responsibilities. Andy’s time was taken up in areas such as supplier quality evaluations, internal process documentation, process improvement, and much more. His focus was very widespread and his day was drawn away from scheduled and unscheduled meetings; this position required long hours and weekend work. In addition to the quality issues, truck interior trim shortages was another challenge which resulted in reordering of trim parts leading to additional material handling, and post- assembly installation. These delayed parts required overtime that increased cost and delayed delivery of the finished truck to the customer. Issues came from both Navistar and their supplier Trimco. Navistar had design changes such as different sizes, repositioning of mechanisms and other various designer and material changes; however, these changes to the truck interiors were not communicated to Trimco before production runs were completed. As a result, parts were shipped with different specifications than those needed for proper fit during assembly. Due to the lack of coordination and communication, this caused hurdles to Navistar and Trimco’s just in time system where lead and delivery times were compressed. As a key supplier for Navistar, Trimco provided 420,000 parts annually to Navistar. Unfortunately, of these parts, approximately 3,100 were defective, missing or inappropriate for use. These 3100 parts were another financial burden and jeopardized customer service. Due to the lack of centralisation and limited computer systems capability, Trimco had difficulty monitoring outgoing parts for shipments sent to Navistar; inappropriate component of trim parts or insufficient quantities of the correct parts were supplied. Andy estimated that costs associated with the interior trim shortages were over $200,000 per year. The company was not being run efficiently and quality control was hindering the performance for Navistar. Furthermore, Trimco was QS9000 certified, but the quality control procedures varied throughout as the company lacked consistency. To make matters worse, Trimco also had high employee turnover which meant that employees were not  all properly trained and failed to understand the knowledge and specifications of customer requirements. Alternatives Alternative 1 Research and Source another reputable supplier to manufacture 30% of the customized trim parts – To improve financial situation and alleviate the shortage issue, Navistar can source out a portion of their customized parts to another supplier while maintaining the other 70% to Trimco. The new supplier will adhere to the specifications of Navistar’s customization requirements by going through training programs. Pros: Meet on-time delivery and reduce the number of shortages Creates more inventory and safety stock Could be less risky for Navistar as they don’t have all their eggs in one basket Another supplier puts pressure on Trimco as they could possibly lose more business, so they would hopefully improve their shortage issue Cons: High cost to source, train and implement quality processes with new supplier Separating parts can confuse Accounts Payable and payment, additional paperwork Purchasing power can decrease if inventory is split between multiple vendors No guarantee that delivery and quality will immediately fit to conformity Alternative 2 Navistar will work with Trimco to develop cross-organizational teams and partnerships to re-examine programs for product quality, training, processes and logistics. Exchanging information with Trimco and having open and effective communication to work on areas of concern externally and internally will help improve operations and business for the plant, Navistar and Trimco. Pros: Working with one another by sharing my resources will help both companies ind solutions and work more efficiently By collaborating ideas and using cross-organizational teams, companies can increase efficiencies and reduce costs Creates a strong and long relationship Potential to improve lead times Cons: High cost implementing and initiating programs Takes a long time to make changes Potential for lots of changes leading to possibility of turnover if employees do not like changes If not properly executed, could be confusing to employees Alternative 3 Decrease the customer’s design options. Decreasing design options and providing standard packages will reduce the numerous trim parts for production; this can possibly increase the appropriate shortage and delivery issue. Navistar provided customized units to satisfy different customers’ requirements; customers should change the design before the production runs, which often resulted in the failure of communication to the supplier for the change, and inappropriate trim provided, or delivery delay. Pros: Standardize the â€Å"kits† form for the interior trim to increase the appropriate delivery and installation procedure. More efficient to organize production and procure trim parts. Convenient for