Construction Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Construction Economics - Assignment Example The economic policy of a government is generally reflected in its national budget (Jenkins 1978). Partly, it is through the budget that the government exercises its three principal methods of establishing control: the stabilization function, the allocative function and the distributive function. In some cases, economic policies are usually influenced by international institutions such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund as well as policies of political parties and their beliefs. The business environment within which most housing and construction companies operate has continued to change rapidly throughout the world. Construction companies that fail to adapt or respond to these changes have problems in their survival. Therefore, contractors must be capable of improving their performances continuously in order to out smart their competitors. In nature, the construction company is complex because it consists of a large number of parties as contractors, stakeholders, clients, consultants and regulators. However, despite its complexity, it plays a great role in the achievement and development of the goals of a society. Economic growth refers to the rise of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) or other measures of total income. It is usually represented in annual basis as the rate of change in real GDP. The economic growth of a country depends on the ability of that country to improve its productivity, that is, its ability to produce more goods and services using similar inputs of labor, materials, energy and capital. According to most economists, there are two types of economic growths: the long-term economic growth and short-term economic stabilization. However, economic growth is usually concerned with the long-term type. The short-term type is rather deemed as the business cycle. The leading indicator of the state of economy in a given country is the housing and

Organisational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organisational behaviour - Essay Example Leadership plays a significant role in organizational management through offering directions and influencing people towards the direction. This involves development of effective teams and effective links between management and other employees. Effective leadership also ensures motivation in an organization (Gupta 2008, p. 110). Consequently, existence of effective leadership in Ecobot Plastics would have prevented or resolved the problems by identifying lack of motivation as the main factor to the problem areas, developing a recovery plan, and influencing implementation of the plan. Leadership traits such as knowledge on effective leadership, â€Å"integrity,† â€Å"initiative,† â€Å"communication skills,† â€Å"motivation skills† (Tulsian 2009, p. 7-22), interpersonal skills, flexibility, and analytical skills are however necessary for addressing the organization’s problems (Gupta 2008, p. 111). Ensuring these traits in the organization, through training and development is therefore necessary and the neo-human relations’ approach to motivation supports this. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory explains the approach that focuses on need to realize self-actualization in people (Wilkinson 2003, p. 90). According to Maslow’s theory, desire to satisfy human needs motivate people (Griffin and Moorhead 2013, p. 93). The needs are further hierarchical, with self-actualization at the highest level, and once needs at a level have been satisfied, they cease to motivate and needs at higher levels becomes new motivato rs (Mosley, Mosley, and Pietri 2014, p. 207). Leadership development will change the organization’s culture from focus on machinery and processes to focus on employees through identification of need for the change and influencing the change. Developed leadership, with motivational skills as a product, will then help in

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Example for Free

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Visual literacy is something that has been used for hundreds of years and it is something we use daily. We are going to explore the similarities between the text and how Brain Kennedy defines visual literacy; we will explore the way visual literacy has been considered a universal VISUAL LITERACY 2 language and examination how visual literacy has made an impact in communication and the way global understanding. The method of visual literacy is used to help with the learning process. In using visual  literacy someone will be able to see the use of shapes, color, images, dimension, textures and other visual aids. With the use and understanding of these features someone will be able to understand a visual sentence structure and to have the understanding is something that has been used for some time now. In the video that I watched, Brain Kennedy talked about visual literacy being â€Å"the ability to construct meaning from images. It’s not a skill; it uses skills as a toolbox. It is a form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity† (Kennedy, 2010). In the text it talks about visual literacy being â€Å"vision-related competencies a human being can develop by seeing, and at the same time, having and integrating other sensory experiences. [These competencies] enable a visually literate person to discriminate and interpret the visible actions, objects, and symbols that he [or she] encounters . . . to communicate with others . . . and comprehend and enjoy visual communication. † There are some differences between what Kennedy thinks and what the book talks about. Kennedy says that visual literacy is not a skill and our books talks about visual literacy being a developed skill. This allows people to communicate with one universal language and it can be used to help bridge the gap that is in different cultures. Currently numerous languages are coexisting. It’s important that we reevaluate the way that we communicate. We strive to find a way to communicate in one language and this is a way that it can be done. If we all spoke this universal language then is could be a way that could bring us closer together. VISUAL LITERACY 3 While both our text and Kennedy have different definitions, but they both agree that visual literacy should be in the forefront of learning. Imagery is a universal language and it can tell stories that everyone can recognize and understand. With visual literacy it is a way that the world can communicate in one consistent way. Images are universal. With visual literacy you are bale to interpret and make meaning from information in the form of an image. It is something that everyone can understand. While we were able to explore the difference between what the text and Mr. Kennedy thinks about visual literacy and how it is a universal language and we were able to look how it can impact communication and global understanding. This is an universal language and it is the hope that we will all be aware of it and use it daily. References: VISUAL LITERACY 4 Kennedy,B(2010, April17)VisualLiteracy:WhyWeNeedIt! [VideoFile] t=PL98A8EE15C60F9F29 Ryan, W. (2012). What Is Visual Literacy? In Learning to see: A guide to visual literacy. (p. 12). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Introduction To Demand Forecasting Business Essay