supplier to produce trim parts and arrange the stock and inventory. Cons: Navistar may lose the market shares without the specific feature and attracting styling. Recommendation Alternative 2 – Navistar will work with Trimco to develop cross-organizational teams and partnerships to re-examine programs for product quality, training, processes and logistics. Working together with Trimco and reviewing internal processes will help Navistar rectify the trim shortage issue. Even though both companies have quality management systems and programs, a revised quality program should be cooperatively put together to increase efficiency. A Quality Representative from each organization should be placed in the other company to check on conformity, quality and completion of kits. With the help of Trimco, Navistar can create a workbook for inspection procedures for incoming kits and Trimco will have a procedure to follow for kits going outbound. The inspection will have a review checklist that examines the kits as they come in/out; if there are missing parts, they should be documented immediately. Incoming shipments with part shortages that are taken from another kit will be required to be documented and ordered. Trimco will also upgrade their computer system and enhance the centralization to monitor outgoing parts. Trimco had difficulty responding to Navistar’s design changes. Navistar will need to implement a new process to allow increase in lead time for new design changes and communicate changes to the Trimco’s design and manufacturing department. Once Navistar receives confirmation from Trimco they can expect to receive the correct trims with the correct design changes. There has been high turnover at Trimco and training employees has not been up to par. Trimco will need to work with Navistar to create a program for product quality and control than develop a manual for process and development. It will be beneficial for Navistar to help Trimco with a program and manual as this will help hold their employees to compliance standards. The manual will be a reference and include quality planning activities and controls that document the manufacture of Navistar products. Navistar has internal challenges that can be changed to help with the quality and logistics. Andy was given too many responsibilities and his focus was widespread, some of his responsibilities should be the responsibility of managers. Creating some time for Andy will allow him to focus on his core responsibilities and look to programs on continuous improvement. Allowing Andy to have free time will help as he should figure out that providing a  forecast to Trimco will more preparation for parts. The plant at Chatham should try and lean out duplicate processes and perhaps change the order in which the trim assembly took place. The trim was placed into the cab than the cab placed onto the chassis. The cab isn’t dependent on whether the trim assembly is in place; therefore, if trims were added further down the line it would provide more lead time for orders. Implementation Plan Navistar will need to assess internal process and to work with Trimco’s manufacturing department to improve their quality control and process. 1-4 Months: Navistar and Trimco will need to select a Quality Representative and train them on the requirements and specifications for the customized products. Quality representatives and the Manager of Manufacturing at Trimco will help develop a training process and combine that knowledge into Training Manuals to help train current and future Trimco employees. Navistar will provide forecasting tools and reports and review with Trimco to determine mutual understanding of the documents. Trimco will upgrade their computer systems so that monitoring of outgoing parts will be more accurate. 5-6 Months – Quality and consistency will be rigorously inspected and tested to ensure that they meet the quality standards. Navistar will set up KPI to the supplier to determine quality and performance and will be audited. Trimco will have the forecast so they should have safety stock based on the Navistar’s forecast Monitor and Control Navistar will need to examine the success of the implementation process; the training of staff, and shortages of trim parts will be assessed. The staff should be tested during the first month to see that they are comfortable and understand all the requirements for Navistar. Also, monitoring the Tricmo to see if they are using the forecast to meet production levels should be assessed monthly. Navistar will need to set KPIs and notified when quotas aren’t being met as this could be an indication of inefficiency. Areas in operations such as production level, turnaround time, disruptions, and flexibility for change would be taken as key performance measurements. Audit KPI Monthly Notes – Issues *Shortage of trim parts to Navistar Notes – Environmental Interior cut back Quality and Delivery Problem * Missing or Inappropriate trim parts. This resulted in: * Reordering of parts * Additional Material Handling * Post aggregation Installation that needed overtime ($42 per hour) * Eventually decease to a delay in delivery * Typical truck contains 18-26 individualist trims costing $630-$770 * Andy estimated that trim part shortages cost the company $200,000 annually *Slowing down the line due to reordering of parts, extra time and money in material handling, post assembly installation and HR management Trimco Industries * Supplied over 450 parts in 5 different colours and 3 different trim levels * Trimco sent about 420,000 units a course of which about 3100 were defective (0. Some processes within their facility were passing automated while some were manual * Used Quality visit Techniques Statistical Process Control (SPC), Manual Inspection and heel over Production. * Due to lack of centralisation and limited computer governance capability * Difficulty in Monitoring Outgoing Parts * Sent shipments with contradictory parts or incorrect quantities * High Attrition rate leading to employees with poor level of training, hence some employees were insensible of customer requirements * The company had difficulty responding to certain design changes. * At times these design changes were not sent by Navistar forward production runs and hence parts Notes – Alternatives 1 – Source another vendor 30% of trim parts Pros: Meet on-time delivery and reduce the number of shortages Creates more inventory and safety stock Could be less risky for Navistar as they don’t have all their eggs in one basket Another supplier puts pressure on Trimco as they could possibly lose more business, so they would hopefully improve their shortage issue Cons: High cost to source, train and implement quality processes with new supplier Separating parts can confuse Accounts Payable and payment, additional paperwork Purchasing power can decrease if inventory is split between multiple vendors No guarantee that delivery and quality will immediately fit to conformity 2 – Collaborate with Trimco for improvement Pros: Working with one another by sharing my resources will help both companies find solutions and work more efficiently By collaborating ideas and using cross-organizational teams, companies can increase efficiencies and reduce costs Creates a strong and long relationship Cons: High cost implementing and initiating programs Takes a long time to make changes Potential for lots of changes leading to possibility of turnover if employees do not like changes If not properly executed, could be confusing to employees 3 – decrease customization option Pros: Standardize the â€Å"kits† form for the interior trim to increase the appropriate delivery and installation procedure. More efficient to organize production and procure trim parts. Convenient for supplier to produce trim parts and arrange the stock and inventory. Cons: Navistar may lose the market shares without the specific feature and attracting styling. Notes – Recommendation *Monitor supplier performance *How to get the QA dept’s aligned between the companies? 1. Navistar – supply chain division restructuring on a strategic level b. Andy’s responsibilities to be shared between new subdivisions/departments taking away some of his current functions (e.g. internal documentation and material management) c. Logistics audit/review to be implemented by external company to set new procedures particularly for parts flow 2. Chatham plant – reorganization of assembly a. To review assembly process and redesign production steps for smooth and consistent move of the truck to decrease customization level and shorten production lead time b. Interior trim process flow – reduce/eliminate NVA steps through c. Increase communication efficiency with Trimco to send proper and in time data for last minute changes/redesign 3. Trimco – tighter collaboration to help them produce quality a. Involve Trimco in logistics audit c. Eliminate double processes taking place both in Chatham plant and Trimco warehouse (e.g. trim kit assembly) Notes – Implementation Navistar implementation: Action Item | Type | Term | Responsible | Duration | Status | Prepare the forecast for the trim part by month | Tactical | Short | Dealer & marketing department & procurement department | 3 month | Not started | Take the liability for the safety stock with supplier | Tactical | Short Long | Procurement department | 3 months – 6 months | Not started | Set up KPI to the supplier for the performance audit | Tactical | Short & Long | Procurement Department & production Department | 1 month | Not started | Trimco implementation: Action Item | Type | Term | Responsible | Duration | Status | Upgrade computer system and enhance the centralization | Tactical & Strategic | Long and short | IT department | 6 months or more | Not started | Arrange the appropriate training to the employee | Tactical | Long and Short | Top management & HR department & production department | 3 month | Not started | Have the safety stock based on the Navistar’s forecast | Tactical | Short & Middle | Production department | 3 months | Not started | Set up the quality traceability regulation for the quality control | Tactical | short | Production department & QC department | 1 month | Not started | Notes – Monitor and Control Element | Evaluation | # | Description | Measure | Success | Failure | 1. | Recommend best- selling configuration | Got the selling data | Accurate and detailed | Inaccurate and non-detailed | 2. | Forecast form and accuracy | accuracy | Accuracy >=80% | Accuracy =85% | Accuracy =85% | Accuracy