Introduction To Demand Forecasting Business Essay Introduction to Demand Forecasting: Forecasting provides an estimate of future demand and the basis for planning and sound business decisions. Since all organizations deal with an unknown future, some error between a forecast and actual demand is to be expected. Thus, the goal of a good forecasting technique is to minimize the deviation between actual demand and forecast. Since a forecast is a prediction of the future, factors that influence demand, the impact of these factors, and whether these factors will continue influence future demands must be considered in developing an accurate forecast. In addition, buyers and sellers should share all relevant information to generate a single consensus forecast so that the correct decision on the supply and demand can be made. The benefits of a better forecast are lower inventories, reduce stock outs, smoother production plans, reduced costs and improved customer service. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) The impact of a poor communication and inaccurate forecast resonates all along the supply chain and results the bull whip effects causing stock outs, lost sales, high cost of inventory and obsolesce, material shortages, poor responsiveness to market dynamics, and poor profitability. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Matching Supply And Demand: The concept of matching supply with demand is straightforward. Just strike the right balance between what your customers want and the inventory investment required to meet that demand. Demand forecasting may be used in making pricing decisions, in assessing future capacity requirements, or in making decisions on whether to enter a new market. Now a day business scenario is completely change revived. Demand, supply, logistics, whole supply chain management. Now we have consumer who are more focused demanding. Whole buying behavior is turn into pull behavior where suppliers are more concern about consumers demand. Now a day retailer if supplier do not full fill the target requirement of retailer of right quantity, right time right price that retailer would not wait long for supplier to fulfill requirement rather prefer to switch supplier. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Here matching supply demand forecast help any company to slice the threat of stock out, sales, customer relationship, business loyalities.in order to achieve sound supply chain, supplier must have forecast the future conditions so they can meet the expected targets deliver right commodities to its customers in a timely manner cost effective approach. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Of course, its not that easy. Buying too much wastes time, money and space-and exposes you to potential losses from liquidating overstocks. Underestimating demand leads to backorders, cancellations and unsatisfied customers who turn to your competitors. Incorporating SCM successfully leads to a new kind of competition on the global market where competition is no longer of the company versus company form but rather takes on a supply chain versus supply chain form. (decisioncraft.com) The primary objective of supply chain management is to fulfill customer demands through the most efficient use of resources, including distribution capacity, inventory and labor. In theory, a supply chain seeks to match demand with supply and do so with the minimal inventory. Various aspects of optimizing the supply chain include liaising with suppliers to eliminate bottlenecks; sourcing strategically to strike a balance between lowest material cost and transportation, implementing JIT (Just In Time) techniques to optimize manufacturing flow; maintaining the right mix and location of factories and warehouses to serve customer markets, and using location/allocation, vehicle routing analysis, dynamic programming and, of course, traditional logistics optimization to maximize the efficiency of the distribution side. (decisioncraft.com) The effects that inventory levels have on sales. In the extreme case of stock-outs, demand coming into your store is not converted to sales due to a lack of availability. Demand is also untapped when sales for an item are decreased due to a poor display location, or because the desired sizes are no longer available. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Demand for an item will likely rise if a competitor increases the price or if you promote the item in your weekly circular. The resulting sales increase reflects a change in demand as a result of consumers responding to stimuli that potentially drive additional sales. In this case demand forecasting uses techniques in causal modeling. Demand forecast modeling considers the size of the market and the dynamics of market share versus competitors and its effect on firm demand over a period of time. No demand forecasting method is 100% accurate. Combined forecasts improve accuracy and reduce the likelihood of large errors. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Purposes of Forecasting: Purposes of Short-Term Forecasting Appropriate production scheduling. Reducing costs of purchasing raw materials. Determining appropriate price policy Setting sales targets and establishing controls and incentives. Evolving a suitable advertising and promotional campaign. Forecasting short term financial requirements. Purposes of Long-Term Forecasting Planning of a new unit or expansion of an existing unit. Planning long term financial requirements. Planning man-power requirements. (webcache.com) Length of Forecasts: Short-term forecasts up to 12 months, e.g., sales quotas, inventory control, production schedules, planning cash flows, budgeting. Medium-term 1-2 years, e.g., rate of maintenance, schedule of operations, and budgetary control over expenses. Long-term 3-10 years, e.g., capital expenditures, personnel requirements, financial requirements, raw material requirements.(Most uncertain in nature)  (webcache.com) Control Demand or Management of  Demand: The key to management of demand is the effective management of the purchases of final consumers. The management of demand consists in devising a sales strategy for a particular product. It also consists in planning a product, or features of a product, around which a sales strategy can be built. Product design, model change, packaging and even performance reflect the need to provide what are called strong selling points. (webcache.com) Forecasting Techniques: Understanding that the forecast is very often inaccurate does not mean that nothing can be done to improve e the forecast. Both quantitative and qualitative forecast can be improved by seeking inputs from trading partners. Qualitative forecasting methods are based on opinions and intuition whereas quantitative forecasting methods use mathematical models and relevant historical data to generate forecast. Qualitative Methods: The qualitative methods are subdivided into. The four common qualitative forecasting models are, Jury Of Executive Opinion: Qualitative forecasting in which a group of senior management executives who are knowledgeable about the market, competitors, and the business environment collectively developed the forecast. Delphi Method: Qualitative forecasting in which a group of internal and external experts are surveyed during several rounds in term of future events and long term forecasts of demand; the group members do not physically meet. Sales Force Composite: Qualitative forecast generated based on the sales forces knowledge of the market and estimates of the customers need. Consumer Survey: A questioner administered through telephone, mail, internet, or personal interviews that seeks inputs from customers on important issues such as future buying habits, new product ideas, and opinions about existing products. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Quantitative Methods: Time series forecasting is based on the assumptions that the future is an extension of the past, thus, the historical that can be used to predict future demands. The components of time series data are, Trend Variations: Either increasing or decreasing ,movements over many years that are due to factors such as population growth, population shifts, cultural changes, and income shifts. Cyclical Variations: Wave like movements that are longer than a year and influenced by macro economic and political factors. Seasonal Variations: Peaks and valleys that repeat over a constant interval such as hours ,days, weeks, months, years, or seasons. Random Variations: Random peaks and valleys those are due to unexpected or unpredictable events such as natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, fire) strikes, and wars. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR): Voluntary Inter industry Commerce Standards (VICS),a New Jersey based Association defines Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment(CPFR) as, a business practice that combines the brainpower of two or more trading partners in planning the ways to fulfill the customer demand. They also explained the relationship that CPFR links best practices of sales and marketing, such as category management, to the implementation of supply chain planning and completion process, to increase availability while reducing inventory, transportation and logistics costs. Basically CPFR is an approach that deals with the requirements for good demand management. The most involved industries with CPFR are consumer products and food and beverage. (Collaborative Planning,Forecasting Replenishment CPFR) Objective of CPFR: The objective of CPFR is to optimize the supply chain process by: Improving accuracy of forecasting demand Delivering the right product at the right time to the right location Reducing inventory Avoiding stock outs Improving customer service But the most important fact on which the achievement of objective and activities of CPFR depend is to have collaborative trading partners who share risk and information mutually in the whole process. Without Collaborative planning and forecasting between the trading partners will make the supply chain suboptimal, thus will result in less-than-maximum supply chain profits. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Real value of CPFR: It is observed that forecasting developed only by firm tends to be inaccurate most of the time so therefore in CPFR when both the buyer and seller collaborate in forecasting, then it makes possible to match buyer needs with supplier production plans, thus ensuring competent replenishment. CPFR also helps in avoiding expensive corrections after the fact when demand or promotions have changed. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Benefits of CPFR: Strengthens supply chain partner relationships Provides analysis of sales and order forecast which improves the forecast accuracy Manage the demand chain and proactively eliminate problems before they appear Allow collaboration on future requirements and plans Combine planning, forecasting and logistic activities Provides efficient category management and understanding of consumer purchasing patterns (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Example 1: West Marine is one of the companies that has greatly benefited by implementing CPFR.They had CPFR relationships with 200 suppliers, 85 percent forecast accuracy, and 80 percent on-time shipments. For CPFR success collaboration with external part is important, and it is equally important that effective collaboration within the company is emphasized. For example: logistics, planning and replenishment personnel must work closely together. Example 2: CPFR was also implemented by ITTs Jabsco division, West Marines largest customer. During the process they experienced a reduction in cycle time from twenty-five days to three days, an increase in total sales of 11 percent, and a great improvement in on-time deliveries from 74 to 94 percent. Example 3: Wal-Mart is one of the early implementer of CPFR. CPFR enabled Wal-Mart to move into Just-in-Time (JIT) system that resulted in significant savings in inventory carrying costs for Wal-Mart, as well as its suppliers. Example 4: In late 1990s, most of the large American-based multinational companies such as Procter Gamble (PG) and Wal-Mart enter into a system called Collaborative Planning, forecasting and Replenishment. (Williams) Challenges for CPFR implementation There are top three difficulties faced by organizations in implementing CPFR: Making internal changes: Internal changes must always be tackled by top management as change is always difficult but if the top management is dedicated to the project and in educating employees about the benefits of CPFR then there are more chances of getting a successful internal change. Total implementation cost: Although cost is an important factor to be considered always but companies must determine whether they are at a competitive disadvantage. Trust: is one of the biggest hurdles in general implementation of CPFR as many retailers are unwilling to share the information required to implement CPFR. For example: Wal-Mart may be willing to share their sensitive data with the Wal-Mart only as they do not want other suppliers to know their information. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Emerging Trends: Companies are finding new and innovative ways to collaborate. For example, Procter and Gamble has implemented CPFR not only with some of its retail customers, but also with its suppliers, and even inside the company, between functions and divisions. (Sheffi, 2002) Standard CPFR Trading Partner Processes Source:  ©2008 Hypatia Research, LLC. (Collaborative Planning,Forecasting Replenishment CPFR) CPFR: Key Tenets The consumer is the ultimate focus of all efforts Buyers (retailers) and sellers (manufacturers) collaborate at every level Joint forecasting and order planning reduces surprises in the supply chain The timing and quantity of physical flows is synchronized across all parties Promotions no longer serve as disturbances in the supply chain Exception management is systemized (Edward, 2003) CPFR Process Model: The CPFR reference model provides a framework for planning, forecasting and replenishment process. Figure below represents the framework components. A buyer and a seller work as Collaboration Partners and work together to satisfy the customer demand which at the centre of the model. http://www.sql-server-performance.com/admin/article_images_new/2008_images/BI_Collaborative_Planning_Forecasting_Replenishment/Image1.jpg The key CPFR activities to enhance performance of Collaboration partners are 1.  Strategy Planning Establish the rules for collaborative relationship. Determine the product mix and develop event plans for the period. 2.  Demand and Supply Management Project consumer (POS) demand, as well as order and shipment requirements over the planning period. 3.  Execution Place orders, prepare and deliver shipments, receive and stock products in retail stores, record sales transactions and make payments. 4.  Analysis Monitor planning and execution activities for exception conditions. Aggregate results and calculate KPIs. Share insights and adjust plans for better performance. (www.ncsm.edu) CPFR Tasks in Detail: To understand in greater detail what businesses and their trading partners need to plan as part of their collaboration activities we need to analyze the tasks under each of the four identified Collaboration Activities.   The collaborations tasks and their mapping to collaboration activities is given in the table below CPFR Activity Task Mapping: CPFR Activity CPFR Task Trading Partners Strategy Planning Collaboration Arrangement Joint Business Plan Manufacturer, Retailer Demand Supply Management Sales Forecasting Order Planning/Forecasting Manufacturer, Retailer Execution Order Generation Order Fulfillment Manufacturer, Retailer Analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exception Management Performance Assessment Manufacturer, Retailer (www.12manage.com) (www.ncsm.edu) CPFR in Action Organizations can begin with successful CPFR with cooperation and timely plans. This combined approach helps all the trading partners such as retailers and manufacturers to unite in a formal agreement to perform the supply chain processes and establish a joint business plan. The CPFR softwares enables manufacturers, distributors and retailers to make the right decision about the material, stock and other resources required before placing the final order. CPFR is one of the powerful tools as it supports the whole supply chain process followed by nine steps defined as: (Edward, 2003) Phase I Planning In this phase, the emphasis is on developing element of trust between the people so that they give devoted work at different stages and processes. All types of barrier should be removed by the companys top management such as cultural barriers so that employees may feel comfortable working with them and will remain motivated towards their task performance. Firstly, the trading partners must clearly share their identities and processes in order to make a stronger bond between them, thus, the strong relationship will later help in setting a standard benchmark with mutual acceptance making more chances to be successful in achieving their organization targets. (Edward, 2003) There are two major steps that make up a front-end agreement and a joint business plan. Step 1: Developing Collaboration Agreement The Business Intelligence modules allow partners to define and measure specific KPIs. Web Planning ensures that all partners have access to the information simultaneously, while the Portal makes all the data and information visible across the supply chain. (Edward, 2003) The buyers and sellers must agree on the objectives of collaboration, ground rules, for resolving disagreements, confidentiality of information to be shared, sales forecast exception criteria, review cycle, time frame, and frozen time period with acceptable tolerance, financial incentives and success metrics. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Step 2: Crafting a Joint Business Plan A joint business plan is developed by sharing the companies business strategies and plans. The plan typically involves developing a joint product category and promotional plan in which the appropriate category strategies inventory policies, promotional activities, and pricing policies are specified. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) The front-end agreement should produce a long-term pact spanning the life of the business. Obviously, an enormous amount of information will flow between partners. Who should get what? When? Where? How much should they get (Edward, 2003) Phase II Forecasting The J.D. Edwards CPFR solution begins with a collaborative forecast of end-user demand and continues through all aspects of supply chain planning, providing support for both long-term and day-to-day decisions. In Phase II, an organization creates the sales forecast, which then feeds into the order forecast. (Edward, 2003) Step 3: Forecasting Sales Using the Demand Forecasting application, organizations can build multi-dimensional models, which may include product hierarchies, geographies, channels, and specific customers. Causal variables such as pricing, promotions, and new store openings can also be completely integrated. In addition, historical data can be combined with near real-time variations in the channel to get the most accurate forecast. (Edward, 2003) Either partner or both partners may generate the sales forecast. The forecasting techniques used can be qualitative or quantitative. When both partners each generate a forcast, middleware is used to highlight the difference, based on predetermined exception criteria previously agreed upon by the partners. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Steps 4 and 5: Collaborating to Develop a Shared Forecast Beginning with Demand Forecastings statistical forecast, users can make changes to an existing forecast or import their own forecast based on the most up-to-date information. Multiple forecasts can be reconciled using a powerful algorithm that takes into account the historical accuracy of different forecast contributors. Exceptions are easily identified and messages are sent to reconcile unusual items. Examples of sales forecast exception criteria are: retail in stock is less then 95 %, sales forecast error is greater the 20 %, the difference in sales forecast from the same period of the previous year is greater then 10%, or any changes that have occurred in timing of promotional active stores, The real-time joint decision making reduces the risk increase the confidence in the single forecast. (Wisner, Tan, Leong, 2008) Each contributor (partner, supplier, and customer) becomes an integral part of the real-time collaborative process. The final enterprise forecast is the combination of the most accurate and timely information available. (Edward, 2003) Step 6: Forecasting Orders The order forecast relies on point-of-sale (POS) data, causal information, and inventory strategies to generate a specific forecast that supports the shared sales forecast. Actual volume numbers are time-phased and reflect inventory objectives sorted by product and receiving location. The order forecast allows the manufacturer to allocate production capacity against demand while minimizing safety stock. J.D. Edwards supports this process by systematically aligning production capacity and scheduling items to give retailers increased confidence that orders will be delivered. With Production and Distribution Planning, it is possible to break down the sales forecast by sales period, sales region, and to more specific levels, such as individual stores. The order forecast integrates the sales forecast with order requirements to develop specific demand at retail level. Production and Distribution Planning ensures that the right product is built and delivered to the right aisle of the right store at the right time. In turn, Production and Distribution Planning works with Production Scheduling, breaking down production requirements on a daily or even hourly basis to ensure that the correct capacity and throughput are optimized to fill the necessary order. Operating through real-time collaboration reduces the uncertainty between trading partners and leads to consolidated supply chain inventories. Inventory levels are decreased, customer responsiveness is increased, and a platform for continual improvement among trading partners is established. (Edward, 2003) Steps 7 and 8: Identifying and Resolving Exceptions Identifying exceptions, determines what items fall outside the order forecast constraints established by the partners. The result is a list of exception items that are identified using the criteria established in the front-end agreement. Step eight, resolving exceptions, involves the process of investigating order forecast exceptions by querying shared data and submitting results to changes in the order forecast. Once again, the guidelines set down in the front-end agreement (or negotiations among partners) determine how those exceptions are resolved. (Edward, 2003) Phase III Executing During the final CPFR phase, front-end planning and forecasting come together with supply chain execution. Through J.D. Edwards collaborative CPFR solution, the order is generated and committed to delivery, enabling successful order delivery execution. Step 9: Generating Orders The final step in the CPFR process is generating the order and promising the delivery. The essence of maintaining positive relationships with partners and customers is to deliver on promises. Order Promising tags inventory (or raw materials) and addresses production schedules and transportation constraints to ensure that the product is ready when needed. Using Order Promising, companies can instantly determine where orders can best be satisfied from inventory at any location, planned production orders, or purchase receipts. When there is a promotion (such as a new store opening or product launch), Order Promising allows companies to quote future delivery dates or other key information related to the event. (Edward, 2003) Step 10: Executing to the CPFR Plan Although order generation is the ninth and final step of the formal CPFR model, the process doesnt end there. In effect, there is a tenth step involving execution of the order. This is where J.D. Edwards distinguishes itself. Once CPFR planning is complete, the model can feed data directly into J.D. Edwards Supply Chain Execution applications. Manufacturing, warehousing, order fulfillment, and transportation plans are completely synchronized into an integrated package to monitor and ensure on-time execution of the order delivery process. (Edward, 2003) Conclusion: Proper demand forecasting enables better planning and utilization of resources for business to be competitive. Forecasting is an integral part of demand management since it provides an estimate of the future demand and the basis for planning and making sound business decisions. A mismatch in supply and demand could result in excessive inventory and stock outs and loss of profit and goodwill. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are available to help companies forecast demand better. Since forecasts are seldom completely accurate, management must monitor forecast errors and make the necessary improvement to the forecasting process. Forecast made in isolation tend to be inaccurate. Collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment are an approach is which companies work together to develop mutually agreeable plans and take responsibility for their actions. The objectives of CPFR is to optimize the supply chain by generating a consensus demand forecast, delivering the right product at the right time to the right location, reducing inventories, avoiding stock outs, and improving customer services. Major corporations such as Wall-Mart, Warner-Lambert, and Proctor Gamble are early adopters of CPFR. Although the benefits of CPFR are well recognized, wide spread adoption has not materialized.