Life of William Shakespeare Paper Essay

Ever since the death of Shakespeare, his life was only well known about his plays and poems. He had written many famous Plays such as: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and etc and his famous poems were the Sonnets. Many decades have passed since his death and his plays and poems are still famous and read out loud in schools. Sadly, only a few people knew about Shakespeare’s life and how he became a Bard. â€Å"Details about William Shakespeare’s life are sketchy, mostly mere surmise based upon court or other clerical records.  Ã¢â‚¬  (enotes. com). Shakespeare’s early life was not very well known to the public at this time but according â€Å"Enotes†, he was born in Stratford upon Avon, England in 1564. According to the website william-shakespeare. org. uk. There were records of William Shakespeare being born in the â€Å"Holy Trinity parish church, in Stratford,† on April 26, 1564. His dad John Shakespeare, was a â€Å"yeoman—a glover and commodities merchant. â€Å"(enotes. com). His mother Mary, was a Land owner or as they called it back then, a landed gentry. Shakespeare was the 3rd child of the family but he was one of the childs that lived for a long time. He had 4 sisters and 4 brothers. According to William went to a grammar school until the age of fourteen but he did not continue his education at a university. In 1582, at the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway and had their first child, Susanna six months after their marriage in 1583. After two years, they had twins named Judith and Hamnet. It is estimated that Shakespeare arrived in London around 1588 and began to establish himself as an actor and playwright. † (bardweb. net ). According to â€Å"bardweb. net† the exact date of Shakespeare going to London is unknown but estimated to 1588. They thought Shakespeare moved to London because he was â€Å"pursued by the law for poaching deer on private property. † ( enotes. com ). The same year he was called an â€Å"upstart crow†, the theater closed in London because of the Black Death plague. â€Å"By 1594 Shakespeare had joined a theater troupe known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. † During this time period, Shakespeare had expressed many of his plays but sadly, it was not to last†¦ Soon, the law had banned plays throughout the reach of London. According to â€Å"william-shakespeare. org. uk â€Å", Shakespeare was very successful in 1596 due to his performance while Queen Elizabeth the first was present. He also got permission to hang his coat of arms and he got very rich because of his career. In 1597 they started to make the Globe Theatre and finished making it in 1598 (which Shakespeare got 10% of the profit from the Globe Theatre). One day, while the Globe Theater was performing the play King Henry VIII, on June 29, 1613, there was a fire due to the cannon that was shot, since the building was made of wood, the fire spread quickly. That day, the globe theater was destroyed. Three years before the fire, Shakespeare retired and went back to Stratford upon Avon, England. Though he lived a wealthy life, according the both websites, the cause of his death was unknown. He died on April 23, 1616 at the age of fifty-two. Just four weeks before his death, on March 25, 1616, he wrote his will. In his will he gave â€Å"his properties to his daughter Susanna† (bardweb. net ). According to that website Shakespeare â€Å"he left ? 300† to his daughter Judith (who was still living at the time) and his wife he left her â€Å"his second best bed†. â€Å"William Shakespeare was buried on April 25th 1616 in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. † (william-shakespeare. org. uk ). After William Shakespeare died, he was buried 3 days after his death and according to that website his tomb was â€Å"beneath the floors of the church in the chancel†. In the end, there was almost no record of Shakespeare’s life but some records. After the death of Shakespeare people found out that he wrote those plays that were performed in the Globe Theatre. They were all written in Shakespeare’s First Folio. Work Citation N. P, Enotes. com, eNotes Inc. 2011, 16 Nov. 2011 L. K. , Alchin, William Shakespeare info. November 21 2005. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. Pressley, J. M. Bard web the Shakespeare Resource Center 1997-2011 16 November 2011.