Accounting Essay -- essays research papers

Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nature of work of accountants and auditors is to prepare, analyze, and verify financial reports and taxes, and monitor information systems that furnish this information to managers in business, industry, and government. The major fields of accounting are Public accountants who have their own business or work for public accounting firms. They perform a large range of responsibilities such as doing taxes, numerous accounting and auditing, consulting activities for their clients, who may be corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, or individuals. Management accountants also called industrial, corporate, or private accountants record and analyze the financial information of the companies for which they work with. Other responsibilities include budgeting, cost management, and asset management. These accountants analyze and interpret the financial information corporate executives use to make sound business decisions. Internal auditors are very important t o our system. When companies make information more timely, top management base their decisions on actual data, rather than their personal opinion. So these auditors verify the accuracy of their organization’s records and check for mismanagement, waste or fraud. Government accountants maintain and examine the records of government agencies, and audit private business and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulations or taxation. All ranks of government accounting sees that revenues are received and expenditures are made in accordance to laws and regulations. Many who have a background in accounting work for the federal government as Internal Revenue Service Agents. Within each field, accountants often concentrate on one aspect of accounting. Jonda Dunn who I interviewed works for B. Lee Hubbard and Company in Jackson, Ohio. She has worked there for six years and enjoys her job. She has received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and minored in Comput er Science. She chose this career because she loves math and numbers. Mrs. Dunn deals with payrolls, bank reconciliation’s, and financial statements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In accountants working conditions they are usually placed in an office setting. Self employed accountants are able to do part of their work at home instead of the office. Those who may be employed by public firms and... .... With more than 90,000 people in over 130 countries, the members of Deloitte Touchà © Tohmatsu are dedicated to delivering world-class service to their world-class clients. They are located 10 Westport Road, Wilton, CT 06897, (203) 761-3000 but they also have numerous offices throughout the United States. Their worldwide revenue: $4.2 billion. CPA employees: 8,600. My last choice to be employed is at BDO Seidman, which is a national organization, focused on serving clients through business lines: Tax; Assurance; Financial Advisory Services and Wave Bend Solutions. Through leadership in Tax consulting, clients benefit from an unparalleled approach to tax planning, consulting and compliance and experience in transaction structuring to help reduce tax consequences. The practice employs a service philosophy of extensive partner involvement to provide insightful and constructive suggestions for improving clients' business strategies, management information, operating and accounting procedures and controls. They are located 15 Columbus Circle 1, New York, NY 10023, and (212) 765-7500. With worldwide revenue: $181 million. CPA employees: 840.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

A look a Pratical Magic :: essays research papers

Practical Magic was released October 16, 1998. The story is about two sisters who break a curse that had been placed on their family for over 200 years, by their ancestor Maria. Throughout the movie the theme is magic. Practical Magic helps to break the false images placed on witches and magic throughout time, but at times, the movie, still upholds some of the negative views of witches. There are many stereotypes that are set upon modern witchcraft and magic in today’s society that Hollywood has helped to maintain. In society there are people that are the selected voice of the general public in critiquing movies. I will be looking at Practical Magic’s use of magic to see how they break or perpetuate the following stereotypes: physical appearance of a witch, the witch as an outcast, and the types of magic and how they were shown throughout the movie. When looking at the main characters: Sally, Gillian, Jet and Frances, the viewer will see different physical appearances of how Hollywood views the possible appearance of a witch A witch throughout history is usually a hag, old, poor, handicapped, or ugly (Guiley 371). In the movie, the Owens women are what most people would consider quite beautiful. They are just like normal people with the exception of the fact that they have a gift. The aunts: Jet and Frances in the movie would be considered to follow the typical stereotype of a witch that is old but even though they are typical old woman that lives on the outskirts of town they break the stereotypical medieval image of a witch being ugly and a hag but they also perpetuate other stereotypes by dressing in lavish 19th century clothing. Their style screams â€Å"I’m different†. The aunts seem to be aging quite well. They appear to look young for their age. In one scene, when the detective goes in to town to ask about t he Owens’ sisters, he gets an ear full about how the aunts don’t age. Many in the town believe this is due to the fact that they are witches. There is one more image of a witch portrayed in history. This image is from the other end of the spectrum. Instead of being a hag or ugly, she is beautiful and a seductive woman. Sally destroys the image of both of the stereotypes of what a witch looks like.

Ethnic group Essay

Race in America is one of those subjects that scholars rarely broach and are heavily criticized for these omissions by their constituents. For this reason, the subject of race and urbanization felt a proper choice for this final paper. Following, we will incorporate data from multiple sources including Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, a novel that examines the harrowing trials of different groups in Afghanistan and what happens to the ones lucky enough to escape the violence of their homeland into the safety net of American soil; in an attempt to show the inalienable link between race and urbanization. This discussion on urbanization and race in American will also include a brief discussion on classism. Classism is a part of the structural organization of society that can be measured as part of the contributing factors to the socioeconomic divisiveness experienced in this urbanized world. Some argue that gentrification, in all of its wonders is class based. Others argue it more a matter of ethnicity and race, both may be correct. Nevertheless, the issue of race, as aforementioned should be granted a closer look. By examining the ideas and experiences of anthropologists and sociologists past and present this paper will attempt to specify on how classism, racism, and urbanization are connected. Growing Cities and Ghettos The Industrial Revolution sparked an enormous wave of migrants and immigrants into American cities creating an urban ecology. Chapter 3 of the Giddens et. al. text, describes the social movement from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft; from a community based ideology in society to a more individualized world. Afghanistan is an agriculturally based society. Urbanization is a global process that draws people away from rural areas and into the cities. Once in those cities, people tend to gravitate to areas that are inhabited by people of their same cultural fabric. In discussing theories of urbanization, gentrification and displacement, John Bentacur (2010) in Gentrification and Community Fabric in Chicago points out how people are drawn to areas that have a cultural/ethnic connectivity, â€Å"immigrants with different characteristics compete for space until they get accommodated with alike others in locations that correspond to their competitive strengths† (p 384). In the novel, The Kite Runner, Amir and his father make the arduous migration from Kabul, Afghanistan to Fremont, California. Their low income neighborhood of Fremont is ethnically diverse but with a notable concentration of Afghani residents. It makes sense that when people leave their countries of origin to settle in a new place, they will be drawn to people and areas that are familiar to them. Even with familiarity problems arise, urban studies reveal several difficulties that plague densely populated urban neighborhoods; poverty, crime and dilapidated conditions to name a few. In Afghanistan Baba, Amir’s father, was rich and even wielded some power for being a respected business man and serving the community by creating an orphanage that would later be destroyed by the Taliban regime. In America, there would be no such accolades to speak of for their family. In fact, they would live in a type of poverty, they had never experienced nor hardly imagined. They would experience the existence that many black Americans face with no end in sight. A growing world population combined with globalization and the heightened mobility that comes with it has led to the creation of cities and a scramble for affordable housing. Gentrification also known as ‘urban regeneration’ or ‘re-urbanization’ is the process that happens in a community when it becomes urbanized and consists of the higher income families moving into lower income areas. During this process demographic changes are notable; in America, gentrification is notably marked by white families moving into black neighborhoods. Race and Ethnicity America is a multicultural nation. Our history of slavery created the black and white groups and the immigrant populations from around the world contributes to a high variety of culture and ethnic background. The macro-sociological issue of race and ethnicity has been the source of much debate and discussion. The reason for this is that the issue of race has been the root cause of social and political turmoil. Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton provide the backdrop in history when segregation by race was created in America in their book American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass. Massey and Denton edify that racial segregation was not always a fact of life in American society and that in fact; blacks and whites lived in close proximity to each other, albeit in the alley ways of the big homes occupied by their white neighbors, â€Å"industrialization in the north unleashed a set of social, economic and technological changes that dramatically altered the urban environment in ways that promoted segregation between social groups† (1993:19-26). Urbanization and technological advancement (causing blacks in the south to migrate to northern cities by the tens of thousands) would be the foundation for residential segregation where blacks and other minorities would be relegated to the outskirts of town. Black ghettos would remain isolated from society in a manner that was rarely, experienced by the European immigrants that came to this country during industrialization. Blacks and later, Latinos, would be destined to live isolated and neglected from social organizations and deprived from many of the benefits enjoyed by white communities with little hope of escape, â€Å"not only was the segregation of European ethnic groups lower, it was also temporary. Whereas Europeans isolation indices began to drop shortly after 1920, the spatial isolation characteristics of blacks had become a permanent feature of the residential structure of large American cities by 1940† (Massey and Denton 1993:57). In America, race and ethnicity is more clearly defined than in places like Afghanistan. According to data gathered from the PBS News Hour website, Afghanistan has nine different ethnic groups that reside in different territories of the country. They have fought and continue to fight civil wars, over culture (religion), legislative power and territory. Afghanistan and the U. S. are similar in their historical oppression of one ethnic group over another. In Afghanistan, the Pashtun/Sunni have for a long time ruled the land and claimed dominion over the Hazara/Shites. The Hazara group can be considered the equivalent to the Black demographic in America where historically they were the slave class, but are currently represented in government. Statistics In a rapidly modernizing world, Afghanistan is among the severely underdeveloped countries of the Middle East. As previously mentioned, Afghanistan is a multiethnic/multifaith, agriculturally based democracy, with a history of violence. And it perhaps it is this history, in addition to deep religious belief systems that have kept this land from joining the rest of the modern world. In reviewing the Millennium Development Goals indicators, data collected by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), I reviewed several indicators that point to the fact that Afghanistan has a long road ahead. Afghanistan is making slow but sure progress trying to bring itself into a socially, politically and economically stable place. The first indicator measured the number of underweight children less than 59 months. The UNSD defines this indicator as a high number of moderately to severely underweight children, â€Å"whose weights for age are less than two standard deviations†. According to the report a healthy population will have 2. 3 percent of their children in this category. In 2004, 32. 9 percent of Afghanistan’s children were reportedly underweight, compared to 44. 9 percent in 1997. This indicator points to the poverty level and lack of nourishment recorded within a seven year period in Afghanistan. A second indicator measures women’s rights and representation in government. This indicator is defined as, â€Å"the portion of seats held by women in national parliament† increased from 3. 7 percent in 1990 to 27. 3 percent in 2006. The measurement was sustained through 2012 at 27. 7 percent. More work needs to be done and educating the population should be the place to start. Theological Link The Modernization Theory discussed in the text looks to explain the underdevelopment of countries like Afghanistan. Marx worried about capitalism and the effects it had on the lower-class population and thereby, the democratic process. Marx’s Conflict Theory dictates that societies are ruled by a small group of elite that create social order for the larger population. In this, we have the creation of divisions by class (division of labor), a central topic of discourse since the beginning of industrialized times. The French Revolution of 1787 (also known as the revolt of the bourgeois or middle-class society) creating capitalism and thereby usurping government power from monarchs. Karl Marx hated democracy. â€Å"Democracy is the road to socialism† (Karl Marx) Capitalism created tensions between the working and bourgeois classes. Summary Race and urbanization are indivisibly linked. Marxism and Class Conflict is the most applicable theory of today’s society. Considering the current events and status of world order, it is undeniable; capitalism continues to be the most powerful ideology in the world. The United States is a powerful country and the way it retains power is by unwaveringly maintaining capitalistic ideology and participating in global conflict around the world in defense of this ideology, â€Å"power, ideology, and conflict are always closely connected† (Giddens 2012:20). Societies are based on trust and these trusts are broken by the people that create and uphold unjust rules for the population of color and the poor. Works Cited Betancur, John. 2010. â€Å"Gentrification and community fabric in Chicago. † Urban Studies Journal Foundation. Sage 48(2): 383 – 407. Retrieved from http://usj. sagepub. com/content/48/2/383 Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Applebaum and Deborah Carr. 2012. â€Å"Introduction to sociology. † New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Eighth ed. , pp. 15-78. Massey, Douglas and Nancy A. Denton. 1993. â€Å"The construction of the ghetto. † Pp 17-59 in American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making for the Underclass. Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://ereserve. baruch. cuny. edu. remote. baruch. cuny. edu/eres/coursepage. aspx? cid=3155&page=docs United Nations Statistics Division. (1991-2011) [Table Data on Gender Parity Index in Primary Enrollment retrieved November 5, 2012. ] Millenium Development Goals Indicators. Retrieved from http://mdgs. un. org/unsd/mdg/Metadata. aspx? IndicatorId=0&SeriesId=559 United Nations Statistics Division. (1991-2011) [Table Data on Gender Parity Index in Primary Enrollment retrieved November 5, 2012. ] Millenium Development Goals Indicators. Retrieved from http://mdgs. un. org/unsd/mdg/Metadata. aspx? IndicatorId=0&SeriesId=557.